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Poll: the midrange headless poll
- Thread starter cube
- Start date
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cube said:
No kidding, there is even another poll.
If you need a cheap computer that can power twelve displays.... then go buy a PC that suits your needs and stop complaining to Apple because they aren't making a different computer to fill every single imaginable market, including one that *perfectly* suits your needs.
it5five said:
I bet more than half these people really are regular consumers, they just wish they weren't.
"Man, I wish I was cool and had an actual justification for multiple displays."
My next laptop will be a MacbookPro, unless there is a headless iMac option my next desktop machine will be another PC running Linux. My main use for my desktop is coding, I have 2 perfectly nice 20" LCD screens and will be pushing for a 3rd 24" widescreen to sit in the middle fairly soon. Processing power isnt that important to me as I only use ATerm, Firefox, Thunderbird and Amaarok on my machine. What is vitally important is screen real estate. I also want 2 of the SAME monitors, at the same height, resoluition and style so another reason an iMac is out. Would I like a Mac Pro? Sure, but at £1699 for the cheapest option that is a hell of a price to pay for what I would use it for and the difference between that and a decent PC would pay for my third monitor. Have wanted a Mac Desktop for ages but they dont sell what I want so wont bother buying it.
I will however almost certainly buy an iMac for the study in the house as an all in one would be quite nice for that.
I will however almost certainly buy an iMac for the study in the house as an all in one would be quite nice for that.
it5five said:
Exactly. To me there is no 'hole in the range'. The new 24" iMac fills it nicely. Even before the 24" iMac i didnt consider there to be much of a gap.
I do find it interesting how those who dont particularly want a midrange headlass mac claim there is no market for one because they are happy with an all in one, yet get arsey with all the posts from people asking for a headless midrange mac.
Foggy said:
If you are reffering to me. I am not being 'arsey'. It is a poll where you state your opinion. I was merely stating my opinion as asked in the title.
EDIT: Just to provide 'evidence' of there being no gap.
An iMac 24" starts at £1349. A low end MacPro can be had for £1498 (and lower). There clearly is no gap.
stuartluff said:
Sorry - wasnt aimed directly at you buy more a general statement of the sentiment that seems to be expressed in relation to the subject of headless midrange macs.
Foggy said:
The cheapest option is actually £1439 for a quad 2.0 with 160GB HD.
The base model is only a starting point, you can down-spec as well as up-spec the configuration.
Tbh, if I could get 2 or 3 monitors running of a mac mini I would buy one of them as it would do everything I need it to.
The gap though is in machines without a built in screen. I dont want a built in screen in my main desktop macine. You can either get a mac mini or a mac pro. Hence people asking for an option for an iMac without a built in screen.
The gap though is in machines without a built in screen. I dont want a built in screen in my main desktop macine. You can either get a mac mini or a mac pro. Hence people asking for an option for an iMac without a built in screen.
OllyW said:
To be fair i think you have to include Bluetooth/Airpoort etc on the MP as the iMac comes with it standard. Thats why I said £1498.
OllyW said:
That is still a hell of a lot of cash for running ssh and a web browser. I could easily buy a pretty decent desktop PC for around £800-£900 which would make use of my 2 LCD screens.
stuartluff said:Exactly. To me there is no 'hole in the range'. The new 24" iMac fills it nicely. Even before the 24" iMac i didnt consider there to be much of a gap.
All you people saying "there is no hole" simply do not get it. Can't you understand the iMac is not a "perfect fit" in between the mini and the mac pro because it has a screen? What about graphic designers like myself? Once they were almost the only consumers that still bought apple computers, and now apple is leaving them behind imo. You do not need a Mac Pro to run Adobe CS for print layouts and web design, and I can't imagine agencies to go out and buy minis. They would not last as long as a tower or "mini tower", and each new computer bought means additional cost for setup etc.
"But there is the iMac" you will scream. No, because there are displays that eat the iMacs screen for breakfast in terms of color calibration and accuracy. So why pay for a 20" or 24" display you will almost only use as a palette monitor?
I mean, what's wrong with apple offering more choice and a new product? Personally I would not buy the 24" iMac but hey, it's still a nice product and I'm sure many people will enjoy it. Just because I do not like it I'm not writing "omg this crap suxx" every time it is mentioned.
I'd buy a new cube the day it comes out, and stick to my powerbook for as long as possible if it does not.
Foggy said:
That was the problem I had this time last year. I needed a headless Mac so I could shared the monitor, keyboard and mouse using a KVM switch with a Windows PC.
A midrange headless Mac (iMac spec) would have comfortably suited my needs. I ended up going for a G5 dual 2.0 Power Mac from the Apple Refurb store for under a grand. Of course, the introduction of Intel chips and Boot Camp or Parallels this year would have meant I could have got by with an iMac.
They don't have any Mac Pros on there yet, but it would be worth keeping a look out in the future if the headless midrange Mac does not arrive.
OllyW said:
Realistically I wont bother upgrading my PC for a while as it still works, when it does I'll check the refurb store for a Mac Pro as would love one if I can get it at a decent price.
chaosbunny said:
If you are a graphic designer (like me) then you can afford a mac pro. After all the MacPro is aimed at 'Pro' users i.e. Graphic designers.
stuartluff said:
Ok, so there isnt a price gap, but there is a huge feature gap!
And not all pro's have the money to buy pro hardware, I know a graphic professional that only does designs/websites/all creative work for a school, it doesn't earn her enough money to afford a mac pro.. the lady had to save for 2 years before she could get a dual 2Ghz G5. She didnt need that kind of performance but the imac didnt server her needs, at that stage there wasnt a 24inch imac... so now there is, yes the "gap" is smaller, but its still there.
I would like a desktop Mac, which would help me to get rid of the mess on my desktop. Currently it has an external HD, an external optical drive, a USB hub and a flash card reader. Every PC for a few hundred $ can handle those internally. At Apple you pay for this feature at least $2000. And even then I am not aware yet of an internal solution for the card reader.
What is the point of an all-in-one machine like the iMac, when you have to put lots of external extension boxes with even more cables next to it on your desk? The iMac can look as beatyful as it can, but this mess makes the design pointless.
What is the point of an all-in-one machine like the iMac, when you have to put lots of external extension boxes with even more cables next to it on your desk? The iMac can look as beatyful as it can, but this mess makes the design pointless.
2ndPath said:
Get an iMac with a 500Gb hard drive, who cares about having 2 optical drives just rip them to the hard drive and then burn, they should add a flashcard reader and more USB ports though.....You don't have to clutter up your desk if you don't want to...
Josias said:
HEADLESS.
macenforcer said:
We are talking $1400. Getting the mac pro now would cost $2000 at least. Many people just don't need the cutting edge, a fast conroe is plenty good enough. It's a waste of money to get a Pro.
it5five said:
No market for it? That's funny, it's the biggest selling configuration on the PC side. You really think nobody is interested in that form factor? Regular customers DO care that they can't get a reasonably fast mac without a monitor stuck to it.