20 inch iMac... Soon?

[MacRumors]

From the wacky but "what if?" department....

At least one report claims that we'll see a 20" iMac as early as tomorrow (Nov 18th). Whether this design would incorporate the rumored case redesign (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2003/11/20031112032413.shtml) or simply a top-heavy version of the current iMacs is not clear.

[macMaestro]

Is that tiny arm really strong enough to support a 20 inch display???

Would be pretty sweet though.

...And expensive.

[arn]

let the debate begin... ;)

it does seem infeasible... what's the market for a 20" LCD iMac? (assuming it's a top heavy version of the current one)

arn

[bignumbers]

Yes, and it will use the same screen as the 20" iBook...

[loneAzdgari]

Originally posted by arn
let the debate begin... ;)

it does seem infeasible... what's the market for a 20" LCD iMac? (assuming it's a top heavy version of the current one)

arn

Depends on Price and performance. Maybe they could offer this as a BTO option, where you could select your screen size, graphics card, memory etc. A fully BTO iMac would be very popular, and a 20" iMac could be a cheap alternative to a G5 with the same sized screen.

[Ambrose Chapel]

as long as it has the expected dual G5s, bring it on!
:D ;)

[nagromme]

With a G5 and a new case--MAYBE, eventually.

Tomorrow? Wacky!

Could this rumor have come from some misunderstood report of new Apple Cinema Display designs coming soon? Perhaps someone saw something about a new (aluminum?) 20" and thought it was for an iMac?

[applekid]

Not very plausible.

Apple would have to use their 20" Display to at least have good quality. A re-designed base would make it a pricey computer with that kind of display.

But it would be cool to see completely BTO iMacs. Think how the education market would benefit from this!

[Bunzi2k4]

Now all apple needs is a 20" powerbook g5... hey... that's not a bad idea...

back to the topic, i think a 20" imac would be a good idea, i wouldn't get it, but i'm sure people would get one though...

[1macker1]

A 20 inch display...WOW. So it you cost around 2,500 bucks, 1500 for the display alone, and 1000 for the "computer" parts. Not bad, i paid 2,100 for a 800MHZ 17" imac.

[ramiman]

That would be really awsome...and if it will be too expensive then the 17" 's price will go down. That would be great but i don't think that this will happen as soon as tomorrow.

[Awimoway]

My first thought when I read this was a comical image of forward-heavy iMac falling on its face from the sheer weight.

I'm not sure I believe this, but Apple often surprises me. This would have to be one very expensive consumer item, and if PowerMacs are now selling insanely well, why cut into that market? Why not go the other way and slash prices and make inroads on the lower end market?

[Doctor Q]

It is exactly what I want for my next purchase. I need a Mac with any old processor, a screen larger than 17", and for the lowest cost. I was hoping Apple would sell (not but expecting them to sell) a headless iMac, so I could use a bigger monitor, but this is better. I need the Mac for routine web surfing, e-mail, word processing, etc., nothing that requires a high-end processor. No expandability needed, just the few standard ports. If true, this rumor is great news!

[cornboy]

Can't speak for the strength of the pivot or indeed the weight of the base, but I recall rumours (yes, I'm english!) of a 19" iMac last summer, this was well after the 17" was launched, so perhaps this is more real than initial thoughts might suggest. Also, pretty everyone who is buying iMac in NYC SoHo applestore seems to be wanting tio watch DVDs on it. With Sony launching their very aesthetically pleasing 19" AIO with TV tuner, Apple probably need to compete in the run-up to Christmas.

[restiffbard]

I would still prefer a headless, small form factor Mac over an integrated system. The G5 is a bit too big in its current incarnation. (believe me, see one in person. if its near an old G4 you will soon realize the immense difference).

But, a headless mac would be nice if they could keep the price down. I'd be happy with a 1.6 or 1.8 G4 Cube with a ton of RAM and decent video.

[Chomolungma]

Two computer solution: I used to want a large iMac (19" or 20") and a 12 PB for business trips (a fix to the portable jukebox too).

One computer solution: Now I'm having second thoughts. I think a 15" PB and a 20" or 23" Display can do just the same. I think this is the way most of us will want to go i.e. one computer wherever we are!

But, those iMac sure looks nice. I was in Seattle this pass week and saw four iMac in a design firm office. It sure looks nice!

Chomo-

[iHack]

I want one, I want one!!!

There is no substitute for square inches

of desk space that is...

M.

[mystixman]

Headless iMac = Dual G4 Cube

[the_mole1314]

I doubt that the 20" iMac will have screen weight issues, I think the main problem will be price and packaging, not weight on the arm and screen.

[micvog]

If this is real, and I don't think it is, I hope one of the following is true:

(1) it is a G5 iMac.

or

(2) the display can be re-used with a "headless G5 iMac" when the owner outgrows a G4.

I just don't see the logic in spending the type of money required for a 20" display when it quite possibly is mated for life to a processor that isn't exactly future-proof.

