17-inch flat-Panel iMac Dead 517
EnlightenmentFan writes "Apple plans to stop production in June of the iMac with flat-panel 17-inch display, according to this article at Asian tech-news site Digitimes. As with the now-history 15" flat-panel iMac, sales started strong but stalled once the early-adopter crowd had bought in. Probably-not-unrelated story (also posted today): Chungwha Picture Tubes is boosting the price of its 17-inch LCD monitor panels."
This must be fiction (Score:5, Informative)
Very notable (Score:5, Informative)
Maybe Apple is finally taking everyone's advice, and realizing that consumers would far rather have a small, integrated box, like the Cube, that can interface with VGA and DVI as well as ADC monitors, and that is price-competitive with the cheapest x86 boxes. The revival of something like the Cube, but sans monitor and starting at $600, would actually get price-conscious consumers to consider getting a Mac instead.
Now-history 15" flat-panel iMac? (Score:2, Informative)
Clearly likely that the entire model line will be refreshed by June anyway.
karma whoring: the article (Score:4, Informative)
David Tzeng, Taipei; Chinmei Sung, DigiTimes.com [Thursday 2 January 2003]
The 17-inch flat-panel iMac will terminate production in June, following the same fate as the 15-inch flat-panel model, which stopped production last October, said local PC makers familiar with the matter.
It is estimated that about 500,000 to 600,000 flat-panel iMacs were sold in 2002 following their introduction last January. The once highflying desktop computer, which created a buzz with its desk lamp-like look, is expected to sell another 300,000 to 400,000 units between now and June.
The flat-panel iMac, which debuted last January, became a smash hit shortly after being introduced. Sales peaked in March, with local manufacturers working round the clock, fulfilling shipments of over 10,000 units a day.
Sales of the 15-inch flat-panel iMacs practically stalled in June 2002 after selling more than 300,000 units between February and May, resulting in an early production termination in October.
Maybe not dead, just new supplier (Score:5, Informative)
Hon Hai replaces LG as sole supplier of Apple's iMac/eMac PCs - report
TAIPEI (AFX-ASIA) - Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd (2317.TW) has replaced LG Electronics Co as the sole supplier of Apple Computer Inc's iMac/eMac desktop PCs, with 2003 shipments estimated at up to 1.0 mln units, the Economic Daily News reported without citing a source. While Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd (2475.TW) will provide 17-inch monitors for the eMac machines, AU Optronics Corp (2409.TW) has been certified as a TFT-LCD panel supplier to Apple Computer, it said.
No big deal (Score:2, Informative)
The article has a related blurb [digitimes.com] (registration required) at the bottom that says that a 19" iMac will be available in 3Q.
If the 17" iMac caused the death of the 15", it would follow that the 19" would kill the 17".
Not likely, not yet, unless ....... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:this is terrible (Score:3, Informative)
Your wish is my command [apple.com]! And, for the record, because the Mac has an AGP slot, you can use whatever goddamn graphics card you goddamn want: goddamn VGA, goddamn ADC, goddamn DVI, goddamn whatever. Goddamn.
And they should sell the CPUs and motherboards seperately.
"And as long as I'm wishing, I'd like a pony."
Even the most crappy 300$ PC is more reliable than a $2000 Mac. Why? Because when something breaks I can get a replacement within half an hour...
That would be true if it weren't for the fact that Macs very rarely break. Since the mid-1990's I've owned two CRT iMacs, an original iBook, a dual-USB iBook, a PowerBook G4, and two Power Mac G4's. Some of those machines I had for years, some for a year or less. I have had zero hardware problems with any of them. No power supply failures, no fan failures, no CPU failures, nothing. No problems at all. Hell, for the longest time I was wishing that my computer would die, just so I could replace it!
Re:17in Studio Display = Static Discharge (Score:4, Informative)
Take a look at AppleCare Document 88195 [apple.com]. If you call either of the numbers at the bottom of the article, tell them about your problem, persist, and - and this is the most important part - quote the document above, they will get a supervisor on the phone with you, and that supervisor will take down your information, have a FedEx box sent to you, pick it up (with your display inside), and ship it back within weeks - fixed.
For free.
This happened to me, and I put off researching about the problem until it was happening every couple of seconds. There would be a popping sound, accompanied by a dimming of the screen and an odd zoom effect that would slowly morph back into a useable screen. At first it happened infrequently. Toward the end it had really screwed up some of the monitor's geometry, especially when manipulating large patches of white space on the screen.
If you're questioning whether or not Apple would really fix something like this for free (and even pay for shipping it), check out The MacFixit Forums [macifixitforums.com] and search for "pop-dim-zoom" for the last year or so.
