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Will Apple come out with a desktop called the "Mac"?

ErikAndre

ErikAndre

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Nov 14, 2007
719
0
Florida
Think about it.

  1. There is a MacBook, then a MacBook Pro
  2. There is a MacMini, then a Mac Pro
  3. There are reports the MacMini's existance will soon end at MWSF.
Wouldn't it make sense if Apple came out with something slightly bigger than the Mini, yet smaller than the Mac Pro... that it would simply be called "Mac"?

Just a thought.
 
You mean a 'headless' iMac? What a revolutionary idea. Surprised no one has ever thought of it before.;)

such a beast would no doubt sell well, particularly if Apple permitted upgrades to the GPU as well as RAM and hdd. Sadly, it would also canibalize sales of the Mac Pro.
 
Won't happen. We have the iMac and the Mac Pro. If Apple ever released some variant of a mini-tower in between the two product lines it would not be called a "Mac" in any case...
 
I hope they do come out with a "headless iMac", but I doubt they'll name it just "Mac".

It's too generic. That's the overall term that people use to refer to any Apple branded computer. Even Apple refers to their entire line of computers as Macs when they tell you to Get a Mac.
 
I wouldnt like it. All the computers that Apple makes are "Mac".

Patrick: Do you have a Mac?
Michael: Yes , I have a Mac ( as in , MB , MBP , iMac and so on )

oh wait .. this doesnt make sense.

But anyway , Mac means all Apple's computer stuff ( OS X and the actuall machines ). Calling a Mac Mac would be as stupid as calling my cat Achmed Jan Abdullah AlJazar van der Sloot. Eh , You get the idea.
 
SXR said:
I wouldnt like it. All the computers that Apple makes are "Mac".

Patrick: Do you have a Mac?
Michael: Yes , I have a Mac ( as in , MB , MBP , iMac and so on )

oh wait .. this doesnt make sense.

But anyway , Mac means all Apple's computer stuff ( OS X and the actuall machines ). Calling a Mac Mac would be as stupid as calling my cat Achmed Jan Abdullah AlJazar van der Sloot. Eh , You get the idea.
Click to expand...

Excuse me, my cat just so happens to be named Achmed Jan Abdullah AlJazar van der Sloot - do you have a problem with that? :mad:

:D :cool:
 
ErikAndre said:
Think about it.

  1. There is a MacBook, then a MacBook Pro
  2. There is a MacMini, then a Mac Pro
  3. There are reports the MacMini's existance will soon end at MWSF.
Wouldn't it make sense if Apple came out with something slightly bigger than the Mini, yet smaller than the Mac Pro... that it would simply be called "Mac"?

Just a thought.
Click to expand...

I think if the Mini had a real graphics card this question would not have to be asked.
Also, there are different levels of performance and size in the iMac line, yet there is no difference in names. So the "Mac" as you say, may not be anything more than a high end Mac mini, in title and content.
 
I saw a picture of this in an elevator recently. I think we might see this at MWSF.

fakemac.jpg
 
I'm not a fan of the iMac or the Mac mini, so I hope they do come out with something like this soon. I've always been annoyed by the fact that Apple makes you pay a premium for a computer you can actually upgrade (the Powermac). RAM upgrades alone don't cut it.
 
They did have a headless iMac during the PowerMac G5 run, and it was as well received as chocolate covered turds at a Bistro.
 
Besides the single G5 PowerMac, let's not forget that this existed once before as the G4 Cube and that was a bust as well.

For as well as everyone around here says these things will sell, Apple's past shows that these will not sell that well.

And the vast, vast majority of people that own a computer (be it a PC or Mac) never, ever, open the case at all.
 
lofight said:
no, that's the whole point about the new mac, you can only turn it on and off with your power cord.. because nobody really turns off their computer anymore

:p:p:p
Click to expand...

This is true.....but then you have to turn your monitor on to put it too sleep! :(
 
Besides the single G5 PowerMac, let's not forget that this existed once before as the G4 Cube and that was a bust as well.
Click to expand...

