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Sub $1000 Apple Device?
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The TIVO Pod
Okay, here's my idea: combine iPod, Tivo, and a stereo amp all into one $749 package, just in time for christmas. This would basically replace your entire home theater system, except for the monitor and speakers. AAC support means you could store all your ITMS purchases there. Perhaps this thing would even launch with a new Apple Movie Download service--download movie rentals direct to your TIVO Pod. Of course Airport Extreme would be supported for fast syncing with all your Macs--or broadcast movies and music to any computer (or any TIVO Pod) in the house. You could even use it to show iPhoto slide shows and iMovies. The technology is already all there--TIVO itself supports most of this--but it would take Apple to make it all work together seamlessly.
Okay, here's my idea: combine iPod, Tivo, and a stereo amp all into one $749 package, just in time for christmas. This would basically replace your entire home theater system, except for the monitor and speakers. AAC support means you could store all your ITMS purchases there. Perhaps this thing would even launch with a new Apple Movie Download service--download movie rentals direct to your TIVO Pod. Of course Airport Extreme would be supported for fast syncing with all your Macs--or broadcast movies and music to any computer (or any TIVO Pod) in the house. You could even use it to show iPhoto slide shows and iMovies. The technology is already all there--TIVO itself supports most of this--but it would take Apple to make it all work together seamlessly.
why not a headless iMac?
You can buy a good 17" lcd monitor for around $750 US. The 17" iMac sells for about $1500 US; take away the monitor and you're left with about $750 for the bottom half of the iMac. This would be a very wise move for Apple since many users with existing ddisplays would be likely to upgrade or to try switching from the PC side. Anyone with a G3 tower would prob consider the headless iMac to go with their existing monitor... that's a lot of machine for $750
k
You can buy a good 17" lcd monitor for around $750 US. The 17" iMac sells for about $1500 US; take away the monitor and you're left with about $750 for the bottom half of the iMac. This would be a very wise move for Apple since many users with existing ddisplays would be likely to upgrade or to try switching from the PC side. Anyone with a G3 tower would prob consider the headless iMac to go with their existing monitor... that's a lot of machine for $750
k
jayscheuerle
macrumors 68020
Re: why not a headless iMac?
My beige box sweats and works 5% faster when I mention that...
Bottom end headless (eMac with a crew cut) shouldn't be higher than $699, preferably
less...
My beige box sweats and works 5% faster when I mention that...
Bottom end headless (eMac with a crew cut) shouldn't be higher than $699, preferably
less...Does anyone remember the eMate? That would be sooo nice if they came out with with a low low version of the iBook. Just like the eMate. Where it isn't really a full laptop it is more of a pda in a laptop form. Put panther on it with a 700mhz g4, 256mb, 10gb, some old radeon, one usb, one firewire, and a headphone port. OHh that would be perfect for taking notes in school! Come home, connect it to my eMac. *drool*
Re: An Apple event for a monitor? please
That is an awesome idea. It would be great to be able to use iTunes music sharing over the LAN to stream to your home stereo, but I think $750 is way to much for such a device. My Xbox does this right now and it only cost $180. Also, there are a lot of wireless MP3 clients now being made by Linksys and such that are only $150. Apple would need a better price point, especially considering this device would be solid state with no moving parts (no internal hard drive, just a ROM chip and it gets all of it's music off the net). But could you imagine how cool it would be to have a fully functional iTunes running on your TV/Home entertainment center with a remote control so you could purchase songs right from your couch and they would download to your music library on your PC? Also, internet streaming radio would rock as well. It _might_ be worth $750 if it had a fully functional version of iTunes in it, but that is still way too expensive. Also, I'm not a cheapskate as I happily forked out $536 or so the day the 30GB iPods were released to get my hands on one.
The final Newton MessagePads, the 2000 and 2100, retailed for $1,000 when they debuted.
Ridiculously overpriced? Yes. Having said that, I still use my 2100 every day, so the $1,000 has more than paid off...
A PDA perhaps? Well, the disappeared IBM PowerPC 405LP?
In January, IBM announced a PDA blueprint based on the PowerPC 405LP chip to be available later this year. See e.g.
http://www-3.ibm.com/chips/news/2003/0121_pda.html http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS9222005703.html
As it is a PowerPC it should allow for MacOS compatibility...
