This is about the best value for the consumer notebook market right now, on Intel.
Posted on 05/27/2006 4:34:12 PM PDT by Swordmaker
Exclusive: Apple Computer is working feverishly on the design of a new Macintosh computer that the company hopes will strengthen its position in the education sector when it goes on sale later this year, AppleInsider has learned.
The new low-cost PC, which will act as a replacement for Apple's now defunct eMac line, appears to be on track to catch the latter half of the 2006 educational buying season.
Based on a series of proprietary checks, it's believed that the Cupertino, Calif.-based company is aligning component suppliers for a manufacturing ramp of the computers that it plans to initiate around the September timeframe.
Technically, this means that Apple's much anticipated professional line of Intel-based Power Mac computers -- expected to make their debut this summer under the "Mac Pro" moniker -- won't be the last of the company's PC offerings to make the transition from PowerPC to Intel chips.
In keeping true to its roots of designing educational Macs as plug-and-play solutions, people familiar with Apple's product roadmap say the company is building the new Mac around an all-in-one enclosure. Though unlike the eMac, which employed cumbersome CRT-based displays, the new educational computer will follow a design pattern similar to the company's LCD-based iMac Core Duo desktops, these people say.
The departure away from CRT displays and towards pricier flat-screens means that Apple will have to carefully balance its component costs and shave as much as possible off the computer's bill-of-materials if it plans to hit a home run with educational institutions.
Although the Mac maker said its U.S. educational channel sales increased by approximately 16 percent during the first quarter of 2006 compared to the first quarter of 2005, the company has come under tremendous competitive pressure in the sector over the last several years.
"Uncertainty in this channel remains as several competitors of the company have either targeted or announced their intention to target the education market for personal computers, which could negatively affect the company’s market share," Apple has repeatedly stated in regulatory filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. "Although the company believes it has taken certain steps to strengthen its position in the education market, there can be no assurance that the company will be able to increase or maintain its share of the education market or execute profitably on large strategic arrangements."
But just as Apple's is expected to incur increased costs associated with transitioning its educational Mac to more modern technologies, the computer's new industrial design is expected to eliminate some of the financial complexities of the eMac. One of the pitfalls Apple discovered while building the unwieldy CRT-based Mac was that its bulbous enclosure quickly became one of -- if not the most -- expensive part of the computer to manufacturer.
In using its new iMac design as a blueprint for the eMac replacement, Apple will also save on freight and packaging costs that will result from the computer's substantially smaller footprint and lighter weight . It's also believed that the Mac will borrow industry standard components already employed by Apple's Mac mini and MacBook line of consumer PCs, enabling further cost reductions.
In April of 2004, the last time Apple introduced a major revision to the eMac, it priced models at $799 and $999. While pricing for the new educational Mac has yet to be determined, it should fall well below the company's low-end consumer iMac offering, which fetches $1299.
It's still unclear whether the computer will be made readily available for purchase by the average consumer.
When Apple introduced the eMac as a low-cost alternative to the flat-screen "sunflower" iMac in April 2002, it initially restricted sales to educational buyers. However, demand for the computers amongst consumers proved to be so strong that a month later the company made the educational Mac available to the general public.
On October 12, 2005, shortly before the computer met its ultimate demise, Apple once again restricted sales to educational institutions and returned to its "E is for Education" marketing scheme that had been attached to the product from its inception.
After exhausting much of its remaining eMac inventory to educational buyers later that year, Apple began offering its higher-margin all-in-one iMac as a replacement for the eMac. The company plans to continue to offer the iMac to its educational customers until the new Intel-based eMac successor makes its debut in the fall.
I like the "sunflower" version the best of all of the computers. Seem like it might be best for education purposes anyway. Just swing it around to show the teacher what you are doing and what problems you may be having.
I know, thats why I said it! Apples not going to give up though, they will keep fighting this. LOL
IOW, 50 million Frenchmen can't be wrong, eh? Lemmings.
LOL
What price do you find acceptable for what purpose of computer? Or are you just mad that Apple doesn't sell down in your market of throw-away crap $300 computers?
This is about the best value for the consumer notebook market right now, on Intel.
look at the price/features comparison...
Apple tried licensing out their computers but it was a complete failure. Hardware didn't get any better or cheaper, but they suffered brand dilution. So Apple bought back the licenses or let them expire.
Apple does have to compete, with PCs. And now that they're on Intel Apple gets to reap the advantages of competition by using Intel processors. Of course, competition has driven prices down since Apple started using industry-standard parts in their systems years ago (including your examples of ATI and nVidia).
Etc. look how cheep DVD burners are and look at the competition. sheesh Dual Layer 16X burner for $40!
Funny you mention that, since Apple's control of their hardware helped them ship the first systems with standard DVD burners.
It also allowed them to introduce USB. You may not remember it, but the first generation of USB products were generally colored to match the iMacs, even if they were sold for PCs. In fact, I have a bondi blue USB Agfa scanner right here, and I've never owned one of those gumdrop iMacs.
I did it in another thread for you. The MacBook came out ahead.
I you wanna burn your house down with a MacBook go right ahead... I could find a better way to spend $2g's
Add the apple care and protection plan and the dell is cheeper, with a better video card.
The echo is in his own head. :D
Why don't you start one and spend your time there instead of here? If you were aware of how silly you appear to the rest of us you would go hide under your Yugo.
I imagine that the new eMac will be something like a Mac Mini Core Duo with a 17" LCD built-in, for something like $799.
Let's try this again:
Base MacBook: 1.83 GHz Core Duo, 512 MB, 60 GB, 13.3", Intel 950 graphics. Price $1,099.
Dell Inspiron E1405 upped to the Mac's processor, same memory, HDD and Intel 950 graphics (what was that about a better video card?), with XP Pro and full install CD, Bluetooth, quality audio, but no software to match the Mac, no quick-release power, no gigabit Ethernet, a slightly smaller battery, no remote, and no camera. Price $1,370.
What did more you get for $271? .8" of monitor at the same resolution and a modem, and you didn't get a lot that came with the Mac.
As far as a warranty goes, the Dell's standard is slightly better with one year hardware and phone. But it doesn't take into account that you can walk into any Apple Store and have someone help you for free. If you buy the Apple warranty, it gets extended far beyond Dell's standard, so you have to pay to upgrade the Dell's warranty too.
Nope, don't see that Dell's a better deal here.
13.3" monitor? do it with the 17"
Or spell it properly.
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