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Dell is Building iMac Lookalikes
Shawn Pryde writes "MSNBC reports that Michael Dell told investors the Dell is going to start making PC's modeled after the iMac."
I hafta say for all the criticisms, the super cheap, non-upgradable
internet capable appliance PC is a wonderful holy grail.
Someday it'll happen, but the question is will Dell be able
to cover the cheap part of that grail?
At work I have 2 computers: an Intergraph for SynaFlex and a Dell Dimension for "email and Microsoft office". You don't want rampant Microsoft virii running loose on a production machine, see... ;-)
Anyways, last time I priced a Dell Dimension v333c it came out to $2300! Never mind that the G3 is faster than a Pentium3... this Dell is a CELERON! The G3 is faster than the Celleron by *QUITE* a noticable margin.
For THAT price I could get a G3 WITH MONITOR, same memory and a BETTER video card. Dell vs. Apple is a much better comparison than say Apple vs. eMachines
My PowerPC G3 @ 300 MHz cracks 970,000 - 1,010,000 keys per second... very comperable to a 450 MHz Pentium2. I haven't SEEN an AMD CPU that comes even CLOSE to that!
If you want to be fair, base the AMD against the discontinued G3's that are less than 300 MHz... or maybe a discontinued 604e 200MHz system which can be had *very* cheap these days (and run not just Linux but also BeOS, for whatever that is worth..)
So it can be upgraded. The lack of currently available upgrades does not prove otherwise.. the market is very young and there's just no demand, yet.
Also, because they are built using PowerPC CPU's, the iMacs are very tolerant of overclocking.
As soon as I have had my G3 PowerMac for a full 60 days I will overclock it from 300 to 350, or 400 if it's stable.
The new IBM copper-process PowerPC CPU's can be taken from their "rated" 400 MHz up to the current record of a stable 560MHz... and they DO NOT OVERHEAT. the limiting factor is usually the 100 MHz speed RAM, or the cache.
What does the IPX in Sun IPX mean? Is is a reference to a (corporate) Novell network?
I like the Pizza Box case idea that Sun (and Apple) used to have. Pick your monitor, sound, network, video, and SCSI on the motherboard suits most people fine.
I've work at places that buy standard size but have a Technician-Shall-Not-Open-The-Case policy. The labor costs of upgrading an existing box apparently are much more expensive than just buying a new one.
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Business. Numbers. Money. People. Computer World.
The all-in-one PC is hardly a new idea. Even excepting the original Mac, Apple has had (non-colored) all-in-one models for 10 years.
Compaq has made all-in-one presarios, as well as a model that included a flat panel display. Others have followed.
The iMac is interesting because it's the first time this case style has gotten out of the educational market ghetto.
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Business. Numbers. Money. People. Computer World.
"May you live in interesting times"
-random Chinese proverb, probably Confucian =)
So Apple set a trend and benchmark; consumers are at least as fashion conscious as power conscious. iMac flavors, design, and cuteness sells.
Why not? Notice the VW neoBeetle, for example!
However, I note several problems and have several thoughts.
A lot of people bash the iMac for cost, noting quite accurately that one could build a similarly powered system for half the price, without realizing that one would need to be knowledgable enought to build and maintain said computer. Call it a stupidity tax if you want, but that cost can be justified by the simpleness and attempt at being plug and play.
It's not as if a comparable Dell or Gateway costs $600 dollars right now. Is it me? With 6GB HD, 32MB memory, 32x CDROM(and floppy of course), and 15" monitor, the price is (gasp!) $1,018, not that far off from the iMac's $1,199 price, plus the fact you get to chose a color.
My guess is if Dell goes for the future consumer PC with larger monitor and such, Apple will beat it to the punch(12-18 months? Why so long for a PC maker the size of Dell?), with faster processors, better video cards, and larger monitors.
In a year I'd expect Apple's iMac to come with a nice quality 17" monitor, at least a 450MHz CPU, 64mb of memory, an ATI Rage Fury 32mb adaptor(about the same as a current TNT, not the Fury Pro), at least 6GB of HD space, perhaps ISDN or whatever revolutionary internet connectivity standard is hot, and separate speakers with 3d sound capability.
Assuming Apple doesn't make another blunder somewhere.
The PC market is still not offering anything cheaper than an iMac with it's functionality, performance, or style.
You can build your own, but that isn't the point.
Dell probably isn't the only one, just the first/only one to publicly announce it.
I also think that Apple's future device will drop below $1,000 dollars, and if bundled with MacOSX, will beat hands down Windows98, assuming it has all the standard features that Win98 and MacOS8.6 currently has. Windows will be on SR2 or whatever, with Win2k being to big and bloated for home use, and Win2k Personal won't be available yet.
I really think Apple is on the ball here.
AS
-AS
*Pikachu*
The design/layout of PCs are a natural result of how they have been used. Separate discrete components allow for flexibility in configuration and upgrading. I just bought a new system mere weeks ago (Dell btw.) and I have already added components to it that I wanted. But I didn't purchase it in 'consumer' mode, thus what _I_ want in a system is not what a non-computer person would want.
For computers to become a ubiquitous device it needs to be in a form factor that consumers are familiar with. Most people do purchase TVs, with the intention of upgrading the speakers or the tuner, nor do they purchase microwave ovens with based on whether or not they can upgrade the turtable significantly later. What drives purchases in the consumer market are:
1) Ease of use - Can I plug it in and use it?
2) Features/capabilities built in - I'll choose the model that has the features I want built in!
3) Price - Can I afford it?
By making a computer a consumer device, Dell (or any manufacturer for that matter) has an incredible opportunity to make the killer consumer device. Imagine, what if in a form factor similar to an IMac there was a device that has the following capabilities:
17" monitor/touchscreen
64mb Ram, upgradeable via small removable panel on side.
4gb drive
DVD Drive
SVideo Out
TV Tuner capabilities
Integrated Sound w. Speakers plus AC3 and the usual audio inputs/outputs in back, headphone jack in front
2+ USB ports, make KB & mouse use USB
Port for home automation
10Mbit Network Card
56K modem
Joystick port in front
What does this device do? Replaces many consumer electronic entertainment devices...
Want to watch a DVD movie? Pop it in and watch on monitor, or connect it to TV...
Want to Manage Checkbook? Click/touch the checkbook icon...
Want to play a game? No problem, plug gamepad in front of unit and run the game...
Want to surf? Fire it up...
Heck, with a big enuf HD (or one reserved for that) you could even replace your VCR....
I'm not saying these specs are what should be done, instead they represent what could be done. A device that replaces or can control so many components would be successful in the consumer market.
e to the i pi equals negative one