Mac Blu-ray Player

[Sylin]

Originally Posted by WickyWoo

iMacs are Apple's cheap computers. They're supposed to be for the lower end, and not the power users who would be doing things with HD.

The cheapest BR burner out there right now is running +/- $450 at OEM prices, which means that Apple will charge at least $500. If it's an external drive, as it likely has to be in an iMac, make that $6-700.

Nothing personal, I'm going to assume you have been given some incorrect information. iMac is Apple's flagship computer--and their best selling desktop. The Mac Mini, as I've already stated, is Apple's budget PC at $500-$700. iMacs run anywhere from $1100 to $2000 and up, depending on the configuration, because they are customizable. Hell, you can configure an iMac up to around $5000. Not exactly "low end", is it?

If you walk into an Apple Store you will see they are running all of their Quicktime HD demos on stock iMac models. Simply put, Macs are MADE for multimedia, and as others have pointed out, even a Mac Mini can handle audio and video better than some of the best Windoze machines.

Granted, Apple does have the Mac Pro, but that's exactly what it sounds like: a professional machine, or pro-sumer at the very least. They START at $2500 for a basic machine with no monitor, and can be configured to over $13,000... WITHOUT a monitor.

Your cost comparisons on Blu-ray drives are valid, but you're also going off of consumer pricing, not manufacturer cost. Apple will tell you their logic boards cost $950, but they're buying them from their CEM for $185. There's no reason why a Blu-ray burner could not be added as an internal upgrade option for an iMac, although I have no doubt Apple would charge dearly for it, because they can.

[WickyWoo]

iMacs, any way you slice them, are some of THE best personal computers on the planet, and even the baby iMac can run circles around any Winblows-based PC out there.

I'll take you up on that. Unfortunately their piss-poor, crippled, shared memory graphics cards with terrible drivers would be brought to their knees rather quickly by most PC games out in the last year.

Nothing personal, I'm going to assume you have been given some incorrect information. iMac is Apple's flagship computer--and their best selling desktop. The Mac Mini, as I've already stated, is Apple's budget PC at $500-$700. iMacs run anywhere from $1100 to $2000 and up, depending on the configuration, because they are customizable. Hell, you can configure an iMac up to around $5000. Not exactly "low end", is it?

The point is that it's not their professional models, and no iMac is designed for serious hardcore use.

Simply put, Macs are MADE for multimedia, and as others have pointed out, even a Mac Mini can handle audio and video better than some of the best Windoze machines.

I really think you need to start using PCs more. If you're comparing to an eMachines or Gateway, then maybe, but any computer that someone doing more than email and Word is going to want would run circles around a Mini. The mini is not designed to be a powerhouse, it's designed to be a little machine you plug into a TV to playback media and such.

[EricJ]

Originally Posted by Aaron

iMacs are low-end? How is that? Mine seems to be a damn fine machine. They support HD, the 24 inch version has a 1080p screen, and the resolution on my 17" is 1440x900, making it HD.

They're "Low-end" by Apple standards.
(At least, compared to the tower-only Mac Pro's, with Hi-Def widescreen monitor display sold separately.)

Think we'll see the first Apple Blu-Ray drive in the tower-only machines, for the high-end "professional" user who doesn't mind paying $2800.
And then, once they get the assemblies in place, we'll probably see Steve's successful habit of creating "Instant industry acceptance" by Making It All Standard in the iMacs.

[Gremal]

My neighbor works as an engineer at Apple headquarters and was previously working on the latest iMac. He was recently pulled off to work on a second-generation iPhone. I've been thinking of getting a Mac for a long time but he told me to hold off. He said I would be "very pleased" with what Apple has planned for the new iMacs but wouldn't give me any specifics.

[Aaron]

Originally Posted by Gremal

My neighbor works as an engineer at Apple headquarters and was previously working on the latest iMac. He was recently pulled off to work on a second-generation iPhone. I've been thinking of getting a Mac for a long time but he told me to hold off. He said I would be "very pleased" with what Apple has planned for the new iMacs but wouldn't give me any specifics.

Really? Any idea when it will be announced?

