Yeah, the argument was "Enterprise wants separates". But for my budget, who's keeping a monitor more than 5 years? I've replaced the whole workstation every 3 for the last decade due to performance increases. Holding on to the "replace the cpu keep the monitor" just ain't the case anymore. 20" iMac is more than enough for gen. office stuff. And the 24" extreme can handle everything but very high end video and audio production. If you need more than a 24" Quad core with 4Gb of RAM for web or print, IMHO you're doing it wrong. Also true if replacing the entire workstation 5 years later for about the same price doesn't fit your budget.
Oh yeah and I haven't witnessed any Dell or Gateway shop that's holding on to a monitor 5 years later and only replacing the CPU. Everyone appears to be upgrading both the CPU and the monitor every 3 or 5 years. So that whole practice is out the window and Apple is totally on top of the game with that; here's a 20" computer/monitor that will work great for 5 years. When you're done, recycle it and we'll have a new one for you that'll last another 5 years.
I say that Apple should make a smaller tower like the Mac Pro and be between the power of the iMac and the Mac Pro. Even though they don't need it..
Or they could use my Mac Mini Cube that is a Mac Mini in a Mac Cube encasing. Could be the gap between both the Mac Mini and the iMac and the gap between the iMac and the Mac Pro. Best of all worlds?
Exactly, and how many offices actually replace their computers every 5 or 6 years anyway? Most keep computers around for years. It would be interesting to find out if anyone has ever conducted any kind of survey to discover how many Mac there are in the office world.
@Zayne.... I don't know. I think Apple is fine with the line up it has. I think if Apple were to do anything, it would be to actually lower prices a bit on the iMac even more. Perhaps drop the price on new 20 inch by $100 bucks.
@dnecromancerr75 I guess it depends on the company. I can't recall recently visiting any office that has an employee using a cpu older than 4 years. Do you know many places that have cpu's from 2002 with 15-17" CRT's? Or who plan on only upgrading the cpu at those workstations this year or next? The cheapest iMac is $1,199 and has a 20" LCD and a 2.0Ghz Intel Core2 Duo. Are you really doing yourself a favor getting a $599 HP Pavilion and/or does Apple really need to complete with that market or are they already with the Mac mini?
The company I work for only updated the computers in the main office a year or so ago. Before that they were using computers that were about 7 or 8 years old. It must just be me, but I never consider the Mac Mini when talking about computers. It never enters into my mind. I guess for me, the Macs start at the iMac. Now, of course, like I said above somewhere, if Apple were to put a DVR and a couple of tuners in the mini, that would change things.
A mini mac pro (shuttle size) that is super quite and portable but can hold a full nvidia 8800 or 2 in SLi would fill all sorts of gaps:
a) office power users (that don't need a pro)
b) Windows Vista Gamers
c) People who need to use windows CAD programs
d) Any user that wants to keep their existing monitors
This would only really be in competition with shuttle (dell XPS, alienware and voodoo PC's are all 'big boxes').
I'm sure apple could produce the ultimate shuttle sized machine, thus turning this sector mainstream.
16 comments so far
If it isn't obvious I'm listening to MBW 52.
2 years, 3 months ago by troubledwine
Yeah, I think the Mac is capable now of performing in the business environment. Very capable. Hell, I work on a Mac.
2 years, 3 months ago by dnecromancerr75
Yeah, the argument was "Enterprise wants separates". But for my budget, who's keeping a monitor more than 5 years? I've replaced the whole workstation every 3 for the last decade due to performance increases. Holding on to the "replace the cpu keep the monitor" just ain't the case anymore. 20" iMac is more than enough for gen. office stuff. And the 24" extreme can handle everything but very high end video and audio production. If you need more than a 24" Quad core with 4Gb of RAM for web or print, IMHO you're doing it wrong. Also true if replacing the entire workstation 5 years later for about the same price doesn't fit your budget.
