21.5" iMac Has No User-Upgradable RAM; 27" Has Four Accessible RAM Slots

[george-brooks]

Originally Posted by aquaboy

Does it have a Kensington Lock Slot?

Yes it appears to, based on the photo in the first post on the second page

[patohi]

Originally Posted by Rend It

I can't agree more. I think this is clearly a lame move. Now, if I purchase one of these new iMacs, I plan on getting the Fusion drive, so I was holding out hope that the Fusion combo would include a 7200 rpm drive. I'm not particular optimistic, however.

Clearly, this wasn't motivated by costs. 7200 rpm drives are not that much more expensive. I'm guessing it's heat. It's also likely that the hard disks in the 21.5" iMacs are 2.5", rather than 3.5", since the max size is 1 TB. So, once again Apple, why must you make a desktop system so vanishingly thin that you have to move to mobile-sized hard drives?

It's a DESKTOP, for crying out loud!

lol!!!! It is a DESKTOP, for crying out loud!!!
We really don't need smaller and lighter do we???? How often do you move your iMac around or put in your messenger bag????? I was hoping for desktop graphics cards.... GT 640M graphics to start? ....

[thelead]

it'll be fun to see one of the teardown sites take these apart.

[shanmugam]

Officially today Apple announced they are adding "i" in front of their name and it is going to be called iApple

Death to the Mac desktops!

[longofest]

Originally Posted by Mike Oxard

They still make 5400 rpm drives?

It's a common speed for 2.5" drives. Laptop manufacturers will use them to get better battery life. Now why you'd ever use it in a desktop is beyond me.

[milo]

Originally Posted by wikus

Apple doesnt give a damn about professionals, and neither do you.

I'd think that "professionals" would probably get either the bigger imac or a different model entirely. While I'm a fan of expansion, especially ram, it doesn't really bug me when the other model has four ram slots.

[GenesisST]

Originally Posted by milo

I'd think that "professionals" would probably get either the bigger imac or a different model entirely. While I'm a fan of expansion, especially ram, it doesn't really bug me when the other model has four ram slots.

I'm a professional... I make a living with memory hogs like XCode and Eclipse (and the terminal, b****! To mimmick Mr Pinkman )... And I use a 21.5" iMac... Would I love a 27"? Sure! Can I live with 22" (rounded) and use the $$ difference somewhere else, hell yeah.

With my 2006 iMac (still running!) and 2010 MBP, I started with the stock ram and maxed it out. I don't see why I wouldn't do that... if I could...

[sauceman38]

I checked the Apple site, and there's no way to see build options for the iMacs. Does this mean we can't see them until Nov/Dec.?

[DJJAZZYJET]

The 21.5" has a 5,400 RPM HDD? LOL!

[brdeveloper]

I would blame the non user-upgradeable storage, but these SSD caches work pretty well.

I've tested a Samsung ultrabook with just 16GB SSD cache and it boots and wakes up pretty fast, so it's a better approach bringing 128GB SSD cache plus an 1TB HDD than only installing an expensive 256GB SSD.

Of course, Apple's "ExpressCache" it's not as innovative as they say. Actually it's pretty outdated. I would hope this approach in the new MBPro retina. It would be nice having a 500GB HDD cached in a 32GB SSD.

[trims]

Originally Posted by Hakone

I'll take the high config 27", but add the Fusion drive. =(

Lovin' the Fusion drive.

OS and apps on SSD with programs and data on the HDD? Brilliant!

Just like my RiscPC has had for >15 years!

[flopticalcube]

Originally Posted by longofest

It's a common speed for 2.5" drives. Laptop manufacturers will use them to get better battery life. Now why you'd ever use it in a desktop is beyond me.

To make a slimmer desktop?

[mcfrazieriv]

iMac mini

[WatchTheThrone]

I need some advice....ive been waiting for an iMac since June and I thought waiting for the new one would be worth it but after seeing it im now a lil disappointed. Not disappointed with the loss of the optical but the upgradable ram.
I plan to use it for logic pro so should I wait and get this with 8 gb or buy current version (which is cheaper) and just upgrade the ram myself and for cheaper!!

USB 3 isn't really that important for me yet specially since the current version has thunderbolt. Also it being thinner is cool but useless for a desktop. I'd rather they made the ram upgradable and the hd 7200

[wikus]

Originally Posted by milo

I'd think that "professionals" would probably get either the bigger imac or a different model entirely. While I'm a fan of expansion, especially ram, it doesn't really bug me when the other model has four ram slots.

Professionals dont have much choice in a different model entirely. Like I said, Apple doesnt give a damn about professionals, the different model available is the Mac Pro which has been completely ignored for the last 4 years.

