[kokkao]

This topic was sparked by something I just saw in one of London's Apple re-sellers. While I was waiting for the bus home there on display were the new cinema displays. Naturally I went to have another look and spotted on the pricing card a line for a 17" version at �467 + tax = �549.
1. Is this truly a 17" in the new format? Until today I have not seen anything about one.
2. And what does this imply for the G5 iMac AIO pricing?

[rixter55]

Originally posted by kokkao:
This topic was sparked by something I just saw in one of London's Apple re-sellers. While I was waiting for the bus home there on display were the new cinema displays. Naturally I went to have another look and spotted on the pricing card a line for a 17" version at �467 + tax = �549.
1. Is this truly a 17" in the new format? Until today I have not seen anything about one.
2. And what does this imply for the G5 iMac AIO pricing?

On the Apple Store (U.S.) they are still selling the "old style" 17" Apple Studio Display for USD $699.00. This may have been what you were seeing.

[turtle777]

http://thinksecret.com/news/imacg5specs.html

-t

[Don Pickett]

Originally posted by turtle777:
http://thinksecret.com/news/imacg5specs.html

-t

The idea that Apple would sell a machine with no modem or optical drive strikes me as silly.

I imagine the new iMac prices will be roughly equal to the old ones, as is Apple's normal way of things.

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally posted by Don Pickett:
The idea that Apple would sell a machine with no modem or optical drive strikes me as silly.

I imagine the new iMac prices will be roughly equal to the old ones, as is Apple's normal way of things.

It's an educational model. Most schools don't need DVD-ROM drives at every station, and they obviously aren't going to need modems.

[Don Pickett]

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
It's an educational model. Most schools don't need DVD-ROM drives at every station, and they obviously aren't going to need modems.

The iMac isn't the educational model, tho. The eMac is.

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally posted by Don Pickett:
The iMac isn't the educational model, tho. The eMac is.

From the Think Secret article. http://thinksecret.com/news/imacg5specs.html

"The new iMac line will begin with a bare bones "education" model using a 17-inch widescreen, active-matrix display."

Also, Apple DID offer specially designed iMac for education...

[Don Pickett]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
[B]From the Think Secret article. http://thinksecret.com/news/imacg5specs.html

As a rule, I don't trust rumor sites.

[mitchell_pgh]

Well, then going back to your "The idea that Apple would sell a machine with no modem or optical drive strikes me as silly."

Currently eMacs for sale:

$599.00
1GHz PowerPC G4
256MB DDR333 SDRAM
40GB Ultra ATA drive

$649.00
1GHz PowerPC G4
256MB DDR333 SDRAM
40GB Ultra ATA drive
CD-ROM drive

Now if Apple could sell a headless eMac for $599 with a combo drive...

[Don Pickett]

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
Now if Apple could sell a headless eMac for $599 with a combo drive... [/B]

Don't hold your breath.

[kenaustus]

I know of a couple of large companies that buy PCs without CD drives - they don't want people loading anything into their computers - everything is controlled by IT. Probably the same with education so there is a good reason for the bottom of the line education iMac. We'll see if consumers start wanting one - with a combo drive as an option.

[QNational]

If the Mac ships without an optical drive, won't that make installing the OS a bit of a pain right out of the box? I suppose you could always hook up an external CD or Firewire drive to install the OS. Hmmm...food for thought anyway.

[mac freak]

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:

Now if Apple could sell a headless eMac for $599 with a combo drive...

They could make it really tiny, and call it the tMac

[Duo]

Originally posted by turtle777:
http://thinksecret.com/news/imacg5specs.html

-t

Look at the vid card they say is going to be put in the imac. Looks like I am going to have to save up a little longer and get a tower. It would be a shame, if apple puts those low and I mean low end vid cards in the imac.

Yes I know that the imac is a lower to low budget computer, but people with low budgets still wanna play the latest games.

Duo

[turtle777]

As a rule, I don't trust rumor sites.

