When do you think we will see the next iMac?

[DevilsRejection]

So 1999 the iMac was introduced

2002 they switched to the lcd, screen on a stick design

2004 the switched to what we have now, minus iSight

2005 we get what we have now

2006 Intel inside

When do you think we will get a new iMac design? I'm just curious to hear your thoughts. Paris Expo? WWDC (I'm thinking Power Mac's)? or 2007?

 

[BurtonCCC]

If you mean a completely new design... maybe like 2008-2009. If you mean like new specifications... before 2006 is over.

Daniel.

 

[DevilsRejection]

I meant designs, the spec things is easy, of course they're going to throw in the new Intel chips.

2008/9 is a stretch don't you think? The mac mini has the brushed metal look, and I think we're going to see the brushed metal theme move to the iMac. I doubt they're going to take 4-5 years to do it tho (2004 being when the current design came out)

 

[ero87]

i'm sure this was said of previous designs, but i'm staring at my imac right now and i can't see how it could be designed any nicer. I guess it could get thinner/lighter, but I wouldn't want that; it would probably make it more susceptible to theft. I'm deliriously content.

 

[DevilsRejection]

Stick it in a brushed alu trim casing, remove the serious white bottom overhang and I think you'r starting on the right path

 

[joshwest]

I hate to say it, but i think in the furutre they are gonna look just like the new cinema displays whenever they come out just slightly thicker.

 

[Edge100]

So 1999 the iMac was introduced

2002 they switched to the lcd, screen on a stick design

2004 the switched to what we have now, minus iSight

2005 we get what we have now

2006 Intel inside

When do you think we will get a new iMac design? I'm just curious to hear your thoughts. Paris Expo? WWDC (I'm thinking Power Mac's)? or 2007?

Never. My 20" CoreDuo iMac will be top-of-the-line for ever!!!

Seriously, I'm thinking we wont see a new case for a while. The current case is under two years old, so judging by recent trends in case overhaul, we still have a while to go. The current iBook form dates from May 2001 (I still have an original 500MHz iceBook that performs wonderfully). The current Powermac form dates from June 2003. These are the two that I would expect to see changed first, although I think both designs still look great, unlike my Graphite G3 iMac, which looks sooooo 90's! ;-)

I'm going out on a limb here and saying we wont see a new iMac form factor for at least a year, probabaly closer to two. If Apple had continued using G5s, then we would have need a new factor sooner since they weren't capable of low heat operation. With Yonah and Merom, I think the thin iMac factor can go on.

I wouldn't be surprised to see a 23" iMac, though, particularly now that iMac can compete as Pro machines (and they can...I do so everyday). But it would still be based on the same form factor. MacWorld SF, 2008 is my guess.

 

[mkrishnan]

i'm sure this was said of previous designs, but i'm staring at my imac right now and i can't see how it could be designed any nicer. I guess it could get thinner/lighter, but I wouldn't want that; it would probably make it more susceptible to theft. I'm deliriously content.

I dunno...somehow, the lampshade iMac G4, and definitely the iMac G3 started to look dated to me by the time they replaced them. I particularly thought that the external speakers made the iMac G4 more clunky. But I too feel like the current design forms for all the Apple computers have somehow managed to stay really elegant-seeming. I mean like the iBook G4 design is now getting *ancient*, when you consider that it has only had minor revisions since the G3 days. And yet whenever you carry one around, it generates far more compliments in terms of design than any current Windows notebook does.

I think it'll be like a Chris Bangle thing... they will introduce something really daring, eventually, and at first, people will consider it a downgrade from what they have now, and it will get streamlined a little bit to be less shocking, and eventually everyone will start to warm to it.

 

[mpw]

I think the next design will come in 2007 with the media-centre/PVR iMac.

One of the 'problems' with the iMac is it's the best all-in-one product with which to fight for bedroom and living room space with HiFi's and TV's but the speakers lack enough ompf and the screen isn't big enough. I imagine the speakers could be an easy fix but an iMac with a 30" screen isn't gonna be cheap enough to satisfy those wanting to upgrade their PCs every couple of years. That leaves the Mac mini or headless iMac to be the PVR machine connecting to whatever screen the customer has but that leaves the question as to why would you buy an iMac?

 

[Artful Dodger]

For me it's hard to even guess what the "next" iMac will look like since I really love the look of the current one. Every time one of my friends comes over and they see my 20" (even my 17" when I had it) they always ask to try something on it and have a grin because of how nice it looks.
I think the only change would be the "chin" under the display might go away but with that it also might get thicker to compensate the extra area lost but really only a few know the answers to this and their not telling

 

[BurtonCCC]

I meant designs, the spec things is easy, of course they're going to throw in the new Intel chips.

2008/9 is a stretch don't you think? The mac mini has the brushed metal look, and I think we're going to see the brushed metal theme move to the iMac. I doubt they're going to take 4-5 years to do it tho (2004 being when the current design came out)

Actually, I think the move to the rounded back instead of the completely square back counts as a major design revision. That means we're going to have some time. The Intel iMacs like JUST came out and that's the most recent design AND specification revision. The iSight and curved backs are definitely considered a huge design revision. I know the Apple tech guys who had to figure out how to put all that computer into such a small space think it's a pretty huge revision. I don't know why we need a new one already.

We need an Intel PowerMac and iBook. I hope to God Apple's concentrating on those and not on changing the already perfect iMac.

I hope you're not waiting for a design change to buy a new iMac, because it's going to be a while, buddy.

Daniel.

 

[mkrishnan]

Actually, I think the move to the rounded back instead of the completely square back counts as a major design revision.

I think it's a major design revision, but it isn't a major *cosmetic* revision.... Customers tend to notice the latter more than the former!