These new iMacs are a joke. I keep saying Apple is obsessed about limiting choice for consumers, but everytime they make a small incremental change like this that is detrimental for users, the hoards of apple fanboys *always* overlook the criticisms.

What could have POSSIBLY been so wrong with letting users upgrade the ram on their own? Would an iMac not be as good if it had that ability? Would an iPhone be worse off if the battery was replaceable? Would the original iPod not be the same if it didn't force the use of iTunes?

What the hell is so wrong with CHOICE? These normal optional things make *zero* of a difference for the complete noobs, it doesnt make things any more complicated.

[baryon]

Is the 16 GB RAM upgrade online fairly priced though? Because it's worth maxing out your machine when you order it anyway, since you will eventually need the extra RAM at some point, might as well get the most out of it from the start. Unless throwing away the 8GB that came with it and replacing it with 16GB of your favorite brand is still cheaper?

[wikus]

Originally Posted by patohi

lol!!!! It is a DESKTOP, for crying out loud!!!
We really don't need smaller and lighter do we???? How often do you move your iMac around or put in your messenger bag????? I was hoping for desktop graphics cards.... GT 640M graphics to start? ....

If you want horsepower, your better off with a PC and Windows, clearly Apple is catering to the tech illiterate.

Or you could try a Hackintosh.

----------

Originally Posted by baryon

Is the 16 GB RAM upgrade online fairly priced though? Because it's worth maxing out your machine when you order it anyway, since you will eventually need the extra RAM at some point, might as well get the most out of it from the start. Unless throwing away the 8GB that came with it and replacing it with 16GB of your favorite brand is still cheaper?

You can bet your life that it will NOT be fairly priced. Apple has the *worst* track record for ripping off customers for simple RAM upgrades.

[314631]

5400 RPM is fine because for me battery life is much more important than drive speed.

[wikus]

I suspect that Apple purposely got rid of user replaceable parts like the hard drive in order to push their agenda of the FAILURE that was Thunderbolt and get people to buy devices that use the port. Looks like theyre trying to save thunderbolt. I won't be using it. USB3 is a safer route seeing how its compatible with basically every computer on the planet.

Nice move, Apple

[trip1ex]

Originally Posted by Rend It

I can't agree more. I think this is clearly a lame move. Now, if I purchase one of these new iMacs, I plan on getting the Fusion drive, so I was holding out hope that the Fusion combo would include a 7200 rpm drive. I'm not particular optimistic, however.

Clearly, this wasn't motivated by costs. 7200 rpm drives are not that much more expensive. I'm guessing it's heat. It's also likely that the hard disks in the 21.5" iMacs are 2.5", rather than 3.5", since the max size is 1 TB. So, once again Apple, why must you make a desktop system so vanishingly thin that you have to move to mobile-sized hard drives?

It's a DESKTOP, for crying out loud!

yeah heat and Fusion too gave them a reason to put a slower drive in there. The thinness necessitated a 2.5" drive. And once that was a requirement then ....5400 rpm became an easier decision. They did go 1TB which is twice what they offered before. Just twice the size will help the transfer rate everything being equal. IN this case since everything isn't equal, it will lessen the effect of the slower rpm compared to the 500gb 7200 rpm drive before.

YOu can already see too that they had to raise their pricepoint so cost was an issue relatively speaking. I mean obviously they have a nice profit margin on all their products.

[afd]

Originally Posted by aurichie

5400 RPM is fine because for me battery life is much more important than drive speed.

Now that I think about it, this also explains lack of optical drive, that'd be a drain on the battery too

[mslide]

I guess if I ever want to buy a non-portable laptop, I know where to go. Just like Apple... form >>>>> function.

[Banjhiyi]

No replaceable RAM is one too many FU's from Apple.

Stick it, Cook. I'm done.

[Rend It]

Originally Posted by aurichie

5400 RPM is fine because for me battery life is much more important than drive speed.

I'm assuming you're joking.

Battery life in a desktop system? Are you referring to the battery life of the UPS?

[Dekard]

Originally Posted by afd

I think the lack of an optical drive is more off putting than soldered in memory. I can understand getting rid of it on a portable, you can plug in a USB drive when you need it, but on a desktop if you ever need it you'd plug it in and leave it cluttering up your desk, filling up a USB port. Plenty of us want to watch a DVD, or rip it, rip a cd a losslessy or burn a cd or DVD.
I know someone that just bought last year's iMac and I felt bad I didn't warn about the upcoming iMacs. Now I know he's got a computer that suits his needs better, I just feel bad that he could have probably got it cheaper.

I haven't used my superdrive 2 times in over 2 years. I can plug in a external one if I need to use one. It's like a floppy drive now a days. Even cars are coming with memory card slots..