Apple expected to offer more affordable 'budget' iMac next year

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  • Reply 121 of 200
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    wizard69 wrote: »
    This is a lot of BS, it would be easy for Apple to deliver a cheaper laptop and maintain quality. Quality gets engineered in.

    Apparently these Windows competitors aren't "engineering that quality in", unless you buy the business lines. I haven't seen a consumer Windows computer I was happy with, structurally.

    And how much did those Windows machines cost?

    One was $400, the other was $900.
    Remember until iPad most tablets weren't worth buying.

    That's quite a leap, what's the connection? Most tablets were using a desktop/notebook OS and hardware that wasn't well-adapted for that use.
  • Reply 122 of 200
    adrayven wrote: »
    @Rob

    In stock because they can. 5c is 2nd best selling phone at ATT / Sprint.. beating out the Galaxy S4 of all things. 3rd at Verizon and T-Mobile.. so ANY statements that it's not selling well are simply false.. They ramped up for stock for coming holiday, then ramp down unless demand calls for more.. standard manufacturing.. companies do this all the time..

    All I'm hearing is same gloom and doom, in spite of awesome sales numbers from cell companies, that don't seem to be dropping.. The price drops from Walmart, BBY, and others are standard op.. They did this almost right away with the Galaxy S4.. you didn't hear it wasn't selling well. We are in the holiday season for buying.. TONS of specials going on and ramping up..

    pfff.. They will practically be giving away nearly all phones soon in ramp up for black friday. Maybe all phones are doomed then! !!!! ;p
    duh, the iPhone 5C is the second best out there in general, compare it to most androids, it's about even.

    davebarnes wrote: »
    I just want a 30-inch iMac with a retina display and fusion drive for $2200 USD.
    Nope, times 2 to your price

    Or a fall day in 2016. Not a 30”, granted, but…
    Or wait I guess(May be a little more time) though
    Why don’t idiots understand what the Mac Mini is? Is it the shape that throws them off? 
    Possibly, it is a budget Mac, possibly the only one to come in a less than $1000 price tag in the future from now.
    quadra 610 wrote: »
    WTF people. 

    There are complaints about Apple gear being too expensive, and there's insensible screaming about an "Apple Tax" . . . or something. Then there's news of a possible reduction in price (as if in response to this inanity). THEN there are complaints about Apple watering down their lineup with "cheap" computers. 

    O.o

    Apple knows their shit. Even in a market downturn they manage to ride it out. And who else can successfully (to Apple's degree)<span style="line-height:1.4em;"> cannibalize their own products? </span>


    <span style="line-height:1.4em;">Additionally, for </span>
    the Chicken Littles, this is a RUMOUR. 

    Grain of salt, folks. 
    People want everything 1/10 its price but still the same thing.
    Thing is, the Mac Mini is specifically for switchers. BYODKM. They toss their trash Windows tower and plug a Mac Mini in its place. They even get to keep their cigarette-stained keyboards and their mice that are so greasy you have to wear gloves to use them. 

     
    A slightly cheaper iMac won’t do squat to get the morons who pay $200 for a computer every two years to buy a Mac. Apple apparently needs to better explain that the Mac Mini, at $600, will last five times longer than the Windows machine it replaced, without any maintenance during its lifetime.


    Two decades happened to it. Welcome to the future, also known as modern day.
    Yep, seen the keyboards and mouses with a plastic covering so there "new" feel.
    ascii wrote: »
    The low-end iMac is already pretty budget. Integrated graphics, HD instead of SSD, 21" screen only. And it's very reasonably priced. I don't really see how they can go much cheaper without going to a plastic case. But heck, that's exactly what they just did with the iPhone.
    yeah, of course there is always screen size.

    jungmark wrote: »
    Apple does have school pricing.

    If anything, Maybe Apple will bring back the 17" as the "budget" model for $900/1000?
    yeah, most likely in $1000

    herbapou wrote: »
    Imo the 5c days will come in the last 6 months of the cycle, when there are less tech fans and more price sensitive people buying iphones.
    duh, the 5C will likely have steady sale through its 12 months, the 5S will be on a steady drop throughout that time.

