[psmith2.0]

Well I hope the 20" Cinema came down to $499.

I'd buy one for sure! Remember when it was $1,299? Yikes...

Does anyone think Cinema Displays will eventually come iSighted up, to increase their appeal/usefulness (and justify their prices?).

I'd be okay with seeing the FireWire ports dropped to make this happen, if it came down to a price/component issue. Seems about the only things left out there that a guy like me has any use for FireWire for would be digital camcorders...and there's a port on my actual Mac for those.

Wouldn't break me heart if the displays went back to USB-only hubs, if it meant snazzy built-in iSights.

Technologically, could this be done (iSight in the Cinema Display)?

I'm not sure of the various connection/bandwidth/performance factors at play...would there be another breakout cable of some sort?

[Wrao]

The Displays already have firewire ports on them, I'm sure they could support an iSight as well. I personally think all monitors should have port hubs, mics and webcams built in. I think that should be as standard as the 3 button+scrollwheel mouse.

THAT SAID. I do not think the 23 and 30" cinema displays need iSights. Particularly the 30". Since these are typically designed for pro workstations, there is not much use for a toy like the iSight.

If apple were to drop the price on the 20" and make it more consumer accessible, then they'd probably do so in concurrence with beefing up the mac mini, since the 20" display isn't really geared towards the powermac buying market. I could see apple doing this. Or even introducing a 17" external display designed for the mac mini. That way they could keep up having iSights on all their general computers, while they carve the powermac out to be more of a workstation for serious pros only.

[psmith2.0]

I'd be cool with that (lower-priced 20" or new 17" designed to sell cheap and accompany the Mac mini).

[oldmacfan]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 I'd be cool with that (lower-priced 20" or new 17" designed to sell cheap and accompany the Mac mini).

Yeah, I think the time for that display has passed and we will not see it. Wishful thinking died on that item long ago

[Robo]

I agree with Oldmacfan on the 17" display - if Apple was interested in making one, we would have seen it a long time ago (with the Mac mini).

Apple does seem to think that 20" and up is the ideal size for a desktop display - that's why I think the next-generation iMac will include one standard.

A 20" Conroe iMac for $1,299 wouldn't be "overpriced" at all.

But anyways...here's my prediction for Apple's displays, in more detail:

Spring 2006 - Apple drops the price of the displays to accompany a minor Power Mac upgrade. The 20" will be $499, the 23" will be $999, and the 30" will be $1,999. The displays remain the same.

Late 2006 - New displays are introduced alongside the new "Mac Pro." The resolutions of all screens are increased (resolution independence, remember?), so all models are finally "HD." They're designed to match the Mac Pro. iSights will likely be introduced, and they will have an IR port for the Apple Remote, as well (doesn't make sense to put the reciever on the Mac Pro sitting under the desk). I'm predicting the new displays (and thus, Mac Pro) will be black, so that the IR reciever and iSight are less visible. (Plus, black is awesome.) The models will also add HDCP report (yay) so Macs can play HD content in, well, HD. The prices will stay the same.

[qpeighty]

It probably won't happen, but what I'd like to see Apple do is make:

1.)Mac mini with the same specs as the iMac (2Ghz Core Duo, ATI x1600 256MB, etc...) with an eSATA connector (as long as the external drive can be booted from, 7,200 or 10,000 rpm drives in an external enclosure anyone?), Also I'd like to see a trap door on the bottom for user memory upgrades.

2.)A chinless iMac with a DVI in port for people who want to upgrade to a Power Mac and still use it as a monitor, I'd also like to see them put a trap door on the iMac.

As I said it probably won't happen, but I'd like to see it.

qpeighty

[psmith2.0]

Probably. But it sure would be cool, at about $199-299, to people buying a mini. That's a complete system, including a stylish, matching widescreen 17" LCD for less than $1,000. That would be a nice feather in Apple's cap, and something they could further compete with the other side on.

But yes, I'm not exactly holding my breath over it. Seems like it would've happened by now, if it was going to. The mini has been out for a year...

[Robo]

Originally Posted by qpeighty 1.)Mac mini with the same specs as the iMac (2Ghz Core Duo, ATI x1600 256MB, etc...) with an eSATA connector (as long as the external drive can be booted from, 7,200 or 10,000 rpm drives in an external enclosure anyone?), Also I'd like to see a trap door on the bottom for user memory upgrades.

