Apple to release PowerMac Pro (?)

outsideroutsider
Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
During the keynote, Steve shows off the new PowerMac G4. 2 models. Both single processor. 866MHz and 1.0GHz and no L3 cache. Both with PC133 128MB RAM (the bare minimum for OS X) and with 40, 60GB HDD, respectively. Either CDRW or combo drives and with GeForce2 MX video card for the low end and GeForce3 for the mid-range. Prices are $999 and $1499 for them. Not bad little boxes and great prices. But they are not even close to what we expected and there's no high end in the bunch.



Then the 'one more thing'. 4 new G5 configs in new cases. 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6GHz with 512KB L2 cache. 256 and 512MB RAM options and Super-drives across the board. GeForce3 or maybe the new radeon 8500's as video options and include DDR-SDRAm running at 266MHz with 400MHz system bus. 60-80-100GB HDDs using ATA/133 and the faster firewire will be onboard. They won't be available until Febuary and the prices will be $1999, $2499, $2999 and $3499 for a dual 1.4GHz option.



Now all you naysayers that think Apple wont allow another case to disrupt their perfect little quadrant lineup, consider this: didn't they do the same with the Cube? But where the Cube failed the PowerMac G4 will succeed. Why? Because by using pre-existing designs, they will cut r&d overhead, it will have much more expandability, and use more common parts.



The case against this senario: the iMac. Apple would either have to stick with a G3 for the iMac LCD and price it low ($1000-$1300), put a G4 in it at 1GHz with 133MHz bus with LCD and keep it at $1500 (this would likely mean only one model of imac with DVD/cdrw combo drive) and keep the combo drive out of the PowerMac line. Or they would discontinue the iMac. I think the latter is the less likely senario.



I know this theory has quite a bit of holes but it's a likely transition for the G5. Get some G4's out to hold us over for about a month until the G5's ship out. The G5's would have to be expensive at first to make up for the r&d spent on it but when it's recouped by the summer, Apple can finally get rid of the PowerMac G4 for good and lower the price on the next reincarnation of the G5, and that would allow the LCD iMac to mature with more models and options.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    What ever you've been smokin, please keep it away from me. <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />
  • Reply 2 of 21
    ghost_user_nameghost_user_name Posts: 22,667member
    Outrageous.
  • Reply 3 of 21
    fran441fran441 Posts: 3,715member
    What do you mean by 'faster firewire'?



    If it's faster, it's not firewire.



    I could see Apple's lineup including G3s, G4s, and G5s, but a ton of people would be disappointed if the G4 was not in the new iMac.
  • Reply 4 of 21
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    [quote]Originally posted by Fran441:

    <strong>What do you mean by 'faster firewire'?



    If it's faster, it's not firewire.



    I could see Apple's lineup including G3s, G4s, and G5s, but a ton of people would be disappointed if the G4 was not in the new iMac.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    I think the new iMac is going to be the only real hardware announcment at SF.

    I have this feeling that Apple will wait with G4 Apolo's. :eek:
  • Reply 5 of 21
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    Then Apple could kiss their powerMac sales for 2002 goodbye... Many companies like ours wait until the spring to make buying decisions because of our budget. If Apple doesn't offer up anything new and compelling then I know there will be lots of people lobbying here to switch our Mac purchaces to faster PCs. I hope it doesn't come to this.
  • Reply 6 of 21
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member




    [ 12-28-2001: Message edited by: Outsider ]</p>
  • Reply 7 of 21
    aphelionaphelion Posts: 736member
    OK PowerMacs use Apollo @ &gt;GHz

    The new ProMac is the Cube with a G5

    Steve's revenge!
  • Reply 7 of 21
    bogiebogie Posts: 407member
    Why does everyone think that the Cube cost so much? Apple said it cost very it little ... hello?
  • Reply 9 of 21
    aphelionaphelion Posts: 736member
    [quote]Originally posted by Bogie:

    <strong>Why does everyone think that the Cube cost so much? Apple said it cost very it little ... hello?</strong><hr></blockquote>



    I got mine for $1099 w/ $100 rebate - wish I had bought two.
  • Reply 10 of 21
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    Why does everyone think that the Cube cost so much? Apple said it cost very it little ... hello?