    You're supposed to reuse the ones from your old PC.
    duh

    mrprophecy wrote: »
    Cheap iMacs! Can we have them in five different flavours like in the old days? So we can reminisce on how apple have become the world class ass kicking bringers of simplicity we know them as today. They love saving you money and always have done.
    sounds like the 5C, I noticed its in 5 Colors now, makes me think the 6C will be same.

    mr o wrote: »
    I don't think it will be a budget iMac.

    Instead Apple will go for a mac mini redesign.

    Think same form factor as the mac pro but in Silver.

    This way they could go from real basic to higher end. E.g. The new cylindrical mac mini could have the same specs as the high end 27" iMac but with the same price as the entry level 21" iMac. Now, that would be tempting …
    of course the mini, the IMac in a mini not really.

    konqerror wrote: »
    That's absolutely untrue, at least here in the United States. Schools have hundreds and hundreds of computers and districts have tens of schools, so they act like any mid-size enterprise that buys thousands of computers. They have to balance the cost of staff time against the cost of cheap hardware. All of the schools I've seen use enterprise-grade hardware like Dell Optiplexes and have a standard configuration over entire districts. They need the long-term support, something you can't get on low end home computers.
    I have only seen 1 school without 20 year old windows computers.

    evilution wrote: »
    It was a disappointing redesign. Maybe the pointless thinning out and removal of the DVD drive has put people off, I know it made me reconsider and I kept hold of my 24" hoping for an eventual update that would make it worth getting.
    It is a worry for windows owners.

    cnocbui wrote: »

    Apple would charge you $6,400 for that.
    Yeah 3 times is closer
    flashrebel wrote: »
    space gray will be really nice on iMacs.
    Anyways I hope, Apple will produce more high end iMac than low end, the same with iPhone ...
    nope

    I predict that the budget iMac will be ARM based.

    The CPU and GPU are among the most expensive parts so if they can slash the the CPU/GPU costs retail prices will drop.
    They will also need either a full blown 64 bit OS X port to the ARM architecture or perhaps a new iOS  Desktop UI.

    OS X applications will then be recompiled and ported to the  iOS Desktop.

    Time will tell.
    inmobile IPad rumors

    Unless said iMac is going to be $699, they’re not getting rid of the Mini.
    then there not getting rid of mini, the IMac will not be 1/2 its price.

    d4njvrzf wrote: »
    Why would iOS work any better on a desktop than Windows 8 metro is working right now? A full-screen calculator app makes sense on a phone or tablet where there is limited screen space, but not on a 21+ inch display. 
    yes, but a revised IOS for 12-20 inch tablets might look better on a 20+ inch screen

    As much as I would like to just have an iPad Mini, a 5s and iCloud for all my computing needs, I still think of my iMac as the digital hub of my tech, photos, movies, sw, etc. And probably will for a few more years.

    It's hard to spend $1,200-$2,000 on a new iMac.

    Getting an 11" MBA to replace my aging original intel, white 20" iMac doesn't seem to fit the bill.

    Probably will end getting a new iMac and an MBA.
    a IOS device with Mac quality would be nice.

    alienzed wrote: »
    Why Apple 'slimmed down' a big honking desktop machine that NO ONE looks at from the side is beyond me. I can understand removing the CD/DVD drive from the portables, but it's a frickin' imac and people still need to read CD/DVDs, especially on these desktop models.
    Apple's tendency towards crippling the specs of their machines over form factor isn't always a desirable thing and although I have a 2 year old imac, I can say right now that I won't be upgrading to another iMac. If I wanted laptop components and laptop specs, I'd buy a laptop, stop skimping on the power, some of us need it!
    its the space left over with the removed features, I hate this because other company's do that, but now apple

    rogifan wrote: »
    Yep. We keep hearing how tablets are killing the PC but yet Apple is somehow doomed because they're phasing out DVD drives from their products. Which tablet again ships with a DVD drive? And no I'm not talking about convertible Ultrabooks that have a touch screen.
    tablets are meant for mobile needs, did you carry dvd's around with you, no, but use them at home yes, that's why I think desktops should have them, laptops and tablets don't

