RUMOR: Apple to drop sub-$500 Mac bomb at Expo

[PatrickGaerlan]

With iPod-savvy Windows users clearly in its sights, Apple is expected to announce a bare bones, G4-based iMac without a display at Macworld Expo on January 11 that will retail for $499, highly reliable sources have confirmed to Think Secret.

The new Mac, code-named Q88, will be part of the iMac family and is expected to sport a PowerPC G4 processor at a speed around 1.25GHz. The new Mac is said to be incredibly small and will be housed in a flat enclosure with a height similar to the 1.73 inches of Apple's Xserve. Its size benefits will include the ability to stand the Mac on its side or put it below a display or monitor.

Read more at Think Secret.

[Edited on 12-29-2004 by PatrickGaerlan]

[hannibal]

this could be an attractive alternative to the 'outdated' design of the emac, although without a display. one can readily opt for a 17" or a 19" LCD.

[chairman]

Wow, PC users will really have something to think about. Imagine at 499 dollars it will probably retail here at around 30k. That's not bad at all considering it's a mac and that it has the iLife software bundle and OS X, hopefully tiger.

It will also allow existing PC users to leverage their hardware. Makes sense....

I forsee a lot more switchers in 2005!

[Carlo]

Wow. With Think Secret's track record....

[zChris]

Quote from the ThinkSecret Article:

Sources familiar with the product cautioned that the low-end Mac will be marketed towards a totally different audience than those who traditionally buy even a $799 eMac. "This product is not going to be about performance," said a source close to Apple. "This is going to be the basics, but with just as much of a focus on software as any Mac could ever be."

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Any insights what this means? I was looking at the proposed specs and they look pretty close to the eMac. How much more basic can this get to really differentiate this offering? I have been planning to buy a second Mac to replace my PC and I am seriously looking at an eMac since all I really need it for is for file downloading and storage.

This machine seems to be a lot more attractive for me with hardly, if at all, any tradeoff in performance.

[the_butcher]

because of the popularity of the ipod, and the lowered prices of most mac hardware available in the market (even in the Philippines), maybe (just maybe) many PC users will convert to Mac by 2005. I don't know with you guys, but the exclusivity of owning a mac is, for me, is something special. and i hate to admit it, i kinda don't like the idea that many people will suddenly convert... just another reason why i didn't get an ipod for xmas. too many ipod users out there!

[brain1976]

I wouldn't mind owning one. I just need something to use at home without the paying the price of a full blown iMac or even eMac. But then I hope it'll play games.

[dmxmd]

Wasn't Think Secret one of the three who were issued subpoenas?

[PatrickGaerlan]

Originally posted by the_butcher
just another reason why i didn't get an ipod for xmas. too many ipod users out there!

Well, I would say that most (all?) of us got an iPod because its the best music player out there right now. It's unfortunate if you're denying yourself the joy and convenience of owning one because you're affected by the fact that many people are using it too. Same goes with the Mac, even if all 6+ billion people on Earth switched, it still wouldn't change the fact that its a great platform

[berniej]

This I've got to see... If it turns out to be true, then I'm ditching my plan to get an el cheapo PeeCee for my iSon for him to play with...