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Apple Introduces New G5 iMac

peatbakke writes "Well, here it is. Looks like the rumors of computer+monitor combined into a sleek little case were true." It's mostly what you'd expect both design-wise and specwise. And I want it.

1,595 comments

  1. new icon! by ack154 · · Score: 5, Funny

    So how long until we get a new slashdot icon that looks like this model?

    1. Re:new icon! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      tablet pc

    2. Re:new icon! by jb.hl.com · · Score: 4, Funny

      Before we get a Gentoo one and a KDE one from less than 5 years ago, obviously :)

      --
      By summer it was all gone...now shesmovedon. --
    3. Re:new icon! by Short+Circuit · · Score: 1

      And get rid of Erwin? Never!

    4. Re:new icon! by LEgregius · · Score: 2, Interesting

      And how long until Mac OS X changes their "computer" icon in the finder to match the new design.

    5. Re:new icon! by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      Hey, good point! That icon doesn't look like my iBook at all...

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    6. Re:new icon! by Cro+Magnon · · Score: 5, Funny

      They're working on the Gentoo icon. It's still compiling.

      --
      Slow down, cowboy! It has been 4 hours since you last posted. You must wait another few hours.
    7. Re:new icon! by darien · · Score: 1

      I've actually been gradually upgrading my PC over the past few years until now it finally looks like Windows XP's "My Computer" icon.

    8. Re:new icon! by timek · · Score: 1

      The average /. reader is an idiot. Half of /. readers are below average. Are you scared yet?

      Are these the same halves? or 2 different halves? Or is it that a /. reader-idiot still average or above?

    9. Re:new icon! by Master+Rux · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I know right. It's just a non-portable portable. I got a computer that's built into my keyboard and the monitor's even attatched. I'm not saying it's a bad idea what they're doing, but if you're looking for something like this why not just get a laptop? Same thing, but portable right? But seriously don't get me wrong on this one. I still think there's going to be a lot of people that are looking for just this very thing. Not very innovative, but definitely a good idea. Bravo for Apple. I'll probably never own one, but man they sure are cool.

      --
      IMO the best browser game ever http://wittyrpg.com
    10. Re:new icon! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It is already done.

    11. Re:new icon! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      I'm not saying it's a bad idea what they're doing, but if you're looking for something like this why not just get a laptop? Same thing, but portable right?

      Only problem is, there aren't any G5 Powerbooks or iBooks yet!

    12. Re:new icon! by JeffTL · · Score: 1

      About the time they dump the 500 set for the telecom icon, the magnetic tape for storage, and the first-gen iPod for them all. And I think there are a few other anachronisms in the /. icon system...some intentional, some not.

  2. The inside layout is far better for an all-in-one. by danamania · · Score: 5, Informative

    Here is a larger view of the inside of the machine. It's one hell of a lot more accessible than the last imac (or any of the imacs to date, for that matter).

    Reminds me of the layout of my favourite pizzabox machines - just standing up :)

  3. new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's a pretty rad computer considering what it is.

    Cue all the comments about 5200 geforce not being enough -- it's not meant for that.

    "They should have had a 2 gighz in there " - that would eat into the market above it.

    It is for offices and for homes -

    The criticisms are:

    If you are going to make it like a TV... they should have gone all the way and put a TV tuner in there - this is the killer app to beat microsoft on and to complete the iLife suite. An Apple (with all the associated easiness) TV center with maybe a grey one for corporate use with no TV.

    The other critcism is that they should have a place in their product line for a headless box, so that all the hackers can get their grubby paws onto it and innovate on OSX - but really that constitutes competition with their other product lines, and constitutes competition with their own software so they won't do it.

    They are family centric, gamers (yeah yeah, apple gamers, oxymoron, kekeke) can up the ante to a dual g5...so the only criticism left is that there aren't many good (I know there are options, but not outstanding ones) TV tuner /application bundles for the mac.

    I hope I've cleared up alot of the "OMG only a 5200 nvidia" bullshit here - that's not it's purpose. But if it's purpose is that lazy kind of home desktop, it should have TV. But perhaps apple is thinking ahead to a TCPIP broadband world and a movie service along the lines of iTunes (pixar distribution channel anyone?) - it does leave a gap in their product line though.

    Oh, and as slashdot still hasn't posted this story I'll add the "Looks like they were trying to get the g5 into a tablet/laptop but didn't quite make it" joke, which goes hand in hand with the "omg no g5 laptops yet". Slashdot is so predictable.

    Sidenote - IBM should bring out said headless box, black alu case like the NeXT with a single G5 in it clocked a 2gighz and a 100% linux compat mobo.... That would soon become a cult item I imagine - but apple would have a fit because it would encorage all the unix geeks on their platform to swap and it would encorage a strong user base of a ppc linux to get going. So, like I say, not going to happen. Actually, can someone enlighten the thread as to who *owns* the G5? Could IBM do this?

    speculation/discourse.... check

    questioning of realworld performance combined with gamer
    joke...... check

    omg look the graphs on game performance have no scale.... check..stfu you are boring me....

    g5 hotness jokes..... check

    256 mem ram not enough.... check

    wistfully wanting some other company to release a headless apple because apple won't.... check

    questioning of apple users sexual preferences.... check

    raise question of one buttoned mouse..... maybe they have a one buttoned mouse by default because it forces their app/UI designers to be creative - let those that want two buttons have them... but let all apps be designed with only one in mind (remember that gnome desktop designers who are hiding everything and anying, even if it should be there - although I don't mind spatial atm, I can see it going too far). Let us hear the end of the one buttoned mouse whinging.......

    and wait for it...."I don't want to start a holy war here, but what is the deal with you Mac fanatics? I've been sitting here at my freelance gig in front of one of the new iMacs (a 1.6gighz G5 w/256 Megs of RAM) for about 20 minutes now while it attempts to copy a 17 Meg file from one folder on the hard drive to another folder. 20 minutes. At home, on my Pentium Pro 200 running NT 4, which by all standards should be a lot slower than this Mac, the same operation would take about 2 minutes. If that."

    exhausting most of the pointless cliched bullshit in a slashdot thread before it's begun.... priceless^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hprofit!!!

    and hell, and I don't even own a fucking apple.

    1. Re:new imac by squiggleslash · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The 256Mb of RAM is my major beef with the machine (not that I particularly like the pricing either.) OS X really needs much more than that to run smoothly running anything but the most trivial applications. Even "modern" games have problems in half a gig.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    2. Re:new imac by sammaffei · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I agree with the TV tuner lacking quip.

      I mean, Apple advertises it as being widscreen (almost 16:9). So, why don't they go the extra step to put a tuner and video inputs (S-Video and Component).

      If this thing had that, I could ditch my 17" LCD TV.

      --

      Political correctness is the newest form of slavery.

    3. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      It's a pretty rad computer considering what it is.
      What it is: laptop - keyboard + stand. I guess I don't see what makes it such a big deal.

    4. Re:new imac by DigitumDei · · Score: 1

      About that laptop comment.

      Really, they have taken a laptop, removed the keyboard and touch pad and given it a stand. When you think of it this way, one really does have to ask the questions, "Why the hell hasn't this been done to death already?". :P

    5. Re:new imac by Lord+Kano · · Score: 1

      If you are going to make it like a TV... they should have gone all the way and put a TV tuner in there - this is the killer app to beat microsoft on and to complete the iLife suite. An Apple (with all the associated easiness) TV center with maybe a grey one for corporate use with no TV.

      Yep. We all know how well the Mac TV sold.

      Sidenote - IBM should bring out said headless box, black alu case like the NeXT with a single G5 in it clocked a 2gighz and a 100% linux compat mobo.... That would soon become a cult item I imagine - but apple would have a fit because it would encorage all the unix geeks on their platform to swap and it would encorage a strong user base of a ppc linux to get going. So, like I say, not going to happen. Actually, can someone enlighten the thread as to who *owns* the G5? Could IBM do this?

      I'd even be happy to be able to buy a generic ATX board with a G3 on it.

      It wouldn't be a lost sale to Apple, because I'm never buying new Apple hardware again.

      LK

      --
      "Hi. This is my friend, Jack Shit, and you don't know him." - Lord Kano
    6. Re:new imac by thewiz · · Score: 1

      Sidenote - IBM should bring out said headless box, black alu case like the NeXT with a single G5 in it clocked a 2gighz and a 100% linux compat mobo.... That would soon become a cult item I imagine - but apple would have a fit because it would encorage all the unix geeks on their platform to swap and it would encorage a strong user base of a ppc linux to get going. So, like I say, not going to happen. Actually, can someone enlighten the thread as to who *owns* the G5? Could IBM do this?

      Motorola, IBM, Apple
      All three of these companies participated in the development of the original PowerPC series of CPUs based on the technology for IBM's POWER series of RISC CPUs. IBM is the primary manufacturer of the CPUs with Motorola making some for industrial purposes. Apple buys it's CPUs from IBM. There has even been speculation that we'll see the G5 CPUs in low to midrange pSeries workstations in the near future.

      You can find out more about the history of the PowerPC CPUs here: http://arstechnica.com/cpu/004/ppc-1/ppc-1-1.html

      --
      If "disco" means "I learn" in Latin, does "discothèque" mean "I learn technology"?
    7. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It wouldn't be a lost sale to Apple, because I'm never buying new Apple hardware again.

      Yeah, I'm sure they really care.

    8. Re:new imac by Paulrothrock · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Tip: Buy after-Market RAM at LOW LOW PRICES!

      --
      I'm in the hole of the broadband donut.
    9. Re:new imac by Matthias+Wiesmann · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Really, they have taken a laptop, removed the keyboard and touch pad and given it a stand.
      If you a look at the inside of the machine, you will notice that while it is a compact design it is much thicker than a normal laptop mother board, the hard-drive is also a 3 inch model and the power-supply is included in the box. The design is much closer to a pizza-box design as a laptop design. There have been other models done in this way (like for instance the 20th anniversary Mac.
      When you think of it this way, one really does have to ask the questions, "Why the hell hasn't this been done to death already?". :P
      Extensibility, this kind of design means that the machine will not be extensible, no PCI slots, no possibility of changing the video card, in short most of the drawbacks of the laptop design.
    10. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "If you are going to make it like a TV... they should have gone all the way and put a TV tuner in there"

      Nice idea, but in the UK at least that would make the machine 'capable of receiving and/or recording television broadcasts' (BBC ones to be precise) and so would require a TV license to legally operate the tuner. This requirement might put people off purchasing. Actually, in the UK they ask for ID when you buy a TV, do they also ask when you buy a seperate/integrated tuner card? I'm not too sure myself on this.

    11. Re:new imac by squiggleslash · · Score: 3, Insightful
      It's kind of funny. It's expensive because it's an AIO, but it's not really an AIO, because it doesn't come with enough RAM, so it's a safe bet that the first thing a buyer will have to do is buy some. Either that, or the buyer will assume Macs are slow and underpowered, that they can't play perfectly ordinary games, let alone do at any reasonable speed the big multimedia operations the machine is sold to do, and will switch to Windows for their next machine.

      And the kicker is "AIO" actually ought to be cheaper. You're sacrificing expandability for an everything-in-one-unit design, and that design ought to mean cost savings (cases, bulk buying/guaranteed all unit sales, etc) for the manufacturer. But it isn't.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    12. Re:new imac by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      Strange. IBM doesn't even offer a 970 based workstation. They do offer a dual processor 970 blade.

      It's $2700.

      Ah. Here we are. POWER based workstations.

      An "economy" workstation, with one 1.0 GHz Power4+ CPU runs $5,941.00. I'm not sure if it even runs Linux. You may have to make do with AIX 5L.

    13. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have one gig in my new PowerBook 15" (80Gig 5200RPM HD, 128MegATI), and I find that many apps still choke for a second when I click a button or something. It's a noticeable "hang time" I didn't expect....

      I thought one gig would be enough but I think OS X eats WAY more RAM than advertised. I'm buying a second gig, even though I'm dual-booting Debian, which is fast as hell on the same hardware (Gnome WM).

    14. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why the hell hasn't this been done to death already?

      Because it hasn't been done by Apple until now. This is the type of thing that nobody wants...unless it comes from Apple, in which case that somehow makes it the holy grail.

    15. Re:new imac by beegle · · Score: 1

      There is such a thing as a firewire TV tuner.

      --
      --
    16. Re:new imac by Twirlip+of+the+Mists · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Priced a new TV lately? The manufacturers are opting out of including tuners in most cases, because for a lot of customers a built-in ATSC tuner would be a waste of money. Those folks get their programming via a cable TV or satellite set-top box.

      Apple couldn't include just an analog tuner. That would be a terrible idea. We're already in the second half of 2004; analog tuners will be junk in less than 30 months, well within the life-span of a computer like this.

      --

      I write in my journal
    17. Re:new imac by Bunji+X · · Score: 5, Funny

      Cue all the comments about 5200 geforce not being enough -- it's not meant for that.

      From Apple's iMac G5 pages.

      The iMac G5 offers formidable built-in graphics capabilities. Like, for instance, the gorgeous widescreen display. Mac OS X version 10.3 "Panther," provides you with the world's most advanced -- and most graphics-savvy -- operating system. And then there's the NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra graphics processor with 64MB of DDR SDRAM. It's a combination that delivers unparalleled 2D and 3D graphics performance and an immersive, photorealistic gaming experience with three times the frame rate of previous-generation processors.

      Ok, it is not a gaming box, but... Unparalleled 2D and 3D graphics performance with a GFFX 5200? That would be the day!

      --
      ---
      The combined human population is enough to feed every living tiger for app. 28000 years.
    18. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Get yourself some more coffee... you've earned it.

    19. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I actually think it is funny that Apple sells these new metal iMacs with the old clear keyboard and mouse. You think they would have a matching package by now.

    20. Re:new imac by bhima · · Score: 1
      Because IBM is making blade servers I bet they, legally, could make such a device but not a 'G5' but a 'PPC970FX' and probably not OS X compatible and Probably painfully ugly compared to the Apple, NeXT and Cobalt cubes. Have you ever seen a stylish IBM computer that doesn't take up an entire room?

      Oh... and you right it would be a cult hit...I would buy it just because I already own the other three.

      oops, I think I just admitted to being a Mac zealot...I'm not, I'm a vi zealot

      On some other points: You're spot on with the TV tuner, it should be a build to order option.

      Shame that apple didn't use a MXM (Mobile PCI Express Module) bus, at least then they could offer some faster cards later on to the Mac gamers in the world.

      --
      Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
    21. Re:new imac by flaming-opus · · Score: 1

      They should at least come out with an apple branded (rebranded) USB tv tuner. They are available on PCs, but not on the mac. I think it would be a great $50-70 add-on option.

      That said, this thing really should have wifi and bluetooth by default. These aren't new/experimental technologies anymore.

    22. Re:new imac by Anonymous+Writer · · Score: 1

      The EyeTV 500 is another TV tuner for the Mac from Elgato. Elgato.com seems to be down at the moment, so I can't check out their site. I think they have more than one version- I think there's one for terrestrial broadcast, and another for satellite.

    23. Re:new imac by sammy+baby · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Base 20-inch iMac, with 256 megs of RAM: $1899.

      20-inch Apple Cinema Display: $1299.

      From where I'm standing, it sounds like you're valuing the non-display parts of the iMac at $600 or less. Plenty of folks think Apple's stuff is overpriced, but that's pushing it a little bit, I think.

    24. Re:new imac by Harmfulfreeradical · · Score: 1

      Hell, you haven't cleared out anything. Arguments still stand because you never answered them. I've got Mac fanatics at work who want this more than their G5 because it looks good. Wake up: real world performance IS gamer performance. If it performs in a game, it performs everywhere. Chances are, if it DOESN'T perform in a game, it probably won't anywhere. And question: how do YOU know it's purpose? Macs are Macs, you got a lot of money, you buy expensive machine, you got no money, you buy cheap iMac. Simple. At the end of the day, all Macs are supposedly created equal. With a 5200 graphics card, I'd say the iMac is about 3 years behind. Yup, 256Mb RAM isn't enough. What can you answer with to that? So, "uncheck" please. And G5 hotness is not a joke. If you know anything about the laws of thermodynamics, which - surprise, surprise, still apply to Macs, you'd know that laptops are plagued with heat problems, hence the Celeron. I wonder which corners Apple had to cut to get this thing in production. So "uncheck" there as well. The rest of your 'retorts'? Non-existent. P.S. I run an AMD box at home, and have to put up with a Mac in the office. Been like this for 4 years now, and I think Macs are a fancy fashion statement.

      --
      Don't worry: your brain will eventually work inspite of you.
    25. Re:new imac by benzapp · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Well, why not include video inputs?

      Also, TV tuners are dirt cheap. What's $20 on a machine like that?

      --
      I don't read or respond to AC posts
    26. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      I'd even be happy to be able to buy a generic ATX board with a G3 on it.


      These exist. Have a look at the AmigaOne/Teron or the Pegasos. They're available with G4s too.
    27. Re:new imac by NDPTAL85 · · Score: 1

      No let us NOT hear the end of one button mouse whinning. Why should anyone have to be "one button" creative? For what purpose? 95% of the computers in the world have two button mice. Its never going to be something people get used to.

      --
      Mac OS X and Windows XP working side by side to fight back the night.
    28. Re:new imac by Southpaw018 · · Score: 1

      And it's upgradable to 512, 1 gig or 2 gigs easily in the store. Not really a big deal. Dell and Gateway are both the same way.

      --
      ACs are modded -6. I don't read you, I don't mod you, I don't see you. Don't like it? Don't be a coward.
    29. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      questioning of apple users sexual preferences.... check

      I don't think anyone questions "Apple User's Sexual Preferences" -- it's an indiputable fact!

    30. Re:new imac by pocomoonshiine · · Score: 1

      agreed. Its just a non-portable G5 iBook. Unfortunately it has the iBook's cheesy plastic-y-ness. If it were a bigger brother to the iPod it would be chrome in the back. And being thin and freestanding the back is important. I see a lot of people saying its priced reasonably. Now, I often come to the defense of Apple's pricing - you get what you pay for and all that- but this just does not have "it". Those clever Apple marketers have convinced me to spring for the G5 cheese grater after all.

    31. Re:new imac by HitByASquirrel · · Score: 1

      Apple might be planning an AirPort Express 2 with a TV Tuner, then they could make another iLife App and you could broadcast TV to all your computers wirelessly.

    32. Re:new imac by squiggleslash · · Score: 1
      There are three iMacs announced today, and only one has that particular spec.

      The other two have 17" displays. I priced up IBM (yes, IBM, evil expensive IBM) hardware roughly matching the spec (but not an AIO) here. So, yeah, the top-of-the-line iMac might be semi-reasonable value, but I don't think any of the others are.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    33. Re:new imac by blackest_k · · Score: 1

      Yes a TV Card could have been nice to include.

      With USB there are things like adaptec's Videoh (which is an MpegII hardware encoder with an analogue TV tuner and composite Tv and Svideo ports).

      Right now Adaptec don't support the MAC but there is no reason why they shouldnt later it's the software which is missing. (if they would only open up the API for this device they would sell to linux and Mac users too)

      The new G5 looks to be something which will sit comfortably in anybodys living room. Although if I had one I could see either lots of cables running off it or maybe a wireless 54g network card linking it to a fileserver somewhere else.

    34. Re:new imac by nfsilkey · · Score: 1

      Apple? Games? Oh yeah

    35. Re:new imac by general_re · · Score: 1
      What it is: laptop - keyboard + stand. I guess I don't see what makes it such a big deal.

      Pretty much. You get all the disadvantages of a laptop - no expandability, comparatively underpowered - with none of the advantages like portability and mobility. You could get pretty much the same effect by taking the battery out of a Powerbook and chaining it to your desk.

      --
      ABSURDITY, n.: A statement or belief manifestly inconsistent with one's own opinion.
    36. Re:new imac by dasmegabyte · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Apple explains the one mouse button in its HI Guidelines. The idea is simple: there are people who can only use one mouse button, for reasons of disability or what have you. Coding for one mouse button allows you to avoid having to program especially for these people, while allowing those who want a second mouse button to use it however they like. You don't lose any functionality, because you can just modify mouse drags and clicks with meta kets. Four meta keys = 4 additional actions by a single meta and a further 6 actions adding two meta keys. Ctrl-Click is generally used to pull down context menus a-la Windows, and this is the default functionality of the second mouse button.

      Apple does not ship computers with more than one mouse button mostly because of this philosophical choice, but partly because doing so would give developers justification to require the use of more than one mouse button for their target market.

      Incidentally, I hadn't realized how confusing the two button paradigm was until I got a mac and tried to learn Blender. Blender is a mess of multiple mouse clicks, metas, rolls, etc. It's a good program, but you really need the tutorial before you can even figure out where you are. This isn't good design...an interface that does not lend itself to exploration will go unexplored, and you might as well write for the command line at that point.

      --
      Hey freaks: now you're ju
    37. Re:new imac by DarkSarin · · Score: 1

      Actually, since ram is so cheap, the only thing that I question is the price of the proc and the mobo. I really think that everything else (RAM, vid, cd) can be had really cheap (figure ~$50 for vid (yes that's about right for a 5200, less at the price apple surely pays), ~$75 for RAM (expensive at that price too), and ~$75 for the cd/dvd (since burners are easily available for less to the consumer)).

      I am guessing $200 for all parts save the mobo and cpu is actually quite a bit more than apple really pays (since I can get all the aforementioned parts at that price). $400 for the mobo and cpu is quite a bit, and I seriously doubt that it costs apple anywhere near that amount (probably closer to half that). Factor into that the fact that aplle very likely makes a sizeable profit on the cinema display, and yes, you are paying a premium for the machine.

      Would I pay it? Absolutely. I don't have the cash, but if I did, I wouldn't hesitate a bit. Even knowing that there is a markup for the machine. And no, I don't have a mac right now. I have a home-brew AMD 3200+ (XP) machine that dual boots winxp pro and gentoo linux. I am happy with this machine, but I can understand why macs are appealing, and I would like to have one. What I don't like is the way that pc freaks so often bash the mac, and the macoids bash the pc. Both have merits unique to them.

      --
      "We don't know what we are doing, but we are doing it very carefully,..." Wherry, R.J. Personnel Psychology (1995)
    38. Re:new imac by zbaron · · Score: 1

      They should at least come out with an apple branded (rebranded) USB tv tuner. They are available on PCs, but not on the mac. I think it would be a great $50-70 add-on option.
      Ow! You seem to be thinking like a PC user there, we have Firewire ports which are just so much better for video.

    39. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...which is meaningless. The baseline iMacs come with 256Mb of RAM. So you have to upgrade them, if you want a computer most users would consider usable, before you even leave the store.

    40. Re:new imac by sammy+baby · · Score: 1

      Convenient that you're limiting the discussion to a display size that Apple has discontinued outside of the iMac line. However:

      1.8 gig, 17 inch iMac: $1500.

      Now discontinued 17 inch studio display: about $700.

      An $800 difference in price. Certainly more signifigant, but vendors are trying to dump this model, so the prices are artificially low.

    41. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually its pretty impressive.

      You don't have to work on an annoying laptop keyboard. Along with this, because the keyboard isn't mounted to the base you can sit closer to the monitor.
      This form factor is absolutely amazing. My only issue with it is how long will it work due to heat.

    42. Re:new imac by Twirlip+of+the+Mists · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Well, why not include video inputs?

      Because it's not a monitor. It's a computer.

      Also, TV tuners are dirt cheap. What's $20 on a machine like that?

      ATSC tuners cost considerably more than $20. But aside from that, what's $20? It's a $1319 computer instead of a $1299 computer.

      --

      I write in my journal
    43. Re:new imac by Derang() · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Yep. We all know how well the Mac TV [everymac.com] sold.

      Ah yes, because a computer that was last sold 9 years ago is a good indicator of what the market is like today.

    44. Re:new imac by ThatsNotFunny · · Score: 1

      Unparalleled 2D and 3D graphics performance with a GFFX 5200? That would be the day!

      And that day would be sometime two or three years ago...

      --
      "Was it a millionaire who said 'Imagine No Posessions?'" -- Elvis Costello
    45. Re:new imac by lee7guy · · Score: 1

      As Chris Woods pointed out at OSNews comments, it is more like a remake of the Howie computer made by an UK company called Redten.

      --
      Ceterum censeo Microsoftem esse delendam
    46. Re:new imac by Bricklets · · Score: 2, Insightful

      This thing looks like a pizza box. Well, why didn't Apple include pizzas with it!? Sarcasmn aside, if the iPod taught us anything it's that we don't always have to pack in every possible feature out there, that sometimes less is more.

      --
      Little Bricklets
    47. Re:new imac by Golias · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I've always said that the iMacs/eMacs are the ultimate dorm room computers, especially when paired with a TV tuner. Set it on your desk, position the desk so you can see the screen from anywhere in the room, and you've got all of your school and entertainment needs in one little box, leaving you plenty of space for a full-size hand-me-down refrigerator. I wish they had em' back when I was in college. My TV and stereo dominated the room, while my poor 8086 just slouched in the corner whenever I wasn't actually working and/or BBS-ing on it.

      --

      Information wants to be anthropomorphized.

    48. Re:new imac by CarrionBird · · Score: 1
      "Cue all the comments about 5200 geforce not being enough -- it's not meant for that..." ... "It is for offices and for homes"

      ??? Does not compute. If it's specifily for homes, which it is, then gaming is in at least the top 3 uses for it. Who do you think buys all those games, corporate users?

      5200 is oddly low end for a system that can't have it's video upgraded. 5700s are already low end, they barely play D3 (if you overclock it) and likely won't play HL2 in a playable state at all.
      --
      Free Mac Mini Yeah, it's
    49. Re:new imac by KirkH · · Score: 1

      HDD? Case? Custom cooling? Way custom MB (Bluetooth, etc)? You're leaving some stuff out.

      Price up a system based around the latest Shuttle case/mobo/cooling and that'll put you in the ballpark, I think. From my pricings over the past few months, that shuttle system will be $500 to $700 with a mid-range CPU, 512MB DDR, a cheap to middling vid card, and NO optical drive (I was planning on recycling an old one) -- so add a DVD+/-RW to the price ($75). And you still have to add a nice flat screen.

    50. Re:new imac by mrchaotica · · Score: 1
      What I don't like is the way that pc freaks so often bash the mac, and the macoids bash the pc.
      In my experience, most macoids are bashing Windows and Intel (for high-clocked CPUs), not PCs in general.
      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    51. Re:new imac by jbolden · · Score: 1

      Sidenote - IBM should bring out said headless box, black alu case like the NeXT with a single G5 in it clocked a 2gighz and a 100% linux compat mobo.... That would soon become a cult item I imagine - but apple would have a fit because it would encorage all the unix geeks on their platform to swap and it would encorage a strong user base of a ppc linux to get going. So, like I say, not going to happen. Actually, can someone enlighten the thread as to who *owns* the G5? Could IBM do this?

      Yes they could. The problem is it wouldn't run Mac apps. Apple like Sun uses a Forth environment which loads from hardware, essentially a really souped BIOS. That stuff is all copyrighted to Apple and IBM doesn't have access to it.

    52. Re:new imac by gamgee5273 · · Score: 2, Interesting
      I'm of two thoughts on this:

      1) I'm writing this on my brand-new PowerBook 15, using a wireless MS keyboard and mouse. Why? because I like the lack of cables across my desktop, the suite was cheap after a rebate, and I feel the need for a two-button mouse. I use the right mouse button and the scroll wheel on a regular basis. No, I do not need additional buttons beyond the two. But, that's me personally.

      2) I run a help desk with 40,000 folks to support. Very few know what the right mouse button is for. They know it's there. They know Apple mice are missing a button, but they don't know why that button might be important! I suspect the vast majority of people would be fine with one button since that's all they really know how to use...

    53. Re:new imac by LookSharp · · Score: 1

      Cue all the comments about 5200 geforce not being enough -- it's not meant for that.

      They are advertising it as great for running games such as Doom III.

      Granted we have not seen the OS X port of Doom III. However, Doom III is the most graphics-intensive game yet released. CPU does very little to drive performance in Doom III. The GeForce FX 5200 with 64 megs of videom memory, on a machine with 256 megs of system RAM, is going to do quite poorly, when you consider that my Athlon 3200 with a gig of RAM and a GeForce FX 5600/256 meg vid card pushes around 18 frames per second at 1024x768.

      If you upgrade the RAM to 512, I am going to wager you can play Doom III on an iMac G5 at 640x480 emulated resolution, low quality. It won't look "unplayable," but it ain't gonna look like a G5 tower with a gig of RAM and a GeForce 6800, that's for damn sure.

      And let me tell you, having just completed the game, the single-player experience is ALL ABOUT GRAPHICS QUALITY

    54. Re:new imac by IamTheRealMike · · Score: 2, Insightful
      For the general case I'd agree, but Blender and similar apps are designed to be powerful first, easy to use second. For instance, emacs could also be described as a mess of keyboard shortcuts, mouse clicks etc - it actually assumes you have a 3 button mouse!

      Yet, once you learn it, it is a very usable app that does promote exploration via its extensive online help, apropos command and so on.

      For the types of non-technical market the Mac traditionally targetted yes a one button mouse may have made sense (if you ignore all the people now used to it), but that doesn't mean it makes sense for everybody.

    55. Re:new imac by LookSharp · · Score: 1

      Apple couldn't include just an analog tuner. That would be a terrible idea. We're already in the second half of 2004; analog tuners will be junk in less than 30 months, well within the life-span of a computer like this.

      Hahaha that's what I thought when I built my first PVR PC... ...in 2000!

      Guess what, analog tuner will be junk in less than 30 months in the same way as (I deleted the analogy because it would be undoubtedly be modded offtopic and flamebait. Use your imagination? :)

    56. Re:new imac by sharkey · · Score: 1
      The 256Mb of RAM is my major beef with the machine

      No kidding. 32 megabytes is pretty low by today's standards.

      --

      --
      "Outlook not so good." That magic 8-ball knows everything! I'll ask about Exchange Server next.
    57. Re:new imac by EvilTwinSkippy · · Score: 1
      Actually the Xserves are headless. I have 3 in the basement I'm slowly migrating our network functions over to. Pretty sweet suite of tools they give you to manage the puppies, and it's got a DB9 serial connector on the back.

      Can you say TTY!

      --
      "Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
      --Dr.W.Edwards Deming
    58. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      >>analog tuners will be junk in less than 30 months

      That's what they said in 1998 too..

      "Within a couple of years everyone will get the TV via teh Fiber Optical Broadband, you don't need a stinkin tuner"

    59. Re:new imac by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      You know, they say a GeForce 3 Ti will play Doom 3...

      (I'll find out soon enough; I have a GeForce 3 Ti 500 and I'll eventually get Doom 3 -- before I upgrade)

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    60. Re:new imac by poot_rootbeer · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Priced a new TV lately?

      Yeah, the 15" model they sell at the supermarket. It has a tuner built in. Most low-end and midrange models do, and will for the foreseeable future.

      We're already in the second half of 2004; analog tuners will be junk in less than 30 months

      Unlikely. Despite any FCC mandates which state we'll be all-digital in 2006, it just flat-out Ain't Gonna Happen. Even with ten years of advance notice, the manufacturers are still far from switching all their production to HDTV -- because there simply isn't any consumer demand for it outside of the home-videophile market.

      My only point is that a TV tuner would have cost Apple maybe $40 per unit to integrate into the device and would have been useful for several years at least. But I can't complain really, for one because the G5 iMac is a beautiful machine otherwise, and for two because I have no plans to buy one either way.

    61. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sounds to me like you're overvaluing the lcd screen... $350 for the 17" and $700 for the 20" is current retail value.

    62. Re:new imac by Twirlip+of+the+Mists · · Score: 1

      Guess what, analog tuner will be junk in less than 30 months in the same way as...

      Um. Dude? On January 1, 2007, all the analog TV transmitters in the United States will be turned off permanently. The FCC is reallocating the spectrum they use.

      So yeah, analog tuners are literally going to be junk in less than 30 months. Because there will be no transmissions out there for them to receive.

      --

      I write in my journal
    63. Re:new imac by Twirlip+of+the+Mists · · Score: 1

      Even with ten years of advance notice, the manufacturers are still far from switching all their production to HDTV

      Wha? Which are you talking about? Manufacturers of televisions or television production?

      Try to find a medium-sized or larger TV that's not HD-ready. Dare ya. Oh, you can do it, don't get me wrong, but you've gotta go lookin'. As for small TV's, those are NEVER gonna be HD-ready. There's no point. But they're all equipped to take a video input, which means they can be plugged into a set-top box. Which is all that's required.

      TV production has been all-HD for years now, with a few exceptions like local news and reality TV. Hell, scripted TV was all shot on film anyway, so switching it over to HD was nothin'. And since digital SD can be converted to HD so easily, all the SD production is HD-ready too.

      Every metro area in the United States--that is, every concentration of 5,000 people or more--is covered by at least one HD terrestrial station. And all the satellite providers are ready to go all-HD (they're digital already; they just needed to tool up to carry the full-bandwidth 1080i channels). Ditto the cable companies.

      HD is here already. All they need to do is flip the switch.

      My only point is that a TV tuner would have cost Apple maybe $40 per unit to integrate into the device

      What would they leave out to accommodate it? The iMac G5 isn't exactly chock full of empty space, you know. And how would you suggest they affix an antenna? Stick-on rabbit ears?

      and would have been useful for several years at least.

      For two years and four months exactly. Not "several years at least."

      But I can't complain really

      And yet here we are.

      --

      I write in my journal
    64. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "It's a pretty rad computer considering what it is."

      rad?
      Screech from Saved by the Bell called. He wants his '80s cliché back.

    65. Re:new imac by bluekanoodle · · Score: 1

      Even 35 0 for a 17 inch is a bit on the low side. If it's a decent 17 inch screen, not some off brand crap at tigerdirect, a decent 17 still costz around 450 to 500

    66. Re:new imac by MarcQuadra · · Score: 1

      I don't think the 'lack of upgradeability' is a drawback. A typical PC gets three or four years out in the field before it costs too much to fix than it's worth. Do you really think it would make a difference to most people if they can jack-up their video card?

      I repair and upgrade Macs and PCs for a living, and have for almost a decade, and I've only done video card upgrades three or four times if the card was right from the get-go. It's not like I'll pop the top off one of these in three years and say 'that's your problem, an nVidia card, their stuff was all crap!'.

      BTW, a friend just bought a consumer-line Dell tower and it's got Intel ICH graphics and the AGP slot wasn't installed, so there's no way to upgrade that video either, and it won't even play Deer Hunter 2004 on the ICH.

      --
      "Sometimes, I think Trent just needs a cup of hot chocolate and a blankie." -Tori Amos on Nine Inch Nails
    67. Re:new imac by The+Woodworker · · Score: 1

      Ok, it is not a gaming box, but... Unparalleled 2D and 3D graphics performance with a GFFX 5200? That would be the day!

      They're right! I've done a study on graphics for the Apple and Windows gamer markets. When a best-fit line is matched to the time vs. graphics power curves, the slope of the Apple line is 38 degrees, while the slope of the Windows line is 43 degrees. So they aren't parallel.

      --
      Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Teach him to fish and he'll wipe out the species.
    68. Re:new imac by Graff · · Score: 1
      If you are going to make it like a TV... they should have gone all the way and put a TV tuner in there - this is the killer app to beat microsoft on and to complete the iLife suite. An Apple (with all the associated easiness) TV center with maybe a grey one for corporate use with no TV.

      It looks to me like things are already pretty tight in there. Putting a TV tuner and connecters in there might not have been realistically possible due to space considerations. Not only that but it would also add to the already borderline-high cost. Plus that's one more component in an already-crowded set of connectors, the iMac is supposed to a simple consumer-level machine - not a pro level do-everything machine.

      However, it is very simple to add this functionality to an iMac. Elgato Systems makes USB and Firewire devices that act as TV tuners, PVRs and analog-to-digital converters. They are very sharp, have great support, and the software works well. So anyone who wants to use their iMac as a TV only have to find the appropriate product model, buy it, and plug it in.

      Yeah, more features are great to have in a computer but in this case Apple goes for the most flexibility by not bundling a TV tuner into the iMac.
    69. Re:new imac by Eccles · · Score: 1

      How many laptops have 20" displays?

      Also, Apple laptops do not have G5s yet, so this thing seriously outperforms even the best Apple laptop, at a substantially lower cost.

      --
      Ooh, a sarcasm detector. Oh, that's a real useful invention.
    70. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      unparalleled 2D and 3D graphics performance

      Maybe by "unparalleled" they mean that when you use their piss-poor slow graphics card, you feel as though you're on a serial connection.

    71. Re:new imac by nonesposed · · Score: 1

      What? You mean like _every_ other iMac? That's crazy, that's insane... oh wait; no, it makes perfect sense. Get a G5 if you're so bloody concerned. Booya

    72. Re:new imac by Asic+Eng · · Score: 1
      The idea is simple: there are people who can only use one mouse button, for reasons of disability or what have you. Coding for one mouse button allows you to avoid having to program especially for these people, while allowing those who want a second mouse button to use it however they like.

      I don't think that's a particularly good argument. I mean there are people who can't use mice at all, since they don't have hands, so everything could be coded for speech recognition, and people with hands could configure their mouse appropriately. Or there are people who are blind, so everything should be coded for keyboard use and without graphics. People who can see could configure their mouse to do cut&paste.

      I can imagine that there could be good reasons for using one-button mice, but I don't think this is one of them.

    73. Re:new imac by n3k5 · · Score: 1
      Incidentally, I hadn't realized how confusing the two button paradigm was until I got a mac and tried to learn Blender. Blender is a mess of multiple mouse clicks, metas, rolls, etc.
      In other words, you never ever found having two mouse buttons confusing, except when you used a program with one of the worst, least newbie-friendly, in short: confusing user interfaces ever.
      Ctrl-Click is generally used to pull down context menus a-la Windows, and this is the default functionality of the second mouse button.
      So for those who do want to use the right mouse button, they can have it emulate ctrl-click. This is in no way better than having ctrl-click emulate the right mouse button for users who don't want to use it. It is a good idea to encourage designers to use modified clicks sparingly, but it doesn't make a difference if the modification is done by using an altenate button or a meta key on the keyboard. Users who can only operate pointing devices with a single 'button' usually can't use a standard keyboard at all.
      --
      but what do i know, i'm just a model.
    74. Re:new imac by phillyclaude · · Score: 1

      there are different tv standards for different countries(pal/ntsc). they would need different imacs for different standards. too much confusion

      --
      A computer without a Microsoft operating system is like a dog without bricks tied to its head
    75. Re:new imac by Random832 · · Score: 2, Informative

      They can still receive analog cable tv [i mean, half the cable UHF spectrum is reallocated _now_ (as in "was done in the past") - they moved the top channel down from 83 to 69, and cable goes up to 125]

      --
      We've secretly replaced Slashdot with new Folgers Crystals - let's see if it notices.
    76. Re:new imac by vocaro · · Score: 1

      there are people who can only use one mouse button, for reasons of disability or what have you.

      These people can't handle two buttons on a mouse, but they have no problem with the 102 buttons on a keyboard? Seriously, I just don't understand this argument. You say that if a program requires a second mouse button, it's no problem because the OS can simulate it with a meta key. But then how are these people going to press the meta key and the mouse button if they can't even handle two mouse buttons to begin with? By omitting that second mouse button, all you've done is moved complexity from the mouse to the keyboard.

    77. Re:new imac by mduell · · Score: 1

      Its a lower quality screen than the Cinema Display.

    78. Re:new imac by dasmegabyte · · Score: 1

      These people can't handle two buttons on a mouse, but they have no problem with the 102 buttons on a keyboard? Seriously, I just don't understand this argument.

      Just because you don't understand it doesn't make it untrue. I learned how to program BASIC from a guy who had parkinsons and no fine motor control. He could not use a two button mouse, because all his fingers contracted at the same time, and when he typed he had to hunt and peck with a single finger. Even with his disability he was still a great programmer, because if he was gonna type something he had to make damned sure it was what he wanted to do. This is also why I am unimpressed with people who measure their code in lines per day.

      This was during the win 3.1 days, when it didn't matter so much -- nothing had context menus and the right button was mainly ornamental. But I can see where not being able to right click could kill the usability of a modern PC. A modern mac, on the other hand, does not have this problem.

      As for moving the complexity from the mouse to the keyboard: duh, of course that's what you're doing. But in doing so, you've eliminated a variable. You've also added the ability to modify the cursor before the action, and a lot of Mac developers program for this. A single variable plus visual cues makes it much easier for anybody -- including us clever-dick programmers -- to figure out and perform new functionality very quickly, which is the whole goal of the mac OS. Hence why every action you can perform has a corresponding menu item...it's an alternate execution workflow but also a keyboard command "cheat sheet."

      --
      Hey freaks: now you're ju
    79. Re:new imac by AHumbleOpinion · · Score: 1

      Really, they have taken a laptop, removed the keyboard and touch pad and given it a stand. When you think of it this way, one really does have to ask the questions, "Why the hell hasn't this been done to death already?

      It has, for six or seven years. Every iMac has been a laptop bundled with a "conventional" monitor, keyboard, and mouse. I use the word "conventional" very losely give the original puck mouse, and even the current oned to some degree.

    80. Re:new imac by LookSharp · · Score: 1

      ...and basic cable TV will be 100% digital by then?

      Even if it is, the set-top boxes wills till be putting out an RF signal that analog tuner can pick up.

      Nobody is talking about over-the-air transmission here, as far as I'm concerned. Oh, except you. :)

    81. Re:new imac by Aqua+OS+X · · Score: 1

      Because most people don't use that stuff. Market research tends to show that most people don't want to sit at, or look at, their desk to watch TV. They want a TV in front of a couch or at the foot of a bed. ...and you can always buy a 3rd party TV tuner for an iMac.

      --
      "Things are more moderner than before- bigger, and yet smaller- it's computers-- San Dimas High School football RULES!"
    82. Re:new imac by vocaro · · Score: 1

      Just because you don't understand it doesn't make it untrue.

      Relax; I never said it was untrue, I said I didn't understand it.

      He could not use a two button mouse, because all his fingers contracted at the same time, and when he typed he had to hunt and peck with a single finger.

      This still doesn't make sense. You say he can press keyboard keys with a single finger; he can press the single mouse button; what is so hard about one more button on the mouse? I mean, he has the ability to use a one-button mouse, so what is so hard about having his contracted fingers press the right side of the mouse instead of the center?

      Now, if he were having to press both buttons at the same time, or if the second mouse button were really tiny or something, I could understand, but usually this is not the case. The second mouse button is about the same size as the first, and it's typically only used for bringing up a context-sensitive menu, in which case you click the second mouse button once just as you would click the first one.

      A modern mac, on the other hand, does not have this problem.

      Now this is untrue. The Macintosh uses context menus now more than ever. Even the built-in Mac OS X apps (Mail, Text Edit, Finder, etc.) support them extensively.
    83. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      And by February 1, 2007, those transmitters will be turned back on again, following the deluge of irate calls to Congress and the FCC from the owners of millions of analog TVs that no longer pick up anything. I'm sure it'll happen eventually, but 2007 is a charmingly naive target date.

    84. Re:new imac by IncohereD · · Score: 1

      Um. Dude? On January 1, 2007, all the analog TV transmitters in the United States will be turned off permanently. The FCC is reallocating the spectrum they use.

      My question is doesn't HDTV broadcast use the same spectrum as analog TV broadcast?? How are they planning to reallocate, then?

    85. Re:new imac by IncohereD · · Score: 1

      What would they leave out to accommodate it? The iMac G5 isn't exactly chock full of empty space, you know. And how would you suggest they affix an antenna? Stick-on rabbit ears?

      As like 800 people have pointed out already, you don't need an antenna to get analog cable. Which is still cheaper than digital, although the gap is narrowing. They're giving students in my area a special deal to encourage the youngin's to switch, and forcing the issue by moving the channel that broadcasts ITV classes to digital cable only.

      Note that there is no antenna involved, however.

    86. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I would almost bet money that IBM and Apple have an agreement that Apple doesn't get into the high end workstation market, and IBM doesn't build desktop PowerPC systems.

    87. Re:new imac by ek_adam · · Score: 1

      A recent FCC regulation requires all cable companies to provide a Firewire-enabled cable box to any customer who asks. Macosxhints and avsforum have some pages on this and how to hook your Mac up to record TV (and even HDTV) with nothing but a Firewire cable, the set top box (or TV with firewire) and some free software.

      See this page or this page for more information.

    88. Re:new imac by dasmegabyte · · Score: 1

      You say he can press keyboard keys with a single finger; he can press the single mouse button; what is so hard about one more button on the mouse?

      Try it. The key to clicking a mouse is stability. If you just try to press the button with your finger, you'll cause the mouse to slide downwards, thus bringing it off target. I have seen folks with disabilities who have to hold the mouse with one hand while they click with the other, to prevent pressing the wrong button. Man, we have it easy when it comes to HID...any slight dificiency of motor control or vision and computers become a massive inconvenience...

      The Macintosh uses context menus now more than ever. Even the built-in Mac OS X apps (Mail, Text Edit, Finder, etc.) support them extensively.

      Oh, you didn't quite understand what I meant. YES, the mac has context menus, and has since OS 8.5. The difference between the mac and the PC is that anything in a context menu is also accessible via the main menu, or at least it's supposed to be -- it's one of the items stressed heavily in the HI Guidelines. There are a few exceptional features (like the menu on web links, which would be hard to include in the main menu with any real context since you don't SELECT web links), but nearly everything is in the main menu. The idea is that context menus are supposed to make functions easier, not to be the only means of operation. People have different paradigms of use, and the Mac tries hard to let them stick to THEIR WAY rather than learn some theoretical RIGHT WAY.

      --
      Hey freaks: now you're ju
    89. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ... elgato eyetv 200 to handle all tv needs ... check

    90. Re:new imac by dfj225 · · Score: 1

      Yes, unparalleled 2D and 3D graphics meaning that no other company parallels how slow the 3D performance will be! bada bing!

      --
      SIGFAULT
    91. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      If this thing had that, I could ditch my 17" LCD TV
      ... or if you add the Elgato Eyetv 200 you could ditch your 17" LCD TV

      Honestly, why don't people let peripherals do the tasks at which they shine? There are several TV solutions out there, I just advertised my fave. It's just like the damned mouse. Nobody has EVER made a built-in mouse that I wanted. I WANT to go out and get a Wacom Graphire so I don't want Apple wasting its time making a better mouse that I'll never use anyway.

      There are just certain things like analog-digital converters that work better as peripherals from the standpoint of competition, development cycles, personal taste. I bet you like these swiss-army-knife cellphones with lots of badly implemented features.

      One great thing about Apple is that they know when to stop. They know which ingredients to refrain from adding! That's more important and more difficult than knowing which features people want.
    92. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      *sigh*

      Not exactly like a laptop, yes laptops today are smaller and more compact. Its just that this ISN'T some miracle of minaturisation.

      I guess I wasn't at all clear what I was driving at. You see I'm sure that many people will buy this purely because they think its cool. Apple will more than likely make a fair sum of money off this. Yet, if you look at it really, its not like its a technological marvel, its good, but 5 years ago any given company could have done the same thing (with less power, but then it would have been competing with normal desktop pc's with less power than today).

      So I guess its once again up to apple to make something that is, well, something someone should have thought of and branded properly years ago, but didn't.

    93. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Try it. The key to clicking a mouse is stability. If you just try to press the button with your finger, you'll cause the mouse to slide downwards, thus bringing it off target. I have seen folks with disabilities who have to hold the mouse with one hand while they click with the other, to prevent pressing the wrong button. Man, we have it easy when it comes to HID...any slight dificiency of motor control or vision and computers become a massive inconvenience...

      This is just fucking inane. If that is such a big problem, then why the fuck is he using a mouse at all? Why isn't he using a trackball?

      A trackball with 50 buttons would be easier for the poor sod than a 1-button mouse.

    94. Re:new imac by dasmegabyte · · Score: 1

      Please do not kill the messenger. I am only reporting what I have seen over the course of the past 18 years using computers with people of all levels of ability, and because life does not always think before it exists, it sometimes does not make sense to the brilliant and anonymous cowards of slashdot.

      My mentor with Parkinsons taught ombudsman classes at a middle school. The middle school's budget had purchased a number of new Windows 3.1 machines, which had two button mice. This guy did not carry around a trackball, which would have been a wierd thing to lash to the side of a wheelchair, and if he had, he could not roll behind the computer, detach the mouse, attach the trackpad, and roll to the front every time he wanted to help us out. Sometimes the convenience of using public terminals outweighed the ease of us crowding around his laptop which did, indeed, have a trackball.

      The college I went to had a Students with Disabilities lab that I proctored on occasion. It chose mice over trackballs because a mouse is easier for many people to control than the small ball. They did have a large, Coleco style trackball on one station which, interestingly enough, only had one mouse button.

      Anyhow, I guess the point here is, Apple's one button philosophy is the easiest way to handle it, more buttons != superior functionality, and "News for Nerds" != "Information for people who think before posting."

      --
      Hey freaks: now you're ju
    95. Re:new imac by tupps · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Plus you need to build a different machine for each part of the world that has different standards.

      After that people will want cable and digital hookups etc etc etc. It easier to allow people to buy the firewire or usb tv tuners of choice.

      --
      Go out and get sailing!
    96. Re:new imac by RedWizzard · · Score: 1
      So you think it's a good idea to inconvenience the 99% of people who can handle an extra button to avoid writing a trival accessibility tool for the 1% of people who can't?

      How can having the extra button on the keyboard (in the form of meta keys), and therefore requiring the use of two hands be better than having the extra button on the mouse? The one-button adherents have never given me a convincing explanation.

    97. Re:new imac by bgspence · · Score: 1

      I've always liked the extra flexability offered by two buttons.

      With any click of the mouse, I can use the right button or the wrong button.

    98. Re:new imac by chmilar · · Score: 1
      Emacs was designed for no mouse. I started using it on 80x24 text terminals, and I still don't use the mouse with Emacs.

      Emacs does not assume that a mouse even exists.

      --
      Reading Slashdot is ruining my spelling and grammar.
    99. Re:new imac by Cerebus · · Score: 1

      How can having the extra button on the keyboard (in the form of meta keys), and therefore requiring the use of two hands be better than having the extra button on the mouse? The one-button adherents have never given me a convincing explanation.

      Try this experiment:

      Get a friend, some duct tape, a Mac Pro mouse and any multi-button mouse you choose. Have your friend tape all the fingers of each of your hands together. Leave your fingertips exposed. Take more tape and tape your thumbs down as well.

      You now have two club-like appendages. You should be able to hunt-n-peck on the keyboard without major difficulties.

      Now go use the multi-button mouse. How easy is it to properly click on a particular mouse button? How easy is it to maneuver the mouse at the same time? How easy is it to hit a screen target with each button click? How well does the scroll wheel work for you?

      Now try the same functions using the single-button Pro mouse and the modifier keys.

      You should 'get it' by this point.

      --
      -- Cerebus
    100. Re:new imac by RedWizzard · · Score: 1
      You didn't answer my question: why should 99% of people be inconvenienced because 1% of people have a problem with using multi-button mouse? I don't have a handicap that prevents me using a multi-button mouse. Neither does anyone I have ever met. See the point?

      This disability thing you're going on about is sophistry, pure and simple. You have not explaned what is so superior about single button mouse + modifier keys for the average person. All I see is the disadvantage of having to use two hands.

    101. Re:new imac by utexaspunk · · Score: 1

      The idea is simple: there are people who can only use one mouse button, for reasons of disability or what have you

      so, for the sake of the people who can't use more than one mouse button (not enough fingers?) we'll only have one mouse button and make it so that the average user regularly has to press the option key while they click (requiring two hands)? wtf? is someone more likely to only have one arm, or only have one finger? whatever...

      a good, consistent implementation of the right mouse button and a scroll wheel can save users TONS of moving back and forth between the keyboard if they make the slightest effort to learn. it's no more akward than having to use a mouse or a keyboard in the first place. i just wish they sold a "real" mouse that matched the design of their computers- if i paid a premium to have a stylish apple computer, i shouldn't have to choose between computing in a way that is uncomfortable and unproductive for me and having a mouse that sticks out like a sore thumb...

    102. Re:new imac by utexaspunk · · Score: 1

      Get a friend, some duct tape, a Mac Pro mouse and any multi-button mouse you choose. Have your friend tape all the fingers of each of your hands together. Leave your fingertips exposed. Take more tape and tape your thumbs down as well.

      listen to yourself! you're resorting to have people duct tape their hands up in order to defend your precious one-button mouse!

      try this- UN-duct tape your hands and realize that you, like 99.9% of the people out there, don't have NUBS, but articulate hands with five fingers that can perform all sorts of actions. Your mouse is your HAND in your OS- shouldn't it reflect that? Why chop it down to a nub and make us all cripples just so the crippled can use the same dumb mouse? (not to mention that they probably still won't use it, because it's one GIANT BUTTON that you have to grab onto the sides of in order to re-orient it, which would be really difficult with a nub...)

    103. Re:new imac by djtripp · · Score: 1

      If you can stream video out of a DV cam with firewire, perhaps someone can do it with HDTV. Just a thought.

      --
      "This is you left and that's your left. This is your right and that's your right. You're gonna die!
    104. Re:new imac by Zhe+Mappel · · Score: 1
      The idea is simple: there are people who can only use one mouse button, for reasons of disability or what have you.

      It's the "what have you" crowd that scares me.

    105. Re:new imac by DarkSarin · · Score: 1

      yeah i remembered the hdd after posting...oops.

      but that still leaves some cash, ANd the fact that I quote retail prices for that stuff. anyone who thinks apple pays that is out of their head. I would guess they pay closer to 50% of that, then they have to pay labor. All said, they probably aren't making as big a profit as some folks think, but I still feel that there is a premium for the mac name.

      One way to look at this is fairly simple: they must have fairly high profit margins to stay alive with the low number of sales they push (as compared to ms). Otherwise they would have died a while ago. (by profit margin, I am referring to hardware costs only. by the time you factor in the humans in the company, their profit margins are probably not all that high.)

      So yes, you're right, but I still think they make some cash on the hardware.

      --
      "We don't know what we are doing, but we are doing it very carefully,..." Wherry, R.J. Personnel Psychology (1995)
    106. Re:new imac by babbage · · Score: 0, Redundant

      Actually, on a recent-ish (past five years?) PC with a 104-key keyboard, the bottom row of the keyboard should have a context-menu key somewhere to the right of the spacebar. This key will attempt to bring up a context menu for whatever onscreen object currently has the focus, and in most cases you can move the focus around with the tab or arrow keys. In this way, not only can a Windows PC be fully (if maybe confusingly) functional with a single-button mouse, but you can even get by without using a mouse at all.

      To be clear, I'm generally on your side in advocating that the Apple single button mouse is perfectly usable for working with a Mac. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" and all that. But on the other hand, I realize that this is the minority opinion: of about a dozen Mac users at the company I work for, many of whom have been using Macs for years and years, I am the only one that actually likes using an Apple mouse -- everyone else wants a two button scroll mouse within their first ten minutes on the job, and they can't stand having to work at a machine that has the default mouse.

      Moreover, I think Microsoft has done a better job of making their operating system usable for people that cannot or prefer not to use a mouse at all. I have full keyboard access turned on in OSX, but there are still cases where the only way I can perform a necessary action -- browse through menus, select interface widgets, select the non-default button on a alert window, etc -- is to reach for the mouse. With Windows, on the other hand, it's nearly always possible to reach every interface widget from the keyboard, and in most cases, most of the elements you would want to reach have clearly labelled shortcuts where you can hit [alt]+[letter] to interact with whatever widget you're interested in. Granted, these labels are turned off by default, but they're easy to activate, and once they're on then everything is always visible to you, which is unlike the full keyboard access in OSX 10.3, where there are no obvious hints showing how to access "inaccessible" parts of the GUI with the keyboard.

      Note that I'm saying this with great reluctance & sadness. In most ways I think the OSX GUI runs circles around Windows (nevermind Gnome, KDE, etc which might as well not even be trying), but there are some cases -- and keyboard access is the most obvious one I know of -- where the PC is actually easier to deal with. Maybe Tiger will fix this, but for now, this is one of the few areas where Microsoft has clearly done a better job than Apple...

    107. Re:new imac by CarrionBird · · Score: 1

      It might. Since some features won't be enabled on that card, there should be less work for the card to do. Less eye candy, but probably still good enough. (all that was rampant conjecture, take with a grain of salt)

      --
      Free Mac Mini Yeah, it's
    108. Re:new imac by marcinjeske · · Score: 1

      That's probably just bad multi-threaded design on he part of many applications. I haven't had a chance to program under a GNOME or KDE-type environment, but both Cocoa and Carbon (and for that matter, Swing) are not thread-safe... that is, you can only interact with them in one thread... which encourages programmers to keep it simple and only use one thread... hence, if a button press leads to time-consuming operation, that program's interface will "hang", until the thread returns to the event-loop...

      If Apple made it's GUI API's thread-safe, and farmed off event-dispatch to worker threads, you wouldn't have this problem... but until then, it is each programmers responsibility to do so. Many don't.

    109. Re:new imac by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Until you've tried to teach somebody who's never used a computer before how to use a mouse, you have no idea how nice one mouse button is. With 2 (or more) it was always "ok, now click that" -- "which button"?

      It seems obvious for you because everybody here has been doing it for 10 years. Apple is trying to make computers that are easy to use even if you don't have 10 years of experience.

      My camera (it's not even digital) has dozens of different controls and settings. There are 2 buttons right under my thumb when I'm shooting. If you're not a photographer, you probably couldn't tell me what they do. If you've been shooting Canon cameras for 10 years, you probably don't have to think about it -- you just press the right one. Computers are like that to non-professionals.

    110. Re:new imac by Salvo · · Score: 1

      If you really want to watch TV on your iMac, you can always get a Firewire TV Tuner Box. They're difficult to find but they are out there.
      You could also use a Firewire TV Tuner for Analogue Video Capture, like old Video Cameras and Archiving VCR Cassettes to DVD.

    111. Re:new imac by dwightk · · Score: 1

      you still can, use products like el Gato's EyeTV...

      --
      Like anyone can even know that
  4. Remember to secure it ... by el_gibler · · Score: 0

    ..with your trusty iLock.

  5. Compare Apples and dells by BoldAC · · Score: 5, Informative

    Not trolling... just giving something for discussion. If anybody buys me one, I promise I'll add an apple section to tech-recipes. :)

    $1,299.00

    17-inch widescreen LCD
    1.6GHz PowerPC G5
    512K L2 cache
    533MHz frontside bus
    256MB DDR400 SDRAM
    NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra
    64MB DDR video memory
    80GB Serial ATA hard drive
    Slot-load Combo Drive

    $1,499.00

    17-inch widescreen LCD
    1.8GHz PowerPC G5
    512K L2 cache
    600MHz frontside bus
    256MB DDR400 SDRAM
    NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra
    64MB DDR video memory
    80GB Serial ATA hard drive
    Slot-load SuperDrive

    $1,899.00

    20-inch widescreen LCD
    1.8GHz PowerPC G5
    512K L2 cache
    600MHz frontside bus
    256MB DDR400 SDRAM
    NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra
    64MB DDR video memory
    160GB Serial ATA hard drive
    Slot-load SuperDrive

    Dell Dimension 4600C Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor (2.80GHz, 533 FSB)
    Operating System Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition WHXP
    Memory 256MB Dual Channel shared DDR SDRAM at 333MHz
    Monitors Dell Multifunction LCD TV/Monitor Selected Below TV [320-2913] 5
    Video Cards Integrated Intel® Extreme Graphics 2 IV
    Hard Drive 40GB Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive 40 [341-0836] 8
    Floppy Drive and Additional Storage Devices No Floppy Drive Included NFD
    Mouse Dell® 2-button scroll mouse SM
    Network Interface Integrated 10/100 Ethernet IN
    Modem 56K PCI Data/Fax Modem DFAX
    CD or DVD Drive FREE UPGRADE! 24X CD-RW/ DVD Combo Drive
    Dell W1700 LCD TV w/1 Yr Svc Qty 1
    FREE Dell 720 Color Printer with 1 Yr Advanced Exchange Service Qty 1
    TOTAL: $1,373.00

    1. Re:Compare Apples and dells by proj_2501 · · Score: 4, Informative

      they seem pretty competitive, right down to the free printer (check the apple store site, you can get a free hp printer with any cpu purchase until october)

    2. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Davak · · Score: 4, Interesting

      If nothing else, this is starting to show that macs and PCs can be in the same price range. I am a pure PC kinda guy, but the hardware to price ratio on these new systems is very impressive IMHO.

      Do the prices of macs typically fall after an initial release... or do they just stay a set price for quite a while?

    3. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Wow!! They made a dell desktop that's only 2 inches thick?!?!?

    4. Re:Compare Apples and dells by FuzzieNorn · · Score: 4, Insightful

      In order to be vaguely comparable in terms of components (the Dell's RAM/FSB is slower but the iMac's CPU is slower, so whatever), you need to look at upgrading the Dell to have a DVD writer when compared to the Superdrive models, to replace the video card in the Dell with something remotely sane, and to replace the hard drive with something of a larger capacity.

    5. Re:Compare Apples and dells by beavis88 · · Score: 4, Informative

      The prices of Macs rarely fall -- older models are just replaced by newer ones at the same price point. This isn't 100% true of course, but it's a lot more likely in my experience than Apple lowering prices across the board.

    6. Re:Compare Apples and dells by gadget+junkie · · Score: 1

      what you say is perfectly valid. I am a little more partial to athlon 64's myself, but that's fine. the only thing is......... .......Why do I want to throw a tantrum in front of an apple store just to get one?

      --
      "If a boss demands loyalty, give him integrity. But if he demands integrity, give him loyalty." (John Boyd, 1927-1997)
    7. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The prices don't normally change. Apple generally sets a price, and then sticks with it until the next upgrade.

    8. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Aphrika · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Actually, you raise an interesting point which has got me a little baffled; why is there no TV tuner in the iMac?

      The Dell comes with a LCD TV monitor, yet the iMac doesn't. Given the price of standalone LCD TVs here in the UK (400/500 UKP - i.e. over-inflated) it would make sense for Apple to have added in a TV tuner, added some nice PVR software to their iLife suite and cleaned up on the home entertainment front.

      While I'm a Dell owner, I know I'd rather have an iMac sat in my front-room than a Dell box. At the moment, the nearest thing out there that I'd consider is the Sony Vaio V1.

    9. Re:Compare Apples and dells by mirko · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The 20" G4 iMac was around 3500CHF, the new 20" G5 iMac is 2900CHF, so there has been an around 15-20% price drop.

      --
      Trolling using another account since 2005.
    10. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Illissius · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Looks like the iMacs are a very comparable value :). Much better video card and hard drive, slightly to somewhat worse processor (G5s are a lot more MHz-efficient than P4s - last I checked, a 2GHz G5 was comparable to a 2GHz Opteron/A64, which is in turn somewhere around a 3GHz P4, so these should be comparable to 2.4-2.8GHz ones) - though this is very hard to compare directly as it's an entirely different platform/architecture. Especially the video card cannot be overestimated -- integrated Intel "Extreme" Graphics is so bad, it's awful. (The 5200 Ultra isn't too good in the realm of discrete cards, but it's pretty decent, and magnitudes better than integrated.)
      Speaking of which... doesn't the integrated video eat up 64MB of main system memory, meaning the Dell actually only has 192MB? Given that, and the iMac's better aesthetics and OS, and -- leaving PC/Mac partisanship aside -- I'd even call the iMac a better buy. The 20-incher should've gotten 512MB memory, though :/.

      --
      Work is punishment for failing to procrastinate effectively.
    11. Re:Compare Apples and dells by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      Indeed. In fact IIRC, the price of the anglepoise iMac rose by $100 or so shortly after release due to the scarcity of LCD screens on the market pushing the price up.

    12. Re:Compare Apples and dells by WindBourne · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      On the Dell system, you forgot to add the free virus/worms/crackers on the positive, that you will receive gratus MS.

      --
      I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
    13. Re:Compare Apples and dells by General+Sherman · · Score: 1

      Howabout you upgrade the Graphics to an FX 5200, and the HD to 80GB, or 160GB.

      --
      - Sherman
    14. Re:Compare Apples and dells by NekSnappa · · Score: 0

      Seem comparable until you factor in 64 bit processor, and 64 bit OS.

      --
      I want to shoot the messenger!
    15. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Paulrothrock · · Score: 1
      Do the prices of macs typically fall after an initial release... or do they just stay a set price for quite a while?

      I know you're asking about something else, but I'd like to add that Macs retain resale value a lot longer than PCs. I bought my 400MHz Power Mac for $1500, and I could probably get $500 for it. Try selling a bottom-rung PC from 2000 for $500.

      --
      I'm in the hole of the broadband donut.
    16. Re:Compare Apples and dells by BorgDrone · · Score: 0, Redundant

      Yes the price is competitive against a comparable system from another A-brand.

      However,
      I can get a new Athlon XP system for under 400 euro, sure the specs are nowhere near the iMac, and sure it doesn't look as good as the Mac, Who cares ? My desktop system is still a Duron 700, and I don't really feel the need to upgrade it, it gets the job done. I use it to read my mail, surf the web and listen to my music.
      Right now, I'm running Debian Linux with KDE, I would love to run OS X, but I'd have to buy a designer machine with specs I don't need for a price 3 times as high as a generic x86 with the 'right' specs.

      What I would love, is a 400 euro solution that will allow me to read my mail, surf the web and play my music, while running OS X.

    17. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Right now, right at this moment this price is very competitive. When Apple first releases a product the price usually is OK. When the G4 ibook first came out you would have been hard pressed to find a PC notebook with all the same goodies for less or even the same. The problem is the price will be the same for like a year, and those prices over a year start to look lousy.

      The other week the CompUSA flyer featured the 12 powerbook and on the next page were PC notebooks - going strictly by the features listed the Mac looked silly over priced - and this is what the average consumer is going to see.

    18. Re:Compare Apples and dells by CodeMaster · · Score: 0

      What's your point? that Apple is more price worthy than the dell?

      All I see is crappier graphics on the dell side, and half the storage on the dell side as well.

      Add to that the comparison (if there is any) between WinXP home edition and Mac OS-X and you clearly have a winner (and the dell has a REALLY crappy video card - don't even get me started on that).

      Point in case - (no pun intended), the apple wins hands down (and the style, ohhh the style [drewl]).

      Get your free iPod![This really works! - I have only 3 more referrals to go, my buddy already got his iPod (I should have gotten into this earlier :-(]

    19. Re:Compare Apples and dells by CountBrass · · Score: 1

      Panther isn't a 64-bit OS.

      --
      Bad analogies are like waxing a monkey with a rainbow.
    20. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And you have to downgrade your memory to 256 MB too...

    21. Re:Compare Apples and dells by CountBrass · · Score: 1

      So for roughly the same money I can buy a Dell: with all the manufacturing and support "quality" that implies; or I can buy an Apple.

      Hmm, tough choice.

      --
      Bad analogies are like waxing a monkey with a rainbow.
    22. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The posted Dell/Apple specs both only had 256MB.

    23. Re:Compare Apples and dells by nolife · · Score: 5, Informative

      You just do not know how to shop at Dell. You need to go to the small business section and select "Outrageous Deals". The deals change a few times a week but they blow away the "Home" section of Dell plus they also provide free shipping. That same Dell you referenced was less then $700 from the small business section earlier in the week with an 80GB drive, free printer, free shipping, XP Pro, and a 17in LCD.

      Not to knock your compare but since you specifically chose to compare to a Dell, I thought I'd bring it up.

      --
      Bad boys rape our young girls but Violet gives willingly.
    24. Re:Compare Apples and dells by ceeam · · Score: 1

      And resolution, don't forget the screen resolution! :)

    25. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You forgot better warranty.

    26. Re:Compare Apples and dells by oDDmON+oUT · · Score: 2, Informative

      Here's another question:

      Would Dell (or any other PC OEM) "buy back" your three year old laptop for roughly one third it's original sticker price three years later?

      Apple did, offering a $700 credit on a new Powerbook by trading in my first generation TiBook.

      And I can guarantee you that they were run through a comprehensive QC check, rushed out the door to eager resellers and back into the hands of those looking for the ultimate in geek chic at an moderate price.

      --
      Some days it's just not worth
      chewing through my restraints.
    27. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "On the Dell system, you forgot to add the free virus/worms/crackers on the positive, that you will receive gratus MS."

      Really that's interesting cause I am using Windows right now and have never had a virus/worm or been targeted by a cracker. Maybe you're just a dumb n00b.

    28. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Megane · · Score: 1
      The prices of Macs rarely fall

      Actually, they always fall. When they're not new. You can get a Blue & White G3 for a pretty decent price these days, it'll run OS X 10.4, take a gig of RAM, and a 1.1GHz CPU. Of course the prices of used Macs still fall a lot slower than the prices of used PCs, due to supply and demand. And while you can upgrade the CPU, the new CPU will probably cost you more than the rest of the computer.

      --
      #naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }
    29. Re:Compare Apples and dells by SavoWood · · Score: 1

      So, for a mere extra $47, can you halve the size of your hard drive? Also, is that "shared DDR SDRAM" sharing with the video card? That doesn't seem like a very good deal to me.

      Nice try, though. I'll give you credit for getting just under the wire even if you skimped on some of the specs. More money for less computer. Who would have thought Dell would come up with that. *GRIN*

      --
      Plant a tree in a developing country.
    30. Re:Compare Apples and dells by dasmegabyte · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The best value for Apple computers is to buy a refurbished model shortly after a new model comes out. Generally, the price is substantially less than the decreased price of the older model and it comes with a year of Applecare. I got last year's TOL Powerbook for $1900, my buddy got the g4 800 iBook for $700

      --
      Hey freaks: now you're ju
    31. Re:Compare Apples and dells by pocomoonshiine · · Score: 1

      Bondi iMacs are selling for $199. Fits your needs. Heck, for 400 euro you could get a graphite iMac DV and an external firewire HD.

    32. Re:Compare Apples and dells by BorgDrone · · Score: 1

      That would require me to use the crappy iMac monitor, I have a great 19" Iiyama, just want a Boring Grey Box that I can swap with my current set-up.

    33. Re:Compare Apples and dells by nuggetman · · Score: 1

      So basically what you're saying is

      You can get an x86 cheaper and have no need for an Apple, so you're not going to buy one.

      Sounds good to me.

      --
      ...and that's all there is to it.
    34. Re:Compare Apples and dells by BorgDrone · · Score: 1

      No, I'm saying: I don't care about the looks, get me a cheap box that can run OS X

    35. Re:Compare Apples and dells by general_re · · Score: 2, Insightful
      In order to be vaguely comparable in terms of components....

      Okay. Where's the option where I upgrade the iMac to have PCI/AGP slots?

      --
      ABSURDITY, n.: A statement or belief manifestly inconsistent with one's own opinion.
    36. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Try selling a bottom-rung PC from 2000 for $500

      A brand new bottom rung PC costs $500. Did you mean top-rung? (which you'd also be unlikely to get $500 for).

      Apple of course keeps the price of old PowerMacs high by refusing to release a new consumer model with slots. How many of those people buying ancient Macs for a lot of money wouldn't rather just spend $1000 at apple.com for a new machine?

    37. Re:Compare Apples and dells by sean23007 · · Score: 1

      Doesn't that just go to show that Apples are comparable in price to PCs? I don't know how much lower Dell goes, so let's just call that the low end. I know it gets better than that on the PC side, but it's much more expensive. Well, this Dell is more expensive than the low end iMac, isn't as good. Anywhere there is a difference in their specs, the iMac is the better machine (except, of course, the clock speed, but everyone is now familiar with the megahertz myth). And the iMac costs less. The only thing is that the low end Mac goes up against a middle end Dell. *shrugs*

      --

      Lack of eloquence does not denote lack of intelligence, though they often coincide.
    38. Re:Compare Apples and dells by NtroP · · Score: 2, Insightful
      You need to add a Gigabit Ethernet card, another 40 Gig Hard drive, a firewire card and an anual virus subscription to the price of the Dell.

      OTOH, you could remove the windows license cost by having them ship without an OS or ship with RedHat

      Seems pretty price-competitive to me. I'm thinking it's time to upgrade my old dual G4/500, my daughter's G4/450 and replace my son's G3 iMac/500

      --
      "terrorism" and "pedophilia" are the root passwords to the Constitution
    39. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      After carefully comparing, I found Apple gave me a mouse with only ONE key! well Dell give me a mouse with TWO keys.

      I am pretending to be funny, never mind.

    40. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Imac has double the harddrive space and a DVD burner included. I'd say that evens it up.

    41. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Really that's interesting cause I am using Windows right now and have never had a virus/worm or been targeted by a cracker.
      If you do not turn on on the system, then you can not be counted as using it. If you do turn it on, by definition, you are running a virus.
      Maybe you're just a dumb n00b.
      Now, that is an intelligent comment.

    42. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Alan+Hicks · · Score: 1
      replace the hard drive with something of a larger capacity

      Note that the G5 iMac is using a SATA drive instead of IDE as well.

      --
      Slackware, what else when it must be secure, stable, and easy?
    43. Re:Compare Apples and dells by White+Roses · · Score: 1
      why is there no TV tuner in the iMac?

      One word: MacTV. I don't think it sold well. A black iMac would be cool though. Or possibly hot. Still, it would be handy for dorm rooms where space is at a serious premium. Aside from that, there is this aftermarket item that may help.

      --
      Do not touch -Willie
    44. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The iMac's CPU is slower? I'll take a 64 bit G5 over a P4 2.4 any day...

    45. Re:Compare Apples and dells by plj · · Score: 1

      The best value for Apple computers is to buy a refurbished model shortly after a new model comes out

      ...in case you happen to live in the U.S.

      Try looking for those on Apple's other webstores than U.S. You won't find any.

      --
      “Wait for Hurd if you want something real” –Linus
    46. Re:Compare Apples and dells by jrutley · · Score: 1
      Is the iMac's CPU slower? Just because it runs at a lower clock speed, doesn't mean it's slower.

      I don't know the actual specs, I'm just wondering.

    47. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Loco3KGT · · Score: 1

      it's mentioned above that to sell it w/ a TV tuner in the UK would require selling a tv license with it. something like 120 pounds or about $230 USD.

      --
      Blessed be he who reads this post, Cursed be he who tells my boss.
    48. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      BorgDrone is the operative term here.

      You want a cheap OSX box? Go pick up an old G3 or G4.

      That won't be good enough for you, of course. After all, who wants a second-hand and/or refurb computer that once came out of a box?(/sarcasm)

      You're the kind of troll that won't be satisfied with any answer. The same kind of troll that believes OSX should be ported to x86 or something equally insane. The same kind of troll that thinks they're just sooo much more 'with it' because you can scrape together a clone from parts and download a "free" OS on it (I'll keep the stereotype going, most "free" OSes downloaded aren't Linux or BSD, but Windows).

      You aren't Apple's target market. Too damn bad. Come back when you want to pay for quality.

    49. Re:Compare Apples and dells by StarChamber · · Score: 1

      If you are going to do a comparison, then atleast get the hardware right: Dell Dimension 8400 ($1,411): Pentium® 4 Processor 530 with HT Technology (3GHz, 800 FSB) Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition FREE Dell 720 Color Printer with 1 Yr Advanced Exchange Service Dell Black 10 Ft. USB Printer Cable 2 Year Limited Warranty plus 2 Year At-Home Service 1GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 400MHz (2x512M 160GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) No Floppy Drive Included Dual Drives: 16x DVD-ROM Drive + FREE UPGRADE! 8x DVD+RW Drive New 17 in E172FPb Flat Panel Display 128MB PCI Express(TM) x16 (DVI/VGA/TV-out) ATI Radeon(TM) X300 SE Integrated 5.1 Channel Audio Dell A425 Speakers w/Subwoofer Dell ® Quietkey ® Keyboard Dell® 2-button scroll mouse Integrated Gigabit Ethernet 56K PCI Data/Fax Modem So the Dell is cheaper, has 4x more RAM, faster processor, faster FSB, gigabit Ethernet, a DVD & 8x DVD+RW drives, and it costs less than the comparable iMac. Boy were you right about Apple finally competing on price! What average computer user would not jump at the chance to throw away all of their software for a less powerful and flexible PC that costs more!?! That said, I have a Blue & White G3 at home (which sits next to my XP Pro and SuSe boxes), so I am not a Mac hater. I rather like the new iMac from a design poiont of view, however, I detest all in one designs for my personal use. They lock you in to a fixed configuration and limit what you can upgrade/replace. The iMac is aimed at computer newbies who want to be coddled and protected for the Windows or Linux experience. It is a happy land where "things just work", atleast most of the time, and they do not have to worry about device incompatibility. So they shell out the extra money to avoid the pitfalls of having choices.

    50. Re:Compare Apples and dells by HarbV7.0 · · Score: 1

      Yeah and the Dell includes all the computer viruses and spyware you could want for free!

    51. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      IIRC, here in the UK, a TV license covers a property for all devices capable of receiving broadcasts. Most people buying one of these would already own a TV license which would cover it.

      If this was your first TV-related purchase, then yes, you'd need to buy a license for it, but that goes for all computer-TV hardware here.

    52. Re:Compare Apples and dells by EvilTwinSkippy · · Score: 1
      The CPU runs a lower frequency, but the memory bus is actually twice as fast (1.6 GB/s vs the P4's 800MB/s)

      I'm presently compiling QT (really huge nasty package) on a 1Ghz G4 iBook in the background. The GUI is still as responsive as when the machine is standing still. Mind you, this is on a single processor system, and a laptop at that. I'm just running the standard OS X Gui. CPU is at about 75% usage.

      A lot more than clock-speed goes into the performance of a machine.

      --
      "Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
      --Dr.W.Edwards Deming
    53. Re:Compare Apples and dells by the_2nd_coming · · Score: 1

      Wow, the apples are actually pretty well priced...and when you factor in the foot print that the Mac will take up, the tiny bit extra is worth it.

      --



      I am the Alpha and the Omega-3
    54. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Echnin · · Score: 1

      So a G5 1.8 GHz is slower than a P4 2.4 GHz? Yeah right.

      --
      Lalala
    55. Re:Compare Apples and dells by the_2nd_coming · · Score: 1

      uhh, the G5 at 1.6 and 1.8 GHz is comparable to a P4 at 2.8 and 3.0 GHz, and that is conservative.

      --



      I am the Alpha and the Omega-3
    56. Re:Compare Apples and dells by the_2nd_coming · · Score: 1

      so buy the firewire TV tuner. no different than having a cable box net to your TV.

