Thread

Interesting article over at Wired states that

Apple isn’t going to roll out a revamped Mac desktop anytime soon, because you wouldn’t buy one anyway

.

I beg to differ: Apple’s desktop line is in dire need of an upgrade. Just look at the days since the last update: Mac Pro (407!), Mac Mini (561!) and iMac (296).

So, anyone not buying a Mac because they’re holding out for some upgraded models or do you agree with the statement from Wire’s article?

I don’t either agree or disagree with the statement as to me I will buy what I need for the time at hand and make sure that I buy the best I can with the money I can afford and also make sure it is going to last me for quite a few years before I need to upgrade.

At the moment I don’t need to upgrade so for me a new line-up wouldn’t mean anything. I think that the latest desktop computers are amazing (although I don’t own one - yet) and should stand anyone in good stead for quite a while I would imagine.

I’m also not too bothered as I know that Apple have always got something up their sleeves 😉

Best wishes,

Mark

I’m not buying a new Mac desktop this year because I don’t need one yet and when I do anyone I buy will be an upgrade on my G5 iMac PowerPC chip model. What I need this year is more storage - I may go for a Drobo for ease of use.

Agree with what both Mark and Simon say.

I too buy when I need one and I’ll buy the best I can afford. I’m not into the game of waiting for the newest version or you will end up always waiting because as soon as they start selling a new model they are well in to developing it’s replacement.

I’m in the market for a Mini, and am trying to wait patiently for a refresh, which will supposedly occur next month.

I’m in the market for a Mini, and am trying to wait patiently for a refresh, which will supposedly occur next month.

Here you go, why wait? 😉

Wired states that “Apple isn’t going to roll out a revamped Mac desktop anytime soon, because you wouldn’t buy one anyway”

.

And Wired’s record for prognostication is soooooo good.

I beg to differ: Apple’s desktop line is in dire need of an upgrade. Just look at the days since the last update: Mac Pro (407!), Mac Mini (561!) and iMac (296).

I’m ready, willing, and able to get a couple of new Macs right now. Quad core iMac would be nice, or an updated MacPro with one of the new and-as-yet-unannounced displays. And a Mac mini.

I won’t buy until the next rev of each. I’ve been waiting about four or five months.

Still waiting…

So, anyone not buying a Mac because they’re holding out for some upgraded models or do you agree with the statement from Wire’s article?

Totally holding out, but not impressed with the pundit folks and their really awful predictions. A good prediction is “Apple will release new iMacs in March 2009 which will have blah blah blah...”  Wired isn’t that good.

Phrases such as “In this environment where nobody is buying anything...” are a crock. Somebody is buying, right? How else is Apple still in business and profitable?

Try this: “Apple is likely waiting for a better time to roll out a makeover...” A better time? When? Late 2010 when the economy begins to improve?

Then one of the quoters actually says “2010 would be a more reasonable year for Apple to release any form factor upgrades for its desktop line.”

Key word? Form factor. Typically, that’s a major style/design change, which probably won’t happen now, but some healthy speed bumps are longer overdue.

The same guy says that MacPro and iMac will be upgraded in June in time for back to school buyers. Schools usually place orders sooner than June for the upcoming year.

Sigh.

I want something new. Now.

I just buy when I need to. Know someone that just picked up a dual/quad 2.8 Mac Pro w/8 gigs and threw in two WD Green 1T drives for $100 each from somewhere online, and two Dell UltraSharp 24” wide-screen monitors (1920 x 1200).  You have to try quite hard to keep 8 Xeon cores busy in a Workstation…

Recently I have purchased at least a couple of Mac Mini’s, an iMac for my parents, and Macbook and Macbook Pro’s for staff.  Some of those came slightly before the recent Unibody Macbook/Macbook Pro upgrades, some came after.  But they did the job needed when purchased, and they are still doing the job they were purchased for.  Heck we still have G4 Powerbook 12” and 15” Powerbooks that are being passed on to family members of staff that need a starter system.  Hate waiting, more fun to buy and play with what I can see, touch and use when I need it.

Good luck.

That’s largely how I feel, Nevin, but if my need coincides with rumbling of “just a few more days” I seem to be unable to resist the pull of waiting for the shiny.  I recognize it’s silly, though, particularly with Apple products, which hold their value amazingly well compared to other consumer electronics.  You could sell your “old” Apple product and buy the new each time a refresh occurred and not be out that much money.

So, anyone not buying a Mac because they’re holding out for some upgraded models or do you agree with the statement from Wire’s article?

I keep on looking at an iMac as a replacement desktop but I’ve still not been tempted to whip out my credit card. The 24” iMac is £1125 GBP + extras and that’s a fair chunk of cash to shell out when I can spend half that on a decent replacement PC setup that would suit my needs - and before anyone shouts about the benefits of spending the extra money on a Mac we are in hard times and one has to be a little careful with spending just in case something hits the fan!

From my point of view if the 24” iMac got a modest hardware upgrade and came in at £999 I’d probably be thinking a bit differently 😊

I’m in the market for a Mini, and am trying to wait patiently for a refresh, which will supposedly occur next month.

Apple times their releases around my purchases.  I just bought one.  So, it shouldn’t be too long before the next refresh occurs.

Apple times their releases around my purchases.  I just bought one.  So, it shouldn’t be too long before the next refresh occurs.

LOL, sorry just had to laugh 😊 What did you get Arun?

It may be that Apple is trying to perfect it’s touch screen functionally before a totally refresh. It may be the next major step in development.  I know they already have it but they need to come out big like always.  I am looking at the IMac, no wires no messy nothing on my desk computer wise.  Just a screen and a keyboard and a finger touch sensitive screen with plenty of power, man I need more power.

So yes it’s getting a little stale and there 5.6% market share or whatever it is can be better.  They just need to push the IMac toward the consumer and keep building powerhouses machines 8 cores, 10Gb Bus, 100 Gigs of ram, and plenty more throughput, all for under $2000, are you listening Mac.

...keep building powerhouses machines 8 cores, 10Gb Bus, 100 Gigs of ram, and plenty more throughput, all for under $2000, are you listening Mac.

Probably completely doable for Intel Xeon based system once 128 Gigabytes of ram falls below $7k… Oh that is 128 gigs in 32 x 4 gig dimms as 8 gig dimms are still between $850-950 each to be able to do it in 16 dimms 😉

It may be that Apple is trying to perfect it’s touch screen functionally before a totally refresh…  Just a screen and a keyboard and a finger touch sensitive screen with plenty of power, man I need more power.

I’ll go along with the need for a ‘Tim the Toolman Taylor’ power increase. It’s likely that Snow Leopard will unleash more of the Core 2 Duo power more than Intel speed bumps (or, about a year later when Mac apps catch up to all that 64-big chewy goodness, and multi-core capability that currently doesn’t do much for most Mac users).

However, I don’t see Apple going to a touch screen on desktop Macs. Why? So we can move our arms and shoulders to click instead of using keyboard and mouse? The iMac is not an iPhone.