While most Macintosh sites have welcomed the new flat panel iMac, some Mac-only journalists, most analysts and other serious publications were not so impressed and some were actually seemed worried about Apple’s future. The main theme of their reviews is that Apple this time has done more damage than good with the extreme hype they spread, that iMac is not exactly what someone would call ‘revolutionary’, that pricing is not acceptable for the price cautious PC users especially when there is some resession in the global economy and that the Apple market share has shrank (and continues shrinking dangerously) to 2.9% of the desktop market since last year where it had 3.3%. Read the articles at BusinessWeek, ZDNet, C|NET, The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, San Jose Mercury News and Business 2.0. A good part of the Mac community was shocked because of no announcements whatsoever about the PowerMac line of computers and the corporate Apple market, but hope is still strong that new, G5 computers will be announced in spring. Update: Add ArsTechnica and I,Cringely to the opinion soup critisizing the “Jobs Distortion Field”.
Press Responds With Mixed Reactions to Flat-Panel iMac
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
I think the naysayers have their heads up their collective butts.
I remember when Windows 3.0 came out and everyone said, “Windows will never be as good as MacOS”. Well, obviously, it was good enough, especially starting with Windows 95. Granted, it took them a couple of years to get it right, but eventually, they got it right. Just like Apple has finally “got it right” with the iMac G4.
I think the same kind of naysayers are previlent in these “reviews”.
The new iMac G4 is EXACTLY what Apple needs right now. It is more powerful than the iMac G3 and it is less expensive than the PowerMac G4’s. It is the “middle” computer that will satisfy the large group of people that fall into this group of users, including me.
I can afford to, but don’t want to spend 3-$4,000 dollars on a MacOS system. I can and will spend up to $2,000.00 for a PowerMac G4 all-in-one system and that is the new iMac G4! In fact, mine is already on order and I can’t wait to get it since it will be the first Mac I have actually owned. I’ve supported them and programmed on them, but this will be the first one I’ve owned.
Drool, drool, drool….
Oh excuse me, what was I saying?
Why can’t Apple remove the LCD display from the new iMac and sell that machine with a CRT for under $1000? That’s the market they need to be targeting right now and they simply refuse to. CRT technology is NOT a bad thing. I rarely ever hear my Mom complaining about the lack of deskspace she has because of the bulky CRT, so I doubt it’s much of a problem with the rest of the low-end market. They need to come up with a modern piece of hardware that’s no more than $1000 if they plan on gaining any marketshare.
Now don’t get me wrong, I am more than impressed with MacOSX and am eagerly awaiting the G5 before I shell out my $2000+ … but the average joe buying a computer has NO CLUE what the heck is so great about OSX and will simply buy a computer based on price. My Dad thinks all computers are confusing, even Macs, so regardless of what you slap into the software package …. no matter how easy it is to organize your photos …. he’ll never buy a Mac simply because there’s a Dell that’s cheaper. A good deal of this world has already decided they like PCs, the rest will just buy what’s economical.
This is the way people think, folks. It’s a hard fact to live with, but true. If Apple wants to regain marketshare they’re just going to have to suck it up and play the pricing game.
I think that the Mac Cube thing (sorry, I don’t know the exact name, I’m a PC user but Mac supporter) should have been what this new iMac is. If it were so, the Cube would not have died the way it did. The Cube didn’t come with an LCD screen (am I right?) but it did look nice next to one, and like the Anonymous poster said, Apple could have sold the LCD screen seperately and made the system cheaper. The money could be redirected towards a better video card or more RAM, or make the SuperDisk drive standard across the board.
“Why can’t Apple remove the LCD display from the new iMac and sell that machine with a CRT for under $1000?”
It’s called the iMac (G3) and they start at $799.00.
“They need to come up with a modern piece of hardware that’s no more than $1000 if they plan on gaining any marketshare.”
They already have that, it’s called the iMac (G3) and they start at $799.00. Also, if they are ever to get a sub $1000.00 iMac with an LCD, they need to start selling some at the current pricing to help bring down the unit cost of LCD displays. Their low end is only $300.00 off the mark now, so it won’t be long ( 18 months maybe ) that you should be able to get the same low end unit for around $1000.00.
“A good deal of this world has already decided they like PCs, the rest will just buy what’s economical.
This is the way people think, folks. It’s a hard fact to live with, but true. If Apple wants to regain marketshare they’re just going to have to suck it up and play the pricing game.”
If that were actually the case, then BMW would not exist. Apple has always been more concerned with profit margin than number of units. However, with their new lineup of an entry level, middle user and professional user, they should be able to increase those unit sales numbers as well.
>I am eagerly awaiting the G5 before I shell out my $2000+ …
<P>
If you think that you will find a G5 for about $2000 when it will come out (I don’t think they will be so “cheap”, even if they might be low spec), then you need to re-check the Apple pricing model and history.
A G5-based computer at that price, will be low spec and you will need more things, things that will sky rocket the price compared to a PC. And if you want a middle range G5, you will have to pay more than $3000. At least this is what Apple’s pricing history teach us.
TheRegister had news about the G5, they said that is running on 1.2 Ghz up to 1.6. The problem is that they can’t produce many 1.6 Ghz chips (which also will have impact in the price), so the main selling products will be the 1.2 and 1.4 Ghz ones. And at the time that G5s will be available, the new Pentium4 NorthWood (faster than its P4 predesseror at the same clock speed) will be running at 2.4 Ghz.
Motorola and Apple may to miss the train, but I hope that Jobs will get out of his own distortion field he has built for himself and come back stronger to compete with Microsoft instead of avoiding direct confrontation.
The I,Cringely and BusinessWeek articles linked from the above are very good btw.
I like the Macs, they’re the nicest computer to look at, but if Imac is seriously geared toward the low-end, pricing user, then Apple is seriously in trouble. 1399$ is a huge price to pay for a low-end computer, especially since this one is only NICER than the Windows XP system and doesn’t actually do anything more.
I like what Apple is trying to do and I do think it’s a fierce competitor for the Microsoft world the monopoly has established. However, beauty doesn’t sell a computer the way it did in 1984. Competitive pricing sells it.
>>”Why can’t Apple remove the LCD display from the new iMac and sell that machine with a CRT for under $1000?”
>It’s called the iMac (G3) and they start at $799.00.
I pretty like the http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/222… , I have to say. The ONLY (and I mean, the ONLY) reason I do not buy it, is because it does not have DVD playback capabilities (I mean DVD-ROM, not DVD-R) as a combo to the CD-RW. A RadeonVE would have been good too as well, as it has support for dual head, but my main gripe is the lack of a DVD/CD-RW combo.
The $799 model is extremely old, feature-less and underpowered. If I was Apple, I would not even sell it anymore.
Instead of whining about a few hundred dollars, go get a job at a gas station. After a few months you will be able to buy a top of the line mac.
I will whine even for $1 if it is stolen from my wallet. As for gas stations, or McDonalds (or as a webmaster in a business ISP that used to be my job in UK), due to your beautiful country’s VISA regulations, I am not allowed to work in USA at all.
And if you had read most of the articles I link, not written by me but professional journalists, you will see that my and their opinions are not so far from each other. So, I am not the only one who whines. And go read the macslash forums too. People are not all oh-so-happy. Get out of the distortion field that Job’s has built for you and for once think for yourself.
It’s called the iMac (G3) and they start at $799.00.
I do believe those things just barely run OSX. That’s sort of like saying … “well, you can buy that cheap Pentium II 200MHz machine over there and run Windows XP on it”. It just isn’t going to happen.
If that were actually the case, then BMW would not exist.
So now the Mac is a BMW, eh? Well, how many people do you know that own a BMW? This is exactly why Apple isn’t going to gain any marketshare with systems of that price.
While it’s an undeniable fact that you can purchase a Windows based PC with similar specifications to the new iMac for considerably less money, that is not the market that Apple plays in. Apple is about quality, style and ease of use. They design and build their products for people who care about these things and are willing to pay extra to get them. It’s a tired analogy, but I can buy a BMW and drive it 5 minutes to work each day or I can buy a Ford Focus and do the same. They’ll both get me to work.
Even if a PC maker such as Dell was also dedicated to quality, style, and ease of use, their products would still be shipped with Windows. And there is not a version of Windows yet that embraces or exhibits quality, style, and ease of use. Yes, XP is relatively stable but it has proven to be full of hardware incompatibilities in our office and can be somewhat cumbersome to configure.
If you don’t care about these things, buy a Windows PC and deal with the crap associated with such a machine. For instance, Microsoft and their anti-consumer and anti-competitive business practices. I for one will never own a machine running an operating system that requires me to activate it and then locks itself down if I should a) make major hardware upgrades or b) repalce that machine and install my existing, licensed copy of the OS on the new machine. I also won’t be signing up for a Passport from Microsoft.
Or, install Linux on your Intel machine. I did that after a brief exhilirating, yet ultimately disappointing time with BeOS. I embraced Linux as an alternative to Windows, but found it taking much more time to get the same things achieved. Yes, it’s a powerful OS. However, the applications and desktops feel as if they are held together (and just barely) by duct tape.
When OS X came out, I glady forked over $3000 for a 733 MHz G4. Less than 2 months later, that same machine was down to around $1,800, but I didn’t care because of the quality of the product I purchased. And this year, my wife and I will be gladly forking over another chunk of money for an iPod (possibly tomorrow), iBook, and a new iMac to replace her 333 MHz G3 iMac.
Apple’s focus on providing easy to use products that are both stylish and of high quality is complimented by the innovateness they bring to the market. While some of the technologies they have brought to market were not their own ideas and others are sometimes to credit (or even tried the introduction first), Apple is successful in creating a demand and making the mainstream market take notice. Examples include but are not limited to: GUI operating system, laser printer, mouse, wireless networking, DVD burning, PDA, good handwriting recognition, built-in voice recognition, USB, firewire, a rock solid OS based on Unix with a high quality interface, and putting to rest that machines have to be beige. There are many other things you could list as well.
