3 Features You Want Added to Each Product

[applenut]

list the 3 main features you want added to each product line besides clockspeed improvements.

PowerMac G4
1.) G5 or duals standard
2.) Soundblaster Audigy integrated
3.) new case design

PowerBook G4
1.) higher resolution screen
2.) combo drive
3.) Radeon 7500

iBook
1.) Radeon mobility
2.) 13 inch display
3.) extended desktop support

iMac
1.) 15 inch LCD
2.) Radeon 2 7500
3.) Combo drives and Superdrive on Special Edition

iPod
1.) option for different size Hard drives
2.) mic or line in
3.) different back

Displays
1.) 18 inch Cinema Display
2.) 1999 22 inch Cinema Display
3.) bundle "instant rebates" with purchase of mac

[ 11-16-2001: Message edited by: applenut ]</p>

[pscates]

I won't even bother, because I like and agree with everyone of your ideas.

So, "what applenut said!".

:)

Seriously, the DVD/CD-R combo drive should be on EVERYTHING (at least as an option) at this point.

And maybe just a bit more flexibility overall throughout the line, regarding drive type, sizes, video card, etc.

I've been saying that for a long time now...the ability to TRULY put together the Mac of your dreams, via having more choices in certain, easily changeable components.

[CapnPyro]

[quote]I won't even bother, because I like and agree with everyone of your ideas.
So, "what applenut said!".
<hr></blockquote>

[Matsu]

I AGREE TOO, most definitely, wholeheartedly, YES!!! PSsst... Apple, you listening, we've got money to spend, give us what we want.

As far as I can see, you only missed one thing: Altivec for the consumer lines. If not for the whole line up, at least for the top end iBook and iMac. An Altivec SE of each please; put some 'Special' in those editions. Come on Apple, I'm waiting to give you my money, and so are a lot of other people. ;)

[ 11-16-2001: Message edited by: Matsu ]</p>

[stepson]

PowerMacs
---------
Ditch Altivec*
Lower Prices
Different Case

iMacs
-----
LCD
Smaller
can't think of a third that isn't speed :)

Cube
----
667/133 from the powerbook
More firewire ports that are easily accessable/USB2
Integrated LCD display up front that can show CPU/memory usage/etc ... or the apple logo!

And I don't use portables, so i can't say what should be added :)

*I don't like altivec. Sure its cool and fast, and can be great... but anything a developer has to do thats 'extra' ... well, ...

I like the way AMD does things. Sometimes elegant solutions are better... sometimes i just want "the power to crush the other kids" ;)

[KidRed]

The only thing I can think of is

Power Macs-
Faster system bus
Faster memory
Higher Mhz
New case (4 things)

iMac-
redesign from ground up
faster bus
faster memory

Pretty much what applenut siad with the included faster bus & memory

[Stepfather]

Listen son,

Matsu is right, Altivec is needed. A good vector unit is essential to future computing tasks (that crunch large amounts of data) PPC should get better FP units also, but the vector unit is needed. It's only 'special' because not all PPC's support it, if all PPC's supported it, then it wouldn't be special at all, it'd just be the way things are done, period. Same reason Intel had trouble getting SSE2 implemented: for a while not all their procs supported it.

Now go to bed, I have to bone your mom now.

[FERRO]

Go here... <a href="http://forums.appleinsider.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=000027" target="_blank">AI Internal thread - Future Hardware</a>

[JasonPP]

I agree with Applenut. Apple! Do these things now!!!!

[DoctorGonzo]

iBook -
2nd trackpad button a MUST
100Mhz system bus
Somewhat improved video chipset

With those features, it will be the perfect laptop. And I would buy one.

I would buy one even if the first improvement was made. As long as I can have that second button, I'll be fine. Dragging around a spare mouse (especially on an airplane), or using a key-combo is really annoying. It would be soooo easy to make it an option. Please Apple! Please do this!

[ 11-19-2001: Message edited by: DoctorGonzo ]</p>

[EmAn]

I'm another one that agrees with applenut.

