gMac anyone?
Can we please have a stipped down Power Mac variant for Graphic Designers?
1. AGP, but no PCI slots (don't know anybody that uses them)
2. Smaller hard disks (don't need anything like 40GB)
3. CD-RW, but no SuperDrive (don't need it)
4. No Airport (not fast enough, so ditch it)
5. No audio (don't need it)
6. Speedy processor
7. New graphics centric architecture
8. Bags of RAM at realistic prices
9. Cordless keyboard & mouse (handy for presentations)
10. Keep the price keen $1,099.
I'd also love to see a 19" 1600x1200px flat panel display with the same image quality as the 17".
What are the chances?
<img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />
1. AGP, but no PCI slots (don't know anybody that uses them)
2. Smaller hard disks (don't need anything like 40GB)
3. CD-RW, but no SuperDrive (don't need it)
4. No Airport (not fast enough, so ditch it)
5. No audio (don't need it)
6. Speedy processor
7. New graphics centric architecture
8. Bags of RAM at realistic prices
9. Cordless keyboard & mouse (handy for presentations)
10. Keep the price keen $1,099.
I'd also love to see a 19" 1600x1200px flat panel display with the same image quality as the 17".
What are the chances?
<img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" />
Comments
gMac- can't see it happening. It would be handy for scientists that were only really interested in a desktop that had processing power and not much else also. It'd much easier for Apple to push the Powermac rather than developm another box and complicate their line-up.
Tricky
<strong>Can we please have a stipped down Power Mac variant for Graphic Designers?
1. AGP, but no PCI slots (don't know anybody that uses them)
2. Smaller hard disks (don't need anything like 40GB)
3. CD-RW, but no SuperDrive (don't need it)
4. No Airport (not fast enough, so ditch it)
5. No audio (don't need it)
6. Speedy processor
7. New graphics centric architecture
8. Bags of RAM at realistic prices
9. Cordless keyboard & mouse (handy for presentations)
10. Keep the price keen $1,099.
I'd also love to see a 19" 1600x1200px flat panel display with the same image quality as the 17".
What are the chances?
<img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>
Unfortunately the things you are leaving out are mostly cheap, and the things you want to be good are expensive.
<strong>Buy yourself an Xserve...
> 10. Keep the price keen $1,099.
If the XServes went for 1099 i'd buy 4!
no audio? LOL. hahahahahah! you're not a designer are you?
cordless mouse, 19" flat panel? what does this have to do with graphic design? anyway, you'd be hard pressed to find a 19" panel alone for $1100, let alone a whole computer.
you're probably drunk, so i understand.
<strong>
If the XServes went for 1099 i'd buy 4!
if they went for 1099 i'll be fighting you for the last remaining one...
<strong>smaller hard disks? i'm a graphic designer and i have videos that are measured in GB. that makes absolutely NO sense to give a designer a smaller hard drive. are you on crack?</strong><hr></blockquote>
People designing stuff for the net usually don't need huge hard drives. I am doing high-res print work as well and come by with 16GB of space plus a CDRW. And graphic designer and GB videos - excuse me? Either you do video editing or you use your work computer to watch ripped DVDs. I think 40GB is fine though.
[quote]Originally posted by Inhale420:
<strong>no audio? LOL. hahahahahah! you're not a designer are you?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Since when is audio needed for graphic design? Oh, maybe you need it to watch ripped DVDs and to listen to ripped mp3s. But that does hardly qualify as work. Or does it?
[quote]Originally posted by Inhale420:
<strong>cordless mouse, 19" flat panel? what does this have to do with graphic design? anyway, you'd be hard pressed to find a 19" panel alone for $1100, let alone a whole computer.</strong><hr></blockquote>
He said that additional to a 1100 mac a 19" LCD would be nice. Dont interpret stuff wrong just to be able to insult people.
[quote]Originally posted by Inhale420:
<strong>you're probably drunk, so i understand.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Oh, so you are drunk yourself often, too?
My name's Inhale420, and I'm the best graphic designer in the world, and I create the biggest files in the world.
The music I listen to ROCKS! And I listen to it louder than anyone else in the world. ROCK ON!!
