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Apple Planning Entirely New Mac Product Line?

Matrixfan said:
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.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Actually it IS going to be the fabled xMac, for the following reasons:

- Apple needed higher-margin Mac products to secure a safe, yet stable foothold in the market - this goal has been more than attained now;

- the Halo effect has been a complete success, with brand domination in three key markets (music, tablets and smartphones);

- Macs have been growing a LOT more than the average - which leads me to conclude that, considering the pathetic state of the Windows OEM industry (with HP out and Dell almost bankrupt), Apple is at a perfect moment to launch the final attack in order to achieve 20%+ PC market share around the world and kill the rest of the competitors;

- SJ's grip is unfortunately fading - this constitutes concrete evidence that "less" original approaches will be adopted;

- however, Apple IS still Apple - therefore, we'll see the idea of a dockable Mac inside a slotted Apple display - in other words. a TB-driven iMac with replaceable "innards" (the docked computer itself) as needs evolve, and NOT a fully-upgradeable machine.

dock-patent.jpg


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Fraaaa said:
I think you should say:

Apple doesn't use, or Apple don't use.

I think both work, but I reckon 'doesn't' sounds better.
Click to expand...

Companies as a singular entity are used in US English; on the other hand, UK English says "Apple don't"...
 
I think its going to be a type of "iTV". It only makes sense, apple has been dabbling around with the apple TV for a while now, and I think that they are going to eventually either come out with an much-enchance apple TV, or simply come out with a tv set with high resoltion that has apple tv built it and can connect to your home network and see your music, videos, etc and a bunch of other crazy things. It only makes sense, and can only improve experience with interconnected family rooms with your TV connected to the cloud. Check calendars, etc...
 
BRLawyer said:
Actually it IS going to be the fabled xMac, for the following reasons:
...
...
- however, Apple IS still Apple - therefore, we'll see the idea of a dockable Mac inside a slotted Apple display - in other words. a TB-driven iMac with replaceable "innards" (the docked computer itself) as needs evolve, and NOT a fully-upgradeable machine.
Click to expand...

I agreed with you up until that last one. If that is what it is then I don't consider what you described fabled xMac! ;)
 
What part of "totally different product" do you guys not get though? They have laptops. They have desktops. They have Apple TV. They have iPads, iPhones and iPods. A "computer without an optical drive" is not very different from a computer with one. That's not different.

Try thinking outside the box.

Maybe they're comin out with the Apple Car =)
 
BRLawyer said:
Actually it IS going to be the fabled xMac, for the following reasons:

- Apple needed higher-margin Mac products to secure a safe, yet stable foothold in the market - this goal has been more than attained now;

- the Halo effect has been a complete success, with brand domination in three key markets (music, tablets and smartphones);

- Macs have been growing a LOT more than the average - which leads me to conclude that, considering the pathetic state of the Windows OEM industry (with HP out and Dell almost bankrupt), Apple is at a perfect moment to launch the final attack in order to achieve 20%+ PC market share around the world and kill the rest of the competitors;

- SJ's grip is unfortunately fading - this constitutes concrete evidence that "less" original approaches will be adopted;

- however, Apple IS still Apple - therefore, we'll see the idea of a dockable Mac inside a slotted Apple display - in other words. a TB-driven iMac with replaceable "innards" (the docked computer itself) as needs evolve, and NOT a fully-upgradeable machine.

Image

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Companies as a singular entity are used in US English; on the other hand, UK English says "Apple don't"...
Click to expand...

I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but I doubt apple will ever do something like that. Do you know how many people will get their tablets scratched and claim warranty and eventually the docking mechanism won't work or something.

Also, from a computer design perspective, it is cool, but NOT practical from a cost/reliability and size standpoint. To design something that can house that would be very inefficient than using a computer that size and completely fill it with internals and components and keep it smaller. Also, "Why" who cares if I can dock my ipad in my computer. My iMac is already fast enough, and now I can't use my iPad (or someone else) can't use my iPad or something because its docked in my iMac. If its for file sharing current apple technology allows you to do this now wirelessly...

