iMac GE
The new iMac looks like quite the nice little machine for games and such. However, the gf2mx is dated, though it has quite some life in it left. I would like to see Apple make a gaming edition. Specs wouldnt have to change much at all. Just take the high end machine, replace the superdrive with a dvd/cdrw and add a gf4ti. This would more or less be a substitute. The only other thing different would then be a large bundle of popular mac osx games. Im thinking, warcraft 3, unreal 2, ev3, deimos rising, and various others. Id gladly pay the same price for this machine as the top end. And in all actuality, it wouldnt cost Apple any more than the superdrive equiped one.
Comments
There is no reason Apple can't just use a geforce 4mx in the existing high end and include a few more games.
no need for specific models.
But the problem is still that you can't upgrade the video. Even a gamer's video card will be "obsolete" in a year (or at least the gamers will think so).
Although I am of the opinion that Apple should offer larger display options I am not sure about them offering a special gaming machine:
I think the future is consoles - cheaper to produce at the same performance level, longer product cycles, unified platform = easier, more efficient programming, performance advantages due to missing modularity.
Well, the iMac is not all that modular but still it does not offer the high level of component integration consoles offer either.
<strong>Why doesnt Apple just offer any kind of specs people want?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Nice to have you back.
1: Taking sales away from PM
2: Less choices=Cheaper storage and production
3: Design doesn´t have to consider BTO (2MX on mother board etc.)
4: You buy a new iMac sooner.
Of course, I haven' t bought any of these things yet. Have to sell my iMac 500 first.
<strong>However, the gf2mx is dated</strong><hr></blockquote>
The GeF2MX in the iMac is a Ti-400 model. It's no GeF3, but it is hardly dated. But
Frankly, it's surprising Apple used the latest edition. I was betting they would use the older versions.
If they still use the GeF2mx i in the 2003 iMac, then we can start bitching!
<strong>the imac should not have models targeted at specific demographics. that makes it seem like the other models are limited.
There is no reason Apple can't just use a geforce 4mx in the existing high end and include a few more games.
no need for specific models.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I don't agree. I think in the world of the consumer, bundles are very big and since gamers are high-end consumers by and large (or is that by "in" large). Consumers are worried about software issues. Allay those fears with bundles.
The best times for buying Macs was during the clone wars when every Mac reseller had bundles at great prices.
Applenut has a point about diluting the message of the iMac being your digital hub. However you can easily keep the iMac from seemingly being limited in anyway by actually using quick, UBIQUITOUS advertising that explains all of the ways the simple consumer Mac could be used by 80% of the world's computing population. The other 20% should buy a PowerMac.
The iMac for Business; the iMac for Gaming; the iMac for Music and Video - those are all great marketing visions that start with a computer that really can do it all. It would be nice for consumers to be able to optimise a few things on their own, since that part of the consumer market that wants to, is getting larger.
[ 02-27-2002: Message edited by: MacGregor ]</p>
Gamer's Edition (GE)
G4 1Ghz
NVidia GeForce 4Ti 128MB DDR
17" LCD
CD/RW (Superdrive is an option)
512MB RAM
80 GB Hard Drive
Creative Audigy? Sound card..their big one whatever it is
(2) USB 2.0 (1) Firewire
Boston Acoustics Speakers
$1999
Multimedia Edition (MME)
G4 933Mhz
NVidia GeForce 3 or 4MX
15" LCD
Superdrive
100 GB Hard Disk
512MB RAM
Audigy
(2) USB 2.0 (2) Firewire
Boston Acoustics
$1799
Office Edition (OE)
G4 800 Mhz
NVIDIA GeForce 4MX
15" LCD
80 GB Hard Drive
CD/RW
256 Ram
(2) USB 2.0, (1) Firewire
$1399
Why? Most people don't buy computers to play games. Now I'm sure a lot of people here do buy computers to play games, but most consumers do not buy a computer for gaming.
Targeting a machine for games alone, is silly. There just isn't a market for it. There aren't enough Mac games to warrant it either. For most games, you could just take a 500 MHz iMac with a 16 MB graphics card and 256 MB of RAM and they would run fine. Sure there are some FPS games that will run better and get more frames out of the processor, but to spend $1800-$2000 on a machine just to play games is ridiculous.
