I couldn't agree more. One of the biggest appeals of a system like this (besides monitor flexibility) is price. $800 seems just about right too.
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The Return of an Apple Cube... as an iMac?
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I couldn't agree more. One of the biggest appeals of a system like this (besides monitor flexibility) is price. $800 seems just about right too.
Ironically, cube resale value has remained relatively high, due to the limited edition coolness factor and that fanless design.
I agree. The current imac model is an excellent design and should be kept. Adding this new "cube-like" lineup will probably fill quit nicely within the current products offered by Apple.
I do look forward to seeing this new creation of apple though Re: Re: Cobe form factor a bust - no!
I say this only in jest but anyone who needs a kitchen computer has got to get out more.
I say this only in jest but anyone who needs a kitchen computer has got to get out more.
A more squared-off cabinet would make some sense, even if the overall form doesn't change all that much. It would look more like what consumers expect a "real" computer to look like. (old iMac and eMac did still look like monitors, so this wasn't as big a stretch.) Getting really pragmatic, component makers do still like all the things they make to be more or less rectangular, so it's still going to be somewhat easier to cram lots of parts into a cabinet with corners, in turn leaving more ways to fit cooling goodies for faster parts. Working on the inside of the current iMac is a pain, and I'll bet it's a real chore to build it too. Smoething a bit more conventional on the inside might help with the cost.
Re: Re: Re: Cobe form factor a bust - no!
Don't know about you, but the kitchen is the most important and highest traffic room in the whole house here - it is the room for 'hanging out'. As it is right now I use my wifi iBook for recipe and internet access while there, but if they had a iMac Cube I may not *need* one there, but I sure as heck would *want* one, and as we know, wants always trump needs.
Don't know about you, but the kitchen is the most important and highest traffic room in the whole house here - it is the room for 'hanging out'. As it is right now I use my wifi iBook for recipe and internet access while there, but if they had a iMac Cube I may not *need* one there, but I sure as heck would *want* one, and as we know, wants always trump needs.
not that apple will, but we've been talking about a cheap consumer size mac for a long time when ever these rumors come up. considering apple latest trend with ipod and itunes, they may be actually be serious about producing a mac for the masses. as others have mentioned. the key is the price factor! i'd venture $999 or less for a complete system with monitor and apple may have something.
I just have to say:
NOOOOOOOOO!
Isn't the whole idea of the iMac a machine that's simple and has a built in monitor?
The very reason I'm interested in a cube comeback is for a machine that lets me use whatever display I want and isn't as expensive or large as a tower.
Besides. How do you pull off a cube with a flat screen attached? That sounds so ugly now that I've grown use to the flat-panel iMac design.
NOOOOOOOOO!
Isn't the whole idea of the iMac a machine that's simple and has a built in monitor?
The very reason I'm interested in a cube comeback is for a machine that lets me use whatever display I want and isn't as expensive or large as a tower.
Besides. How do you pull off a cube with a flat screen attached? That sounds so ugly now that I've grown use to the flat-panel iMac design.
A headless iMac for IT would be perfect.
eMac = consumer machine
g5 = pro machine
iMac = business machine Like the iMac was originally going to be. Just a server computer.
eMac = consumer machine
g5 = pro machine
iMac = business machine Like the iMac was originally going to be. Just a server computer.
I think it will be a limited special edition thing
that would be the best way to drive demand for a new cube rather than invest the resources to make it a permanent addition to the lineup. Plus Apple can still justify a high price on it.
I seriously doubt the new cube would be inexpensive. In order to creat a $500-600 machine apple would have to cut so many corners and economize on so many components it would really do themselves a disservice. Plus companies like Dell and HP specialize in stripped down machines for bulk sale, machines sans sound cards or graphic cards, built from the cheapest components at the moment.
that would be the best way to drive demand for a new cube rather than invest the resources to make it a permanent addition to the lineup. Plus Apple can still justify a high price on it.
I seriously doubt the new cube would be inexpensive. In order to creat a $500-600 machine apple would have to cut so many corners and economize on so many components it would really do themselves a disservice. Plus companies like Dell and HP specialize in stripped down machines for bulk sale, machines sans sound cards or graphic cards, built from the cheapest components at the moment.
