“When we do, eventually, look back—and a decade or so from now, we will—we’ll try to pinpoint the moment when Apple’s Macintosh and OS X began to pick up significant steam,” Lance Ulanoff writes for PC Magazine.
Ulanoff asks, “Was it when OS X first launched, or the arrival of the first all-in-one, flat-panel iMac? Perhaps it was the moment when Apple chose Intel (and maybe Intel chose Apple)? Maybe it was the lackluster launch and sales performance of the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system?”
“I’d say all of these elements share credit (some might say blame). In fact, it’s the confluence of these and other events that make this the perfect time for Apple’s market share to creep up past 10 percent to 15 and then 20 and then, well, beyond,” Ulanoff writes.
“The word of mouth for any Macintosh is remarkably good, and with the negative press that Vista is getting, the shine on Apple only gets better and better. To put it simply, Apple’s Macintosh is becoming the most logical choice for those looking to buy a new computer,” Ulanoff writes. “…The day when Apple owns a much, much bigger slice of the computer-market pie is now within view. Let’s mark our calendars, shall we? I say that by Q1 2012, Apple will own 12 percent of the market. Anyone want to guess where it’ll be by 2025?”
Full article here.
It seems that more and more people gain the ability to read the writing on the wall with each passing day.
It’s enjoyable to see postive Mac articles from the likes of PC Week, PC Magazine, Computerworld, etc. these days. Heck, even John Dvorak wrote some good stuff. Enderle and C|Net are the lone holdouts these days. Having used a Mac since 1984, I’ve seen all of the negative press. The positive press is really something to behold!
> I say that by Q1 2012, Apple will own 12 percent of the market.
I was thinking 10% by 2010, so 12% by 2012 sounds reasonable.
> Anyone want to guess where it’ll be by 2025?
That’s way too far into the future. Apple may have moved on to the next big thing by that time.
Well, looky looky here!!
Maybe the rest are finally starting to get it. I remember the original iMac announcement. That is where you should say it started. Sure, when they announced that they had bought NeXT people sat up, but those sitting up really didn’t start writing until that announcement on May 28???? 1998. And then the introduction later in the summer.
Yeah, I know the machine sucked , whatever, the point being that it got everyone doing what everyone always does, follow Steve.
Remember the colors, with in that year irons were six colors, phones, vacuums…. ect.. ect.. If Apple does it everyone else follows now….. Well, they use to. No one can make a computer, mp3 player, media center, phone (and whatever else those magicians have up their sleeves) that all work off of the same OS.
The only problem that we have here is this. With 5%-6% market share now, the stock price won’t reflect the share gains. Say Apple hits 15% the stock would be roughly $400?? I am not sure that will be the case. Maybe it will, Maybe we will look back and say WOW, splits adjusted this stock is $600.
I am not sure, but I am sure that slowly but surely people are starting to notice that they should short PC venders and MS especially.
First Mac; 6500/225mhz 1997
Current Mac; iMac G5 1.8Ghz
Future Mac; iMac 24″, 2.8Ghz, Terabyte, 2GB RAM
Personally, I’d rather not see the Mac’s market share get too big. The track record for companies that get too big is not very good and almost always leads to complacency. I’d hate to see Apple lose their “maneuverability” and penchant for always being at the forefront innovative technology.
I’m more interested in projected installed base numbers.
And more off-topic, how many people are still using OS 9 or earlier?
I wonder if the iPhone has had an impact yet on web browser stats?
@ken1w
That is almost verbatim of what I was gonna say here!
There’s no telling what could happen in the next 18 years.
What happens when Mr Jobs, forgets to live?
I posted this elsewhere, but the new iMacs use the ATI Radeon 2400 XT or 2600 Pro video cards, both of which have HDMI output. See:
http://ati.amd.com/products/radeonhd2600/radeonhd2600pro/index.html
So where is the HDMI out? Also, with native processing of HD-DVD and Blu-ray, does this mean HD media is on its way soon to the mac?
MW: Sure, I sure wish I had some answers
“Personally, I’d rather not see the Mac’s market share get too big. The track record for companies that get too big is not very good and almost always leads to complacency. I’d hate to see Apple lose their “maneuverability” and penchant for always being at the forefront innovative technology.”
I tend to agree with this, but a larger “awakening” of the masses (and a bigger piece of the pie) would be quite refreshing to watch, no?
The remarkable thing about yesterday’s launch was that it brought Apple a giant step closer towards total and insanely easy integration of a user’s computing and online worlds.
I think even more impressive than the new iMacs is the absolutely nifty new iLife suite. The Internet has, probably for the first time, become a smoothly continuous part of your desktop – and you get to carry it along with you wherever you go and still interact with the same direct simplicity.
