[quote] I think there are several types of Mac people, and people like us who hang out at Mac-centric forums, discuss the technical end of things, speculate about future products, etc. always look ahead and hold the bar high. Probably TOO high, truth be known. <hr></blockquote>
OK, agreed that it is unlikely "most" mac users are mac heads like us....but setting the bar too high? WTF???
How is expecting decent specs for a PREMIUM price expecting too much? Maybe some idiots here want pro specs in for rock bottom price, but I'm not one of them.
1) Selling a machine with ATA/66 for $3499 is ridiculous
2) Selling a $3499 machine that gets wiped up by an athalon box that is half its price is also a ****ing joke.
3) Selling a machine for $3499 with a 133mhz bus is a ****ing joke.
....without a freakin monitor too!!!
These things would also be a joke at $2999, 2499 and 2199.
I'm sorry, but when it comes to desktops, Apple is not just behind, they are WAY behind. And, they charge a premium for it. I don't mind paying a premium for the best or even paying a premium for comparable specs with the Mac OS and famous Apple design. But, right now....it is a joke.
I will simply not accept a 933, 1ghz, 1.2 ghz line up. I am going to buy a pro machine sometime this year.....and let me tell you....there is no way I would buy one with those speeds....even with DDR and what not. Screw that, I'll just buy my wife a portable and we'll use that and my Pismo.
Obviously the iMac needs an update/redesign...I won't even get into that.
And let me tell you about real world performance, as many of you claim is Apple's real focus: I have played with the top of line hardware and although the design is stunning, it ain't THAT quick. Certainly not $3499 quick. Even basic OSX stuff (navigating through it and what not) isn't fast enough for that price.
I love Apple, but it is time for a MAJOR Pro hardware upgrade now.
All iMacs will be flat screens much like the 20th anniversary form factor, but with a cool side slot loading CDROM. All iMacs processors are bumped to g4 starting at 550 Mhz going to 1 Ghz. ( I think) and the entry level price is $999.00
The G5 is introduced at 1 Ghz and goes to to 1.5. They will be in the Quicksilver tower. HD up to 100 gigs. 1.5 gig towers will ship in early March. 1 gigs are available now ( at showtime). New 48 Meg video cards from NVIDIA. No dual processor machines yet. Priced from $1699.00 to $3499.00
Apples standard mouse and keyboard are now wireless. No lag!
A new home multimedia player is introduced that uses Airport and is controlled either by a front control panel identical the iPod right down to the lcd screen, it you can also control it remotely from your Mac using itunes 2.5 The new player holds 40 Gigs of music and can play quicktime home movies on your TV from the composite video out. Again, you can upload via wireless, firewire, or via slot loading dvd located in the side. $459.00
The iPod is now available in a 10 gig unit for $399.00 and the base unit drops by $100 bucks.
TI Book gets speed bump up to 1 gighz
No ibook annoucements.
Don't ask me for more information. I have told you what I know.
OK, agreed that it is unlikely "most" mac users are mac heads like us....but setting the bar too high? WTF???
How is expecting decent specs for a PREMIUM price expecting too much? Maybe some idiots here want pro specs in for rock bottom price, but I'm not one of them.
1) Selling a machine with ATA/66 for $3499 is ridiculous
2) Selling a $3499 machine that gets wiped up by an athalon box that is half its price is also a ****ing joke.
3) Selling a machine for $3499 with a 133mhz bus is a ****ing joke.
....without a freakin monitor too!!!
These things would also be a joke at $2999, 2499 and 2199.
I'm sorry, but when it comes to desktops, Apple is not just behind, they are WAY behind. And, they charge a premium for it. I don't mind paying a premium for the best or even paying a premium for comparable specs with the Mac OS and famous Apple design. But, right now....it is a joke.
I will simply not accept a 933, 1ghz, 1.2 ghz line up. I am going to buy a pro machine sometime this year.....and let me tell you....there is no way I would buy one with those speeds....even with DDR and what not. Screw that, I'll just buy my wife a portable and we'll use that and my Pismo.
Obviously the iMac needs an update/redesign...I won't even get into that.
And let me tell you about real world performance, as many of you claim is Apple's real focus: I have played with the top of line hardware and although the design is stunning, it ain't THAT quick. Certainly not $3499 quick. Even basic OSX stuff (navigating through it and what not) isn't fast enough for that price.
I love Apple, but it is time for a MAJOR Pro hardware upgrade now.
Bravo!! I agree with you 100% You also forgot to mention only ONE full drive bay, no internal FireWire drive support, only two USB/FireWire ports (none in the front), tiny amounts of included RAM (with it being so cheap, for $3500 dollars it should come with 1.5 GB default) to name a few.
