Comments on: Editors' Picks: What will the next iMac look like?

Apple is developing a new iMac to replace the current version, which has been described as looking like a desk lamp. What's Apple going to do next?

[Jonathan]

Whatever it looks like it will be unique

I'm not a fan of the iMac. Quite frankly I couldn't care less about the all in one design in that it locks you out from some upgrades. Want to upgrade your monitor? Good luck. Want to upgrade your computer? You end up paying twice as much because you have to replace the monitor as well. But I'm a tech head and I'm a power user so that's just my opinion. That being said the iMac once souped up with a G5, which current rumors hold to be released sometime this fall, it will make an impressive opponent to the midrange PC desktop.
However, and this is big, Apple's prices still aren't in line with the industry and its dwindling market share demonstrates this in a dramatic fashion. I don't care what any Machead says market share DOES matter. It matters to the developers who invest time and a hell of a lot of money porting from one OS to another. (You don't port a piece of software from ix86/Windows to PPC /MacOX over night.) It matters to the consumer who looks at that shelf of software in the apple store and thinks why is it so small in comparison to the PC software at best buy. Row upon row of software is reassuring to the user that yes my platform will be here in 10 years. Yes. Yes I'm well aware that people have been predicting the death of Apple for over a decade now. However the face remains Apple's market share has never been this low. It should be a major concern to anyone who is interested in Apple being around 5, 10, 20 years from now. The only people who aren't concerned are the Mac zealots in the crowd.
How does this tie into the new iMac? Simple. These midrange systems are where PC sales are hitting their stride. This is where Apple needs to make some serious sales and that requires not only the ability to crank out a ton of these systems FAST, (Way faster then PowerMac G5's that were introed last year at any rate.) the ability to cut prices to meet competition, and the ability to build a quality product. (Sorry folks but spending time on the various Mac BBoards there are SERIOUS QC issues at Apple on every product they have including software.) Apple needs to compete. Enough of this laid back, whatever type attitude. If they are going to remain a computer company (Which I'm starting to question what with Apple seriously focusing on Music and the iPod.) they need to kick some butt. Minimum 10% market share if they hope to be around in 15 years. Windows is only going to get better. The past and current thinking is that Windows is an unstable, insecure, difficult POS. I agree with the last two. But unstable in NOT the case. If MS can fix the latter half of those complaints Apple is screwed. People use Windows because its good enough. I've never heard anyone other then Windows zealots sing praise to windows. If MS can get Windows to be better then good enough Apple is in deep trouble. Here's hoping that in the next two years before Longhorn Apple catches a wave of success beyond just the iPod.

what a bullshit story

fluff. . . if you've got some news to report on this, then why not
report. . . but cnet has become such a hack for worthless fluf. . .

[mcclop]

It will look like a MacGameCube of course...

visit http://www.macgamecube.com of course

[mcclop]

It will have a built-in dock for the iPod

of course

[kreynen]

Really Innovate w/ Mac blades... bMacs

Apple has the XServer, XRAID, and beautiful LCD displays. Rather than target the stand alone consumer with another interesting form factor, give me a 1U rack capable of running 4 bMacs or a 3U rack capable of running 14 bMacs with Apple-quality hardware for extending the USB and DVI cables.

Use the virus backlash and go after the office and big edu lab installs. Sell the blades as G4 to start (fine for most business and lab use) with G5 blades compatible with the racks next year. Upgrading labs would be as easy as swapping a drive in a RAID array.

Who cares, it's still just a Mac!

Why would someone care when over 90% of the world's computers are Microsoft based. They need to put more money into the quality and performance of their computers and lower the price. Don't waste time on some cutsey looking pc, get a pc for it's functionality and performance.

[technewsjunkie]

Think for yourself

"Why would someone care when over 90%..."

Why? Because of choice, innovation, and the cost benefits of
competition. Because a person should think for themself and not
"do what everybody else" does.

How about those reasons for starters.

[Jonathan]

Yes it is..which is the entire point

I will be the first in line to scream that specs matter. Yes....I consider the underbelly of the computer to be more important then the case. Hence the reason I ain't going near the PowerBook until a G5 is in the thing. That being said I consider the form of the device a very close second to specs. I'm sorry but having a sexy desktop or laptop is just cool. You can't tell me that deep down, in some little corner of your ego that having both a hot rod of a computer and a case to match it makes you do a fist pump going "I've got the **** of a computer".
A sexy desktop/Laptop/PDA is a ego boost. It makes the perceived value of your system better even if your conscious logical mind says "Screw the looks" If looks really didn't matter we'd all be driving fugly Pontiac Azteks.

A lot of people care...

You're a tool. It seems like a lot of people care if C|Net wrote an
article and people have replied to it. Also, you read the story
and replied to it. I guess you must care at least a little bit if you
clicked the headline of the story to read the article. I've been a
Mac and PC user for the past 10 years, and my experiences with
PCs have been nothing but bad. The quality of the Mac OS is far
better than that of any Windows OS. Tool.

[krob7]

Narrow minded PC drones

Name one Windows based computer that changes the way
computers are made. Yeah that's right, there isn't one. Time and
time again the computer industry looks to Apple for the next
idea or look of the personnel computer. With a interface to
match its elegance.

Who cares ? Microsoft, Dell,etc,etc..

