Comments on: Could a Jumbo MacBook Replace the iMac?

By: kyussmondo

kyussmondo — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 11:45:40 +0000

People seem to be forgetting that you can get an external monitor, keyboard and mouse. I currently have a MacBook and iMac. I use my iMac most of the time but I also use my MacBook frequently. Luckily, DropBox and MobileMe helps keep everything in sync although it would still be less hassle to have both and just have the one machine. The main thing putting me off is the price. The iMac is still cheaper but worth it. I would much prefer to have the one machine for on the go and then when I get to my desk just plug in the monitor, keyboard and mouse. A lot of displays act as a USB hub these days so you only usually have to plug in a couple of leads to the MacBook.

By: wallhack

wallhack — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:19:22 +0000

Could a Jumbo MacBook Replace the iMac? great article thank you.

By: theuncle

theuncle — Tue, 05 May 2009 22:56:18 +0000

Why?
Price point lower per feature set on bigger old-tech iMac stuff…
Added costs for miniaturization and assembly keep the folding computers more complicated…
Heat dissipation issues [vertical iMac is more (uh) convective?]…

But this may all change with solid state drives, billet frames as heat sinks, robotic assembly…

But I like the height of the 24 inch iMac screen — it has its own pedestal — and my neck doesn’t crane down.

My wife can sit on the carpet with her MacBook Pro on the coffee table and enjoy. But I prefer my feet flat on the floor for extended periods of work.

And if I need to get mobile, I can tote an iPod Touch easily in cargo pants, but not three or four pounds.

Agree with #7.

By: mike sanders

mike sanders — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 02:06:43 +0000

I cannot agree that the end of the desktop particularly the imac which is a singularly brilliant machine is in sight. Like many people I have both a macbook and an imac, the difference in the two is mainly physical in that a couple of hours spent on the macbook requires major attention to a serious neck and shoulder ache which I do not get with the imac 24.
Sales figures for both models are exceptional only for Apple would you write that desktop sales are only up 70% in the same period, just what does Apple have to do to please people? I am a shareholder and they are underwater at the moment but I am a believer and I am confident that with or without the Jobster they will come back.
I enjoy the blog thank you very much.

By: Charles Moore

Charles Moore — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:22:12 +0000

Thanks for the interesting commentary everyone.

Hello Steve; thing is,I already use an external keyboard and mouse with my workhorse laptop, and have been doing so for a decade, but the built-in input does come in hands when I go mobile. For instance today I plunked down in front of the TV with the laptop so I could watch the inaguration while not completely neglecting my work schedule.

Also,monitor spanning with a second, external monitor can be very convenient for folks who can make use of the extra real estate, although I usually just use mine on a laptop stand with the built-in screen.

Charles

Charkes

By: Joe

Joe — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 16:54:33 +0000

As a happy iMac and MacBook owner, I am also a gadget hound, so for fun I’ll add my two cents to all the speculation and skuttlebutt.

I think that while they won’t eliminate the iMac line completely (and I certainly hope they don’t, since not everyone wants solely a notebook; choice is good), I think there’s possibility here. Let’s assume they release an 18, 19, or 20 inch MacBook Pro, utilizing some of all of the features you describe in terms of power, portability, and docking potential. The addition of this unit could replace the 20 inch iMac, leaving Apple with only the 24 inch model for those who want a truer desktop experience with a larger screen and no need for portability.

They would then have room for an expansion of the iMac line upwards. They could then add a 30 inch model, possibly with built-in Apple TV capabilities in a sort of instant-on configuration. They could even add a similar feature to a more feature-rich 24 incher. This new iMac/ATV hybrid could be used as a TV replacement that also has a fully functioning computer built into it. And of course that’s only the beginning. There’s plenty of possibility for Apple engineers to integrate the two experiences more fully. Personally, I’d love to buy a 30-inch iTV with Front Row-like interface, the ability to watch and record TV, and also a fully functioning computer in my living room.

By: Nicholas Joerger

Nicholas Joerger — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 05:48:51 +0000

I’d love to have the system you described. I dont do much gaming but the extra power in photoshop would be amazing + the huge screen. WOAHHH ITS 10lbs wopedee do i need a machine with power and i dont care about weight. thats my .02

By: Steve Mills

Steve Mills — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 03:47:33 +0000

That’d be dumb. Most people who want a desktop Mac will want a desktop keyboard and mouse and a larger monitor, so the keyboard, trackpad, and monitor will go to waste. (Well, the monitor could be a 2nd monitor, although then the MacBook would have to take up large amounts of desk space.) No, dumb idea. Portables are portable and desktops are for desktops.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 22:08:10 +0000

This reminds me of the Dell XPS m2010… Terrible idea in my opinion.

http://reviews.cnet.com/laptops/dell-xps-m2010/4505-3121_7-31898796.html

By: Ian Lamont

Ian Lamont — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 21:43:12 +0000

Hello Charles, Thanks for responding to my article. Would it be possible to link to the original version in your article here and on Salon, where it has been republished? Thanks Ian Lamont Managing Editor The Industry Standard