1/14/2K: Apple is preparing to break the mold again, this time
working with a case manufacturer to repackage Power Macs for
the Wintel workplace.
After seeing the attention to detail in the MegaCase
G-Mac (see The Rumor Mill, 1/4/2000),
Apple approached MegaCase to create some "more beige" case
designs for the Sawtooth motherboard.
But that's not all - there's a third party to this agreement,
Orange Micro. Instead of relying
on software emulation and slow Windows performance, the new DOS
Compatible Power Macs will have an Orange Micro PC-on-a-PCI-card
installed, letting them run Windows applications at Pentium III
speeds.
This will, of course, provide Mac owners with the best of both
worlds: the power of the G4, the ease of use of the Mac OS, and
more stable Windows hardware than any Wintel cloner
makes.
The core concept behind the new machines: Apple's reentry into
the Wintel workplace by providing a Windows machine with no
compromise. It's a risky prospect, which is part of the
reason Apple is bringing in two partners.
The reason Apple refers to these as "stealth" Macs is quite
simple: the cases will look like
run-of-the-mill Wintel clone boxes. There will be no
colorful plastics - not even an Apple logo. To anyone
glancing at them, they won't seem any different from all the beige
boxes in the company.
But the user will know the difference.
Every stealth Mac will be built to order by MegaCase. Apple will
process orders via The Apple
Store. The computers will be available with or without an
OS on the PC side, giving users the choice among many flavors of
Windows, Linux, BeOS, and other operating systems available
on Intel-standard hardware.
The stealth Mac will probably be announced at Seybold
Boston (Feb. 7-11), along with some or all of the already
anticipated new models.
- Anne Onymus
