<strong>So Apple should cannabalize their sales and profits by releasing an expandable headless Mac at a low price. What you want is a PowerMac at half-price...
</strong><hr></blockquote>
What makes you think it'll cannabalize their profits? A cheap single processor G4 tower wouldn't cost too much to make and I'm sure a lot of people would buy them, especially people who would get an iMac but don't because they wanna use their existing monitor or they wanna chose a monitor that suits their needs and not what Apple says they should have.
<strong>So Apple should cannabalize their sales and profits by releasing an expandable headless Mac at a low price. What you want is a PowerMac at half-price...
They could take an iMac, cut the head off and call it the Sphere I guess, but then you don't get the expandability...</strong><hr></blockquote>
So what you're saying is that Apple should limit it's market share by continuing to make computers major corporations don't want to buy? That way they can watch market share go from 4 to 3.5 to 2 to ... If it isn't there already.
You all know a lot of people buy for home what they use at work.
I totally agree. I think that there is a gaping hole in Apple's product line. What would be sweet is if Apple would make a mid-range system WITHOUT a built-in display. Apple seems to think that everyone that would want an iMac has 20/20 vision. I have vision problems and the high resolution of the LCD Displays cause me to get nasty headaches. I would LOVE a machine that was similar in power to the iMac but with a standard VGA port on it so that I could attach a large, cheap CRT and choose a resolution that agrees with me more. The tower machines are too expensive for this. A $999 box without a display would be perfect. It also would make a cheap clustering solution.
So what you're saying is that Apple should limit it's market share by continuing to make computers major corporations don't want to buy? That way they can watch market share go from 4 to 3.5 to 2 to ... If it isn't there already.
You all know a lot of people buy for home what they use at work.</strong><hr></blockquote>
<strong>So Apple should cannabalize their sales and profits by releasing an expandable headless Mac at a low price. What you want is a PowerMac at half-price...
They could take an iMac, cut the head off and call it the Sphere I guess, but then you don't get the expandability...</strong><hr></blockquote>
If Apple set a profit margine for the "headless" iMac between the profit margine that they get on the iMac and the PM then it would even out for all of the losses in margine that they have from then PM, they gain in the would be iMac sales. This would mean that it would not be a bargan basement computer, but it could still sell for at, or under iMac prices. Plus this allows Apple to target a section of the market that has been ignored for a long time....which means more potential switchers that they are marketing to.
I wanted to play Alias Underground on my iMac (400 Mhz) today but it doesn't support its graphics chip. This is the first time I've considered that perhaps its becoming obsolete. Too bad, because it does everything else so well...
Perhaps the iMac product-line should be improved to support upgradable AGP graphics card and provide one open PCI slot (for example - to allow Digi001 to be used instead of having to buy the more expensive 002)?
[ 01-01-2003: Message edited by: heaven or las vegas ]</p>
becouse the iMac dosnt offer the features that people want in a headless iMac/consumer tower, and that is the AGP slot and at least 1 PCI slot. Without these they are stuck with the original video card, and limited to the technology available when they bought the computer. No upgrading to USB2 or FW2 when it come out or "tera-eathernet. For a consumer these are the most likely upgrades. Without the video upgrade capabilities it will never work as a seriouse game computer, and at times like these when everyone knows that FW2 is just around the corner that has to make you think twice about a purchase...if you could just add an expansion card you might not wait.</strong><hr></blockquote>
hmm... thought this thread was about a headless iMac (that's what the name seems to imply) not a cheap tower that you can upgrade yourself.
I would go for eMac specs, but with the AGP slot instead of the built in. This would be low enough not to take away for powermac sales, and still be below the iMac. Maybe add PCI slots, maybe. Then i would price it around the eMac. Not too much lower, around $100 at most. It wouldn't come with a superdrive, or even a combo, but would be able to swap out optical drives. Sound good?
A headless iMac would be good if it can be sold for around $500. But I agree that corporate types would prefer something like the Shuttle VPC but with a Mac mobo in it. The Shuttle has an AGP slot to make a video update possible. The video, RAM and hard drive are what most people upgrade. The weird round shape of the iMac doesn't look good in a professional setting.
I'm surprised I don't see more Shuttles over here in the US. It is the perfect form factor for a corporate PC. The standard minitower is too big, and it's mostly empty.
IME corporates don't upgrade. They replace and trickle down. Shit rolls down hill
But where i work ... some get a low end box with a 21 inch CRT others get an LCD some get a high end box with an LCD or maybe a CRT. It depends on desk space, apps used and how it will be used and some get what they want.
But IMO the parts need to mix and match. The All In One can't do it and the PowerMac cost too much.
hmm... thought this thread was about a headless iMac (that's what the name seems to imply) not a cheap tower that you can upgrade yourself.</strong><hr></blockquote>
We'd be better off with a cheap tower though.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I agree, a no frills tower. However, Apple makes money on putting other companies equipment in their towers (ram, HD, vid). Why would they want to give away their gravy money.
I agree, a no frills tower. However, Apple makes money on putting other companies equipment in their towers (ram, HD, vid). Why would they want to give away their gravy money.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Because they are struggling to increase market share and they want to enter the corporate market.
No way is there going to be a cheap headless tower. You want one, buy an old discontinued PowerMac. Now they have to strip down a PowerMac, remove all the built in hardware that makes Macs better and support this stripped down platform. I could maybe see a true headless iMac with no upgradeability. Who would buy a PowerMac for full price over a PowerMac for half price?
They could see a lower ended PowerMac tower with a last generation single processor to round out the bottom of their line. Maybe have Mediocre, Fast, Faster, etc... Like an 800MHz G4 tower for $899 or something but I would probably buy an eMac for $200 more and so would most corporate customers who then have one less piece of hardware to deal with.
