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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.
"It is unclear how big the hard drive capacity will be, although sources indicate it will be between 40GB and 80GB."
Surely if they're targetting iPod users they'd bundle a bigger hard drive given that iPod's currently come with 20-60GB capacity?
And what should I care about mainstream apps? I want my apps to run, not the ones joe averager user needs but the ones I need and they run better on Linux than on the Mac because I am a console person and hate unnecessary eye-candy so why should I go out there and buy an expensive Mac?
As stated above, these are MY preferences, not anyone elses, so if someone needs/wants other things he might want to buy a Mac and I would say nothing against it as I expect no-one to say something against my preferences.
P.S.: I use X with Ratpoison as WM as Term-Multiplexer and for my Opera-Browser and Mplayer.
Linux is not Windows
Reasons why I wouldn't want a MAC, and even if I was given one (why it would sit on my desk unused). *warning if you are going to bitch about me not being PC, do not read below*
1) Apps come out slower then PC
2) Less apps to run then a PC
3) Industry still uses PC much more then MAC
4) Stupid one button mouse is RETARDED
5) Going back to the mouse - I like my mouse with eight buttons. Only wish I had one with ten buttons. Does apple utilize these bad boys?
I mod down so you can mod up. Your welcome.
Still not worth it... yeah, the G-series architecture is fun to play around with, but the OS just doesn't do it for me, I'd be running Gentoo with IceWM on it. But let's do a little cost comparison...
Right now I have a Compaq Presario R3000T. It has a P4 2.8ghz CPU, a gig of RAM, a DVD-RW drive, 30gb hard drive (I have two external 120gb drives), and comes with a 15.4" LCD with 1920x1200 resolution. The whole thing cost $1050 after rebates, FatWallet, etc.
Now, if I were to get this new Mac I'd spend $400 on the base price, another $100 on the RAM, another $100-200 to get a superdrive, an extra $2000 to get an LCD screen with similar resolution, plus 8.2% tax (is there anywhere that has sales tax where Apple doesn't charge it?)...
So in the end I'd be spending at least $2813 for a pretty computer that isn't portable... $1763 more than a comparable PC... plus 1920x1200 looks *awesome* at 15.4" and kinda pixely at 23"
a little sidenote... I've never had any problems with Windows not "just working." In my fifteen years of computer experience I've had far more problems with Linux (hardware compatibility, and the first time I installed RedHat in the mid 90s the toolbar kept crashing over and over and over) with MacOS (somehow the OS got wiped when I installed the Digi001 PCI card, multiple "computer with question mark" start ups, and undecipherable "bomb icon" errors.) Windows might occasionally boot into start mode for no reason and need to be rebooted more often, but I've never experienced any overwhelmingly frustrating issues like I have with other operating systems.
sig.
Apple doesn't like to make cheap products. It would cheapen their brand which is based on paying a higher price for a "higher quality user experience". That's why they have kept the price of the ipod up when it could obviously be a lot lower. Part of apple's cachet is in the higher price. They have spent to much on their brand identity to now start selling cheap stuff. I think they are going to take that cheap box throw an airport extreme inside it and sell it with a couple of airport express plugs so you can take it out of the box and have your whole house wireless in 10 minutes. You'll be sending mp3's to your stereo and video to any monitor that you can get it plugged into. The only thing that is missing is having it transfer wireless speeds fast enough for video to your flatpanel display in the living room. Although if it were up to me id add a touch screen flat panel monitor that wouldn't be to ugly to look at in the living room and a small wireless keyboard that would slide into the back of the monitor when it wasn't needed. Now you have your whole digital media home center, no wires needed