Apple recognizes iMac requirements?
From report on Apple's SEC Filing:
Sales of iMacs have been negatively affected by "a shift in consumer preference to portable systems and competitor desktop models with price points below $1,000," according to Apple. "The age of the current flat panel iMac form factor, which is more than 2 years old, is another factor contributing to weak iMac sales."
http://www.macminute.com/2004/08/05/10q
Does this signal that Apple is preparing a sub $1,000 desktop model? If their own market research tells them that the iMac was hurt by it's price point and form factor, doesn't that suggest a course to remedy both of those issues with an update?
A $1,199 headless iMac cube would be about right (given typical Mac uplift vs. PC's).
The point is that Apple has hereby confirmed that their own market indicators are telling them that people looking for AIO solutions buy PowerBooks. People looking for desktops (due to upgrade flexibility) by cheap systems so that they have $ to spend on those upgrades.
Sales of iMacs have been negatively affected by "a shift in consumer preference to portable systems and competitor desktop models with price points below $1,000," according to Apple. "The age of the current flat panel iMac form factor, which is more than 2 years old, is another factor contributing to weak iMac sales."
http://www.macminute.com/2004/08/05/10q
Does this signal that Apple is preparing a sub $1,000 desktop model? If their own market research tells them that the iMac was hurt by it's price point and form factor, doesn't that suggest a course to remedy both of those issues with an update?
A $1,199 headless iMac cube would be about right (given typical Mac uplift vs. PC's).
The point is that Apple has hereby confirmed that their own market indicators are telling them that people looking for AIO solutions buy PowerBooks. People looking for desktops (due to upgrade flexibility) by cheap systems so that they have $ to spend on those upgrades.
Comments
Yes, Apple's said that the iMac sold poorly, broke out the numbers from the eMac for the first time in order to send the point home, and telegraphed that the next iMac will have a G5.
Fred Anderson gave the $999 price point as a target twice — once before the LCD iMac was released and again at the beginning of this year. I'm sure it's coming back.
That said, this is being discussed elsewhere.