Veteran Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Mile 1
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Last week I was asked by the IT Department for system recommendations on replacing one of our Mac labs with of course new Macs. It came down to one option, the low end G5 Tower. There was really no other choice in that lab because of the set-up (a very bad set-up). So the powers that be come back and tell me that they can't afford the PowerMac and that they want to carry the present machines (PM G4 400 (two different versions) with 128 or 192 MBs ram running 10.3) over till the beginning of 2006 when they will buy replacements. I looked at them funny and said why? "The Apple Rep, who actually works for Apple told us that Apple will be releasing a "New sub $1000 desktop system at the begining of 2006"". I looked at him and said a desktop system with no Monitor attached, and he said "that is what they told me".
The IT Department, not one to ever ever do upgrades on systems (let alone pay for them) is actually going to spend about $200 per machine to drop in more ram and a new hard drive, so we can finish our Tiger migration. I have been asking since I walked in the door my first day of work for upgrades for these machines and have been denied every time. Now when it is time for the Lab to be replaced (we have policies on when they have to be replaced) they choke on spending the money and offer to upgrade to cover the next six months based on what Apple told them. I can add no more information than this. Mile 1 |
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
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Interesting. I wonder if it will be an Intel system?
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Mr. Vieira
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
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Probably updated minis.
That is odd. Are Apple reps traditionally privy to this sort of thing? I see it debated here often. In any case, sounds like a good way for a blabbermouth rep to lose his job if Apple finds out he's going around saying this. The "beginning of 2006" points to MWSF, so who knows. Jeez...Apple is going to wind up with eleventy-hundred bazillion desktop models... Perhaps this would be an eMac replacement? A buffed-up Mac mini, only with better graphics, full-size drives, etc. Perhaps that G5-based Cube/mini-tower folks have been begging for? A slightly larger (8" square) and taller (3-4") "mini", with upgradeable components, easy-to-install RAM (two user accessible slots!) and wireless and graphics... That would be pretty neat, and would more than meet the needs of many, many people. Simply a better, more capable version of the mini, addressing all the mini's shortcomings/faults... I don't know. I'll believe it when I see it. So hard to tell anymore, and so many times these "well, a guy I know who knows this guy who used to be a rep said that..." turn out to be nothing. Would a rep know something like this. And if so, this far in advance? ...hey, ask the rep if he knows anything about the iBooks! Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2005-07-13 at 08:59. |
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2005
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My guess is that it's complete BS, there won't be another new, cheap system. A mac mini update seems like a possibility by then, but that's not exactly "new."
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Mr. Vieira
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
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I certainly HOPE it's a mini update "by then"...it will have been 12 months, after all.
If I could change one thing (okay, two things...my stance on the marketing/advertising is legendary at this point ), it would be that they somehow do one of two things: 1. Stop offering underwhelming specs and components and then letting that particular product sit dormant for 6, 9 or 12 months. I'm looking at the mini when I say that (and kinda the iBook, a little)... or 2. Continue to offer underwhelming specs and components, BUT either a) refresh the line to bring it up to snuff in a reasonable (six months) amount of time, OR b) simply offer the option to BTO a slightly beefier version of said underwhelming machine. I figure tons of folks would pay a bit extra if they could get a 5400rpm hard drive and 64/128MB graphics on the mini. The mini has the potential to be the perfect machine for thousands and thousands of users (people who'd never get a tower because they simply have no need for the expansion bays, card slots, don't like the bulk and expense, etc.), but it's going to get harder and harder for people to feel good about getting a mini at current specs, considering. No, that doesn't make me a "spec whore". Please. Makes me a realist. |
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Veteran Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Mile 1
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I just spoke with my IT guy again and this is not a Mini update, this is a completely new system.
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Mr. Vieira
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
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A maxi!
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Rocket Surgeon
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: The Canadark
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Join Date: Jul 2004
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reticulating your mom
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reticulating your mom
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Seriously, Apple very much needs a headless desktop situated nicely between the Mini and PowerMac.
Right now, there's a huge, gaping hole. On the left, we have the budget, low-end underpowered desktop. On the right, we have the professional, high-end full-size desktop. Something should be put in the middle... with the specs of the iMac, minus the display. If you take the screen out of the iMac, it would make a very nice pizza box a la 6100. Edit: Come to think of it, the pizza box form factor sucks. More realistic would be the mini form factor, but 4-5 times as tall (more so than it is wide), like the G4 cube. You ask me for a hamburger. Last edited by atomicbartbeans : 2005-07-13 at 12:37. |
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Mr. Vieira
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
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That's probably what it's going to be (assuming, of course, the story is true).
There is indeed a bit of a gap when you think of it that way. The only thing in that $800-$2000 range are the AIO eMac and iMac. And I think it's more than safe to assume that PLENTY of folks do not want (and tend not to go for) AIOs, for whatever reason. That's been proven, and we hear it A LOT. To them, they're truly out in the cold: the Mac mini is too weak, PowerMac is too expensive/big/overkill. They don't like AIOs and they don't want a laptop. But you're right: if the specs of an iMac G5 can be crammed into that space (figuring the display is mostly dictating that large size), then I see no reason there can't be a display-less version, somewhere between the size of the mini and the G4 Cube that could sit comfortably in that price range and really appeal to TONS of people (if I were a desktop user, it would certainly be the one I'D go for...iMac power, choice of display, small design, no wasted space or expansion, etc.) Apple could truly then, at that point, say they have the bases covered: THREE desktop systems: budget, mid-range and pro, all offering display choice for the consumer. Apple's or any number of third-party displays. Then two AIOs (eMac and iMac) and two laptops (iBook and PowerBook), with variations within, of course (as currently offered). SURELY in that $499-2999 range, there would be something for everyone... |
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ಠ_ರೃ
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
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Apple employees are generally not told about upcoming hardware releases like that. I doubt this guy is legit.