The ease of interaction between your Mac (desktop and laptop), your .Mac web presence and your iPhone is simply breathtaking. iLife 08 is probably going to turn out to be as ingenious a software as iTunes turned out to be for managing your audio-visual media.
When the true power of iLife 08 becomes widely apparent, look for online businesses of all types to migrate over to the total Mac platform.
All that Apple needs to do now is to vastly increase the .Mac storage from 10 gigs to maybe 30 or 40 gigs, if possible without additional cost, or at minimal additional cost.
“…. Apple’s Macintosh is becoming the most logical choice for those looking to buy a new computer,” “
———————
What exactly is logical about buying a computer with a display that looks like this..
Glossy was a HUGE MISTAKE.
I have no idea how anyone can defend Apple’s decision to force glossy on us without giving us a matte option. It ruins the whole experience of an otherwise stellar machine.
Just look at this glare.
http://www.engadget.com/gallery/apples-new-imac-and-keyboard-first-hands-on/343533/
Macs are not low-end devices. That said, a large % of consumer and businesses alike hit a financial glass ceiling when looking at Macs.
For Apple to continue in this direction, and gaining key apps. devs onboard (Engineering – Solidworks, Pro, E: Gaming – latest and greatest, etc…), is a big part of this growth abilitiy, and it will come, it will just take time.
The best Apple can become is a 30% market share player. This leaves them in the position where devs. must develop for the platform – it simply cannot be ignored. Yet, it keeps Apple from trying to be all things to all people (low-end solutions, cheap systems, etc…).
Apple has about 10 years to get to this point. Once in that 30% range, it will have to look elsewhere for its long-term growth engine.
At that time, it may be some market that is just emerging – living-room, handheld, some market that is still developing at this point in time.
A more interesting question (IMHO): In 2012, how much of the cell phone market share will Apple hold? In 2025?
And more off-topic, how many people are still using OS 9 or earlier? —No Squirt for You
Any more off-topic and you’d be in outer space. Is there a good reason why anyone should care how many people are still using OS 9? Did you say </i>”earlier”</i>???
“…the shine on Apple only gets better and better. “
I couldn’t agree more.
http://www.engadget.com/gallery/apples-new-imac-and-keyboard-first-hands-on/343535/
realist? (That’s rich!)
The glossy vs matte debate is one you’ve lost, because the consumers PURCHASE MORE GLOSSY SCREENS when given a choice.
Got it? People disagree with your assessment, so quit stamping your feet like a petulant child, and realize that MOST PEOPLE disagree with you.
For what it’s worth, I OWN two 17′ ‘Books.
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One is matte, the other glossy, and whenever I CHOOSE which laptop to use, I CHOOSE the glossy screen.
I happen to PREFER the GLOSSY screen…
Relax, alansky. It was just a thought. I remember reading that the Petronas Towers use a pair of Mac SEs to control lighting. The number of OS 9 (and earlier) users is probably as statistically significant as the number of Mac using hardcore gamers.
“Glossy was a HUGE MISTAKE.
I have no idea how anyone can defend Apple’s decision to force glossy on us without giving us a matte option. It ruins the whole experience of an otherwise stellar machine.”
The placement of the machine (with respect to lighting sources) will require a little more strategy, but the image quality ROCKS!
@BOB
Actually, you are quite wrong.
From ArsTechnica:
“Lenovo recently ran an online poll asking its customers their personal preference regarding matte vs. glossy, and the results are revealing.”
“An overwhelming 86 percent of respondents preferred the old-school anti-glare matte finish for their laptops, with only 8 percent voting for the glossy reflective finish. Only 5 percent were indifferent. Clearly, non-glossy won by a landslide.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061018-8022.html
realist: funny, I am sitting here and looking at the glossy monitor on my Macbook, and it just does not look like what your link shows!
THAT IS BECAUSE IF YOU TAKE A PICTURE FROM AN ANGLE SHOWING A REFLECTION OFF A SHINY OBJECT, THAT IS WHAT YOU WILL GET!
Sort like the old joke: Doc, it hurts when I do that!
The Doc says; Well, don’t do that!!!!
I look at my monitor from the front, which coincidentally happens to be roughly the length of my arms when I type?
Am I weird for doing that?
“…I look at my monitor from the front”
Okay, then look at this pic, FROM THE FRONT.
http://www.engadget.com/gallery/apples-new-imac-and-keyboard-first-hands-on/343535/
Or this one:
http://www.engadget.com/gallery/apples-new-imac-and-keyboard-first-hands-on/343534/
I agree that Apple may scoop up ten percent or so, but I doubt it will get much better than that. The reason is the same reason that BMW will never have high marketshare.
