There is NOTHING wrong with the iMac cosmetically. What it desperately needs is a tech refresh.
Oh I don't know, beyond the brilliance of the adjustable arm, I've always thought the base looked lame. As I look at my Cube I can't help but think that Mr. Ives can do better than the current iMac.
Really? I don't recall that, but you could be right. But still, one thing out of how many big anouncments in the last few years?
Quote:
G5 rumors were pretty solid before their release
Sure, G5 rumors have been around since after the launch of the G4. But I am tlaking about good rumors. Before IBM anounced the 970, no one had any decent info on the upcomign G5, and Apple had to be working on it before a public anouncment from IBM. Even after we had that info, no rumor site stepped up to the plate on any kind of a release date util AFTER the apple website mishap.
If there are no mini-iPods tomarrow, I think that about proves the amount of "knowledge" the rumor sites have. Almost every single one has laid claim to the so called mini-iPod. This will be the deal breaker in belief for me.
I bought a 1 GHz Titanium Powerbook with a Superdrive on the day it was introduced in November 2002, only to see the 12" and 17" Aluminum Powerbooks rolled out at the 2003 MWSF less than two months later. I agree that it is unlikely that Apple would change the form factor for the iMac, but such a move would not be unprecedented.
You have to remember though, they just added new models, they didn't change your machine. By the time it was updated (over a year later I believe) the machine was severely outdated and due for an update.
As reported by "insiders" viewing booths at MWSF] Adobe is also featuring a lineup of G5s with Apple Cinema Displays aligned vertically.
While rotatable Cinema displays would be neat (support in the OS would be neater, so that we can use all those third party displays out there), this text could just mean that the displays are stacked up vertically, one above the other.
OK Kiddies, just 6 hours from the Stevenote and I'm off to bed. Here are my official, last minute predictions:
SOFTWARE
iMovie 4 (Speed)
iDVD 4 (more speed)
iPhoto 3 (even more speed)
Garage Band will be an AAC encoding and uploading app for independent bands to get their songs onto the iTMS. It will NOT be a consumer music creation app. Consumers listen to music, they do not create it.
HARDWARE:
iPods:
New 4GB MiniPod (new, small form factor, white only, no colors, no dock) $199
Existing 10 GB iPod discontinued
Existing 20 Gb iPod reduced to $299
Existing 40 Gb iPod reduced to $399
Lots of crowing about Christmas iPod sales figures and market dominance. New models and price points will ensure Apple's dominance in digital music for the new year. Pepsi bigwig is trotted out to pump the Super Bowl giveaway.
Power Mac G5s will be bumped and demoed, complete with bake off.
Single 2.0 GHz $1799
Dual 2.2 GHz $2499
Dual 2.6 GHz (shipping Feb.) $2999
New G5s ship with new 3 button wireless bluetooth mouse and wireless keyboard in matching aluminum. Sold separately for $59 and $99 respectively.
New Displays
Existing 17" ASD discontinued
New 20", 23" and 30" displays with higher refresh rates reskinned in thinner aluminum casings to match G5s. $999, $1499 and $2999.
Xserve G5
Single 2.0 and Dual 2.2, shipping in Feb. The Virginia Tech guy will help with the intro and Steve will quip that it's time for him to upgrade.
iMacs, iBooks and Powerbooks will not be upgraded or mentioned.
Sure, G5 rumors have been around since after the launch of the G4. But I am tlaking about good rumors. Before IBM anounced the 970, no one had any decent info on the upcomign G5, and Apple had to be working on it before a public anouncment from IBM. Even after we had that info, no rumor site stepped up to the plate on any kind of a release date util AFTER the apple website mishap.
LOL, you're really going to disappoint moki with that comment. He knew about the G5 long in advance of IBM's announcement. He pointed us all to the Power4. One can take whatever he says to the bank.
Garage Band will be an AAC encoding and uploading app for independent bands to get their songs onto the iTMS. It will NOT be a consumer music creation app. Consumers listen to music, they do not create it.
Consumers also don't make pictures or videos, the don't type, mail or surf the internet. I think there are hell of a lot amateur musicians outthere who would love to easily record and mix their music on their mac.
you can already align your monitors vertically. mine are aligned in such a bizaare manner as I type . very awkward, cos I'm so used to the 3200x1200 res I run normally. but we shall se why Adobe are doing that shortly.
Garage Band will be an AAC encoding and uploading app for independent bands to get their songs onto the iTMS. It will NOT be a consumer music creation app. Consumers listen to music, they do not create it.
BS! This guy is obviously not a musician. Or never was.
