Cheap iMacs for 2005?

[reflex]

As for the "McMac", first we have to see if the story's true. I don't really see how a "cheap" Apple computer fit's into Steve Jobs world view. ... Now we're supposed to believe he's getting into the Ford and Chevy business? I not going to get my hopes up.

There's nothing cheap about a $500-$600 computer these days.

My current Computer (a low-end Dell) cost me about US$350 with shipping and taxes included. Its fast enough for just about everything I need (yes, even video editing). I'd rather upgrade to another low-end machine in 24 months than feel the need to stretch a $2000 computer's life to 4 years or so.

Yet when rumours have Apple bringing a machine to market for 70% more than that, people start mumbling about it being too cheap. If Apple can convince me to buy a $500 computer and then get me to spend a few hundred more on software, they win in a big way. As it is, the only Apple gear I've used in the last decade is my iPod.

reflex

[greenplastic79]

I used to use macs. Then I discovered how cheap it was to build and upgrade pc's, especially when using pricewatch.com. And no pricewatch.com has nothing to do with cheap airline tickets. If you think about it, it is kind of silly to keep buying power supplies, monitors, cd-roms, hard drives, etc. If you buy yesterdays technology you can get a lot of machine for little money.

NForce2 Ultra Motherboard $50
Nice ATX case, 500 watt power supply. $60
2 x 512 Meg PC3200 Ram $130
Geforce 5700 128 meg Video Card$75
100 Gig Hard Drive $60
Athlon XP 3200 w/ 400mhz bus $125

If you buy slightly old technology you avoid some depreciation, and you can turn around and sell whatever part you're done with on ebay when you're ready to upgrade.

Of course I'd rather be using a MacOS than winblows; I just wish they made their computers more upgradeable.

[munnin]

Hoorrrrayy!!!! a cheapo mac... let him be added to the collection.

I am missing a G5 at the moment... I have a couple PPC's from the early 90's, a iMac G3, a iBook G3 and a eMac G4 :twisted:

but I could use another computer and there is still room left...

[reflex]

Interesting. Wonder if its real?

http://dms.tecknohost.com/macrumors/i/ihome/

[mattias]

that most definitely not real, but it's exactly what i've been waiting for, so let's hope all great minds think alike...

/matt

[son-of-bubba]

Sounds pretty smart on Apple's part if it's true and they can do it.

However, after adding a monitor, a DVD burner, iDVD, a memory upgrade and probably a hard drive upgrade I expect the final price will be well north of $1,000. Still a nice system for a good price.

I use iMovie on an Mac that is close to to those specs G4, 1.25 ghz etc...
It works well for basic editing but I find that global functions on clips take quite a while eg. color adjustment, cropping etc.... I would like something more powerfull when I can afford it.

Also, as another poster mentioned, I can't imagine how FinalCut would run on such a machine.

Pat

[mattias]

final cut runs perfectly on a 400 mhz g4 as well as my 800 mhz ibook g4, so i can't see why it wouldn't run great on one of those too, even though i don't quite see why you'd want to. if you're prepared to pay $900 for a piece of software and don't need the portability of an ibook/powerbook you really should get a g5.

what would be *really* interesting would be if apple released versions of imovie, iphoto and itunes optimized to be used on a tv screen. hello fantastic multimedia editing station for the casual home user. (don't forget firewire and usb on the front panel though)

/matt

[S8 Booster]

Interesting. Wonder if its real?

http://dms.tecknohost.com/macrumors/i/ihome/

looks as if there is something to it. the movie clip posted at the low end of the page is (incidentally?) from a cellular phone cam or at least that format as far as i know:
http://dms.tecknohost.com/macrumors/i/i ... o-0001.3gp
so it may be a "spy cam" job.

Wouldn´t rule it out.

R

[reflex]

It's available January 22nd.

The Mac mini fits in the palm of your hand. Hook it into your own keyboard and mouse, or Apple's. Comes with Panther and iLife 05. Price point:$499 $599.

[murchmb]

Pretty attractive low end editing package. iMovie and iDVD now support widescreen too, something you previously had to go to a pro package for. Had I not just gotten a Powermac a month ago, I'd be in for one

[paulcotto]

Order it today, get it Jan 22, 2005!

http://www.apple.com/macmini/

Now I just need to sell a camera or two!
Paul Cotto

[mattias]

too bad it's too expensive. $399 would have been a better and more agressive price tag.

/matt

[paulcotto]

True, but it's a step in the right direction. I think it will sell like hotcakes. If it does sell well look for better deals in the future.

Paul Cotto

too bad it's too expensive. $399 would have been a better and more agressive price tag.

/matt

[Uppsala BildTeknik]

Being that small there can´t be room for much air in there.
I wonder how hot it gets when under pressure on a hot summer day...

[Cine_Monkey]

I LOVE the look of the new mac mini, but as normal I do not think mac have thought it through.

WHile the big selling point is its size, and on the site the pictures look neat and small, WITHOUT any perpherals.

God as soon as you plug in your printer, keyboard, mouse, scanner, moniter, Digital Camera, etc, your desk is gonna be a rats nest of wires!

So i dunno, great idea, but I think it would be messy, and if you add on the cost of a new moniter and keyboard and mouse, it pushes the price up to that near an eMac, so I thikn they should have made it cheaper.

I was also wondering about cooling, but my ibook is silent and thats a G4 1.2 Ghz so I guess they build them that way.

We all have to remember this mac was not made so much for us to do our editing and video on, but to grap all the pc / ipod users, and get them using macs, like a little mac they can buy to "the" the format.

I personally think mac would have been better off releasing the old style imac and slashing the price to £300

Now i think that would sell million again