 Stealth Macs Coming Soon1/14/2K: Apple is preparing to break the mold again, this time
working with a case manufacturer to repackage Power Macs for
the Wintel workplace. After seeing the attention to detail in the MegaCase G-Mac
(see The Rumor Mill, 1/4/2000), Apple
approached MegaCase to create some "more beige" case designs
for the Sawtooth motherboard. But that's not all -- there's a third party to this agreement,
Orange Micro. Instead of relying on
software emulation and slow Windows performance, the new DOS
Compatible Power Macs will have an Orange Micro PC-on-a-PCI-card
installed, letting them run Windows applications at Pentium III
speeds. This will, of course, provide Mac owners with the best of both
worlds: the power of the G4, the ease of use of the Mac OS, and
more stable Windows hardware than any Wintel cloner makes. The core concept behind the new machines: Apple's reentry into the
Wintel workplace by providing a Windows machine with no compromise.
It's a risky prospect, which is part of the reason Apple is
bringing in two partners. The reason Apple refers to these as "stealth" Macs is quite
simple: the cases will look like
run-of-the-mill Wintel clone boxes. There will be no
colorful plastics -- not even an Apple logo. To anyone
glancing at them, they won't seem any different from all the beige
boxes in the company. But the user will know the difference. Every stealth Mac will be built to order by MegaCase. Apple will
process orders via The Apple Store.
The computers will be available with or without an OS on the PC side,
giving users the choice among many flavors of Windows, Linux,
BeOS, and other operating systems available on Intel-standard
hardware. The stealth Mac will probably be announced at Seybold
Boston (Feb. 7-11), along with some or all of the already
anticipated new models. - Anne Onymus
- <this article available in a printer-friendly
version>
Recently on The Rumor Mill- PowerBook Cinema coming soon,
5/17/00. "Dan Knight" edition includes huge screen, three
batteries, full keyboard.
- Macintosh Love Bug, 5/11/00. It's
been a week since the LoveLetter worm attacked Windows systems.
Über-hacker Jeeves Stob explains why the Mac is not a popular
virus target.
- FireFly PowerBook on tap, 5/8/00.
Apple will illuminate future PowerBook keyboards. The technology
may surprise you.
- End of the Mac web as we know it,
3/31/00
- iCube aims for trade shows,
2/28/00
- iMac next for upgrade, 2/18/00.
Kinda "duh!"
- Apple abandons Motorola, IBM,
2/16/00. Apple throws in the towel over G4/500 problems.
- Apple, Nintendo collaborate on
MacBoy, 2/10/00. Not only that, but it will also run the Palm
OS!
- more on The Rumor Mill home
page
Recently on Low End Mac- What can you squeeze into a
compact Mac?, Adam Robert Guha, Apple Archive, 5/18. There's
still life in those little Macs.
- Tangerine Fusion: Slash-Not,
Paulo Rodrigues, 5/17. Slashdot appears to have a strong anti-Mac
bias, especially in recent coverage of OS X.
- My First Mac: Raised in a Six-Color
World, Jeff Brown, 5/16. "And so that summer (1993) we bought
a Performa 450. It was my true first Mac, and I loved every bit of
it."
- Mac Scope: Advantages of a
small Mac market, Stephen Van Esch, 5/15. "Our only real
protection from similar things [to ILOVEYOU] happening is
the minority status of Mac platform."
- Mac Musings: Microsoft vs.
Slashdot, Dan Knight, 5/12. What's really going on here? I
think I understand what's at stake.
- New @ Low End Mac:
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