Yesterday apple released new iMacs, amongst them are the 27″ iMacs. There are a few things that separate the new iMacs from the newly updated 21.5″ iMacs.
The first is the VESA mounts. The new 27″ iMacs support standard VESA mounts. What this means is that you can mount any 27″ iMac onto a wall. This has not been the case with any of the previous iMac iterations. None of the 24″, 20″, or 17″ iMacs were capable of this. I think this coupled with a couple of other items means quite a future for Apple.
The second feature that was added only to the 27″ iMacs was the ability for the iMac 27″ to accept input from anything through the Mini DisplayPort. This is a huge addition to the iMacs. This means that in all reality anybody could use their new 27″ iMac as an actual monitor.
Since the Mini DisplayPort is electronically like HDMI, the ability to use an adapter to allow any device to utilize the built-in monitor on the iMac. This could be a DVD Player, a Blu-Ray Player, or even a game console. As a side thought, I am wondering allowing external devices this is how Apple gets around not having to have built-in ‘bags of hurt’.
All of these new options, I believe, eventually will have Apple making a new device. I’ll say what I think in a bit, but first some information that ties everything all together.
Since Apple has decided to drop the ‘Computer’ from their name back in 2007 they made the first step into becoming a consumer electronics company. They have done so with MP3 players, with iPhone OS devices, and their computers. What is the biggest consumer device? The Television.
I think the next device will be an actual AppleTV. Why would I come to this conclusion. Well, let me explain. All of the items in conjunction with another, to me anyway, spells a television.
One item that adds to this possible new product is to use the use the new iMacs to verify that the the input capabilities of the new monitors actually works as Apple expects it to.
The other change made with the iMacs that lends credence to the idea that of a new aspect ratio (16:9) where the previous iMacs were (16:10). As most television followers know the standard screen ratio of high-definition 16:9.
The last little bit of news that makes this so plausible is the statement made by Tim Cook. “And so you”re correct that in general, we spend more in freight in Q1. However, this increase is larger than usual. And I”m sorry, I can”t be specific on the product, but it”s an abnormal sequential increase.” Mr. Cook specified that this was just not the ‘normal’ holiday increase. These increases were specifically related to Air freight.
Now I may just be reading too much into the tea leaves but to me this seems like a logical conclusion. What the Apple executives never said is that this item would be shipping in the first quarter of fiscal year 2010; they didn’t say anything about Superbowl sales of a television though. We will see what arrives in the, hopefully, not to distant future.