Better still...
To me, it seems that Apple could make a new "ultra-affordable" (say, $400) Macintosh by requiring customers to "bring more to the table" themselves (power supply, case, memory, etc.). Think about this...
Take an iBook and strip away all the following: the LCD display, the case/keyboard/trackpad/button, the battery, the hard drive and optical drive, all the ports and connectors, the memory, and the video/audio chips. Now rearrange what's left (which wouldn't be much more than the G4 itself and the Apple BIOS) onto a single PCI-slot card and package it with some software CDs in a box titled "Mac OS X 10.3 Panther - for Intel Hardware ".
Obviously, some additional supporting hardware would be needed on the card, as well as some software that ran on the Intel side to control peripherals, manage the video/audio/memory, etc. The Intel CPU could even be used as some kind of co-processor, perhaps. Admittedly, developing this software might be the sticky wicket in all this, but I'm sure Apple's engineers are up to the challenge (especially after seeing the success of iTunes for Windows).
Essentially, Apple would be selling the "guts" of a Macintosh and the software to run it (including whatever emulation/control software would be needed to support the card), allowing PC users to transform their computers into fully-functional Macs without having to give up their beloved monitors, keyboards, multi-button mice, kick-butt video cards, etc. that they've accumulated over the years. This system could be dual-booted - that would allow the Mac and the PC to coexist nicely (even, perhaps, sharing the same files on the hard drive).
I can't believe that this hardware would cost more than $300 to manufacture, since the iBook itself sells for about $1000 (so the manufacturing cost must be significanly less). At half the price of the next least expensive Mac (the eMac), and the same price as a mid-priced iPod, many PC people might finally take the plunge and try the Macintosh experience, providing Apple a nice 25% margin.
If Apple made something like this, I would buy three for myself immediatly (forgive me: I have three PCs), and maybe a few more as gifts for friends/family. At $800 a pop, a bare-bones eMac isn't quite worth replacing a fully-functional PC, but at $400, it's well worth an add-in card to turn an existing PC into a Mac.
Thoughts?...
To me, it seems that Apple could make a new "ultra-affordable" (say, $400) Macintosh by requiring customers to "bring more to the table" themselves (power supply, case, memory, etc.). Think about this...
Take an iBook and strip away all the following: the LCD display, the case/keyboard/trackpad/button, the battery, the hard drive and optical drive, all the ports and connectors, the memory, and the video/audio chips. Now rearrange what's left (which wouldn't be much more than the G4 itself and the Apple BIOS) onto a single PCI-slot card and package it with some software CDs in a box titled "Mac OS X 10.3 Panther - for Intel Hardware ".
Obviously, some additional supporting hardware would be needed on the card, as well as some software that ran on the Intel side to control peripherals, manage the video/audio/memory, etc. The Intel CPU could even be used as some kind of co-processor, perhaps. Admittedly, developing this software might be the sticky wicket in all this, but I'm sure Apple's engineers are up to the challenge (especially after seeing the success of iTunes for Windows).
Essentially, Apple would be selling the "guts" of a Macintosh and the software to run it (including whatever emulation/control software would be needed to support the card), allowing PC users to transform their computers into fully-functional Macs without having to give up their beloved monitors, keyboards, multi-button mice, kick-butt video cards, etc. that they've accumulated over the years. This system could be dual-booted - that would allow the Mac and the PC to coexist nicely (even, perhaps, sharing the same files on the hard drive).
I can't believe that this hardware would cost more than $300 to manufacture, since the iBook itself sells for about $1000 (so the manufacturing cost must be significanly less). At half the price of the next least expensive Mac (the eMac), and the same price as a mid-priced iPod, many PC people might finally take the plunge and try the Macintosh experience, providing Apple a nice 25% margin.
If Apple made something like this, I would buy three for myself immediatly (forgive me: I have three PCs), and maybe a few more as gifts for friends/family. At $800 a pop, a bare-bones eMac isn't quite worth replacing a fully-functional PC, but at $400, it's well worth an add-in card to turn an existing PC into a Mac.
