New iMacs likely 'within a few weeks' - analyst
updated 10:55 am EST, Mon February 2, 2009
Kaufman on new iMacs
Updated iMacs may well ship within a matter of weeks, says Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu. Wu points to reports that Apple is deliberately reducing current iMac shipments, which if true, is believed to be a sign that the company is clearing out inventory in advance of new models. New products are typically announced just weeks after old models are drawn down, the analyst comments, which would be consistent with recent checks pointing to iMac refreshes in the second or third quarters of the year.
Wu cites unidentified sources as saying Apple will use both dual- and quad-core processors, in contrast to rumors pointing to one or the other. Quad-core CPUs are expected to be used exclusively in high-end iMacs, while low- to mid-range systems may be equipped with varying dual-core speeds in a move to push people towards more expensive models.
A Mac Pro update is anticipated at an indeterminate point, and may similarly see systems split into eight- and 16-core models, the latter using two of Intel's forthcoming Nehalem CPUs.
Updates to both lines are thought to be crucial to boosting sagging desktop sales. iMacs are estimated to have formed 25 percent of Mac sales during the last quarter, and as much as 36 percent of sales during the computer's best moments, often after refreshes. Apple itself has meanwhile admitted that the Mac Pro is not selling well in a tough economy, but Wu suggests that it might recover with a better price-to-performance scale.
INDETERMINATE?!
02/02, 11:20am reply
"A Mac Pro update is anticipated at an indeterminate point"
Not good enough, Steve. Scrape together your t-cells and get cracking on some REAL desktops, not these consumer grade flatpanel toys. It's been too damn long.
Monstermind
Junior Member
Joined: May 2000
IN OTHER NEWS....
02/02, 11:54am (3 replies) reply
IN other news,
The Mac Mini yet again gets ignored, and is still being offered with outaded, antiquated hardware........ but with the same overly-expensive price!!
Horray!! NOT
EpicFAIL, Apple. EPICFail.
Guest
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 1999
Analysts..
02/02, 12:10pm (1 reply) reply
Why Macnn still gives these analyst cretins the time of day is anyones guess. They either predict the blindingly obvious, or just pull stuff out of their backsides and call it "news"
Grrr
Grizzled Veteran
Joined: Jun 2001
must be true!
02/02, 12:37pm reply
I've been reading this for months now. Sooner or later they're going to get it right!
Of course, Apple could possibly boost their sagging sales by targeting those people who don't want to spend $3000 for a tower, but also refuse to buy a desktop with a built-in monitor.
Of course, the last time Apple offered a 'mid-price' tower, they basically just took their low-end PMac G5, ripped out one processor and half the RAM, replaced the hard drive with a smaller one, had only PCI slots, not PCI-X, and put in a crappy video card, then mocked people by charging $1500 for it. Then they killed it, and probably use it as their 'proof' that there's no market for such a computer.
testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
My prediction.
02/02, 12:45pm reply
I predict that Apple will update the iPhone, iPod, Mac Mini, Apple TV, Mac Pro, Final Cut Studio, XServe....
ClevelandAdv
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jul 2004
Of course!
02/02, 01:51pm reply
I just unpacked and am setting up (3 minutes left) a new 24" iMac that my company bought for me. My first new Mac here at the office in 6 years. (It is replacing a 1 GHz G4 tower.)
dvaklyes
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jan 2004
within weeks?
02/02, 01:52pm reply
How is April "within weeks"? Or third quarter for that matter? Last time I looked it was the 2nd of February and granted "Feb" is a slightly shorter month but added to March it is at least eight weeks to April, significantly more than a few...unless you want to give me a "few" dollars, in which case I'll abide by your definition rather than mine!
Feathers
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 1999
Re: within weeks
02/02, 02:06pm reply
He's not saying third quarter or April, he's saying a few weeks.
The only place the third quarter comes in is with the statement "which would be consistent with recent checks pointing to iMac refreshes in the second or third quarters of the year."
which is being used to compare his report to, not as defining when he's saying the release would happen.
testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
Wow.
02/02, 02:49pm reply
Sales expanding and supply to retail is shrinking. And it takes an analyst to imagine there's a new product lurking? How much does this guy get paid to state the obvious?
jpellino
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Oct 1999
s**** the desktop
02/02, 03:15pm reply
I want a $500 netbook with Mac OS X on it.
Oh wait the $130 cost of the OS is bundled into the price of the hardware.
Make it a $630 MacBook Net.
ibugv4
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2003