The Industry Standard - Apple announces iMac retirement by September 30 2009? - Comments

Rich: I agree that most

Ian Lamont — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:19:33 -0500

Rich: I agree that most people will have far fewer issues with a new Mac than a new PC.

The issue that must be considered is price. There is a huge population of people and bulk purchasers (think schools) who might have shelled out money for an iMac two years ago who now simply can't afford it. Some may put off new computer purchases until their own cash picture improves, but others will grit their teeth and go for some of the cheap PC and netbook alternatives.

Apple doesn't break out iMac sales, but I would expect that the bulk of its Mac revenue is now derived from low-end MacBooks where the price/features comparison is attractive enough when true Windows laptops (as opposed to cheap netbooks) are the alternative.

Ian Lamont
Managing Editor
The Industry Standard
twitter.com/the_standard
twitter.com/ilamont

If Mac sales defy logic,

Rich Webber — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:03:39 -0500

If Mac sales defy logic, then the logic is flawed or someone is lacking some relevant data.

Having spent over a decade as a PC, my new world is faster, easier and I hope to be exploited with this improved Mac experience for many years to come.

PCs are a mixed bag of nuts. Just imagine if every win 95 machine for 10 bucks could have upgraded to win 98, and another 10 bucks and win 98 would be upgraded to win 2000. Microsoft won't do it

But Mac facilitates those OS upgrades instead of overcharging and rushing out more troubles. If your hardware is compatible, you can simply stay in the latest OS, all the time, for chump change. Most Mac users stay up with latest OS, so we are all having the same (great) experience.

PC defenders simply have not spent the time with Mac.

And I will be picking up 2 27" new imacs within the week. 1 for desk and TV type usage, one for an office desktop. Better choices? Maybe. But I will get more years out of these machines than most PCs can give. With far fewer issues.

Exactly! I totally agree

Juan Lopez — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 05:27:07 -0400

Exactly! I totally agree with you. That's the key point about the "Mac or PC" question today. I Think Apple has abused exploiting the stupid (when not false) mantras about how good-pretty-cool are Macs and how bad-ugly-nerd are Windows PCs. After all, simply advertising. In fact, PCs now are cheaper, more powerfull and feature-rich than Macs... and some of then (more and more each day) are beautiful and state-of-the-art pieces of hardware.

Apple updates

Ian Lamont — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:11:44 -0400

Apple updates iMacs:

http://www.thestandard.com/news/2009/10/20/apple-overhauls-imac-line-21-...

Not that much movement on price.

Ian Lamont
Managing Editor
The Industry Standard
twitter.com/the_standard
twitter.com/ilamont

Food for thought: Mac sales

Ian Lamont — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:05:41 -0400

Food for thought:

Mac sales 'defy all logic,' says analyst

Ian Lamont
Managing Editor
The Industry Standard
twitter.com/the_standard
twitter.com/ilamont

Yes, Peter. I ate my hat. I

Ian Lamont — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:40:13 -0400

Yes, Peter. I ate my hat. I was wrong about the date.

I also said: "They'll need to drop it to $999 to get any attention, but that may not be enough to save it in the long term."

In other words, I don't think it's going to last into the long term, at least when more powerful PC desktops are available for hundreds less. We already see this trend with portables, as cash-strapped college buyers turn to netbooks instead of MacBooks. Of course, all bets are off if Apple can drop the iMac's price even more.

If Apple doesn't drop the iMac's price, I predict that the line will be phased out or replaced in 2010.

But, just in case, I am preparing another fedora ....

Ian Lamont
Managing Editor
The Industry Standard
twitter.com/the_standard
twitter.com/ilamont

Ian, I followed your

Peter — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:52:45 -0400

Ian, I followed your stubborn debate with interest. Your prediction was 30 September, then you adjusted your view to "..the long Term ..". Seems to me some humble pie should have accompanied the old fedora.

I read somewhere that the Imacs can be wall mounted. That true?

Peter

Ian, I think your missing

John Frantz — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:34:12 -0400

Ian, I think your missing the main point. The iMac may have declined in sales recently but Apple is still selling tons of them at high profit margins. My guess is that they're selling them at higher prices than comparable PC's even though their all-in-one construction is probably cheaper to produce. They have lots of options to continue with the product. They may lower the price somewhat but Apple has always gotten away with higher prices, for whatever reason.

