$499 Mac on MWSF'05?

At first I was like, here we go again with this stupid headless Mac thing. But after reading the thinksecret article, I think I'm actually sold on the idea for its intended audience.

For one, (assuming it exists) it's not a gaming box and will not even pretend to be one. Apple will never win over hardcore (or even softcore) gamers, so they're correct to just ignore them. If you really like playing games, you're far better off with a PC or a console.

My prediction is that (again, if this thing comes out), is that women will be the largest buying percentage. I'm thinking it will be marketed as a simple, super easy to use all-in-one (think iLife) solution to typical media needs (music, photos, video, web, etc.) plus all the other typical stuff. It will be sold as an iPod companion (the perfect place to manage all your iPod content). It will be elegant and almost cute, but not too cute. Just cute enough to get women to look. I wouldn't even be completely surprised to see a slightly modified OS (something like the Simple Finder maybe).

This thing will basically be the Cube done right (cheaper and better, though maybe not as cool looking). Teh Cube, as we all attest, was very cool, but just way overpriced, underpowered, and conflicting with an existing product line. This basic Mac has none of those flaws (on paper).

I have no use for it (even though it's probably better than half the machines we use here at the office), but I sure hope a hell of a lot of other people do.

I'll predict a medium-size hit. Far better than the Cube, but nowhere near as successful as the iMac.

Now what I REALLY want to hear for the keynote is 3 GHZ G5s.
 
I predict it will be severely limited in upgrade options. Of course, the hard drive will probably be replaceable (maybe not Apple-supported, but for such a cheap machine, it will definitely use the ATA or SATA standard drives) and the RAM will be upgradable (probably with only 2 slots for a max of 1 or 2 GB), but that's probably about it.

I'd bet that the video card will be a lower-end NVidia card that will be non-upgradable, like the iMac G5.

My jury's still out on the optical drive... Slot loading? Tray loading? Upgradable?
 
Yeah, the optical digital sound is probably going to appear, since it has proven to be quite well done on the Airport Express and the iMac, and I think the production cost of the connection will be quite managable now. In fact, I'd suspect it'll find its way onto the PowerBooks within the next few months. I'm not sure if it'll appear on the PowerMacs, since these typically are aimed at high-end users who want lots of different connection options.

I also suspect that Apple *might* have a deal going with Monster Cable which *might* involve Apple putting these connectors wherever it seems practical, and Monster provides the optical connection cable (at typical Monster prices ... which are pure evil). I haven't confirmed this one way or the other though.

If there is any truth to this ThinkSecret report, then I'm pretty excited about what it could mean. Now can we please try and keep it in perspective, though? It's a low-end consumer machine. We've already had calls for 802.11n "next generation" wireless, an interchangable high-end graphics card, upgradable optical drive, and so on. If it exists, it will not have any of these features. It won't need them either.

The only wish I really like the sound of is Mindbend's quote: "It will be elegant and almost cute, but not too cute. Just cute enough to get women to look." -- Well said!

My prediction, if such a device exists: The only upgradable components will be the RAM and *maybe* the hard drive. Bluetooth and Airport Extreme will be optional. Ethernet will be 10/100 and it will have Firewire 400. The OS will be standard MacOSX, though there may be a few very minor "tweaks" to the feature set. It will have ONE type of processor and the smallest possible range of BTO options (maybe only two choices, with BlueTooth and Airport Extreme or Without).

Of course, it may well be still a day-dream, but I think we're all agreed that this is the direction Apple needs to be looking in order to reach the majority of the consumer market.
 
I aggree that it will have to have a very basic feature set to come in at those prices and i think that also in order to keep the cost at that level they would have to use standard items such as ram and hd and video connections and so on. it would not surprise me if it only had one ram slot that maxed out at 1gig either, would be much better if there were two slots though. it also would not surprise me if nothing about it was user changable, you buy it like you want it and it stays like that. the way i see it happening is that the ram and the drive are the only two things that will vary in specs. I dont even think it will have a bluetooth option, unless they are going to market it for a media center type of thing. Here is what i think the configs will be for the offerings:

config 1:
low end video
256 ram
60gig hd
AE ready
no bluetooth

config 2:
will bump up ram to 512
and 80gig hd

config 3:
custom order

I think that they would be smart to keep production costs down to offer very little configurations of it, plus if it does take off good they will have an easier time to keep up on production runs of "all" the models they offer.

Edit: my reasoning behind the HD sizes is to that you could have the entire contents of the ipod on the harddrive and still have room left for the OS and swap and so on. if you have the 40 gig ipod or lower the config 1 is what is needed. if you have the 60gig ipod the config 2 or 3 would be best.
 
Stupid question, but I'm not 100% sure of the answer because I've never tried it:

Is it possible to use a Powerbook as the display for a PowerMac (or this rumoured headless iMac)?

Kap
 
But you could remotely control it, which could kinda count as a display. I am using my pc this way and saved money and space on a screen..
 
Wow, guys, don't get my hopes up here.

Ripcord said:
I still won't be satisfied unless they put out a $500-or-so "headless eMac"...

