The iMac Cyclops

>Heck, I don't think I've ever used the modem on my last *two* laptops!

I just got back from two weeks vacation in the Adirondacks (upstate
New York). No cell coverage and no broadband, so the modem was my
lifeline. Stopped at my mother's on the way home. Like many
mothers, she doesn't have broadband, or for that matter a computer,
so again the modem came to the rescue.

I would be VERY upset if modems were removed from laptops, although
for the iMac and any other machine that's stationary, it sounds like
a good idea.

H.

On 13/10/05 23:46, "Mike Millard" <mmillardcapcollege.bc.ca> wrote:

> Interesting note - the new iMac lacks a modem, although a USB modem is an
> option.

Yes, I noticed that as well.

Given that I read recently that 40% of UK homes have broadband connections
(and 60% of computer owners), this is an inevitable move. I don't know what
the take-up of broadband is in the USA, I doubt that it is significantly
different. Add to those home users, the fact that probably 95%+ of business
users have no need for a modem, I'm surprised that nobody has made this move
first. However, Apple were first to remove the floppy drive, serial ports
and other outdated features.

Whilst it is true that many countries do not approach the take-up of
broadband that we enjoy in the UK, US & most of Europe, I am surprised that
it is not possible to buy a new iMac without the built in iSight - they are
obviously so cheap to build in that it is not worth Apple's while to keep a
second product line going.
 
--
Barry

On Oct 13, 2005, at 11:09 PM, Andrew Laurence wrote:

>> [OK, I heard it here first... Interesting note - the new iMac lacks
>> a modem, although a USB modem is an option. -Adam]
>>
>
> Given this development, I imagine we'll see the absence of a modem
> spread across the desktop line as they each move through their next
> refresh cycles.
>
> Heck, I don't think I've ever used the modem on my last *two* laptops!
>

I have used the modem in my Mini, for testing. I wanted to be sure I
could use it if DSL went away for a while, with POTS service still up.

And I used the modem in the G4 during cable outages when I was on
cable (including connection sharing).

When a modemless Mac arrives here--no purchases are currently
planned--I'll likely have to include the USB modem.

But someday I'll retire, and I won't need DSL-outage alternatives.

   --John

On 10/13/05 6:46 PM, "Mike Millard" <mmillardcapcollege.bc.ca> wrote:

> [New iMac announced October 12th has an iSight camera in the top of
> its display...]
>
> Ladeez an' Gennelmen, the iMac Cyclops!!!

Every iMac is a cyclops, they all have only one "i."

My apologies if the groan caused by such a terrible joke causes bodily harm.

On Fri, 14 Oct 2005, Barry Wainwright wrote:

> different. Add to those home users, the fact that probably 95%+ of business
> users have no need for a modem, I'm surprised that nobody has made this move
> first. However, Apple were first to remove the floppy drive, serial ports
> and other outdated features.

A lot of businesses still require the facility to communicate by fax. I
regularly have to send faxes to place orders etc (why companies think it
is more secure to accept orders by fax than by email is beyond me).

It is useful to have the ability to send faxes direct from the desktop
without having to print and trek to the fax machine. I would be annoyed if
my desk had to be cluttered with an external modem just so I could do
this.

--
Alistair Riddell - BOFH
Microsoft - because god hates us

On 14/10/2005, at 7:09 PM, Andrew Laurence wrote: >> [OK, I heard it here first... Interesting note - the new iMac lacks >> a modem, although a USB modem is an option. -Adam] > > Given this development, I imagine we'll see the absence of a modem > spread across the desktop line as they each move through their next > refresh cycles.

Living in a small town with no reasonable broadband access (I don't consider satellite reasonable), I depend on modems. But my experience is that the built-in modems have tended to be of inferior quality. I for one hope that this move will bring a resurgence of quality external modems in the Mac community. One can always hope, anyway.

---Tim Archer

[OK, that's enough the on the utility of analog modems. -Andrew]

>>>[OK, I heard it here first... Interesting note - the new iMac lacks
>>>a modem, although a USB modem is an option. -Adam]

Well, I have a Treo 650 cell phone, and I can use the Bluetooth modem capability built into it and every Bluetooth-equipped Mac to be on the internet anywhere that has digital cell phone service. For true geekiness, there is nothing like being in taxi cab coming from an airport sending email and IM to give that feeling of 24/7 connectedness. Several of my friends have seen me sitting at an airport without wireless, happily online, and have bought their own Bluetooth phones and cellphone plans.

