iMac redesign in late 2012

bluray and Video Input

The lack of an internal Blu-Ray drive is frustrating to say the least. My desktop would be so much better without those wires. Its time to go there Mr. Cook. I realize that the big push is to use iTunes to stream video content, but I'm not willing to give someone else control of what I can or can't watch. It's not just adult features that you will not have on iTunes, its community made films and archives.

<offtopic>
USB 3.x support is in the new Intel chipsets. It will be a game killer for me if it isn't supported Apple laptops by the end of 2012. I will have to go with a PC laptop if it isn't.
<cipotffo>

It seriously pains me that there is no way to use the display in my iMac to view video from a cable box or a blu-ray player without some external dongle on the USB port. USB 2.x can't even do full HD video and sound and FW800 is almost maxed out. HDMI input should be there.

Speech recognition is now a MUST. Exactly how is it that a phone has a more integrated and accurate speech recognition system than a desktop?

danny_w said:

@superlatic:

- No optical drive Makes no sense to remove the optical drive on a desktop machine
- Thinner Same comment
- Smaller chin/no chin at all This and above are mutually exclusive I think
- Ivy bridge (inc USB 3.0) Please, esp. USB3

Click to expand...

I agree it doesn't really really make sense, but that didn't stop apple doing it to the mini, so I think its a case of when, not if it happens.

superlatic said:

I agree it doesn't really really make sense, but that didn't stop apple doing it to the mini, so I think its a case of when, not if it happens.

Click to expand...

You've got a point there - not everything Apple does makes sense. I mean, don't most (or at least many) people use the Mini as an HTPC? Why would I want an HTPC without an optical drive for the occasional (physical) DVD?

Sjhonny said:

Maybe in five years. 1024 GB is 2500 bucks, right here right now. And that's without apple's profit margin.

What I expect:
• no Superdrive
• no aluminum bezel at the bottom
• thinner, resulting in:
• usage of 2,5" HDD's
• CPU's with lower TDP
•*Paired with a Thunderbold display featuring an internal GPU
•*And obvious: USB 3 support, thanks to the new chipset from intel.

So bang-for-the-buck it wouldn't be the best iMac ever released, but I'm guessing we'll see very thorough Thunderbold integration, aimed especially at prosumers, which will make it featurwise worth the plunge.

Click to expand...

I was planning on replacing my C2D Hackintosh with a 2012 27" iMac if it gets redesigned.

I'll be making a new Hackintosh in 2012 if they switch the iMac over to 2.5" drives. That would be such a huge performance hit it would no longer be worth getting an iMac.

apunkrockmonk said:

i was planning on replacing my c2d hackintosh with a 2012 27" imac if it gets redesigned.

I'll be making a new hackintosh in 2012 if they switch the imac over to 2.5" drives. That would be such a huge performance hit it would no longer be worth getting an imac.

Click to expand...

+1000

apunkrockmonk said:

I'll be making a new Hackintosh in 2012 if they switch the iMac over to 2.5" drives. That would be such a huge performance hit it would no longer be worth getting an iMac.

Click to expand...

Quite. Which is why it isn't going to happen.

Look at what Apple have been doing with the iMac line for the past two or three years - better and better graphics cards (yes, they're mobile... but still, much improved), quicker and quicker RAM, always the latest Intel CPUs - does it make any sense, to anybody, to entertain the idea that they'd deliberately crap all over that peak-performance with a slow-ass hard drive?


Surely, no.

SSDs are mostly 2.5inch are they not? I do think it's about time they went SSD, but i also don't think they're big enough for the iMac.

I do think the optical drive should go though. The format is dead to the majority of people now. I haven't used a dvd/cd for years. In fact i don't even have a DVD/CD drive that works in my house. Also, BluRay, what is the point? Streaming/downloading is far easier, and for most people internet connections are fast enough.

The loss of the chin will probably happen at some point, if only to bring it more in line with the thunderbolt screen.

Desktops are complex though, as there's really not much innovation that can be done without big software changes, and OSX isn't changing for a long while yet.

Is Ivy in production yet then?

Anoi said:

SSDs are mostly 2.5inch are they not? I do think it's about time they went SSD, but i also don't think they're big enough for the iMac.

I do think the optical drive should go though. The format is dead to the majority of people now. I haven't used a dvd/cd for years. In fact i don't even have a DVD/CD drive that works in my house. Also, BluRay, what is the point? Streaming/downloading is far easier, and for most people internet connections are fast enough.

The loss of the chin will probably happen at some point, if only to bring it more in line with the thunderbolt screen.

Desktops are complex though, as there's really not much innovation that can be done without big software changes, and OSX isn't changing for a long while yet.

Is Ivy in production yet then?

Click to expand...