Thoughts?...
It was meant to be blank forever.
I really doubt that it could happen. Servers in general are meant for IT and professional circles. If you want a consumer-level server, get an old iMac or G3/G4 tower, and, if you got the money, OS X Server. Otherwise, you can pretty much do whatever you need to do, other than route DHCP, with the standard OS X system.
It's what I used to do:
PowerMac G4 450/OS X.2/20gb system drive/2x60gb storage [OS X RAID]. Sits on the network behind the router and gives file/media services to the house of mixed PCs and Macs.
At work I run an OS X Server box, but the big difference is that is runs the network services there.
My buddy runs his home network with an old PMG3 with OS X Server 10.1 on it. Got it all used for a song.
I know many companies have made failed attempts at creating consumer servers, but I don't think that's an indication it will never happen. There are two reasons for that. First, almost everybody I know with the skills to do it has done has made their own servers. Much of the reason they've made their own servers is probably because they enjoy it, but there's no question to any of us that having your own server is really handy. The second reason is .mac. .Mac provides some of the features that a consumer server would, and it makes it easy. There's definitely demand for those types of services. I would say that consumers do have a use for a server in their home.
While it's true you can buy an old system to use as a server, that's not very consumer friendly. Also, I'm currently using my former desktop computer as a server, and I still want a new small form factor PC to replace it. My desktop is loud, hot, and too big to stick in a closet. Even an old Mac would have some of those problems. A cube, especially a fanless one, would be quiet and unintrusive.
Anyways, I don't see why a cube couldn't fit both the low-end pro and consumer server markets, unless selling the same system to two markets is a bad idea.
While it's true you can buy an old system to use as a server, that's not very consumer friendly. Also, I'm currently using my former desktop computer as a server, and I still want a new small form factor PC to replace it. My desktop is loud, hot, and too big to stick in a closet. Even an old Mac would have some of those problems. A cube, especially a fanless one, would be quiet and unintrusive.
Anyways, I don't see why a cube couldn't fit both the low-end pro and consumer server markets, unless selling the same system to two markets is a bad idea.
Re: Re: Re: Cobe form factor a bust - no!
What else am I supposed to do with one of my Mac Plus' and that nifty external hdd? Recipe holder it is!
New iMacs for sure, but so soon?
Im not sure if these rumors of new iMacs make sense. So far I have read that the iMacs are getting completely redesigned, are getting G5s, are going to have huge updates, etc. etc. and all of this announced at MWSF. Although I know these redesigns and updates will eventually happen, I question whether or not they will occur as early as MWSF. After all, the current iMac design hasnt really been around for THAT long - and its definitely not outdated by any means. Plus, the latest speed bumps for the iMacs occurred only 2 months ago...
And logically, shouldnt the xServes and LCDs be updated before anything else? I cant see too many major announcements occurring at MWSF, especially when Mr. Jobs isnt giving the keynote or anything major like that. If anything is getting a G5 it should be the xServes, followed by the PowerBooks. And wouldnt there be a lot of unhappy people if the iMac (consumer model) received a G5 before the PowerBook (Pro model)?
Plus, relatively speaking, the G5s just came out after all, and I dont know if well be seeing them in the iMacs so soon. Of course, now that Apple is dealing with IBM and not Motorola, who knows I guess!
Im not sure if these rumors of new iMacs make sense. So far I have read that the iMacs are getting completely redesigned, are getting G5s, are going to have huge updates, etc. etc. and all of this announced at MWSF. Although I know these redesigns and updates will eventually happen, I question whether or not they will occur as early as MWSF. After all, the current iMac design hasnt really been around for THAT long - and its definitely not outdated by any means. Plus, the latest speed bumps for the iMacs occurred only 2 months ago...
And logically, shouldnt the xServes and LCDs be updated before anything else? I cant see too many major announcements occurring at MWSF, especially when Mr. Jobs isnt giving the keynote or anything major like that. If anything is getting a G5 it should be the xServes, followed by the PowerBooks. And wouldnt there be a lot of unhappy people if the iMac (consumer model) received a G5 before the PowerBook (Pro model)?
