CnetNEWS.com is reporting that Apple is planning to release a 17” flat-panel LCD iMac next week at MACWORLD Expo NY.

What do you think?

Well, I’m taking this with enough salt to give my doctor a heart attack, but you know, this makes an awful lot of sense.

The iMac has stalled out thanks to the eMac, certainly, and Apple could use a little more power in the High end to separate the two systems. Also, the timing would be about right for an update.

In addition though, Apple’s offering another Flat screen rebate, which could indicates price drops on the LCD Studio Display line. If the prices fall enough, the 17” LCD screen would certainly be within the realm of financial possibility for the iMac G4.

That said, cNet tends to be a bit spotty at it’s accuracy. They’ve been wrong enough times for me to be suspicious, but they have also had a share of guesses and pre-announcements that were pretty close to target.

Veeery interesting.

I don’t think we’ll seen 17” LCD iMacs. A 17” LCD still costs over $800. If you add the other needed parts these iMacs would cost more than $2000. That’s IMO too much for a consumer Mac.

Well, actually, iMac sales have stalled because the amount of people looking to buy a new computer has stalled. I don’t think the eMac is cannibalizing iMac sales THAT much.

As far as a 17” LCD iMac, it’s at least somewhat likely. Maybe not now, but sometime. As long as Apple designed the arm right, it could even be a BTO option. Build the iMac with just a stump, find out what size screen the customer wants, slap it on the end of the stump.

And yeah, being c|net, I’ll believe it when it raises out of the floor or shows up on a giant PowerPoint presentation in New York.

(Hopefully c|net wasn’t planning on attending MWNY with a press pass…)

Crystal ball gazing

Well I for one would be jumping up and down if Apple brings out an Imac with a 17’ Display next week for two reasons.  One, because I think it’d be fantastic, as I love the standalone 17 incher LCD, and two, because I won’t be able to afford it!  Damn. 

However, whilst I’m sure it will happen, its more a question of when, IMHO.  Six months into a new product doesn’t seem much time to be releasing a fairly ‘radical’ update of that sort, I’d have thought the more usual upgrading of Ram, HD, etc, maybe USB2, or next level of firewire, but if sales are stalled on the 15’ model, I don’t see how introducing a 17” model will help that either, so I will be both pleasantly and unpleasantly surprised all at the same time if this comes to pass at this time.  But who knows?

I’d have thought upgrading the towers, and putting more of a ‘performance’ gap between them and the consumer models ‘downstream’ in the range would make more marketing sense.  Besides, then I could take a ‘modular’ approach to my Mac purchase, and go for a tower, and use my existing 17” CRT monitor, until funds allowed the later purchase of a LCD panel.  So then I’d have the best of both worlds, versatility, power, expandability, and a drop dead gorgeous display.  Even better, a redesigned one with a stand along the lines of the Imac, cute and adjustable.

Fingers crossed.

Roll on next week.

Cheers,

Johnboy. 

Thinksecret "guarantees" 17" iMac

Not that this proves any rumor one way or the other, but over at Thinksecret.com they have a new article stating what the expo has in store for us (according to “their sources”) and they mention the new iMac.

“This is also the closest thing to a “Stone Cold Lock” that it gets and one that will surprise most. We all heard rumors earlier this year coming out of Asia about a 17-inch flat-panel model in production. Those rumors were quickly dismissed by most, but we never blew them off that fast. Simply know this…if you could hear our sources talk of their confidence in this product’s rollout, you’d be predicting this 17-inch model as well.”

To me this is clear:

The eMac is the cheaper model but has the 17” screen advantage over the iMac which is supposed to be the better Mac. People lust for a flat panel, but they can have a 17” for less money, so they’re confused. Apple simply has to put an 17” screen on the iMac to avoid this. Then they should kill the 15” flatpanel iMac and, of course, the old CRT iMac!

On the other hand, they quickly have to put a DVD-R in the eMacs. I can imagine many consumers who won’t buy an eMac (or their first Mac) because they can’t watch their DVDs on it.

And now ... put G4s in the iBooks!!!

Rob

http://www.flex.com/~daniel/imac/

Interesting thought it is….putting an old Radius monitor on the thing.