Finally, no one is stealing from your wallet when you buy a Mac. It’s about making a choice. It’s your choice, make it.
People have already been predicting the end of Apple on the release of the first iMac, for about the same reasons as they do now. It just happens when someone does something controversial.
I’m not arguing that Apple doesn’t make a good product that’s worth the cost. All I’ve been trying to say is that they will never gain the marketshare they want if they don’t play the pricing game. If they can stay in business and keep a steady flow of new customers, then great … more power to them. Otherwise they’re just going to sit there with that 3% marketshare forever. Sad fact, but true.
What many people fail to realize is that radical breakthrough product like the new iMac is the main reason why Apple is still in business today. I say build them and they will come.
When Macintosh was firt introduced, journalists felt the same way. But the Macintosh, the original iMac, and soon the new iMac will all bring major success for Apple Computers.
You would think that people would have learned over all these years that Apple is really an extraordinary computer company when it comes to successfully leading the industry with breakthrough products.
Long Live Apple, the industry and the world for that matter is a better place because of them!
ciao
yc
Well even though I am still shocked by this thing, my PC wielding friends really like the new iMac and they said they would buy one. Weird, I thought I would get picked on all week about this!
IMHO, Apple watchers are the one’s most dissapointed that the new imac is the hype apple was pushing. A lot of the existing mac owners are going to see the specs on the new imac, look at their existing machine and go “hmmm, sweet…” and lay down their money. The challenge will come from the people looking for a new system. The ibooks have sold well despite not having the same power as pc laptops because they are good solid performers. For a home system, the new imacs are certainly fast enough (except for games but there aren’t many games anyway), probably quiet enough to be put anywhere in the house and they don’t look like a pc so they actually could be put anywhere. But it’s the software bundle which makes it a good value.
Apple’s long term future will be guided more by their ability to sell the digital lifestyle then how well or poorly they hyped the introduction of the new imac. They have good “digital lifestyle” apps now (itunes, iphoto, …) but no killer app yet and .NET is coming…
Having been a mac (ibook) owner for only a year all I can say is that its been a fun ride so far — never would have done it if it weren’t for the bsd layer underneath macosx with all the developer tools and certainly don’t regret it. It’s like BeOs but with a future.
I think there is room in this world for a computer maker that writes it’s own software , designs it’s enclosures, outsources to reputable manufacors.
I mean does everyone want MS and Dell to take the remaining 5%?
Thats what gets me about the tech ‘journalists’ (guys like the ZDNet anchordesk).
If they didn’t have Apple to bash, who would they pick on?
>>I mean does everyone want MS and Dell to take the remaining 5%?
Thats what gets me about the tech ‘journalists’ (guys like the ZDNet anchordesk). If they didn’t have Apple to bash, who would they pick on?<<
MS and Dell!
🙂
“So now the Mac is a BMW, eh? Well, how many people do you know that own a BMW?”
about two dozen or so…..
“about two dozen or so…..”
You must be rich. Congrats.
Saying that they buy a new iMac isn’t the same as actually hand over the cash.
Sure i like the new imac, the screen is a bit small, but at the moment even the
cheapest model will be almost 4200 guilders (1902 euro) for a 700mhz machine
with 128mb ram thats pathetic.
“Well even though I am still shocked by this thing, my PC wielding friends really like the new iMac and they said they would buy one. Weird, I thought I would get picked on all week about this!”
— Well, appearently you are… only, you did not realize… 😉
“What many people fail to realize is that radical breakthrough product like the new iMac is the main reason why Apple is still in business today.”
OMFG .. radical breakthrough? It’s a friggin’ desk lamp for crying out loud!
I’m not going to argue that it doesn’t look ‘neato’, but it doesn’t make me want to run out and buy one just because it saves desk space.
No matter how you shape it, a Mac is still a Mac. And while I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, it’s just that the introduction of the iLamp doesn’t make Macs look any more attractive to me than they were beforehand.
Hell, I’ve been using Windows for about 7-8 years and my Win2k box is stable, FAST, and secure because I know how to make it that way. In order for Apple to convince me to sell my PC & run out and buy a Mac, they’re going to have to make Macs do something that my current setup absolutely can’t do AND it has to be something that I actually want. In other words, the killer app that I absolutely can’t do without.
But as it stands, the only thing they seem interested in doing redesigning the iMac every year and trying to sell the same damn machine year after year in a different package.
>>>When OS X came out, I glady forked over $3000 for a 733 MHz G4. Less than 2 months later, that same machine was down to around $1,800, but I didn’t care because of the quality of the product I purchased.<<<
Wow…
>>>And this year, my wife and I will be gladly forking over another chunk of money for an iPod (possibly tomorrow), iBook, and a new iMac to replace her 333 MHz G3 iMac.<<<
..it must be nice to be that rich…Unfortunately the rest of the world is stuck with M$ and trying to make their PII do the simplest things…
Yes. It’s a radical breakthrough. Radical new design coupled with powerful hardware (processor, graphics, inter-device communication) and well balanced with useful, practical and rock solid suites of software. Everything is nicely packaged from a single company; uniquely positioned to deliver the goods. You can expect very high quality.
The only reason many companies may not try to copy it is because Apple has a history of strongly defending it’s designs legally.
ciao
yc
Hi,
although I am not (and I never was) user of iMAC, I heard that some users liked it also because they were pretty silent – no CPU fans. So, doesn new G4 based iMAC use CPU fan? No more silent machine? 🙂
Thanks,
-pekr-
I think it’s pretty evident that apple (jobs) is more interested in the marketing of their products than in the products themselves, consistently overpromising and underdelivering on many fronts excluding the ipod and osx. They should simply shut up about how much they’re going to change the world and start revolutions and simply go about doing it. Like many japanese company’s for instance, they consistantly underpromise and overdeliver and ask for no recognition (after all they have our money) which is the way it should be. We’ve already seen that if you fall a step behind in this industry you’ll be sucking it up for years or you may not be around to suck it up. I dont think apple is going under by any stretch of the imagination I do think that they need to be more aggressive about delivering better value.
“Do you want to sell colored plastic all your life or do you want to change the world?” – John Jensen
The new iMac looks stupid, it’s starts of good with the screen being moveable an all and then goes crap what a stupid looking base and where did the lovely colours go? That was half the coolness of the iMacs, colour, it’s pure white?? Anyway I’d like to toy with a powerMac for curiosity about the G4 but that can wait till I’ve have money to burn.
Well, I read some of the articles and I do agree that MWSF ’02 was over hyped. I had concluded from the hype that a G5 was coming. Regarding the flat panel iMac, there have been flat panel pee cee’s available for awhile. Nothing new here. However, I have seen the new iMac and it really is a well designed machine and great looking. I don’t know how it’ll do sales wise for Apple but for me, I would rather buy this model than the older style iMac. Price wise, it’s a little on the high side for a low-end mac computer but you do get quite a bit. I wonder if they should have made a model without the monitor.
If the G5 is as powerful as rumors say, I think it’ll help sales. When it’s ready, Apple needs to go after the corporate market with a vengeance. If I was running Apple, I would offer free support and G5 PowerMacs to select major companies of various industries for six months or so to let the IT people evaluate them.
– Mark
I know 3 (any maybe 4) people who have just ordered the new iMac’s who are PC users . . .
As for me? I’m waiting for my G5 PowerBook! : )
“I wonder if they should have made a model without the monitor.”
Well, that would defeat the point of it being an “all-in-one” computer…
Here is my history. Been with Apple since Apple ][, then the +, then III, then //c, then Lisa, Mac, Mac[512, 1 meg, SE, SE/30 and so on]. Did lots of programming and consumer support [retail and corporate]. Then I got burned like so many with the release of Sys 7.0 and the blue meanies BS at MacHack (panel of 33 idiots) ’91. Left for good, went to NeXT, did that and got BURNED big time by Steve and his Distortion field. I was only ‘saved’ from going bankrupty by high contracting fees I was able to charge in the height of the mentoring and OO migration during the early and mid 90’s. Steve is very dangerous, he is IMHO a very evil person, and learned the evil ways of getting you to transform you thoughts to his quickly from the likes of the Buhdda folks in Asia. Folks, this company is about baked. It is owned by MS, the 150 million was a deal for MS, they got the DOJ off their backs, can’t leverage Apple as a failing example of their dominance. They got Apple locked into the be friendly with MS, they got Steve bought out so he won’t go head to head with Intel or MS. And he got RICH doing it. The investor is screwed, the buyer of OSX and old technology like Macs are screwed, and all the while MS continues to grow, regardless of the fact they have been found to be predetorial and monopolistic. Also, and finally, Apple just KILLED their upper end market. They had no choice, the Aqua interface is a PIG, it is SLOW and the ONLY reason folks are buying the OS at all, and most aren’t. I have been a SJD field rehab survivor for 4-5 years now, and I must share with you, the guy is very, very selfish and egomanical. I use Intel hardware exclusively now, sold all my Mac hardware, and get 4-5 times the power and performance as the HIGH end of the mac line does, for 1/3 to 1/4 the price. I also use a real OS, albeit abandoned, but heck at least it is fun to use. MacOSX isn’t even fun to use any more, the sucker is a PIG. Avie, you had so much potential, and you dropped the ball when forced into management. You should have stayed an engineer where you belonged. Apple is seriously screwed folks, what goes around comes around. They got theirs coming. RIP Apple.
Ok, Eugenia…
I know you must really want a mac with all your talk about pricing.
