Is Apple trying to get rid of me as a customer with the new iMacs? Need advice.

[can.rules]

Originally Posted by MattA

Like I've said before, I would have gladly forked over $100 for my 2011 Mac Mini for them to put an optical drive in it. Considering the tooling was already done, it's really puzzling why they wouldn't offer it.

Well, you're in luck, cause Apple will gladly sell you an external superdrive for $79!

Not only it helps Apple with a smaller number of configurations to manage and keep in stock, but it will also make it easier for you to replace when (NOT IF) it croaks!

[MattA]

Originally Posted by can.rules

Well, you're in luck, cause Apple will gladly sell you an external superdrive for $79!

Not only it helps Apple with a smaller number of configurations to manage and keep in stock, but it will also make it easier for you to replace when (NOT IF) it croaks!

lol, true!

Unfortunately, this is my only option, and I've been living with it. It's one of those things about the machine that I'm really not happy with though. Otherwise, it's been perfect!

[cnymike]

Originally Posted by Jayratch

The sealed box makes sense for the average iMac buyer.

The thread OP here is not an average iMac buyer. Neither am I. I'm very happy with my 2011 model, except for the DVD drive which, like every DVD drive I've ever owned, has failed. Unlike an external, it isn't worth the hassle to replace it, so I'll just go ahead and use an external like I do for my laptop the four or five times a year I need it.

Anyway, there are two things that you don't like about the new iMac: lack of a DVD drive, and lack of upgradability. But, neither of those matter to most people.

There is one other thing that you, a power user, shouldn't like about the new iMac: it's basically a laptop. Miniaturized components, all sealed in place. The type of user who wants to be able to upgrade things shouldn't really want that: you want a Mac Pro.

The new Mac Pro isn't too much farther out now. Well, it may be a while. But, it's going to happen in 2013. I don't think that MR knows anything about it, except that it's probably going to be built in a new facility in America and probably with a lot of automation; the way Macs used to be built when they used to be made in America. Which might drive down the cost a bit- although they never were cheap back then. Hah, I have no basis at all for speculating that the Mac Pro will be available and affordable. But I know it will be a more suitable computer for your desires than the iMac.

So, hold out for the Pro.

TLDR:
1) Most people don't want an upgradable computer, so it makes sense for Apple not to make its main line upgradable.

2) Most people don't want a DVD drive and Apple doesn't want to keep fixing them, so it makes sense not to include them in the main lines.

3) You should wait for a Mac Pro.

Yes, a Mac Pro is certainly a good option although I shudder to think what the cost will be. I actually still have a dead G4 (power supply I think) sitting under my desk. I LOVED that computer and until it died was still used occasionally to access old programs that are no longer supported on Intel Macs.

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Originally Posted by MattA

Killing the floppy drive is one thing. Floppies were quickly becoming useless. Optical disks are not useless.

I used to back up my Mac SE/30 to floppy disc. Ha! I could not even fit a single photo from my Nikon D300 on to a floppy now!

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Originally Posted by BayouTiger

The old non upgradable whine gets really old. No one upgrades laptops other than HD and Ram, and 90% of owners don't do that. The iMac is even less.

Right. And when your HD craps out like they always do after a couple years, tell me that again. Seriously, you need to be able to access the HD unless you simply want to consider the iMac a disposable computer every 3-4 years. But if you use the computer hard and rely on the internal drive as the primary drive, replacement is mandatory or you're HD is a dead man walking.

[THOPMedia]

Originally Posted by cnymike

A little background: I purchased a mid-2012 13" 2.9GHz MBP and a 15" mid-2012 2.7GHz i7 with Hi-Res Anti-glare MBP a couple months ago. Love them both but especially the 15". It's screaming fast. I also own an older iMac that needs to be replaced. That's the dilemma.

I was holding off upgrading my iMac awaiting the new iMac's. Now that they've been announced I"m not very happy that I"d be losing the optical drive and be getting essentially a sealed unit that is not easily user upgradeable.

So now I'm considering either getting another mid-2012 15" MBP and an external monitor or a 2011 27" iMac if one ever shows up again as a refurb.

