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The iMac Channel

iMacTV, Take 2

24 September 1998 - Dan Knight

Last week I suggested Apple produce a set-top version of the iMac with a DVD player, infrared keyboard, and the ability to display as clearly as a TV screen allows. (See I Want iMacTV.)

Earlier this week, Somnath Banerjee of State of the Macintosh wrote an article, cMac and Mac game credibility, proposing something similar but different: a consumer Mac geared toward the game player.

For the sake of simplicity (and consistency with my previous article), I'll call the new machine iMacTV.

Here are my design goals for iMacTV:

retail price $999 or less
output to Mac monitor, VGA monitor, digital TV, or analog TV
DVD player and decoder
infrared keyboard with trackpad and USB port for mouse
good 2D and 3D graphics engines
64 MB RAM - plus one empty socket
300 MHz G3 (should be entry level when iMacTV ships)
LocalTalk/PhoneNet port for inexpensive networking (speed is sufficient for multiplayer games, 4x faster than a 56k modem)
one IR game controller

You start with the iMac motherboard, boosting it to a 100 MHz bus, moving to a 300 MHz G3, and making 64 MB your standard configuration. By next summer, that will pretty much be a solid entry level computer system.

Users can attach it to their TV (regular or digital) or a monitor, either Mac or VGA. They can connect it to other iMacTVs in the home using phone wire - or to older Macs with PhoneNet adapters.

Instead of spending $400 on a decent DVD player, $300 on a powerful game machine, and $800 on an entry level computer, the iMacTV combines all these into a single package. It should include a coupon for a special price on Virtual PC, just in case they want to play DOS or Windows games.

The unit should look like consumer electronics, which means not beige or Bondi-and-ice. Black and brushed aluminum are the typical looks for VCRs, DVD players, and other serious audio and video hardware, so Apple should adopt that look for iMacTV.

If possible, Apple should leave the mezzanine slot open. With the upswing in digital video, adding a video input board (possibly including FireWire, S-video, and NTSC composite) could make the iMacTV an excellent video editing system - and a way to dub all your old analog tapes to digital or make them into QuickTime movies.

Of course, you'd still have the USB ports, an internal hard drive, and all the other great features that would make iMacTV not just a great consumer video device, but a real Macintosh, too.

Pismo WiFi Networking Issue Finally Solved?, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.24. It turns out the problems wasn't the Pismo, the Buffalo WiFi card, or Mac OS X 10.4. It was the Wireless G router - Linksys to the rescue!
Mini VGA to S-video Adapter a No Go for eMacs, Dan Bashur, Apple, Tech, and Gaming, 11.24. You might think that Apple's Mini VGA S-video adapter is a cheap way to connect your eMac or G4 iMac to your TV. You would be wrong.
Google Calendar with iPhone or iTouch Is Great for Scheduling, John Hatchett, Recycled Computing, 11.24. Web-based Google Calendar allows access and updates from any computing platform, including Mac, Windows, Linux, and iPhone OS.
Why Spaces is My Favorite Leopard (and Snow Leopard) Feature, Charles W. Moore, Miscellaneous Ramblings, 11.23. Spaces, a feature introduced with OS X 10.5, is like having several monitors on your Mac without the cost and space of using multiple displays.
i5 iMac Benchmarked, Mac mini 'Shouldn't Be Overlooked', Twitter Client for Classic Mac OS, and More, Mac News Review, 11.20. Also why Apple leaves the low end to others, 10.6.2 fixes video playback problem in 27" iMac, 3D Leopard and Snow Leopard performance, and more.
Apple's Tablet an End Run Beyond Netbooks, Frank Fox, Stop the Noiz, 11.20. Whatever Apple has planned will leverage existing technologies while going beyond what its competitors can offer.
Apple #4 in Reliability, Apple Tablet a Gadget for All?, HP's i7 Notebook Outdoes Mac Rivals, and More, The 'Book Review, 11.20. Also Flash 10.1 improves video on Hackintosh netbooks, thin-and-light notebooks impress, Windows XP finally on the way out, and more.
NASA Chemical Sensor for iPhone, Smartphone Death Match, iPhone Earrings, and More, Ian R Campbell, 11.20. Also mobile phone dangers, new apps, GPS solution for iPod touch, new iPod and iPhone cases, and more.
More links in our archive.

Recent Deals

Best G4 iMac Deals, 11.24. Used 15" 700 MHz CD-RW, $150; 800 MHz Combo, $229; 1 GHz, $289; 17" 1.25 GHz, $200; 20" 1.25 GHz, $509.
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Best 12" PowerBook G4 Deals, 11.23. Used 867 MHz SuperDrive, $348; 1 GHz Combo, $379; SD, $519; 1.33 GHz, $529; 1.5 GHz Combo, $549; SuperDrive, $609.
Best Mac Pro Deals, 11.23. Used 2.66 GHz 4-core, $1,300; 3.0 4-core. $1,919; refurb 2.66 4-core Nehalem, $2,149; 2.93, $2,549; 2.93 8-core, $4,999; new 2.26 8-core, $2,290.
Best Time Capsule and AirPort Deals, 11.23. Used 802.11g AirPort Extreme, $49; 500 GB Time Capsule, $150; new, $190; 1 TB dual-band, $280; 2 TB, $469; 802.11n AirPort Extreme, $170.
Best eMac Deals, 11.18. Used 1 GHz Combo, $100; SuperDrive, $269; 1.25 GHz Combo, $119; SD, $319; 1.42 GHz Combo, $289; SD, $498.
Best Mac OS X 10.6 and Mac Box Set Deals, 11.18. "Snow Leopard", single user, $25; 5 users, $45; Mac Box Set, single user, $139; 5 users, $180; Server, $414. Shipping included.
Best Xserve Deals, 11.18. Used 1 GHz dual G4, $649; 2.3 dual G5, $795; 3.0 4-core Xeon, $1,899; refurb 2.26 4-core, $2,499; new, $2,888; refurb 8-core, $2,999; new, $3,449; more.
More deals in our archive.

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