Press Release Wording on new iMac G4s
[quote]CUPERTINO, California?February 4, 2003?Apple® today announced its <strong>Spring line</strong> of iMac® computers, featuring two new models. The new 17-inch widescreen model features a 1 GHz PowerPC G4 processor and 133 MHz system bus; 256MB of Double Data Rate (DDR) memory; a faster 4x SuperDrive? for playing and burning CDs and DVDs; and internal support for AirPort® Extreme and Bluetooth, for just $1,799 (US). The new 15-inch flat panel model features an 800 MHz G4 processor and is now priced at just $1,299 (US)?$200 less than its predecessor. Apple also announced lower pricing on its line of eMac? consumer and education computers. <hr></blockquote>Spring line of iMacs? Considering that we had a whole 13 months without an update on the iMac, the usage of "Spring line of iMacs" puts a sort of finite schedule of when these will be updated again 
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I doubt that has any correlation to an iMac refresh date. Spring ends in mid June, and I expect Apple to wait at least that long.
April 30th would be a nice time to roll out some new laptops though.
<strong>No FireWire 800... BAD MOVE APPLE!
Care to explain what use 800 MBit/s is in a consumer machine?
<strong>
Care to explain what use 800 MBit/s is in a consumer machine?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Connect to your HDTV.
<strong>Connect to your HDTV.</strong><hr></blockquote>First of all, where is the software included with the iMac to stream video to a TV? The only case this would work would be when playing back an iMovie. Is that alone really worth it?
Second, show me some HDTVs that have a FireWire 800 port either already on the market or announced to be released in the very near future (before fall '03).
Back to the original topic... "Spring Lineup" certainly implies that there will be a "Fall Lineup", doesn't it? Given that it seems highly probably tha the PowerMac will be going 970 in the fall, and that Motorola will have delivered sufficient quantities of the 7457 to Apple by then, I'd guess that we'll see a significant speed bump of the iMac in the fall. The PowerMac performance will jump way up and that will leave the iMac (with its new low power 7457 w/ 512K L2 cache) to rise to the PowerMac's current levels. Pure speculation about fastest: 1.4 GHz, 167 MHz bus, DDR333, no L3 cache. The slowest model would become the current fastest model.
<strong>Spring line of iMacs? Considering that we had a whole 13 months without an update on the iMac, the usage of "Spring line of iMacs" puts a sort of finite schedule of when these will be updated again
That wouls make some sence because other then the 17" the iMac hasn't changed in almost 2 years. I'm expecting something to change, color, shape, something. Also, while the update wasn't bad, I was expecting to iMac to get a little higher then 1ghz, I think right now the iMacs are more important to Apple then the towers. Apple still has 2major machines under 1ghz. Hopefully this year all the machines will be over 1ghz (pMac over 2ghz would be sweet)
Hell, the PRO stuff barely (and in some cases still doesn't) meets what many here consider "pro" features/specs.
What are the honest chances that Apple is going to stick a 1.25GHz G4, 133MHz bus, FireWire 800, 19" screen and sell it for $1399 or thereabouts?
I'm saying none.
Yeah, I'm not too impressed with the new offerings. Kinda of mediocre, pedestrian upgrades...especially since it's been 13 months!
I never expected GHz-plus speeds or 19" screens, but I kinda though that maybe the line would go to all 17", AirPort Extreme on all models, faster CD-RW, Combo Drives and SuperDrives (got that one) and a standard hard drive bump (got that one too).
But I was hoping that top-of-the-line iMac could've been nudged down to, say, $1599 or so.
That bottom end eMac I was REALLY hoping would go for about $799 and simply discontinue the snow G3 "classic" iMac (OR sell it for about $400, since that's honestly about what it's worth).
All in all, no big excitement. But also no big nasty letdown because I wasn't expecting a bunch of pie-in-the-sky nonsense that some people around here just seem to pull out of their butt with total disregard for past Apple updates, history, considering other products and their features, etc.
I still feel pretty good: I got to spend almost 11-and-a-half months with the top-end, "king of the hill" machine, thanks to Apple's amazing 13-month run of not updating the iMacs.
That's not too bad. And it's not like my iMac is suddenly obselete and useless. The only way I would've been upset is that when I bought this thing last March for $1799 and then three weeks later they announced - out of the blue - the specs that today's $1799 model sports...AND sold it for $1499.
THEN I'd be crying a little. Kinda like those people who bought 23" HD Cinema Displays in early January and...
<strong>I don't understand the "Spring" thing, considering it's the middle of winter.</strong><hr></blockquote>
It bears well for a 'Fall' release of PowerMacs that are actually announced in mid summer
<strong>
It bears well for a 'Fall' release of PowerMacs that are actually announced in mid summer
Yes. You guys are thinking about it wrong... "Spring" doesn't refer to the day of the announcement, it refers to the period through which they are on sale.
<strong>Connect to your HDTV.</strong><hr></blockquote>Uh... shouldn't you be complaining about lack of DVI output then? There are plenty of HDTVs with DVI inputs but none with any kind of FW port. If you can afford an HDTV, just buy a VGA to (DVI or Svideo or composite) adapter.
[ 02-04-2003: Message edited by: DHagan4755 ]</p>
The usual upgrade cycle for Macs are 6-9 months.. it's been this way for quite some time, and in recent years we've seen iMac and iBook models refered to "iBook Summer 2002" and "iMac Summer 2001". These are the "iMacs Spring 2003".
To speculate if there will be upgrades in the fall is.. we'll it's speculation worthy of MOSR *no offence*.
It certainly does not point in any clear direction what so ever.. save that spring seems to have a completely different meaning in California, than let's say.. Sweden.
[ 02-04-2003: Message edited by: Henriok ]</p>
The 17" iMac is a pretty damn good deal at $1799 however the other models simply aren't up to snuff.
Not having FW800 blows because no on every complains about getting MORE for their money. It was at most a negligable price difference and Apple chose to basically impede the advancement of Firewire which frankly is closer to dying than it is to success.
Airport Extreme should have been all the way around as well. Apple hasn't the margin of error they assume. They NEED 970 based machines at the high end and good speed G4's in the consumer end. All machines need to have generally the same base set of FW, Bluetooth, AE. These shenanigans Apple has been doing simply points that they are still in a precarious position.