PC isn’t comparable to a Mac. Really. PCs are fine and Macs are fine. BUT they are very different. Ananlogy: Toyota Camry and Audi A4 look a like but the Audi costs 2 times as much…both are fine cars but are different experiences. Some people just want the Camry (like you said) because “it does the a fine job of getting you one place to another…”
I want the Audi because it is a *really* nice driving experience for me.
You say I waste my money, I say I LOVE my car. Understand that when you buy a Mac you are getting a packaged experience (PLEASE read Scot Hacker’s article again about why he chose to bite the bullet and buy a G4 Mac and how he likes the OS X experience). The user-experience, for me, using OS X and INCLUDED software (iMovie, iPhoto, iTunes, etc.) is worth the amount I paid for my Mac. And I was a long time PC/Windows user.
>>It is owned by MS, the 150 million was a deal for MS, they got the DOJ off their backs, can’t leverage Apple as a failing example of their dominance.<<
When will people stop spreading this dumb crap… yes we know Microsoft owns $150 million in ‘non-voting’ stock in Apple, but Apple is worth over $5 billion, so that $150 million is less than 5% of Apple’s net worth. There are alot of other big names that have invested in Apple including Oracle and Gap. And guess what, the 150 million was Bill Gates idea, not Steve Jobs and/or Apple!!
Apple isn’t going anywhere, so just get over it!!!
The new iMac looks stupid, it’s starts of good with the screen being moveable an all and then goes crap what a stupid looking base and where did the lovely colours go? That was half the coolness of the iMacs, colour, it’s pure white??
————
Actually, I think the design is quite good, which is more than I can say for the old iMac. As for colour, you bet your arse they’re gonna release coloured versions later! (great marketing tool to disguise aging hardware
Just wait and see; it’ll happen. 
“I wonder if they should have made a model without the monitor.”
Well, that would defeat the point of it being an “all-in-one” computer…
————
You mean all-in-one computers have a purpose? :p j/k
I dunno about anyone else here, but I’d be dying to put that LCD on a new computer as the computer ages in 1-2 years, rather than buy a new computer & monitor simply because Apple decided to have them joined at the hip. I’d also like on-the-fly CD to CD-R burning and a modular design, but that might be asking too much. External USB and Firewire burners cost a boatload, they really do.
You Mac zealots are all comparing the mac to this high end machine when the only thing that really makes it different from a PC is the OS, I mean please!!! (OS X is a hog on ressources it works because it’s unix at the core. Aqua is most often not to quick to repond to commands. It is a great interface ( lots of eye candy) but from my terrible experience with this OS it’s multi-user capabilities are pitiful, simple users could not install applications without being an admin, heck this can comme close to the raw sockets problem with XP.)
With an Audi you get good engeneering, and performance, rock solid capability. With the Mac you get a different experience and the priviledge to be the new guinea pig for Apple while it gets the glitches out of OSX and you have to pay for it. I’ll give you that the new OSX hasn’t crashed on me once even when worked to it’s max, but when I am told that this is a feature I have to laugh. Stability shouldn’t be a feature it should be a given. I would say that a real audi would be *BSD running windowmaker: you got performance, rock solid stability and a nice user interface, all tried and tested already. I would compare the Mac to a passat nice looking car (looks like an audi a4) more expensive than an audi a4 (in the long run : less service different quality) a mac just looks and behaves nicely, but underneat it all it’s just another windows. it’s over-priced, over hyped and well a life style.
Saddly in this world the human have adapted to the machines and not the other way around, until we can get an OS that would truly fit our needs and be independant of the hardware ( truly multi-platform) we will have to side between the two giants or weasel in with their alternatives (*BSD, Linx, BeOS)
Now some of you will tell me “dude! OS X is a *BSD!!” I will say this, where there is smoke there is not always fire, and don’t pee on an electric wire
.
Hence yes it is a BSD but it does not behave, and is not given the proper tools for it to be fully one of it’s own.
Hopefully we should see some of the open platform … something … G3’s released this year.
/rant
I think if Jobs could have he would have made of Apple what M$ is today. I have not seen much innovation from apple since the newton PDA which if they had kept that R&D branch, Apple would have been a leader in the convergence market today, but as for Zealots saying that buying a make at a higher price than a PC is for the design and R&D, they’ve got it wrong: Apple is pulling more than it’s fare share in profits from it’s user base, and since it’s more of a cult than aything else it doesn’t matter as long as they roll over and pay.
The hardware with a Mac is nice very much so, CPU wise, RISC core low temp, but hey why charge so much, and what’s up with not allowing clones to keep the market healthy?
/rant
“It’s a tired analogy, but I can buy a BMW and drive it 5 minutes to work each day or I can buy a Ford Focus and do the same. They’ll both get me to work.”
Its being a tired analogy doesn’t bother me; its being an incorrect analogy does. The fact is, that what car you buy doesn’t really affect other car owners. However, with a computing platform, marketshare is everything! The fewer people own Macs, the less software and hardware support Mac users enjoy. Therefore, it’s of critical importance to Mac users that other people buy Macs, too.
Sure, you could argue that the more people own BMWs in an area, the more service shops there will be, and thus you benefit. However, that’s a rather minor benefit to you as a BMW owner, whereas the amount of available hardware and software is everything to a computer owner. The abilities of your car are not affected by what kinds of cars other people own; the ability of your computer is.
A much more accurate example would be laserdiscs a few years back. Sure, there was a market for high-end video, but the fewer people bought, the less incentive studios had to release movies for the format. The fewer movies were available, the less incentive there was for VHS owners to convert. The fewer people there were using laserdiscs, the fewer movies were available, and so on. Cars don’t have this downwards spiral; platforms (which movie formats and computers are) do. Of course, laserdiscs were clearly better than VHS, whereas it’s at best arguable whether Macs are better than PCs, but that’s a relatively minor fault with the analogy when you consider that the car analogy is fundamentally wrong.
I’d think this is pretty obvious, but clearly it must not be, because so many people continue to use the same incorrect analogy over and over.
Any reasonably-sized company simply cannot resist the Windows market; the potential customer base is far too big. But some could (and do) resist the Mac market. This is why it is crucial for Apple to increase their market share. Some people are certainly willing to pay a lot of money for a BMW, but I think you’d find far fewer willing to buy one if it couldn’t do anything, and that’s the danger a minority computing platform constantly faces.
because Steve Jobs’ head is in the clouds.
the new iMacs will accomplish some short-term success, like the old ones, but in the long term it will not help the company, Apple continunues to make itself irrelevant by putting style over performance, and in doing is hurting their market share-no matter what Apple apologists say, at these prices and lack of gigahertz CPU’s, Macs will only be used by 3 percent of the world’s computer users.
if Apple was really concerned with long term success they would release OS X for x86 PCs and stop making Macs, or at least make cheaper, faster PCs with OS X. especially in this current economy.
Dang,,, Apple has 5% share and all you apple haters want it to go away?
The stupidity is astounding.
(Also, the OS X presentation at macworld showed tweak films porting their water emulation app ((perfect storm)) to X in a week ending up with more capabilities).
Just let us be and you can have your domination.
I’ve been using Windows ever since the second Amiga failure. (third?) I have quite an investment in both hardware and software. It is not easy to make someone switch to another platform. It took years to pry that Amiga out of my hands. But I am glad I switched.
Microsoft can’t possibly go out of business like Amiga did, so that won’t trigger a mass exodus to Apple. What might just do it is greed and paranoia.
When Windows XP was released I ran right out and bought the professional version. My system was fairly up to date hardware wise so I figured the OS would work and give me a few bells and whistles. It cost alot for what it did, but I new sooner or later some “must have” app would require XP, so I did it. Activation was no hassle. I had no real complaints except that much of my Win98/DOS software no longer worked. (mostly games)
I am a hardware junkie, so a few weeks later I decided to upgrade my system. New motherboard, CPU, 1GB ram, huge HD, the works. I had heard about activation problems, but “I OWN” the software, I’m not a pirate. I knew I would change video cards soon, so I waited to activate.
Then my 30 days ran out the night of December 31. My system was completely unusable. The internet activation failed. There was no one at Microsoft to take a phone call. I was out of luck and out of a computer.
The next day I did get someone on the phone. After getting the third degree, I finally got activated. I spent the rest of the day backing up all my important data and installing Redmond Linux. (Ironic, no?)
How does this relate to the iMac2? Well, Linux software sucks. Try to find a video editing app. (Broadcast2000 doesn’t count, it is a joke) So when I saw an $1800 system with an LCD, firewire, DVD-R, UNIX stability with a decent GUI and actual applications, I was hooked.
In short, Microsoft sold me an iMac2.
>>If Apple was really concerned with long term success they would release OS X for x86 PCs and stop making Macs, or at least make cheaper, faster PCs with OS X. especially in this current economy.<<
Are you kidding me?… If Apple did that, they would be out of business to tomorrow and Sun Microsystems might reap the benefits since they build RISC type CPU (SPARC) machines, helk that is the way I would go and with Solaris being KDE and GNOME friendly… why not?!
I am a diehard Mac user! I also have a Windows machine, and I found that Xp is considerably faster in loading apps than OS X is. This bothers me. In my opinion, the only way Apple will survive at all is if many many more apps and hardware are made for OS X. I can go into a COMP USA and find a program to do anything on my PC, but not so with my Mac. I just bought a Hallmark card making program that I love, but it’s not for Mac!!! A long time ago, I was a BetaMax user (betamax was a videotape format from Sony that has way better quality than VHS did, and does). Anyway, the beta section in the video store got smaller and smaller, but I held on. VHS killed beta NOT because it was better, it killed beta because there was more, MUCH MORE available. Just because something is better, doesn’t mean it lasts. Great looking hardware alone will KILL Apple (and I DON’T WANT THAT!)We need 100 times more software titles that people NEED!!!!!
For people already using PCs and having no problems with them, there’s not much reason to switch, no matter how great a value the new iMac is. Why on earth would they switch from something that works?