Besides, it I were to dock my iPad into an Apple monitor, the price to buy both would be much greater than just buying an iMac and will not be near the performance of an iMac... Plus, I can almost buy an iPad and a iMac for the complete price of the monitor and ipad...
 
Anybody else thinking that it may be a docking station containing a dedicated GPU and possibly an optical drive that connects via thunderbolt much like the docking station for the Sony Z.

Possibly, with a subsequent transition of the 15" and 17" models to a form factor similar to the Air and the dropping of the 13" Pro model.

The docking station would even be applicable to the Mac Mini. The Mac Mini model with a dedicated GPU would be dropped with the docking station filling that void.

The combination of a docking station and a Mac Mini would fill the niche of a more capable but non-Pro Mac desktop.

The docking station would also be beneficial in relation to iMacs as well. Upgrades to the docking station line-up would provide users a means to upgrade their GPU without replacing all of their hardware.
 
If the new Mac Pros start out at 5 grand then **** it I'm not getting one. It's worse enough that the economy is the way it is right now.
Apple please don't make the decent mac pro model start out at 4-5 grand it can't even support the new Nvidia Graphic cards unless you buy the extension adaptor I forgot what it was called but it's just something extra to buy. The only thing Nvidia support of their highest nvidia card is the GeForce GTX 285. Which is total BS we need to get the 500-600 models not no GTX 285.
 
Let the "User Training" Begin

I would like think it's going to be something akin to 2 - 15inch "iPads" hinged together, with next-gen MacBook Air style guts powering it, but that may cannibalize the iPad line a bit to much for comfort I think... however if they want to own that inevitable market, it wouldn't hurt to start now. Touch iMacs with some uber screen position ability would be great. I can see Steve now..."We said now one wanted to hold their arm's up to work on a computer, well we've solved that with the new magic super-tilting iMac, it's just amazing..."

And yes... Apple is very much readying people for touch interface devices running OSX in not so subtle ways like LaunchPad, but also in other pretty clear ways that actually seem like they are already making touch easier than a mouse... for example the new Mail app in Lion, when you go to drag a message into a folder, if you just "click and quickly drag the message" the pointer doesn't "hold on" to the message it starts selecting more messages in the direction your pointer is going. You actually have to "click and hold for a second" for the pointer to "grab" the message.... something that I think basically sets the Mail app up for touch interfaces as-is right now. Swipe your finger across a group of messages to select them all, or touch and hold to move the message.

It's one of those subtle things that starts "training the user" now... just like the inversion of page scrolling.

*I was using Thunderbird up until my upgrade to Lion, if this was how it has been for Mail in SL and L it's still a valid point, just stretched over a longer period of "user training" than I thought.*
 
I think the most likely scenario is it's going to be exactly what it is now, but redesigned products.
 
munkery said:
Anybody else thinking that it may be a docking station containing a dedicated GPU and possibly an optical drive that connects via thunderbolt much like the docking station for the Sony Z.

Possibly, with a subsequent transition of the 15" and 17" models to a form factor similar to the Air and the dropping of the 13" Pro model.

The docking station would even be applicable to the Mac Mini. The Mac Mini model with a dedicated GPU would be dropped with the docking station filling that void.

The combination of a docking station and a Mac Mini would fill the niche of a more capable but non-Pro Mac desktop.

The docking station would also be beneficial in relation to iMacs as well. Upgrades to the docking station line-up would provide users a means to upgrade their GPU without replacing all of their hardware.
Click to expand...

Doubt it, Thunderbolt is still MUCH slower than PCIe:
TB = 10Gb/s
PCIe 2.0 x8 = 32Gb/s
PCIe 2.0 x16 = 64Gb/s

So while I doubt it will be a docking station with a dedicated GPU, I think you are getting much closer than others with Thunderbolt. It only makes sense given that they chose to adopt this technology so early and unexpectedly into their laptops and other products... They have big plans with thunderbolt. Just what it could be though, we may never know - until it comes out of course!
 
jctevere said:
I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but I doubt apple will ever do something like that. Do you know how many people will get their tablets scratched and claim warranty and eventually the docking mechanism won't work or something.