2011 sales figures in the US show that cd, DVD and BR disc purchases are 2 to 3 times more than the digital sales in the equivalent medium. Physical media is not quite dead yet, but physical cd sales have declined by 5% from the same period in 2010.

apunkrockmonk said:

I'll be making a new Hackintosh in 2012 if they switch the iMac over to 2.5" drives. That would be such a huge performance hit it would no longer be worth getting an iMac.

Click to expand...

Name one current gen SATA SSD that doesn't features a 2.5" form factory.

Sjhonny said:

Maybe in five years. 1024 GB is 2500 bucks, right here right now. And that's without apple's profit margin.

What I expect:
• no Superdrive
• no aluminum bezel at the bottom
• thinner, resulting in:
• usage of 2,5" HDD's
• CPU's with lower TDP
•*Paired with a Thunderbold display featuring an internal GPU
•*And obvious: USB 3 support, thanks to the new chipset from intel.

So bang-for-the-buck it wouldn't be the best iMac ever released, but I'm guessing we'll see very thorough Thunderbold integration, aimed especially at prosumers, which will make it featurwise worth the plunge.

Click to expand...

Hmm... why would thickness matter at this point? You won't get any additional desk space from it. Shave off a few mm and get it to run even hotter . The tdp going into these things next year will still not be low. Wouldn't you rather have a quieter, more reliable machine than a thinner one? Also 2.5" HDDs aren't really necessary. The imac has limited internal storage. There's no reason to limit it further, as non SSD 2.5" drive speeds are unacceptable in a desktop machine.

Now if they removed the ODD and used it to space out the hottest components a bit more, that might actually help. Some people have mentioned audible noise from the 2011 imacs. If they bring the power needed down while keeping the same form factor, that fan noise goes away .

NZPilgrim said:

One thing I would like to see (I know it runs contrary to the Apple way of thinking so I'm not holding my breath) is for the RAM panel underneath the system to be widened and a slot for an SSD drive to be placed in beside the RAM slots.

That way if you want an SSD upgrade it's a user operation to install it without having to pull everything to pieces, potentially voiding your warranty in the process. Or paying a massive premium and getting Apple to install one at purchase.

I can dream

Click to expand...

What an Excellent Idea! Well done!

Zeov said:

iMac air.. think about it.


You heard it from me first.

Click to expand...

Ever since I got my 13" MBA last year I've been thinking the same thing.

• Slimmer / sleeker design, no chin - From the front, it should be indistinguishable from an equivalent size Cinema Display.
• 24" and 30" Screen size options
• Dump the optical drive - Support the MBA SuperDrive, I'd just stick it in a drawer, but some clever accessory company would make a mount for it that attached to the back of the iMac that could be put on the right OR the left side.
• Blu-ray was still-born, continue ignoring it.
• Make the SSD standard to help get the cost down, but I still want / need an internal HDD for low $$$ / TB storage. Making the SSD and HDD easier to replace would be nice, but I really don't see that happening.
• Might as well add USB 3.0 and an SD card slot.

A more modular iMac might be interesting... Sort of a MacMini type base, connected via Thunderbolt to the display which houses the GPU (so you could plug-in a MacBook via Thunderbolt and use the GPU / Monitor independently).

Sjhonny said:

Maybe in five years. 1024 GB is 2500 bucks, right here right now. And that's without apple's profit margin.

What I expect:
• no Superdrive
• no aluminum bezel at the bottom
• thinner, resulting in:
• usage of 2,5" HDD's
• CPU's with lower TDP
•*Paired with a Thunderbold display featuring an internal GPU
•*And obvious: USB 3 support, thanks to the new chipset from intel.

So bang-for-the-buck it wouldn't be the best iMac ever released, but I'm guessing we'll see very thorough Thunderbold integration, aimed especially at prosumers, which will make it featurwise worth the plunge.

Click to expand...

It sounds like you're predicting the next iMac to become a MacBook. There is a sub-forum for you.

Hoping for a 24" and 30" sizing setup at the current price point - I wouldn't even care if it's not a redesign if we get those sizes.

Sjhonny said:

Name one current gen SATA SSD that doesn't features a 2.5" form factory.

Click to expand...

I don't see Apple being willing to go from 1TB base in the 27" DESKTOP computer. People can deal with 128GB-256GB SSDs on the go but not in their main desktop.

Unless you think they're going to switch to SSD + 2.5", I think that would cut into their current profit margins too much.

danny_w said:

@superlatic:

- No optical drive Makes no sense to remove the optical drive on a desktop machine
- Thinner Same comment
- Smaller chin/no chin at all This and above are mutually exclusive I think
- Ivy bridge (inc USB 3.0) Please, esp. USB3

Click to expand...

