Brushed Aluminum iMac at WWDC?

[~Shard~]

For anyone who hates the chin. The powersupply is down there. If they put it behind the screen, the iMac would have to be considerably thicker. Sorry, I doubt the chin is going anywhere. I think it's fine on the 24" anyway.

2 solutions then:

1) make the power supply external
2) Apple announces it's latest innovation - wireless power!

But honestly I would be surprised to see ANY machine updates at WWDC. It's a DEVELOPER's conference. That mainly entails software and what other than Operating Systems do developers need to be told about?

There have been many hardware updates at previous WWDCs, including the G5 PowerMacs. Yes, it's a developer's conference, but what do a lot of developers develop on? The latest and greatest hardware, that's what. Hardware updates definitely have their place at WWDC and are quite relevant.

So being that it is a software show...

But it's not, it's a developer's show, you just said so yourself...

• Then he will lead into the tv (Discussing the new model)
• Steve will shift gears and discuss the iPhone and all of its features that he couldn't go over at MacWorld.

Ah yes, two peices of hardware being discussed at the software show - I love it when people contradict themslves!

Just buggin' ya...

Seriously, hardware updates/news have always had a place at WWDCs. If you had been around for the preivous ones you would have seen this - just watch some of the old keynotes for fun and you'll see.

I was just teasing him

And I was just teasing you...

 

[iSee]

This is going to be seweeEET!
I can see them now: brushed aluminum in all the iPod colors:

orange blue green pink red silver black white and...


dalmatian!!

 

[Okeo]

The 17" model is expected to be discontinued, leaving the 20" and 24" iMacs at slightly lower price points.

Finally, the new iMac's enclosure is descrived as "brushed aluminum" to "better match that of Apple's high-end systems as the company repositions the iMac as a more premium offering."

"Lower price point" and "repositioning as a more premium offering" sounds like a bit of a contradiction to me, no?

 

[Philsy]

Who on earth coined the term 'chin'? That suggests a protuberance which isn't how I'd describe the bottom of an iMac.

Of course, we all know the real reason for it being styled like that. If it wasn't, where would the go?

 

[juststranded]

I know it doesn't look that great and I probabl should have matched the colors, but the general idea, I think, of going out on teh sides for speakers is better than having a chin. But I'll admit it looks pretty average. Maybe if it was silver it'd look better.

 

[dasphli]

That means my iMac is gonna be out of date

Still, if the new design follows the design of Apple's recent products, it should look rather nice!

 

[~Shard~]

"Lower price point" and "repositioning as a more premium offering" sounds like a bit of a contradiction to me, no?

Yeah, I know what you mean. First of all, it's a good thing if the prices drop on the 20" and 24" models, but they won't be dropping to the level of the current 17" I'm guessing, so there will technically be an even bigger gap between the iMac and the Mac mini as a result. Plus, if Apple does indeed want to position the imac as more of a premium offering now, then what solution will they provide for Joe Consumer, who previously wopuld have liked a 17" plain and simple iMac? The Mac mini is not a viable solution for many people and since we haven't heard a peep about it lately nor seen any updates to it, I even question if it will be around much longer.

It will be interesting to see how Apple handles the desktop line wrt to the mini and this new iMac...

 

[Philsy]

I know it doesn't look that great and I probabl should have matched the colors, but the general idea, I think, of going out on teh sides for speakers is better than having a chin. But I'll admit it looks pretty average. Maybe if it was silver it'd look better.

Umm, looks like any brand of LCD TV to me. Apple stuff needs to stand out from the crowd.

 

[joshwest]

RIP 17" iMac. It's a good machine for what it is, ideal for casual use. It's what my parents have.

However the prices of 20" and 22" displays have come down massively this past year, and whilst they have also gone towards TN screens as well (not quite as good as the cinema displays) I could see the iMacs at least getting a screen size bump, maybe with the addition of a 22" model between the 20" and 24" (which is still expensive), or maybe a new 27" model.

Or maybe they'll make it simpler. Only 2 iMacs.

