The iMac update that will never happen...

yadmonkey · Mar 7, 2008

The number one thing I want to see in the iMac line is a DVI input. Boy would that be useful, to be able to use the iMac as a monitor for another Mac, PC, Xbox 360, etc. I'm guessing this is about as likely as the "headless" iMac, which would serve a similar purpose for me - attach it to a monitor which also takes a second source.

But now my options are limited to a) a wimpy Mac Mini, b) a powerful but really expensive Mac Pro + monitor setup, c) an iMac + a second monitor.

Option A doesn't fit my needs, B is beyond my budget, and C just seems silly and non-ergonomic. Will there ever be a headless iMac or iMac with an additional input? Am I alone in wanting this? I'm guessing no and no, but I'd like to hear people's thoughts about it...

Duflul · Mar 7, 2008

a headless imac would be awsome, I currently have a blackbook hooked up to a 24" dell, and I need something faster and don't want a imac, mbp, mp or mini. So if they ever do release one I will buy it instantly.

back in the day there was a single processor g5 for 1599 (i think)

yadmonkey · Mar 7, 2008

Duflul said:
back in the day there was a single processor g5 for 1599 (i think)

Well today there's an awfully big gap (price and power) between the Mini and the MP. I understand and respect SJ's desire to keep the product line sparse, but it seems there's plenty of room for one more.

MIDI_EVIL · Mar 7, 2008

A single Quad core Xeon Mac Pro is less than a 24" iMac, and you can get a monitor comparable to/better than the display in the iMac for £160 - £200

That's the headless iMac.

yadmonkey · Mar 7, 2008

fatsoforgotso said:
A single Quad core Xeon Mac Pro is less than a 24" iMac, and you can get a monitor comparable to/better than the display in the iMac for £160 - £200

That's the headless iMac.

I don't know about pricing in the UK, but that's not how it works here. The 24" iMac costs $1800 and $2250 and the Quad Xeon starts at $2300. The $1800 model is the one I'd get if it simply had an additional input. And the consumer-friendly headless iMac pricing would certainly come in at less than $2000.

trip1ex · Mar 7, 2008

Yeah I would like video in too.

clyde2801 · Mar 8, 2008

I would like a pony. Or a backrub. Or.....a pony that could give me backrubs!

Leon Kowalski · Mar 8, 2008

fatsoforgotso said:
A single Quad core Xeon Mac Pro is less than a 24" iMac ...

It appears that your Calculator.app is majorly busted:

24" iMac .............. 1800
AppleCare .............. 115 (LA Computer Company)
1 x 1GB RAM ............. 25 (Newegg/Mushkin)
----------------------------
Total ................ $1940

Single-CPU Mac Pro .... 2300
Wireless Card ........... 50
AppleCare .............. 170 (LA Computer Company)
Dell 2408WFP ........... 700
iSight ................ none
speakers .............. none
microphone ............ none
----------------------------
Total ................ $3220

Both are entry-level systems with 2GB RAM, 320GB HD, AppleCare,
and similar-quality 24" LCD displays (for those lucky enough to get
a gradient-free 24" ALU iMac). Even without camera/speakers/mic,
the Mac Pro system is 66% more expensive than the iMac. (If you
choose to cripple the Pro system with a cheap TN panel, you might
squeeze the price premium down to 50%.)

LK

yadmonkey · Mar 8, 2008

Thanks for doing the math... this UK does sound like a wondrous place, with cheap Mac Pros and flying nannies!

The fact is that if you want to have a Mac on your desktop and use a second device (360, PS3, PC, etc...) without having two monitors, your ONLY choices is between a MP and a Mini. Apple's history with gaming is bad enough, but they are basically c***-blocking gamers by limiting the options to either their expensive pro line or their wimpy Mini.

I realize I'm ranting at this point, but I find this dumbfounding. Their overpriced displays only take one input and their iMac takes none. How could Apple not foresee the need for many people to use more than a Mac with their products?

octojay · Mar 8, 2008

Do what I'm doing..

I'm getting an iMac as soon as they release the Penryn ones. I also would like to plug crap into it like my wii, or a 360 if I ever get one.

What I plan on doing is getting an external USB or firewire HD tuner. None appear to be out yet that do what I want (digital input), but I'm hoping someone will make one soon.

pSc

Flyinace2000 · Mar 8, 2008

The problem with those is there would be a slight delay from getting the video from the the tuner box to the computer display.

