Apple building a sub-$600 iMac.

[System]

According to several sources, Apple is currently in the manufacturing process for a "headless" (meaning no-monitor) iMac computer with a pricetag under $600 USD.

While this event shouldn't surprise anyone, considering the pricetag of current Amiga motherboard-only solutions, this event could have a serious detrimental impact on the "hobbyist non-PC" market that both Amiga/KMOS and Genesi are currently squabbling over.  

Notable source : http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=802

[System]

I would agree that the potential is there, but honestly a Sub-$600 iMac would be enough to make me actually consider one.  Of course I'd have to see the specs, but if they're talking about a G4 with some way of adding a lot of memory, I might be sold.

I'd especially love to see OS4 (or even MorphOS) on such a box, but I doubt it would be very possible without a blessing and assistance from Apple.

Wayne

[System]

I'm sure that you could MAKE OS4 (or MorphOS) work on a Mac, but I'm not at all sure of the legality, unless you completely removed/flashed away Mac's CMOS/ROM/whatever it's called on a Mac.

Therein lies the trouble I believe.  Getting documentation for, then building a suitable replacement CMOS might be nigh impossible.

Wayne

[System]

I think it's very funny to see people on other sites (in regards to the same article) arguing that this new "$500 Mac" won't make any difference because "you can still build a faster, more well-stocked PC for much, much cheaper".

That argument sounds very eerily similar to the standard beef against the AmigaOne and Pegasos.  Why would anyone, other than an Amiga diehard ever consider spending $600+ for a non-standard PPC motherboard with an unproven software base, when you can home-build a very respectably-powered, full PC (sans monitor) for the same money?

The only legitimate response to that is the same one that companies such as Eyetech and bPlan/Genesi were hoping for.  That response being that there are a growing number of people -- ranging from geeks to computer illiterate parents -- who have become dissatisfied with Windows and it's inherent problems.

If Apple do release such a little beast, I think it'll be a great thing for several reasons;

1) Marketed correctly, people upset with constant Windows problems and updates will gladly disregard the small price differential to get "a machine that works without all the crap".

2) A $500 Mac would be an incredibly competitive machine for anyone wanting a new machine but but doesn't have $1000+ to put into it. (Most "Gateway/Dell/commercial" machines run $1000+ by the time you add in any extras).

3) A $500 Mac would be an EXCELLENT jumping point for those who've always been interested in the Mac platform but never had the money to justify jumping off the Windows bandwagon.

4) As someone said (perhaps elsewhere) a $500 Mac "would be the perfect commercial platform for companies, government offices, etcetera" because they wouldn't have to have a full staff of high-paid Windows supporting geeks to rebuild machines when the end-user did something stupid (like removing himself, admin, and everyone else from the system permissions).  Macs, and in particular, OS X has been proven to be far easier to support.

5) Last but not least, the competition -- if Apple could sustain it against retaliatory offers for PC's put out by the Wintel Juggernaut -- would begin (albeit slowly) to make Microsoft rethink about actually FIXING problems in their damned products and being competitive.  

Right now, Microsoft isn't competing with Apple.  They have pretty much been able to ignore Apple altogether since Apple only has a laughable share of the desktop.  I think, or at least I hope that the new Mac could change all that.

I hate to sound so negative, but please understand the difference is that I'm not trying to slam anyone here.  I understand the financial realities of Eyetech/bPlan small-batching their boards versus Apple who can order them in the millions.  I don't however think that either the AmigaOne or the Pegasos would ever, under any circumstances have the same shot of competing on the desktop because outside of name recognition for the Amiga (which has been all but forgotten in the public eye), it would be an unproven system with no software support for a higher price than the new "mini-mac".  

For our favorite obsession, unless Hyperion and the MorphOS guys can get their OS on the "mini-mac", I'm afraid that it sounds like this new baby is ringing the death bell for the new Amiga.

[System]

@red,

I don't *think* I said that "the mac market isn't viable".  They very much are in my opinion.  It's just that -- like someone else said -- they've positioned themselves as the "better than Windows but very elitist" alternative by pricing.  The Mercedes of desktop machines as it were.  While that guarantees them a position in the world, it doesn't make them competitive with the world of sheep who can't seem to see past

1) price
2) Gigahertz

The new "mini-mac" (I Like that term) will go a long way towards establishing a whole lot of people who -- once they experience OSX versus Windows -- will finally understand why the cost difference is worth it.  Neither Amiga solution can offer such a revelation to end-users at this point because they lack any real software support, even in the OS level, for future growth.

In regards to the "under the hood" questions, I dunno, but I'm sure it has to be accessible to some extent, even if it involves shareware to get there.

Wayne

[System]

Absolutely. OSX has a CLI That gets you into the 'Darwin' BSD core.

Sounds like we've been "out-Amiga'd".

[System]

Don't hold back neofree, tell us what you really think...  

Nah, don't.  I was just joking.  Keep in mind that most people who have never used an Amiga think of it pretty much the exact same way (as a toy or oddity left over from the 80's).

The Macintosh is the only system which could even pose any sort of challenge to Microsoft's dominance on the desktop.  Most people NEED an "idiot-proof" computer, but on the bright side, OSX offers to let tinkers get below the skin if they want to.  

Over the last several hours, I've been reading up on the net and I'm amazed at what some people are doing with them.  Lots of people have pretty much cobbled OSX and they're using them pretty much as a Linux machine, which even further hurts the Eyetech/bPlan potential.  

$500 for a PPC machine (not just a motherboard) that the average idiot who can buy, take home, and plug in to use as a ready-made Linux box *OR* Macintosh is a major, major thing with massive potential to make a difference.

Wayne

[System]

If it's like most new pizza-box computers (examples, the tiny Gateway and Dell boxes), it'll probably be expandable solely by firewire or USB, which doesn't mean it's non-expandable.

Personally speaking, that sounds pretty small-box-Amiga-like to me.  Small central box, wires or wireless leading to smaller add-on boxes.