Most kid's, and teens love music. Some of them start to play instruments, some play air guitar. Putting an application out there that has the ability to create music from scratch, or get a semi pro/(Maybe) pro sounding recording from what you've been playing in your garage with your friends is a dream application. If Apple has this they should put more $$$ into this ad campaign than any previous ad campaign they have ever done. You have no idea how many Mac's this would sell. This would be the freaking "why didn't I think of that" application, and campaign that every company would be drooling over for years to come.
Ensign, I think you are totally clueless on how far the influence, and love of Music reaches.
This morning's Wall Street Journal reported that Apple will introduce a cheaper iPod today -- but probably only as low as $199:
Quote:
Apple to Introduce a Cheaper iPod
Maker Plans Budget Model
In Effort to Fend Off Rivals
And Broaden Its Market
By Nick Wingfield
Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal
Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod was the season's must-have holiday gift, despite its daunting price tag. Now, just weeks after pricey versions of the sleek portable music player were flying off the shelves, Apple is expected to roll out a significantly cheaper version.
Apple is expected Tuesday to introduce a new iPod that costs much less than its current $299 entry-level model, according to people familiar with the matter. (The top-of-the line 40-gigabyte iPod holds 10,000 songs and costs an eye-popping $499.) Analysts believe Apple could price the new iPod as low as $200. While that's more than the $100 figure that has circulated on Apple rumor Web sites in recent weeks, it's still a sharp enough markdown that Apple hopes will attract a much larger audience of music and gadget lovers.
Apple's move is expected to put pressure on a new crop of rivals to trim their prices.
Apple declined to comment on any new products it may be introducing this week, expected to be announced at the Macworld conference in San Francisco.
Introduced in October 2001, the iPod was the first digital music player to combine huge song storage capacity in a style that hipsters could feel proud about clipping to their belt buckles. The gadget featured a navigation wheel that is regarded as one of the most-efficient ways to comb through a large number of songs.
Apple has previously said it has sold more than 1.4 million of the devices, which have become icons of cool among everyone from traditional gadget-heads to music heavyweights. In the video for his hit song "P.I.M.P.," hip-hop star 50 Cent is seen scrolling around the song collection on his white iPod. A slew of slick iPod cases and accessories are available from companies trying to ride the craze.
The first iPod cost $399 and had a PC-like hard-drive with five gigabytes of storage -- enough to hold upward of 1,000 CD-quality songs downloaded from a user's computer. Apple has subsequently crammed more and more storage into the iPod -- the $299 10-gigabyte version stores upward of 2,500 songs.
The iPod was a huge hit this recent holiday season, driven in part by a major advertising campaign, featuring songs from the bands Black Eyed Peas and Jet. Amazon.com Inc. and other retailers periodically sold out of their stock of iPods in the Christmas shopping frenzy. Charlie Wolf, an analyst at brokerage firm Needham & Co., estimates Apple sold 450,000 to 600,000 iPods during the holiday quarter.
"It was right up there with the most popular products this holiday season," says David Weisman, senior director of home merchandising at Crutchfield Corp., a retailer that ran out of its iPod stock at different times during the holidays.
Needham's Mr. Wolf says the underlying components of the iPod, mainly its hard drive, have dropped enough in price that Apple could profitably charge customers $200 for a low-end device with enough space for 1,000 songs, but they likely couldn't slash the price to $100.
The reason, he says, is Apple could potentially steal some market share from the low end of the digital-player market, which is studded with cheap devices that can't hold as many songs in part because they use a different storage technology than Apple. One such device, the Nomad Muvo, costs a mere $63.20 on Buy.com, but stores only about 12 songs -- less than a CD's worth.
Pricing low is risky for Apple, which has made the iPod the linchpin of a broader foray into the music business. Apple also sells downloadable songs for 99 cents each through its iTunes Music Store, but the company has said it makes little profit off the site. Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs has said he views the music site as a way to sell more iPods. A $200 iPod would likely offer profit margins in the "single-digits or low double-digits" compared with profit margins ranging from 20% to 45% for its higher-end models, says Mr. Wolf.
Apple is also beginning to face tougher competition from big companies in the class of high-capacity music players that it currently leads. Dell Inc. last year started selling a $249 music player with 15 gigabytes of storage, or space for about 3,745 songs. That's cheaper than Apple's lowest-priced iPod and more storage capacity. SonyCorp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. are expected to introduce devices that are more competitive with the iPod. Some competitors are emphasizing features like long battery life for their products. IPod has come under criticism from some users for batteries that don't last long enough.