    The cube cost so much because Apple charged so much. $1799 for a cube. $1599 for a low end PowerMac. Sure the price dropped later on. Not enough and it was too late.
  • Reply 11 of 21
    kidredkidred Posts: 2,402member
    Well, what if the current PMG4 is brought back as the 2nd gen cube? And G5s would be the new towers. That would explain a fewriddles I've read lately. The new tower would be cube like, etc. This would be what the cube wasn't, fast and upgradeable.



    Then the G5 would just be a little more expensive then current G4s because its a pro power machine. Ah, dunno.
  • Reply 12 of 21
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    That's what I was saying. They could charge extra for the G5 as long as they had a low end cheap tower to cover people on a budget. It's not as far out as some people would like you to believe.
  • Reply 13 of 21
    cubitcubit Posts: 846member
    Apple's new PowerMac Amateur will be the machine of choice. It will be plug in out of the box, a 15" screen, new keyboard and mouse, and a little bitty box with a G4 inside. They called it the Cube before, today they can call it the Cub. In fact, they will likely call it the iMac G4 and price it at $1499. Oh no!
  • Reply 14 of 21
    programmerprogrammer Posts: 3,458member
    All this depends on whether the G5 is ready. If its not ready, it won't show in any form. If its ready then whether it fills the entire PowerMac line will depend on how much yield they've been getting. The plan all along has been to bring the Apollo G4 into the consumer lineup, so if there are G4s in the PM line then they'll just have to stack the clock rates appropriately. I'd be surprised if at least 1 iMac model doesn't get the Apollo, but I wonder if the iMac will get DDR or not.



    Having a new server/workstation-friendly case for the highest-end model could address a lot of complaints about using Macs as servers. If the G5 arrives it would finally have the muscle to compete in the server market. Likely? No.



    Off-the-wall wishful thinking: HyperTransport is supposed to reduce the number of lines between chips. Fewer lines makes it easier to have connectors to daughtercards. Wouldn't it be awfully cool if Apple's new PM motherboard used HT and had sockets for more than one processor (up to 4, maybe?). Their build-to-order store could then allow you to choose how many processors you want, and possibly let you add (or upgrade) them later. Yeah, I know -- pipe dream.
  • Reply 15 of 21
    bogiebogie Posts: 407member
    I know it cost a ton to buy I am saying to produce, Outsider, you sighted high production costs as a downfall of the Cube, but it didn't cost much to produce. The downfall was a confused product line and too high a price.
  • Reply 16 of 21
    crusadercrusader Posts: 1,129member
    At SF the new powermacs will be all G4's or all G5's (ha, ha G5's... Right). Remember "Think Simple".
  • Reply 17 of 21
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    Bogie, I understand what you are saying but Dell has a confusing product line too but they are doing well. the cubenot only suffered from a high list price but also lack of expandability for such a high price item. You can get away with that when it's the imac because of such a low price. The cube could have been a contender! if priced at $1299 from the START! Then lower the price to $999 later on.
  • Reply 18 of 21
    junkyard dawgjunkyard dawg Posts: 2,801member
    This is a great idea, but I doubt Apple will do it.



    A low end "consumer" tower would be perfect. Price it at 1200, 1500, and they fly off the shelves.



    This allows Apple to price the G5 higher and really rake in the dough on it.
  • Reply 19 of 21
    bogiebogie Posts: 407member
    Well, I am not disputing the price point, so good deal.



    As far as expandability goes, most consumers are told they need it in a sales pitch and then don't use it. Gamers do, I do, but we are not the majority of the consumer market, most people just buy and hardly know anything about it and expect it to always work ... very confusing why they buy a Wintel PC with those expectations ...



    As far as confusing production lines, none of those people know one PC from another, they pick a brand and a sales man talks them into one verses another, Apple has to stand out so confusing is bad, if they are looking for that they might as well stay with a PC.



    Apple needs to be clear, understandable, and out in the open.
  • Reply 20 of 21
    outsideroutsider Posts: 6,008member
    What if they sold the iMac and low-end tower at retail stores and the high end G5 at the Apple stores, mail order, Microwarehouse, Macmall, etc. ? The buyers of the higherend G5's would be les likely to be home PC users anyway.
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