Apple does need to improve their consumer line up ASAP IMO. I had planned to switch to an eMac to hold me over until a consumer G5 Mac was available - even went to the Apple Store with credit card in hand this past weekend. Unfortunately I walked out without spending any money because of the screen distortion caused by the eMac speakers and the price/performance ratio of the iMac left me with nothing compelling to buy. (Although, the G4 iBook is tempting...)

Michael

[Snlhobo]

I dont think a 20'' imac would help apple at all. If it cost the same as the current 17'' it would be nice. Like someone already said, apple needs to make inroads into the low cost computer market.

[stoid]

The G4 Cube bridged the gap inbetween the G4 Tower and the TiBooks, so it would tend to reason that Apple would release a G5 Cube to bridge the gap now inbetween the G5 Tower and the G5 PowerBook.

Seeing as all of the laptops are in G4 mode, I think that the iMac needs to be bumped to G5 to further distance it from the eMac.

[Phatpat]

the 20" imac may seem unrealistic now....but wouldn't we have said the same thing about the 17" powerbook?

[ericdano]

Originally posted by restiffbard
I would still prefer a headless, small form factor Mac over an integrated system. The G5 is a bit too big in its current incarnation. (believe me, see one in person. if its near an old G4 you will soon realize the immense difference).

But, a headless mac would be nice if they could keep the price down. I'd be happy with a 1.6 or 1.8 G4 Cube with a ton of RAM and decent video.

Yeah. I have a 450Mhz Cube. Awesome product I think. The timing was wrong with the Cube. People still wanted expansion slots (PCI) and firewire had not caught on yet. I know I invested in a new powerlogix case for my cube and am planning on getting a G4 upgrade for it.........probably over a gigahertz.

[jettredmont]

Originally posted by arn
let the debate begin... ;)

it does seem infeasible... what's the market for a 20" LCD iMac? (assuming it's a top heavy version of the current one)

arn

I'd buy one, assuming the resolution is the same as the current 20" LCD.

I can't buy an iMac because the resolution is too low for me and my wife, and for the kids (who can get by with the lower resolution of the 17"-er) the combination of a relatively fragile screen on a dual-hinged arm gives me nightmares (it's an eMac for them ...).

A 20" screen and I can use it if I need to, and my wife would love it ... and we'd keep it in the room with all the Ming dynasty vases and 8' glass sculptures that the kids aren't allowed to enter ... :)

[arn]

Originally posted by Phatpat
the 20" imac may seem unrealistic now....but wouldn't we have said the same thing about the 17" powerbook?

and in fact, people did:

http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2003/01/20030106205306.shtml (day before the 17" PowerBook was announced)

BTW, Thinksecret is now reporting the same

http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2003/11/20031117160727.shtml

arn

[ogminlo]

I'm wondering if perhaps there will be a dual processor iMac? With the unlikelyhood of a G5 iMac in the next 6 months (it would need to filter down through the Xserve and PowerBooks lines first), a DP iMac could bridge the performance gap, and do so with less expensive IBM 750FX chips... a DP 700 is faster than a single 1.4...

[Awimoway]

Originally posted by arn
BTW, Thinksecret is now reporting the same

http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2003/11/20031117160727.shtml


And that's confirmation enough for me. The dual 1.8 G5 PowerMac part of the story is interesting too.

Any guess on the prices?

20" iMac: Sheesh, I had no idea the high end iMac was already going for $2450! Can a consumer device go any higher in price? I think the other iMacs will get price cuts and the new high end will run for $2600 or $2700. But damn that's expensive.

1.8 Dual G5: $2700 or $2800.

[kangaroo]

It would be nice to know what the sales numbers are on the lineup and in particular the iMac.

Apple needs a strong home-based computer to offer joe consumer. For joe consumer, the powermac is too big and too expensive, the power/i books are perceived as 'road machines', and the eMac is an anachronism that looks like it belongs in the '60s. That leaves the iMac which, although dashing w/a great personality, looks underpowered and expensive compared to a Dell. (Please, no price comparative ranting here--you can get a Dell/w monitor starting $399).

For the iMac to be a contender, therefore, it needs <at least> G5 bragging rights and a larger <higher quality> monitor. (As nice as the iMac's screen adjustability is, if it had better specs including viewing angle, you wouldn't need to adjust it that much).

Now, if Apple had a 20" G5 iMac available a few weeks ago, I would have snapped that up instead of the PB I'm using now.

[1macker1]

I dont see how they are going to price this thing. Like another user posted, the high end is alread right at 2,500 bucks. They cant charge anymore for the iMac, hell the dual G5's are "only" 2,999.

[iMeowbot]

Originally posted by Awimoway
20" iMac: Sheesh, I had no idea the high end iMac was already going for $2450! Can a consumer device go any higher in price?

Well, "consumer" is just a rough category. These things are also showing up in businesses and places like university labs. There are lots of "professional" uses for Macs where a small footprint is more important than having PCI slots or a bleeding edge processor (not everyone is producing multimedia).

[Dont Hurt Me]

slap a g5 in a imac and give it a agp slot and pci slot and wam a new market, now where the heck has apple been the last couple of years? oh yeah farting around with moto stagnation.

[pkradd]

Sorry, the current iMac design cannot support a G5 chip. Why do you think there are 6 fans in the new G5 Powermac.... geeezz.