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reticulating your mom
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Maybe he knows some higher-ups personally.
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Veteran Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Promise Land of Trustafarians
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I've been saying that the Cube will return ever since it was cancelled. I thought it had with the Mini. Maybe I was wrong.
But I think he's wrong and all this is, at best, is updated Mini's. |
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
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I've had the same signature here and many boards since well,.... I can't remember. Just waiting to be included in one of Apple's target markets. |
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BANNED
I am worthless beyond hope. Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Berkeley
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It's not that no one knows in Apple, although that's often the case, it's mostly that people keep their secrets (with the few exceptions like thinksecret's sources) |
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reticulating your mom
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On Apple's jobs site, where you go to apply for a job at Apple, this is what they're looking for in sales people....
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You ask me for a hamburger. |
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Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: United Chavdom of Little Britain
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Are you sure this isn't some bullshit story concocted by the powers that be to get around paying for new machines.
Ignoring the issue about whether the rep is privy to this kind of info for the moment. Does this sound like that normal behaviour of a sales guy? Why would he miss out on getting a bigger sale now? It doesn't make sense to me. "It's like a new pair of underwear. At first it's constrictive, but after a while it becomes a part of you." |
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Mr. Vieira
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
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Maybe he's an honest, ethical salesperson?
Whew...couldn't breathe there for a minute...sigh. |
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Cynical Old Bastard
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I hope its true, but I doubt it.
The University I work for is interested in buying some desktop Macs, but the PM is too expensive (and kind of BIG), the mini is too speed challenged (crappy laptop HD) and is non-upgradeable (non-future proof), and we don't want an AIO. So that leaves us with buying Dell's. Your loss Steve, for being so stuck on the AIO only theme for 'consumer' desktops. |
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reticulating your mom
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Veteran Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Mile 1
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Well, I didn't get to talk to the Apple rep (and we are not talking about a third party rep) the guy in charge of buying every piece of technology that is used on all of our campuses did.
He was on the phone with the Apple rep for about an hour talking about the specifics of the situation. That is when the rep told him about this product. If the rep is trying to make a sale, why would he tell us to wait till essentially next fiscal year (and ours start July 1)? The rep's are not out-of-the-loop as to how public schools work it is their job to know this. If you fail to get a sale during the summer from a school, you are next to out-of-luck. Mile 1 |
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Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: shire
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It was said that the G5 was the only option they had. Specs-wise. If that's the case it could very well be that also the G5 never was a real option money-wise. Schools are always strapped for cash. If specs-wise the G5 is the only option, then it is more likely that the one real option ends up being DELL. And at _that_ point an Apple rep will divulge information - if it helps to keep the client. Once a school switches over to DELL it will be hard to get it back. It is better to release a few sensitive informations (albeit in a very generic form) if they tie the client over for another year. Especially if it is a big and/or prestigious client. And by the looks of it the rep succeeded. So it was worth it. Last edited by hobbit.2 : 2005-07-13 at 18:48. |
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Veteran Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Mile 1
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We are a Gateway school for most of what we do, but the Math, Natural Science, fine art, and Academic Computing Departments are mostly Mac and strongly entrenched that way. The talk is now that they might pop for iMacs next year and change the layout of the room. What the biggest issue has been is that the desks in this room, which nobody wants to replace, have the monitor and CPU below the desk. The head of Natural Science has now agreed to have the Monitor above the desk as long as it is a flat panel display. Which is standard with all systems PC or Mac we buy now. We don't really have an issue with these die hard departments switching, we just aren't able to spend do to cost. Mile 1 |
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Join Date: Jan 2005
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Cynical Old Bastard
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Our "year" also starts on July 1. We buy almost nothing throughout the year and go on a huge spending spree in April and May. Its like Christmas in Spring.
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Veteran Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Mile 1
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The decision is different than the purchase. Mile 1 |
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: USA
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At today's conference call in which Apple discussed third quarter results, an Apple exectutive said there will be new PowerPC products in coming quarters. I don't think this means brand-new products; rather updates to existing lines. Perhaps I'm wrong.
Based on Apple statements as to the future availability of Intel Macs, I think expecting Intel Macs at the beginning of 2006 is pushing it. I doubt seriously that Intel processors will be put into ANYTHING other than brand-new redesigned Macs. And, I doubt there will be any brand-new redesigned Macs before they have Intel processors in them. So, expecting a new sub-$1000 desktop system at the beginning of 2006 is unrealistic. Well into 2006 is more likely, unless Apple is farther along with its Intel plans than I think. |
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If this guy was telling the truth, then he is certainly violating an NDA and could be fired. Hence, there are two possible scenarios:
a) He's full of it b) He's an idiot for jeopardizing his job so that he can *NOT* make a sale I'm inclined to go with option A. "I understand small business growth. I was one." - George W. Bush |
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