Any ideas why base model powermac G5 was not updated?

[shadowmoses]

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas why the base model powermac G5 was left untouched when the other models were all upgraded, is this maybe due to a new xMac being released which is a hybrid of a mini and a powermac....i can always dream....

I'd like to know what others think of this,

ShadowM

 

[mad jew]

I'd always assumed it was just to get rid of old stock but it's stayed in the line up for longer than I thought it would.

 

[Chrispy]

I, too, was surprised that the single proc was not updated or given a price drop. Apple is going to have a harder time pushing these now given (on student pricing) about $300 will take you from a single CPU 1.8GHz G5 to a Dual 2.0 G5 config with a better video card, more ram, faster front side bus and a faster superdrive. Seems odd to me.

 

[topgunn]

Despite what others here believe, I feel that this particular machine is a place holder for Apple. What I think is that Apple will soon reveal a new Power Mac with dual 970MP G5's that will be available late this year or early 2006. When the machine is revealed, the SP PM 1.8GHz will be dropped and all of the other machines will drop down a price point.

 

[mad jew]

topgunn, that's a pretty safe assumption. I think most people would agree that come the next update to the Power Mac line (pretty much irrespective of how radical it is), the 1.8GHz machines will be dropped.

 

[macorama]

As to why, I guess as time goes on the margin on the 1.8GHz G5 has probably increased, so if there's 1.8GHz CPUs available, then Apple might as well sell them. It also probably helps them have a continuous range of models so they can "up sell" i.e. you want a mini, realise you can have an iMac for a bit more, then realise you can afford a real G5 (the 1.8), then realise for a bit more $$ you can have the dual 2GHz and so on. Having a big gap anywhere in the range kills that process.

As to when the 1.8GHz model will be dropped - 14th October

 

[x86isslow]

Another, although not as fun reason, could be IBM's production capacity. Now that the iMac G5's are at 2.0Ghz, it would probably be tough for Apple to get enough processors to meet demand for the HOT iMacs, the Dual 2.0 G5's, AND a single 2.0 GHz PowerMac low-end tower, assuming they would update it to 2.0 Ghz.

As for why they didn't cut prices, its probably a combination of the upsell idea and the placeholder idea. For now, it motivates people to get either the iMac or the Dual Powermacs, since they are the better deals for the buck. For the future, when IBM has supply, Apple won't have to raise prices with the update, they can just replace the current 1.8 with the new model at the same price point.