I don't think we'll see a Mac mini with iMac specs (that'd be an expensive Mac mini) but I do think we'll see a mid-range desktop that's pretty much equivalent to a "headless iMac" for $999. It will be large enough to accomodate desktop hard drives and the like, but knowing Apple, it'll still be small in its own right (*cough* Cube *cough*).

Originally Posted by qpeighty 2.)A chinless iMac with a DVI in port for people who want to upgrade to a Power Mac and still use it as a monitor, I'd also like to see them put a trap door on the iMac.

The iMac already has a trap door for user memory upgrades.

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Probably. But it sure would be cool, at about $199-299, to people buying a mini. That's a complete system, including a stylish, matching widescreen 17" LCD for less than $1,000. That would be a nice feather in Apple's cap, and something they could further compete with the other side on.

Trust me - I'd love to say that, alongside the new Cinema HD displays we'll see late this year, we'll see a 17" Cinema Display (with resolution equivalent of the current 20" model) to match the Mac mini for $299. There'd even be a naming difference to separate it from the "pro" displays - the 17" display would be just a "Cinema Display," as the 20" model is now, and the 20", 23", and 30" displays would be "Cinema HD Displays." But I just can't see it happening.

[qpeighty]

I wasn't expecting a Mini with iMac specs to be any less than $999, before BTO, 20" iMac - 20" Display + Apple Tax ( $1,699 - $799 = $900 + Apple Tax= $999), but I am not sure about them making a larger Mini (not that I wouldn't love one), I'd expect more of a smaller Power Mac than a larger mini.

I didn't know that the iMacs had/have a trap door I thought you had to take the entire back off to change the RAM

They will probably come out with somthing like a 35" or 40" with like 8 mega-pixel display for $5,000 and you will need a Quad link DVI connector to use it

Dropping the price to $300 on the 20"

qpeighty

[jouster]

Originally Posted by Roboman A 20" Conroe iMac for $1,299 wouldn't be "overpriced" at all.

To put it mildly.

[trevo]

Originally Posted by qpeighty They will probably come out with somthing like a 35" or 40" with like 8 mega-pixel display for $5,000 and you will need a Quad link DVI connector to use it

I read that Apple was making very large displays in the future (wait till im finished) for digital image professionals. Where you could actually view very high megapixel images natively. Also had something to do with some company making a new camera...?

Came across it last month, I'll see if I can find where I read it!
Didn't sound like speculation when i read it

Oh I just want to pop in there and say, I don't think Apple will ever make TVs

[ZachPruckowski]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 I'd be cool with that (lower-priced 20" or new 17" designed to sell cheap and accompany the Mac mini).

I see to be the only person who thinks this'll happen. I see it because I don't think people feel a need to have a bigger than 17-inch monitor on a cheap computer. The MacMini would be great with a $300 display, especially if it effectively added another FW and USB2 port.

[psmith2.0]

I definitely think it would sell...not only to switchers or those buying Mac minis (a given), BUT imagine the appeal it would hold for those buying a new MacBook* or MacBook Pro (especially if they're of the smallish 13-14" widescreen variety).



* assuming, of course, that the next-generation Intel-based iBook will generously - and reasonably - support spanning and the like...now that the iMac seems to.

A nice, small widescreen $999-1100 iBook/MacBook, paired with an equally affordable, stylish and "Apple-y" 17" widescreen display to greatly enlarge your at-home working space.

But yeah...I bet Apple has settled on the 20" as the smallest display offering.

Oh well...

[Satchmo]

Personally I'd love to see the price of any MacBook (iBook) to come down by about $200 across the line ($800-$1000).
I know Apple will probably keep the price in line with today's iBooks but offer faster performance.

I think it may be necessary given the dearth of cheap PC laptops out on the market. No, they don't have the latest vid chip or OSX, but Joe Average is more likely to pick up a $600 PC laptop than an Apple one for $1200.

[Robo]

I don't think Apple is interested in competing in the low end notebook space.

We call the iBook Apple's "low end" notebook, but compared to PC notebooks, it's really mid-range. $600 PC notebooks have very poor build quality, and Apple couldn't offer one in that arena without seriously compromising their standards.

I think we'll see a $799 "MacBook mini," but I think that'll be the cheapest Apple notebook for the forseeable future...and for good reason.

