Would you buy a headless iMac?

[Scarlet Fever]

There are several threads on this, but i haven't seen a poll about it. I did search, but couldn't find one, so I appologise if this has been done before. (edit; found this with another search. It's a different question, though, so i hope i'm not breaking any rules here)

If a headless iMac was released, with the same specs as the iMac but without the screen for a similar price, would you get one? Please post your reasons why/why not.

Personally, I don't feel the need to be upgrading anything except the RAM and maybe the HDD, which I can already do in the current iMac. I like the idea of an all-in-one machine, and when it becomes too slow to fulfill my needs, I can easily sell it to someone whos needs are fulfilled by it, and buy a new one.

If it were to be released, I reckon it would be customisable the same way that the Mac Pro is, and spec-for-spec, it would be the same price as the iMacs, display non-inclusive.

EDIT; i forgot to mention the said "headless iMac" contains one or two PCI slots, 2 HDD bays and up to 4GB RAM (to make it a low-end prosumer model)

 

[After G]

I might. It depends on what they let you upgrade.

If I had to pay $100-200 extra to get upgradeable graphics, then sure I would.

If they made me pay $50-100 more for an extra HD/3.5" HD slot, less so but I would still consider.

If they made me pay another $100-200 for PCI slots, forget it. I don't want to pay extra for PCI slots because they go unused most of the time for me. By the time I want to upgrade, my computer is too slow to meet the minimum specs for upgrade hardware.

 

[iW00t]

If it doesn't come with the screen and has no upgrade options why would I be expected to pay the same price? As if the Apple premium is not high enough for the iMacs as it is.

 

[Scarlet Fever]

If it doesn't come with the screen and has no upgrade options why would I be expected to pay the same price? As if the Apple premium is not high enough for the iMacs as it is.

ahh whops i meant to say it has PCI slots, a couple of HDD bays, and up to maybe 4GB RAM

 

[seh80]

If it was still summer and I was in the market, then I would very well had considered it.

My first mac was a mini (G4, and an early one), so I already had a nice display. I wanted more power, so the iMac was the only affordable option at the time. If I could have gone headless and been able to upgrade it as needed, that would be great.

 

[dalvin200]

y dont apple just update the mini and make it more powerful for your needs?

 

[2ndPath]

I would buy it if it offered the following upgrade options: Graphics card and maybe one more expansion slot (PCI or whatever will be the current standard then). There should be at least space for one additional hard drive and the optical drive should be either standard size, so that it can be easily replaced, or there should be a bay for an additional optical drive of standard size.

If it only was an iMac without expansion options and without a screen I might still buy it over a normal iMac, but it would certainly be much less attractive than an upgradeble machine.

 

[After G]

I think the main thing I don't like about the mini (I have one, so I can complain a little ) is the laptop drive and the non-upgradeable graphics. Sure it'll be cheaper after a while but think of the market for the device. Upgrading with a desktop drive would be better, if the cooling issues were resolved.

Heck, if you could pop open the thing without it sounding like it would crack in half that'd be a step up right there.

 

[FleurDuMal]

I would, in theory. However, I've never actually upgraded anything before (putting 2GB in my MB doesn't really count as I knew I was gonna do that when I bought it). By the time I actually got round to upgrading things in the past the system was so out of date that in order to make the upgrade worthwhile I'd have to swap out the motherboard to get the latest connection standards, which in turn means rebuying many other components. I usually just find it cheaper and easier to buy a whole new system and sell the old one.

I think the headless iMac only really appeals to people who want the absolute best performance at any one time - mainly avid gamers.

Edit: But I do think Apple should make it possible (and by possible I mean user-friendly) to replace the RAM and hard drive in every system. And I think every desktop system should have two hard drives nowadays.

 

[Loge]

Isn't a headless iMac just a stand?

 

[miniConvert]

Apple couldn't compete well in the mid-range 'PC' market. The iMac stands out, as does the Mac mini.

 

[2ndPath]

Apple couldn't compete well in the mid-range 'PC' market. The iMac stands out, as does the Mac mini.

They don't have to compete at all because only on a Mac you can run OS X. And this is still the number one selling point for Macs. They probably wouldn't sell many of these mid-range Macs to people who only want to use Windows, but still most of the people buying Macs do so because of OS X.

 

[Sun Baked]

A headless laptop would be pointless, which is what a headless iMac would be as long as it continues to use laptop guts.

However, a mini tower using a performance desktop chipset would be nifty.

But alas, the darn thing would need to sell a million plus a quarter before it arrives -- which it can't.

So both it and an iMac designed around a performance desktop chipset would need to sell that much a quarter without the loss of the iMac volume causing an impact in laptop parts prices.

Basically Apple needs significant volume to add a 3rd class of chipset. And thus add back the first true Mac gaming machine since the loss of Pippin.

 

[iW00t]

ahh whops i meant to say it has PCI slots, a couple of HDD bays, and up to maybe 4GB RAM

Oh... then good idea

 

[Jowl]

A headless Mac would be great - call it a Mac Mini Pro or something.

Maybe Shuttle size - PCI slot, Graphics card slot, room for 2/3 3.5" drives and an Optical drive. Also, a socketed CPU.

And can we have an eSATA port while we're at it.

 

[Dont Hurt Me]

Apple is missing a mid grade tower no matter how much spin is applied. They are a slave to their own marketing tier of products and with a monitor forced on you in the midrange all they have done is limit sales for themselves. I know I have bought a mid grade tower PC just because Apple has....nothing.

 

[Jovian9]

Isn't a headless iMac just a stand?

Yeah.....don't think I'd want that

 

[yg17]

More than likely, yes....

 

[iBookG4user]

I would not buy it. When I get my desktop computer, I want it to be a lot more powerful than my MBP, so it really wouldn't be that much faster than it so it wouldn't take encoding times down significantly.

 

[prostuff1]

I would buy one in a heartbeat!!

I am currently looking to for something that i can power my 37in 1080p westinghouse TV and make a HTPC type thing. The mac mini just wont cut it. Not a big enough Hard drive inside and it is kinda hard to upgrade.

I don't care if it is in a desktop or tower type case but I would think apple could come up with something that looks great!!. All i really need is 2 HD bays, 1 (maybe 2 optical), a PCIx16 slot for graphics card, and one extra PCI slot. That would make me happy. Apple could make a nice small enclosure for this and I am sure a lot of switchers would take more of a look at apple.

just my 2 cents