-Will

octojay said:
I'm getting an iMac as soon as they release the Penryn ones. I also would like to plug crap into it like my wii, or a 360 if I ever get one.

What I plan on doing is getting an external USB or firewire HD tuner. None appear to be out yet that do what I want (digital input), but I'm hoping someone will make one soon.

pSc

octojay · Mar 8, 2008

Flyinace2000 said:
The problem with those is there would be a slight delay from getting the video from the the tuner box to the computer display.

-Will

Yes, but how slight are we talking here? Would it even be noticeable? And are you basing that from using one or wild speculation?

pSc

trip1ex · Mar 8, 2008

octojay said:
Yes, but how slight are we talking here? Would it even be noticeable? And are you basing that from using one or wild speculation?

pSc

Elgato or someone like that makes a tv tuner that supposedly doesn't have this delay. I haven't used, but I read good things. I'm a bit skeptical, but always wanted to try it.

octojay · Mar 8, 2008

trip1ex said:
Elgato or someone like that makes a tv tuner that supposedly doesn't have this delay. I haven't used, but I read good things. I'm a bit skeptical, but always wanted to try it.

I was looking at them today and elgato only has one with analog inputs. The only "HD" it can get is the over the air kind.

Kind of pointless to call it an HD tuner when you can't plug in your HD feed..

pSc

yadmonkey · Mar 8, 2008

trip1ex said:
Elgato or someone like that makes a tv tuner that supposedly doesn't have this delay. I haven't used, but I read good things. I'm a bit skeptical, but always wanted to try it.

If you use an external box there's going to be some signal processing time. I'd find it hard to believe that there isn't a slight delay with even the best box... in certain games even a few milliseconds can make a big difference. That's why TVs which use color-enhancing technologies for movies have gaming modes which turn the feature off - the processing time for the digital effect gets in the the way of fast gaming.

Still, if there's a viable solution out there, I'd like to know more about it.

yadmonkey · Mar 8, 2008

octojay said:
I was looking at them today and elgato only has one with analog inputs. The only "HD" it can get is the over the air kind.

Kind of pointless to call it an HD tuner when you can't plug in your HD feed..

pSc

Right, so the analog-digital conversion takes processing time. Unless there's an all-digital solution, I don't think it will be fast enough.

Leon Kowalski · Mar 8, 2008

yadmonkey said:
Right, so the analog-digital conversion takes processing time. Unless there's an all-digital solution, I don't think it will be fast enough.

Actually, it's the other way around. The A/D conversion is sub-microsecond;
it's the digital processing (interpolation/resampling/encoding/decoding, etc)
that introduces delay. Short of a large and expensive analog delay-line, it's
virtually impossible to add more than a few usec delay in the analog domain.

LK

yadmonkey · Mar 8, 2008

Leon Kowalski said:
Actually, it's the other way around. The A/D conversion is sub-microsecond;
it's the digital processing (interpolation/resampling/encoding/decoding, etc)
that introduces delay. Short of a large and expensive analog delay-line, it's
virtually impossible to add more than a few usec delay in the analog domain.

LK

Interesting. I like your sig too.

Anyhow, Apple should just put an input on the dang thing, so I don't need a deskwart to get the job done!

trip1ex · Mar 8, 2008

yadmonkey said:
If you use an external box there's going to be some signal processing time. I'd find it hard to believe that there isn't a slight delay with even the best box... in certain games even a few milliseconds can make a big difference. That's why TVs which use color-enhancing technologies for movies have gaming modes which turn the feature off - the processing time for the digital effect gets in the the way of fast gaming.

Still, if there's a viable solution out there, I'd like to know more about it.

LIke I said I'm a bit skeptical, but Macworld reviewed it and I think they tested that part out. Elgato EyeTV thingamigige.

Leon Kowalski · Mar 8, 2008

yadmonkey said:
Anyhow, Apple should just put an input on the dang thing,
so I don't need a deskwart to get the job done!

Yep, agree 100%. Steve J. prattles on endlessly about the wonders of
"multimedia," but is totally unable to grasp the concept that there are
non-Apple video sources in the world. Even his brain-dead ACDs have
only one video input.

LK

The iMac update that will never happen...

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