Think Secret Predicts Sub-$500 Headless Mac

eadint writes "I have just read an article posted on Think Secret that discusses a confirmed $499 Apple box sans monitor. According to the article, this has been under development for almost one year and may be available towards the end of 2005Q1. The system is rumored to be based on a G4 with 256MB of RAM , 40-80GB HD with a combo drive (sorry, no SuperDrive). Although Apple has stated in the past that they have no motivation to compete in the sub-$600 PC market, this system was based on polls showing that more people would buy it after initial exposure to the iPod." "Confirmed" seems a strong word, but I hope this is more than wishful thinking.

Comments

Not for US Market

[Lysander Luddite]

Last summer I read from a south asian government press release that Apple would be working with said government to build a cheap system for use only in that market. I firmly believe this rumored, stripped down machine is for that market.

Here's the press release

Re:Finally - make it an impulse purchase

[Nexum]

Tiger does NOT need a 64 meg graphics card. I am running it on this PowerBook with a 32MB card, and I would not be suprised at all to have it run on something even weaker.

Re:reality check

[gobbo]

I regularly have interns with their new XP-laden laptops puffing their lips out in a combination of awe and despair when they realize that the dual-450MHz G4 I have them working on is

• 4 years old
• running nonstop (over 5 mos. this time)
• running no antivirus software and on a university network
• doing everything their new WinTel machines can, only smoothly (OK I've disabled chat services so they'll get some work done; likewise it is game-free)
• stock, but the heart of a productive video editing set-up (despite a wimpy video card)
• only slightly less snappy than the shiny new G5 in the next rack over, which is rated at over 5 times the MHz (well, until they rip or render).

Panther (10.3) actually sped up the 350MHz iBook w/ 384MB of RAM that I use for field work; even on that hand-crank antique OS X is eminently usable, and wows onlookers (although often it's Quicksilver's functionality that's really causing the eyepoppiing).

OS X on a cheap G4 will convert people. The only key issues for me are stock RAM configurations and build quality.

Re:Finally - make it an impulse purchase

[INeededALogin]

"spring-loaded folders" - I think those are annoying.
Turn them off.

"the application install process (or lack of)" - (lack of) a central location to add/remove software from your computer.
Drag the application to the Trash can. Done. True, you have support libraries in the /Library folder that may be orphaned, but this happens in every OS, and is probably better to leave behind(they don't take up that much space

"the dock (yes I like it)" - I don't. You can't see your application titles unless you mouse over them. What if you have 6+ Word docs open?
Use Expose after you get to the document(I can't believe expose wasn't even talked about yet, or Cmd+` to cycle through you apps

If Mac's had a way to turn off the Scale/Genie effects entirely, I wouldn't mind at all.
It can be turned of very simply. Apple Logo->Dock->Dock Preferences

The only way to close a Mac app is to Control-Click it on the dock, and wait for a menu to quit the application
Apple users abuse the hell out of hotkeys. cmd+w to close a window, cmd+q to quit the application. if you get really happy, cmd+tab+q+tab+q etc... to close all the applications.

I just need a computer to get my work done, IM my friends, and maybe read some original and witty jokes
You sound like Apple's target audience:-D