Oh, and my studio display is an old one - it's bright bondi blue, from the days when G3s and first-gen iMacs reigned supreme.
STOP THE FUD (Score:5, Informative)
Apple serial numbers include the week the product was produced. I got a delivery this very morning of both 15" and 17" made in the first week of december 2002.
blackfly
Re:17in Studio Display = Static Discharge (Score:4, Informative)
The 17in studio display is and has been an LCD, and LCDs don't make static popping noises.
And, this article isn't about the 17in studio display, it's about 17in LCD iMacs.
So, the mod who rated your post was as mis-informed as you are.
Re:Apples market research? (Score:1, Informative)
Comment removed (Score:4, Informative)
Re:/. should change its name (Score:2, Informative)
USB(And serial busses in general,forex: ADB), the mouse, windowing consumer OS, Intelligent bus (NuBus, PCI was just a better implemented versionof the same basic idea), WYSIWYG, colour high-res displays on consumer hardware, multitasking consumer OS (Yeah, Amiga did that right first, I know, but Apple was the first comercially successful version)
Dell is certainly not influential, they've never had a new idea (Apart from their busness model). HP/Compaq hasn't done anything significant in 10 years,
IBM, now they're influential, but not really in the PC business, but in the Server and laptop space they certainly are.
Re:What now? (Score:2, Informative)
The iMac form factor lasted 4 years as the primary form factor for Apple's consumer boxes. The Current iMac form factor will likely last nearly as long, with some changes (Colour, internals, screen size)
Apple's got a patent for PC's that can change their colour, that will show up in the iMac line (If it ever becomes reality), and that's a remote possibility for MacWorld San Fransisco in two weeks.
Likely the only actual changes will be a speed bump, possibly a new system board with DDR Ram like the PowerMac and a switchover from 15" to 17" as the rpimary form factor (With the 15" LCD living on in the budget config).
A new GPU is also likely, either a Geforce4MX or a Radeon 9000.
Likely Explanation (Score:2, Informative)
An article at MacWorld UK [macworld.co.uk] says that Apple is going to be switching its supplier of iMacs and eMacs. I think it's likely that the real story here is that LG will stop production of the iMac in June, NOT that Apple will stop making them completely. Obviously I can't be certain that both reports aren't true, but this certainly looks like another example of bad journalism.
i don't know... (Score:2, Informative)
if Apple wants to survive this year, they have to introduce a new CPU altogether. they've pushed the G4 as far as it can go and die hard Apple fans are not going to put up with yet another speed bump.
as for Macworld, i'm prediciting a new lifestyle device and perhaps a new iPod (perhaps one that sync wirelessly with your computer?)
Re:Cost (Score:2, Informative)
THEY SWITCHED SUPPLIERS (Score:5, Informative)
Apple was using LG Electronics and they have ceased production. Hon Hai Precision Industry is now making the eMacs and iMacs.
Switching Suppliers - not discontinuing (Score:2, Informative)
Source: AFX News - Asia
Date: 01/01/2003 20:22
Hon Hai replaces LG as sole supplier of Apple's iMac/eMac PCs - report
TAIPEI (AFX-ASIA) - Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd (2317.TW) has replaced LG Electronics Co as the sole supplier of Apple Computer Inc's iMac/eMac desktop PCs, with 2003 shipments estimated at up to 1.0 mln units, the Economic Daily News reported without citing a source.
Re:Apple *REALLY* needs a sub-$500 machine. (Score:2, Informative)
Yes, for raw power and number crunching, the PC edges out...
You might want to look at some of the RC5 benchmarks sometime if you believe that:
PC speeds [distributed.net]
Mac speeds [distributed.net]
For the time impaired, here's an example (reformatted by me, using results for your listed machines):
AMD K7 Athlon Thunderbird 1650 MHz Speed = 5,847,268
Power PC 7450/7455 G4 1000 MHz Speed = 10,525,403
Re:Apples market research? (Score:4, Informative)
I took a second look and golly-gee there is a VGA connector there. My bad, I honestly have never noticed it there. I'm not the original owner of this thing (though it's all here) so I never really pored over it that thoroughly.
Re:Apples market research? (Score:3, Informative)
My least favorite features of the cube though are:
1) The amazingly inconvenient cabling. It all plugs into the underside of the machine, meaning you have to lay it on something to hook it up. The cables are also thick and stiff.
2) The slot loading CD-ROM drive which sticks.
3) The speakers, which HAVE to plug directly into the Cube and not into the monitor or keyboard USB hubs.
I think the 17" iMac, in particular, was a big improvement on the cube, but swappable displays would have been nice.