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Apple's 17-inch iMac at $899 is Already Here

By - Source: Tom's Hardware US | B 22 comments

It seems Apple has accidentally leaked “details” about a 17-inch iMac, or has it?

For a company so careful with announcements and launches, Apple sure did mess this one up. The company always tries to play its hand as close to the chest as possible, which is why we hardly dare to believe this little link on Apple’s Education website.

The Cupertino company updated its iMac line a few weeks back and announced more details than you’d care to shake a stick at about both the 20-inch and 24-inch models. As with every Mac update, consumers clung to the hope that the company would launch something a little more affordable in light of the current economic climate. While the company boasted the affordability of the 20-inch iMac (starting at $1,199) we were a little disappointed that there was no 17-inch model for those an even smaller budget. Same slick look for much cheaper -- surely it would be a big seller?

The March edition of Apple’s eNews on the Education pages lists the usual details about the update to the iMac line. New 20-inch and 24-inch deliver a 30 percent larger display, twice the memory and twice the storage. However, what was unusual was the last line under “The New iMac Line” header.

“The iMac line also includes a 17-inch model starting at $899.”

Could this point to an unannounced Apple product? Sadly, no. While not offered at retail, Apple still makes a 17-inch polycarbonate iMac for K12 and Higher Education priced at exactly $899. Some of us may have gotten excited over nothing.

Anyone here interested in the idea of a new 17-inch iMac? Let us know!

Kudos to SetteB.it, the Italian site that noticed the "leak," and good work to TechTree for finding the real 17-inch iMac.

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  • 4 Hide
    Tindytim , March 23, 2009 5:48 PM
    Quote:
    Anyone here interested in the idea of a new 17-inch iMac? Let us know!

    Unless it comes with a Core i7 and at least a GTX 260, no.
  • 2 Hide
    Tedders , March 23, 2009 5:57 PM
    I think any product to expand their line and reduce the price to consumers is a good thing. Whats wrong with options?
  • 1 Hide
    decoppel , March 23, 2009 6:12 PM
    Only if it has real value.
  • Display all 22 comments.
  • 1 Hide
    jsloan , March 23, 2009 6:19 PM
    they have to lower their prices, at some point it will hurt their sales. oh, wait, that's already been the case, maybe it explains why they are only 10% of the pcs sold... and for those who think that an apple is not a pc, personal computer, what's the difference, the os, since the rest is basically the same...
  • 1 Hide
    Tedders , March 23, 2009 6:37 PM
    Yes, this whole PC vs. Mac thing has to stop. THEY ARE BOTH PERSONAL COMPUTERS. The argument will always be there between Windows computers (Dell, Acer, HP, etc) vs Apple. But they are all personal computers!
  • 4 Hide
    Roffey123 , March 23, 2009 6:52 PM
    ...no one's mentioned PC vs Mac except you guys... *quizzical face*

    If the CPU is any good (a decent Wolfdale CPU would be nice) and the RAM amount is reasonable, then I'd consider it as a everyday machine...as long as it doesn't go all Steve Jobs on me and offer me things I don't need.
  • 0 Hide
    Tedders , March 23, 2009 6:55 PM
    Roffey123...no one's mentioned PC vs Mac except you guys... *quizzical face*If the CPU is any good (a decent Wolfdale CPU would be nice) and the RAM amount is reasonable, then I'd consider it as a everyday machine...as long as it doesn't go all Steve Jobs on me and offer me things I don't need.

    We were just making a general comment. Yes it is off topic a little, but it does need to stop ;) 
  • 0 Hide
    SneakySnake , March 23, 2009 7:04 PM
    Well it'll probably have the 9400 like the other low end iMacs, If they included the GT 130 (9600 GT) it might be an option
  • 0 Hide
    captaincharisma , March 23, 2009 7:18 PM
    After Apple started using Intel chips i never had a reason besides looks to get an apple computer. Especially sense buying an apple these days means you buy a computer with a special OS that looks good and upgrading it is very limited for say $100-200 more than if you were to buy a PC with windows on it that would have the same or better hardware in it

  • 0 Hide
    lire210 , March 23, 2009 7:38 PM
    That makes me happy. I wouldn't ever buy a mac but at least people that do won't have to pay a arm leg and half of their head for bad hardware and good os.
  • 6 Hide
    tenor77 , March 23, 2009 7:57 PM
    lire210That makes me happy. I wouldn't ever buy a mac but at least people that do won't have to pay a arm leg and half of their head for bad hardware and good os.


    I wouldn't call their hardware bad, just overpriced, and sometimes I scratch my head at the configs they use.
  • 0 Hide
    fuser , March 23, 2009 8:18 PM
    Am I interested in a desktop computer with a 17" screen? For $900? Um, no.
  • 0 Hide
    Tindytim , March 23, 2009 8:21 PM
    TeddersYes, this whole PC vs. Mac thing has to stop. THEY ARE BOTH PERSONAL COMPUTERS. The argument will always be there between Windows computers (Dell, Acer, HP, etc) vs Apple. But they are all personal computers!

