More from Apple this Week?

[Savage Henry]

These specs are an improvement, but I sure hope they also come with price drops!

The range is too young to warrant a price drop ... at the WWDC following the release of the iMac G4 the price actually went up! LCD costs were the reason then, but I wouldn't bank on a drop here by any means.

Edit: OMG! Finally - I'm no longer a newbie!

Welcome aboard

 

[Blue Moon]

Ahhhhh, no more waiting.

The best part about this story is that I don't give a hoot about it. After weeks of watching and waiting I finally ordered my 2.7 ghz PowerMac..so if they update the iMacs and eMacs...that's great...but if not....that's great too.

 

[iProbot]

Ive got that same desk, but in the darker color

I got that same iPod Shuffle box

 

[rumoursofglory]

Yea, I have to agree. iTunes is due for an overhaul. When were the last big changes made?

 

[OnaMacSince1989]

The range is too young to warrant a price drop ... at the WWDC following the release of the iMac G4 the price actually went up! LCD costs were the reason then, but I wouldn't bank on a drop here by any means.

Fast dropping LCD prices are the best reason to see big iMac price drops now. And, with the aging G4 chip in the eMacs and rapidly dropping prices on DVD R/W drives, the eMac is definitely due for a price drop. Athough, if they'd bump the eMac to a G5, that would warrant the same prices.

I for one don't really care to have an LCD screen, but I do want the speed of an iMac. But, I know Apple wants to push the LCD's and will never make a high performance CRT machine.

Welcome aboard

Thanks...who knew it would take over 2 years and 30 posts to drop the Newbie title!

wow, that would be great if we saw a price drop of 200 on the top end...although that might be a bit much, but who knows. I might have to pick up another iSight then

Today's lower LCD costs warrant such a drop in price, even with faster chips and more standard RAM.

 

[Dahl]

iTunes Denmark ?
Cross my fingers.

 

[Jetson]

Apple Should Beef Up the eMac

I've been waiting for a couple of years for a significant performance upgrade to the eMac. The eMac is a great little machine. However the last upgrade was woefully anemic (from 1 ghz to 1.25 ghz ).

Apple should recognize that the eMac isn't just for the education market anymore. There are many potential customers that would like a choice of a much more powerful version. Apple can easily install a G5 processor and that noisy eMac fan could finally earn it's keep!

The Macintosh started out as an all-in-one computer and the eMac continues that tradition very well. I just wish that Apple would stop crippling it and give us eMac users some real power. Since we can no longer install 3rd party processor upgrades, we have been held hostage to Apple's inexplicably conservative approach. I'd pay more for a fast G5 eMac.

 

[smirre]

i just wish they would do something about eMac's fan noise now...

 

[fidel castro]

Would your friend by any chance be an Apple store employee? 25 percent off is very very good. Can I be his/her friend too?

Close enough...he works at Pixar and gets one a year at that rate that is supposed to be for himself, but he doesn't need one this year...anyway, he always has 15% and I have the edu if I need it. Thanks for all the advice. Since it doesn't seem like the powerbooks will be updated but the ibooks might, I want to see what they do with them.Their graphics card doesn't use core image right now right? Because whatever I get I want it to be able to have no restraints...I'm always doing different things on computers and hate when some hardware piece holds me back.

 

[IanC]

There IS room for improvement in iTunes.

Is there? I cant see it

 

[rockthecasbah]

iTunes problems?

Yeah, I don't really see major problems in iTunes...or even minor ones. Someone earlier said that they were really bothered by the gap between tracks, but that doesn't bother me so much. I'd rather see the search functionality of iTunes brought into next gen. iPods. Due to the small size, an on screen keyboard is not realistic, but the scroll wheel can only do so much with a huge library. It would be nice to search by letter, like if each was tabbed or something. It could be a menu option on music, like artist->by letter or something like that. Tabs would probably be better on the battery as well. Anyone out at Apple listen to that ?

 

[Prez1082]

WWDC

Anyone have any ideas as to what if anything will be announced at WWDC?

 

[Snide]

I've been waiting for a couple of years for a significant performance upgrade to the eMac. The eMac is a great little machine. However the last upgrade was woefully anemic (from 1 ghz to 1.25 ghz ).

There's a fairly long list of things you forgot to mention:

1. FSB up to 167 Mhz from 133 Mhz
2. Backside L2 cache to 512 MB from 256
3. Faster DDR 333 Mhz RAM up from the old PC 133
4. USB 2 up from USB 1.1
5. Radeon 9200 up from Radeon 7500 -- VRAM now DDR
6. Superdrive models burn DVD's 8X up from 4X

I'm not sure, but they might have bumped the HD speed to 7500 RPM from 5400.
In any event, one review I read said this eMac was quite a bit faster, which ain't bad...

My dual-boot 1 Ghz eMac is still chugging along happily.
Just waiting for the Applecare to expire, so I can have fun with some of these mods:

http://www.lbodnar.dsl.pipex.com/eMac/eMac-upgrade.html

1st on the list is the Fan-speed hack -- this thing sure is loud!!