I use a laptop at work with an extra bigger monitor attached but I've found that the laptop hasn't budged from the top of my desk. I never take it anywhere. At home I also have a laptop which I sometimes take on trips. All my data is accessible to both.

My thinking is this setup was a mistake. I should just have a desktop computer at home and another one at work and have a cheap (more disposable) laptop or netbook for trips. If the iMac is offered in a 30 inch model, count me in. It would look so much better than the mess of wires and boxes that I've got now. And I wouldn't even use MacOS.

John.

Indeed it is, John. Judged

Ian Lamont — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:39:13 -0400

Indeed it is, John. Judged negative and I am stewing my fedora as we speak.

But I would like to return to something I said earlier:

I see three possible choices for Apple: Address the pricing issue, make plans to phase out the product line sooner rather than later, or eat the loss and hope things improve in 2010. My bet is on option #2 -- perhaps coupled with a new product release.

Based on more recent information, I am leaning toward a pricing recalibration. $1200 is simply too much, and doesn't reflect market realities.

Ian Lamont
Managing Editor
The Industry Standard
twitter.com/the_standard
twitter.com/ilamont

Isn't this bet dead already?

John Frantz — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:45:36 -0400

Isn't this bet dead already?

Well is sep 30 2009 today

Omar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:15:35 -0400

Well is sep 30 2009 today and what I am reading is updated imacs coming soon http://adtwik.com/computers/mac/new-macbook-imac-updates-coming-in-weeks...

As it is the 30th of

Quiet Chaos — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 19:42:07 -0400

As it is the 30th of September 2009 and no news as of yet (that is here in Australia) I hope you are incorrect as I have just put off my Imac purchase in the hopes of a release in the next few weeks/months. My source handles education contracts and has been ahead of the curve with his information in the past.

I love the dock/screen concept as it would do away with cheap after-market "off desk" racks and cables, and come with the knowledge that as it is Apple, it will "just work"

Thanks Tay. "More

Ian Lamont — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:05:36 -0400

Thanks Tay.

"More affordable pricing." I bet! They'll need to drop it to $999 to get any attention, but that may not be enough to save it in the long term -- PC desktops with better processors, storage, and RAM can be had for hundreds less (see comment here)

Ian Lamont
Managing Editor
The Industry Standard
twitter.com/the_standard
twitter.com/ilamont

Latest rumor "Apple ready

Tay Bass — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:39:32 -0400

Latest rumor "Apple ready and waiting with redesigned iMac line"

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/09/24/apple_ready_and_waiting_wi...

Apple has acknowledged the

Adam — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:49:36 -0400

Apple has acknowledged the top spec Imacs as pro machines for a while now. FireWire 800 big screens and fast dual cores. Apple has just acknowledged blu ray in final cut studio 3 and I am sure iDVD or newer app will be available soon to follow through and support the software. Blu ray is necessary for backing up these days- if you have a burgeoning iTunes collection, or like me, edit lots of video. So, add quad core to the new iMacs and you have at least another 3 years of Imac refreshes. Yes, I hear the touch screen tablets and new Macbooks are coming too. There is a Mac for everyone and Apple do not appear to have a replacement for the Imac, so Id predict business as usual albeit with a blu ray quadcore refresh. Nice. Make mine a big one Mr Jobs! Thanks for the article Ian.

Apple announces iMac retirement by September 30 2009?

Ian Lamont — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:55:16 -0500

Apple's iMac has been the one bright spot in its desktop lineup for the past several years, according to its 2008 10K filing.

However, the 10-year-old iMac is increasingly running counter to several trends in the PC industry:

* A shift to laptops
* Cheaper, low-margin PC desktops

Until now, Apple could justify its pricier iMacs as a high-quality brand with superior software (namely, OS X and iLife) but there's another factor to consider: The recession.

The down economy has changed consumers' attitudes about electronics purchases. Why buy a $1,200 iMac when a far more powerful Dell or Lenovo can be had for $800, or a Macbook for $1,000? Cutting iMac prices would boost sales, but that would kill its margins, potentially cannibalize Macbook sales, and ultimately put Apple in the position of joining the cost-cutting race that PC makers have been participating in for years (see article, The beginning of the end for the Apple iMac?)

Prediction: Will Apple publicly acknowledge by September 30, 2009, that the iMac is being discontinued? Note that the last iMacs may be sold after that date, but the public statement (either a statement on Apple's website, or in a news report) must be made by the last day of September.

Image: jhderojas, Flickr/Creative Commons