Think Secret, a mac rumors website with a very good track record, is reporting that Apple will release a "bare bones, G4-based iMac without a display at Macworld Expo on January 11 that will retail for $499".
The fabled "headless iMac" is one of the longest running debates in the Mac community. Apple has always said they are not interested in pursuing this low margin (sub $800) category. But supposedly iPod sales (and extensive data from their retail stores,) have convinced them they can lure away a lot of windows users with a cheaper entry level machine, and that the economics of "growing the base" make sense in exchange for smaller per unit profits. Could be. I have to admit it doesn't sound like an Apple strategy to me. But I can think of several people to whom I would recommend this machine.
It will be fun to see how this turns out. So far Wall Street is not noticing (Wall St. has wanted Apple to "grow the base" for some time now,) but maybe they don't read the rumor sites. At least there is now some excitement around Macworld 2005. Things had been a little too quiet.
I think this is a good idea. I know someone upgrading from a Windows 3.1 machine that I would have steered this direction rather than a Dell or Gateway Windows XP machine.
The base of users is expanding. Given the power and cost of today's HW, there's no reason for many of these new users to spend more than $500 on a headless box to do email, web, photos, address book, etc.
Damn, this story got picked up by everyone. I saw it on the 10:30 news last night on channel 11! What other computer company (or consumer electronics company) has *rumors* about upcoming products on the brain dead local news? They even teased it once early in the show and then ran the spot near the end as if people were going to stick around to hear the news from Apple (well, okay, I did, but I'm a weirdo.)
At the same time I am getting a little worried about that price point. $499? That's one hundred dollars *less* than the biggest iPod! I just don't see how they can do it. $599 sounds more reasonable. But now that the rumor got so much play people will be disappointed with that price even if it is a fair deal.
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The fabled "headless iMac" is one of the longest running debates in the Mac community. Apple has always said they are not interested in pursuing this low margin (sub $800) category. But supposedly iPod sales (and extensive data from their retail stores,) have convinced them they can lure away a lot of windows users with a cheaper entry level machine, and that the economics of "growing the base" make sense in exchange for smaller per unit profits. Could be. I have to admit it doesn't sound like an Apple strategy to me. But I can think of several people to whom I would recommend this machine.
It will be fun to see how this turns out. So far Wall Street is not noticing (Wall St. has wanted Apple to "grow the base" for some time now,) but maybe they don't read the rumor sites. At least there is now some excitement around Macworld 2005. Things had been a little too quiet.
- jim 12-29-2004 8:09 pm
I think this is a good idea. I know someone upgrading from a Windows 3.1 machine that I would have steered this direction rather than a Dell or Gateway Windows XP machine.
The base of users is expanding. Given the power and cost of today's HW, there's no reason for many of these new users to spend more than $500 on a headless box to do email, web, photos, address book, etc.
- mark 12-30-2004 4:48 am
Damn, this story got picked up by everyone. I saw it on the 10:30 news last night on channel 11! What other computer company (or consumer electronics company) has *rumors* about upcoming products on the brain dead local news? They even teased it once early in the show and then ran the spot near the end as if people were going to stick around to hear the news from Apple (well, okay, I did, but I'm a weirdo.)
At the same time I am getting a little worried about that price point. $499? That's one hundred dollars *less* than the biggest iPod! I just don't see how they can do it. $599 sounds more reasonable. But now that the rumor got so much play people will be disappointed with that price even if it is a fair deal.
- jim 12-31-2004 6:52 pm