2 years, 3 months ago by troubledwine
Oh yeah and I haven't witnessed any Dell or Gateway shop that's holding on to a monitor 5 years later and only replacing the CPU. Everyone appears to be upgrading both the CPU and the monitor every 3 or 5 years. So that whole practice is out the window and Apple is totally on top of the game with that; here's a 20" computer/monitor that will work great for 5 years. When you're done, recycle it and we'll have a new one for you that'll last another 5 years.
2 years, 3 months ago by troubledwine
I say that Apple should make a smaller tower like the Mac Pro and be between the power of the iMac and the Mac Pro. Even though they don't need it..
Or they could use my Mac Mini Cube that is a Mac Mini in a Mac Cube encasing. Could be the gap between both the Mac Mini and the iMac and the gap between the iMac and the Mac Pro. Best of all worlds?
2 years, 3 months ago by ZayneHumphrey
Exactly, and how many offices actually replace their computers every 5 or 6 years anyway? Most keep computers around for years. It would be interesting to find out if anyone has ever conducted any kind of survey to discover how many Mac there are in the office world.
2 years, 3 months ago by dnecromancerr75
@Zayne.... I don't know. I think Apple is fine with the line up it has. I think if Apple were to do anything, it would be to actually lower prices a bit on the iMac even more. Perhaps drop the price on new 20 inch by $100 bucks.
2 years, 3 months ago by dnecromancerr75
Still..yeah..but I want a Mac Mini Cube.
Plus, I said they really don't need it.
2 years, 3 months ago by ZayneHumphrey
lol. What Apple should do is put DVR capability and a couple of tuners in the Mac Mini.
2 years, 3 months ago by dnecromancerr75
@dnecromancerr75 I guess it depends on the company. I can't recall recently visiting any office that has an employee using a cpu older than 4 years. Do you know many places that have cpu's from 2002 with 15-17" CRT's? Or who plan on only upgrading the cpu at those workstations this year or next? The cheapest iMac is $1,199 and has a 20" LCD and a 2.0Ghz Intel Core2 Duo. Are you really doing yourself a favor getting a $599 HP Pavilion and/or does Apple really need to complete with that market or are they already with the Mac mini?
2 years, 3 months ago by troubledwine
The company I work for only updated the computers in the main office a year or so ago. Before that they were using computers that were about 7 or 8 years old. It must just be me, but I never consider the Mac Mini when talking about computers. It never enters into my mind. I guess for me, the Macs start at the iMac. Now, of course, like I said above somewhere, if Apple were to put a DVR and a couple of tuners in the mini, that would change things.
2 years, 3 months ago by dnecromancerr75
Or put a cube Encasing around it...and put a faster processor in it with a graphics card that would do justice to it.
2 years, 3 months ago by ZayneHumphrey
Ah, now that is good idea. You seem to like the cube, I notice, Zayne. It was cool looking.
2 years, 3 months ago by dnecromancerr75
Yeah, I do like the Cube. Apple seemed to ditch it when it was a great idea..then they made it into a Mac Mini.
2 years, 3 months ago by ZayneHumphrey
A mini mac pro (shuttle size) that is super quite and portable but can hold a full nvidia 8800 or 2 in SLi would fill all sorts of gaps: a) office power users (that don't need a pro) b) Windows Vista Gamers c) People who need to use windows CAD programs d) Any user that wants to keep their existing monitors
This would only really be in competition with shuttle (dell XPS, alienware and voodoo PC's are all 'big boxes').
I'm sure apple could produce the ultimate shuttle sized machine, thus turning this sector mainstream.
2 years, 2 months ago by aac74
TOOOO BIGGGGGGGGGGGGG:
http://www.voodoopc.com/sellpage/sellpage.aspx?spid=61 http://www.dell.com/content/products/category.aspx/xpsdtgaming?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs http://www.alienware.com/productpages/desktopalldefault.aspx
These are full of hot air !!!!
I want this: http://www.theapplecollection.com/design/macdesign/minighero.html
2 years, 2 months ago by aac74