It would just be a good idea for so many reasons...
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http://www.macosx.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47066&page=2&pp=15
Ripcord said:
DON'T expect Apple's marketshare to grow significantly in the next year or so. Until they do something drastic or interesting like producing a $500 unit (or, say, they get lucky and 4Ghz G6s come out years ahead of comparable units from other vendors), you'll continue to see market share hang or dwindle from the current rock-bottom 2.8%.
Click to expand...
(I believe I was right on that one? They've sold more units but has market share grown at all? Hopefully I'm wrong, actually)

http://www.macosx.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44622&page=2&pp=26

http://www.macosx.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44922&page=2&pp=11

http://www.macosx.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44853&page=2&pp=22

http://www.macosx.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47770&page=2&pp=21

http://www.macosx.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46849&page=2&pp=20

...Wow, I didn't realize how many times I'd posted this. Let's hear it for being consistent =)

Those are just the ones in the last 6 months apparently, I'm guessing they might put out the unit just to get me to stop drolling on about it =)

I just hope it's true. Thinksecret hasn't had the best track record with their MWSF predictions (what site has?), and it seems a bit out of character for Apple, but let's say I'd be very pleasantly surprised.

I do think it'd resculpt the Mac market and breathe new life. It's also something they *must* do to survive (and assuming they have *any* aspirations to grow back out of the "niche" market, which is turbulant to say the least - though they do a VERY good job of riding through the storm). I'm convinced of it.
 
The nice thing about this product is that it doesn't risk cannabilizing their other products. It's not a power machine. It's not going to have the all-in-one uber coolness of the iMacs. It's not even a G5. It's not a laptop.

People with the money are not going to buy this machine. They'll buy a way cooler and better iMac. But for those who have seen the light and realize the benefits of OS X and have reasonable needs for their computer, this might in fact be a good idea for Apple.

The trick is that it needs to be good enough (read:fast enough and "pleasant" enough to use) so that its audience finds it to be a good experience and will want to upgrade to a better (more profitable for Apple) Mac next time. By the "specs", it looks to be just good enough I would think.
 
Well basically i don't know about you's but don't you think this is leading to the next release of the emac. Basically this 500 dollar unit (around nearly a grand in AUD for me :p) is around the same specs as a eMac just without a monitor. From what i have heard it is a G4 1.25ghz with 256mb ram probly around 32mb video and a combo. (thats obviosuly not all of the specs but yet the basics). However Apple need to things to make this thing work 1. "The Worlds Slimmest Tower" 2. Slim and small enough but with power.

If it will have the same specs as the eMac there will have to be either a 1.6 G4 emac come out or maybe a G5. Cause if you already have a monitor why would you spend more money yet for another one with a tower in it when you can have just a small tower for alot less of the price of an eMac. They will have to release a new eMac at the 2005 expo or whatever the expo is called.

One last thing in reply to the post above: My eMac loaded up with 1gb of ram can be sometimes slow but still is powerfull enough to run alot of programs multi tasking so it shoudl be powerfull enough. I think apple should just probly make the Ram in the new tower Q88 thingy (whatever its called) probly max 768 or make the new eMac 2gb maxed out.
 
Zammy-Sam said:
But you could remotely control it, which could kinda count as a display. I am using my pc this way and saved money and space on a screen..
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You mean with Apple Remote Desktop?

Kap
 
The THING plus a low cost 17" LCD would be the best eMac replacement. And it will eat some of the iMac market, even if it is really lower specs. 'cause some of the iMac buyers are not looking for high specs, they just need a Mac at home.
 
Thing problem with the rumored low cost headless Mac is this same exact rumor was circulated last year around this time. It is the same wishful hope Mac addicts have had for years to grab market share.
 
Satcomer said:
Thing problem with the rumored low cost headless Mac is this same exact rumor was circulated last year around this time. It is the same wishful hope Mac addicts have had for years to grab market share.
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One thing about this year though - it's the first year I can think of where Macs already seemed cheap (to me, at any rate).

The 12" PB, iBooks, eMacs and iMacs all seem dirt cheap to me (esp. with Panther/Tiger and iLife preinstalled).

It doesn't seem all that unreasonable for Apple to come out with an even cheaper alternative.

Kap
 
One thing about this year though - it's the first year I can think of where Macs already seemed cheap (to me, at any rate).
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Yeah, it was only a little over three years ago that the entry level iBook cost significantly more than what the top level PowerBook costs today.
 
I doubt this rumor will actually pan out. It's been "reported" several times before. That said, if this Mac was geared towards being a "living room" media PC, it would be the next killer app for Apple. With iPhoto, iTunes and iDVD, you are basically managing your music, photos, and video footage. These are mediums that are actually more geared towards the moms and pops of the world. And since the TV is the center of the home these days, having mom and pop be able to hear their music on their TV audio system, watch and manage their photo library on their TV, and have the device record their TV shows, ala TiVO - is a no brainer. Windows Media Center PCs cost twice as much, and are not nearly as elegant as the iApps are. This would be the perfect place for this Mac.

That said, Jobs has also routinely said he doesn't see the convergence of the living room TV and the computer, so I doubt this would be the intended usage for this device.

Still, people have been clamoring for a sub $500 headless Mac for sometime. It would be nice to see Apple finally deliver.
 
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