Any ideas for upgraded iMac timeframe?

kurtkurt
Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
I looked down this page and didn't see any iMac threads. Since I am in the market and am curious, I thought I would start one.



The LCD iMac hasn't significantly changed since it was introduced in Jan. with the exception of the 17" model. I know they took awhile to actually be shipped but it is still 10 months since the specs were released. That is a long time even for Apple. With the new version of the Superdrive announced by Panasonic (I think that is who makes it), I would like to believe a new model is due before Christmas. It would make a lot of sense to get something new in the channel before the holiday buying season and have discounted models available as well. There were also those rumors of a 19" model. I would like to see processor speed increased as well. 1GHz would be nice.



Anyone else have any thoughts?



Edited for punctuation.



[ 10-20-2002: Message edited by: Kurt ]</p>

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    xionjaxionja Posts: 504member
    I would hope for a slotloading iMac, even though I realize this is hard because of the curved front. I think if they pulled this curved slotloading cd/dvd drive off they would sell a whole bunch, or at least in a perfect world they would. I think that the 700 megahertz will be discontinued and if there are not lcd upgrades, the 17" model and the top end dvd burning will be 1 ghz and they will only have one lower model with 800 mghz combo drive 15". That would be an ausome lineup. They could also throw the geforce 4 in on the topend 15" model.
  • Reply 2 of 7
    naghanagha Posts: 71member
    Apple's iMac line now includes:



    - CRT-based G3 iMacs

    - flat-panel 15/17 iMacs

    - the eMac



    In the last quarter, some 320,000 iMacs were sold. 76,000 were CRT-based iMacs. 129,000 were eMacs and the remaining 113,000 were flat-panel iMac models.



    Of that 113,000, the 17" model comprised more than 50% of sales. All three 15-inch flat-panel iMac models accounted for less than 56,000 units!



    The absence of upgrades to the iMac line can be explained by very poor sales after the initial demand (and subsequent shortage) was quenched. If you look at the sales figures for the 15" SKUs, Apple sold more of the G3 iMac than they did of the 15" flat-panel iMacs!



    The iMac flat-panels are long overdue for an upgrade and Apple must be waiting for the current stock to be depleted before refreshing the entire line. We've read reports of the Asian manufacturers stopping 15" production.



    I think that the refreshed iMac line will have a faster bus and processors and possibly even an L3 cache now that the PowerMac line is all dual and L3 enabled. It's just an educated guess... no sources.



    na
  • Reply 3 of 7
    junkyard dawgjunkyard dawg Posts: 2,801member
    The ugly truth is that the new iMac is a flop. Too expensive, underpowered, and no expandability---that's why it's not much of a hit. Lack of expandability is fine for an all-in-one priced around $1000, but for $1500+, there should at least be an AGP slot. If a person can buy a Wintel for under $1000 that is totally expandable and has better specs than the iMac, well the choice is obvious.



    That said, I set up my parent's 15" LCD iMac and was totally blown away by it. It's a beautiful computer, and I'd buy one myself if it had an agp slot. But as a disposable computer, the iMac is too much. Nobody want's to sink that sort of money into a computer that's designed to be thrown into a landfill after a few years...
  • Reply 4 of 7
    jrcjrc Posts: 817member
    It might be too expensive, but I'M coming around to it. It's very nice to have that screen very adjustable. But, yeah, drop the bottom to $999 and I'll buy one. Or two.
  • Reply 5 of 7
    bostonmjhbostonmjh Posts: 56member
    The iMac do need to be updated badly.



    If Apple is going to keep the 15" CRT then they must lower the cost (no R & D here) while update speed (Im sure apple would keep it G3), HD and Graphics. There sould be two options for optical drives CD & CDRW.



    eMac needs a 133Mhz Motherboard, faster G4, HD & better graphics. There sould be three options for optical drives CD, Combo & Superdrive.



    The LCD iMac needs 133Mhz Motherboard, faster G4, HD & better graphics. There sould be three options for optical drives CD, Combo & Superdrive. All 17" and maybe a 19" SE



    Problem is that the Powermacs slow increase of power is holding of f faster & better consumer iMacs
  • Reply 6 of 7
    kecksykecksy Posts: 1,002member
    I don't think Apple will be maintaining the CRT iMac much longer. The low-end eMac model will replace it soon. Although the CRT iMac is the best selling Macintosh on Amazon, I don't think people would miss it if they could buy an eMac for the same price.
  • Reply 7 of 7
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    [quote]Originally posted by xionja:

    <strong>I would hope for a slotloading iMac, even though I realize this is hard because of the curved front. I think if they pulled this curved slotloading cd/dvd drive off they would sell a whole bunch, or at least in a perfect world they would. </strong><hr></blockquote>





    ARRGHHH!!! NONONONONONO...





    NO SLOT LOADS PUHLEASE! Disaster waiting to happen, definitely a step in the wrong direction. 8cm media is part of both the standard CD and DVD spec, full compliance is reason enough to avoid slot loaders (unless they make a drive that accepts them). But record comapnies are getting very stupid with their copy protection schemes. It doesn't end at discs that won't play in a computer either, the next step is to have discs that actually cause malfunction. Not only should Apple put a tray loading drive on every single machine that they sell, they should put a big honking manual eject button right beside it. You're gonna need it!
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