G5 iMac?

[thatwendigo]

The eMac is huge and overkill space-wise for anyone who already has a decent display.

I have a "decent display," but it's CRT, so the the eMac was a reduction in space used for me.

And there's the fact that tons of people are clamoring for them. Have been for years.

Actually, I've never really seen it as "tons" of people, so much as a very vocal minority. Most people are more intersted in "me, me, me" cries for the latest and greatest (along with their personal "needs") for basically bargain basement prices. Could you show me someplace I could verify the existence of this massive, untapped market for G4 headless, externally expandable machines?

Inexpensive doesn't mean cheap. Heck, if someone created a kit which would allow the removal of the monitor of an eMac and a revised, smaller case (with respectable styling), I'd buy one in a minute.

I agree, but that's also conditional on G4 systems. At the moment, the G5 is going to necessitate that inexpensive does mean cheap.

It would take away the excuse of Macs being too expensive. Yes, yes... We ALL KNOW that feature for feature, they're not, but not everyone needs a high-end machine and not everyone needs all of their working external devices replaced by a new machine.

Interestingly, if you do a search into third-party G4 systems (they exist), you'll find that Apple is far more generous than most. I did a breakdown of the Pegasos II motherboard that used commodity parts, and it was basically a wash. Macs were far better value, even at the older pricepoint.

I think Apple doesn't offer this because it would drastically cannibalize the sales of their higher-margin machines.

I think they don't offer it because there's not enough demand to sell one. The mac isn't about low-end experience.

 

[JOD8FY]

WooHoo!

A G5 iMac would be great . I had the same thought process as some of you: they should put a G5 in the powerbook first because its pro, right? But now I've changed my views. Apple should make their machines the best that they possibly can and not be stifled by one line being "pro" and the other "consumer." The difference is that one's a laptop and one's a desktop.

Anyway, this would be a much needed and very nice update to the iMac. I hope it's true. Will they change the design? I like the way it looks now, but if they changed it, it wouldn't be for the worse.

Cheers,
JOD8FY

 

[appleface]

cables are so 2003

when is apple going to promote a cable-free computer? i imac seems like an ideal candidate. next gen imacs ship with wireless keyboard, mouse, and built in airport card (buy a 23" imac, and they'll throw in the base station for $100).

the display can be wireless, so you can tuck away the brains. you could buy the imac brain without an apple display for you headless fans.

get the brains without the head.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

the display can be wireless, so you can tuck away the brains. you could buy the imac brain without an apple display for you headless fans.

i'd love to see a wireless monitor, but I don't think that's really possible now. Your talking a very large res screen, that needs fast refresh....that would be one hell of a signal

D

 

[JOD8FY]

next gen imacs ship with wireless keyboard, mouse, and built in airport card (buy a 23" imac, and they'll throw in the base station for $100).

I like that wireless idea. Not bad at all. Hmmmm........

 

[jackieonasses]

i got an idea...

the powerbook is the "pro" version of the laptops.....therefore it is the better quality....

then the imac is the "consumer" of the *desktop* line. dont cross the 2 platforms.....

 

[Mr. Anderson]

This is a very well known, and respected, Mac benchmarking site. If you want to check yourself http://www.barefeats.com/fcp4.html

you have one problem relying on this data - its only one app.

look at this http://www.barefeats.com/g5sum.html

if taking the extrapolation of 2x1.42 and 2x2.0 (assuming the same processing power) you'd get a ratio of about 41% faster. There are a couple at around 37% (which is close), but quite a few much higher. One at 110% and another at 117% better. That's a significant difference.

I do 3D animation - and the cinebench2003 (110%) indication would be a huge help for me Although, using Lightwave, my results might vary..

D

 

[PowerMacMan]

Could this happen tomorrow? I hipe over every Tuesday... But anyways, G5 iMac, in my opinion, would be the right move, and is very likely... I just want a Mac!

 

[jpk]

Despite the seeming lull in product releases in the past few months, according to sources, Apple has been hard at work on upcoming releases...

