Say Goodbye To 15" iMac Next Year?

2

Comments

  • Reply 21 of 41
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    I think the 15" is a nice machine too. The problem is that it's too expensive and that Apple moved too quickly on it. It needn't disappear, but it has to get cheaper. The eMac should have been out 2 years ago. (maybe with a G3 then) Can you imagine how many they would have sold?



    Steve gets a little too convinced by his own ego-maniacial techno-visionary illusions. A little more practicality (a touch more Mr Dell, and a tad less Mr Jobs, and Apple would be a lot better off)
  • Reply 22 of 41
    repeat after me people..



    "The CRT iMac isn't going anywhere"





    apple needs a 799.00 machine.



    right now my dad is looking to replace his 200Mhz Pentium system from 1997. Which do you think he's looking at? A 1,299 Flat Planel iMac? or a 799.00 CRT iMac?



    if Apple was going to discontinue the CRT iMac, they would have done it at MWNY. But once i saw that they updated the CRT line, i knew it was going to stick around for a long time.
  • Reply 23 of 41
    bradbowerbradbower Posts: 1,068member
    I think we need as many different choices for consumers in terms of (a) screen size, (b) power, and (c) price as we can afford.



    I'd like to see something like this:



    CRT G3 iMac, $449edu-599 (they don't need margins on this entry level, old machine IMHO)



    eMac CD (schools only), $699-749 (again, just a very inexpensive option to 'seal the deal' of going with Macs for schools)



    eMac CD-RW, $899



    eMac Combo, $999 or $1049



    eMac SuperDrive, $1299



    iMac 15" CD-RW, $999 or 1049 (available only for education, I'd say..)



    iMac 15" Combo, $1199



    iMac 15" SuperDrive, $1399



    iMac 17" Combo, $1499



    iMac 17" SuperDrive, $1699



    iMac 19" Combo, $1799



    iMac 19" SuperDrive, $1999



    I'd also keep all of the separate Apple displays, and if it were up to me, I'd maybe even bring back the beautiful 17" CRT Studio Display, even if only for education, and make it really cheap.
  • Reply 24 of 41
    addisonaddison Posts: 1,185member
    No way too many options. Think how much stock would have to be cleared from the line to up grade the processor speeds.



    iMac CRT - 1 model.



    Emac - CDRW/Combo/SuperDrive



    iMac - 17" Combo/SuperDrive (One processor speed)



    This line-up makes much more sense. Apple has not done well in the last qtr and I think they will be looking to cut costs and inventory can be one of the largest costs and as we saw with the last Powermac caused a delay in introducing the new models, just because there was too much stock in the channels.
  • Reply 25 of 41
    Well,



    I just bought my first Mac two days ago. It is the low end iMac. For me, even though I could afford the 17 inch (and it really did look impressive) I didn't want the superdrive and I would never fill an 80gig hard drive. As for the ram - I upgraded to a gig anyways. The issue for me was whether to go with the eMac or the iMac. I chose the LCD. I am not exactly willing to pay the price of the high ends right now. I am a student and only need a basic setup. So - for me, having the 15inch gave me another choice. I would rather have this thing on my desk then a 50 pound paperweight. In Canadian the price difference was only like $300 and for an LCD that is a good price. So I think it is worth them keeping a very low end model and simply upgrading the high end models to 17". So anyone willing to spend the money for a combo drive model can get a bigger screen thrown in - but for students like e - this is ideal.



    Vistago.
  • Reply 26 of 41
    bradbowerbradbower Posts: 1,068member
    [quote]Originally posted by Addison:

    <strong>No way too many options. Think how much stock would have to be cleared from the line to up grade the processor speeds.



    iMac CRT - 1 model.



    Emac - CDRW/Combo/SuperDrive



    iMac - 17" Combo/SuperDrive (One processor speed)



    This line-up makes much more sense. Apple has not done well in the last qtr and I think they will be looking to cut costs and inventory can be one of the largest costs and as we saw with the last Powermac caused a delay in introducing the new models, just because there was too much stock in the channels.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Too many options? Not really, in comparison to the days of having three different versions of iMacs, and between 3 and 4 colors each. At least these options mean something, they aren't just stupid colors.



