The desktop form factor was one of the most popular types of
cases for the Macintosh, starting with the Macintosh II in 1987. Why has Apple abandoned
it?
Apple chose the tower for its G3 Yosemite and G4 Power Macintosh
computers because of expandability. A tower is more expandable,
true, but it does not save any space. Having a computer with a
monitor on top of it saves more space than a monitor with a tower
next to it. Yes, you can put a tower on the floor - and then you
can knock it over or kick it by accident.
A desktop case also has the advantage of raising the monitor up
to eye level. There are two Apple desktop cases that I really like.
These are the Centris 610 case,
for it's compact size and nice looks, and the Power Macintosh 7200 series case, for it's
easy accessibility and space inside.
If the two could be combined somehow, a 610-style case could be
made with the space of a 7200 series case inside. This would have
two 3.5" bays on each side! That means that you could have up to 3
hard drives or two hard drives and a Zip drive. This "new desktop"
would come with a 450 or 500 MHz
PowerPC 750CX (G3e) processor, 8 RAM slots (standard with 128 MB,
expandable to 512 MB), a 7 GB hard drive, and a slot loading CD-ROM
drive. The video card would be built in, 8 MB VRAM standard,
expandable to 16. The machine would come with an add-on adapter
that gives you two PCI slots, but it would be unable to hold 12"
cards. The picture shows something like what I am talking about. I
have coloured it blue because I am a bit partial to the colour used
on the "Yosemite" G3s, but Apple would probably offer this machine
in several colours.
You might be thinking, "Who would want a machine with such
little VRAM and such a slow processor?" The answer is all of the
home businesses, the students, the teachers, and the families that
don't need a high-end machine and don't want the "built in"
features of the iMac. How much is this going to cost? If an iMac
costs $799 for the bottom line model, the G3 desktop, with a faster
processor and more expandability should cost no more than $800
without a monitor (starting price). With a monitor? How about
offering a bundle with a 17" monitor starting at $1199? The cost is
more than the iMac DV, but much less than any of the G4 systems. I
am convinced this machine would sell. This machine would save a lot
of people from having to spend much more and buy G4s just because
they want a 17" monitor.
I have also noticed that Apple is giving out a $300 rebate if
you buy an Apple monitor with your G4
Cube purchase. My advice? Wait until Apple releases something
more like what I mentioned above. There is no way Apple can compete
with the Wintel world if they don't have a competitively priced,
low-end Power Mac.
We believe in the long term value of Apple hardware. You should be able to use your Apple gear as long as it helps you remain productive and meets your needs, upgrading only as necessary. We want to help maximize the life of your Apple gear.
We believe in the long term value of Apple hardware. You should be able to use your Apple gear as long as it helps you remain productive and meets your needs, upgrading only as necessary. We want to help maximize the life of your Apple gear.
We believe in the long term value of Apple hardware. You should be able to use your Apple gear as long as it helps you remain productive and meets your needs, upgrading only as necessary. We want to help maximize the life of your Apple gear.
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We believe in the long term value of Apple hardware. You should be able to use your Apple gear as long as it helps you remain productive and meets your needs, upgrading only as necessary. We want to help maximize the life of your Apple gear.
If the two could be combined somehow, a 610-style case could be
made with the space of a 7200 series case inside. This would have
two 3.5" bays on each side! That means that you could have up to 3
hard drives or two hard drives and a Zip drive. This "new desktop"
would come with a 450 or 500 MHz
PowerPC 750CX (G3e) processor, 8 RAM slots (standard with 128 MB,
expandable to 512 MB), a 7 GB hard drive, and a slot loading CD-ROM
drive. The video card would be built in, 8 MB VRAM standard,
expandable to 16. The machine would come with an add-on adapter
that gives you two PCI slots, but it would be unable to hold 12"
cards. The picture shows something like what I am talking about. I
have coloured it blue because I am a bit partial to the colour used
on the "Yosemite" G3s, but Apple would probably offer this machine
in several colours.