When you really start comparing current Apple desktop offering to top-end PC's you quickly realize that the PowerMac G4's are JUNK that are in need of a serious revision.
Not a chance in hell that Apple introduces a G5 in the existing enclosure. There are two things sincerely wrong with that:
1) The enclosure is dated. The G5 is revolutionary. Steve is a marketing guy. Need to clearly differentiate from the past and a new case is the most identifiable way to do it.
2) I have the QS case and can tell you that despite the easy access, it is sincerely flawed. The drive bays are hard to access and work with when you have more than 2 drive installed, and the proliferation of fans, which dont work well and create a ton of noise, is a fatal flaw.
I believe that the G5 will debut but this persons info is unacceptable to me.
I think there are several types of Mac people, and people like us who hang out at Mac-centric forums, discuss the technical end of things, speculate about future products, etc. always look ahead and hold the bar high. Probably TOO high, truth be known.
But, in general, part of me thinks that we're the minority. A small, albeit vocal and savvy, chunk of the Mac-using, Apple-buying universe.
Part of me thinks Apple isn't talking to US (or other more "geeky" leaning segments) and are simply talking to the population at large, who do own iMacs and iBooks and stuff, but AREN'T into every little detail about the processors, video cards, etc.
I mean, believe it or not, some people buy a Mac and just use it for surfing, writing and listening to music and they've never once visited a site like this, they don't really go to maccentral.com or macnn.com.
]</strong><hr></blockquote>
This is so true.. I develop Mac software for a living, and I'm always shocked when we get user studies, which show users are a lot less savy than we think.. so I've started thinking of features, etc in terms of how my mom might use it.
Even my wife, who loves her Mac, and uses it a lot to do DVD's of our wedding and other special things, couldn't really care about what's going to get announced on Monday, and just shakes her head when she sees what site I traverse..
Comments
[quote] I think there are several types of Mac people, and people like us who hang out at Mac-centric forums, discuss the technical end of things, speculate about future products, etc. always look ahead and hold the bar high. Probably TOO high, truth be known. <hr></blockquote>
OK, agreed that it is unlikely "most" mac users are mac heads like us....but setting the bar too high? WTF???
How is expecting decent specs for a PREMIUM price expecting too much? Maybe some idiots here want pro specs in for rock bottom price, but I'm not one of them.
1) Selling a machine with ATA/66 for $3499 is ridiculous
2) Selling a $3499 machine that gets wiped up by an athalon box that is half its price is also a ****ing joke.
3) Selling a machine for $3499 with a 133mhz bus is a ****ing joke.
....without a freakin monitor too!!!
These things would also be a joke at $2999, 2499 and 2199.
I'm sorry, but when it comes to desktops, Apple is not just behind, they are WAY behind. And, they charge a premium for it. I don't mind paying a premium for the best or even paying a premium for comparable specs with the Mac OS and famous Apple design. But, right now....it is a joke.
I will simply not accept a 933, 1ghz, 1.2 ghz line up. I am going to buy a pro machine sometime this year.....and let me tell you....there is no way I would buy one with those speeds....even with DDR and what not. Screw that, I'll just buy my wife a portable and we'll use that and my Pismo.
Obviously the iMac needs an update/redesign...I won't even get into that.
And let me tell you about real world performance, as many of you claim is Apple's real focus: I have played with the top of line hardware and although the design is stunning, it ain't THAT quick. Certainly not $3499 quick. Even basic OSX stuff (navigating through it and what not) isn't fast enough for that price.
I love Apple, but it is time for a MAJOR Pro hardware upgrade now.
[ 01-01-2002: Message edited by: SDW2001 ]
[ 01-01-2002: Message edited by: SDW2001 ]</p>
Are these the real announcements?
MessageAuthor:Â*JimboliahÂ*(---.dsl.mtry01.pacbell.net)
Date:Â*Â*Â*01-01-02 20:34
All iMacs will be flat screens much like the 20th anniversary form factor, but with a cool side slot loading CDROM. All iMacs processors are bumped to g4 starting at 550 Mhz going to 1 Ghz. ( I think) and the entry level price is $999.00
The G5 is introduced at 1 Ghz and goes to to 1.5. They will be in the Quicksilver tower. HD up to 100 gigs. 1.5 gig towers will ship in early March. 1 gigs are available now ( at showtime). New 48 Meg video cards from NVIDIA. No dual processor machines yet. Priced from $1699.00 to $3499.00
Apples standard mouse and keyboard are now wireless. No lag!