      --



      I am the Alpha and the Omega-3
    57. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I would never let you do comparison shopping for me, you just put together the oddest dell setup they have available. lets try this again.

      Dell Dimension 4600 Series
      Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor (2.80GHz, 533 FSB)
      Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
      512MB Dual Channel DDR SDRAM at 333MHz (2x256M)
      80GB Ultra ATA/100 Hard Drive (7200 RPM)
      Single Drive: 16X CD/DVD burner (DVD+RW/+R) w/double layer write capability
      New 17 in E172FPb Flat Panel Display SAME PRICE AS 15" FLAT PANEL!
      128MB DDR NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Graphics Card with TV-Out and DVI
      Integrated 5.1 Channel Audio
      Integrated Intel® PRO 10/100 Ethernet

      $1108

      twice the system ram and video card ram for $800 less then the second imac model.

    58. Re:Compare Apples and dells by sneakers563 · · Score: 1

      What's wrong with Dell's support? The couple of times I've had to call Dell support they've sent someone out to my house within 2 hours to fix it on the spot! In contrast, the local Apple store took 2 weeks (including shipping to Apple) to remove a scratched DVD from my girlfriend's powerbook. I think Dell has the best support in the business.

    59. Re:Compare Apples and dells by jagilbertvt · · Score: 1

      I helped my son's grandparents w/ ordering a new
      Dell 4600. Specs:

      P4 2.8Ghz
      GFFX5200
      512MB RAM
      48x CD-RW
      18" LCD
      80GB HD
      56k Modem
      10/100 and 10/100/1000 Ethernet
      WinXP Home
      Office 2k Basic
      Total Price: ~$1100-$1200 ($280 Instant Rebate and $150 MIR).

    60. Re:Compare Apples and dells by thehomeland · · Score: 1

      Wow!! They made a dell desktop that's only 2 inches thick?!?!?

      They did, about 6-12 months ago. It looks fairly similar to the g5 iMac, in that it's very narrow and is all inside an older-laptop-sized box behind the flat/thin monitor (with the CD/floppy coming out the side) and is set on a stand. As soon as I saw this new iMac I thought of the Dell version I'd seen probably pretty close to a year ago. I couldn't find it on their site, but I sent a customer support inquiry asking what the model was. This iMac design is not overly groundbreaking :-P

    61. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Link please? I'm seeing $862 with XP home and no monitor. I call shenanigans on you.

    62. Re:Compare Apples and dells by djtripp · · Score: 1

      Major Differences Apples SATA vs Dell ATA100 DDR400 vs DDR333 Super Drive vs Combo GeForceFX5200 64mb VS Intel Extreme

      --
      "This is you left and that's your left. This is your right and that's your right. You're gonna die!
    63. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Dominic_Mazzoni · · Score: 1

      That same Dell you referenced was less then $700 from the small business section earlier in the week with an 80GB drive, free printer, free shipping, XP Pro, and a 17in LCD.

      Sure, for a discontinued or refurbished model. You can also go to Apple's store, click on the "Special Deals" link, and pick up a 40 GB iPod for $329 ($70 off) or a 17" Powerbook for $2399 ($400 off).

    64. Re:Compare Apples and dells by AHumbleOpinion · · Score: 1

      uhh, the G5 at 1.6 and 1.8 GHz is comparable to a P4 at 2.8 and 3.0 GHz, and that is conservative.

      No that is very optimistic and achieved in only very specialized rare circumstances. Conservative, and more typical, would be 2.0 and 2.4 GHz.

    65. Re:Compare Apples and dells by ankur22 · · Score: 1

      Not really: $748 for 2.4 Ghz celeron XP Home Printer 256k ram 80 GB hd CD-RW drive Wordperfect 17" LCD monitor if you think the celeron doesn't compare well then switch it to a P4 2.8 ghz for 50 bucks extra

    66. Re:Compare Apples and dells by nolife · · Score: 2, Informative

      No, they are not refurbished. If you look at he outrageous deals on a daily basis, you will see them, different on a weekly basis. I do not own a Dell and would not buy one so I am not defending them in any way. Of course I recommend many people go this route as it save me from being the tech support if I do a white box for them.

      --
      Bad boys rape our young girls but Violet gives willingly.
    67. Re:Compare Apples and dells by nolife · · Score: 1

      Not the same exact deal I referenced as it is gone now (like I had stated) but much better then the one the original poster cut and pasted. It was only $599. Again, the deals change every few days, the amount of memory, HD space, XP Pro-home, monitor options, with or without speakers etc.. change but they can always be found in the "Outrageous deals" of the small business site for Dell. If you are really interested in tracking these, I suggest a deals site like slickdeals.net or dealnews.com.

      As I mentioned in a different post. I do not own a Dell and I have no intention of buying one. Although I do suggest them to others that do not want to white box it themselves. It helps me out as I do not have to be the 24x7 support for them and they are getting a computer at a good price without me having to get involved other then showing them what to get and where to get it. I have personally ordered for or with 30 different people from the small business section of Dell on these type of deals and they seem to be happy and I am very happy to not be supporting 30 peoples computers that I would have had to put together for them XX years ago for a few bucks. To keep things in persepctive here as this is getting off topic.. I was just pointing out to the original grandfather poster that the example Dell used for a reference was a very bad example and it seems everyone jumped on it as informative and insightful.

      --
      Bad boys rape our young girls but Violet gives willingly.
    68. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      your full of crap.

      Im sure you read the infamous Premiere bench mark test.

    69. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ring ring.. who the fuck cares

    70. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Notice the "Intel Extreme Graphics" and the "256mb shared RAM"? Notice the lack of a AGP or PCI Extreme slot? That, my trolling friend, means SHITTY GRAPHICS PERFORMANCE.

      Notice the lack of an 80gb SATA hard drive? Notice the slow FSB? I don't care how fast the CPU is-it's going to be held back by the slower FSB and memory.

      Fixing these disparities will cost slightly more than $20 (the price difference between the Dell and the base model iMac).

      Also notice the Dell comes in two pieces (the larger of which is pretty darn bulky-I've seen Dells' most recent machines) whereas the iMac is that slender box. Just one piece.

    71. Re:Compare Apples and dells by nelsonal · · Score: 1

      Dell's "best deal" system occasionally can be found in the home section as well, it's just rare there. They seem to swap it around, and rarely have exactly the same configuration to get it in both places (memory is usually bundled in the small business while an electronic item is the bundle item in home, but YMMV). I used to follow the changes and try to look at both configs before sending someone out to buy a system.
      The other great deal was a PowerEdge server that was the high end XPS without a video card for $299-$399 last winter/spring.
      My personal favorite was SUN's java developer systems they auctioned with no reserve to see what the market price was. If you needed the software it was a pretty good deal.

      --
      Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
    72. Re:Compare Apples and dells by snuf23 · · Score: 1

      The Dell model illustrates one of the things I hate about low end models offered by major manufacturers. Although the computer has a fast processor, the lack of system RAM is going to create problems. The onboard video is sharing the system RAM cutting into the total available for the OS. Sure if you are just using it for email and some web browsing it's fine, but if thats the case you could drop down to a Celeron or lower speed P4 and save a bunch of money with not much apparent losss of speed.
      The shared/onboard video setup makes even the anemic 64MB 5200 in the iMac look good.

      --
      Sometimes my arms bend back.
    73. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      why is this flamebait?

    74. Re:Compare Apples and dells by tupps · · Score: 1

      I find in Australia that I am pretty sure all of the demo and refurbed macs are sold through one of the mac dealers as a clearance sale. One dealer has about ten times the amount of demo models compared to any other dealer. Might be worth looking around for.

      --
      Go out and get sailing!
    75. Re:Compare Apples and dells by xornor · · Score: 1

      Let's be honest here. Dell just plain sucks.

    76. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Blatant bullshit has a tendency to draw flames.

    77. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple's markup is right there on their 10-Q. Go be a good little zealot and pick the fucker up. The price of Apple's computers, as you idiot shills keep saying, is "comparable". Therefore, the materials originally cost less, because even with a larger markup, the price is not substantially higher than Dell or whoever.

      you can't have it both ways.... except here on Slashdot, where you seem to be able to fight reality and win, because people are fucking STUPID. Don't believe me, LOOK IT UP, asshole.

    78. Re:Compare Apples and dells by jcr · · Score: 1

      why is there no TV tuner in the iMac?

      Not enough people have asked for it to warrant putting one in every unit.

      If you want a tuner for your mac, try El Gato systems.

      -jcr

      --
      The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    79. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Forgot to add a Firewire card, Oh and no DVI video so you need to upgrade the video card. Oh and your monitor, analog, need to upgrade to digital for another $100 and it's still only 4:3. No speakers either. And don't even think your getting a Serial ATA drive. No software to speak of. Had to buy Norton Anti Virus of coerce. Just set one up for my nice. I could go on but you get the picture, Ok computer, just Ok. But if you want to compare this to the new iMac, take a hike.

    80. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Pfhreak · · Score: 1

      ...(the Dell's RAM/FSB is slower but the iMac's CPU is slower, so whatever)...

      The iMac's CPU is not necessarily slower. It is running at a lower clockspeed, but there's a lot more to the overall performance of a CPU than clockspeed -- especially if you're comparing two different CPU architectures. If the Dell was running a PowerPC 970/970FX (is the iMac using the FX or the original PPC 970?), or if the iMac was using the same Pentium 4 variant as the Dell, then a straight clock speed comparison might be useful, but, even if the iMac was using a different P4 variant, clock speed comparisons start being shaky ground.

      Unfortunately, there's not a good system to use to compare two different architectures (especially two that are as different as the Pentium and the PowerPC) to get an overall speed rating. Benchmarks are about as close as it gets, and even then there's lots of give and take, and issues of code optimization, ad nauseum.

      --
      The U.S. Constitution needs to be ammended with a "separation of business and state" clause.
    81. Re:Compare Apples and dells by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not a troll. Pathetic moderation. Pathetic.

      Obvious Censorship, so post reproduced here....

      "Because people would pirate off tv, and Apple, despite their supposedly rebellious Rip. Mix. Burn. commercial, is VERY MUCH in bed with Hollywood."

      Yeah, Macintosh Moderator, THAT deserves a -1.

  6. Tablet PC? by oliverthered · · Score: 1, Interesting

    looks just like something Microsoft is trying to push... oh yeh the tablet pc

    Wait for the patents from Apple?

    --
    thank God the internet isn't a human right.
    1. Re:Tablet PC? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hmmm? This is nothing like a Tablet PC - no batteries, no pivoting screen, no stylus input method. This is an All-In-One computer based around an LCD, whereas a Tablet PC is more like a PDA on steroids.

    2. Re:Tablet PC? by oliverthered · · Score: 1

      If I'd have said apples answer to the table PC then maybe you have a point.

      I Just said that Apple 'coppied' the design, now all Apple has to(and likes to) do is whip out any patents it's got and take on the table pc.

      Anyhow, I'm going to buy a micro case and an LCD monitor (with digital input so I can use a longer lead), and a wireless keyboard and mouse.

      I don't use CD's on my pc anymore, well not since Gentoo for apps and Kazaa/Napster because I can't be bothered to spend the time ripping my cds, so there's no need to access my case which means it can be hidden away, somewhere where it's a lot quieter.

      I suppose I could always get a USB2 CD drive if I really needed one.

      --
      thank God the internet isn't a human right.
    3. Re:Tablet PC? by WillAdams · · Score: 1

      It would be a lot more interesting to me if the display was a pen slate which could be detached---it actually looks somewhat like some of the docked Tablet models. It's really a shame that the only pen computing option Apple offers is a PowerMac G5 w/ a Wacom Cintiq (Inkwell, nee Rosetta is quite nice though)

      Interesting and more functional looking than the previous iMac, but not as lively / friendly in appearance --- I suspect the G4 iMacs will become highly appreciated like the G4 Cubes eventually did.

      William
      (who got tired of waiting for Apple to do a successor to the Newton and started buying Fujitsu pen slates)

      --
      Sphinx of black quartz, judge my vow.
  7. I miss the old design. by SchoolKitNet · · Score: 1

    I certainly miss the old Desk lamp design, time to find another desk lamp.

  8. iPod + New iMac == Steve Earns His Pay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    Way to build a brand.

    1. Re:iPod + New iMac == Steve Earns His Pay by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      And seeing as his salary is $1 a year its just about worth it.

      And yes I do know about the planes and the stock options and the fact that he is filthy rich or "well compensated" , but somebody had to say it or it wouldnt be /.

  9. long time coming by proj_2501 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    i remember reading a macworld in 1994 showing conceptual designs from the apple industrial design department.

    they had something like this (along with a mac based on the tizio lamp, and a tablet mac)

    too bad gateway got it to market a few years ago :)

    1. Re:long time coming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      would that be a tablet pc, from Microsoft.

    2. Re:long time coming by 1shooter · · Score: 1

      Yep, if you added a keyboard, stand, ports, larger hard drive, better graphics, better sound, DVD burner and lost the touch screen and the batteries, the table would be just like the new iMac.

      --
      6F 9E A9 1E 96 9F 74 27 ED B8 81 6D 0C 4E 1E 78
      My other Sig is a 229.
    3. Re:long time coming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple released a computer like this already, in 1994. the 20th Anniversary Mac. But it cost $10,000.

    4. Re:long time coming by rampant+mac · · Score: 1
      "Apple released a computer like this already, in 1994. the 20th Anniversary Mac. But it cost $10,000."

      Actually, they released it in 1997 at $7499.

      20th Anniversary Mac.

      --
      I like big butts and I cannot lie.
    5. Re:long time coming by babbage · · Score: 1
      would that be a tablet pc, from Microsoft

      No, he said Gateway, and meant it. Gateway sold these neat little all-in-one LCD machines in the late 90s, starting not long after the original iMac came up, as the Profile series.

      It looks like you can get some of the original Gateway Profile computers (15" lcd / 500mhz cpu / 128mb ram / 10gb hard drive) for around $300 on eBay now.

      I remember playing with one in a Gateway store back in 1998 or so, and thinking that this was a really cool idea, but it was something like $2500, as I recall (I can't find any links about dates or prices now, but it was in that range), and as a student I just couldn't afford that.

      (That and, now that I think about it, I wanted something that I'd be able to run BeOS on, and didn't think I could on these Gateway all-in-one machines -- good thing I was betting on the BeOS horse, eh? Oh well...).

      But yeah, my first thought when seeing the new iMac was that Apple was ripping off the Gateway design. The Apple one was much nicer to be sure, but the basic form factor -- which predates the current notion of a tablet PC by several years -- is more or less exactly how Gateway had set up their original Profile PCs five years or more ago.

  10. Better than G4 by matgorb · · Score: 1

    I like it better than the last one, for me this is the true iMac with a flat screen. Let's hope i will have enought money to buy it before they release the next one...those damn PCs are cheap!

  11. Like in the movies... by Thakandar2 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I guess when someone shoots the monitor and says they destroyed the computer I can't laugh at the movie anymore.

    Leave it to apple to spoil my bad action movie jokes...

    1. Re:Like in the movies... by SnapShot · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Speaking of monitors. Apple store is charging $1299 for the 20" monitor, but only $1899 for the iMac with the 20" monitor. Does that make sense to anyone?

      Can I skip the monitor and get a G5 for $600, please?

      --
      Waltz, nymph, for quick jigs vex Bud.
    2. Re:Like in the movies... by EinarH · · Score: 2, Informative
      The Apple 20" is overpriced; you can get a 20" Viewsonic from Newegg for $870 or a 20" Nec from Computer3G for $1220. And the last one is *much* better than the Apple 20".

      Apple will probably cut the price on their 20" soon though.

      --

      Melius mori in libertate quam vivere in servitute.

    3. Re:Like in the movies... by noidentity · · Score: 1

      I guess when someone shoots the monitor and says they destroyed the computer I can't laugh at the movie anymore.

      Only if they shoot at the upper-left corner (upper-right if the critical data is in an optical disc).

    4. Re:Like in the movies... by FuzzyBad-Mofo · · Score: 1

      That sounds familiar..

    5. Re:Like in the movies... by Cyno01 · · Score: 1

      Either of those widescreen? Nope, try again.

      --
      "Sic Semper Tyrannosaurus Rex."
    6. Re:Like in the movies... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Exactly. That means they should be allowed to be even more expensive for a fair comparision. A 20" 16/9 screen has a _smaller_ area than a 20" 4/3 screen.

    7. Re:Like in the movies... by EinarH · · Score: 1
      As the other anon is writing; the 20" Apple widescreen do have a smaller area than the 20" Viewsonic and Nec 20" 4:3s.

      Apple 20" WS; 1680 x 1050 = 1764000 pixels.

      Nec 20" 4:3; 1600 x 1200 = 1920000 pixels.

      --

      Melius mori in libertate quam vivere in servitute.

    8. Re:Like in the movies... by mebob · · Score: 1

      as much as I think the apple monitors are over priced and over rated::

      If the screens are measured diagnoly shouldn't they both have the same area?

      Really if anything you'd be likely to pay more for the 16/9, not because of area but just because you being charged a premium for a widesceen ratio. Posibly due to manufacturing cost but also becuase its a less common feature.

      --
      =1000101
    9. Re:Like in the movies... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, I was talking about the area in mm^2, but I guess that pricewise the pixel count matters even more..

      Just that it's funny how people think the widescreen is somehow an extra that isn't counted into the inch-number. As if it would denote the height of it or something. A friend of mine bought recently a 32" widescreen television and gave me his old a 28" normal one for practically free. Hehe. There's hardly any size difference and I get to see more stuff in full screen. (widescreen-unfriendly placement of subtitles is still quite common here..)

      Did you forget that you were logged on BTW?-)

    10. Re:Like in the movies... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Yup, it's confusing when I'm trolling in on tread and posting logged in in another.

    11. Re:Like in the movies... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If the screens are measured diagnoly shouldn't they both have the same area?

      Nope. Little analytical geometry:

      inches^2=height^2+width^2
      area=height*width
      =>
      area=inches^2/(height/width+width/height)

      This has a minimum when with/height ratio is 1.

    12. Re:Like in the movies... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've solved it by posting everything anonymously. The moderation system gives so much weight for high-karma posters (whose writings aren't that special anyway) that I'll rather screw it by doing the unexpected.

    13. Re:Like in the movies... by avida · · Score: 1

      You can't add/subtract components like that when they are integrated into a single device. And no, you cannot buy Apple products for little money, this isn't a cheap clone, it is a fine pedigree machine.

    14. Re:Like in the movies... by KZigurs · · Score: 1

      I'm QUITE sure that the quality and panel's are different. Not to mention the fact that monitor comes in slick and actually beautifull case.

      This is plain boring. And from the design POW - failure. Look at that white space on front...

    15. Re:Like in the movies... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      This has a minimum when with/height ratio is 1.
      Erm, I assume you mean "maximum."
    16. Re:Like in the movies... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Uhh.. yeah. I'm not sure what I was thinking.

  12. Much sleeker than previous versions... by TheWart · · Score: 4, Insightful

    While I never really liked the look of previous iMacs, I must give Apple kudos on this one.

    It looks *extremely* slick, and I these would look so much better as the terminals in librarys and what have you, although probably way overkill.

    And the one cord in the back is a far cry from my desk, lol.

    1. Re:Much sleeker than previous versions... by whyisityou · · Score: 2, Interesting

      it's a laptop hung upright. buy a laptop instead

    2. Re:Much sleeker than previous versions... by _|()|\| · · Score: 1
      one cord in the back is a far cry from my desk

      Anyone have experience with a Bluetooth mouse? I've read complaints that the Logitech MX 900 is slow and uneven, due to the low bandwidth of Bluetooth.

    3. Re:Much sleeker than previous versions... by yoder · · Score: 1

      I actually have to say that this style doesn't do anything for me. It's too boxy. I like the G4 style better.

      --
      "In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act!" -- George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair)
    4. Re:Much sleeker than previous versions... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If your PC had pathetic little laptop-quality speakers built in, and a cordless mouse / keyboard, you too could reduce your wire count to nearly that of the iMac. You'd be left with VGA and power.

      This is just a laptop on a stand. It's not quite the miracle of industrial design that some would make it out to be.

    5. Re:Much sleeker than previous versions... by CountBrass · · Score: 1

      I use a Microsoft BT mouse (with my Apple Powerbook) and I don't find it lags noticably at all: I use it to play Warcraft3. (for all other purposes I prefer the touchpad as it's right below the keyboard and it works).

      --
      Bad analogies are like waxing a monkey with a rainbow.
    6. Re:Much sleeker than previous versions... by Jord · · Score: 1
      I use the Apple bluetooth mouse all day long and it runs great. A friend of mine uses the BT400 (or is it 500) mouse with his powerbook and loves it. My wife uses MS's Bluetooth mouse and other than eating batteries like crazy, it works well.

      I do not know anyone who uses the Logitech Bluetooth mouse. Everyone I know seems to agree that it is downright stupid to force a rechargable cradle with a Bluetooth mouse.

    7. Re:Much sleeker than previous versions... by awl · · Score: 1

      I own all three of the bluetooth mice, one each from Apple, Logitech, and Microsoft.

      The Microsoft one is okay, but it drove me up the wall because it will sleep and needs to be clicked to wakie up. Some people seem to adjust fine to this. I sisn't like it so I bought the Logitech.

      The Logitech is smoother in use than the Microsoft one, and doesn't have the irritating sleep behaviour. You have a choice between regular batteries and rechargeable ones, so you don't have to use the cradle if you don't want to. For desktop use I would recommend the Logitech.

      For use with my laptop, though, I eventually switched to the Apple one. The lack of a scrollwheel and the single button thing do bug me, but it has a physical off switch which can be used to turn it off when I put it in my bag, which none of the others do. That saves on batteries, and ensures that the mouse doesn't wake up the computer while it moves around in the bag.

    8. Re:Much sleeker than previous versions... by Jord · · Score: 1

      Of note, the Blue Take (BT500) mouse also has an off switch and has three buttons plus a scroll wheel.

    9. Re:Much sleeker than previous versions... by SilentChris · · Score: 1

      Ugh. Really? I think the original iMac had a better look. This is too angular.

    10. Re:Much sleeker than previous versions... by magefile · · Score: 1

      I hate this "one cord" crap. Even if you get rid of cords for the KVM, you've still got a cord for all your peripherals - printer, ethernet (if not wireless), USB hard drives, speakers (well, not on a mac, fine, unless you're an audiophile), iPod, camera ...

      "One cord" stays that way for about 5 minutes after I take it out of the box.

    11. Re:Much sleeker than previous versions... by Steffan · · Score: 1
      • It looks *extremely* slick, and I these would look so much better as the terminals in librarys and what have you, although probably way overkill.
      Sadly, use in public spaces & libraries probably would not be cordless; they'd probably need cable locks on the keyboard & mouse to keep them from "wandering off"
    12. Re:Much sleeker than previous versions... by DrMaurer · · Score: 1

      Hey, what else is bluetooth for? Networked printer across the room?

      I was thinking idly of an iMac before this, now I'm seriously looking at it as an alternative to my PC . . . I got a PS2 for gaming, and even that "excuse" is going away as games move to "alternative" platforms.

      The hardest part will be coming up with the money, though that's not Jobs' fault. Well, maybe it is, I never did get a response from an unsolicited resume.

      Heh.

      --
      Dan
    13. Re:Much sleeker than previous versions... by magefile · · Score: 1

      Don't get me wrong, I love OS X. But I'd prefer either a G5 tower or a laptop.

  13. Apple hate RAM. by serviscope_minor · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This thing is only shipped with 256M of RAM by default? And only upgradable to 2GB?

    The old iMacs could hold 1GB. This one is about 10 times faster and maxes out at twice the memory. This is pretty poor. Why does apple insist on shipping systems with such little memory.

    Also, why is the FSB at 1/3 of the clockspeed of the CPU, as opposed to 1/2?

    --
    SJW n. One who posts facts.
    1. Re:Apple hate RAM. by byolinux · · Score: 2, Insightful

      RAM prices keep the price down. If they sold the machine with a more decent amount of RAM, they'd not be able to offer it at the price they do.

    2. Re:Apple hate RAM. by notthepainter · · Score: 5, Insightful
      Because Apple doesn't want to play the memory game. Apple knows that the customers know they can price shop and buy it elsewhere, that's all. It is often very easy to install (Original iMacs were quite the exception) and if you can't do it, the Apple Store will do it for you for $35 I think.

      As for the 2GB limit, this prevents the low end machines from cutting into the high end machines.

    3. Re:Apple hate RAM. by Vo0k · · Score: 1

      He's talking about upper limit, not the actual memory the box is shipped with. Empty RAM slots don't cost that much. Supporting 1-2 bits of address space more isn't THAT hard either. But true, for today and next 3-5 years (when the box becomes obsolete anyway), 2G RAM ought to be enough for everyone ;)

      --
      Anagram("United States of America") == "Dine out, taste a Mac, fries"
    4. Re:Apple hate RAM. by Mwongozi · · Score: 5, Insightful
      It's a home computer. If you're a power-using geek you don't buy this, you buy this

      Although I agree 256MB is a bit stingy, what possible use could a home user have for more than 2GB or RAM?

    5. Re:Apple hate RAM. by serviscope_minor · · Score: 2, Informative


      It's a home computer. If you're a power-using geek you don't buy this, you buy this

      Although I agree 256MB is a bit stingy, what possible use could a home user have for more than 2GB or RAM


      256MB is very stingy. An extra 256MB would have cost £20 more, probably less, since they're buying in bulk.

      As for the upper limit, well after the computer has been used for 4 years and it's now running more demanding applicatons, one can stick in a single, cheap, low-end 4GB DDR DIMM and suddenly have the thing perform vastly better. I've performed many similar upgrades on old computers. It normally costs very little and has a massive effect. But they've removed that option, since it's only twice as good in that regard as an iMac from 4 years ago.

      --
      SJW n. One who posts facts.
    6. Re:Apple hate RAM. by Vo0k · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Correction:
      Getting 1 bit more (4G support) would require just giving up signed int as addresses, not so hard really if you do it from scratch, pretty nasty work if you convert an existing large system that never cared about the last bit of the pointers.) Getting 2 bits more is way harder. You go above the 32bit address space limit and either use tricks like paging (think 128K in Commodore) or use architecture, compilers and generally everything with address space bigger than 32bit (the next step is 64 bit, 16 exabytes of address space, should suffice for a while...).

      --
      Anagram("United States of America") == "Dine out, taste a Mac, fries"
    7. Re:Apple hate RAM. by WindBourne · · Score: 1

      These are not Windows machines. *nix does a much better job on ram, so a 256M is ~= to 512M on a windows box. Likewise, that top is probably == to about a 4G on windows. For a desktop, I think that is plenty.

      --
      I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
    8. Re:Apple hate RAM. by DevolvingSpud · · Score: 1

      > Although I agree 256MB is a bit stingy, what possible use could a home user have for more than 2GB or RAM?

      I think you meant to say "640K^H^H^H^H256MB ought to be enough for anyone"

      --
      Keep your friends close.
      Keep your enemies in a little jar on your desk.
    9. Re:Apple hate RAM. by Macka · · Score: 5, Insightful


      How many people do you know who have more than 1GB of RAM in their home or office PCs? I could probably count them on one hand.

      Your objection is noted, but pointless.

    10. Re:Apple hate RAM. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bingo! Apple likes to keep prices steady for a long time, but RAM prices vary a lot. If they included a lot of RAM. Apple loses when prices go up and wins when they go down. Rather than take the risk, they decided to pass that on to the consumer.

    11. Re:Apple hate RAM. by ceeam · · Score: 1

      Oh, yeah, another 256MB stick ($30? Does it use the same sticks as PCs do?) would bring the price from $1299 all the way up to $1329. A whopping 2% increase.

    12. Re:Apple hate RAM. by dmdimon · · Score: 2, Insightful

      C'mon, show me, what really for you'll need more than 2 G of RAM?
      I'm working on everyday basis with multiple 500 Mb+ Photoshop files and guess what? Never, NEVER Photoshop CS or 7 uses memory in such chunks.
      And if you'll set more than 1 Gb to Photoshop, it'll just get mad.
      And real bottleneck in such a system is harddrive speed, not RAM amount as there are more than 1 Gig.
      And this imac is not intended for such an operations ever.

    13. Re:Apple hate RAM. by Heisenbug · · Score: 1

      I can't think of any reason a consumer computer needs more than 2 GB of RAM (grandma wants to edit high-rez photoshop files and cut a high-bitrate album at the same time instead of consecutively?), but you're right that Apple shoots themselves in the foot with this one as far as the default. They charge way too much on the website for expanding RAM, when they could use their buying power to charge less than average instead. The upshot is systems that hobble along at much less than full capacity, because the target audience for an iMac doesn't know what's going wrong. They do know that something is going wrong -- my folks have a 1ghz iMac sitting at home that can't rip and play a CD in iTunes at the same time. That's not good for Apple's image.

      Apple tends to be smarter than people think when it comes to sales, but I really think they're dropping the ball on this one.

    14. Re:Apple hate RAM. by Ford+Prefect · · Score: 1

      256MB is very stingy - I recently upgraded my iBook G4 from 256MB to 640MB, and it's like a whole new machine. It makes a huge difference everywhere, and Firefox takes a few seconds instead of twenty-plus to start, iPhoto is actually usable, and the Finder isn't swapped to disk whenever I even think of clicking on something else.

      Even just 512MB would make a huge difference in a machine like the new iMac, and from looking at the back-off view, it's just some sort of DIMMs in there, not the more expensive laptop SODIMMs...

      Looking at it, the new iMac does look somewhat influenced by the iBook. Definitely not a bad thing, and it makes a change from the giant PC-style cases of everyone else!

      --
      Tedious Bloggy Stuff - hooray?
    15. Re:Apple hate RAM. by 1g$man · · Score: 2, Funny
      C'mon, show me, what really for you'll need more than 2 G of RAM?

      Well I can't think of any reason you'd need more than 640k of RAM on a personal computer.

      Er... wait...

    16. Re:Apple hate RAM. by HFXPro · · Score: 1

      I think you must be a troll. Last time I used *nix (which was 5 minutes ago), the amount of resources just to get a decent default config running (X with a window manager and desktop enviroment plus some basic service) blows away what my Windows computer is using with several applications running (some quite large). In almost every computer I've used, *nix has gotten far worse on memory usage then Windows. So stop spotting crap.

      --
      Reserved Word.
    17. Re:Apple hate RAM. by Epistax · · Score: 1

      How many people do you know who have more than 1GB of RAM in their home or office PCs? I could probably count them on one hand.

      Incorrect question.
      Correct question: How many peopel do you know who will have more than 1GB of RAM in their home or offpice PCs in the next 1 to 3 years?

    18. Re:Apple hate RAM. by sammy+baby · · Score: 1

      Dell's "top of the line" in their compact desktop range (the Dimension 4600 C) also maxes out at 2 gigs of RAM.

      I've never owned a computer with more than a gig of RAM (sorry to say), and I'm a pro. I think it's safe to say that a 2 gig limit is appropriate for a home box.

    19. Re:Apple hate RAM. by Chaotic+Evil+Cleric · · Score: 1

      Apple doesn't want to play the memory game. Apple knows that the customers know they can price shop and buy it elsewhere, that's all.

      Give me a break. If Apple actually wanted to give you the freedom to go somewhere else, they'd give you an option of ZERO Ram. On my PowerBook, I was FORCED to buy 1 Gig of RAM off them, and my second Gig elsewhere, otherwise I'd have to throw out their default 512 meg stick in order to free up a slot.

    20. Re:Apple hate RAM. by beholder77 · · Score: 1

      I guess it depends on your environment. I have a 68k macintosh (040-25mhz) with 24 megs of ram running NetBSD 1.6.2, with ssh, apache, php4, postgresql as services running a Windowmaker desktop on X. The machine runs decently (smoother than you'd expect for a machine made in 1992).

      If you're concerned that your ram is always showing as fully allocated in a *nix setup, no worries it's supposed to do that. It's not that you're out of memory, it's that the memory is allocated to various caching buffers and can be flushed for program usage at any time. I'm happy when I see my "Free" sitting less than 100k.

      --
      Success is as dangerous as failure, hope as hollow as fear.
    21. Re:Apple hate RAM. by Epistax · · Score: 1

      Just so you don't think I'm being an ass I think your point is still valid, just not as such as would appear by your original question. I have one gig of ram in my machine and find it to be enough, however if I didn't have the ability to go up to 3 gigs I'd be quite angry. All it takes is a couple new programs which I have to run at the same time (course work) which could easily push me over.

    22. Re:Apple hate RAM. by fitten · · Score: 1

      I have three PCs with 1G each. My laptop has 768M. I have another PC with 512M and one more with 384M, but that one is gonna be upgraded soon. I just got rid of two PCs (which were upgraded), both of which had 768M. 512M is the minimum I put in a machine these days (that 512M one above replaced a 768M one... for now... I'm going to get another 512M for it eventually) and I'm more likely to put 1G in it, no matter what OS it runs (I have both Windows and Linux boxes at home).

    23. Re:Apple hate RAM. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How many people do you know who have more than 1GB of RAM in their home or office PCs?

      Most of us here. We develop web apps against large databases and it's far easier for us all to have a local database.

    24. Re:Apple hate RAM. by for_usenet · · Score: 1

      Probably for 2 reasons:

      • There has to be some performanace differentiation between the consumer line and the pro line to justify the price difference. If the CPU/memory ratio was the same as the G5 tower, how many people (other than those that need the expandability) would pay that much more for roughly equivalent performance.
      • Heat concerns - since this case does not have as much room, or as much cooling fans as the towers, they have to find a way to cut back on heat production. Clocking down the CPU/RAM bus is another way to achieve that.
    25. Re:Apple hate RAM. by feldsteins · · Score: 1

      The fact that the bottom spec on RAM is 256 is entirely due to the fact that nobody cares about RAM. Consider the following scenario. Computer A has a lot of ram and costs $1500. Computer B is identical in every way, but has less RAM and costs $1400. Result: many people buy the cheapo. They just don't know better. Apple doesn't make people buy this way, that's just what they do.

      The top spec being 2 gigs is simply a space consideration (2 slots, folks) and also to make sure that people who need more than 2 gigs of RAM buy a G5 Powermac. Sensible from a business perspective.

      --
      You like your Macintosh better than me, don't you Dave? Dave? Can you hear me Dave?
    26. Re:Apple hate RAM. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      What color is the sky in your world?

      This sounds like the MHz nonsense."My 300 MHz Mac feels so much faster than my 2.8 GHz PC."

    27. Re:Apple hate RAM. by Megane · · Score: 1

      How are you measuring the memory usage? With top? Yeah, right. It is well known that top reports the same shared memory multiple times for each process. In particular, I recall that when you're running X, your video card frame buffer gets included into the usage of EVERY process running it.

      --
      #naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }
    28. Re:Apple hate RAM. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's probably not just the database then.. e.g. Oracle runs fine with 1GB, but try iAS, or better yet, don't try;)

    29. Re:Apple hate RAM. by Macka · · Score: 1

      I guess that depends when Long^H^H^H^HShorthorn finally ships ;-)

    30. Re:Apple hate RAM. by Fujisawa+Sensei · · Score: 1

      Where I'm working nobody. 2 Gig is standard. Also 2 Gig is not enough for much of what we do. We need more but the current architectures don't support it, and the software hasn't been ported to 64bit.

      --
      If someone is passing you on the right, you are an asshole for driving in the wrong lane.
    31. Re:Apple hate RAM. by derF024 · · Score: 1

      These are not Windows machines. *nix does a much better job on ram, so a 256M is ~= to 512M on a windows box.

      You don't have a clue of what you're talking about, do you?

      Macs gobble RAM. A G4 running OS 10.3 isn't even usable until you've got 512 MB of RAM in the thing. I'd say the normal amount of RAM in a G4 based Mac these days is about 1 GB. Workstations and servers (G5 towers/Xserves) get at least 2 GB.

    32. Re:Apple hate RAM. by Jeff+DeMaagd · · Score: 1

      On my PowerBook, I was FORCED to buy 1 Gig of RAM off them, and my second Gig elsewhere, otherwise I'd have to throw out their default 512 meg stick in order to free up a slot.

      Wouldn't it have been cheaper to just buy the minimum amount of memory, drop the included memory card and bought 2GB elsewhere? It isn't hard to sell off that card either. I think in the end, you'd spend less money overall.

      What do you do with the system if you felt you needed to have 2GB RAM in it?

    33. Re:Apple hate RAM. by i_am_trep · · Score: 1

      As a matter of fact, what possible use could a user have for more than 640KB???

    34. Re:Apple hate RAM. by sysadmn · · Score: 1

      Most people (i.e., non-Slashdot readers) keep a computer 24-36 months. In 18 months, we'll be able to what apps work well with more than 2 GB RAM (I suspect video editing...). In 36 months, we'll be able to mock you for this remark. Mark your calendar!

      --
      Envy my 5 digit Slashdot User ID!
    35. Re:Apple hate RAM. by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      If hard drive speed is a bottleneck, then more RAM can fix it, since it will hit the disk less. This is why my iBook has 640MB (maxed out) even though I don't even use Photoshop.

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    36. Re:Apple hate RAM. by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      The CPU/memory ratio is the same as a G5 tower -- the iMac has one G5 and 2GB max RAM, and the PowerMac has two G5s and 4GB max* RAM. : )

      *yes, the top-of-the-line can hold 8GB, but that's not the point.

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    37. Re:Apple hate RAM. by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      And yet your company would consider an iMac??! Here's a hint: for people like you, Apple sells Dual G5 PowerMacs!

      That's the point -- this is a low-to-mid-range Mac, not a high end one.

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    38. Re:Apple hate RAM. by for_usenet · · Score: 1

      The post I was replying to was not referring to the amount of RAM per CPU (which I agree - has not changed), but the speed ratio between the RAM and CPU. In the G5 tower line, the CPU/RAM speed ratio is 2:1, while with the new iMacs, it is 3:1 - hence the performance/heat issues. HTH

    39. Re:Apple hate RAM. by ozzmosis · · Score: 1

      If you need more than 2GB of RAM than you should probably just get a power mac.

    40. Re:Apple hate RAM. by noewun · · Score: 1
      I'm working on everyday basis with multiple 500 Mb+ Photoshop files and guess what? Never, NEVER Photoshop CS or 7 uses memory in such chunks.

      Funny, I'm working all day with multipe 500+ meg Photoshop files and I find 2 BG of RAM to be a minimum, unless you want to swap out.

      And if you'll set more than 1 Gb to Photoshop, it'll just get mad.

      Not in my experience.

      --
      I am a believer of momentum and curves.
    41. Re:Apple hate RAM. by the+pickle · · Score: 1

      As for the upper limit, well after the computer has been used for 4 years and it's now running more demanding applicatons, one can stick in a single, cheap, low-end 4GB DDR DIMM and suddenly have the thing perform vastly better.

      And in four years, there will probably be RAM chips that allow this iMac to go past the 2 GB limit.

      Fourteen years ago, nobody thought you'd be able to put 128 MB RAM in an SE/30, either. Or 196 MB in a Performa 630-series. Or 132 MB in an LC 575.

      Heck, to cite a more recent example, no one thought you'd be able to cram 512 MB RAM into a 7200, or 768 MB into a beige G3. But you can.

      Go check Apple's official specs for those machines. They *still* don't list the true RAM capabilities, but rather the factory specs.

      I'm not worried about the G5 iMac in four years. Someone will figure something out for when you need a gig of RAM just to run the damned OS (says the crotchety old veteran who remembers running everything he needed in 4 MB RAM with 2 MB left over).

      p

    42. Re:Apple hate RAM. by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      Wait, does the RAM really run at the system bus speed? If it's 2:1 in a 2.5GHz G5, that would make the RAM run at 1.25GHz!

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    43. Re:Apple hate RAM. by LennyDotCom · · Score: 1

      How many people do you know who have more than 1GB of RAM in their home or office PCs?
      Ive had 1.5 gigs of ram in my dual 533Mhz G4 for about 4 years now. And most of that time I had 3 20" monitors on it also.

      --
      http://Lenny.com
    44. Re:Apple hate RAM. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      2GB is PLENTY expandable for the homemakers and young professionals this box is aimed at. I do pro video work (ESPN), and my Dual G5 only has 3GB of RAM, and that's plenty for me! Lets face it, most people, no matter what they say, use their computers to read emails and watch flash cartoons that their friends send to them.

      Admit it. Expandability isn't the issue. The issue is that Apple makes really nice products that work well for their intended audience, and you feel left out.

      I would suggest you cure your apple-envy and get an iPod, but you sound like an ogg-elitest to me.

    45. Re:Apple hate RAM. by HFXPro · · Score: 1

      I also didn't mention but the other people reminded me, I'm looking at page faults. Almost ever *nix machine I use with less then 256 MB of ram wants to swap everytime everytime I switch applications and thus feels slower. A windows 2000 with 96 megs of ram feels much more responsive and usually only thrashes when I start Eclipse.

      --
      Reserved Word.
    46. Re:Apple hate RAM. by for_usenet · · Score: 1

      Well, I'm not sure if the RAM itself is running at that speed, but according to this page, the CPU/memory bus does indeed run at 1.25 GHz.

    47. Re:Apple hate RAM. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      From the next line down on the page:
      512MB PC3200 (400MHz)
      Supports up to 8GB
      By the way, I'm mrchaotica; apparantly /. doesn't like people posting too many times in one day : (
    48. Re:Apple hate RAM. by longbot · · Score: 0

      I have 1.5GB, actually. I bought PC100 SDRAM before DDR showed up and the prices skyrocketed. $30 each. I got a gig and a half for less than a hundred bucks. It was worth it for the bragging rights alone!

      --
      I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it! --Longbottle
    49. Re:Apple hate RAM. by dmdimon · · Score: 1

      Anyway you'll swap out with PShop.
      Just install MenuMeters and check, what amount of RAM Photoshop really uses.
      And then check processor load on heavy task with more than 1 gig and less than 1 gig.
      on my dual 1.8 total load NEWER overexeeds 105-110 percent with 1.5 gig given to ps and easely goes to 180 with 960 mb assigned.
      got what I mean?

      Anyway, here was talk about iMac, yes? And iMac isn't supposed for such workload.

    50. Re:Apple hate RAM. by psergiu · · Score: 1

      Cute but WRONG ! ... G5 is a 64 bit CPU so the 2Gb limit is irrelevant.

      --
      1% APY, No fees, Online Bank https://captl1.co/2uIErYq Don't let your $$$ sit in a no-interest acct.
    51. Re:Apple hate RAM. by frankie · · Score: 1
      Some points of order:
      1. 2GB might not be a hard limit. Most older iMacs can actually handle more RAM than their listed maximum, by using higher-density chips than were available at time of release.
      2. 2GB really is enough for this iMac. By the time consumers are doing immersive desktop holography (or whatever future app) that requires more RAM, the limiting factor will be the 2-generations-deceased G5 CPU.
      3. HOWEVER, 256MB is a really bad decision that will revive the Apple==slow meme. OS X is a dog with low RAM. The speed difference with 512MB or more is breathtaking.
    52. Re:Apple hate RAM. by babbage · · Score: 1
      Yeah, the anemic default memory on Apple hardware is annoying, but they seem to have decided that they have to do this to protect their profit margins. For the amount of money that they charge to upgrade the ram, you're better off just shopping around on one of the comparison shopping sites and bringing the ram up to a reasonable level using a third party vendor.

      As much as I hate to side with the company for a policy that seems so user-hostile, it doesn't seem that bad to me -- you can easily get a better price for more ram elsewhere, and it makes Apple's balance sheet (and, by extension, their ability to keep putting out interesting hardware for years to come) much stronger.

      I can live with that.

    53. Re:Apple hate RAM. by marcinjeske · · Score: 1

      Then your folks' iMac must be having deeper problems... an original Tangerine iMac (I have one sitting on my desk) could rip and play at the same time...

      hmmm... actually, I just realized... do you mean play the freshly ripped mp3s as they are ripped, or play directly from the CD, because then your problem is clear. You can't generally play a CD while it is ripped because the entire bandwidth of the CD-ROM is devoted to the ripping.

    54. Re:Apple hate RAM. by marcinjeske · · Score: 1

      The iMac has two RAM slots. The densest RAM sticks widely available today are 1 GB. 2 x 1 GB = 2 GB. It is likely that once denser RAM is available, iMacs will go higher than 2 GB.

      As for the default... if the default were higher... people would complain that Macs cost more than the Dell with 256 MB RAM, and others would complain that they want to get less RAM... this way, th buyer has a choice... get the minimum, or pay more.

    55. Re:Apple hate RAM. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This thing is only shipped with 256M of RAM by default? And only upgradable to 2GB?

      It's the right amount for the base system. This is their intro-level computer. If my grandmother wanted to buy a Mac, this is what she'd get. People getting intro-level Macs for reading email, listening to iTunes, browsing ebay, and maybe plugging in a digital camera don't need more than 256 MB.

      If you know enough to want more, then get more. No reason to give intro-level buyers who don't need it extra memory -- especially since it'll drive up the base price of the computer.

  14. Nice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    It looks great, has a G5, comparable power to a PC and isn't so expensive. (remember it's including a very nice 20 inch screen).

    Interesting points, it has a VESA compliant arm, so you can wall mount it easily. And Apple still haven't managed to get a clue about RAM, shipping a PC with 256 MB of ram is NOT ACCEPTABLE anymore.

    this is not 1999, OS X needs at least 512 MB to run well.

    1. Re:Nice by CoolMoDee · · Score: 4, Informative

      i call bs. OS X runs perfect here on two different machines, one with 256 and the other with 384 megs of ram. Things may run a little bit slow if you try to run a zillion programs all at once, but for the average user, 256 is fine.

      --
      Jisho - A Japanese English German Russian French Dictionary for the rest of us.
    2. Re:Nice by mrob2002 · · Score: 1

      If the fans and ventilation slot are on the back of the screen, is there enough clearance is you wall mount it?

    3. Re:Nice by damiam · · Score: 1

      256MB is the minimum. You can upgrade it when you buy it (or buy a third-party upgrade and save $$$), but you don't have to if you don't want to. Aren't you glad Apple gives you the choice?

      --
      It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.
    4. Re:Nice by Squozen · · Score: 1

      By 'a zillion' I take it you mean 'more than one'? My girlfriend's PowerBook thrashes like hell with only 256Mb of RAM. Mine has 1Gb, and rarely uses more than 600-700Mb (I'm using ~400Mb right now with only a few Internet apps running). 512Mb is a sensible medium.

    5. Re:Nice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The average user will occasionally want to run a program that doesn't run in 256Mb of RAM. Let me put it this way: I found UT2003 regularly stuttered (to the point of seriously affecting game play) on my 512Mb PowerBook until I doubled the RAM.

    6. Re:Nice by ViolentGreen · · Score: 1

      By 'a zillion' I take it you mean 'more than one'? My girlfriend's PowerBook thrashes like hell with only 256Mb of RAM. Mine has 1Gb, and rarely uses more than 600-700Mb (I'm using ~400Mb right now with only a few Internet apps running). 512Mb is a sensible medium.

      I am going to have to concur with that. My powerbook thrashes without additional ram. I have 768 in it now and it's much better. I could stand to use a little more though. OS X seems to need more memory then XP. It could be the fact that I leave more programs running in my powerbook though

      --
      Not everything is analogous to cars. Car analogies rarely work.
    7. Re:Nice by Macka · · Score: 1


      I agree. I've a PB with 512MB and there are times when even that isn't enough. Try running Activity Monitor and order your list on "real memory" usage. When Safari clocks in at 100+MB which it does frequently, having just 256MB in your system isn't going to cut the mustard.

      I've been thinking of upgrading to 1GB, and that'll definitely be the starting point for any future purchases.

    8. Re:Nice by gl4ss · · Score: 1

      i don't recall even apple zealots saying that 256mb is enough for *work*.

      the cheapest model is a cut-the-costs model.. nothing surprising about that.

      however, the 5200 is nowhere 'amazingly fast' as apple spins it, this could be a problem when people who don't know jack about video cards buy this and actually buy into that "amazingly fast, cool, this will play doom3 pretty well then!" that their marketing is spinning up.

      but 2k buys a pretty sweeet pc...

      --
      world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
    9. Re:Nice by nule.org · · Score: 1

      I agree for the most part, but I do Java development on my g3-600 iBook and when I launch my editor of choice (Eclipse) things get ugly with 256mb of ram. iMovie makes things interesting too, although that probably has as much to do with CPU speed as it does the memory.

      Now, if newegg comes through, I should be up to 640mb by tomorrow. :) It hard to complain about the base memory a system comes with (128mb in my case) when a 512mb stick is under $100.

    10. Re:Nice by CoolMoDee · · Score: 1

      That is interesting, along with the other replies to your reply they seem to be having the same problem with the trashing of the disk on their notebooks. The machine that I have that has 256megs of ram is a Blue and White with a G4 upgraded in it and it never swaps. Maybe it is a difference between desktops and laptops?

      --
      Jisho - A Japanese English German Russian French Dictionary for the rest of us.
    11. Re:Nice by carpe_noctem · · Score: 1

      I agree. I use a 900mhz ibook with only 384mb of ram, and it's fast enough to run both reason 2.5 and ableton 3 with 5ms latency. The latency could probably be decreased some, but I opted to buy a rather cheap external usb sound card, and that's all it can take.

      Regardless, I DJ and perform with these applications all the time, and my mac never 'thrashes' or does any other ridiculous shit to get in my way. 512mb of ram would be great, but I never find myself hurting for it...

      --
      "Quoting famous computer scientists out of context is the root of all evil (or at least most of it) in programming." - K
    12. Re:Nice by Graff · · Score: 1
      OS X runs perfect here on two different machines, one with 256 and the other with 384 megs of ram. Things may run a little bit slow if you try to run a zillion programs all at once, but for the average user, 256 is fine.

      Hell, my parents have a 400 mHz iMac G3 that was running Mac OS 10.3.5 with 192 MB of RAM and it ran just fine for their purposes. They could surf the web, use e-mail, use Word to read and write documents, play some simple games. The computer was a bit slow in launching apps and if you ran more than a couple of big apps at once things could get slow switching between them but they never needed more than a few apps open at once anyways.

      I recently bumped the machine up to 640 MB of RAM because I got a good deal on a 512 MB stick of RAM. It helped but it didn't change the operation of the machine a whole hell of a lot. 256 MB of RAM is just fine for Mac OS X but certainly more RAM is better.
    13. Re:Nice by Morgahastu · · Score: 1

      I beg to differ. When I first got my PowerBook it only had 256MB of RAM and it was quite slow, I bumped it up to 768 and it was like running a completely different computer - incredibly faster. Mac OS X NEEDS alot of RAM and I don't know why Apple won't admit it. RAM is cheap, give it to us!

  15. Interesting... by CountBrass · · Score: 1

    Because it looks an awful lot like the pictures the rumour sites (including Slashdot) posted: and were "admitted to be fakes"!!).

    --
    Bad analogies are like waxing a monkey with a rainbow.
  16. remember the monrail by acomj · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It looked like this but was black and had a smaller lcd (which was the style at the time) with a blazingly fast 486 processor...

    http://www.monorailcomputer.org/index.html

  17. Impressive new addition by sessamoid · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Design-wise, it's in keeping with the home line with the white minimalist aesthetic. It matches the iBook and iPod well. The brushed aluminum stand gives it a design relationship with the G5 towers. At this size, it looks like the perfect dorm-room computer (as long as you lock it down!). The 17 inch version weighs in at a light 18.5 pounds and only 6.8 inches deep.

    The most amazing space-saving feature is that it holds it's own power supply in that thin enclosure, so no ugly power bricks sitting on your desk or floor. If I didn't already have a dual 2.5Ghz G5 coming, this would look pretty attractive.

    --
    "No, no, no. Don't tug on that. You never know what it might be attached to."
    1. Re:Impressive new addition by mbbac · · Score: 1

      The fact that the power supply is built into the unit instead of being a separate power brick is why this thing can be easily mounted on a wall.

      --

      mbbac

  18. Fav quote by gophish · · Score: 1

    Inside, you'll find enough modern technology to make even nerds drool. /me looks on as drool slowly pours from his chin to lightly touch the submit button...

  19. How stable is it? by phantasma6 · · Score: 0

    Is it just me or does that look like it could fall over very easily?

    It has a small base and a fairly chunky body, and I for one wouldn't want to accidentally knock it over too many times.

    1. Re:How stable is it? by TVC15 · · Score: 3, Informative

      i was worried about the stability of the apple flat screen monitors myself when they first came out. i went to look at them and pushed them around quite hard. even the 30" was extremely stable. since the imacs have a plastic case rather than aluminum and only come in 17" and 20" models, i have to assume its more than adequately stable.

    2. Re:How stable is it? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They just forgot to mention in the specs that it got an airbag ;)

    3. Re:How stable is it? by nuxx · · Score: 1

      I call shenanigans. The 30" displays aren't shipping yet, and I've yet to see an Apple store that actually has one on display.

      Where'd you see one at?

      That said, I agree that the stands are *very* stable, but I've only seen them on the 20" and 23" displays.

    4. Re:How stable is it? by TVC15 · · Score: 1

      >Where'd you see one at?

      they had one on display at WWDC SF. also there was one at Steve Jobs' house when i was over there playing fooseball. ok, so i made that last part up. ;-)

      anyway, i suspect they were on display in Paris as well and i'm pretty sure i remember seeing a pic of one at the Boston show. thousands of (non-Apple) people probably have had a chance to see one live by this point.

  20. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by peterprior · · Score: 3, Informative

    Nice pic but it is slow already.. :|

    I've mirrored the above image here

  21. Now you can all stop whining. . . by sabinm · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It's as inexpensive as a IBM clone and worth more in value.

    As an aside, this weekend I called apple care to get my logic board on my G3 Ibook replaced for the third time. I wasn't pleased, and I asked for a new one. Guess what? They're shipping a new Ibook G4 1gz for me. That's service. Barring the fact that the hard ware was faulty, they really came through on this one. That's why I buy apple.

    --
    http://cincyboys.blogspot.com/ Everything Cincinnati. Including the word 'Finnih'
    1. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by dasunt · · Score: 1, Informative

      It's as inexpensive as a IBM clone and worth more in value.

      $1299 gets me: 17 LCD (nice), 1.6Ghz G5, 256MB memory, 80GB ATA HDD, and a 64MB GeForce 5200 video card.

      From Dell, it appears that I can get a similar package for under $1099. I know that if I looked around, I could find a similar setup for under a grand. Perhaps

      Apple has advantages, but price isn't one of them.

    2. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by Beatbyte · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I agree with you on the hardware prices but I agree with the parent of the thread that it's got more value.

      You don't get the iApps with the Dell. Nor OS-X. Nor quality support.

      You get XP Home and the rest is left up to you.

    3. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by rawg · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm sorry, I can't find a all in one 64 bit LCD desktop computer at Dell? What one are you looking at? You need to compare Apples to apples, not Apples to cans of soda.

      --
      The above is not worth reading.
    4. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by jerkychew · · Score: 1

      Anybody that still calls them IBM clones is probably too out of touch to be able to comment on price comparisons, IMHO.

      Granted, you're not going to get the integration or nice OS from a PC that you get with this imac, but it's pretty easy to get a ~3GHZ brand name box with 17" LCD for roughly the same money.

    5. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by CountBrass · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Really? Since when did Dell start selling G5 machines running OSX?

      It's easy to come out with any old crap when you pick and choose some specs (and completely ignore others). I'd like to see you come up with a comparable box from a top brand (which basically means IBM: I don't think anyone could mistake Dell for a quality brand!)

      Try again if you like:

      1. top brand: support+quality count
      2. *quality* 17" LCD
      3. 1.6Gig 64bit CPU
      4. 256MB memory
      5. 80GB ATA HDD
      6. GeForce 5200 video card
      7. Less than 2" thick
      8. Doesn't look like a pile of shit.

      Up for the challenge?

      --
      Bad analogies are like waxing a monkey with a rainbow.
    6. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by Rallion · · Score: 1

      You don't get the iApps with the Dell. Nor OS-X. Nor quality support.

      My tech support experiences with Dell have been far better than with Apple. It's not great, but I get people trying to help me fix my problem, which is nicer than having somebody sell me incredibly expensive repairs and replacement parts, or, once, telling me to just buy a new one.

    7. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by tempest303 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Or one could just go get an Athlon 64 box, which is true 64 bit and beats the shit out of the G5. Way to see the trees and not the forest. The other poster's comment about the value of OS X and the iApps was a much better argument.

    8. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, I *bought* an iBookG4, logic board died... 2 monthes ago... And still not received it back from Apple Support

    9. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by SoTuA · · Score: 2, Insightful
      which is nicer than having somebody sell me incredibly expensive repairs and replacement parts, or, once, telling me to just buy a new one.

      Bought a powerbook in NYC.

      Had battery failure.

      Got it replaced, for free. In Chile.

      How is that bad service?

    10. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by danila · · Score: 1

      You are paying 200$ for the quality and support. These things don't come free, you know. This G5 iMac is unbelievably cheap, really. Trying to always get a bargain is really stupid - there are cases when paying a premium is rational and makes a lot of sense.

      P.S. You forget the design. This is as sleek as it gets. Not "in-your-face" sleekness of the last iMac, but extremely impressive in a very discreet way.

      --
      Future Wiki -- If you don't think about the future, you cannot have one.
    11. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by chrysrobyn · · Score: 1

      It's as inexpensive as a IBM clone and worth more in value.

      Your comment is out of date. What does "IBM clone" mean today? Someone who copies the Thinkpad or Aptiva? Who cares about those? These iMacs have IBM processors in them, so from a certain perspective, these Macs are not only not IBM clones because they don't run x86, but they're not IBM clones because they are IBM.

    12. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by RsG · · Score: 1

      Not to troll, but do you honestly spend a couple hundred US$ more just to get OSX and "less than 2" thick/doesn't look like a pile of shit"? If you want to pimp macs for style and appearance, go for it, even as a PC user I can't argue. If you want to focus on ease of use, I'm with you too. But price?
      My locally made custom clone PC that I bought new over a year ago has more horsepower than the specs you've listed, and I payed less than 900 CDN$ (about ~600 US$ at the current excange). Moreover, I've had the same monitor for the last three computers; modular design is your friend.
      I actually like macs, but price keeps me away (that and games, or rather lack thereof). If your needs differ thats fine, but you cheapness argument doesn't hold water.

      --
      Erotic is when you use a feather. Exotic is when you use the whole chicken.
    13. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by dirgotronix · · Score: 1

      also take into account that risc and cisc are two completely different architectures. a G5 at 1.6GHz is going to perform a hell of a lot better than a P4 at 1.6GHz.

      people seem to forget that 'reduced instruction set' means blazingly fast computation compared to 'complex instruction set.'

      My TiBook G4 800MHz runs easily on par with my Athlon XP 2000+, with the same amount of ram.

      --
      America - Home of the scapegoat, land of the Corporation
    14. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by sabinm · · Score: 1

      So are you going to discuss the meat of the comment or just talk about semantics. I meant that any of the main 3 PC manufacturers around today. We'll not discuss whitebox manufacturers because--1. there are too many 2. the majority cannot offer the same amount of support (probably Alienware would be one exception) White boxes just don't have the infrastructure to handle the kind of repair program that is efficient and cost effective. I speak from experience.

      --
      http://cincyboys.blogspot.com/ Everything Cincinnati. Including the word 'Finnih'
    15. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by Beatbyte · · Score: 1

      They're outsourced tech support. I've dealt with them and currently have close to 250 workstations and servers that are Dell.

      They're not good tech support.

    16. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by nuggetman · · Score: 1

      not only not because they' dont, but they are not because they are

      my head asplode

      --
      ...and that's all there is to it.
    17. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by syates21 · · Score: 2, Informative

      people seem to forget that 'reduced instruction set' means blazingly fast computation compared to 'complex instruction set.'

      Maybe it's not that people forget, but it's just that they are a little more well-informed than you. It is hardly as cut and dried as you make it sound. Those terms are pretty much meaningless in modern processors, since they are all pretty much insanely complex (violating one of the primary tenets of RISC design).

      RISC vs CISC was an interesting argument in 1994. In 2004, it's mostly irrelevant (except to the fanboys of particular platforms).

    18. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by sabinm · · Score: 1

      My tech support experiences with Dell have been mixed. I've had both qualified and incompetent tech support persons on the other end of the phone. My experience with Apple has been mediocre. I asked for a replacement when the logic board happened a second time and the agent on the line was a complete jerk (he kept on saying 'ok this is what we can do for you', prefacing the fact that he was going to do absolutely nothing for me). When it came down to it I liked Apple's better. Both my computers (Dell and Apple) had significant problems with the motherboard, both replaced them quickly, (Dell had a couple of problems with it's hard drive). When push came to shove, my computer was dying and it was still under warranty. Dell was not willing to do anything and stalled until the warranty wore out. I paid 2000 for the computer and a top of the line support option. It wasn't worth it. For a litmus test I showed the new imac to my wife (she doesn't care one way the other about Macs, in fact out of all our PCs at home, she uses a whitebox the most, but she saw that and said that she'd like one (less clutter, more style and at an affordable price). This all comes down to my final impression of Apple. When the chips were down, Apple pulled through and kept their word. When the chips were down on my Dell, I was ignored and sacrificed to keep their bottom line. I made my decision to stop buying Dells then. I still recommend them as the least expensive option out of the Big 3 but I caveat with the fact that if their computer gets broken, their service is less than mediocre at best.

      --
      http://cincyboys.blogspot.com/ Everything Cincinnati. Including the word 'Finnih'
    19. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 1

      Maybe we can compare the Apple G5 iMac to the Gateway Profile® 5XL-C AIO.

      The specs on the Gateway are as follows:

      Operating System: Microsoft® Windows® XP Home Edition
      Application Software: Microsoft® Works Suite 2004 - including Microsoft® Word and Encarta
      Processor: Intel® Pentium® 4 Processor 3.2GHz w/ Hyper-Threading Technology, 800MHz FSB and 1MB L2 Cache
      Memory: 512MB 400MHz DDR SDRAM (2-256MB modules)
      Hard Drive: 160GB Ultra ATA100 7200rpm hard drive w/ 8MB performance enhancing cache
      Floppy Drive: Integrated 1.44MB 3.5" floppy diskette drive
      Optical Drive: Integrated DVD±R/±RW/CD-RW recorder
      Extended Service Plan Including Limited Warranty: Desktop Value Service Plan -- 1 year parts/labor/no on-site/1 year technical support
      Expansion Slots: (1) Type II PC card slot
      External Ports: (6) USB 2.0 ports (2 side, 4 rear), (1) Serial (back), (1) Parallel, (2) PS/2
      Input/Output Jacks: Line-in, line-out and mic (back), headphone and mic (front), VGA-out (in back on NVIDIA® graphics configurations)[?], VGA-in
      Dimensions: 16.93" x 18.66" x 7.41" (WxHxD), approximately 25.4lb.
      Screen: 19" LCD flat panel display
      Video: Integrated Intel® Extreme Graphics 2 with 64MB shared memory buffer
      Keyboard and Mouse: Gateway Wireless Keyboard/Wireless Optical Mouse
      Multimedia Package: Integrated sound and stereo speakers
      Modem/Wireless: V.92 56k modem
      Network Adapter: Integrated Intel® 10/100/1000 Ethernet (Gigabit) adapter

      Price is $1999 USD, 100 more than the top of the line iMac. What are the differences?

      Extremely crappy video on the Gateway. Integrated Intel® Extreme Graphics 2 with 64MB shared memory buffer WTF? The Apple card (NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra w/64MB video memory) isn't the greatest, but at least it's a card, with it's very own memory. I couldn't find a way to upgrade the Gateway's video on their web page.

      iMac offers digital optical out, Gateway doesn't.

      Gateway offers wireless keyboard and mouse standard, on the iMac it's a $99 upgrade.

      Gateway offers 256 more RAM.

      The Gateway AIO offers 2 FW ports (like the Mac) but one of them is a 4 pin connector? (WTF? Why? That's like wearing a three fingered glove because your friend (Sony) lost a couple of fingers in an accident.)

      Oh, and the Gateway 19" screen is not widescreen.

      However the deal killer for me is that the Gateway offers a built in floppy drive. Apple does not. Joke!

      --
      It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
    20. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by OmniVector · · Score: 2
      Or one could just go get an Athlon 64 box, which is true 64 bit
      and a g5 chip isn't? uh oh, you better tell IBM.
      --
      - tristan
    21. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by chrysrobyn · · Score: 1
      So are you going to discuss the meat of the comment or just talk about semantics.

      My intention was do discuss interesting and amusing semantics. But, if you insist.

      The consumer market basically charges $200 per year on machine + monitor. Printers are priced seperately due to usage conditions. Allow me to explain my $200 per year reason. One can buy an e-Machine for $200, and it will last roughly a year. If yours has lasted longer, that's fantastic, but that has not been my experience. You can pick up a nicer machine for $400-$600, and it will last you 2-3 years. Of the Apple hardware I've seen and used, 5-7 years is a reasonable lifetime. This suggests that, if you omit the time value of money and are willing to operate a machine that is 5-7 years old worth of slowness, the iMac G5 is within the acceptable value range. Professional machines are significantly more than $200 per year, but the comparisons are similar with the G5 and higher end x86 boxen.

      A real consumer value proposition would be an iMac G5 that was similar in spirit to the Bondi iMac -- take out the DVD RAM (make it CD or CD-R), take it down to a single firewire, a single USB and a single ethernet. Let marketing argue about the analog modem port and the cost of keeping the Airport adapter slot. Base the memory at 512MB and make it only a single slot so such a consumer isn't paying for slots they'll never fill. I'm betting that would cut $300+ out of the cost, and this would mean great things to the total cost of ownership for Joe Sixpack.

      If you want to draw me out into the open and compare Apples to Dells and Compaqs and IBMs, feel free. When you add all the hardware together, yes, the Apple is cheaper -- but the more plain machines don't have the high initial cost of entry. You can purchase a cheaper machine without a DVD writer. Honestly, I only need a CD-R, and I could get by with a CD 95% of the time. I have no use for an external VGA, wireless network for my desktop, etc. It's like how the Japanese automakers started to eat into the American market-- they had very few options, and the base cars had standard what many American cars had optional. The Japanese car lines were simpler because there were fewer decision trees, fewer steps, fewer stops, etc., so the end car ended up being equivalent for less -- if you wanted all the options to begin with, and most of us do.

      I'm an Apple fanatic. More precisely, I'm on the record as being fanatical about PowerPC and siding with Apple as the bringer of PPC to the home market. Since OSX, I've learned to love Apple itself. If you want to talk about the new iMac G5 being a good value for the hardware, that depends on a great number of things. "Do I want all these options?" "Will I hang onto it for 5+ years" If you want to actually discuss Apple's strengths, OS integration, the OSX experience, UI, stuff like that, then you get to the real value question, "Will I get more enjoyment out of this machine than a cheaper Wintel box?"

      Value is different to different people.

      Also, for the record, I've got Debian running on a 7600 with a 500MHz G3, and a 1GHz AlPB15" at home, but this is posted on a 700MHz P3 Thinkpad at work.

    22. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by follower-fillet · · Score: 1

      > As an aside, this weekend I called apple care to get my logic board on my G3
      > Ibook replaced for the third time. I wasn't pleased, and I asked for a new one.
      > Guess what? They're shipping a new Ibook G4 1gz for me.
      Sucks to be me then. I just had my logic board replaced for the third time (& DVD drive once), have Apple Care & asked if they would replace it but they said that because the new logic board design supposedly fixes the problem they wouldn't replace it.

      No free G4 for me... :-(

      --Phil.

    23. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How is 64-bit relevant? The only uses for 64-bits in current software are 1) addressing > 4GB and 2) easier precision in math functions with use of extended registers. Anything else (for now) is just MARKETING.

      Overall performance of architecture != # of bits != # of GHz

    24. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't even reply to the troll who didnt' see the comparison from dells web site. People who tear down cause they don't like apple are the strangest, most pathetic breed of humans on the face of the planet.

      this thing is really fucking cool. admit it.

    25. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by sabNetwork · · Score: 1, Insightful

      HAAHAHAHAH

      You're kidding, right?

      Premier?

      An outdated version of Photoshop? (Intentionally chosen because the new one is G5-optimized.)

      Two completely arbitrary tests run on Word of an unknown version? (Who uses auto-summarize?)

      All of the PC's are using RAID except two, one which gets smoked by the high-end G5?

      These benchmarks are funny shit.

      --

    26. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by tempest303 · · Score: 1

      Poor wording - the G5 is also 64 bit, not like intel's "bolted on" 64 bit.

    27. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by sabinm · · Score: 1

      A valid, if somewhat flawed argument. You can't take out features when talking about features. You can't say that A Ford Tempo is better than a Toyota Camary. You'd have to compare a Ford Tempo with a Toyota Corolla. Outside the context of having an equivalent Black Box, the iMac delivers more value. I would have to beg to differ on your Pricing ratio. If I purchase a PC for 200 dollars, it will be worth absolutley nothing (resale value) within one year, and nothing of use within one year. I agree, if more time than that, bonus. I will agree that a 400-600 dollar PC will last two years. However, after two years, you will sell it for about 100 dollars, if you don't part it out. A 1300 dollar computer will last you about three years tops. Those are the breaks. After four years, it's value decreases significantly. After four years, your Apple will still be half its value, and still be able to run new software made for modern systems. That 200 won't get you much anyway. You'll have to pay extra for an professionaly supported office suite, you won't get dvd playback or a photo suite. These are standard options--not extra features that people don't use on their computers at home. I won't get into fault tolerance, energy consumption, processing accuracy error checking disk integrity heat dissipaiton, noise reduction. There is no comparision. I'm not saying apple is perfect. I've said as much in subsequent posts. I'm simply saying that the new iMac is an exceptional value compared with today's computers with comparable features.

      --
      http://cincyboys.blogspot.com/ Everything Cincinnati. Including the word 'Finnih'
    28. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by sabinm · · Score: 1

      It's not a free G4. I empathise with you. I paid for Apple care. I asked for insurance against defects beyond the warranty, and got it. It's not much of a treat they gave me but what I deserve because of what I paid. I like the fact that they didn't squirel out of it, and I appreciate their courtesy regarding it, but I have to say that I didn't expect less.

      A couple of things. I asked politely if there was any policy regarding returns. Then I asked if there was any way that they could possibly return it. They asked me how long I had been without my ibook due to inoperability and repair time. I told them the time and then told them that it wasn't significant to me. I'm sure that their managers have discretion so maybe you should talk to them again. I can't guarantee that anything good will happen. I just had a nice experience with them.

      --
      http://cincyboys.blogspot.com/ Everything Cincinnati. Including the word 'Finnih'
    29. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by chrysrobyn · · Score: 1
      A valid, if somewhat flawed argument

      Just because you don't agree with my argument, doesn't mean it's flawed.

      A 1300 dollar computer will last you about three years tops.

      My wife's iMac was purchased in 2000 for $1250 and is still chugging along. My father has equivalent aged PC hardware for equvalent price still chugging along. You do the math. Please refer to my original question, "Will I hang onto it for 5+ years". If the answer is yes, then the $200 per year value question holds. You point out a way to get a similar linear cost by adding resale, allowing one to bail out in the middle. I'm not saying it's 100% accurate, but it's not more than 30% off if you'd either enjoy the machine for that time period or sell it. If you're a consumer who would toss it in the landfill after a year, regardless of quality merely because it was no longer shiney and new, then thse figures do not apply. I know Macs and PCs that have stood the test of time. Heck, this year I retired a 486/66 Thinkpad that had been my personal web/mail/name server for 3 years -- which was after it had been retired from a long productive life as a laptop -- this is lifetime nobody could have expected and ended up beating the $200 / year, hard to do for a portable.

      You can't say that A Ford Tempo is better than a Toyota Camary. You'd have to compare a Ford Tempo with a Toyota Corolla.

      Why? How can anybody decide between the two lines if they cannot compare them? If you can't compare them, how does someone decide they want a Camary instead of a Corolla or vice versa? You're 100% right that you can't take out features when talking about features, but you'd be stupid to assume that everybody who buys a G5 iMac will use all the features it comes with. Those are wasted features and hence don't belong in a comparison when talking about value. If you're going to use all the features, then by all means, it's a valid comparison. I don't know the difference between the Camary and Corolla, so I'd have to compare the two (including price) and do my own cost/benefit analysis to see which I'd prefer.

      Please don't misconstrue my statements to imply I do not believe the iMac G5 to be a bad value. I maintain it's no exceptionally good hardware value for most people (because it has lots of features most consumers won't use and it has competitors that do not charge for those features). HOWEVER, it's an excellent package when you compare the software as well. Nobody will use 100% of the hardware and software of this machine, but this machine includes a hardware/software combination that presents a good value to the consumer. Few will do more than tinker with Garageband, but someone is bound to find an application to enjoy between iCal, iTunes, iPhoto, Quicken and Garageband. If you're some abnormal poweruser who only wants the consumer machine, and will use every single hardware feature and bit of software, then the iMac G5 is an exceptionally good value, likley unparalleled.

    30. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Right, and since a P4 1.6 was lame 2 years ago, how does it stack up against a current P4, say in the 3+ghz range?

    31. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      Hey, weren't we talking about Dells? I wasn't aware they sold AMD-based computers!

      Yes, I know it's kind of beside the point, but still... you have to compare the Apple to a quality*, brand name PC, not a home-built or eMachines or whatever.

      *not that Dells count either...

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    32. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by mrchaotica · · Score: 1
      do you honestly spend a couple hundred US$ more just to get OSX and "less than 2" thick/doesn't look like a pile of shit"?
      No, but I honestly spent a couple hundred US$ less just to get OSX and "an actually portable (i.e. not 10lbs) laptop." My 12" iBook G4 that I bought 7 months ago was $1099, and was slightly better (in hard specification #s) than the Gateway 200X* that was ~$1300.

      *it might have been an X200 -- one is the Gateway, and the other is a Dell Latitude that's even more expensive.
      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    33. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      A 1.6GHz G5 vs. a 3GHz P4? I'd say about the same as that 800Mhz G4 vs. Athlon XP 2000+ he mentioned...

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    34. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      I think you're a troll, and an outright liar!

      When my iBook's power board died, it was fixed within a week, including shipping me a box to put it in, me shipping it to their repair center, and them fixing it and shipping it back, all using overnight shipping and at their expense. Besides, you're an AC.

      Try logging in and posting that again, and maybe you'll have a shred of credibility!

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    35. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by nmk · · Score: 1

      I'm sure he didn't mean to say that it would be impossible to find a cheaper machine with a similar configuration. The point is it's very price competitive with current PC's. The 1.8 G5 should be able to compete with a 2.5-2.8 Ghz P4. Unlike PC's in this price range, it doesn't have integrated graphics (which suck). A lot of PC's in this price range will also lack a DVD writer.

      Anyway, as another poster said, when you factor in OS X and iApps (plus the Games and Appleworks) it's no contest. With the Apple, you get quality components and software. With the number of commodity PC box makers out there, Apple will never be the cheapest. It's a wonder that they are as competitive as they are though.

    36. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by 33degrees · · Score: 1
      Not to mention 9.whisper quiet...
      Quieter than a whisper, the iMac G5 measures less than 25dB when idle (at the same distance of 50cm, a whisper in a quiet room measures more than 30dB).
      As anybody who is interested in quiet computing can tell you, 25dB is extremely quiet, the kind of quiet where you're not sure if the computer is actually on if the screen is dark. I doubt you'll find any desktop on Dell's site that can boast the same thing.
    37. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by sabinm · · Score: 1

      I think you misunderstand me. The facts in the argument are, if not verifiable, reasonable accurate. The flaw in your argument is in the context. For instance. If I say boy, it's ninety degrees outside to day, and you counter oh yeah, well if you weren't wearing pants then you wouldn't feel so hot, then obviously you've taken the original argument out of it's intended context in order to prove a point. It's a common mistake that many (i myself) make from time to time. If we want to argue about less features, then fine. If we want to argue about something else other than the price of the iMac compared to a $300 dollar system, fine. I'm not. You must argue in the context given you. If not, it's not an arguement, it's simply two people stating opinions about incongrous topics.

      For instance--how efficient would it be to compare a Camary and a Tempo? The comparision would be surface level at best. Comparision connotes parities within two products.

      >>A 1300 dollar computer will last you about three years tops.

      This is a non event. I was referring to black box PC. I'm talking about a system that requires everyday use. I can make a computer last forever If I use it for two hours every month. If I use a Dell everyday for 3 years, I'll be in a world of hurt. I've proof on my desktop now. The USB ports are falling out. The fan is hideously noisy, the agp slot has a short. This is after almost four years of consistent use. My iBook, other than the known flaw, is still as quiet as ever, plus, as I've noted before is being replaced as we speak. Oh, yeah. about the same price in computer dollars as my Dell and Ibook (2000 dollars in 2001 for my Dell 1499 in late 2001 for my ibook)

      Why are we even having this discussion? It seems that we more or less agree? Only on /. can you argue with someone who agrees with you.

      A simple comparison you take two similar things and look at both similarities and dissimilarities. The more similarities you have, the more refined your comparision must be.

      I could say . . .apples taste better than rocks. I'd be right, but not very helpful.

      I could say . . . apples taste better than oranges. OK, both fruits both sweet--I could compare them and get away with it.
      But if I say . . . Granny Smith apples taste better than Macintosh apples, then I have a granular comparision and have to start comparing texture, color, sweetness, etc.
      Obviouly the last comparison gives more relavant information although all three comaprisons were right.

      --
      http://cincyboys.blogspot.com/ Everything Cincinnati. Including the word 'Finnih'
    38. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by Jeedo · · Score: 1

      Third times a charm it seems, my logic board also broke three times, got a G4 iBook one week ago.

    39. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by follower-fillet · · Score: 1

      > It's not a free G4.
      Well, a free upgrade then?

      > I paid for Apple care.
      As did I.

      > I told them the time and then told them that it wasn't significant to me.
      For me, the first time it took about a month, the next two took about a week each. It was definitely significant the first time and inconvenient for the others.

      It just seems pretty rough that they don't have consistency in how they handle the situation. I suppose I could try contacting them again, but don't hold much hope...

      --Phil.