I'm a DJ and use my MBP with VirtualDJ and I use my iMac for photography and video editing mostly.

Help me sort this out. I feel like Apple really doesn't want me as a customer anymore the direction their product line is moving.

What upgrades did you do on your existing computers? What upgrades where you serious about doing on the iMac if you got it?

[cnymike]

Originally Posted by THOPMedia

What upgrades did you do on your existing computers? What upgrades where you serious about doing on the iMac if you got it?

RAM, HD, possibly SSD in the future.

[snberk103]

Originally Posted by cnymike

....
Right. And when your HD craps out like they always do after a couple years, tell me that again. Seriously, you need to be able to access the HD unless you simply want to consider the iMac a disposable computer every 3-4 years. But if you use the computer hard and rely on the internal drive as the primary drive, replacement is mandatory or you're HD is a dead man walking.

I have owned personal computers since the late 1980s.... my first one was an IBM AT. Had the fancy orange text monitor, instead of the green text. I keep my computers for a long time, and before I had Apple computers, would upgrade them as needed. I could easily put 4, 5, 6, or more years on a system. Usually, about the only "original" part would be the HDD. The old, small, slow HDDs would become backup disks to the newer, faster, larger HDDs.

In our household today, we have multiple Macs, the first one coming with Tiger pre-installed. We are using Macs that were built in 2012, and Macs that were built in 2007 or 2008.

I am confident I am accurate when I say that, at a minimum, we use our HDDs for at least 3 years. Some have been going for 6 or more years.

In all of that time I can recall only one or two HDDs that went bad on me. The rest simply outlived their usefulness.

HDDs may go bad after 3-4 years, but in my experience... and I have a lot of experience... that is not the norm.

ymmv, of course. But please don't try to convince that your experience is the average. I don't believe that. I will take your word that you have had issues, but I don't believe it's typical.

imho, only, of course....

[cnymike]

Originally Posted by snberk103

HDDs may go bad after 3-4 years, but in my experience... and I have a lot of experience... that is not the norm.

ymmv, of course. But please don't try to convince that your experience is the average. I don't believe that. I will take your word that you have had issues, but I don't believe it's typical.

imho, only, of course....

I'm not trying to convince you or anyone else of anything. I'm expressing my opinion.

With the density of HD's increasing concurrently with the downsizing of the platters, even simple vibration or loud noise can cause tracking errors. Warranty periods used to be 5 years, then 3 years and new externals I've bought now at 1 year warranty.

I've had HD's regularly go bad. To that point I replace HD"s before they go bad as a precaution. I want the ability to get in the case without having to use suction cups, welding equipment and double sided tape to put it back together again.

A client of mine just had 3 iMac hard drives replaced as a result of an Apple recall. Guess how the cases were opened? With suction cups and I have no idea what else was done to get them open and then closed again. Couldn't do it myself, had to call in an Apple tech.

No thanks to the new case.

[agitoTech]

Originally Posted by cnymike

I feel like Apple really doesn't want me as a customer anymore the direction their product line is moving.

Yes, that is 100% correct. Apple has singled you out and no longer wants your business...

[Golem]

Originally Posted by MonkeySee....

Its odd that you need to have an internal drive.

Lets see, a thinner imac when I have 6-8 inches behind my current imac and yet one more thing on my desk, complete with cables. If I wanted lots of external devices i would buy a tower or mac mini, monitor, speakers, blah blah. No I buy a Imac because I like "All in one" form factor.

Do I need a drive? Yes. I probably use the current drive 3-4 times a week.

[aliensporebomb]

My 2009 27" iMac had an OptiArc internal SuperDrive and the thing worked worse and worse and was finally replaced under AppleCare. I would prefer an external - it will be much faster and read a wider array of external media when needed.

The latest Mac Mini is a great value but the iMac 27 isn't a deal breaker just because it doesn't have a built in optical drive.

[Brad777]

I'm not an expert here and could be wrong. Can you not connect the iMac to one of your MBPs to satisfy your occasional CD/DVD drive requirements?