Plus, relatively speaking, the G5s just came out after all, and I dont know if well be seeing them in the iMacs so soon. Of course, now that Apple is dealing with IBM and not Motorola, who knows I guess!
Re: New iMacs for sure, but so soon?
Where are you getting this info? Jobs will probably never give another Keynote at the summer Macworld, be it in NY or Boston , he will no doubt be there at MWSF.
Where are you getting this info? Jobs will probably never give another Keynote at the summer Macworld, be it in NY or Boston
, he will no doubt be there at MWSF.
Re: The current iMac is too expensive to produce
Two points:
1. If the iMac is going to go G5, then I think they almost have to alter the form so that it can be properly ventilated. Huge fans in a pro model (PowerMac) are acceptable as long as they are aren't too loud. But the consumer model should be sleeker and even quieter. So maybe that is why they are returning to the Cube's form.
2. It has been rumored (I can't remember where I read it, but it was almost certainly here since I pretty much let MR do all my rumor-gathering and filtering for me nowadays) that the iMac arm costs way too much and Apple wants to bring the price of the iMac down. Maybe they will go with a completely headless consumer line of computers from now on. Before I switched, I was often turned off by the fact that the computer would come with a display I didn't need. It was only when I needed a display, too, that I finally made the switch.
Perhaps more importantly, with Steve's well-known liberal sentiments and an environmentalist (Gore) on the Board of Directors, perhaps Apple will move to a more environmentally friendly headless consumer model that lets you keep the same display when you upgrade to a new machine. As it is, a lot of displays are being needlessly trashed on one end, wasting landfill space, and manufactured on the other.
Although I'm not sure the so-called "BMW of computer" companies agrees with you, I agree completely. A couple of months ago my Dad decided he wanted a new computer. I tried to sell him on the idea of a Mac, but he had a wide variety of PC choices for a basic consumer with plenty of bells and whistles for $800 or less. Even the eMac can't cpompete. It is said too often in the Mac community that you can get a "stripped down" computer for less than the price of an eMac, but I disagree. Or maybe I don't know what you mean by "stripped down." If stripped down is a basic consumer model, then the iMac--which is also a basic conumer model--can't compete at literally twice the price, can it? The marvelous advantages of the OS aside, there really isn't that much difference in quality to warrant twice the price, is there?
Two points:
1. If the iMac is going to go G5, then I think they almost have to alter the form so that it can be properly ventilated. Huge fans in a pro model (PowerMac) are acceptable as long as they are aren't too loud. But the consumer model should be sleeker and even quieter. So maybe that is why they are returning to the Cube's form.
2. It has been rumored (I can't remember where I read it, but it was almost certainly here since I pretty much let MR do all my rumor-gathering and filtering for me nowadays) that the iMac arm costs way too much and Apple wants to bring the price of the iMac down. Maybe they will go with a completely headless consumer line of computers from now on. Before I switched, I was often turned off by the fact that the computer would come with a display I didn't need. It was only when I needed a display, too, that I finally made the switch.
Perhaps more importantly, with Steve's well-known liberal sentiments and an environmentalist (Gore) on the Board of Directors, perhaps Apple will move to a more environmentally friendly headless consumer model that lets you keep the same display when you upgrade to a new machine. As it is, a lot of displays are being needlessly trashed on one end, wasting landfill space, and manufactured on the other.
Although I'm not sure the so-called "BMW of computer" companies agrees with you, I agree completely. A couple of months ago my Dad decided he wanted a new computer. I tried to sell him on the idea of a Mac, but he had a wide variety of PC choices for a basic consumer with plenty of bells and whistles for $800 or less. Even the eMac can't cpompete. It is said too often in the Mac community that you can get a "stripped down" computer for less than the price of an eMac, but I disagree. Or maybe I don't know what you mean by "stripped down." If stripped down is a basic consumer model, then the iMac--which is also a basic conumer model--can't compete at literally twice the price, can it? The marvelous advantages of the OS aside, there really isn't that much difference in quality to warrant twice the price, is there?
