That New iMac

FROM: Patrick
DATE: Tuesday January 8, 2002 -- 11:03:36 am

I think that Apple is heading in the right direction with their design. The notion of getting away from the multiple colors seems like a good one. I really like the silver touches and the simplicity/compactness of the backside.

And advertising its ability to play Wolfenstein was a real good move.

The only major thing that I think Apple (and almost every other system designer) screwed up on is there are no ports in the front. USB or Firewire (I understand there are two USB ports on the keyboard, but wouldn't it be nice if the keyboard could use a very short cord and connect to a front port, thus minimizing the length of those messy cords on the desk). Seems like if they are going to go through the trouble of designing a beautiful case that they would think of some usability issues. A little flip down panel in front, housing some ports should not be that hard to do.

FROM: Patrick
DATE: Tuesday January 8, 2002 -- 11:04:30 am

Hmmm....the preview post inserts breaks into the comments field....and then when you edit your comments you get twice the spacing.

FROM: Greg
DATE: Tuesday January 8, 2002 -- 12:09:03 pm

It's a little odd looking at first but man, would I love that extra space that the IMAC could give me instead of using this huge PC monitor at work.

FROM: Ryan
DATE: Tuesday January 8, 2002 -- 11:50:26 pm

I have to say, I really don't care for the look in the least. It looks... dorky. And bulbous.

With that said, it is a step (though I'm not sure how big of one) towards changing the image of the traditional PC and its place in the home.

FROM: Marcus Mackey
DATE: Saturday January 12, 2002 -- 3:50:30 pm

Well, in a nutshell... as a Mac person since '94 (although I'm currently typing this out of XP Pro on a PC), I at first was like "Uhhhh... it looks like a lamp", like a lot of people were. Then I really sat down and analyzed it, and while I can't say it's as intrinsically beautiful in that simplistic way the "cube" was, it does make "more sense" than the Cube in pricing (awesome machine, but for more than a Pro Desktop that has more expansion?!?).

I mean, after all... for the price of $1,299 (less than a pro-model G4), you're getting a machine with the power (almost) of the current Pro-Desktop line, a flat panel LCD, and something that takes up a minimal amount of space like a cube. Of course... this means that unless you're hampered by a 15" flat panel (equiv. to a 17" CRT), the G4 Pro Line looks a bit overpriced... but then again, I have a feeling Mac World Tokyo is going to have some surprises for us in the wake of new Pro machines (most likely G5's I think, although we might see Ghz. G4's). :)

True, when compared to the iMac it replaces... it is a bit pricier, but then again... for what it is, you have to either a) want to make the sacrifice, or b) wait 'til the pricing drops to your realms. If it's out of your realms, and considering the stagnant sales of the previous iMac nearing the end of it's sales (plenty still around if you look)... I'd almost think that you'd now be able to secure one of the Classic iMac models (still new, in-box) for a decent pricing, so in other words... there's no shortage of new Classic iMac's in the retail market.

Not to mention, with the new low-end iBook selling for $100 less than the iMac ($1,199), some will make the sacrifice of buying a $700-1,299 iMac, instead opting for the iBook with it's portability and travel anywhere nature. This is arguably the cheapest laptop that Apple has produced in as far back as I can remember.

Now, with this said... do I think we'll see PC's change from their current form? Not particularly. There have been very few PC's that have come out and attempted to transcend into some innovative form factor. Most PC forms have essentially ripped off the Apple look by either going to an Classic iMac-shaped case (there were many of these that all faced lawsuits), and the others are like Compaq, Dell, IBM, HP, and Gateway which either added color options (ala Apple iMac's; especially the Compaq minitowers), or changed to a NeXT-computer black from their traditional beige selfs. Still, even more, Gateway and HP opted to just add grey or translucent grey inserts to their traditionally white/beige casings.

Since the new iMac has no colors to rip-off (it's keyboard and mouse are white... like a Gateway, only handled much more aesthetically pleasing if not a bit startling); it's all about the shape... but you can bet that any company that goes after the new iMac's shape will have the legal team on them. Yet... what form factor will a PC vendor come up with? Probably the same one that Job's contested in the keynote... the flat-LCD (ala 25th Anniversary Macintosh LCD; so that's already been done too) look. Nothing really intrinsically innovative, been done before, and it's got as many negatives as positives (if not more negatives; especially in dealing with optical drives).

In fact... the most innovative PC (as in Intel/AMD) casing I've seen, comes not out of any conventional PC company. It comes out of Redmond, WA in the shape of the X-Box. ;) Problem is... it's still a massive black block (PC ATX desktop form factor :)) with green adornments. Not exactly svelte like a cube (comparing game machines... the Game Cube and PS2 both have it beat), not exactly intricate and ornate like an old iMac (makes me think of a 1957 Chevy rear fender when I think of the old iMac), or oddball like the new iMac. Not even sleek like a TiPowerbook or iBook. Maybe when the X-Box shrinks (like all consoles do) will we start to see an innovative PC casing trend happen. ;) Then again... that assumes that the X-Box has enough staying power to cling on long enough to make a revision. So far, it's not done too well.