And a consumer stand-alone mini-tower! Ahhh, sadly this won't happen.

i honestly think 20", 24" and a 30th Aniversary 30" iMac

 

[~Shard~]

Umm, looks like any brand of LCD TV to me. Apple stuff needs to stand out from the crowd.

Agreed. That bgeing said, if Apple could further evolve the iMac into just the display, with no chin and make it truly only the display (just a little thicker, obviously) that would be very cool as well. Simplistic, clean and minimalist.

 

[Philsy]

Agreed. That bgeing said, if Apple could further evolve the iMac into just the display, with no chin and make it truly only the display (just a little thicker, obviously) that would be very cool as well. Simplistic, clean and minimalist.

You mean a screen (gloss black when off) with no surround? Now that would be cool, especially if it was only 1inch thick...

 

[~Shard~]

You mean a screen (gloss black when off) with no surround? Now that would be cool, especially if it was only 1inch thick...

Yep! Feasible, no. Cool, yes. Gotta think differently after all...

 

[digitalbiker]

Crap!

I thought after AppleInsider announced no iMac at WWDC that an updated MacPro was a shoe in.

So Multimedia was right, we all wait for a year + and all the Pro users get is a $700 BTO for quad cpus instead of duo cpus. No new GPU, No new displays, No SS, No added memory, No system design change. BAH, Bad Apple! BAd Apple.

I've still got my money on new MacPros and displays that SJ will be using to demo Leopard.

 

[PostTribber]

there may be a SF Giant 'slugger' on hand to illustrate how to brush a small amount of aluminum from an iMac into your steroids. he says this gives him the characteristic 'ping' sound when 'beaned' between his legs.

 

[~Shard~]

Crap!

I thought after AppleInsider announced no iMac at WWDC that an updated MacPro was a shoe in.

So Multimedia was right, we all wait for a year + and all the Pro users get is a $700 BTO for quad cpus instead of duo cpus. No new GPU, No new displays, No SS, No added memory, No system design change. BAH, Bad Apple! BAd Apple.

I've still got my money on new MacPros and displays that SJ will be using to demo Leopard.

I'd really like to see a Mac Pro update as well. I don't really consider the latest processor upgrade option as an update to the line (as you say, no updated graphics etc. etc.) so since this is a developer's conference I think this would be a great time for Apple to truly refresh the line and keep its technology current. Hell, throw a Blu Ray burner into the Mac Pro as well!

 

[LoganT]

I know it doesn't look that great and I probabl should have matched the colors, but the general idea, I think, of going out on teh sides for speakers is better than having a chin. But I'll admit it looks pretty average. Maybe if it was silver it'd look better.

The speakers are on the bottom, I'm sure they can fit them in there. And if they can't, I'd rather buy the speakers separate.

 

[BenRoethig]

Agreed. That bgeing said, if Apple could further evolve the iMac into just the display, with no chin and make it truly only the display (just a little thicker, obviously) that would be very cool as well. Simplistic, clean and minimalist.

They would have to use a a laptop hard drive, smaller speakers, and a large external power supply, but hey, who cares if it really works just as long as it looks goods.

 

[dartzorichalcos]

I know it doesn't look that great and I probabl should have matched the colors, but the general idea, I think, of going out on teh sides for speakers is better than having a chin. But I'll admit it looks pretty average. Maybe if it was silver it'd look better.

Looks nice but more of a silver aluminum color not black.

 

[joshwest]

Anyone thinks a 30" is in the works..

 

[ClimbingTheLog]

Brushed aluminum, no chin, would be awesome. Just a Cinema display sitting on your desk. That's a system I would find hard to resist.

But not a striking new industrial design.

If the iMac is now a premium offering, and the mac mini is killed, ah, what's the little guy going to buy from Apple?

Who says the two models can't converge?

I'm going to have to add my voices for a new mid-range 'tower'. I don't care what it looks like, but personally I would like a mac between the Mac Mini and the Mac Pro.

People have been saying it for years, and it hasn't happened yet - so I'm not holding my breath.

Maybe Apple could incorporate 3 bays into their striking new industrial design. 3x1TB drives would be just fine in a RAID-Z configuration.