Re: Re: Re: it figures...
That's what Conduction is for.
The new iMac will be a cube machined from a solid piece of aluminum. The case is the heatsink. The G5 and the hot switching transistors will be mated to the 'case' for cooling.
Fanless G5.
Jonathan Ives will do a tapdance on stage to further show how cool he is.
That's what Conduction is for.
The new iMac will be a cube machined from a solid piece of aluminum. The case is the heatsink. The G5 and the hot switching transistors will be mated to the 'case' for cooling.
Fanless G5.
Jonathan Ives will do a tapdance on stage to further show how cool he is.
New video cards are badly needed in the imac lineup as well
How about the Radeon there using in the g5's now. How they would do this in the current form factor is beyond me but I'm sure Apple's engineers have some tricks up htere sleave.
I think Apple's desktop product line should go something like this:
Power Mac G5
Dual Processor (2.0, 2.2, 2.4)
G5 Cube
Single Processor (2.0, 2.2), Fanless, made for business and upper consumers, can be connected into XGrid.
iMac G5
Single Processor (1.8, 2.0), lower price, all-in-one, price comparable to Cube.
eMac G4
Pumped to G4 max.
I honestly think that the reason Power Macs are outselling iMacs is all the pent-up demand for the 970. The iMacs are pretty overpriced now, but that's only because they're G4's. And heck, I almost bought one. But I'm happier with Kira.
Power Mac G5
Dual Processor (2.0, 2.2, 2.4)
G5 Cube
Single Processor (2.0, 2.2), Fanless, made for business and upper consumers, can be connected into XGrid.
iMac G5
Single Processor (1.8, 2.0), lower price, all-in-one, price comparable to Cube.
eMac G4
Pumped to G4 max.
I honestly think that the reason Power Macs are outselling iMacs is all the pent-up demand for the 970. The iMacs are pretty overpriced now, but that's only because they're G4's. And heck, I almost bought one. But I'm happier with Kira.
Ok I have a 17inch imac and I just love it to death. The only thing that I ever complain about is no audio in which has been fixed, and that ports could swivle out to the front or a automatic port door. The dome part of the imac is what makes it so great. It is sofisicated, yet friendly which caters to almost everyone.
I hope that they use a G5. But, I don't want them to change the incloser. Maybe if they just made a very powerful headless one. With a headless dome apple could fit more stuff in to it, and people could use them as regular computer, or even a very stable server.
I also think that a headless imac would have some educational benifits. Schools could use exsisting monitors, if they have them and save some money.
Couldn't u just imagine a bunch of cute smiling domes all lined up it a row. I like having a cube, but I like the imac the way it is.
I hope that they use a G5. But, I don't want them to change the incloser. Maybe if they just made a very powerful headless one. With a headless dome apple could fit more stuff in to it, and people could use them as regular computer, or even a very stable server.
I also think that a headless imac would have some educational benifits. Schools could use exsisting monitors, if they have them and save some money.
Couldn't u just imagine a bunch of cute smiling domes all lined up it a row. I like having a cube, but I like the imac the way it is.
i Have an idea
how about a 12 inch laptop bottom, no screem, no mouse, no keyboard, all ports on the back except for one audio usb and firewire, with slot loading drive, the moniter lays down on top of it, then folds up, sorta like a reverse book. ultra thin, or even keep it kinda like the one now with an arm
this seems like it would be a good emac? something good for schools, still could be cheap, and takes up less space. good for edu and computer labs. mabye the same thing as a 12 inch ibook, just no mouse no keyboard, no screen. ulta small headless computer. thin too
Andreas
how about a 12 inch laptop bottom, no screem, no mouse, no keyboard, all ports on the back except for one audio usb and firewire, with slot loading drive, the moniter lays down on top of it, then folds up, sorta like a reverse book. ultra thin, or even keep it kinda like the one now with an arm
this seems like it would be a good emac? something good for schools, still could be cheap, and takes up less space. good for edu and computer labs. mabye the same thing as a 12 inch ibook, just no mouse no keyboard, no screen. ulta small headless computer. thin too
Andreas