Apple's next iMacs rumored with compelling new features
A couple of new features rumored to be in the cards for Apple's forthcoming iMac refresh will up the value proposition for prospective buyers in the market for an all-in-one desktop system, AppleInsider has been told.
One of those features is said to have long been on the wish-lists of many Mac users while the other is expected to cater to the semi-professional audio/video crowd. This is according to cryptic tips from people often familiar with the Mac maker's future product initiatives, but who declined to elaborate because they were not authorized to discuss the matter in detail.
Still, both features have been characterized as significant announcements in their own right, leading some industry-watchers polled by AppleInsider to wonder whether the former of the two will finally see the Cupertino-based company embrace technology once described by chief executive Steve Jobs as "a bag of hurt."
Either way, the new iMac offerings are expected to follow a trend set this spring with the introduction of new MacBook Pros, by which Apple simultaneously shaved retail costs while offering more value through added features such as better battery technology, higher-quality displays, and improved I/O functionality.
So how is Apple, renowned for its traditionally high gross profit margins, managing to achieve this flexibility amid the sharpest economic downturn in its corporate history? Independent analyst Turley Muller, who out-scored all of his colleagues on Wall Street in predicting the company's third-quarter results, is chalking it all up to the iPhone.
He believes the latest touch-screen handsets generate profits so high -- estimated at nearly 60% for the 32GB iPhone 3GS -- that the proceeds from sales of the devices are helping Apple absorbed and offset margin hits in the highly-competitive personal computer market.
"Going forward Apple will recognize higher iPhone revenue carrying a higher gross margin," Muller said. "As iPhone revenue as a percentage or share of total revenue increases, the impact of the higher iPhone (gross margin) on overall (gross margin) will intensify. This will assuage margin pressures Apple faces in other areas."
For example, he added, "we just witnessed, Apple cut prices on its Mac line-up, and there hasn't appeared to be any noticeable impact on overall (gross margins),"
Those price cuts, which were first reported by AppleInsider months before they became official, helped Apple drive sales of more than 1.75 million notebooks for the three-month period ended June, representing 13% yearly unit growth. The MacBook momentum also helped the company set a third-quarter Mac sales record of just over 2.6 million Macs with desktop units factored into the mix.
And while it's true that the future of Mac computing is heavily weighted towards portables, recent data points out of the Far East suggest that Apple enjoys a commanding lead over its peers in the realm of all-in-one desktop systems -- one which it's undeniably looking to fortify.
The Chinese-language Commercial Times reported last month that Apple is expected to ship 3 million of the integrated desktops during the course of 2009, representing nearly half of the 6.5 million all-in-one systems that will be sold this year.
Meanwhile, Apple is simultaneously said to be working on an industrial design overhaul for the iMac line which could arrive as early as this year, possibly as part of the aforementioned refresh. This much has not been corroborated by insiders with any degree of certainty, however. Indications would point to slimmer, sleeker designs akin to the company's relatively new 24-inch LED-lit Cinema Display.
Also in the queue
Apple's much-anticipated tablet device coming early next year
Apple may extend antiglare display option to more Macs
Briefly: more affordable iMacs from Apple expected by fall
Apple listing implies iPod touch to eventually gain digital camera
Apple procuring video camera modules for next-gen iPod touch
One of those features is said to have long been on the wish-lists of many Mac users while the other is expected to cater to the semi-professional audio/video crowd. This is according to cryptic tips from people often familiar with the Mac maker's future product initiatives, but who declined to elaborate because they were not authorized to discuss the matter in detail.
Still, both features have been characterized as significant announcements in their own right, leading some industry-watchers polled by AppleInsider to wonder whether the former of the two will finally see the Cupertino-based company embrace technology once described by chief executive Steve Jobs as "a bag of hurt."
Either way, the new iMac offerings are expected to follow a trend set this spring with the introduction of new MacBook Pros, by which Apple simultaneously shaved retail costs while offering more value through added features such as better battery technology, higher-quality displays, and improved I/O functionality.
