Apple may be preparing to release a cheaper model of the iMac in 2014, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo states in a new research note. The analyst believes that sales of recent iMac models have failed to meet expectations and that Apple may look to introduce a lower-cost option in order to bolster sales in critical foreign markets.
Our surveys indicate that Apple’s last iMac model, released at end-2012 with an all-new-design, shipped fewer-than-expected units in the worldwide market. We think the price was set too high and the model failed to make an impact in critical foreign markets like China. We thus think Apple may offer a budget iMac model to push shipments among non-US markets in the face of solid competition from Levono (CN), HP (US) and other rivals.
We are optimistic that a budget iMac would boost overall iMac shipments to grow 10-20% YoY in 2014.
After a major redesign last year, the iMac was given a surprise refresh last month as Apple updated the line of desktops based on Intel's Haswell processors, faster PCI Express-based flash storage options, and new 802.11ac Wi-Fi capabilities. Currently, the entry-level iMac 21.5 inch iMac starts at $1,299, while the 27-inch iMac starts $1,799. Both models are $100 more expensive than the previous generation iMacs, which debuted in 2011.
Top Rated Comments
I can tell you as someone whom looked at buying three iMac's this year (21" for two of my kids and a 27" for myself), it was NOT just about the cost! It was about the repairability and design! My wife's 2010 iMac is a thing of beauty; both to look at and to repair/upgrade. I was able to relatively easily upgrade the machine, adding an SSD and more RAM, without paying the extortionate upgrade process for these items from Apple. One look at the glue-based mess that is the new iMac design was enough to turn me off. For goodness sake, the 21" iMac does not even have accessible RAM. Ive's my ass. Rubenstein would shake his head in disgust!
At the end of the day I chose to buy Mac mini's instead. I can only hope Apple rethinks the design of the iMac in the next release.
Then, someone will point out that it's just a thunderbolt hub.
And 500 guys will call him a Samsung troll... and praise this as the "headless Mac we've always wanted", the brilliance of Apple and on and on. We all know how it goes.
;)
Sorry mate, but you're dead wrong.
EVERY time I sell an iMac or go to sell an iMac, the comment is - "Oh, that DOESN'T come with a DVD drive??...that sucks".
The 'average buyer' thinks the exact opposite to what you're saying.
It's all well and good to try and explain the world is moving away from optical media. But the cruxt of it is -
a) In Australia, our internet isn't fast enough for proper downloadable digital delivery.
b) The exclusion of a SuperDrive is REALLY only a means to drive sales to the MAS. Thinner AIO desktop computers? Nobody cares.
c) People want a ****ing DVD player / writer.
Simple.