Actually, I was trying to be funny. It's the Onion story about the MacBook Wheel.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Planning Entirely New Mac Product Line?
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Actually, I was trying to be funny. It's the Onion story about the MacBook Wheel.
"Apple don't" => using 'Apple' to mean a collective (group of employees)
"Apple doesn't" => using 'Apple' to mean the singular company
I think both can be right...
or perhaps... small
Personally, I'm hoping Apple buys the AIBO rights from Sony and invents an iPhone you can never misplace, as it will follow you around.
Have you actually used an iPad over a course of weeks or months, as opposed to just playing with it briefly and dismissing it? I've been using various types of computers since 1983, I have an engineering degree, and I spent 20 years in the high-tech industry, so I hardly consider myself a simple-minded consumer. (I'll have to ask my friends and family whether my laugh is goofy.) I was skeptical about about the iPad being anything more than a novelty, so I held off buying one, but I finally broke down this past April after hearing so many people I trust rave about it. I'm now a convert. iOS doesn't render OS X, the mouse, or the graphic tablet obsolete. There are still tasks I can only do or that are easier to do on my Mac. But there are a surprising number of tasks that are easier to do using my iPad. iOS is still a relatively young operating system, and I'd be perfectly happy if iOS and OS X eventually merge -- as long as different types of users, from consumers to pros, can do what they need to do. I imagine it being context-sensitive, where you would use the touch interface for iDevices, and a conventional keyboard/mouse/trackpad/graphics tablet for Mac devices.
I certainly don't see that happening in time for this rumor, of course. There's one possibility that nobody has mentioned yet: that the rumor is incorrect, and there won't be any startingly different addition to the Mac product line. My own wish would be for a mid-priced tower (like the beloved G4 Sawtooth that I used for eight years, upgrading every part that could be upgraded), but I don't think that's ever going to happen. If there is something new, my money is on some sort of Mac TV, as that's been a persistent rumor for quite some time.
Next Windows PCs surge past the form Apple Mac
But then Windows will flounder as they have nothing to copy. Then we will be in the post PC time period. No Macs, no PCs, only iToys & those that have learned to copy & add some useful features.
But then Windows will flounder as they have nothing to copy. Then we will be in the post PC time period. No Macs, no PCs, only iToys & those that have learned to copy & add some useful features.
It depends on the use. A person who has a TV only for watching the news and reality shows will probably never buy an iTV. But someone who wants the best in home cinema, video gaming, and Internet use, normally change it more often. My previous 37 TV lasted only 4 years and I do not see my current 1year old 50 TV to stay in my living room for more than additional 4 more years. When we talk about iTV we mean for something entirely new with new capabilities, not just an AppleTV inside the screen.
17" semi-portable desktop tablet running Lion. Lies flat on desk, or lies nearly flat. Transmits to thunderbolt desktop monitor which mirrors its display, or connects via a hot-rod new airport wirelessly. Desktop display can connect external drive or additional display. Can be used as input device (combined keyboard and multitouch trackpad) or as interactive touch surface stand alone touch iMac. Full size on screen keyboard with number pad. $1200.00 with 128gb ssd and 4gb ram. $600 27" display as option. Will be called iMac touch.
Shrug. One of our guesses will be right, why not mine?
Shrug. One of our guesses will be right, why not mine?
What I like about PCs is that they scale up and for a pretty small price (even for high end machines like the Mac Pro) you put the tools into someones hand to produce images, videos, code, and well, whatever at a professional ("Hollywood") level. You have the capability to do whatever you want.
As long as the capability is there, I really don't care what form factor it takes, particularly if it makes my tasks easier. But what makes me nervous is that Apple seems to be stripping capability in order to appeal to a broader audience, at least based on the minimal evidence that the FCPx incident provided.
I don't care about what is good for Apple. I simply want a sophisticated tools that allows me to do what I do (large scale prints derived from numerous large raw files, videos utilizing processor taxing compositing and filters, coding capable of creating tens of thousands of files that will eventually become moving images, Photorealistic 3d generation of photographs and videos...)
What PCs give people that consumer devices have not reached yet is a tool that allows for some amazing, fully realized (at a professional level) creative activity. Ipads and their ilk seem to encourage passive consumption (I am not saying they are only capable of this, but looking at the top selling iPad apps indicates a "Here we are now, entertain us" mentality.
What makes me nervous is Apple shifting their focus completely to those who consume and ignoring those who produce. If I could make a feature length film using the iPad, or even manage and edit photographs capable of being printed large, then I might not care that the shift is starting now...
Am I the only person who cannot see the point to a "mid range upgradable tower"? Pro's need all the horsepower of the current Mac Pro, I don't think that's going anywhere, and the Mac Mini is plenty powerful enough for most other people.
I'm going rack mountable Mac Pro.
I'm going rack mountable Mac Pro.