As there has been no further public information since summer (try to google for "405LP") it might be a speculation that Apple has dealt with IBM about this chip together with the G5.
And as PDAs with WLAN (Airport) on board are already coming from HP iPAQ, Toshiba and others for approx. 500-700$ it might be in the right price range.
On the other side, Steve has stated since years that they will not bring out a PDA - because everything is going Smartphone. And for a Smartphone, Apple can't compete with the Nokias on this world. And therefore, they are focussing on mobile music (iPod) and mobile phone synchronization (Bluetooth + iSync).
So *it might be a PDA* but chances are low, sigh...
Let's see in January.
In January, IBM announced a PDA blueprint based on the PowerPC 405LP chip to be available later this year. See e.g.
http://www-3.ibm.com/chips/news/2003/0121_pda.html http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS9222005703.html
As it is a PowerPC it should allow for MacOS compatibility...
As there has been no further public information since summer (try to google for "405LP") it might be a speculation that Apple has dealt with IBM about this chip together with the G5.
And as PDAs with WLAN (Airport) on board are already coming from HP iPAQ, Toshiba and others for approx. 500-700$ it might be in the right price range.
On the other side, Steve has stated since years that they will not bring out a PDA - because everything is going Smartphone. And for a Smartphone, Apple can't compete with the Nokias on this world. And therefore, they are focussing on mobile music (iPod) and mobile phone synchronization (Bluetooth + iSync).
So *it might be a PDA* but chances are low, sigh...
Let's see in January.
It's a cell phone.
It has some PDAish funcationality with respect to Contacts/Calendar/Email. It does have a color display and a fixed antenna. It is a GSM multiband phone and will take sim cards for those of you that travel. It is NOT a newton or eMate and will not run osx, it has it's own os. You will get a discount if you signup for service at the same time you purchase the phone. Apple will not sell this direct through their site with any discounts, you must go through a retailer for that (signup discount). And with all that, it's not a new topic. ASCs were to apple was developing a cell phone well over a year ago (right before they decided ASCs were too close to the public to trust with "secret" new information).
BTW, Most ASCs only knew about the G5 updates and the 20" iMacs on monday. Please don't ask an ASC to tell you about all the new stuff coming out, they might really not know.
It has some PDAish funcationality with respect to Contacts/Calendar/Email. It does have a color display and a fixed antenna. It is a GSM multiband phone and will take sim cards for those of you that travel. It is NOT a newton or eMate and will not run osx, it has it's own os. You will get a discount if you signup for service at the same time you purchase the phone. Apple will not sell this direct through their site with any discounts, you must go through a retailer for that (signup discount). And with all that, it's not a new topic. ASCs were to apple was developing a cell phone well over a year ago (right before they decided ASCs were too close to the public to trust with "secret" new information).
BTW, Most ASCs only knew about the G5 updates and the 20" iMacs on monday. Please don't ask an ASC to tell you about all the new stuff coming out, they might really not know.
Wrong on all counts.
I wasn't a mac user until I got my cube.
To me, as a PC user, that thing was like somethng out of the future.
Still is.
And technically, again, it was amaizing.
The only thing bad about it was the price.
999 or below would have been perfect.
jayscheuerle
macrumors 68020
Well, that would be Apple's style. Ignore the gaping hole in their line-up to introduce a gee-whiz product that gets lost in the crowd. Or, update a product with something that nobody was clamoring for (23" iMac?).
Apple does have a nice OS and they do make gorgeous machines.
But their manufacturing quality and corporate decision making process have had an erratic record at best. Their saving graces are Jonathan Ive and their marketing department.
ya!
Yeah- I think that they will need to separate the LCD from the body. I still hear the comments of people that have pigeon-holed the company as being expensive computers for graphic artists (i dunno why this is the case since macs are at schools and non-creative arts small businesses). I think there would be mind share shift if they
Maybe this is just not the market apple is targeting. Apple is focused on being high style with value features that cognizant people can relate to.
I am all for single G5 1.6 in a lucite white cube with 64MB ATI w/ ADC out, 256MB RAM, gig ethernet,airport,bluetooth @ $899.
Were is the pricing sweet spot between being a commodity PC manufacturer and a niche/specialty player?
