iMac to move upmarket. :-D :- ( :-/
Obviously the eMac is more than just a computer for our education customers. It was always intended for the entry level.
What it does do is free up the iMac to move upmarket -- both a good and a bad thing.
I don't see why anyone would buy a 999 iMacG3 when they can get a vastly superior eMac for a 100 dollars more. Most likely iMacG3 will be dead by this time next year, unless Apple breaks with tradition and finally offers a real entry level machine, not something at 799 and 999 but something at 499. That's a true market-share leader, but I digest.
A nearly 999 G4 eMac means that Apple doesn't have to keep the iMacG4 as bound by price. The low end can stay where it is, but the high-end can stretch a bit further than currently possible.
Maybe something with a new color, an SE badge, 17" screen, L3 cache, and hotter graphics? 1999-2199?
hmmm...
What it does do is free up the iMac to move upmarket -- both a good and a bad thing.
I don't see why anyone would buy a 999 iMacG3 when they can get a vastly superior eMac for a 100 dollars more. Most likely iMacG3 will be dead by this time next year, unless Apple breaks with tradition and finally offers a real entry level machine, not something at 799 and 999 but something at 499. That's a true market-share leader, but I digest.
A nearly 999 G4 eMac means that Apple doesn't have to keep the iMacG4 as bound by price. The low end can stay where it is, but the high-end can stretch a bit further than currently possible.
Maybe something with a new color, an SE badge, 17" screen, L3 cache, and hotter graphics? 1999-2199?
hmmm...
Comments
however, i think apple better be careful on where they take the imac. it's still a "lower" machine and that's how people think of it. let's face it, this time next year or the year after that, who is really gonna buy a non-flat LCD computer? hopefully by that time the new iMac will be pretty damn cheap that there won't even be a purpose for the eMac.
<strong>
I don't see why anyone would buy a 999 iMacG3 when they can get a vastly superior eMac for a 100 dollars more.
hmmm...</strong><hr></blockquote>
I totally agree with that : i don't see the interest of the old i mac now, the prize ratio of the Imac G3 is indecent. Technically this computer is overdated and will not be able to run smoothly jaguar : there is no future for the imac G3. Apple should remove this product from his store or make big promotions on it.
Perhaps my wish will be granted today or these week, Apple should stop the imac G3 line and push the emac line with a different name at the place. That's will be logical at least.
[ 06-04-2002: Message edited by: powerdoc ]</p>
But I also recognize the economics and the reason an eMac was developed.
Hopefully the availability of the eMac to the general public won't kill iMac sales (time for that 17" LCD GHz G4 at MWNY
I'd hate to see the iMac go the way of the Cube. Although in one regard, I hope it will. Finding it's way into the Smithsonian.
<strong>Maybe something with a new color, an SE badge, 17" screen, L3 cache, and hotter graphics? 1999-2199?
hmmm...</strong><hr></blockquote>
Apple needs to be careful how high they take this "mid range" system. Otherwise, they're headed for another "Cube"-like failure. Basically, there is a limit on how high they can price the iMac in relation to the overlap price of the low end tower.
Steve
Ideally, the falling cost of drives, RAM and LCD's, by years end***, will give back the price increases on the new models and then some.
***Most manufacturers and analysts are reporting a massive ramp-up in LCD production starting at the end of '02. Prices for LCD's should begin a dramatic fall that sees them drop to half their cost over the next 3 years.
In the short term, Apple could drop the prices of the current models back to their pre-bump levels, and bring in a 17" version at 1999. Perhaps doing away with current superdrive model and replacing it with a pricier superdrive+17" model.
<strong>
Hopefully the availability of the eMac to the general public won't kill iMac sales (time for that 17" LCD GHz G4 at MWNY
</strong><hr></blockquote>
I hope that it will kill iMac sales - them we might have a quad G5 and 17" in the same enclosure, all free with a packet of wheetos!
David
Not an unappealing notion to many who don't need the 'expandability' of the 'power'Mac.
I'd like to see the bigger screen. And a better graphics card. Certainly on the high end model. A bit of colour too? What colour are you suggesting Matsu? Aqua?
However, I'd like to see Apple drive down the 'low end' G4 imac LCD to sub £999 inc VAT.
I'd like to see them keep competitive with the imac and not use the emac as an excuse to keep the price inflated.
One good thing about the original CRT imac, they did drive the price down after a while.
It started at over a £1100 here in the UK. And within a year the price was heading down. I hope the same occurs to both imac / emacs so that it is the emac that takes up the current crt imac position.
I'd like the crt imac to stick around for a £499 bargain basement Mac. eMacs drove down to where the G3 imacs used to compete. Low end LCD iMac under a grand. Use the ancient G3 imacs to compete against those 'bargain' basement PCs with much better specs. The price of the G3 imacs should be there now. The tech is outdated enough!
Lemon BOn Bon
[ 06-04-2002: Message edited by: Lemon Bon Bon ]</p>
That's a true market-share leader, but I digest.
Matsu - You make several good points. However, I think you meant, "I digress." That is, unless you ate something, in which case we're not interested...
most people already consider $1899 "upmarket." Any higher would be rediculous.
<strong>
I hope that it will kill iMac sales - them we might have a quad G5 and 17" in the same enclosure, all free with a packet of wheetos!
David</strong><hr></blockquote>
You're right...but we wouldn't want to have it die completely like the Cube. Hopefully a 17" is around the corner. But keep the 15" around long enough so I can sell mine on eBay!
Remember, its the consumer machine. The powermac is for the power (or lack of, at the moment).
I'd like to see:
iMac: $499 (as is now) (600mhz G3 15" CRT)
eMac: $999 (small cut, 100) (700mhz G4 17" CRT)
iMac: $1299-1699 (800-1000mhz G4 15-17" LCD)
That line just flows nicely. Gives apple a low cost solution. All this should be do-able bu July. Do you people remember the days of the iMac DV and DVSE? It was a max of $2900AU then. The imac is now $4200AU or something, for the top model (sure the AU dollar is lower, but the imac price has risen too high for a consumer machine)
That's the way to go.
Apple just need to re-adjust their pricing.
Let's hope they do and hell knows, they might actually look like they're competing!
Shock, horror...
lemon bon bon
One way to get around the dollar value issue is to specify a much larger variety of BTO options, and apply edu discounts across BTO aswell. A Superdrive PC with a 15" TFT is just about in the iMac price range. But on the PC side you can spec a bigger display and negate the superdrive without giving up RAM, CPU speed, speakers.
The A-I-O nature of the iMac negates too much BTO'ing but they would do well to offer BTO HDD, Optical, Speakers, and eventually 15/17" display. And not just meager discounts for a down-grade, or more expensive (not to mention over-priced) options only. How 'bout an option for a small 20GB HDD and a budget read-only optical? Something that would let you take $250US out of the price of a mac, and still let you qualify for an edu discount.
Plenty of PC makers offer that flexibility.
I know I'd buy an iMac with a 17" display and the smallest HDD and optical Apple would sell me, If htat let me get the fastest machine and biggest display at a respectable price. I can always buy firewire periphs for more storage/burning later-on, or I can migrate my older periphs if they still do the job.
However, this is mostly a consideration of their ability to reach markets, particulary where dollar conversions over-amplify the price difference. Given the current prices of LCD's and superdrives, a 1999USD 17"LCD/Superdrive iMac is a fair/good price.
Hornet, your price chart looks to me a good and perfectly realistic balance of Apple pricing tendencies, market costs, industry margins, and
a acceptably doable current price structure.
Plus the $1999 17"TFT iMac SE that I describe would slot right over that line-up perfectly!