    Actually, there is even more irony in calling computers running Windows "PCs". Because there are more "PCs" being used for business than there are Macs being used for anything.

    TeddersWe were just making a general comment. Yes it is off topic a little, but it does need to stop

    The original comment that sparked it was on topic, but I suppose that's how things get off topic.
  • 0 Hide
    kingssman , March 23, 2009 9:02 PM
    For its form factor, it's a nice computer but the HP touchsmart is a direction that i'm leaning towards.
  • 3 Hide
    doomsdaydave11 , March 23, 2009 9:21 PM
    TindytimUnless it comes with a Core i7 and at least a GTX 260, no.

    Hmm, where do I start?

    This is a BUDGET iMac. High end hardware has no place in a budget unit.
    17 INCH SCREEN. Why would you need an i7 and GTX260 with that size of screen?
    MINIMAL GAMING. Everyone knows there are barely any games for Macintosh, let alone demanding ones.
    LAPTOP HARDWARE. The iMac uses laptop hardware. No way to get an i7 and GTX in there..
    HEAT. Can you imagine the heat problems a GTX260 and i7 crammed into that space would cause?

    sigh.
  • 0 Hide
    kingssman , March 23, 2009 9:57 PM
    A mac would be great if they made a form factor I can upgrade and expand including graphics without spending $2000 on a liquid cooled xenon BTX dual gigabit tower
  • -2 Hide
    Tindytim , March 23, 2009 10:21 PM
    doomsdaydave11Hmm, where do I start?This is a BUDGET iMac. High end hardware has no place in a budget unit.

    The question posed didn't mention anything about it being budget. And even if it did, the GTX 260 and i7 920 would be budget conscious choices for something on the higher end.

    doomsdaydave1117 INCH SCREEN. Why would you need an i7 and GTX260 with that size of screen?

    Working with 720p content creation? That setup could max out all the settings of just about any modern game at 1440x900

    doomsdaydave11MINIMAL GAMING. Everyone knows there are barely any games for Macintosh, let alone demanding ones.

    Who says I have to use OSX?


    doomsdaydave11LAPTOP HARDWARE. The iMac uses laptop hardware. No way to get an i7 and GTX in there..

    Doesn't have to be one of those crappy all in one units.

    doomsdaydave11HEAT. Can you imagine the heat problems a GTX260 and i7 crammed into that space would cause?

    Is that a joke?

    doomsdaydave11sigh.

    You took me a bit to seriously. It was my way of saying "Not with the crappy hardware they attempt to stuff onto the back of a monitor". I don't care about the logistics of it, because it's never going to happen.
  • 1 Hide
    Shnur , March 23, 2009 10:35 PM
    KingssmanA mac would be great if they made a form factor I can upgrade and expand including graphics without spending $2000 on a liquid cooled xenon BTX dual gigabit tower


    Well, read the post just on top of yours, Apple is using laptop hardware in their desktop lines, the only part that isn't laptop form factor is the hard drive. So if you compare Mac desktops to PC desktops you will of course say it is overpriced. But if you compare the PC laptops with Mac Desktops (and do not take in account portability and hard drive space) you can compare them very well.
  • 2 Hide
    kingssman , March 23, 2009 11:51 PM
    the imac format has always irked me, until I really got looking at. sold off my old massive computer desk last year when my desktop MB died (6 years old never bothered replacing) and went full laptop. I still have the 20" flat panel, didn't use it much since my 17" laptop worked just fine. I saw a real cheap, real small desk at the salvation army, not quite a computer desk but just big enough to fit my laptop and monitor on the side with perhaps a wireless keyboard and mouse.

    I then got thinking. Since this desk is not designed to hold a tower, nor do i want to fuss with one, the iMac would fit great on this desk due to it's small footprint. The idea of having a desktop to serve as a base station to offload all my stuff always appealed but i hated the specs on the mini which to me would be no more than a NAS.

    The imac had just a small enough umpf to make it a viable and working desktop that took up a small space as a laptop.

    ugg but i still want something for gaming
  • 2 Hide
    Herbert_HA , March 24, 2009 12:28 AM
    jsloanthey have to lower their prices, at some point it will hurt their sales. oh, wait, that's already been the case, maybe it explains why they are only 10% of the pcs sold... and for those who think that an apple is not a pc, personal computer, what's the difference, the os, since the rest is basically the same...

    No it doesn't hurt their sales. They just have a different business model than other PC builders. They are not interested in selling many units with low margins to make a profit, instead they want to sell fewer units with bigger margins to make the same profit and in that strategy they are VERY successful.
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