When I pitch to clients I make sure I have lots of cables stretching across the meeting room table - it's so distracting and unprofessional!
And I don't drink!
Just joking great mate. Thanks for replying. Maybe my idea of a perfect machine is just my idea of a perfect machine.
I can see where you're coming from? but isn't that why machines are upgradeable? Steve Jobs would have us all buying DPs and twin 23" Cinema Displays otherwise!
I'd find it easier to talk my boss into buying some gMacs rather than Power Mac G4s with lots of great features that we'd never use!
- People that uses it as a server.
- People that uses it as a machine to connect many peripherals.
- People that uses it as a mere desktop machine.
Here are some of the products that Apple managed to sattify those users:
- People that uses it as a server.
Accomplished. With the Xserve.
- People that uses it as a machine to connect many peripherals.
Accomplished. With the current PowerMac.
- People that uses it as a mere desktop machine.
Still hasn't been done. I think that this include internet graphic designers and pro gamers.
So... I think that a new product line would sattify these people,
One that probably has one AGP slot for the video card and one PCI slot for another card (like another video card or a sound card).
Btw, this is my first post, so hi all
Bring on the G5 Stevie boy!
1. AGP, but no PCI slots (don't know anybody that uses them)
you mustn't know too many pro mac users. powermacs are for the pro market. thats graphics, video, audio etc. so for 2+ monitors, realtime vid or audio pci card/breakout box combos, scsi support etc. its a 'one size fits all mentality' as that makes apple money. yes most peopel do not need that many pci cards, but most people who do not need all-in-one solutions liek the imac and emac are more likely to need/want to be able to u/g and swap out components.
2. Smaller hard disks (don't need anything like 40GB)
thats tough .. but its economy of scale. try shopping round for a 20Gb hard drive. hard to find for much less than the cost of a 40Gb these days. its like trying to buy 16Mb DIMMs ... its more cost efficient to supply components which are 'industry standard'. most people don't actually NEED very large hard drives per se, but its very nice to store
3. CD-RW, but no SuperDrive (don't need it)
well, you can use build to order and get a CDRW ... unless you suddenly have to work on large format 300dpi layered PSDs for a job, or want to back up that job bag which has about 3.5 cds worth of work in it as you've done SO many variants for a client. worst of all you find you have to split logical groups of files up over separate media just to get em to fit. you might not need it now, but unless you just do very low grade print design there'll be a time when you will appreciate it
4. No Airport (not fast enough, so ditch it)
you dont pay for the card unless you specify it, except on the hi-end models, and then i guess you could still take it off in the BTO option.
5. No audio (don't need it)
what, you dont like alert sounds as a kind of feedback? you would never watch tutorial videos, the latest creative review dvd, or even just want to occasionally listen to a cd at work? a monophonic crappy speaker and a standard audio jack out is pretty basic and i don't think it contributes much to component costs. in fact it would probably be more weird/costly to remove such functions from the mobo altogether. afaik every mac for the last decade has shipped with audio onboard, so no audio would indeed be a retrograde step for our favourite fruit flavoured company.
6. Speedy processor
nuff said
7. New graphics centric architecture
hmm, what do tyou mean by this exactly? sure we could do with better overall internal bandwidth, memory handling etc but even the current machines are fairly good for "general graphic design use". If you ever did A3+ spreads on a G3 or earlier with <2Mb VRAM then even the radeon 7500/ geforce 4mx seems outrageous fast and responsive.
8. Bags of RAM at realistic prices
true apple have never sold ram cheaply, but just buy minimal amounts in your machine and then shop around for cheap, reliable ram. isn't that what most people do? hehe
9. Cordless keyboard & mouse (handy for presentations)
3rd parties sell this kinda stuff so i think you can get it ... try logitech etc ... i'm not sure apple will ever create a desktop computer for the powerpoint market.
