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

[dammy]

If what I've read in another article is correct, it should be $498.

Dammy

[odin]

That could tempt me to buy a Mac...

[DFergATL]

I wouldn't have a Mac..  

Steve Jobs is an even bigger conrol freak than Bill Gates.

[Robert17]

But surely KMOS could make some money here, by making AOS4 work with this machine, it'd provide a cheap computer for people curious about Amiga OS...

[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

[amigamad]

Still be cheaper and faster to build a pc besides apples quality control sucks.

[dslcc]

I'd think that you'd need Apple's permission to run Mac OS on an A1, not AOS on a Mac. My Mac G4 already runs all the PPC linux distros, BSD distros, Mac OSX and Classic 8.x/9.x so it must not be very hard to get something else running on it. ?? I bet this one will be a good seller for Apple. :-D

[Tomas]

I'd think that you'd need Apple's permission to run Mac OS on an A1, not AOS on a Mac. My Mac G4 already runs all the PPC linux distros, BSD distros, Mac OSX and Classic 8.x/9.x so it must not be very hard to get something else running on it. ?? I bet this one will be a good seller for Apple.

Afaik Be inc had to stop mac/ppc developements of beos, because of lack of support from apples side.

[dslcc]

Afaik Be inc had to stop mac/ppc developements of beos, because of lack of support from apples side.

That could be. I know that BeOS runs on my PowerComputing PowerCenter 150 very well. Wasn't it back during the clone days that Be stopped developing for macs? Back in those days the Macs needed to first boot MacOS (partially) and then kick off BeOS or linux or other. Today's Macs though are OpenFirmware and do not require the cooperation with Mac to allow for booting an 'alien OS'. Should be easier on newer >1999 macs to port an os to it.  I'd buy OS4 or MorphOS if they ran on my Mac.

[DonnyEMU]

There was a BeOS release 5 for PowerPC, I actually own it.. At the time when I loaded it, it didn't have all the add-on functionality that the intel version had (like no real player).

[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

[Dan]

Pippin II :lol:
http://www.macgeek.org/museum/pippin/

[dslcc]

However it's done would be like the linux distros do it. Using YBOOT? Not sure if I remember the terminology. If you buy a mac to run MOS you've already bought the mac and the mac os so Apple wouldn't be out anything.

And you never know...you might like OSX better than AOS/MorphOS  :-)

[Dan]

dslcc wrote:
 Wasn't it back during the clone days that Be stopped developing for macs?

When the clones ended so did PPC BeOS. Because of lack of documentation.
(Jobs is evil!!!! :destroy:  :ranting: )
Should be easier now with openfirmware yes!
If I could run MOS/AOS on it I would buy it too.