The $899 Educational iMac

Valthan writes "Macsimum news has just released news about a new version of the iMac that is being touted as an educational machine. It seems to be a nice setup, and has the cheapness that us university students strive on, I think they just may have a winner here to get people on the Mac. Now if only JCreator worked on it ..." From the article "Featuring a 17-inch widescreen LCD display, the iMac for education includes a Combo drive for burning CDs and reading DVDs, 512MB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory expandable up to 2GB and hard drive storage capacity up to 160GB. Every iMac also includes a built-in iSight video camera, built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet for high-speed networking, built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11g WiFi for up to 54Mbps wireless networking, a total of five USB ports (three USB 2.0) and two FireWire 400 ports."

Comments

No cheap 20" model

[hlimethe3rd]

It'd be nice if Apple would release a cheap version with a bigger screen. I know it isn't really Apple's way, but it'd be nice to have the option. There are a lot of us out there that wouldn't mind having a slightly slower processor, a smaller HD, and no bluetooth, but would still appreciate the larger monitor for movies, etc.

Re:No cheap 20" model

[Firehed]

Considering that this is basically the $799 Mac Mini model built into a 17" widescreen LCD, I'm going to disagree with you on that one. It would have been nice, yes, but at least relatively speaking it's a great deal. You get a faster processor, same amount of memory and hard drive (both 2x256 by the looks of it). You only get a CDRW/DVD instead of a DVD burner, and lose the Bluetooth and remote (I'm assuming it still has a sensor, but I could be wrong), but gain the widescreen display and iSight camera. Not a bad trade imho, especially considering what's gained by spending the extra $300 for the standard 17" iMac w/ student discount: DVDRW, bluetooth, remote, x1600, 160GB HD - and aside from the hard drive space, I'd question the utility of the other stuff for most students. Heck, I've only used half the 60GB drive on my MBP, though I've also got a fileserver for the media. Apparently all of the iMacs include the Apple Keyboard and not-so-Mighty Mouse, which furthers the distance from a Mini.

Heck, I'd get one, and I've already got a monster display available for a Mini. In fact, I'd almost have to get a mini for that reason (no room for another display).

Re:No cheap 20" model

[AugstWest]

I totally agree. Apple is extremely dense about including decent video chipsets in their machines. It's sad, really, because a lot more people would buy the low-end Macs if they could actually play the games that do get ported over to OSX.

And yes, there are a lot of good games for the Mac, all of your first-tier FPS games get ported, WoW, etc.... but you can't play them (not even Second Life) on the low-end Macs they sell.

Cheap bastards are shooting themselves in the feet.

899 is cheap?

[JeanBaptiste]

Cheap for a uni student? I certainly didn't have that sort of money laying about when I was at university.

/got my computer for 50 bucks
//i didn't ask where it came from...

Re:899 is cheap?

[vought]

Cheap for a uni student? I certainly didn't have that sort of money laying about when I was at university.


At my school, we weren't a rich campus by any means, but an 8MHz Mac Classic and a raster laser printer for $1200.00 was a fucking STEAL when I started college in 1991. Even the Dells with Windows 3.1 were $1000.00 - and you didn't get a printer.

Times change...but the dollar barrier for entry into the "computer in my dorm room" club has remained nearly constant for fifteen years. If you want a computer that will last you through college, mow a lot of lawns between your high school graduation and your freshman orientation. For $1200.00, you can get any number of very nice Macs or PCs. For $1000.00, your choices get fewer, but there are still many nice machines. This new Mac is a lot of machine for $900.00.

Cheap, but not cheap enough.

[zerofoo]

We recently bought a bunch of Dells - P4 2.8Ghz, 512 MB ram, 80 GB hard drives, DVD-CD burner, with a 19" LCD monitor for $450.00. I could buy two of those for the price of the iMac. Yeah, I know....windows....Mac OS X, windows blah blah blah.

OK, so the Dell has a separate tower VS the all in one design of the iMac....but the Dell costs HALF what the Mac costs.

-ted

Re:Cheap, but not cheap enough.

[be-fan]

Are those P4's dual-core? Because if they're not, we're talking about two completely different classes of machine. Dual-Core Dells run $700+ on Dell's website. Also, the integrated form-factor is definitely a plus. As a recently-graduated undergrad, let me tell you that desk and floor space are at an absolute premium in any modern dorm.

A bit spoiled?

[aliens]

the cheapness that us university students strive on

$900 for a computer, for students, er yeah I guess some of them have that kind of cash. But I don't think they fit the stretched to the max, loans up the wazoo students that you'll encounter in today's universities. Those students still get by on the computer resources made available by the school.

In fact for $400 you could get a laptop from a couple of PC makers.

Saying that any price point is cheap and affordable only makes you look like an ass and makes other people feel bad. /Get off my lawn

Re:Unfortunately

[b0s0z0ku]

(for most any CS major, it is essential to be able to develop for Windows -- other operating systems are a huge plus).

I graduated with an engineering degree in 2002, but took a few CS courses. All of the work was done on the CS lab UNIX boxes (Suns at the time, upgraded to commodity BSD machines right about the time I finished). Remember that CS is about teaching *concepts* rather than putting out functional code-monkeys - that's what "IT" programs are for.

-b.

Re:Unfortunately

[Guy Harris]

I can't verify that the software is actually better anymore. Could be the Intels make them crash as often as a regular PC

If that were true, then Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, and DragonFlyBSD would have to, when running on a regular PC, crash as much as Windows, too. If they don't, then perhaps PowerPC isn't as magical as you appear to think it is.

Re:Yes $899 is cheap.

[pyite]

I spend so much time in MATLAB that if my use of it had to be comfined to the lab, I would go out of mind. It's not just one part of the year. It's constant. Nearly day in and day out.

Cut the propaganda!

[ccollao]

I'm gonna burn some karma here to complain..

Come on.. this is puRe advertisement about Mac, could you stop it!
No news here, just advertisement, and I don't want advertisement covered as a story (yeah, yeah, somebody is going to say, then don't read /.), but this special discounts are really pi**n' me off...

If these are news, I would like to read the news about the special discount from Dell for grannies. I'm sure it rocks!

Please, don't get me wrong, I own several PowerBooks/iBooks (in fact I'm writing this posts in one!), so I don't have anything against macs, I'm against lame stories on the FrontPage of ./

still relatively expensive ...

[ssand]

Perhapse it's just the market in my city, but you can get a nice computer for 399 - 499 CDN. These type of deals are usually factory refurbished from the manufacturer, but are today's technology. if you watch the papers for a deal, you can easily get something good (with xp, dvd burner, and what not) for under 500 CDN.