Reports Citing Manufacturing Sources Surface About New LCD iMacs

by , 3:20 PM EST, December 7th, 2001

Two reports from two different industry watchers claim information about Apple's iMac. Over the past few days, C|Net and Bloomberg have posted news articles claiming that new flat paneled iMacs are on the way. The C|Net article refers to a report from analyst from the investment firm, Morgan Stanley, which claim that Apple has ordered 100,000 LCD iMacs per month:

Morgan Stanley analysts Gillian Munson and Stirling Levy said in the report that Apple has placed component orders for producing 100,000 15-inch flat-panel iMacs per month, starting in January.

The all-in-one computer virtually revived Apple when it emerged in 1998, but sales have steadily declined in the past year and a half.

"Supply contacts indicate that an all-in-one flat panel iMac might be announced" in early 2002, Munson and Levy said in the report. "As usual, specific product details are shrouded in secrecy."

The C|Net article does not indicate who the manufacturers of the new iMacs are supposed to be. In a similar article that was published today, however, Bloomberg reports that the Taipei laptop maker, Quanta Computers, has received an order from Apple asking for 1 million LCD iMacs per year.

Quanta Computer Inc., Taiwan's largest notebook-computer maker, received an order from Apple Computer Inc. to manufacture a new model of iMac desktop computers, the Economic Daily News said, without citing anyone.

The order for more than a million iMacs a year starting in the first quarter of 2002 is Quanta's first contract to produce desktop computers for another company, the paper said. Quanta already makes the machines under its own brand name.

In January in San Francisco, Apple Chief Executive Officer Steven Jobs will introduce the new model, fitted with a 15-inch liquid crystal display, the paper said.

The extremely short piece gives no more information about the new iMacs.

The Mac Observer Spin:

Taken separately, either article is interesting, but taken together it seems clear that something is afoot at Apple. If these reports can be believed then we may well be looking at what many have wanted for quite some time, LCD iMacs. Whether or not the reports are true, the speculation surrounding what Steve Jobs will announce come January now has new fuel. What makes these reports different from so many that circulate in the Mac Web is that it doesn't (allegedly) come from someone inside Apple/Motorola/Wherever, but rather from manufacturing sources. We wonder if Apple's famed rage when 3rd parties divulge Apple's plans will be invoked by this supposed leak.

While the venerable iMac is still a great computer, its form factor is becoming dated, and a fresh coat of colorful plastics just won't hack it anymore. We hope this is more than just hearsay.