“[In Apple’s iMac G5] I see a well-designed, all-in-one system that is more expensive than roughly comparable desktop computers running Windows — therefore making Windows the better value to my detail-oriented mind,” Mike Langberg writes for The Mercury News.
“My only significant design gripe is ergonomic. The 17-inch model has the screen’s top edge several inches too low for average adults, who will have to look down to work instead of straight ahead. You can stick a phone book underneath the pedestal, but that ruins the iMac’s elegance,” Langberg writes.
[MacDailyNews Note: Bzzzzt. Please try again, Mike. There’s no need for your silly phonebook idea. Apple’s online store (under “Apple Accessories”) shows the “iMac G5 VESA Mount Adapter Kit” which will allows your iMac G5 to be used with VESA compliant mounting solutions such as wall mounts and articulating arms. Apple’s iMac G5 VESA Mount Adapter Kit is slated to become available for order in October for US$29. The iMac G5 VESA Mount Adapter allows your iMac G5 computer to be used with a variety of alternate mounting solutions such as wall mounts and zero footprint articulating arms based on the VESA flat panel mounting interface (FPMI). The new iMac G5 family features a removable desktopfoot. iMac G5 VESA Mount Adapter Kit contains a tool that allows you to remove the system foot and to attach the VESA Mount Adapter to the computer. The iMac G5 is now ready to attach to any VESA compliant mounting solution that has a 100mm x 100 mm attachment. More info here.]
Langberg continues, “There’s also the bigger issue of cost. Apple’s relatively high prices have limited its popularity — its global market share is hovering around 2 percent. Windows takes almost all the rest. The Mac might be a few points higher in U.S. homes, but it’s still nowhere near double digits. In the Windows world, you can pick from a wide selection of systems for $600 to $800 — with a computer tower and separate monitor, rather than all-in-one design — that offer comparable hardware features to the iMac. Apple seems to be tacitly acknowledging the gap by continuing to sell the eMac, an all-in-one design with a bulky tube monitor and the older G4 processor, for $799 to $999.”
Langberg writes, “The bottom line: Apple’s many loyal customers, who are willing to pay more for the Mac’s elegant design and ease of use, will be justifiably happy with the iMac G5. Windows users will remain unimpressed, as they have with previous iMac innovations, and Apple’s market share won’t be much changed a year from now.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Langberg, unlike the iMac G5, doesn’t have a leg to stand on. With the iMac’s foot removed and an articulating arm attached instead (as Apple obviously intends as the ultimate iMac setup), the new iMac G5 simply floats above your work surface and allows an even greater range of motion that the iMac G4 desk lamp models that preceded it.
Now, when you find a 64-bit Windows machine (match the specs and features, please) with a comparable LCD screen (match the specs again, please) for less than Apple’s iMac G5, please let us know below, because we can’t find one on this planet. Plus, it seems that the facts that the iMac G5 runs the superior, virus-free, safe, and fun Mac OS X and also comes with iLife plus all of the other great Mac-only applications count for nothing in Langberg’s world. Langberg needs to account for the Mac’s advantages in his cost assessments; a Ford and a Mercedes both have four wheels, Mike – should both vehicles therefore cost the same or should we look at the whole picture instead?
We sent Mike a link to our article and you can send Mike your comments and information, too: mike@langberg.com
Where do these guys come from???
I want to write for one of these media outlets. I can’t really be that much worse than these “tech writers”.
When you factor all the specifications, operating system and software included, there is no way that a PC computer will be even close to the new iMac G5.
id rather poop on my desk than use a pc
This guy probably likes that Gateway POS better.
Unfortunately, this reeks of biased reporting. Everyone will have their own opinion, but I like the opinion of Joel Santo Domingo from PC Magazine giving the new iMac a 5 star rating.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1648796,00.asp
Or the opinion of Kevin Maney from USA Today and his “get a Mac” opinion.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/maney/2004-09-21-maney_x.htm
I now have to help a neighbor with their defunct Windoz PeeCee which is on the fritz. He’s a bout 2 seconds away from throwing it out the window. Maybe I can lend a hand.
HP offers a Athlon 64 machine GX5000Z series for $2,170.99 with comparable features and hardware including the 17″ Flat Panel with a tower and a combo drive VERSUS an iMac G5 17″ with ComboDrive at $1299! Not to mention an iMac G5 20″ with SuperDrive at $1899!
Go do your math dude and find one with the same specs as the iMac G5. Nuts!
Unimpressed ? They’ll remain unimpressed ? I wonder. All i know is that with the iPod Apple has gained a good lot of popularity. (how’s the marketshare there again ?) This will affect the iMac (similiar design) sales aswell as the Powermac (ultimate power) sales sooner or later.
Words has patience even when it non-sence..
Mike –
First, I want to know the type of research you did for this article in order to base your point of view.
Yes you can buy a desktop PC with separate VGA monitor and tower starting around $800, but that is the point. The new iMac is a whole lot more then that. No wires to connect. All you have to do is plug the damn thing into the wall and you’re done.
Now, lets actually compare apples to apples. We will use the iMac 17″ starting at $1499 and Gateway just released an upgraded version of their all in one computers (which is the ugliest thing I have ever seen) also starting at $1499.
Lets go through the shopping experience. First thing is that Gateway “suggests” that you have XP Pro and all the computer comes with is XP Home. So right away I am adding $79 to my cost. WINNER: Apple – I get the greatest OS available for home and pro with no extra cost.
Then there is the support cost. I have to pay for hardware support $140 and phone support for one year at $199. Whereas with Apple, I get the Apple Care plan where I get hardware and phone support for 3 years for $169. WINNER: Apple – do I even have to explain?