    40. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by JMZorko · · Score: 1
      How do you do this? I've two iBooks -- a 700mhz G3 (that needed to have the mobo replaced 4 times), and a 900mhz G3 that needed it to be replaced 3 times (just got it back last week, we'll see how long it lasts). In both of these cases, I expressed dissatisfaction, and in both cases, the Apple tech support people said there was no way they could replace them, that they _needed_ to fix it just "once more" and that's it. bub. And this is _after_ I said the following:

      1. I bought a dual 1.25GHz G4 -- love it

      2. I bought PowerBook 12" 1.33GHz -- love it

      3. I bought an iPod 40G -- love it

      4. I bring the iBook to work every day, so when I don't bring it in, people notice (read: they ask why, and I say "it died" to which they retort "AGAIN?")

      I adore Apple stuff, but I _abhore_ their tech support department when it comes to the iBooks. Just thinking about my (several) bad experiences with them angers me quite a lot.

      Regards,

      John

      --
      Falling You - beautiful
    41. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      256mb of ram? Cmon, I had more then that 3 years ago.

      1.6ghz cpu? Again, cmon...

      Geforce 5200? thats like a $50 card now.

      80gb hd? Thats like a weeks worth a porn.

      Up for the challenge of trying to play Doom3?

    42. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by juhaz · · Score: 1

      All of the PC's are using RAID except two, one which gets smoked by the high-end G5?

      You mean "gets smoked" as in, loses to it in 2 tests out of 8 and a draw in one? That's a new definition...

      Also remember, that's a dual G5 against single Athlon, RAID is soooo unfair to poor Apple but slapping in two G5's is no big deal? Right...

    43. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by boredMDer · · Score: 1

      Same just happened to me.

      Except it was my fourth time.

      Now I'm sitting here, cradling my G4 1 GHz, with a combo drive instead of the regular cdrom on my G3 :-)

      And I was told I'd get a free airport extreme card to make up for the Airport card I had in my G3.

      Still waiting for that to ship, though.

    44. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by sabNetwork · · Score: 1

      You're right, comparing a dual G5 without RAID to a single Athlon64 with RAID is a stupid test.

      Someone clearly didn't design a fair test for either side.
      --

    45. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by legirons · · Score: 1

      "You don't get the iApps with the Dell."

      Well, you can get a complete office suite [OOo] for free for the Dell, which isn't something you're going to want to do with the iMac.

      And as for the iApps, I never did understand why web-browser, webcam, and image-viewer make such an exciting software suite? I've played with demo iMacs in the shop, and they seem rather bare in terms of installed software. Maybe I'm spoiled by having a choice of office-suites, choice of pro graphics applications etc., installed as part of all the operating-systems I've used recently, but it seems that you have to spend another $5000 in the Apple software store to get one of these machines fitted-out to the level of a default Mandrake installation.

    46. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by juhaz · · Score: 1

      Yeah, there's nothing to write home about in that test.

      It's pretty much impossible to compare hardware based on that (or any) kind of benchmark anyway, no matter how good it is, because it's always partly about OS, compiler and application implementation anyway...

    47. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by jason+ward · · Score: 1

      Same here. They had me try to reboot it a few times but that was it. Had a new G4 iBook at my door in under a week.

      The big downside to this is that I need a new wireless card and ram for it.

    48. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by sabinm · · Score: 1

      Dell doesn't offer OOo. They do offer the works suite (which will get you similar funtionality). They also offer WinDVD blah blah. So they can simulate an iLife package. I did some research. For your buck, HP probably has the best software package w/its systems. Apple a close second, and Dell third. Gateway doesn't come close. Dell also has wordperfect producttivity suite, but they don't offer a PIM like outlook or iCal. You just can't compare them. I've office x for the mac and i still use mail, ical and isync. It's just simpler and better (my opinion of course).

      The free software analogy isn't too good. There is no quality photo suite that works out of the box and supported like iphoto (gphoto) dvd authoring for linux? None free. Cybermedia offers one. Not cheap. I can get all this software for my Mac free too. So I just don't understand your argument. Are we talking about what comes with the computer, or what I can get with a 50/month broadband connection?

      BTW. I was listening to the GOP Convention/Campaign IT director on the radio today. Uses a powerbook and open office. Says that it works just fine. (he just got finished telling everyone that for practical reasons the department of homeland security used windows even though it was less secure, but that those like him with technical skills might prefer open office).

      --
      http://cincyboys.blogspot.com/ Everything Cincinnati. Including the word 'Finnih'
    49. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I dropped my iBook G3 from 1.5 meters onto asphalt and they never really fixed it, but it continued to break down within 3-4 months after each repair. Finally, after three repairs, I decided to get either my money back or a replacement before the warranty expired.

      Well, they sent me a new one and allowed me to keep my old one for "a while" so that I could copy all data. They never called to ask where my old computer was, even though I probably kept it for 4 months (it still worked perfectly).

      And btw, don't forget to mention that you have 512 MB of SDRAM that you can't use in your new G4 machine, and an AirPort card that also is useless...

      I got a new machine that feels MUCH faster than my old one and I didn't pay a single monetary unit (the phone call to AppleStore was free).

    50. Re:Now you can all stop whining. . . by CountBrass · · Score: 1

      At work I use a Dell laptop: looking at the specs: 2Gig processor, 15" screen, decent hard-drive, DVD drive, reasonable memory you'd think it was comparable to my 15" Al Powerbook.

      Not so. And the difference is entirely down to: quality, OSX, size and not looking like a piece of shit.

      The Dell's case is cheap plastic and has little lugs and lumps all over the place. The keyboard is cheap and tacky. It has both a trackpad+2 buttons AND a nipple with another 2 buttons (!!!); none of which work properly. The bluetooth radio simply does not work reliably. It runs Windows XP: there's been plenty written about how awful it is but the bit I really hate is how intrusive the fucking OS is. For example, every time I turn on or reset my machine the stupid little bluetooth icon in the status flashes up telling me it's off and that I can right-click the balloon if I want to turn it on. I really don't need an OS that treats me like a moron. The bizarre thing is that in other aspects you have to be a computer expert to setup Windows properly (driver management, security, registry management etc etc).

      In comparison my Powerbook has a beautiful Aluminium shell, the keyboard's keys are aluminium as well and automatically backlit in low light conditions. The trackpad and button work without fail, every time, no exceptions: I actually learnt to like using a trackpad on my Powerbooks having abdjured them on my previous Wintel laptops. The bluetooth works, reliably and transparently with both my phone and my Microsoft BT mouse. And OSX, well what can I say: OSX doesn't treat me like a moron, constantly nagging me, and in addition it doesn't expect me to be a computer expert to set it up and use it sensibly.

      So actually, yes I would spend a few hunderd pounds (GBP) for exactly those things you've listed plus one you missed: quality. In fact I would pay double to have a good, working system. I simply would not buy the Dell.

      --
      Bad analogies are like waxing a monkey with a rainbow.
  22. Oh yeah? Well.. by Chordonblue · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...You can't price style, baby! :)

    --
    "...Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam..."
    1. Re:Oh yeah? Well.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ... except that this thing's fugly. It's a morbidly obese TabletPC without the benefit of a touchscreen option.

  23. Coverage from MacObserver by choas · · Score: 5, Informative

    As posted here: http://live.macobserver.com/article/2004/07/paris2 004_keynote.shtml

    Paris 2004 - Live Coverage of Steve Jobs Keynote

    3:00AM CDT, August 31st, 2004

    [4:44 AM] We aren't sure that the unit shown on stage was an actual working unit. It may have been a body with a paper display covering it. We aren't sure, of course, but we wanted to make note of that. - posted by Bryan

    [4:41 AM] We are seeing a video for the new iMac now. Apple is comparing it to the iPod, the way the music player sits in the Dock. Also, the video says "From the creator of the iPod," showing that Apple is trying to leverage the success of the music player. Jonathan Ive says it is "quiet and utterly serene" in the video. - posted by Bryan

    [4:38 AM] US$1299 - 17" 256 MB RAM, Combo Drive, 80 GB drive, 64 MB video card. This compares to US$1799 for the old starting iMac.

    US$1499 - 17", with 1.8 GHz.

    US$1899 - 20" display (1680 x 1050), 2.2" thick, 1.8 GHz G5, 256 MB RAM, 160 GB drive, SuperDrive, and same 64 MB video card.

    They will begin shipping in mid-September! - posted by Bryan

    [4:37 AM] You can unscrew three screws, and the entire back comes off. The crowd loves it!

    The G5 module, when looking at the back, is on the right side. There are three fans in the unit, and it is "quiet as a whisper." - posted by Bryan

    [4:35 AM] SuperDrive. 1.8 GHz G5. 600 MHz frontside bus. 400 MHz DDR RAM, up to 2 GB. Serial ATA hard drives, AGP 8X graphic slots. The speakers are mounted on the bottom, so they reflect off the desk, up to the user. The keyboard will slide underneath the display when you are not using it.

    There are three 5 USB (3 2.0, 2 1.1), two FireWire, a modem slot, Ethernet (10/100 Base-T), audio-in, audio-out, both headphone and optical), power button on the bottom. - posted by Bryan

    [4:34 AM] "Everyone is ging to be asking "where does the computer go?"

    All of the connectors are on the left side, all in a row. Again, the crowd is going wild. - posted by Bryan

    [4:33 AM] It's white in color, and the crowd is going wild. It has a grey Apple logo on front. Everyhting fits together right behind the display. - posted by Bryan

    [4:32 AM] It looks like just a Cinema Display with a DVD slot loader on right side towards the top. Aluminum foot. It's the world's thinest desktop computer, at less than 2" thick. - posted by Bryan

    [4:31 AM] The iMac G5 demonstration has begun. - posted by Bryan

    [4:31 AM] Apple has sold 7.5 million iMacs, which works out to2.38 per minute over six years. - posted by Bryan

    [4:29 AM] The iChat demo ended with Bertrand Serlet video conferencing in. The crowd loved his brief conversation in French. - posted by Bryan

    [4:20 AM] We're on to iChat now. The last time we saw such a demo, it included lots of people from around the world in Apple's very cool iChat AV update in Tiger. That does, of course, bring to mind the idea that perhaps will see a certain iCEO who is in northern California, and if we do, we might even see some new hardware... - posted by Bryan

    [4:19 AM] Mr. Schiller has moved on to demonstrating the iLife suite. This is the same demo that we have seen before... - posted by Bryan

    [4:09 AM] We've moved on to Dashboard, Apple's implementation of a Widget engine. - posted by Bryan

    [4:05 AM] For those keeping score at home, the US Apple Store is now, and finally, offline. - posted by Bryan

    [4:02 AM] Well, Mr. Schiller went on to a H.264 demo instead of the iMac. Go figure. Interestingly, he specifically did not mention any release dates for this new digital video technology.

    From H.264, we are moving on to a demonstration of Safari RSS. - posted by Bryan

    [3:54 AM] During Mr. Schiller's Spotlight demonstration, he "found" a document on his demo Mac called "New Products Demo." This will, undoubtedly, be the new iMac everyone is waiting to see. :-) - posted by Bryan

    [3:43 AM]

    --
    I will work to elevate you, just enough to bring you down
    1. Re:Coverage from MacObserver by pajamacore · · Score: 1

      It was actually the Phil Schiller keynote. Steve is still recovering from his bout with adenocarcinoma.

    2. Re:Coverage from MacObserver by sexecutioner · · Score: 1

      "5 USB (3 2.0, 2 1.1)"

      What's with the USB type distinction?? USB 2 controllers can throttle back individual connections to 1.1. Can't they?

      It's what all the PC USB controllers claim to do.

    3. Re:Coverage from MacObserver by topham · · Score: 1

      Sure, no problem, but the 2 USB ports only meeting the 1.1 spec won't do USB High-speed.

      So type distinction is relevant. Although I wonder about the reason behind offering so many ports anyway. Seems to me I have just enough devices to require at least 1 HUB meeting USB 2.0 spec, in which case it doesn't matter if there are 2, or more on the machine itself.

      Hmm, would be nice if you could connect multiple USB ports to a single HUB and have it act like a switch using whichever USB port was available...

    4. Re:Coverage from MacObserver by sexecutioner · · Score: 1

      "Sure, no problem, but the 2 USB ports only meeting the 1.1 spec won't do USB High-speed."

      Agreed, but that is kinda lame isn't it?? They should *all* be USB2! I really wouldn't have thought the chip price would be that different (in fact, wouldn't everyone be making USB2 controller chips now, so USB1.1 would be *more* expensive).

      About the number of ports and hubs; I've heard a lot of people making noises about flaky USB hubs. Not sure if its because they're buying $15 bargan basement units or not, but yeah, if they come off the machine it's a lot easier(*) and you can have more power hungry devices too.

      (*) It's probably a matter of taste.

  24. Just wondering by Matthias+Wiesmann · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Is it me, or does this picture show a lot of condensers?
    Most motherboards I have seen don't have so many, or not so big. Or am I wrong?

    Just wondering...

    1. Re:Just wondering by Yakman · · Score: 2, Interesting

      They do, they're just not normally all lined up like that but all over the board.

      I wonder if some designer said "We need all those big round things all in one place" despite the fact it might not make sense in terms of the circuit :)

    2. Re:Just wondering by bobba22 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      I noticed this too. To pack all the capacitors into one place *right over* the nice hot PSU will do little but shorten their lifespan to no-time-at-all. I'd bet money that we see a hardware update from Apple which installs a heat shield. Don't buy one of these for the long-term folks.

    3. Re:Just wondering by BlueTooth · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Could it be that they are in such a position for air flow reasons? Apple's website has a nice little pic of cool are going in the bottom and coming out a slit in the top. This cornrow arangement of capacitors looks like it is conducive to air cooling, even if they are too close to other hot components.

      I dunno.

      --
      SPAM
    4. Re:Just wondering by mausmalone · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Also just wondering, does anyone else think this is ugly? Now, I normally think Apple does a great job of product design, but this thing looks like a total lapse in judgement. Also, it looks like the screen on this one isn't adjustable like it is on the iLamp, which, though easily ridiculed, was a nice feature.

      --
      -=-=-=-=-=
      I'd rather be flamed than ignored.
    5. Re:Just wondering by oDDmON+oUT · · Score: 1

      Take a close look at the layout, notice what looks like ducting along the bottom near the grill?

      I'm will to bet that there's an air flow "path", carefully calibrated by Apple engineers, to siphon off any heat build up.

      They did something equally innovative with the passive ducting in the previous iMac and the active heat transfer zones of the G5 cheese graters.

      I'm not so concerned about heat build up, as I am about the over life span of the flat panel itself. Being on my second Powerbook, and using it daily as my primary computer I know that LCD degrades. Whereas the Viewsonic 17" monitor I bought in 1997 *still* provides a great picture.

      --
      Some days it's just not worth
      chewing through my restraints.
    6. Re:Just wondering by danamania · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I don't think it's anywhere near the style of the G4 iMac either. The screen tilts back & forth (and with cables moving back & forth as it tilts, I fear some may end up pulling out). To me it's plain, but not plain in that simple excellent design way, just a bit dull.

      That being said, I own an eMac. Hardly a stunning piece of equipment to look at, but using it I don't notice the bulbous rear end. I rather suspect using the iMac you wouldn't notice how thin it is either.

      At least it's nicer on the inside, upgradewise.

    7. Re:Just wondering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your upside-down. The caps are under the PSU.

    8. Re:Just wondering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree. I have an 800mhz iMac and love how adjustable the monitor is. I was hoping I could get a faster one. The G5 would have been nice, but I don't particularly like the G5 iMac design. I guess I will get a G5 PowerBook for my FCP workstation when they are released or keep pushing on the Linux based editing solutions. (note, after years of headache with Premier on Windows I will never go back)

    9. Re:Just wondering by malfunct · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I differ in opinion. This is a beautiful machine. Its one where people will be looking for the cable that hooks the "monitor" up to the computer. It will be especially perfect looking with the bluetooth keyboard and mouse. Then you will have a single cable to the power outlet and that is it. This is the first computer from apple in ages that actually has me thinking "man I wish I had that". I'm not a super apple fan (nothing against them just no reasons to buy them) but its about time that someone builds a computer with that form factor and those lines and it sounds like this one will even perform decently.

      --

      "You can now flame me, I am full of love,"

    10. Re:Just wondering by jest3r · · Score: 1

      At first glance the giant white bezel under the LCD looks out of place and kind of clunky, the screen cannot be adjusted and sits too high for most people, and the cables when attached will pull the screen back and become an annoyance. Other than that it looks pretty cool.

      I was hoping for something without the integrated display. The Powermac G5's are way to gargantuan for my desktop and too expensive ... and I already have an external LCD display ... ah well.

    11. Re:Just wondering by PriceIke · · Score: 2, Interesting

      On the plus side, the bezel beneath the screen makes a perfect place for sticky-notes.

      Apple knows what they're doing. A guy in my office who has a PC at home took one look at this and said he wanted one, because the place where his PC currently is looks cluttered and messy, due to all the cables, the bulkiness of the components, etc. .. whereas one of these sleek little guys with cordless keyboard and mouse would really open up the available space.

      At first blush, I still prefer the old iMac (the "iLamp" design) better, but it may grow on me.

      --
      It's not a lie. It's the truth with lossy compression.
    12. Re:Just wondering by lowmagnet · · Score: 1

      People said the same thing about the Flat-panel iMac. I think Ives designs takes some getting used to. I think it's slick, a co-worker thinks it's only a step below a tablet, and they should have gone the whole way. That, and the specs aren't much better than the Flat-panel iMac.

      --
      Heute die Welt, morgen das Sonnensystem!
    13. Re:Just wondering by SomeoneGotMyNick · · Score: 4, Funny

      To me it's plain, but not plain in that simple excellent design way, just a bit dull.


      Ahh, but if it were to be in basic black, even the Amish would consider getting one.

    14. Re:Just wondering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nope, look again dude, CD/DVD drive at the top right (whjen flipped), power supply at the bottom, capacitors above it. Bad.

    15. Re:Just wondering by Megane · · Score: 3, Funny
      I think they learned their lesson from the 128K Mac.

      (Mmm... orange smoke...)

      --
      #naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }
    16. Re:Just wondering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      I think it's ugly. I've always had a lot of respect for the Apple designs, but I expected a lot more from this machine. Technically, it looks like quite an achievement until you start considering the newer tablet PCs that will be out soon. Apple hasn't done much that is particularly clever here. Apple has a name for making revolutionary designs. This isn't a revolution, it's a one man protest. That said, one of the key things that Apple can do is push forward standards in it's own technology in a way that PC makers can't, simply due to the immensity of the PC industry. What I'm hoping this thing does is start spurring the PC market into wide adoption of miniaturising and widescreens.

    17. Re:Just wondering by dasmegabyte · · Score: 3, Interesting

      If you read their marketting literature, the goal here was to make a PC with the same ease and look as the iPod. Hence the white, the rounded edges and the locked angle mount. It's no aluminum beauty like the Power series, but it makes up for it with its light, compact design. And the movable screen, which I thought was a great idea, made the DVD Lamp look flimsy to a lot of people (even though it wasn't). I see definite improvements, and I *LIKED* the old iMac.

      Really, this is ingenious. This look builds off their strongest selling product in a way that encourages people satisfied with current offerings to branch out. And the price is right...$1300 is not that bad for a computer with a 17" flatscreen and a compact design. I'd say this thing has potential beyond even the original colored iMacs if they stress the key components: comparable performance and superior graphics with a smaller footprint, better service and few virus and spyware worries. Of course, they'll probably just do a commercial with Tobey Macguire or something, but marketed right, this could be a valuable product, one that could take the competition a while to clone.

      Incidentally, Sony did the whole slim-LCD-PC thing a while back and sold it for about $400 more. It was a cool unit, but WAY bigger than this in both width and depth.

      --
      Hey freaks: now you're ju
    18. Re:Just wondering by Cska+Sofia · · Score: 1

      I love the adjustability of the iLamp; it's great to be able to position the screen just right no matter how I'm sitting. I did hear that the arm was extremely expensive to manufacture though, and it's clear that Apple had to bring down the price of their consumer offerings, so I'm sad but not really surprised that they cut this feature out.

    19. Re:Just wondering by beakburke · · Score: 1

      a 1.6 or 1.8 Ghz G5 versus what, a 1.4 Ghz G4. I would say that this is an improvement.

      --
      ----- Question authority, but not ours. Hate the man, but we're not him.
    20. Re:Just wondering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well the G4 iMac was such nice loking piece, hard to beat. But I think this is more udate frendly.

    21. Re:Just wondering by danieljpost · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Sorry, I gotta interject.

      It may just be possible that the apple guys intentionally built the thing for *low power consumption* which will translate to *low heat emission*, which means the thing might not run so darn hot that it burns itself out after all.

      As I often failed to teach my high school hardware classes, more heat disspiation (fans) does not make a computer better (sort of like more Mhz didn't really mean more performance-- at least not linear increases). More fans just mean more noise.

      Picture this if you will. I set up a computer lab in a round concrete room (echoes like crazy). I made the kids shut off all the Wintel boxen and hooked up an LTSP diskless workstation just to show them how much better it is NOT to have so much noise (the server was in the next room). Thing used like 30 watts, booted in no time, and made NO noise. The fucking kids couldn't comprehend that it was easier to get things done on this machine (KDE vs. Windows arguments ignored for this discussion-- they were using Netware-crippled windows so it's not like they could do anything but run Office/internet)

      [Yes if you didn't notice, I'm comparing the guy who thinks the iMac will burn out to my high school students who thought computers have to be noisy.]

      At least notice that the fans on the new iMac run at variable speeds, so after the thing's heated up for a while, they will kick in.

      --
      We must drive a sword through any hypothesis that is not strictly necessary.
    22. Re:Just wondering by Have+Blue · · Score: 1

      According to the cooling diagram, air is moving *down* through the case, which would mitigate any threat to the capacitors from the PSU.

    23. Re:Just wondering by moonbender · · Score: 1

      Technically, it looks like quite an achievement until you start considering the newer tablet PCs that will be out soon.

      How is that relevant? It's still quite an achievement. Tablet PCs are really totally different devices in a lot of respects - including the price: those next gen tablets you refer to will go for twice the price Apple sells the iMac at. This is the entry-level Mac...

      Personally, I think it's okay. Certainly not as neat as the last iMac, but still really nice. As others have mentioned, coupled with wireless input devices this would scream style. I'll stick with my ugly, wired PC, though.

      What does piss me off, though, is that not only do you have to buy Bluetooth and WiFi addon cards, you also have to buy adapters if you want to, uh, use the mini-VGA out. Like connect a TV or another display.

      --
      Switch back to Slashdot's D1 system.
    24. Re:Just wondering by danieljpost · · Score: 1

      I respectfully disagree. The cool air is coming in the bottom, blowing out the top. Nice fan design, can't remember the name of the "donut" fans as opposed to the normal "flat" ones...

      --
      We must drive a sword through any hypothesis that is not strictly necessary.
    25. Re:Just wondering by Golias · · Score: 2, Informative

      Not to mention the 7200 RPM Serial ATA hard drive means that, unlike some of the previous iMacs (many models of which went with a 5400 RPM drive for cost and heat reasons), you can use this one for live audio and video recording/editing.

      --

      Information wants to be anthropomorphized.

    26. Re:Just wondering by baryon351 · · Score: 1

      That looks to show the air moving up through the case to me.

    27. Re:Just wondering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Take another look... cool air (blue) goes in at the bottom and hot air (red) comes out the top... of course it doesn't actually change the colour of the air... that's just marketing stuff for bozos that want red air.

    28. Re:Just wondering by mrchaotica · · Score: 1
      I was hoping for something without the integrated display.
      Buy a used Cube : )

      Actually, I'm hoping that when they upgrade the eMac, they'll make two versions: one with a CRT (or smaller LCD), and one that's small and without a display, like the old Cube or a Shuttle XPC, or even the old Pizzabox Macs -- on that would be good as a media pc. They could even change the meaning of "eMac" from "educational" or "economical" to "entertainment!"
      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    29. Re:Just wondering by Gorbag · · Score: 2, Funny
      Those aren't condensers, they're nuvistor vacuum tubes!
      The nuvistor was developed by RCA and it was first introduced in 1959. Nuvistors were the latest tube development at just about the same time as the introduction of the first integrated semiconductor circuits. A nuvistor is a miniature vacuum tube in a thimble sized metal case.
      --
      -- I speak only for myself
    30. Re:Just wondering by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      I agree they should have gone the whole way. Considering that they didn't (couldn't due to heat?), I think it bodes ill for G5 Powerbooks...

      By the way, you misspelled "karma"

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    31. Re:Just wondering by mrchaotica · · Score: 1
      Just a few minor quibbles:
      • This is the midrange, consumer Mac -- the entry-level is the eMac.
      • The VGA adapter might come with it -- one came with my iBook, and it already has a display.
      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    32. Re:Just wondering by wotan2525 · · Score: 1

      What about the cable to the bluetooth adapter?

    33. Re:Just wondering by Jesselovesscripts · · Score: 0

      mod parent down, He's no electrical engineer. He's seen a screen shot and he's telling people there gonna die early. and he's modded 5+ interesting?

    34. Re:Just wondering by sellers · · Score: 1

      It is not as pretty or innovative as the lamp version. The lamp version had that fluid arm that was just awesome. It showed off the level of care and engineering involved (some thinking helping justify the slightly higher price).

      It is a nice engineering feat in terms of getting all that into that small case. Make's the Gateway panel computer - or the IBM one look second class.

    35. Re:Just wondering by elemental23 · · Score: 2, Informative
      Not an issue. From the product site:
      Add the optional internal Bluetooth module to enjoy a wireless keyboard and mouse
      (emphasis mine)

      I'm not in the market for an iMac, but this is a really nice machine. It's got me thinking that maybe we'll see a G5 in a Powerbook (which I am in the market for, or will be soon) by January after all.
      --
      I like my women like my coffee... pale and bitter.
    36. Re:Just wondering by curious.corn · · Score: 1

      probably for the same reason PC motherboards have capacitors right next to the CPU; capacitors clean the power supply for the CPU and putting them further away would make for wonderful striplines, just perrfect for cross chatter and random interference. In any case I suppose the hot PSU comes with a fan like the G5 CPU... that means air circulation... cooling... or perhaps you're just right, Apple engineers fsck'd up once again, you should send your resume and teach 'em some solif engineering principles ;-)

      --
      Mi domando chi à il mandante di tutte le cazzate che faccio - Altan
    37. Re:Just wondering by EvilTwinSkippy · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Only if they equip it with a handy coffee warming plate that doubles as a heat sink for the processor.

      We have a cluster of 3 dual G5 Xserves. You could reheat food from the output ports of the blower. I'm looking into plenum cable for the network jacks because the vinyl jackets are already getting soft.

      At least with a big flat screen you have plenty of places to shoot jets of hot air away from the user.

      That said, by G4 ibook isn't all that bad in the heat department. Most of the time the unit manages to operate without the fan. But I think that had a lot to do with IBM seriously re-engineering the chip for low-power operation.

      --
      "Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
      --Dr.W.Edwards Deming
    38. Re:Just wondering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At least notice that the fans on the new iMac run at variable speeds, so after the thing's heated up for a while, they will kick in.
      So.... the PSU will emit heat will it? And dragging that heat over the capacitors more quickly will make some difference? The point is that the PSU heats up to a certain level, the fans keep it at that level, the capacitors above it will dry out more quickly than if they were in a cooler part of the case. It's not like anyone's trying to suggest that the computer is about to go up in flames after 10 minutes, more like power rail brownouts in about 3-5 years. Where are the PSU's in your noisy wintel boxes? At the top - making any sense now? I guess you went straight from university to teaching did you?

    39. Re:Just wondering by js3 · · Score: 1

      I don't think it is ugly but it certainly isn't spectacular in any way. My first impression was just a blank unimpressed stare. What's the big fuss over what is basically a monitor plus a few components tucked behind it. My crt monitor alone is bigger than the entire computer!

      but to each his own I guess, I personally prefer driving a durango over some puny little electric car (no matter how cool it is)

      --
      did you forget to take your meds?
    40. Re:Just wondering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I am actually. I was just making an observation and all this kicks off. Apple probably have made thermal units here as in G5 tower. It just stuck out as strange.

    41. Re:Just wondering by Kiryat+Malachi · · Score: 1

      IBM didn't do the G4. That's a Motorola chip. G3 and G5 are IBM, although Motorola still makes a bunch of G3-class PPCs, but mostly for embedded stuff. But the G4 was all Motorola - IBM never sold any G4s to Apple.

      --

      ---
      Mod me down, you fucking twits. Go ahead. I dare you.
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    42. Re:Just wondering by UnknowingFool · · Score: 1

      While the capacitors are next to the G5, the "G5" stamp that you see is actually in an enclosure. Like the G5 tower, the CPU is encased to create a wind tunnel effect for better cooling.

      --
      Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
    43. Re:Just wondering by sirReal.83. · · Score: 1

      A little bit. I don't like my displays having 6" borders on them. I don't like having all my ports in the back (how are you supposed to wall-mount it?). I don't like the piece-of-bent-metal stand they have; they could have included one with height adjustment.

      I also don't like my displays attached to my computers, but that's what an iMac is...

    44. Re:Just wondering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is the midrange, consumer Mac -- the entry-level is the eMac.

      Emacs for novices? I though Apple were all about nice GUI design! My grandmother has enough trouble with a single-buttoned mouse, and now Apple are saying she has to learn all that M-X-frobnicate-foobars stuff as well?

    45. Re:Just wondering by ajna · · Score: 1

      "Also just wondering, does anyone else think this is ugly?"

      No, you're not alone. I'm a huge apple fanboy (LC, 6100/60, G3/233, G3 Lombard, iMac DV, G4/800, two eMac/1.25s) and I think the new iMac is very mundane. The Twentieth Anniversary Mac looked much better, and that was nearly a decade ago...

    46. Re:Just wondering by danieljpost · · Score: 1

      My thought was that maybe they planned to make the PSU *not* hot. It can be done with enough engineering effort, especially if the power requirements are low. What part of a box runs hottest? the CPU, not the PSU. Because temperature is a function of heat energy and volume (among other factors). PSU's have considerably more volume (among other factors). The CPU is not upwind of any capacitors. FYI I studied Computer Electronics Engineering before working five years in IT, then becoming a teacher, and I am currently a full-time programmer.

      --
      We must drive a sword through any hypothesis that is not strictly necessary.
    47. Re:Just wondering by moonbender · · Score: 1

      The VGA adapter might come with it -- one came with my iBook, and it already has a display.

      It might - but it doesn't: "All iMacs offer a mini-VGA plug so you can use the Composite/S-Video adapter to mirror your iMac display on television. You can also mirror your creative output to an external projector via the Apple VGA Display Adapter (adapters sold separately)." From the horse's mouth. I guess having Apple hardware talking directly to a PC-compatible monitor still is too hard too bear - I vividly remember fooling around with 8 tiny dip switches on a small Apple-proprietary to VGA adapter 8 years ago.

      --
      Switch back to Slashdot's D1 system.
    48. Re:Just wondering by Spruitje · · Score: 1


      Is it me, or does this picture show a lot of condensers?
      Most motherboards I have seen don't have so many, or not so big. Or am I wrong?


      Well, Apple has some experience with designing mainboards.
      They already use SMD since 1987.
      Second, they also design their own chipsets.
      Don't forget that this mainboard is "future" proof which means higher busspeeds by default.
      The G5 was built to use up to 4 Ghz and faster G5 processors and a 1,25 Ghz bus.
      Second, in the past Apple underclocked a lot of machines.
      And after 3 months replaced them with faster busses and processors without much changes in the design

    49. Re:Just wondering by SatanMat · · Score: 1

      They must have some truly awesome heat dissipation setup. I'm sure it does blow hot air like an old popcorn popper, but so what? as long as St. Ive says it won't affect the lifetime of the iMac, who cares. it is sleek and sexy... but the key and mouse should have been wireless bluetooth...

    50. Re:Just wondering by Asic+Eng · · Score: 2, Informative

      Not particularly important, but that part of Motorola is called Freescale now. (Motorola split off their semiconductor business.)

    51. Re:Just wondering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There have been many "thin" all in one PCs over the years, just not as well excuted as this. Wireless keyboards and mice have been available for PCs and Macs for a long time. The thing that I do not like is that the screen is integrated into the computer. I don't know about other people but I keep my monitors (CRT and LCD) through multiple computers. Apple displays have great picture quality, I would like to use them for multiple computers with a KVM switch. Just like the G4 iMacs, the people that just bought the 20" G4 iMac are stuck paying $1899 for and entire computer instead of $600 ($1899 - $1299 for 20" display) to keep the display and upgrade the rest.

    52. Re:Just wondering by iocat · · Score: 1
      I'm not sure I can agree. I love Apple's design senses, ever since the IIc, through the original Macs, the IIcx, iMacs, etc. But this design -- I've just *seen* it before. IBM had a PC in a monitor, Sony has had the same thing in a Vaio.

      This design maybe - ok certainly is -- the cleanest, PC-in-the-monitor design I've seen, sure, but it isn't a bold step like the original iMac or the lamp iMac designs.

      And what's next for the iMac? PC in the mouse? I don't think they left themselves a lot of room to grow.

      --

      Dude, I think I can see my house from here.

    53. Re:Just wondering by SmittyTheBold · · Score: 1

      I'm betting that much of what you see *is* the power supply. Note the ferrites and such. It's definitely power regulation for the CPU, at the very least.

      --
      ± 29 dB
    54. Re:Just wondering by mrchaotica · · Score: 1
      Oh. I stand corrected.

      I guess having Apple hardware talking directly to a PC-compatible monitor still is too hard too bear
      IIRC, new PowerMacs have standard DVI connectors now.
      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    55. Re:Just wondering by tverbeek · · Score: 2, Interesting
      the screen cannot be adjusted and sits too high for most people,

      If so it's because "most people" have gotten too used to looking down to see their flat-on-the-desktop CRTs or bound-to-the-keyboard laptop screens. Putting the bottom of the screen just a few inches above the keyboard would indicate a poor understanding of human anatomy. This looks like the top half of the screen will be at about eye level, which is better for someone who's going to be spending a lot of time in front of it.

      The Powermac G5's are way to gargantuan for my desktop

      Have you considered putting it next to the desk? That's what they were designed for (e.g. the optical media drive at the top).

      --
      http://alternatives.rzero.com/
    56. Re:Just wondering by tverbeek · · Score: 1
      My crt monitor alone is bigger than the entire computer! but to each his own I guess, I personally prefer driving a durango over some puny little electric car (no matter how cool it is)

      That's OK, but some of us feel it necessary to "compensate" in the other direction. It's also why I drive a li'l Chevy Metro.

      --
      http://alternatives.rzero.com/
    57. Re:Just wondering by tverbeek · · Score: 1
      I guess having Apple hardware talking directly to a PC-compatible monitor still is too hard too bear

      Not for our old G3 and G4 PowerMacs, which have standard 15-pin VGA ports. Or do you disqualify them because they came with a replaceable video card (rather than circuitry integrated into the motherboard)?

      --
      http://alternatives.rzero.com/
    58. Re:Just wondering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah those hardware engineers at Apple are such dumb asses! If only they had had you there to teach them the basics! Sorry but between them and you... I'm gonna go with them on this.

    59. Re:Just wondering by IncohereD · · Score: 2, Informative

      who cares. it is sleek and sexy... but the key and mouse should have been wireless bluetooth...

      Did you miss the part where the grandparent linked to the mention of the optional INTERNAL bluetooth receiver for the keyboard and mouse. Sheesh.

    60. Re:Just wondering by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      LOL! Close -- there's no "s"

      Of course the funny thing is that Macs actually do come with emacs...

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    61. Re:Just wondering by jest3r · · Score: 1
      Have you considered putting it next to the desk? That's what they were designed for (e.g. the optical media drive at the top).

      Let me rephrase: The PowerMac G5's are way too massive to put on my desktop, beside my desktop, or under my desktop.

      Furthermore for such a monstrous beast there sure isn't alot of internal expansion bays ... which means I have to stack another foot of Firewire drives on top ..

      That's what they were designed for (e.g. the optical media drive at the top).

      Is that why the front USB and Firewire ports are near the bottom?

      Give me something the size of a 12" Powerbook without the integrated keyboard / LCD and I will be a happy camper.

    62. Re:Just wondering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, beside the heat, the problem will be vibration. Heat problem is solvable "easily", but I wonder if vibration won't be a problem in the long run. Having disks spinning at a high rate while mounted vertically can't be really good for the drives in the long run, I think. Any mechanical engineers familiar with drive designs here? Care to comment?

    63. Re:Just wondering by huchida · · Score: 1
      I have the feeling there's going to be one more generation of G4s before we see a G5 Powerbook.

      Could be wrong, of course (these could just be for eMacs and iBooks) but considering the G5's heat issues I wouldn't be surprised if there's going to be one more in-between model.

    64. Re:Just wondering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Those are filter caps for the switching regulator that provides vcore (low voltage, high current) to the G5 CPU. You notice there are also 3 large toroid inductors, 3 SMT power MOSFETs, and 3 SMT schottky diodes located between the two groups of filter caps. Looks like a "3 phase" switching regulator design. The group of caps on the left are the input filter where the group of caps to the right are the output filter.

      If you look at a modern PC motherboard (a P4 board as an example) you will find the same setup - two groups of low ESR electrolytic caps near the CPU socket. On a PC motherboard the caps are usually all lined up along the side of the CPU socket.

    65. Re:Just wondering by Hes+Nikke · · Score: 1

      you can get a bigger, badder (bad as in good) version directly from the source.

      (3.14 million screens optional)

      --
      Don't call me back. Give me a call back. Bye. So yeah. But bye our, well, but alright we are on a shirt this chill.
    66. Re:Just wondering by SUJovian · · Score: 1

      Judging by the enormous heatsinks required to cool the G5 PowerMacs, I'm frankly amazed that they crammed the unit into such a small compartment so soon. I think it bodes well for G5 powerbooks, which can't be far away now. Yesterday I would have expected early 2006 as the release date for G5 PBs, but now that looks to be pushed up. In the same "portability" token, I am particularly pleased with the portability of this new iMac. Though not a commonly desired feature in a desktop system, collapsing the foot under the unit, and dropping the wireless keyboard/mouse beside it, this is fully portable computer.

      --
      Go hang a salami, I'm a lasagna hog
    67. Re:Just wondering by Zhe+Mappel · · Score: 1
      I'd say this thing has potential beyond even the original colored iMacs if they stress the key components: comparable performance and superior graphics with a smaller footprint, better service and few virus and spyware worries.

      Agreed on all but the most obvious point: "superior graphics." Superior to what, and in what context? The video subsystem (FX5200) is a bargain basement part selling for ~$50 retail. This won't matter to soccer moms or email/surf/digital photo types, of course, but anybody wishing to play games (a huge segment of the market) will avoid this.

      Incidentally, Sony did the whole slim-LCD-PC thing a while back and sold it for about $400 more. It was a cool unit, but WAY bigger than this in both width and depth.

      Unfortunately for Apple, Sony has just revamped it as a complete media center with built-in TV and Tivo-style recording. We'll soon see what the marketplace prefers: an AIO that can grab and record TV for you, or one whose chief selling point is that it looks like an iPod turned sideways. ;-)

    68. Re:Just wondering by malfunct · · Score: 1

      Problem with (at least sony's) implementation of "computer in the monitor" is that its fat, its at least 8" front to back if my memory serves me right. Its also not a performer with its celeron and low end video.

      --

      "You can now flame me, I am full of love,"

    69. Re:Just wondering by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      These are slower than the G5s in the PowerMacs, you know. They'd have to make them even slower to use a heatsink small enough to fit in a Powerbook, unless they upgrade the technology (smaller process chip, high-tech cooling, etc).

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    70. Re:Just wondering by moonbender · · Score: 1

      IIRC, new PowerMacs have standard DVI connectors now.

      Yes. But I bet the Apple engineers mumbled and grumbled when they designed that! ;)

      --
      Switch back to Slashdot's D1 system.
    71. Re:Just wondering by SUJovian · · Score: 1

      "unless they upgrade the technology (smaller process chip, high-tech cooling, etc)." Exactly my point. high-tech-cooling, which is what we're seeing used in the small enclosure of the iMac G4. Of course, it's not surprising that they'd have to use slower chips in the laptops than in the desktops. The whole industry has been doing that for a decade. My point is, it's visible progress in the "run-G5-chip-in-small-enclosure" effort, which will eventually yeild G5 powerbooks.

      --
      Go hang a salami, I'm a lasagna hog
    72. Re:Just wondering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Also just wondering, does anyone else think this is ugly? Now, I normally think Apple does a great job of product design, but this thing looks like a total lapse in judgement. Also, it looks like the screen on this one isn't adjustable like it is on the iLamp, which, though easily ridiculed, was a nice feature.

      Yes, fool, it sucks so bad I'm only going to get one, instead of the three or four I would have gotten if it had not been a total lapse of judgement. Meanwhile, 7.5 million easily ridiculed iMacs are holding their ridiculous resale value!

      BTW, I'm currently too lazy to look up whether you called the iPod a lapse in judgement.
    73. Re:Just wondering by javiercero · · Score: 1

      Right, because obvioulsy there is not a single capacitor in your PSU,right?

      Believe it or not a capacitor main enemy is not heat... well, reasonable heat that is.

    74. Re:Just wondering by Kiryat+Malachi · · Score: 1

      What with dealing with them on a daily basis (Freescale, I mean) I am fairly aware of this. But you and I are about the only ones. It'll be a year or so before I get used to it; I still complai^H^H^H^H^H^Hall them SPS all the time.

      --

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      Mod me down, you fucking twits. Go ahead. I dare you.
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    75. Re:Just wondering by Chas · · Score: 1
      but its about time that someone builds a computer with that form factor and those lines

      Yeah, good thing Gateway was doing this with their Silhouette line years ago. Didn't have to sit around and wait for Apple to "innovate" it.

      --


      Chas - The one, the only.
      THANK GOD!!!
    76. Re:Just wondering by SatanMat · · Score: 1

      standard... rather than as a $50 option. plus having to buy a new key and mouse. I was thinking that, for something this sexy, go for distance. The bluetooth adapter, key and mouse should all be standard not an add on. St Ive gave us the LCD as standard, why stick with wires?

    77. Re:Just wondering by SlamMan · · Score: 1

      Who cares? Its VESA compliant.

      --
      Mod point free since 2001
    78. Re:Just wondering by ianbnet · · Score: 1

      I'm with you; I almost laughed when I saw this. From the side, a la apple.com, it's gorgeous. But from the front, it's hideous. I don't see this being an Apple best-seller at all.

      --
      --------------------- -me, Crusher of those who are Foolish (don't be foolish)
    79. Re:Just wondering by Moofie · · Score: 1

      Internal Bluetooth module is a build-to-order option.

      Have a nice day!

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    80. Re:Just wondering by Moofie · · Score: 1

      guess again.

      Shipped in 1997. The Gateways were later, and crappier (although MUCH less expensive).

      Nice try though!

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    81. Re:Just wondering by Moofie · · Score: 1

      I wonder if the thermal engineers and the circuit engineers talked to each other and came up with a way that works best for both requirements.

      I mean, it's almost like they thought about this stuff before starting production or something!

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    82. Re:Just wondering by aaarrrgggh · · Score: 1

      While certainly not the pinnacle of industrial design, it is amazingly functional! I have console/command center applications with six to ten displays that could be instantly migrated to this, and avoid the long cable runs and kludge.

      When you factor in the ease of using the VESA mount, it can really make for a clean installation wherever you have a bunch of monitors, or a dearth of space.

      But, it does beg the question of "where do you go from here?" I can't imagine Apple going the wearable route in the next few years...

    83. Re:Just wondering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They did. The G4 in my G4 Tower is IBM Branded. Most others are Motorola but some were IBM

    84. Re:Just wondering by metlin · · Score: 1

      Don't you mean beige? :)

    85. Re:Just wondering by malfunct · · Score: 1

      Can you toss up some links to a picture? I'd like to see this (not because I think you are wrong but mostly because I like looking at historical computers).

      --

      "You can now flame me, I am full of love,"

    86. Re:Just wondering by Davoid · · Score: 1

      Look inside a "nice hot PSU" some time... you will see a bunch of electrolytic caps. Your point was?

      -DU-...etc...

      --
      "Don't sweat the technique."
    87. Re:Just wondering by jcr · · Score: 1

      Technically, it looks like quite an achievement until you start considering the newer tablet PCs that will be out soon.

      Can you show me a 64-bit Tablet PC with an 800Mhz frontside bus?

      -jcr

      --
      The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    88. Re:Just wondering by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i think it's ugly.

    89. Re:Just wondering by marcinjeske · · Score: 1

      The bluetooth adapter is internal.

    90. Re:Just wondering by jimbolaya · · Score: 1
      But I think that had a lot to do with IBM seriously re-engineering the chip for low-power operation.

      Remember, Motorola made the G4. IBM makes the G5, and made the G3 as well. Before that, IBM and Motorola both made (designed and/or manufactured) the "G2" (603, 604) and "G1" (601).

      --

      There ain't no rules here; we're trying to accomplish something.

  25. pretty close.... by FaasNat · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The new iMac design is pretty similar to the "spy shots" that popped up on the net a few days back (which itself turned out to be a hoax). I wonder if the person who took those picturew knew how close he actually was......

    --
    There's never enough when you have too little
    1. Re:pretty close.... by DavidLeblond · · Score: 1

      Everyone pretty much knew it was going to be a monitor with the cpu behind it.

      Other than that, I don't see any similarities between the two computers.

    2. Re:pretty close.... by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      To be honest, the "spy shots" look nicer : (

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    3. Re:pretty close.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I wonder if the person who took those picturew knew how close he actually was......

      I have a feeling that if he cares enough to make fake iMac G5 images, he's probably heard about the real iMac G5 by now...

  26. Touch screenversion? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    So when do we see the touch screen version?

    This would make for a perfect kiosk installation.

    I want one, or two...

    Torcuill

  27. Gaming by vasqzr · · Score: 1

    That's a 1.6 or 1.8GHz G5 processor, 533 or 600MHz frontside bus, 256MB DDR SDRAM running at 400MHz and NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra with 64MB graphics memory. So you'll be able to play Worlds of Warcraft, Doom III and other fantastic entertainment.

    Is there a Mac Doom III out yet? Can we have some benchmarks?

  28. Am i the only one... by alphan · · Score: 1, Interesting
    ... who thinks this new imac is clearly uglier than the previous ones?

    Ok, it is just monitor, which should be a good thing, but what happened to esthetics?

    1. Re:Am i the only one... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      The same thing that probably happened to your spelling.

    2. Re:Am i the only one... by chia_monkey · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure what to think yet. On one hand, it is kinda cool as just a monitor. But most of the times, people hide their CPU under the desk or tucked away somewhere so all you really do see is the monitor. From an industrial design point of view, the new iMac is a pretty cool feat of engineering and design. But in the real world, it may look like any other random Dellbox hidden under a desk with a nice monitor on the desk until the proud owner says "no no no, this IS the whole computer" and then goes on to brag about it. Hmmm.

      --

      "He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lampposts...for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang
    3. Re:Am i the only one... by alphan · · Score: 3, Insightful
      Come on now, here is the old one:

      http://www.theimac.com/info/graphics_2002/top_grap hic_left_side.jpg

      Now which one is cool?

      Plus, a 19-inch laptop is still a keyboard+monitor and can be much better looking than the new iMac.

  29. Really amazing by sg3000 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    At first, I was a little underwhelmed with the design. Hey, it just looks like their monitor; big deal. But after looking at it for a while, I like it.

    Conceptually, this is even more impressive than Apple's previous G4 Cube design. In that case, you had a Kleenex-sized box that housed the computer. Now it's all housed in the screen, along with the slot loading drive. Leads me to think they'll have a G5 PowerBook sometime soon.

    I also like the way Apple is explicitly marketing it as an upsell to their wildly successful iPod.

    --
    Insert simplistic political, ideological, or personal proselytization here.
    1. Re:Really amazing by mrchaotica · · Score: 1
      Conceptually, this is even more impressive than Apple's previous G4 Cube design... Now it's all housed in the screen, along with the slot loading drive.
      No it's not. Sony has done this before. Don't get me wrong -- this new iMac is nice, but the Cube was more innovative, partly due to the convection cooling (it had no fan, while this iMac has three).
      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

  30. You would think... by soluzar22 · · Score: 1

    ...that cooling would be a problem in this form factor, wouldn't you? Sure, I know that the chips Apple uses don't run at the blistering, silicon-melting temperatures of the Athlon-XP, but the new hard drive I got not so long ago runs hot enough to be uncomfortable to the touch. How do they get away with it?

    Another thing: It really does look so far, so iMac, doesn't it? I suppose that I'm the only one who likes having a nice big chunky case to show for my money? :-D

    1. Re:You would think... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "...that cooling would be a problem in this form factor, wouldn't you? "

      From the rumors, it was the or one of the reasons why the new iMac was delayed.

      Good news for people waiting for a G5 Powerbook.

    2. Re:You would think... by aldoman · · Score: 1

      Well, actually... the Athlon XPs run a lot cooler than you think. Not only that, they can handle a lot higher temps than P4/G5. The G5 just doesn't like heat, and it also puts out a lot of it's own.

      I'd prefer a chip that can withstand heat and doesn't put too much out.

    3. Re:You would think... by timeOday · · Score: 1
      ...that cooling would be a problem in this form factor, wouldn't you?
      I would think a large, thin shape like this would be great for heat dissipation. On the other hand, having the hard drive and fan up close to your head would magnify any noise.
      Sure, I know that the chips Apple uses don't run at the blistering, silicon-melting temperatures of the Athlon-XP
      This is the G5, so yes it does. That's why there's no G5 powerbook.
  31. I'm disappointed... by lonesometrainer · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The graphics-card is lame, the bus-speed is lower compared to G5, but overall... the design. It's just plain boring. When was the last time that apple-addicts were bored when a new machine was introduced?

    Yes, Apple, I'm bored. The G4 iMac was a lot more interesting to look at than this machine. And design is what apple-addicts are really looking after.

    Here's some nice examples for great iMac designs: http://www.mackompass.de/

    PLUS: no heating problems here? Picture from iside: http://forum.macnews.de/forum/show?mid=8894.1839.- 5159

    1. Re:I'm disappointed... by gravelpup · · Score: 1
      The G4 iMac was a lot more interesting to look at than this machine.

      Ya know, I bought a 20" G4 iMac a few months ago, so I'm obviously biased, but I have to agree. This new one doesn't grab me like the Cube, the previous iMac, the iPod, the TiBook, etc. It just looks a bit clunky for some reason.

      Also, I love the adjustability of the screen on the old models. My desk has a built-in monitor stand. I put the iMac on it and lowered the screen a little so that when you sit in front of it, you can't see the rest of the computer. The screen just hangs there in midair and you can move it wherever you want. Elegant-like. With the new one, looks like you have to drag the whole thing around on your desk.

      --

      Things are more like they are now than they ever were before.

    2. Re:I'm disappointed... by johnjuanny · · Score: 1

      I had a look at the designs you mentioned, and to be honest they don't look as good to me as the actual design. The top model with the adjustable monitor in particular looks quite bulky by comparison - more like what a PC clone manufacturer would attempt. This is all subjective naturally...

      But what isn't subjective is the other problem with these models. While it's all well and good to go and mockup your own design, I don't see how you'd actually fit a computer into any of the ones on that website! You need a large thick and level area for the logic board at least, and the designs I saw on that page didn't even come close! Seriously, what's the point in going to all that trouble to make your own designs when they're not even close to being realistic?

    3. Re:I'm disappointed... by johnjuanny · · Score: 1

      Forgot to reply to your other comments - the graphics card is fine, for the market this machine is aimed at. You'd be hard pressed to find a Dell or whatever with a higher-specced graphics card that's aimed at the home user. A Geforce 5200 Ultra can handle just about any game except the very highest demanding (Far Cry, Doom III) - and even these are probably playable on low resolution/settings. As for the bus speed, it's a huge improvement on the G4 iMac, and is presumably lower than the Pro line for a number of reasons (as mentioned by other posters): the cooling requirements of such a small form factor, differentiating it from the Pro line, cost etc.

      All in all I for one am impressed - I can't understand the comments saying "it's a boring design, just like my LCD monitor".. yes but it's got the bloody computer in there as well! And even then it looks better - and in a few cases is somehow thinner - than a lot of LCD monitors out there.

    4. Re:I'm disappointed... by poot_rootbeer · · Score: 1

      The graphics-card is lame

      Sez you, gamer. I drive two CRT's at 1600x1200x32bit each with my GeForce 5200 on a 9-month-old P4, and it works just fine, thankyou.

      Do I use my PC for FPS games? No, I'd rather use the money I saved on video cards to buy a standalone console.

    5. Re:I'm disappointed... by prockcore · · Score: 1

      Do I use my PC for FPS games? No, I'd rather use the money I saved on video cards to buy a standalone console.

      What, $50? I bought a 5700 a month ago for $99. A 5200 is $50.. so you saved $50.. big deal.

  32. Shipping Date by mizidymizark · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Now we get to see if postponing all of the iMac sales a couple months ago allowed them to get ready for the demand these new computers will have. It will be interesting if the delay will mean shipping dates closer to now than X-Mas.

  33. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by foo12 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Original source for the images. Apple's bandwidth and servers are probably a little more /. proof

  34. ok, small point but... by whowho · · Score: 1

    how does it read those mini CDs if it has a slot in CD player and no tray?

    1. Re:ok, small point but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      it doesn't

    2. Re:ok, small point but... by nuggetman · · Score: 1

      i know the older imacs (the G3 line) had two small rollers that would guide the cd in to the proper position, and make sure it came out properly.

      my powerbook doesnt have these so i doubt the new imacs will.

      --
      ...and that's all there is to it.
    3. Re:ok, small point but... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      there have been problems with slot loading drives and mini cds. i've never attempted it, but i've heard reports of them getting stuck. there is an adapter that you can get, you pop the mini cd into a regular cd sized spacer. (i've seen ones that come with the sony mavica cameras that record onto mini-cd, and for gamecube games, though i dont know why you'd need to fit a gamecube game into a regular sized drive)

  35. Flop! by ceeam · · Score: 1

    Looks kinda heavy (what's its weight?) with somewhat inadequate support/stand. When it falls (and, say, the screen breaks) do they cover it w/ warranty?

    1. Re:Flop! by zors · · Score: 1

      Man, i really hope the thought to test the standing up functionality.

      But seriously, i think i trust Mac to make something thats fairly stable, at least comparable to any LCD monitor. Also, we dont know what the base is made of. I'm thinking it could be weighted for exactly this purpose. Otherwise, make sure to stay out of high wind areas.

    2. Re:Flop! by sessamoid · · Score: 1
      Looks kinda heavy (what's its weight?) with somewhat inadequate support/stand. When it falls (and, say, the screen breaks) do they cover it w/ warranty?

      <sarcasm>
      Yeah, you're right the company that brought you the Apple ][, all-in-one original Mac and Mac OS, iron-stable G5 towers, iPods, the remarkably stable desklamp iMac probably didn't put any thought at all into designing and testing the stability of their new all-in-one computer.
      </sarcasm>
      --
      "No, no, no. Don't tug on that. You never know what it might be attached to."
    3. Re:Flop! by ceeam · · Score: 1

      Well, I see the picture, and if that's a real thing (I suppose) then I have problems understanding how that small footprint, extra thin thing can work for a 8-11kg piece of equipment. Maybe it does, but I'd be pretty amused then.

    4. Re:Flop! by Jeremy+Erwin · · Score: 1

      You forgot the Apple ///. Why, it was even designed to withstand being picked up and dropped onto a hard surface.

  36. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by arnoroefs2000 · · Score: 1, Informative

    Please use Coraled URL's, they will last much longer. Like this.

  37. Media Center by StevenHenderson · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Starting with the new headphone jack that's also a mini-optical plug. So you can watch DVDs and listen to them in 5.1 surround sound. You'll also find a passel of USB 2.0 and FireWire 400 connectors for your camera, camcorder or gamepad. Or if you want to connect your iMac to your TV or a digital projector, the mini-VGA port gives you the option. The line in jack lets you record an electric guitar into GarageBand

    Kind of funny, how silly this makes Windows Media Center PCs look. Even small form-factor cubes don't look as sexy as this. Exactly the type of machine that could adorn any room in a house. Good work, Apple.

    1. Re:Media Center by AKnightCowboy · · Score: 1
      Even small form-factor cubes don't look as sexy as this. Exactly the type of machine that could adorn any room in a house.

      WTF? Sexy? This looks like the LCD monitor I just got. There's nothing sexy about it. Practical and functional sure, but sexy? No. The iMac G4 was cool looking though.. this design is just boring.

    2. Re:Media Center by StevenHenderson · · Score: 1

      This looks like the LCD monitor I just got

      This would be boring, but um, yeah, it also has a fast as hell computer inside of it.

    3. Re:Media Center by chia_monkey · · Score: 1

      I see this as yet another step in Jobs' "digital hub" plan. Now...take the new iMac. Mix it with Tiger coming out with the new widgets...hmmm...does anyone see a bunch of little widgets controlling iTunes, video devices, etc? I do. So you have this nice clean design of an iMac sitting anywhere in the house, with AirPort Express controlling your stereo, and Tiger being the meat behind it all. And these are only things we know about. What do they have hidden in their R&D department?

      --

      "He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lampposts...for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang
    4. Re:Media Center by StevenHenderson · · Score: 1

      Agreed. Apple wants to run your house, and unlike Microsoft, they seem to be going about it the right way.

    5. Re:Media Center by tecak · · Score: 1

      Apple already runs most of my house. They just need to handle video and they own me.

      (do you still have gmail invites?)

    6. Re:Media Center by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      sent the invite. enjoy!

    7. Re:Media Center by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      No, the dual G5 PowerMacs are fast as hell; this one's just moderately fast.

      (written on an 800MHz G4)

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    8. Re:Media Center by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      The silly thing about this is how it looks so much like an LCD TV, but doesn't have a TV tuner.

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    9. Re:Media Center by StevenHenderson · · Score: 1

      Probably will put it in the next iteration. Screw the early adopters and all right? :)

  38. Doom 3? by phantasma6 · · Score: 0, Troll

    they said it, not me...

    That's a 1.6 or 1.8GHz G5 processor, 533 or 600MHz frontside bus, 256MB DDR SDRAM running at 400MHz and NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra with 64MB graphics memory. So you'll be able to play Worlds of Warcraft, Doom III and other fantastic entertainment.

    yes, I realise that this machine is definitely not designed for this purpose, but seriously though, how can they say that you can play Doom 3 on this?

    1. Re:Doom 3? by dewie · · Score: 1

      Troll?

      I can play Doom 3 just fine with my GF4ti 4400.

      --
      Jurisprudence Fetishist Gets Off On A Technicality --theonion.com
    2. Re:Doom 3? by dave420 · · Score: 1

      It's the Ultra model, so it has v. fast RAM. Also, I can play Doom III on my geforce 2 with 64mb. Sure, it's not blisteringly fast, but it works.

    3. Re:Doom 3? by phantasma6 · · Score: 1

      how is what I said a troll? They claim on their site that you can play Doom 3 on their machine, but I seriously doubt the 5200 Ultra could run it, or at least, not playably.

      and the Ti4400 is a fair bit faster than the 5200 Ultra as well

    4. Re:Doom 3? by devexial · · Score: 1

      my geforce fx 5200 ultra 64mb of ram is for sale on ebay at the moment currently selling for $30. I upgraded ant it was sooo worth it for doom3 (Geforce 5700 256mb ram)

  39. Alternatively... by Xenex · · Score: 5, Informative

    You can grab the images from Apple's iMac G5 PR images page.

    1. Re:Alternatively... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      gimp photoshop and graphicconverter cant open the .hgx file??? damm apple proprietary all the way through

    2. Re:Alternatively... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's just compressed. Use Stuffit Expander (free) to see the enclosed tiff.

    3. Re:Alternatively... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      .hqx isn't a graphics format, it's a ASCII-compliant binary transmission format.

    4. Re:Alternatively... by bhtooefr · · Score: 1

      To extend on that for everyone involved (I'm not the AC, FWIW), Stuffit Expander is the WinZip or tar of Mac (but it's muy proprietary).

  40. Uh Steve? Gateway called.... by Chordonblue · · Score: 1, Funny

    ...They'd like their design back:

    http://products.gateway.com/products/GConfig/pro dd etails.asp?system_id=prf5sc&seg=hm

    Seriously, a few models back they had a PIII based on a i810 platform complete with an all-in-one design, side loading CD-ROM/PCMCIA, etc. Not as slick, same concept.

    What is old, is new again!

    --
    "...Well, there's egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam..."
    1. Re:Uh Steve? Gateway called.... by sessamoid · · Score: 1, Insightful
      The Gateway is bulky and ungainly in comparison. It's not the same design, aside from being an all-in-one LCD computer. The iMac's board, hard drive, optical drive, ports, and power supply all fit behind the lcd within a 2 inch thick case. The Gateway and the also-mentioned Monorail have what are basically thin desktop cases under the lcd screen. Those designs are really nothing more than thin desktop cases with an LCD mounted on top.

      This is a true all-in-one, even more so than the previous iMac. I was never particularly enamoured of the desklamp iMac, but this is both elegant and conservative enough to be found on a business desktop.

      --
      "No, no, no. Don't tug on that. You never know what it might be attached to."
    2. Re:Uh Steve? Gateway called.... by jruschme · · Score: 1

      Heck, go back a bit further and you get the original Gateway Profile- AMD K6/2 400mhz, 15" LCD, built-in 10/100 ethernet, USB, and modem, 2 PC Card slots, and a laptop (tray) CD-ROM or DVD and floppy.

      Essentially, it was a laptop flipped into a tablet and put on a pedestal (with the USB ports in the pedestal)

      Kind of cool box, though... my nephew still has one and I'm still hoping his mom's firm will retire the one's they are using as Citrix clients.

  41. Re:So this is Apple's answer to the Tablet PC by foo12 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Errr, it's not made for that... it's 17 pounds, lacks an internal battery, lacks a touchscreen, lacks a stylus....

  42. Good move! by Xenna · · Score: 1

    This looks like a great device!

    It may just turn out to be the first Apple I ever buy.

    Another big advantage is that now PC clone makers will undoubtedly start making look-alikes, which is good for everyone...

    For the Apple-lovers who think this is really news, have a look at this:

    http://www.ltsp.org/documentation/iopener.php

    Still a good move from Apple!

  43. Hello iMac... by Powercntrl · · Score: 1

    ...meet the i-Opener. The year 2000 called, they want their computer design back.

    --

    ---
    DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison.
    1. Re:Hello iMac... by Rude+Turnip · · Score: 1

      At least Apple has "Step 3: Profit!!!" in their business plan.

      But, since we're talking about Apple, profit is probably Step 2, since there is no Step 3,

  44. 2 inches thick huh? by Mr+Guy · · Score: 1

    So how much does it weigh?

    1. Re:2 inches thick huh? by rwjyoung · · Score: 1

      according to the specs
      Size and weight (20-inch)

      * Height: 18.6 inches (47.2 cm)
      * Width: 19.4 inches (49.3 cm)
      * Depth: 7.4 inches (18.9 cm)
      * Weight: 25.2 pounds (11.4 kg)5

      Size and weight (17-inch)

      * Height: 16.9 inches (43.0 cm)
      * Width: 16.8 inches (42.6 cm)
      * Depth: 6.8 inches (17.3 cm)
      * Weight: 18.5 pounds (8.4 kg)6

      --
      Watch me build my house
  45. Wow by zors · · Score: 1

    Wow, this is alot more innovative than the desk lamp design. Throw in airport extreme, hi speed rf keyboard/mouse, and this is a pretty sweet comp to just set up in the kitchen or something. Ya know, for rich people. This really seems to be getting back to the spirit of the original design. The desk lamp always looked ugly and fragile to me, and ugly in comparison to the new G5 towers.

  46. weak video card by _|()|\| · · Score: 1

    A GeForce FX 5200 Ultra. You can get better video in a PowerBook. I guess that settles it: no Doom 3 for OS X.

    1. Re:weak video card by Trurl's+Machine · · Score: 3, Informative

      A GeForce FX 5200 Ultra. You can get better video in a PowerBook. I guess that settles it: no Doom 3 for OS X.

      I don't think so - the top-of-the line powerbooks (15" and 17") should have enough horsepower for Doom 3 as well as the whole Powermac G5 family. Besides, the iMac family will certainly get another upgrade round before Doom 3 for Mac gets into beta phase. Half year would be a really optimistic estimate...

    2. Re:weak video card by mcdade · · Score: 1

      huh??

      that doesn't make any sense... a Geforce 5200fx is a 5200fx.. if they say doom will run on it then it will...

      I run halo on my SP 1.8gig G5 (very first gen) perfectly fine.. uses the 5200.. it's a pretty nice card.. not top of the line.

      People seem to think this is a full out gamming system, it's not, you want a highend gaming rig, go build a pc..

      -b

    3. Re:weak video card by Trurl's+Machine · · Score: 1

      a Geforce 5200fx is a 5200fx.. if they say doom will run on it then it will... I run halo on my SP 1.8gig G5 (very first gen) perfectly fine.. uses the 5200.. it's a pretty nice card..

      I played Doom 3 on my friend's PC, with Radeon 9800 (the base model, not XT/PRO). The game was getting hiccups even with "medium" detail setting. Makes me rather pessimistic about playability on GF 5200 - at best, it will require lowest detail settings.

    4. Re:weak video card by Yosho · · Score: 1

      Keep in mind that ATI's cards are known for their weak OpenGL support. I have a GeForce FX 5700, and with a little bit of tweaking, I can run Doom 3 at 1024x768 in high detail at a constant 60fps, and I haven't seen it drop below 30 fps. I have an Athlon XP 2200 and 512 MB of RAM, so it's not like the rest of my computer is incredible, either. I wouldn't be surprised if a GF 5200 could run it acceptably on medium settings.

      --
      Karma: Terrifying (mostly affected by atrocities you've committed)
    5. Re:weak video card by dasmegabyte · · Score: 1

      Well, it is a shame that you can't play Doom 3 above medium detail...but remember that even at LOW detail, it still looks better than any game on the market.

      It reminds me of when Unreal first came out...the best computer on the PLANET couldn't play it at low res without hiccoughs. It took years of engine optimizations to get fluidity out of the system, which was annoying, but it also meant that the game was still looking good after two rounds of video card enhancements. Each new card meant activating more cool features -- Coronas, curved surfaces, reflection, etc. Heck, the game still looks pretty awesome to me, though I play it through the UT2k engine.

      --
      Hey freaks: now you're ju
    6. Re:weak video card by Moridineas · · Score: 1

      UT2K4 runs pretty choppuily on a friend's pb17, though I haven't tried it on my pb15.

    7. Re:weak video card by Ancient+Devices+King · · Score: 1

      I don't have a Mac that could run Doom 3 even if it were out for OSX, but it runs fine on my 3 year old system with a GeForce 4 Ti 4200. On top of that, the new iMac's CPU would eat the one in that machine for breakfast, so this is really a silly statement.

      --
      -"It seems like you're trying to exploit a security hole. Would you like help?"
    8. Re:weak video card by snuf23 · · Score: 1

      You're right. It will run Doom 3. Just keep in mind you are looking at probably running in 640x480 at low or maybe medium detail. So what? Everyone says Doom 3 even at low res is the best looking game ever. Well maybe but I can say from experience that when you kick it over to high detail at 1024x768 and up with full details on - it's almost like playing an entirely different game.
      I find the 5200 in the iMac disappointing because it has no "head room". It's last generations low end card and has trouble with some current games let alone games coming out in a year. The fact of the matter is that you CAN'T upgrade it so couldn't they have put a more mid range card in at least? Something like a 5700 with 128MB of RAM? Or at least have it as an option? The 5200FX is a part that retails for $50-$60!

      --
      Sometimes my arms bend back.
    9. Re:weak video card by spir0 · · Score: 1

      you're a knob end. wtf has osx to do with the hardware? iMacs are LOW END BASIC machines.

      --
      The reason girls and Windows users don't understand UNIX is because all the documentation is in Man files.
    10. Re:weak video card by DeadScreenSky · · Score: 1

      The problem then probably wasn't the videocard. I play Doom3 on a Radeon 9600 at medium quality and 800x600 and it is very playable. Hovers between 30-60 frame a second almost the entire time, with only some rare exceptions (like a certain boss, or one or two of the non-action scenes that id intentionally made lower framerate for visual quality purposes). I can't imagine why a 9800 would have problems...

      --
      There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. -- Francis Bacon
    11. Re:weak video card by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I run UT2K4 on my 14" 1.25GHz G4 iBook.

      Runs okay, even with the 32MB Radeon9200.

      It's playable on all maps except the ones with tanks. Most maps are more than playable, reaching well over 30fps.

      Sounds like the PB must be doing other things while playing Unreal.

  47. Save some for the kids by StevenHenderson · · Score: 1

    Hopefully Virginia Tech won't take all of them...

  48. price, price, price by beavis88 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Apple always seems to do this on their low-end machines as a cost-savings measure, and yes, it is somewhat annoying. BUT, if you really need more than 2GB of RAM, you may as well just spend a little extra money and get one of the dual G5 desktops, where you can get 4 or 8GB. Let's be honest, I can't imagine most home users are going to be craving 2GB+ of memory in their ~$1500 iMac.

    I'd be willing to bet the FSB thing is also a cost saving measure, and perhaps a way to better differentiate their "pro" desktop line from the iMacs.

  49. why the vertical design? by ALpaca2500 · · Score: 1

    a vertical design for an all in one computer with an lcd seems to make the most sense. but when apple introduced the first lcd imac, they said that one of the first ideas was a vertical design, and they scrapped that, because there was a problem with the optical drive, that in a vertical position it could only spin up to a certain speed (or something like that...). what's changed that not they DO want a vertical design now?

    1. Re:why the vertical design? by supermarsupial · · Score: 0

      ummm I guess the drives? I hear they spin faster now.

  50. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    time's out for me already :(

  51. Ports location by totoanihilation · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Looking at this picture, I don't want to imagine what an iMac setup would look like once you get some peripherals plugged in.
    Say you plug in a printer, a scanner, a digital camera dock, and iPod dock, some amplified speakers, your ethernet cable, perhaps the phone cable for faxing, and a firewire hard disk, that thing will have 8 cables just hanging there, on the side of the machine, with no support whatsoever. And since there's nothing below the connectors but thin air, what the user will see is a bunch of cables just hanging from the back of the machine. I'm no design engineering guru, but that wasn't too well thought-out, was it? Notice that all the photos are of the iMac with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse.
    They should've put the connectors on the stand, near the bottom. Or in the middle of the screen, with a cable guide on the stand.

    But as always, I'll wait to see one in person before passing a definitive judgement. I was wronged by the previous iMacs' pictures, this might be no different.

    1. Re:Ports location by javajeff · · Score: 1

      I was thinking the same thing. However, this is an opportunity for third party companies to design neat conduit for all the cables.

    2. Re:Ports location by victor_the_cleaner · · Score: 3, Informative
      If you look at this picture you'll see that the stand has a slot in it for cables to pass thru.

      I agree though the design won't be as clean, but I imagine that Apple counts on alot of 'design' freaks to upgrade to wireless options.

    3. Re:Ports location by totoanihilation · · Score: 1

      Good point :)
      But some cables just love to hang... And also, some cables come at a premium in cost for the long variety (i.e. 6-pin isolated firewire cables longer than 3ft, etc)...
      Can't wait to see them in person though! As I said, I'll wait to see them before passing a definitive judgement...

    4. Re:Ports location by klubar · · Score: 1

      Funny how the pictures never show the machine plugged in... Looks great, just don't try to use it. At least they didn't do the usual trick of a power brick the size of a house... Some of the earlier macs had huge power bricks.

    5. Re:Ports location by dema · · Score: 1

      I sort of agreed with this thought at first. But then I remember back to my interning days (ok, only a few months ago) at Miles Kimball company. A huge part of my job was doing new PC rollouts for all 300+ employees. And every PC has pretty much the same setup, all wires are just hanging without any support from the back of the machine. Granted, those Dells were not PC+Monitor, but a lot of people would put them on top of their desks and just let wires hang and show everywhere. And the ones who would want them tucked away in a corner would always cause trouble trying to keep the cords from pressing against a wall because the longest ones would usually come out about an inch or more. Anyway, just noting that this isn't an uncommon practice at all, PC user's should be used to it. (Maybe that's the point?)

    6. Re:Ports location by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There's a big round hole in the back of the stand. Pass the cables through there, add a twist-tie or two and all the user sees is... nothing!

    7. Re:Ports location by d_p · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You could run all the cables through the hole in the stand, jsut like the power cable.

    8. Re:Ports location by hattig · · Score: 2, Insightful

      that thing will have 8 cables just hanging there, on the side of the machine, with no support whatsoever.

      Pretty much like any other computer then, silly!

      Yeah, I agree that it will look tattier with the cables hanging down. There shouldn't be anything stopping you using the cable guide on the stand however as far as I can see.

    9. Re:Ports location by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      If they would have included the connectors on the stand it would have been impossible to losen the stand and hang it up on the wall with a VESA-Kit! Think about how cool it must look having this thing hanging on your wall with only one cable hanging down (or even vanishing in the wall), using a bluetooth keyboard and mouse. Finally, an empty desktop! Boy, I need such an machine.

    10. Re:Ports location by avida · · Score: 1

      It would be cool if osmeone created a wireless docking station thingie transmitter that plugged into those ports ... but I guess the bandwidth would suck. I could live with 10mbps of bandwidth though.

    11. Re:Ports location by fermion · · Score: 1

      Only one or two cables are neccesary. A firewire and USb to the hub. The keyboard and mouse can be bluetooth. An airport express can take care of network, printing, and music. Unless you need a phone line in, that is all.

      --
      "She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
    12. Re:Ports location by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Keyboard and mouse can be plugged into the hub. But you'd also really need a power cable.

    13. Re:Ports location by Animats · · Score: 1
      Apple's "solution" is to show fake pictures with no wires connected, not even a power cord. You could probably go after them with a false advertising complaint, since they show the screen lit with no power cord. The thing does have 10 jacks on the back, after all.

      With all the Bluetooth stuff, could you cruise by in a van with a directional antenna and take over the machine remotely?

      Bluetooth devices really should require physical contact to "bond", and do a key exchange, like the better cordless phones. Did Apple do that? Probably not.

    14. Re:Ports location by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      It's got a built-in monitor, so no VGA cable, you can add Bluetooth for the keyboard and mouse, add Airport Extreme for networking, and all you've got left is Firewire, audio, and USB for stuff like printers and iPod docks.

      Then recall that there's Airport Express for the printer, and also for the audio if they (or a third party) made a software update to make it work system-wide instead of just iTunes.

      Plus, their iPod division is hiring an engineer with wi-fi experience...

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    15. Re:Ports location by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      You have to tell the computer that you're about to try to hook up a Bluetooth device; It doesn't happen automatically. So, an attacker would have to drive by at the exact moment you're trying to activate your keyboard and mouse.

      Besides, I think they'd have better luck going for Wi-Fi anyway...

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    16. Re:Ports location by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, if you look at ALL the pictures, you'll notice a circle in the stand that the power cable goes through, which is plenty big enough to route all your cables from the plugs in the back, through the circle and down the back of the stand, desk, etc., which would keep all your cables together in one nice bundle going out the back hole and down the back of the stand, totally invisible from the front of the machine. No cables "just hanging there". I'd imagine this is what the designers planned...

    17. Re:Ports location by markomarko · · Score: 1

      Uhhh, don't know about you, but my desk is a mess of cords thanks to my pc's too few USB in the back, and USB in front instead.

      See that hole in the arm? Thread all your cords through that and it should keep things neat for you.

    18. Re:Ports location by Animats · · Score: 1
      So, an attacker would have to drive by at the exact moment you're trying to activate your keyboard and mouse.

      Thinking like that led to problems like "Windows XP - Surviving the First Day".

    19. Re:Ports location by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      Well, to get wardriving (bluedriving?) problems equivalent to an unpatched Windows machine on the internet, you'd have to live in the center of a cloverleaf between two interstate highways in the middle of a city.

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

  52. Not Enthusiast Friendly by haam51 · · Score: 0, Troll

    I dont know about you guys, but what I love from my pc is the ability to be able to change parts whenever some new card comes out, etc etc. BUT...in those MACs, that's basically impossible to do. Its like buying a laptop, what you buy is what you get and "OH WAIT, its already old hardware" with which you will be stuck for ever and if you want to upgrade, then you have to buy a completely new one; not just the parts you wish to change. And also think about this, how many of you have had your monitor died on you on only 1 or 2 years of use. Imagine buying this and then the monitor buying, small problem i would say

    1. Re:Not Enthusiast Friendly by zors · · Score: 1

      Hey, 1998 called, they want their iMac jokes back.

      Yes, we all know that its bad to lose the monitor on an iMac.

      Come on people, lets try to branch out in our Mac bashing.

    2. Re:Not Enthusiast Friendly by presearch · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yes. It's an iMac. One unit. If it breaks, they'll fix it.
      After almost 10 years of Apple doing this,
      you would think that people would get the concept.

    3. Re:Not Enthusiast Friendly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      buy a pc then and stop whingeing. Jeez.

    4. Re:Not Enthusiast Friendly by jcostantino · · Score: 1
      Since Applecare's inception they've been bending over backwards to fix computers! I was working at a shop MANY years ago (this was when you could still renew Applecare indefinitely) and people were still renewing their Apple IIe Applecare ($58?).

      The only crap part about it is here in Florida you must present a federal tax ID because we have some sort of anti-scam law which won't let an individual purchase an extended warranty (from anyone, not just Apple).

      This is finally the Mac I can afford and justify the purchase price on. I was going to buy a G4 Digital Audio motherboard for $200, a cpu for $350, video card, memory, hard drive, case, power supply, etc... but why even bother now? It would've cost me $800 to have a nice G4, why not just spend a few hundred more and get a brand new G5 iMac with a warranty and then an extra $250 for two more years of warranty.

      --
      Reviews with a twist! http://www.sardonicbastard.com
    5. Re:Not Enthusiast Friendly by shplorb · · Score: 1

      Well, no shit.

      Enthusiast buys PowerMac. Average joe buys iMac.

      Just like with your muscles, if you don't use your brain you lose it.

    6. Re:Not Enthusiast Friendly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So they come by to my house and fix it? Because I'd much rather replace a damaged component myself (by a working but less powerful one I still have lying around) and have a working system while I send it off for repair/exchange.

    7. Re:Not Enthusiast Friendly by geniusj · · Score: 1

      For larger systems such as powermacs and probably iMacs, serious repairs are done at your house. For laptops, they send you a prepaid shipment box which you use to overnight to them (and they then overnight it back to you).