So how is Apple, renowned for its traditionally high gross profit margins, managing to achieve this flexibility amid the sharpest economic downturn in its corporate history? Independent analyst Turley Muller, who out-scored all of his colleagues on Wall Street in predicting the company's third-quarter results, is chalking it all up to the iPhone.
He believes the latest touch-screen handsets generate profits so high -- estimated at nearly 60% for the 32GB iPhone 3GS -- that the proceeds from sales of the devices are helping Apple absorbed and offset margin hits in the highly-competitive personal computer market.
"Going forward Apple will recognize higher iPhone revenue carrying a higher gross margin," Muller said. "As iPhone revenue as a percentage or share of total revenue increases, the impact of the higher iPhone (gross margin) on overall (gross margin) will intensify. This will assuage margin pressures Apple faces in other areas."
For example, he added, "we just witnessed, Apple cut prices on its Mac line-up, and there hasn't appeared to be any noticeable impact on overall (gross margins),"
Those price cuts, which were first reported by AppleInsider months before they became official, helped Apple drive sales of more than 1.75 million notebooks for the three-month period ended June, representing 13% yearly unit growth. The MacBook momentum also helped the company set a third-quarter Mac sales record of just over 2.6 million Macs with desktop units factored into the mix.
And while it's true that the future of Mac computing is heavily weighted towards portables, recent data points out of the Far East suggest that Apple enjoys a commanding lead over its peers in the realm of all-in-one desktop systems -- one which it's undeniably looking to fortify.
The Chinese-language Commercial Times reported last month that Apple is expected to ship 3 million of the integrated desktops during the course of 2009, representing nearly half of the 6.5 million all-in-one systems that will be sold this year.
Meanwhile, Apple is simultaneously said to be working on an industrial design overhaul for the iMac line which could arrive as early as this year, possibly as part of the aforementioned refresh. This much has not been corroborated by insiders with any degree of certainty, however. Indications would point to slimmer, sleeker designs akin to the company's relatively new 24-inch LED-lit Cinema Display.
Also in the queue
Apple's much-anticipated tablet device coming early next year
Apple may extend antiglare display option to more Macs
Briefly: more affordable iMacs from Apple expected by fall
Apple listing implies iPod touch to eventually gain digital camera
Apple procuring video camera modules for next-gen iPod touch
Comments
Still, both features have been characterized as significant announcements in their own right, leading some industry-watchers polled by AppleInsider to wonder whether the former of the two will finally see the Cupertino-based company embrace technology once described by chief executive Steve Jobs as "a bag of hurt."
Blu-Ray.
I wonder what changed?
Blu-Ray.
I wonder what changed?
The licensing structure for one.
Blu-Ray.
I wonder what changed?
It's just a guess by some people we asked.
K
Blu-Ray.
I wonder what changed?
blu-ray drives are cheaper. i saw one at newegg last week for $58. If apple buys 5 million a year then say $20 per drive for them. or maybe less
Still hard not to get excited about an iMac update!
Blu-Ray.
I wonder what changed?
Good to see you back, btw
K
Meanwhile, Apple is simultaneously said to be working on an industrial design overhaul for the iMac line which could arrive as early as this year, possibly as part of the aforementioned refresh. This much has not been corroborated by insiders with any degree of certainty, however. Indications would point to slimmer, sleeker designs akin to the company's relatively new 24-inch LED-lit Cinema Display.
Joy. An even slimmer design. I guess the likelihood that the iMac will ever get a Quad Core is going down. The iMac doesn't use current 45W Penryn Core 2 Quad or the special 65W desktop Core 2 Quads and Nehalem based quad cores aren't much better at 95W for Lynnfield and 55W/45W for mobile Clarksdale. Further thinning the iMac which will likely further reduce thermal room won't help any.
How about Apple start with home movie DVDs without the encryption so I can get family DVD movies into iMovie for further editing. Worry about the DRM of commercial DVDs later!
Blu-Ray.
I wonder what changed?
Blu Ray?
What, to just play $30+ Blu Ray discs, or to rip to your high capacity HD?