As it happens, most of the people I know are not like that. Even the computer professionals have problems adding their scanners or their digital cameras. Strange CD-Rom and CD-RW problems are commonplace, IRQ conflicts are far from gone, and support from vendors is still less than stellar.
There are also, believe it or not, people still out there who don’t have a computer at all. Some will buy based on price, some will buy based on value for their dollar. Some will even buy based on how it looks. The new iMac is a wonderful machine to show off, not in a back office, but right in the living room. And as nice as it looks, it still doesn’ t take up much room. The fact that it’s got a high-powered G4, nVidia graphics, and CD/DVD burner for less than $1800 doesn’t hurt either. Not to mention the ability to easily manage your MP3s, digital movies and digital photos.
How will it sell? Well, the iPod had many nay-sayers and it’s on track to beat expectations of $50 million worth for 4th quarter 2001. Not too bad for an admittedly overpriced MP3 player being sold in a market already flooded with cheaper MP3 players with more capacity being sold during a recession. The new iMac has power, features, ease-of-use, a great look, and a decent price. I think it will sell great.
You have pretty much hit the nail right on the head and made the most sense in this whole forum, it was not bias in any sense and did not sway either way, but just put the truth to plain and simple terms!
Amen brother!
I think Macs and PCs are useful for different things. I bought an iMac DV/SE (400mhz) when they first came out for graphic design. I also recently bought a loaded 1 ghz Pentium III machine. Running Photoshop 6 on both machines, they’re about the same speed.
I like the iMac a lot better for graphic design, Photoshop and other design apps just seem to run smoother and more intuitavely than on the PC. Also, it’s hard doing graphic stuff on PCs because:
1. Fonts are pixelated, so until you rasterize them it’s hard to visualize how they’ll appear.
2. Has anyone noticed that the color black on a PC isn’t really black, but a really dark gray?
3. Despite the fact that a lot of apps for PC aren’t available for Mac, a lot of graphic apps for Mac aren’t available for PC, such as QTVR Authoring Studio and a bunch of Photoshop and Illustrator plugins.
The PC is great for business apps, games (I think video actually does better, at least until the iMac GeForce cards come out), and number crunching. The Mac wins hands down for graphics design and music production.
A final thought. wait until the TV ads come out fot the new iMac. I’ll bet they’ll be VERY successful.
The Debate going on here is an example of the fundamental difference between mac users and pc users– If a beige box with a monitor and decidedly unpolished software integration is what you want or can afford, great– go get a dell. Macs offer people a refined product and are in the unique position of dealing in both hardware AND software– Some people are willing to spend a little extra money on an elegantly designed computer that offers simplicity and relative grace– That is the point.
As far a market share goes, who cares? Really? Apple will most likely NEVER have even a 20% share– So? Last year when the tech industry started to go down the toilet, Apple had $40Billion in the bank! This is not a company that is about to go under– If you were to remove big corporate customers from the figures in computer sales, I would venture to say that Apple’s market share is quite a bit higher among consumers than it seems. I’m sure Steve Jobs would like more of the market, and I know the major stock holders would, but as I heard some one on TV say recently: I’ll take 3-5% of a 200billion dollar market any day!– Lets not compare Onions and Tomatoes here–
Someone mentioned Apple being like BMW or some higher priced, design driven car– Yes, It is true that I don’t know anyone who drives one but they are nice cars that people are willing to spend a little extra money on, big deal– I’m sure they aren’t trying to compete so much with Ford or Chevy- They aren’t really interested in selling that type of product, and the people who buy a BMW aren’t really interested in buying a ford Taurus.
this computer is one of a kind, its got everything you could ever need
Nice hd
good graphics card
G4!!!!!!!
700mhz!
Super Drive
what more could u ask for!
Why does everyone think Apple needs “saving?” They are not in bad financial shape and while some major PC manufacturers were laying people off, closing off international markets and scrambling around looking for someone to buy their company, Apple has been riding this financial storm out quite well. They’ve posted profits, they’re doing fine. The new iMac will do nothing but put them on even better footing.
Apple’s little stock deal with Microsoft is pretty much a dead issue now. If I’m not mistaken, MS has pretty much sold off much of the NON VOTING stock they bought back then. Anyone who thinks Apple is still “playing nice nice” with MS needs to do a little more reading… Steve Jobs sent a letter criticizing the settlement MS dreamed up (That has since been smacked down by the judge.) and you should probably check out thier new web page to boot. http://www.apple.com/myths/
As far as the “BMW Analogy” goes, I think it has been played to death as well, but Steve hit the nail on the head when he said that (paraphase) BMW & Mercedes have similar marketshare numbers to Apple’s, and nobody calls them failures or thinks they will go out of business soon.
The fact of the matter is this. I started out on PCs and switched to Macs about 6 years ago. I didn’t know jack about Macs but I knew that my PCs were sorely outdated and the thought of signing up for more of the same (Especially from Microsoft) left me feeling completely cold. I had spent a lot of time thinking Mac users were nothing more than a bunch of fanatical pinheads that wouldn’t know a “real” computer if it came up and bit them in the hind end. (As they are wont to do) The funny thing is that all the talk back then about Apple being on the “brink of death” is what put their name in my head. Suddenly, I found myself thinking that all these Mac fanatics *can’t* be nuts, maybe there is something to this? Boy howdy.
One last thing… my original Mac is still going strong. In fact, I have NEVER had a hardware failure of any kind on any of my Macs. Ever. The only time I’ve ever opened the case on my 6500 was to install an ethernet card and to install a processor upgrade. That’s it. I wish I could say the same for the PCs I’ve bought or even built over the years (Including my 1 GHz Athlon system I put together for college work… that does nothing but run SETI@home for me now) but I can’t. Every single PC I’ve ever had required some kind of repair or replacement of hardware. Yeah, I’ll go buy a $700 PC. (Not)
Look, the new iMac is a great looking machine. If it’s time for you to upgrade from your old Mac to a new one, it’s the one most current Mac users will buy. However, it won’t help gain the extra 5% market share Apple wants from the PC crowd. Why not? Same reason I use both a iBook and a PC…upgradeability on the cheap. I can easily upgrade my PC. I don’t worry about new WINTEL models because I can just buy what I need and upgrade my machine. If I want to change how my computer looks, I buy a new case. The new iMac is extremely limited in these areas. It is upgradeable memory-wise only and is about twice the price you can get a comparable PC for. I love Apple. I really do. I don’t look at my iBook as a mere machine but almost as an artistic tool. But I’m looking in my Sunday paper and there are at least 10 machines someone could buy, much cheaper, with peripherals (printers, scanners, etc), using the software they probably use at the office. This is what Apple has to fight. Hundreds of companies selling PCs cheaper, the vast majority of their work areas using PCs, and the higher price for something new.
I hope I’m wrong but I don’t think Apple will do much more than keep it’s true believers.
There are two camps in the computer world, M$ and UNIX, Apple has nailed it’s colors to the UNIX flag pole. Mac OS X is a wonder and plays nice not only with UNIX networks but with M$ networks as well. OS X and Lunix are your only other choices and they are on the same team. X gives the novice user and unix workhorse. It helps the unix platform out by increasing a base for servers, and vis versa because OS X software is certainly increase from unix software.
It amazes me how so many people talk about how went they used a Mac is sucked and Windows 2K of XP is so much better, of course it’s better than system 7. It is like me saying how much better Mac OS 9 or OS X is to windows 3.0, come on. These people thing Apple has been sitting still.
We are in recession, unfortunately Apple is the only company that still innovating, other companies are getting fed up with M$, and the only viable option out there is UNIX, and with Mac OS X (which does have an MS Office) as an easy GUI it is a good alternative. More and more software is coming to the Mac, don’t forget the market has slowed down so development has as well. Apple is moving forward and their risks know will set them ahead in the future.
Apple will gain market share thanks largely do to M$, that is what drove me to the Mac and I will never go back.
One final note, someone mentioned that you can’t do anything with a Mac out of the box, that person is not paying attention. You have an Apple Works, iMovie, iTunes, iPhoto, iDVD, and other third party software like Quicken as well. The iMac is a complete system with software out of the box.
I am of course Bias, but have used Window and stay current with it, I simply has enough of M$ and there BS is far worst than Apples. Everything runs smooth on a Mac.
The killer app! If you define a modern OS as a type of app built on a kernal (Mach for OS X), OS X is the killer app. Most of the powerful Unix apps are being ported to the robust and secure Darwin (BSD Unix). At the same time the Mac apps and interface (Aqua) are unsurpassed. I have dual respect for Unix (since the early 70s) and the Mac (since the mid 80s) and now they are one.
Don’t compare the 64-bit G5 to the poorly designed P4. The G5 tests to 2.4 Ghz and Intel’s next generation processor can’t get beyond 800 Mhz. OS X as a Unix and Mac system will fly on the multi-processor capabilities of the G5.
iPhoto, iTunes, etc. are killer consumer apps!
I buy a lot of computers for my department. Every time I configure a Mac vs. a PC, the barebones PC ends up costing as much or more than the Mac and the PCs never last very long. And of course there is Windows XP (etc.) and its proprietory leanings and poor design. Do you really want to be locked into .NET and Passport and an insecure OS? Do you really want a mediocre OS dominate your computing experience? OS X is elegant, stable, and powerful and has embraced open standards: BSD, OpenGL, PDF, MPEG4, etc.
I need to convince my parents to get me the new iMac. I’ve tried everything I can think of like: I need it for school, music, or making movies. They say, “You’ll get one”. Help! Also my mom has an older G4 and wants a CD-RW, what is a good, cheap one?
>> It’s called the iMac (G3) and they start at $799.00.
> I do believe those things just barely run OSX. That’s sort of like saying … “well, you can buy that cheap Pentium II 200MHz machine over there and run Windows XP on it”. It just isn’t going to happen.
