Saw this up on Digg: http://www.sendmike2space.com/

YES YES YES YES YES - I have been saying this for years. I want this Mac. An iMac without the monitor and a graphics card in a slot, yesssss. I want a desktop Mac with it's extra hard-drive bay, it's expansion slot, it's dual monitor support, but not a Mac Pro!

I doubt Apple will do it, as it's not Stevie J's style, but still, I want.

will never happen no matter how long we wait IMO

A decent mac mini update may solve problem number one. Obviously the swappable graphics would be harder, but a decent graphics chip set within is most likely doable

And if it was ever produced people would complain that they would buy one only when it was made in a chartreuse colour. And if that happened then they'd say they'd only buy it if it was in a different shade of chartreuse.

Perhaps we need the return of the mini tower (what the G4's were) be it a bit smaller. Maybe that will make it cheaper for everyone and fill the gap.

I never really saw a product gap with macs, only a piss weak Mac Mini that badly needed a do - over. The technology is there but they seem more interested in the iPhone and AppleTV.

Something like that would have to be around the iMac price and apple will never do it. They would much rather have people buying imacs which are not very upgradable then a desktop that is upgradable

Which begs the question - where is the product gap... partly referenced in my second paragraph, re a crap form mac mini!

There isnt one really. The only issue is that the only really upgradable mac is the Mac Pro (not that i consider it to be an issue anyway).
There isnt a gap in terms of performance really

I thought the iMac / Mac Mini was more upgradable than its original PowerPC counterparts. I mean you can swap over the graphics / processor / ram and hard drive can't you?

one or 2 of them had socketed cpu's.
I dont think you can upgrade the graphics chip in any of them which is probably the biggest issue. And the obvious lack of pci slots of course.

But that said Mac's have never really been upgradable. Its pretty much always been the Powermac's and Mac Pro's and nothing else so i really dont see upgradability as an issue.

The gap is for people (like moi and many potential switchers I suspect) who want to upgrade (from PowerMac G5 1.6) who have invested in decent LCDs who dont want the all-in-one form, mini not suitable due to inadequate graphics, and MacPro too excessive (in price and specs). Basically an iMac without the screen.

I don't think it'll happen though. Apple aren't out there to fill every product gap.

To recap, this is what I want:

- Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 CPU (the desktop ones, not the laptop ones)
- 4 x slots for RAM (DIMM, not SO-DIMM) and use regular DDR2, not FB-DIMM
- Full size (5.25" like on the Mac Pro) SuperDrive (not a laptop one that is so fucking slow to burn and read) but only 1, I don't need two.
- 2x SATA-II ports for HDDs. Only need two, if you want more, get a Mac Pro.
- 7600GT/8600GT/8800GTS or GTX nVidia video card options, but in a card, not built on to the mainboard
- Dual 30" display capabilities
- 4x USB ports & 2x FireWire 400 & 1x FireWire 800
- Bluetooth & Airport as options like the Mac Pro

Plus the standard, Apple Remote, Optical Audio Output, Gigabit Ethernet, Keyboard & Mighty Mouse.

Put it in a pretty standard looking case. Mini-tower ATX-ish size, so I can put it on the floor under my desk. I trust Apple enough not to make it look like a turd.

Sell it for a max $2800 (Mac Pro is around $3500) and the sales will fly in from the nerds like yours truly.

iMac with dual displays out of the question?

I agree with iSlayer, I don't see a major issue, an as macsyd said, they won't fill every product gap... If they did, I want my $2 mac :P

That may happen eventually. G5's slowly dropped in price over the years so eventually you might be able to get a Mac Pro for around $3000.
I dont think there will be a new model anyway. Only way you will get it will be price drops on the current entry level model

Yeah, Apple will never make it, every year I seem to make a post like this, after a "regular" desktop computer. Something between the iMac and the Mac Pro is all I want. Alas, it will not