[noah]

Originally Posted by Roboman I don't think Apple is interested in competing in the low end notebook space. We call the iBook Apple's "low end" notebook, but compared to PC notebooks, it's really mid-range. $600 PC notebooks have very poor build quality, and Apple couldn't offer one in that arena without seriously compromising their standards. I think we'll see a $799 "MacBook mini," but I think that'll be the cheapest Apple notebook for the forseeable future...and for good reason.

I agree. I think we all enjoy the fact that when we say we own an apple laptop, its known off the top that these are top of the line machines. I'm afraid that a "low end" laptop would put a stop to that.

[Dave Hagan]

I saw this picture in the iMac Technical Overview brochure on the iMac's page:



It makes you think that not only is a 23-inch iMac completely possible and probably in the works, but it may eliminate the large white space (a.k.a. Jay Leno chin) below the display.

[Robo]

Good find, Dave!

I'm hoping that the next-generation iMac loses the "chin" altogether, or at least a good chunk of it. Merom and Conroe should both run cooler than the G5 did.

That said, I don't mind the chin at all, even on my 17" iMac. I actually don't think the iMac, in it's current form, would look that good without it. But the next-gen iMac would be designed to compliment the next-gen displays, whatever they look like.

[Elysium]

Also, the current generation of iMac graphics can support a 23" display. One less obstacle...

[Robo]

Wow. Now I'm beginning to wonder why the hell Apple doesn't sell one yet.

[ronmexico]

Why is there a chin in the first place? Couldn't they make the monitor thicker, without a chin?

[ZachPruckowski]

Originally Posted by ronmexico Why is there a chin in the first place? Couldn't they make the monitor thicker, without a chin?

A place to put the Apple Logo?

[Elysium]

That, and probably to make it look more like the iPod.

[MCQ]

Originally Posted by cynical_rock Also, the current generation of iMac graphics can support a 23" display. One less obstacle...

The last couple gens couldn't support a 23" display (once spanning was hacked on)? The Radeon X600 , 9600 and even Geforce 5200 should've been able to support 1920x1200.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by MCQ The last couple gens couldn't support a 23" display (once spanning was hacked on)? The Radeon X600 , 9600 and even Geforce 5200 should've been able to support 1920x1200.

Considering the previous generations only had a VGA port, and no spanning support whatsoever…

[SonOfSylvanus]

Originally Posted by cynical_rock That, and probably to make it look more like the iPod.

Good point. Never thought of that.

[oldmacfan]

Now Apple could just make a 30th anniversary Mac an iMac 23" that looks exactly like the 23" display (From the front that is) and beef up the specs. Not only would I buy one, but I would buy a 23" display to expand my desktop with.

[psmith2.0]

Even as much as I rag on colors, I do think it would be neat - and funny as could be - if Apple did some cool Bondi blue take on the iMac (the NEW iMacs) as a 30th anniversary thing...seeing as how the iMac first launched this "road to recovery" Apple has enjoyed the past eight or so years.



23" iMac Duo Core with "nod to 1998" Bondi blue accents and a Jeff Goldblum screensaver.

[MCQ]

Originally Posted by chucker Considering the previous generations only had a VGA port, and no spanning support whatsoever…

Right, but I'm not talking about external capabilities... I'm following along Dave/Robo/cynical's posts.

The GPU themselves for some time could have supported a 1920x1200 display if Apple wanted to design a 23" iMac. Nothing has changed in this iteration, since the external display capabilities are irrelevant to the screen size used on the actual iMac.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by MCQ Right, but I'm not talking about external capabilities... I'm following along Dave/Robo/cynical's posts. The GPU themselves for some time could have supported a 1920x1200 display if Apple wanted to design a 23" iMac. Nothing has changed in this iteration, since the external display capabilities are irrelevant to the screen size used on the actual iMac.

Oh, internally. Right. The GPU is (and has been) definitely more than good enough.

I doubt there's any technical restriction to a 23-inch iMac ICD. In fact, since it'll be bigger, it could probably be even a little thinner as well, so weight might not increase too much.

Still, Apple probably feels there's a practicality problem, due to the All-In-One approach. That's not to say I would be surprised to see it happen, but they've had plenty time to make it happen already.

With a 23-inch display, Front Row would become a lot more feasible.