So... who cares? Let?s see... I guess imitation is the best form of flattery. So, where has Apple been copied (a more appropriate question would be where have they NOT been copied) First recipe for a successful 'personal computer', first successful GUI (10 years ahead of Microsoft's imitation), plug n play, networking (available on the original Mac), Apple Newton (spawned an entire industry), iMac... from Gateway to Dell to eMachines....they all tried to replicate the success in an otherwise stagnant industry. iPod, 3 years on....with numerous imitations trying to replicate it's industrial design, functionality and ease of use. OSX...longhorn ... ?nuff said.

So my guess is many of the people whom you buy the imitations from care about what Apple does, because without Apple they'd still be selling beige boxes with Windows 95.

Toyotas and Hyundais will do for the masses, while Mercedes and BMW(which have a 5% market share combined) will be just fine for the rest of us. The sad part is....those who make and buy Toyotas cant stop being envious of Mercedes.
So my guess is many of the people whom you buy the imitations from care about what Apple does, because without Apple they'd still be selling beige boxes with Windows 95.

In other words..... Toyota and Hyundai will do for the masses, while Mersades and BMW will be just fine for the rest of us. The sad part is....those who make and buy Toyotas cant stop being envious of Mersades.

Who cares ? Microsoft, Dell,etc,etc..

So... who cares? Let?s see... I guess imitation is the best form of flattery. So, where has Apple been copied (a more appropriate question would be where have they NOT been copied) First recipe for a successful 'personal computer', first successful GUI (10 years ahead of Microsoft's imitation), plug n play, networking (available on the original Mac), Apple Newton (spawned an entire industry), iMac... from Gateway to Dell to eMachines....they all tried to replicate the success in an otherwise stagnant industry. iPod, 3 years on....with numerous imitations trying to replicate it's industrial design, functionality and ease of use. OSX...longhorn ... ?nuff said.

So my guess is many of the people whom you buy the imitations from care about what Apple does, because without Apple they'd still be selling beige boxes with Windows 95.

Toyotas and Hyundais will do for the masses, while Mercedes and BMW(which have a 5% market share combined) will be just fine for the rest of us. The sad part is....those who make and buy Toyotas cant stop being envious of Mercedes.

[Lethality]

Lack of quality? I think not.

"They need to put more money into the quality and performance
of their computers and lower the price." - Robert King

More quality? More performance? Have you ever actually used a
Mac? I can tell you point for point, without consideration, the
quality of the engineering Apple puts into their products is at
least an order of magnitude more than Dell.

And please, compare a high end Dual-P4 system from a
manufacturer like Dell to a Dual G5 - the prices are shockingly
similar. The PCs aren't all that much of a bargain at that level.

And finally, just because the "rest of the world" uses Windows,
does that mean it's the best choice? Much of the world drives
Ford Escors or Toyota Corollas too - but I don't think anyone
would agree they are the best car.

[madmacx]

Good entertainment

What I always find amazing is how there is always one Windows
user out there that has to start this crap no matter what the
story is. If Apple were to start making Macs that worked just as
good, were 10 times faster, and cost $20, some idiot would
post, "But it's still a Mac"

[edgedesign]

Mac bashers lighten up

Every time there is an opportunity to post about anything Apple
or Mac related, there's always a few PC geeks who have to shovel
some dirt. I'm not saying you're a geek if you use a PC, but there
are definitely some in love with being part of 'the herd' -
followers, not leaders. They're upset because the company
associated with 'cool', the one that holds a small market share,
consistently delivers quality, innovative products that usually
end up being copied in one form or another. They're upset
because they are still waiting for an advanced operating system
with integrated online features that's extremely easy to set-up
and use. Most likely, they probably hate Apple because they
really want an iPod or another great Apple product, but they
have been anti-Apple for so long that taking a bite of the fruit
now would cause their world to cave.

Hey... just admit... that for the moment Apple has some great
products. There is a buzz about the iPod and iTunes that is
undeniable. These two items are extremely well-designed and
easy to use. Each generation of the iMac has been quite
successful and appeals to many even if it's not the machine for
you. The G5s and Powerbooks are simply 'sick' - quality
products running a solid operating system.

On the PC side... well... where is Longhorn or any other
incredibly innovative hardware or software product from
Microsoft??? Oh, that's right, they are busy fighting lawsuits
around the world for monopolizing instead of innovating. I won't
even go into the Microsoft security issues, constant patch
releases or the intense virus problems on Microsoft Windows.

BMW is still selling great cars and Apple will continue to deliver
quality innovative products for some time as well. PC Geek:
Forget about writing off Apple, learn to deal with the fact that
Apple makes great products, and go buy yourself a new iPod like
so many of my 'cool' PC friends.

The new iMac will be innovative and successful... I'm sure.

[technewsjunkie]

hope monitor is separate!

The all-in-one in education, K-12, should no longer be the only
option from Apple.
The cost of repairing/replacing the monitor for these out-
weighs the benefits.

[tomshaughnessy]

refined functionality

There is every reason to expect the next consumer oriented Mac
to carry forward the design elements of the current iBook, iPod,
and Airport Express consumer products. And so, my gut tells it
will integrate the design of the new pro monitor with the white
consumer cosmetic branding elements. It seems reasonable
from a manufacturing and shipping cost perspective that the
design will move the traditional CPU oriented functions into the
back of the monitor - optical drive, peripheral bus connections,
etc. This means the only wires necessary will be power and
possibly ethernet. The speakers, keyboard and mouse could
reasonably be Bluetooth. Given the current demand/delivery
restrictions on the G5, it would seem higher yields for 130
nanometer chips in the 1.8 range seem appropriate. 17 and 20
inch monitors are reasonable as is SuperDrive throughout the
likely 3 models.