Also, from a computer design perspective, it is cool, but NOT practical from a cost/reliability and size standpoint. To design something that can house that would be very inefficient than using a computer that size and completely fill it with internals and components and keep it smaller. Also, "Why" who cares if I can dock my ipad in my computer. My iMac is already fast enough, and now I can't use my iPad (or someone else) can't use my iPad or something because its docked in my iMac. If its for file sharing current apple technology allows you to do this now wirelessly...

Besides, it I were to dock my iPad into an Apple monitor, the price to buy both would be much greater than just buying an iMac and will not be near the performance of an iMac... Plus, I can almost buy an iPad and a iMac for the complete price of the monitor and ipad...
Click to expand...

Don't remember the Duo Dock? ;) Think of it as an evolution of the theme... ;)

duo-in-dock-256.jpg
 
Because Lion seems to be bringing more tablet like features to OS X, my first thought is of a Lion tablet. The problem is apps. If they use an A5 or A6, they might wind up needing something like rosetta for people to run all their intel apps on the arm based Lion tablet. If Intel had a true low power chip, suitable for tablet use, I think the new Mac would be a tablet. As it is, I'm still grasping at straws to guess what it could be. More than likely the rumor itself is bogus. End of 2011 seems like a lousy time to introduce new product. The time for new product is between now and October, well in advance of the holiday shopping season, or 1Q 2012 on the anniversary of the dates Apple released iPad 1 and 2 or even late Q1 2012 on the anniversary of the date Apple released the latest Macbook Pros.

BRLawyer said:
Don't remember the Duo Dock? ;) Think of it as an evolution of the theme... ;)

duo-in-dock-256.jpg
Click to expand...

Of course! That's it! :D
 
The Title of this thread is "Apple Planning Entirely New Mac Product Line".

So, "if this rumor is true" it would indeed mean killing off all models and starting fresh. A feat that would be a huge undertaking, and yet one that I would not put past Apple at this point.

Apple is deep in the midst of a massive transition. A makeover of OS X and iOS to include what many rumors predict will end up being a complete OS convergence of both systems. Upon completion, Apple ends up with just one OS across all devices.

Currently other PC makers are operating on 7% margins, whereas Apple takes it's full 30% that's quite a difference. Then we have the matter of Apple's declaration that it's now the "Post PC" Era.

The only way to prove it, is for them to neuter their computers, or discontinue them. They are still making far too much money to kill them off completely, so the answer is to make them devices running iOS. To remake them into a new and different image. It's what Apple typically does with it's overwhelming control over users minds and wallets.

Steve trots out on stage, brags up the numbers, the crowd roars, he shows the product and tells the loyal followers how it's going to be. They hang on his every word, gush lovingly over the "sexy new products", and the press goes wild fawning over them.

Finally they prepare to get up in the middle of the night to go online and place their orders, or to lineup at the stores to shell out their cash.

It's quite an amazing phenomenon.
 
Think it's gonna be some kind of Apple bike called " iBike " , specially designed for those of us spending to much time behind our macs. :)
 
Here's an idea I have just had: The MacStack.

The Apple TV shows that an iOS device can be made for under $100, maybe even less without the TV display components. An ARM powered unit like this wouldn't be powerful enough for OS X, but would 10 of them? 20?

Imagine units daisy chained with Thunderbolt so that they can work as one.

Want a more powerful computer? Add another layer to the stack.

New model comes out next year? Don't throw away the old, add to it.

EDIT: This wouldn't be some untidy daisy chain. Each one would clip into the next to create a tower.
 
The iMac HERCULES!!!

12 100ghz A20 Octocore processors, 1 terrabyte of RAM, 100 terrabyte SSD and a 4x DVD-ROM.
 

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jctevere said:
Doubt it, Thunderbolt is still MUCH slower than PCIe:
TB = 10Gb/s
PCIe 2.0 x8 = 32Gb/s
PCIe 2.0 x16 = 64Gb/s
Click to expand...

How much would that reduced speed affect usefulness despite possibly imposing a performance deficit?

For any Mac with Intel graphics, it would be a benefit.

Or, once the non-replacable dedicated graphics is old enough that a docked GPU would perform better, then it would be a benefit.
 
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