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The Finer Things In Life (4/29/99)
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Lastly, a quickie from longtime faithful viewer Zach Leber, who was kind enough to point us in the direction of Neiman Marcus' latest mail-order catalog. Who should be the cover model but our old friend the iMac? That's right, under the heading "oh boy, toys!" there rests a regal Grape iMac, next to a Microtek Slimscan USB scanner and an Epson Stylus Color inkjet printer (and a flower in a vase-- which fits perfectly, in our opinion). A Warholian print of four multicolored iMacs rests near the scanner, the scanned image is displayed on the iMac's screen, and the printer is halfway through generating a copy. Nice composition.
Opening the catalog reveals that the iMac bundle is the first item listed in the catalog. The iMac (in your choice of flavor), scanner, and printer are available for $1699. Sure, there are better prices available, but people don't shop at Neiman Marcus for the best prices; flipping through the rest of the slim catalog should prove that. If you're not familiar with the kind of stuff in this "toys" catalog, think Shaper Image crossed with Brookstone. Besides the iMac bundle, they're also offering a $1499 self-standing electronic putting green (with enhanced computerized voice and automatic scoring), a $475 radio-controlled yacht, and a $3000 go-cart that's decked out to resemble a '57 Chevy.
So while we think it's great that iMacs have found their way into yet another distribution channel, the fact that Neiman Marcus is selling them gives us pause. Sure, the iMac's design is slick and beautiful and it looks right at home in the pages of the Neiman Marcus catalog, but we're just a wee bit concerned that a supposedly "consumer-focused" computer is being touted next to (literally-- as in right next to) a $125,000 Winston Cup race car. That's not exactly exuding an image of affordability. On the other hand, if you take it as read that the iMac is low-priced for what you get, then it's nice to see it considered one of the finer things in life. But we're still glad to see iMacs make it into CostCo stores, too.
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SceneLink (1495)
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 4/29/99 episode: April 29, 1999: QuickTime 4 is here-- mostly-- but who's streaming? Meanwhile, the WWDC keynote looks to be a blast, but so far those of us without satellite dishes will have to wait for second-hand reports, and the iMac gets schmancy with a cover spot in the Neiman Marcus catalog...
Other scenes from that episode: 1493: Turning Minds Off (4/29/99) Okay, so QuickTime 4 is out-- albeit in a "preview" version not yet deemed fit for an official, honest-to-goodness release. That doesn't mean it's not a whole lot of fun to play with, though. We've got a kickin' new MoviePlayer (er, we mean QuickTime Player), a new QuickTime 4-enhanced version of the Phantom Menace trailer, and-- finally-- the ability to stream live media right off the 'net... 1494: Satellite, Schmatellite (4/29/99) Speaking of QuickTime 4 Streaming (oh, we are just masters of segue), we've got a little bone to pick with Apple. See, the Computer Company Formerly Known As "Beleaguered" has just posted a press release describing the keynote address and satellite broadcast info for this year's Worldwide Developers Conference, commencing a week from Monday...
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