For home computers, I think they will reach 20 percent. However, when you have to compete against a company like Dell that will sell 100s of systems at a time to companies for $300 a seat, Apple can’t compete (and doesn’t want to).
Umm, “realist”… from your own quote:
“An overwhelming 86 percent of respondents preferred the old-school anti-glare matte finish for their LAPTOPS, with only 8 percent voting for the glossy reflective finish. Only 5 percent were indifferent. Clearly, non-glossy won by a landslide.”
Do you plan on lugging you iMac around with you? It isn’t a laptop, so what in the world does your quoted result even mean in regards to the iMac?
I posted this elsewhere, but the new iMacs use the ATI Radeon 2400 XT or 2600 Pro video cards, both of which have HDMI output. See:
http://ati.amd.com/products/radeonhd2600/radeonhd2600pro/index.html
So where is the HDMI out? Also, with native processing of HD-DVD and Blu-ray, does this mean HD media is on its way soon to the mac?
MW: Sure, I sure wish I had some answers
DUDE: read the link you left. It says you get HDMI with the included DVI to HDMI adaptor. Something I do with a MacBook and iMac right now.
Learn to read.
Well, actually, I’m going to defend the forced glossy screens:
(1) Most people prefer them, especially among consumers, and since the iMac is mainly a consumer machine, choosing only glossy would be better than choosing only matte.
(2) I know that you are so furious about this relatively minor detail, but I bet that practically everyone else (no, a few other geeks on MDN aren’t “everyone else”) who might have preferred a matte screen is still going to get an iMac.
(3) Therefore, the cost of creating a matte screen option (and setting up the factories to deal with two different types of screens as options, etc.) is greater than the profit gotten by one or two people like you that hate the glossy with a passion.
I mean, the MacBook is all-glossy, and we all know how well that’s doing.
@Edgy,
No, I don’t plan on lugging my iMac around with me. However, overhead lighting and windows are just as severe.
And if you clicked the link I provided you would see that the article goes on to say:
However, most of us don’t work on our laptops outdoors, but many people do use them in a work situation, where overhead lighting causes massive glare on glossy screens.
If you’ve got a glossy screen in a dark room, you’ll be fine. But I suspect (and you can call me crazy,) that most people will have an iMac in a room with a window and/or overhead lights.
Something I’m looking forward to is Apple blurring the line between a computer and a cell phone, so that I can use my iPhone, or my laptop to communicate by text, audio, or video, using whatever connectivity is available at the moment, be it ethernet, wi-fi, or the cell network. If I want to connect to someone, I should just pick them by name, and let the computer handle checking how they’re reachable at any given time.
-jcr
Something I’m looking forward to is Apple blurring the line between a computer and a cell phone, so that I can use my iPhone, or my laptop to communicate by text, audio, or video, using whatever connectivity is available at the moment, be it ethernet, wi-fi, or the cell network. If I want to connect to someone, I should just pick them by name, and let the computer handle checking how they’re reachable at any given time.
-jcr
Something I’m looking forward to is Apple blurring the line between a computer and a cell phone, so that I can use my iPhone, or my laptop to communicate by text, audio, or video, using whatever connectivity is available at the moment, be it ethernet, wi-fi, or the cell network. If I want to connect to someone, I should just pick them by name, and let the computer handle checking how they’re reachable at any given time.
-jcr
Something I’m looking forward to is Apple blurring the line between a computer and a cell phone, so that I can use my iPhone, or my laptop to communicate by text, audio, or video, using whatever connectivity is available at the moment, be it ethernet, wi-fi, or the cell network. If I want to connect to someone, I should just pick them by name, and let the computer handle checking how they’re reachable at any given time.
-jcr
Lmfao! 5 more years and you’ll reach 12 percent market share, eh? Keep dreaming.
Apple users are currently selling their Macs to use the superior Windows Vista. Mac share has decreased almost a half percent since Vista’s arrival. It’s going to decrease even MORE when Windows Seven hits in 2010.
http://marketshare.hitslink.com/report.aspx?qprid=5
Anyone questioning the accuracy of the data shouldn’t be worried. MDN used it before as a reference when the share was temporarily increasing.
“…..(1) Most people prefer them, especially among consumers,”
@Phillip
Untrue, Lenovo’s poll results are the only ones I was able to find doing a Google search, but I’d be willing to bet anyone here that if ANY manufacturer ran a similar poll, the overwhelming majority of both Pro and Consumer users would choose matte if given an option.