      Regards,
      -JD-

    8. Re:Not Enthusiast Friendly by commodoresloat · · Score: 1

      yeah, can't you guys complain about the mouse or something?

    9. Re:Not Enthusiast Friendly by argent · · Score: 1

      If it breaks, they'll fix it.

      Ah yes, Applecare.

      Good stuff, but pricey. brings the total for the entry level iMac to $1468.

      For around $1500, I should bloody well hope they'd provide killer support. that's more than twice what I've paid for any computer in the past ten years, including my own Mac.

  53. Isn't it funny.. by Kakemann · · Score: 1

    ..that in one of the original (old LCD) iMac commercials, the chief designer mentioned coming up with a design like this, just to have it rejected my Steve Jobs?

    I'd be grateful if anyone would provide a link to that commercial.

  54. side-loading CD/DVD? by mblase · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I thought the original reason Apple put the CD/DVD drive in the base of the iMac and avoided a design like this was because their engineers said it was better to have the disc spinning while flat. Did they change their mind, or is the hardware just better now that they can mount the CD behind the monitor at an angle like this?

    1. Re:side-loading CD/DVD? by UserChrisCanter4 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      IIRC, interviews with Jobs during the G4 iMac discussed his displeasure with some of the preliminary G4 designs because they looked just like this. He was indicating that he told his design engineers, "I want something new, not a computer attached to the back of a flat panel." (That's not a verbatim quote, btw). Maybe he feels that because they've had that concept out of the market for long enough that this will work, or maybe the old G4-era prototypes were a lot chunkier. Whatever it was, I certainly think it's nicer on the deskspace than the already small G4 model.

      I feel sorta lackluster about this one, though. The tech specs are nice, and I'm glad that it's finally easier to get to the hard drive, but the design just looks too much like the Gateway Profile. I was hoping for something that looked similar to this and priced similarly, but consisted of a slim, 2U sized case that could directly attach to the back of the monitor (and was designed explicitly for that purpose), but could also be purchased stand-alone and used with another monitor. I know, I know, all that junk about cutting into margins and such, but a man can dream, right?

      Re the horizontal drive: I don't remember anyone ever mentioning this, though I suppose it could've been cited. I've seen dozens of workstation-type cases going back at least 8 or 10 years, though, that used vertical mount optical drives, so I doubt that's an issue.

    2. Re:side-loading CD/DVD? by glennrrr · · Score: 2, Informative
      Look at the specs for the optical drives, notice they are on the slow side for modern drives:
      • Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW): reads DVDs at up to 8x speed, writes CD-R discs at up to 24x speed, writes CD-RW discs at up to 16x speed, reads CDs at up to 24x speed
      • SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW): writes DVD-R discs at up to 4x speed, reads DVDs at up to 8x speed, writes CD-R discs at up to 16x speed, writes CD-RW discs at up to 8x speed, reads CDs at up to 24x speed

      For instance, the current eMac has a SuperDrive which burns DVD-R disks at x8. This one burns at x4. I think this is the price for putting the optical drive at an arbitrary angle (usually not quite vertical), in fact, I bet all the "up to" language above means the drives will work best at certain angles.

      I'd still want one though. I'm sure I could use it as a TV with the proper firewire input box.
    3. Re:side-loading CD/DVD? by nka1993 · · Score: 1

      Don't worry about it. This is yet again proof that Apple has stolen Alien technology. I mean how else could they get a G5 into such a small footprint. I wonder if Steve got abducted?

    4. Re:side-loading CD/DVD? by Jameth · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The issue is not 'vertical mount' it's 'angle mount'. Since the computer tips on that arm, the drives inside will never be horizontal or vertical, which I was under the impression was the best position to have a drive in.

    5. Re:side-loading CD/DVD? by pebs · · Score: 1

      I was hoping for something that looked similar to this and priced similarly, but consisted of a slim, 2U sized case that could directly attach to the back of the monitor (and was designed explicitly for that purpose), but could also be purchased stand-alone and used with another monitor. I know, I know, all that junk about cutting into margins and such, but a man can dream, right?

      Yeah, I wish they would produce something similar (monitor being optional is key), and I would definitely buy something like that. But Apple insists on selling you the monitor too, unless you want to pay more and get a Power Mac. That is the one thing I really dislike about Apple's line of computers.

      As for the way this thing looks, I think this is the first time I've seen Apple actually take a step back as far as aesthetics is concerned. It actually has more utility, but less aesthetics. I wonder if you can remove the stand so that its easy to carry in a case. It's more like one of their laptops without the keyboard/mouse.

      --
      #!/
    6. Re:side-loading CD/DVD? by SenorCitizen · · Score: 1

      I bet the slow speeds of the drives are actually because Apple had to use laptop drives for the new iMac because of lack of space.

    7. Re:side-loading CD/DVD? by avida · · Score: 2, Informative

      They use a special reflecting laser scaffold that actually improves performance in the vertical. Amazing stuff.

    8. Re:side-loading CD/DVD? by zbaron · · Score: 1

      The G4 iMacs were also shipping with DVD-R drives, requiring the use of a full size drive. It was quite some time before a DVD-R was available as a laptop part, which seems to have been used in the new iMac.

    9. Re:side-loading CD/DVD? by Philaretus · · Score: 2, Interesting
      I guess it takes only 2.5 years for Steve to change his mind.
      From the Time magazine article in January 2002:
      http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020114/cover.h tml

      There comes a time in every important Jobs project, usually when the thing appears to be finished, that he sends it back to the drawing board and asks that it be completely redone. Some people say this trait is pathological, a sign of his control-freak perfectionism or his inability to let go. "It's happened on every Pixar movie," Jobs confesses. It's also what he did when Ive presented him with a plastic model of what was to be the new iMac. It looked like the old iMac on a no-carb diet, a leaner iMac in the Zone. "There was nothing wrong with it," recalls Jobs. "It was fine. Really, it was fine." He hated it.

      Rather than give his O.K., he went home from work early that day and summoned Ive, the amiable genius who also designed the original iMac, the other-worldly iPod music player, the lightweight but heavy-duty titanium PowerBook and the ice-cube-inspired Cube desktop, to name but a few of his greatest hits. As they walked through the quarter-acre vegetable garden and apricot grove of Jobs' wife Laurene, Jobs sketched out the Platonic ideal for the new machine. "Each element has to be true to itself," Jobs told Ive. "Why have a flat display if you're going to glom all this stuff on its back? Why stand a computer on its side when it really wants to be horizontal and on the ground? Let each element be what it is, be true to itself." Instead of looking like the old iMac, the thing should look more like the flowers in the garden. Jobs said, "It should look like a sunflower."
    10. Re:side-loading CD/DVD? by gildesh · · Score: 1

      I don't see a problem with the drive being at an angle/not being flat. As long as the user isn't adjusting the monitor tilt very rapidly during use, it shouldn't make a difference. This ties in with gyroscopes and such. Just think about a portable cd player. One can position it however one wants, and as long as one doesn't go and move/rotate it around during playback, it won't skip. Same thing here.

    11. Re:side-loading CD/DVD? by AHumbleOpinion · · Score: 1

      Maybe he feels that because they've had that concept out of the market for long enough that this will work, or maybe the old G4-era prototypes were a lot chunkier.

      The new iMac is all about cost reduction.

  55. Re:So this is Apple's answer to the Tablet PC by AKnightCowboy · · Score: 1

    Why don't you just look at the price on their online store. It ranges from $1299 to $1800+. That's not that expensive for a computer with a flat panel monitor IMHO.

  56. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by scoser · · Score: 5, Funny

    I was about ready to start cutting my wrists in despair at the thought of servicing it, but your picture has reassured me that Apple may be back on the right track for serviceability in the iMac models.

  57. Yes but... by period3 · · Score: 1, Funny

    ...does it come in blueberry?

  58. Future of computers by paithuk · · Score: 1

    I think Apple are showing us the future of things to come. However, once the electronics become so integrated into the display, how will Apple products be any more appealing then their PC counterparts? It's like telling LCD's apart... How many of us walk into a store and bow down in amazement at the new style of LCD out?

    1. Re:Future of computers by victor_the_cleaner · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Obviously you have not seen the new Apple Cinema Displays in person. They're rather impressive.

    2. Re:Future of computers by Jord · · Score: 1
      I have to agree. Walking into an Apple store and looking at those new LCDs is a "wow" experience. They are truly such a clean design that others look down right ugly next to them.

      Just be careful running your fingers along the edge of one. I kept putting the G5 to sleep and couldn't figure out why :)

  59. How long? by iamdrscience · · Score: 1

    How long do you think it will be before a clueless mac fanboy claims that a flatscreen PC like this was an Apple innovation?

    Don't get me wrong, this is very cool, I'd love to have a G5 OSX system in a package so small, but there's a certain segment of mac fans who seem all too eager to attribute innovation to Apple where such credit is undue.

    1. Re:How long? by BenjyD · · Score: 1

      I was thinking that too - I remember using some IBM computer-in-an-LCD-monitor three years ago. Very ugly looking compared to this, I admit, but a similar idea. Basically a laptop with an external keyboard and no battery.

      The problem I found with the IBM machine was that the computer off button is in exactly the same place as the monitor off button would be on a normal computer, so I kept switching the computer off by mistake while meaning to just switch the monitor off.

    2. Re:How long? by NatasRevol · · Score: 1

      So, basically, Apple took the computer-in-a-monitor idea and actually designed a GOOD implementation of it?

      Sure, I'll admit to that. But they've done the same thing with the iPod, origina iMac, xServe, xRAID.

      --
      There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
    3. Re:How long? by BenjyD · · Score: 1

      I suppose I am, in my rambling way.

    4. Re:How long? by nsayer · · Score: 1
      How long do you think it will be before a clueless mac fanboy claims that a flatscreen PC like this was an Apple innovation?

      It was.

  60. Its a Monorail! by randomErr · · Score: 1

    They took the PC system Monorail and painted the case white and called it a Mac. And Mac-ies say PC's steal from them.

    --
    You say things that offend me and I can deal with it. Can you?
  61. What if.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "What if you could fit your whole life -- all your music, all your photos, all your movies, all your email -- in a computer as fun and useful as an iPod? Now you can."
    + hd crash|virus|dau
    -> you end up killing yourself.

  62. Sweet - here's my take by jht · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I like it a lot, based on initial impression. It also looks to be a lot more user-serviceable than the previous generation (where all you could swap out was the AirPort/Extreme card and the one RAM slot). That's nice.

    I see they kept the PowerMac/iMac performance differential in part by using a 3x multiplier instead of the 2x that the PowerMacs use. That's OK - a 533 or 600 MHz FSB is still zippy.

    The question I have is really about upgrades. Most importantly, can this model finally take an aftermarket internal Bluetooth module? All the previous versions only offer Bluetooth as a BTO option through the Apple Store online (except when it's standard equipment like on the PowerBooks). If you don't buy it at build time, you have to buy a 3rd party USB dongle. With access to the insides, that is now hopefully a thing of the past.

    Will more VRAM be available as a BTO option? Right now, all 3 models ship with 64MB, and in my brief look online there did not appear to be an upgrade option. If the iMac is going to sell at all in the gaming market, there will probably need to be a 128MB option available. I wouldn't count on a better graphics processor, though, anytime soon. Apple likes to underpower the iMacs.

    With this out there, will the eMac see a minor speedbump anytime soon? The two have traditionally had pretty much the same motherboard design - I don't expect a G5 eMac anytime soon, but maybe we'll get a 1.5 GHz G4 at some point now.

    Most importantly, will normal human beings actually be able to buy these in stores anytime this year, or are we going to have to wait for the Tooth Fairy to deliver more G5 chips?

    --
    -- Josh Turiel
    "2. Do not eat iPod Shuffle."
    1. Re:Sweet - here's my take by Twirlip+of+the+Mists · · Score: 4, Informative

      I see they kept the PowerMac/iMac performance differential in part by using a 3x multiplier instead of the 2x that the PowerMacs use.

      That was an engineering choice more than a marketing choice, though of course it was dictated by both. The largest single source of heat in a Power Mac G5 is the system controller ASIC. Low-temperature G5-based systems must necessarily eliminate that source of BTU's.

      Most importantly, can this model finally take an aftermarket internal Bluetooth module?

      The internal Bluetooth module is available as a BTO option only.

      Will more VRAM be available as a BTO option?

      No. You'll get more VRAM in 6-8 months when the Rev. B machines are announced, just like always.

      If the iMac is going to sell at all in the gaming market

      The "gaming market?" Surely you jest.

      With this out there, will the eMac see a minor speedbump anytime soon?

      Odds are slim. That's a Motorola issue, not an Apple issue.

      Most importantly, will normal human beings actually be able to buy these in stores anytime this year

      Depends on where you live. If you live near an Apple Store, you'll be able to buy one this week. But you'd better get there fast. ;-)

      --

      I write in my journal
    2. Re:Sweet - here's my take by Have+Blue · · Score: 2, Informative

      The internal Bluetooth module is available as a BTO option only.

      I think the parent's point was that on previous iMacs, it was only feasible for Apple to install the Bluetooth module because it was deep inside the base somewhere and getting to it meant disassembling the machine. With the newly accessible design, inserting a Bluetooth module could be as easy as inserting an Airport card.

    3. Re:Sweet - here's my take by Jord · · Score: 1

      Chances are the aftermarket bluetooth usb dongles will work just fine on this. And since they are just little stubs you would not even see it back there.

    4. Re:Sweet - here's my take by jht · · Score: 1

      You can always use an aftermarket - I use one now on my iMac at home. But here's why internal's better: no dongle on the back, integrated into the system, and it leaves the external port free for later.

      Plus it just plain looks better. I'm of the opinion that Apple should either include Bluetooth standard on every Mac or make it a customer-installable part.

      --
      -- Josh Turiel
      "2. Do not eat iPod Shuffle."
    5. Re:Sweet - here's my take by Jord · · Score: 1
      No disagreement here. Was just pointing out an alternative.

      However think about this. Airport cards used to be an add on product and are now starting to become standard. I suspect that eventually the Bluetooth add-ons will be "included" as well.

    6. Re:Sweet - here's my take by mrchaotica · · Score: 1
      Most importantly, can this model finally take an aftermarket internal Bluetooth module?
      Since it was only ~$40, I went ahead and got Bluetooth when I bought my iBook, even though I had no Bluetooth devices at the time.

      It's kind of dumb for the ones sold through stores, though.
      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

  63. Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by eyefish · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Well, I'm dissapointed at the design. The previous design with the rounded based and the moving screen was much nicer looking, plus more practical and functional as well.

    With this model I can see the following problems:

    1. You will now see a million wires coming out of the right side of the machine, hanging in mid-air and visible at all times.

    2. All that white space at the bottom of the display makes it look like a waste of space (of course it's probably used for the internal electronics, but geez, couldn't they think of a better design?).

    3. The display now only rotates in one single dimension (either tilts up or down) as opposed to the previous iMac multi-dimensions of fredom).

    4. That base seems awefully inadecuate for so much weight on top of it. Seems like if it is very easy to drop the display sideways if you have a crouded desk and move things around a lot.

    5. This design has been created before by the big guys (IBM and Compaq/HP I think had/have something similar), why not come up with something as cool as the iPod? (it's a shame they say on the website "from the creators of iPod" - if I was one of the iPod designers I'd be shamed...).

    6. And how about a $999 model?

    1. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by xutopia · · Score: 5, Informative

      I won't comment on the rest of your points but point #1 is factually wrong. If you look on the design page you'll see that the wires will hang out in the back, not on the side. Apple thought about that for you. They most likely thought about other things as well for you! :)

    2. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by mstra · · Score: 2, Informative
      before by the big guys (IBM and Compaq/HP I think had/have something similar), why not come up with something as cool as the iPod? (it's a shame they say on the website "from the creators of iPod" - if I was one of the iPod designers I'd be shamed...

      Except that it *is* accurate - Jonathon Ives (the designer of the iPod) also designed the new iMac.

      --
      Photography, technology, and my dog Scout - http://mattstratton.com
    3. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      1. You will now see a million wires coming out of the right side of the machine, hanging in mid-air and visible at all times.

      That's what the hole in the iMac's base is for. Keep your cables in here.

    4. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by mblase · · Score: 3, Insightful

      1. You will now see a million wires coming out of the right side of the machine, hanging in mid-air and visible at all times.

      They actually attach behind the right side, and can be threaded through the base to keep them out of sight. And if you don't like 'em, get it configured with Bluetooth and WiFi -- like the sidebar sez, all you'll need then is a power cord, which connects to the back center of the machine and is even harder to see.

      2. All that white space at the bottom of the display makes it look like a waste of space (of course it's probably used for the internal electronics, but geez, couldn't they think of a better design?).

      You'd better have a PhD in industrial design if you're criticizing Apple on those grounds. I think it looks just fine, and besides, they gotta put the Apple logo somewhere.

      3. The display now only rotates in one single dimension (either tilts up or down) as opposed to the previous iMac multi-dimensions of fredom).

      Well, yeah... you can just turn the whole base now, can't you? I imagine turning the monitor on the base would make it potentially unstable, but I'm certain it would make it uglier.

      4. That base seems awefully inadecuate for so much weight on top of it. Seems like if it is very easy to drop the display sideways if you have a crouded desk and move things around a lot.

      Yes, it's a convincing illusion, isn't it? C'mon, they have people to think of things like that.

      5. This design has been created before by the big guys (IBM and Compaq/HP I think had/have something similar), why not come up with something as cool as the iPod? (it's a shame they say on the website "from the creators of iPod" - if I was one of the iPod designers I'd be shamed...).

      Open your eyes, please... the design is supposed to remind you of the iPod, both from the front and the side views.

      6. And how about a $999 model?

      Want to have your cake and eat it too, don't you? Maybe next year when this year's models are on clearance.

    5. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by phillymjs · · Score: 5, Interesting

      1. There's a hole in the rear of the stand through which always-connected cables can be routed. And there's always the option of the Bluetooth module, keyboard, and mouse to remove *those* wires from the equation.

      2. Those who can, do. Those who can't, criticize. Let's see you stuff all those electronics into a smaller space and still provide adequate cooling, Einstein.

      3. The new design allows them to use larger displays than 20", the weight of which the arm on the old iMac would not physically support (this is straight from the mouth of an Apple engineer who was visiting my office a few weeks ago).

      4. The Cinema Displays use the same base, and those are pretty damned stable. How much crap do you have on your desk?

      5. The granddaddy of the thin, LCD-in-front, guts-in-back computer is the 20th Anniversary Mac, released in May 1997. Apple is updating their own old design, not copying current designs of competitors.

      6. Yeah, yeah. If they were selling it for $2, there'd be some fool whining "I'd buy it, if it was $1.50!"

      ~Philly

    6. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by Paulrothrock · · Score: 1

      The white space at the bottom, I'd imagine, is for the speakers, as it doesn't seem to have external speakers.

      --
      I'm in the hole of the broadband donut.
    7. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by jcostantino · · Score: 3, Insightful
      1. I'm sure someone will design an "iCable" thingie or whatever for this new unit. Apple does leave some of its accessory design to 3rd party developers.

      2. All that white space at the bottom makes it tie in to the eMac's look. They could have probably just centered the display but it looks better this way.

      3. The display still rotates if you turn the entire unit. That arm was freakishly expensive ($300), would get loose after a while and was a pain in the ass to replace, if necessary. 4. I'm sure that anything will topple over if given enough of a push. Apple has more than likely looked into this and found this to be stable.

      5. Errrr... it's hard to give a URL but if you go to apple.com and refresh enough, you'll see the profile shot of the iMac and iPod together. They look quite the same. Are you referring to the iMac's lack of a b&w LCD screen and scroll wheel?

      6. They call it the eMac. Wait a year and the new iMacs will be refreshed to slightly cheaper/slightly faster.

      1. You will now see a million wires coming out of the right side of the machine, hanging in mid-air and visible at all times.

      2. All that white space at the bottom of the display makes it look like a waste of space (of course it's probably used for the internal electronics, but geez, couldn't they think of a better design?).

      3. The display now only rotates in one single dimension (either tilts up or down) as opposed to the previous iMac multi-dimensions of fredom).

      4. That base seems awefully inadecuate for so much weight on top of it. Seems like if it is very easy to drop the display sideways if you have a crouded desk and move things around a lot.

      5. This design has been created before by the big guys (IBM and Compaq/HP I think had/have something similar), why not come up with something as cool as the iPod? (it's a shame they say on the website "from the creators of iPod" - if I was one of the iPod designers I'd be shamed...).

      6. And how about a $999 model?

      --
      Reviews with a twist! http://www.sardonicbastard.com
    8. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by dvhh · · Score: 1

      Am I dreaming or did they had put a slot-in cd/dvd drive in their iMac again ? Man they are cool but causes tons of problem (specially with those odd shaped cd, or even mini cd), I though they put a tray on the previous model due to that pb. And why calling a DVD-R writer a "superdrive", I was ok for calling the IEEE 1394 a "firewire", but a "superdrive" (what next ? hyper-mega-drive for blue ray !!!) I've already see model like these from HP/Compaq but they are targeted at business user rather than consumer user, so technically they might be first to target it at consumer ( I admit it's less ugly than the g5 powermac ).

    9. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      2. Those who can, do. Those who can't, criticize. Let's see you stuff all those electronics into a smaller space and still provide adequate cooling, Einstein.

      Typical angry slinging from a fanboy. The fact is, this current design looks like shit.

    10. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by Kjella · · Score: 1

      3. The new design allows them to use larger displays than 20"

      To which I can only reply: Where? Not that I want to complain about a 20" inch screen, but I don't see any bigger options.

      Actually, the pricing from Apple this time around is good if you ask me. Personally I find them expensive because I still "think" in CRT prices, but if I pick a PC with a similar LCD...

      Kjella

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    11. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by smellygeek · · Score: 1

      Apple does leave some of its accessory design to 3rd party developers.

      True. The first thing I would like to see is a means to wall mount this, but still have it adjustable. Maybe something like the arm from the iLamp?

    12. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by Warlock7 · · Score: 2, Informative

      Look again, there's both 17 and 20 inch models available.

    13. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      2. Those who can, do. Those who can't, criticize. Let's see you stuff all those electronics into a smaller space and still provide adequate cooling, Einstein.

      Didn't the Cube have "adequate cooling" which really meant "barely cooling"? I forsee HUGE problems with overheating. People are going to have this thing loaded up on a desk in a corner and it WILL get overheated. Too bad too. Just because they managed to fit everything into the package and make it run for 10 minutes doesn't mean it's going to last for a year. Then again, Apple consumers have gotten used to rebuying hardware every 2 years

      3. The new design allows them to use larger displays than 20", the weight of which the arm on the old iMac would not physically support (this is straight from the mouth of an Apple engineer who was visiting my office a few weeks ago).

      Yes, because I'm sure that they want to stick a $1200 LCD screen on top of a $600 base and try to sell the thing as an iMac. Look at previous threads, there is a lot of talk about the "target market" and how Apple HAS to keep the price of the iMacs in a suitable range. Why go to the trouble of making your base design support a 23 inch monitor when adding a 23 inch monitor would push it out of the target price range for an iMac? Isn't the g5 desktops the solution for someone who wants a 23 inch LCD?

      4. The Cinema Displays use the same base, and those are pretty damned stable.

      The Cinema Displays carry about half the weight though. I'd really like to see this in person before I make a decision but it just screams top-heavy.

      5. The granddaddy of the thin, LCD-in-front, guts-in-back computer is the 20th Anniversary Mac, released in May 1997. Apple is updating their own old design, not copying current designs of competitors.

      So once again Apple fails to innovate and just evolves.... typical Apple. (sarcasm, not flamebait). But seriously, haven't we seen this design before? If anyone can pull it off, it's Apple, but I doubt even they can pull it off.

      6. Yeah, yeah. If they were selling it for $2, there'd be some fool whining "I'd buy it, if it was $1.50!"

      Nah, I would buy it for $2 and then eBay it... And if Apple DID sell this for $2 then it means PC prices would be $1 and I would still rather buy a PC because atleast I could play my games on it.

      A mac zealot friend tried to convince me the other day that people by Apple's because the way they look. That might be true, but those people aren't hackers or businesses (unless your business is graphic design, which apple's hardware advantage
      has slipped in the last few years).

      Do I like the new iMac's? About as much as I like any Apple product. Will it sell? Of course, because Apple fans are used to buying overpriced pretty hardware every 2 years because Steve Jobs and his ID department knows how to make a pretty PC. I fail to see an real innovation here though. Recycled design, recycled hardware, recycled OS, but Apple fans don't pay attention to anything else then "it's pretty" and "it's cool"...

    14. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by Junta · · Score: 1

      Some good points, but saying a person better have a PhD in Industrial Design before calling an Apple product ugly? That is ridiculous. It is an opinion anyone has, and if the 'experts' came up with a design they thought would be populer and >95% of the population thought differently, guess whose opinion matters more, the 'experts' or the customer market?

      Not saying that the opinion *is* widespread, just that dismissing opinions not accompanied by a PhD with respect to aesthetics is kinda silly. I personally think it looks a bit odd myself and not particularly smooth, and that will be my opinion. The link between it and iPod (the apparent marketing goal) is weak to me, aside from both being square, and white.

      --
      XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve the problem, use more.
    15. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by zbaron · · Score: 1

      from apple.com/imac

      ... but you can make that zero with an optional VESA mount. Hang it from the wall or swing it around on your desk.

      So the mounts are already available.

    16. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The granddaddy of the thin, LCD-in-front, guts-in-back computer is the 20th Anniversary Mac, released in May 1997.

      "The Twentieth Anniversary Mac ... sold for nearly $10,000" (from the article).

    17. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by Jord · · Score: 1

      Since it is VESA compliant, there are already arms out there that you can attach to this computer. Couple that with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse and you have one very slick little setup.

    18. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by SenorCitizen · · Score: 1

      Yes, and the previous generation iMac also came with a 20" screen. Whether Apple will announce an iMac with a bigger than 20" remains to be seen, but I doubt it.

    19. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by tbmaddux · · Score: 1
      The display now only rotates in one single dimension
      I have a 17" FP iMac and I thought the same thing when I saw the new iMac.

      However, if you look at the right hand side of the graphics page at Apple, you will see that the entire machine can be VESA mounted, just like the new Cinema Displays.

      --
      Can't you see that everyone is buying station wagons?
    20. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by Stick_Fig · · Score: 1

      #2 was honestly the first thing that struck me. It seemed like a lot of extra space that could've been used by a monitor real estate. I think the most surprising thing to me is that the 20 inch model is the same way.

      Either way, I was pretty impressed. The footprint on this thing is nothing compared to even the old iMac model, which had a small one itself. And the insides of it looked like pornography to a mac zealot :)

      --
      ShortFormBlog: Writing a little. Saying a lot.
    21. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "5. This design has been created before by the big guys (IBM and Compaq/HP I think had/have something similar), why not come up with something as cool as the iPod? (it's a shame they say on the website "from the creators of iPod" - if I was one of the iPod designers I'd be shamed...)."

      I remember a machine from 1994 or 1995 - an LCD panel with a built-in computer. I think it was even an HP PA-RISC based workstation, running NeXTSTEP.

      This was in a lab at an investment bank. These weren't on sale to the general public.

      I'm not sure who it was who made it. It might have been the LCD panel company, which built its business around serving the financial industry. It wasn't built by NeXT, and I don't think it was built by HP. It might have been made by Pixelvision.

    22. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by mblase · · Score: 1

      saying a person better have a PhD in Industrial Design before calling an Apple product ugly? That is ridiculous

      If he just said it was ugly, that would be an opinion and I'd respond to it as such. But he said "couldn't they think of a better design?", which is less an opinion than a criticism to the professional skills of designers far more experienced.

    23. Re:Reasons to like the previous iMac design better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I believe the parent carelessly had the side profile of the iMac in mind when making his/her post.

  64. Even my wife's impressed by Lumpish+Scholar · · Score: 1

    "That's a nice looking monitor ... what, that's the whole computer? Wow!"

    --
    Stupid job ads, weird spam, occasional insight at
    1. Re:Even my wife's impressed by Kredal · · Score: 2, Interesting

      As opposed to the clueless masses who think their current monitor IS the computer. Oh, the little box by the desk? I though that was the power supply!"

      --
      Whoever stated that signature sizes should be limited to one hundred and twenty characters can just go ahead and kiss my
  65. Not an iMac at all! by iamdrscience · · Score: 4, Funny

    What? You can open it up? And upgrade the RAM? And the hard drive too? This isn't an iMac at all!

  66. OS X hate ram too... by Biotech9 · · Score: 2, Insightful


    click this!

    I have 1 GB of ram and a 1 GHz G4, and yet I can't run out of ram, despite running 61 programs (as shown above).

    And REAL programs, Photoshop, Word, etc.

    OS X handles Ram well.

    1. Re:OS X hate ram too... by diamondc · · Score: 1

      OS X is unix so it's automatically going to use up all the RAM and use virtual memory (unlike OS 9 where you had to check a box t use vm). Browse to /var/vm and check out the swapfiles. I have the exact same setup as you, too.

      --
      "I keep looking in the want-ads under 'revolutionary' but there don't seem to be any listings.. "
  67. uhh, it's a.. by binarybum · · Score: 2, Funny

    laptop on a stick folks, laptop on a stick.

    --
    ôó
  68. Style by Threni · · Score: 1

    You're forgetting Apple's inimitable approach to style. No other monitor has that ugly unused area at the bottom. What did they think they were designing - a laptop keyboard?

    1. Re:Style by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree. Everybody raves about Apple's style, but when they make something ugly like this, or the G5 Powermac cheese grater, everyone glosses it over and claims that "Ugly is the New Hotness". Sheesh. I never believed the rumors of paid Apple shills until I got to Slashdot.

      And if Sony had come out with this, the tone of the entire article would be MUCH different. I bet there wouldn't be one worshipful comment.

    2. Re:Style by Threni · · Score: 1

      > And if Sony had come out with this, the tone of the entire article would be
      > MUCH different. I bet there wouldn't be one worshipful comment.

      Or Microsoft!

  69. Apple Tablet by smartin · · Score: 1

    If they made a smaller version with a touch screen that detaches from the stand, they would have a tablet. Hopefully this is a direction they will explore in subsequent revs.

    --
    The difference between Canada and the USA is that in Canada healthcare is a right and gun ownership is a privilege.
  70. And when you add in the software bundle by scottme · · Score: 1

    this looks like a really good deal. As well as the excellent and comprehensive iLife suite of applications, you get Quicken 2004, a trial of MS Office, and a couple of 3D games. What more does the average user need?

  71. Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    There will be a new iMac before theres time to design one.

    There are two groups that apple needs to appeal to with this model, gamers and the hard core corporate client. Until now they have been neglected at huge cost to the company. They had a chance to break into both of those markets with one machine with this release!!! And they clearly have taken a different road. Well time will tell.

    Look, Ive used macs since the orignal - that just had 1Mb of ram! - and I always will. I just hope that Jobs starts putting comercial realities ahead of his personal ipod manic agenda and starts putting the boot into Gates at long last.

    (sorry for the AC but I'm posting away from my home computer and dont have the login here)

    1. Re:Unlikely by Graymalkin · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The only way an iMac is going to run some particular game as well as a "gaming PC" is if they stick a GF6800 in it and a 2.5GHz G5. Such an iMac would obliderate sales of the PowerMacs. So they come out with this model which will play games pretty well, especially the ones currently available for the Mac and even future games like Doom 3. For the hardcore corporate client I don't see how this doesn't work. It is small and thin and takes up less desk real estate than even the lampshades and their 10" base. They're also reasonably powerful with a lot of screen real estate.

      I think this iMac is going to be a huge seller this year. They're as powerful as last year's G5 PowerMacs for a thousand dollar price difference. They also come bolted to nice LCD screens and have enough I/O (including optical audio out) to suit just about anybody.

      --
      I'm a loner Dottie, a Rebel.
    2. Re:Unlikely by timeOday · · Score: 1
      They're also reasonably powerful with a lot of screen real estate.
      Why did they make the screen so short? The bezel along the bottom edge looks 3" thick.
    3. Re:Unlikely by shufler · · Score: 5, Funny

      I think that's where the computer goes.

    4. Re:Unlikely by tverbeek · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Why did they make the screen so short? The bezel along the bottom edge looks 3" thick.

      Apple's been pushing the "widescreen" aspect ratio for displays, so this is the shape they wanted, and designed around. It's the same shape as the 17" G4 iMac's.

      If they made it a more traditional aspect ratio, there'd probably still be 3" along the bottom. They need that to fit some of the thicker components inside without making the whole enclosure more than 2" thick.

      I find this design reminiscent of the original Macs, which had a similar screen-above-the-blank-area face.

      --
      http://alternatives.rzero.com/
    5. Re:Unlikely by timts · · Score: 2, Insightful

      why bother? real games dont buy Mac any way since there's merely not enough games on it and the game release of mac edition is much slower than pc edition. sad but true for mac fans.
      oh, mac fans cant get the latest version of video cards either, and the choice is very limited.

    6. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      >> For the hardcore corporate client I don't see how this doesn't work.

      As a corporate client, I have to disagree. Even if the software I need ran on a Mac, I can go to Dell and buy a machine for under $600 that will work just fine for the job. That is 2+ machines for the price of 1. So unless I am really looking to piss off the Finance department, how could it possibly work?

    7. Re:Unlikely by kannibal_klown · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "The only way an iMac is going to run some particular game as well as a "gaming PC" is if they stick a GF6800 in it and a 2.5GHz G5."

      I'll bite.

      The video card, yeh, I agree with.

      But the G5 is pound-for-pound faster than the PC chips out today. Right now, a 2.5GHz P4 or Athlon will make just about any game fly (except DOOM 3). A P4 2.5GHz is not top of the line, but it's more than enough for gaming, so long as you have a decent video card.

      I'd say a 2GHz G5 would perform very well with the right video card, on par with at LEAST an Intel 2.4GHz machine with similar RAM and video card.

      The only thing current Macs need to run particular games well are the particular games. DOOM 3 will have an OSX port eventually, but there are a lot of NEW games that haven't been ported yet (if they ever will be).

      I'd still like to buy a G5 PowerMac with Dual G5's (not the fastest ones, but medium). That would be nice.

      If it wasn't for the Windows development I do for work (when I'm at home), I'd be using my PowerBook as my main machine ALL THE TIME when I'm at home.

    8. Re:Unlikely by NatasRevol · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Sure but you need twice as many support/OS-reinstaller/virus&spyware-remover people for those Dells.

      --
      There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
    9. Re:Unlikely by cayenne8 · · Score: 4, Interesting
      I can see what they were going for with this one, but, frankly, I think the previous one with the telescoping arm from the base to the screen was MUCH more appealing.

      I'm very new to Mac...just got an older iBook 800Mhz G3 which I've gotten to dual boot with Gentoo Linux. I like the box...and I've enjoyed playing with OSX too...it is a LONG was from the old Mac days.

      I've considered getting one of the last model iMacs for my Mom....from my tests on OSX, I think she'd be able to use it easier than the windows box I tried to put together for her. And I the the previous design would appeal to her too.

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    10. Re:Unlikely by Slack3r78 · · Score: 3, Informative
      But the G5 is pound-for-pound faster than the PC chips out today.


      Pure conjecture. As someone who's fairly platform agnostic, I'll admit that I love the G5 and feel that it's an excellent chip architechture, but I've gotten the distinct impression that it's about equal with the Opteron/Athlon64 line, clock for clock. It eats a P4 for breakfast in this domain, no doubt, but everyone is well aware of the P4/Netburst's extremely poor IPC.

      The big advantage right now is that a G5 can run software at its full potential *now*, whereas an Athlon64 is currently relegated to 32 bit mode (we're talking gaming, and therefore I assume Windows. For other applications you most certainly have 64bit Linux). The Athlon64 will only get faster as x86-64 software begins showing up, opening up the extra registers on the CPU that currently go unused.

      So I guess my point is, yes, the G5 is an amazing chip and a huge step forward for Apple, but don't believe that it's something that it isn't. This of course all comes with the usual disclaimer that it's all about your application, so pick the best in that regard.
    11. Re:Unlikely by mrchaotica · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I agree that the old lamp-shaped ones look nicer. It's too bad, really -- I was hoping for something that looked more like their new monitors (thin aluminum bezels and such).

      Of course, now's a good time to buy a G4 iMac : )

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    12. Re:Unlikely by Bender_ · · Score: 3, Interesting

      This new Imac does only look good as long as you do not plug any cable into these misplaces connectors. How does it look with 10 cacbles coming out of the back?

    13. Re:Unlikely by David+Leppik · · Score: 4, Informative

      Look, Ive used macs since the orignal - that just had 1Mb of ram! - and I always will. I just hope that Jobs starts putting comercial realities ahead of his personal ipod manic agenda and starts putting the boot into Gates at long last.


      Just to nitpick, the original Mac had 128k. Six months later or so, they introduced the "Fat Mac" with 512k.
    14. Re:Unlikely by twenex · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Uh, because the price of a computer is only a little bit of the total cost of ownership, and Macs have been shown to have much lower requirements for support, more resistance to virii, less user time to do tasks, etc, etc.

    15. Re:Unlikely by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      Does that $600 include a 17" LCD monitor?

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    16. Re:Unlikely by BasilBrush · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Lets not be too quick to decide. Plenty of people thought the G4 iMac and the white iPod were ugly when they first came out. Now they are design classics. It takes a little while to get used to radical new designs. Mind you the eMac looked ugly from the start, and still does...

    17. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Posting as AC 'cause I'm admitting where I work. . .
      As a member of the Intel R&D staff I can immagine the lynching I'm gonna get if this shows up on my desk, but gawd I want one!

    18. Re:Unlikely by Broken+Bottle · · Score: 1

      The size of the screen is nice, the guts no the low end model are reasonably powerful but this design is just... Blah. Tons of white space on the front of it, it just looks so bland. And, while the guts are reasonably powerful, it still can't keep pace with a typical PC at the same price point...

      meh,
      Chris

    19. Re:Unlikely by BasilBrush · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Erm... that $600 computer from Dell is a consumer PC.

      Take your basic Dimension 2400 ($680) and upgrade the OS from XP Home to Professional, upgrade the HD from 40 to 80GB, and the monitor to a basic 17" LCD and that computer costs $947.

      The price is looking a lot closer now. And that's just to get the computer to a sensible corporate starter spec, I'm not even trying to match the iMac's superdrive or graphics card, or quality of components.

    20. Re:Unlikely by telbij · · Score: 4, Insightful

      But the G5 is pound-for-pound faster than the PC chips out today.

      Maybe on a benchmark, but games (or any performance intensive app) are all about optimization.

      Any game that comes out for the Mac will be at least somewhat optimized for what's currently available. For the casual gamer, the Mac has a reasonable selection of games and the new iMac will provide reasonable performance.

      However, for the hardcore gamer, there's no arguing that you need a PC. That's where most of the game optimization goes (regardless of theoretical hardware performance), and that's where the bleeding edge graphics cards are available first.

      With that in mind, I don't think the hardcore gaming market would be very profitable to Apple. Aside from convincing the game and graphics card developers to give Apple equal development (not gonna happen), then they would have to sell systems optimized for gaming. They already optimize for other high-end applications like video and audio production, and making the systems gamer-ready would just push the price higher. The alternative would be to offer gamer-specific models, but that would cost a lot more R&D for the hardware AND all the software (more hardware to support), and for what? A very small market that already has a bad impression of Macs.

      Much better to go after the casual gamers. They may buy a Playstation instead, but any customers it gains will come 'for free' without a lot of extra development dollars.

    21. Re:Unlikely by citog · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Why would you have 10 cables coming out of it? The power is likely to be the only one in there all the time. Bluetooth keyboard & mouse and wireless networking takes care of the most obvious. If you're plugging in things like a camera they aren't going to be plugged in all the time. Perhaps cable to the speakers, but that's not hard to hide. I plug a few gadgets into my powerbook from time to time (camera, iPaq, iPod, FW HDD, card reader) but they're transient connections. As I imagine would be things you plug into this machine.

    22. Re:Unlikely by sellers · · Score: 2, Informative

      Don't forget a 17" widescreen monitor. Your savings will be less - and will be dependent upon having a monitor already.

      the real loss is the video mirroring only support - instead of spanning. (why do they fear sales of PMG5's will be impacted if they allow spanning - instead - it just drives techies away - :( )

    23. Re:Unlikely by EvilFrog · · Score: 1

      Actually, the original Mac had 128k of RAM.

    24. Re:Unlikely by EasyTarget · · Score: 1

      I like the hole in the stand, that will allow you to at least hide the power cable from obvious view. For the rest it depends on how much stuff you're hooking up,

      WiFi is a $80 option, for me that would be it, apart from occasionally plugging my camera in.

      But I think a front, or side USB slot would have made casual hookups easier.

      --
      "Oops, I always forget the purpose of competition is to divide people into winners and losers." - Hobbes
    25. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Look, Ive used macs since the orignal - that just had 1Mb of ram!

      ITYM 128Kb HTH HAND

    26. Re:Unlikely by tdemark · · Score: 1

      I just hope that Jobs starts putting comercial realities ahead of his personal ipod manic agenda and starts putting the boot into Gates at long last.

      If Jobs wanted to "put the boot into Gates", he has a much less expensive option at his disposal than developing new hardware:

      Hire a small team of developer and set them loose on OpenOffice. Make it a cross-platform, better-than-Office option (with full Office compatibility, of course) and then submit the code back to the project.

      Have a big PR event to show it off, making sure that everyone knows that you can download it for free or buy it (w/ support) for something like $49 / year / seat. Make site licenses even cheaper ($200 / 5 seats support, $500 / 25 seats, etc, etc).

      Now, that would give Microsoft a good kick in the teeth.

      - Tony

    27. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

      So, one megabit (1Mb) of ram is how much again?

    28. Re:Unlikely by LookSharp · · Score: 0

      *YAWN* I see this comment every time. One problem is that with the Dell you can put in any video card you want to run games. You cannot do that with an iMac.

      I bought a Rev A. iMac, it was my sixth Apple computer. It was also my last. The thing was useless by 2000, when I wanted to use DVD-Roms or record CDs faster than 4x external USB. And play Diablo 2.

    29. Re:Unlikely by daviddennis · · Score: 4, Informative

      I have a feeling the photos don't do the new machine justice, but I really loved the fully adjustable screen on the previous generation iMac. I thought it was wonderfully practical and ergonomic to be able to bend it up, down and sideways. Frankly, I wished the standalone displays were designed as nicely.

      Unfortunately, I think they've pretty much sold out the previous generation iMacs, so I doubt that getting one of them is much of an option. And of course the G5 processor's going to be great.

      Interesting that they went to 17" only. I wish they'd kept a 15" model at $999. This lack of low end is Apple's greatest problem with consumers. With HP and others packaging a computer, monitor and printer for $999, I think a $999 iMac with a nice LCD would make a very nice package for many, considering that you can buy printers for next to free nowadays.

      D

    30. Re:Unlikely by Colonel+Cholling · · Score: 0, Troll

      So they come out with this model which will play games pretty well, especially the ones currently available for the Mac

      Wow! Both Warcraft 3 and Halo?!

      --

      I am Sartre of the Borg. Existence is futile.
    31. Re:Unlikely by DAldredge · · Score: 1

      No, you just need to lock down the config tight enough so that can't happen.

      Apple has good points so why does it supports insist on lying about other products to try and win support for apple?

      Besides, Apple could not get enough g5's to supply even 15% of the total corp market.

    32. Re:Unlikely by tverbeek · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I think some people were put off by the iLamp being so obviously "designed". Sure, it looks cool in a well-decorated post-modern office, but in your average person's home, it sticks out a bit. This may look ordinary enough to fit in better.

      --
      http://alternatives.rzero.com/
    33. Re:Unlikely by blugu64 · · Score: 1

      I'll call your Diablo2 and Raise you one. I too am an owner of a rev. A iMac.....D2 runs fine.

      --
      "Personal ownership is a hallmark of conservative capitalism. And I don't believe I am entitled to anything that I did n
    34. Re:Unlikely by numbski · · Score: 1

      Okay, I was just taking a look at the video page for the new iMac, and off to the right where it says 'Mirror, Mirror'...anyone have access to one of these things? (I know, wishful thinking) because I've been hacking the old model, overclocking it and such, but part of the hack was making it span dual displays, of course right now I'm doing that with a crt studio display, but I'm not opposed to getting a nicer vga lcd for my second display, especially given that I'd be saving $1000 over the PowerMac G5.

      --

      Karma: Chameleon (mostly due to the fact that you come and go).

    35. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'll bet the reason there is no 15" model is because all the guts wouldn't fit behind it. They could have put a 15" display in a 17" shell. But it would have looked like you cheaped out on the display, which you did.

    36. Re:Unlikely by OwnedByTwoCats · · Score: 3, Informative

      You cannot get a Dell with an LCD screen for $600!

      The cheapest usable Dell with an LCD is over $1000.

      The cheapest Dell with comperable specs (good 17" screen, 256 MB DDR400 RAM, 80 GB HD, CDRW-DVD) is more expensive than the iMac.

    37. Re:Unlikely by tverbeek · · Score: 1
      Unfortunately, I think they've pretty much sold out the previous generation iMacs, so I doubt that getting one of them is much of an option.

      I can confirm that the old iMacs are darn near impossible to get one's hands on. Our art gallery needed a couple of them for an upcoming show (the installation was designed around the iLamp configuration) and we ended up having to get a couple of open-box units shipped from a retailer on the other side of the country.

      --
      http://alternatives.rzero.com/
    38. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You misspelt "viruses".

    39. Re:Unlikely by evil0ne · · Score: 1
      oh, mac fans cant get the latest version of video cards either, and the choice is very limited.


      What do you call the NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL ??? I know it's not in the iMac but that is one of the newest graphics cards on the market.
    40. Re:Unlikely by OwnedByTwoCats · · Score: 1

      Many computers become useless in three or four years, especially if you have chosen one that does not meet your needs.

      My 4 year old iMac DV is still going strong.

    41. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't forget a 17" widescreen monitor. Your savings will be less - and will be dependent upon having a monitor already.

      Which everybody here does... except the iMac users, of course.

      IMacs are only a little more expensive for your first one - but when you upgrade to the next model, you're paying a lot more than the guy who bought a PC, because he can just swap out the gray box under his desk, while you have to throw the whole thing out, monitor and all.

    42. Re:Unlikely by Teh+Anonymous+Coward · · Score: 1

      You still can't play Halo on those machines :[ Come on apple, ATi has CHEAPER and BETTER cards then those crappy 5200s, and they're two years old. This is why Mac's will ALWAYS suck with games. This is why PC's will ALWAYS rule the market. /me goes back to his mac and plays with the dock

      --

      If I throw a stick, will you go away?
    43. Re:Unlikely by mojowantshappy · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Actually, the G5 can not be run to it's full potential right now. Panther is not a true 64-bit OS, but instead is a 32-bit OS with extensions that allows it to address up to 8 GB of memory. Mac OS 10.4 (tiger) will be the first truely 64 bit OS from Apple.

      --

      This page was generated by a Barrel of Circus Midgets, and that is the way I like it!!!

    44. Re:Unlikely by Macka · · Score: 5, Insightful


      No, you just need to lock down the config tight enough so that can't happen

      And who do you think is going to lock down the config for you, the security fairies? No, an expensive team of hardworking IT staff who are going to take away your admin rights to stop you from screwing up their company network with the latest virus ridden screen saver. You can't even connect a new MS PC to the internet these days without being 0wned in the time it takes you to make a coffee. Do we get these problems with Mac OS X, not in the 2 years I've been running it. And I've not had to lock it down, the default settings are already secure.

      Btw, your sig is very offensive. Python & Ruby are excellent programming languages.

    45. Re:Unlikely by Buran · · Score: 4, Informative

      I think it has a VESA mount on the back which you can use to add your own swivel arm. I miss the swivel arm of the iMac G4, too, but I'm sure that someone sells, or will sell shortly, a VESA mount that will allow tilt and swivel just like the old system. It is nice to be able to push the screen with a fingertip to turn it to show someone something, or adjust it to a nice viewing angle easily, then walk away and have the next person to use the machine move it to wherever they want it. Sometimes, when I'm working on something on one for a while, I move the screen around a bit to vary how I look at it to avoid fatigue.

    46. Re:Unlikely by Teh+Anonymous+Coward · · Score: 1

      Right, and where would we put that in an iMac.

      how about my 12" G4 powerbook? How about a 9700pro in there, the technology has been around for MONTHS yet apple insist on putting in low quality cards forcing us to upgrade even more.

      Unfortunately for us laptop users we're screwed. They're already charging us an arm and a leg for what we're getting, why force us to PAY MORE? It makes no sense, and for that reason, I'll always own a separate Windows gaming machine that cost me half as much to build, and provides way more bang for its buck.

      --

      If I throw a stick, will you go away?
    47. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1024Mb is 128KB.

    48. Re:Unlikely by Dynedain · · Score: 1

      Obviously you aren't in the corporate purchasing line at all.

      A) 40GB HD is more than adequate for anyone in a corporate office who doesn't need to deal with huge chunks of data locally.

      B) Odds are if you are a "corporate" client, you do your own volume licensing on MS products anyways. And on the corporate line, Dell only charges $60 more for XP Pro over Home.

      But you're right on the LCD.

      --
      I'm out of my mind right now, but feel free to leave a message.....
    49. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      as a corporate you should be on thin clients anyway

    50. Re:Unlikely by Teh+Anonymous+Coward · · Score: 1

      Well... ha

      If you take Halo down to shat detail, you might just get a decent frame rate, though everything will look like crap. WC3 will probably do alright, that is if you take the quailty of effects down to a minimum, the G5 should be able to do all the work there. The problem is that NOBODY cares about those games anymore. SCrew WC3, how about WOW when it comes out, will MAC have their PCs ready in time? How old is WC3?

      BEHIND THE TIMES YOU APPLE HEATHENS!

      --

      If I throw a stick, will you go away?
    51. Re:Unlikely by bnenning · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Mac OS 10.4 (tiger) will be the first truely 64 bit OS from Apple.

      True, but that just means individual processes will be able to see a 64-bit address space. It won't actually make the G5 run any faster (in fact, 64-bit apps will probably be slightly slower because pointers will take up twice as much space in the caches).

      --
      How to solve most of our problems: 1.Lots of nuclear plants. 2.Cure aging.
    52. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why o why would someone need 80gb harddrive for WORK? No, mp3 and prOn is not work.

    53. Re:Unlikely by DAldredge · · Score: 1

      About my sig, I suggest you google for IronPython and then goto ebay and buy a sense of humor ;->

      I

    54. Re:Unlikely by nmk · · Score: 4, Interesting

      This design is certainly more unassuming than the iLamp, but I wouldn't necessarily say its less appealing. Apple designs have recently been becoming more functional and minimalist. This makes sense, since apples target demographic has been becoming more diverse since the release of OS X.

      Pre OS X Macs were primarily popular in art oriented industries. With OS X, Macs have increasingly starting to be used as UNIX workstation and servers. You would have never imagined Apple becoming a substantial player in the UNIX cluster computing market five years ago, but things have change (the views of people on this site are evidence enough).

      WIth this new image Apples design ethos has had to change too (how many of you would want a flower power iMac to administer your OS X network). If you look at all their current computers, they are very professional and minimalist, but at the same time ultra-slick. With the new iMac, as with the Powermac and Powerbook, the beauty is in the details. There is nothing obviously exciting about a PM or PB either. It's when you actually use one of these machines that you realize that they are actually aesthetically more appealing that Apples earlier more obvious designs.

      Anyway, I think this new iMac fits in really well with the current Apple lineup. Its got plenty of power for the prosumer, and would look at home in a corporate or home environment. Here's to a job well done.

    55. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You sound like a typical PHB.

    56. Re:Unlikely by djtripp · · Score: 1

      but I really loved the fully adjustable screen on the previous generation iMac. I thought it was wonderfully practical and ergonomic to be able to bend it up, down and sideways
      Don't forget, the computer is VESA compliant, so you can get a similar, if not more dynamic display neck to achieve ergonomic happiness.

      --
      "This is you left and that's your left. This is your right and that's your right. You're gonna die!
    57. Re:Unlikely by Fareq · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Some of us still think they are both ugly and useless

    58. Re:Unlikely by LookSharp · · Score: 1

      You must have that fancy 6 meg version of the video... ;)

    59. Re:Unlikely by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      Try and follow the thread. You don't buy a corporate PC to play games on.

    60. Re:Unlikely by fsbilly · · Score: 1

      Awww, don't worry. Your post probably went right past your sysadmins face.

      Expect a hand on you shoulder in 3..2..1..

    61. Re:Unlikely by LookSharp · · Score: 2, Insightful

      more resistance to virii,

      Less exposure due to lack of viruses being written != more resistance.

      Nobody writes Mac viruses when 95% of the user base is ripe and too dumb to know not to open attachments just because they offer free pr0n. :)

    62. Re:Unlikely by Geekboy(Wizard) · · Score: 1

      The *original* has 128k of ram. Soldered. The Mac Plus was the first one to hit 1M, which was the 3rd Mac released. The Plus maxed out at 4M.

    63. Re:Unlikely by iocat · · Score: 1

      The first Macs had 128K of RAM. You probably started with an SE. Not to be a picky, bastard, but you know...

      --

      Dude, I think I can see my house from here.

    64. Re:Unlikely by BasilBrush · · Score: 1
      Obviously you aren't in the corporate purchasing line at all.

      Quite right. I progressed on beyond that in the mid 90s. Back when 15" CRTs were the luxury option and 80MB was the disk size.

      Read my post more as a way of showing the OP that his $600 corporate PC was unrealistic than as s realistic spec and price for a corporate PC in itself.

    65. Re:Unlikely by Nonoche · · Score: 0, Redundant

      the first Macintosh had 128 MB of RAM.

    66. Re:Unlikely by Macka · · Score: 1


      That's supposed to be funny?!? How about we both go to ebay and I'll sell you mine.

    67. Re:Unlikely by petergriffinismyhero · · Score: 1

      >> Look, Ive used macs since the orignal - that just had 1Mb of ram! - and I always will. The original Mac had just a paltry 128K of ram. I used to do lot's of 512K and 1MB upgrades back in the day.

    68. Re:Unlikely by twenex · · Score: 1

      You know, there's some truth to what you are saying, but I still stand by the more resistance. OS X being built on a Mach/Unix platform has better anti-virus protections in areas such as restrictions to writing (without root or some other permissions) to system startup areas and other things that make it more difficult (but not impossible) to write a virus for this platform. Of course, Office Macro virii can still run if you run MS Office.

      Regardless, you spend less time cleaning out a Macs from virii. I've run OS X since 10.0 and never had a virus.

    69. Re:Unlikely by chris_mahan · · Score: 1

      Then get a large picture of one with a caption: "I need to know my enemy better."

      Let that sink in for a bit.

      --

      "Piter, too, is dead."

    70. Re:Unlikely by Midnight+Thunder · · Score: 1

      Try and follow the thread. You don't buy a corporate PC to play games on.

      And most corporations don't swap out the innards, other than HD and memory. Actually most people without a technical inclination probably don't either.

      --
      Jumpstart the tartan drive.
    71. Re:Unlikely by An+ominous+Cow+art · · Score: 0
      Apple's been pushing the "widescreen" aspect ratio for displays, so this is the shape they wanted, and designed around. It's the same shape as the 17" G4 iMac's.


      As a programmer, I really want as many lines of code as possible on the screen at once. That's why I decided to look elsewhere for a display when I get my dual 3.0Ghz. I'm thinking about the Samsung 213T (1600x1200). The Apple displays are beautiful, but just won't suit my needs (and are rather pricey).
    72. Re:Unlikely by tbone1 · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Nobody writes Mac viruses when 95% of the user base is ripe and too dumb to know not to open attachments just because they offer free pr0n. :)

      Yes, it's all about market share! That's why all the web server worms and virii are written for Apache!

      ...... Hang on a minute ....

      --

      The Independent: Reverend Spooner Arrested in Friar Tuck Incident - ISIHAC, Historical Headlines
    73. Re:Unlikely by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      So cut the 80GB drive back down to a 40GB. That only accounted for $30 of the difference anyway. It's there because I started trying to make the spec closer to the iMac it was being compered to, then I realised it was a pointless exercise. To match the quality of an Apple, you wouldn't start configuring from one of Dells cheap consumer models anyway.

    74. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There are two groups that apple needs to appeal to with this model, gamers and the hard core corporate client

      ??
      Serious gamers are willing to spend money to get the best graphic chips, the fastest CPU and the highest resolution monitor. Those are not found in iMacs. They go for PowerMacs.

      What is hard core corporate clients? Most "hard core" corporate type will go with Wintel because of their biases against Macs and linux. Even if they consider Macs, these "hard core" corporate types probably use computers for basic things: email, Office, Internet. Those are served well with eMacs for a lot less dollars.

      They are not iMac's target.

    75. Re:Unlikely by cayenne8 · · Score: 2, Informative
      "I can confirm that the old iMacs are darn near impossible to get one's hands on."

      Not really, the last generation iMacs (G3's, G4's) are almost a dimea dozen on eBay. Well, not that cheap, but, if you shop around out there...you can find them with 17" screens for the $750-$850 price range pretty easily, depending on the RAM, processor, original software plus extra...etc.

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    76. Re:Unlikely by homer_ca · · Score: 1

      "I can go to Dell and buy a machine for under $600"

      You could, but not in an all-in-one small form factor chassis. $600 might buy you a nice system with no monitor or a low end system with a 15" LCD. Price out a Dell with Geforce FX5200 graphics and a 17" LCD. It'll easily be over $1200. Dell doesn't make an all-in-one system, but Gateway sells one called the Profile 5. It starts at $1150 with a Celeron and 15" LCD and $1550 with a P4 and 17" LCD.

      I build my own, so I wouldn't consider any of these for my main system. I might consider them for a 2nd system where I needed to save space, but personally I think $1500 is better spent on a laptop as long as I didn't wang the extra CPU speed and FX5200 graphics for light 3D gaming.

    77. Re:Unlikely by Microsift · · Score: 1

      The original Mac had 128K of RAM
      The second Mac had 512K of RAM,

      you sir, are not a true fan!

      I think the iMac is marketed to individual, not corporate consumers. Hard-core gamers would probably not be satisfied with any machine that met the iMac's design criteria (in this case small case and quiet).

      --
      My other sig is extremely clever...
    78. Re:Unlikely by T'hain+Esh+Kelch · · Score: 0

      Actually, the first mac - The Macintosh 128 - Had 128 kb of ram, hense the name. It was maximum, so no, you didnt have a 1 Mb version!

      You can read all about it here: clicky

      It didnt even have a harddrive, so no, you didnt have a 1 Mb harddrive Macintosh at that point either.. It worked solely by 400 k floppy discs. Oh the days, the system and several programs on a single disc. :)

    79. Re:Unlikely by tverbeek · · Score: 1

      I should have specified "new". Of course the market for second-hand iLamps is still there, as it is for most Macs.

      --
      http://alternatives.rzero.com/
    80. Re:Unlikely by Greedo · · Score: 1

      I'm with you on this.

      I picked up a 20" G4 iMac a few months ago, then found out about the G5s coming down the line. I seem to have this thing with Apple that everytime I buy something from them, a newer model gets announced the next week. Oh well.

      I was really upset though about missing out on a G5 iMac. However, after seeing the design, I don't feel so bad. Yes, I'd like a G5 instead of G4, but the design isn't as inspired IMHO. That huge bottom bezel on the front just sticks out as ugly. And you can't tilt the screen side-to-side like on the iLamps.

      The only thing that would've made my choke is if the new iMac could pop off it's stand and turn into a tablet PC. *That* would be the nuts.

      --
      Tuus crepidae innexilis sunt.
    81. Re:Unlikely by arminw · · Score: 1

      Anyone who buys a computer on a purchase price only basis should be summarily fired. A buyer should look at the total cost of ownersip over the life of the machine. One worm or virus on a business coputer can cause a productivity loss several times the difference in cost. There are 70,000+ pieces of malware out in the wilds of the Internet, but there a NONE that will affect a Mac system if the user is not running as an administrator.

      --
      All theory is gray
    82. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Umm, a Dimension 2400 can be had for less than $400 on a consistent basis. A 17" LCD is quite a luxury item on a box as cheap as that, it seems inappropriate unless it is needed for some reason.

      What Apple needs (or, what I need from Apple) is an iMac sporting a low end G5, the ability to drop in a replacement video card and upgrade memory/storage easily, and a design that is functional and efficient -- in other words, as cheap as possible! What ever happened to getting an iMac for a good bit less than $1000 anyway? It used the be "the computer for everyone else", and now it is a computer for a select few.

      Coward

    83. Re:Unlikely by HRH+King+Lerxst · · Score: 1

      The original Macintosh had 128KB of ram.

      --
      No one got beat up more often than the mimes of the old west!
    84. Re:Unlikely by squiggleslash · · Score: 1
      Such an iMac would obliderate sales of the PowerMacs
      How? Would the PowerMacs suddenly go single processor and become impossible to expand?
      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    85. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The original 1984 Mac had 128K of RAM.
      The 1986 Mac Plus (my first Mac) was the first with 1MB.

    86. Re:Unlikely by will592 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Actually, I think the exact opposite is true. Check eBay, the biggest difference between a mac and pc is that in 2/3 years I can sell the mac for a large percentage of what I paid for it. I only have to lay out a large lump sum of cash for my first mac (imac whatever) and after that it's just an 'upgrade fee' to get a brand new machine and sell off the old one. Have you ever tried to sell a 3 year old Dell? How about even a 2 year old Dell. There is just no one willing to pay anything for a used PC. I say if you have a PC the cheap upgrade path is to change out parts piece by piece until you have a new machine with the latest and greatest. If you have a Mac, the cheap upgrade path is to sell your old box to someone who is happy being a year behind the curve (or two or three of 10 like some people I know) and buy a new one (or a newer one from someone else participating in the same game). Just different strokes for different folks.

      Chris

    87. Re:Unlikely by 47Ronin · · Score: 1

      why bother? real games [sic] dont buy Mac any way since there's merely not enough games on it and the game release of mac edition is much slower than pc edition.

      This may have been true years ago, but times have changed.

      http://www.apple.com/games/features/

      http://www.macgamefiles.com/

      http://www.macgamer.com/

      --
      Those who laugh at you for you having a Mac.. are the people who constantly call you to fix their PC.
    88. Re:Unlikely by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      I thought the G4 iMac was an improvement over the old colored CRT ones, but this one isn't an improvement over the G4 (well, except for the brushed metal on the G5's stand insted of polished metal on the G4's swing arm).

      Could people changing their minds about the iPod be due to the second and third generations looking better than the first?

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    89. Re:Unlikely by Hes+Nikke · · Score: 1

      the real loss is the video mirroring only support - instead of spanning. (why do they fear sales of PMG5's will be impacted if they allow spanning - instead - it just drives techies away - :( )

      if the existing pattern holds, monitor spanning is disabled in the software, and it is quite simple to turn it on. :) ... if the pattern holds....

      --
      Don't call me back. Give me a call back. Bye. So yeah. But bye our, well, but alright we are on a shirt this chill.
    90. Re:Unlikely by jocknerd · · Score: 1

      Its a good thought to have a 15" but remember that the computer is in the display. So a 15" probably wasn't big enough to house the motherboard and accessories.

    91. Re:Unlikely by arminw · · Score: 1

      It has nothing to do with market share. Its just that most hackers out there are too dumb to write anything thay could infect a Mac -- even if they got a million dollars to do it.

      --
      All theory is gray
    92. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Um it's called an eMac stupid

    93. Re:Unlikely by 47Ronin · · Score: 2, Funny

      I bought a Rev A. iMac, it was my sixth Apple computer. It was also my last.

      You get what you pay for. iMacs are meant for grannies who would never upgrade the system.

      Unlike you, I bought a tower Mac, which was obviously upgradeable. So years later it still runs great with more than four ATA/133 hard drives, an upgraded AGP video card, CPU 3x faster than the original, optical drive replaced with a DVD-RW/CD-RW from Pioneer. It plays games great, is awesome for DV video and sound editing, and best of all, posts on Slashdot quickly! :)

      --
      Those who laugh at you for you having a Mac.. are the people who constantly call you to fix their PC.
    94. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Uh, the Macintosh of 1984 had 128 kBytes of memory. The second model, later that year, had 512 kBytes. The Mac Plus, finally, in 1986, had the whole MByte (upgradable to 4 MBytes via SIMMs, instead of soldered to the motherboard).

    95. Re:Unlikely by Phat_Tony · · Score: 2

      > Unfortunately, I think they've pretty much sold out the previous generation iMacs

      They may have, but that doesn't mean you can't buy one of the 73 iMac G4's for sale on eBay.

      > I wish they'd kept a 15" model at $999. This lack of low end is Apple's greatest problem with consumers.

      You're complaining about a lack of a low-end 15" $999 machine, when they sell a low-end 17" machine for $799? Or $749 with an educational discount.

      Although I would agree that price is still a problem with Apple, since low-end these days is closer to $300 for PC's. Yes, those PC's are much lower-end than the $799 eMac, but they still meet the needs of a lot of people. I'd love to see a low-end headless Apple box for more like $400, for geeks & such to use to play with OS-X, but that's just not the market Apple's going for, unfortunately.

      --
      Can anyone tell me how to set my sig on Slashdot?
    96. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      You're offended by a comment about programming languages? Geez.. Get out more.

    97. Re:Unlikely by arminw · · Score: 1

      If you're into games, get an X-Box or Playstation -- they're MUCH cheaper. If you want a computer for real work, get a Mac and you don't have to spend a lot of time maintaing it with anti-virus software and constant downloading of patches.

      --
      All theory is gray
    98. Re:Unlikely by Teh+Anonymous+Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      No, people don't buy games for the mac because their hardware they're forced to play on sucks. Don't pull the "well upgrade, then" bullshit on me. Face it, macs blow for gaming (this coming from a hardcore gamer that owns a mac and wintel).

      --

      If I throw a stick, will you go away?
    99. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well seeing as Mac's take twice as long to become obsolete, just tell them it will be twice as long before they need to buy new systems.

    100. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually they introduced the 512e upgrade for the 128k owners somewhere in there too. Don't forget us upgraders!

    101. Re:Unlikely by squiggleslash · · Score: 3, Interesting
      This isn't about marketshare, it's about marketshare in the relevent market - namely, what blackhats are using. And, as you might expect, it's even more complicated than that.

      IIS is generally installed on more Windows machines than Apache. So, in terms of relevent market (machines blackhats like using), it does have a higher marketshare.

      As long as a computer has a single remote root exploit, it's directly vulnerable. As long as a computer allows users to manage files - their own, other people's, etc - it's vulnerable to psychological attacks. The most targeted platform ends up being the one the blackhat programmers are most familiar with, or perhaps the ones they hate most, for obvious reasons.

      Back when the Amiga was a popular machine, it was still dwalfed by the over-all marketshare of the PC. Yet the Amiga was innundated with viruses. Why? Because blackhats had Amigas, PCs were boring office machines, but people bought Amigas to play games. Amigas had the marketshare in the relevent market. Now Windows PCs have the marketshare in the relevent market.

      Why not GNU/Linux, you might ask? Why has GNU/Linux so far not suffered much from these exploits when Windows has, and when GNU/Linux is a favourite of anyone technically inclined?

      Answer, in this case, it bucks the trend, not by being more secure, but by a variety of things that work in its favour. There's no single GNU/Linux distribution so no monoculture that can easily spread a virus; people "into" GNU/Linux tend to update it regularly, not so much because of security concerns (though many do), but because a high percentage are first adopters. GNU/Linux users tend to be more technical, meaning they're less inclined to blindly trust attachments, more likely to hear about bugs and install patches, and more likely to set up sane security measures. None of these have anything inherently to do with the security of GNU/Linux.

      OS X is unpopular with virus writers because virus writers do not own Macs. It's that simple. Apple releases security updates on a regular basis (proving there's nothing inherently secure about the code), OS X, like XP, in its default, user-encouraged-to-set-it-up-this-way-and-leave-we ll-alone configuration, gives the user full access to almost all areas of the disk, files can be "run" by double clicking (and quite right too!) In this case, it's all about marketshare.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    102. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Buy an XBox dude.

    103. Re:Unlikely by LookSharp · · Score: 1

      Yes, it's all about market share! That's why all the web server worms and virii are written for Apache!

      Uh, we were talking about consumer virii and trojans, I think.

      Nice way to change the subject though.

    104. Re:Unlikely by Slack3r78 · · Score: 1

      I'm sorry, but that's simply wrong. Tiger will be 64 *capable*, but I'd wager that the majority of the OS and your binaries will likely still run in 32 bit mode by default, precisely because it's faster than 64 bit mode. So what the G5 is capable of today is pretty much the same thing that it will be capable of after the release of Tiger for this type of application. The OS running in 32 bit mode is not the bottleneck. You can't say that for K8.

      The reason for this is that the PowerPC architechture works in essentially the same manner outside of word size in both 32 bit and 64 bit modes. This means the chip handles everything in the same manner in both modes, but 64 bit mode requires moving more data, which takes up more bandwidth and memory. Sun CPUs and OS have been 64 bit for years, but much of the software on that platform is 32 bit as it doesn't need 64 bitness, so running in 32 bit mode is more efficient. Same thing will happen with Apple and the G5.

      The difference with x86-64 is the fact that x86-64 is a reworking of the old x86 architechture. While based on it, and capable of running x86 software, it works to fix some of the biggest problems that have plagued the architechture for years now. Register starvation is the most common exampe, and it's one that x86-64 goes a long way toward solving.

      Because of this, many people have come to assume that 64 bit means faster, but this is really only the case with x86-64. On most of the RISC platforms out there today, it's actually slightly detrimental. On these types of platforms, including the PowerPC, the biggest advantage is an extended native addressing space.

    105. Re:Unlikely by bigman2003 · · Score: 1

      That is so awesome that Splinter Cell is out on the Mac! (June 23rd)

      Just two more years until Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow comes out- THEN we'll show those weenies who's boss!

      --
      No reason to lie.
    106. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Erm... that $600 computer from Dell is a consumer PC.
      So's the iMac, what's your point?

      Apple's pro line are their Power* machines (PowerBook, PowerMac), the i* machines are aimed at the consumer market.

      Don't upgrade the OS, though do upgrade the HD and monitor, and swap in a DVD writer ($100 from Staples and other good office stores) and comparable graphics card ($50-100) and you're still looking at a cheaper machine from Dell.

    107. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dude like yeah Halo. That was like way totally fun dude on my Xbox like um what 3 years ago?

    108. Re:Unlikely by LookSharp · · Score: 1

      Yes, indeed you do get what you pay for. And soemtimes you pay for pretty engineering and subsidize OS development.

      Me, I built two Celeron 500-ish machines for about $1200 in 2000, while getting a couple hundred bucks for my iMac. I still have the original case off one, and the other system is someone's smoothwall box. Meanwhile I run an Athlon 3200+ and a play a mean game of Doom 3 ... and worry not about where to find the next two grand for a PowerMac tower. :)

    109. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      $30 would probably be enough to bump up the RAM to 512Mb. It's a shame Apple didn't make that particular trade... A usable machine vs an unusable machine with more than enough disk space. What a bunch of @#$%s!

    110. Re:Unlikely by moonsammy · · Score: 1

      Or the crazy 8MB voodoo2 card that attached (through much labor and sweat) to the underside of the mobo (mezzanine slot). I have one, and even thought it was a puny 233mhz machine it played a mean UT.

    111. Re:Unlikely by LookSharp · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      You don't buy a corporate PC to play games on.

      And you don't buy a Mac for corporate use.

      (Yes a few people do, just like a few people buy corporate PCs to run games on.)

    112. Re:Unlikely by LookSharp · · Score: 0

      ...and here's another party-line Mac troll.

      I play a fair number of games. The xBox, Game Cube, and PS2 do not provide me the same selection and flexibility of control that my GeForce cards and Nostromo Speedpads do. Even if I were into droppign 300 dollars per platform every three years, plus $50 per game.

      All the games I want to play are on Windows. That is a simple reality of my universe. If your universe allows you the limited scope of Mac gaming or the full enjoyment a console can bring, great.

      For "real work," well, considering I'm an "M$" admin of desktops and servers, handling software distribution to 20,000 corporate Windows desktops... well buying a Mac just seems kind of silly now, doesn't it.

      The world's best interests do not resolve around your personal desires, nor do they mine. I just buy what works for me and let others do the same. It doesn't all have to be evangelism.

      Threads like these are the reasons I save all my mod points to mark Apple posts overrated. :)

    113. Re:Unlikely by Arcane_Rhino · · Score: 1

      Hmmmm. The original Macs had 512k memory. You must be one of those plants that /.'ers keep talking about. (Said with squinty eyes peaking out from underneath the tin-foil hat.)

    114. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      how many of you would want a flower power iMac to administer your OS X network

      Thanks, now I know what to get for our network server!

    115. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The original Mac had 128 kB of RAM. Technically, that is 1 Mb, but who measures RAM in megabits?

    116. Re:Unlikely by cbirdsong64 · · Score: 1

      There's always the eMac for $999 with a Superdrive.

    117. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Except that with a PC (or even a tower G3/4/5 I suppose), you can do periodic upgrades, without much hassle or expense. You can install a faster CD burner, or a DVD drive, or faster CPU. Because of this, an iMac really isn't an appropriate gaming rig.

    118. Re:Unlikely by CarrionBird · · Score: 1

      I guess you could do all that with bluetooth but I can't imagine going to the expense and irritation of a wireless keyboard and mouse just for the sake of looks.

      --
      Free Mac Mini Yeah, it's
    119. Re:Unlikely by Lars+T. · · Score: 1

      And this is exactly why Apple doesn't try to break into the hardcore corporate client market by being cheap. Even if they sold at a proce below Dell's, beancounters would still complpain that it doesn't run Windows and that they will have to re-buy all software. As long as a finance department isn't beyond simple bean counting, they're a lost cause for Apple.

      --

      Lars T.

      To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck

    120. Re:Unlikely by slim-t · · Score: 1, Informative

      128KB = 1Mb

    121. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I totally agree, just because I could make fun of the Microserfs: "This completely silly looking computer has a better, more robust, more stable, and more reliable OS that your boring black Dell."

    122. Re:Unlikely by Lars+T. · · Score: 2, Insightful

      And not to mention the Win64 virus.

      --

      Lars T.

      To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck

    123. Re:Unlikely by Lars+T. · · Score: 1
      One problem is that with the Dell you can put in any video card you want to run games.

      Hey, that would be a great slogan for Apple to use - since we are talking about a corporate computer that's fucking not supposed to run games.

      --

      Lars T.

      To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck

    124. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The widescreens are much better for programming, because you can fit more windows side-by-side. If you only write projects that have one source file that might not matter, but when you need to refer to multiple files you want a wide screen. I'd much rather have a 20" widescreen display than a 21" standard one; it's a no-brainer.

    125. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Computers can't get "viruses." They are not biological entities.

    126. Re:Unlikely by DAldredge · · Score: 1

      I find it funny. If you wish me to change it please let me know and I will provide you with my paypal accound where you can transfer money (in USD) to me and I will change it to whatevery your like. ;->

    127. Re:Unlikely by bbuR_bbuB · · Score: 1

      Security through obscurity is a wonderous thing, eh?

    128. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      No offense, but open your eyes. 'Looks' are one of the major directions the market is going. The examples are too numerous to mention.

      The idea of a 'beige box' is seriously out. Cable clutter is out. I remember one of the big marketing lines Apple through around when the G4 Cube / Studio Displays first came out: One power cable to the computer. One cable to the monitor for power/video/USB. Wireless on board. And that was .. years ago.

      Today, just look at the mod-jobs that people do on PC's. Cold cathode lighting, case windows, LED fans, LCD drive-bay displays...

      Mini-PCs. I built a PC for a very nice girl I know, a black Shuttle Mini-PC. Black, wireless keyboard/mouse (Logitech MX Duo or something). Black CD-ROM drive. Black monitor. It would have looked foolish with beige in there. In the end, it just looks *good*, which is more than I can say for the old beige towers that litter my place.

      You may not think that style is worth paying for, but believe me, plenty of people do.

    129. Re:Unlikely by Lars+T. · · Score: 1
      No, you just need to lock down the config tight enough so that can't happen.

      Sure. But now you're not able to change mouse settings.

      --

      Lars T.

      To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck

    130. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You, uh, can play Halo on one of these. I play Halo every day on my iMac, and it's almost 3 years old. Sure, it doesn't look very good, but it runs smoothly, and if a 700 MHz G4 with 32 megs of VRAM can run it nicely, then a 1.8 GHz G5 with 64 megs of VRAM will be smoking.

    131. Re:Unlikely by valdezjuan · · Score: 1

      You can always go to Fry's and pick up one of the old ones. When Apple came out with the new display's, I picked up one of the older 23" ones from there ($1799). They usually discount the price a bit since they are(or will be) discontinued. Another route would be to go through the Apple store. They have some refurbished ones at a discounted price (and here comes the long url. It has been my experience that the refurb's sell quickly, so buy now.

    132. Re:Unlikely by javaxman · · Score: 2, Informative
      While I also like the "lamp" design a little better - mainly because I don't like the CD/DVD drive placement on this design - I think it's worth pointing out that you can purchase an "optional VESA mount" which lets you slap this bad boy on a large range of pretty interesting mounting hardware.

      This includes wall-mount options, and of course, they're all third-party designs.

      Given the option ( and the extra cash ), I'd still go with a dual-processor PowerMac tower any day, though. I like my 'lamp' iMac, but dual processors and the ability to upgrade the GPU would be worth the extra cash... still, this is a nice-looking machine that fits in Apple's lineup pretty well. Now if only IBM can start putting out those G5s like they should...

    133. Re:Unlikely by DAldredge · · Score: 0, Troll

      WTF are you talking about?

    134. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Small nit...

      My Original Macintosh has 128k ram. It was several models later before they got to 1mb.

      (another AC post from someone at work.)

    135. Re:Unlikely by jcr · · Score: 1

      ..Then buy one for home! ;-)

      -jcr

      --
      The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
    136. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why bother finding 2 grand for the next PowerMac tower when you'll spend that over the next 1-2 years on your PC?

      I've found that the PC users who bitch the most about the cost of a new Mac are the same ones building white boxes and spending outrageous amounts of cash upgrading to the latest 'n greatest video card every 6 months, upgrading their motherboard, RAM, and proc every year, and slapping in ever-larger ever-faster HDs like they'd ever even fill up their old one as soon as a new model hits the market (can you say premium pricing?).