[Blizaine]

<img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" /> I agree with Applenut as well <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />

[MajorMatt]

DoctorGonzo, the iBook does have a 100MHz bus sans the entry level.

Yes, I do agree that the iBook must have better video specs. Having 8meg card today is just shameful...

[Amorph]

iMac:

1) LCD
2) G4
3) Combo drive

iBook:

1) The super-efficient IBM G3, to boost battery life
2) AirPort standard
3) CD-R or DVD at the low end; combo drive at the high end

PowerMac:

1) All-new mobo
2) G5 or multiple dual-7450 options
3) New case with two full-size drive bays and USB, FireWire and Ethernet ports on the top front corner of the case for easy hotswapping

PowerBook:

1) Brighter, higher resolution screen
2) Combo drive standard
3) Hot-swappable ports on side of machine, iBook style

Cube:

0) In production :D
1) Sane price point & bundles with Apple monitors
2) 7460 G4s
3) Accepts standard 7" AGP video cards

iPod:

1) 10GB hard drive
2) Hot-swappable battery
3) Hand crank for manual recharging. :p

Monitors:

1) Price reductions to $299, $699, $1999
2) Pixel density increase on all models
3) 19" LCD introduced at $1299

[ 11-19-2001: Message edited by: Amorph ]</p>

[TigerWoods99]

PowerMac
-G5 with architectural improvements (400 MHz bus, DDR, Hyper Transport)
-new case design with 2 full 5.25" drive bays! (the one thing I love about this beige G3.....floppy, cd-rw, zip, and I still have a full bay I can use)
-DVD-RW on the low-end

Powerbook
-Apollo 7460 G4
-Radeon 7500 or the new nVidia mobile chip
-combo drive
-higher resolution

iBook
-100 MHz bus
-BLACK
-Radeon Mobility
-faster G3

iMac
-G4
-new form factor
-LCD

[EmAn]

[quote]iBook -
2nd trackpad button a MUST<hr></blockquote>

Why? Every other Apple product only has one button so why should the iBook be any different? Doesn't make sense at all.

[Mike Eggleston]

[quote]Originally posted by EmAn:
<strong>Why? Every other Apple product only has one button so why should the iBook be any different? Doesn't make sense at all.</strong><hr></blockquote>

I have to agree with you about this. Apple has always made it a point to be a one button mouse. Why go two. Admittedly OS X handles the perverbial Right-Click, and maybe Apple ought to make a ProMouse2 with two buttons.

As for everything else, here are the basics:

ALL Price reduction.

PowerMac and iMac: I am a simple man.
More memory standard (256 - 512MB)
USB2/FireWire2
Airport Preinstalled

iMac Specific:
G4
Combo if not SuperDrive

iBook:
Better graphics card
Airport preinstalled
More RAM (256 min)

PowerBook:
Better Graphics Card
(I am a recording) More RAM (256 Min)
ComboDrive

Keyboard:
How about this. Using LEDs, having a customizable backlit keyboard. Think TRON for the idea. Not only would the cool factor go up, but it would also make the keyboard divided in five main groups: Letters, Numbers, Function Keys, Control Keys (Command, Option, Shift, Tab, etc), and Arrow/Direction Keys (Pg. Up, Pg. Down, Insert, Up, Down, etc). I am not a graphics artist, but I will try to have a mockup of it on here soon.

I think that is it.

[Amorph]

I almost forgot: Add 3 feet to the keyboard cable, and 2 feet to the mouse cable.

[torifile]

I don't think that the ibook should have a bigger screen, esp. if it doesn't come with higher resolution. There would be no point to the extra girth and the display wouldn't look as sharp. I got rid of my pismo when the ibook came out because of its size and the loss of no desktop space. Except that I can't have an extended desktop. That's lame, I think. That's the one thing I would ask of a new ibook. Otherwise it's perfect.

All lines: Airport standard, built-in. Not on a card. Screw the rest of the computer industry and their wireless cards. 802.11g for me baby!!!

Powerbook: higher resolution screen, ADC support (I know that's probably not possible, but I'm dreaming here :) ) and that's it.

