New iMacs to shift investor focus back to Apple's Mac story

[AppleInsider]

A pair of new iMacs expected to be released by Apple Inc. on Tuesday should shift investor focus away from the early stages of iPhone sales and back onto the more significant story of the Mac market share growth, according to investment research firm Piper Jaffray.

"We believe Apple will introduce redesigned iMacs at a press event tomorrow," analyst Gene Munster wrote in a research note to clients on Monday morning. "Since early this summer when AppleInsider first issued the story, we have been anticipating an iMac update with a radically new form-factor."

Should the new iMacs arrive as anticipated, Munster believes they could drive upside to his September quarter Mac shipment estimate of 1.9 million systems. He told investors that Apple appears to be on a path of replicating its iPod strategy within its Mac business.

"For the past two years Apple has announced new iPod models in September, ahead of the holiday shopping season; this year Apple is announcing upgraded Macs ahead of the education buying season," the analyst wrote. "And similar to the successful holiday quarters in 2005 and 2006, we expect Mac sales in the 2007 education season to be strong."

Munster also told clients that believes the new iMacs will shift investor focus away from the early stages of iPhone sales and back onto the more significant story of Mac market share growth. He noted that during the last calendar quarter, Apple's worldwide Mac market share rose to a historical high of 3.0 percent, up from 2.6 percent in March and 2.5 percent in December.

In his note to clients, the Piper Jaffray analyst said he does not have any hard evidence of other products Apple may introduce at its event on Tuesday. However, some "unlikely" possibilities could include a new version of the company's iLife digital media suite, new monitors with built-in iSight cameras, or upgraded MacBooks.

"A 13-inch MacBook Pro model featuring an ultra-portable, lightweight enclosure is also a possibility," he wrote.

Munster maintains an Outperform rating and $211 price target on shares of the Cupertino-based Mac maker.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[icibaqu]

first

curious to know what they'll look like so i can enter covet mode

[CanadianDude]

I've been holding out on buying a new iMac for quite a while now and even if they are substantially improved, I will still wait until Leopard is released before pulling out my credit card.

Isn't it tomorrow yet?

[bdj21ya]

Originally Posted by icibaqu

first

curious to know what they'll look like so i can enter covet mode

Ah covet mode. What's the command line for that again? I think I'd like to enter covet mode tomorrow too.

[Strawberry]

I smell another expensive consumer item to add to Santa's list...

[mgkwho]

Wow, Munster admits that he bases analysis off of a rumor site. Goes to show you he has no idea what he's talking about and how powerful AI and MacRumors and the like are.

I don't know if I would personally base my financial decisions through Munster's reading-of-this-site, but then again it is AppleInsider. I guess that means I really should spend my money based on rumors!!

-=|Mgkwho

[StuBeck]

Maybe I'm not reading this right, but he thinks the Apple stock is going to hit $211? When would this be since its gone down something close to 15 points in the last few days.

[johnhood]

Will the "i" in Mac be dropped to bring the desktop machines in line with their portable counterparts?

[lonepilgrim]

Originally Posted by johnhood

Will the "i" in Mac be dropped to bring the desktop machines in line with their portable counterparts?

"In line" in what sense? Each member of the Mac product family has "Mac" in their title. I'd say it's already pretty much in line.

[DaveGee]

NINTH! ... err TENTH!

I for one will be first in line for a new iMac for the wife.... The 17" G5 is looking long in the tooth **and** can easielly be handed down to her dad who is using a Purple iMac DV? G3! I kid you not... the hardest thing I'll have to deal with is breaking him from his Doom v1.0 habit... since I'd rather not install OS 9 if I can help it.

Any tips on a good replacement for Doom v1.0 for a man thats 82 years young?!? (OS X game that is)

Dave

[bsenka]

Originally Posted by StuBeck

Maybe I'm not reading this right, but he thinks the Apple stock is going to hit $211? When would this be since its gone down something close to 15 points in the last few days.

The drops in the stock are artificial, created by patently false investor analyst FUD. There are few guarantees in life, but Apple breaking $200 is as close as it gets.

[psychodoughboy]

I've got my credit card ready. I'm buying as soon as the Apple Store goes back up tomorrow. Hopefully it'll arrive by the time the weekend rolls around.

[ncbill]

Information on the new models?

Anyone...anyone...Bueller?

Seriously, rumor sites obviously need to recruit some new sources.

Forget pics, we don't even have specs on new Macs, the day before they are due to be released!

[southside grabowski]

Any word from Shaw Wu?

[eAi]

"the Cupertino-based Mac maker" What? Rather than the Seattle-based Mac maker?

[jouster]

Originally Posted by DaveGee

the hardest thing I'll have to deal with is breaking him from his Doom v1.0 habit... since I'd rather not install OS 9 if I can help it.
Dave

Well.....it ain't like he *has to* get rid to the G3 too...