    More options == more cosumers happy/interested == more buying == more profit. Choice is definitely good.



    And anyway, it would only be about 9 or 10 different machines that a full Apple consumer product reseller would have to carry.



    And actually, Apple would do good to beef up inventory before the holidays, so people don't get angry again.
  • Reply 27 of 41
    "Too many options" is a relative term. Expanding the consumer line-up can be done but two things have to be taken into account:



    Avoid confusing the customer.



    Minimize costs associated with increasing the number of products.



    Provided that the iMac/eMac line is expanded in such a way that a clear difference exists between each machine and Apple can minimize the hardware required it should be a win for both Apple and he consumer.



    As highlighted by Vistago's experience the 15" iMac is still a valuable commodity for the option that it offers to consumers. Moreso, if Apple can get the price down a bit on it and on the eMac.



    [ 09-03-2002: Message edited by: neumac ]</p>
  • Reply 28 of 41
    Simplicity is good. It lowers costs and makes inventory easier to manage.



    The original iMac should be discontinued as soon as Apple can get the eMac into it's price range.



    eMac should be $799 CD, $999 Combo, $1299 Super, of course with the higher models also having slightly bumped RAM and HD. They should all be 1Ghz with 100Mhz busses.



    There should be no more than 3 different iMac (LCD) models. 4 is too much.



    They should be $1299 CD, 1499 Combo, 1799 Super. They should all have 17 inch screens, 1Ghz processors, and 133Mhz system busses. Again, the higher models should have bumped RAM and HD sizes.



    Of course, these aren't feasible until PowerMacs have at least 1Ghz as their low end, but hopefully such machines will be available in time for the 2003 educational buying season.



    I could see PowerMacs getting bumped to 1, 1.25, 1.4 before Christmas though. I wouldn't count on it, but it could happen. However, I'd expect 1.333, or 1.5 to be the next G4 speed unless they change bus speeds again.
  • Reply 29 of 41
    addisonaddison Posts: 1,185member
    [quote]Originally posted by rogue27:

    <strong>They should all have 17 inch screens, 1Ghz processors, and 133Mhz system busses..</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Don't agree, there is no cost implication in using 133 so they should just move there for all models. Apple should not sandbag the OS needs as much speed as it can get.
  • Reply 30 of 41
    stevessteves Posts: 108member
    Just to add a little fuel to the fire, the Inquirer is running the following story:



    <a href="http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=5267"; target="_blank">http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=5267</a>;



    "19-inch Big iMacs to arrive in Q4



    17-inchers this month



    By INQUIRER staff: Thursday 05 September 2002, 08:36





    FIFTEEN INCH iMacs are apparently being phased out this month.

    And 17-inch iMacs are being phased in, as we reported a while back.



    But now it seems Apple will launch a 19-inch iMac in the fourth quarter, according to the Taiwanese press.



    The machines will be built by Hon Hai, which is a major manufacturer also known as Foxconn and a favourite, it just so happens of the Intel Corporation.



    Hon Hai will also make i-Books for Apple, according to the story in the Taiwan Economic News.



    It staved off tough competition by Quanta Computer and Solectron to get the go-ahead to make the Big iMac. µ"
  • Reply 31 of 41
    [quote]Originally posted by SteveS:

    <strong>Just to add a little fuel to the fire, the Inquirer is running the following story:



    "19-inch Big iMacs to arrive in Q4



    17-inchers this month" </strong><hr></blockquote>



    Still harboring doubts about a 19" iMac, but firm in the belief that this will be a huge winner for Apple if they can keep the price down.