However, the current 17" iMac screen/bezel is 21 1/2 inches on the diagonal. There's a lot of real estate around the screen so it shouldn't be too top heavy if the bezel is slimmed down for a 20" screen. We'll see.

[Dont Hurt Me]

smoke and mirrors plus they needed a silent machine after the wind tunnel mdd, all they have to do is have a bunch of holes and a silent fan, give me a new pcix whatever slot, 4x or 8 agp slot a new g5 1.8 or 2.0 and a 9800 and wham you have a sale and a mac gaming machine. they know they have moto stagnation.

[DillHarris]

This would be nice as the high(er) end, with the rest of the line getting bumped down in price

[iEric]

I'm definately going for the imac if it has a bigger screen than 17" and if it has a G5..if it does not meet these requirements, then I'm probably not gonna get a new mac YET






okay..now goin back to my essay for english...

[rdowns]

If a G5 shows up in an iMac (at least 1.5 GHz) I'm in. I would have already bought the 17" had all these G5 rumors not started. If it's 20", I figure I'm set for the next 5 years.

[eightball]

a little birdy who works for an apple store told me that 20" imacs and dual 1.8GHz G5s arrived today... the UPS guy actually brought them in through the front of the store too -- and the boxes were clearly marked with their contents. i guess they're not being too secretive about this one...

[wizard]

there is always cast iron.

change the base to cast iron and your tipping problems go away. Cast iron is inexpensive and very easy to machine, just look at barbell plates. The biggest expense would be a paint job to make apple happy.

After updating to a 17 inch screen a few months ago a 20" screen has become a coveted item. Frankly I'm running the same resolution on the 17" that I did on the old 15 inch what an improvement.

The problem with a 20" IMac is not the screen its the processor. Apple needs to get on the 970 wagon fast or the IMac will quickly be eclipsed by the rest of their line. So while I would love a 20 incher, it is but a dream until it is backed up with a better performing processor.

Dave


Originally posted by Awimoway
My first thought when I read this was a comical image of forward-heavy iMac falling on its face from the sheer weight.

I'm not sure I believe this, but Apple often surprises me. This would have to be one very expensive consumer item, and if PowerMacs are now selling insanely well, why cut into that market? Why not go the other way and slash prices and make inroads on the lower end market?

[Awimoway]

Originally posted by wizard
The problem with a 20" IMac is not the screen its the processor. Apple needs to get on the 970 wagon fast or the IMac will quickly be eclipsed by the rest of their line. So while I would love a 20 incher, it is but a dream until it is backed up with a better performing processor.

Dave

Yeah. I kind of get the impression that they're trying to distract from the lack of a 970 in the iMac. Bribing us with candy, so to speak, when what we really need is some good protein.

[joelypolly]

Originally posted by eightball
a little birdy who works for an apple store told me that 20" imacs and dual 1.8GHz G5s arrived today... the UPS guy actually brought them in through the front of the store too -- and the boxes were clearly marked with their contents. i guess they're not being too secretive about this one...

If this is true your little birdy might get some more customers

[Cuckoo]

Originally posted by cornboy
With Sony launching their very aesthetically pleasing 19" AIO with TV tuner, Apple probably need to compete in the run-up to Christmas.

Now there is an idea.

A 20" Imac, with a build in TV tuner. I could set it up in my livingroom, to replace, my DVDplayer and my TV... Use the bluetooth kbrd and mouse, and do whatever i like (computerwise ofcourse) in the livingroom.
(and maybe, maybe even watch an incidental downloaded movie)

I'd save up for that....

Cuckoo

[rdowns]

Originally posted by eightball
a little birdy who works for an apple store told me that 20" imacs and dual 1.8GHz G5s arrived today... the UPS guy actually brought them in through the front of the store too -- and the boxes were clearly marked with their contents. i guess they're not being too secretive about this one...

Did your little birdie see a G5 logo on he iMac? If not, tell him to poop on it.

[Dont Hurt Me]

the question is will it have a g5? if not then its not a big deal,what imac needs is a faster cpu not bigger screen

[manu chao]

Originally posted by kangaroo
Apple needs a strong home-based computer to offer joe consumer. For joe consumer, the powermac is too big and too expensive, the power/i books are perceived as 'road machines', and the eMac is an anachronism that looks like it belongs in the '60s. That leaves the iMac which, although dashing w/a great personality, looks underpowered and expensive compared to a Dell. (Please, no price comparative ranting here--you can get a Dell/w monitor starting $399).

Deep inside I somehow feel the same, but I find it funny that everybody is saying the eMac doesn't look that great, and then complains that the iMac is so much more expensive that these wonderfully designed Dells at $399.

BTW, Applestores are down everywhere.

[eightball]

Originally posted by rdowns
Did your little birdie see a G5 logo on he iMac? If not, tell him to poop on it.

Sadly he did not. That doesn't mean it's not a G5 though -- just that he didn't see one. He thinks he'll be pooping on it. =)

[Dippo]

Looks like this rumor came true!

[Ambrose Chapel]

i wonder if this source gets moved to arn's 'trusted' list...
;)