As an added bonus, the Bluetooth connections feel much snappier than POTS, but not at all like broadband.

Warren

> A lot of businesses still require the facility to communicate by fax. I
> regularly have to send faxes to place orders etc (why companies think it
> is more secure to accept orders by fax than by email is beyond me).
>
> It is useful to have the ability to send faxes direct from the desktop
> without having to print and trek to the fax machine. I would be
> annoyed if my desk had to be cluttered with an external modem just so
> I could do this.

I've found efax extremely useful for that very reason, especially
when you're dealing with sensitive material you don't want left left
to the fax machine.

http://www.efax.com/

Paul

Alistair Riddell wrote:

>It is useful to have the ability to send faxes direct from the desktop
>without having to print and trek to the fax machine. I would be annoyed if
>my desk had to be cluttered with an external modem just so I could do
>this.

to be fair, the new Apple external modem is little more than a USB
dongle. I doubt that it would clutter anyone's desk...

-jason
--
Jason Snell / Editorial Director, Mac Publishing / jsnellmacworld.com
415-243-3565 / AIM: MW jsnell / www.macworld.com / www.playlistmag.com

A lot of businesses still require the facility to communicate by fax. I regularly have to send faxes to place orders etc (why companies think it is more secure to accept orders by fax than by email is beyond me).

By law in the USA e-mail has no expectation of privacy. In other words unlike snail mail or a phone message (fax) there is no legal expectation that your communication is private and therefore anything you say is public info. That is why for instance all medical communication is by fax or post and never e-mail.

TC Carr:}

At 09:42 AM 10/18/2005 -0700, Paul Guinnessy wrote:
>I've found efax extremely useful for that very reason, especially
>when you're dealing with sensitive material you don't want left left
>to the fax machine.

Before we go off in this direction again (interesting though it is to some
of us), let me point out the recent TidBITS article and TidBITS-Talk
discussion thread on this topic:

http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tbart=08049
http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tlkthrd=2545

Edward
Art Works by Melynda Reid: http://paleo.org

Jason Snell wrote:

to be fair, the new Apple external modem is little more than a USB dongle. I doubt that it would clutter anyone's desk...

I agree completely. I think Apple's move is a great one, and this is a fine design trade-off. Keep the size and cost of a machine like the iMac down by trimming less-used features. Makes "room" in both the size and cost "budget" for new up-and-coming features. And the modem-as-USB-dongle is a pretty painless way to keep that feature available to those who must have it.

Likewise, the addition of a built-in webcam is a brilliant way to coax more folks to take advantage of the capabilities Apple has given us in iChat. If a clever designer said to the team's cost engineer, "You know, we could include an iSight without raising our unit cost if you'll just let us jettison the modem" I'd clap him on the back, wouldn't you?

Jim Kane

One other thing removed from the redesigned iMac is the removal of
the VESA mounting option. Considering the foray into a media center
with FrontRow, the lack of any mounting options is disappointing.
Apple has stated it's an opportunity for third party developers, but
nothing is out there yet.

It will be interesting to see once it arrives what I can rig up to
attach it.

Steve Cochran

On 11/3/05 9:58 AM, "Stephen A. Cochran Lists"
<stephen.a.cochran.listscahir.net> wrote:

>
> One other thing removed from the redesigned iMac is the removal of
> the VESA mounting option. Considering the foray into a media center
> with FrontRow, the lack of any mounting options is disappointing.
> Apple has stated it's an opportunity for third party developers, but
> nothing is out there yet.

Thanks for pointing this out. It is another disappointment in the new model,
and imho another factor in Apple's apparently deliberate decision to ignore
the enterprise and governmental marketspace. Installing the new iMac G5 on
VESA mounts and articulated arms was a considerable selling point around
here.

For what it's worth, the camera in the new iMac is going to be a big and
probably insurmountable problem. Many US government agencies and contractors
have hard rules about "no cameras". This includes camera phones and PDAs,
but people can exist in their offices without these (to a degree), and the
manufacturers (reluctantly) continue to make models of these small devices
without cameras.

But an office or cubicle without a computer is essentially a black hole. And
there is no way that exceptions to the "no cameras" rule will be made. This
will make it easier than ever to simply ban the Macintosh - the hardware is
incompatible and cannot be made compatible.

(And no, removing the camera manually is not considered an acceptable
option.)