Because consumers aren't stupid. They know what they want. Apple really needs to stop patronizing people.

If the iPod's tepid reception upon introduction proved anything to Steve Jobs, this wasn't it.

I have wondered if Apple decided to offer a machine which could have a low entry point, like the Mini, but upgrade to something people have been requesting..maybe just short a MacPro. It will be interesting to find out. Business needs a $850-$1000 desktop (tower).

Yeah, now you're talkin'!

.. ok, exaggeration, but no giant red text please.

But his comment was obviously much more important than the rest of ours. Don't ever work for him!

I dont get it why they would discontinue the 17 inch model. That was the model i planned to buy with the superdrive. I hope they dont discontinue the 17inch otherwise i will scream !!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Yikes. Why don't you want a 20"? A 20" widescreen is barely bigger than a 17" 4:3 anyhow. Is it just price? There's an easy way to solve that.

Slightly more greenpeace-oriented. Now they have to kill all-in-one, and non-upgradeability.

Good point. The old iMac was cool when everybody had CRT's - you wanted an LCD anyway. Now people are saying, "why am I throwing out this perfectly good LCD panel?" when I just need a CPU upgrade?

What if the iMac became expandable, and the mini became more like the base of the G3 iMac, where the RAM is expandable, but nothing else. Then Apple introduces a 17" LCD screen (easy to do because they already buy them in bulk for the MBP) and you have the whole lineup taken care of, without adding any additional computers!

Yeah, that's the ticket. Hang the Cinema Display on the Mac Mini... or something like that. Make the 'Cinema Display' rechargable and firewireless too. With a multi-touchscreen. That's no tablet, it's a space station.

allow for more than just the canting of the screen - it can't be that hard - you did it before!!

Let's hope they've heard the million requests for articulation.

Call it the Mac Business (or Mac Biz) to make the marketing message clear as possible. It'd signal that Apple is serious about courting the large business market.

Wow, we can dream, can't we?

Room for two easily changed full-sized hard drives. With Time Machine coming, two is a must. Businesses will like the auto-backup.

ZFS will obviate the need for two drives for Time Machine. I still love desktop RAID, of course.

Built-in power supply.

Yeah? The Mac Mini brick seems better for most business users. Maybe not for IT, though, but screw them, they don't have to listen to the power supply fan or breathe its hot air.

Bluetooth built-in. WiFi optional at a reasonable price. At some business, WiFi raises security issues. And don't sweat the absence of a camera or built-in mike. That's another security issue.

This is mostly all built into Santa Rosa, no? My guess is Apple will not cater to the few small businesses that are so paranoid. You could certainly have a lock-out switch, though.

Modest size without being Mac mini tiny. No need for something that wins design awards. That just makes the boss suspicious that he's paying too much.

OK, that' definitely not something Apple would care to cater to.

Perhaps offer an option with OEM Windows (Vista or XP) in some virtual configuration. That'd help companies transition.

It would but Apple doesn't want to do Windows support. Sorry, you're stuck with a full-retail copy of Windows... unless you buy the Apple box as a 'part' for your business and install Windows OEM to complete the box.

You're definitely onto something hot, though.

 

[dartzorichalcos]

Anyone thinks a 30" is in the works..

Possible, I can see it being one of the new iMacs. The 17" will probably be discountinued and the smallest iMac will be the 20". I wonder what graphics card will drive the 30" iMac and what resolution the 30" iMac will be. Apple could introduce anything at any time.

 

[johnee]

i just dont understand why there is a desktop on the beach in the first place. lol

come on, who DOESN'T take their imac to the beach?

 

[kd_rome]

I think on Tuesday we are going to see a new frame style which will be used not only on the new iMacs but also on new Apple Displays...

 

[Henri Gaudier]

Judging by the radical designs seen in the recent revisions of the MacBook and Pro there's just going to be a SR speed bump. I wouldn't mind a change but ..... recent history/optimism being dashed ... suggests 2.4GHz max and v. little else.

 

[johnee]

DUH!

I totally forgot about this!

This whole imac redesign has already been figured out!

go here