As a rule, ThinkSecret is quit reliable !

-t

[turtle777]

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
Now if Apple could sell a headless eMac for $599 with a combo drive... [/B]

I'm almost tempted to buy a cheap eMac w/o drive, take it apart, put in a mini tower, add a combo drive and a nice flat screen, et voila !

-t

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally posted by turtle777:
I'm almost tempted to buy a cheap eMac w/o drive, take it apart, put in a mini tower, add a combo drive and a nice flat screen, et voila !

-t

I've been tempted. It just makes so much sense... I'd like a cheap server for home and a cheap system to mess around with (strip down, create a media computer). Have them all tied in to ONE nice monitor...

I just see it moving in SO many directions. If it had VGA out, dual monitor support and a nice/easy way to add a second hard drive, I'd die!

[Okonomiyaki]

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
I've been tempted. It just makes so much sense... I'd like a cheap server for home and a cheap system to mess around with (strip down, create a media computer). Have them all tied in to ONE nice monitor...

Maybe Apple should consider something like an iServe. Something along the lines of the xServe but dumbed down and priced down to be more appropriate to the needs of individuals, families, and even small businesses that need a server but not all the power of the xServe. Maybe a different enclosure too as most of those types of users aren't going to have or need a rack to mount something on. Maybe a good form factor would be a return of the cube.

[010111]

Marathon Computer makes cases for older iMac guts. i have 5-6 of them and they are great. nice to have 6 iMacs in 6U of rackspace vs. 3 or 4 shelves and the heat of the monitors.

http://www.marathoncomputer.com/iracdv.html

they cost $399... and at this point the highest machine they make them for are the iMac DV.

i have emailed before requesting that they made a similar kit for the eMac... as our iMacs are getting a bit long in the tooth. and $399 + $599 = $998... which is still cheaper than even a used 1GHz G4 Xserve.

email them and let them know you would like to see the product... i have. and the more people that do it... the more likely it will happen.

[Xapplimatic@Ade]

Originally posted by QNational:
If the Mac ships without an optical drive, won't that make installing the OS a bit of a pain right out of the box? I suppose you could always hook up an external CD or Firewire drive to install the OS. Hmmm...food for thought anyway.

My experience with Macs are that the OS is preinstalled on all Macs right out of the box... no need for a CD... also, most college or corporate campuses will administrate software upgrades over their network if possible to minimize use of staff labor .. and all Macs have an Ethernet port for years now.

[MrForgetable]

It sounds like it will cost the same or more. Maybe the G5 will go into the eMac too?

[mckinlayr]

The CRT eMac is great for schools, It is tougher than an LCD iMac, It is cheaper, it weighs more and is thus harder to steal or for students to move around (e.g throw, push off desk). LCDs are too fragile and too expensive for schools at the moment.

The graphics cards for the iMacs seem like a simple cut and paste from the current specs. A Geforce 4mx 32mb is too slow, too old and a gamer or PC user reading that on a spec sheet would laugh. Also it wouldn't work with Tiger's Core image technology. A 5200Fx is the absolute minimum and I expect a 128mb graphics card of some sort as a built to order option, is very likely on the top of the line iMac. This would keep it even with the Powerbook which is a fairly reliable trend.

G5 technologies like Gigabit ethernet, AGP 8x, Firewire 800 which are likely to make the jump to the iMac are not mentioned.

To me this report is not reliable. If any features of the iMac G5 match those in this report it will have been pure coincidence. I have been watching the rumour scene since it's inception and this report is probably in the same basket as piles, iWalk, the apple set-top box and the iPhone.

By the way there is precedent for installing software on new machines.
When my iBook G4 800mhz arrived, the first thing I had to do was install classic and the extra applications (Worldbook, THPS4 etc.).

[Halfloaf]

If thinksecret is to be believed, then the low end imac (edu) will not support core video...Ship a new iMac wihout futureproofing it...hmmm...?!