    137. Re:Unlikely by oberondarksoul · · Score: 1

      The original Macintosh only had 128k of RAM, not 1Mb. Sorry to be pedantic, but you were asking for it...

      --
      And tomorrow the stock exchange will be the human race
    138. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, I'd say that that consumer PC, box it up, return it to Dell, and order a corporate desktop instead (OptiPlex).

    139. Re:Unlikely by macdaddy · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I'm wondering if the pod & arm design of the previous iMac would be more stable physically than this new one which balances on a small foot. Frankly I don't see how this one could ever possibly be used in a classroom or lab. Yeah, I know, eMac. Eds buy whatever suits them and their budget. If the iMac is more appealing or more cost-effective than the dated eMac then they'll buy the iMac. They may find themselves tapping a hole in that nice aluminum foot and bolting the sucker to the desk though. That's my only real concern. Other than that I think it's another winner.

    140. Re:Unlikely by 1nhuman · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Run the cables through the whole in the stand? http://images.apple.com/imac/gallery/images/imacba ck20040831.jpg/
      Or use bluethooth keyboard/mouse etc.

      --
      The glass is half-full. With poison. And there are cracks in the glass. The dirty, dirty glass.
    141. Re:Unlikely by jdog1016 · · Score: 1

      I would mod this up again, but its already a five.

    142. Re:Unlikely by djh101010 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I've considered getting one of the last model iMacs for my Mom....from my tests on OSX, I think she'd be able to use it easier than the windows box I tried to put together for her.

      Been there, done that. Went _very_ well. It started with a phone call from my dad, who was uncharacteristically upset. Words included "printer", "computer", "reboot", "again", and "shotgun". With a $1000 budget, I set 'em up with a mid-low eMac (the CRT rather than the flatscreen). They've both gone from calling me for "It crashed and the printer doesn't work", "it crashed and now the printer doesn't work", "the scanner stopped working _again_", and so on, to the very occasional call for less-than-obvious application usage questions. I'm not chasing viruses, they're not getting popups, and I taught 'em how to block that one relative's email (you know, the one who sends _every old recycled email glurge and hoax there is_.

      Point is, set 'em up, give 'em their own accounts (which aren't the admin account), and turn 'em loose. They can't break the important stuff because the OS won't _let_ them break the important stuff, the hardware is rock-solid, it's easy to use, and when I want to do remote support, I ssh in and take care of stuff remotely if I want. Can't beat it.

    143. Re:Unlikely by oO+Peeping+Tom+Oo · · Score: 1

      Why would you upgrade to pro?

    144. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      but I really loved the fully adjustable screen on the previous generation iMac. I thought it was wonderfully practical and ergonomic to be able to bend it up, down and sideways.


      I just don't get this. I was in an Apple store with my wife trying to get authorization to buy a new 23" display. She, like you, complained that it couldn't be adjusted from side to side. I turned the entire thing toward me and said (sarcastically) "What do you mean?" She turned the entire thing back toward her, put one hand on the base and the other hand on the display and mimed trying to twist it. I said "WTF!?" She shook her head and walked away. Why does it matter to be able to turn the body without turning the base???!!!
    145. Re:Unlikely by thegoogler · · Score: 1

      The original mak had 128k of ram FYI, i'm suprised no one called you on that yet.....

    146. Re:Unlikely by LookSharp · · Score: 1

      Well, you've found differently here. I replace video cards every 12-18 months, motherboards about every two years, memory about the same, and CPU about every 12 months (always at the $100-$120) range. Added up, over a 3 year period I spend about $1600 on a PC. And at the end of the 3 years, I have something that's at the top of the price-performance curve, "eBay resale value" be damned. :)

    147. Re:Unlikely by pdxaaron · · Score: 1

      And how many exploits have been found in IIS 6.0? It's been out a year and a half, and has seen fewer exploits than Apache in that timeframe. IIS 5 is a disaster, but 6 is pretty solid.

      Search on CERT for IIS 6 vulnerabilities. You'll find a whole lot fewer than Apache.

    148. Re:Unlikely by tupps · · Score: 1

      Exactly

      When I took my Mac away from home (Beige g3 at the time) Dad needed a new computer and couldn't face going back to the LC475.

      I worked out the deal for him, iMac (G3 600 DV), printer, some software. While I was at work he went a picked it all up. When I got home that night he had set up the machine, installed MS Office (it is simply drag this folder to your hd for MacOS), was printing stuff without a problem. He then asked what needed to be done to the machine, the only thing needed to be done was pop the ram in (bought ram from a PC Shop instead of the original shop).

      The same thing when Mum got a digital camera. The only difficult thing was finding where the cable went on the camera and what mode to set the camera in. After that you just open iPhoto and away you go. Again simple easy and no hassles if you are just using it for run of the mill stuff.

      In all it is a brilliant initial experience for someone who has only limited computer skills.

      --
      Go out and get sailing!
    149. Re:Unlikely by legirons · · Score: 5, Insightful

      "Less exposure due to lack of viruses being written != more resistance."

      Ignoring the apache/iis argument for a minute (Apache is really good software, but not all non-Microsoft software is so good), why haven't we seen 2-5% of viruses written for the Mac? People successfully write viruses for *Amigas* for goodness' sake, and where is their 95% market share?

      When Oracle claimed that their system was unbreakable, it took less than a day for 3 different people to publish a score of exploits against it. Each new DRM system or web-application or console is cracked, just for the challenge of beating a security puzzle. Yet Apple-users have been claiming for years that they're invulnerable. That's not obscurity, that's red-rag-to-a-bull...

      Apple's operating system seems to be shrugging-off all the attacks thrown at it, just as BSD itself is famous for doing...

    150. Re:Unlikely by Niten · · Score: 1

      It would be nice to have the 15" option available, but perhaps the Apple engineers simply found that fitting a G5 iMac into a 15" display enclosure simply wasn't an option. It's a shame, but there's always the eMac, I guess...

    151. Re:Unlikely by tupps · · Score: 1

      The iMac is only capable of 2gb of ram. I don't beleive that the G5 has more registers in 64 bit mode like the Athlon does to make things run faster. Therefore the difference between g4 and g5 at the same clock speed isn't as great as the difference between an Athlon XP and Athlon 64 as you are getting a swag of extra registers as well.

      --
      Go out and get sailing!
    152. Re:Unlikely by Moocowsia · · Score: 1

      Sure. The superdrive is good but come on! The graphics card?!?!?! Its the same "blazing fast graphics" that the last imac came with, and it sucks! Now with doom 3 out ask people running GFFX5200s how the quality of their graphics card has effected gameplay. A GF3 or a Radeon 8500 still smokes it in quite a few areas.

      --
      Moo!
    153. Re:Unlikely by austad · · Score: 1

      Not true. With rebates and discounts found through sites like dealnews.com, you can get them for much less. My friend got 2 dell dimensions with 15" lcd's for $450 each. That's dirt cheap.

      But, you are correct, a dell with comparable specs is more than the imac. Plus, it's probably not nearly the quality.

      --
      Need Free Juniper/NetScreen Support? JuniperForum
    154. Re:Unlikely by EvilMike · · Score: 1

      The main reason the default is set at 17" is cost of the LCD parts - the main LCD manufacturers are outputting more 17" panels at the moment for a relatively cheap price (compared to last year anyway!).

    155. Re:Unlikely by YouHaveSnail · · Score: 1

      I wish they'd kept a 15" model at $999. This lack of low end is Apple's greatest problem with consumers.

      Hello, eMac.

      You can buy an eMac for $799, and they might even throw in a printer. Yes, it doesn't have an LCD, but it does have a nice, flat display and it's plenty cheap if that's all you want. If you want a little more speed and a little more flash, spend a few hundred extra bucks and get an iMac.

    156. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "128KB = 1Mb"
      Wrong, 1024KB = 1Mb

    157. Re:Unlikely by YouHaveSnail · · Score: 1
      On the other hand, the connectors are both:

      • hidden enough that you don't see 'em while you're sitting at the machine, and
      • easily accessible at all times.


      IMO, that's a really nice design feature. When the CPU is under your desk, it's a pain to connect things and you end up having to buy hubs and such just so you can periodically connect your camera or camcorder. With this new iMac, the connectors are right there, and not, at the same time.
    158. Re:Unlikely by ccoakley · · Score: 1

      I didn't like the old iMac myself. Let me rephrase: I hated it initially, but the design grew on me with the release of the 20", when the proportions actually worked. Then I liked it until I played with one in CompUSA. When I tilted the monitor down the screen went black! The connectors were shoddy, and tilting it back fixed it. Maybe it was a particularly bad display model, but I usually expect the premium price on Macs to buy higher quality.

      I have had zero problems with my dual G5 or my G4 powerbook. I was looking at the G4 iMac as an office computer, and decided against it because of the display model. Instead, I bought an LCD projector (hey, cheaper than a 23" display), mouse, etc. to dock my laptop at the office.

      I have to buy a computer for a coworker, who needs a mac set up by the end of September. I was hoping (more than a little) that G5 powerbooks would be coming in time for the new school year, as that would be ideal for my coworker. So now he and I get to decide between a G5 iMac, a G4 powerbook, or a bigger budget for a G5 desktop (which isn't likely). Of course, if I go out and buy the 30" display, I could loan the office my 23" display. Hmmm... I'll need to check with the boss (at home) on that one.

      On a more personal note, I was sort of hoping that the new iMacs would be pretty aluminum instead of white plastic.

      --
      Network Security: It always comes down to a big guy with a gun.
    159. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the original had 128k of ram...

    160. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful
      Less exposure due to lack of viruses being written != more resistance.

      The lack of viruses is a fact. Your reasoning why is only supposition.

    161. Re:Unlikely by wattersa · · Score: 1

      I second that thought-- I bought a Mac G3/266 tower in summer 1998 for $1500. Over the next 10 months I upgraded it with Rage128 video, 256 MB ram, a fast, new hard drive, USB, etc., and overclocked it to 292 Mhz. Anticipating the release of the G4 computers in fall 1999 I sold it on ebay to a graphic designer who wanted to use all her legacy ADB/localtalk equipment like graphics tablets, printers, etc. for an incredible $2600. When the G4's came out I bought the base model 400 MHz for $1500 and have had it ever since with a bunch of upgrades. That's six years, two computers, and about $2500 spent on them total. It's been a great deal so far. The only problems are that in the now-five year life of my G4 two different hard drives have died, the three year-old RAID is on the way out, and the flat panel display that I bought in 2001 has a dead voltage inverter. The computer is still at 100%. I even left it on for four straight months as a webserver. With a new SuperDrive, it's basically all I need for development work. I'm disinclined to upgrade because it works well and I can't justify spending 2 grand on a G5. What I would love is a new iMac without the monitor.

    162. Re:Unlikely by slim-t · · Score: 2, Informative
      Wrong, 1024KB = 1Mb

      Since when? 128KB = 1Mb if you know that "B" is byte and "b" is bit.
      1 "B" = 8 "b"
      128KB = 1024Kb = 1Mb

      Google for "128KB in Mb"

    163. Re:Unlikely by joshmccormack · · Score: 1

      Consider inertia. Making big changes, like switching the whole company to Macs is dangerous. Even if it goes well, if there are any problems, you'll be blamed. And it will cost. PCs are uber cheap, the IT staff is already there - and not too expensive.

      You'd need to hire/train new IT people, buy new software, and train your employees (no matter how easy or similar it may be, people will need it).

      If non-Windows is your rationale, depending on what software you'd need, you'd probably be better off using Linux/*BSD. Much cheaper all around.

    164. Re:Unlikely by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 1

      ""128KB = 1Mb"
      Wrong, 1024KB = 1Mb"

      Apart from the metric vs. binary units (I'll assume everyone meant the binary in archaic units):

      1 MiB == 1024 KiB
      1 Mib == 128 KiB

      where B is for Bytes and b is for bits.

      But if you meant the modern metric abbeviations, it would be:

      1 MB == 1000 KB
      1 Mb == 125 KB

      --
      Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
    165. Re:Unlikely by Holi · · Score: 1

      Well if your in a corporate LAN then you need Pro as Home won't join a Domain

      --
      Sorry, teleporters just kill you and then make a copy. A perfect, soul-less copy.
    166. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Given the option ( and the extra cash ), I'd still go with a twin-turbo Ferrari any day, though, I like my Honda Civic, but turbo chargers and the ability to go from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds would be worth the extra cash

    167. Re:Unlikely by sharkman67 · · Score: 1

      Unlikely that you have been using Mac's 'since the original'. The original Mac had 128k of ram the 'Fat Mac' had 512k. Off the top of my head I think the first one with 1Mb of ram was the Mac Plus.

    168. Re:Unlikely by TheXRayStyle · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I agree with you now...but what's funny is that when the "lamp" iMacs came out I thought they were much uglier than the original looking iMacs--I completely take that back, now. iMac designs tend to grow on you; I'm interested to see if this one'll do the same. I'd guess it has something to do with them being so damn iconic. No other computer model of any brand has the same recognition as the iMac--I think we'll all get more used to this design and it will no longer look as funny with time as we get a chance to learn and love their little perks.

    169. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yet IS departments do it all the time with massive NOS changes from safe secure robust NOS's like Netware for something simple like Win 2k...

    170. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually it comes from the older days of Mac OS, when there was little one could do to hack into a Mac from the outside, no ports. The US Army had a story about this a long while back where they switched from IIS to a Mac as their web server (after a ton of exploits on the IIS server) after finding it was the most secure system at the time. OS X changes things, but it is secure out of the box and no worse than a well set up BSD or Linux box after turning on some network servers.

    171. Re:Unlikely by Bri3D · · Score: 1

      They also come bolted to nice LCD screens and have enough I/O (including optical audio out) to suit just about anybody.

      And there is why a lot of people don't want one. It has a great LCD worth probably 1/3 as much as the whole system BOLTED ON. I have talked to many people who don't want one because they are finacially savvy, and don't want to buy a system that will be obselete in a year with a display that is still worth $650 bolted on to it.

    172. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wrong, OS X out of the box will create an Admin account which does not have access to the System or any other use account. Root is disabled by default and for the average Joe hard to enable. If I move something into my user folder, no other user can click on it, in fact they wont even be able to get to it or see it.

    173. Re:Unlikely by Paradise+Pete · · Score: 1
      personally I think $1500 is better spent on a laptop

      For the way I use a laptop, which is simply having a transportable computer, this is much better. As easily transported as a large laptop, but a better computer.

    174. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "There are two groups that apple needs to appeal to with this model, gamers and the hard core corporate client."

      Gamers want pcs because with Mac your favorite game is often delayed or nonexistent. Corporate clients don't want to spend the money on Macs unless their pushing a sleek image or something, or they still believe Mac is the only solution for video editing.

    175. Re:Unlikely by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

      gamers are nobody for apple.

      1. gamers wouldn't buy a Mac, it doesn't run Windows.

      2. macs aren't mod-able like PCs. normally you buy a mac and just use it. upgrading videocards, etc is not always possible on a mac.

      3. mac gamers don't make up a significant number of users.

      Face it gamers, you simply don't matter. You aren't like rich corporate and government customers. You aren't like easy to please home users. You're this middle ground, you don't have any money but you demand the best. That's a hard way to run a business.

      As for your hard core coporate client. I think Apple has addressed them with x-server and xsan. (yes you too can own an apple-based SAN for under $15k)

      --
      “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    176. Re:Unlikely by phirewind · · Score: 1

      My gripe with Apple's take on the "sizzling 3D graphics" is that they shoved in the weakest video card they could find. The 5200 is the absolute bottom of the barrel. Sure, it can handle all of the "features", but it just doesn't have the raw power to pull off a decent performance in any modern game. It's what you put in a PC for your incoherent relative who might eventually try his hand at Warcraft 2, or Counterstrike on the OLD Half-Life engine, or maybe even Mahjonng. If you're going to stick people with the lowest possible performance, with no ability to upgrade, it shows a contempt for the consumer's happiness, and preying on their ignorance, to tout it as a gaming platform of any sort.

    177. Re:Unlikely by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

      exactly. I think one of the main selling points of SATA right now is that it doesn't have ugly wide cables every where. It's not that much faster than EIDE. and SATA doesn't currently have very many extra features beyond what EIDE already has. It seems like people want a nifty looking computer these days rather than a blazing system in a beige box.

      Back in the day we used to have pentiums screwed to wooden boards because we spent all our money on videocards and ram and didn't have anything left over for a case. also a wooden board was easier to carry to lan parties. But I think these days I'd be ashamed to carry that sort of system around in public :)

      --
      “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    178. Re:Unlikely by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 1

      Then I liked it until I played with one in CompUSA. When I tilted the monitor down the screen went black! The connectors were shoddy, and tilting it back fixed it. Maybe it was a particularly bad display model, but I usually expect the premium price on Macs to buy higher quality.

      Blame it on CompUSA, not Apple. If anyone at that CompUSA was even aware it was broken and had the initiative to report the problem, it would have been fixed or replaced. It's been awhile since I've been inside a CompUSA, but the last time, 4 out of 6 Mac display units were fubared. I'd be delighted to hear that the situation has improved.

      --
      It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
    179. Re:Unlikely by slantyyz · · Score: 1

      Yes, a widescreen is better than a standard display, but not that much better. - myself, I find two xgas side by side works really well.

      Too bad the VGA output on the iMac only does mirroring. If it could do multiple desktops, it would be a slam dunk for programming. Can you imagine an iMac and a cinema display to have double the workspace? drool.

    180. Re:Unlikely by staed · · Score: 1

      Would you really want a 17" or 20" tablet mac? I know I wouldn't. But I like the design of the iMac G5, so who am I to talk, right? :)

    181. Re:Unlikely by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      Quite right. The "Dell for $600" brigade haven't got a clue.

    182. Re:Unlikely by BasilBrush · · Score: 1
      No it isn't.

      http://www.apple.com/imac/graphics.html

    183. Re:Unlikely by t35t0r · · Score: 1

      Looks to me it's basically a tabletpc/notebook type chassis on a stand mount. A similarly configured pentium M or athlon M could be created generically and much more cheaply. The only reason i never bought an apple is because I'm too poor and I get better performance/price ratio with x86 & x86_64.

      Why don't you guys over at Intel/AMD R&D start building a mobo that would fit into a similar type of chassis.

    184. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >> Erm... that $600 computer from Dell is a consumer PC.

      WTF? Ok, so you have it on needing to go from Home to Pro, but why the hell would I put an 80 gig drive in? And you right, lets stay away from superdrives or graphics cards. In my shop, we run Great Plains/Siebel on 60-70 desktops. We run Office 03 ( I tried Open Office, but we have this manager...). We run about 5 web based apps. This doesn't exactly require horsepower. Most corporate users are in about the same boat. If it wasn't for the needs of the Domain, I'd stick with XP home.
      so, your looking at an IBM thinkcenter from PCConnection at around $500. It needs more RAM and a monitor, so lets say $750. As most vendors will cut deals, it's less then that.
      So for what is needed, Apple once again seems a bit overpriced.

    185. Re:Unlikely by bsharitt · · Score: 2, Funny

      I seem to have this thing with Apple that everytime I buy something from them, a newer model gets announced the next week

      Could you do me a favor and pick a PowerBook here pretty soon. I was thinking of getting one in about 6 months or so.

    186. Re:Unlikely by teklob · · Score: 1

      "...it was still dwalfed by the over-all marketshare..."
      you'd think that by your age one would know the difference between L and R

      sorry couldn't resist

    187. Re:Unlikely by aggiefalcon01 · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately, I think they've pretty much sold out the previous generation iMacs, so I doubt that getting one of them is much of an option.

      That's why God gave us eBay!

      --
      Global warming is neither science, nor politics. It is a religion.
    188. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      20 inch flat panel for $400 off yesterday's price, go to the Sales + Deals section of the online apple store.

    189. Re:Unlikely by LookSharp · · Score: 1

      Quoth the AC: The lack of viruses is a fact. Your reasoning why is only supposition.

      Yes, but in fact, your supposition that my supposition is not fact is, indeed, factual.

      But who's supposing what now?

    190. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just say you're doing some research and maybe also some development. Know thy enemy!

    191. Re:Unlikely by adamjaskie · · Score: 2, Interesting

      My iBook "only does mirroring" as well. It is a simple matter to install a hack that lets it spread the workspace across both monitors. Sure, it doesn't come that way stock, but it is simply a setting Apple enabled in the OS to keep the video card in mirror mode. The card does have the capability.

      I assume it would be the same with this computer.

      --
      /usr/games/fortune
    192. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The original Mac had 1024Mb of RAM. Read carefully next time, tool.

    193. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And, YOU are asking to be smacked. 1 Mb (Megabit) is 128KB.

    194. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you're going to change your sense of humor, maybe avoid ebay this next time, and get something with a warranty.

    195. Re:Unlikely by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 1

      Probably a mixed environment is best, keeping in mind the "best tool for the job" principal (BSD is not going to make a good desktop OS in corporate America). No OS is going to be entirely secure*, so a mixed environment provides the best protection against virus and worm epidemics.

      * until 2011

      --
      It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
    196. Re:Unlikely by Dominatus · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "why haven't we seen 2-5% of viruses written for the Mac? "

      The same reason that Ralph Nadar doesn't get 2-5% of TV and press coverage. The same reason 2-5% of video games aren't marketed towards girls. The same reason 2-5% of TV shows aren't marketed towards asians (in America). Need I go on? Market Share and Target Audience are not directly proportional to products made for them.

    197. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      1 mb? spoiled!

      the 512e was top of the line when I cut my teeth.

      uh, hard drive?

    198. Re:Unlikely by chunkwhite86 · · Score: 1

      Why did they make the screen so short?

      - The strength of FIVE GORILLAS and X-Ray vision!! But why so short?
      - That's as big as they come!!

      --
      I'd rather be a conservative nutjob than a liberal with no nuts and no job.
    199. Re:Unlikely by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 1

      I think Steve is still pissed at ATi.

      --
      It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
    200. Re:Unlikely by RadRafe · · Score: 1
      They may find themselves tapping a hole in that nice aluminum foot and bolting the sucker to the desk

      ...or just getting a VESA wall mount that suits their needs.

      The iMac offers the smallest footprint ever, but you can make that zero with an optional VESA mount. Hang it from the wall or swing it around on your desk. (Coming soon to the Apple store.)
    201. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Apple keyboard has USB connectors on it or at least the Standard wired model has two (with one occupied by the mouse usually). The Wireless model has none, as far as I recall.

    202. Re:Unlikely by Moocowsia · · Score: 1

      Hmm.. Then correct me if im wrong but isn't this the specs for an lampshade imac? It sucked then and it still sucks now. introduced 2003.09.08 at US$1,799 requires Mac OS X 10.2 or later CPU: 1.25 GHz G4 bus: 167 MHz performance: unknown RAM: 256 MB, expandable to 1,024 MB using PC2700 (333 MHz) DDR SDRAM Graphics: nVidia GeForce 5200 Ultra with AGP 4X support VRAM: 64 MB monitor: 17" 1440 x 900 flat panel display video out: Mini VGA port for video mirroring, requires VGA adapter L2 cache: 256 KB on-chip cache running at full CPU speed hard drive: 80 GB 7200 rpm UltraATA/100 drive

      --
      Moo!
    203. Re:Unlikely by PygmySurfer · · Score: 1

      Of course, now's a good time to buy a G4 iMac : )

      You mean the one's that've been out of stock for months because they delayed the iMac G5 launch due to problems getting enough processors from IBM?

    204. Re:Unlikely by alcmaeon · · Score: 1
      Look, Ive used macs since the orignal - that just had 1Mb of ram!

      No you haven't. Every true Mac user knows the original had only 128K of RAM.

      I think you are a Windows monkey-boy. :-)

    205. Re:Unlikely by Gedalia · · Score: 1

      Actually the first Mac had 128K of ram, http://lowendmac.com/compact/128k.shtml
      then the 512K, then the Mac plus which had 1 meg of ram added scsi and double sided floppy discs. theres a whole chart at http://www.lowendmac.com/compact/

      The Mac plus came out in 1986 and along with the apple laserwriter and pagemaker pretty much defined the Desktop publishing age.

    206. Re:Unlikely by alcmaeon · · Score: 1
      "However, for the hardcore gamer, there's no arguing that you need a PC."

      For the hardcore gamer, there's no arguing that you need a PS2 or Xbox.

      I want just two things out of a gaming PC: 1) really cool games; 2) stability; i.e. I would like the machine to continue to run the game until I want to quit.

      Neither of these things do I get from my PC running XP.

      I do, however, get spontaneous reboots, which is kind of unique, at least for me, since I otherwise only use *nix-type OSes.

    207. Re:Unlikely by skiflyer · · Score: 1

      No, an expensive team of hardworking IT staff who are going to take away your admin rights to stop you from screwing up their company network with the latest virus ridden screen saver. You can't even connect a new MS PC to the internet these days without being 0wned in the time it takes you to make a coffee.

      BS. First, the expensive team of hardworking staff is going to be in place regardless of what OS you run, and second they're not that expensive.

      In regards to your oft repeated "you can't even connect a new MS PC to the internet", I ask... what corporate client would? Almost all corporate settings are going to have a nice firewall between the internet and new computer... and on top of that, any corporate setting of a reasonable size will probably be ghosted with all of the security precautions already in place... or at the very list, the above mentioned expensive IT staff will go ahead and install the patches before plugging in the ethernet cable.

      I have limited experience with Macs, and I think they're very nice... but they just don't wash out in the typical corporate environment in their current incarnations. A big part of that is the price point, a big part of that is the lack of software... the security is better, no doubt, but not better enough to overcome those two hurdles.

    208. Re:Unlikely by Macka · · Score: 1


      What, put my money where my mouth is ... heaven forbid ;-)

    209. Re:Unlikely by Teh+Anonymous+Coward · · Score: 1

      Smooth to you, maybe. But to 90% of the rest of the gaming world that gets twice the frams on Halo PC.

      However, I don't believe you when you say smooth.

      Yes, I'm calling you a liar. Proove it with a video.

      --

      If I throw a stick, will you go away?
    210. Re:Unlikely by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      Yes, exactly, because I'm stupid and forgot about that.

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    211. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The original Macintosh had only 128KB RAM.

      Then came the 512K and 512KE (with 800KB floppy).

      The first Mac with 1MB was the Mac Plus, a.k.a "Fat Mac".

    212. Re:Unlikely by bhtooefr · · Score: 1

      The Dimension is available as a corporate model. FWIW, I drove the Dimension 4600 up to iMac G5 1.6GHz specs (running a 2.8GHz P4 - didn't know what to pit against the G5 there), except it didn't have SATA, and there were a few other things that were lower spec on the Dell. It was E-Value Code 6W463-dim46800 if you want to check out the specs (each unique config gets an E-Value code), and cost $1370. The 1.6GHz G5 iMac was $1299. Yes, the Mac was cheaper.

    213. Re:Unlikely by paulsch4 · · Score: 1

      "What ever happened to getting an iMac for a good bit less than $1000 anyway? It used the be "the computer for everyone else", and now it is a computer for a select few."

      Hmmm... maybe that's the domain of the eMac these days?

    214. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      they went to 17" only. I wish they'd kept a 15" model at $999

      Considering that the entire computer had to fit behind the screen, it seems likely to me that they just couldn't fit all the guts behind a 15" screen. The picture http://images.apple.com/imac/images/designopenanim 20040831.gif of the inside doesn't show a lot of room to spare.

    215. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple's low end is the eMac, and it's not a bad machine at all either at $800.

    216. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      uhm... not likely, chief. This machine will probably beat the pants off of most entry-level desktops a year from now (two, maybe three). Being that it is a 64-bit machine at its heart and that it will have a true 64-bit OS available to it sometime early next year, the full potential of the machine has yet to be tapped.

      I own 6 macs... only one can't run the most current MacOS but it is over six years old (but even it can run 10.2 with a processor upgrade and a hack). All the others run Panther, and darned well too...

      If you have read some of the posts above you would see that macs last considerably longer than other computer systems... so if anything would become obsolete on that iMac it would first be the display.

    217. Re:Unlikely by timts · · Score: 1

      great point, same for the fx6800 ultra, PC users can get fx6800 GT for $400 or less, fx6800 ultra for $500 or less, look at that apple price tag, $599...
      btw, PC laptops have 5600go, mobile radeon 9800, I dont see them on macs.

    218. Re:Unlikely by daviddennis · · Score: 1

      Easy.

      Let's say you have a lot of stuff on your desk. As a concrete example, let's say you have a music keyboard for use with GarageBand. It's in front of your display, so you can't rotate it. You could still rotate the iLamp design.

      I have the previous 23" Cinema Display. You can tell her from me that it's well worth the money although you might want to wait for the 30", which I'll bet will be awesome.

      As others have suggested, you might want to get the display with a VESA mounting arm and therefore solve the problem and make your wife happy.

      Speaking of which ... I hear a lot about these arms but know nothing about them - do you folks have any recommended sources for them? (Yes, I know I could search Google, but I'm looking for personal recommendations).

      D

    219. Re:Unlikely by spinozanyc · · Score: 1
      Look, Ive used macs since the orignal - that just had 1Mb of ram! - and I always will.
      Umm, the original Mac had just 128k ram, not 1Mb. (That was the Mac Plus). Oh, and the original ran just fine on 128k, but required a fair bit of floppy disk swapping for large files.
    220. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Computers can't get "virii" either, because there's no such thing as "virii".

    221. Re:Unlikely by squiggleslash · · Score: 1
      Wrong, OS X out of the box will create an Admin account which does not have access to the System or any other use account. Root is disabled by default and for the average Joe hard to enable. If I move something into my user folder, no other user can click on it, in fact they wont even be able to get to it or see it.
      What I said was completely correct. The default set up of Mac OS X results in a default user being set up who has access to practically the entire disk (with a small number of honourable exceptions, the small number being roughly equal to that in XP, 2000, and NT's default user.)

      That default user is, as you say, an administrator. Just as the default user in NT based OSes is.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    222. Re:Unlikely by squiggleslash · · Score: 1

      Sorry. I meant to write "over-arr"... ;-)

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    223. Re:Unlikely by BlinkyBob · · Score: 1

      The original Mac was actually 128KB and the 1st upgrade to that was 512KB. I still have mine. The LISA, as I recall, did come out initially with 1MB.

    224. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Yes, but in fact, your supposition that my supposition is not fact is, indeed, factual.

      You're an idiot.

    225. Re:Unlikely by Em+Adespoton · · Score: 1
      Funny; I bought a Rev D iMac -- it was also my last.

      However, in my case, that's because it is the computer I still use every day -- It has had a hard drive upgrade, a memory upgrade, and an OS upgrade; now it is comparatively more useful and more powerful than it was when I bought it.

      The only time I experience this on IAx86 computers is when I remove MS Windows and install a lightweight Linux. And that experience pales in comparison to the empowering experience of upgrading from OS 9 to OS X.

    226. Re:Unlikely by mdwh2 · · Score: 1

      People successfully write viruses for *Amigas* for goodness' sake, and where is their 95% market share?

      Back when people were writing viruses for Amigas, the Amiga *was* the dominant platform in the home computer market (at least here in Europe), and that's what matters. This is not true for Macs.

      I may be wrong, but I don't recall hearing of any new Amiga viruses in the last few years.

    227. Re:Unlikely by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      And your computer is a ... ?

    228. Re:Unlikely by Toraz+Chryx · · Score: 1

      the 9800 Mobility is new and Apple are mid upgrade cycle with the powerbook line...

      So, yeah, no Macs have them.
      yet.

      (and those $500 or less FX6800U's aren't AGP Pro + ADC + DDL equipped)

    229. Re:Unlikely by argent · · Score: 1

      Yet the Amiga was innundated with viruses. Why?

      Because the Amiga was a particularly fertile ground for viruses. Not only did it have absolutely zero multiuser or interprocess protection, but it was the first personal computer with real multitasking, so a virus could run as a standalone task or process in the background, without having to go to heroic lengths to find a way to hide in a trap handler or event loop. many viruses ran into propogation problems because they caused problems because they were stealing time from applications or making them deadlock... on the Amiga it was a lot easier to avoid being "noisy" like that.

      The Mac had a big virus problem for a while because of the ease with which viruses could launch from code fragments in resource forks, but because MacOS didn't keep undocumented hooks from one version of the OS to the next, and never documented the hardware (and kept changing it), viruses didn't have the same kind of staying power.

      The big advantage UNIX systems have is that the basic APIs and protection model were developed in hostile environments, and applications were built to run in this world. There's multiple protection mechanisms that ALL need to be defeated before the malware can deliver its payload. On Windows, all you need to do is trick the "security zones" and you're home free. You don't even need a "root" exploit because most users run with Administrator or Power User privileges all the time. If you simply fixed the applications so users could run unprivileged without being frustrated, and removed the browser-desktop integration that means you're dependent on the inherently flawed "security zones" Microsoft uses to try and patch the design, Windows could be easily made as secure as anything.

      But you'd need to break applications to make that work. Microsoft won't do that.

      Incidentally, Apples security updates don't tell you anything about the security of the OS design or the code. You have to look at the probability of those holes being exploited, the seriousness of the exploits, and the level of security that would result from those holes being left in place or being patched. One could easily imagine a B2 system that's had 10 patches for holes that would have bypassed the mandatory access control mechanism, leaving it the equivalent of C2, and a C2 system with one root exploit that would have dropped it to the equivalent of D (minimal access control). Which would you rather your bank used?

    230. Re:Unlikely by legirons · · Score: 1

      "Back when people were writing viruses for Amigas, the Amiga *was* the dominant platform in the home computer market (at least here in Europe), and that's what matters. This is not true for Macs."

      Of course...:

      1982: A program called Elk Cloner, written for Apple II systems, is credited with being the first computer virus to appear "in the wild"--that is, outside the single computer or lab where it was created.

      Notable viruses and worms

    231. Re:Unlikely by sambira · · Score: 1

      Any Hardcore gamer should be looking at an XBox or PS2.

    232. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think that advantage of 64 bit is that you can have a 64 bit operations performed in one processor cycle instead of many processor cycles at 32 bits each to accomplish a similar task. The problem is that most operations aren't complex enough to require 64 bit registers (this is the real reason for so many 32-bit operations or modes as you stated; I mean 2^32 is 4.2 Billion and 2^64 is 4.2 Billion TIMES more than that; i.e. a lot of info).

      But here's the rub a 32 bit operation and one 64 bit operation both take one processor cycle to perform. So 32 bit operations run no faster that 64-bit operations on a 64-bit processor; thus 32 bit modes is NOT any faster as you stated. But a 64-bit register can old 4.2 billion TIMES as much information as a 32 bit register while being executed in the same amount of time. The programers task is to find ways of exploiting this advantage of 64-bit processors.

      For example any operation were you need a result that is over 4.2 billion a 32-bit processor would have to handle this task over many processor cycles a but 64-bit processor could handle it in just one. This is were significant speed increases can be realized. Let's says you have an operation that needs 6 processor cycles to complete on a 32 bit processor. It is likely that you could combine that into one 64-bit process yielding a 600% speed increase on that task just by having a 64-bit processor. This process is called optimization.

      Let us assume that only 10% of OS code is optimized for 64 bit registers. That 10% of the code could execute four to ten TIMES faster than it could on a 32-bit processor (because a 32-bit processor would have to use more cycles to get the same results). This would result in a 40-100% overall speed increase which is nothing to sneeze at. The more code they can optimize the faster; the problem is that much of the code is simple enough to already fit in 32-bit registers and can't be optimized without total software redesign.

    233. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is DEAD wrong a 64 bit chip running 32 bit instructions runs with at least half of the registers (in the processor and pipeline) empty. When it is running in 64-bit mode only difference is that all the registers can potentially be used but (there is no added congestion because it is allowed for in a 64-bit processor's design). A single operation @ 32-bit or 64-bit still takes one processor cycle to execute. Yet the 64-bit operation can yield a result with 4.2 billion TIMES more data.

      In fact True 64-bit processes are ALWAYS faster than the 32-bit equivalent because the 32-bit equivalent would require multiple operations which need to use the cache and multiple clock cycles. The 64-bit process would just spit out the answer in one cycle.

      Running a 64-bit processor in 32-bit mode is like having an 8 lane freeway and only allowing people to drive in 4 lanes. Not the other way around.

    234. Re:Unlikely by Slack3r78 · · Score: 1

      Umm I don't know which dream world you're living in, but going to 64 bit isn't going to magically cause an add to take up 5 fewer clock cycles.

      As you pointed out yourself, most processes will not benefit in any way from going to a 64 bit word length. The catch here is, that since a 64 bit value is twice the length of a 32 bit variable, you can fit less information overall in the CPU's cache. Meaning that cache misses become both more common, since fewer values can be stored, and more costly since more data has to be swapped out in the process.

      So I seriously doubt any form of optimization is going to yield "40-100%" gains in speed merely by going to 64 bit for a general purpose operating system. That is unless you honestly believe you're smarter than the people Apple, Sun, and everyone else in the field has working for them on this issue, in which case, I'm sure they'd love to talk to you.

    235. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why don't you read what I wrote before replying. Taking up fewer clock cycles isn't "magic" it requires reprograming and rethinking software design to take advantage of 64-bit technology. If you think massive speed increases are just voodoo magic, why don't you take a look at software that is optimized for 64-bit technology.

      Take the Adobe Photoshop as an example. The plug-ins which are optimized for 64-bit run TWICE as fast as the 32-bit versions on the same computer. Other examples are video editing and sound editing applications which enjoy similar or greater performances increases even though they have only a percentage of the code optimized for 64-bit.

      My assertion of a 40-100% was a hypothetical to show the correlation between percentage of code optimized and speed increase and to show that even optimizing a small portion of code can yield large increases. As I stated before the programers are only going to use 64-bit code when it makes sense. The point is that Tiger will have more 64-bit underpinnings and it will very likely run faster that Panther. How much faster and in which areas is yet to be seen.

      Also in your previous:

      "Because of this, many people have come to assume that 64 bit means faster, but this is really only the case with x86-64. On most of the RISC platforms out there today, it's actually slightly detrimental. On these types of platforms, including the PowerPC, the biggest advantage is an extended native addressing space."

      This is a massive simplification and is simply not true. It is true that ALL programs don't run faster in 64-bit that 32-bit. This is because all programs aren't complex enough to take advantage of 64-bit addressing. Imagine manipulation programs, video editing, sound editing, 3D rendering, mathematical analysis, and database applications are all examples of programs that can yield massive speed increases from 64-bit optimization. These types of applications represent a large portion of what professional people use on their Macs.

      How on earth is 64-bit "slightly detrimental" when you can run Adobe Photoshop twice as fast and do real-time editing video in Final Cut Pro. The G5 is actually the best of both worlds; it can run 32-bit and 64-bit code natively so programers can use which ever one makes more sense.

    236. Re:Unlikely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "The catch here is, that since a 64 bit value is twice the length of a 32 bit variable, you can fit less information overall in the CPU's cache. Meaning that cache misses become both more common, since fewer values can be stored, and more costly since more data has to be swapped out in the process." posted by Slack3r78 (596506).

      Huh? Are you saying that the 512K cache magically gets smaller when shifting into 64-bit mode? Not true the cache still holds same amount of data.

      It may be hard to believe but optimized 64-bit software may actually reduce cache misses. A using 32-bit code to perform a 64-bit task the same tasks takes several CPU cycles to perform; meaning that the register data must be stored over the duration of the operation (several CPU cycles with same amount of data or slightly more data). Using 64-bit process it would be executed over just one CPU cycle (same amount of data but in only needs to be stored over one CPU cycle).

      You can't compare a 64-bit CPU in 64-bit mode doing 32-bit operations to a 32-bit CPU doing 32-bit operations cause you wouldn't program that way (as you stated; the G5 would simply use 32-bit mode and data sizes). You need to compare a 64 bit CPU doing 64-bit tasks to a 32-bit CPU doing what it takes to do accomplish the same results as a 33-bit to 64-bit task (which is done all the time in complex software).

    237. Re:Unlikely by HughsOnFirst · · Score: 1

      "Ive used macs since the orignal - that just had 1Mb of ram!"
      The orignal had 256K of ram!
      Then the Fat Mac came out with 512K

  72. Ok, now the machine is in the screen, where next? by hauer · · Score: 4, Funny

    I grew up with a Commodore64 where the keyboard was holding everything. Now it is in the monitor. I am wondering who comes up with an in-mouse architecture.

  73. Err... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's just a TIFF image, compressed with BinHex.

    There are plenty of apps listed on Freshmeat that can extract .hqx files.

    1. Re:Err... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why the fuck would one binhex a TIFF for web use?

    2. Re:Err... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's not for web use.

  74. CHF? by beavis88 · · Score: 1

    Is that swiss francs? If so, the exchange rate has gone to the crapper since I visited (admittedly, 10 years ago), or Apple gouges the Swiss mercilessly.

    1. Re:CHF? by mirko · · Score: 1

      Yes, CHF is the official acronym for Swiss Francs.
      Now, we know that despite some previous condamnations, Apple loves to sell us their goods for much more than they sell these to the North Americans.
      Anyway, they're not the only one to vampirize us and they are actually quite competitive (so this might mean that Dell and their mediocre machines are actually making even more profit).

      --
      Trolling using another account since 2005.
    2. Re:CHF? by nelsonal · · Score: 1

      I've heard three good reasons why prices are higher in Europe vs the US. In the US prices are quoted excluding any VAT or sales tax, but European prices include them. Second, manufacturers claim that import duties (and shipping costs) are part of the markup, although now that everything gets made in Asia this might not be as large a factor. Finally, HP has considerably more market share in Europe, and as a result is better able to set prices above competitive levels on there. I'd guess that it's a factor of all three in addition to a fairly recent and rapid reversal in the dollar.

      --
      Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
  75. Innovation, wow! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Apple, pushing the boudaries of innovation unveiled the new iMac today.

    Now you can have an all-in-one like Gateway and IBM made in 2001, for the same price!

  76. Apple copies Sony... The pendulum swings... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Apple always wanted to be Sony, and it looks like the nicked the Sony Vaio nicely...

  77. damn sweet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I own a iMac, so I'm totally bias. I like the new design, though I am a bit concerned about how stable the system is. I was thinking of getting a computer for the kitchen, but I'm terribly afraid it will get knocked over. One option would be to mount the stand on the counter. With warts and all, looks sweet.

    1. Re:damn sweet by TomHandy · · Score: 1
      If you look on this page: http://www.apple.com/imac/design.html

      They discuss how they did put a lot of effort into designing it so that the stand connects to it's center of gravity so it should be pretty stable (knowing Apple, this is the kind of thing they probably spent a tremendous amount of time on).

      -Tom

  78. Competetive offer, Much convenience by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I really like the new iMacs. To me they seem to have a quite reasonable price tag. Considering what you get (20" at 1600-something, 1.8Ghz G5, perfect design) in the top machine around 1800$ do not seem that expensive.

    Another thing that is really really perfect about these new machines is the lack of cables. The iMac G5 seems to be destined to be operated wirelessly in any way. You get Airport Extreme for networking, Bluetooth for Mouse&Keyboard and Airport Express for sound transfer. The only cable remaining is the power cable. You can practically put this machine anywhere you want without creating chaos. Very very sweet.

  79. so can i by RMH101 · · Score: 1

    but it'll suck ass *more* on a 5200 as they're crap, despite being "dx 9 compliant".

  80. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by Magnus+Reftel · · Score: 1

    Does anybody have a guess as to what the little arrow in the middle is pointing at?

    --
    print "Yet another p{erl,ython} hacker\n",
  81. *sigh* by Bruha · · Score: 2, Insightful

    My wife just saw the new imac and she hates it. Said she still wants one of the old ones.

    On another note I really dont like the idea of the proc and other devices so close to the monitor, it's probably harder to update than the older design and with considerations for heat updates beyond adding memory would void the warranty.

    1. Re:*sigh* by Bruha · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Also lets not forget the swivel base that made it easily adjustable for just about anyone. Good job apple you just innovated a design that's been tried and failed many times since the late 90's.

    2. Re:*sigh* by nikster · · Score: 1

      you mean "...saw pictures of the new iMac and hated them."

      remember, a picture of a pipe is not a pipe.

  82. The End of Computer Design by aluminumcube · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Yup, meet the future look of pretty much every computer... I should begin by saying that I am an industrial designer and I therefor have a pretty hardcore Apple fetish. That being said, the coolness of the new iMac has nothing to do with design and everything to do with some extremely impressive engineering to shoehorn the G5 into that small a space... Fact of the matter is, processing speed has gotten to the point where computers are 'Fast Enough' for most people and they would rather have a smaller form factor then a quicker computer. It began hitting a few years ago when the office wonks started lusting after laptops more and more and that trend is going to continue. In 5 years, laptops are going to have enough CUP and GPU horsepower to satisfy even the most dedicated gamer, 3D and motion picture geeks. When that happens, expect even high end desktop workstations to be nothing more then an LCD panel with a "computing module" snapped onto the back. Unfortunately, I wonder what this is going to do for Apple. Having a huge ID department is great when you have these big products that people want and you can make them look pretty, but once our computers become a thin box with an LCD on the front, is anyone going to care? Sure the devil is in the details (look at how uber sex the lineup of ports on the back of the new iMac is!), but those aren't very hard to get right. Look at the market for Plasma TVs- nobody cares about style because they are all identical, so people make purchase decisions based on what they can afford first and which unit offers the best performance/$ within that price range. Style is never a consideration. What happens to Apple when the form factor of computers get standardized and simplified to a point where there is simply no room for an industrial designer to work with?

    1. Re:The End of Computer Design by elysian1 · · Score: 5, Informative

      I guess style is one reason why I buy macs, but the main reason I buy macs is for OS X. So, as long as they keep improving and innovating the OS, they'll keep me and many others as customers.

    2. Re:The End of Computer Design by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You make some nice points, but as a designer, I would think that your job would be to make things look aesthetically pleasing, so do us all a favor and make your comments aesthetically pleasing by throwing in a paragraph break or two next time. Thank you.

    3. Re:The End of Computer Design by ceeam · · Score: 1

      It's, like, you mean current crop of LCD monitors have nothing in them about design? Or what?

    4. Re:The End of Computer Design by UncleBiggims · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Just look at the iPod for your answer. How much smaller/standardized/simplified can you get. It competes with other cheaper HD based players with the same basic features. And who is winning? Apple. Why? Better design. And not just physical but design of every aspect of use and functionality. This will hold true in the desktop market as well.

    5. Re:The End of Computer Design by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "I should begin by saying that I am an industrial designer and I therefor have a pretty hardcore Apple fetish."

      So you're saying it's your JOB to be creative, yet you're a fashion victim.

      This is why Apple has become an "influential" design company. There are far better and more innovative designs out there than Apple's, but people - even people who should know better - buy into the hype.

      Fashion trends are not Design.

    6. Re:The End of Computer Design by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      "What happens to Apple when the form factor of computers get standardized and simplified to a point where there is simply no room for an industrial designer to work with?"
      Surely that's that's when the tough get going?

      As another poster has pointed out, LCD manufacturers manage to differentiate their designs, Apple offer their Cinema display in this space.

      One might also mention, keyboards, mice and in the world beyond IT (horrors!) pens crockery cutlery footwear bicyles There is no such thing as The Best design. You can always improve and take a new approach.

      Think Different. Think Positive
    7. Re:The End of Computer Design by edw · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Greg, you've made a great point. At some point the computer will disappear, just like the flat screen TV: All that will remain is the experience of using it. I don't think such a development is so bad for Apple, as they have always been about the fusion of hardware and software into a unified experience.

      I enjoy working with my PowerBook, and I enjoy using OS X. When I think about them. But most of the time, I'm not thinking about them; I'm simply being productive. I think that's what Apple products are about: getting stuff done, thinking about the problem at hand, not the computer that you're using to solve the problem. The drool-inducing industrial and UI design is there to as much to draw the attention of non-users as it is to enhance the experience of using -- and justify the purchase of -- Apple products.

      But does it become more difficult to sell an experience when it has a less-tangible physical manifestation? This may be a problem for Apple, but it may also solve one of their problems: When there's less physicality to the experience of owning a Mac, perhaps there will be less resistance to purchasing one. The more invisible the hardware, the less difficult it may be for Apple to convince people to replace their invisible Gateway computer with an invisible Mac that works better.

    8. Re:The End of Computer Design by Jeppe+Salvesen · · Score: 1

      I think Apple will simply become a gadget powerhouse and a software powerhouse.

      Look at the iPod. If they can produce similar quality gadgets, I don't think they'll go out of business anytime soon!

      The OSX is also an impressive OS - and selling an easier-to-use and better integrated solution is not a bad business proposition.

      --

      Stop the brainwash

    9. Re:The End of Computer Design by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Future computer designs will look like a grain of rice. You just put them on the table, you say "on", and they will project a keyboard onto the table surface, and a display onto the wall.

      Guess there will still be plenty of work for industrial designers in the GUI department. :-)

    10. Re:The End of Computer Design by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What, are you stupid? Until the ipod fits in my watch, it's not small enough. The ipod is no where near "as small as it gets".

    11. Re:The End of Computer Design by ivec · · Score: 1

      Well, DiscMan devices were getting as compact as they could around a CD, but they gave way to the iPod.

      Now what about wearable computers, head-mounted displays, new input devices?
      What about integrating a camera, and supporting interpersonnal communications?

      I'm not worried about the lack of room to grow...

      BTW: having all applications designed around a 1-button mouse may ease the transition to a new input device...

    12. Re:The End of Computer Design by CoolToddHunter · · Score: 1

      Do you use the term "uber sex" when you are presenting a new design to your boss?

    13. Re:The End of Computer Design by falzbro · · Score: 1
      When that happens, expect even high end desktop workstations to be nothing more then an LCD panel with a "computing module" snapped onto the back

      I disagree. Those of us who actually add peripherals to our computers, such as..

      - Multiple optical drives
      - Multiple hard drives
      - Expansion cards

      will require the case to be larger than something that clips on the back of an LCD panel. I personally have never bought an "entire computer". Everything PC has been in one way or another next to another component going back to an XT.

      What happens to Apple when the form factor of computers get standardized and simplified to a point where there is simply no room for an industrial designer to work with?

      - Hasn't the form factor of computers has been standardized for quite some time?
      - Doesn't the industrial designer MAKE the design?

    14. Re:The End of Computer Design by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, in fact, they already have a monopoly because their superior designs destroyed DOS, and even Windows 3.1's fresh look couldn't compete. //nu

    15. Re:The End of Computer Design by Sepodati · · Score: 1

      You're in the minority then, if you actually add components to your computer.

      I think the OP is exactly right in that smaller form factors are going to become bigger and bigger business. I just went through this issue myself when I bought a new computer a month ago. I had to rid myself of the idea that I needed the latest and greatest and realize that an average computer is going to do more than enough for my needs and I didn't need a big ugly glowing tower on my desk.

      I went minimal with an LCD display and Shuttle computer with wifi and even got a smaller desk to put it all on. Couldn't be happier. :)

      This new iMac is _exactly_ what I would have bought if I wasn't scared of switching to a Mac, though.

      ---John Holmes...

    16. Re:The End of Computer Design by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is exactly why the previous imac was revolutionary and this is just ho hum.

      The previous design didn't adhere to some trend of "sticking components behind an LCD" - the new design is a regression by Apple standards

      You seem to troll everywhere - if anyone (even those typically praise Apple) disagree with anything Apple has done you type up something like a kharma whore.

  83. laptop? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When I first saw it I thought, its a laptop (or tablet machine on a stand), if your going to produce a machine like that make it mobile.

    James

  84. In the UK by Macka · · Score: 4, Interesting


    adding a TV tuner would be a disaster. If you didn't have one already, you'd be forced by Law to buy a TV license with your new iMac whether you wanted to use it as a TV or not. This would add an extra £121 ($216.90) to the cost of your computer.

    Most people don't buy a computer to watch TV on, so why should we pay extra for functionality we don't need?

    1. Re:In the UK by Ianoo · · Score: 1

      Most people already have a TV license. It would be pretty easy to put the TV tuner in on a small add-in card in a slot that could be removed if the buyer didn't want one.

    2. Re:In the UK by ngmilne · · Score: 1

      I believe they would only need to check that you have a TV licence - so it would only add to the cost if you genuinely don't have an existing licence.
      This would also only apply in the UK as well.

      --
      -- Neil Milne
    3. Re:In the UK by ElvenMonkey · · Score: 2, Informative

      You would NOT need a TV Licence if you had a TV tuner in your MAC. All you have to prove is that the tuner is not tuned into any channels, and has no nearby aerial connection on it. There are a lot of people in the UK that have TVs specifically for DVD players / Gamecubes / Playstations etc, that don't have TV licences and don't have to have a TV licence, because the TVs aren't used to pick up terrestrial. Its worthwhile noting as well: If a TV licence inspector comes visiting, you are under NO legal obligation to let them into your house, regardless of what they tell you. Only if they have a Police Warranty are they able to enter your premesis without your permission, and TV Detector vans are not admissable evidence for a search warranty to be granted. Essentially, provided they can't see the screen from the door (or hear it), and there is no obvious indication of other illegal activity taking place, its very difficult for them to get a warranty.

      --
      "Joy is not in things; it is in us." Richard Wagner
    4. Re:In the UK by Everleet · · Score: 2, Interesting

      You have to have a license to watch TV?

      --
      It's tragic. Laugh.
    5. Re:In the UK by fyonn · · Score: 3, Informative

      you'd be forced by Law to buy a TV license with your new iMac whether you wanted to use it as a TV or not

      no you wouldn't. you have to buy a tv licence to watch broadcast TV. if you do not watch broadcast tv, you do *not* need a tv licence. it's that simple.

      need a licence:
      watching terrestrial tv including the bbc
      watching terrestrial tv excluding the bbc
      watching cable/satellite tv with or without the bbc
      watching tv on a computer with a tv tuner

      do no need a licence:
      using your tv just to play video games
      using your tv just to watch dvd's
      using your tv as a doorstop
      using your tv as a paperweight
      using a computer with a tv tuner, but not watching tv through it.

      got it? the tv licence company doesn't like admitting that you can own a tv without paying them money but it's the truth and they'll admit it if you force them into it.

      HTH

      dave

    6. Re:In the UK by akrabat · · Score: 1

      The UK TV license is how the BBC is funded.

    7. Re:In the UK by Jagen · · Score: 1

      No, you wouldn't. Despite what the TVLA might try to make you think if you actually ask them you dont need a TV license unless your TV is tuned in or you are watching programs uplinked from the UK. So a TV purely used for watching DVD, playing games or watching satellite TV intended for other countries does not require you to pay for a TV license.

    8. Re:In the UK by LnxAddct · · Score: 1

      Wait a second... You can't watch any TV at all for free? Like you don't have standard channels for free and then have to pay if you want something else like cable or satellite? I must have misread one of the parent posts, or is what I said accurate? I'm not trolling, I'm just curious. And if it is true that you must buy a license to watch TV, then does the BBC have commercials or advertisements? Or do they get all of their funding from the licenses?
      Regards,
      Steve

    9. Re:In the UK by marcello_dl · · Score: 1

      But the UK tv licence company might demand that the macs tuner be locked somehow, which means apple software engineers would have to implement that. If UK stays cool, other countries like Italy make you pay taxes for mere possession of a tv so they would have to supply either a locked or stripped iMac version for that market.

      Also, digital video streaming of tv programs is already (legally) appearing in such places as residential intranets.

      --
      ---- MISSING MISCELLANEOUS DATA SEGMENT --- [sigdash] trolololol
    10. Re:In the UK by bhima · · Score: 1
      I know this is slashdot but: "disaster"?

      we're only talking about a build to order addon card like the bluetooth or modem cards, what's with the histrionics?

      --
      Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
    11. Re:In the UK by csteinle · · Score: 1

      But the UK tv licence company might demand that the macs tuner be locked somehow

      Why would they do that? The only legal power they have is to collect the licence fee where it is due (including chase evaders - something they tend to be somewhat over-zealous in doing, as they just assume everyone has a TV).
    12. Re:In the UK by lakin · · Score: 1

      Thats right, if you want to watch even the free over-the-air channels you need a license. The BBC has no commercials, except the odd short clips between programs advertising other programs on the bbc, and is fully funded by the tv license. See http://www.bbc.co.uk/info/licencefee/ for more information. Paul

      --
      Paul
    13. Re:In the UK by JimBobJoe · · Score: 1

      There are free aerial channels (noncable/nonsatellite) that are part of the "Independent" television system. They have commercials.

      In addition, there are private cable/satellite services.

      The BBC is entirely funded through the yearly TV license, which is assessed on every TV in the house that is used for watching the BBC (therefore British people tend to have fewer TVs, and the license is cheaper for black and white TVs, which are still available in the UK. In effect, the license is mandatory if you can watch the BBC, not necessarily if you do watch the BBC.)

      The BBC does not have commercials.

      *waits for someone from England to correct him*

    14. Re:In the UK by The+One+and+Only · · Score: 1

      Well, then don't sell the TV tuner version in the UK, or at least make it optional.

      --
      In Repressive Burma, it's not just your connection that dies. slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=314547&cid=20819199
    15. Re:In the UK by ilikejam · · Score: 1

      Yup. You NEED a license to watch any TV in the UK. All the license money goes to the BBC (it even pays for radio and their website), and no, there's no advertising on the BBC at all.
      So next time you listen to BBC Radio over the Internet, or get the news from the BBC site, think of us. We're paying.

      --
      C-x C-s C-x k
    16. Re:In the UK by Macka · · Score: 4, Interesting


      The only valid point you made was "using your tv just to play vidio games", and how many people are going to buy an iMac for that when they can get a real TV a hell of a lot cheaper. As for DVDs, a basic iMac can already do that without a TV tuner, so that's irrelevant.

      In my entire life I've only ever met one person who's brought a TV (actually a huge plasma screen) for watching DVD's and playing games. My mate Paul. He had a running battle with TV Licensing to prove he didn't need to pay it. In the end he had to physically walk them round the house and show them he didn't have an external aerial, a portable aerial, or a satellite dish capable of receiving transmissions before they would leave him alone.

      I hardly think that Apple are going to bundle a TV tuner so that a one in a million consumer like Paul will be happy, at the expense of adding extra cost.

    17. Re:In the UK by hattig · · Score: 1

      There are no commercials on BBC TV or Radio stations, they are funded entirely from the TV license. It is like a mandatory subscription fee, although unlike Cable/Satellite companies you do get rid of the commercials at least in return.

      Which is great until you need to make a coffee or take a piss.

    18. Re:In the UK by hattig · · Score: 2

      In the UK the TV license is per-household, not per-TV.

      I haven't seen a black and white TV for around 20 years, and that was an old TV that someone had.

      You don't need a TV license for battery operated portable TVs.

    19. Re:In the UK by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      OMG.

      Note to self: NEVER visit the UK.

    20. Re:In the UK by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      sorry, wrong. In the UK if you have a device that can receive TV you need a TV license whether you are using it or not. It's as simple as that.

    21. Re:In the UK by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1
      So next time you listen to BBC Radio over the Internet, or get the news from the BBC site, think of us. We're paying.


      Yup, just like I think of all the millions around the world enjoying VOA and other associated stations at U.S. taxpayers' expense. But, I rather appreciate that we have these sources. VOA lets listeners worldwide hear news without their local government's spin on it. And BBC News lete this American and others hear world news without OUR government's spin on it!

    22. Re:In the UK by Val314 · · Score: 1

      here in Austria we have to pay a licence for every Part that is theoreticaly capable of watching TV. it doesnt matter if you watch TV on it or just play DVDs. as long as it has a Tuner inside you have to pay ins Austria. so including a Tuner by default isnt the best idea

    23. Re:In the UK by gnu-generation-one · · Score: 1

      "You have to buy a tv licence to watch broadcast TV. if you do not watch broadcast tv, you do *not* need a tv licence. it's that simple."

      When this comment was made, I believe the person said it with knowledge of two things:

      (a) if you buy a TV (or in this case, a computer with a tuner), then the shop is required to take your name and address and send it to the TV licensing bureau. That's probably more invconvenient than it sounds, especially if you object to having such information passed-on.

      (b) regardless of whether you watch TV or not, regardless of whether you even have a TV or not, if you don't have a license, the licensing authority will hassle you for the rest of your life. They will write letters, red letters, demands, requests for court appearances, things which look like court summonses but are actually just extremely threatening letters, and the only thing you can do about it is sign, swear, and notarise that you don't have a TV, and they will still write to you 18 months later and threaten you with prosecution if you don't buy a license. In some famous cases, they will even print your address on a 4-metre poster in the city centre and tell everyone that you don't have a TV license.

      So yeah, while you might technically and legally be correct, I can understand why computer companies wouldn't want to force this experience on their users, especially if it will be associated with their first experience of buying an Apple.

    24. Re:In the UK by fyonn · · Score: 1

      well, my best friend and his 2 flatmates have a tv which they use for watching dvd's and playing games on xbox, dreamcast and ps2. they don't have an aerial, they don't have a tv licence and they told the tv licencing company once and have never been hassled since.

      ymmv

      dave

    25. Re:In the UK by OneOver137 · · Score: 1

      So...How long before we Americans have to purchase an "RIAA license" with our computers. "But really, I don't have it connected to the Internet...I just play games."

    26. Re:In the UK by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How do they enforce it? You have to give your personal info when you buy a TV, and they track you down if you miss a payment?

    27. Re:In the UK by fyonn · · Score: 1

      a) yes, I did know this, I'm not sure I agree with it, but yes, I do know that they have to shop you to the tv licencing people.

      b) this is not true, as I said above, my best friend has a tv but no licence (and he doesn't need one as he only plays game and watches dvds). the tv licencing people got in touch once. he told them why he didn't need one and they have left him alone ever since (and thats about 3 years or so).

      as for:

      In some famous cases, they will even print your address on a 4-metre poster in the city centre and tell everyone that you don't have a TV license.

      I think you are referring to the "bloom street" incident where they printed a big poster in manchester (where I live) saying something to the effect or "4 people in bloom street do not have a tv licence". the big reason that this was so controversial was becuase bloom street is in the middle of an area densely populated by highly orthodox jews who aren't keen on tv. about 4 people on the road weren't orthodox jews and were therefore "allowed" to have tv's. thus it was viewed as a breach of privacy, even though no individual's privacy was breeched.

      dave

    28. Re:In the UK by Eil · · Score: 1


      If you didn't have one already, you'd be forced by Law to buy a TV license with your new iMac whether you wanted to use it as a TV or not.

      We don't have TV licenses over here, you insensitive clod.

      Bring on the tuners.

    29. Re:In the UK by tbjw · · Score: 1

      AFAIK here in Ireland you must have a TV license if you own a device capable of receiving broadcast TV. I haven't contested this in the courts or anything, but that's what I've heard.

    30. Re:In the UK by Moofie · · Score: 1

      It'd be even easier to have a little port on the back where the user could attach a TV tuner if they need one.

      Oh wait...

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    31. Re:In the UK by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A tax to watch TV?

      England sucks

    32. Re:In the UK by marcello_dl · · Score: 1

      Well i guess the music performing right organizations have similar rights, and that doesnt stop them to try making all p2p software illegal. It is not right of course, but they still try.

      --
      ---- MISSING MISCELLANEOUS DATA SEGMENT --- [sigdash] trolololol
  85. iWindows? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    K... with all of our hackers doing soo much these days, there's gotta be a way to get windows running on the mac systems by now, isn't there??

    1. Re:iWindows? by DavidLeblond · · Score: 1

      Its called Virtual PC. Its sold by the hacker group known as Microsoft.

  86. Huh? by squiggleslash · · Score: 0, Troll
    It's as inexpensive as a IBM clone and worth more in value.
    I hope you're being sarcastic! It's exactly the same price as its predecessor. And IBM clones start at about $200 these days, $300 including monitor.

    Indeed, forget clones, try pricing an IBM at around this spec. An A50 with a 2.8GHz P4 ($599) and 17" monitor ($459) is $1,058.00. "Aha!" I pretend to hear you cry, "It's not an AIO, and it doesn't have a decent graphics card!" Well, yeah, it's not an AIO (that's an advantage to the IBM, and it ought to mean the AIO is cheaper anyway), and you can buy a $100 graphics card for it and still be under.

    --
    You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    1. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The fx5200 costs $40 last time I was in compusa. It's a pretty low end card but does a decent job with almost everything currently out (the fx5200go in my laptop has a hard time with doom3, my spare machine with an equally cheap and pci geforce440mx card runs it better, but still not great). Graphical abilities are certainly not this thing's selling point.

      You failed to miss the fact that this isn't a 32bit machine, which you compared it to. Price out a comparable athlon 64 system though and you'd probably hit a similar price.

    2. Re:Huh? by squiggleslash · · Score: 1
      You failed to miss the fact that this isn't a 32bit machine, which you compared it to. Price out a comparable athlon 64 system though and you'd probably hit a similar price.
      Right now, there's no practical difference between a 32 bit machine and a 64 bit machine for the consumer desktop, especially when we're comparing against a machine with a 2G upper RAM limit. If we're not comparing upper RAM limits, then we're comparing performance, and I seriously doubt a 2.8GHz P4 is any slower, in practice, than a 1.6GHz or 1.8GHz G5, especially when comparing the two running essentially 32 bit code.

      Back when we were comparing the internally 16 bit 8086 to the interally 32 bit 68000, it directly mattered because programmers found it easier to work with nice simple 32 bit integers to access memory than resort to paging and other such tricks. I doubt that 64 bit pointers are going to be anything like as important in the next half-decade, especially now that virtually everyone programs at a higher level.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    3. Re:Huh? by Bearpaw · · Score: 1
      And IBM clones start at about $200 these days, $300 including monitor.

      If there was a clone of me that pathetic, I'd strangle the thing to death. I'd be doing it and the world a favor. Not that I'd need to strangle it -- breathing on its own would be too complicated for it.

      How many days does a $300 clone last, particularly running Windows?

    4. Re:Huh? by squiggleslash · · Score: 1
      Don't know about running Windows, but my three year old $200 Wal*Mart box is running fine. It's one of these machines that's up 24/7 (in my Florida appartment.) Never had a problem with it, though I did upgrade the graphics card because the built in one wasn't particularly good. The thing has a 800MHz VIA C3, which 3 years ago wasn't top of the line but was reasonable for a low end machine. It runs fairly cool, which is a good thing.

      Why do you ask? Do you believe there's a significant difference between the commodity parts used in $200 machines and the ones used in Dells?

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    5. Re:Huh? by hattig · · Score: 1

      IBM A50: Needs double the HD space, the graphics are poor and there is no upgrade option which is a worry, the TFT you listed isn't a widescreen, it is a huge hulking box, not an all-in-one system, it looks foul, it only comes with a basic CD-ROM drive, not a combo CDRW/DVD drive (which IBM charge $160 for). I'm within a whisker of the low-end G5 price already, and I've got a nest of cables and a computer I can't just walk to the lounge/garden with and use there if I want. Also, I'm sick and tired of Windows XP fucking up.

      This is the best value iMac I've seen for years.

      My TFT monitor (AG Neovo F-419 - budget 19" model) is 2" thick. This iMac is the same size, but adds a whole quite powerful computer! I'd get this if I was looking for a new computer. I suppose it also shows that Apple are 1" away from making a PowerBook G5.

    6. Re:Huh? by dasmegabyte · · Score: 1

      Right. Now take that same machine, upgrade the video card to a GeForce FX 5200, the hard drive to 80 gig (from 40) and the CDR/DVD drive to a DVD-RW. You can't do it on that model from IBM, but from manufacturers where you can, your loadout is in the $1300 range -- and it's hardly integrated, so it's hardly a fair comparison. The closest thing I've seen is the Sony W700G, which is much wider and deeper and starts aroung $1900.

      Furthermore, pricing the cost of buying your own hardware and putting it in isn't fair, and it's silly besides. Who wants to buy half a computer, especially if you're in the market for an all-in-one?

      --
      Hey freaks: now you're ju
    7. Re:Huh? by squiggleslash · · Score: 1
      Right. Now take that same machine, upgrade the video card to a GeForce FX 5200
      Covered in my comment. It's about $50, as someone else commented.
      the hard drive to 80 gig (from 40)
      Ok, let's trick that out and add that. IBM doesn't do it, but that's about $50-100 from Staples.
      CDR/DVD drive to a DVD-RW
      Nope, the low end iMac comes with a CDRW-DVD combo. You'd be adding less than $100 at current prices for a DVD+/-RW right now though.

      We're still looking at well below $1,300.

      and it's hardly integrated, so it's hardly a fair comparison.
      Again, I covered that in my comment. It's EXPANDABLE, therefore the IBM represents better value. It's also the case that because it's not integrated, and because of that expandability, IBM's should, by rights, cost MORE than Apple's.
      Furthermore, pricing the cost of buying your own hardware and putting it in isn't fair, and it's silly besides. Who wants to buy half a computer, especially if you're in the market for an all-in-one?
      Tell that to all the people saying 256Mb isn't a problem, because everyone can upgrade straight away using the ultra-cheap RAM prices.

      In any case, you're missing the point. The person I responded to said that the iMac is somehow comparable in price now to IBM clones. Fact is, you can get an IBM clone for a hell of a lot less than that, and the "real thing" - with the added benefit expandability - for a fraction less.

      This is not a cheap machine, when compared to others of similar spec or just when looking at the entry level price regardless of spec. It's a little absurd for people to claim otherwise. By all means claim it's beautiful, claim grandma can't cope with more than one wire, (though two box vs three box doesn't seem a significant difference to me, grandma would be better off with a laptop), claim OS X is the best OS in the world (I like it very much too), but quit the pretense that this is somehow "low cost" or "competitive" - no bloody way is it either.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
    8. Re:Huh? by sabinm · · Score: 1

      There is also no practical difference between a Porche and a Subaru on a road with a speed limit of 65. That doesn't mean that if I could get the Porche for a small percentage more than the Subaru I wouldn't take the porche.

      (ok, maybe i wouldn't) :)

      --
      http://cincyboys.blogspot.com/ Everything Cincinnati. Including the word 'Finnih'
    9. Re:Huh? by NtroP · · Score: 1
      Um, what about a DVD player?

      What about Firewire?

      What about optical audio out?

      What about Gigabit Ethernet?

      What about an 80 Gig Hard Drive

      What about no anual virus license?

      What about the iLife Software Suite?

      What about the free printer (through October)?

      What about not having to use XP home edition?

      How price-competitive is your IBM now?

      --
      "terrorism" and "pedophilia" are the root passwords to the Constitution
    10. Re:Huh? by Barlo_Mung_42 · · Score: 1

      "Now take that same machine, upgrade the video card to a GeForce FX 5200"

      Fair enough, but it can be done. How easy and cheap will it be to upgrade the iMac card?

    11. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What about Gigabit Ethernet?

      According to the Apple spec sheet, the new iMac doesn't have GigE.

    12. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      quit the pretense that this is somehow "low cost" or "competitive" - no bloody way is it either.

      I'll give you the "low cost" point, but as for whether it's competitive or not... that's for the market to decide, on the strength of the entire offering. So far, a small but profitable segment of the market says that Apple's offerings, price premium and all, are competitive.

    13. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Also, I'm sick and tired of Windows XP fucking up.

      In my experience, XP fucks up a hell of a lot less than the user does. Would you mind sharing your experiences leading to that statement? Seriously, I'm interested - I use XP every day and, barring the initial reconfiguration of every stupid default Microsoft picked, it's never caused me any problems.

    14. Re:Huh? by sabinm · · Score: 1

      OK, I'll bite. I built a whitebox 6 months ago Athlon XP 512 megs of ram, geforce Ti4200 128 megs ram, wireless from linksys Nvidia Nforce mobo with 400 fsb. WinXP pro

      I start up the computer--new. Outlook doesn't work. Fine that's a Office Suite problem. I can't share my wireless network if I'm hooked up to a router. I have to plug in my cable modem directly to the router because win xp doesn't understand spoofed addresses and MUST have 192.168.0.1 on it's main connection in order to share internet.

      Problem two. I swapped out my video card for a all in wonder. I actually had to call microsoft to continue using my own software. BTW MS Office harrassed me to about it too.

      Problem 3--anytime I go to bandwidth intensive applications on my windows box, my USB mouse stops working.

      Problem 4-- windows can't do three things at the same time. Upon bootup, I can't load my wireless drivers, access the internet or open a web browser at the same time. Infact, I can't do anything without the screen freezing up for about five minutes after my computer starts.

      Problem 5 -- internet explorer--need i say more?
      I'm used to tabbed browsing. I'm used to automatic pop up blocking. I've not had a site take over my computer for quite a long while with firefox/mozilla.

      Problem 6--dvd authoring takes about twice as long on the windows box.

      You might say that the combination of hardware and software I have is the problem. I would counter that i purchased all products that were made for windows xp. I should not have problems if I want them all to work together.

      More info. ON this same box, seperate harddrive I run 3 flavors of linux (testing purposes) all three--suse, fedora and gentoo run without a hitch. all the hardware. from initrd to gdm, only about thirty seconds.

      Don't fool yourself. WIndows is a nightmare.

      --
      http://cincyboys.blogspot.com/ Everything Cincinnati. Including the word 'Finnih'
    15. Re:Huh? by hattig · · Score: 1

      Okay. My mobile phone USB adaptor. It stopped recognising it. I tried reinstalling it. No luck. It turns out that Windows does per-USB port driver installation, so you can't switch USB ports for a device. I'd changed my monitor, including USB hub. My phone's USB adaptor never worked again. I'm told I have to wipe and reinstall. Fuck that. An OS should just handle attached devices automatically.

    16. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I start up the computer--new. Outlook doesn't work.

      You say "Outlook doesn't work" like it was unexpected (joke).

      I don't know if you're talking about Outlook or OE, but without any information, how is it expected to work? Since you built the computer yourself, I have to assume you installed and configured the software yourself - chances are extremely high that this is your own fault. Since it is an application, it's also not the fault of Windows XP.

      win xp doesn't understand spoofed addresses and MUST have 192.168.0.1 on it's main connection in order to share internet.

      My experience says otherwise. That's the default configuration, and the only one officially supported by Microsoft, but it does work if you give it a new IP address (at least, it did for me before I bought a network-enabled DSL modem).

      I swapped out my video card for a all in wonder. I actually had to call microsoft to continue using my own software.

      OK, product activation is a bitch, certainly. I don't like it, so I paid for my copy of XP Pro but continue to use a corporate copy with a volume key. It may be sketchy legally, but I believe it's above reproach morally. I not sure I believe the activation came up solely because of a video card change - by any chance did you move a pre-existing install of XP to this newly built box?

      anytime I go to bandwidth intensive applications on my windows box, my USB mouse stops working.

      Give me an example of a bandwidth intensive task and I'll try this myself. Flood pinging my XP box from my linux server doesn't seem to have an adverse effect (though it does on my flatmate's Win98 box, muahahaha).

      Infact, I can't do anything without the screen freezing up for about five minutes after my computer starts.

      My install certainly handles several things at once - much more than three, and the box starts much quicker than any other version of Windows. Again, I'm led to believe you may be using a much older install from another machine.

      internet explorer--need i say more?

      No, I don't think you need to say more - considering you yourself mention the solution in your next sentence. Don't like it? Install something else! XP has honoured my request to make IE as unavailable as possible, and never launches IE to do anything web related (Opera is registered as my default browser).

      dvd authoring takes about twice as long on the windows box.

      I've noticed this myself. It seems all DVD authoring software I've used under Windows converts and re-converts files until it gets exactly the right MPEG format. It takes twice as long and twice as much disk space to finally get it done. However, I've also noticed that it produces DVDs much more likely to work properly than dvdauthor and mjpegtools under Linux. I am sticking with the Linux tools in case I'm doing something wrong (and I do enjoy automating the task, which isn't possible with the Win32 software), but it means I have to watch out for duds a lot more. Anyway, it's a software issue, and unrelated to XP. I don't get to blame Linux for shortcomings in dvdauthor, now do I?

    17. Re:Huh? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Interesting, but it only takes one counterexample to disprove that theory, and I regularly move my printer from one USB port to another, and it's always re-detected and enabled properly with the correct driver.

      Not that I don't believe you, but it clearly CAN be done correctly, as a USB mouse can also be unplugged and plugged in again at random and still work.

    18. Re:Huh? by hattig · · Score: 1

      I think it is a driver problem, I've had printers work fine with switching USB port, but this thing just doesn't want to work now.

  87. G4 Cube is sad ;( by Gilmoure · · Score: 2, Funny

    This is starting to make my Cube look not so cool. Must add more internal LED's. And where's my G5 processor upgrade card?

    --
    I drank what? -- Socrates
  88. Ergonomic error by Webs+101 · · Score: 0
    One of the nice things about the G5 design was that the case had USB and other ports on the front, where they are most conveniently used.

    This new iMac has all ports on the back side. It's a step backward in usability. If I want to plug in headphones, I need to stand up and look behind the thing. Not good.

    This is a design mistake Apple doesn't usually make. With the ports on the front, or on the side or bottom edge (and moving the power cord), it would have been possible to mount this iMac on a wall, clearing up valuable desk space (not that it takes up too much as is). Just for the coolness factor, that would have been worth it.

    --

    "Even for Slashdot, that was a very obscure reference!" - Anonymous Coward

    1. Re:Ergonomic error by krswan · · Score: 1

      Of course, there are always the 2 usb ports that exist on every Apple keyboard...

  89. Notebook Version Soon? by liryon · · Score: 1

    From the looks of that form factor we might not be as far from G5 powerbooks as we thought? I think I'll still wait for those.

    Although, if they had just included a battery and touch screen we'd have the perfect tablet "PC" for giants.

  90. The cables by foo12 · · Score: 1

    About the cables, there's a port in the stand to let you snake all your cables through a central point where they'll largely be hidden from view.

  91. Notebook? by jtshaw · · Score: 1

    If they can shove a G5 in a case that tiny... and IBM can produce the G5 with the power saving features (which supposively they can)... why can't we have a Powerbook G5 already!?!

  92. 8.4 kg or 11.4 kg by rwjyoung · · Score: 1

    According to the specs,

    Size and weight (20-inch)

    * Height: 18.6 inches (47.2 cm)
    * Width: 19.4 inches (49.3 cm)
    * Depth: 7.4 inches (18.9 cm)
    * Weight: 25.2 pounds (11.4 kg)

    Size and weight (17-inch)

    * Height: 16.9 inches (43.0 cm)
    * Width: 16.8 inches (42.6 cm)
    * Depth: 6.8 inches (17.3 cm)
    * Weight: 18.5 pounds (8.4 kg)

    --
    Watch me build my house
  93. Re:Ok, now the machine is in the screen, where nex by gabriel · · Score: 1, Funny
  94. Missing feature! by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 2, Insightful
    But if it's purpose is that lazy kind of home desktop, it should have TV
    This design just cries out for a touchscreen, so that you can control simple functions without having to use the keyboard or mouse.

