Marc,
"G3 Flying off the Shelves"
Apple Springs For G3 Blitz
DATE (02/16/98; 8:56 a.m. EST)
By Lisa Picarille,
Apple's upcoming spring line of new hardware sports speedier PowerPC G3-based desktops, a new line of PowerBooks, and the return of an all-in-one machine. The new Power Macintoshes are set to be unveiled at the beginning of April and will be available around the same time. However, the G3 PowerBooks are not due out until early May, said sources briefed on the Cupertino, Calif. - based vendor's plans, as well as documents reviewed by CRN Online. Apple declined to comment on product plans. The new G3 systems follow on the heels of Apple's G3 233-MHz and 250-MHz systems, unveiled Nov. 10, 1997. In January,
Apple executives described the launch of the G3 systems, which included desktop models and a notebook, as the most successful product introduction in the history of the company, saying more than 133,000 G3 units shipped during the fiscal first quarter, ending Dec. 26, 1997. Apple's new desktop systems will use IBM's newest PowerPC G3 chip running at 300 MHz, said sources close to Apple. The chip also boosts performance via a new 1-megabyte backside cache, according to sources familiar with Apple's plans. Apple's fastest desktop is the PowerMac G3, which runs at 266 MHz. Aimed at the high-end publishing, video-editing, and Web-authoring markets, the PowerMac G3/300 is a mini-tower system that features 128 MB of memory, a 2-by-4-gigabyte hard drive, 8 MB of VRAM, and 6 MB of SGRAM as its base model, sources said. The standard configuration is priced at $4,899, the sources said, and will be available via Apple's Build-To-Order (BTO) program. That program is supposed to be online for resellers, as well as education customers this spring, according to a Macworld Expo speech in January given by Steve Jobs, Apple's interim CEO. Apple executives said the BTO program for resellers will be rolled out in March. However, several resellers said Apple has yet to make its BTO plan clear. "It is still a very gray area," said Simon Elkreif, president of MicroServ Laval, a Montreal-based Apple reseller. "Apple has yet to clue resellers into their plans." Apple also boosted the speed of its new line of G3 PowerBooks with the new products. To continue the company's goal of streamlining its product families, the new line is a single family of products that, as a result of Apple's BTO program, will be available in 1,000 different configurations, the sources said. Previously, Apple maintained four PowerBook families available in 15 configurations. The PowerBook G3/250MHz is the fastest mobile computer offered by the company. The new PowerBooks will come with a choice of 233-MHz, 250-MHz, and 292-MHz chips. In addition, there will be a choice of display sizes, including 12.1 inches, 13.3 inches, and 14.1 inches.
Apple also will continue offering its Good, Better, Best preset configurations. Prices for the standard configurations range from $1,999 for the 233-MHz model with 16 MB of memory and a 2-GB hard drive, to $5,299 for a 292-MHz system with 64 MB of memory and a 4-GB hard drive. The PowerBook G3 weighs in at 7.7 pounds, including battery and CD-ROM drive. Apple also is re-emphasizing its place in the education market with a new PowerMac G3 All-in-One machine,a sleek update to the company's Mac SE design from the 1980s. These systems also come in a variety of configurations, including systems running at 233 MHz and 266 MHz with prices ranging from $1,499 to $1,999. One large Apple West Coast reseller familiar with the company's new systems said he was pleased the computer maker was once again delivering high-quality products. "Our customers love the G3 systems and look forward to the even faster models. They are flying off the shelves," said the reseller. "Now we can focus on delivering solutions to customers rather than replacing every little thing that goes wrong."
techweb.com
Best wishes
James |