 

[BurtonCCC]

I think it's a major design revision, but it isn't a major *cosmetic* revision.... Customers tend to notice the latter more than the former!

So you guys just want it to look "cooler?" Honestly, you sound like a bunch of kids who want to "trick out" their old Acura Integras. So would you like your iMac to have a racing stripe and maybe a body kit and a fan kit that makes your iMac's fan sound like a lawnmower along with your brushed metal trim?

Macs are meant to be simple and elegant. Adding anything else to the iMac will destroy that trademark.

Daniel.

 

[mkrishnan]

So you guys just want it to look "cooler?"

Did you *read* my earlier post? Don't give me this "you guys" stuff. I'm happy with the way it looks now. I think the current design can last for several more years, and far from looking dated, makes competitors' new products look ugly before they come out.

But I'm saying that, as far as many customers are concerned, overhauling the insides completely without changing the outside is a minor update, whereas overhauling the outside completely with the same inside will be perceived as a much more significant update.

 

[BurtonCCC]

Did you *read* my earlier post? Don't give me this "you guys" stuff. I'm happy with the way it looks now. I think the current design can last for several more years, and far from looking dated, makes competitors' new products look ugly before they come out.

But I'm saying that, as far as many customers are concerned, overhauling the insides completely without changing the outside is a minor update, whereas overhauling the outside completely with the same inside will be perceived as a much more significant update.

Wel, it appears like the concept of changing the specs versus changing the appearance is different for all of us.

My point is... the "outside" AND the "inside" just got updates... so let's let Apple concentrate on putting Intel in PowerMac and iBooks.

Daniel.

 

[AvSRoCkCO1067]

Wel, it appears like the concept of changing the specs versus changing the appearance is different for all of us.

My point is... the "outside" AND the "inside" just got updates... so let's let Apple concentrate on putting Intel in PowerMac and iBooks.

Daniel.

Breathe man. Seriously.

 

[BurtonCCC]

Breathe man. Seriously.

Ugh. I'm done with this thread.

Daniel.

 

[mpw]

<most of what he posts>

LOL, it's like watching my 3year old daughter not get her way!

 

[BurtonCCC]

LOL, it's like watching my 3year old daughter not get her way!

If you would've said 18, I wouldn't have had a comeback for you... crap.

Daniel.

 

[Le Big Mac]

I think the next design will come in 2007 with the media-centre/PVR iMac.

Yeah. Form factor will change significantly when it gets repurposed. Minor tweaks in the meantime. I liked the G4 more, but I like the G5/intel as well. Maybe bring back VESA mounting.

But what can really be done? They've moved from an all-in-one with a CPU and attached monitor to basically a thick monitor. How can they change it much any beyond that, other than cosmetics?

Maybe when they develop holographic projections. The mac will be mini-sized, with a lens on top that projects the visuals ("help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope")

 

[mpw]

Yeah. Form factor will change significantly when it gets repurposed....
...Maybe bring back VESA mounting.

But what can really be done? They've moved from an all-in-one with a CPU and attached monitor to basically a thick monitor. How can they change it much any beyond that, other than cosmetics?...

Well I know nothing but how about this for rambling.

Imagine a TV stand in the corner of your living room, a nice big 'foot' for stability and a coloumn from floor to about 1m-1.3m high with a VESA mount at the top.

Your choose the monitor you want (maybe the 20", 30" or 50" ACD or even something from Sony/LG/etc.)

Now back to that column the front hinges open to reveal a racking system for the next Mac mini PVR edition. The only version available comes with a DVD drive.

Above that in the rack there's the Apple Blu-ray drive linked to the miniPVR by FW800 it too is ~6"² but only an inch thick.

Above that is room for other componants in the 6"² format such as additional HDD Apple's 1st games console and the revised iPod HiFi.

How's that grab you? I which I could use PS to give an idea of what I mean.

 

[MattyP]

I think it will be a form matches function thing

I think the next revision will take advantage of smaller, cooler chips and hopefully accomodate more RAM, or at least make the RAM more easy to access. Perhaps they will also find a more elegant way of integrating the i-sight. I really hope they minimize the "chin" on the i-mac, but I think the overall form factor will almost surely get thinner.

 

[DevilsRejection]

I don't want to turn this thread into an argument I just wanted some opinions. If you noticed in my sig I am hoping to get an iMac, curious only to see if they're going to be changing much.

I have an idea in my head but I don't know if it's technically possible.

 

[mkrishnan]

I don't want to turn this thread into an argument I just wanted some opinions. If you noticed in my sig I am hoping to get an iMac, curious only to see if they're going to be changing much.

I think that, if you're interested in the *right now* picture, Apple is probably working hard on getting the iBook and PowerMac over, and that the iMac Core Duo, which just came out a few months ago, is not going to get radically designed in the next year or so. It'll probably get speed bumped, though, and maybe get some other small tweaks.

 

[Artful Dodger]

So you guys just want it to look "cooler?" Honestly, you sound like a bunch of kids who want to "trick out" their old Acura Integras. So would you like your iMac to have a racing stripe and maybe a body kit and a fan kit that makes your iMac's fan sound like a lawnmower along with your brushed metal trim?

Macs are meant to be simple and elegant. Adding anything else to the iMac will destroy that trademark.

Daniel.

That's a first...you agree with him/her and they still storm out

mkrishnan-

Did you *read* my earlier post? Don't give me this "you guys" stuff. I'm happy with the way it looks now. I think the current design can last for several more years, and far from looking dated, makes competitors' new products look ugly before they come out.

But I'm saying that, as far as many customers are concerned, overhauling the insides completely without changing the outside is a minor update, whereas overhauling the outside completely with the same inside will be perceived as a much more significant update.

Read yes, understand not young jedi