[rcg]

Apple has scheduled a press conference for August 7. Rumor has it that the main purpose is to announce new iMacs.

[IamNhobdy]

http://www.mcetech.com/blu-ray/

[sakbarzad]

Originally Posted by EricJ

We know St. Steve WANTS Blu-ray (especially in Disney form), since it's derived from QuickTime-compatible H.264, not Windows Media--
Up till now, though, he's been forced to sit on the fence because Apple hi-def editing software is the most popular one used by studios, and he doesn't want to lose Universal as a customer by turning his own company Blu.

Was a rumor last year that the next Apple hi-def drive would be dual-format, but, ermm...don't think that particular worry's going to last much longer.

and not to mention he also has a sony bdps1

[jhansla]

Once Leopard is released, then we will see blu ray players/burners for mac!

[Jodi]

Steve Jobs has a Sony BDP-S1. God, you gotta love this guy!

Jodi

[Jodi]

Originally Posted by rcg

Apple has scheduled a press conference for August 7. Rumor has it that the main purpose is to announce new iMacs.

OOOOOOHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Can't wait for the big announcement!

Jodi

[CptGreedle]

AHHH! I can hardly wait till they announce it! I don't want to wait till tomorrow! i wanna know NOW!
Got to love Jobs for getting people so excited about his products.
Much more exciting than the Microsoft ones.

[CptGreedle]

Originally Posted by IamNhobdy

http://www.mcetech.com/blu-ray/

I think I am going to squeal like a school girl at a Beetles concert.

[Sylin]

Originally Posted by CptGreedle

I think I am going to squeal like a school girl at a Beetles concert.

Don't get too excited. It's 3rd-party, not Apple. But I find it VERY curious that they term it a "Blu-ray Superdrive", since "Superdrive" is trademarked Apple tech. Maybe MCE knows something we don't?

[CAB]

Nonetheless, I sported wood.

-CB

[Sylin]

ThinkSecret just updated some rumors for tomorrow's Apple event.

http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0707imacpricing.html

Apparently the new price-points will be $1199, $1499 and $1799. While they are saying this seems to indicate the 17" model is nixed from the lineup, I'm not so sure. It could just be a more enhanced 17" at the $1199 price.

I'm pleased to see the 24" is now $1799 instead of the previous $1999 price. I'm looking to buy 3 for home use and wanted to be able to get them with memory upgrades (and hopefully a Blu-ray Superdrive! ) for less than $2500 each.

[Jodi]

Just wanted to let everyone know that today's (7 August 2007) announcement about the iMacs should be made around 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time (1:00 p.m. Eastern Time).

Jodi

[Need0fMany]

I hope the new Macs have an option for built-in Blu-ray drives. I am at a crossroad where I have to decide either to change my PCs for Vista or go with Macs. I have been postponing as long as possible just to give Apple time to put Blu-ray drives in. If today those drives are not announced, I might have to go Vista but I would rather not. I know it is possible to retro-fit with 3rd party Blu-ray drives but it's just never as well integrated when it is an add-on.

[jedivball]

Originally Posted by Need0fMany

I hope the new Macs have an option for built-in Blu-ray drives. I am at a crossroad where I have to decide either to change my PCs for Vista or go with Macs. I have been postponing as long as possible just to give Apple time to put Blu-ray drives in. If today those drives are not announced, I might have to go Vista but I would rather not. I know it is possible to retro-fit with 3rd party Blu-ray drives but it's just never as well integrated when it is an add-on.

As much as I would like to see a Blu-ray superdrive I'm not counting on it until Oct. when 10.5 is released.

[CptGreedle]

Wait till october at the least.
That is when the new OS is due to come out for Mac. Some of the features there just blow Vista out of the water (assuming they all work and are still included).
Honestly, every time I look at Vista, I see a cheap knock-off (cheap but expensive) of the Mac OS 10.4! Seriously! Everything M$ does is a copy or rip-off of something else. The Zune. Vista. Windows in general was a copy of Macintosh's GUI system.

Still, not to keep bashing M$, I would wait to see what Apple is going to be putting on the plate before you buy a new computer. I already know that Apple's Final Cut program supports BOTH Blu-ray authoring and HD-DVD as well.