 

[wdlove]

Anyone have any ideas as to what if anything will be announced at WWDC?

There is bound to be a new items that we haven't though about yet. Since Steve called this the year of HD, there should be something that will enhance HD.

 

[artifex]

Speaking of iMac G5s, the Apple store still says they're shipping with Panther?

 

[sw1tcher]

Fast dropping LCD prices are the best reason to see big iMac price drops now. And, with the aging G4 chip in the eMacs and rapidly dropping prices on DVD R/W drives, the eMac is definitely due for a price drop. Athough, if they'd bump the eMac to a G5, that would warrant the same prices.

I for one don't really care to have an LCD screen, but I do want the speed of an iMac. But, I know Apple wants to push the LCD's and will never make a high performance CRT machine.


Thanks...who knew it would take over 2 years and 30 posts to drop the Newbie title!




Today's lower LCD costs warrant such a drop in price, even with faster chips and more standard RAM.

I completely agree. If the high price of LCDs was a reason for the iMacs price hike, then the lower prices for LCD panels today more than warrants a price drop. Then again, we are talking about Apple here.

 

[wdlove]

Speaking of iMac G5s, the Apple store still says they're shipping with Panther?

Chances are they will ship with the Tiger box or will get the $9.95 mail in Tiger. The notice on the positive side, could mean that new iMac's are being readied for shipment with Tiger installed.

 

[Alasta]

Since it doesn't seem like the powerbooks will be updated but the ibooks might, I want to see what they do with them.Their graphics card doesn't use core image right now right?
Because whatever I get I want it to be able to have no restraints...I'm always doing different things on computers and hate when some hardware piece holds me back.

I'm also watching the iBooks with interest. I wonder if lower LCD costs will reduce the price of this product line? I usually replace my computer every three years, which means that I'll be wanting to update my 800MHz G3 iBook in the next 3 - 6 months.

I'm a bit reluctant to buy a G4 machine in their current form because I have a horrible feeling that in the next 18 - 24 months, we will see a significant number of software products that will specify a G5 processor as a minimum and I need a machine that's going to last!

Having said that, the G3 iBook was pretty close to the end of its life when I bought this one, and I feel as if it's still serving me well even after 2.5 years of solid use. I'll be taking a wait and see approach, I think.

 

[sw1tcher]

Anyone have any ideas as to what if anything will be announced at WWDC?

Why do I have a feeling it'll be iPods?

And, if iBooks aren't updated soon, then iBooks updates at WWDC for sure.

 

[Yvan256]

Is there? I cant see it

Two words: gapless playback.

And no, please don't point to that "joint tracks" feature, it destroys the individual tracks and makes one big track instead. I still want to skip to individual tracks.

 

[fidel castro]

As far as itunes updates I always thought it'd be cool to be able to click a song and make it play next. Like instead of making a playlist you could just select something that says play next so it would hop from one band to another one

 

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

As far as itunes updates I always thought it'd be cool to be able to click a song and make it play next. Like instead of making a playlist you could just select something that says play next so it would hop from one band to another one

That's what party shuffle's for... right/ctrl-click any song in any playlist and choose play next in party shuffle...

 

[w_parietti22]

To Apple:
Please up date the iBooks this week. And make it a good update. We've had the same white plastic for too long. Not that I didn't like the look, but its time for something new. Show us something cool. If you do, I promise to put my order in the moment they come out.

We'll will probably not see a new design in the iBooks unless its a G5. There has been some redesigns whiles still on the same type of processor like from the Beige G3 PM to the B+W G3 PM and the G3 Clamshell iBook to the White and Silver iBook G3 but those are the only ones so far... Maybe if we get a dual core G4 we'll see a new design. But when they do... I bet you its going to be something totally cool!

 

[the dr]

tomorrow?

hmm.... i really want to order my new iMac tomorrow, but there's nothing on amazon.com yet.... so probably nothing......

 

[w_parietti22]

The Macintosh started out as an all-in-one computer and the eMac continues that tradition very well. I just wish that Apple would stop crippling it and give us eMac users some real power. Since we can no longer install 3rd party processor upgrades, we have been held hostage to Apple's inexplicably conservative approach. I'd pay more for a fast G5 eMac.

Agreed, but the eMac is one of Apple's Cheapest computers (besides the Mac Mini) and they need to keep the price down as much as posible and that means if they need to put in a dual coore G4 instead of a G5 then I'm fine with that if it is going to save us money.

but I was thinking, Why not make a $200 ($199) Apple, Well Designed CRT, for the Mac Mini?

It could just slide into the back and the CRT would act as a hub for the Mac Mini (Add some additional USB ab=nd FireWire ports that it needs. But It would also have a VGA port so us iBook Users could hook it up to our laptops! (In my dreams! ) But it would have an All in one feel to it for the Mac mini but would work with ever Apple Computer on the market!