I wish MDN would run a poll on this site… Matte or Glossy?
@Thorin. Agreed, and these increases in Apple’s market share is also generating more respect from people who were once naysayers towards anything coming from Apple.
@realist
Well, as I was saying, (1) the MacBooks, which are all-glossy, have been selling extraordinarily well, and (2) I think Apple knows what most people have been buying. After all, they provide an option on the MacBook Pros, and according to the keynote, Steve Jobs said that most people have been going for the glossy screens.
(And btw, realist, my name has one L.)
Regarding the glossy-only iMac screen, I guess ita a perfect opportunity for one of those anti-glare filter companies to come up with something specifically for them.
Matte is where it’s AT!
Glossy screens look great… for about 2 minutes.
It’s kind of like shopping for headphones… there are those that sound fantastic… for about 2 minutes, but with exaggerated highs and lows, I dare you to listen to an entire album with PLEASURE. But find an ACCURATE pair (Grado, Sennheiser, Etymotic) they sound a bit dull at first, but then you start to LISTEN and HEAR!
Unless your workstation is situated and lit PERFECTLY… just like EVERY office, right… you’re eyes… then your neck… and then your back… are gonna be screwed! And just think of the FINGERPRINTS!
You can BET there will be an aftermarket for anti-glare filters. Yeah, it’ll be 1989 all over again!
Something like this.
@Philip
MB = $1099
MBP = $1999
Of course the MB is selling extremely well, it is a very nicely equipped notebook at a relatively low cost.
The glossy may not be a deal breaker on the MB when the alternative (MBP) is nearly 2x the price. But give consumers a choice and the majority would likely choose to for-go, the glare, headaches, eyestrain and reflections of the glossy.
I also know that in the MBP line where customers actually have a choice that matte is chosen 8 out of 10 times. My sister recently bought the MBP for back to school, every single Apple store had glossy in stock while matte was a 7-10 day wait. The Apple store Costa Mesa said that the matte option was the number one reason people upgraded to the MBP.
Apple have never given any official numbers as to the percentages of MBP matte vs. glossy, but to get an idea, talk to any sales rep at any Apple store and ask them what their experiences have been like in regards to their customers purchases. Matte is a favorite by a long shot.
Actually I think you are wrong vs market share. Apple is not aiming at ALL the Market. Period. They aim at a specific spot in the market then—— take it over. Period.
Look at iPod. 77% of the non CD music player market. They still sell lots of CD players out there. Just look at the shelves of Best Buy and Walmart.
Mid level and above computers, — That is where iMac is headed, forget the cheap machine. There is little profit in them. Let HP lose money making them and Apple make money making the high profit, mid level machine and above. PERIOD.
Laptops, Mid level and up. Apple is going to be a really big player here. Forget the cheap $300 machine. What was the MDN expression? A race to the bottom of the barrel. ???
They are already talking about $250 laptops to do the basic word, excel, etc on. Want power, buy a Mac.
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Just me thoughts.
en
Windows 7 in 2010?
They’re not going to call it Windows 10?
Vista market share? Most of the shipped copies of Vista are sitting on store shelves or in warehouses. You can’t count shipped copies of OS’s as market share, idiot.
Almost every new computer with Vista on board gets upgraded to XP SP2. You can’t count erased OS’s as market share, idiot.
True Vista market share is pathetic. It is about Mac OS 9.2 size and Mac OS 9.2 hasn’t been sold for years.
@realist
No, Apple hasn’t given any official numbers, I guess, but Steve Jobs did say at the keynote that most people were liking the glossy screens, and he has to have meant with the MBPs, because it’s the only product Apple makes for which they provide an option. I’m afraid you’ll have to watch the presentation through, though, because I don’t remember exactly when he said it.
Anyway, for the people that do like matte screens, of course it would have been nicer if Apple had provided the option of having them. I’m not contradicting that. I’m just justifying why it was better for Apple to do what it did.
And really, do you think you know more about who will buy these screens than Apple does?
(meaning, it was better for Apple from its own point of view: making money. you DID say “I have no idea how anyone can defend Apple’s decision to force glossy on us without giving us a matte option,” and I was just explaining to you why it did what it did.)
No, no, no…. JCL will never disappear, I mean TSO, no I really meant VM, strike that VMS, mmmm CP/M, uhhh DOS, never mind.
“Vista market share? Most of the shipped copies of Vista are sitting on store shelves or in warehouses. You can’t count shipped copies of OS’s as market share, idiot.”
LMFAAOO!!! Those percentages weren’t based on licenses sold you silly Machead. It’s actual usage based on NetStat’s INTERNET traffic analysis. You silly Mac users are so deluded living in your own world, believing whatever you want to be real.