    This computer, at least the display, looks pretty enough for me to consider placing it in the living room. I don't know about a TV tuner, but if I had a computer in the living room, I would definitely want to use it as a home entertainment system, to play MP3s, DVDs etc. And in that case, I want a way to control the computer without an ungainly keyboard and annoying mouse in plain view. (Yes, nice as the Mac keyboards are, I still don't want to have one on the desk all day).
    --
    If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    1. Re:Missing feature! by martinX · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Amen to the touchscreen.

      Living room? Try kitchen. It would be part of the household network, stream music, videos, and the recipe database. IM the kids. All it needs is that TV tuner...

      --
      When they came for the communists, I said "He's next door. Take him away. Goddam commies."
    2. Re:Missing feature! by Pivot · · Score: 1

      I can almost feel the stain of grease on the computer from when my housemates fries their raw chilli in a pan a few meters away in the kitchen...

    3. Re:Missing feature! by Eccles · · Score: 1

      Maybe you could have tear-offs like they have for windscreens in NASCAR and other racing. Once the dirt builds up too much, you tear off the top layer of clear plastic.

      --
      Ooh, a sarcasm detector. Oh, that's a real useful invention.
    4. Re:Missing feature! by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      They have those for laptop screens (but they're not tear-off; you just put one on at a time).

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    5. Re:Missing feature! by lindsayt · · Score: 1

      I agree. I currently have a sunray with a flat panel hanging on my kitchen wall, but the keyboard and mouse are a PITA. If this were a touchscreen, it would be better.

      I also would like to know whether it's possible to take off the stand and hang this on the wall. If I could replace my sunray/flat panel combos with iMacs hanging on the walls, using bluetooth keyboard and mouse, that would be a definite improvement. Does anybody know if this is possible?

      --
      I did not design this game/I did not name the stakes/I just happen to like apples/And I am not afraid of snakes-AniD
    6. Re:Missing feature! by weekendgeek · · Score: 1

      Yes. Standard VESA mounts with a removable base.

      From http://www.apple.com/imac/graphics.html:

      The iMac offers the smallest footprint ever, but you can make that zero with an optional VESA mount. Hang it from the wall or swing it around on your desk.

      --
      It would be presumptuous to conclude that Americans have no right to know what is being done in their name
    7. Re:Missing feature! by lindsayt · · Score: 1

      Excellent. Thanks much! I read all the details, priced out my iMac, and contemplated placing an order this morning, but I missed that detail. I know what's going in my kitchen now...

      --
      I did not design this game/I did not name the stakes/I just happen to like apples/And I am not afraid of snakes-AniD
  95. Short Step to a Tablet? by MooseGuy529 · · Score: 1

    Does anyone else realize that you could turn this into a tablet PC by just cutting off the base and giving it a touchscreen (oh yeah, and a really heavy battery ;-)? It does seem like Apple's getting closer to a tablet, with things this integrated.

    --

    Tired of free iPod sigs? Subscribe to my blacklist

  96. Re:what about the stand? by Bastian · · Score: 1

    Seriously. My big fear is, how sturdy is that stand? I raise this fear because at work every single one of our Apple flat panel displays is now held up by velcroing the feet to the desk and leaning the monitor against something - the stands all snapped off.

  97. Usability concern by hao520 · · Score: 1

    I wonder why the USB ports are located on the back of the computer. It would be quite inconvenient if you want to plug in, say, a USB memory stick.

    1. Re:Usability concern by alistair · · Score: 1

      The standard apple keyboard has two additional USB ports on the right and left of the top of the keyboard. They can be used for one USB mouse and one additional device, but I tend to use a wireless mouse and use them for digital cameras, USB drives and bluetooth dongles. I use these a fair amount and haven't reached round the back of my mac for well over a year now.

      However, I agree this would be an issue if you wanted to use a wireless mouse / keyboard combo. Anyone know if there is a wireless way to connect USB devices?

    2. Re:Usability concern by diamondc · · Score: 1

      well, theres always USB hubs tho' there'll be more clutter....

      --
      "I keep looking in the want-ads under 'revolutionary' but there don't seem to be any listings.. "
  98. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by byolinux · · Score: 1

    Please use Coraled URL's, they will last much longer.

    Coral seems hosed at the moment actually! ;)

  99. Parent is right on the money by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The fact that there are six people in the world who fail to see the irony in the parent post fucking baffles me.
    There are actually six people out there who read 1/4 of the post (or, hell, maybe they even read the whole post), fail to understand anything of it, and then react with their fragmented moronic minds to an already fragmented sentence by adding their own piece of stupidity to the internet.

  100. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by Sindri · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I just noticed on that picture that the electric cord goes into the back of the screen through a hole in the stand. This is guaranteed by Murphy to be eventually pulled out when you tilt the screen backwards.

  101. How stylish and slick does it really look... by bobbinFrapples · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ...with a bunch of heterogenious wires (usb, firewire, ethernet, audio, etc) sticking out of it? How about getting a single cable (stylish: curly, textured, fuchsia) port replicator thing going on....

  102. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    From your site.

    > That's because the entire site has shifted over to a Performa 6360/200.

    Slashdotting a Performa.

    Brave!

  103. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by 16K+Ram+Pack · · Score: 1

    Thanks. I'd just about talked myself out of not desiring one of these until you showed me this.

  104. The value of the 20" Cinema Display by dev32810 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    looks a little less today compared with its 'little brother' (the iMac 20")

    20" Cinema Display : $1299
    20" G5 IMac : $1899

    That's a lot of extra gear for $600.00, isn't it? So, is the iMac a great deal or the Cinema Display now less of one?

    And to think I was thiiiis close to picking up a Cinema 20" for my Powerbook...

    1. Re:The value of the 20" Cinema Display by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You might also conclude that they can easily sell a headless G5 for $800 with a nice margin.

    2. Re:The value of the 20" Cinema Display by sabNetwork · · Score: 1

      The LCD's are of different quality.

      Compare an iMac or iBook LCD to a Cinema Display LCD the next time you go to an Apple Store.

      The consumer LCD's are a little disappointing in comparison.
      --

  105. Yeah yeah ... by torpor · · Score: 1

    Save a few hundred bucks, be forced into Microsofts' world, hmm ... choices, choices ...

    No thanks. You'd have to pay me to use Windows over OSX.

    --
    ; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
    1. Re:Yeah yeah ... by ScottGant · · Score: 1

      Couldn't have said it better myself. What you save in dollars you lose in the OS choice if you pick the Dell.

      --

      "Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it." - John Lennon.
    2. Re:Yeah yeah ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're talking about being forced into choice and your choosing Apple? How is Microsoft forcing choices on you more than Apple?

    3. Re:Yeah yeah ... by lee7guy · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Imho neither Microsoft nor Apple is a company you would like to be dependant on.

      Konfabulator, anyone.

      --
      Ceterum censeo Microsoftem esse delendam
    4. Re:Yeah yeah ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      linux is the only os for me and i run it on obsolete PC build from newegg/tigerdirect...3GHzPIV, 512M 400Mhz DDR RAM, 128M nvidiaTi4800, 120G HD...less than $800 and doom3 rocks on it(cedega...).

      who wants apple, who wants dell, who wants microsoft??? are you senile?

      doom3 on imac, best joke ever heard!

    5. Re:Yeah yeah ... by chez69 · · Score: 1

      you can always use linux.

      --
      PHP is the solution of choice for relaying mysql errors to web users.
    6. Re:Yeah yeah ... by sadler121 · · Score: 1

      A little OT, but OEM machines with OEM parts are VERY HARD to get Linux running properly. You really have to build your own computer if you want to run Linux cause of all of the propitiatory windows crap the OEM's throw in there computers.

      Slightly more on topic, when I was planning on getting a power book I had every intention of putting Linux on the computer, but once I got it and started using OS X I said screw that, and now I wonder why anyone would muddy there Mac with Linux when they have such a viable commercial OS.

    7. Re:Yeah yeah ... by ScottGant · · Score: 1

      Can you purchase the Dell without an OS? Or with Linux already installed? I knew you could a few years ago, but can you still buy a desktop from them without an XP pre-installed?

      If you CAN, then perhaps Dell is something to look at.

      --

      "Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it." - John Lennon.
    8. Re:Yeah yeah ... by chez69 · · Score: 1

      you certainly can buy a dell without an os. I didn't because I like to dual boot.

      --
      PHP is the solution of choice for relaying mysql errors to web users.
  106. Anyone else getting Laptop? by Tetsugaku-San · · Score: 0

    So it's a laptop, sans keyboard, stuck to a stand . . . .

    Inovative! I'm sure you'll all agree . . .

  107. Did Ive Retire?? by pretentiousPPC · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Did Jonathan Ive retire or something, this seems butt-ass ugly.

    Oh well I was expecting the new iMac to be a Tablet connected to a WiFi base station, where the Tablet would hold the processer and harddrive and the base could carry the Superdrive, airport and the ports.

    --
    Artist will always make art.
  108. I'd buy one... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...if any of the online games I play had a Mac client.
    I'm still stuck using a PC for SWG, EVE, Ryzom, etc...

  109. So What! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    and your point would be? The GF4 ti 4400 was significantly better in performance than the piece of shit 5200 ultra which was a total failure in the market. I still use my 4400 for gaming, I have a newer PC that came with a 5200 in it, I swapped my 4400 into that and put the 5200 into the old box to run as a server where it doesn't have to play with graphics.

  110. Re:So this is Apple's answer to the Tablet PC by 16K+Ram+Pack · · Score: 1

    I don't think so, but one thing is that it would definitely be quite "portable". That is, if I wanted to go on holiday and have a PC, this would do the job - a lot better than a big grey box and monitor. It could even work for lan party kit.

  111. While we are talking about Apple service by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Guess what, several weeks ago my ibook 800 suddenly stopped working. It's simply impossible to turn it on again.

    So, not knowing what was wrong with it, I turned to Apple Germany. Note, dumbass that I am I don't have Apple Care and the ibook is more then one year old, so it was clear from the beginning, I had to pay for it getting repaired.

    However Apple's policy when it comes to repairs really took me by surprise. No matter what is actually broken the repair will at least cost 300 bucks!

    Don't get me wrong, if something is broken that actually costs 300 euros I would happily pay, but now I'll even have to pay 300 bucks if only something worth 5 cents is broken. This is outrageous.

    Finally, I know learned that it is not only Apple that has this kind of policy and of course I should have looked into the matter before actually buying an ibook.

    Just really take into account the price of Apple Care when you are thinking about buying something from Apple, because without it you might really get in trouble.

  112. Old Banana 2000 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm glad to see the iMacs are maintaining the original Mac design: all-in-one box.

    The all-in-one Macs have always looked cooler than the beige (or black, now, too) boxes with separate monitors.

  113. Re:Oh yeah? Well..(touche) by gosand · · Score: 4, Funny
    ..You can't price style, baby! :)

    Apparently, you can.

    --

    My beliefs do not require that you agree with them.

  114. Why wouldn't you buy a powerbook instead? by gathas · · Score: 1

    I'm never quite sure what the motivation for buying an all-in-one box has over purchasing a laptop. Granted the performance specs are a bit better on this new machine and the screen a touch bigger, but I don't see this as the machine someone will buy for power computing anyway. I love being able to sit anywhere in my house and work on my laptop.

  115. That computer has devil eyes by incog8723 · · Score: 0

    Whew, get that thing outta here. If it comes back, I'm'unna kill it.

  116. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by Ford+Prefect · · Score: 2, Funny

    I just noticed on that picture that the electric cord goes into the back of the screen through a hole in the stand. This is guaranteed by Murphy to be eventually pulled out when you tilt the screen backwards.

    If the Quicktime VR is anything to go by, it doesn't need that power cord anyway! :-)

    --
    Tedious Bloggy Stuff - hooray?
  117. Agreed by bogie · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Technically its of course neat. But a generic white box is pretty uninteresting IMHO. Without the Apple logo I think most Apple users wouldn't look twice and just assume its a another LCD monitor. Of course Apple fans will just respond saying THAT'S THE POINT. Yeah well its boring.

    In short its got no style. We have seen this lcd-all-in-one design before now its just happens to be a G5 inside. The previous Imac and things like the Cube were much more interesting. Maybe they'll offer Colored versions to spice it up? Too bad you can't buy the old version with a G5 in it.

    --
    If you wanna get rich, you know that payback is a bitch
    1. Re:Agreed by dasmegabyte · · Score: 1

      Well, the iPod itself is pretty simple and ugly if you look at it that way. White face, few simple buttons, silver plastic back is no different from this white box, aluminum foot deal.

      Of course, what this means is that your DESKTOP, not your computer, is the focus here. Can the Apple desktop sell a computer? That's like asking if the Mona Lisa could sell a frame.

      Desktop taking precidence over the computer...it's almost a paradigm shift, but it's more of cunning marketing stunt.

      --
      Hey freaks: now you're ju
    2. Re:Agreed by John+Harrison · · Score: 1
      If it would make you feel better, you can put a box of Kleenex next to it and pretend that the Kleenex is the Cube and the iMac is just an LCD monitor. Then run a cord from your Kleenex to the screen and run another cord to a hockey puck somewhere and then a cord from the hockey puck to the wall.

      The one thing that I would like to see is an after market arm that will clamp to the desk or be mounted on the wall to allow for more adjustability.

    3. Re:Agreed by ALpaca2500 · · Score: 1

      The one thing that I would like to see is an after market arm that will clamp to the desk or be mounted on the wall to allow for more adjustability.

      they already make these. any LCD mount will work with the new iMac. take your pick

    4. Re:Agreed by John+Harrison · · Score: 1

      I believe you are correct. After looking all over the iMac section for some mention of this capability I found it in the display section. There is an adapter that allows the displays to be used with a standard VESA mount. I assume that since the iMac and the displays use the same (or similar?) L-stand that the adapter would work for both.

    5. Re:Agreed by DrEasy · · Score: 1
      Maybe they'll offer Colored versions to spice it up?
      Well, I guess they could release a 15" version that comes in various colors, and dub it the iMac Mini? At $999 it would kick ass...
      --
      "In our tactical decisions, we are operating contrary to our strategic interest."
  118. Possibly double as a laptop/notebook computer? by Maestro4k · · Score: 1

    The new design looks a lot like a laptop computer (without a lid) on a base. Right now it's obviously a desktop model with no internal battery but how hard would it be to make it portable? It would be pretty darn useful even if it was fairly heavy just to be able to take with you to meetings in the office. Once the meeting's over you go back to your office/cubicle and pop it back onto the base and plug it into the wall outlet. Of course it would need to take handwritten notes with a stylus (like Tablet PCs) but it would be a very useful feature and might lead to more sales for Apple, especially in the business market.

  119. What kind of TV tuner? by canavan · · Score: 1

    With a product that sells worldwide, you really have to ask what kind of TV tuner you expect to be put in it. A good old analog one that would be obsolete in just a few years? Or ATSC? Maybe a cable tuner, now that the cable card would allow you to use non-proprieatary boxes. Or DVB for Europe, but which one, terrestial, satellite or cable? Or maybe an analog HDTV tuner for Japan?

    Personally, I'd think that some hooks, holes, clamps or whatever to strap a small 3rd party tuner like the eyeTV on the back would be the way to go.

  120. Twentieth Anniversary iMac by kriegsman · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Hmm. Reminds me an awful lot of my Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh. In fact, it's even more like this old prototype that Apple made while designing the TAM.

    They're very similar, except, of course, that the new iMac doesn't come with a built-in TV tuner, FM radio, remote control, or matching pen-and-pencil set.

    On the other hand, it runs faster than the TAM's 250Mhz, too...

    -Mark

  121. Powerbook G5 soon? by kalleh · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If they can fit a G5 inside that box we should be seeing powerbook G5's soon. The heat issue with the G5 seems to be solved.

    1. Re:Powerbook G5 soon? by zhenlin · · Score: 2, Insightful

      A PowerBook should be 1 inch thick, this iMac is 2 inches.

    2. Re:Powerbook G5 soon? by Raptor+CK · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Not quite, but we're close, at any rate.

      There's a huge difference between cramming a G5 system into a 2 inch 25-pound box, and doing the same in less than an inch of space, with a 4-8 pound maximum weight.

      With the Powerbook, we'll need to cram all of that in, leaving room for a large Li-Ion/Li-Polymer battery, cooling hardware, and there will be similar performance tradeoffs (3x vs 2x clock multipliers, etc.)

      That said, I'm going to have to start saving up for a 2nd gen G5 Powerbook now, since this is at least a good first step in that direction.

      --
      Raptor
      "Procrastination is great. It gives me a lot more time to do things that I'm never going to do."
    3. Re:Powerbook G5 soon? by MarcosL · · Score: 2, Insightful

      This is vertical, one full inch wider, and has fans of a type a notebook can not have. Try 1 inch thick, horizontal and small fans. Oh, that slot where the air flows out, no can do too. I think it is not solved at all. This is a step 'towards' a G5 Powerbook. I was about to buy a Powerbook. Now my impression of the G4 being slow is much grater. With much less money I get same or better screen, much better processor, although I loose the portability. I might wait for the G5 Powerbook, but I do not see it coming any soon, which is my point above. In a broad sense I dunno what'a do.

      --
      MacBook Pro... still a Powerbook.
    4. Re:Powerbook G5 soon? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i agree. all the heat is radiating out the back face of the iMac while with lap its all in your lap.

  122. Apple Mouse by debus · · Score: 1

    I can't believe that Apple has not gone to a 2 button mouse with a wheel. I can't remember the last time I saw anyone with a Linux/Windows machine that was not using a scroll mouse. It is clearly a design that overwhelming majority of users find useful.

    I know you can buy third party mice, but it just seems ridiculous not to incorporate it into what you get from Apple. Also, for people who have added a scroll mouse to their Macs, how well supported are the additional buttons and scroll wheel across various Mac applications?

    1. Re:Apple Mouse by saddino · · Score: 3, Informative

      Also, for people who have added a scroll mouse to their Macs, how well supported are the additional buttons and scroll wheel across various Mac applications?

      I used to have a 2 button + scroll wheel mouse -- simply plugged it in and it worked in every app I tried it in.

      Now I use a Kensington Turbo Mouse with trackball, 4 buttons + scroll wheel. Works like a charm.

    2. Re:Apple Mouse by alistair · · Score: 1

      I use a logitech 7 button mouse and all the functions are supported. In safari for example, the page back and forward buttons work fine, as does the scroll wheel the page up and down buttons and the switch application button. Almost all apps support the mouse wheel and the right button.

      If you look at the configuration for entourage in OS 10.3 you will see that it supports 32 mouse buttons, a fair selection I would say.

      What most people who critisise the one button apple approach fail to realise is that most apple apps. fully support using a second button, it is simply relaised by using a keyboard modifier. Therefore to emulate right click, you hold down the apple key with one hand and click the mouse with the other. I hated this when I first used the machine but now find it somewhat more intuative than two button operation, it serves to keep your fingures in a nice resting position and the mouse keyboard combination can be very effective, but your milage may vary. Almost all 2 and three button USB mice will plug in and work out the box, I sometimes use a HP mouse from my work PC on my home mac without any problems.

    3. Re:Apple Mouse by hackstraw · · Score: 1

      Agreed, Apple has been dinged with this for years, but someone somewhere thinks that its better, easier, or something to use both hands to perform a "right/context" click (control + click for those that don't use Macs). Not to mention, that this would be a bit tricky with my powerbook for a left handed person becasause the only control button is on the left hand side of the keyboard.

      OTOH, I recently bought a logitech 3 button mouse with a scroll thingy and it "just works" (for the most part). I had to configure via Expose (don't ask what this is if you don't know) to perform control+click when depressing the right button.

      The only exception is that in X11 the scroll does not work, but the 3 button configuration works flawlessly.

    4. Re:Apple Mouse by teamhasnoi · · Score: 1
      One unbelievable example I can think of is Filemaker Pro.

      Filemaker does NOT support scrolling with the mouse in OS X, even though OS X fully supports multi-button, scrolling mice.

      FM has continued this madness through three revisions, one of which was a ground up rewrite. They have just recently released Filemaker Pro Advanced (2,500 dollars) which, in spite of the name is anything but.

      I have never had any problems using a scroll wheel in OS X - except for Filemaker. I think they are leaving it out on purpose, as even the most brain dead developer can call a function provided by the OS (see: every free and shareware program for OS X).

      The only question is why.

    5. Re:Apple Mouse by nsayer · · Score: 1

      Ironically, one of the best mice you can get for a mac, IMHO, is the Microsoft bluetooth mouse. The two thumb buttons serve very well as Expose' buttons. The only quibbles are that you can't get the battery state in the keyboard panel in the system preferences, and it's unsuitable for lefties. Oh well.

      I remember hearing horror stories in the past (that I unfortunately can't put my Google on at the moment) about trying to get Microsoft's driver for this gizmo to play nice with Windows (particularly when you already had Bluetooth set up), but on a mac (as is so often the case), it just worked.

    6. Re:Apple Mouse by alernon · · Score: 1

      Microsoft Optical Here - 4 buttons + scroll wheel. Works great everywhere. Setting Expose up on buttons three and four have saved me unbelievable amounts of time.

    7. Re:Apple Mouse by deadboy2000 · · Score: 1

      Yes I've used all kinds of third-party multi-button input devices with macs, they've always worked flawlessly.

  123. Price Point by Dracolytch · · Score: 1

    As cool as it is, as much as it calls to my inner artist, I just can't justify buying one.

    Hell, I just put together a screaming fast Athlon 64 machine with a gig of RAM, a faster HDD, and DVD-R, for the same price as the base model G5.

    Just doesn't make sense where it counts: My wallet. True, my new machine didn't come with a nice new display, but then again, I didn't NEED one.

    ~D

    --
    This sig has been enciphered with a one-time pad. It could say almost anything.
    1. Re:Price Point by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your new machine sounds nice, but it fails the most important test for me: I need a machine to run OS X. Using that requirement, the new iMac seems like a good deal.

  124. It's not the hardware, it's the OS X by Tibor+the+Hun · · Score: 1

    The Dell pony can't run OS X. That is its main weakness.

    --
    If you don't know what AltaVista is (was), get off my lawn.
  125. airport antenna by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Most laptops use hte back of the screen as an antenna for wifi.. but.. if the case is plastic.. what do they use as the antenna?

  126. iMac == iOpener by larsoncc · · Score: 1

    A while back, I put an iOpener together. It looks like this design borrowed heavily from designs of the past.

    1. Re:iMac == iOpener by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ALSO I heard a rumor that the new iMac uses RAM like the iOpener!!!!!

  127. Sorry.. by Large+Green+Mallard · · Score: 1

    Dell does consumer 64bit systems for that price? You're missing one of the big points of the G5.

    Sorry, you can't just price up from Dell now ;)

    1. Re:Sorry.. by jsebrech · · Score: 1

      Dell does consumer 64bit systems for that price? You're missing one of the big points of the G5.

      You're acting as if 64-bit matters for a consumer system. It is irrelevant. Since the imac g5 maxes out at 2 gigs you're not going to see a situation where you need the addressability of a 64-bit system.

      Now, I admit, it sounds cool, but then apple has always sold more on image and sleekness than on raw hardware performance.

      Having said that, my next computer purchase will likely be apple. Just for the one reason I think you CAN buy apple for: less headache.

    2. Re:Sorry.. by lowmagnet · · Score: 1

      I thought the point of 64-bit was bandwidth, not memory addresability. Just me?

      --
      Heute die Welt, morgen das Sonnensystem!
  128. Jobs vs Physics by Digital_Quartz · · Score: 4, Funny

    I do not think that a man such as Jobs would ever let minor concerns such as sound engineering or the laws of physics get in the way of his vision.

    1. Re:Jobs vs Physics by commodoresloat · · Score: 2, Funny

      It's a brilliant solution, actually. Apple engineers figured out a way to make the universe spin around the CD so that the CD remains stationery during use.

    2. Re:Jobs vs Physics by Senjaz · · Score: 1

      No, Steve Jobs nor Johnathon Ive shouldn't. Good design tends to come from having a small number of well defined constraints. Laws of physics may or may not be on that list.

      I shall cite example from another well known and exceptional British designer, James Dyson:

      http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3046791.stm

      How long before we see computers with no cables what so ever. Monitors, keyboards and other such things 'connected' by quantum coupling?

      http://www.newscientist.com/hottopics/quantum/sp oo ky.jsp

      Our so called laws of physics are based on test and observation, a far cry from mathematical proofs. The discovery of something new could cause us to turn our ideas of how the universe works on its head and in turn make extraordinary things posible.

      If we worried about such things we wouldn't have computers that are thin as most monitors, waterfalls where water seemingly flows uphill, submarines that fly through water with no external moving parts, mugs where the inside is the outside, or suspended glass staircases.

      My life experience is richer from these things.

      --
      Don't blame me - this .sig had steal me written all over it.
  129. Dual Head support? by tji · · Score: 1

    They mention a mini-VGA port for "mirroring" several times. The GPU (Nvidia FX 5200) definitely supports dual heads, I wonder if this is disabled on the iMac.

    I would like the small size of this system.. But, dual head operation is a requirement for me.

    1. Re:Dual Head support? by kylector · · Score: 2, Informative

      The iBook technically only supports mirroring but there is a firmware hack that allows it to do dual-head just like the PowerBook. I would assume the same thing will happen with this.

  130. VGA-in is missing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If only it had a VGA/DVI-In port so I could hook it up to my PC and use it as a display! :P

  131. NOTE TO READERS...READ AT -1 DUE TO ZEALOTS! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You have to read Apple articles at -1 to see the opposing, yet valid, viewpoints. The moderators attack EVERYTHING that doesn't praise Apple unceasingly and send it to -1.

    Don't believe me? Go check it out. There's already LOTS of good posts at -1.

    Censorship is alive and well on apple.slashdot.org.

    1. Re:NOTE TO READERS...READ AT -1 DUE TO ZEALOTS! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Yeah, those 18 extra comments about homosexuals are really interesting and informative. What a jackass.

    2. Re:NOTE TO READERS...READ AT -1 DUE TO ZEALOTS! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, this one is actually correct, I do accounting for a living and can attest that what he's saying about markups is true. If you don't believe me, think it through. This is probably correct as well. Apple IS in bed with Hollywood, I thought everybody here knew that. It's common knowledge. There's a -1 post in this thread that deserves some meagre respect, and of course, this guy has an idiotic foul posting style, but his point is good nonetheless. Just yesterday I spent an hour wading through equally idiotic "that's ugly", "that's so fake", "Apple has more class than that" comments here on Slashdot by the same people raving about the exact same G5 iMac today.

      And that's just a brief scan of the moderated down comments. OF COURSE the GNAA posts suck; that doesn't make censorship of these decent posts right. Just because the moderators are unfairly moderating your "enemies" doesn't make it any more ethical. The same brush they tar these people with today is the one they will use on you tomorrow. Or have you forgotten the "beleaguered Apple can't play any games and only has a one-button mouse because it sucks - don't buy one, nobody ever got fired for buying Microsoft" propaganda? This is no more fair than those attacks. You have allowed yourselves to become the oppressive unfair swine you so hate.

  132. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by timeOday · · Score: 0
    Original source for the images.
    "Image User Agreement"? Is that a joke?
  133. Too be really cool by ToasterTester · · Score: 1

    They should of used a wireless kb and mouse. I think it will look bad once you get a bunch of cables hangin' off the side. Plus how well will it balance with a bunch of outboard gear hang from one side.

    1. Re:Too be really cool by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can always add those to it... :>P

    2. Re:Too be really cool by dowobeha · · Score: 1
      They have one - it's just not included by default:

      http://www.apple.com/keyboard/

      --
      I am concerned about any program, any piece of hardware, any treaty, any law that treats me as a consumer, not a citizen
  134. Gateway's Doesn't Even Compare.... by AtOMiCNebula · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Are you kidding? Maybe the design is semi-alike, but then again, how many ways can you arrange a computer inside a tiny box?

    Take a look at that gateway. All the pieces are outside the monitor. It's quite bulky, and not nearly as easy on the eye. Gateway didn't want to work as much, they just attached the LCD to the box. Apple shoved all the parts into a backing of a LCD, and it's only two inches thick (give or take .2 inches). Honestly, are you just trying to find a reason to beat on them?

    There are only so many ways to package up a computer, and I'd say Apple's new way is quite different from that Gateway model. Sure, it's closer in resemblance to that gateway when compared to a traditional desktop with external CRT or LCD...but come on. Give Apple credit where credit is due.

  135. Re:Ok, now the machine is in the screen, where nex by 4nd3r5 · · Score: 1

    That would bee cool, or not quite...

    You would have a mouse draining battery faster than my car
    It would run at 50 degrees celcius (9 million farenheits.. imbicile americans.. :-))
    It would make your hand glow from the radiowaves to the wireless screen and WI-FI :-)

    I would buy it in an instant...

    --
    spelling is for people who doens't know better...
  136. Note to troll... by Kjella · · Score: 0, Troll

    ...check price of a 20" LCD monitor before trying to troll.

    Kjella

    --
    Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    1. Re:Note to troll... by Rew190 · · Score: 1

      Uh... he's comparing Apples to Apples (who make excellent LCD displays), not apples to oranges. Pretty basic comparison.

      Get it?

  137. Dang by JoeCommodore · · Score: 1
    They just keep getting uglier and uglier. Went from a sleek looking deskmodel (origianl iMac) to a white lamp look, and now just a stupid box shape.

    So much for Apple style. :-/

    --
    "Enjoy what you're doing! If it becomes drudgery, you're doing it wrong!" - Jim Butterfield
  138. Slot-Loading CD Positioning? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I remember a few years ago, when designs like this were first being thrown around, the Mac fans said that Apple would never put a CD on it's side like this because of lessened performance, especially since it's not going to be perfectly horizontal but at a slight angle. Does anyone have any new information that says this is not still the case?

    1. Re:Slot-Loading CD Positioning? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It *IS* still the case. It's a poor design, useability-wise, but it fits their aesthetic, the "everything in one pizza box" idea. And the unofficial slogan of Apple (since the return of Steve) is "style over substance".

  139. My whole life by wobblie · · Score: 1
    What if you could fit your whole life - all your music, all your photos, all your movies, all your email - in a computer as fun and useful as an iPod?

    Does anyone else think this sounds disturbingly sick?

    1. Re:My whole life by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nope.

  140. Most important difference by YouHaveSnail · · Score: 1

    The Mac runs OS X, while the Dell runs Windows XP.

    You couldn't pay me $1,373 to use the Dell, but I'll likely buy one of these new iMacs.

  141. Failure mode? by hey! · · Score: 5, Informative

    If you think about what a capacitor is, I don't think it is all that thermally sensitive. After all, the biggest, crappiest and hottest capacitors are going to be inside the PSU.

    In my experience, electrolytic capacitors, which have a liquid dialetric, tend to fail as this liquid migrates from one end of the capacitor to another. Inside they're built like a jelly roll, and all the jelly leaks to one end, changing the capacitance value and sometimes creating shorts.

    I can see how heat might make this problem worse, but the biggest problem is gravity and the orientation of the capacitors. I don't know how many pieces of old equipment like video terminals I've "fixed" by having their users "put them to bed" by turning them upside down at the end of the day. These capacitors look like they're laid out horizontally, which I think will tend to make them last longer.

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    1. Re:Failure mode? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      without doubt over the long term that's what will happen. The capacitor *is* thermally sensitive and the dielectric will dry out if exposed to high temperatures over a sustained period. The PSU will be a switch mode type so the capacitors won't be that large. Having the board caps on their sides will be worse if anything (though minutely) as the heat-dissipating chimney effect won't be as effective.

    2. Re:Failure mode? by alienw · · Score: 3, Informative

      First, it's not a liquid dielectric, it's a conductive liquid. The dielectric is the aluminum oxide that forms on the foil. Second, it can't "migrate", because of capillary action. Third, most capacitors die when the liquid dries out or leaks out, so hot temperatures cause them to die much more quickly. Finally, the PSU capacitors are usually the most expensive capacitors in the system, because they are designed for the hot temperatures and high voltages. Putting other capacitors near the power supply means they will die that much sooner.

    3. Re:Failure mode? by Aqua_Geek · · Score: 1

      OK, so if the PSU capacitors are designed for high temperatures, doesn't it make sense that Apple would use similar ones that could also withstand high temperatures (albeit to a lesser extent) above the PSU? I have a hard time believing that, after all the engineering work that was put into this new design, they would not think to do this...

      Wouldn't the capacitors in the Xserves have similar problems? I know they aren't located directly above the PSU but where the thing is only 1U, sports dual G5 processors, and can't use convection cooling, wouldn't the temp be about the same??

      --
      Disclaimer: This comment was generated by a Flock of Trained Microsoft Programmers for Aqua_Geek.
    4. Re:Failure mode? by hey! · · Score: 4, Interesting

      There's absolutely no question that electrolytic capacitors are a potential weak link in an old circuit. And you would expect them to be somewhat thermally sensitive especially once they start leaking. I also suspect that temperature variation may in fact be worse than just constant high temperature.

      That said, I stand by my assertion that the capacitors aren't that thermally sensitive. By which I mean a reasonably chosen component isn't going to give out on you in one or two years just because it's near a PSU, unless the PSU and case are so badly designed that the capacitors are practically cooked. I'd guess the thing will be ready for the trash heap for other reasons before the capacitors become a serious issue.

      WRT to the construction, I'll defer to your expertise. I have to confess that most of what I know about capacitors comes from the days of vacuum tubes -- seriously I remember building circuits on bakelite strips. But I do have a lot of experience with old and gimpy electronics. The orientation definitely makes a difference to capacitors. You can often resurrect old equipment by storing it upside down; the only components I can point to to explain this are the capacitors. What you say about capillary action makes sense though. I suspect what may happen in these cases is the capacitors have leaked and the quantity of liquid may be inadequate to ensure adequate coverage.

      You can also somtimes get a little work out of a piece of equipment by giving it a carefully calibrated, sharp, rap. This I think jars the gimpy capacitors and bad connectors enough. I don't like to let other folks see me do this though because it gives them ideas and pretty soon you have smashed up equipment all over the place.

      My experience is that connectors are a much worse problem than capacitors and a common source of flakiness, although you can often cure this temporarily by unplugging them and reseating them, without even cleaning.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    5. Re:Failure mode? by alienw · · Score: 1

      Interesting points. I've never actually tried to resurrect capacitors, but it's possible that orientation does make a difference. I just noticed that the capacitors that are near sources of heat tend to die first. Of course, by the time the capacitors decide to die, the computer will most likely be obsolete, so it's not a serious weak point.

      As to hitting things to make them work: that's an excellent diagnostic tool. Most of the time, it's either connectors or bad solder joints.

    6. Re:Failure mode? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As to hitting things to make them work: that's an excellent diagnostic tool. Most of the time, it's either connectors or bad solder joints.

      This trick also works for lazy wives. It's amazing how they jump to life after a swift back-hand.

  142. Here's a word: *B * O * R * I * N * G* by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That is one fucking ugly box. Get the inspiration from Domino's Pizza? Oh yeah. All that's missing is the red graphic of a chef giving his hand gesture of approval.

  143. No TV, please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I want no stinkin' TV tuner in my iMac guts; watching TV on the computer is sooo 90s... It never succeeded for many very good reasons. Watch TV on your TV set from your couch, and leave the computer to perform its digital hub stuff (which might include streaming video to the TV set soon; think Airport Express 2.0!)

    If you definitely want to watch TV on your computer, for whatever the reason, you can always buy an external tuner.

  144. It's Nice To See So Many Lunix Users Switching! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's nice to see you growing up and giving up on freedom and all that shit. Buy a Mac and start coding shareware for US! The sign of a mature person is a person who has lost their beliefs and sold out. Congratulations on selling out, tuxfuckers.

    Buy a Mac and pay through the fucking nose, cattle!

    lol just kidding we don't want you anyway. your software quality sucks.

  145. What, no Firewire 800? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I know this isn't a mac for the poweruser, but Apple *really* should have included Firewire 800 instead of 400. Apple is one of the biggest proponents of IEEE 1394, but they include USB 2.0 and not 1394b?

    FW 800 would have really rounded out the design, considering that you don't have a pluggable PCI bus on the thing. At that point you really do need a high speed expandable bus. Might as well make it serial.

    1. Re:What, no Firewire 800? by Llama_STi · · Score: 1

      I agree with you but since the iPod is yet to be FW800, I don't think Jobs thought it was needed yet! ;D

  146. G5 laptop by cspenn · · Score: 1

    can't be far away... if they got it into a 2" enclosure OK...

  147. For those of you in or near Pittsburgh by cabodine · · Score: 1

    http://www.apple.com/retail/shadyside/ A new Mac store in Western Pa. It will be opening Sept 4th. I couldn't think of a better place to put a Mac store. This is realy great seeing how the nearest Mac repair place is in Cranberry.

    --
    Life is marked by pain.
    1. Re:For those of you in or near Pittsburgh by AlexPSU · · Score: 1
      I live in State College and just ordered the new imac online. I wish I would have known about this new store!



      --
      "You wanna see my ticket? Ok... here's my name on the ticket. If it was your ticket it would say "F*cking Douchebag."
  148. As useful as an Ipod? by tmateosian · · Score: 1

    For only 1300? Get out! I'll take 2 please.

  149. And in other news... by mikael · · Score: 0, Troll

    ... Apply have announced that their next generation laptop will feature a 600" inch screen, and will feature a keyboard/mouse that can be converted into a futon when not in use.

    --
    Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
  150. Re:what about the stand? by ThaReetLad · · Score: 1

    Not only how sturdy is it, but how stable is it. I think this will come with a "Do not buy if clumsy, have small kids, or pets" sticker. Seriously, it looks to me as if it will be very easy to knock this thing over. The base to the stand is very small compared to the width and the height of the unit. Perhaps if you nail it down it might be OK.

    --
    You can't win Darth. If you mod me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine
  151. Please Apple hear our pleas by hotspotbloc · · Score: 1
    While this new Mac is lacking in creative design compared to past Macs it's still a good value when consider the great apps that are included like iMoive and iPhoto.

    The problem with this and most Macs is downtime due to equipment failure. Now to get the monitor fixed the whole machine needs to be serviced. Add in the cost of not using common "PC" parts and the care and feeding of it might get very expensive.

    A few years ago I bought an iMac 400 DV from the Apple Store (online). I had it less than a week when the monitor died. They instruct me to take it to a locally authorized service center for repair. It came back after five weeks. Plugged it in and the monitor only showed magenta. Back to the shop for another six weeks. No less than 20 calls to Apple later they finally gave me a new iMac. I'm sorry, but for what they charge they should've taken back my one week old Mac and shipped me a new one. IMO it was BS that I had to bug them so much to do the right thing.

    Now look at my GNU/Linux x86 box. There's nothing on it that I can't repair or replace within 24 hours and for a lot less than the Mac. Price out a replacement slot loading CD drive for this new iMac. I'm guessing atleast $200 for the combo and $300 for the DVD-RW.

    Downtime for service is way, way too high for Macs.

    Here's is my plea: Please turn out a Mac MATX board. I'll buy my own parts and when the power supply or CD drive craps out I can fix it in a matter of hours and not weeks.

    Jobs is a control freak and would never do it. Too bad. So I use my eMac only for video editing and Photoshop (10% of the time), storing my work on an external FW drive and my Gentoo box for everthing else because I simply can not depend on the Mac.

    Macs are beautiful machines, have an excellent GUI, includes incredible apps (again, like iMoive), have a rock solid OS but I would never buy one if it was to be my only computer. Waiting weeks for service (and being without a computer) is unacceptable.

    IMO this new iMac is just another step in the wrong direction leading to more downtime per machine.

    --
    "I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence or insanity but they've always worked for me" - HST
    1. Re:Please Apple hear our pleas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      While I disagree on the long servicing time, since I had good (if not outstanding) service from my Apple deaaler, I certainly join your plea for a M-ATX Apple motherboard.

      The advantages for both users and Apple themselves are infinite! They're tapping the DIY market, they get to sell more OS X etc etc

      Even though the mainboard would carry a premium price tag, much higher then an equivalent x86 model, I still think it would be an excellent idea. Just look at the tons of PC users who grovel when a useable Apple emulator or a (vapour ware) apple clone is announced.

      Just my 2c
      Jethro Tull

    2. Re:Please Apple hear our pleas by OSeXy · · Score: 2, Insightful
      I agree with your plea for a Mac MATX board... Oh the possibilities!

      But having numerous Macs over the years, I disagree on the service time. Maybe I'm just lucky, but I've only had three equipment failures in twelve years. I have a Dell Latitude that has required many more service visits in the last eighteen months, but thats for another post.

      I had the firewire port on my PowerBook go out after two years, contacted Apple and they shipped me a box for it the next day. I had my laptop back with a new board a day and a half later.

      Our first iMac, a 600 Graphite, had an issue when my son broke the CD/RW drive by forcing a disk in. AppleCare took care of that as well, we got it back in three days.

      When I factor in what my time is worth for driving around picking up parts and doing the repairs my self, Apple's warranty service is a deal. In some cases it was faster than waiting fot the Dell service technician to show up, but again I digress.

    3. Re:Please Apple hear our pleas by hotspotbloc · · Score: 1
      Even though the mainboard would carry a premium price tag, much higher then an equivalent x86 model ...

      As it should. $500 to $700 for an Apple MATX mobo, CPU and OS is, IMO, not unreasable. Again, you're getting a lot more than just the hardware. Apple still makes money while users get to take advantage of lower cost PC peripherals.

      --
      "I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence or insanity but they've always worked for me" - HST
    4. Re:Please Apple hear our pleas by hotspotbloc · · Score: 1
      Our first iMac, a 600 Graphite, had an issue when my son broke the CD/RW drive by forcing a disk in. AppleCare took care of that as well, we got it back in three days.

      I had the same problem with my daughter and the slot loading CD drive on my iMac 400 DV. I guess she wanted to know how many disks it could hold. BTW, the answer is two and a half =).

      Since the warranty was long gone I priced out a replacement CD-RW drive. The best price was $180. Instead I just bought an external one for $100 and taped up the slot on the old drive. Not the ideal solution but the replacement slot loading drive was just too much money for what you got.

      Generally speaking it's quicker for a skilled user to go pick up a part and install it themselves then wait for someone else to do it.

      When I factor in what my time is worth for driving around picking up parts and doing the repairs my self, Apple's warranty service is a deal.

      With so many mail order places out there I normally just order what I need and get it in a few days. For emergencies it's off to compusa (blah).

      --
      "I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence or insanity but they've always worked for me" - HST
    5. Re:Please Apple hear our pleas by memco · · Score: 1

      Yeah, we have 5 imacs ranging from the original aqua to the flower power models, a power book, an ibook, and a g3 tower among my family, and the only one of those thats needed fixing from Apple has been the ibook. The other machines are still going strong and have only needed the occasional defrag. On another note, I'm glad these things are finally out. Hopefully this means the g5 tech is getting tot eh point where laptops may not be too far away.

      --
      Get me a meat pie floater!
  152. MythTV? PVR? HTMac? by yet+another+coward · · Score: 1

    Can Macs run MythTV? I know that porting attempts were underway. I never saw any results. I have no idea what tuner hardware would work with MythTV on a Mac. A Mac with PVR and home theater capabilities, especially with all the DVD tools Apple advertises, would be a great product. At least, it is what I want to buy. I just cannot find all the pieces for Mac.

  153. director's cut? collector's edition? by Heisenbug · · Score: 1

    This is just like DVDs. I'm waiting until the aluminum edition comes out. :)

  154. Re:So you're saying. . . by peterprior · · Score: 1

    There is no pleasing some people...

    I'm simply saving some guys bandwidth a little, speeding things up and saving people from clicking through "usage agreements" and converting proprietary formats.

    Oh, and the site is hosted in Telehouse London. I'm sure with the LINX they have more than enough bandwidth.

  155. Zero footprint! by DebianDog · · Score: 1

    Take off the stand and mount it to the wall, one cord! +5!

  156. Same in Germany by mattscape · · Score: 1

    well you would HAVE TO subsrcibe to GEZ which ist around 15 Euros a month.

    Wether you actually watch TV or just play games

  157. How bout Apples to Sonys by mastagee · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Sony PCVV300G

    http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?m as terid=2932674&found=1&search=Sony%20PCVV30 0G

    Sony Vaio PCV-V300G - P4 2.8 GHz - 15" TFT Type - Personal computer Form Factor - All-in-one Dimensions (WxDxH) - 15 in x 7 in x 13 in Weight - 16.8 lbs Processor - 1 x Intel Pentium 4 2.8 GHz Cache Memory - 512 KB L2 cache Cache Per Processor - 512 KB RAM - 512 MB (installed) / 1 GB (max) - DDR SDRAM - 333 MHz - PC2700 Storage Controller - IDE Hard Drive - 1 x 200 GB - standard - DMA/ATA-100 (Ultra) Optical Storage - 1 x DVDdRW Card Reader - Card reader Monitor - Flat panel display - 15" - TFT active matrix Graphics Controller - SiS 651 Video Input - TV tuner Audio Output - Sound card - stereo Communications - Fax / modem - 56 Kbps ( V.90 ) Networking - Network adapter - Ethernet, Fast Ethernet OS Provided - Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

    $1560

    Admittedly not as clean looking, or as large an lcd, but a more worthy comparison. I'd go over the obvious differences, but anyone here should be able to figure them out. . .

  158. Reminiscent of the 20th Anniversary Mac by LoudMusic · · Score: 1

    What I've thought computers should be for quite some time. Actually looks a lot like their 20th anniversary mac.

    http://www.apple-history.com/frames/body.php?pag e= gallery&model=anniversary

    Good stuff. I want more people to make computers with very similar form factors. Actually I believe Gateway had one for a while, but I could be mistaken.

    --
    No sig for you. YOU GET NO SIG!
  159. Third Party remotes by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 1

    Maybe this will scratch that itch:

    Keyspan.com

    If you have a bluetooth enabled phone (or bluetooth enabled Palm OS device) you can use Salling Clicker software to control your Mac from across the room.

    --
    It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
  160. Re:So this is Apple's answer to the Tablet PC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yep, it is mean lan party beast; just slip it in a backpack together your Unreal Tournament 2004 copy and go see your friends drooling all over the place.

  161. FUGLY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Jeezus it looks like a FAT ipod.

  162. Laptop on a stick... revolutionary!?!? by Kong99 · · Score: 1
    We knew this was coming, well you should have. It looks great. It also looks unstable.

    The next step and what people really want is a unit that can be a Desktop and a Notebook. So all it needs is a way to attach the base when in desktop mode or maybe a retractable one, that one is easy, and the ability to 'flip/rotate' the LCD from Desktop to Notebook mode.

    Now if that had been released today I would have been doing the Oooh and awww stuff! It is good to see that Apple Zealots haven't changed in 14+ years, which was the last time I went to an Apple product introduction, for the blazing fast IIfx!!

  163. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by jayhawk88 · · Score: 1

    Wow, you aren't kidding. I used to service those original iMacs while working at CompUSSR. You had to disassemble half the machine to put more RAM in it. Replacing almost any other component required you to discharge the freaking caps on the monitor for fear of electrocution. Not fun stuff.

  164. Re:Ok, now the machine is in the screen, where nex by jfinke · · Score: 1

    Well, if you look at those little throw back video games from Atari and such, that is exactly what they are doing. They have everything contained in the joystick. You just hook it up to a tv.

  165. sweeeeeet... by jpellino · · Score: 1

    glad steve put aside the purist comments about placing components with the last iMac and let them get the machine down to what was necessary.

    add an airport extreme card, airport express bto bluetooth and bto the bluetooth keyboard and mouse and you have a 1-wire computer - mains power only needed to do just about anything including well amp'd external audio...

    only thing i'd add would be a trackpadded keyboard option like the spartacus - one less set of batteries to worry about bluetoothing and hey it works for the laptops...

    --
    "Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
  166. I was just at the Paris Expo.. by apetime · · Score: 3, Informative
    ..and the pictures don't do the new iMac justice. But having said that, I was a little bit disappointed. I missed the keynote but I was at the expo venue when the banners and computers were uncovered. Everyone clapped and some people cheered, but the response seemed a bit muted. At one point, the girl doing the iMac presentation had to almost ask for applause. She seemed a little surprised by the response. The presentation alluded to an "in any room of your home" idea, which suggests to me that they might not have wanted something that stuck out too much, but rather blended in to its surroundings.

    It's a sleek and contained design, but it reminds me of one of the new cinema displays in plastic with serious underbite. The photos don't show it very well, but the top layer of the bevel surrounding the screen is clear plastic, which looks quite nice, but I don't think it completely saves the design. I was personally expecting something much more exciting, but looking at it straight on, you can almost fool yourself into thinking you are looking at an eMac missing its speakers.

    With this design to complete their lineup, its easy to see that they wanted the iMac to be to the Powermac, as the iBook is to the Powerbook. There are similar form factors between the consumer and pro lines (if you had one of the new aluminum displays for your powermac), and the same materials for each side of the divide.

  167. Integration is fine till it breaks. by Shivetya · · Score: 2, Insightful

    While I like the idea behind iMacs I would like to be able to swap out certain elements at my leisure.

    So, if paying a premium to lose flexibility is your boat then so be it. Me, I would like the option of upgrading the monitor without throwing away the machine behind it.

    Comparing overall value is what the previous poster was getting at. That is one hell of a premium your willing to pay to have it in a design which looks like but offers less flexibilty.

    --
    * Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
    1. Re:Integration is fine till it breaks. by Microlith · · Score: 1

      Clue: They're not paying to lose flexibility.

      They're paying for a device that they thinks works better that simply does not include flexibility they don't need.

    2. Re:Integration is fine till it breaks. by scarletire · · Score: 1

      I would like the option of upgrading the monitor without throwing away the machine behind it.

      I keep monitors much longer than computers. The problem is not being able to upgrade the computer without tossing the monitor.

    3. Re:Integration is fine till it breaks. by rawg · · Score: 1

      That's why they make the G5 tower line of computers. For the people that like to change out the hardware and upgrade the monitor.

      --
      The above is not worth reading.
  168. Personally... by NeoGeo64 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    I think the new iMac's are ugly as fuck. It looks like they stole the design from Gateway. They should have kept the old design and just added the G5 processor.

    I won't be buying one of these.

    Or a G5 until they add another optical drive.

    1. Re:Personally... by dowobeha · · Score: 1
      Or a G5 until they add another optical drive.

      Huh?

      Why do you need 2 optical drives in a G5 tower? And if you do, what's stopping you from adding a second one?

      AFAIK, Apple has never shipped a machine with 2 optical drives, even as a build-to-order option.

      --
      I am concerned about any program, any piece of hardware, any treaty, any law that treats me as a consumer, not a citizen
    2. Re:Personally... by diamondc · · Score: 1

      There's this new technology called Firewire that lets you use external drives fast&easy. Put your secondary optical drive in a Firewire enclosure and it shows up automatically in OS X. It's included with the new iMacs.

      And despite losing your potential sale, these puppies will definetly sellout immediately when they are released.

      --
      "I keep looking in the want-ads under 'revolutionary' but there don't seem to be any listings.. "
    3. Re:Personally... by NeoGeo64 · · Score: 1

      The G4 had dual drives.

    4. Re:Personally... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You wouldn't really be buying one anyhow, now would you?

  169. New iMac will bring down laptop prices too! by amichalo · · Score: 1

    I am excited aboutthe new iMac G5 because it allows apple to gain more expertise and hopefully economies of scale when purchasing components that can serve tripple-product-line-duty in the iMac G5, iBook, and PowerBook lines.

    Apple is good at finding clever ways to reuse good ideas. For one example we can turn to is the "Wow" moment every iPod owner has had when opening the cube shaped box it comes in and remarking on how expensive that packaging must have been for Apple. It makes a good impression, but certainly added to the cost. But wait, Apple reused the same cube design no only on the iPod mini, but also for the iSight and the Airport Express. Just one example of Apple innovation re-visited.

    --
    I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.
  170. The real killer app: MPEG2 hardware encoder by swb · · Score: 1

    I keep waiting for these to show up at reasonable prices for *any* system, but I actually suspected that Apple would include it in their systems. With standalone DVD recorders sporting this technology selling for $300, I can't imagine that the chipsets are all that expensive.

    I have a P43.2c system at home, and even single pass MPEG2 encoding for DVD (TMPGEnc 3.0 Xpress) runs at maybe 125% of real time. Multiple pass encoding runs at 200% of real time or worse.

    What's the big obstacle to a decent MPEG2 encoder chip that can do single pass encoding at 50% of RT or 25% of RT? Admittedly you hit some ceilings on disk bandwidth trying to read DV-AVI files at 4x, but is it really that hard?

  171. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by abandonment · · Score: 1

    exactly, looks great without anything plugged into it, what about when you have 10 cords hangin out the back dragging it down...

    but it sure does look purdy

  172. Apple Can't Come Up With An Original Idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    http://www.clevo.com.tw/products/L295PB.asp

    I've been selling and servicing PCs from that family for years. Great machines, low power, easy service.

    1. Re:Apple Can't Come Up With An Original Idea by Llama_STi · · Score: 1

      I believe this is referred to as "the writing was on the wall". Dude, this design's been around for ages and is hardly a huge step forward. This "new" design was just evolutionary, not revolutionary.

    2. Re:Apple Can't Come Up With An Original Idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've been selling and servicing PCs from that family for years.

      Unless you've been doing it since before May, 1997, you'll need to readjust your assessment of who appropriated whose design.

  173. Mac == Resale Value by theManInTheYellowHat · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Whatever anybody says about the price one thing is for sure. There is no PC on the planet that will hold its value better than a Mac.

    Take a look at a 1 year old Dell or IBM anything even servers and then take a look at a 1 year old Mac. The PC will be at least 50% less and the Mac will have dropped about $100.

    After a year the PC becomes worthless and the Mac still has a good value. 2 yr old iMacs are still worth quite a bit of their original price, especially if they have the SuperDrive. How much is a 2 year old Dell worth?

    When ever a person asks about buying a PC vs. a Mac that is the first thing I try to explane to them.

    1. Re:Mac == Resale Value by gipsy+boy · · Score: 1, Informative

      This is so extreme it wanders off the topic of your post, but sometimes when I'm at my parents' house I do quite intensive photoshop (v. 6.0) work on a 110Mhz PPC 7500. And honestly, it still runs acceptably, after 10 years.

    2. Re:Mac == Resale Value by mrklin · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Used Mac sells more not because a Mac's inherently worth is higher.

      It is due to 1) the high price one originally paid for the Mac, 2) the even higher price of a new Mac, and 3) the limited supply to begin worth (not enough G5s or the 1.42ghz G4s, for example)

    3. Re:Mac == Resale Value by connor_macleod · · Score: 1

      So in a years time I could choose between a half-new-price pc and a $100-less mac which run at the same speed? Hmm, wonder what I'd choose ...

    4. Re:Mac == Resale Value by speedeep · · Score: 1

      So you're buying your Mac for investment purposes? Resale value? Come on, it's a tool. It will become obsolete as time goes by.

      explane=explain (no Spell Check on Macs?)

    5. Re:Mac == Resale Value by KeeperS · · Score: 1

      This is supposed to be a good thing?

      Look at it this way. I'm trying to buy a computer, but I don't have a lot of money. I can get a PC that's 2 years old, still perfectly fine, and dirt cheap. My other option is to get a 2 year old Mac, but it's almost as expensive as a new Mac. Which one am I going to get?

      As long as it can do what I need it to do, the PC still has worth to me. It just also happens to have a lower price tag. Buying a computer isn't like buying a house. Nobody cares how much it's going to sell for in 10 years.

    6. Re:Mac == Resale Value by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What an odd definition of "inherent worth"...

    7. Re:Mac == Resale Value by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful
      Macs retaining their value is a scam not far from "eternal diamons" (ie. diamonds that retain their value). Fact of the matter is that it's quite hard to get rid of the diamond unless you reduce the price significantly, or if you manage to convince some other ignorant person of the "myth". This is why this myth still has a grain of truth in it, but we're not far from a point where people realize the truth. Already a lot of people are buying second hand PCs and building PCs from budget components (you can get a serious gaming rig for $250 - $300 (!), just shop around!!).

      The inherent value of used Macs and diamonds is equally low.

    8. Re:Mac == Resale Value by t35t0r · · Score: 1

      The first thing you should try to ask people when they ask whether to buy PC v MAC is: What will be your primary use of the computer? If they say mainly for web surfing/emailing/office applications I would definately tell them to buy a PC, and I would definately advise them on how to secure their box against worms/virii. Resale value? The last thing we need are car salespeople trying to sell computers to n00bs. 1) The resale value applies only to another MAC/Apple consumer. 2) Assuming (1), Apple doesn't make enough new models within the same year to have the previous model priced down %50. 3) PC market is much more competitive, hardware innovation turnaround is quicker so relatively older (6 mos) models will be much less expensive.

    9. Re:Mac == Resale Value by toddestan · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Exactly - people can pick up perfectly usable high end PIII systems that do everything they want to do for $100-$200. A system that would have no problem with the latest Linux distro, or Windows XP SP2. A $100-$200 used Mac is a lower end G3 that would barely run OSX. What do you think people are going to choose?

    10. Re:Mac == Resale Value by huchida · · Score: 1

      Look at it this way. I'm trying to buy a computer, but I don't have a lot of money. I can get a PC that's 2 years old, still perfectly fine, and dirt cheap. My other option is to get a 2 year old Mac, but it's almost as expensive as a new Mac. Which one am I going to get?

      Why should any manufacturer care what used computer you buy? They're not profiting either way.

      As long as it can do what I need it to do, the PC still has worth to me. It just also happens to have a lower price tag. Buying a computer isn't like buying a house. Nobody cares how much it's going to sell for in 10 years.

      I definitely care how much it's going to sell for when I decide to upgrade. Earlier this year I sold an original 400mhz G4 tower from 2000 for $650-- that's a lot of money for a four year old computer! That cut the cost of the (refurbished, which Apple gives full warranty on) G5 I replaced it with nearly in half. I'm about to sell my three-year-old 500mhz G3 iBook for $500 and replace it with a 12-inch G4 Powerbook (again refurb, approx. $1100 if you know where to look.)

      This is the third time I've been through this cycle, and the relatively high resale value has helped me deal with the hefty Mac price tag each time.

  174. Fourth cube by tepples · · Score: 1

    IBM ... could make such a device but ... Probably painfully ugly compared to the Apple, NeXT and Cobalt cubes ... I would buy it just because I already own the other three.

    You forgot one cube with a PowerPC processor: the GameCube, which has a Gekko processor with a PPC 750 ("G3") core.

  175. Seems teh 'hoax' was damned close by nurb432 · · Score: 1

    Perhaps the guy that setup the hoax earlier in the week actually did know something afterall..

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  176. Its beautiful but by hubs99 · · Score: 1

    Its beautiful but I bet when you plug everything in those cords are going to make that impressive floating screen look more like squid with a ton of tennacles.

    1. Re:Its beautiful but by diamondc · · Score: 2, Informative

      Check out.

      --
      "I keep looking in the want-ads under 'revolutionary' but there don't seem to be any listings.. "
    2. Re:Its beautiful but by hubs99 · · Score: 1

      Why couldnt they have created a little pad at the bottom of the stand and had everything plug in there. It doesnt make sense to have everythign plug into the sense to have a bundle of wires poking out like that if you desk faces out. Apple reputes itself to be aesthetically pleasing but they fall to the same trap that all computer makers have, they forget about those damn ugly cords.

      Never-the-less I still thinks its a beautiful design.

  177. Jury stil out until I see it in the Apple Store by amichalo · · Score: 1

    I love Apples and have been eagerly awaiting the new iMac G5, but as I view photos, it is only the specs and price (which I think are very competitive, even against the mass market of PC clones), that entice me to the new product line, not the style.

    I say that as I sit before my iMac G4. Basically, I have adopted the logic of my little sister, who used to think the monitor was the computer and the CPU was the power supply. To me, the computer is just monitor and peripherals. I do not care about the case or external devices, save how convenient they are to reach when needed.

    That said, I feel the new iMac G5 has diluted the attractiveness of the flatscreen because it has added visual weight to the LCD that in the iMac G4 incarnation, nicely blended with the background becuase of the clear housing around it.

    Like I said, jury is out on this one and I look forward to seeing it in person.

    --
    I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.
  178. Re:So you're saying. . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah, but the Apple setup can't easily be made to change to a goatse image after a script run from whatever the Windows equivalent of a cron job is called sees the post get moderated up to +5.

  179. So naturally extends to the table by amichalo · · Score: 1

    If one could plug a form-factor-appropriate battery pack to the back of the unit, and if the screen were touch sensative for a stylus, this would be a sweet tablet!

    Perhaps the size would have to come down and therefore the specs (even a dual core G4 instead of the G5?) but I am betting we will see more innovation out of this design than the single purpose of the iMac G4 design.

    --
    I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.
  180. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's part of the screening on the PCB. Looks like it's pointing at the cathode end of a diode, probably means it's a ground reference point.

  181. blinded by nuggetman · · Score: 1

    is it just me or did apple discover an entirely new shade of blue for the promo graphics?

    --
    ...and that's all there is to it.
  182. wording. by grindking · · Score: 0

    it's desktop SPACE and screen SPACE. real estate doesn't have anything to do with computers.

  183. Um, this isn't a new thing. by umshaggy · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I fail to see how this is anything but a laptop with the keyboard and the battery removed.

    Closer still are TabletPCs, but again, with less functionality and portability.

    G5 in there is nice, but with the base model only having 256MB of ram, all that nice processing power will go to waste as the hard drive thrashes away.

    Once you add in enough ram to make it nice, I am sure the price will put it at about the same place as a mid-to-high end laptop.

    --
    Did you buy a Neuros today?
    1. Re:Um, this isn't a new thing. by gipsy+boy · · Score: 1

      I agree they should have put 512 straight into the two high-end models, but adding 256 extra for 80 (and probably less $) is only a click away.

      I'm not sure how anyone could object to the price of this thing. I'd be tempted to say this is the most powerful computer you can buy for that money!, but I have a lot of experience with building x86's and using macs, while most people don't, and then they just call you silly. But comparing WinXP machiens with MacOSX machines is just wrong in all aspects, anyone who has worked with a previous generation iMac knows that, they're incomparably more stable.
      I guess the nvidia card is a bit weird, but if you want a game mac, you should get a desktop G5 and a crt screen anyway.

    2. Re:Um, this isn't a new thing. by umshaggy · · Score: 1
      I agree that the price-point is fair for what one would be getting. This is tempered, though, by realizing that they scrapped the video card, HD, and ram (adding a needed 512mb, a decent video card, and a larger HD could easily run $1000+ more) in order to put a "really fast G5" into it. Clearly a marketing driven move. Unfortunately, this under-utilizes the power of that chip and makes it worth less than it otherwise would be.

      It is good, but lacking for what is being billed as an A/V desktop system.

      So, I would say the price is great for the hardware you are getting, but the poor design in what hardware to integrate de-values the entire system so that the price ends up being simply "fair".

      --
      Did you buy a Neuros today?
    3. Re:Um, this isn't a new thing. by gipsy+boy · · Score: 1

      Well you're right, they cut severely on those points and the high-end model is fairly crippled now that I look at it. Perhaps that card is the only one that could work in such a small space.. Glad they stuck with nVidia and not the cheaper ATI though, that'd have pissed me off way more. I don't mind an 80Gb internal HD myself. I'm still getting one next week, it's perfect for me :)

    4. Re:Um, this isn't a new thing. by umshaggy · · Score: 1
      Actually, ATI would have been a good idea. nVidia optimizes for 3D CGI rendering and game engines more than anything else whereas ATI is still the industry leader in A/V-multimedia cards, as well as generally having smaller footprint and lower power consumption/heat production than nVidia.

      They could have thrown and All-In-Wonder on the 20" version, with associated TV/in out, which would have made it a true central system for home entertainment. The 20" widescreen is even large enough to service as a TV im most homes. They would then be in a position to offer a software/OS X based PVR (TiVo-like) and become a TRUE hub of the digital home. I can see Jobs now: "I bring you, iVCR!" :)

      Ok, perhaps I am getting away from myself a little bit here, but a guy can dream can't he? :):)

      --
      Did you buy a Neuros today?
    5. Re:Um, this isn't a new thing. by gipsy+boy · · Score: 1

      The only reason I don't like ATI is because I program silly openGL projects - that usually start as immensely ambitious games - on Linux (and I'm definitely planning on running Linux on the G5) in my free time, and ATI isn't very linux-friendly when it comes to updating their drivers, and extensions. To say the least really, it's getting worse all the time. nVidia is very linux-friendly though.

    6. Re:Um, this isn't a new thing. by umshaggy · · Score: 1
      Really? That is interesting, because I have heard this was no longer the case and the opposite was now true. (This is a little more than academic for me at the moment as I am actually in the market for a new card as mine is doing some funky stuff and needs replacing).

      I know a couple people who have had nothing but trouble trying to install the nVidia drivers for XFree86 (if I remember correctly, it requires rebooting into single user runlevel to start the install and then rebooting back to multi-user graphical to finish it up; but still didn't work for one of my friends) but once they got an ATI they just ran the installer and it "just worked".

      Of course, if it is a matter of update "frequency" maybe that is different. I've never needed to interface with the drivers in code so I really can't speak to that aspect of it.

      I would like to hear more on this. Very interesting because, other than my personal experiences with friends, I see nothing but complaints about nVidia on support forums and such. I may be getting a skewed picture if I haven't been hearing the other stuff, which woudl suck if I went out and bought a $400 ATI card in a few weeks (which was going to be my plan) and found out that it doesn't work well with my Mandrake 10 box.

      --
      Did you buy a Neuros today?
    7. Re:Um, this isn't a new thing. by gipsy+boy · · Score: 1

      I'm speaking quite objectively really, and AFAIK this hasn't improved enough. If you google for complaints about 3d cards and linux you'll see :

      1) People who own ATI cards and go through immense pains, to finally, not get them working properly. Nobody can help them either because the problems are always different. Some ATI cards work though, I'm not saying that, but there's always a problem like, a level in half-life with odd textures or whatever (I'm not a pc gamer). The matter remains that linux drivers aren't updated as frequently as nvidia's.

      2) People who don't know how to configure their Xorg.conf file for hardware acceleration. They always get helped immediately and then post things like "thanks works great now!" 5 minutes after they told the world linux doesn't recognize their card, or s'thing.

      As you can see this overlaps since you need to configure ATI cards too, and problem 2) is the 'problem' you were referring too.
      Honestly, I think there are by now nearly 10,000 pages available on the internet that explain you how to edit your Xorg (or XFree, same thing) config file to use hardware 3d acceleration. There is probably someone asking this to someone else every 5 minutes, averagely and a high percentage of them makes it to the internet.
      It comes down to deleting two lines, and adding 2 other ones, basically. nVidia has a perfect installer too - doing 'nvidia-install --update' actually automatically updates your driver.

      Btw, if you're using Mandrake you can't possibly have any problems; Gentoo can require some more manual things when it comes to GL libraries but really, nothing illogical.. But Mandrake is prepared for this kind of stuff, undoubtly.

      If I were you I'd go for a nVidia card to be on the safe side, the high-end cards are better than ATI's current top models anyway. I always get an "Intel" feeling with nVidia though, as opposed to ATI being more the "amd" counterpart, but I guess that's just a false impression induced by the shininess nVidia has - it's a very open company apparently with good multi-platform support. (although perhaps they should've opened up their drivers but that discussion's been here before, with valid counter-arguments)
      Eh, I don't work for nVidia btw.. Not yet :)

    8. Re:Um, this isn't a new thing. by umshaggy · · Score: 1
      I know we've gone off topic, but just wanted to thank you for the info.

      I just ordered a GeForce 6800 GT OverClocked after re-doing my video card research. I expect it next week and can't wait to start drooling:)

      heh heh, I've never had a problem editing conf files. I've been doing it since the 90's back when there were no fancy interfaces and tools to do it fore you (I remember 'probeonly' very unfondly:)

      Thanks again. Good chatting and happy /.ing.

      --
      Did you buy a Neuros today?
  184. It looks like my Xserve! by xiaodidi · · Score: 1

    Amazing, even the blowers look the same!

    Those Xserve bastards are so darn quiet, not to mention fast. If, as it seems, they are putting Xserve technology into an iMac, this may be a huge winner.

    Indeed I was wondering why would Apple bother about noise for a server destined to be locked away in a climatized room. Now I can see the answer: optimize technology across the board so that both the high-end, low-volume and the low-end, high-volume products can benefit. If you can speak of low-end for Apple, that is.

    Well, time to configure my cluster.

  185. Wall mounting kit available by dowobeha · · Score: 3, Interesting
    This is interesting. From the Apple Store:

    iMac G5 VESA Mount Adapter Kit

    $29.00

    Available for order in October.

    Allows your iMac G5 to be used with VESA compliant mounting solutions such as wall mounts and articulating arms.

    --
    I am concerned about any program, any piece of hardware, any treaty, any law that treats me as a consumer, not a citizen
    1. Re:Wall mounting kit available by dowobeha · · Score: 2, Funny
      Choice quote from the link:

      "The new iMac G5 family features a removable desktopfoot."

      --
      I am concerned about any program, any piece of hardware, any treaty, any law that treats me as a consumer, not a citizen
    2. Re:Wall mounting kit available by Llama_STi · · Score: 1

      that's fantastic but why wasn't it this way in the first place?? doesn't quite make sense unless they want the extra $30us each time... :(

    3. Re:Wall mounting kit available by tbone1 · · Score: 1
      • "The new iMac G5 family features a removable desktopfoot."

      Hm, should be popular in the McCartney household.

      [Rousing chorus of boos]

      Oh, like you sickos didn't think of that first.

      --

      The Independent: Reverend Spooner Arrested in Friar Tuck Incident - ISIHAC, Historical Headlines
    4. Re:Wall mounting kit available by Captain+Pedantic · · Score: 1

      I'm sorry, but your sig is just way to clever for a weblog for the barely literate.

      --

      None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
  186. Yeah ok... by MachineShedFred · · Score: 4, Funny

    Sure, marketing people never get carried away. I'm sure that all the drivvle to come from Dell, Gateway, NVidia, ATI, VIA, AMD, Intel, and Microsoft is perfectly accurate, and never EVER stretches anything.

    Perhaps you like this better:

    The iMac G5 offers mediocre built-in graphics capabilities. Like, for instance, the so-so widescreen display. Mac OS X version 10.3 "Panther," provides you with the world's most mid-range -- and most graphics-using -- operating system. And then there's the NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra graphics processor with 64MB of DDR SDRAM. It's a combination that delivers middle-of-the-road 2D and 3D graphics performance and a semi-immersive, pixelated, and distorted gaming experience with half the frame rate of our professional systems.

    Yeah, that makes me want to buy one. Hell, I'll buy two after that stunning writeup. Here's my credit card!!

    Always remember that marketing people are SELLING product, and that by making a comparison to the last model, they can get away with saying things like "unparalleled performace"

    --
    Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
    1. Re:Yeah ok... by Bunji+X · · Score: 1

      Sure, marketing people never get carried away. I'm sure that all the drivvle to come from Dell, Gateway, NVidia, ATI, VIA, AMD, Intel, and Microsoft is perfectly accurate, and never EVER stretches anything.

      Actually, in my experience, most adverisements from PC manufacturers never mention the GPU at all, when it is sub par. If they do, instead of saying it "delivers unparalleled 2D and 3D graphics performance" they more often than not state something alonge the lines of the graphics capabilities are adequate for playing most games. But I am sure you can find exceptions if you search hard enough.

      Anyway, as many are keen to point out, this is a computer aimed at people with no particular computer interest. As such, they will probably be pretty upset when their brand new toy can't play the newest games when adverisements promised "unparalleled 2D and 3D graphics performance".

      They will then probably ask how much an upgrade of the graphics card to acceptable standards will cost. Imagine their feelings when the salesperson tells them that the brand new iMac G5 has integrated GPU, and for that reason upgrading is not possible.

      --
      ---
      The combined human population is enough to feed every living tiger for app. 28000 years.
    2. Re:Yeah ok... by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

      Yeah, that's the one thing that upsets me about Apple. For example, I have a 12" iBook (the 800MHz G4, not the new 1GHz), which comes with Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4 (like all Macs do), but it's barely playable except on the lowest settings (640x480, high-quality shadows and anti-aliasing turned off, distance fog turned on). Not exactly the best game to use to show off the graphics capabilities.

      (My Mac has a Radeon 9200 with 32MB of video RAM, and a 1024x768 LCD)

      --

      "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

    3. Re:Yeah ok... by Reality+Master+101 · · Score: 1
      Sure, marketing people never get carried away. I'm sure that all the drivvle to come from Dell, Gateway, NVidia, ATI, VIA, AMD, Intel, and Microsoft is perfectly accurate, and never EVER stretches anything.

      Sure, other companies stretch things. But NO ONE flat out lies like Apple. "Twice as fast" ring any bells? They used the word "unparalled", implying that they are better than everyone else. That is a flat-out lie.

      Please find me a marketing quote from one of those other companies that lie as much as Apple lies. They usually say something like, "Great performance at a great price". No one lies like Apple.

      --
      Sometimes it's best to just let stupid people be stupid.
    4. Re:Yeah ok... by snuf23 · · Score: 1

      What are you talking about no upgrade path? Upgrading on a Mac is WAY easier than on a PC. You don't need to install cards, change jumpers - when it's time to upgrade you just pick it up, throw it away and go buy a new one.

      thank you drunk gamers :)

      --
      Sometimes my arms bend back.
    5. Re:Yeah ok... by snuf23 · · Score: 1

      Here's the link for anyone who hasn't seen it:

      Gamer Switch (ugo.com)

      --
      Sometimes my arms bend back.
    6. Re:Yeah ok... by RadRafe · · Score: 1

      But the graphics performance is unparalleled - in consumer Macs. This really is the best graphics that has ever been in an eMac, iBook, or iMac.

  187. piracy encouraged! by sootman · · Score: 3, Insightful

    from: http://www.apple.com/imac/:

    "Back up your iTunes collection or make a mix CD for that special someone. [emphasis added]"

    Um, that would be a CD full of songs to which you own the copyright, right? Riiiiight...

    Now, before we get into the "slashdotters don't have teh g1rlfriends LOL OMG BBQ" jokes, or the "my iMac is my special someone" crowd, I'd like to say that this just really, really makes me sick. You can't have it both ways. We are either allowed to share music, or we aren't. (I know Apple != RIAA etc., but they are a Large Corporate Entity, and presumably wouldn't encourage something that is 100% against the wishes of the **AA) So what's the deal? I can see it now: "All Combo-drive Macs come with Shrink! Share your DVDs with your friends!"

    --
    Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
    1. Re:piracy encouraged! by dowobeha · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Um, that would be a CD full of songs to which you own the copyright, right? Riiiiight... You can't have it both ways. We are either allowed to share music, or we aren't.

      Well, you have a point, but just to play devil's advocate...

      Maybe you purchased the songs on iTunes Music Store and you are giving those songs to your special someone in the form of a mix CD. Maybe you then delete the original from your hard drive, or transfer the song electronically to them (not sure if this is possible, but anyway...). Maybe the person is your spouse, and the mix CD is staying in the house.

      There are ways of doing what they're saying without straying off the straight and narrow wrt copyright.

      --
      I am concerned about any program, any piece of hardware, any treaty, any law that treats me as a consumer, not a citizen
    2. Re:piracy encouraged! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We are either allowed to share music, or we aren't.

      Legally you're correct, but the RIAA has never worried about people creating mix tapes or even full copies on tapes for friends.

      You're allowed to "share" music just fine, as long as you don't abuse it and decide that "sharing" means among hundreds or thousands of absolute strangers.

    3. Re:piracy encouraged! by White+Roses · · Score: 1

      Let's go even further, the license you have from iTMS, which the RIAA has (tacitly|explicitly) agreed to, allows you to burn a playlist X number of times (I can't check on X at the moment, but it's a single digit). So, really, Apple isn't encouraging "piracy" at all. You don't have to delete the file, you just can't make 1000 copies of a given CD. Just a few, which covers the "special someone" aspect. So. It's sharing, sort of. And all nice and legal.

      --
      Do not touch -Willie
    4. Re:piracy encouraged! by LincolnQ · · Score: 1

      Generally, limited distribution of copyrighted material to your friends is considered fair use. See the Fair Use Checklist -- favoring fair use, it lists "restricted access", "one or few copies made", "no significant effect on the market."

    5. Re:piracy encouraged! by wembley · · Score: 1

      Maybe that special someone is your car which, like mine, has no way of attaching an iPod to it.

      --

      Share and Enjoy!

    6. Re:piracy encouraged! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and against, it has

      "entertainment"
      "Large portion or whole work used"
      "Affordable permission available for using work"
      "Highly creative work (art, music, novels, films, plays)"
      "Could replace sale of copyrighted work" (note: sale includes even one copy, not the market as a whole.)

      Your use of the term "friends" is a telling one. If you had said "students in a class" (e.g. teaching materials) or "co-workers" (e.g. xerox a table out of a technical reference), I would have tended to agree. Passing copies around a college dorm doesn't have the redeeming activities which fair use is supposed to protect.

    7. Re:piracy encouraged! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Heh, write & sing your own love songs?

    8. Re:piracy encouraged! by sootman · · Score: 1

      The problem is, the tools that I use to share songs with friends are the same tools that others use to share songs with thousands. So, they want to ban all the tools. I hope the head of the RIAA never gets assaulted with a baseball bat--if that happens, there goes our (the US's) national pasttime.

      And they're sending out mixed (pardon the pun) messages--rarely do you hear about "fair use" from the RIAA. All you hear is "don't share" and "our ultimate goal is for you to give us money everytime you experience a recording in any manner." The number 1 FAQ on the RIAA's home page *should* be, "I hear a lot about how copying music is bad. When is sharing OK, and when is it infringement?"

      --
      Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
    9. Re:piracy encouraged! by amichalo · · Score: 1

      According to the rights of $0.99 songs downloaded from iTunes Music Store, you may burn up to 7 copies of the same playlist and may burn the same song an unlimited number of times. According to the license as I read it, I have the right to distribute these copies for non-commercial purposes as long as I follow those rules.

      --
      I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.
  188. Seen this design before by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This design isn't really a new idea. My school last year replaced most of their current computers with ones of this design. This is prettier looking, but all in all not original...

    1. Re:Seen this design before by Hitchcock_Blonde · · Score: 0
      "but all in all not original"

      Sort of like your post.

