The iMac that Apple should bring out
Hi,
Here are my thoughts on the home computer killer that would sell by the shedloads, and finally make inroads into the 97% PC market.
I suspect that a lot of home users are torn between getting a desktop and a laptop. For most home users the speed difference is not an issue, so it comes down to form. The equation is basically - do you prefer better ergonomics i.e. distance between full size keyboard and monitor, or convenience of portability? But what if they could have both?
Docks in the PC world that I’ve seen are inelegant solutions - but Apple are almost there: Turn the base of the flat panel iMac into purely a connection box, with at least 8 USB ports and 3 firewire along with the usual Ethernet, speakers, modem etc.
Where the screen is on the flat panel iMac, turn that into a tray, so that your portable Mac (iBook or Power Mac) sits there and acts as the screen. Single USB, Firewire, Ethernet and modem cables pop out of the arm and connect into the rear, along with any others (it would be good if the other connections (line in/out/speaker etc) could be combined into a single new type of cable so only a single connector is required, though individual connections would still be on the laptop for those on-the-road moments).
And there you go! Comes with a pro keyboard and mouse, and you have the best of both worlds - ergonomically great (flexible screen and full keyboard layout, with ease of portability. Since there’d be space inside the dome you could probably design space for a firewire hard drive in there, and/or another drive.
So users also get the possibility of upgrading without having further peripherals lying around on the desk.
If that package could be sold for an additional $200 to the price of the laptop, then it becomes a no-brainer (for me at least).
What do you think?
Here are my thoughts on the home computer killer that would sell by the shedloads, and finally make inroads into the 97% PC market.
I suspect that a lot of home users are torn between getting a desktop and a laptop. For most home users the speed difference is not an issue, so it comes down to form. The equation is basically - do you prefer better ergonomics i.e. distance between full size keyboard and monitor, or convenience of portability? But what if they could have both?
Docks in the PC world that I’ve seen are inelegant solutions - but Apple are almost there: Turn the base of the flat panel iMac into purely a connection box, with at least 8 USB ports and 3 firewire along with the usual Ethernet, speakers, modem etc.
Where the screen is on the flat panel iMac, turn that into a tray, so that your portable Mac (iBook or Power Mac) sits there and acts as the screen. Single USB, Firewire, Ethernet and modem cables pop out of the arm and connect into the rear, along with any others (it would be good if the other connections (line in/out/speaker etc) could be combined into a single new type of cable so only a single connector is required, though individual connections would still be on the laptop for those on-the-road moments).
And there you go! Comes with a pro keyboard and mouse, and you have the best of both worlds - ergonomically great (flexible screen and full keyboard layout, with ease of portability. Since there’d be space inside the dome you could probably design space for a firewire hard drive in there, and/or another drive.
So users also get the possibility of upgrading without having further peripherals lying around on the desk.
If that package could be sold for an additional $200 to the price of the laptop, then it becomes a no-brainer (for me at least).
What do you think?
Comments
<strong>But Apple are almost there: Turn the base of the flat panel iMac into purely a connection box, with at least 8 USB ports and 3 firewire along with the usual Ethernet, speakers, modem etc.</strong><hr></blockquote>
What the **** do you want 1016 USB thingys for? :eek: <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />
Currently I have Keyboard, printer, scanner, camera, iMic, Griffin Powermate, leaving two spare. I know some products let you daisy chain, but the ones above don't. With my iMac I've had to buy an external powered USB port - having a Mac should mean minimal external wires.
David
[ 01-14-2003: Message edited by: murbot ]</p>
[ 01-14-2003: Message edited by: makrell ]</p>
<strong>Or just bump the speed to 1 GHz, improve the video card and offer the 15" model starting at $699. That'll kick start sales.</strong><hr></blockquote>
The iMac needs a boost to 1.25 Ghz. Moto has the chips available, they are now selling them to upgrade manufacturers, so there shouldnt be a problem there. a lower priced 15" and better video system would help a lot as well.
<strong>Hey...Did anyone notice that the LapAdvantage website shows the PC Laptop with the Apple Pro Keyboard and Mouse, LMAO!!!
its not like you cant use a Mac keyboard on a PC ya know...
just the one button mouse would be suicidal
He's right y'know.
Lemon Bon Bon
don't you think you are missing my point? I think a lot of people don't buy a laptop as they are not much fun for long term sessions.
Create an easy way to separate the screen and full sisize keyboard, allow peripherals to be connected and disconnected in seconds and all of a sudden I'm a believer.
Cheers
David
PS once Apple start designing it, then I'm sure it would look cool
iMacs 699 (OK 799 for the apologists) to 1599 (the 17" model).
Cheap G4 towers or cube redux's, 999-1599
DP towers, 1699 and up.
I hear Apple's market share may have plummeted down to an all time low of 2%. 2%, if that's true, they only have a few tenths of a percent left to give before they're done as the company we know today.