My 500MHz G3 iMac runs OS X just fine, thank you very much. It’s quite snappy and good enough for my purposes. Sure, I can’t render DV real-time in FCP, but then again, I never expected to need to.
Then again, the 500 MHz Pentiums at school can barely run Windows 95.
although I am not (and I never was) user of iMAC, I heard that some users liked it also because they were pretty silent – no CPU fans. So, doesn new G4 based iMAC use CPU fan? No more silent machine? 🙂
It has no fan.
Actually from what I read the new iMac does have a fan, but a “smart” fan that turns on only when it’s needed, and is still much quieter than most fans, I can’t say if it is or not, but that’s what I’ve read elsewhere…
Anways, here’s something to think about….alot of people keep hyping up how the new iMac looks like a desk lamp right? Well….what’s a desk lamp look like? Try to explain it…. it can’t really be explained because it’s only by convention that the common desk lamp has the shape that people are referring to. So what’s wrong with looking like a desk lamp? Who says that computers have to be rectangular boxes with drives on the front and all cords coming out the back? So my main point is a computer can look like whatever the hell will sell it. What do you suppose people said desk lamps looked like when they came out?
“I’m not going to buy this! It looks just like a desk lamp!” Um…. I doubt it.
Next point: Apple has a small market share eh? Well, that can be good and it can be bad. Bad in the way that we get less software developers and such for the platform, but good in the way that we don’t have every pimple faced teenage looser looking for some way to exploit the OS weither it’s in a game or threw an e-mail, or even a little security hole that accidently ended up in the “most secure OS ever”….
“the only thing they seem interested in doing redesigning the iMac every year”
This is the first redesign after 3 plus years… what are you talking about?
Listen everyone,,lets get this straight,,,,,most of these mac-wanabee’s,,are those mac dislikers writing on here. There’s nothing wrong with the new iMac design. Look whats in it…G4..etc. Why would you want to cheapen a great product. When its already the lower end mac,,,compared with the Quicksilver. Who care’s what the critics say,,,they say that about anything apple puts out. If they would only try it,,they would come to understand how superior mac is…
If you don’t like, it…Don’t buy it. I do like it …that’s why I ordered one.
It’s pretty funny listening to people bash the Mac.
If you really want to spend 1000 or less on a computer go ahead and buy what you think is right for you. I still don’t think you’ll get a DVD burner with it…But as far as your righteous opinions regarding Apples market share…Don’t sweat it they still have money in the bank. And I’m sure after the launch of the new Imac they’ll put a few more dollars in the bank.
If I wanted a thousand dollar computer, I’d buy myself a used Mac. Not a chance in the world I would buy a Windozzz clunky piece of trash.XP is not a stable system and it’s definitely not a secure system. And I’d bet my last dollar your under 1000 win machine would cause you nothing but grief.
Oh yea rob…What would you say is a killer app? (and what killer apps do you get in a win machine?) As far as I can see they loaded the new Mac with killer apps.Where is your head at? If you think windows loads their computers with killer apps, you truly are a bone head. (Did I say that aloud)
So …a BMW….I think not…..a Porsche…yes…a Porsche
The imac is targeted towards people that don’t know how to set up a computer, who are not on the internet, who are not rocket scientists or computer nerds. In fact many of these people have bought PC’s that they barely use. iPhoto, iMovie, iTunes are changing that. They are easy to use but not like Microsoft Bob where you are treated like an idiot.
Look if someone you cared about wanted to get their first computer, would you recommend a PC because it has games, options, hardware you can add on. You will be doing all of this and more for them. If you don’t change their preferences for them they sure won’t. Setting up their system would be a couple of hour operation, with many followup visits if they even use it. Then afterwards they have a good chance of not even using it.
The iMac is changing this. You cannot judge it based on what you want to buy. Me, I like the apple menu at the top with photoshop in it…Maybe you like the start menu at the bottom with Morpheus…What’s diff, it works and it’s just a preference on our part. Some people don’t know what these things are. People also have different needs. Apple is trying to make computers for regular people who are concerned more with how it looks in their house. It is a good powerful well built computer for the average joe. If you don’t like it, it probably was not designed for you. If you are ready for a change from windows, come on over, you will never look back.
The new iMac would be a great complement to the old model, but it’s not a good replacement. It costs about half again as much as the old iMac. Sure you get more, but most people don’t need the latest processor, or a flat panel.
The new iMac would make a much better mid range then the cube. Call it the iMac Flat Panel, and sell it next to the CRT old iMac. People who have and want to spend that much money can buy it.
Apparently the old iMac is still being made and it like looks like it will continue to be made for education. The one improvement, besides regular speed bumps, it needs is a flater CRT. Going from my Mitsubishi Diamond Plus 91 makes an iMac screen look like a fish eye lens. Yes a LCD solves that problem, but much flater CRT are available for much less then a LCD.
my first computer was an apple performa, after it has served me for 4 years i decided to move over to pc,under pressure from my friends.
i spend 4 horrible years using that big piece of crap.
last year i bought myself a cube, yes it was expensive,yes there were better equiped models in pc but boy do i feel sorry now? never on your life,this was a bliss year without hassle,troubles,worries or headaches, it was worth every penny i paid more than i would have using a windows box,i will never ,ever go back to the dark side of windows/pc hell and the premium price is money very well spend
Some of the negative comments about the new iMac are backward-looking, and express the same old attitudes we’ve always heard about Macs. Engineers and bean-counters place engineering issues & price at the forefront while ignoring ease of use and other features. Yet, products succeed in the marketplace for well-known reasons. The Five P’s of Marketing say that you sell a product by improving Price, Product, Package, Place (location), and Promotion. When I judge the new iMac’s introduction along those dimensions, I feel positive about its future.
The iMac’s PRICE is higher than that of low-end PCs, but it has always been that way for several reasons. First, PC makers enjoy economies of scale in production. In addition, Apple typically produces a superior product and spends more on R&D to improve its products. Lack of research (and vision) is the reason that other PC makers can’t cram their computers into 8″ cubes or 10″ hemispheres. Third, its prices are higher because Apple sells in market niches that aren’t as price sensitive as the big businesses and lower-income households targeted by PC makers.
The new iMac is definitely a different PRODUCT than the old iMac: nicer monitor, faster processor, new operating system, iPhoto software. The new iMac can also be upgraded to some extent with a bigger drive, more memory, and possibly a larger monitor or processor upgrade. Since Apple continues to offer the old iMac, we’ll soon learn whether customers prefer the new model to the older one.
The PACKAGE is also different. Call it an iLamp if you like, but it departs from the ugly-box PC we’re accustomed to. People have lamps in their dens & living rooms, but not ugly boxes with loud fans and cords snaked around the room. (The new iMac’s fan is no louder than its hard drive, so even though it has a fan it’s quiet.) Apple does & should target its product to its most likely customers, and that’s the home computer market — where beauty counts for a lot. Future iterations of the iMac will surely incorporate more colors, so the package will appeal to an even larger audience.
Over the past year Apple’s added another PLACE for people to buy their iMacs: company-owned stores where the buying experience & service is superior to that offered by Best Buy, Circuit City, and other mass marketing retailers. Whether this initiative is ultimately profitable I can’t say, but it will definitely increase the number of units sold — and therefore Apple’s market share.
That brings us to PROMOTION. Steve Jobs is a master of promotion, and this year he chose to attract attention to the new iMac by touting it at Apple’s website and by convincing Time to do a cover story about it. Once inventories are sufficient to justify it, Apple is expected to introduce a new series of iMac commercials on TV and in print media. The promotional video at Apple.com is awesome!
For all of these reasons, I believe the new iMac will be a big success in the marketplace. The previous iMac sold 6 million units in 3 years, and it’s not apparent to me why this iMac should do worse.
the new iMac isn’t a low-end machine, it’s not supposed to be. The G3 iMacs are the supposed to be the cheap-o machines that compete with makers like Dell, they’re the entry level machines. The G4 iMac is supposed to be the high end CONSUMER machine, in other words a mid-range computer. Inexpensive compared to pro-line, expensive to consumers. It’s in the same place as the Cube. But this time, it will work because it’s a) Cheaper by at least $200, b)comes with a display, and c) has a full range of CD/DVD capabilities depending on price.
WOW,
Todd it sure sounds as though you surely are the victim of some type of conspiracy. I thought you got rid of all your Mac stuff….how do you know so much about OSX?…
As far as your comment “Apple is seriously screwed folks, what goes around comes around. They got theirs coming. RIP Apple.”
We could say the same thing about you.
It sounds as though you have really had a hard time in your past…maybe you should seek some help…you whiner…
(are your prices still to high? you evil man.)
The debate goes on and on… Apple is secure for the time being because the rest of the industry needs Apple. The delivery to the PC market of almost every major structural innovation since 1977 has come from Apple (excepting perhaps the PCI bus). Apple even popularised beige plastics in the Apple II case. They did not invent most of these technologies, but were the first to use them with major market exposure. Microsoft put 150 million into Apple to help shore up market perception of this important part of their market, not because Apple needed the money (Apple had over 2.5 billion in liquid assets at the time – MS sold off their shares a year or so ago with a considerable profit).
This aspect is less important to most consumers except for those who like affordable access to the ‘latest’ technologies a bit earlier that was available on DOS and then Windows based systems. So Apple was a good choice for people who wanted in on, as time went by, early integrated access to ‘new’ technologies including 32 bit processors, graphical interfaces, WYSIWYG edting, multi-voice audio production, home networking, fast hard disk drives, graphics production, desktop publishing, multimedia production, MacOS/Unix integration (AUX), VR, system-wide scripting, digital photography, video (digitised analogue), writing cds, internet browsing, internet publishing (e.g. web servers), digital video, producing dvds. You could do these things on other systems if you were willing to wait six months to five years or so, and spend a lot on additional software and hardware. You could do them AS WELL as a Mac if you were willing to wait a little longer.
