Theocacao: Timing of iMac and Mini Announcements

Timing of iMac and Mini Announcements

Some have asked why Apple bothered to announce new iMacs and Mac minis before the September 12 "Showtime" event which will most likely revolve around movie sales at the iTunes store.

I think that Apple realizes that most major mainstream publications will choose one product to focus on for any one story, so announcing revisions of existing products will probably get lost amongst a brand new offering. If there's a new iPod, then it makes even more sense.

On the other hand, it is interesting that a 24 inch display is a pretty good way to watch a movie. It's also interesting that a Mini just happens to be the perfect form factor to do media serving. In fact, this is what I use it for in my house. I have all the music and videos on on the Mini and play them back via Front Row over AirPort.

As for the machines themselves, I'm fascinated by how Apple has decided to price them. They truly are going for marketshare now, not just the maximum amount of cash per machine. It's an iterative thing, but the direction is clear. This is not a strategy that suggests Apple is satisified just playing to their existing base.

On a side note, can anyone imagine taking a 24 inch iMac back in time ten years, and telling somebody that this -- a 64-bit, dual core, unix-based computer with a gorgeous (and huge) display -- is the current state of the art in consumer desktops? Oh, and by the way, it can even run Windows natively on its Intel processor.

Weird, weird times. Great, but weird.

Timing of iMac and Mini Announcements
Posted Sep 7, 2006 — 14 comments below

Carl — Sep 07, 06 1757

In 1996, Windows 95 was still basking in its glory as the new 32-bit champ, and I was a kid playing with shady copies of "Windows 96" (mostly, it's what became IE4). I guess I would be heartened to learn that in the future broadband become reasonably ubiquitous and not-infrequently delivered by WiFi. (Does anyone else remember the original Mission Impossible movie? I just shook my head and asked, if Tom Cruise has some kind of magical high speed wireless internet service, why is he using what is already an outdated version of Netscape? Heh.) I remember for a long time, I wished computers could actually be semi-snappy about opening Explorer windows and such, which computers now mostly are. I'm not sure if I used a Mac at all in '96 or if my first extended encounter wasn't until '97. In either case, I was wholly ignorant of Unix, but still grudgingly respectful of the history of the command line.

Anyhow, just reminiscing.

ben — Sep 07, 06 1758

I just wanted to add, and what you touched on, what a bold and awesome move is a jaw-dropping 24" computer/consumer product that could appeal to everyone from Pro-Photographer/Indie editor to Media-Loving-Consumers with a few dollars in the pocket.

I don't think you have to go back 10 years to impress, just pop down to the local "Harvey Norman" or "Good guys" (in Australia) and pop this on the bench and watch the jaws drop, while their customers are paying AU$2000-$3000 for an (unslightly) Intel P4 with 19" 4:3 screen.

As a consumer myself, my mouth waters to run iPhoto on that beasty, oh man! And enought room to run Textmate, Terminal & Safari with using F9, all in the one package, OMG!!!

To be honest I am surprised we are not seeing Blu-ray/HDDVD in any of the machines cause those 20/24" machine are crying for one.

From memory Apple was very quick to offer DVD from a VERY early stage when DVD was rare (at least in Australia) and so I figured that we'd see an early HD discs adoption from Apple by this time. This does lend itself to HD iTunes movies, but I doubt it due to filesize, bandwidth and costs all 'round.

It will be interesting to see where the future lies...

Scott Stevenson — Sep 07, 06 1759

I am surprised we are not seeing Blu-ray/HDDVD in any of the machines cause those 20/24" machine are crying for one

You know, I'm the type of person that should be interested in this sort of thing, I'm just not. I'm fine with DVDs and iTunes videos. Maybe I need to see some sort of mind-blowing demo but I'm not sure what the big deal is to the average person.

Dan Price — Sep 07, 06 1762

I work in IT, and the change in attitude towards Apple in the last 18 months has been nothing short of miraculous. As a long time Mac user, I was often forced to defend my decision to stick with it; sometimes even to myself and in the dark post Windows 95 days, that was hard. Even those who introduced me to the Mac were soon using Windows exlusively and getting software or peripherals was a nightmare.

Now, a huge number of people I know use macs at home; there's even a local user group and that was unheard of 10 years ago. A strong product line, standardization, security and the fact that most things from Apple just 'work' out of the box are key factors.

Also, I think the wider computing population has 'grown up' in appreciating the value of computer equipment. PCs dominated the market because the casual user knew the cost of everything, but the value of nothing. Now, with experiance, this has changed.

Insanely great times. I'm also really appreciative of the online community (like this journal). The Mac development community has matured a lot too and it's all so accessable now.

Tyler Kieft — Sep 07, 06 1763

When you take the iMac back 10 years, take your cellphone as well and mention that current cellphones have more processing power than the average personal computer of that era. Isn't the pace of technology marvelous?

Dan Price — Sep 07, 06 1764

Isn't the pace of technology marvelous?

Yes, if it's acually useful and not some gimick to shift more hardware :)

Chris — Sep 07, 06 1765

On a side note, can anyone imagine taking a 24 inch iMac back in time ten years, and telling somebody that this -- a 64-bit, dual core, unix-based computer with a gorgeous (and huge) display -- is the current state of the art in consumer desktops?

In some quarters we thought we'd be further along than this. Remember that the PowerPC architecture is actually a 64-bit architecture; the PowerPC 620 (pre-G3) was the first 64-bit implementation. Dual cores were planned ten years ago. Resolution independence was known to be important ten years ago, and larger displays were a given. LCD sizes are underperforming relative to where we thought they'd be. There hasn't (visibly) been a necessary breakthrough in manufacturing large size LCDs.

The main difference between where we thought we should be and where we are is that Windows was expected to be emulated at high speeds or ported to PowerPC (the Pentium was expected to be left to rot). And no one thought Motorola would drop the PowerPC ball with such force and magnitude, and that Apple would stop paying attention long enough to let them.

Chris — Sep 07, 06 1766

a necessary breakthrough in manufacturing large size LCDs

at low cost, I mean.

Chris — Sep 07, 06 1767

Oh, and no one expected to be writing Objective-C code. :)

Scott Stevenson — Sep 07, 06 1769

Now, a huge number of people I know use macs at home

It's true. A shocking number of people I know are getting MacBook Pros, for both school and work. I can think of four off the top of my head, and those are just the ones I happened to hear about.

Also, I think the wider computing population has 'grown up' in appreciating the value of computer equipment.

Also true.

Preston — Sep 07, 06 1772

It is really, really exciting to see Apple pricing so competitively and selling a complete line of dual-core Macs.� Best Mac lineup in Apple history?

Robert — Sep 07, 06 1773

I was involved with getting Mac apps 32 bit clean at Aldus.

MS never did this, although they should have. And Macs did it WAY COOL before Windows, although Excel was available in 32 bit way before anything else and it ran on the Mac FX that was the first 32 bit PC.

I HAVE A QUESTION !?!?!?!?!

HOW COME, all the Apple stores are right next to a VICTORIA SECRET ???

Are there some kind of recreational activities going on at VS that I don't know about !?!?!?!

And what does that have to do with Apple's stores ???

Scott Stevenson — Sep 08, 06 1774

HOW COME, all the Apple stores are right next to a VICTORIA SECRET ???

I have yet to see this in the Bay Area, but I can think of some obvious benefits. Think of all the foot traffic saved.

Steve-o — Sep 08, 06 1775

Never seen an Apple store near a Victoria's Secret in the NY Metro area (including some of the NJ stores).

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