Perhaps Apple has given up pursuing the enterprise and governmental space,
and really is just going to pursue the consumer entertainment space.


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> For what it's worth, the camera in the new iMac is going to be a
> big and
> probably insurmountable problem. Many US government agencies and
> contractors
> have hard rules about "no cameras". This includes camera phones and
> PDAs,
> but people can exist in their offices without these (to a degree),
> and the
> manufacturers (reluctantly) continue to make models of these small
> devices
> without cameras.
> [...]
> Perhaps Apple has given up pursuing the enterprise and governmental
> space,
> and really is just going to pursue the consumer entertainment space.

I don't think Apple has ever indicated that the 'i' range has been
for anyone other than consumers. Enterprise/government are meant to
buy the 'power' range, aren't they? It seems clear that an iMac
isn't just a cheap low-power version of a PowerMac - it's
specifically designed for home use. It seems unlikely that a camera
would become a default feature on PowerMacs.

If a new PowerMac is too expensive for a particular enterprise/
government, then they could always by an older model one - the
specifications are probably closer to what one would get with an
iMac anyway.

I think that the introduction of the XServe, Aperture, and so on
indicate that Apple definitely is focusing on more than just consumer
entertainment.

=Tony.Meyer

On Nov 11, 2005, at 3:20 PM, Tony Meyer wrote:

> I don't think Apple has ever indicated that the 'i' range has been
> for anyone other than consumers. Enterprise/government are meant to
> buy the 'power' range, aren't they? It seems clear that an iMac
> isn't just a cheap low-power version of a PowerMac - it's
> specifically designed for home use. It seems unlikely that a camera
> would become a default feature on PowerMacs.

Though the "i" range is meant for consumers, I've used iMacs (an
original Grape model and then the first DVD iMac) and an iBook
(clamshell) at two jobs (I did web design and copywriting), and they
worked wonderfully well. Though I'm currently being tortured with a
PC at a company I'm freelancing with when I'm on site (I'm doing
marketing and not design), I do see some design people working on
iMacs with larger screens.

They are a great machine for companies on tight budgets, and with
enough RAM, they run Photoshop, Quark, InDesign, Illustrator
beautifully.

The screens might not be the most accommodating to Xtreme calibration
for high quality imagesetting, etc, but for most purposes, they are
more than fine.

Marilyn

At 4:50 PM -0800 11/10/05, Dan O'Donnell wrote:
>Thanks for pointing this out. It is another disappointment in the new model,
>and imho another factor in Apple's apparently deliberate decision to ignore
>the enterprise and governmental marketspace. Installing the new iMac G5 on
>VESA mounts and articulated arms was a considerable selling point around
>here.

I suspect that most of Apple's so-motivated customers have switched
to Mac minis and other VESA monitor solutions. (Obviously, those who
don't need a G5.)

--
Andrew Laurence
atlaurenuci.edu

Andrew Laurence wrote:
> At 4:50 PM -0800 11/10/05, Dan O'Donnell wrote:
>
>> Thanks for pointing this out. It is another disappointment in the new
>> model, and imho another factor in Apple's apparently deliberate decision
>> to ignore the enterprise and governmental marketspace. Installing the new
>> iMac G5 on VESA mounts and articulated arms was a considerable selling
>> point around here.
>
>
> I suspect that most of Apple's so-motivated customers have switched
> to Mac minis and other VESA monitor solutions. (Obviously, those who
> don't need a G5.)

This change is also a sadness to an another (admittedly niche market): the
iMac G5, fitted with a touchscreen eg by the lovely people at TrollTouch, was
a wonderful solution for kiosks.

On 11/16/05 14:00, "Andrew Laurence" <atlaurenes.nacs.uci.edu> wrote:

>> Thanks for pointing this out. It is another disappointment in the new model,
>> and imho another factor in Apple's apparently deliberate decision to ignore
>> the enterprise and governmental marketspace. Installing the new iMac G5 on
>> VESA mounts and articulated arms was a considerable selling point around
>> here.
>
> I suspect that most of Apple's so-motivated customers have switched
> to Mac minis and other VESA monitor solutions. (Obviously, those who
> don't need a G5.)

It was never a consideration in any place I've ever worked outside of a
small number of specific needs. I never saw a reason why it would be
important on a large scale.

--
John C. Welch Writer/Analyst
Bynkii.com Mac and other opinions
jwelchbynkii.com