Media Support – Gateway I will need to upgrade $140 to get DVD-R, and CD-RW support. The iMac, all models come standard with the Apple Super Drive. Extra cost $0. WINNER: Apple – hands down.
Security software. With the Gateway computer with XP I WILL need to purchase such software apps as Norton Anti-Virus ($49.99) and Internet Security ($69.00). With the iMac, well it is already secure so I will not be needing to purchase any such software. WINNER: Apple.
Then there is the wireless keyboard option. Gateway offers a USB wireless set up for $79. While Apple offers a BlueTooth solution for $99. Yes the cost is $20 greater, but BlueTooth wireless have vastly more options then simple USB wireless. WINNER: a draw.
Where does this leave us? Gateway $2179.94. Apple $1767.00. WINNER: APPLE hands down.
And I never even touched on the whole “total cost of ownership” issues. How many times will that PC user have to sent that computer around for tech support to rid the computer of all the viruses, trojan horses, and god knows what else.
Correction…not ALL models come with a SuperDrive. THe lowest end iMac uses a ComboDrive….but it still WINS.
Another Correction. Norton Internet Security already has Norton AntiVirus built in no need for the other seperate product. So it’s just $69.00 altogether…Still Apple WINS!
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(as Apple obviously intends as the ultimate iMac setup)
No, Apple intends the setup to be the aluminum foot. And for those that don’t prefer that, there is an add-on that’ll cost you more $$$.
If Apple truly thought this was what they wanted for their iMac, they would’ve included the kit with it and let you have the option right off the bat. That’s what Apple does. The fact they do not means they feel the aluminum foot is good enough for most people.
Having not seen one yet, I’ll wait to decide if I feel Apple was right or wrong in those regards. But having used a G4 iMac before I think I’ll be slightly disappointed.
Here’s his idea of well designed computer…
http://www.apple-x.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1108&mode=thread&order=1&thold=0
My usual comment to PC afficianados extolling the pricing differences (small) is that they better than anyone else know the paltry value of their time. The purpose of purchasing a processor is to save time and/or effort to do what you otherwise could not do. It is the overall economy of effort, stupid!
Rageous –
No company in the world will make the single most perfect product that will make EVERYONE happy. But the fact that the new iMac “has” alternate mounting options is still a major step up from all other all-in-one computers.
Using that as a comparitive point against the cost of another PC is nutz when the others don’t even have such options.
And what was even disappoint about the G4 iMac? Remember that these are general consumer computers. They may not live up to the standard of a professional computer, but they are damn close.
I currently use a Mac Cube as my pro work station and the G4 iMac’s (some configurations) had more juice than that. Unless you are editing hours of High Def video, how much computer do you really need for sending email?
His “detail-oriented mind”? Riiiiight…
Bizarro Jeff
Windows lowers the value of a PC’s with 300$, OSX lifts the value of a Mac with 300$.
THEY ARE NOT IN THE SAME LEAGUE!!!!
So, I went on the net and looked at how high 17″ LCD monitors are. Are you surprised to hear that they are the same height as a 17″ iMac? Although Mike may be technically correct – the top of the screen is too low “out of the box” – so is the top of the screen on any machine against which comparisons are likely to be made. As usual, when everybody else does it, it is normal. When Apple does it, it is wrong.
Mike
If he was comparing Dell’s, HP’s and Gateway’s consumer offerings with Apple’s comsumer offering he should have just looked at the eMac. He was looking at a premium consumer offering, the G5 iMac, and he should have looked at Sony’s and Gateway’s all in ones for comparison.
As has been said before, the iMac is less expensive than the Winows XP using competition.
As for ergonomics, lower your chair and use the pull out keyboard holder asshole.
If Mr. Langberg is so inept at using the iMac one must consider if his cognitive abilities are also inferior or substandard.
That Gateway has floppy drive. Who still uses those? Oh, right, people who need an emergency boot floppy in Windows so they can run FDISK.
No one complains about the latest book or magazine publication being ergonomically poor.
Most people feel real comfortable with their head and eyes facing downward to read text and see pictures in print.
Many people with bi-focals have to tilt their head way up (very uncomfortable) to view a monitor that is straight ahead.
I agree that Mr. Landberg’s article is poorly researched and, in some instances, arguably wrong. But some of these posts resemble the crazy cult-of-Mac reaction mentioned in the USA Today article. Sure, Mr. Landberg could have done a little better job — but questioning his cognitive abilities? This us-against-the-world mentaility is a little weird, even if Macs are clearly superior to Windows boxes.
“my only significant gripe”…
Then he goes on to make an issue of something that is actually insignificant. Besides, the tilt of the iMac, assuming it is not adjustiable, is at least better than the eMac which I am very comfortable with. I am also an average adult. I am looking down slightly at my eMac. I WOULD NOT WANT THE COMPUTER AT EYE LEVEL LOOKING STRAIGHT AHEAD. Even PC’s don’t offer this feature (undesirable in my opinion) out of the box. So now, what was the whole point of this significant gripe.” He turns his entire evaluation on his personal taste in an attempt to disuade others on this basis. What a poor excuse for tech journalism. On the other hand, if that is all he can find to gripe about, must be pretty nice.
My 19″ monitor is on a phone book, and I’m still looking down to see it. I’m taller than average, but not excessively so. Straight ahead means that I look straight over the top of the monitor. I’d need several phone books in order to put my monitor at eye level. That’s just a silly complaint.
The author is an idiot… It’s not really about the hardware (although the hardware is the best)…. its about OSx.
We are 2 years and 9 months since we switched to Macs and OSx…
That is 2 years and 9 months without a virus, without dataloss and without a moment lost to computer problems.
Thank you Apple!