    They aren't skimping on power at all! I have a 27" 4-core i7 iMac running at 2.8Ghz, 8GB of RAM, a Terabyte drive internal, a small 4TB raid array external.… it runs all my "power user software" just fine! (Creative Suite, Final Cut Pro, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, plugins galore.) A few 3D games too, quite handily (World of Warcraft, Homeworld 2). 

    Oh, but... did I mention I bought mine in early 2010?

    The CPU/GPU and other internals have only gotten faster and much more powerful and efficient since then. For the same or even lower price than I paid for mine! 

    You say they are skimping on performance because they dropped the internal optical drive? Buy an external drive! Use it when you need it. I've used mine all of four times this year. Didn't really NEED to either. My next iMac can be without the drive, and that'll be fine. I'll just buy one if/when the need arises again, which is likely to be never.

    Change is hard, I know. I've been moving with this modernization tide for over a decade now, and it can be rough sometimes. It's well worth it though. I have freed myself from the bondage of technology. It's smoothly integrated into my daily life now, and I have tons of free time as a result. Thanks to Apple for that!  Managing optical discs is just one less thing I worry about. Seriously!
    Awesome hardware, out of the Mac book pro, you can get those kinds of things now.
    Oh! Here, I’ll help you catch up to it.

    See the angle of the curve of the iMac’s casing? Notice it’s about, oh… 5-10*? Sounds a little like a keyboard. Dunnit? It does. And what do we put on a keyboard? Our hands, yes? Strange, then, that the iMac’s shape would lend itself to a keyboard aesthetic. Unless… we’re meant to touch our iMacs.

    But that’s silly. Bringing the iMac down to a keyboard’s angle to touch the screen? An iPad, sure, because it has great glass covering the screen to touch, but not the…

    Well. Look at this. The iMac has had glass covering its screen since 2007.

    And I said this EXACT thing six years ago. Apple is taking desktop computers multitouch. They’ve been working at it for years now, both in hardware and software. And it’s coming to fruition soon.

    The iMac has gotten thinner. And thinner. And glass over the screen. And thinner. And now it’s thin enough to SET STRAIGHT ON A DESK and we’ll touch the darn thing. But lo, the software. It’s still cursor-based, right? Wrong! Wait, no, right… you’re right. 

    BUT. Look at it. Every new OS X release brings us a step closer to multitouch. Every new release makes icons larger, finger-size, makes the UI more touch-friendly. And the day will come that we’ll be begging Apple to let us touch OS X. And that day will be followed by OS XI, a UI and UX designed to be touched. No more mouse, but desktop software-level depth and interaction.

    [SIZE=8px]*THE DEGREE SYMBOL, WHICH WAS TYPEABLE NOT TWO WEEKS AGO, HAS NOW BEEN OVERRIDDEN AGAIN BY HUDDLER’S STUPID CUSTOM COMMANDS. COME ON.[/SIZE]

    [who?][citation needed]

    So buy an iMac. You’ll get desktop components and desktop specs.

    Education is “low end”? Aww. :(  
    Note most keyboards are thicker than that, a IMac that is a touchscreen keyboard sounds a neat market
    Right! Thanks.


    Here’s what I think about discs at this point (let’s call it my opinion 2010-present): If you really need to do it, plug a SuperDrive into an AirPort Extreme/Time Capsule and burn/rip from/to any Mac in your house. Simple!
    you can do that? Yes 1 SuperDrive can do what 10 used to.

    Unless the price is $599 or less it won't really seem like a budget machine to most people in PC land. Like I said in a different thread, the Mac Mini base model should be priced around $349 as is. Adding a keyboard, mouse, and monitor would put it around $599 in a package deal. Units with similar features from HP cost that much. They have an all in one for $529.99.