Cheaped out on engineering, a form factor that nobody wants... does that sound like an Apple product to you?
You work in printing and you can't afford a Mac Pro? Sounds a bit hard to believe.
I think it is hard to make a comparison between a very well established TV market and the smartphone market which was still in its infancy for mainstream customers when Apple entered the market. I believe customers are much less likely to dump out their new large screen HDTV and replace it with a model from Apple then switch to a new phone on a two year contract.
The Apple TV still isn't that popular and its only $99 now. So you are saying that building it into a TV and then charging for that Apple logo is going to make people go nuts over it? I doubt it.
I doubt any of us can predict what this could be, given that the news says "entirely different". None of us could have seen the iPhone coming, and none of us could have seen the iPad coming.
Though, if we follow this line iPhone>iPad>..., maybe it'll be an.. iMat? Giant iPad
Though, if we follow this line iPhone>iPad>..., maybe it'll be an.. iMat? Giant iPad
No I am not saying that. If you noticed my previous posts I say that the potential iTV has nothing to do with Apple TV.
That was my guess too. This could be the Airport Extreme/Time Capsule makeover that was rumored a few months ago. Apple needs a relatively inexpensive, completely standalone file and media/iTunes server that can be accessed by iOS devices like the Apple TV and iPad. Then allow it to seamlessly and automatically sync with your iCloud and a lot of home users could make do with just this and a MacBook Air and/or iOS device.
The Mac mini is kind of overkill for such functionality and even at $600 it's just too expensive. I'm thinking of a $200 to $300 device that could provide WiFi service, nearly unlimited central storage (via USB-attached external drives with RAID support), and super easy integration to the iCloud.
Unfortunately, I suspect that Apple will want to bundle their own hard drive (internal) to any such device which could break my price point and turn this into just the next iteration on the Time Capsule. The latter wouldn't be too bad if it offered all of the features I've outlined, but I'd much prefer that they just target external storage and forget about offering their own internal hard drive.
Anxious to see what will it be!
The rumored xMac would be a nice commitment to real computers and folks like myself, who bought into Apple for being relevant in education, Unix features and professional multimedia creation. In Europe, the base MP is 3500 USD now. Apple shifted price ranges, so this base price only contains a single socket system. For me this is too much, I can't stomach the fact that a 1500 USD PC runs circels around it and is built from quality components. My 2008 MP was one of the best deals ever, but given the current pricing the xMac would be the best upgrade path for me. Sadly the iMac's HDD access is horrendous (lcd panel removal), and you are stuck with the GPU. All this could have been remedied already by having rear access to mxm GPU modules and HDD expansion. But gee, the back of the iMac wouldn't be this flawlessly beautiful.
However I'm all for the iPhone and the mobile lineup. Apple really feels it. The only problem with mobile only focus that I'll have to shift my professional workflow to Windows, where the tools are available. The best strategy is to wait what this new Mac will be. Right now I'm pissed of with Lion: disappeared folders, Spotlight not indexing folders properly, Apple just killed the logic of exposé, more UI limitations... Let's wait and see, but my bet is on a 15" ultra thin MBP.
The rumored xMac would be a nice commitment to real computers and folks like myself, who bought into Apple for being relevant in education, Unix features and professional multimedia creation. In Europe, the base MP is 3500 USD now. Apple shifted price ranges, so this base price only contains a single socket system. For me this is too much, I can't stomach the fact that a 1500 USD PC runs circels around it and is built from quality components. My 2008 MP was one of the best deals ever, but given the current pricing the xMac would be the best upgrade path for me. Sadly the iMac's HDD access is horrendous (lcd panel removal), and you are stuck with the GPU. All this could have been remedied already by having rear access to mxm GPU modules and HDD expansion. But gee, the back of the iMac wouldn't be this flawlessly beautiful.
However I'm all for the iPhone and the mobile lineup. Apple really feels it. The only problem with mobile only focus that I'll have to shift my professional workflow to Windows, where the tools are available. The best strategy is to wait what this new Mac will be. Right now I'm pissed of with Lion: disappeared folders, Spotlight not indexing folders properly, Apple just killed the logic of exposé, more UI limitations... Let's wait and see, but my bet is on a 15" ultra thin MBP.
a mish mash of all this considering icloud is also launching this fall. Since Lion has had it's moment for launch the hardware line would revolve around ios5 (hopefully iOS5 pro)
remember this date ties in with cloud...
http://www.apple.com/uk/icloud/?cid=mc-uk-g-clb-icloud&sissr=1
a 3-d inbuilt camera and touch screen display would also be good! PIPEDREAM!
It will be revolutionary
An IOSX Touch Screen 27" iMac, that has an internal iPad Docking Station, which will power up the iMac in iOS when docked, and when removed, OSX
An IOSX Touch Screen 27" iMac, that has an internal iPad Docking Station, which will power up the iMac in iOS when docked, and when removed, OSX
