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Who will buy new iMac (PM vs. iMac)?

post #1 of 15
2/4/03 at 2:21am
Thread Starter 
Prices now:

iMac with 17-inch flat panel TFT display now $1999
1GHz PowerMac + 17" Apple Display $2198

Who will buy new 17" iMac, if price difference will be small? Buying a PowerMac you will get better value for your money now.

Apple has to drop iMac prices quite a lot.
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post #2 of 15
2/4/03 at 2:38am
I've thought about buying an iMac for my first Mac, but I'm using it for everyday stuff plus graphic design and rendering, and I have a tendancy to buy the best upfront, so I've decided on the Powermac Dual 1.25 with the 20" Cinema Display. Unfortunately, I have quite a bit of saving to do first.
<a href="http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?songs=56395&T=4445" target="_blank">http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?songs=56395&T=4445</a>
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<a href="http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?songs=56395&T=4445" target="_blank">http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?songs=56395&T=4445</a>
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post #3 of 15
2/4/03 at 5:32am
  • Escher
  • Sub-PowerBook Lobbyist
[quote]Originally posted by Stratosfear:
<strong>Who will buy <a href="http://www.apple.com/imac/" target="_blank">new 17" iMac</a>, if price difference will be small? Buying a PowerMac you will get better value for your money now.</strong><hr></blockquote>

A lot of people will buy the new 17" iMac, because the price difference will be substantial. As you state yourself, a 1Ghz PowerMac plus 17" ASD will cost you $2200. If Think Secret's predictions are true, you'll be able to get an iMac 17" for $400 less. Not only will you save money, you will get a gorgeous widescreen display and a built-in SuperDrive, neither of which you get with the bottom-end PowerBook/ASD combo.

The 17" ASD has 1280x1024 = 1,310,720 total pixels. The current 17" iMac has 1440-by-900-pixel = 1,296,000 pixel resolution. So the difference in resolution is completely marginal. If you don't need expandability, and don't want to keep your LCD when you upgrade, the iMac is, and will remain, a better deal than the low-end PowerMac.

Escher

[ 02-04-2003: Message edited by: Escher ]</p>
"The only laptop computer that's useful is the one you have with you."
Until we get a 3 lbs sub-PowerBook, the 12-inch PowerBook will do.
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"The only laptop computer that's useful is the one you have with you."
Until we get a 3 lbs sub-PowerBook, the 12-inch PowerBook will do.
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post #4 of 15
2/4/03 at 5:39am
Moving to current hardware.
francism@mac.com
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francism@mac.com
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post #5 of 15
2/4/03 at 5:46am
Thread Starter 
[quote]Originally posted by Escher:
<strong>If Think Secret's predictions are true, you'll be able to get an iMac 17" for $400 less. Not only will you save money, you will get a gorgeous widescreen display and a built-in SuperDrive, neither of which you get with the bottom-end PowerBook/ASD combo.
[/b]</strong><hr></blockquote>

What about quality of display? I have seen few iMac 15" displays and quality wasn't so good. I have used Apple Display 17" and quality was excellent.
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post #6 of 15
2/4/03 at 5:58am
Thread Starter 
New prices:

PowerMac with SuperDrive + Apple Display 17" $2,398.00
iMac with 1GB RAM $2,348.00
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post #7 of 15
2/4/03 at 6:42am
One wonders if Apple is trying to kill off the iMac or trying to improve its sale of PowerMacs.... <img src="confused.gif" border="0">
iSurf, iSaw and iType
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iSurf, iSaw and iType
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post #8 of 15
2/4/03 at 7:26am
Different markets. The iMac is not expandable, but it is an all-in-one. For some, the powertmac has qualities (expandibility, dual processor performance) that are critical to them, whereas others might like the feature set of the iMac better (all-in-one design, great style, small footprint etc.). That said, the price delta is a bit too small. That is a consequence of cheap powermacs, however, rather than expensive iMacs.

[ 02-04-2003: Message edited by: wormboy ]</p>
Registered: Dec 1998
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Registered: Dec 1998
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post #9 of 15
2/4/03 at 8:22am
The price difference is okay!:

iMac 1 GHz, 17", SuperDrive, 256 MB RAM, 80 GB HD, GForce4MX 64 MB = 1799$

PM 1 GHz, SuperDrive, 256 MB RAM, 60 GB HD, GForce4MX 64 MB + 17" StudioDisplay = 2398$

The difference is 600$

If you need expandability and goodies like FireWire800 and Gigabit ethernet go for the PM, if not then go for the iMac. Simple.

[ 02-04-2003: Message edited by: Power Apple ]</p>
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post #10 of 15
2/4/03 at 8:59am
[quote]Originally posted by Stratosfear:
<strong>New prices:

PowerMac with SuperDrive + Apple Display 17" $2,398.00
iMac with 1GB RAM $2,348.00</strong><hr></blockquote>

Why are you loading the iMac with a gig of RAM for the comparison? Sounds like someone wants to make the PowerMac seem like the right choice.


We might as well toss a 80 GB drive into the PowerMac to even out all the specs... that makes the price difference:

$2423 - $1799 = $624

That's a pretty significant difference, considering most people only *think* they will use the expandability of their computers.

In Canada, it's $1059. Save a thousand dollars, get a compact, fast little Mac with a widescreen display that probably runs much quieter... I'll probably end up choosing the iMac myself.
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post #11 of 15
2/4/03 at 11:45am
I'd probably go for the iMac even though I'd rather have the tower.
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post #12 of 15
2/4/03 at 12:13pm
My newphew is going to Art school this semester. Alas, he is finally convinced about switching to the Mac side. The new iMac 17" at $1799 (maybe cheaper for w/student discount) including 4x SuperDrive and iLife is just the right price and easy setup for a switcher. And throw in OfficeX for $199 and he will probably not miss his old beat-up PC.

Apple's new pricing is getting better and better. I hope it keeps heading this way with the eventual introduction of the 970 chip later this year.
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post #13 of 15
2/4/03 at 2:42pm
My dual 1.25 is already in the mail so you know which one i picked.

Im currently upgrading from an iMac DVSE 400mhz. This thing was the beast among iMacs back then, but now it is really outdated for what I need. I've been wanting to upgrade for over a year now but never had the funds. During that time, I could have used a computer with more expansion capabilities. Since the iMac still doesn't offer this, I simply wouldn't buy it. I must admit though, the 17inch is pretty cool, but I know two years later it won't be faster enough no mo'.

Now I sit and play the waiting game... <img src="graemlins/cancer.gif" border="0" alt="[cancer]" /> ....ahhh, that should help <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />

[ 02-04-2003: Message edited by: Dank ]</p>
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post #14 of 15
2/4/03 at 3:14pm
Today's iMac is cool, but they should get this spec earlier. It's nice to see the iMac finally breaks the 1Ghz-land. I'm still using an iMac 333, which is from my sister's co-worker. It works fine but not always. I just picked the dual 1.25Ghz tower plus Superdrive and 17" ASD. This will complete my "Apple product martix", except the eMac.
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Flickr, facebook. twitter.
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post #15 of 15
2/4/03 at 3:29pm
[quote]Originally posted by Dank:
<strong>
Im currently upgrading from an iMac DVSE 400mhz. This thing was the beast among iMacs back then,
</strong><hr></blockquote>

HA! my DVSE 500 is better
orange you just glad?
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orange you just glad?
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