Sporty, cheaper iMac courting iPod users
By Leonard Fischer
Gannett News Service
Apple Computer's new line of iMacs, which go on sale later this month, give the company's die-hard fans several reasons to upgrade, including a big speed boost and more affordable prices.
Gannett News Service
But Apple says it hopes the new computers, which sport white cases and are angled like an iPod music player in its desktop cradle, also will lure fans of the company's Windows-compatible music player to consider buying a Mac.
With an all-in-one unit behind a flat-panel display, the new iMac contains the G5 processor, making it much faster than previous iMacs.
"The iPod and iTunes software make digital music simple and fun," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president for hardware product marketing. "We hope iPod customers outside of the Mac base will see the new iMacs as a simple and fun way to have the rest of your digital life in one place."
Like the previous iMac generations, the new models feature an all-in-one design that houses the computer and monitor in the same case. The computer is positioned behind either a 17- or 20-inch flat-panel liquid-crystal display, depending on the configuration.
All of the new iMacs are powered by the Power PC G5 processor, which Apple previously used only in its business desktop computers. The G5 processors are about three times as fast as the G4 processors used in previous iMacs, according to Apple's benchmarks.
The new computers also are less expensive than previous iMacs. The entry-level model, with a 1.6-gigahertz G5 processor and a 17-inch display, will cost $1,299; the previous model with a 1.25GHz G4 processor and 17-inch display was $1,799.
Other configurations cost $1,499 (1.8GHz, 17-inch display) and $1,899 (1.8GHz, 20-inch display). Apple is also planning a special education model, without CD or DVD drive, for $1,099.
Industry reaction to the new iMacs has been mixed.
"It will appeal to people that are limited in terms of space," said Michael Gartenberg of Jupiter Research. "It will appeal to people looking for a particular aesthetic, because it's extremely attractive without being intrusive."
Gartenberg also commended Apple for making the new iMacs "evocative of the iPod design." "It says, 'We make computers, too' to people who like the iPod."
Paul Jackson, writing for Forrester Research, praised the iMac's boost in processing power and its price point, but thought Apple should have included built-in wireless networking ($99 extra) and technology to record television shows on the computer's hard disk.