Apple has a long history of introducing ground-breaking products that are eventually duplicated by competitors. The company's Macintosh computers were the first popular machines to sport user-friendly graphical interfaces, but Microsoft Corp. ended up far surpassing the Mac market with Windows. Some analysts predict the same fate could befall the iPod.
For now though, none of Apple's rivals has created portable players with the coolness quotient of the iPod. It's hard to imagine other electronics devices inspiring the fan sites that have cropped up in homage to the iPod. One site, iPodlounge.com, features one of the more curious tributes to the device -- a section called "iPods Around the World" consisting of tourist-like snapshots of the devices in front of everything from the ruins at Machu Picchu, Peru, to Kuwait. The site has close to 2,000 photos, submitted by iPod users.
BS! This guy is obviously not a musician. Or never was.
Most kid's, and teens love music. Some of them start to play instruments, some play air guitar. Putting an application out there that has the ability to create music from scratch, or get a semi pro/(Maybe) pro sounding recording from what you've been playing in your garage with your friends is a dream application. If Apple has this they should put more $$$ into this ad campaign than any previous ad campaign they have ever done. You have no idea how many Mac's this would sell. This would be the freaking "why didn't I think of that" application, and campaign that every company would be drooling over for years to come.
Ensign, I think you are totally clueless on how far the influence, and love of Music reaches.
I think he's saying Joe Shmoe won't need to make music, BUT if you play music then it's obviously for you. NO music is the consumer, music is the musician.
I think he's saying Joe Shmoe won't need to make music, BUT if you play music then it's obviously for you. NO music is the consumer, music is the musician.
Yes that's true for an adult. But high school students are interested in ass, and music. That's about it. lol
Any one able to update whats going on at the Stevenote? He's probably release multiple items so mind blowing that those there are still weeping in joy.
Any one able to update whats going on at the Stevenote? He's probably release multiple items so mind blowing that those there are still weeping in joy.
Dobby.
new ilife, all updated, new xserve G5 with bigger capacity, new office 2004 ....
Comments
Originally posted by gcarswell
I'm sure imac sales are in the toilet in general compared to last year, they need a cosmetic refresh bad...
There is NOTHING wrong with the iMac cosmetically. What it desperately needs is a tech refresh.
Originally posted by Ensign Pulver
There is NOTHING wrong with the iMac cosmetically. What it desperately needs is a tech refresh.
Oh I don't know, beyond the brilliance of the adjustable arm, I've always thought the base looked lame. As I look at my Cube I can't help but think that Mr. Ives can do better than the current iMac.
Originally posted by joek
Pictures of the Cube Leaked.
Really? I don't recall that, but you could be right. But still, one thing out of how many big anouncments in the last few years?
G5 rumors were pretty solid before their release
Sure, G5 rumors have been around since after the launch of the G4. But I am tlaking about good rumors. Before IBM anounced the 970, no one had any decent info on the upcomign G5, and Apple had to be working on it before a public anouncment from IBM. Even after we had that info, no rumor site stepped up to the plate on any kind of a release date util AFTER the apple website mishap.
If there are no mini-iPods tomarrow, I think that about proves the amount of "knowledge" the rumor sites have. Almost every single one has laid claim to the so called mini-iPod. This will be the deal breaker in belief for me.
[As reported by "insiders" viewing booths at MWSF] Adobe is also featuring a lineup of G5s with Apple Cinema Displays aligned vertically.
Originally posted by Texas Flood
I bought a 1 GHz Titanium Powerbook with a Superdrive on the day it was introduced in November 2002, only to see the 12" and 17" Aluminum Powerbooks rolled out at the 2003 MWSF less than two months later. I agree that it is unlikely that Apple would change the form factor for the iMac, but such a move would not be unprecedented.
You have to remember though, they just added new models, they didn't change your machine. By the time it was updated (over a year later I believe) the machine was severely outdated and due for an update.
Originally posted by LudwigVan
As reported by "insiders" viewing booths at MWSF] Adobe is also featuring a lineup of G5s with Apple Cinema Displays aligned vertically.
While rotatable Cinema displays would be neat (support in the OS would be neater, so that we can use all those third party displays out there), this text could just mean that the displays are stacked up vertically, one above the other.
[--]
[--]
[--]
[--]
-- Clive
SOFTWARE
iMovie 4 (Speed)
iDVD 4 (more speed)
iPhoto 3 (even more speed)
Garage Band will be an AAC encoding and uploading app for independent bands to get their songs onto the iTMS. It will NOT be a consumer music creation app. Consumers listen to music, they do not create it.