Pathetic.
@Philip
I understand very well WHY Apple did what they did. I still have no idea how anyone can defend that decision.
My opinion is that Apple eliminating matte and choice altogether is to create a distinct upgrade path..
The iMac has become a very powerful box and Apple does not want pro users purchasing the iMac and cutting into it’s Pro line..
The current iMac with 4gig Ram capacity, 24″ display and up to 2.8 gig core duo processors is PLENTY sufficient for a Pro photographer and many other pro users. However, Apple knows there is absolutely NO WAY that a Pro photographer or other multi-media professional would ever consider a glossy display. It’s all about $, I understand that. But with such a limited computer product line to choose from, this latest elimination of choice really ticks me off.
In addition to glare, eyestrain, headaches and reflections, glossy screens ruin the whole visual experience of the great looking software and OS.
OK …. you hate the glossy screen …. let it go ….
Has any one here used the new iMac, and can comment on the glossy screen “from 1st hand use”
I read where the glass has a special coating on it, could that have to do with making the glossy better??
Has any one here used the new iMac, and can comment on the glossy screen “from 1st hand use”
I read where the glass has a special coating on it, could that have to do with making the glossy better??
—————–
I’ve been checking on the Apple discussions periodically through the day.
There have been a lot of complaints by people who’ve tried them out in the store, but the forum moderators have been quick to delete the comments.
Apparently, the overhead lights in the Apple stores have not shown the displays in a “good light.” No pun intended.
Well, Steve Jobs is pretty dumb! How could he say most people are liking the glossy screens? No wonder under his watch Mac sales have been steadily decreasing! He knows nothing about people’s preferences!
“….No wonder under his watch Mac sales have been steadily decreasing! He knows nothing about people’s preferences!”
Well as a shareholder, I hate to say this, but I do hope that the glossy only option for the iMac turns enough people off that they see a dip in iMac sales, come to their sense and begin offering a matte option..
On another note, I was just reading that MacWorld has panned the glossy display calling them “highly reflective and annoying.” The large majority of responses agree. So I’m not quite sure which consumers Steve Jobs was talking about. Then again, it was just a sales pitch.
“The best Apple can become is a 30% market share player. “
The best any-one’s done is become a 30% or so player (Dell) and that’s with a full line, from low end consumer PCs to high end gaming PCs and workstations, laptops at all price points too, and a server for every class of customer.
The only real competition they have is HP with a similarly full lineup.
With Apple’s limited product line and high end pricing, there’s just no way the’re moving much past the boost in share the Intel shift has already given them. they currently have 2.5% or so worldwide, they will peak at less than 5% of worldwide market share.
Overhead lights! Overhead Lights? I have my C2D iMac 24″ on a riser so I can take in the whole screen within straining my neck by looking down. The top of my iMac is tilted slightly forward.
Have you ever used a laptop? The screen is tilted toward the overhead lights.
With my iMac, I’m not worried about no overhead lights!
@Veronica:
What’s your last name – Downer!
“However, most of us don’t work on our laptops outdoors, but many people do use them in a work situation, where overhead lighting causes massive glare on glossy screens.”
I do retouching on a 19″ Cintiq at work, and frankly the overhead lighting causes massive glare on its MATTE screen. I doubt if it would be any more or less annoying if it was glossy.
Transitions often take place with shocking speed, especially when the dynamic of such a transition becomes ruled by positive feedback — success causing more success. In the case of the PC industry, the vendors of parts already exist, so gaining market share does not imply overly large capital expansion costs for suppliers. For its part, Apple is expanding its point of presence in the retail market with deals, such as the one with Best Buy. There will likely be what many of us call “the tipping point,” when Apple’s market share rapidly accelerates.
okay we get it, you do not like glossy screens. But how can you day that 8 out of ten people pick matte? Do you have actual numbers to support that from an apple store or from apple themselves?
I myself just recently purchased a new iMac yesterday and I have to say that I thought the same thing until I actually TRIED it. I love it, the colors are richer and match my film Stock from my camera perfectly and it also matches glossy paper, which most of my shots are printed on? So honestly whats the issue?
fore as a professional photographer i very happy. I siggest you give it a fair shot with an open mind and you might like it! Oh the horror!
“….the colors are richer and match my film Stock from my camera perfectly and it also matches glossy paper, which most of my shots are printed on? So honestly whats the issue?”
Yes, I agree, glossy displays look very nice in dark environments with no external light sources. However, the reality is that iMacs will generally be in well lit rooms with overhead lighting and possibly windows.