    New ad: Enormous 19" iMac bounces up to Gateway Profile and, using it's highly adjustable screen, bitch slaps the quivering Gateway to pieces.
  • Reply 32 of 41
    addisonaddison Posts: 1,185member
    I can't believe the price of the Gateway. I ran customise routine adding a combo, (no dvd burner available) and added a modem and speakers, the price jumps to over $2300. It doesn't have any decent apps like iMovie, iDVD, iTunes and no firewire! etc



    It will be faster I am sure of that , but it really is no competition in what it will do or value for money.



    As far as todays news regarding a 19", I hope that it will happen as it will make the Apple ranges clearer defined. At the moment there is a terrible overlap of iMac and eMac specs, leading to some confusion...or is that choice. I have a 15" iMac or 7 and would like to get one of the new widescreen versions, but I don't feel I can justify the upgrade until there is a boost to speeds. Swapping an 800mhz G4 for another with the same processor speed seems a little excessive. However, if they could get the speed up to 1.25 with a single processor and faster system bus and perhaps DDR, I would go for it.



    I expect this to happen, but I guess it is probably a year away. If you listening Steve, my financial year ends on the 31st March!
  • Reply 33 of 41
    tabootaboo Posts: 128member
    [quote]Originally posted by neumac:

    <strong>



    Still harboring doubts about a 19" iMac, but firm in the belief that this will be a huge winner for Apple if they can keep the price down.



    New ad: Enormous 19" iMac bounces up to Gateway Profile and, using it's highly adjustable screen, bitch slaps the quivering Gateway to pieces.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />



    Please.....please.....gotta happen
  • Reply 34 of 41
    cubitcubit Posts: 846member
    [quote]Originally posted by jeromba:

    <strong>what I think is : Get rid of this crappy 15" LCD screen with only a GF2MX card !

    Also there is too many configurations if you count the eMac. So, it will be a good thing that Apple do a lot of promotions to eliminate all the stocks of 15" iMac for the xMas holidays. And in MWSF 2003, they have only the 17" iMac, maybe only 2 config: Combo or SuperDrive. Hopefully with a better system bus, better graphic card, L3 cache, etc.</strong><hr></blockquote>
  • Reply 35 of 41
    cubitcubit Posts: 846member
    My thought, Jeromba? When did the 15" screen become crappy? It is gorgeous, useful, and more than enough. Do I wish I now had a 17" on my iMac, or that I could just swap one in? Well, yes, but that's because it doesn't quite match my Cinema and Cube set-up, proportionately-speaking; but the 800 iMac with SuperDrive is fabulous with plenty of memory in there and I do not suggest we all toss them out. It is sort of the kind of thing that some people think about when they look at iBooks. The 12" has a place-portability! The 14 model isless attractive, but if you don;t have a Pismo G3 PB it is grat. TiBook is 'better: than beither, for some I'm about to upbrade my Pismo when the new PBs come out. Anyone want to buy my Japanese iBook 500?
  • Reply 36 of 41
    I agree with Cubit that they should not get rid of the 15" iMac. It is THE ultimate space efficient desktop. I'd like to see 3 different models, all running at 1 Ghz.



    1. 15" FP with GeForce 2 MX.

    2. 17" FP with GeForce 4 MX. (32 megs of vram)

    3. 19" FP with ATI Radeon 9000 Pro (64 megs of vram)



    Options to customize RAM, hard drive, and optical drive.



    P.S.- I'd also like to see DDR RAM w/ a 133Mhz FSB.



    [ 09-09-2002: Message edited by: wolfeye155 ]</p>
  • Reply 37 of 41
    You guys have to realize, the preset choices and Apple-configured models that are carried in retail stores are nice for some people, but most people have special needs and can go over to Dell or Gateway and get a completely custom solution every step of the way.



    Whether Apple hides it or not with their main models, having as many choices for BTO as possible is VERY important.



    iMac...



    3 choices for screen size (15", 17", 19")



    2-3 choices for CPU speed (700MHz(?), 800MHz, 900MHz)



    3-4 choices for HD size (40GB, 80GB, 120GB)



    4 choices for optical drive (CD-RW, DVD, Combo, SuperDrive) (CD model should probably be education-only...)