<strong>Kill the eMac, it's over 2 years too late. yes yes, people are buying it, but only because the prices on iMacs are obscene. 699-799 15" iMac entry level = no reason for an eMac to even exist.
iMacs 699 (OK 799 for the apologists) to 1599 (the 17" model).
Cheap G4 towers or cube redux's, 999-1599
DP towers, 1699 and up.
I hear Apple's market share may have plummeted down to an all time low of 2%. 2%, if that's true, they only have a few tenths of a percent left to give before they're done as the company we know today.</strong><hr></blockquote>
when you post like this i cant help but cringe and roll my eyes
wake up
The desktop market is still where marketshare is made or lost and the viability of the platform determined. To expand here you only need one thing, a CHEAP and EXPANDABLE machine. A SP G4 tower is almost certainly cheaper to build than even a G3 iBook. There's no reason why an SP 1.25Ghz G4 Tower shouldn't already exist for 999. They can charge more for DP stuff with other go fast features, but the machine I describe is desperately needed if Apple has ANY intention of staying in the hardware business -- at the very least a cube like version with easily upgradeable CPU, GPU, and drives, plus one empty PCI slot.
You'll note I do not ever say that Apple will go out of business, they'll just turn into something different if their market share continues to shrink, and a very real possiblity includes the death of the "mac" as you have known it.
They're now doing such a good job on the laptops, we can cut 'em a little slack untill the right go fast bits arrive to allow for some stratification between the high and low end, but once they're here Apple will finally have to face the music with regards to boxen vs AIO's. AIO's are nice for some people, but they can never make a convincing replacement for an affordable box, not if market-share is your intention.
Time to shelve pet philosophies about "the computing experience." The market demands affordable boxes, either Apple can provide them, or they'll be had elsewhere.
15" LCD's are cheap, a 700-800 Mhz G4 is about 50 bucks, the RAM in use is slow and cheap, the Mobo paid for, HDD's and opticals are ridiculously cheap... If you can't do it, you ain't trying. iApps mean nothing, their development has already been paid for many times over. It doesn't have to be a latest and greatest machine, it can be strictly contained to the left-overs of the previous gen, but it has to be cheap and complete (if were talking AIO)
AS to desktops, a 999 SP box is not asking too much at all (monitor not included) It is the ONLY machine that has any possibility of making serious inroads with switchers. Plenty of damn good 999USD boxes exist, considering Apple already has an OS to use (no licensing) and that PPC's are much cheaper than mid to top X86, and they tend to wring a LOT of life out of tower MoBo chipets, they could certainly build a competitive 999 combo drive box, 1299 with superdrive.
How about a single processor line of PowerMacs with modest RAM, modest HDD, modest graphics card, CDRW or combo drives? Price range:$999-$1599
Higher end configurations can be all dual processor, high RAM amount, high speed/high capacity drives, RAID in high high end, professional graphics card and Super drives in all configurations. Price range:$1899-$3299
But what do I know. I'm just a consumer who buys Macs by the dozen (sometimes
<strong>can you build an iMac like PC for 699 (or even 799)??? with similar specs and iApps?? i've been configuring a pc system for a friend and i keep coming up at over 1000 and usually over 1200 when i add any decent graphics card and that doesn't have any software of any real use...it has made me actually re-think my "not pushing my mac preference" on people who ask me to help them....i am gonna tell her the pros and cons of each and then try to get her to go with the eMac (she has a 1200 limit) by telling her that i will help her buy any computer, but i will only help her troubleshoot a mac....g</strong><hr></blockquote>
This is so true.
I can't even remember how many times people have come to me looking for advice on a new computer. Usually the demands are that it handle basic word processing, spreadsheet, etc., and web and e-mail. I recommend a Mac of some flavor and they just laugh in my face at seeing the price. "I don't need all of that. It's just too much money. There's this great $799 system at Circuit City."
They get back, tell me they bought a computer. I ask them what they got and how much they paid for it. "Oh, we went with the top of the line." Usually they end up spending well in excess of $2,000, and almost always more than a comparable Mac would have cost.
Apple has good machines at good prices and generally doesn't nickle and dime its customers into debt with add-ons. Some people appreciate that, while others don't.
No, I don't want a complete laptop on the arm, and I don't think the original poster envisoned that. What's on the arm is the computer and the screen. There is no keyboard section. CDs are inserted from the side, maybe. It is thicker than the iMac's screen, but otherwise roughly the same; but the processor, RAM and hard disk are up there. (A fan?)
When 'going mobile', there is a slab part which has a keyboard and battery in it. OK, maybe the optical drive is in it too. You take the screen and plug it to the slab part, and presto! a laptop.
When you get home, you disconnect the screen/processor/hard drive from the keyboard slab and attach it to the arm. Maybe the CD drive is in the base, but not much else is (power supply perhaps).
I think it's a great concept, and I'd buy one myself. All the benefits of a laptop, and all the benefits of a desktop, with the deficiencies of neither, and substantial cost savings over buying both.