FROM: Ant
DATE: Tuesday January 15, 2002 -- 11:30:30 am

I've been hearing ALOT of negative comments relative to the new iMac because of the ports being on the "back". Well people, here it is, straight from the obvious department: turn the base around! Apple designed this thing with 360 degrees rotation of the monitor... there IS NO front or back - the base is ROUND! Like everything else Apple, it was created with flexability in mind... It's up to the user to decide how he/she wants their machine oriented!

FROM: Marcus Mackey
DATE: Thursday January 17, 2002 -- 10:50:04 pm

Ummm, but that would put the optical drive at the back of the machine; which in a way having the drive up-front is imminently more useful than having the cables there, so the trade-off outweighs the advantage? LoL Then again, you'd also have your ADC connector (monitor), and power plug inelegantly sitting in your face. Yeah the choice is there... but that's like saying "Hey, that Benetton polo is nice... but they put the logo on the front and I want it at the back... so, let's just turn the polo around ::minding to note the buttons will be at the back::" ;) hehehe Clever idea but doesn't entirely work as well as it sounds. :)

Now the cool thing would be if Apple could make the base have two sections, where the top part with it's optical drive could twist while the bottom half with it's plugs could also twist separately and be "aligned" with the front. This would give users the choice of having the cables at any angle in reference to the optical drive (some might prefer to have them exit the left side, right side, front, back, or on any varied angle in between), with that drive having a full 360 degrees of motion with relation to the monitor. Now that in and of itself would definitely be cool. However, the engineering involved might make this highly preclusive (a/k/a expensive). Then again, iMac G4 part deaux could just put ports front and back and be done. :) Preferrably USB 2.0 ports and Gigawire (800kbps-1.2mbps Firewire) ports...

Then again, considering that 90% of PC's built don't have these ports on the front, I consider it spilled milk. My PC that I'm on right now has all of it's USB ports in back, largely because... most "CHEAP" aftermarket case manufacturers and motherboard makers gear towards them being in back (not to mention, this is an older Intel Slot-1 board). I guess this is one of the benefits of spending a fortune on a Sony or Dell or Compaq... but I'll take my cheap as sin buck of computer parts the way it is right now, that being cheap as sin. ;) It's a big beige ugly module that serves it's purpose (which is what a PC should be... as if it tries to stray into the Mac world, it will likely "NEED" to attain a "Mac cost" which defies any logic as no PC will ever be as elegant). If I wanted elegant, innovative, stylish, and contemporary... I'd buy a Mac. Closest PC company to Apple, probably Sony... although a big purple and silver rectangle with a server-style LCD (for tuning into the radio) and a big huuuuuuge TV-style CRT isn't exactly innovative (unique but putting a radio on the front of a PC in my mind distracts from the computer itself, and doesn't serve any purpose that putting a computer in a room with a stereo doesn't achieve... be like Apple integrating the iPod interface into the iMac and next-gen Macs... they could, but why? Isn't that what an elegant computer interface is for? ;))... it at least is a bit "different" from the copy-cat syndrome other PC makers out there have. Not to mention strapping the term "innovation" to anything Microsoft is sorta' hard to fathom in a lot of ways anyhow.

FROM: Chris
DATE: Wednesday July 17, 2002 -- 1:34:47 pm

THE NEW 17 INCH IMKAC IS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!!! THE IMAC IS THE COOLEST POSSIBLE COMPUTER EVER TO COME OUT..... I AM A 13 YEAR OLD A LIVE IN SEATTLE...

FROM: CHRIS
DATE: Wednesday July 17, 2002 -- 1:38:28 pm

A NOTE TO ANT.... SEE???? LONLY SMART PEOPLE USE MACS.... THATS A VERY GOOD POINT..... JUS TURN IT AROUND!!!!!!! A NOTE TO RYAN: YOU THINK MAQCS LOOK DORKY... WHY IS PC TRYING TO COPY THEM..... THEY ONLY OLLOW MAC WITH THE COLORS... LOOK AT E-MACHINES.... THEY GOT SUED!!!!

FROM: Paul [E-Mail]
DATE: Wednesday July 17, 2002 -- 3:45:56 pm

Imkac? Ant? Lonly? Maqcs? Ollow?

FROM: King Random
DATE: Wednesday July 17, 2002 -- 9:59:01 pm

Dude, if smart lonely people have to SHOUT all throughout a posting, I am slightly scared to meet one face to face. Calm down a bit. Become a bit more, well, comprehensible. Please.