17" imac YES! - Superdrive NO!!!

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
for the new emac you can choose now between combo and superdrive as for the PM. but what is with the 17" imac??



i'm really disapointed because i expectet only one 15" model with cdrw and two 17" with combo or superdrive.



sorry (apple!) about my opinion, but the superdrive sucks! most of (my) discs are cd's and not dvd's, and therefor is the superdrive a "bit" too slow



any hope for changes?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 15
    bodhibodhi Posts: 1,424member
    Off to Current Hardware
  • Reply 2 of 15
    emaneman Posts: 7,204member
    I agree. There should be a non-Superdrive 17" iMac.
  • Reply 3 of 15
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    I agree also. Another example (in a long line) of Apple "locking you in" to a certain model by simply not offering a bit of flexibility/choice.



    TONS of people would love the higher resolution, wide screen and new video card of the 17" iMac. But they have no need or use for burning DVDs.



    WAY more people out there into larger screens/higher resolutions/better graphics than there are avid, hardcore DVD burners.



    That can't be disputed. You just know it's true.



    Here's the pisser: you KNOW damn well that Apple will indeed offer the 17" iMac with a Combo Drive (just the same way they incrementally added the Combo Drive to the consumer eMac and - as of today - the SuperDrive).



    WHY don't they simply do this stuff at the outset? How many more 17" iMacs could they be selling with a Combo Drive?



    Probably lots.



    I hate this particular aspect about Apple. Lack of true choice in getting what you want.



    But, like I said, 4-6 months from now they'll trot it out (thanks, guys...) and we'll all be asking "uh...why wasn't this done way back when?".



  • Reply 4 of 15
    yu are absolutely right.



    the neXt problem:

    the new 800 emac with sdrive is (my opinion) too close to the imacs. i'm really wondering about the speed boost for the emac and no for the imac.



    my suggestion (for verrry soon):

    + emac 700 cdr & emac 800 combo or sdrive

    + 15"imac 800 cdr, 17"imac 933 combo or sdrive (and PLEASE - mor than 100mhz bus speed!)



    [ 08-13-2002: Message edited by: schrumpl ]</p>
  • Reply 5 of 15
    Thas why Macs are easyer to use... fewer choices to make.
  • Reply 6 of 15
    emaneman Posts: 7,204member
    [quote]Originally posted by smithjoel:

    <strong>Thas why Macs are easyer to use... fewer choices to make.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    One thing really doesn't have to do with the other.
  • Reply 6 of 15
    max8319max8319 Posts: 347member
    what's with the superdrive emac??? is apple trying to kill imac sales??? :confused:



    can anyone explain this to me? i don't understand the thinking here....i thought a combo emac was perfectly fine....



    i don't see a reason in introduce a superdrive emac (that, in case people haven't noticed, was bumped up to 800 MHZ!!). there's too much mhz overlap now, IMHO...



    anyone?? <img src="confused.gif" border="0">
  • Reply 8 of 15
    emaneman Posts: 7,204member
    [quote]Originally posted by Max8319:

    <strong>what's with the superdrive emac??? is apple trying to kill imac sales??? :confused:



    can anyone explain this to me? i don't understand the thinking here....i thought a combo emac was perfectly fine....



    i don't see a reason in introduce a superdrive emac (that, in case people haven't noticed, was bumped up to 800 MHZ!!). there's too much mhz overlap now, IMHO...



    anyone?? :confused: </strong><hr></blockquote>



    Some people can't afford the extra $300 the superdrive iMac costs.
  • Reply 9 of 15
    frawgzfrawgz Posts: 547member
    [quote]Originally posted by EmAn:

    <strong>Some people can't afford the extra $300 the superdrive iMac costs.</strong><hr></blockquote>



    Also another example of moving a key technology toward the masses. This happened with Firewire as it started out in the higher end machines and propagated downward toward the iMac and iBook.
  • Reply 10 of 15
    lucaluca Posts: 3,833member
    I agree that Apple's making a mistake by forcing the Superdrive on you even if you don't want one. Imagine if they had offered only a CD-RW with the B&W G3 tower? My mom got one and she got a CD-RW then, and it was only a 2x2x6x because it was quite a while ago.