The optical drive is dying. Whether it makes sense or not, they're probably going to do away with it at some point.

iMacs have been getting thinner pretty much every generation. No reason to see that changing. Same goes for the chin.

leman said:

My wish-list:

1. Drop DVD

use the freed up space to add:

2. User-upgradeable HDD/SSD
3. Desktop-class GPUs

Although, what I'd really like to see is a resurrected Apple Cube with
upgradeable HDD/RAM/GPU which would be slightly more expensive than MacMini. That would be great.

Click to expand...

Mac Medium. Mac Medium! Mac Medium!!

I'd also request a spare firewire bus.
Some of us still use audio interfaces (and FW800 RAID drives).

And don't even begin to recommend using Sonnet's upcoming TB adapter to expresscard adapter.

Adapters adapting adapters.

Is that where we are as a species?

thekev said:

Hmm... why would thickness matter at this point? You won't get any additional desk space from it. Shave off a few mm and get it to run even hotter . The tdp going into these things next year will still not be low. Wouldn't you rather have a quieter, more reliable machine than a thinner one? Also 2.5" HDDs aren't really necessary. The imac has limited internal storage. There's no reason to limit it further, as non SSD 2.5" drive speeds are unacceptable in a desktop machine.

Now if they removed the ODD and used it to space out the hottest components a bit more, that might actually help. Some people have mentioned audible noise from the 2011 imacs. If they bring the power needed down while keeping the same form factor, that fan noise goes away .

Click to expand...

I agree with the thickness, it's certainly not a limiting factor. It's hardly thicker than the thunderbolt display.

Since we are talking about late 2012 here, and 1tb SSDs are on the horizon (likely with a $1300-1800 tag). I doubt space will be a real issue.
2.5" SSDs are also mass produced in ways we'll never see 3.5"+ SSDs.
To work on a average consumer basis - most would clearly be fine 512gb sata II... with prosumer upgrade options (either thru Apple or OWC) of RAID 0 sata III. With 2.5" the standard, the guts could be reworked - through removal of ODD and 3.5" - to accomodate 3...maybe even four 2.5".
Allowing people to RAID up a performance working projects drive + a stable OS + backup drive.
All in one sexy imac body.

As for the chin.
It's stupid, we all know it.
We're all tired of brushed aluminum.
Even more so all the brushed aluminum competitors.
It's time to show them up.

All black.
The chin can stay...
If it becomes a BOSE sound bar.

If you're talking about Internet speed connection elsewhere, but in the US? Are you kidding? High speed internet is still a premium in the US and as this is the case, streaming will never take off like people think it will.
-I only have basic Internet since high speed that would require for streaming cost an arm and a leg here in the US! (Unlike in Europe and other places, where affordable high speed internet is a common thing)

theSeb said:

2011 sales figures in the US show that cd, DVD and BR disc purchases are 2 to 3 times more than the digital sales in the equivalent medium. Physical media is not quite dead yet, but physical cd sales have declined by 5% from the same period in 2010.

Click to expand...

I think an iMac redesign is really overdue. When do you guys think Apple is going to move away from their current aluminum design for everything? Though it's nice looking, it makes me feel nostalgic from the G4 days.

I like the idea of having some of the buttons/slots built into the stand. This way, I don't have to keep reaching behind the screen and feeling about blindly when I need to plug in an external drive.

24 screen?

Well for those wanting a 24" monitor, what would the resolution be? They certainly wont make it 1920 by 1080 since the 21.5" model already has that. and they probably wont make the res the same as the 27" model with 2560 by 1440.

dylin said:

Well for those wanting a 24" monitor, what would the resolution be? They certainly wont make it 1920 by 1080 since the 21.5" model already has that. and they probably wont make the res the same as the 27" model with 2560 by 1440.

Click to expand...

Make it the same as my current 24" iMac (home) and HP 24" monitor (work) at 1920x1200 and I'd be happy. Anything higher resolution would be too much IMHO.

I don't know if a redesign will happen next year but if it did then I would suppose it would be the design for a good few years. Because of that if my aging MacPro dies then an iMac would likely be my next move. I would want to be able to adjust the height of the machine/display in the event I return to a dual monitor setup. I would also love to see that if the DVD is dropped then they do add a second bay for on board storage. What would be great is if that storage could be added similar to that of a MacPro where it's a sled. It takes a few screws and you're done (TWSS).

I would like an anti-glare option similar to the older cinema displays (which I own) as well.

I think the antiglare is really the only drawback for me right now. That and I don't need one.

• 24" & 30" options
• Ivy Processors
• No Optical
• Reduced bevel & chin

I am going to replace my iMac when/if there is a significant redesign. I agree that there will not likely be big changes in drives as the prices haven't dropped enough and too many folks have 100's GB of media on their machines. A 24" Ivy powered with a 256 or 512 SSD and 2 TB HD would be perfect for me.