-HL

[im_noahselby]

Originally posted by mckinlayr:
G5 technologies like Gigabit ethernet, AGP 8x, Firewire 800 which are likely to make the jump to the iMac are not mentioned.

To me this report is not reliable. If any features of the iMac G5 match those in this report it will have been pure coincidence. I have been watching the rumour scene since it's inception and this report is probably in the same basket as piles, iWalk, the apple set-top box and the iPhone.

By the way there is precedent for installing software on new machines.
When my iBook G4 800mhz arrived, the first thing I had to do was install classic and the extra applications (Worldbook, THPS4 etc.).

I think more and more "rumours" will begin to trickle out as we get closer to the end of August. Also, wasn't the iMac G4 cover material on Time Magazine (Canada edition?) before Steve Jobs officially announced it during the last iMac transition... If this transition is just as groundbreaking as the last one, I do expect it to get cover material yet again - which may mean an earlier than expected glimpse at the new machine

I personally doubt we'll see FireWire 800 in an iMac. It's just not a very exciting technology at the moment. As for the rest of the technologies you've mentioned; I'm not sure if they belong in an iMac at this time. Not even the 12" PB has Firewire 800 or Gigabit ethernet yet, so I think it's pretentious of you to say they should make the jump to iMac. Maybe I am wrong, but this is at least how I see it.

Is a bare bones iMac "education" model using a 17" widescreen LCD and a 1.6GHz G5 processor logical? Don't forget to axe the modem and the optical drive... Something just doesn't smell right here. To have an education specific iMac tells me that eMacs are either getting the axe or not in the immediate pipeline. Apple introduced the eMac line for a reason. What makes them think they can please their education customers with a $1300 iMac?

1) Does the education market really demand a 17" widescreen LCD display? For education purposes, a 15" display seems far more logical.
2) Why use such an expensive 17" display, if you are aiming at a market (education) that puts price above everything else.
3) How does axing an iMac's optical drive fit in with Apple's digital hub strategy? Seems like the optical drive is a fairly core component; especially for an iMac...

I personally don't believe this report, although final specifications may be similar, I wouldn't buy into it just yet.

Noah

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally posted by 010111:
Marathon Computer makes cases for older iMac guts. i have 5-6 of them and they are great. nice to have 6 iMacs in 6U of rackspace vs. 3 or 4 shelves and the heat of the monitors.

http://www.marathoncomputer.com/iracdv.html

they cost $399... and at this point the highest machine they make them for are the iMac DV.

i have emailed before requesting that they made a similar kit for the eMac... as our iMacs are getting a bit long in the tooth. and $399 + $599 = $998... which is still cheaper than even a used 1GHz G4 Xserve.

email them and let them know you would like to see the product... i have. and the more people that do it... the more likely it will happen.

$399 seems crazy considering the computer only costs $799.

[Commodus]

Just to get it out of the way first: the Think Secret article does not state that the educational model will be $1299. I've been seeing numerous people make a flawed assumption that the minimum MSRP has to refer to the educational model.

As far as educational models go, the stripped-down iMac G5 wouldn't be a replacement for the eMac - it would simply be a slimmer, more powerful model for schools that need either or both of the above benefits.

As a hunch, here's how I suspect Apple will price their lineup:

$999 17" education-only model
$1299 17" combo model
$1599 17" superdrive (may be BTO-only)
$1999 20" superdrive
$2099 20" superdrive with 160 GB hard drive

[mitchell_pgh]

Originally posted by Commodus:
Just to get it out of the way first: the Think Secret article does not state that the educational model will be $1299. I've been seeing numerous people make a flawed assumption that the minimum MSRP has to refer to the educational model.

As far as educational models go, the stripped-down iMac G5 wouldn't be a replacement for the eMac - it would simply be a slimmer, more powerful model for schools that need either or both of the above benefits.