    Anyone else think that moving the eMac up more and more is just making the lower-end iMacs (CD-RW and Combo versions) prime targets for phasing out? They may try to pull another Cube... they'd have the eMac cover all the bases for consumers, and the iMac would be for prosumers. I can't imagine the 700 MHz iMacs are selling too well when you can get similarly equipped eMacs for hundreds less. In fact, if I were to buy an iMac or eMac, I wouldn't even consider the iMac unless I was getting the 17" version. The eMac is just such a better deal.
  • Reply 11 of 15
    woozlewoozle Posts: 64member
    I dont think Apple's mistake is in not offering any particular configuration of machine.



    I think the mistake is in not offering a flexible BTO system.



    I think it is fair enough that there are a range of models that get shipped to shops. Users buying in a shop can just pick one and pay for it. It makes life easy for consumers ( limited choices ) and Apple, less complex inventory management.



    However, the online store should offer a complete BTO solution.



    You get the same line up as the current system ( lets you choose a machine thats mostly what you want ), and then you can modify the modifiable compponents as you want. In the case of the iMac that means choosing RAM, hard drive, and optical drive.



    In this day of sophisticated per customer order tracking and the like, I think it is quite feasible.
  • Reply 12 of 15
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    I totally agree, jon. I've been saying that for probably a couple of years now.



    Stores (the Apple stores, CompUSA, etc.) could - and should - stock the basic models we all know and love.



    No problem. That would probably satisfy many - or most - people.



    But it would be nice for higher-end users and savvier consumer types to be able to go to Apple's online store and TRULY put together (and pay for) the iMac, iBook, etc. they really want!



    I'd love to see the iMac, iBook and eMac (basically the three consumer-level Macs) all have the following components able to be chosen/purchased:



    - RAM

    - hard drive (20GB to 100GB or more...you want it...fine, pay for it. It's yours!)

    - optical drive

    - video card



    For the most part, the RAM and optical drives are this way (more or less). But this new 17" iMac raises a good point (made by someone in another thread):



    "What if I really love the 17" widescreen iMac, but have no need or use WHATSOEVER for DVD burning? Why can't I simply go online to Apple's Store, select '17" iMac' and choose 'Combo Drive' and the video card of my choice to give me the iMac I - not Apple - think I need?".



    I agree.



    Four basic components, nothing more. Shouldn't/couldn't be THAT hard, right?



    Memory, storage, optical drive and video/graphics card.



    <img src="confused.gif" border="0">
  • Reply 13 of 15
    satchmosatchmo Posts: 2,699member
    [quote]Originally posted by Max8319:

    <strong>what's with the superdrive emac??? is apple trying to kill imac sales???

    </strong><hr></blockquote>



    Perhaps this paves the way for a 933 mHz iMac in January (a 1gHz model might bring it a tad too close to the pro line again).

    Then again from a marketing standpoint a gHz sounds much better.
  • Reply 14 of 15
    My brother bought an 800MHz 15" iMac as soon as it came out and he's NEVER burnt a DVD, nor is he likely to. Steve Jobs concluded that because 50% of iMac sales were the superdrive model that people wanted superdrives. He failed to mention that perhaps people wanted the 800MHz model because it was 100MHz faster than the 700MHz one!
  • Reply 15 of 15
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    Totally! 100MHz more, AND 20GB more of hard drive.



    I can't speak for everyone, but those two factors were the reason I went with the $1799 high-end 15" iMac.



    I haven't burned a DVD in 6 months. And, to be honest, as long as long as I remain without a digital camera and/or camcorder, I can't imagine burning one anytime soon either.



    Not even for backup. The stuff I do isn't large and I can backup TONS of writing, Quicken data, Illustrator work, etc. on standard CDs.



    I think Steve is more into the whole DVD-burning thing than the average Mac user. Honestly.



    It's cool as can be, but I don't think it's a deal-maker or -breaker, IMO.



    I think most people would be more than happy with a speedy Mac and a nice DVD/CD-R Combo Drive.
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