    Making the cases out of stamped steel or plastic instead of blocks of aluminum would be more efficient. Just because they do that for a low end model doesn't mean they must do it for their expensive models. It won't dilute the brand. It will expand it.
    not happening
  • Reply 123 of 200
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    wizard69 wrote: »
    The problem with the iMac has nothing to do with price, they could sell the thing for a dollar and I wouldn't buy the machine. Apple apparently configured the machine for some idealized virtual customer that they feel is an idiot with limited needs and a compromised understanding of technology. Apple can try to spur sales with a lower cost model but if it is no more desirable than the current machines I don't think they will bag that many more gullible people than they do now.

    The next iMac needs the input of a real user, a real engineer and a real repair technician. As it is now, iMac lets each of these people down.
    OK I'll bite....how exactly is it letting these people down? How often does a "repair technician" need to service an iMac, especially one without an optical drive?
  • Reply 124 of 200
    dunksdunks Posts: 1,254member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

     

     

    Why don’t idiots understand what the Mac Mini is? Is it the shape that throws them off? 


     

    I only know one person who owns a mac mini and it's basically a content server for their home entertainment system, something that could be replaced by a USB hard drive connected to a router.

     

    Much of the joy of using a mac is interacting with Apple-quality display and peripherals, something you don't get with BYOKDM.

  • Reply 125 of 200
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    rogifan wrote: »
    OK I'll bite....how exactly is it letting these people down? How often does a "repair technician" need to service an iMac, especially one without an optical drive?

    Take out the HDD and there won't by much spinning going on in there. Then if it breaks you just need a new one, that's all.
  • Reply 126 of 200
    binexbinex Posts: 23member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post

     

    Thing is, the Mac Mini is specifically for switchers. BYODKM. They toss their trash Windows tower and plug a Mac Mini in its place. They even get to keep their cigarette-stained keyboards and their mice that are so greasy you have to wear gloves to use them. 
     

    A slightly cheaper iMac won’t do squat to get the morons who pay $200 for a computer every two years to buy a Mac. Apple apparently needs to better explain that the Mac Mini, at $600, will last five times longer than the Windows machine it replaced, without any maintenance during its lifetime.

     

     

    Two decades happened to it. Welcome to the future, also known as modern day.

     

    The other use case where the Mac Mini has come in to its own is as a co-located dedicated server. I have one co-located at MacMiniVault and it's brilliant. No need for all the accessories, it just sits there in a special Mac Mini rack and I can access it from anywhere. For those that want a resonably priced, dedicated server running Mac OS X, it's a great choice IMHO.
  • Reply 127 of 200
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    dunks wrote: »
    I only know one person who owns a mac mini and it's basically a content server for their home entertainment system, something that could be replaced by a USB hard drive connected to a router.

    Much of the joy of using a mac is interacting with Apple-quality display and peripherals, something you don't get with BYOKDM.

    I use one, connected to the TV in the living. Couldn't ever get away with a stick; I need VLC, codecs and all that to play a variety of video's. Happy camper with the little guy underneath the big screen, together with the AppleTV.
  • Reply 128 of 200
    Originally Posted by Dunks View Post

    ..a content server for their home entertainment system, something that could be replaced by a USB hard drive connected to a router.


     

    Not in an Apple environment, it can’t. :mad::grumble:

     

    Freaking… what in the world is the problem with Apple that they won’t do network attached iTunes Libraries?! I mean, yeah, they want to sell more Macs, but you’d NEED a Mac to format said iTunes Library and add content to it in the first place. Just let me plug a hard drive into my AirPort Extreme and push content to an Apple TV…

  • Reply 129 of 200
    philboogiephilboogie Posts: 7,675member
    Freaking… what in the world is the problem with Apple that they won’t do network attached iTunes Libraries?! I mean, yeah, they want to sell more Macs, but you’d NEED a Mac to format said iTunes Library and add content to it in the first place. Just let me plug a hard drive into my AirPort Extreme and push content to an Apple TV…

    I know, we all want this. But alas, Apple isn't going to cater to these specific wishes, though I still could see them expanding their AExpress, AExreme with a 3rd model: iTunes Airport. Call it Personal Cloud or something. I'd buy it instantly, providing they'd sell large HDD's in it.
  • Reply 130 of 200
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    wizard69 wrote: »
    What is idiotic is buying a desktop machine that is glued together and isn't serviceable at all without un gluing it. Especially when the serviceable items have no external access at all.