10. Keep the price keen $1,099.
what, the price of an eMac? you've got to be kidding. apple depends on people being able to buy their kit and make seriously money on it. unlike education, which is normally very cash conscious, any good designer is always trying to turn a reasonable profit. factor in the margins you will make on a job, multiply that by the expected lifespan of the machine in your environment, and then see if you want to pay peanuts for a machine which has had the corners cut on it. if that's all you can afford, mebbe you are in the wrong career and need to either speculate to accumulate, or get a cheap pc and do un-challenging work for the foreseeable. i'm not saying i wouldn't like cheaper machines, only that it's highly unrealistic when you see the price/performance ratio of other machines from apple.
try and remember that apple knows it makes sense to release machines which cater for specific markets, with a range options for each model. their bottom line couldn't handle so many variations which seem like personal whims rather than oft clamoured-for features. the 3 models of powermac have served it well now for many years, and considering the markert share of macs right now, i couldn't see them creating a larger prosumer/pro machine crossover range and making much money
i'm guessing you are fairly young, very enthusiastic, love Apple but baulk at the price of powermacs. mebbe you work at home, or in a small office environment. well i know where you are at, and i've been there ... there have been graphic designers for years who look at current pro apple kit, see lots of features they dont really need, go pale at the price compared to PC boxes, and then desperately try to justify the cost to their bank manager/boss/partner. thats why i bought a 200Mhz 604e clone 5 years back. and its why i learned not to cut corners next time, and bought a B&W g3 .
sure i didnt need all its features back then (and never thought i would) but since then i have filled every PCI slot, added more HDs, upgraded the processor, added a CDRW ... have used every input for a job at least once. i didn't think i needed all that a powermac could offer back then, but a few years later as job descriptions change.
so to answer your question i don't think there is much chance of one of these machines. sorry
Your comments are certainly thought provoking and I respect your opinions. You have some good points in there that have got me thinking?
2. Smaller hard disks (don't need anything like 40GB)
I've got a problem with each of these...
I'll start with # 2. COME ON! I don't know what kind of Graphic Design you do, but I've got 30GB that I'm gonna have to weed out a second time just to get some space. I've got one project consisting of 5 images at 4X standard print resolution and made to be posters. Some have up to 9 versions and many of them take up 10MB or so... Graphics add up quickly! Now, 40GB doesn't exactly seem limited to me, but it's the idea of limiting space that kinda bugs me.
Which brings me to # 1. Personally, I have a SCSI card in MY PCI slot in order to use certain devices. Now I realize that at this point, we should be able to connect everything through on board USB and Firewire, but there will always be a use for a free PCI slot. You find that you want sound that doesn't come with this Mac? PCI it! HOw many people that do 3D or film started in Graphic Design? you need something? - you need to PCI it so that you don't have to throw out your gMac... you need at least one PCI.
<strong>Your comments are certainly thought provoking and I respect your opinions. You have some good points in there that have got me thinking?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Nice to see people actually thinking about the points others make instead of flaming away!
If you are short on cash and want a Mac for design work - the older G4 towers and even the B&W G3 ones are actually quite ok as long as you don't do 3D and as long as you equipt them with enough ram. The only problem I had here when trying to find one (I gave up) is that here some people even demand 1000$ for a beige PowerMac 9100 and shipping and tax are quite high if I were to order one off ebay/usa.
I for my part will go to work after I get my design diploma in late june and start saving for a january 2003 PowerMac. And next summer go on my own fulltime. Until january, though, my old PC will have to do.
<strong>
1. AGP, but no PCI slots (don't know anybody that uses them)
2. Smaller hard disks (don't need anything like 40GB)
3. CD-RW, but no SuperDrive (don't need it)
4. No Airport (not fast enough, so ditch it)
5. No audio (don't need it)
6. Speedy processor
7. New graphics centric architecture
8. Bags of RAM at realistic prices
9. Cordless keyboard & mouse (handy for presentations)
10. Keep the price keen $1,099.
<img src="graemlins/oyvey.gif" border="0" alt="[No]" /> </strong><hr></blockquote>
Apple already make these - they are called iMacs.
<strong>Apple already make these - they are called iMacs.</strong><hr></blockquote>
iMacs are really great machines but for one mistake - 1024x768, with which one cannot really make serious graphics work. And they aren't really "low-price-segment" material either because of the LCD.