Desktops: I don't use desktops so I don't know. :D

[smalM]

[quote]Originally posted by Amorph:
<strong>Cube:

0) In production :D
1) Sane price point & bundles with Apple monitors
2) 7460 G4s
3) Accepts standard 7" AGP video cards
</strong><hr></blockquote>

Throw in a Superdrive and I plung into debt immediately!

[salmonstk]

These are in order of need from model to model and number to number.

iMac
1. LCD 15" (obviously new case)
2. G4
3. CD-RW/COMBO/Superdrive options, with a special education model with regular CD.

PowerMac
1. G5
2. new case
3. superdrive on all models, except a built to order educational one which would be cheaper of course.

PowerBook
1. Higher resolution & brighter screen
2. Better G4 with lower power consumption (faster not necessary its damn fast already)
3. Combo drive
4. Built in Airport (ok I have 4 here)

iBook
1. Slot load drive that goes in new LCD iMac
2. 13.1 inch screen (if possible w/o case redesign)
3. built in airport

SIDENOTE: I really think the portables should have built in or standard included airport. Its a feature that everyone must have if they have a portable. This would also drive sales of the base station or cards for an existing desktop.

Displays
1. New design
2. 19 inch model
2. 15-$399 17-$599 19-$799 22-$1,999

iPod
1. $299 with added discounts if bought with a Mac.
2. Larger drive
3. Lighter

[jj]

powermac:
dual G5 or dual 1.2+ghz g4
new mobo (DDR/400mhz bus)
2 agp slots

My employer WILL pay the premium to buy me a dual G5. However, buying a dual g4 and upgrading to a g5 in less than a year is another story.

I'm still debating if I rather purchase a mature G4 system, or an immature bleeding edge 64bit G5 system. It all depends on the feature set I suppose. A killer mobo with dual apollo's would make me happy. So would an apple quadro based video card.... and a Raycer graphics preprocessor (I gave up on that one a while ago).
Apple really needs to make some quantum leaps if they want to promote the mac as a legitimate highend 3d platform. Don;t you think jobs would like to see pixar using macs?

[Jonathan]

iMac:

LCD, Sahara G3, Combo, 32 mb gfx.

iBook

Sahara G3, slot load drive, 16 mb gfx, weight reduction.

PowerMac
New case, UMA-2, G5

PowerBook
1440x960 display, combo drive, Apollo.

[satchmo]

As much as I would love the re-introduction of the Cube, it would really not be necessary if the new iMac had an LCD display.

Pretty much what Applenut said plus some other suggestions:

-Apple LCD displays that have additional VGA port so I can plug my Apple laptop to it!!!!
-Yeah a 13.3 inch iBook would really be sweet
-Much quieter G4/5 towers!!!
-Lower priced AppleCare warranties
-Free cool Mac t-shirt or baseball cap with every purchase
-New MacSlate (okay I'm getting carried away)

[trumptman]

iMac- No redesign, same case
1. G3@1gig minimum and going on up
2. Geforce2mx with duel display and video mirroring capability (Shades of the SE/30)
3. DVD/cdr combo drives
4. Lower prices

PowerMac
1. G5, or duel G4's across the entire line
2. DDR
3. Superdrives across the entire line

iBook-Honestly pretty close to perfect already
1. upgraded graphics card with true duel display out
2. built in airport
3. starting at $999

Powerbook G4
1. built in airport
2. DVD/CD-R drive standard
3. faster processors with 133 mhz bus standard or lower prices

Headless iMac/return of Cube

*1.13 gig G3+
*256 meg PC-133 sd-ram
*Duel display GF2mx or or single vga with tv-out (on single AGP card, no other upgradeable slots)
*40 gig 5400 rpm HD
*10/100 ethernet
*choice of DVD or cd-r drive
*2 firewire and 2 USB
*56k modem

slim-line enclosure case ala LC series or some of the BOOK-type computers you see at the computer fairs (but with true Appledesign.)

I would make this the only config so you can get great deals on the parts and sell them for $899 each. (drops to $799 within three months)