[StuBeck]

Originally Posted by bsenka

The drops in the stock are artificial, created by patently false investor analyst FUD. There are few guarantees in life, but Apple breaking $200 is as close as it gets.

I think there has been enough positive false investor analyst FUD as there has been negative. When do you think Apple is going to hit that? Its gone up by 45 dollars in the last few months, then gone down by about 12 lately. It isn't a very stable stock right now.

[dontlookleft]

Originally Posted by CanadianDude

I've been holding out on buying a new iMac for quite a while now and even if they are substantially improved, I will still wait until Leopard is released before pulling out my credit card.

Isn't it tomorrow yet?

I'm right there with you sir. It sucks...a lot! They need to release Leopard!!

[MsNly]

I never get any work done on Tuesdays...

[vinney57]

Originally Posted by StuBeck

I think there has been enough positive false investor analyst FUD as there has been negative. When do you think Apple is going to hit that? Its gone up by 45 dollars in the last few months, then gone down by about 12 lately. It isn't a very stable stock right now.

Apple is not like other stocks because Apple is not like other companies in the sector. If you don't 'know' Apple then I suggest you stay away because you will need nerves of steel. If you 'get' Apple however then its probably been the most solid investment of the past five years... and the next five years. If you are basing buying decisions on the history of a few months you really shouldn't be in the game.

[iMacExpectant]

This Photoshop mock-up is designed by eye-witness from Foxconn assembly in CZ. They've been making new iMac for couple of weeks now.

http://oriesko.rajce.idnes.cz/temp/images/iMac_2007.jpg

[Marc G]

@iMacExpectant - That pic has been floating around for almost a week and was dismissed as a fake. The seeming lack of adjustablity makes that design unlikely.

@ CanadianDude and dontlookleft - What you say makes sense unless you are like me with multiple macs in your home but only 1 about to be replaced. When Leopard arrives, I'll need to get a family pack anyway so that I can update the other computers in my home and on my network.

[Rolo]

Originally Posted by StuBeck

Maybe I'm not reading this right, but he thinks the Apple stock is going to hit $211? When would this be since its gone down something close to 15 points in the last few days.

Analyst price targets are usually a year out so Munster is predicting 211 by the end of July, 2008. His previous target was 205. My prediction is that AAPL will be close to 200 by mid-January.

[l33r0y]

So basically a cinema display (hopefully same panel type) with iSight and a Macintel inside?

@Mark G - yeah it's been floating around, but it is a mock up by description, not a photo (official or otherwise) - it still may have some cred.

I'd buy one!

[anantksundaram]

Ah, AI is now Mr. Munster's primary data (and research) provision shop.

How does it feel, guys (and gals), to work for an investment bank? How big was the pay raise? Any Ferraris yet?

[Marc G]

What I just don't understand is why so many people are saying a new iMac has to be thinner? The current thickness is not bad at all. They only issue with the outside of the current design is the Jay Leno chin that this thing is sporting. Personally, I would have been content with having the innards on the current one upgraded to more current technology and leaving it at that big chin or not. How could they possibly make it any thinner without resorting to using all laptop parts? I actually wouldn't have an issue with it being even a bit thicker if it meant they could switch to all desktop parts. Hopefully we won't all be majorly bummed tomorrow with whatever the announcement is.
P.S. After several years of reading this site, sure is nice to be able to post my opinions at last.

[Haggar]

Bring back service friendly hardware designs!!

[lantzn]

Originally Posted by DaveGee

Any tips on a good replacement for Doom v1.0 for a man thats 82 years young?!? (OS X game that is)

I'm not a gamer but would the obvious choice be DOOM 3 for OS X?
http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Games/Doom-3.shtml

[iMacExpectant]

Originally Posted by Marc G

@iMacExpectant - That pic has been floating around for almost a week and was dismissed as a fake. The seeming lack of adjustablity makes that design unlikely.

Read my lips: this is photoshoped mock-up (fake if you want) but (!!!) designed by desciption given by people, who seen freshly assembled brand new iMac right in assembling factory.

I would prefer they're wrong, but... it's probably very close. We'll see tomorow anyway.

[iMacExpectant]

Originally Posted by Marc G

What I just don't understand is why so many people are saying a new iMac has to be thinner? The current thickness is not bad at all. They only issue with the outside of the current design is the Jay Leno chin that this thing is sporting. Personally, I would have been content with having the innards on the current one upgraded to more current technology and leaving it at that big chin or not. How could they possibly make it any thinner without resorting to using all laptop parts? I actually wouldn't have an issue with it being even a bit thicker if it meant they could switch to all desktop parts. Hopefully we won't all be majorly bummed tomorrow with whatever the announcement is.
P.S. After several years of reading this site, sure is nice to be able to post my opinions at last.