Most specifically, sources report that a PowerPC G5 based iMac is in the works and should represent the next iMac revision.

As with many of Apple's revisions, sources are unable to provide a specific timeframe for release, but iMacs are due for a revision. The iMac was last updated in November 2003.

There was a lull before the iBook/PowerBook/eMac releases. I'd say that's enough for awhile, although PowerMac, iMac releases would be welcome.

All my best,
JPGK

 

[gwuMACaddict]

gee whiz... i cant check the site for a day because of finals and look what i miss... this is awesome. i think it means good things for powermac updates too. apple cant use the same chip in both, that would be borderline ridiculous. i'm excited for the iMac, but powermac here i come

 

[oingoboingo]

Repeat over an over and over
A 1.6 G5 is not faster than a 1.6 G4
A 1.6 G5 is not faster than a 1.6 G4
A 1.6 G5 is not faster than a 1.6 G4
.

Repeat over and over:
There is no such thing as a 1.6GHz G4
There is no such thing as a 1.6GHz G4
There is no such thing as a 1.6GHz G4

 

[oingoboingo]

here are some UT scores from eashop.macsales. notice how 1.6 G5 kicks a dual g4 1.42. This app isnt really that savy for 2 cpu's but this just goes to show in a lot of tests a single G5 can match or exceed any G4 duallies and these apps are not yet written for G5 or running a G5 OS.

It's not fully SMP-aware, but the sound thread does run on the 2nd CPU, which lifts frame rates a little for, say, a single 1.25GHz G4 system versus a dual 1.25GHz system.

No mention on video cards in that benchmark...I'd assume those systems were just benchmarked with their stock GPUs? It's hard to draw any conclusions without knowing what video cards are installed in those systems. As would be typical of the Mac benchmarking community, it'll be a hodgepodge mix of graphics cards and those benchmarks will be next to useless for benchmarking CPU performance.

 

[iLilana]

actually

I just don't see why they'd put a G5 in an iMac before getting one in a PowerBook. I know it would be easier, but that doesn't make sense to put a G5 in a consumer line computer before getting it in all of the pro line. Obviously we could get at least a 1.5 in there, maybe even a little more. A 1.5 or 1.6 G4 wouldn't be much slower than a 1.6 G5 (which the iMac would almost have to be) yet it would keep the consumer line more consumer.

the 1.6 G5 i thought ran as fast as or faster than a dual 1.42 g4... a low cost g5 would be sooooo nice. if the g5 imacs happen, they might be released in concert with g5 pb's.

just supposen

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

Hmm, imagine this at WWDC 2004:

Power Mac G5 DP 2.2GHz, DP 2.6GHz, DP 3.0GHZ

iMac G5 SP 2.2GHz, SP 2.6GHz, SP 3.0GHz

Yummy! I know, it’s just a dream and won’t happen but Apple would finally be competitive again.

I like your numbers. Though if the iMac had 1.8 and 2.2 I wouldn't complain.

 

[vitruvius]

it's comming

it's comming...

 

[Chaszmyr]

it's comming...

Cool looking but bad design from an ergonomic perspective... Way too big of a footprint to volume ratio

 

[k2k koos]

mmmm G5 iMacs

Now this is funny, just when I was thinking to upgrade my home machine (currently an iMac DV 400mhz) to a G5 Powermac (as I use an external TFT screen anyway, the build in one is dead...) this is announced, interesting, wonder what the prices will be, if I go for this imac, i have a 15" samsung TFt monitor for sale ha ha ha

 

[aswitcher]

Could this happen tomorrow? I hipe over every Tuesday... But anyways, G5 iMac, in my opinion, would be the right move, and is very likely... I just want a Mac!

Well they have been doing something new each week for over a month so we can but hope.

 

[AmigoMac]

Mmmm!

it's comming...

Actually I thought you were mistaken and wanted to post on the "May Desktops" thread ... Nice design but as already said, big footprint, nice work tho.!

