Kent Pribbernow
06-25-2004, 06:00 PM
Mac fans are in an uproar over rumors that Steve Jobs will announce a totally redesigned iMac, powered by a G5 processor, on Monday at Apple's World Wide Developers Conference. But there is discontinuity over which rumor(s) will turn out to be fact. AppleInsider (http://appleinsider.com/article.php?id=517) claims that a new G5 based iMac in a "Pizza box" design is coming. While Think Secret (http://thinksecret.com/news/wwdc04apple.html) is reporting that new Pro displays are coming, but no new iMac. So which site has hit the nail on the head? My bet is on the Think Secret, and for the same reasons they believe no iMac is coming: Steve Jobs keynote will not be webcast. Jobs NEVER releases a major new product without the entire civilized world watching his every move. That being the case, I think the chances that new iMacs are coming is extremely remote to say the least.
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That's not to say that an overhaul is not coming. Just not at WWDC. If you look at Apple's current product line, you'll see that a price gap exists between each iMac model. The entry level unit costs $1,299 (USD). But the next step up from that costs a whopping $1,800. Where is a $1,499 model? According to both rumor sites, current inventory of iMacs are in very short supply with Apple telling its VARS not to expect more in the near future. That alone seems to indicate that new products are in the pipeline. And to add fire to the grill, Think Secret say that the "new" iMac has just begun production in Taiwan. So what does all this mean? It means that an iMac is coming....but not at WWDC. Nope, that event will focus almost entirely on "Tiger". That means that unless Apple holds a special press event to announce the iMac, at its Cupertino headquarters, the next most likely event to announce the new consumer desktop line will be in August at Apple Expo - Paris. Have I got it right? Time will tell. :wink:
http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/g5imac.jpg
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That's not to say that an overhaul is not coming. Just not at WWDC. If you look at Apple's current product line, you'll see that a price gap exists between each iMac model. The entry level unit costs $1,299 (USD). But the next step up from that costs a whopping $1,800. Where is a $1,499 model? According to both rumor sites, current inventory of iMacs are in very short supply with Apple telling its VARS not to expect more in the near future. That alone seems to indicate that new products are in the pipeline. And to add fire to the grill, Think Secret say that the "new" iMac has just begun production in Taiwan. So what does all this mean? It means that an iMac is coming....but not at WWDC. Nope, that event will focus almost entirely on "Tiger". That means that unless Apple holds a special press event to announce the iMac, at its Cupertino headquarters, the next most likely event to announce the new consumer desktop line will be in August at Apple Expo - Paris. Have I got it right? Time will tell. :wink:
http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/g5imac.jpg