Of course now, most of these things are possible on any machine costing about what a new low-end iMac costs, and perhaps even $100 or so less in the PC world. So what is Apple leading on just now? Well, consumer-level access to producing video (10 years running), consumer-level access to producing DVDs (1 year). Colour matching for scanning, photography, video, printing (available by expensive purchase for Wintel).
There is still no general integrated inter-process, inter-CPU and inter-workstation scripting framework for Wintel machines (though this is coming along and can be implemented on an application by application basis with enough cash). For those who don’t know what this means (since you don’t have it if you have an PC), it is, for example, what permitted USC to create a .2 terahertz supercomputer from 40-odd macs without additional hardware and a simple bit of software (developed by UCLA stats department) to integrate them.
Of course, not everyone needs to be up-to-date with technologies, or even up-to-date with consumer-level access to older technologies. For them the main thing the mac has to offer is a better integrated system that will work consistently and with fewer problems requiring outside support.
In a commercial setting the major benefit of Macs in non-leading edge applications is requirements for lower support, higher productivity and greater security. Macs require a LOT less support. If one goes by example it appears that one support position is required for between 100-400 macs (typically 1:170), depending on applications used. Wintel workstations require one support position for every 20-70 seats (typically 1:40) IF the workstations are profoundly restricted with respect to applications used and facilities provided.
No published study of productivity has ever found that productivity is higher on Wintel workstations than Macs. Many studies have found the converse. In some industries productivity as measured in return per seat is as much as 300%. More typical values have been 70%. Much of this seems to be due to greater time spent in fiddling with files, lost time for scheduled or unscheduled systems reloads, restoring lost files, ideosyncratic problems that do not recur, and anti-virus activity (or worse, viral attacks). The rest is due to software design and work flow. We could expect however, that Win2k and XP will do something to reduce these differentials.
Security issues should be self-explanatory. Even ‘the most secure ever ‘ MS OS, XP, sprouts security holes with alarming speed.
But the real bottom line is why do PC users care? Mac users spend relatively little time dissing PCs except when they are attacked over using their macs. My private, and not very serious, theory comes from listening to PC users in their natural habitat, talking to other PC users. They love to complain about their machines and the software they run. Genuine enjoyment comes from this activity, with telling smiles of shared experience. This provides a common social bond. Similar to their discussions of the government actually. When someone comes along who actually talks favourably about their computing experience, this is a threat to the social order. After all, if it were really that good, why are they experiencing the problems they enjoy talking about so much? So it follows that this alien system must actually be much worse than the one they use, and it is only the ignorance the foreign user. So PC users are not really dissing the mac as much as they are extending their normal discourse regarding computers to this alien influence. Additionally they get the benefit of appreciating what they have for a change.
Although iy hasnt been the recent posts ALOT of these comments are made by people who have NEVER even used a mac maybe they heard about OSX or glimpsed at an iMac online. I can respect if you post on what you know, but don’t post on what you havn’t the faintest idea of! People just come on here and say how XP is why the iMac will fail. They also might say how the low end new iMac is $1399 its 1299. Don’t say how XP is better than the “MAC” these people have obviosley not seen OS X. Don’t say I’m biased to Macs becuase thats what I use, becuase at school I occassionaly use a new Dell running XP and at home i use an iMac g3 running OS X and 9 I can compare.
Hi, I’m a multimedia guy. I make all kinds of stuff that moves, CD ROMs, DVDs, the web, TV, Streaming Video, etc. Now I can do all of this from an under $2000 dollar unit. How come nobody is saying what a wonderful thing the SUPERDRIVE, and even the COMB drives are. I am actually bewildered with what I will be capable of. I will be able to edit broadcast quality video (After Effects, Final Cut Pro), 3D modeling & animation (LightWave, MAYA), and compress all of that video to fit on a cross platform CD ROM because I installed Director 8.0 on the Mac and on Virtual PC. (And before anybody says anything about VPC. It runs smooth as snot on a 800mhz processor, you’ll think it’s native. So there goes another reason to by a PC out the window.) Sure I could do this before but not with any degree of effiency. The new iMac is a one stop shop Movie Studio, and content publishing powerhouse, and it will out-perform 90 percent of all other retail PCs at the same price range. Now for those of you who think “Oh he’s a Mac person, he’s to biased to see straight.” guess again. I will concede that Windows 2000 is a much better operating system than any of the 9.x series of operating systems that Apple produced in the past, and given the choice I would prefer to use Windows 2000 instead of the 9.x OSs but OSX on G4 800 evaporates any possibility of using anything else.
And the new iMac itself? For get about style, forget about how funny you may or may not think it looks. It is a credible machine. It has hardware and software to get a job done that most PCs of the box can’t.
Let’s forget the incredibly sweet design for a minute and just think about the specs. An 800 MHz G4, 256 megs ram, 32 meg video card, 60 gig hard drive, Superdrive and flat panel display for $1,800! Where do I sign? These specs are incredible, and mine is on order even as we speak.
If you don’t like the machine, go buy something else and go away.
I too cannot understand why so many PC users get so angry about Macs. I think it may possibly have something to do with the sense of achievement they get from mastering a difficult and overcomplex machine. A lot of people get attached to tricky software/hardware because of the time and effort it takes to master. So maybe it is irritating to them when Apple says this should all be simple.
If this seems patronising and oversimplistic, the kind of PC user who gets involved in these silly anti Apple rants is usually not that bright, if you are to judge them by their command of language (or even their ability to run a spell check!).
PC users should just be greatful that someone out there is doing a little R&D that they don’t have to pay for, but will ultimately benefit from.
The only serious point they make is that Apple is still losing market share, and that trend must be reversed if software developers are to continue to support the platform. This is true – the main problem with OSX is sluggishness both of the OS and of the developers in bringing their apps to it, indicating a less than wholehearted commitment to the platform. And without a larger market share gamers will not care what graphics chip they put in the new iMac, as the range of available games will remain dismal.
I think the outlook for this is optimistic. Apple currently have a compelling range of quality hardware of which the new iMac is the jewel in their crown. OSX and its software are beginning to look like world beaters. And at the same time Microsoft is viewed with more distrust than at any time in its corporate history. There must be a large number of people out there who are ready to leave the MS computing universe for a viable alternative.
The Mac is there to welcome them.
Where do they come up with these numbers? 2.9% market share?
During the 1999 Keynote at Macworld the figure for iMacs alone was 3.7 million, and say for sake of argument that there are 300,000,000 people in the US – that’s 1.2% of the US population for just one model (group) from a couple years ago. Also, when has anyone ever studied what happens to old Macs when new ones are purchased comapred to old wintel systems? And are old 486 type machines included in the calulations? How many of those do you want to bet are in scrap yards or junheaps.
Also, is that compared to only desktop machines? or does that include servers, etc? Don’t remember who said it but there are lies, damn lies, and statistics.
As a former purchasing agent, I can say that the new iMac is as good a buy as you can find in this tiered market. At $1300-$1800, it provides the average user with more than they’ll ever find in any MS Patches / Intel machine and has the verve of style not seen since Chevrolet introduced the legendary Corvette 50 years ago.
As for price comparisions; purchasing professionals must know the difference between a bargain and just plain cheap. If I worked for Dell, Gateway, et al, right now — I’d be in a deep depression. All they have to sell IS “cheap.”
I’m so happy with my year-old iMac DV that I won’t upgrade for a while, but I know what my next Mac will look like — Flat Out Coool!!
I have been looking at buying a new Mac because my programming needs are now way beyond my 300 MHz iBook. I was going to get a G4 Tower but not now, since Apple has released the new iMac with SuperDrive.
Some of you people just don’t get it… Apple is not Dell – thank God for that. Dell can release cheap ass systems all they want, or even have some idiot in a commercial, but that will NOT make me buy a Windows system.
I program in Windows at college all day long. When I get home, the best part of my day is pressing the power button on my iBook to start up Mac OS X. In a few weeks I will have a new iMac to program on…
I am also an artist (oil paintings) and to me the new iMac is the most beautiful computer Apple has ever made. It is gorgeous! Being an artist also, the design of a computer appeals to the right side of my brain. This is why I like Apple’s new iMac…
Since I am also an Apple Student Developer I get a once-in-a-lifetime 20% off a system, so I am getting the new iMac for a super price. This will allow me to get an AirPort ufo and two AirPort cards.
Some of you say Windows is better… Yeah sure. Look at all the security flaws in XP – tell me Mac OS X is inferior.
XP is garbage and contrary to popular belief, will never ever beat Apple’s Mac OS X in terms of features and useability.
“DOS Computers manufactured by companies such as IBM, Compaq, Tandy, and millions of others are by far the most popular, with about 70
million machines in use worldwide. Macintosh fans, on the other hand,
may note that cockroaches are far more numerous than humans, and that
numbers alone do not denote a higher life form.”
-New York Times, November 26, 1991
All this hear say going on about how Apple over charges!! Lets address the real point! No matter how much Apple charges I ( and many others) will be first on the line to buy one. Why??? Have you ever seen how many problems PC users have??? Have you ever looked at the difference between the two comparing graphics and fonts??? Apple knows beauty and simplicity and you can’t put a price tag on that!
Although I am sure it is just a coincidence, the FIRST links that you provided for Ê “Press Responds With Mixed Reactions to Flat-Panel iMac” were negative. Many latter links were positive and enthusiastic about Apple and the new iMac.
I also find it distressing that reporters ignore the inclusion of the new, amazing OS X in all recent iMacs and Apple computers, as if this is a retread of the past !
And I do not notice a plethora of firewire or USB ports on PCs — which Apple has been providing for 3 years on all computers.
The new iMac is the latest culmination of an Apple explosion of creativity!