    How do you "unglue" something. Regardless, most consumers won't ever need to crack open an iMac. If it's so damn important to you, build one yourself.
  • Reply 131 of 200
    xzuxzu Posts: 139member

    You are absolutely correct! The iMac is a perfect consumer machine no doubt, but schools and businesses in many cases would like to be able to swap a hard drive or have some access to the internals. Some schools prefer laptops and iMacs for labs, but I sit on one technology board for a school system that resents not being able to service their own machines after warranty. Granted, they have their own techs, which is not universally the case. 

     

    I have had 7 hard drives in 4 iMacs die from heat over the last 4 years at my own business, and lifting the glass off to access and replace is a daunting task at best. Certainly a consumer may not be utilizing their computers 9 hours day working the graphics and processor as hard, so it is not a problem for them. 

     

    And if you have to use a particular computer system at work or school you may decide to buy the same at home. Their is no doubt the iMac is a great computer, I think they should just expand the line of computers a bit. OSX is the star, put it on some machines to address some more markets. I would rather invest in a great display and buy a souped up mini that I could replace when I need to, but as powerful as the mini is it could use better graphics or more built to order options. 

  • Reply 132 of 200
    jexusjexus Posts: 373member

    Edit: nevermind

  • Reply 133 of 200

    This idea really get more sectors into mac os : Schools, Colleges , business centers , china & Indian market , i hope this idea double the sales figures :)

  • Reply 134 of 200
    jungmark wrote: »
    How do you "unglue" something. Regardless, most consumers won't ever need to crack open an iMac. If it's so damn important to you, build one yourself.

    Probably means to use a glue remover.
  • Reply 135 of 200
    ksecksec Posts: 1,569member

    The biggest BOM cost still belongs to Intel. So unless they switched to using AMD I dont see how Apple could make a $999 iMac without significantly hurting their margins. And that will compromise their CPU performance. ( GPU on AMD are pretty good ).

     

    I haven't been following AMD closely, may be AMD are willing to bent over for a Custom AMD x86 SoC for Apple?

     

    Or with the Rapidly shrinking PC / x86 market Intel are willing to make Haswell Cheap for Apple.  After all we are talking about at least ~$180 cut in BOM.

  • Reply 136 of 200
    habihabi Posts: 317member

    Could it be a plastic chassis Imac with the same budget price as the alu one? You know budget means even mou money for apple, mmmm!

  • Reply 137 of 200
    marvfoxmarvfox Posts: 2,275member

    Apple would not sink that low to provide a plastic chassis I doubt that.

  • Reply 138 of 200
    ksecksec Posts: 1,569member

    The cost different between Aluminum and Plastic casing are minimal in the grand scheme of things. The Problem is Intel doesn't offer any low cost CPU that comes with a good enough GPU for Apple to use.

     

    On a $1299 iMac, at BOM cost of $900, Over 30% of that belongs to Intel. 

  • Reply 139 of 200
    habihabi Posts: 317member
    marvfox wrote: »
    Apple would not sink that low to provide a plastic chassis I doubt that.

    Am I detecting some sarcasm? :D
  • Reply 140 of 200
    andysolandysol Posts: 2,506member
    wizard69 wrote: »
    What is idiotic is buying a desktop machine that is glued together and isn't serviceable at all without un gluing it. Especially when the serviceable items have no external access at all.

    If it breaks, buy another one for $1. Or would you rather buy a $200 hard drive and replace it yourself? Like I said- $1 is an idiotic comment. Most of us are logical people- we don't need asinine exaggerations to prove a point.
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