    5-6 choices for RAM (128MB on lower speed models, 256MB, 512MB, 768MB, or 1GB PC100/PC133 SDRAM... and the 6th choice, no RAM, like every other computer manufacturer leaves for those of us who want to add it separately to max it out without maxing the credit card.. I'm dreaming, I know, but I might as well add that in there, because it's what people want. a LOT of people want machines to suit them exactly, or else no bite)



    Several choices for graphics card, depending on the screensize



    AirPort card or not



    Bluetooth or not



    .Mac or not



    iPod or not



    AppleCare...



    Sounds complicated, but no. Choose what you want, pay for it, submit the order, and the next day it's on your doorstop. Do it online, do it in person at any Apple Store or retailer, whatever. Or if you want it that day, or your needs are met/exceeded by the models carried in-store, then you get that. Real simple. Every other place does it this way and there is no problem with it. Apple should take advantage of BTO customization with the iMac to attract more customers.



    [ 09-11-2002: Message edited by: bradbower ]</p>
  • Reply 38 of 41
    I don't think that we can expect to have all of those options at the retail store. A few differenct stock options is ok for the stores. However, I do agree with you that we should have the choice to pick the components we like online. For example, someone might like the space saving size of the 15" screen but they want a better graphics card. Or someone might like the larger 17" but will only be using it for the internet and word processing hence they shouldn't have to buy something they won't need. It just doesn't make sense to not have these options when the only thing you are able to upgrade is the RAM and Airport. I really would like an iMac but I won't get one until the high end is something like this: -1Ghz 64

    -17" Widescreen Flat Panel

    -Radeon 9000 Pro (with 64 MB of VRAM not 32)

    -A decent bus speed (bare minimum of 133 SDRAM but preferably DDR RAM).



    [ 09-11-2002: Message edited by: wolfeye155 ]</p>
  • Reply 39 of 41
    The 15" iMac must go. It's too small a display for the price, and it's getting hammered by Wintels because of it.



    Apple would do well to consider the following:



    Pack in a FAST G4, as fast as possible, i.e., 1.2 GHz. Since the Powermacs are all duals, this won't tread in their domain. Plus it will make Motorola happy to sell so many of their new G4 models, just before Apple pulls the plug and jumps in the sack with IBM.



    Differentiate the iMac lineup by optical drive and display:



    17" LCD models:

    1.0 GHz

    Combo drive

    Superdrive



    19" LCD:

    1.25 GHz

    Combo Drive

    Superdrive



    Keep the prices similar to current lineup, i.e., set the 19" LCD at $2000, and put the 17" LCD model at $1200.



    Here's the kicker: Keep a single 15" LCD model as a "Wintel killer". Price it to go at $999. It should have:



    15" LCD

    1 GHz G4

    CD-RW drive





    If Apple could make this price work then I could see this iMac selling to those who want an LCD Mac, but are willing to settle for an LCD Wintel because of price.



    Alternatively, if there is no 19" LCD in the works, the Apple should focus on the following:



    1. Lower the prices. iMacs are currently way overpriced.



    2. Jack up the MHz: it's a disgrace that the iMacs have yet to reach 1 GHz. What is this, the 90s? Are Apple still Motorola's little bitch?



    3. Offer a 17" model without the Superdrive. Some people don't need the Superdrive, and actually would prefer a faster CD burner.
  • Reply 40 of 41
    I think the 15" iMac should stay but the real problem with the machine needs to be addressed: Screen resolution. On an Apples-to-Apples basis, the 15" iMac has a screen that's only 1" smaller on diagonal than the 17" eMac. Especially since buyers of new machines are almost exclusively using X as their OS, the resolution has to be bumped. In X, everything is bigger than in 9. You need to use a higher resolution in X versus 9 for the GUI to have that same space/size impression. 1024 x 768 is not quite enough.
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