Where are you guys?
If Apple ever goes out of business, you will probably be writing how much you miss it and that you were its greatest fans!
Although I am sure it is just a coincidence, the FIRST links that you provided for Ê “Press Responds With Mixed Reactions to Flat-Panel iMac” were negative. Many latter links were positive and enthusiastic about Apple and the new iMac.
I also find it distressing that reporters ignore the inclusion of the new, amazing OS X in all recent iMacs and Apple computers, as if this is a retread of the past !
And I do not notice a plethora of firewire or USB ports on PCs — which Apple has been providing for 3 years on all computers.
The new iMac is the latest culmination of an Apple explosion of creativity!
Where are you guys?
If Apple ever goes out of business, you will probably be writing how much you miss it and that you were its greatest fans!
Ah, so there’s a new iMac out. Interesting to say the least. Unfortunately, Apple has dropped the ball on this one.
The first iMac was a well thought out machine. It was well designed, and aimed at one particular target market – the entry level technology consumer. It was configured and priced accordingly.
Now, three years later, we have a newcomer on the scene that’s cool, sure – but so was the Cube. Unfortunately, this newcomer gives a little bit to everybody and ends up pleasing nobody.
Sure it’s got a crippled G4 – but if you’re a power user, you want a tower with slots and cache.
Sure it’s got an LCD screen – but if you’re a gamer, or if you do any amount of design work a 15 inch screen isn’t going to cut it (even if it’s an LCD).
Geforce MX2 video is bound to plase no one. What’s the point in a gamer paying what he’d pay for an Alienware system with a Geforce 3 500ti card for an iMac? What’s the point in someone who just wants to check email paying for a Geforce board to begin with?
The new iMac is a little bit of everything for everybody, and as a result it’s not going to please too many people. Sure it’ll sell some units because of BOD preorders, and some more because it “looks cool”. It’ll even sell to people who have a ton of money to blow and want an internet appliance on steroids for their kitchen.
But to college students? For that money they’ll buy a laptop.
To Gamers? For that money, they’ll buy something with a CRT and better video chipser.
To people who surf the web? They’ll spend half that on an E*Tower with a celeron.
A year from now when we’re all feeling decidely cubish, remember, someone told you so.
The sad thing is to see PC users — with more 95% of the market — bashing Mac users! Talk about pathetic! Why don’t they go out and beat up a baby??
I mean, get a life! You are already WAY ahead, like the Yankees gloating over a their superiority over a Little League team.
Not that Apple is Little League.
But why bash Apple? Unless you won’t be happy with less than 100% world domination!
In which case, the government vs Microsoft may be right!
“..it must be nice to be that rich…Unfortunately the rest of the world is stuck with M$ and trying to make their PII do the simplest things…”
Some of us (like myself) bought Macs on painfully tight budgets when college tuiton was totally out of reach. And, 17 years later, make very respectable incomes in the IT industry WITHOUT a college degree.
Now I have 12 macs (yes, really) a pale CRT face, a disheveled “Home Office” appearance, and will be ordering a new iMac as soon as i figure out which one I “need.”
So buy a Mac so you can be just like me
I wonder if the decrease in the market share also mean the decrease of user number…
Those who are worried about Apple’s future should read the article listed below, especially those analysts and publisists who like to be quoted in the news for propounding great words of wisdom about Apple’s market share: http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20020110.html.
I’m fairly sure Steve Jobs isn’t worried about Apple’s future, and for that matter I don’t think many Mac user are worried either. I wonder if the executives at Daimler/Benz are worried about their percent of market share in automobiles? Do you think they’re losing any sleep? I doubt it.
>>Geforce MX2 video is bound to plase no one. What’s the point in a gamer paying what he’d pay for an Alienware system with a Geforce 3 500ti card for an iMac? What’s the point in someone who just wants to check email paying for a Geforce board to begin with?<<
What the helk would a gamer buy a PC and/or a Mac for only gaming in the first place?… and oh please don’t tell me the gaming experience is oh so much better on PCs/Macs than game consoles. I was a game console freak myself way back, I owned everything from an Atari 2600 to a TG-16 fully loaded. Yes I do have games on my Mac and I like playing games on Macs, PCs or whatever sits in front of me that will entertain my eyes/thumbs! But if someone is buying a PC/Mac for only gaming, they should buy a Game Console instead, at least that would be what I would do if I was serious about gaming again (like I was long ago… which was not really so long ago).
As for game titles being available for PCs and/or Macs, most of the big game titles you and I know of (Quake, Deus EX, Diablo, Tomb Raider…etc) are pretty much available for both machines, it’s those oddity game titles that either PC and/or Mac only, oh yes there are game titles that are available for only the Mac, just like there are game titles that are available for only the PC! Surprised huh?!
The bottom line is this… if you’re a serious gamer, buy a console instead! You’ll be glad you did:-)
I don’t really understand what all of this anger is for…if you think the imac is too much and doesn’t give you what you want, don’t buy one. if you think it is rad and has what you want and you have the cash, buy one. sheesh, you people are whiners. why do you care about apple’s market share? their demise has been predicted for years, and they are still chugging away. there are a bazillion older macs out there you can buy and upgrade, if you don’t want to spend the money on a new one. in my opinion, you will still get something easier and nicer than a pc. but for fcuk’s sake, if you don’t like it, don’t buy it! geez.
I was reading this page and I seen someone say that the new iMac will drag Apple under. This person said that is why the stock has been steadily dropping post MWSF. This person is well misinformed, I believe the only reason Apple stock is dropping is because people have stopped buying G3 iMac and are waiting till the new G4 iMac finally ships. Wait untill Apple starts selling the new iMac before you blame it for Apple’s dropping stock prices last week!
PCs may be a hell of alot cheaper than Macs but you get what you pay for…. If $1300 for an iMac is what I have to pay for the quality machine that it is i think its worth it. The crappy sub $1000 PCs are made out of crappy parts which in turn requre more calls to thier crappy customer service number where they charge you on a per call basis because of the crappy warenty… If you want a computer that will last you a long time buy a mac…. If you enjoy the music you hear while being put on hold for tech support for the fifth time in one call buy one of those crappy sub $1000 PCs.
Everyone,
Let me tell you something. Apple is not a company that has EVER cared about marketshare in any seriousness. They are having a fun time innovating in an industry where marketshare and being cheap are too important.
All the people at Apple tend to like to just make quality fun things that people enjoy using. GRanted, you do require a good job to get a decent computer, but that’s the case with all machines. The more you spend, the more you get.
iT’S Simple.
please come to my website : http://www.flyturtle.org
I don’t why people who use pc’s log onto sites like this. You must secretly want to own a Mac. The Mac is a BMW of computers. BMW doesn’t control the market of automobiles, but it has been around a long time, and does not try to compete out of its class. Macs do cost some more but you get more. How many pc’s come with Firewire ports standard? The beauty of the design alone is worth an extra few hundred dollars. Desktop Macs may have dropped a little, but Apple is doing great with their laptops. Laptops are the wave of the future. Apple is doing great. They will never dominate the market because the business world is boring and therefore uses boring computers. I suggest that those of you who secretly long to own a Mac go ahead and get one. Please don’t tell that you would make your purchasing decision based on a few hundred dollars difference in cost. People blow more than that on nonsense purchases all of the time. Come on, join us….you won’t be sorry you did. You will love your Mac.
I’ve been a Mac user since 1988. I’m thinking seriously about buying a new G4 or iBook. Not sure which. I think the iLamps are pretty cool but won’t buy one. If I am going to pay $1300 for a Mac with limited expandability and a LCD, I’ll buy a laptop. Although not as fast, iMacs are small, sturdy, and I can take it anywhere! Second point, as a long time Apple user I know better than to buy the first edition of anything Mac.
Why buy a Mac? They work. I enjoy using my old PowerBook 1400c (G3 upgraded) Also, you can’t compare a garden variety PC with a Mac. You have to compare top of the line PC’s with Macs. I nearly bought a PC laptop but when I compared features I decided I’d rather pay more and get what I really wanted.
No one has mentioned the one good reason not to buy a Mac. Apple has a rep for horrible customer support. If you buy a BMW and it dies you can at least get it serviced. I own a PowerBook 5300ce and an Audi I know all about expensive junk. Apple has an incredible loyal customer base. We are all nuts who will pay more money for cool looking slightly slower machines and get put up with morons in customer service. Fortunatly, I’ve only used customer service twice in ten years…Of course I’ve heard my brother in law scream over the phone at Dell also!
I started with PC’s (only because I didn’t know any better) I went to school before there were pc in the class room of any kind. 10 years ago I started copier sales when they were still analoge. To get to the point I began in color sales after seeing what my customers used I was moon struck. I quickly found out how much easier for sales presentations the MAC’S TRULY ARE. Has anybody tried to use an PC laptop for a presentation, where you walk into a customers office and try to get your laptop to start without looking like an idiot. Now I own three macs and the latest G4 PB Tit. is a salesman’s dream. So much so the other guys are slowly converting after the see the presentations I set up and deliver with out waiting for some crapy hibernation mode or sleep mode end. Customers are impressed and sales are at the highest ever. To Brag I like paying a little extra for my equipment. Customers know you must be better than the rest because you can afford the best. If I failed to mention earlier, it took me months to understand the PC and 20 minutes on my first Mac I wonder why.
My dad was so impressed with new imac that he ordered one ( first time computer purchase).