In those cases, this is the issue:
http://www.engadget.com/gallery/apples-new-imac-and-keyboard-first-hands-on/343535/
It’s called GLARE. The result is headaches, eyestrain and pre-mature fatigue.
Realist, Have patience.
Apple released Apple TV with a small 40 gig HD. Enough people complained and they soon released a 160 gig option.
Apple released Airport Extreme without gigabit ethernet. Enough people complained and the soon released a gigabit ethernet version.
Apple released the iMac with a glossy only screen. If enough people complain they will release a matte version.
This has obviously struck a nerve with a lot of customers. Give it a few months and I bet well see a matte iMac.
hey realist…
don’t buy the fscking machine and go hang out on the windows boards and piss off people there!
…..none of us here 1) care what you think, 2) work at apple, 3) could change the screen if we did 1 and 2….
go away.
@Pete
I hope you’re right.
@Shen,
This is a discussion board. Never once have I lost my cool or called anyone names. There is no need to stoop to immaturity if you don’t like my or someone else’s opinions.
@realist
Just because you don’t like glossy screens you are actually hoping Apple’s sales go down? Man, you have some kind of a matte-screen obsession here!
@Mascula
It’s all about context..
What I really said is that I hope that the glossy only option turns enough people off of purchasing the iMac so that Apple will correct the situation and begin offering a matte option.
The Future Shop in Ottawa South has a Mac store with one Apple employee, and he is awaiting the full display which will take two aisles instead of one. When he started a few weeks ago, he was selling one MacBook a day, and is now up to five. To-day the non Mac aisles were very quiet whilst the customers looking at computers were mostly in the Apple area…clearly the customer interest has shifted dramatically and will be even more noticeable when the two aisles are completely set up. The other salesmen are learning from the Apple rep, who clearly needs their help as business picks up. Market share is headed up for sure.
Why is PC Magazine reporting favourable Mac news while Mac News World continues to post shit from Enderle?
Don’t you mean Mac Daily News?
@ralist
– I hear you man. Glossy is an artificial viewing experience. The human eye does not see every object with a shine. Matte is much truer.
I went to the local Apple Store today. I wanted to buy just the new keyboard to use on my Power Mac G5. The new iMacs were on display. I have to say, there is no problem with the so-called “glossy” display. It looks amazing. An Apple Store is a pretty brightly lighted place, and all I noticed was the ultra bright colors and sharp image quality.
Remember CRT’s. The best ones had flat screens and they were “glossy.” No one suggested that they be “glazed over” to reduce the reflections. The new iMac even has a glass “sheet” over the actual LCD, like those old CRT’s.
Turns out, the store did not yet have the stand-alone keyboard for sale. I bought a copy of iLife ’08 instead.
I own the new iMac. 20 inch 2.4GHz.
The glossy screen is great. Clarity is much better then my old one. No reflections of any kind. Of course I’m in my house and not an office or other brightly lit setting.
I tried some experiments putting a lamp behind me and I can see it, sort of like a mirror in the background. It is not going to be an issue for me though since there are no lights direcly behind me normally. This would not be an issue in my office either now that I think about it.
I’m happy with my glossy new iMac.
APPLE ARE YOU LISTENING???
http://www.macpolls.com/?poll_id=527
http://macslash.org/pollBooth.pl?section=&qid=192&aid=-1
i imagine if you set your imac up in a spot in the room where a light won’t shine onto it, you’d be okay. i mean, that is possible, right? reorganizing a room a little? maybe setting the imac at an angle of sorts? i’ve never had a big problem with glossy screens.
anyway, to touch on a more fun (and not whined about to death a million times before) part of the conversation thus far, i have a few computers still running OS 9 (for the sake of playing older games w/o issues) and plenty of compact macs running system 7. gawd, i even have an apple iigs (eh, well, four of them..!) running gs/os 6.0.1! what can i say, i love old computers. =) don’t get me wrong, though… that new imac looks fantastic and i’d love to get my broke-ass college student hands on one.
mw: use. i want a new imac – i could use a few loans!
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The matte era is over. Live with it and rest your eyes on the gorgeous glossy displays of today.
Thank you for those poll results..
These make the third Poll results i’ve read today where Matte finish has won by the large majority. The first was from ArsTechnica’s coverage of Lenovo’s online poll.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061018-8022.html
Hear that Apple? The majority of consumers prefer matte displays.
“…The matte era is over. Live with it and rest your eyes on the gorgeous glossy displays of today.”
Actually, it’s glossy that went out with CRTs in the nineties.
But I really don’t care if Apple wan’ts to use glossy as long as they give people who actually need to get work done the option to use the far superior and glare resistant matte option.