Yeah- I think that they will need to separate the LCD from the body. I still hear the comments of people that have pigeon-holed the company as being expensive computers for graphic artists (i dunno why this is the case since macs are at schools and non-creative arts small businesses). I think there would be mind share shift if they
Maybe this is just not the market apple is targeting. Apple is focused on being high style with value features that cognizant people can relate to.
I am all for single G5 1.6 in a lucite white cube with 64MB ATI w/ ADC out, 256MB RAM, gig ethernet,airport,bluetooth @ $899.
Were is the pricing sweet spot between being a commodity PC manufacturer and a niche/specialty player?
I money would be on a ebook, just because I think apple wants to stat prodominante in the education market, which is being taken over by dell. I 17"inch widescreen monitor would be another good guess.
I might guess a video ipod, which would actually make some sense. This is becuase it's the holidays and this might just fall in with the big apple store music event. I would never pay$749 for a video ipod. I want a new 20gb ipod for x-mas this year.
I might guess a video ipod, which would actually make some sense. This is becuase it's the holidays and this might just fall in with the big apple store music event. I would never pay$749 for a video ipod. I want a new 20gb ipod for x-mas this year.
Not a COMPLETE comparrison
Okay, so you compared a $800 eMac to a $870-920 PC - a 9-15% more expensive system.
Further, you did not include anything about SOFTWARE - what good is a PC without it? Does your more expensive clone include XP? anything else? How does the software package compare to Panther, Appleworks, Quicken 2004, and the other goodies that come bundled with an Apple? (speaking from my iMac experience - don't know about the eMac)
Okay, so you compared a $800 eMac to a $870-920 PC - a 9-15% more expensive system.
Further, you did not include anything about SOFTWARE - what good is a PC without it? Does your more expensive clone include XP? anything else? How does the software package compare to Panther, Appleworks, Quicken 2004, and the other goodies that come bundled with an Apple? (speaking from my iMac experience - don't know about the eMac)
jayscheuerle
macrumors 68020
Re: ya!
What makes Apple a niche/specialty player?
Low marketshare? You do need that to be considered a niche.
Focus on machine & software design? You could argue that Sony's doing a nice job with hardware. There are some other PC manufacturers that make laptops with panache.
High prices? That will make you a niche/specialty player regardless of your product.
There's no reason at all a commodity PC can't have all the aesthetics of a contemporary Mac with little suffering on build quality. For example, look at Michael Graves' line at Target. He makes gorgeous stuff. He also makes great stuff for Alessi which sell for 3-5 times the price. Of all the reasons that Apple is a niche player, the biggest one is their pricing points. Think of all the PC users who would love to give Apple a try if they'd be even marginally competitive on the lower end.
Years ago, people loved Apple for the look and feel, the great nature of the OS, the down-to-earth hipness of its subculture. You payed more, but were part of a group of computer users that seemed kinder, more creative, just better hearted.
Now Apple's ranks are swollen with arrogance and elitism, showing pride in the fact that they were willing (and able) to spend a couple of thousand on a system which they would only challenge in their dreams, chiding others who demand more and denouncing as whiners those who won't settle for less.
It's a shame, because Apple could be so much more.
What makes Apple a niche/specialty player?
Low marketshare? You do need that to be considered a niche.
Focus on machine & software design? You could argue that Sony's doing a nice job with hardware. There are some other PC manufacturers that make laptops with panache.
High prices? That will make you a niche/specialty player regardless of your product.
There's no reason at all a commodity PC can't have all the aesthetics of a contemporary Mac with little suffering on build quality. For example, look at Michael Graves' line at Target. He makes gorgeous stuff. He also makes great stuff for Alessi which sell for 3-5 times the price. Of all the reasons that Apple is a niche player, the biggest one is their pricing points. Think of all the PC users who would love to give Apple a try if they'd be even marginally competitive on the lower end.
Years ago, people loved Apple for the look and feel, the great nature of the OS, the down-to-earth hipness of its subculture. You payed more, but were part of a group of computer users that seemed kinder, more creative, just better hearted.
Now Apple's ranks are swollen with arrogance and elitism, showing pride in the fact that they were willing (and able) to spend a couple of thousand on a system which they would only challenge in their dreams, chiding others who demand more and denouncing as whiners those who won't settle for less.
It's a shame, because Apple could be so much more.