At least two FireWire 800 ports.
Quad core processor.
QUIET.
And, of course, a SUPER Mac mini or a Mac mini TOWER. That is, a headless Mac that is QUIET.
Joy. An even slimmer design. I guess the likelihood that the iMac will ever get a Quad Core is going down. The iMac doesn't use current 45W Penryn Core 2 Quad or the special 65W desktop Core 2 Quads and Nehalem based quad cores aren't much better at 95W for Lynnfield and 55W/45W for mobile Clarksdale. Further thinning the iMac which will likely further reduce thermal room won't help any.
check out Intel's CPU roadmap at AnandTech or Tom's Hardware. I think they are supposed to go all quad core on consumer PC's this fall and a new generation of CPU's on a new manufacturing process next spring.
And the 9400M is getting very old and it's very slow compared to modern GPU's. and I don't think it even supports PhysX. there is probably another integrated solution now.
One of those features is said to have long been on the wish-lists of many Mac users while the other is expected to cater to the semi-professional audio/video crowd. [...]
Still, both features have been characterized as significant announcements in their own right, leading some industry-watchers polled by AppleInsider to wonder whether the former of the two will finally see the Cupertino-based company embrace technology once described by chief executive Steve Jobs as "a bag of hurt."
[...]
Meanwhile, Apple is simultaneously said to be working on an industrial design overhaul for the iMac line which could arrive as early as this year, possibly as part of the aforementioned refresh. This much has not been corroborated by insiders with any degree of certainty, however. Indications would point to slimmer, sleeker designs akin to the company's relatively new 24-inch LED-lit Cinema Display.
So, anti-glare screens and blu-ray in an iMac Air? Maybe someone will make a carrying case for it like those big soft boxes with shoulder straps they used to sell for the original Macs.
Blu-Ray.
I wonder what changed?
perhaps merely that Blu-ray hasn't crashed and burned. it actually looks like it is going to have a market.
that said, I can't see them putting it in all machines. I can see it in the Pro and perhaps the highest 24", perhaps as a custom option on the others.
as for the thinner comments. the thickness is due to the components so it likely won't change too much. not until they go solid state, which is also something I could see being a custom feature at least on the higher end. prices are coming down enough it's possible.
a +3 ghz processor on the high end would be nice. more harddrive and cheaper ram (that upgrade to 8gb is a hurt right now), all probably in the pipe.
touch screen imacs I don't really see as a high market. perhaps an option on the displays for businesses, but I would think that a matte finish option is more wanted than touch screen. again at least as a custom choice for the high end 24" and the display.
and a 30" display and/or 30" imac would probably have some market, particularly if prices came down
- Slimmer design
- Blu-Ray drives
- SD Card Slot Reader
- Full LED Displays (currently still LCD+inverter assemblies)
- Backlit keyboard optional
- 2.0MP iSight Camera
- Quad-Core option
Brian
biggest pain is to get clips from a DVD movie into iMovie.
How about Apple start with home movie DVDs without the encryption so I can get family DVD movies into iMovie for further editing. Worry about the DRM of commercial DVDs later!
DRM and the ripping unfortunately go hand in hand to some degree. which is why it's not officially supported.
Maybe one day
I think the following would work well for the iMacs, you guys have any feature thoughts?
- Slimmer design
- Blu-Ray drives
- SD Card Slot Reader
- Full LED Displays (currently still LCD+inverter assemblies)
- Backlit keyboard optional
- 2.0MP iSight Camera
- Quad-Core option
if you are looking for professional features, an express slot to attach esata would be on the list. perhaps that SD card slot could be switched on order for such use.
There have been rumors in the past that Apple would get into the HDTV market and an iMac is basically an HDTV with no cable-in, so it would make sense that iMac would be the Mac that would get the full HDTV treatment.
I don't think this will be a feature on the next iMac, but it's not out of the question.
Personally, I would rather see Apple go the Comcast-killer/Netflix-killer route -- introduce a flat-price package for TV content that includes live sports and news content AND work out better arrangements with the studios for a more complete rental catalog.