      --
      Karma Schmarma
  189. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

    DIP switches?

    --

    "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

  190. Monitors and iMac displays by xiaodidi · · Score: 2, Informative

    Apple store is charging $1299 for the 20" monitor, but only $1899 for the iMac with the 20" monitor. Does that make sense to anyone?

    Cinema Display Monitors are much better than the screeens found in the iMacs, for the same size. I am talking about current models of course, but I assume it will be the same for the upcoming ones. The viewing angle is much wider, the backlighting much more uniform, etc. iMac screens are essentially laptop screen.

  191. Just noticed in the tech specs... by umshaggy · · Score: 3, Insightful
    ...that the 17" versions only have 80GB hard drives, and th 20" has only 160GB. Makes me questions this:

    "all your music, all your photos, all your movies, all your email -- in a computer as fun and useful as an iPod?"

    Sorry, that might be enough for all of my music, maybe even all of my photos. But I have very little music (in comparison to most of my friends. ) and almost no photos. I know people who cannot fit even half their music on an iPod. There is a reason that people lobbied to get 80gig hard drive packs for their Neuros.

    I like that the hard disks are SATA though! That is pretty cool.
    --
    Did you buy a Neuros today?
    1. Re:Just noticed in the tech specs... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      i would pop in a 400 gig drive (and relegate the original to a firewire enclsure)

    2. Re:Just noticed in the tech specs... by Eccles · · Score: 1

      There is a reason that people lobbied to get 80gig hard drive packs for their Neuros.

      Yeah, it's called Napster, right?

      --
      Ooh, a sarcasm detector. Oh, that's a real useful invention.
    3. Re:Just noticed in the tech specs... by umshaggy · · Score: 1

      While many young people have built large libraries from Napster, there are in fact older people who have actually been collecting music for well on thirty years or more. Some of their collections are downright monstrous. I know a guy who probably has half a terabyte of music, all ripped from CDs and vinyl (yes, he ripped all his records onto MP3!).

      --
      Did you buy a Neuros today?
  192. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

    I think they're going to use it as an excuse to push their wireless peripherals (bluetooth keyboard/mouse, Airport Extreme). I'm surprised it doesn't have integrated speakers -- or will they upgrade the Airport Express to handle all audio instead of just iTunes?

    --

    "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

  193. Compare to the lowest end dell spec'ed out ident by menace690 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Comparing Apples to Oranges....Dells

    Ok iMac is low-end so compare to cheapest Dell with almost the same functionality.

    Dell w 17 inch lcd = $1377 yet it is not an all-in-one

    Dell with 20" lcd = $1887

    Specs for the Dells otherwise:
    Pentium 4 at 2.8 Ghz (533 FSB)
    Windows XP Pro (Can't compare Home to OS X because OS X has all the features of Pro and more)
    256 Megs RAM
    80 gig hd/160 with 20 inch screen
    Single Drive: 16X CD/DVD burner (DVD+RW/+R) w/double layer write capability
    Fireiwre PCI adapter
    128MB DDR NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Graphics Card with TV-Out and DVI

    What your not getting with the Dells:
    Gigabit Ethernet
    Widescreen LCD
    All in One enclosure
    64 bit capability->Especially for linux users
    A design that begs to be seen, not shoved under a desk.

    What your not getting with the iMac:
    64 extra megs in the viedo card.
    Crap trial software you have to remove

    The lower end Dell (17") was made to compare with the mid range iMac. $122 isn't all that much considering what benefits you will gain. (IMO).

    At the higher end, there is no question in my mind that the iMac is by far the better deal for merely 12 dollars extra.

    Feel free to try doing the spec work on your own elsewhere. Just make sure you don't compare OS X to Windows XP Home. OS X's capabilities far outstrip those of XP Home. And if your selling to businesses that need to join a domain, you would need Pro anyway.

    --
    A conservative is a man with two perfectly good legs who, however, has never learned to walk forward. -- FDR
  194. Pixel burnout by Godai · · Score: 1

    Hell,it's better than the first iMac. Not sure if it's better than the last one, but I don't really care.

    Curious: does anyone know what the pixel burnout policy is on those things? Most LCD manufacturers have some threshold whereby if X # of pixels burnout, they replace the monitor. Since LCDs are still -- somewhat -- a new technology, and far from perfected, there will be pixels burning out on some percentage of those screens. For a LCD manufactors, that means a % of monitors that have to be replaced. For Apple, that will mean a % of computers (expensive computers) that have to be replaced.

    I'm guessing the threshold will be worse than the current standard (typically 2-4 pixels) based on this, but I'm not sure. Anyone find that in the fine print somewhere?

    --
    Wood Shavings!
    - Godai
  195. New design? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Wow... they built a laptop. Congratulations.

    1. Re:New design? by locutus2k · · Score: 1

      I don't see how they can call this a new design. IBM, Gateway, and probably a few other have already sone this. IBMs was by far the most difficult to work with.

  196. GeForce 6600 by DeadBugs · · Score: 1

    While I do think that the GeForce 5200 is a good enough card for an iMac... (Apple does offer a selection of systems that come with more power)

    I hope that soon they will move to the next generation NVIDIA card. Even the baseline 6600 (as opposed to a 6800 Ultra) would give improved performance without a big difference in cost, since the 5200 will start to be replaced by a value NVIDIA 6xxx card.

    Of course this may only be due to the timing of the NVIDIA launch and more Apple systems will use cards based on the 6xxx line when it matures.

    --
    http://www.kubuntu.org/
  197. Not really that exciting design-wise... by CritterNYC · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I think the older iMac is far cooler, in terms of design. It was also very unique. The new G5 iMac is a been-there, done-that design that PC manufacturers have been making for a while now. Like Pelham Sloane started shipping back in January.

    I think part of the appeal of the older iMac was that it was so well-designed and had such a completely unique look. This new one's only real unique look is that it's white with a brushed metal stand. Oooooo.

    It sucks that it isn't height-adjustable anymore, too. That was one thing I really liked about the old one.

  198. apple's one flaw continues by steak · · Score: 3, Insightful

    for the love of christ, steve jobs please put a damn link light on the nics. this has been the one thing that has bothered me about macs. link lights are one of those things that you take for granted until you don't have one, trouble shooting is so much easier with link lights.

    1. Re:apple's one flaw continues by nsayer · · Score: 1
      That's what software's for.
      % ifconfig -au
      [...]
      en0: flags=8863<UP,BROADCAST,SMART,RUNNING,SIMPLEX,MULT ICAST> mtu 1500
      [...]
      media: autoselect (1000baseTX <full-duplex>) status: active
      [...]

      I suppose some enterprising soul could even write a little app to poll the state and display it in the menu bar like the airport rainbow.

    2. Re:apple's one flaw continues by the+pickle · · Score: 1

      Try some software that makes link lights obsolete. Added benefits include not having to contort yourself into a position where you can see behind the operating computer and a fun little gross traffic logging feature.

      p

    3. Re:apple's one flaw continues by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So, when the software doesn't display information is it because the port is dead, the card isn't recognized, or the cable is bad? When the card has link lights, you get a light when the card recognizes that it's connected to a network. (Even if the OS isn't configured to *use* it yet.)

    4. Re:apple's one flaw continues by Macgrrl · · Score: 1

      Um... I just check the link light on the switch - it's a 'link' light, if there's no link at one end there's no link at the other...

      --
      Sara
      Designer, Gamer, Macgrrl in an XP World
    5. Re:apple's one flaw continues by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're not much of a troubleshooter if you need an LED to determine if a link is up/down. What's so hard about typing "ifconfig en0" into the Terminal?

      The keyboard and mouse ports and connectors aren't color-coded, either. Take deep breaths and work slowly, and you'll probably figure out where they go.

    6. Re:apple's one flaw continues by stefanb · · Score: 1
      trouble shooting is so much easier with link lights
      $ while :; do /sbin/ifconfig en0 | grep 'media:.*status:'; sleep 1; done
    7. Re:apple's one flaw continues by steak · · Score: 1

      "You're not much of a troubleshooter if you need an LED to determine if a link is up/down. What's so hard about typing "ifconfig en0" into the Terminal?"

      well because it would be much easier to just plug in the patch cable see a link light and move to the next trouble ticket. its an efficincy thing that and i'm lazy and the less time i spend messing with professor soandso's computer the more time i have to play games in the student work room.

    8. Re:apple's one flaw continues by steak · · Score: 1

      thats pretty assinine, if i wanted to log in to the computer i could just ping something to see if the it was active.

    9. Re:apple's one flaw continues by steak · · Score: 1

      logging in blows goats when all you want to do is make sure you activated the correct jack, thats why god invented link lights. there are a million ways to check for connectivity when logged in most of them much easier then ones you clowns suggested. so basicaly im right and your wrong. macs need link lights, if you don't like link lights dont look at them.

  199. Re:In the UK - own a tuner? You need a licence by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In the UK, the TV licence covers you for possession of any number of TV tuners at a given address. All the above posts that say 'if you don't watch TV you don't need a licence' are wrong, wrong, wrong. The law is extremely clear. It is possession, NOT USE, that incurs the need for a licence. But once you have a licence, you can place as many TV tuners as you like at that address (luckily, since most people have at least two: one in the TV and one in the vide recorder).
    So if the iMac included a tuner, very few people would be affected: 98% of households have a licence already.

    Luckily, few people will risk a 1000ukp fine based on misinformation from the slashdot community. Or will they?

  200. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by Neophytus · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Absolutely. There's big money to be made from print quality images.

  201. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by NatasRevol · · Score: 1

    Lower corners

    These look like speakers, but not sure...

    Internal speakers

    But a good though!

    --
    There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
  202. As someone who doesn't use a MAC by essreenim · · Score: 2, Insightful

    ..its looks like a damn nice piece of hardware.
    It is exactly what I would reccomend for the person who has:

    A)some money.
    B)taste.
    C)no interest in games.
    D)only multimedia / mail /office needs.
    E)no interest in spending time on maintenance.

    1. Re:As someone who doesn't use a MAC by Foamy · · Score: 1

      That's me and I'm thinking of getting the 20" model.

      I think most people who read Slashdot, and have a propensity to post in online forums in general, forget that the vast majority of the PC using populus could not care less about playing Doom3, or the hardcore game du jour. If the damn thing can play Solitaire and Minesweeper it is good for about 90% of users. If it can play Majhongg it is good for an additional 5%. For those 95% of us, we just want a machine that allows us to get stuff done efficiently.

    2. Re:As someone who doesn't use a MAC by Skibbering · · Score: 1

      I think most people who read Slashdot, and have a propensity to post in online forums in general, forget that the vast majority of the PC using populus could not care less about playing Doom3, or the hardcore game du jour.

      I'd have to disagree here. The iMac is the machine that's going to be pitched to home users and - in particular - college students; and they're the two core gaming markets.

    3. Re:As someone who doesn't use a MAC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I disagree with you. College and home users that are hardcore gamers (minority) are also power users. These are the kinds of people who should be looking at the pro series machines. The majority of college students and home users do NOT care about the latest games and are the target market for the iMac. It sounds like you are a Powermac type person.

    4. Re:As someone who doesn't use a MAC by david_reese · · Score: 1
      It is exactly what I would reccomend for the person who has:
      A)some money.
      B)taste.
      C)no interest in games.
      D)only multimedia / mail /office needs.
      E)no interest in spending time on maintenance.

      I'm going to have to take exception with your (C) reference. There are TONS of games that are very playable and will work on a mac. Hint: Mame runs fine on OS/X, and there are those who still play starcraft and nethack (two of the most replayable games ever).

      The @ is dead... Long live the @ :-)

    5. Re:As someone who doesn't use a MAC by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And I must disagree here. I work in a tech support center, and most of the calls I get are from home users, aged 25-50, who could care less about games. They want to check their e-mail, surf the net, and type something every now and then. Most computer users don't give a damn about gaming. Maybe they use minesweeper or solitare every now and then, but nothing that would require more than what this new iMac comes with. Hardcore gamers (A minority in the retail pc market) don't buy Dells (No one else should either, but thats MHO) or Apples, they build their own machines to maximize performance.

    6. Re:As someone who doesn't use a MAC by Zhe+Mappel · · Score: 1
      the vast majority of the PC using populus could not care less about playing Doom3, or the hardcore game du jour.

      You, perhaps, but not the "vast majority." Gaming, which has eclipsed Hollywood in revenues, has become the decisive force leading consumer PC hardware development. If your metric were true, we could all go back a couple of generations in hardware and still "get stuff done efficiently."

    7. Re:As someone who doesn't use a MAC by hobbit · · Score: 1

      You sure you don't use a MAC? Ethernet is very widespread these days!

      IT'S Mac, NOT MAC, GODDAMMIT!

      --
      "Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something" - Plato
    8. Re:As someone who doesn't use a MAC by Foamy · · Score: 1

      I would be willing to bet anything that the "vast majority" (let's say 75%) of PCs users have ever played Doom3 or any other high end game.

      If you can show me any statistic demonstrating that even a bare majority of PCs users use Doom3 (or any equivalent) then my point still stands. The new iMac will work perfectly well for the "vast majority" of PC users. And my metric is true. Where I work we have a host of macs that are 2-5 generations old and everybody gets their stuff done efficiently. In fact people still use our old beige boxes just as often as our newer G4 towers.

      Your point re: game driving hardware developement may be true, but that doesn't mean the vast majority of PC user's need those machines.

    9. Re:As someone who doesn't use a MAC by Zhe+Mappel · · Score: 1
      Yes, see, I feel the same way about older tech: it works just fine. My point, which I didn't express very well, was that something other than efficiency goals has driven PC development - and that is gaming.

      If you can show me any statistic demonstrating that even a bare majority of PCs users use Doom3 (or any equivalent) then my point still stands.

      I believe you meant "unless," not "if," right? :-) I'll give you something better than a mere statistic. Here's Apple making the case for me on the iMac page itself:

      That's a 1.6 or 1.8GHz G5 processor, 533 or 600MHz frontside bus, 256MB DDR SDRAM running at 400MHz and NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra with 64MB graphics memory. So you'll be able to play World of Warcraft, Doom III and other fantastic entertainment.

      As you see, Apple knows better than to smirk at Doom 3. But while I think the new iMac has many nice qualities, one of them is not going to be watching a Doom 3 slideshow at 15-20 frames per second on a third-rate video card. :-)

    10. Re:As someone who doesn't use a MAC by Skibbering · · Score: 1

      I disagree with you.

      Damn.. I really should have patented that line..

      College and home users that are hardcore gamers (minority) are also power users. These are the kinds of people who should be looking at the pro series machines. The majority of college students and home users do NOT care about the latest games and are the target market for the iMac.

      I like the way the "hardcore" term keeps getting bandied about to marginalise the gaming market. I'm not just talking about D&D playing, card collecting, 33 still single and living at home Johnny-no-mates hardcore gamers - all the (male) college students I knew played games, at least casually. Even if it wasn't the primary reason for buying a machine, they wouldn't buy a machine that couldn't.

      It sounds like you are a Powermac type person.

      What, professional and exuding power? Or loud and thicker than an iMac?

    11. Re:As someone who doesn't use a MAC by Skibbering · · Score: 1

      And I must disagree here. I work in a tech support center, and most of the calls I get are from home users, aged 25-50, who could care less about games. They want to check their e-mail, surf the net, and type something every now and then. Most computer users don't give a damn about gaming.

      Fair enough, but that sample is just of people who call tech support - I've been a PC/Mac owner/user for about 16 years, and haven't made a single tech support call in that time.

      I don't think it should be that surprising that people less experienced in PC repair/setup/maintenance would be less likely to indulge in games. That still doesn't mean there isn't a lot of gamers out there - they're just not likely to call tech support often. (IMO, of course).

    12. Re:As someone who doesn't use a MAC by nonsuchworks · · Score: 1

      Gaming, which has eclipsed Hollywood in revenues

      I know I'm coming late to this discussion and no one will ever see this post, but I have to reply whenever I see this bit of gaming-industry propaganda thrown around as fact.

      The actual statistic goes something like this: worldwide sales of all games (console as well as PC) has eclipsed the annual domestic box office receipts of Hollywood films. That's not counting foreign box office receipts, rentals, DVD sales, or tv and cable licensing, which collectively provide a great deal of money to the Hollywood studios. Gaming as an industry is nowhere near the financial clout of the movie industry.

  203. Small RAM by ivanjs · · Score: 1

    I'm EASILY cranking on a G4 with "only" 1.5 gigs of ram, doing 3D, motion graphics, animation, flash, photoshop etc. Saying 2 gigs of RAM is a limitation is laughable. ivanjs Art/Design/Music: http://homepage.mac.com/johnselvia/

    1. Re:Small RAM by Roompel · · Score: 1

      And you are so not part of the target group of customers for this product. You should better look at the PowerMac line for your uses.

    2. Re:Small RAM by ivanjs · · Score: 1

      I think you misread my post. I'm saying that 2 gig is ENOUGH for what I do (professional graphics, music and animation), in fact I only have 1.5 gig at work. I'd love to have one of these new imacs to replace my dual 1 gig G4. So I AM part of the target group for this machine. It's better than the machine I have now! ivanjs

  204. It's a G5 -- it's already 64 bit!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    how was life under that rock?

  205. This sucks! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    This is way too expensive. $2000 for the iMac, plus I have to buy MacPC, MS-Windows 3.11, and a 3.5" floppy drive just so I can load up my 40-floppy version of MS-Office 6.0.

    Who are they kidding? I'd rather buy a Dell!

  206. Ok.. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    First reports of overheating in 5.. 4.. 3..

  207. 2-4? try 8+ dead pixels by dmnic · · Score: 2, Informative

    most manufacturers will not replace/repair a LCD unless there are at least 8 dead pixels.

    what manufacturer only requires 2-4 dead pixels?

    1. Re:2-4? try 8+ dead pixels by Godai · · Score: 1

      I forget exactly which ones. I base my assertion on a Tom's Hardware article on LCDs I read about a year ago. I believe there was a manufacturer that had a one-pixel (!) policy, but I can't be certain. I was reading a whole bunch while researching a possible LCD purchase of my own. In the end I decided to wait until the replacement policies of the manufacturers were better, since this would imply that they technology had matured to the point where pixel failure was uncommon.

      Ah! Found the article.

      Jeepers! Upon reading the article (it had been a while) it looks like Apple's pretty damn bad!

      So that may answer my question, unless Apple's changed their tune and has a policy posted somewhere?

      --
      Wood Shavings!
      - Godai
    2. Re:2-4? try 8+ dead pixels by Kev6 · · Score: 1

      Last I heard from an Apple Store employee and a Apple Care rep (separately and over the phone) that the policy, at least for the cinema displays, was one stuck or dead pixel for a replacement.

  208. price projection by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    "Modern living starts at $1299."

    While real computers start at about $299.

    1. Re:price projection by adzoox · · Score: 1

      You are right - computers start at $299 - but I still have my original iMac 233 from 1997. It is a very functional computer and does most everything my G5 2.0Ghz can do - that I do.

      I've added a 466Mhz G4, firewire, extra memory, a faster hard drive and lots of other enhancements.

      A PC from 1997 that was on the low end scale of price - could hardly be upgraded anywhere close to the moderness of this iMac from the same time.

      If I buy a new iMac - you will have spent MORE than me with your $299 PCs within 7 years.

      --
      Yell & scream & rant & rave... it's no use... you need a shaaaave ~ Bugs Bunny
    2. Re:price projection by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure it could. For probably the same price of the G4, extra memory, and faster hard drive, I can get a fully loaded cutting edge _new_ computer and drop it in my existing case.

  209. Use those discounts, people! by ugauaauag · · Score: 1

    Don't forget that you can purchase with a discount through the education store or the gov't employee store (if either apply):

    Education store: Government store:
    $1,199.00 $1,221.00
    17-inch widescreen LCD
    1.6GHz PowerPC G5

    $1,399.00 $1,409.00
    17-inch widescreen LCD
    1.8GHz PowerPC G5

    $1,799.00 $1,785.00
    20-inch widescreen LCD
    1.8GHz PowerPC G5

  210. TV tuner by johnpaul191 · · Score: 1

    if someone really wants a TV tuner (like in a dorm or apartment?) there are a few firewire TV tuners for mac..... including the el gato device that makes youur TV a TiVo-like device.
    honestly a TV tuner card never meant jack to me because my cable company has always required the box for tuning (even in the analog days) and i dont think digital cable tuners really exist yet in machines or as 3rd party devices... right? i know our digital boxes have a mac address that cable guy had to autherize and connect to our account.
    it would seem like a device better left to 3rd party.... or just a line in kinda thing.

    1. Re:TV tuner by drew · · Score: 1

      must depend on your cable provider. i had rcn digital cable at one of my previous apartments in chicago a little over a year ago, and we had 3 tv's hooked up to it. two and a computer, actually. only the tv in the living room went through the cable box. the computer's tv tuner card (homebrew tivo-like device also hooked up to the living room tv) and the tv in my roomrates bedroom were both hooked up directly, and both worked fine with their standard tuner. perhaps if we had any premium channels or wanted pay per view, that would have only worked through the cable box, but for basic cable, even digital cable, i suspect any relatively recently manufactured tuner should work fine (my roomates tv was purchased around summer 2000.)

      --
      If I don't put anything here, will anyone recognize me anymore?
  211. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by DLWormwood · · Score: 1
    Reminds me of the layout of my favourite pizzabox machines - just standing up :)

    o_O Oh, the nostalgia!

    Yes... it is the return of the fabled "pizza box" Mac, isn't it? Of course, the critics didn't want it to still have a display to drive up the price point, though.

    I personally will wait for the first rev. IBM's 90nm process is still too flaky for me to trust the "first generation" of the "third generation" system

    --
    Those who complain about affect & effect on /. should be disemvoweled
  212. 3rd party accessory I'd like: mounting options! by timothy · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I'd like to see various mounting solutions built just for this model.

    Imagine:

    - the 17" as a (passenger-area) movie machine in a car / van / minivan. (And I've seen some installs of much smaller and worse displays that cost more than this one's base model, too, and which couldn't do a lot of things a computer-based system could, like play any formats for which codecs exists, also act as a GPS display, or overqualified MP3 player, etc.)

    - a thin storage spot on the back or side of a desk; when you need the computer, swing it up from there (something like old typewriter table shelves, but not quite as dangerously spring-loaded ;)). When you want uninterrupted surface for writing or organizing, etc, swing the whole computer away.

    - ceiling-attached pole/arm mount that doesn't need a desk surface at all, except perhaps as a place to put a keyboard and mouse. With several mounting spots in a room, and somewhat of a gooseneck, you could move the machine around, adjust the height, etc. Movies in bed without a big cantilevered horizontal surface, a web-cam interface in the kitchen so you can keep an eye on driveway, apt. building entrance, etc.

    - An easel-type floor-mounted stand, turning one into a TV-for-the-evening, an art-gallery display, a temporary 2nd machine next to another one or next to a rack of machines in a data center, a less elaborate movies-in-bed machine, a demo screen for small-group presentations, etc.

    - An octopus cart; there are some smart laptop carts (mostly built for Apple laptops, though I guess there are others for Dells, etc), set up so laptops can be stored in, charged in, and locked up in one rolling cart -- they're basically marketed as portable computing labs. One for G5s might only hold 3 or 4, but in a way that lets people work side by side on their own machines, and later have the whole collection secured in in the deepest keep of the castle. And there could be some slots for iBooks or other laptops, too ;)

    Anyhow. That is a beautiful design -- congratulations, Apple.

    Tim

    --
    jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5
    1. Re:3rd party accessory I'd like: mounting options! by adzoox · · Score: 1

      While I don't like the design of the new iMac as much as the previous one, your perspective put a new understanding of how cool this could actually be BECAUSE of it's design.

      This would make a great car/minvan monitor - and in conjunction with a bluetooth keyboard and bluetooth GPS adapter a real usefultool.

      I hope 3rd parties do follow your suggestions.

      --
      Yell & scream & rant & rave... it's no use... you need a shaaaave ~ Bugs Bunny
    2. Re:3rd party accessory I'd like: mounting options! by calstraycat · · Score: 1

      You mean something like this?

      http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects /A ppleStore.woa/72302/wo/6v6QCHjkLRe72TDatp81JD3IO7V /1.3.0.6.10.3.3.1.15.0

    3. Re:3rd party accessory I'd like: mounting options! by fredmosby · · Score: 2, Informative

      According to this page the new iMac has an optional VESAmount so it can easily be mounted in various configurations.

    4. Re:3rd party accessory I'd like: mounting options! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why the hell can't people make real, clickable urls? No one is going to fucking copy and paste that in a browser and take out the spaces.

      Come on people.. try a bit harder. Don't half-ass everything in life.

  213. In Germany... by davids-world.com · · Score: 1

    In Germany, a TV license is necessary whether you operate the equipment or not, whether you hook up and antenna or not. It's enough to have the device ready.

    Private licenses often cover for more than one machine.
    But I remember that this doesn't apply to businesses.

    I guess there are good reasons for not including a TV card by default. But it would have been a smart move to offer this as a built-in add-on!

  214. way off by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I guess they're both rectangular...

  215. it's rather inconvenient though by Trepidity · · Score: 1

    Multiple mouse buttons are very useful for a few commonly-used actions. Middle-clicking to open a link in a new tab is one I use a lot, and the equivalent command-clicking on a Mac is much less convenient (requires me to set down my cup of coffee and use both hands just to open a simple link). The lack of a scroll wheel is pretty irritating too.

    1. Re:it's rather inconvenient though by dasmegabyte · · Score: 1

      Yes, but this is a non argument. If you want to use a mac, and want middle click to open a link in a new tab, map middle click to COMMAND-Click in System Preferences. In fact I think that's the default -- I map middle click to Expose All, so I dunno...I never have my hands off the keyboard and I sip coffee with my mousing hand, so mapping middle click to Expose All means I don't have to move my left hand away from the "meta zone" in the lower left hand corner to see all my windows.

      The point is, you don't have to kludge things to get them to work with one mouse button, and the path to use more than one is as simple as makes no odds. Simplicity before generality, common things before powerful things...this is how you make a computer good. Programming for the power user and expecting everybody else to catch up is bad design for everybody.

      --
      Hey freaks: now you're ju
  216. Re:Compare to the lowest end dell spec'ed out iden by Christ-on-a-bike · · Score: 2, Interesting
    You forget that you can't buy the Mac without a software license. The capabilities of Linux on x86 also far exceed those of Windows (the comparison with OS X is a matter for flamewars).

    Factor in this difference and an AMD64 workstation may look rather better value. Of course, design junkies would just get the mac anyway. You can't really put a price on chic.

  217. MOD TROLL DOWN by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    he's not only comparing apple to oranges (and in this case the very orange that makes the chips for the apple) but no, Your not thinking about optical drive, FSB, wireless, bluetooth, and countless other features that drive up the price.

    you are a troll.

    1. Re:MOD TROLL DOWN by squiggleslash · · Score: 2, Insightful
      You're the troll, mate. I responded to someone claiming that the $1,299 iMac is, somehow, comparable in price to an "IBM clone".

      If you have a legitimate argument to back that up, let's hear it. However, the fact is I can price similar spec'd real IBMs for less than $1,299, and IBM clones for a few hundred dollars.

      And, yes, as I pointed out earlier, this does include comparable optical drives (indeed, you'd be hard pressed to buy a combo drive right now, your IBM equivalent would most likely have a DVD burner compared to the $1,299 iMac's combo drive). FSB is a performance issue, I'm certain my example PC runs, in practice, at a comparable speed. Neither the IBM nor the iMac includes wireless, but the IBM can be upgraded to support 802.11g for next to nothing, it's $99 for the iMac.

      --
      You are not alone. This is not normal. None of this is normal.
  218. Well, it's true, but... by Moraelin · · Score: 1

    Games are already well past the point where the CPU mattered too much. There used to be a time when the CPU had to both handle the graphics (or at least the T&L part) and plot believable strategies. Nowadays it basically does neither.

    In fact, it does extremely little more than serve as a front-end or IO processor for the GPU. Not only has the GPU taken over the graphics pretty much completely, the games have also been simplified (or dumbed down, if you will) to the point of being little more than 3D tech demos.

    Which brings us to the real point:

    For Doom 3 the graphics card is the bottleneck, period. Followed at a looong distance by the memory bandwidth that the CPU is seeing. (Hence the 1 MB cache Athlon 64 models and the Socket 939 models doing so well.) And CPU speed is pretty much the last factor.

    Any other modern games show the same trend, and fortunately they'll still behave the same when ported to the Mac.

    So basically if you're playing games on a 5200, it doesn't even matter how fast the G5 is. That machine is basically castrated to the point of being useless for anything more graphically intensive than Europa Universalis (a 2D game), even if you put a (non-existent) 3 GHz A64 or G5 in it.

    "I'd say a 2GHz G5 would perform very well with the right video card, on par with at LEAST an Intel 2.4GHz machine with similar RAM and video card."

    A very reasonable observation. Which unfortunately just serves to further hammer the point that the 5200 in that iMac is a joke.

    Noone sane would call a P4 with a 5200 in it a "gaming PC". They might call it "that cheap box I've built for mum and dad to read email on", but definitely not a "gaming PC".

    So basically, I don't know... Apple has a very good chance of making a good gaming machine nowadays. As you've said, with the latest graphics card, it ought to perform pretty much the same as a PC with the same graphics card.

    Except they insist on making some crap with a 5200 in it, and no option to get a real graphics card instead. Oh well...

    --
    A polar bear is a cartesian bear after a coordinate transform.
    1. Re:Well, it's true, but... by daveashcroft · · Score: 1

      Perhaps the lack of option for more powerful graphics card is a result of the design specs. (design spec as in the artistic design as opposed to technological design). Such a lot is packed into such a tight form factor, that you have to wonder about heat dissapation. I would wager money that higher end graphic chipsets were tried, but that their increased performance/heat production was an issue and thus a lower end chipset was chosen.

    2. Re:Well, it's true, but... by Dick+Faze · · Score: 1

      While we're on the subject of things left out, where the hell is FireWire 800? From the company that brought you slot-loading DVD burners, widescreen LCDs and such, it seems odd not to use this not-so-new technology.

    3. Re:Well, it's true, but... by Zhe+Mappel · · Score: 1
      Good surmise. We know that heat problems were a devil to solve in the new iMac, and that's probably not only why it's using a slow-moving, underpowered bargain card--but one that you can't replace, either. Put something hotter in there, and you've really got a pizza box.

      That just underscores why the new iMac's dangling laptop design, while eye-catching for some people, is a case of form over function. Soon enough we'll see if the marketplace has been waiting for this; but it's a little hard to imagine the marketplace has been waiting for a $1300 computer that's castrated in the games dept.

  219. The monitors are different by lxt · · Score: 1

    The 20" display in the iMac is likely to be produced in much larger quantities, and have a higher rate of defects (dead pixels, etc). The 20" cinema display is a high quality LCD, designed for those who need total colour reliability, sharpness etc. The iMac display is designed for home / office users, who are unlikely to have such high demands.

  220. Just install Linux. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So that you need only half the support people.

  221. Re:what about the stand? by ugauaauag · · Score: 1

    If the new iMac is anything like the new Cinema Displays, it will be fine. The new displays are much more stable than they appear to be from just looking at them. They appear to be unstable particularly with respect to side to side movement, but on the contrary, they are remarkably stable.

  222. Graphics card? by otis+wildflower · · Score: 1

    umm, why do they put a piece of garbage in there? The FX 5200 is what, the low end card a gen and a half ago?

    Geez, how about a 5900SE/XT even if you have to clock it a little slow for heat dissipation and sound.. Or a mobile ATI 9800 chipset that DOESN'T SUCK...

    At least make a nicer vidcard an option for phuxake.. Read the tomshardware comparo and weep...

  223. Re:Compare Apples and dells 32 -vs- 64 bit. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wouldn't that Dell be 32bit, the extra $126 gets you a 64bit CPU which looks like pretty good value to me. Now I've just got to sell my G4 iMac to fund my new G5 one.

  224. Powerbook? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't know much about the Apple scene but I'm really liking their new product lines. Does anyone know anything about when the Powerbooks are supposed to be available in G5?

  225. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by EvilTwinSkippy · · Score: 1

    I'm remembering the last time I upgraded the RAM on a first-gen iMac. Nothing like having to pop out the CRT to access the main-board. Fortunately we have an apple-certified repair shop down the street. Sure it can be expensive, but my time isn't exactly cheap either.

    --
    "Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
    --Dr.W.Edwards Deming
  226. heat kills capacitors, and armchair engineering by SuperBanana · · Score: 4, Interesting
    If you think about what a capacitor is, I don't think it is all that thermally sensitive.

    Electrolytic capacitors are very heat sensitive, if you "think about what it is"; it's a liquid-filled device. They're rated for a fixed lifetime, and that lifetime is a certain number of hours at a certain temperature. The "fixed lifetime" bit is why electrolytic capacitors are NEVER milspec-rated; they can't be. Tantalum capacitors are, but they're a)expensive b)take up more space c)expensive d)expensive.

    The original poster you responded to was naive. For example- the capacitors could be high-temperature rated; the case will say so. I forget the ratings but 85 degrees C and 105 degrees C are coming to mind. The hour rating also varies drastically- you can buy some that will last 4-5 times longer than others. You can buy 'overvoltage' capacitors that are rated well above the voltage you'll be using(though they'll be larger). So on, etc. As previously mentioned, they could also be tantalum.

    Furthermore, he/she/it seems to think heat will be a problem off the PSU. No doubt it uses convection, and notice the PSU is at the bottom of the machine, getting the coolest air? my G4 17" PB power supply brick runs fairly cool under normal use- and it has no venting, it's a solid plastic case. In fact, I just found it buried under my jacket on the rug- well insulated- and it's lukewarm. Charging the battery is another matter, but the G5 imac doesn't have one of those.

    So, honestly, I think everyone is not giving Apple a chance on this one and engaging in a lot of slack-jawed armchair engineering. Given the potential for fire and whatnot, I'm sure Apple was very careful about thermal design. What I find more interesting is that none of the photos are real- they're very clearly CG mockups. 3-4 week delivery? Hahah. AHAHAHAHAHAH. AHAHAHAHAHAAH [collapses from heart attack from laughing fit].

    1. Re:heat kills capacitors, and armchair engineering by Kiryat+Malachi · · Score: 4, Informative

      -25 to 70 is commercial spec.
      -40 to 125 is industrial spec.
      -50 to 150 is military spec.

      Some companies/products differ from these (i.e. a lot of power ICs are designed for the 150 max in their industrial version), but those are the general guidelines.

      --

      ---
      Mod me down, you fucking twits. Go ahead. I dare you.
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    2. Re:heat kills capacitors, and armchair engineering by hey! · · Score: 1

      Electrolytic capacitors are very heat sensitive, if you "think about what it is"; it's a liquid-filled device

      Well, sure, if you cook the capacitor, it will fail. That's not what I meant. What I meant is it's not like some semiconductor component that has some kind of thermal runaway failure mode. While clearly subjecting any component to excessive heat will shorten its lifespan, I just don't see these capacitors being a problem for people, unless the PSU heats these things up so high they get too hot to touch.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    3. Re:heat kills capacitors, and armchair engineering by Zixia · · Score: 1

      -25 to 70 is commercial spec.
      -40 to 125 is industrial spec.
      -50 to 150 is military spec.


      Not for operating temperatures it isn't.

      Commercial spec. ranges from 0C to +70C
      Industrial spec. ranges from -40C to +85C
      Military spec. ranges from -55C to +125C

    4. Re:heat kills capacitors, and armchair engineering by Kiryat+Malachi · · Score: 1

      Operating temperatures for industrial are very commonly rated to 125 junction temperature. Milspec is usually rated to 150 junction temperature. Your numbers are sometimes used as air temperature, but air temperature totally ignores any heat effects from the PCB, possible heatsinking, conformal coats, etc.

      Air numbers are nice, but junction numbers are the ones that actually matter.

      --

      ---
      Mod me down, you fucking twits. Go ahead. I dare you.
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    5. Re:heat kills capacitors, and armchair engineering by Zixia · · Score: 1

      Your numbers are sometimes used as air temperature,

      Not just 'sometimes'; they are the standard numbers used on just about every data sheet I have read, and I've worked with component data sheets for over a decade.

      Air numbers are nice, but junction numbers are the ones that actually matter.

      Yes, junction temperatures are more important, but how do you measurethem? Air temperatures are used because they can be measured easily with external thermocouples and don't require any heat transfer calculations, needed to derive the junction temperature.

    6. Re:heat kills capacitors, and armchair engineering by Kiryat+Malachi · · Score: 1

      I've seen a fair number recently that don't bother to include air numbers, or not prominently when I scanned them.

      Generally, I don't do heat calculations; we have people who took thermodynamics do that. However, they all hate using only air temp because its *useless* - air temp affects a component surface-mounted to a flex PCB on a metal rigidizer far differently from a through-hole component with a heat sink. They wind up doing the heat calcs because they know air temp means nothing, and since we work on products that have huge heat issues (automotive powertrain electronics), they don't have the option of just saying "Well, it's inside the air temp spec, must be okay!"

      But to my (limited electrical engineer's) understanding, mostly they use simulation (ICEPAK, I think?) to do the heat transfer calcs, and using the results get junction temps in circuit.

      I've seen components run perfectly fine at a 200C air temp. I've seen them fail (consistently, and I mean fail, not be out of spec) at 50C. I no longer trust air temp specs to give me safe numbers and I make sure I get junction numbers somehow.

      --

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      Mod me down, you fucking twits. Go ahead. I dare you.
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  227. Nut and Bolt by PingPongBoy · · Score: 1

    Top heavy comes to mind. Does the stand come with an optional nut and bolt?

    --
    Know your pads. One time pad: good for cryptography. Two timing pad: where to take your mistress.
    1. Re:Nut and Bolt by Hitchcock_Blonde · · Score: 0

      Obviously, you are not familiar with Apple's excellence in industrial design. You won't need an optional nut and bolt.

      --
      Karma Schmarma
  228. Ugly design by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sorry Apple, the specs may be great but the design is not. Any other flatscreen will look the same...

    The old 'lamp' iMac TFT, now that was a unique and pretty design. It failed because it was too high priced for what is was and - c'mon - 256 MByte RAM is a bad joke for running MacOSX.

    Now you are replacing the design with an ugly inflated iPod on a aluminium mount, pep up the innards a bit and still sell it with 256 MByte memory?

    Sorry Steve... no deal!

  229. Yeah, but... by mrjb · · Score: 1

    ...never mind, it prolly does. I'll have my medicine now. Thank you.

    --
    Visit http://ringbreak.dnd.utwente.nl/~mrjb/growingbettersoftware to download your free copy of the book
  230. Cost-Justifying a Mac Client - it's doable. by daviddennis · · Score: 4, Informative

    Macs have longer active lives than PCs since there is much less built-in obsolescence. I can run MacOS X well on my five-year old iMac or PowerMac.

    If you have a lousy monitor left in a corner the PC is much cheaper than the Mac. But if you want your employees to survive without eyestrain you probably want to fix its lifespan at three years. This means replacing the monitor at the same time as the PC.

    The cost of spyware and virus protection/removal solutions is about $50 per machine, plus $1,000-odd on the server level, plus about $100 per year per machine for roughly one technician hour a year of support.

    Mac ........... $ 1,299
    Visits ......... 1xlifetime = 100
    Lifetime ..... 5 years
    Total ......... $1,399
    Cost/year... $279

    PC ............. $ 600
    Visits ........3 year life x100 = 300 per lifetime of machine
    Spyware+AV Software... $100
    Total ......... $ 1,000

    Cost per year: $333
    If we add a cheap monitor for $100 it goes up to $366. But then you should really compare it to the $799 eMac, not the $1,299 iMac, which would actually increase Apple's advantage.
    if we add a 17" LCD for $500 it goes up to $458.

    Visits may be a gross underestimate. I've seen PCs messed up so badly that it's been cheaper to buy a new PC than to figure out what's wrong.

    This doesn't even include the server-based AV software you should also buy.

    See? The Mac isn't half bad when it comes to a reasonable cost perspective with all costs included. Not to mention that Apple Mail + iCal costs nothing, while Outlook + Exchange are obscenely expensive.

    D

    1. Re:Cost-Justifying a Mac Client - it's doable. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Visits ........3 year life x100 = 300 per lifetime of machine
      Visits may be a gross underestimate.


      You are claiming that PCs require a visit from a technician once every three days? And you are claiming that that may be an underestimate? That is just plain fucking nonsense. You're on more crack than the average /. moderator.

      Not to mention that Apple Mail + iCal costs nothing, while Outlook + Exchange are obscenely expensive.

      In case it's escaped your notice, Windows ships with something called "Outlook Express", which is a free email client/PIM that provides similar features to Apple's Mail.app and iCal.

      Oh, I get it... IHBT, IHL, IWHAND.

    2. Re:Cost-Justifying a Mac Client - it's doable. by daviddennis · · Score: 1

      I would absolutely agree with you, if that was what I said. However, I can't tell for the life of me where you came out with that figure.

      I was projecting a three year lifespan of the machine, and projecting one technician visit a year. That's probably an underestimate.

      Could you explain why anything in my message indicated a visit every three days? I've re-read my message and I just don't see it.

      D

    3. Re:Cost-Justifying a Mac Client - it's doable. by sanityimp · · Score: 1

      You forgot av software for the mac, imovie is a joke compared to the stuff you actually buy for a pc. plus the majority of systems out there come with free antivirus software. oh and mail.app is not that great, neither is ical. but then again you got enterage for macs which costs about the same anyway. also, make sure your comparing apples to apples and not oranges here. the imacs have a stripped down l2 cache i beleive, at least my ibook did. the procs we're talking about are comparable to faster celerons in most imacs, in these g5 ones theyd be comparable to mobile athalon 64s.

      all that said, mac hardware is DAMN sexy, software support just lacks for MacOSX

    4. Re:Cost-Justifying a Mac Client - it's doable. by daviddennis · · Score: 1

      I don't see much point in Mac AV software when I have yet to see a significant virus threat on MacOS X.

      A $600 PC isn't any great shakes either. The G5 on the new iMac should be a bit faster, but to be honest either machine is more than fast enough for any corporate software I'm aware of. The big need for hardware power is with video and the like.

      D

    5. Re:Cost-Justifying a Mac Client - it's doable. by 47Ronin · · Score: 1

      imovie is a joke compared to the stuff you actually buy for a pc

      That's why iMovie and iDVD are FREE while you still have to buy the video suite for the PC? Oh yeah, MS MovieMaker is free and guess what, iMovie is rated better by critics. So while we're talking about payware video suites, try to compare Final Cut Pro HD, DVD Studio Pro, Motion, and Shake to stuff on the PC.

      --
      Those who laugh at you for you having a Mac.. are the people who constantly call you to fix their PC.
    6. Re:Cost-Justifying a Mac Client - it's doable. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Different AC here. It might be the bit where you say
      Visits ........3 year life x100 = 300 per lifetime of machine
      I think what you probably meant to write was
      Visits ........3 year life x$100 = $300 per lifetime of machine
      But what you actually wrote was
      Visits ........3 year life x100 = 300 per lifetime of machine
      which is essentially saying three hundred visits per lifetime of machine. Eg it can be condensed to:
      Visits ........300 per lifetime of machine
      not
      Visits ........$300 per lifetime of machine
      which is probably what you meant to write.
    7. Re:Cost-Justifying a Mac Client - it's doable. by damiam · · Score: 1
      I've seen PCs messed up so badly that it's been cheaper to buy a new PC than to figure out what's wrong.

      Huh? What problems have you seen that aren't fixed by a 30-minute reimaging/reinstall?

      --
      It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.
    8. Re:Cost-Justifying a Mac Client - it's doable. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The problem of installed applications for which I have to dig up the install medium (if I can find it), or download again (if I can find it), or live without.

      Not to mention all the documents and settings that I've generated.

      Which means the "30-minute" reinstall turns into a lot more.

      Yes, I know about backing up--but you can never be sure you haven't backed up some worm or virus, can you?

    9. Re:Cost-Justifying a Mac Client - it's doable. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Obviously someone who has never used the iLife products. Many people are using them for professional work and a few infy films have even won awards at Sundance and other film festivals that were done with iMovie. If you do have money to spend there is Final Cut Express and Final Cut Pro, the latter of which has been used for numerous big budget films. That and also the same "Professional" level apps that are available for PC are on the Mac.

  231. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by EvilTwinSkippy · · Score: 1
    I work at a science museum. When I took over the network we had 5 or 10 that had to be upgraded from the whopping 32MB of ram that came standard.

    I upgraded one before we figured out it was actually cheaper to send the units to an apple-certifed repair center. Disemboweling those things took hours and practically an electrician's certification. The next model did provide a door to access the RAM and ROM slots, but of course that really doesn't help fix the pile of machines you bought already.

    --
    "Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
    --Dr.W.Edwards Deming
  232. Mamma mia... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's a spicy meatball!

  233. Drawbacks? by snStarter · · Score: 1

    Ummm....how many desktop users REALLY add PCI cards to their machines? If they need to then there is the tower design. For a vast majority of users the box has everything they need and it's space efficient.

    Geeky folks like to pull stuff out and play with it but most people just want a computer that WORKS and does its job over the course of its life. They don't need to change graphics cards, modems, and if they need a disk drive they can plug in FireWire or USB2.

    Explain to my why this is bad now...

    1. Re:Drawbacks? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      everyone I know, including my parents...

    2. Re:Drawbacks? by Asic+Eng · · Score: 1
      Well given that this is Slashdot, it's also fair to ask: how many Slashdot users add PCI cards to their machines? Not that I know the answer to this either, but I imagine it's well above the majority.

      but most people just want a computer that WORKS and does its job over the course of its life.

      No, no, no - that's what most people SAY they want. :-) In reality though it won't take long after the owner of a new computer wants it to do more stuff. "This is a nice computer which let's me browse the internet - but I'd also like to write dual-sided DVDs now." "I'd like it to have a TV card." "I'd like it to interface to my camera." "I'd like it to interface to my iPod." (Not that an Apple wouldn't be able to accomodate most of that.)

      People want a machine which just works. They also want the same machine to be upgradeable. I know that this doesn't go together, but people still want both. :-)

  234. Too bad there's no WUXGA option by dara · · Score: 2, Informative

    I'll consider an Apple iMac (or laptop for that matter) when they come out with the same resolution as the 23" Cinema Display (1920x1200, commonly called WUXGA). Then I can watch HDTV natively (there is a stand alone box option for Apple now) and I'll have more pixels for showing digital photos.

    Dara

  235. how do i do that on a laptop? by Trepidity · · Score: 1

    My PowerBook has one mouse button. Unless I am mistaken, there is no way to add a second or third one. Therefore, I have to use command-click to open a link in a new window, when having additional buttons (instead of one unnecessarily gigantic one) would be much more convenient.

    Also, I don't think it counts as power users. Most reasonably intelligent 60-year-olds can figure out two mouse buttons at least, once you explain to them that the left mouse button clicks on things, and the right mouse button brings up context menus, generally speaking.

    1. Re:how do i do that on a laptop? by dasmegabyte · · Score: 1

      It's not a matter of UNDERSTANDING with sufficient explanation. It's a matter of EXPLORING, and the meta system is much better at that. There is no guessing what button will perform what function, which becomes more and more important as programs become increasingly complex and tech support more useless. Good programs go so far as to change the mouse cursor depending on the current meta combination. Take Photoshop for example...ordinarily, you have a tool cursor. Press shift, you get a different cursor. Press ctrl, you get another different cursor, this one telling you it will drop a menu. This makes sense. Expecting a person to guess which mouse button will perform an action does not (though you are correct that if the second button ALWAYS brought up a menu, as it does by default on a mac, it would make more sense).

      Incidentally, if you're having trouble command clicking with one hand on a Powerbook, you must have small hands. The Meta keys are close to the trackpad to facilitate one handed use of this common functionality...use your pink and/or ring finger on the meta and your thumb to click. I do it all the time, so don't try telling me it's a hassle. It's far, far better than most of the PC interfaces I've used.

      --
      Hey freaks: now you're ju
    2. Re:how do i do that on a laptop? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      SideTrack for OS X will let you assign one of 6 different mouse buttons or keystrokes to any/all of the corners of the trackpad. It also does vertical and horizontal scrolling.

      The lower right corner of my trackpad is "right click," I haven't had the need for anything else other than that and the scrolling.

      http://www.ragingmenace.com/software/sidetrack/i nd ex.html

      MenuMeters is cool too, written by the same guy (Alex Harper).

    3. Re:how do i do that on a laptop? by strider_starslayer · · Score: 1

      No offence to you Dasmegabyte, but I think you've lost this bit of mac fandom vs. PC fandom...

      You asserted that the single mouse click causes programs to be easier to use on the mac, because programs written for the mac must keep only one click in mind; this is a sensible argument, to be sure.

      Trepidity however pointed out that the single mouse button takes away functionalty by forcing a person to either use two hands, or make odd stretches across the keyboard; with the most prevalant example being a scrollweel and middle click allowing for one handed web browsing (While sipping coffee or whatever), and that the functionalty of the right click, middel click and scrollweel do not make the mouse an overly complicated device

      Your responce was essentially (and feel free to correct me if I am paraphrasing wrong) 'since people can and do program it different it's a guessing game as to what those buttons will do', however that's bad programming, and someone could program something equally awful on a mac, as I have seen (*cough* HP drivers/software *cough cough*); so the statement still stands that- multiple mouse buttons makes things easier: Bad programmers are bad programmers, and nothing can fix that; and it stands to reason you'll see more bad programmers in the windows/linux world then in the mac world- because there are more programmers in those worlds (and many many more amature programmers)

      Furthermore making fun of the size of Trepidity's hands is hardly a way to win an argument, just because you have no problems doing something, dose not mean that others will not encounter problems. Also- are you going to say that reaching your pinky finger to a function key, then clicking is easier then simply pressing the middel mouse button (or right mouse button) on a three button mouse? I find that hard to believe, for me I know it is not the case.

      --
      -Millions of Monkeys, Millions of typewriters, 6 hours of sorting through faeces encrusted pages to find: This post
    4. Re:how do i do that on a laptop? by SlamMan · · Score: 1

      As someone who does tech support, you'd be amazed how little people use the right mouse button.

      --
      Mod point free since 2001
    5. Re:how do i do that on a laptop? by plastik55 · · Score: 1

      I'll bet dollars to doughnuts that if you timed users on regular tasks such as opening tabs, that there would be no substantial difference between command-click and a second trackpad button.

      Personally I find command-clicking more convenient. My hand naturally rests with the index finger on the pad and thumb on the left half of the button. Moving the thumb to the right half of the button is an uncomfortable position, and that movement takes just as much time as pressing the cmd key with my other hand would.

      On a laptop the keyboard is right next to the pad anyway. Think of your powerbook as having an 89-button trackpad if it helps. Also, I believe you can use a utility like uControl to map keys directly to mouseclicks if you must have single-button action.

      --

      I have a positive modifier on Troll. When I mod someone Troll their karma should go UP!

  236. [OT] weak video card by Christ-on-a-bike · · Score: 1

    Really? Holy crap. I've got the same kit and I get less than half the FPS you do. What is this tweaking you're talking about?

    1. Re:[OT] weak video card by Yosho · · Score: 1

      Here's a web page that has soom good tweaking information:
      http://www.viperlair.com/articles/howto/software/t weakd3/
      And another page that has a list of recommended settings based on how much RAM your card has:
      http://ucguides.savagehelp.com/Doom3/FPSVisuals.ht m

      In particular, for some reason the game initially detected my card as having 64 MB of RAM, but I have 128 -- I noticed a huge improvement after manually setting the appropriate values for 128 MB. Sometimes messing with the options in the video menu will reset the values, though, so make sure to make a backup of your config file after you've got it working nicely.

      --
      Karma: Terrifying (mostly affected by atrocities you've committed)
    2. Re:[OT] weak video card by Yosho · · Score: 1

      some good tweaking information, too. That'll teach me to read more carefully when I use the preview option. :-p

      --
      Karma: Terrifying (mostly affected by atrocities you've committed)
  237. Simple Request... by CaptainPinko · · Score: 1

    While I'm sure no one will read this anyway here it goes: I see a lot of people that make unreasonable requests that show that they have obviously missed the point somewhere along but there is one thing I think they could and should include. It would be nice if they put one or two PCMCIA slots on the thing. It wouldn't add too much to the size of it and it would give some expandibility without eating into the PowerMac's market I think. It would also be something to throw in the faces one of the most common complaints. It may eat into there blue-tooth and wireless module sales though.

    I'm also moderately surprised --though I think it's no big deal-- that they only support 5.1 surround sound when Intel's new motherboards and laptops will support 7.1. I mean functionally it's not that big a difference considering how many people are willing to shell out for top-notch computer speakers but I'd think it be a source of pride for Apple.

    --
    Your CPU is not doing anything else, at least do something.
  238. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by Kiryat+Malachi · · Score: 1

    I would have liked it if they had made a 'pizza box' with a flat metal front faceplate with a socket right in the middle that carried the power and video connectors for directly mounting a seperate LCD screen. It'd make it easier to replace/upgradeable, without completely ruining the all-in-one visual design (you'd wind up with a seam around the edge, but not bad). Essentially, make the system into an LCD dock.

    So you have piece A ('pizza box', the system, with a front-facing socket) and piece B (LCD with connector specially designed to jack into the socket on the pizza box). Allow people to buy them seperately and I can envision scenarios like many pizzas, one monitor which you move from place to place as you move, or many monitors and one pizza, which you can carry from work to home almost like a laptop minus the battery.

    I don't know. I'm just rambling.

    --

    ---
    Mod me down, you fucking twits. Go ahead. I dare you.
    (I read with sigs off.)
  239. Shoulda bought one 10 minutes ago by karlandtanya · · Score: 2, Informative

    10 minutes ago, I generated (and printed!!!) a web order (order # W9259055, which has mysteriously disappeared), consisting of:

    iMac 1.6GHz w/ 17" TFT
    1GB DDR400 SDRAM - 2 DIMMs
    Combo Drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW)
    Accessory kit
    Bluetooth Module + Apple Wireless Keyboard & Mouse + Mac OS X - U.S. English
    Power Supply
    250GB Serial ATA drive

    For $1,823.00 (all of that stuff)

    Also, on that order appears Quicken 2005 for Mac at $69.95.

    When I went back to check on my saved order, it was gone. Re-Generating the identical order, my wife's new apple now costs $2483.00.

    W9259862
    iMac 1.6GHz w/17" TFT Z094 1 $2,483.00 $2,483.00
    1GB DDR400 SDRAM - 2 DIMMs 065-4715

    Combo Drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW) 065-4704

    Accessory kit 065-4695

    Bluetooth Module + Apple Wireless Keyboard & Mouse + Mac OS X - U.S. English 065-4721

    Power Supply 065-5255

    250GB Serial ATA drive 065-4720

    That's $660 in about 10 minutes.
    I planned on getting it for her birthday next year...
    At this rate, it will cost:
    $34,715,183.

    --
    "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, it doesn't go away." - Philip K. Dick
    1. Re:Shoulda bought one 10 minutes ago by karlandtanya · · Score: 1

      Note:
      Apple lets you dummy up orders and save them for later.

      I did not actually place the order.

      So, all you /.ers that are thinking "UNFAIR...lawsuit...lawsuit...), relax.

      It seems Apple made a mistake; shit happens, folks.

      It would be nice, though, if they publicly owned up to it, instead of just "disappearing" the old prices & pretending they never happened.

      So, to the apple marketing folks cruising the geek blogs & forums to see the response to your product rollout (we know you're listening):

      Fess up, boys. Frankness and openness go a long way among geeks.

      --
      "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, it doesn't go away." - Philip K. Dick
    2. Re:Shoulda bought one 10 minutes ago by karlandtanya · · Score: 3, Informative

      Well, it seems there's been ANOTHER price change...

      17-inch:1.6GHz $1,299.00
      17-inch:1.8GHz $1,499.00
      20-inch:1.8GHz $1,899.00

      (back to what it was)

      My saved order W9259055 is back...and my saved order W9259862 is now gone...

      Yeah, I've got printouts of both "Choose you iMac G5" prices in front of me right now.

      What will the price be in the next 10 minutes?

      Hmmm...I wonder if there's folks day trading iMac futures?

      --
      "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, it doesn't go away." - Philip K. Dick
  240. I disagree that locking down windows will work by saha · · Score: 4, Informative
    Besides, Apple could not get enough g5's to supply even 15% of the total corp market

    I agree with you with this point. Apple historically has always been behind on the supply side. They never seem to be able to estimate demand or scale up when well when it rises, resulting in delayed orders. Its a shame.

    No, you just need to lock down the config tight enough so that can't happen

    We have an entire team of guys at our college that specialize in one and only thing. Windows PCs. Yet, they have trouble locking down the computer because Windows and Windows programmers have picked up alot of bad habits over the years. Allowing Limited Userby default to even write to the root of the C:\ drive, the root of Program Files, last but not least the root of the Windows directory. Even after locking down most things. Our computers where hit by NetSky.

    Here is a short example C:\Program Files\Common Files\McNeel Shared\Teen Porn 16.jpg.pif has been deleted. C:\Program Files\Common Files\McNeel Shared\Virii Sourcecode.scr Found the W32/Netsky.c@MM virus !!! C:\Program Files\Common Files\McNeel Shared\Virii Sourcecode.scr has been deleted. C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Best Matrix Screensaver.scr Found the W32/Netsky.c@MM virus !!! C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Best Matrix Screensaver.scr has been deleted. C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\CDO\Best Matrix Screensaver.scr Found the W32/Netsky.c@MM virus !!! C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\CDO\Best Matrix Screensaver.scr has been deleted. C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\CDO\Dark Angels.pif

    It just goes to show that the Windows OS is inherited from a single user system, and doesn't think about where and how a user can install malware and virii ..etc throughout the system, infecting other users. We've been using Unix and now Linux for the last 20 years and I've never as many problems on Windows on other platforms like Solaris, HP-UX, AIX, Linux and Mac OSX.

  241. Students have to wait to order. by supabeast! · · Score: 1

    Just an FYI for college-nerds, I just checked with the Apple store and students have to wait until 9/15 to get a discounted purchase. On the upside, now I know when I'm getting my new toy ;)

  242. Re:1 Mac == 4 PC's by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    > I can buy 4, THAT'S RIGHT FOUR, PC's for the same price as one iMac.

    Interesting. I just spec'ed a shitty dell with specs comparable to the iMac, and it turned 100$ higher.

  243. BZZT History has already decided by Ars-Fartsica · · Score: 1

    The one button mouse lost. If you have to go to the keyboard to get extra functionality (Apple users do), then its time to buck up and admit that the one button design simply is no longer useful.

  244. Re:Compare to the lowest end dell spec'ed out iden by EvilTwinSkippy · · Score: 1
    Well to be fair, you can't by a Dell workstation without a software license either. And Dell doesn't sell an AMD64 workstation. And even if they sold an AMD64 workstation, Windows can't use most of the advanced features of the chip.

    If running Linux is your concern, you have your choice of Gentoo, Yellow Dog, and Debian for PPC hardware, not to mention NetBSD (which is what makes of the underpinnings of OS X anyway.)

    I just like being able to close the lid on my damn laptop and have it go to sleep and wake reliably when I open it again. Everything else merely requires installing GCC and automake.

    --
    "Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
    --Dr.W.Edwards Deming
  245. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by twenex · · Score: 2, Insightful

    This is a false argument, and clearly from someone who has never used OS X. Why would you have to hire three? Why not one, or one part time since OS X needs so little support? As people migrate over to Mac OS X, you will need less admins. There's your cost savings.

    Perhaps you are a windows admin yourself.... hmmmmmm.

  246. god what a waste. by zaqattack911 · · Score: 1, Insightful

    either create a gaming PC, or a media/office/ PC.

    This in-between shit is no good. And their price point is too high. for 1500 I can build myself a kickass gaming PC that's double the performance of that one. Sure it'll be an ugly tower, but christ.. I can still HIDE a tower.

  247. Speaker placement by metamatic · · Score: 1
    The speakers are mounted on the bottom, so they reflect off the desk, up to the user.

    They clearly haven't seen my desk.

    --
    GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
  248. Re:Oh yeah? Well..(touche) by qqaz · · Score: 1

    All Apple products have at least $150 worth of cuteness built in.

    --
    sup :cool:
  249. Also prevents returns! by Ars-Fartsica · · Score: 1

    If you are sane and want more RAM then you will aos be unable to return the computer as Apple will deem it "custom". So they cut down on returns by crippling the default model.

  250. Apple needs more configurability by saha · · Score: 3, Interesting
    The one thing which doesn't help Apple is that the lack of configuration option severly limits the flexibilty I need to order from their website. I need that flexibilty to configure machines to fit into my department's budget.

    e.g. Our department specs maybe something like this

    1.8 GHz G5 processor

    40 GB harddrive

    CD-RW drive

    512 MB to 1 GB RAM

    3 Year service

    My department doesn't need the secretarial staff to have 80GB drive nor a DVD-R burning SuperDrive. Yet, I'm forced to buy those components if I want the 1.8GHz machine instead of the 1.6GHz. I don't expect Apple to be able to customize like Dell does (penny pinching moves like excluding a $2.41 mouse pad) , but I just feel that I lack the ability to squeeze the most out, by not being able to configure the machines to our needs hampers purchasing sometimes. For administrative and coporate jobs and people who need a basic terminal a 40GB HDD and a CD-RW burner are great. Our users typical need enough processor power, for 3-4 years down the road and enough RAM to run 5-8 concurrent applications as they typically do.

    1. Re:Apple needs more configurability by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you are purchasing machines to be "a basic terminal" why is the 1.8 GHz processor even necessary? You could purchase the 1.6 GHz machine and get the Combo Drive instead of the SuperDrive.

    2. Re:Apple needs more configurability by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      The difference between a 40GB and an 80GB HD is around $30. When you are talking about a computer that is $1299+ you might as well write the 2% down to future proofing. The RAM and 3 year plan are all options, so your only real issue is the Superdrive. But then if you are trying to reduce costs, why do you really need that extra 0.2GHz in speed anyway?

    3. Re:Apple needs more configurability by saha · · Score: 1
      Your points are well taken. From my observations over the past few years being the sys admin for my dept, future OS updates and upgrades to the rest of the productivity apps, tend to need more CPU power and more RAM. However, even with a full loadset of applications and OS (of course), it doesn't go over 5-7 GBs. With the user typically generating a maximum of 5 GBs. I always see computers we own that are 3-4 years old for our administrative and secreatarial to have mostly unused diskspace. There is alot of unused space in most of our computers and sticking in 80 - 160 GB drives and Superdrives is unnecessarily driving up costs. I would rather see more CPU speed and RAM , than disk space, because I know over the 4-5 year life span of that machine 40GB or 60 GB will be more than enough accounting for software to bloat in size. What seems to me a greater issue is the increasing CPU cycles and RAM software has been using lately.

      Speaking for myself on my own laptop with 60GB, I use more diskspace with audio files and digital images than our typical secretarial staff use and my HDD capacity is enough for me. They typically generate Word, Excel, Powerpoint and PDF files and occasionally deal with some images. So their needs are modest for diskspace, but speed and memory are always useful for them.

    4. Re:Apple needs more configurability by IncohereD · · Score: 1

      With the user typically generating a maximum of 5 GBs. I always see computers we own that are 3-4 years old for our administrative and secreatarial to have mostly unused diskspace. There is alot of unused space in most of our computers and sticking in 80 - 160 GB drives and Superdrives is unnecessarily driving up costs.

      The answer to this of course is to find some clever network file system to make use of all that unused disk space. Hell, even a nightly scripted backup of each developer's stuff to an admin machine or something.

    5. Re:Apple needs more configurability by SpamJunkie · · Score: 1

      I have heard that Apple has a corporate sales department. I haven't dealt with them myself, nor can I find contact information on the Apple site. However I am optimistic that you may be able to reach them and get more customization options. My guess would be to call the Apple front desk and get transfered to someone who can help.

      At the very least this kind of attempt will let Apple know what businesses desire. Although it is rare for customer requests to significantly change Apple policy the eMac is one example of this happening.

    6. Re:Apple needs more configurability by Lars+T. · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Why does your secretary need 1.8 GHz instead of 1.6 GHz?

      --

      Lars T.

      To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck

    7. Re:Apple needs more configurability by John_Booty · · Score: 2, Insightful

      My department doesn't need the secretarial staff to have 80GB drive nor a DVD-R burning SuperDrive. Yet, I'm forced to buy those components if I want the 1.8GHz machine instead of the 1.6GHz.

      Yeah. Because there's no way your secretary could get her work done on a 1.6ghz machine. Moving up to 1.8ghz is an absolute necessity because she is absolutely going to wring that last 200mhz of performance out of her workstation.

      Seriously, care to explain your reasoning there?

      --

      OtakuBooty.com: Smart, funny, sexy nerds.
    8. Re:Apple needs more configurability by saha · · Score: 1

      I hope my reply here answers most of your question. I know that a 40 - 60 GB drive will suffice for the next 4-5 yrs, even with software updates to the OS and the increased size of new versions of productivity software. On the other hand future updates of the OS and productivity software will demand more CPU resources and RAM to run. I try to get a better CPU (not the best because of the premium price for the fastest clock speed) and a decent amount of RAM, so they can run several apps at one time comfortably.

    9. Re:Apple needs more configurability by saha · · Score: 1

      Please refer to this link

    10. Re:Apple needs more configurability by John_Booty · · Score: 1

      Oh, right. I totally agree with the idea of future-proofing your specs. Better to spend an extra X hundred dollars now and have thing thing last 4-5 years, instead of having to replace the whole darn thing in two years.

      What I was poking fun at was the notion that 1.8ghz was really going to make a difference over 1.6ghz. At best that's what, a 12% difference in performance or so. But the actual impact on most applications is going to be almost completely negligible.

      I have a 1.8ghz AthlonXP and one running at 2.3ghz, each with a gig of 400mhz RAM, and even as a "power user" (database apps, development environments, etc) it's nearly impossible to tell the difference unless I'm gaming.

      I hate how manufacturers bundle upgraded features like that too, though. I was looking at a VW Passat at one point, but in order to get the upgraded engine, I had to buy the luxury package including leather seats and stuff too. Lame!

      --

      OtakuBooty.com: Smart, funny, sexy nerds.
    11. Re:Apple needs more configurability by Chas · · Score: 1

      It's not about what's required to get the job done.

      It's about having a uniform base platform that will give maximal product life (faster processor) while cutting out true non-essentials (like a relatively expensive DVD burner or an oversized HD in a networked environment).

      --


      Chas - The one, the only.
      THANK GOD!!!
    12. Re:Apple needs more configurability by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 1

      You've brought up some very good points that are not the same as the tired old one button mouse argument.

      I wonder, though, if Apple would be willing to build your configuration if you were going to order in volume? Has anyone ever been able to do this? I think even VA Tec got G5s with video cards for the supercomputer.

      If Apple isn't already doing this, and I suspect they're not, it would be a very good idea to offer more flexibility for customers ordering more than, say, 100 computers at a time.

      Of course, maybe this doesn't come up that often for Apple. =)

      --
      It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
    13. Re:Apple needs more configurability by chunkwhite86 · · Score: 1

      Why does your secretary need 1.8 GHz instead of 1.6 GHz?

      For a REALLY intense game of Solitaire. Either that or for some REALLY intense ebay bidding sessions.

      It's gotta be one of those two because that's all she freaking does for eight hours a day.

      --
      I'd rather be a conservative nutjob than a liberal with no nuts and no job.
    14. Re:Apple needs more configurability by cfuse · · Score: 1
      Why does your secretary need 1.8 GHz instead of 1.6 GHz?

      Because unlike the CEO (who gets the latest and greatest PC on his desk to use as a paper weight whilst he's out playing golf) she actually does use her machine and produces useful output.

    15. Re:Apple needs more configurability by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Macs come with SATA drives. Can you even get SATA drives less than 80 GB much these days?

      After having a quick look around, I found a Maxtor 60GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive for $71.49. The site didn't have an 80 GB Maxtor SATA, but it had an 80 GB Samsung ($72) and an 80 GB WD ($69.25) so your complaint is meaningless.

      If the secretary is generating Word, Excel, Powerpoint and PDF files, then the difference between 1.6 GHz and 1.8 GHz is also meaningless. Remember that CPU speed is but one small factor in workflow speed. HD access and the amount of RAM are also important. The CPU is sitting pretty idle for most common office tasks.

      Unlike Windows transitions, OS X updates haven't resulted in molasses-like behaviour. Apple isn't adding bloated features, they're mostly streamlining the code and making the most of what HW there is to work with. Add RAM.

      Face it, Saha, you have insufficient experience with anything to call yourself a sysadmin, you don't know what current commodity hardware, like hard drives, actually costs and you weren't seriously considering buying a Mac for anyone. Your post was no more than another "OMG WTF ive found a configuration i cant have so Appel is teh suXor".

  251. Design Not Revolutionary by aaron_tx · · Score: 1

    I love Macs, I still use my G4 AGP daily, but this design IS NOT revolutionary. Even before Gateway, I saw intel-based machines at CompUSA that had all of the guts built in to the LCD. It was black, and not as slick looking as the new imac, but it was virtually the same. This is a very useful design, and I would recommend it to a friend, but lets tone down the accolades...

  252. Check anandtech.com by Thinkit4 · · Score: 1

    They had a really good breakdown of CPU versus GPU in Doom 3. The CPU still matters, especially at low resolutions.

    --
    -I am an elective eunuch.
  253. So where can I buy Apple stock? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I need to be a US citizen to use ETrade, bah! This thing is going to rock in Japan.

  254. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by SmittyTheBold · · Score: 1

    How many desks are we talking here? For an organization under 500, I can see getting away with two admins pretty easily - and that's if the Mac admins do other things too.

    I've seen it happen, pre-OS X.

    --
    ± 29 dB
  255. Big Deal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's a 1U, with an integrated LCD screen. I mean, I guess it's a big deal since no one ever integrated them into the same compartment.

    But try upgrading the video card (bwhahahahha!). Or the sound card. Or the network card (this is possible on a 1U, but gigabit ether in a PCI-X slot is gigabit ether in a PCI-X slot).

    Creativity: Check
    Small Footprint: Czech
    A Fuktonne of Cash for What You Get: Check
    Innovation: Well, kind of almost

  256. No Firewire 800 ports by goombah99 · · Score: 1

    Odd but they left off the firewire 800 ports.

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
  257. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by barc0001 · · Score: 1

    Why not one, or one part time
    Oh yeah, a part time tech. What a wonderful idea. Maybe you can take advantage of that iCrashwhenyouwant software to schedule the problems around when the part-timer is in? Or are you only planning on hiring Mac techs who live a 2 minute walk from the office?

    since OS X needs so little support?
    And that's pretty damn funny. Real life case at a place I once worked, there was 40 PCs deployed, and three Macs. Fully a quarter of the support tickets generated for the whole company came from the three Macs. I especially got a kick out of how often the graphics guy would curse that his Mac crashed on him - again! and he lost what he was working on.

  258. thats what the #$&^ i'm talkin about by comet69 · · Score: 1

    that thing is hella sweet.. i'm a straight up PC user.. I have been for years.. the only time I've ever bothered using macs was in High School for yearbook projects and what not..

    honestly, the money you pay for this kind of computer is almost identical to how much a graphic artist, or studio producer would pay for an optimal PC to use for such applications like the Adobe Suite..

    Its worth the money spent.. It looks MUCH cooler than anything I've ever seen.. saves so much space.. and will run those applications like a champ..

    if ya want gaming, then why are you commenting on this thread in the first place?

    --
    - Hi I'm Linus Torvalds and I pronounce Linux, Lih-nix..
  259. Not such a great idea by Gilesx · · Score: 1

    For two reasons -

    1) Remember the spectrum that they combined with a built in cassette player? Remember how when the tape deck failed, you had to bin the whole machine? Oh wait..iPod...battery....replace whole unit.. I think I'm beginning to see a pattern here.

    2) Heat, heat and heat! From the pictures, that case doesn't appear to be particularly well ventilated, and there just can't be the room in there for a decent fan airflow. Pop a half-decent graphics card in there, play highly intensive games, wait a year and a half, and you have a potential fiasco on your hands. No matter how pretty a box looks, I would never buy it if I didn't think it could practically ensure a prelonged period of intensive use.

    --
    Sunday you're Thinking Different, Monday you're a huge tool, paying too much and waiting to think like everyone else.
  260. trouble shooting is so much easier with link lights

    I use Airport Extreme, you INSENSITIVE CLOD!

  261. Facts of life... by Geiger581 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The PC industry tends to have cheap hardware and relatively pricey integral software ($300 for XP Pro non-upgrade, MS Office even more) while Apple, being a singluar source, can subsidize its software development with hardware sales. People scoff at the yearly $150 OSX upgrades, but I can assure you that without $2k starting model towers and pricey iPods, it would be a lot worse.
    I do not own any Apple hardware, but I would love one of the new 30" displays if nVidia or ATI would release a consumer-level PC-based 2xdual link graphics card. (These monitors are one area where they are probably not making off too much like bandits...)

  262. Not too shabby... by nlawalker · · Score: 1
    But it just seems like Apple can't pin down the market they want to target. They're not scalable enough and not cheap enough for the low end and you can do way better than the $1900 for the high end one. A perfect example is the proverbial "mom," who reads her email, surfs the net a little bit, and maybe prints some color pages occasionally. $1300 is too expensive, even with the monitor: she already has a monitor, and you can throw together a pretty, easy to use Linux box for about half the price.

    I love Apple and what they are trying to do, but why must they cower in a corner? Apple insists on telling it's consumers what they should want, but not why they should want it. All Apple has to do to sell their computers is tell people why they should want to buy them, and they know it. People will never get over the fact that they are more expensive than what Dell is trying to sell them today unless Apple says "Hey, we design our hardware and software together because it's more stable and can make you more productive. Now watch as I show you that you can play games and use Microsoft Office files on a Mac..."

    It's just a shame to see a platform purposefully remain "underground" when it could benefit from so much innovation if it was more mainstream.

  263. Don't worry... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... since most of the games you'll be playing on your shiny new iMac are PC ports from a few years ago. ;) These games have low system requirements so the 64 MB should probably be OK for them. ie. Battlefield 1942 (requires 32 MB vid card) just came out for the Mac a few months ago. KOTOR, which isn't even out yet, only requires a 32 MB card.

  264. Speakers, etc. by scruffyMark · · Score: 2, Informative
    Speakers are built in. They're probably pretty nice quality, if not very powerful speakers, so many won't need to use external speakers - not on e.g. a company desktop.

    Networking seems more like the cable you'd have on a company desktop - better performance, cheaper, and way way less security headache than wireless.

    Incidentally, the stand looks like it has a sort of cable holder thing, to make things a little bit neater. And you can of course always get a cable snake thingy if you're plugging in lots of stuff.

    --

    What is the robbing of a bank, compared to the founding of a bank? -- Bertolt Brecht

  265. Just back from Paris, saw it in RL... by Kinniken · · Score: 2, Interesting

    ... and I have to agree. It's far from ugly, but the design does not look as "inspired" as that of the G4 iMac. Very practical (especially regarding the footprint), but not as innovating or attention-catching as its predecessor. The 20" version does look very good though, with the bigger screen making the white part below look quite small.

    What really caught my eyes though are the 30" screens. Two of them side by side makes for a truly impressing sight! Too bad nearly no one can afford them and the G5 to make them run... ;)

    --
    What do you know about World Politic? Find out in this quiz
  266. Should have included DVI *input* by bryan_chow · · Score: 1

    So that when the computer becomes obsolete, you can still use it as a plain old LCD monitor.

    Or plug in your laptop and use it as a monitor.

    1. Re:Should have included DVI *input* by scrod · · Score: 1

      No doubt. And with a KVM switch you could have a dual-computer setup and not waste any extra desk or floor space. I'm still kind of hoping that there might be an internal DVI connector in there somewhere.

  267. Re:No Firewire 800 ports+veritical DVD by goombah99 · · Score: 1
    Also they made the dvd slot veritical. This is interesting because when jobs introduced the last imac he made a big deal about the design. He specifically said the reason the computer was in the base and not in the screen was because they did not want to compromise on the dvd. He specifically said that veritcal mount DVDs aren't as reliable or as fast. what changed?

    I was expecting to see basically this design but with the dvd in the base.

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
  268. Another Illustration of Apple Marketing Genius by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Combining the computer with an LCD screen. What a brilliant stroke in form factor design. The advantages are soooooo obvious.

    1. The old iMac had a lightweight screen that floated almost magically above the computer and was easily adjusted to any angle with the touch of one finger. The new iMac almost returns us to the old days of bulky and immovable CRTs. To adjust your screen you have to move your entire computer. Duh! Like we were asking for that.

    2. The old iMac didn't let you add anything internally, but at least you could discretely add a Firewire drive with out-of-sight cabling. With the new iMac, all cabling will be dangling in the air for all to see and making adjusting the screen an even greater hassle. Now the monitor will go where the cabling wants and not where you or I want. Lean back while listening on headphones and your screen tilts at an odd angle. What a stroke of genius!

    3. Apple's always tended to make computers that get too hot, with the notable exception of the outsized G5 'blimp hanger' desktop. Are those G5s crammed into such a small form factor with limited circulation going to run hot as a toaster? Probably. Look for baked, yellowing white plastic inside a year. Look for the silly folks who bought this Edsel to whine and ask for Apple to fix the problem.

    The pitiful thing is that this product isn't even 'innovative.' Sony already has a computer with a similar form factor and it's not exactly selling like hot cakes, for much the same reasons listed above. If someone wants a screen/computer combo, a laptop makes far more sense. This beast has all the disadvantages of a laptop with none of the advantages.

    At least we can be happy about one thing. They didn't use their flashing lights patent on this one--the Mac for five-year-old boys who never grew up. "It flashes and squawks. It must be good!"

    Yes, I'm sure some of these beasts will sell. Some people are so ga-ga over Apple's designs--good or awful, they'd buy a Mac if it were brown and looked like a pile of cattle poop, flies and all. (Attention Apple design!)

    It's easy to see why, in spite of the best OS on the planet Apple's market share is in the low single digits. Apple makes well-designed laptops and they sell well. But their desktops seemed to be designed by the weirdest characters in Dilbert cartoons. And they sell pitifully and almost in spite of their designs. People buy them because they have to, not because they want to.