It should be just 2cm thin! It's now becoming just MacBookPro with external keyboard and display turned out. 2.5" HDD scares me a lot.

[DaveGee]

Originally Posted by jouster

Well.....it ain't like he *has to* get rid to the G3 too...

Since he keeps calling **ME** for support... YES... YES HE DOES!

Unless that is you want to take over the job...

[DaveGee]

Originally Posted by lantzn

I'm not a gamer but would the obvious choice be DOOM 3 for OS X?
http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Games/Doom-3.shtml

That was my thought but I wonder how well that does on a 17" 1st Gen (i think) iMac G5....

As you can tell I'm not a gamer either... also he's (obviously) a single player type of player.... Not sure if that has anything to do with it...

Dave

[StuBeck]

Originally Posted by vinney57

Apple is not like other stocks because Apple is not like other companies in the sector. If you don't 'know' Apple then I suggest you stay away because you will need nerves of steel. If you 'get' Apple however then its probably been the most solid investment of the past five years... and the next five years. If you are basing buying decisions on the history of a few months you really shouldn't be in the game.

I'm not in the "game." I am a college student with 100K in debt, I don't really have 2k to blow on something which may go up in value but could plummet. I'm obviously not "in the game" because I'm not basing it on a few months, I'm basing the stock price of the past 3 days where it went from 145 to 130.

[StuBeck]

I don't know how he will like Doom 3. My mom likes Doom a lot, but could never get around the controls in 3d shooters like that, using a mouse just makes her sick after 5 minutes.

[CanadianDude]

Originally Posted by Marc G

@iMacExpectant - That pic has been floating around for almost a week and was dismissed as a fake. The seeming lack of adjustablity makes that design unlikely.

@ CanadianDude and dontlookleft - What you say makes sense unless you are like me with multiple macs in your home but only 1 about to be replaced. When Leopard arrives, I'll need to get a family pack anyway so that I can update the other computers in my home and on my network.

I hear ya! I've been contemplating buying Wifey a Mac Mini but I'm afraid I'll be brought down this road:

"Dear, how do I close this window?"

"Well, on a Mac, the close button is at the top left corner of the window"

"Why?"

"Never mind"

"Dear...why don't the windows cover the whole screen like on a Windows computer?"

"sigh....because it's a Mac...it does things logically...like sizing your windows according to what you are viewing and therefore giving you a cleaner workspace"

"Can I still use MSN?"

"Yes"

"Can I still use Microsoft Word?"

"Yes"

"Dear....why do you look so frustrated?

"sigh"

[DaveGee]

Originally Posted by StuBeck

I'm not in the "game." I am a college student with 100K in debt, I don't really have 2k to blow on something which may go up in value but could plummet. I'm obviously not "in the game" because I'm not basing it on a few months, I'm basing the stock price of the past 3 days where it went from 145 to 130.

This is the reason mutual funds were invented.... No disrespect intended, its simply the truth. You have to be 'in the game' to 'win the game' otherwise you're relegated to sitting on the sidelines waiting for your mutual funds dividend check to hit the mailbox.

Your tolerance for risk and your liquid assets (and/or credit worthiness) will answer all questions...

100K in debt and yet still so very very green... it's no wonder our country is falling to the wayside...

Dave

[Rhumgod]

Six years later, but ?

Next-gen ‘iMac 2001’ debuts on Web

Could see the detachable screen/Webpad thing coming to fruition.

[FineWine]

Wot iz diz chit: "He noted that during the last calendar quarter, Apple's worldwide Mac market share rose to a historical high of 3.0 percent, up from 2.6 percent in March and 2.5 percent in December."

I mean, historically hasn't Mac had much bigger market share worldwide? Say back in the early 90's or so? Recently, OK, but *historically*? Anyone know?

[ecking]

Originally Posted by FineWine

Wot iz diz chit: "He noted that during the last calendar quarter, Apple's worldwide Mac market share rose to a historical high of 3.0 percent, up from 2.6 percent in March and 2.5 percent in December."

I mean, historically hasn't Mac had much bigger market share worldwide? Say back in the early 90's or so? Recently, OK, but *historically*? Anyone know?

I think it's hovered around 2-3% worldwide and like 5% US.

[webmail]

Originally Posted by bsenka

The drops in the stock are artificial, created by patently false investor analyst FUD. There are few guarantees in life, but Apple breaking $200 is as close as it gets.

Well if you say so! I guess I'll just buy another 10,000 shares!!! Geeze if only I had read your post earlier!!!

Seriously, the market is at the tip-top right now, it's been slowly sliding the last few days, eventually there will be a recession. If I had to bet $5,000 I say the recession happens before Apple hits $200.