If you're really serious about games, the major consoles will be online within months- PS2 already is for some games, so is the XBox. The Game Cube should have it's online plans forecasted by E3. Plus, for portability, there's always the Game Boy Advance. They have many more games out there to choose from and are MUCH cheaper.
Unless Apple works much harder to get game developers working on making nearly everything for the Mac, a Gaming Edition iMac is a bad idea.
There's no sense in Apple catering to this market really. Instead, the best thing Apple can do is raise the standard for the lowest common demoninator in terms of gaming performance. Let's not forget that Apple did exactly that with the new iMacs. Apple moved from the G3 to the G4s. This is big for all around performance, but specifically helps OpenGL. More importantly, Apple ditched the crappy ATI Rage 128 (16mb) for the nVidia GeForce2mx (32mb). This is huge! The ATI chip was state of the art 4 years ago. The combination of G4 and nVidia graphics has more than doubled the iMacs gaming performance overnight. Is it state of the art? No. But the iMac is no longer the laughing stock it once was for gaming. This is exactly what Apple needed to do and did. Further, with the Geforce4mx, it's clear that Apple has a nice low cost speed bump ready and waiting for the iMac when the time is right.
Steve
<strong>This is a great idea! The automakers do it all the time LE, SE and so on (luxury, Sport editions) here are the specs:
Gamer's Edition (GE)
G4 1Ghz
NVidia GeForce 4Ti 128MB DDR
17" LCD
CD/RW (Superdrive is an option)
512MB RAM
80 GB Hard Drive
Creative Audigy? Sound card..their big one whatever it is
(2) USB 2.0 (1) Firewire
Boston Acoustics Speakers
$1999
Multimedia Edition (MME)
G4 933Mhz
NVidia GeForce 3 or 4MX
15" LCD
Superdrive
100 GB Hard Disk
512MB RAM
Audigy
(2) USB 2.0 (2) Firewire
Boston Acoustics
$1799
Office Edition (OE)
G4 800 Mhz
NVIDIA GeForce 4MX
15" LCD
80 GB Hard Drive
CD/RW
256 Ram
(2) USB 2.0, (1) Firewire
$1399</strong><hr></blockquote>
I like the idea of a gaming edition iMac in theory. The problem comes when theory meets practice. For starters, a 1GHZ G4, nVidia GeForce 4TI, 17" LCD... etc.. for $2000?? Come on, let's be realistic. The current iMac is considered to be a good deal, even by PC standards. I know you're dropping the DVD-R, but even still, there's no way all of those things could be added at that price.
Even if it could, who would buy the Pro Macs? How much should people spend for PCI slots?
Also, it gets to be a bit ridiculous to have the iMacs into the $2000 range. IMO, iMacs should cover the $999 - $1800(max) range. You could get a lower end G4 tower that is fully expandable at the $2000 range. Further, the serious Mac gamer will likely buy a tower anyway.
Steve
[ 02-27-2002: Message edited by: SteveS ]</p>
Well, I used to buy that argument, but I don't any more. I fully understand the gaming market, and I own all of the 'next-gen' consoles thanks to my very good luck.
Any way, when I look at the XBox games that are out now like Halo, or I play a Game Cube game like Madden 2002 or play a PS2 game like GTA3, I have to wonder why people do buy PCs just for gaming. Most, if not all, of the very popular titles come out for the consoles in the end any way, and come out looking very spiffy. Take Deus Ex for PS2 for example. It's a great port. The gameplay and graphics flow on the game just like on a very good computer.
Plus, the game libraries of these systems are HUGE! You've got sports games (which the PC never replicated well), a lot of console classics, and some great FPS like Halo (I'm sorry for those who hate M$, but this is a great game). Plus, with systems like the XBox coming with a hard drive and an ethernet port, add ons are definitely possible, as are great internet games. When they come out with the voice headset, that will be even more amazing. Who wouldn't want to play Unreal Championship in a huge open arena with 31 other players with virtually no lag because you're all on high speed internet connections?
I'm not saying that this is the end of PC games by a long shot, but the consoles do a great job and have a ton of games and they are a LOT CHEAPER than a $3000 computer. (Heck, for $3000, you could buy an XBox and every XBox game! :eek: )
I just don't think there is a market for a Gaming iMac, or at least not a machine marketed as a gaming iMac. I think it would be a flop.