HARDWARE:
iPods:
New 4GB MiniPod (new, small form factor, white only, no colors, no dock) $199
Existing 10 GB iPod discontinued
Existing 20 Gb iPod reduced to $299
Existing 40 Gb iPod reduced to $399
Lots of crowing about Christmas iPod sales figures and market dominance. New models and price points will ensure Apple's dominance in digital music for the new year. Pepsi bigwig is trotted out to pump the Super Bowl giveaway.
Power Mac G5s will be bumped and demoed, complete with bake off.
Single 2.0 GHz $1799
Dual 2.2 GHz $2499
Dual 2.6 GHz (shipping Feb.) $2999
New G5s ship with new 3 button wireless bluetooth mouse and wireless keyboard in matching aluminum. Sold separately for $59 and $99 respectively.
New Displays
Existing 17" ASD discontinued
New 20", 23" and 30" displays with higher refresh rates reskinned in thinner aluminum casings to match G5s. $999, $1499 and $2999.
Xserve G5
Single 2.0 and Dual 2.2, shipping in Feb. The Virginia Tech guy will help with the intro and Steve will quip that it's time for him to upgrade.
iMacs, iBooks and Powerbooks will not be upgraded or mentioned.
Originally posted by kupan787
Sure, G5 rumors have been around since after the launch of the G4. But I am tlaking about good rumors. Before IBM anounced the 970, no one had any decent info on the upcomign G5, and Apple had to be working on it before a public anouncment from IBM. Even after we had that info, no rumor site stepped up to the plate on any kind of a release date util AFTER the apple website mishap.
LOL, you're really going to disappoint moki with that comment. He knew about the G5 long in advance of IBM's announcement. He pointed us all to the Power4. One can take whatever he says to the bank.
Originally posted by Ensign Pulver
Garage Band will be an AAC encoding and uploading app for independent bands to get their songs onto the iTMS. It will NOT be a consumer music creation app. Consumers listen to music, they do not create it.
Consumers also don't make pictures or videos, the don't type, mail or surf the internet. I think there are hell of a lot amateur musicians outthere who would love to easily record and mix their music on their mac.
low-cost iPod, G5 Xserve, bumped Powermac, pre-announced G5 Powerbooks.
Originally posted by Ensign Pulver
Garage Band will be an AAC encoding and uploading app for independent bands to get their songs onto the iTMS. It will NOT be a consumer music creation app. Consumers listen to music, they do not create it.
BS! This guy is obviously not a musician. Or never was.
Most kid's, and teens love music. Some of them start to play instruments, some play air guitar. Putting an application out there that has the ability to create music from scratch, or get a semi pro/(Maybe) pro sounding recording from what you've been playing in your garage with your friends is a dream application. If Apple has this they should put more $$$ into this ad campaign than any previous ad campaign they have ever done. You have no idea how many Mac's this would sell. This would be the freaking "why didn't I think of that" application, and campaign that every company would be drooling over for years to come.
Ensign, I think you are totally clueless on how far the influence, and love of Music reaches.
Apple to Introduce a Cheaper iPod
Maker Plans Budget Model
In Effort to Fend Off Rivals
And Broaden Its Market
By Nick Wingfield
Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal
Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod was the season's must-have holiday gift, despite its daunting price tag. Now, just weeks after pricey versions of the sleek portable music player were flying off the shelves, Apple is expected to roll out a significantly cheaper version.
Apple is expected Tuesday to introduce a new iPod that costs much less than its current $299 entry-level model, according to people familiar with the matter. (The top-of-the line 40-gigabyte iPod holds 10,000 songs and costs an eye-popping $499.) Analysts believe Apple could price the new iPod as low as $200. While that's more than the $100 figure that has circulated on Apple rumor Web sites in recent weeks, it's still a sharp enough markdown that Apple hopes will attract a much larger audience of music and gadget lovers.
Apple's move is expected to put pressure on a new crop of rivals to trim their prices.
Apple declined to comment on any new products it may be introducing this week, expected to be announced at the Macworld conference in San Francisco.
Introduced in October 2001, the iPod was the first digital music player to combine huge song storage capacity in a style that hipsters could feel proud about clipping to their belt buckles. The gadget featured a navigation wheel that is regarded as one of the most-efficient ways to comb through a large number of songs.
Apple has previously said it has sold more than 1.4 million of the devices, which have become icons of cool among everyone from traditional gadget-heads to music heavyweights. In the video for his hit song "P.I.M.P.," hip-hop star 50 Cent is seen scrolling around the song collection on his white iPod. A slew of slick iPod cases and accessories are available from companies trying to ride the craze.
