No, they're good machines and a good price. But for the surf/e-mail/iTunes/photos crowd, they could probably afford to drop a few specs and features to get a stylish AIO down below $1,000.
It wouldn't have to have the highest-end anything, or huge this or ultra-fast that, really. Just a basic machine...essentially the guts of a current Mac mini (which goes for $699) paired with a decent 18" display? The target crowd won't care that it's IPS this or Sandy Bridge that. It would just be a fast, solid and reliable machine that looks great.
Surely the following could result in such a machine:
- 18" display (decent, but doesn't have to be $1,199+ iMac quality)
- No FireWire
- No Ethernet
- 3-4 USB 2.0 ports
- headphones and audio in
- 160-250GB hard drive
- 2GB RAM (expandable to 4GB)
- 2.4GHz (give or take) Core 2 Duo
- Integrated graphics (whatever's in the Mac mini or MacBook, or even one generation back, if needed)
- Include the larger wired keyboard and standard Apple Mouse (they still ship those, the old Mighty Mouse design)
Still called an iMac, of course...that's a lot of reputation and history to tap into. It would almost sell itself, presented properly (especially around this time of year, with someone looking to get grandpa or Uncle Fred "on the MyFaceTube").
Seems underwhelming on the surface, the above specs, but still a fine, more-than-usable machine/specs for someone with nothing (sometimes the Mac mini creates more hassle than it solves, especially for a completely newbie or someone with older non-USB keyboard or old, poochy VGA-based CRT...they have to buy adapters and new keyboards anyway, so many times. To get all the above in a box, ready to go, for under a grand would have to be a desirable machine for many. The four current models would still be around for those who need (or think they need) better specs and numbers.
I've learned, from first-hand experienced, that the Mac mini and its "BYOKDM" thing doesn't always make for the easiest, more economical or friendliest approach (especially if you're dealing with older peripherals and KDM). Many wind up spending another $100-200 just to get something made in the 21st century to pair with their new mini. When all is said and done, they've put in around $800 for a machine they still have to hook-up/connect (and have wires running everywhere), display doesn't match the box and suddenly this "$699 Mac" is anything but (never mind the $499 or $599 it used to cost).
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