First I want to say this…
for those of you who don’t understand the significance of the LCD monitor on the iMac, here is a quick explanation. For starters, a 15″ LCD monitor is 15 inches. Duh, right? well, a 15″ CRT based monitor DOESN’T give you a 15″ display area! Also, a LCD uses significantly less power than a CRT. Saving the best for last, looking at a CRT is like staring at a strobe light, literally. It messed with your brain, and damages your eyes over time. Sure, you might say your CRT monitor doesn’t flicker, but what refresh rate is it set at? ha! if it didn’t flicker there wouldn’t be a refresh rate. I’m NOT rich, in fact a trip to McDonald’s is a treat I can’t afford often. Yet I bought a flat panel display and I payed 2X for the same size because of the negative effects of a CRT. as for desk space saved, with the monitor support in the back, it’s little and I don’t care about that part anyway, I prefer a LCD over a CRT because I don’t want a monitor that strains my eyes and messes with my mind. (on a side note, I hate florescent bulbs for the same reason)
the other thing is for many of you. I can’t spell very well.. the more I type here the more I misspell, but PLEASE you could try spell check before clicking “submit comment”, I did =)
I have used lots of different machines over the years and have preferred to teach from PCs because they were less opaque than Macs. For the “let’s see what we can bolt on today and see if it works crowd”, the PC is the right machine. But the sad fact is there is much less productivity out there because Windows machines are demanding to configure and maintain. They’re cheaper initially but–one could argue–more expensive in the long term. We need a new metric–how much productivity from how much financial cost?, to get some sense of value.
I think it unfortunate we don’t have more choice in operating systems. Sad that BeOS never really matured despite its promise. What kind of world would it be if GM made 90% of the engines in cars and Ford made 93% of the transmissions? We’re actually working our way that direction and the loser will finally be the consumer.
We need three or four Apple computers out there, churning out new ideas and working hard to keep computing exciting yet productive. It has always perplexed me that PC users have often derided Apple which has done much to generate the innovation that does exist on the Windows side. Any way you slice it, if you insist that price is everything, you will indeed get what you pay for.
All computer users should be delighted Apple at least tries to generate innovation. Even if you only want it for a desk lamp, go buy a new iMac and help keep some innovation in an industry that does little innovation these days.
“What the helk would a gamer buy a PC and/or a Mac for only gaming in the first place?… and oh please don’t tell me the gaming experience is oh so much better on PCs/Macs than game consoles. I was a game console freak myself way back, I owned everything from an Atari 2600 to a TG-16 fully loaded. Yes I do have games on my Mac and I like playing games on Macs, PCs or whatever sits in front of me that will entertain my eyes/thumbs! But if someone is buying a PC/Mac for only gaming, they should buy a Game Console instead, at least that would be what I would do if I was serious about gaming again (like I was long ago… which was not really so long ago).”
Because FPSes suck on consoles, RTSes suck on consoles and there still isn’t a real online console for online games.
On the one hand, there is no way in hell Apple will every increase market share when it’s got an entry-level price point of 1,300 for a processor which, to the uneducated, looks to be almost a gigahertz slower than a PC (at the same price point). You can get a still-faster-looking Dell for $699 with monitor and what have you. The average meathead who’s using AOL and Microsoft Works and can’t figure out his printer will buy the Dell. And will buy his *kids* a Dell. Aye, there’s the rub…
But then there’s user experience.
I work in an all-PC school. I’m a devoted Mac user. I’ve owned a Classic II, Color Classic, Quadra, 6100, 7200, two iMacs, and now a 400 MHz G4 tower. And a partridge in a pear tree. I’m also the graduate of several 12-step programs. 😉
The point is that, like most folks here in the choir, you can take my Mac when you can pry it from my cold, dead fingers. But I’ll never be on the cutting edge. I can’t afford to be. On the other hand, I can always afford to pick up a speedy PC for under $500 on uBid. I did so recently. Got a 900 MHz AMD Hewlett Packard. (Need it for the work-world thing). And God, do I hate that machine. It runs Windows ME. I’m thinking of sending it back, and just sitting around my office, jagging myself in the eye with a hot poker. That’d be easier, and more fun.
For my money, I’ll go with Mac any day of the week. I pity the poor bastard who has nothing more than a PC to work with. I also pity the poor bastard who doesn’t have the bucks to lay out for a Mac, to find out *why* it’s so much better. And again, “Aye, there’s the rub.”
I just wish Apple would sell a Mac at a price point that would allow the PC-using public mass access. And I’m not talking about the last-year’s model for $800. I’m talking about this year’s technology at that price.
And there’s no reason why they can’t do that.
Just my 2 cents.
-mph
Personally, I think the new iMac fits right in the family of macs(once the G5’s are available). I’m not going to ramble on about specs, pricing, etc. and/or try to compare it to any windows computer. You should already know the difference. That’s if you do your homework and not just read the back of a cardboard box’s or some ad. Go to where more facts are and not just opinion’s. With all my knowledge and experience’s with computers from reading all types of facts, talking to PC and MAC user’s and working with PC’s along side MAC’s……I choose the MAC……It may lack in games but with osX. That will all change in due time.
Also, i don’t own any car(let alone a BMW). So how much money has nothing to do with what kind of computer you can get/afford, Its how much commitment and sacrifices. So, i don’t drive a car, I ride my Mountain Bike and love riding in the woods(rolling a doob…LOL)after a long day sitting in front of a display. Right now i’m committing myself to my career and sacrificing my social life. Make no mistakes. I’m not loser….LOL, I just don’t go to bars or clubs anymore. This isn’t easy living on Long Island 40 minutes from NYC.
Anyway, Remember that your always a pupil and must learn for yourself or else you live a life guided by hearsay……and that would not be smart nor wise……PEACE
Everyone is always yapping about marketshare. Well, i say, marketshare shmarketshare! Obviously Apple is trying to increase their market share a bit, but the fact of the matter is that they are going after a different market share than the basic disposable PC. So, their market share of the world computer market may be 2.x%, but what is their marketshare of their target audience? And, can they stay profitable/in business targeting that market?
>>Because FPSes suck on consoles, RTSes suck on consoles and there still isn’t a real online console for online games.<<
That is one statement I probably couldn’t argue with!
But I can admit that the gaming experience on consoles is getting better. My brother is 14 and has my ole NES, his own SuperNES, N64, PS1, PS2 and Dreamcast… I bought him the Dreamcast and N64 (he is the game freak of the family now). I was home on a visit and got a good taste of what the PS2 could do and I was like man I would like one of these! I think you have the ups and downs both ways from consoles to PCs and/or Macs and vice versa. I still enjoy the gaming experience on consoles still, and I do play games on both, and 3D gaming is my most favorite.
I like the game emulators you can get for PCs and Macs. I actually just downloaded ‘TGEmu’ for Mac so I could finally beat ‘Bonk III, Bonks Big Adventure’… I had gotten rid of my TG-16 (like an idiot) when Bonk III came out! So now I get to finish the final sequel to an awesome game!!!
I’m a “recovering” WinTel Droid… I bought a Cube and TFT display last year as well as a new iceBook… I love them both… Of course, I used to drive a Toyota too, but now I own two BMW’s [One of which is a K1200LT motorcycle ;^)]… The new iMac is cool as can be, and BTW: Read any of the “advance order” reports yet?… Retailers are “overwhelmed” with advance orders for the TOP OF THE LINE new iMac… You were saying?… <><
At first when I saw it I was like “huh?’ about the looks but NEVER about the specs and the price. It is A LOT of machine for the $$ and the design is actually very attractive when you look at it a second or third time.
I’m not worried about the pro (tower) line because Apple is not stupid enough to let those sales drop. They just didn’t want to overshadow the iMac with new towers clocking over a gigahertz. They need the iMacs to succeed meaning they needed to be the show stopper. If they had put the towers out then the big news would have been G4/G5 breaks 1000mhz. That is not the headline they wanted. The towers will be out in a month or two I would guess and all these comments will stop.
Apple has to play the pricing game? Well, they have to play to the extent that the market forces them to. I’m afraid that may sound like a tautology… but the fact is that _no one_ plays the pricing game until they’re ready to go out of business. The pricing game is buying market share with losses to yourself. That’s insane, and while the new iMac is again insanely great, Apple is not run by insane people and is not trying to go out of business.
Look, this is how markets work. Everyone charges as much as they possibly can for their goods (even when they verbally deny that’s what they’re doing), and consumers pay as little as they possibly can for the goods they buy. When a company lowers prices on something that is identical to something they formerly sold at a higher price, it is either because they can’t sell them at the higher price and MUST sell lower to sell at all, or they have managed to lower their costs and think they see an opportunity to get the same profit (margin over costs) as they were getting at a higher price, while possibly increasing sales. (No one _knows_ that this will work, but lower cost gives the breathing room to try.)
Apple doesn’t set their prices by Ouija Board or by trying to gouge. They set it by what the market will bear. And Apple’s marketing people do, one presumes, know something about what the market will bear. Now, no one is infallible on such judgments. Maybe they’re wrong. If the market won’t bear the prices Apple has put on the iMac, the prices will come down. (Look how prices on the Cube dropped–first with rebates, then altogether–then to nothing, since Apple couldn’t sell the thing.)
But to start out by saying, “The heck with reasoned projections—let’s play the pricing game and just sell at a loss in order to gain market share” is to go straight into a position that is meant not for profit-making companies selling new things but for liquidating companies trying to dump inventory so they can repay at least some of the bondholders.
I can t say i m happy abt the new design
Well i ve been going through the comments and iLamp is a good one.
For once Apple hatched an ugly duckling…
It may be the crossbreeding of a round and rectangular parent that produced a shape that seems really
awkward.
A better idea would have been to incorporate the computer in the back of the screen, where it would be practically invisible
That would make the thing abt an inch more fat than a LCD screen , smg like a Poewrbook standing on its side
That would be neat, hey Apple are you there- And then you could do away with wiring and stuff. No more LCD s floating in space…:D
The good part about the new iLamp- have you ever seen a 1800 US $ Lamp that could burn a DVD? I think i could live with the ugly design…if it saves me 1700$ from the G4 that des the same stuff..
Good Luck guys