Next-Generation iMacs to Pack Luxuries

According to well-placed informants, the new iMac will debut in a single configuration, sporting multiple shades of plastic resins. As many already know, the iMac was designed to take the confusion out of purchasing a computer for the first time, leaving only the decision of color to the consumer.

According to industry analysts, attempting to market multiple configurations of the iMac would be the equivalent of Apple shooting themselves in the foot. Such a practice would result in confusion among consumers, additional management efforts and cost due to iMac outsourced production, and a retail headache — since each iMac color represents a separate product, additional retail configurations would be multiplied by the number of colors available for each configuration.

Instead, the word on the street is that Apple is, once again, going to increase price performance across the iMac line by shipping a single, solid, feature-packed machine. As mentioned long ago, the new models will be based around a brand new logicboard, rumored to go by the code name "C2," that fully complies with Apple's new Single Common Unified Architecture.

On board C2 will be 2x AGP graphics, an AirPort slot (which is now rumored to become standard across Apple's four product points), and a FireWire bus. The latest set of reports received by AppleInsider suggests that the new iMac will ship with a single FireWire port, in addition to two USB ports that are now capable of 12Mbps throughput.

DVD will also be supported on the new logicboards, sources said, as Apple has had iMac prototypes up and running DVD Video for several months now. The board apparently also supports CD-ROM drives in the event that a DVD-ROM drive could not be made standard on retail configurations.

No matter which the unit ships with, sources are reporting that the current CD/DVD-ROM drive tray architecture found in iMac will be replaced with the slot-type feature found in most car CD-players. Users will simply insert the CD into the slot, where it will be fed in mechanically (and ejected automatically).

Also yet to be decided is the clock speed of the G3 processor to ship in the iMac revision. Reports claim that the new units will ship with either a 350MHz or 400MHz processor, also implying a 100MHz system bus on the new units. iMac prototypes have consistently been seen running at 400MHz, though it is not uncommon that test units are run at clock speeds higher than those that actually ship. Reliable information suggests that Apple will indeed debut the machines at 400MHz to help combat cheaper Wintel PCs running at higher clock speeds.

The new iMac is not expected to increase in size, including the physical dimensions of its built-in monitor. However, there have been some rumors that the new short-neck CRT display would include a slightly larger viewable area without an increase in physical size. The speaker system, on the other hand, will be a major improvement over the current version, sources said. This will likely be a result of including new technology that Apple has recently licensed.

Finally, there is the issue of industrial design. The completely redesigned form-factor is said to include a trapdoor directly underneath the unit that will give access to the unit's memory expansion slots — a drastic improvement over the intimidating process of updating memory in the current line of iMacs.

Additionally, RF (Radio Frequency) shielding is said to be incorporated directly into the plastics that will make up the external shell of the unit. This will allow the new iMacs to be fully translucent, without the aluminum-like shielding sheets that block the view of the systems true internals. Also rumored are a few color changes in the new offerings, all with very glossy finishes.

As mentioned in previous reports, AppleInsider sources do not expect these units to be introduced until late October or early November, at an Apple Media Event to be held at the Flint Center in Cupertino. If for some reason the new units were to be introduced at an earlier date, it is expected that Apple would cut the price of the current iMacs to $999 in order to clear them from the channel.

As mentioned earlier, the new iMac project is code-named Kihei, while the logicboard to ship inside the units is rumored to go by the code-name C2. The units are also referenced internally as "P7" or Proto7. Similarly, the iBook was referred to as "P1" or Proto99 and the Sawtooth Power Macintosh G4s as "P5" or Proto5.

Production of the new iMac units is said to begin next Monday, with Apple producing several hundred thousand by November, in order to flood the channel before the holiday shopping season. The new iMacs are expected to retail for $1199 US or less.

As always, we'll continue to publish reports as reliable information becomes available.