    What the public wants in desktops is shown by what they buy in the Windows world--a reasonably priced box (color irrelevant) with modest features but easily customized to suit. What Apple sells is far from that. Buyers are forced to choose between an always slightly weird iMac that can't be upgraded and an overpriced (and currently oversized) desktop with more trendy features (i.e. optical video out) than most of us want, but so poorly designed it can't hold more than two internal and one external drive.

    I'd love to upgrade my aging beige G3. The Windows/Linux world is filled with hardware that would suit. Unfortunately, When it comes to desktops, Apple keeps coming out with dumb stuff like this new iMac. They design computers to win awards from weird magazines rather than give the public what it wants.

    --Mike Perry, Inkling blog , Seattle

    1. Re:Another Illustration of Apple Marketing Genius by Hitchcock_Blonde · · Score: 1, Interesting

      "What the public wants in desktops is shown by what they buy in the Windows world--a reasonably priced box (color irrelevant) with modest features but easily customized to suit." What they want? Or, what they've been told they want and need in order to be "compatible"? I believe you give the buying public way too much credit.

      --
      Karma Schmarma
  269. Nitpicking about the original Mac by PapayaSF · · Score: 1

    Look, Ive used macs since the orignal - that just had 1Mb of ram!

    The first Mac had 128K of RAM:

    http://www.apple-history.com/noframes/body.php?pag e=gallery&model=128k

    --
    Q: What does the "B." in Benoit B. Mandelbrot stand for? A: Benoit B. Mandelbrot
  270. My idea for a killer iMac feature by multiplexo · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Putting a DVI input on the system that would allow you to use this as a standard monitor for an external computer. Now, this might sound insane, but think about it. You have a PC that you still have to use for some tasks, or a PC laptop. You plug your PC into the iMac DVI input and can switch over to the display for it, you've just made it easier for people to transition between Macs and PCs. Sure, you can use Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection for this sort of thing, but not if you're doing anything graphics intensive on the PC. Given the pricing Apple is putting on these systems you could sell the system with the 20 inch monitor as a 20 inch 16:9 monitor for PCs that also runs Macintosh software. OK, I'll go take my medication now.

    --
    cheap labor conservatives - they want to keep you hungry enough to be thankful for minimum wage.
  271. Clarification by scruffyMark · · Score: 1
    The fucking kids couldn't comprehend that it was easier to get things done on this machine

    Do you mean, they couldn't grasp, even when faced with the fact, that it was indeed easier to get stuff done? Or, that they couldn't figure out how it could be easier, not accepting the argument that a quieter computer is an easier computer?

    --

    What is the robbing of a bank, compared to the founding of a bank? -- Bertolt Brecht

    1. Re:Clarification by danieljpost · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I guess both. They weren't considering the possibility that computers were good for accomplishing "work".

      The lack of LEDs and singing fans as indicators of how powerful and nifty a computer was, seemed to confuse them. Even surfing the Net to show them that yes this tiny machine was doing real computing work didn't help my case.

      The client/server model was super-foreign to them as well, being exclusively Windows users all their lives (what I was trying to show them was that we could upgrade the SERVER anytime we wanted, and the thin CLIENTS would last years and years without upgrades), and they lost interest quickly enough that the lesson was gone and we moved on to other things.

      --
      We must drive a sword through any hypothesis that is not strictly necessary.
    2. Re:Clarification by b1t+r0t · · Score: 1

      These are the same kids who probably think larger tailpipes, trunk wings, and yellow paint all make cars go faster. They'd be just as confused if you showed them an electric dragster - very quiet, yet so powerful that they have to be put in their own class because fuel-powered dragsters can't even touch them.

      --

      --
      "Open source is good." - Steve Jobs
      "Open source is evil." - Microsoft
  272. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by arminw · · Score: 1

    Any Windows admin should be able to learn everything that needs to be done to set up Macs in a few days since the Macs are secure out of the box. Windows is much harder to deal with than a Mac, so any admin who is worth his/her pay should have no problems whatsoever.

    --
    All theory is gray
  273. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by mrchaotica · · Score: 1

    Yeah, I realized it had speakers after I read some more -- I should have known better than to assume just because I couldn't see them : (

    --

    "[Regarding the 'cloud,'] ownership was what made America different than Russia." -- Woz

  274. AirPort Extreme Card by Aqua_Geek · · Score: 1

    Is it just me, or does the AirPort Extreme card look different than the regular one. It looks more like an AirPort card (802.11b) to me, but I know the computer has AP Extreme...

    --
    Disclaimer: This comment was generated by a Flock of Trained Microsoft Programmers for Aqua_Geek.
    1. Re:AirPort Extreme Card by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Well, it looks more like an iPod to me. And what's the deal with making it external and having you plug it into a dock? What's the point in that?

      I prefered it when you could install the AirPort card internally. Apple has some explaining to do.

  275. touchscreen alone isn't bad enough... by scruffyMark · · Score: 1

    So you put it in the kitchen - never mind greasy fingerprints, try on cheese-sauce fingerprints for size!

    --

    What is the robbing of a bank, compared to the founding of a bank? -- Bertolt Brecht

  276. You insight in six, seven years old? by AHumbleOpinion · · Score: 1

    The original iMac was basically a laptop wrapped around a tube. The iMacs are always using laptop components rather than desktop components. All that really changes from one design to the next are the cosmetics.

  277. In Sweden by ibib · · Score: 1

    In Sweden you would have to pay a TV-license, which is about 160, since the iMac would include a TV-tuner. Here in Sweden, it is the TV-tuner which require a license, not the action (watching tellie) you want to perform.

    Yes, this makes it mandatory to get a license when you buy a graphics card with TIVO-capabilies. But in contrast to when buying a TV, the retailer don't have to report you to Radiotjänst (Radio Services) who manages the licensing.

  278. Quiet as a Whisper by jafac · · Score: 0, Troll

    Can anyone smell the bait and switch here?

    I bought a dual 2ghz G5 that was supposedly "quiet as a whisper" - and it WAS, when I installed 10.2.

    Except for the beeping and buzzing, which requires the user to disable NAP mode with a special developer tool (that function has been disabled in the latest version of the tool).

    Since I upgraded to 10.3, the fans began running faster, and MUCH louder. It's not as bad as the "wind tunnel" G4 - but it's certainly not Whisper Quiet. And with each OS update, the Fan behavior has changed. Overall, the sound output of this machine could be qualified as "annoying as hell". 99% of the noise comes from the damn fans which can't seem to decide how fast or slow they need to run.

    I'm afraid to install 10.3.5, because some folks tried it, and now their Macs won't sleep. Clean transition to and from sleep is really the main saving grace of this machine now. I really wish that Apple would address this problem in a workable way.

    I sure as hell will not buy a G5 iMac from them, advertised as "whisper quiet" in the hope that it will stay "whisper quiet".

    --

    These are my friends, See how they glisten. See this one shine, how he smiles in the light.
  279. Easy as Dell ? by green+pizza · · Score: 1

    You just do not know how to shop at Dell

    At least Apple doesn't have quite as many layers of price confusion.

    Another option is to build your own PC. If Dell can sell a bundle like that for $700 it's probably possible to go the cheap route on a few of the options and build a similar system for $600. (Or stay at the $700 price point, upgrading a few options or getting a cooler looking case).

    I think I'll keep my desktop PC and my PowerBook G4.

  280. is that an old style airport card i spy ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    top right had corner PCMCIA shaped not the shape of the new extreme cards.

  281. The margins on their monitors must be huge. by calstraycat · · Score: 4, Interesting

    So, let's see. I can get a complete, well-equipped G5 computer with a 20" monitor for $1899. Yet their stand-alone 20" monitor is $1299.

    My first thought was "wow, that means the cost of building the computer part must be less than $600". Then I came to my senses and realized that it really means the stand-alone monitors must have huge profit margins. I've always felt that their monitors were the most overpriced products in their portfolio. I think this proves it.

    No flames, please. I'm a major Mac-head. I just thought the cost difference between the products was revealing.

  282. Liquid cooled iMac G5? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://images.apple.com/imac/images/designopenanim 20040831.gif
    when looking at that picture, It looks as if the G5 processor is approxamately middle left, and I'm guessing a cooling method developed by these guys:
    http://www.cooligy.com/
    right above.

  283. G4 iMacs at the Apple Store POS by danielsfca2 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I used to work in Apple's flagship retail store in San Francisco. All the POS systems ("cash registers," 7 of them) are iMac G4's, about one revision before the last ones. Just from the way the customers behaved when I worked there, I know that if they don't hurry up and replace those with a currently-shipping model, the customers are going to constantly be asking about them and they won't care what kind of processor, they'll be pissed. Some people are just going to still like the 'lampshade' iMacs better and of course my former coworkers are going to have to tell them they're not for sale. Oh man.

    Oh, and the "internet cafe" computers are also G4 iMacs. I also wonder if they're going to replace those. I think there are 16 of them. I think they should, in the interest of not getting people jazzed about a model you no longer sell.

    1. Re:G4 iMacs at the Apple Store POS by firewood · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The fact that the lampshade iMacs went out-of-production while there was still a demand portends a possible collectors market. The price might well go up.

    2. Re:G4 iMacs at the Apple Store POS by YouHaveSnail · · Score: 1

      Of course they'll replace both the point-of-sale and the internet cafe machines. Those machines don't just serve their apparent purpose... they're also advertisements.

    3. Re:G4 iMacs at the Apple Store POS by danielsfca2 · · Score: 1

      I agree that they are ads; we discussed this at the store and this was why they commissioned a custom, Java-based POS system to run on a Mac instead of going with a plain-vanilla NCR or IBM solution, but they were pretty slow to replace floor models when they had revisions. The floor display eMacs when I left in May were still the old eMac. The display PowerBooks were a revision behind. The POS PowerBooks were still Titanium.

      I've been to older, non-flagship Apple Stores where they still have CRT iMacs at POS. I guess we'll see what happens.

  284. So, where's my G5 Powerbook? by leonbev · · Score: 2, Interesting

    If Apple can cram a G5 motherboard and a 17 inch LCD into a case 2 inches thick, they should be able to do something simular packing job with one of their notebooks, no?

    Sure, the battery life probably won't be the greatest in the world, but folks like video editors and Photoshop junkies would probably appreciate having mobile that has the power of a G5.

    So, what's the hold up, Apple? Where's my G5 Powerbook?!?

    1. Re:So, where's my G5 Powerbook? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's still around 2 inches thick, and larger than the powerbook form factor. Heat is still going to be an issue. I'm not sure that a g5 powerbook will happen at this point in time.

  285. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by Ars-Fartsica · · Score: 1
    Why would you have to hire three?

    Assume that one is out of the office, on vacation, sick, or otherwise busy at all times. Then you need two people as the core staff available at all times, which is probably a minimum to get stuff done.

    This has nothing to do with Mac tech support issues - anything in business typically must be staffed for three or more people to cover all contingencies.

  286. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by Ars-Fartsica · · Score: 1

    If you can get away with two, you need three. Periodically people do go on vacation and get sick.

  287. Mod Parent Up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Thank you for understanding units.

  288. Sweet...if only it had a touch screen by Phrogz · · Score: 1

    I'd love to rip off the mount and hang these on the walls of my house as wireless home automatition interface points, full computing points, and gorgeous fluid screensavers drawing from the networked best-photos library when not in use.

    If only they had a touch-screen to make most automation control quick.

    1. Re:Sweet...if only it had a touch screen by Phrogz · · Score: 1

      I suppose bluetooth inside with bluetooth keyboard and mouse might suffice, if attractively and conveniently placed; I'll want them there anyhow for complex tasks beyond the dumb automation device.

    2. Re:Sweet...if only it had a touch screen by phillymjs · · Score: 1

      Apple announced that a VESA mount will be available for the iMac in the near future.

      And it's probably only a matter of time before these guys tackle the new iMac.

      A little large and expensive to just slap on the wall for home automation purposes, though. You're probably better off picking up some sort of small webpad. I bought a couple 3Com Audrey units when TigerDirect was blowing them out, and once hacked they work great as part of an HA system, though they aren't really wall-mountable. I'm still looking for a relatively cheap, thin, wall-mountable webpad.

      ~Philly

  289. what r Dell et al gonna do? by earthstar · · Score: 1

    Hey !
    what will PC makers like dell, acer etc do....? can someone else reverse engineer imac--- i mean open and see whts inside and then make something like that for PC too?is it gonna be possible?
    i think it wud be gr8 to hav a PC like that....to do that...who needs to bring abt the biggest change reqd from the present status...

    1. Re:what r Dell et al gonna do? by ocelotbob · · Score: 1

      It's been available in the pc market for years that's just the first link I've found. Lots of PC makers have made similar products. I just wonder how long it'll take for the maclots to forget that other pc makers have had all in one solutions years before the new imac came out.

      --

      Marxism is the opiate of dumbasses

  290. Update those /. iMac icon! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    are you listening?

  291. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    An admin does not just secure machines... they need to deal with changing problems, software problems and integrating everything so it works togother.

  292. this is the real street knowledge by SethJohnson · · Score: 1


    This is very true. Check eBay for the resell prices of even the dog products that weren't big sellers-- the Apple Cube, for example. You can sell your three-year-old Cube for a quarter of the cost of this new iMac. I don't see anyone getting more than $150 for a three-year-old Dell.
  293. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That is a false statement. Two people are more then sufficient in regards to administering a system. Your assumption of three administrators may be a cause of financial burden for your company ... ha!

    we get it done with 2 admins here just dandy at an ENTERPRISE LEVEL.. now that is two admins for firewalls, two for networking etc.

    deal with it and figure it out, perhaps you need to get dedicated people!

  294. Serial ATA and other higher quality components... by AaronBaker2000 · · Score: 2, Informative

    The new iMac has a Serial ATA hard drive in the $1299 model. If you want that in a Dell, you'll have to pay $1699.

  295. Already started, in a small way by Mark+of+THE+CITY · · Score: 1

    KCSM, south of San Francisco, stopped analog broadcast on channel 60 and is digital-only. The specific reason is they lost their transmitter site lease. It was a forerunner of things to come, though, to see the blue screen of analog death they had for a week or so...

    --
    The clearance system sounds logical. It is not. It is completely arbitrary. -- John Bolton
  296. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by pjt48108 · · Score: 1

    You say, "at a place I once worked," but fail to say when that was or what the circumstances were. In my experience, Macs rend to get short shrift re.: tech support. Usually this took the form of "It's a Mac, we don't understand them, and we need to appease those who want to use them, so there are the two Macs--Enjoy!"

    I don't see how, especially with OSX, you would get many support requests. You must have worked in a true Wintel house where people hated/were scared of Macs!

    --
    Mmmmmm... Bold, yet refreshing!
  297. Glad G5 iMac is out as next is the G5 Powerbook! by Llama_STi · · Score: 1

    The only reason this release is good is so that we can all move along to what we're REALLY waiting for - the G5 Powerbook! nothing to see here, move along... :D

  298. Doom 3? Forget about it on this thing by Zhe+Mappel · · Score: 1
    So they come out with this model which will play games pretty well, especially the ones currently available for the Mac and even future games like Doom 3.

    Now, playing Doom 3 well is hardly the entire measure of a computer, so I don't want to bash the new iMac. It has its charms. I might be recommending it to a 65 year-old who I know needs new a machine for digital photography, but we'll have to see first if it is sufficiently adjustable and comfortable for viewing; he might be better served, actually, by the last generation iMac.

    But Doom 3? Please. The FX5200 is a value card, sold for ~$50 retail. That's a shocking choice for a $1300 luxury computer--you'd expect to find it in, say, a $600 generic box. It simply does not have sufficient pixel pipelines nor video RAM (Apple has seen fit to use the "cheap seats" version with only 64 mb).

    On a P4 3ghz, the underachieving FX5200 gets a whopping 20 fps in Doom 3 at the lowest possible quality settings (640x480, all effects turned off). TweakPC, in Germany, has a useful chart showing where the card falls in comparison to modern video cards: 25th place..

  299. Re: MOD UP!! BEST LUSER WAR OF ALL TIME! by Llama_STi · · Score: 1

    Not sure why this was at -1?!! This is the best Luser vs. Luser I've ever seen!! Anti-linux apple luser pitted against an equally troll-skilled adversary in the form of an anti-apple linux luser! Amazing battle of the superpowers!!! :D

  300. Enchanting? by PorscheDriver · · Score: 1
    LOL! I love this bit...

    "dwells inside the enchanting display"
    Sounds like the enchanted forest, where the pixies and leprachauns are hangin' wi' da bredrin.
    --
    "This is your life, and it's ending one second at a time."
  301. MPEG2 hardware encoder in the video card by acomj · · Score: 1

    In the next OS X apple is working on an API that will send alot of comutationaly complex stuff to the video card. They showed a demo applying filters to video in real time (edge detection etc...) at the last keynote.

    I think this is the solution apple is looking at, not just having speciallized mpeg2 hardware

    1. Re:MPEG2 hardware encoder in the video card by swb · · Score: 1

      From previous Slashdots about GPU processing, I get the impression that GPUs are limited in what they can do (primarily matrix transforms and shading).

      I can't find too many good GPU references that talk about their use for non-3D gaming purposes, but a page hit at NVidia for the 6 series GPUs indicates that video encoding is purpose-added feature. Their pages lack a lot of other detail about the throughput capabilities or even the availability of software that can use the GPU's engine for accelerating MPEG2 encodes.

      Anyway, this leads me to believe that as a solution path, GPU-based MPEG2 encoding leaves something to be desired. Either you need a specific, top-of-the-line GPU (ie, GeForce 6x00) or you could expect little acceleration due to limitations in older iterations of GPUs.

      It's probably the right path to take for future machines, but considering GeForce's specifically able to encoding in the GPU are $600, it sounds like a better idea to buy a Matrox RTX100 and get a bunch of other video encoding features.

  302. Remember G5 is in PS 3 and XBox 2 by Sulka · · Score: 1

    I'm optimistic about getting extremely optimized game libraries to Mac OS in near future. Practically all game development companies will be shipping games for PS 3 and XBox 2, both of which contain a modified version of G5. When you get the new high-end iMac, you're buying something very close to the current XBox 2 development reference platform!

    So getting the optimized game libraries and developers who know how to develop games for G5 should only be a matter of time. Major coolness!

    --
    "Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid, it is true that most stupid people are conservative."
  303. Re: Cube box is neat but overpackaged by Llama_STi · · Score: 1

    yes, that moment does exist. just last night I "opened" a preopened iPod box and thought it was pretty neat. just wish it wasn't so overpackaged as now I have to tear apart the box just to recycle it.

  304. It's funny.... by aldeng · · Score: 1

    Does anyone remember the TV commercials when the last generation of iMacs came out that compared the range of screen motion of an iMac and the Dell equivaltent? Basically, they were doging on the Dells for not being all flexible and poseable, but now they have gone with what appears to me to be pretty much the same design. Am I off my rocker, or has Apple reversed the typical cycle of innovation and repication?

  305. On average, 0.2 by Matthias+Wiesmann · · Score: 1
    Actually, I don't think it is a drawback for the market the iMac is aimed at. In this case, the lack of upgradability is indeed not a problem. My mother has one (G3) iMac, and had monoblocs Macintoshes before (my trusty old SE/30 and a classic before). So I understand this approach and thing it is reasonable.

    On the other hand, to play the devil's advocate, I suspect that for people, it is a drawback, no that they will really need the extension features, but because they might. This includes of course many in the /. crowd, but also some 'semi-technical people', who might want to keep one open option.

    You don't need a internal extension now, but what about tomorrow? The real question is, will the 'next big thing (tm)' be usable using a firewire or an USB 2.0 connection (and if yes will this be convenient / expensive).

    You might argue that FW has enough bandwidth to handle anything you can connect to a simple PCI connector, and you would be right. You could also argue that there is no 'next big thing' that would connect via PCI to the machine. I would agree, the next big thing is probably going to have its own processor and have an ethernet connector, but if you look in the past, all the external interfaces could mostly be added to machines using internal connectors:

    • SCSI
    • Ethernet
    • SCSI 2
    • USB
    • Fast Ethernet
    • Firewire
    • USB 2.0
    • Gigabit ethernet
    • Firewire 2
    Notice a pattern?

    The second factor is convenience. You can add a serial port to a Mac via an USB dongle. You can add a memory stick card reader using USB. This is nice but means cables, lots of cables. Between an PCI USB card and an USB hub, there is little difference in price, but one is compact and does not need a power supply.

    If you look at single block Macintoshes, many had a single extension slot:

    • the SE line (my SE/30 had an ethernet card).
    • the SI
    • the LC line
    • the pizza box PPCs (6xxx)
    • the one in all PPCs (5xxx)
    • 20th anniversary machine
    All I wanted to say is that I feel, for many, extension slots are not so much a direct need than an insurance against future change. To a large extent, I agree that this is irrational, but on the other hand there are many irrational things about computers that decide if we will or not buy them.
  306. Non-Tablet Tablet? by Gooba42 · · Score: 1

    So everyone is all amped up about a non-portable tablet computer?

    --
    I just found out there's no such thing as the real world. It's just a lie you've got to rise above. - John Mayer
  307. I hate to say it. by eadint · · Score: 1
    This is nice but i think Apple really missed the mark. Hey apple whats wrong with your thinking. I want a G5 box thats at or below 1K i want to use my own monitor and keyboard. why is that soooo hard for apple. i guess after the failure of their cube they gave up on a low priced boxen for the masses. if you want to win the /. crowd over. offer a
    1. 1.8 Ghz G5
    2. 1Gb
    3. 800Mhz FSB
    4. 160Gb HD
    5. NO MONITOR
    at 900.00$ if you did that then you would be backlogged for the next year with orders. But i dont think Jobs believes in that. The fact is that OSX is unix that is easy to use. it beat the shit out of SUN in price and usability. they gay posters and winners are just 12 year old script kiddies who couldnt afford a decent computer to begin with.
    1. Re:I hate to say it. by Morky · · Score: 1

      I agree. The problem is the cube wasn't a low-priced box. Wasn't it like $1,700? I agree that a $800 headless box with these specs would sell like hotcakes before the low-carb craze.

  308. Not the 'headless box' that some wanted... by payndz · · Score: 1

    ...but a 'boxless head'. This is why I love Apple's stuff. No matter how many steps ahead you think, they've already run past and taken all the breadcrumbs!

    --
    You must think in Russian.
    1. Re:Not the 'headless box' that some wanted... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Never mind that there have been a half dozen of these exact same designs done for the PC over the last 5 years. But now that Apple has done it I suppose it's "INNOVATIVE!"

  309. Uh... no? by solios · · Score: 1

    The entry-level G5 is cheaper than the original iMac was when it was introduced (at 2k$ or 2200, I forget which) in 1998.

    Macs have been getting cheaper. If anything, it's Apple's raging hardon for flat panels that's keeping the prices up.

  310. just too expensive by vaporland · · Score: 1, Insightful

    sorry, as a lifelong mac user (well, since 1984) i am disappointed. why not release a LCD-free imac in the same form factor for $499 that I can plug my own monitor into?

    i know apple is not about market share, it's about the "user experience", but until apple gives the unwashed masses a lower price point the mac will remain a boutique item. a recent survey show that a majority of people looking to purchase a new computer were interested in buying a mac - until sticker shock set in.

    apple simply must address the lower end of the consumer market if they are going to play in that space . . .

    --
    Ask Me About... The 80's!
    1. Re:just too expensive by vaporland · · Score: 2, Interesting

      sorry, i've been buying apple gear for myself exclusively for 30 years now (and using all OTHER available platforms during the same time period) so i feel somewhat qualified to comment - they need an entry level computer in the below $1000 (preferably below $700) price range

      i'm not saying they will go out of business or any of the usual doom&gloom nonsense, just that i would love to be able to recommend to more friends and clients an apple based solution in the dell price range, exclusive of performance and quality issues

      i am sure they will sell every 4th gen iMac they can build - too bad their sales volume doesn't allow them the infrastructure to build every iMac they could sell

      --
      Ask Me About... The 80's!
  311. Yes, mod parent up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Good eye...

  312. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hey, if you ever do pick up 3 admins for OS X administration, count me in. I'll spend most of the day playing Battlefield 1942, as will at least one other admin. We'll just arrange a rotation schedule for the one guy who actually has to get work done that day.

    Yep. Mighty fine ship you're maintaining there. Mighty fine.

    BTW, why the hell can't your Windows techs learn something new once in awhile? Are they somehow going to forget how much of a hunk of crap Windows is if they're forced to learn the basics of Un*x?

  313. This is a NOTEBOOK on a stand, doh! by aeoo · · Score: 1

    So, why would I want a notebook on a stand? Why wouldn't I want a regular notebook?

    Sure, this thing may be a bit larger, like a desknote, but come on. What's the point?

    1. Re:This is a NOTEBOOK on a stand, doh! by slim-t · · Score: 1
      So, why would I want a notebook on a stand? Why wouldn't I want a regular notebook?

      Most people don't want to go anywhere with they're computer. I'm not one of those people, I've got a notebook - but I wouldn't mind being able to hang it on a stand.

      I'm just wondering when they'll put a battery inside and move the power supply outside like the notebooks so you could use this thing completely wirelessly and haul it wherever you want Include a touch/stylus screen..

      And where's the Bluetooth iPod (or iPod dock)?

  314. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by kaltekar · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Of these support calls how many were "how do I change my wall paper", "Where is 'My Computer'", "How do I make a short cut", "I can't eject the cdrom", and other such requests that would normaly come from a person that has used nothing but MicroCrap there whole computing life. I work for a school district with 75% mac, we have 2 admins, one for our legacy OS 9 stuff and the other for OSX, we have two full time mac repair techs and 2 that that do both pc and mac. We have 16 techs for PC repair and 4 people for the Administration. This is for over 5000 computers total both mac and PC.

    Where is the TCO savings? Lets see 6 people to support 3750 Macs and 20 people to Support 1250 PC's With the average cost of 166k/yr (three admins for 500k/yr) per employee from the Parent post, the cost per unit to support is

    Mac is $265.60 per year
    PC is $2656.00 per year

    Support for the macs is one tenth the cost of the PCs. There is your cost savings. This is based on real numbers of employees and Computers. You do the math and prove me wrong.

    Side note, I started of in PC only support and moved to Mac only. Mac is much easier to learn and to support. Yes Macs crach but a hell of lot less often the PC's do.

    --
    Ahh.. The mind what a wonderful trap!
  315. How do they cool this thing by cscrutinizer · · Score: 1

    Considering all the fans that the destop model has, how do they cool this thing? Since the G5 chip has to be sitting behind the LCD, what does the heat do to the LCD over time?

  316. the color by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I don't like the color. Whats with this angelic white trend? I hate white! Give me something aggressive like chrome, brushed anodized aluminum or ferrari red.

    If i had a girlfriend someday she would not want me to own a white PC. Thats like owning a white Volkswagen Convertible.

    1. Re:the color by TCaM · · Score: 1

      I think that any guy who would buy a computer based on the appearance alone is more likely to have a BOYFRIEND in their future.

  317. Next truly inovative design will be based on this. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Apple took the computer and monitor and combined them in this novel all-in-one design. This is truly a new step forward. Rumor has it that Apple is already designing the next generation of iMac machines using this concept. In the next one they'll go even further and add a keyboard and a trackpad to an all-in-one design that can be opened like the cover to a book. Perhaps they'll even add a battery to make it portable. Apple: truly revolutionary!

  318. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by Bilestoad · · Score: 1

    The Mac may be foolproof but the Mac community produces a better class of fool.

    Hell, I'd like one of these new machines myself, so much less crap on the desk, especially with the bluetooth keyboard. But no way would I buy 500, put them in front of everyone from engineers to MBAs and expect one part-time admin take care of the lot.

  319. This is not a new design at all. by kyoko21 · · Score: 1

    The Japanese who are always demanding less footprint from their electronics already have something that is JUST like this. The technology is already 3 years years old and Apple is just coming out with this now?

    See more about here it here. FMWorld. If you can read Japanese that would be very helpful. The translated site should be here but I think there is something wrong with Babelfish...

  320. No Doom3 for long time.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    1.8ghz, 256mb ram, GeforceFX 5200...

    I guess John Carmark won't be releasing Doom3 for Mac anytime soon...Not with these pathetic system specs.

    One thing I can't stand is when companies release a decent system, but only give the users 256mb ram. Can't even play UT2K4 well with less than 512mb, how do they expect to ever be able to play Doom3?

    1. Re:No Doom3 for long time.... by dmdimon · · Score: 1

      For this price, LCD included, do you really suppose to play DOOM III?
      Throw in 200$ more and you'll get 1 Gb RAM from Kingston, then play.

      And don't be troll

  321. Stolen Design... by TrancePhreak · · Score: 1

    I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but it's designed almost precisely like an old PC design. Everything but the keyboard and mouse were in one unit on those, and they were flat just like this. I last remember seeing them 6 years ago at a CompUSA.

    --

    -]Phreak Out[-
    1. Re:Stolen Design... by TrancePhreak · · Score: 1

      LCD PC
      Client Pro All in One
      RM All-In-One PC

      Seeing these makes it the worst Apple design ever in my opinion.

      --

      -]Phreak Out[-
  322. More marketing BS. by Silverlancer · · Score: 2, Interesting

    "256MB DDR SDRAM running at 400MHz and NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra with 64MB graphics memory. So you'll be able to play Worlds of Warcraft, Doom III and other fantastic entertainment."

    Can anyone say "marketing BS"? Well yeah, it'll run Doom 3... at 640by480 on low details, running at 15FPS! Note that the system requirements of Doom 3 specify 384MB of RAM as the absolute mimimum, and this system has 256MB of RAM.

    I mean, lets take an Apple laptop without a battery, put the screen on the top of the lid, stick it on a stand and make it so the lid does not open, put a 5200U in it and charge £1350! (And then market it to gamers, claiming it'll run Doom 3)

    Its not to say its a bad computer, but it is anything but a gaming or graphics-oriented computer.

    1. Re:More marketing BS. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      DOOM 3 is not out yet for mac.. at least i havn't been able to find it.. Its not sertain that it has the same requrements.

  323. Considering this strange new design... by Zhe+Mappel · · Score: 1
    Pro:
    OS X
    G5
    Size

    Con:
    Weak, outdated, non-replaceable GPU (sigh)
    Loss of telescoping arm

    Style:
    The last iMac was inspired by a sunflower. And this one, by what? Hanging file folders?

    Generally I like spare, modernist industrial design. But from Apple we had come to expect a humanizing influence on the form factor: you know, wit, imagination. Dessicated and stringy, the new iMac looks like a supermodel captured by a taxidermist. Did they really have to drain the last ounce of whismy from the design?

    1. Re:Considering this strange new design... by mh101 · · Score: 1

      Con: Weak, outdated, non-replaceable GPU (sigh)

      yeah, but I assume the type of people who'd be buying this aren't the ones who'd be craving Doom 3 at 1280x1024x32 w/8x FSAA at 100 FPS... :)

      Loss of telescoping arm

      LOL! I loved that aspect of the iLamp, but I think the 'iHangingFileFolder' still looks very cool.

      --
      Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
  324. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    Fully a quarter of the support tickets generated for the whole company came from the three Macs.

    Sorry dude, I was almost believing you until you pulled this whopper out of your ass. If you are going to troll, at least try to make up shit that sounds remotely like the truth.

  325. What a relief. by Angostura · · Score: 1

    I'm SO happy about this design, I knew when the G5 iMac came out I would want one. But luckily I much prefer the design of my G4 iMac. Or, as it is about to become 'The Much sought after G4 iMac', I suspect.

  326. The End of Computer Design **YAY** by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    "Fact of the matter is, processing speed has gotten to the point where computers are 'Fast Enough' for most people and they would rather have a smaller form factor then a quicker computer"

    and this is why the industrial design department doesnt dictate our IT budget. Or more acurately, this demonstrates the sheer ignorance designers have to anything technical at all.



    "In 5 years, laptops are going to have enough CUP and GPU horsepower to satisfy even the most dedicated gamer, 3D and motion picture geeks."

    oh and my brand new year old pc can run a 5 year old game beautifuly.. what the hell are you trying to say? computer power will stagnate AS WELL AS game development?? what kind of a horrible future do you see?



    "Style is never a consideration. What happens to Apple when the form factor of computers get standardized and simplified to a point where there is simply no room for an industrial designer to work with?"

    less pretentious, style concious supermodle computers? more computers that are like a dirty old whore: might not look airbrushed-to-hell "uber" but gets the job done, real professional like.
    im sorry why arent you happy with a beige or black box? who cares what colour your pc is? or do i have to wait fora magazine to tell me beige is back in style before i risk the horrible social ostracisation a beige box would bring....

  327. Have you even switched yet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    because it sounds as if you haven't really used apple products before, not to mention it's usually gamers/artists that need such power (dual 3.0?), notice I didn't say always. Tell me, how is apple's 17" or 20" shorter VERTICALLY than the samsung? The widescreen allows many things that we all use to be set off to the side yet (allowing, for example gkrellm, IM/mail indicators, and so on), which is a great way to have them on screen but still work on a window that is probably still at a standard size (800x600, 1024....), such as when using the web, as many pages are designed with specific sizes in mind. This a big selling point with ANY larger monitor, but using/having extra horizontal space (in apple's "nonstandard way") is damn useful when the world operates on standard pc sizes which usually fill vert/horiz most of the time (i.e. to NOT use the extra space in the margin for such little things is a waste, and to simply buy a bigger monitor seems to be an over the top solution, as the same perspective/proportions would exist, that is it would still be "mostly square"). It's well known that people can't get enough vertical space, and most people don't even use all available horizontal, preferring instead to "maximize"/fullscreen apps, usually leaving a lot of whitespace down the right side of most apps. The 20" apple screen is capable of 1680 x 1050, darn respectable when you consider that it is a full 1.3" shorter !!! The apple display is not only very thin (read the specs, it's 2.2" on the 20" model, less on the 17"), and that's including the guts of the machine. I realize that you (will?) own a powermac, and I am talking about the imac (since that is what the article is about), but I thought it on topic as pimping another $bigexpensivedisplay would be worthless to imac owners as the display comes with it (love or hate the idea, it exists). So I'm still not sure why it seems that you IMPLY that programmers (at least you that is) are less efficient unless than other programmers with more viewable lines (given the same task). I code as well, and I don't see how the loss of only a few lines makes me more or less of a developer. Strange, but we seemed to make it this far in the industry without these things (though I am spoiled now and wouldn't go back for anything), I am guessing you simply posted to let people here know that you code, and you will be doing so with a fast, pretty machine and a large expensive display, then you let us know which $flavorofthemonth monitor programmers SHOULD be using (by implication again, I guess it wasn't enough to say "more lines=less paging through logs/debug sessions). Sorry bout the bite, I guess I'm just tired of seeing so many worthless offtopic posts which add nothing to the real discussion, and merely serve to worsen the S/N ratio here. I suppose I should end on that note. So long pot, kettle out

    1. Re:Have you even switched yet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >Tell me, how is apple's 17" or 20" shorter VERTICALLY than the samsung?

      Umm, you do realize that monitor measurements are diagonal, right? So a wide screen 17" will be shorter vertically than a normal ratio 17". Tough to believe you code when you don't even know simple geometry...

      >So I'm still not sure why [...] you IMPLY [...] programmers [...] are less efficient [removed "unless", didn't make sense] than other programmers with more viewable lines [...].

      Easy. You scroll more with less visible lines. Therefore you spend less time coding.

    2. Re:Have you even switched yet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tough to believe you code when you don't even know simple geometry...

      You obviously don't work for a bank :-(

  328. External Display by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Actually, the one thing that I would love to see is have Apple officially support dual-monitors on the iMac and eMac. As I understand it, the video card supports it, but it has been set to "off" in the parameter RAM and Apple provides no way of turning it on (though others have given instructions).

    Why?

    I think it would help shut up the "I already have a monitor"/headless iMac crowd. Because now they can plug-in their extra monitor to their iMac/eMac and have a dual-monitor system. And when they do this and see how nice Apple displays are (compared with the "free" monitor they got when buying their Dell), they'll understand the advantages even better.

  329. "Cordless Simplicity" by siriuskase · · Score: 1
    From Apple's Website:
    You can trick out your iMac G5 with optional wireless so you only need one cable, for power.
    --
    If you must moderate, please moderate as irrelevent, not something bad, because I'm sure someone will find this interest
  330. Doubles as digital picture frame? by LihTox · · Score: 1

    I was just looking at these digital picture frames (e.g. http://digi-frame.com/) which can hang on a wall and run through a slideshow. The 17" frames at the website I gave run for about $2000; this new iMac would probably work just as well for cheaper.... (Can they be hung on a wall, I wonder? Maybe a little heavy. And you'd have to buy a nice frame to put around it.)

  331. Re:Bull, - how old is your argument? by Slorg · · Score: 1

    Under Mac OS 7, 8, or even 9, the Macs might have been crashing enough to have been frustrating. This is the problem with many anti-Mac arguments, they are out of date, only applying to Macs from several years ago.

    Under OS X, this is deeply unlikely to happen (never say never on Slashdot...). Also, your saying that you 'got a kick' out of the Mac user's frustration clearly shows your personal Wintel bias via a bit of schadenfreude. Looks like you didn't lift a finger to help.

  332. FSB by alernon · · Score: 1

    Anyone else notice the front side bus is slower than on the PMacs? The 1.8Ghz has only a 600Mhz FSB, the 1.8 PMac had a 900Mhz one. Are these some kind of different chip?

  333. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by tupps · · Score: 1

    I thought all the CRT iMacs had a little trap door in their bum that gave you access to the Ram. I know the DV models had this.

    Now hard drive replacements were a major bitch (they lived under the CD drive at the front and there was a fair bit of stuff to pull out before you could get to it.

    --
    Go out and get sailing!
  334. Is it upgradable? by backdoorstudent · · Score: 1

    That is, can one pull out the cpu and/or graphics card, or are they soldered to the board as in in previous imacs/emacs?

  335. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by Chas · · Score: 0, Troll

    Hmm.

    Let me see if I can paraphrase this for you.

    We're a mainly Apple institution. So 3/4 of our machines are Mac. We're very good at supporting Mac. So much so that we can get by with only 6 people total for 3800 machines.

    However, we DO have a small contingent of Windows PCs as well. Which we're not so good at supporting. As such, we need to hire more people to deal with this unfamiliar environment. Also, since we're mainly a Mac house, we haven't really got a clue as to how to hire the proper personnel to take care of our Windows stuff properly. Thus, we hire more people than we actually need on the off chance that at least ONE of them will know how to fix a problem.

    Also, your cost analysis is broken.

    As stated, you're primarily a Mac house. You have fewer PCs than Macs by roughly a factor of three to one. Simply because your employer hired that many people to support the Windows side does not mean you NEED that many people. Nor does it mean that the existing staff couldn't support more than the current amount of systems.

    Translation, you're ignoring your company's buying and usage habits simply to make your point because the numbers seem to say what you want them to.

    --


    Chas - The one, the only.
    THANK GOD!!!
  336. BZZT! WRONG ANSWER! by Chas · · Score: 1

    Failed your networking class didn't you.

    Actual workstations/desktop user systems outnumber actual SERVERS by HOW much?

    Viruses are all about maximum TOTAL penetration into a user-base.

    As such, while servers (with lots of processing power and oodles of bandwidth) are a nice find, it's more preferrable to infect a few hundred less powerful desktop systems, especially if a lot of them are on cable modems or DSL.

    While Apache may be the most prevalent WEB SERVER on the planet, it's residing on one of the smallesr OS installations in the market. And *nix server installs are outnumbered by Windows desktop installs by, what? A factor of fifteen or greater?

    Silly Brand Zealot!

    --


    Chas - The one, the only.
    THANK GOD!!!
  337. Excellent Design for Corporate America ... by tyrione · · Score: 2
    And the general consumer.

    So they cut the bus to 1/3rd the Clock Speed. For the categories it is targeted it won't be noticeable as it would be for a researcher, developer, ecetera.

    The Screen Real Estate is a major improvement. The prior iMac had nothing remotely like the specs of these new screens. The 20 in at 16 x 10 is a major step up for their LCDs that aren't a Cinema Display.

    The fact the high end is just over US $2k and picturing an end consumer with a 160 Gig drive, so on and so forth, the only modification most will make is to bump up the RAM. Big deal. That issue is solved rapidely.

    Add an Air Port Extreme with a Base station in the House and being that it is only 21lbs take it where you want and relax. It's a lot easier to move this desktop system than a PowerMac G5 in one shot.

    This has a less Medical Office look and a more Business Office appearance that will help propel sales into the Enterprise markets.

    1. Re:Excellent Design for Corporate America ... by Anonymous+Freak · · Score: 1

      Actually, these are the exact same two displays the older G4 iMac had. The 17" screen is also the same used in the 17" PowerBook, and the 20" screen is the same as in the 20" Cinema Display.

      --
      Another non-functioning site was "uncertainty.microsoft.com."
      The purpose of that site was not known.
  338. context...please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    so how many were you buying (if it's under 50, I would probably tell you to go to $localcomputerguy), but large corporations are known for working business deals with OTHER large corporations (not some guy pricing online).
    This isn't about you, or your preferences, it's a PURCHASING DECISION, and you need to ASK for a deal before blabbing on Slashdot (of all places) that they won't honor your simple request.
    In other words, have you just called them and asked?
    Then how can you say that apple wouldn't do it?
    Admit it, you can't.

  339. Re:Embarrassed if I ever owned one... by idsofmarch · · Score: 1

    So no laptop huh? Hey you're a CS student, more power to you if you want to build your own Opteron. However, I would argue that the best CS students would be those who not only could build a Wintel machine and run Windows, but those who could effortlessly shift to Linux and OSX as well.

    --
    Anyone who whines about being modded down should be.
  340. More importantly by commodoresloat · · Score: 2, Funny

    Wow!! They made a dell desktop that runs OS X?!?!?!?

    1. Re:More importantly by jimbolaya · · Score: 1

      Oh, uh, yeah, they did, but, um, I forgot the model number.

      --

      There ain't no rules here; we're trying to accomplish something.

  341. Agreed -- Dells do look like a pile of shit... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Aside from Apple's lower power consumption, better CPU architecture and kick-ass OS, they ALWAYS look better. Why is it that x86 boxes always look like they were designed by some 10 year old? And why do they always "feel" cheap? I'm afraid I'm going to break something whenever I touch the case of an x86 box.

  342. Wrong again by PDubNYC · · Score: 1

    1000KB=1MB, not Mb Bytes and bits are different units, slapass

  343. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by SlamMan · · Score: 1

    After doing a couple (so help us we had 12 of those accursed first gen ones), I could have it part, a hard drive pulled or ram upgraded, and back together in 15 minutes. Far longer than it should take, but still not an eternity.

    --
    Mod point free since 2001
  344. The rest of the computer will cost another $1,200 by tenzig_112 · · Score: 1
    Taken from: this story from a decidedly non-reputable source.


    Earlier this year, Apple Computer upset some in its base of true believers when it discontinued the company's popular G4 iMac with no plans to introduce a newer G5 edition. With pressure mounting, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the upcoming release of what he deemed a revolutionary new product in the Apple line: the new G4 iMac monitor, the iMon. The rest of the computer, says Jobs, should be ready by Q2 2005, Q1 2006 at the latest.


    Attendees at this year's MacWorld Paris show were reportedly blown away by the bold rectangular design of the new monitor as well as the clarity of its "No Signal" warning box. "It is a very pretty computer," said OSX fan Rafael Dropier. "I am confident that once I have the computer that goes with it, I will be able to make pretty things as well."


    The on-stage demo of the unit consisted of a dramatic curtain drop, a high-density fog machine, and a battery of retina-burning lasers. As the allergenic cloud subsided, consumers and members of the press stood in awe of the iMon's exquisite screen, blank and lifeless.


    Jobs says that the actual iMac, whenever it does come out, will cost users an additional $1,200.


    The apparent dirty trick played on his own customer base is really part of Jobs' plan to encourage uber-defensive Mac fans to lighten up. "How seriously can you take yourself in an on-line argument over clock-ticks and bus speeds when you have to admit that you paid $1,200 for an undersized LCD monitor that's only compatible with a CPU that won't be out for another year?" asked Jobs. "LOL, prank'd!"


    In Paris, users have been frantic about the new machine. In spite of its blank face, hundreds of convention-goers have promised to surrender to the device once it finally manages to boot up.


    Americans, on the other hand, have not been so open-minded about the new product. At the consumer level, focus groups uncovered a deep distrust of the iMon. "$1,200 for something so small?" asked a retired Sam's Club shopper. "I'm sorry, but that just doesn't sound like a very good value to me."


    Jobs and others wrote off the initial negativity as a lack of sophistication, but in surveys of technology workers, the new iMon fared no better. "Hey, is it gonna cost me another grand to get a proper two-button mouse?" complained one Chicago-based computer consultant. "I mean, how am I going to check properties? And somebody told me that you can't even load Service Pack 2 on it? Forget that noise."


    In spite of the poor response stateside, Jobs continues to stretch his comparison that Apple is the Lexus of computers- if Lexus sold their products without an engine or tires, ran on almond extract, and was completely invisible to most other cars on the road.


    Apple plans to launch a singularly obnoxious advertising campaign in the weeks leading up to the iMon's release. Even US sales flag, Jobs expressed hope that the new product would be popular on the global market, but perhaps not too popular. In keeping with a long-standing company tradition, Apple will lose $25 with each iMon they sell.

  345. Re:BZZT! WRONG ANSWER! by SpamJunkie · · Score: 1

    Weren't around for Code Red, were you?

    That was a very nasty virus that only attacked IIS web servers.

    http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/ve nc /data/codered.worm.html

  346. Are you kidding? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What happens to Apple when the form factor of computers get standardized and simplified to a point where there is simply no room for an industrial designer to work with?

    The "form factor of computers" has long been "standardized" in the sense that nobody really worried too much about what computers looked like. Except Apple, which has been pretty conscious of form since its inception. Apple has probably come up with more original designs than the rest of the industry put together. It seems unlikely that it'll stop anytime soon just because the rest of the industry might finally get around to doing something other than a tower.

    Man, pull yourself together. You call yourself a designer, and yet you opine that there's suddenly no room left for design. Do you think that everybody has the same set of needs? Do you think that everybody wants to be just like everybody else?

    Miniaturization is not the enemy of industrial design. Miniaturization and ID are best friends, college roommates, and drinking buddies. As things stand right now, the form of a computing device has to take such things as physical space requirements, noise, and heat dissipation into account. These things by themselves are obstacles: they don't do anything helpful for the user. As these factors are minimized, a designer gains freedom to use form in other ways.

    Take a deep breath and try a few design exercises. As a designer, what could you do if you could put all the power of a modern desktop machine inside an object the size of an iPod or a mouse? What would you do with a flexible display? How about a display that was 1/16" thick?

    It'll all be okay. There will always be design and a need for designers.

  347. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by keeleysam · · Score: 1

    Yes this is true. I jsut upgraded a first gen iMac over the weekend, and it has the "Bum Tray" in it.

    --
    Nothing for you to see here, Please move along.
  348. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by raju1kabir · · Score: 1
    And that's pretty damn funny. Real life case at a place I once worked, there was 40 PCs deployed, and three Macs. Fully a quarter of the support tickets generated for the whole company came from the three Macs. I especially got a kick out of how often the graphics guy would curse that his Mac crashed on him - again! and he lost what he was working on.

    And was he running OSX? Be honest, now.

    --
    "Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it." -- GBS
  349. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by saha · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Why do you need three admins for a Mac? Why can't you use one fulltime? In fact, why don't you grab two of your current PC guys and train them to use OSX and Apple Remote Desktop? I bet they would become become proficient with in a week's time.

    I'm sorry I don't see your argument or it doesn't hold water. Deploying software on a Mac and maintaining updates and administration on a Mac OSX is far lower than any other computer I've come across. We have a hetrogenous enviroment in our department. Aside from Windows PCs we have SGI Irix, Sun Solaris, HP-UX, Linux and Mac OSX.

  350. aren't you the slow one by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    nobody claimed apple did this first (see hp/compaq, ibm & sony for starters), they're saying they're underwhelmed. By your logic, maybe we should have all just stopped refining the car/computer/tv/etc years ago, as it's all been done already.

    Pretty obtuse worldview ya got there.

  351. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by PDubNYC · · Score: 1

    the 1st gen iMacs you had to undo several screws on the bottom, unplug the monitor cable, and slide the entire logic board out of the machine to access the RAM. The CRT stayed in place, not sure what that post was talking about. It was a bit of a bitch, but after you do a few, it only takes a couple minutes to add RAM. The little trap door was added with the DV models, I believe.

  352. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Please, just goes to show how poor your techs were. I worked at a research hospital were I supported over 2000, yes OVER 2000, macs running OS 8, OS 9 by myself. You know what I spent most my time doing, surfing the internet waiting for a ticket to come in, while the PC guys were swamped with tickets trying to support about 250 systems a piece. Once things went to OS X, they made me run PC calls to help out the PC techs, I spent 95% of the time doing PC work, and probably 4% was helping users with specialized lab equipment and software.

    I know people who support Mac installations just as large part time with no problems. Ask school teachers who have had to deal with IT dorks coming in and forcing them to switch to PCs which they prefer and how much their IT costs went through the roof. Most school that did this went from having someone come out when they had a problem to having to have a IT staff there 5 days a week, all day long.

  353. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Once again, BS. I worked at a research hospital were I supported over 2000, yes OVER 2000, macs running OS 8, OS 9 by myself. You know what I spent most my time doing, surfing the internet waiting for a ticket to come in, while the PC guys were swamped with tickets trying to support about 250 systems a piece. Once things went to OS X, they made me run PC calls to help out the PC techs, I spent 95% of the time doing PC work, and probably 4% was helping users with specialized lab equipment and software. The PC techs were all very competent Windows techs who did keep up with training and certifications, most being real MCSE's not just paper ones.

    I know people who support Mac installations just as large part time with no problems. Ask school teachers who have had to deal with IT dorks coming in and forcing them to switch to PCs which they prefer and how much their IT costs went through the roof. Most school that did this went from having someone come out when they had a problem to having to have a IT staff there 5 days a week, all day long.

  354. Yeeeeaah... by SeaFox · · Score: 1

    Look, Ive used macs since the orignal - that just had 1Mb of ram!

    The original Macintosh had only 128k of RAM. The first Mac one could have one megabyte of RAM in was the Macintosh Plus, which came out two years later.

    I won't try to justify my knowledge of Macs by stating I've been using them since the beginning, my first Mac was a IIsi. But I will point out I seem to know more than you do about your own computer. I'll also point out the iMac is by Apple's own definition a consumer machine, so I'm not shocked the new iMac wasn't built for the "hard core corporate client." A gamer may be a type of consumer, but they are more prosumer, and haven't considered the iMac in the past because the screen nor the graphics card can be upgarded.

    If you're looking for an iMac to satisfy both of these users, you will be looking for a very long time. The two groups are opposites in term of needs.

    Does a corporate user need a high-horsepower graphics card? No.

    Is 5.1 sound important to Powerpoint presentations? No.

    Does a company want systems that just get the job done without being extravagently expensive? Yes.

    Is liquid cooling necessary in the workplace? No.

    Does extra piping for liquid cooling annoy IT guys trying to replace a bad NIC? Yes.

    1. Re:Yeeeeaah... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He didn't say megabyte he said MEGABIT. You stupid ignorant fuck. Go kill yourself.

    2. Re:Yeeeeaah... by SeaFox · · Score: 1

      You're right.

      But I'm only replying to this to use this oppertunity to apologize to the grandparent poster, my words were rash and overly harsh.

      As for the individual so quick with the name-calling this goes back to, who made you the man's bitch?

      People goof up the capitalization of acronyms all the time! How often it is that I see "ram" "rom" "bios" and "mb" (when meaning MegaByte). When I see someone type "m" "b" after a ram figure, I expect it to be in megabytes, as that is the normal unit used for discussing amounts of memory today. I only expect it to be "megabits" when the discussion is highly technical or highly archaic.

      I haven't been on a BBS in about five years, and most people have never used one, so I don't go around talking about my modem speed in charaters per second now do I?

      So anyway, have an unpleasant day if you can find nothing constructive to add to the conversation. The majority of the post was not about historical technical specs but the fact the iMac was built for the market it was intended for.

      I don't complain to Yacht builders that their boats are slower than speedboats and make lousy Navy Clippers.

  355. Estimated shipping time -- 3-4 weeks by MMHere · · Score: 1

    The "Est Ship" column on a completed order page sez -- 3-4 weeks.

    This is for a 20" model configured with double the default RAM (total 512MB) and no additional options.

    Same estimated shipping time if you go with the 20" model and all options set to default.

    So this is a pre-announce then?

  356. Thanks! by timothy · · Score: 1

    Yes, that certainly is a nice chunk of what I'm looking for. Thanks for pointing that out.

    timothy

    --
    jrnl: http://tinyurl.com/c2l8yr / foes: http://tinyurl.com/ckjno5
  357. Re: MOD UP!! BEST LUSER WAR OF ALL TIME! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    windows xp R0X0rs.

  358. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by EvilTwinSkippy · · Score: 1

    I was trying to train college interns on how to do it. And not "handy with a screwdriver" type interns. The "would bleed to death of a sheet metal cut" interns.

    --
    "Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
    --Dr.W.Edwards Deming
  359. Never had to troubleshoot Mac ethernet before but by kiddailey · · Score: 1


    ... here are some apps that might be of assistance (use at your own risk, blahbity blah blah):

    LinkUp
    Puts a little "light" in your menu bar

    or ...

    Skwonk!
    Makes sounds depending upon the types of packets going through. There's even a barnyard sounds pack you can use with it :)

  360. No Gigabit Ethernet by soward · · Score: 1

    From a company that's pushed Gig-E down to the laptops for litereally years...Constraining this unit to 100Mbit will limit it's use in various settings over the next couple of year. Just when desktop gigabit is finally becoming affordable and the idea of fast netboots and installs and moving large video files around and other such activities were becoming possible....

    Otherwise a strong product in terms of design, price, performance, etc.

    --
    John Soward...University of Kentucky
  361. What about that color LED patent? by aaroneous88 · · Score: 1

    I think it looks fantastic, but what about that patent Apple filed for the LED lights in the display housing? Now *that* is what I really wanted to see in the new new iMac. Make the whole bottom lip colored fading into white at the top, or something. It's not like that would be too hard to engineer.

  362. 1.8 GHz iMac G5 equivalent to 2.4 GHz P4 by AHumbleOpinion · · Score: 1

    your full of crap.

    Sorry, no. Let's look at the G5 SPEC score that Apple uses in their ads for the dual G5 2.0 GHz. Slightly behind a Dell dual Xeon 2.4 GHz. Ah, but that's a Xeon not a P4. Well SPEC also shows that a single P4 at 2.4 GHz is slightly ahead of a single Xeon of the same speed. It would be very conservative to say that a single CPU iMac G5 1.8 GHz is equivalent to a 2.4 GHz P4.

    SPECint_rate 2000

    16.9 Apple Dual G5 2.0 GHz

    17.2 Dell 530 Dual Xeon 2.4 GHz
    9.56 Dell 530 Xeon 2.4 GHz

    10.0 Dell WorkStation 340 P4 2.4 GHz

  363. Re: Oh they'll be playing Doom III all right... by Llama_STi · · Score: 1

    on their xbox2's... ;)

  364. Good idea! by Ohreally_factor · · Score: 1

    Maybe something like these and this would help in your lab. Although a BT mouse is a bitch to use once it's been secured this way. =)

    --
    It's not offtopic, dumbass. It's orthogonal.
  365. should be better margin on this by philge · · Score: 1

    This machine looks like it was designed to get prices down. The stand looks like it is much cheaper to make than the previous one. Does it detach turning it into a tablet PC? Might it be possible with this or later models to remove the PSU and put in battery pack? This design has more legs in terms of subsidary models and price reductions later that any Imac so far
    cheers

  366. Perl good, but Mono is a gateway drug by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Btw, your sig is very offensive. Python & Ruby are excellent programming languages.

    Relax. It's just some geek squealing out his silly slogan in an unwieldy manner.

    Damn, I'm actually learning Perl just now, and it almost put me off it to think that someone who liked it would also be involved with that Mono folly.

    Let's suppose that anyone did decide to base their business on a never-quite-there copy of .Net. MS's lawyers flex their pinky muscles and have Mono declared illegal on one of a million counts.

    Mmmm... the best route now for that business is to switch to the genuine .Net. "And I'm not using any of that poor-quality illegal knock-off open source crap again."

    Yay! Go MS!

    It would almost be worth their time to surreptitiously fund Mono for a while...

  367. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by Gilmoure · · Score: 1

    I'm the Mac guy at a small liberal arts college (4 campuses in three counties). We have around 120 Macs (staff, faculty, labs) and just one of me. Installing new Macs is a bit of a pain as I have to drive out to where ever they have to go but once set up, they're no problem.

    In the last year, since upgrading every G3 to G4, I've had only one hard drive fail and two mice stolen. When I took the job, and found out how many Macs they had, I asked the head of IT if he really needed a full time Mac guy. As it is, I feel like the Maytag guy. Oh well, at least I get lots of time to play around with Final Cut and Maya (no, I don't waste my time with webcomics and Fark).

    --
    I drank what? -- Socrates
  368. apple appeal to gamers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    what color is the sky in your world buddy?
    Apple products suck for games, unless you like to play games 2 years after they are released on pc, and pay twice as much for them. Oh, you should also like paying extra for closed, proprietary hardware too..

  369. Did someone say upgrade? by jhesse · · Score: 1
    --

    --
    "I have also mastered pomposity, even if I do say so myself." -Kryten
  370. All iMacs are notebooks w/ differing configuration by AHumbleOpinion · · Score: 1

    The first iMac design was a notebook wrapped around a tube. The second iMac design was a notebook as the base for a stand. The new iMac design is, as you say, a notebook on a stand. They all offer the same advantages a more compact and convenient desktop.

  371. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by geoffspear · · Score: 2, Funny
    Assume that one is out of the office, on vacation, sick, or otherwise busy at all times.

    You probably want to fire that one. Problem solved.

    --
    Don't blame me; I'm never given mod points.
  372. Slogan fight! by jcuervo · · Score: 2, Funny

    Apple: "The Display is the Computer"
    Sun: "The computer is the network"
    Microsoft: ???
    SCO: "Profit!"

    --
    Assume I was drunk when I posted this.
  373. One model without Optical Drive by Illusionmi · · Score: 1

    I'm really suprised that no one has mentioned that there is a 17" model configured with no optical drive at all! Sells for $1,099 (edu pricing)

    1. Re:One model without Optical Drive by mh101 · · Score: 1

      My first thought to your post was "No optical drive? What's the point? Sounds useless."

      But yeah, for schools that would be great since everything would be installed off the LAN. And it would be secure - no installing games from home, or no pirating the school's copy of Office on CDR...

      Or similarly, it would be great for kiosk-type operation, or interactive displays at a science center, etc.

      But just like my initial reaction, your average home user likely wouldn't be wanting this model. :) Still nice that it's available though.

      --
      Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.
  374. Motorola/Freescale, not IBM by WiseWeasel · · Score: 1

    The G4 (74xx) chips are produced by Freescale/Motorola, not IBM. The G4 is just a cooler, and lower frequency chip than the G5s, though hotter than the G3s (75x) produced by IBM.

    --
    "I like systems, their application excepted", George Sand (French)
  375. Um... no. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    I think this iMac is going to be a huge seller this year. They're as powerful as last year's G5 PowerMacs for a thousand dollar price difference.
    The iMacs have buses which are 2/3 the speed of last year's equivalent processor G5 boxen. Will make quite a difference.
  376. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by DAldredge · · Score: 1

    " You may not alter, or modify the Image, in whole or in part, for any reason."

    That mean no color correction or any editing to make it fit the process you are using.

  377. Kensington Slot? by fivespan · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The portability of the new design has caused me some concern. We've gone through a break-in and I don't want to lose the 'easy to move' model.
    I have reviewed the specs but cannot find a 'Kensington Slot" mentioned. Does it have one?

    1. Re:Kensington Slot? by Anonymous+Freak · · Score: 1

      Hrm. I don't see it in the specs, either. But there seems to be one just under the power cord in most of the photos.

      --
      Another non-functioning site was "uncertainty.microsoft.com."
      The purpose of that site was not known.
  378. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We almost did have a standing pizzabox. The "boombox" concept for the original LC:
    http://www.theapplecollection.com/design/macproto/ 010.html
    I could've sworn there was an integrated screen too, but given this was 15 years ago, LCD tech probably wasn't up to par for a sub $1000 color Mac.

  379. 20in iMac - 20in Display = $600 G5 Mac by Johnny+Mozzarella · · Score: 3, Insightful

    20" iMac $1899
    20" CinemaDisplay $1299
    difference $ 600

    This shows that Apple could reintroduce a G5 cube and price it aggresively under $1000.
    Would you buy a Cube if it had the following?
    1.8GHz PowerPC G5
    512K L2 cache
    600MHz frontside bus
    256MB DDR400 SDRAM
    NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra
    64MB DDR video memory
    160GB Serial ATA hard drive
    Slot-load SuperDrive
    Bluetooth
    One empty PCI slot

    Ditch the clear plastics, make Bluetooth standard and sell it without a mouse and keyboard.
    Give customers the option of buying Apple's wired or Bluetooth mice/keyboard or third party peripherals.
    It would be a switcher friendly Mac.

    1. Re:20in iMac - 20in Display = $600 G5 Mac by argent · · Score: 1

      This is the "headless eMac" that people keep asking about. The $600 price is about the same whether you start witht he imac and remove the LCD, or the eMac and remove the CRT. That $600 is the price Apple could profitably sell an "iSlab" or a "cube II".

      It probably won't happen. Steve Jobs has this phobia about "ugly monitors on nice macs". He doesn't want people putting high quality cheap monitors that don't have the "Apple Look" on low end Macs. Which is a damn shame, because they've put some pretty poor monitors on some of these machines... the eMac tube is particularly unpleasant.

  380. Don't mention the new iMac in a non-Mac forum! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Look what happens when someone mentions the new iMac in a non-Mac forum. It's absurd what some people think about Apple:

    http://www4.head-fi.org/forums/showthread.php?t= 84 189

    1. Re:Don't mention the new iMac in a non-Mac forum! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  381. Not even close (was: Uh... no?) by beavis88 · · Score: 1

    The original iMac was $1299.

  382. Izzat true? by garyebickford · · Score: 1

    I have been in Linux land for a long time, but all my old Macs used to be able to use the VGA as a second display. Even the Power Computing Clone did this, even though their manual said it couldn't.

    --
    It's easier to be a result of the past, but more fun to be a cause of the future! http://www.spacefinancegroup.com/
  383. lskdilsk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    sdfesdfsssd

  384. No, *you* don't know how to shop at Dell by RebornData · · Score: 1

    If you want to buy a Dell, call the sales line. Seriously- pick out what you want on the web, drop it in a shopping cart, then get someone on the phone, point them at a cart, and say you need it cheaper. The sales folks have discounts available to them that aren't on the site, and can usually knock another 5% off without working too hard.

    If you're buying a server, the discounts are deeper... the sales folks are very aggressive, and you can often get a better price than their poor resellers can.

    -R

  385. low cost by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Interesting that they went to 17" only. I wish they'd kept a 15" model at $999. This lack of low end is Apple's greatest problem with consumers. With HP and others packaging a computer, monitor and printer for $999, I think a $999 iMac with a nice LCD would make a very nice package for many, considering that you can buy printers for next to free nowadays.

    Isn't that why there's an eMac?

    Perhaps you can convince Jobs to sell an @Mac (or aMac) design with 4:3 LCD in the old iMac box...
    (i->e->a)

  386. HolyShit by superpulpsicle · · Score: 1

    I am not a mac fan, and even I have to admit that's the most insane looking computer I have ever seen in my life.

    1. Re:HolyShit by shufler · · Score: 1

      I agree. Throw in a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and it's the fucking dirtiest crazy shit ever.

      "Where's the computer hiding?" people will ask, thinking you are using your OS X Voodoo. "Perhaps it burned up like your Cube?"

      "HUZZAH!" You shout. "THE COMPUTER IS BUT UNDER THIS ATTROCIOUS BEVEL!"

      Somewhere else in the thread shows internal pics. The components run up behind the screen, as well. At 1.9" thick for the 17" and 2.2" thick for the 20", this is impressive as hell. Though, it makes sense, I have a Thinkpad R51 here that's thicker. The only thing I've seen thinner was an LG tablet, but both of these have only 15" screens.

    2. Re:HolyShit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The components run up behind the screen, as well. At 1.9" thick for the 17" and 2.2" thick for the 20", this is impressive as hell. Though, it makes sense, I have a Thinkpad R51 here that's thicker. The only thing I've seen thinner was an LG tablet, but both of these have only 15" screens.

      Apple's own professional-grade laptops come in a 17" diagonal form-factor that is less than 1" thick (really), including DVD-burner, lighted keyboard, surface-mounted speakers, 1GB/s Ethernet, 800MB/s FireWire, Cardbus-slot.... Cost is $1K more than iMac G5. They're about the same speed as a 2.6GHz-2.8GHz Pentium IV, except for operations that can be sped up using their on-chip array/vector-processor (in which case, it kicks the Pentium arse everywhichway to Tuesday). Also, they can boot Yellow Dog Linux (based on Fedora Core 2) which enables them to run OS9 and OSX simultaneously. Using MS-OfficePro, you can also simultaneously run Windows (in a window) at about the speed of a 500MHz box. Mac OS X can also run 64-bit or 32-bit PowerPC applications simultaneously, on either a G3, G4 or G5 because PowerPC has always been 64-bit architecture (though G5 does 64-bits in hardware and can support more non-virtual memory capacity).

  387. Action shot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    For those worried about what it will look like plugged in.

    Pic

  388. Re:The inside layout is far better for an all-in-o by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Apple's bandwidth and servers are probably a little more /. proof

    Especially considering that danamania is hosted at her house on an old pizza box 68k Mac.

    Seriously. No joke.

  389. Design isn't new by line.at.infinity · · Score: 1

    I've seen this design before, although I'm sure Apple did a much better job than Monorail. The older Apple designs were more innovative.

  390. Re: Sig by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ya know, last night I was just telling myself how Google seemed like God. I had the accounting CLEP test today, which only has a passing rate of 26%. For the past several days I've been a nervous wreck studying for it. While preparing all last night, I decided to check Google on a whim to see if it could find any relevant study materials. It turned up some site dedicated to selling some accelerated study program. However, beneath the all the crap they were selling was a wealth of concise information relevant to my topic that helped me out tremendously.

    Ramble ramble.. Anyways, yeah the internet's very commercial now, but based on the speed at which information can be uncovered, plus the sheer quantity of info available certainly makes it more than shit.

    BTW, I passed! w00t!

  391. To all you "Apple stole this design from.." twats: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Find me an LCD-in-front, guts-in-back computer that was sold prior to May, 1997, when Apple started selling the 20th Anniversary Macintosh (the computer is completely self-contained-- the cylindrical object in the photo is a subwoofer, if you didn't know).

    This is not a revolutionary design, it is merely evolutionary-- Apple updated their original seven year-old design.

  392. OMG by CaptainAvatar · · Score: 1

    I swear to God I was literally dreaming about this new iMac last night! Although the one in my dream was butt-ugly (not that the real one is much prettier). It's not like I have been hanging out for this - I don't even want one! - but I guess I'm officially a Mac fanboy now. Oh, the shame ...

    --
    The real Captain Avatar is a fictional character, so I suppose he doesn't mind if I impersonate him.
  393. PowerPC Emulation by EventHorizon · · Score: 1

    OK here's my +4 Informative to your +5 Funny:

    qemu has had ppc32 support for a while and has been able to boot a PowerPC Linux kernel on an x86 box since around April. They have also had basic PREP (PPC REference Platform) video support since May. Basically, booting a PowerPC Mac OS X CD on x86 has become a relatively straightforward matter of blackboxing Apple's low level firmware and hacking out video/network/etc stub drivers. From a performance point of view, it is very likely a modern x86 CPU (especially x86-64) can emulate a 600 MHz PowerPC G3 in near-real time (AKA faster than most java apps).

    qemu is not there yet, but it's very clearly headed in that direction.

    Obviously, whoever pulls MacOS X86 off first is going to need an Enron-sized legal team and maybe a few bodyguards. Should be fun to see how /. reacts to Apple weilding the DMCA against an emu hacker, maybe with an EFF countersuit in the fray, while the bootable x86 DVD of MacOS X floats around on BitTorrent with SCO claiming full ownership...

    At least maybe we can settle a few hardware wars when AMD executes PPC32 faster than Motorola.

  394. Metasploit + Defcon by EventHorizon · · Score: 1

    The metasploit.org guys actually demonstrated a remote exploit in MacOS X during Defcon 0xC. IIRC it was samba based, but I guess the Apple fanboys will try to weasel out of counting it because samba is off by default, even though a large number of corporate users enable it to interoperate with Windows PCs.

    Also, I suspect you actually meant "... just as BSD itself is famous for dying". Slashdot does not tolerate low fidelity trolls, so please review your lines next time.

  395. Reliability has no value to you? by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    Can you honesty say there are any two-year old computers you would buy rather than building a new cheap PC yourself? You are going to have to be fiddling with a lot of components regardless.

    There's a very, very good reason those two-year old PC's are worth so much les s- even with a name brand like Dell buying a a two-year old PC is like buying a Yugo with 100k miles already on it!

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  396. Opposite by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    What will be your primary use of the computer? If they say mainly for web surfing/emailing/office applications I would definately tell them to buy a PC, and I would definately advise them on how to secure their box against worms/virii

    It's damn nice of you to offer people unlimited free tech support to secure boxes against worms and virii. I got a little tired of that and tell people to buy Macs who just want to surf and run office applications, so I won't have to help them more than once every few years.

    You can only eat so many free cookies before you tire of them, so I'm glad to be out of THAT tech support job.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  397. Actualy they've thought that out pretty well by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    I don't want to imagine what an iMac setup would look like once you get some peripherals plugged in.
    Say you plug in a printer, a scanner, a digital camera dock, and iPod dock, some amplified speakers, your ethernet cable, perhaps the phone cable for faxing, and a firewire hard disk...


    But they already have that covered. Ethernet and printer and speakers? Airport Express covers those needs (internal speakers are good enough for computer alerts). They can all be in a cabinet somewhere else.

    For other things it's convienient enough to get to the ports you can tuck them away - I have a firewire CF reader but I don't leave it hooked up usually. The iPod dock is the only thing I could see leaving out all the time for most people, though I only dock once in a while and don't have that out either. Actually I was a little surprised the iMac did not come with an iPod dock built into the top somewhere!

    With the bluetooth keyboard and mouse, this really could have only the power cord and be very usable.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  398. The design of iMac G5 is not unique by afa · · Score: 1

    So far as I know, the design that embeds the former box into the LCD as a whole is not unique, at least the manufacturer Lenovo(which used to be named Legend) has used this kind of concept years ago.<A href="http://202.113.16.117/upload/file/1094010759 lu.jpg">Click here to see the picture.</a>

    1. Re:The design of iMac G5 is not unique by afa · · Score: 1
  399. Coca-Cola by dmdimon · · Score: 1

    Will Apple be sued by Cola on outlets form, or Cola will use that in next commercial?

  400. Re:Compare to the lowest end dell spec'ed out iden by colinleroy · · Score: 1

    You forget that you can't buy the Mac without a software license.

    No, but you can give the software back and get refunded. My sister did. There's a maximum delay of about 15 days, though, which I did let pass :(

    --
    blah
  401. Wonderful ! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    a laptop without battery nor keyboard that can't be moved for twice the price than a regular one !!!

    1. Re:Wonderful ! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Twice as expensive as a laptop?? And how about the keyboard and mouse that come with the iMac? They don't count, huh?

  402. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by Dekortage · · Score: 1

    "To adopt Macs we must hire at least three [admins] to keep things going."

    For one Mac? Or for hundreds of Macs? Real world example of Mac support costs: throughout the 1990's, I worked as a half-time Mac support person on a college campus with around 80 Macs (OS 8 and 9, no X out yet). That's 20 hours per week supporting 80 computers (about a third laptops), or roughly 15 minutes per week (to average the numbers. At the time there were about 350 Windows PCs (all Windows 95 and 98) on the same campus, with four full-time staff and five half-time college students to support them. That's 260 hours per week for 350 PCs, or 40 minutes per week (average). And these numbers assume that a full work week is 40 hours, but most of the PC guys (and a gal) routinely worked 50 or 60 hours, whereas I stuck to 20 hours almost every week. Furthermore, our Macs had a much lower turnover rate (e.g. we replaced Macs every 3-4 years instead of 2-3 years). This isn't because of some kind of purchasing bias from the IT department; replacements were generally ordered as requested by faculty and staff.

    However, if you really want to inflate your Mac support costs, have a Windows support technician try to fix a Mac. He'll take ten times longer than a Mac guy because he won't know what the hell he's doing. And it will still be broken when he's done.

    --
    $nice = $webHosting + $domainNames + $sslCerts
  403. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by SmittyTheBold · · Score: 1

    I really meant it, hence the "pretty easily" in my post. One person can handle the day-to-day Mac administration in most environments.

    --
    ± 29 dB
  404. Unfortunately no G5 PowerBook anytime soon... by OSeXy · · Score: 1

    PARIS, FRANCE - An Apple director reiterated on Wednesday comments made earlier this year that the company has no plans to announce a Mac laptop powered by a G5 processor for some time, and that technical issues of putting the chip in a small PowerBook have not yet been overcome.

    Tom Boger, director of Apple's worldwide product marketing, told The Mac Observer that consumers shouldn't expect the G5 in a portable for the forseeable future.

    The new iMac G5 (desktop) is thin, but (the G5) is not thin enough for a laptop right now, Mr. Boger said. There are great challenges in putting a G5 processor in a laptop. The issues range from power to cooling and its overall size...You're not going to see a G5 in a laptop anytime soon.

    The complete article

  405. Re:Security lockdowns by poochesncream · · Score: 1

    In terms of locking this sucker down (I am in charge of locking equipment down where I am), does the the actual computer come off the stand easily? Does anyone know if I will have to lock down the base AND figure out how to lock down the actual computer as well? Thanks! Heather

  406. Eyestrain? Meh. by Riturno · · Score: 1

    At one place I worked, you had your choice of duo-chrome monitors for the white-box specials we ran. Would you like red-green, blue-green or red-blue?
    You also had the choice of the 13" or if you were lucky the massive 15". This was only a few years ago.

  407. Can I have a... by FredFnord · · Score: 1

    ...536.870912 megabyte DIMM, please?

    MiB and KiB and so forth were invented by apologists for the hard drive industry, so that they could get away with misrepresenting the size of their drives.

    Measuring anything on a computer in decimal is just plain stupid. Overloading 'mega-' and 'kilo-' as meaning 1024 * 1024 and 1024 when used in computer terms is only confusing to those who deliberately wish it to be so.

    -fred

    --
    Sign #11 of Slashdot overdose: You see the phrase 'moderate Republican' and you wonder if that would be a +1 or a -1.
  408. Rehash of an old design by 2nd+Post! · · Score: 1

    Or you mean like Apple started shipping back in May... of 1997!

  409. in germany/austria... by nikster · · Score: 1

    ... adding a TV tuner would mean you would be required by law to register it as TV device and henceforth pay a monthly fee for public broadcasting - whether you want/use the TV tuner or not.

    i don't think that would be very popular here...

  410. Re:Security lockdowns by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There's a slot for a Kensington lock thingy on the back of the computer itself, right under the power connector. And if you use the lock slot, you can't get the back off, which means you can't remove the base. So you don't need to lock down the base at all!!

    HTH

  411. Re:Security lockdowns by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just to clarify, I'm not absolutely positive that you need to take the back off to remove the base, but I certainly can't see an obvious way to do it from the outside (unlike with the new Cinema Displays, on which you can clearly see a hex or Torx bolt holding the base to the display).

  412. Re:Ok, now the machine is in the screen, where nex by spearen · · Score: 1

    i think it's funny that you are calling somebody an "imbicile" and can't even spell the word correctly. it's similar to somebody telling me "your stupid"

  413. Wrong kind of low end... by argent · · Score: 1

    they sell a low-end 17" machine for $799

    The problem with the eMac is that its monitor is not at all competitive with the freestanding monitors you'd put on a PC you bought for $300 or even $500.

    I can buy a nice aperture-grille (trinitron-clone) 17" monitor for under $200. Sony doesn't charge huge license fees for their technology any more, presumably because they're feeling price-pressure from LCDs, so I can't believe a decent 17" CRT would add significantly to the parts cost for the eMac.

    I'd love to see a low-end headless Apple box for more like $400

    I could probably swing $600 for a headless eMac. Not because I'm a geek (they could even make it look like an iPod and I wouldn't mind :->) but because I have good visual acuity and all those little dots on a shadow-mask (and I don't care if it's made of invar, adamantine, or cavorite, it's still got fuzzy uneven pixels) bother me. The idea of paying $800 for an all-in-one that I'm going to want to shove under my desk because the $170 CTX 17" monitor on my hotrodded beige G3 makes it look sick... well, it just burns me up.

    They would get significant market share with a nice iPod-styled iSlab.

  414. Hidden assumptions... by argent · · Score: 1

    My company [...] has no Mac admins. To adopt Macs we must hire at least three to keep things going.

    Why are you assuming that you need "at least three" Mac admins? Are you just assuming that the staffing load for Macs is comparable to that of Windows PCs, or do you have some objective reason for this figure?

  415. Obvious design... by argent · · Score: 1

    This isn't a stolen design, any more than the Mac II was stolen from the IBM PC. There's certain general designs that are obvious for any class of devices, and if you're going to build an all-in-one personal computer with an LCD screen one of the obvious designs is an LCD monitor with the computer in the back. You might as well complain that they have buttons and wires.

    1. Re:Obvious design... by TrancePhreak · · Score: 1

      Those fscking buttons and wires..... argh!!!!!111~

      Hehe, j/k.

      --

      -]Phreak Out[-
  416. Re:Bull, Apple TCO arg is fallacious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I call BS on this one. I've been admin for both Macs and PCs and the difference is very little. After all most problem are user error type problems and hardware problems. Macs don't stop either of those. Then those stupid extensions and plug-ins or whatever those OS modules that load at boot time are. What a nightmare.

  417. Re:Now That It's Proven To Be True... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Overrated at zero? Focus on moderating up, says Taco. FUCK YOU TACO! screams the Apple Troll.

    Just another day at Apple.Slashdot.Astroturfer.Org.

  418. Re: MOD UP!! BEST LUSER WAR OF ALL TIME! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Please note that anyone who flames Apple gets moderated to -1 while Apple trolls get the blind eye from the moderators.