That Apple Computer Inc sees the consumer and gaming markets as the primary target of its new iMac desktop (CI No 3,405) was underlined by the slew of entertainment applications and peripherals launched at last week’s Macworld Expo in New York. However, reports on the Mac OS rumors site suggest that iMac is just the beginning of Apple’s consumer push and that the company also has an eye on the games console market. Apple has apparently been in talks with Sony Corp and other prospective partners about developing a desktop platform capable of running console games. It seems unlikely that the iMac would be that platform – despite Apple’s stated intention to push the new machine as a gaming machine – since it is currently not designed to accept an add-on high-end graphics board – a given if the iMac were to offer console-like performance. Indeed, offering comparable gaming speed and graphics performance on a consumer PC to that of a dedicated games console, a device designed for one single purpose, is always going to be a tall order. However, if Apple can develop a platform that offers comparable console gaming performance with the benefits of a fully-featured home PC, the company may find itself another rung up the consumer ladder it so clearly wants to climb.
