FYI:
The design was a mock up that I have been playing around with for some time due to the current configurations offered by Apple not suiting my needs. I designed the system with four things in mind.
1) Inexpensive (as to attract people from the Wintel world)
2) Clean, stylish and very iPod like. (Again, trying to get Windows users)
3) Not handicapped by a "hard coded" monitor (Get a $50 CRT if you want, or get a 23" LCD... or even use your current CRT/LCD) I LOVE the current apple configurations, but MANY consumers "think" they can ALWAYS get a better deal from a 3rd party... so why shouldn't we let them?
4) Designed for general usage (just like the eMac and iMac) with easily accessible ports in the front.
My situation:
My girlfriend uses my computer to do her schoolwork. I'd just buy her one of these to use with the many CRTs that we have around the house.
My brothers and sisters aren't very computer literate, and I would love to buy them a computer, but $999 isn't an option when you don't have the budget for such a machine. They all have older CRT monitors... so if we could get it under the $650 range, I could even buy one for them or pay 1/2 or something
I run a small server from home (via cable modem) I probably only get 10 hits a day, but I would rather have my home computer and my server on two different systems. The server doesn't need to be a monster, but paying $799 for an eMac isn't an option considering I wouldn't want the extra monitor sitting around and to be honest, I don't want to pay for a monitor that I wouldn't use.
To answer a few questions:
BasketofPuppies It would have an ADC and DVI port
Superchic[k]en I would stick with something Mac... I would avoid the term "cube" as not to kill this thing before it was finalized.
DeathMan Thanks about the complements on the mock up... It's a Photoshop job on an eMac.
Developer Regarding the vertical drive, I was thinking more of a laptop kind of drive. (it isn't standard, but you know what I'm talking about)
DaedalusDX The system would be identical to the eMac lineup. (including the 2 Firewire and 5 USB.
Nebrie I like the eMac ES... (or even SE [streamlined edition]) idea...
Zmai some people would just toss it under their desk... others will have it next to their 6 year old Dell monitor... others will use their ugly CRT that came with their Apple LCII until they can save up for a nice Apple LCD... and others will hack their systems and put them into their cars :-)
Superchic[k]en Actually, I would want it to be able to do iMovie and iDVD... naturally it's not going to replace the G4 towers and soon to be released G5. There is a growing population that wants to do video editing... EVERYONE knows about iMovie... even people that don't know about Apple (strange, but I know because I part time at Best Buy... [don't get me started :-P ]
RAzaRazor I never said this would be the exact way Apple would do it or that the discussion was limited to my OK-ish looking mockup... I just wondered if others out there were lusting over a nonexistent (Non G5) system. I would be nervous about the whole cube thing... but there has to be something to motivate the tech nerds out there to pick one of these things up along with some of the consumers that are on the fence regarding the Macintosh platform.
The interior should essentially be an eMac, with a vertical drive unit.
No Firewire 800 (until the eMac and iMac receive it)
No USB2 (until the eMac and iMac receive it)
No 1000TASE-T (until the eMac and iMac receive it)
The top of this unit would have a single sunken handle for portability.
It should weigh just under 20 pounds (considering the eMac weighs 50 pounds)
The design was a mock up that I have been playing around with for some time due to the current configurations offered by Apple not suiting my needs. I designed the system with four things in mind.
1) Inexpensive (as to attract people from the Wintel world)
2) Clean, stylish and very iPod like. (Again, trying to get Windows users)
3) Not handicapped by a "hard coded" monitor (Get a $50 CRT if you want, or get a 23" LCD... or even use your current CRT/LCD) I LOVE the current apple configurations, but MANY consumers "think" they can ALWAYS get a better deal from a 3rd party... so why shouldn't we let them?
4) Designed for general usage (just like the eMac and iMac) with easily accessible ports in the front.
My situation:
My girlfriend uses my computer to do her schoolwork. I'd just buy her one of these to use with the many CRTs that we have around the house.
My brothers and sisters aren't very computer literate, and I would love to buy them a computer, but $999 isn't an option when you don't have the budget for such a machine. They all have older CRT monitors... so if we could get it under the $650 range, I could even buy one for them or pay 1/2 or something
I run a small server from home (via cable modem) I probably only get 10 hits a day, but I would rather have my home computer and my server on two different systems. The server doesn't need to be a monster, but paying $799 for an eMac isn't an option considering I wouldn't want the extra monitor sitting around and to be honest, I don't want to pay for a monitor that I wouldn't use.
To answer a few questions:
BasketofPuppies It would have an ADC and DVI port
Superchic[k]en I would stick with something Mac... I would avoid the term "cube" as not to kill this thing before it was finalized.
DeathMan Thanks about the complements on the mock up... It's a Photoshop job on an eMac.
Developer Regarding the vertical drive, I was thinking more of a laptop kind of drive. (it isn't standard, but you know what I'm talking about)
DaedalusDX The system would be identical to the eMac lineup. (including the 2 Firewire and 5 USB.
Nebrie I like the eMac ES... (or even SE [streamlined edition]) idea...
Zmai some people would just toss it under their desk... others will have it next to their 6 year old Dell monitor... others will use their ugly CRT that came with their Apple LCII until they can save up for a nice Apple LCD... and others will hack their systems and put them into their cars :-)
Superchic[k]en Actually, I would want it to be able to do iMovie and iDVD... naturally it's not going to replace the G4 towers and soon to be released G5. There is a growing population that wants to do video editing... EVERYONE knows about iMovie... even people that don't know about Apple (strange, but I know because I part time at Best Buy... [don't get me started :-P ]
RAzaRazor I never said this would be the exact way Apple would do it or that the discussion was limited to my OK-ish looking mockup... I just wondered if others out there were lusting over a nonexistent (Non G5) system. I would be nervous about the whole cube thing... but there has to be something to motivate the tech nerds out there to pick one of these things up along with some of the consumers that are on the fence regarding the Macintosh platform.
The interior should essentially be an eMac, with a vertical drive unit.
No Firewire 800 (until the eMac and iMac receive it)
No USB2 (until the eMac and iMac receive it)
No 1000TASE-T (until the eMac and iMac receive it)
The top of this unit would have a single sunken handle for portability.
It should weigh just under 20 pounds (considering the eMac weighs 50 pounds)