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Apple Planning Entirely New Mac Product Line?
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MaxiMac or MacMaxi or MacMini Pro or MacMini XT
The current line up has made the case for a current Mac Pro much harder. So it will be rationalized and squeezed into a smaller box to make way for a new Mac Pro generation which will likely grow to a Dual 16 Core machine over its lifespan before being retired.
Mac Pro (add Thunderbolt) in a smaller box (yet bigger than the current mac mini).
We could see a renaming of the current mac mini to mac pico and a reassignment of the name mac mini to the new device.
I expect the technical specs to look something like:
It is good to play the guessing game!
The current line up has made the case for a current Mac Pro much harder. So it will be rationalized and squeezed into a smaller box to make way for a new Mac Pro generation which will likely grow to a Dual 16 Core machine over its lifespan before being retired.
Mac Pro (add Thunderbolt) in a smaller box (yet bigger than the current mac mini).
We could see a renaming of the current mac mini to mac pico and a reassignment of the name mac mini to the new device.
I expect the technical specs to look something like:
- Single Quad or 6-Core Xeon Westmere Processor
- 8GB (Standard) 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM
- Thunderbolt Ports x2
- Bluetooth 4.1
- SATA 3.1
- Solid State Drive + 7200rpm Hard Drive (Both as standard)
- Price? $1599....
It is good to play the guessing game!
My guess would be a consumer electronics orientated device, that links to the cloud. The software on Time Capsules has recently been upgraded, Apple TV is on version 2, and Mac Mini has had a recent revamp. So something with elements of all three, but more expensive (more profit for Apple).
If Apple thinks about something to sit with another manufacturers 3D TV, or even if they make some new TV screens, they might want something with more oomph to power that TV, it might need a wireless keyboard with a pointer device attached, and an OS tweaked to better suit a role as multi media hub/centre? Something thats really easy to set up for the average consumer, think of a dumb down version of what can already be done with all Apple's present products.
All of the above is pure speculation.
If Apple thinks about something to sit with another manufacturers 3D TV, or even if they make some new TV screens, they might want something with more oomph to power that TV, it might need a wireless keyboard with a pointer device attached, and an OS tweaked to better suit a role as multi media hub/centre? Something thats really easy to set up for the average consumer, think of a dumb down version of what can already be done with all Apple's present products.
All of the above is pure speculation.
have not seen. thus, failing to compute.
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saving your arm by killing your back/neck? But yes, other than that i agree. I do expect gesture-based interaction reaching the pc soon enough though; way more ergonomic. Safe to say, i wont get rid of my mouse though.
iTwin
My wild guess: two ultra-thin touch-screen bodies the size of a macbook and connected with a special hinge that allows the device to be used as either a laptop (with the horizontal touchscreen serving as a desktop space with virtual full-size keyboard, trackpad, etc.), a book/magazine (with opposing pages, making the reading experience more like real books/mags), or a two-sided touchscreen device that can be used for gaming, two-sided photo/info display, etc.
My wild guess: two ultra-thin touch-screen bodies the size of a macbook and connected with a special hinge that allows the device to be used as either a laptop (with the horizontal touchscreen serving as a desktop space with virtual full-size keyboard, trackpad, etc.), a book/magazine (with opposing pages, making the reading experience more like real books/mags), or a two-sided touchscreen device that can be used for gaming, two-sided photo/info display, etc.
Not. Gonna. happen. EVER.
Those clammering for a machine like this better just give up this 10+ year pipe dream. It's pointless to continue pining for a machine that will NEVER be built.
Console console console.....
iPod Touch (maybe modified) as controllers.
PICO reminds me of Kinect.
iPod Touch (maybe modified) as controllers.
PICO reminds me of Kinect.
Yes, except that there's no need for it to be an all-in-one. It could just be a touch screen monitor, perhaps with the GPU built-in. It would go a long way to bringing multitouch interaction to the Mini and Mac Pro. As far as the Mac Pro goes, I wonder whether things will become more modular. Like perhaps (as someone's probably already mentioned) the CPU will become a separate component, with a separate storage device, and a separate GPU/display/input device. The CPU and storage modules could be daisy-chained for larger systems, so that "pro" machines would be little home clusters. Okay, so maybe I'm pushing it there...
But I personally would **love** a desk orientation touchscreen. That would be sweet.
I think that is what kills the idea of that being an All-In-One. Getting enough space to cool a decent GPU/CPU combo is going to move it to high above the desk to be comfortable. Given it's going to appeal to the sort of graphic intensive market like Video/Graphic Design/CAD people it would want to be in the processing range of the iMac27. The integrated keyboard is a really bad thing to me, that is kind of the last place I'd want a keyboard most of the time if I had a big drawing surface to work on.
To be fair Apple throughout the past 10 years HAS offered this machine, it was just always the lower end PowerMac.. they almost always had a model starting at $1,499.
At one point with the 2003 MDD G4 it was $1,299.. which was the same price as the cheapest iMac G4.
It's only been since the Intel transition that they cut this. Maybe they'll offer a lower entry level one with more standard desktop components rather than workstation and start it at about $1,499.
I don't really see it happening because Apple would probably be afraid it would eat into iMac sales and sales of AppleCare but it's happened in the past.
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Maybe a kinect like solution for the mac?
Would like a eee transformer like attachment for the ipad.
Maybe a kinect like solution for the mac?
Would like a eee transformer like attachment for the ipad.
Kinect does not really seem to work. I know all about the various hacks but the system as it is just does not have enough precision to be anything but a gimmick for the average user. I think Microsoft are wasting a lot of time and money trying to make it relevant to XBox users who would have spent a lot more time on their Wii consoles if they wanted games with motion controls that work.
Apple are going down the path of swipes and finger gestures. Anyone who embraces OS X Lion's interface by using the Trackpad controls knows how much more accurate, immediate and responsive this system is compared to Kinect.
So true, Apples out to kill off anything that resembles a computer. It's the Apple post PC Era now, and gadgets will be Apples new legacy. They will do anything to prove they're right. It's all about big profit margins & gee whiz to the consumer.
the power of macbook pro, the weight and technology of macbook air.
already done. it's called the 2011 macbook air.
That sounds like the big brother of my setup:-
Dual G4
1.5Gb
SATA 1.5 PCI card
Bluetooth USB adapter
SSD + 7200 rpm hard drive
If I could just swap the First 4 options for a Quad intel based Mac with 8Gb RAM and SATA 6, I'd have my perfect Mac and it would have the same shelf life as my current one. (I've had it that long now, I actually just ordered a new PRAM battery)
I think the prices Apple charge for SSDs and reasonably fast hard drives is criminal. Giving back the lousy 5400rpm drive a Mac Mini comes with, then paying £120 more for them to fit a 7200rpm drive instead that's worth all of £20 more at most is scandalous! I want user upgradabilty like the desktops and entry level mini-towers of the PowerPC days.
Even a quad Core i7 in a Mac Pro case with 3 PCIe slots, 3 RAM slots and a budget GPU with 2 dual link DVI ports, Firewire 800, Thunderbolt and 5 or 6 USB 2.0 ports for around £1,000 at most would do. The only Macs within my budget that cater for my needs without the need for expensive after market add ons are generally on eBay for around £750 - £1,000 and use VERY expensive RAM.