 

[mms]

What kind of a "rumor" is this? Not meaning to be a troll, but this is all common sense. Of course a G5 iMac is in the works and is most likely the next revision. This is nothing new, and unless MacRumors could point to a credible source or an approximate timeframe, this is no rumor but merely an educational guess. None of the information provided in this "rumor" was anything I couldn't figure out myself.

 

[nek]

I think the iMac G5 will be as follows:
15" 1.6GHz
17" 1.8GHz
20" 1.8GHz

I'd like to see 4 RAM slots but they may stick with 2 because it still allows for 2GB and makes it more consumer compared to the Powermac. The graphics will obviously also be improved, possibly to the Radeon 9600 or even the 9800 now that ATI has introduced the significantly better Radeon X800. They may also include a 250GB HD as an option.

The Powermacs may seem underpowered by comparison until they are updated at the WWDC. I think the Powermacs will be as follows:
dual 2.2GHz
dual 2.6GHz
dual 3.0GHz
With long delays in shipping any of them, especially the 3.0GHz. The Radeon 9800 or something from nVidia will become the standard graphics card with the X800 as an option. There will also be space for 3 internal HDs and possibly an second optical drive.

 

[thatwendigo]

the display can be wireless, so you can tuck away the brains. you could buy the imac brain without an apple display for you headless fans.

Um... Right. So where are the power and signal coming from, without wires? If 802.11g is tha fastest current consumer wireless, doesn't it tell you something that there's wireless audio but no wireless video? Anywhere. No, really.

get the brains without the head.

Right now, I'd settle for people just using theirs.

you have one problem relying on this data - its only one app.

look at this http://www.barefeats.com/g5sum.html

if taking the extrapolation of 2x1.42 and 2x2.0 (assuming the same processing power) you'd get a ratio of about 41% faster. There are a couple at around 37% (which is close), but quite a few much higher. One at 110% and another at 117% better. That's a significant difference.

You're doing that wrong. Extrapolating by clock speed, you get an increase of 41% over the G4s, and yet a performance increase of about the same. Oops. There goes the supposed benefit of the G5 over the G4, aside from its faster scaling.

I'm firmly ensconced in the idea that the 970 was a rush job, as more and more evidence has come out. It's only meant to tide us over until the real deal, the 975/980 can be released. Then we'll see some actual differences, because it's designed from ground up and not taken from a design that's just as old at the MPC74xx.

Admittedly, on some of the integer-operation heavy tasks, the G5 does smoke the G4. That's because it was at least partly aimed at filling that gap. However, for consumer use, which is all that the iMac is intended for, it doesn't make nearly as much of a difference. This is especially true when you're talking about the dual G5, instead of a single.

the 1.6 G5 i thought ran as fast as or faster than a dual 1.42 g4... a low cost g5 would be sooooo nice. if the g5 imacs happen, they might be released in concert with g5 pb's.

No, it doesn't. The dual 1.42ghz G4 almost universally beats the single 1.6ghz G5, and this is exactly the kind of market hype we need to avoid. Pay attention to reality and not the shiny, "ooh, the number is higher so it's better" mentality. That way lies Intel...

 

[el_aarono]

almost....

it's comming...

i think with a g5 the entire dome should be perforated sort of like the g5 towers. It would look like those folding vegetable boiling pots. Like this:

 

[AppleJustWorks]

If G5 iMac happens

I can spend $3000 U.S. on a desktop.. I want a 20" or larger display...And I want a G5 based system.

If Apple released an all-dual lineup and lowers prices on their displays, or puts the 20 at the bottom, I will get that...If not..What Should I do?

 

[iriejedi]

Seeing is believeing

Might as well stick those "OLD" and "SLOW" G5 chips somewhere.



Sigh $4k sitting in the bank and no new towers - I just want to help the bottom line... but not yet.... rev B I'm waiting for you!

Not a Page 2 rumor?

Hmmm....