I would argue that the Mac Mini is the successor to the cube. Same form factor, same limitations.

And the vast, vast majority of people that own a computer (be it a PC or Mac) never, ever, open the case at all.
Click to expand...

There's more too it than that. Right now the iMac fills the market between the Mac Mini and the Mac Pro. There are two glaring problems with the iMac, in my view: It's hard to upgrade, and it has a built-in screen. What happens if your screen dies, or your optical drive? You're essentially paying for a laptop with an aluminum stand. It defeats the point of a desktop.

Desktops should be flexible. I should be able to get a new monitor without buying a new computer. I should be able to get a new CD drive without buying a new computer. I should be able to get a new graphics card without buying a new computer. The list goes on.

Right now the only Mac that can offers that is the Powermac, which has a $2499 starting price. Apple needs to make these capabilities more accessible, and stop treating its customers like dupes.
 
wightstraker said:
I would argue that the Mac Mini is the successor to the cube. Same form factor, same limitations.



There's more too it than that. Right now the iMac fills the market between the Mac Mini and the Mac Pro. There are two glaring problems with the iMac, in my view: It's hard to upgrade, and it has a built-in screen. What happens if your screen dies, or your optical drive? You're essentially paying for a laptop with an aluminum stand. It defeats the point of a desktop.

Desktops should be flexible. I should be able to get a new monitor without buying a new computer. I should be able to get a new CD drive without buying a new computer. I should be able to get a new graphics card without buying a new computer. The list goes on.

Right now the only Mac that can offers that is the Powermac, which has a $2499 starting price. Apple needs to make these capabilities more accessible, and stop treating its customers like dupes.
Click to expand...

You have a point about a monitor. For the rest of the things you point out, the vast majority of the people will buy a new PC for these things. Is it a waste of money? Sure it is, but most people are blissfully ignorant about their computer and if something breaks, they head over to Best Buy and spend $500 on a new one.

Listen, I am not saying I wouldn't want one, but if this did happen, if you think it would be priced less than a $1000, then I got some swamp land in Florida I want to sell you. And once you get over $1000, you are firmly in iMac and Mac Pro territory.

It sounds to me like what most people want is the Mac mini replaced with a headless iMac for slightly more money than a mini, like $899 or something. And I just don't think that is ever going to happen. And if it did happen all you would hear is how you can get the same spec machine from Dell for 1/2 as much or how someone would pay you to build your own. Apple just isn't into competing in the razor thin market for mini-towers. Simple as that.
 
rdowns said:
I saw a picture of this in an elevator recently. I think we might see this at MWSF.

fakemac.jpg
Click to expand...

The url of the picture says fakemac.jpg when you do a quote. But I like it anyway. I've been imagining something like this forever.

Base price 600 or something like that. Then I can add my own memory, vidoe card, etc later when I'm ready. Cuz my mini doesn't allow this without woiding warentee.

ivnj
 
wightstraker said:
I would argue that the Mac Mini is the successor to the cube. Same form factor, same limitations.
Click to expand...

The Cube was more upgradeable. I had an upgraded HD, memory, and video card in mine, and you can easily install a processor upgrade. Don't forget that it actually had a dedicated video card too. There are lots of people still using them as their primary machine today. The thing that killed it was the price, which they corrected with the Mini.
 
slu said:
It sounds to me like what most people want is the Mac mini replaced with a headless iMac for slightly more money than a mini, like $899 or something. And I just don't think that is ever going to happen. And if it did happen all you would hear is how you can get the same spec machine from Dell for 1/2 as much or how someone would pay you to build your own. Apple just isn't into competing in the razor thin market for mini-towers. Simple as that.
Click to expand...

Personally I wasn't thinking of a mini-tower, just a cheaper incarnation of the powermac. Something with the same flexibility of a powermac, with a slightly smaller form factor, in the $1500-$2000 range would be ideal. $2499 is just too much of a premium for flexibility.
 
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