Your links are very disingenuous, you do not seem to understand the concept of “in front of” or “straight on”.
Those pictures are all at oblique angles and with a large window, possibly a very large shop window, opposite to the screen. While there is not any direct sunlight hitting the screen, as the window blind is pulled halfway down, a person can not expect a reasonable interaction with their computer screen if it is placed in such a position that invites reflections – try looking at your screen with the computer turned off to source any problem light. If you are unable to organise the ergonomics of your computing environments, this link might be of use to you.
office-ergo.com
A simple google search, with the criteria – glossy computer screens reflections will emanate a multitude of information regarding your problem.
Your line – “Apple knows there is absolutely NO WAY that a Pro photographer or other multi-media professional would ever consider a glossy display” – you are wrong, a glossy screen is most beneficial for a lot of photographers, Pro or not, myself included as a Pro photographer. are you in these lines of business, I get the feeling you are not.
However, I do agree with you that it would be nice if there was an option regarding the screen surface, but it is early days yet.
I have no idea how anyone can defend … Oops scrap that, I can not believe you quoted the frigtards at MacWorld,
Your predilection for snide and negative remarks about Apple on this site in the past, like the ones above, fall on deaf ears.
@SKY LARK
1. Of the three sites who have posted pictures of the new iMac (ArsTechnica, Appleinsider and MacWorld) all of them are at various angles and various degrees of window and overhead lighting.. EVERY SINGLE ONE SHOWS MAJOR GLARE.. Yes, I understand that while looking head on in a dark room one would not experience the glare, but in real world use, those are not very practical circumstances. The fact is that with a matte display, the glare is significantly minimized, regardless of viewing angle or lighting.
I’m not trying to tell anyone that they shouldn’t like glossy, I’m saying there needs to be a matte option for those who don’t.
2. Graphic and photo pros use matte displays, it’s a fact. I’m not even gonna try and argue with you otherwise.
3. “… I can not believe you quoted the frigtards at MacWorld,” – I have no idea what you’re talking about here.
4. “Your predilection for snide and negative remarks about Apple on this site in the past, like the ones above, fall on deaf ears.” – Again, I have no idea what you’re talking about with this comment, but I do know that you’re listening.
I wish someone would write on the wall to buy the stock, too. The message isn’t getting through to the investors.
Hmm.. The Apple is store is down 11:24pm PDT. Maybe they’re adding the matte display to the new iMac!
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@Realist – do try to keep up.
Point 1 – The room does not need to be as dark as you imply. The point source of light and any ambient light needs to be controlled.
As I said above – However, I do agree with you that it would be nice if there was an option regarding the screen surface, but it is early days yet.
Point 2 – Not fact at all, you are WRONG, I’ve got 30 years in the biz and I can tell you that glossy is just as viable to us “Pros” as matte, and I’ve worked all over the world – Light is my profession. Just so we can all know why this is such a problem for you – What is your occupation and how is it related to this issue? Why not ask pertinent questions, the community might be able to help out, I posted a link for you before.
Point 3 – … “I can not believe you quoted the frigtards at MacWorld”, – I have no idea what you’re talking about here.””
you posted earlier –
“…On another note, I was just reading that MacWorld has panned the glossy display calling them “highly reflective and annoying.” “
I’m just saying that MacWorld are a bunch of frigtards. Who in my honest opinion are generally negative, a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
As for Point 4 – This is not a grudge match, but I seem to remember your “handle’ as being some what negative in the past, Thus I repeat … Deaf ears.
I’m still using a G3 Beige running MacOS 9. It’s connected to my stereo. It even has an ethernet connection so I can (occasionally) check some info on the internet. But my main computer I use is an old G4 running Tiger which I will replace with a brand new iMac when Leopard comes out. (Well, actually, I will not replace it, I’ll continue using it as an auxiliary Mac).
I played with a new iMac in my neighborhood Apple Store today, and I really did not like the glossy screen. Huge areas of the screen were unreadable due to reflections of the overhead lights. By tilting the screen and rotating the computer, I was able to eventually get it at an angle where it was okay, but just okay.
My current matte-screened iMac is on my desk, next to a southern exposure window, and has the sun shining on its screen several hours a day, and is readable in any light. I don’t think the new iMac would work here.
I understand that some people prefer glossy, but I think matte should be an option.
There is one benefit in all this, and that is respect.
Previously, to describe yourself as a Mac user meant by definition you were on the defensive, and the Win-sheep were out to maul us whenever they could.
These days those sheep appreciate that they cannot, and never could, maul anyone.
@realist (page hits from the Mac community down at engadget are they?)