As a hunch, here's how I suspect Apple will price their lineup:

$999 17" education-only model
$1299 17" combo model
$1599 17" superdrive (may be BTO-only)
$1999 20" superdrive
$2099 20" superdrive with 160 GB hard drive

I just don't see how these will sell. The cheapest model being $1300... I guess I'll either get a refurbished PowerMac or an eMac and rip the CRT out.

[Proudest Monkey]

Originally posted by mitchell_pgh:
I just don't see how these will sell. The cheapest model being $1300... I guess I'll either get a refurbished PowerMac or an eMac and rip the CRT out.

I think $1299 for a 17 inch widescreen G5 is quite optimistic. I would think $1599 may be the bottom for this new iMac. Which is unfortunate.

I cannot understand the lack of an optical drive in the educational model. I'd love to buy an educational model while still in school for $1299 after the edu discount. But without an optical drive it does not make sense for a student to buy. They could introduce two edu models; 1 for institutions and 1 for students. Good idea, but not likely.

We'll have to see.

[jcadam]

I believe the ThinkSecret specs are BS. But we won't know for sure for a few weeks.

[turtle777]

Originally posted by jcadam:
I believe the ThinkSecret specs are BS. But we won't know for sure for a few weeks.

You'd be surprised.
ThinkSecret has an excellent track record. They are not infallible, but pretty close to it.

IIRC, they have only been majorly wrong once in the last 1 1/2 years...

-t

[DoeJury]

I think you guys are high if you think you're getting a widescreen LCD & G5 for $1299.

They will NOT kill the eMac.

This is what I'm expecting (and will buy):

$1499
1.6 G5
80gb HD
Combo
256 RAM
1280x1024 17" LCD
GeForce FX 5200 64mb (Radeion 9600 w/128mb option)

$1699
1.6 G5
80gb HD
Superdrive
256 RAM
1280x1024 17" LCD
GeForce FX 5200 64mb (Radeon option)

$1999
1.8 G5
160gb HD
Superdrive
512 RAM
1280x1024 17" LCD
Radeon 9600 w/128

[Chewn]

Yeah i tottaly agree with DoeJury, his numbers are so much more realistic. And i would personally buy the new imac when it comes out and is at that price range.

[Commodus]

I can tell you right now that DoeJury's already off the mark in that he talks about a 1280x1024 LCD display - those weren't in the G4 iMacs, and I can't see Apple changing their mind for the G5 version. 1440x900 widescreen stands out much more readily.

Also, consider some factors that can play into the pricing:

- G5s cost less on average than G4s to manufacture
- LCD component prices have come down (that's part of why the 17" PowerBook is $2799 now, not $3299)
- the iMac G4's case was expensive to make
- optical drives cost less now, too

So I wouldn't consider it unfeasible to have a $1299 system with a G5 in it. We'll see...

[DoeJury]

Originally posted by Commodus:
I can tell you right now that DoeJury's already off the mark in that he talks about a 1280x1024 LCD display - those weren't in the G4 iMacs, and I can't see Apple changing their mind for the G5 version. 1440x900 widescreen stands out much more readily.

I don't buy that. Apple is making a KILLING charging $699 for the 17" studio display. I think it would be weird if all the new iMacs had widescreen displays.

I also don't dig the whole widescreen fad - maybe that's my own problem. I would prefer a standard running resolution that won't put bars on the left and right when I play games...

So my specs (as anyone's) I guess reflect my own tastes.

I've been waiting to buy an iMac since March. I am going crazy waiting for their release/specs/prices.

[mitchell_pgh]

1) The iMac G4 had a wide screen... http://www.apple.com/imac/graphics.html

2) $1500 for the beginner iMac will KILL it. ($1300 for the bottom, if not lower)

[Commodus]

DoeJury:

I can understand the desire to have 1280x1024, but remember that every display in Apple's current lineup (the old 17" Studio doesn't count) above 14" is a widescreen model. The odds simply aren't in your favour!