Take an eMac, chop off the monitor, keep the horizontal desktop configuration, mono sound, CD-RW only, minimal graphics card for QE, 256mb RAM, standard VGA connector, 700Mhz G3 or so, for $499 would maybe sell and replace the old style iMac well at the low end as a business machine.
The profits in corporate sales are really all those lame secretarial machines that maybe do a little more than a 1980's typewriter. You don't need processing power, you need a keyboard, a large monitor, and need to be cheap.
Comments
<strong>So Apple should cannabalize their sales and profits by releasing an expandable headless Mac at a low price. What you want is a PowerMac at half-price...
</strong><hr></blockquote>
What makes you think it'll cannabalize their profits? A cheap single processor G4 tower wouldn't cost too much to make and I'm sure a lot of people would buy them, especially people who would get an iMac but don't because they wanna use their existing monitor or they wanna chose a monitor that suits their needs and not what Apple says they should have.
<strong>So Apple should cannabalize their sales and profits by releasing an expandable headless Mac at a low price. What you want is a PowerMac at half-price...
They could take an iMac, cut the head off and call it the Sphere I guess, but then you don't get the expandability...</strong><hr></blockquote>
So what you're saying is that Apple should limit it's market share by continuing to make computers major corporations don't want to buy?
You all know a lot of people buy for home what they use at work.
<strong>
So what you're saying is that Apple should limit it's market share by continuing to make computers major corporations don't want to buy?
You all know a lot of people buy for home what they use at work.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Very well put.
<strong>So Apple should cannabalize their sales and profits by releasing an expandable headless Mac at a low price. What you want is a PowerMac at half-price...
They could take an iMac, cut the head off and call it the Sphere I guess, but then you don't get the expandability...</strong><hr></blockquote>
If Apple set a profit margine for the "headless" iMac between the profit margine that they get on the iMac and the PM then it would even out for all of the losses in margine that they have from then PM, they gain in the would be iMac sales. This would mean that it would not be a bargan basement computer, but it could still sell for at, or under iMac prices. Plus this allows Apple to target a section of the market that has been ignored for a long time....which means more potential switchers that they are marketing to.
Perhaps the iMac product-line should be improved to support upgradable AGP graphics card and provide one open PCI slot (for example - to allow Digi001 to be used instead of having to buy the more expensive 002)?
[ 01-01-2003: Message edited by: heaven or las vegas ]</p>
"Corporate Mac. Is it the time for one?"
Then you all wouldn't be stuck on the "headless iMac" idea.
[ 01-01-2003: Message edited by: heaven or las vegas ]</p>
<strong>
becouse the iMac dosnt offer the features that people want in a headless iMac/consumer tower, and that is the AGP slot and at least 1 PCI slot. Without these they are stuck with the original video card, and limited to the technology available when they bought the computer. No upgrading to USB2 or FW2 when it come out or "tera-eathernet. For a consumer these are the most likely upgrades. Without the video upgrade capabilities it will never work as a seriouse game computer, and at times like these when everyone knows that FW2 is just around the corner that has to make you think twice about a purchase...if you could just add an expansion card you might not wait.</strong><hr></blockquote>
hmm... thought this thread was about a headless iMac (that's what the name seems to imply) not a cheap tower that you can upgrade yourself.
I'm surprised I don't see more Shuttles over here in the US. It is the perfect form factor for a corporate PC. The standard minitower is too big, and it's mostly empty.
But where i work ... some get a low end box with a 21 inch CRT others get an LCD some get a high end box with an LCD or maybe a CRT. It depends on desk space, apps used and how it will be used and some get what they want.
But IMO the parts need to mix and match. The All In One can't do it and the PowerMac cost too much.
<strong>
hmm... thought this thread was about a headless iMac (that's what the name seems to imply) not a cheap tower that you can upgrade yourself.</strong><hr></blockquote>
We'd be better off with a cheap tower though.
This averages out to aproximately 18 post per day.
Thats pretty amazing
<strong>
We'd be better off with a cheap tower though.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I agree, a no frills tower. However, Apple makes money on putting other companies equipment in their towers (ram, HD, vid). Why would they want to give away their gravy money.
<strong>EmAn, you have 7265 posts since last november.
This averages out to aproximately 18 post per day.
Thats pretty amazing</strong><hr></blockquote>
Well there have been some days were I've posted a lot and some days where I've posted a little.
iMacs whole design Idea is to be convientiant all in one..
The headless iMac is know as the Powermac G4 (A.K.A MDD, Slow Silver etc etc)
<strong>
I agree, a no frills tower. However, Apple makes money on putting other companies equipment in their towers (ram, HD, vid). Why would they want to give away their gravy money.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Because they are struggling to increase market share and they want to enter the corporate market.
<strong>[Dont mean to state the obvious]
iMacs whole design Idea is to be convientiant all in one..
The headless iMac is know as the Powermac G4 (A.K.A MDD, Slow Silver etc etc)</strong><hr></blockquote>
Which would be fine if the PM was a lot cheaper.
They could see a lower ended PowerMac tower with a last generation single processor to round out the bottom of their line. Maybe have Mediocre, Fast, Faster, etc...
Take an eMac, chop off the monitor, keep the horizontal desktop configuration, mono sound, CD-RW only, minimal graphics card for QE, 256mb RAM, standard VGA connector, 700Mhz G3 or so, for $499 would maybe sell and replace the old style iMac well at the low end as a business machine.
The profits in corporate sales are really all those lame secretarial machines that maybe do a little more than a 1980's typewriter. You don't need processing power, you need a keyboard, a large monitor, and need to be cheap.