I am in business, I am a consumer, and I prefer the glossy screen on the iMac.
iMacs will sell like hotcakes.
You, representing the insignificant .1% minority, are making far too much fuss about this issue.
Seems to me this glossy versus matte argument was just like the one about powerpc versus intel.
‘how could Jobs have lost his mind switching to the enemy’ folk like realist trumpeted anywhere and everywhere.
Let’s see how this pans out. I think I know the answer.
“Personally, I’d rather not see the Mac’s market share get too big”
I wouldn’t. I’ve worked for large companies running all Macs and it was wonderful. I want the 1980s to return, but with MacOS X this time.
The deciding factor will not be Apple, but Microsoft. If they keep dropping the ball and people continue to lose confidence in them as an innovator, Apple will gain. If they remain ‘good enough’ Apple will struggle. I think this is why Apple is trying to bring innovation in hardware, OS, applications and interoperability that MS cannot match, so MS will never catch up. Same with Google. Once people lose faith in Office and Exchange, and Windows becomes just a web launcher, MS is in real trouble.
BTW iWork will never succeed until there is a Window version or reader. They should also enable a preference to ‘Always Save as Office format’ for the low-end office types.
Glossy or matte?
Nice to have the choice, though I prefer the glossy on my MacBook Pro.
Why are people here so dumb as to let that fucker “realist” derail every thread?
It’s probably “reality check”/Thurrott under another name.
Ignore the P.O.S. because he always pops up, tries to own the thread, and tries to distract from whatever the thread is supposed to be about.
“Apple users are currently selling their Macs to use the superior Windows Vista. Mac share has decreased almost a half percent since Vista’s arrival”
Apple had a temporary blip in sales up from upgraders, who kept both machines running for a while. Now they’re starting to turn the PPC ones off.
Apple installed base (PPC+Intel combined) has basically been flat since January 2007, and in the last couple of months has actually shown a decline.
“There will likely be what many of us call “the tipping point,” when Apple’s market share rapidly accelerates.”
There’s a tipping point approaching, but no sign that it’s going to be an increase in the OS X installed base. All the signs are that Apple’s had a temporary increase in sales because the faithful are moving across to the new Windows compatible Intel patform..
Which market share percentage are we talking about here: The hardware or software market? If it’s the hardware we’re talking about, then 12% or greater is very realistic and quite an achievement. I personally don’t care if Apple ever gains over 10% of software market share, since that will never really be possible unless either Apple sells a sh*tload of hardware (they should seriously count iPhone sales into their OSX numbers IMHO) or they licence OSX to third parties.
A little on the rosy side. lets just hope for a solid 10 percent marketshare by 2012.
Speaking of stocks, Thunk Different author was quoted in the Wall Street Journal today…
http://thunkdifferent.com/2007/08/09/im-quoted-about-a-blackberry-device-in-the-wall-street-journal/
“This is a discussion board. Never once have I lost my cool or called anyone names. There is no need to stoop to immaturity if you don’t like my or someone else’s opinions.”
no, you just post the exact same thing, over, and over, and over again, on every thread, in bold.
also, please note that my pointing out that we don’t work for apple and don’t care about your opinion (repeatedly) is not “lost cool, names, or immaturity.” they are facts. i am sorry if the real world intrudes on your realism….
i am just fine with your opinion. but once or twice is enough. if every topic has to be turned towards your personal pet peeve, then yes, THAT is immaturity.
please grow-up, or shut-up.
Yes, and once Apple becomes the largest PC manufacturer (at least in the US) by sales, everyone will switch from ragging on Apple because no one uses them, to ragging on Apple because they are being abusive and throwing their weight around and not opening up their platform to competitors, blah blah.
PS. I like the glossy screen on my MacBook
I do a lot of color correction in my line of work, so put me on the matte side. I don’t need any glare to ‘F’ things up.
I can do that on my own. : )
And no, for all of you that are going to jump on this point, I wouldn’t even consider doing the work I do on an iMac. I use a G5 but would love a MacPro.
I write in reference to external displays.
As opposed to internal displays?!?!? Did I really write that?
Dumbshit!!!!
Apple will not advance in market share for one major reason. As Realist has pointed out (over, and over, and over again) Apple blundered with the “glossy display”. Sales of the iMac will plummet, as even die-hard Mac fans will be unable to work on their new i-Macs due to glare. Why Steve Jobs and the entire Apple design group was unable to see this coming will remain a mystery for decades. In the coming years Realist posting here will be revered for their uncanny ability to point out Apple’s faults in marketing. All of us should take a moment now to realize we have witnessed history in the making…