The first iPod cost $399 and had a PC-like hard-drive with five gigabytes of storage -- enough to hold upward of 1,000 CD-quality songs downloaded from a user's computer. Apple has subsequently crammed more and more storage into the iPod -- the $299 10-gigabyte version stores upward of 2,500 songs.
The iPod was a huge hit this recent holiday season, driven in part by a major advertising campaign, featuring songs from the bands Black Eyed Peas and Jet. Amazon.com Inc. and other retailers periodically sold out of their stock of iPods in the Christmas shopping frenzy. Charlie Wolf, an analyst at brokerage firm Needham & Co., estimates Apple sold 450,000 to 600,000 iPods during the holiday quarter.
"It was right up there with the most popular products this holiday season," says David Weisman, senior director of home merchandising at Crutchfield Corp., a retailer that ran out of its iPod stock at different times during the holidays.
Needham's Mr. Wolf says the underlying components of the iPod, mainly its hard drive, have dropped enough in price that Apple could profitably charge customers $200 for a low-end device with enough space for 1,000 songs, but they likely couldn't slash the price to $100.
The reason, he says, is Apple could potentially steal some market share from the low end of the digital-player market, which is studded with cheap devices that can't hold as many songs in part because they use a different storage technology than Apple. One such device, the Nomad Muvo, costs a mere $63.20 on Buy.com, but stores only about 12 songs -- less than a CD's worth.
Pricing low is risky for Apple, which has made the iPod the linchpin of a broader foray into the music business. Apple also sells downloadable songs for 99 cents each through its iTunes Music Store, but the company has said it makes little profit off the site. Apple Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs has said he views the music site as a way to sell more iPods. A $200 iPod would likely offer profit margins in the "single-digits or low double-digits" compared with profit margins ranging from 20% to 45% for its higher-end models, says Mr. Wolf.
Apple is also beginning to face tougher competition from big companies in the class of high-capacity music players that it currently leads. Dell Inc. last year started selling a $249 music player with 15 gigabytes of storage, or space for about 3,745 songs. That's cheaper than Apple's lowest-priced iPod and more storage capacity. SonyCorp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. are expected to introduce devices that are more competitive with the iPod. Some competitors are emphasizing features like long battery life for their products. IPod has come under criticism from some users for batteries that don't last long enough.
Apple has a long history of introducing ground-breaking products that are eventually duplicated by competitors. The company's Macintosh computers were the first popular machines to sport user-friendly graphical interfaces, but Microsoft Corp. ended up far surpassing the Mac market with Windows. Some analysts predict the same fate could befall the iPod.
For now though, none of Apple's rivals has created portable players with the coolness quotient of the iPod. It's hard to imagine other electronics devices inspiring the fan sites that have cropped up in homage to the iPod. One site, iPodlounge.com, features one of the more curious tributes to the device -- a section called "iPods Around the World" consisting of tourist-like snapshots of the devices in front of everything from the ruins at Machu Picchu, Peru, to Kuwait. The site has close to 2,000 photos, submitted by iPod users.
Write to Nick Wingfield at [email protected]
Originally posted by onlooker
BS! This guy is obviously not a musician. Or never was.
Most kid's, and teens love music. Some of them start to play instruments, some play air guitar. Putting an application out there that has the ability to create music from scratch, or get a semi pro/(Maybe) pro sounding recording from what you've been playing in your garage with your friends is a dream application. If Apple has this they should put more $$$ into this ad campaign than any previous ad campaign they have ever done. You have no idea how many Mac's this would sell. This would be the freaking "why didn't I think of that" application, and campaign that every company would be drooling over for years to come.
Ensign, I think you are totally clueless on how far the influence, and love of Music reaches.
I think he's saying Joe Shmoe won't need to make music, BUT if you play music then it's obviously for you. NO music is the consumer, music is the musician.
Originally posted by CaseCom
This morning's Wall Street Journal reported that Apple will introduce a $199 iPod today:
<snip>
Analysts believe Apple could price the new iPod as low as $200.
<snip>
No. "Analysts believe" is hardly **CONFIRMED**
Originally posted by KidRed
I think he's saying Joe Shmoe won't need to make music, BUT if you play music then it's obviously for you. NO music is the consumer, music is the musician.
Yes that's true for an adult. But high school students are interested in ass, and music. That's about it. lol
Dobby.
Originally posted by dobby
Any one able to update whats going on at the Stevenote? He's probably release multiple items so mind blowing that those there are still weeping in joy.
Dobby.
new ilife, all updated, new xserve G5 with bigger capacity, new office 2004 ....
Originally posted by NaplesX
new ilife, all updated, new xserve G5 with bigger capacity, new office 2004 ....
now garage band