Apple Announces Lighter, Thinner iMac Models with Fusion Drive

[MacRumors]

Apple today updated its iMac lineup, dramatically reducing the thickness of the desktop machines and adding a brand new Fusion Drive that combines flash storage and a traditional disk-based hard drive to maximize both speed and capacity.

The iMac will come with both 21.5-inch and 27-inch displays, and includes a new fully laminated design to improve optical quality and a new anti-reflective coating.

Redesigned from the inside out, the new iMac packs high-performance technology into an aluminum and glass enclosure with up to 40 percent less volume than its predecessor and an edge that measures just 5 mm thin. Built with an unprecedented level of fit and finish, the new iMac delivers an amazing desktop experience in a gorgeous design. The new iMac also features a completely reengineered display that reduces reflection by 75 percent while maintaining brilliant color and contrast. In the new design, the cover glass is fully laminated to the LCD and an anti-reflective coating is applied using a high-precision plasma deposition process. Every iMac display is individually color calibrated using an advanced spectroradiometer.

The 21.5-inch iMac starts at $1,299 in the US, and includes a with a 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and a 1 TB hard drive. The 21.5" model should begin shipping in November.

The 27-inch iMac starts with a 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, 8 GB of RAM, and a 1 TB hard drive starting at $1,799 and shipping in December.

Article Link: Apple Announces Lighter, Thinner iMac Models with Fusion Drive

[thatsfinebut]

My 2011 iMac thinks it has a weight problem.

[Irock619]

I wonder how much the fusion drive option is.

[Caliber26]

I just bought my iMac in January but this new design is a must-have for me. Luckily, Macs have great resell value so my outta pocket expense won't be too bad.

This machine is love at first sight. I cannot wait to meet her in person.

[Battlefield Fan]

When Phil swapped the photo from the 2012 iMac to the older 2011 iMac my jaw dropped into my neighbors apartment.

[parish]

The RAM doesn't appear to be user-upgradable - the DIMMs are not at the bottom of the case, or so it looked in the cutaway graphic, and there is access panel in the back

[Intarweb]

Anybody got the low down on upgrading the HDD or RAM yet at home, is it possible?

[iwannaimac]

Knew it would be announced :d

[Behindthelens24]

Why does my desktop need to be lighter? I'm not using it on my lap... Give me an optical drive please.

[Eidorian]

Entry level, for a desktop, graphics are a big damper.

[tungstentim]

Originally Posted by parish

The RAM doesn't appear to be user-upgradable - the DIMMs are not at the bottom of the case, or so it looked in the cutaway graphic

I hope that's not the situation, as ill end up buying the previous/current model.

I don't need a thin machine, it's going on a desk.

[drummingcraig]

The new iMac is indeed gorgeous. However I wonder how many folks are aware that the Fusion drive isn't exactly a brand new concept. A quick google search revealed several posts on blogs and social media that were lauding Apple for its "innovation" of the Fusion concept, yet I've had a Momentus XT hybrid drive in my MBP for almost two years.

[Rudy69]

Really really pumped about the new design etc. Too bad I won't get one till December.....

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Originally Posted by drummingcraig

The new iMac is indeed gorgeous. However I wonder how many folks are aware that the Fusion drive isn't exactly a brand new concept. A quick google search revealed several posts on blogs and social media that were lauding Apple for its "innovation" of the Fusion concept, yet I've had a Momentus XT hybrid drive in my MBP for almost two years.

While the concept is similar to your hybrid drive, it's not exactly the same. The technology comes from Intel, the SSD and HDD are 2 separate drives

[BellSmith]

Ignorant question: do you think they will have 17 processor models?

enjoyed this comment -->

Originally Posted by thatsfinebut

My 2011 iMac thinks it has a weight problem.

[drummingcraig]

Originally Posted by Rudy69

Really really pumped about the new design etc. Too bad I won't get one till December.....

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While the concept is similar to your hybrid drive, it's not exactly the same. The technology comes from Intel, the SSD and HDD are 2 separate drives

Of course its not the same, I understand that. My point is that the concept is not new (which you pointed out as well).

[johndoejohndoes]

No more cd/dvd drive?

[mrgreen4242]

Bets on how long until someone clever unlocks the Fusion drive software in Mountain Lion so anyone with a SSD and a HDD can do the same thing?

[drummingcraig]

Originally Posted by johndoejohndoes

No more cd/dvd drive?

Nope. USB Superdrive is the only optical option.

[mganai]

Originally Posted by drummingcraig

Of course its not the same, I understand that. My point is that the concept is not new (which you pointed out as well).

The flash in hybrids is used typically for cache.

Apple, instead, is going the whole nine yards: using the SSD for OS and apps as well, while data goes in the HDD.

[Eidorian]

Originally Posted by mrgreen4242

Bets on how long until someone clever unlocks the Fusion drive software in Mountain Lion so anyone with a SSD and a HDD can do the same thing?

You will probably need an Apple branded SSD and an iMac hardware number. If you want to try to fake it using the iMac's build of OS X.

[sigamy]

Did they remove the FW800 port too? I have 4 FW enclosures on the floor connected to my 2011 iMac. Guess I won't be upgrading until Thunderbolt prices come down to my level.

[topgunn]

Originally Posted by mrgreen4242

Bets on how long until someone clever unlocks the Fusion drive software in Mountain Lion so anyone with a SSD and a HDD can do the same thing?

This is exactly what I want to know. My iMac already has built-in SSD and HDD and I would love to have the OS manage the two drives as one.

[Thunderbird]

Epic fail.

It's not a new design, it's just thinner. There's no optical drive, which kills it for me. When I use Windows on Bootcamp it means having to have an external optical drive on my desk to load certain programs or play DVD or BD movies in my collection, thus defeating the purpose of having an all-in-one machine. Another external device to add to my modem, external HDD, speakers, etc.

No optical drive

No new stand design

No retina display

No upgradability

No touch screen

No exterior design change (e.g. same chin)

No difference in available sizes

This is essentially little more than a spec bump with a thinner screen. I don't need a thinner screen. The only possible appealing feature is the 75% less reflective AG coating.

FAIL.

[CWallace]

I like the design from an aesthetic standpoint, but I believe a 2013 Haswell-based 13" MacBook Air connected to my Apple Thunderbolt Display will be the replacement for my 2011 iMac.

[macleod199]

Originally Posted by mganai

The flash in hybrids is used typically for cache.

Apple, instead, is going the whole nine yards: using the SSD for OS and apps as well, while data goes in the HDD.

It's still a cache. A bigger one, perhaps, but it's exactly the same concept. Especially given that it's determining what to load into automatically - we'll see how well that works!