A new home multimedia player is introduced that uses Airport and is controlled either by a front control panel identical the iPod right down to the lcd screen, it you can also control it remotely from your Mac using itunes 2.5 The new player holds 40 Gigs of music and can play quicktime home movies on your TV from the composite video out. Again, you can upload via wireless, firewire, or via slot loading dvd located in the side. $459.00
The iPod is now available in a 10 gig unit for $399.00 and the base unit drops by $100 bucks.
TI Book gets speed bump up to 1 gighz
No ibook annoucements.
Don't ask me for more information. I have told you what I know.
<strong>pscates writes:
OK, agreed that it is unlikely "most" mac users are mac heads like us....but setting the bar too high? WTF???
How is expecting decent specs for a PREMIUM price expecting too much? Maybe some idiots here want pro specs in for rock bottom price, but I'm not one of them.
1) Selling a machine with ATA/66 for $3499 is ridiculous
2) Selling a $3499 machine that gets wiped up by an athalon box that is half its price is also a ****ing joke.
3) Selling a machine for $3499 with a 133mhz bus is a ****ing joke.
....without a freakin monitor too!!!
These things would also be a joke at $2999, 2499 and 2199.
I'm sorry, but when it comes to desktops, Apple is not just behind, they are WAY behind. And, they charge a premium for it. I don't mind paying a premium for the best or even paying a premium for comparable specs with the Mac OS and famous Apple design. But, right now....it is a joke.
I will simply not accept a 933, 1ghz, 1.2 ghz line up. I am going to buy a pro machine sometime this year.....and let me tell you....there is no way I would buy one with those speeds....even with DDR and what not. Screw that, I'll just buy my wife a portable and we'll use that and my Pismo.
Obviously the iMac needs an update/redesign...I won't even get into that.
And let me tell you about real world performance, as many of you claim is Apple's real focus: I have played with the top of line hardware and although the design is stunning, it ain't THAT quick. Certainly not $3499 quick. Even basic OSX stuff (navigating through it and what not) isn't fast enough for that price.
I love Apple, but it is time for a MAJOR Pro hardware upgrade now.
[ 01-01-2002: Message edited by: SDW2001 ]
[ 01-01-2002: Message edited by: SDW2001 ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
Bravo!! I agree with you 100% You also forgot to mention only ONE full drive bay, no internal FireWire drive support, only two USB/FireWire ports (none in the front), tiny amounts of included RAM (with it being so cheap, for $3500 dollars it should come with 1.5 GB default) to name a few.
When you really start comparing current Apple desktop offering to top-end PC's you quickly realize that the PowerMac G4's are JUNK that are in need of a serious revision.
[ 01-01-2002: Message edited by: Dave K. ]
[ 01-01-2002: Message edited by: Dave K. ]</p>
1) The enclosure is dated. The G5 is revolutionary. Steve is a marketing guy. Need to clearly differentiate from the past and a new case is the most identifiable way to do it.
2) I have the QS case and can tell you that despite the easy access, it is sincerely flawed. The drive bays are hard to access and work with when you have more than 2 drive installed, and the proliferation of fans, which dont work well and create a ton of noise, is a fatal flaw.
I believe that the G5 will debut but this persons info is unacceptable to me.
Big freakin deal. It would put me to sleep big time.
The only thing that would make an update to the Powermac line newsworthy is a G5.
If this does not happen, then I hope the new iMac is "Insanely Great (tm)".
A G3 in that product would be pretty much a turd as well.
A cheap 2 bit whore could blow me away better than that!
Cobra
<strong>I don't know. Here's my take:
I think there are several types of Mac people, and people like us who hang out at Mac-centric forums, discuss the technical end of things, speculate about future products, etc. always look ahead and hold the bar high. Probably TOO high, truth be known.
But, in general, part of me thinks that we're the minority. A small, albeit vocal and savvy, chunk of the Mac-using, Apple-buying universe.
Part of me thinks Apple isn't talking to US (or other more "geeky" leaning segments) and are simply talking to the population at large, who do own iMacs and iBooks and stuff, but AREN'T into every little detail about the processors, video cards, etc.
I mean, believe it or not, some people buy a Mac and just use it for surfing, writing and listening to music and they've never once visited a site like this, they don't really go to maccentral.com or macnn.com.
]</strong><hr></blockquote>
This is so true.. I develop Mac software for a living, and I'm always shocked when we get user studies, which show users are a lot less savy than we think.. so I've started thinking of features, etc in terms of how my mom might use it.
Even my wife, who loves her Mac, and uses it a lot to do DVD's of our wedding and other special things, couldn't really care about what's going to get announced on Monday, and just shakes her head when she sees what site I traverse..