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20" and 24" iMacs Due Mid-to-Late Summer

I have to say that I really LOVE my 20 inch INTEL iMac and I can't imagine it looking any better... if it does go metal, I think I will really miss the white.

A touch screen might eventually come this way, but has anyone else thought about a screen covered in fingerprints? That would drive me bananas.
 
Originally Posted by Zwhaler
Haha late summer I am so glad I bought my iMac when I did. I would hate to be waiting all this time!!
Click to expand...

tell me about it... although i wish i know the exact date for the release of the new iMacs, 'cause i'd try my hardest to sell this 17" iMac C2D (September 2006) just before... so an update to the new macs a few days later would only cost a few hundred extra... plus i really want a 20" screen...
 
zebra451 said:
I thought Apple got out of the computer business!
Seriously, my brain is so numb from waiting for Apple I almost bought a Dell!
This is your last chance Apple, deliver on this rumor or loose me forever.
I don't care about the iPhone, I need a new computer, and not yesterday's model.
Click to expand...

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the current iMac models.
 
flopticalcube said:
Except they use a chipset that will soon be out of production and represent poor value for money compared to competitors' machines that are out now or will be out soon. Other than that, they're great!
Click to expand...

last June my computer DIED HARD after 7 years... i was computerless for the entire summer... it was brutal! so i know all to well what it feels like to be desperately waiting for Apple to finally release the new iMac...

but when they do, and when you get to the Apple Store to buy it, and get home to set it up, it's so wow-great!...
 
iancapable said:
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the current iMac models.
Click to expand...
There is nothing wrong with a lot of things, but new models of them continue to come out. I myself think the next major revolution in the personal computer will be two simultaneous dramatic changes; One, touchscreen keyboard, two, that replaces the mouse. You heard is here first, or if you read AI, you probably heard it there, lol.

- Ireland
 
Darkroom said:
last June my computer DIED HARD after 7 years... i was computerless for the entire summer... it was brutal! so i know all to well what it feels like to be desperately waiting for Apple to finally release the new iMac...

but when they do, and when you get to the Apple Store to buy it, and get home to set it up, it's so wow-great!...
Click to expand...

That is the SWEETEST moment. I will be buying 2 iMacs and used mini for Christmas presents this year so there will be a whole lot of that going on in the flopticalcube household this year. :D
 
Mac Fly (film) said:
There is nothing wrong with a lot of things, but new models of them continue to come out. I myself think the next major revolution in the personal computer will be two simultaneous dramatic changes; One, touchscreen keyboard, two, that replaces the mouse. You heard is here first, or if you read AI, you probably heard it there, lol.

- Ireland
Click to expand...

omg! now THAT is something i could see concerning multi-touch and mac desktops! multi-touch keyboards! of-course! current keyboards are so clunky and make sounds... omg! The Mighty Board... ha!
 
Touch Screen is Going to Happen

Apple has not delayed the revision of the iMac just to put it in a fancy new shell and upgrade with the latest processors! They could have done that months ago.

Remember their mantra "to change the world". Look closely to many of the graphical changes to Leopard. They all say touch screen interface!

Here are a few examples:
- stacks from the dock give you one click (touch) access, the grid set-up looks just like the iPhone!
- the sidebar in the new finder gives one click (touch) access
- cover flow allows you to flip through selections.
- spaces has "button" type icons to jump between screens, birds eye view lets you select the screen with one click (touch).
- quick look gallery spreads out like a series of buttons to select documents
- time machine rolls through the records that can be brought up with one click (touch)
- etc..

I know that many of you say that a touch screen would be a waste of time or that it would be a pain to use, but you looking at it from the current state of touch screens. Apple would make it an elegant, intuitive and easy to use interface.

Let's face it, the mouse is a awkward, 30+ year old interface. Granted, most of us have gotten use to it (remember how it took some time to get use to moving that stupid mouse around when you first started), but it can be a pain in the rear to drag the pointer over to scroll down a screen and then drag it all the way across the screen again to click on a button, then drag it across the screen again, etc... Just think, you could scroll with one finger and then tap a button with another finger instantly. It allows you to do multiple items in a few quick taps instead of having to drag a mouse back and forth across the screen. (it is like doing everything with shortcut keys with out having to remember key strokes or setting up custom macros).

The first machines will still have all the keyboard and mouse capabilities, but eventually the old interfaces will fade away. Remember that flak that apple took when they dropped the floppy drive etc.. Apple wants to be the pioneer and change the way we do things. They want to put their computer years ahead of the competition.

You guys have to think outside the box. In five years we will all be laughing about how stupid it was to use a mouse!
 
this rumor has popped up at least three times in the past month and a half. each time the same discussion follows.
  • imacs can't be metal. they are not pro
  • the video cards are weak
  • i want touch screen
  • HEADLESS MAC
  • i want pimp features/specs but don't change the price

etc...
 
billystlyes said:
Try upgrading the video card, CPU or display. I'm not trying to hate, but the form factor is just tired.
Click to expand...

Compared to towers? :D

Some people like AIO, some like tiny barebones, and some people like towers. Good thing there's still a choice right?
 
alchemy2u said:
Remember their mantra "to change the world". Look closely to many of the graphical changes to Leopard. They all say touch screen interface!
Click to expand...

The same thing went through my mind when I saw the presentation.
However, I still don't see multitouch in the next iMac. It's too early for that in my opinion. So the Finder and a few other things might be easily controlled with a touchscreen, but frankly most of the other things are not.
For multitouch to be truly usable we'd need a whole new GUI, not just the desktop but all the applications would need to change. This is a process that takes several years.

I do however think that there might be an ultra portable with a multitouch screen coming fairly soon. And that would certainly take advantage of these changes in Leopard. But I don't see the iMac taking that path now, perhaps not ever. The functionality is just too limited to justify the costs of a 24" multitouch screen.
 
rainydays said:
Compared to towers? :D

Good thing there's still a choice right?
Click to expand...

True, but Apple isn't giving us much to choose from. That is why I am so frustrated. Good thing they have OS X going for them or I would be over at UbuntuRumors.com right now. :D
 
billystlyes said:
True, but Apple isn't giving us much to choose from. That is why I am so frustrated. Good thing they have OS X going for them or I would be over at UbuntuRumors.com right now. :D
Click to expand...

I don't know if it's because I grew up with Commodore and Atari, but I've never had a problem with tightly integrated not-all-upgradable computers. In fact I prefer them over the modular towers, even though I'm a tech person that has no problem building/fixing those.

I do agree that the HDD should be easier to change in the iMac. And the GPU could also be user upgradable if the cooling system allowed it, but I think they'd have to tie them to Apple-provided GPU upgrades, considering the compatibility issues that could arise otherwise.

But I think that the designers at Apple are trying their best to make this happen actually. They have made it a lot easier to upgrade RAM in the iMac, and RAM/HDD in the MacBook. Seems like things are heading in that direction actually.

I don't think a consumer level tower would be such a good idea really. I think it would be too problematic for the company right now. They can't even handle maintaining older products when trying to launch a new one.
Besides, their whole concept is based around simplicity. And simplicity is often reached by not offering too many choices.
 
Apple has not delayed the revision of the iMac just to put it in a fancy new shell and upgrade with the latest processors! They could have done that months ago.

Remember their mantra "to change the world". Look closely to many of the graphical changes to Leopard. They all say touch screen interface!

Here are a few examples:
- stacks from the dock give you one click (touch) access, the grid set-up looks just like the iPhone!
- the sidebar in the new finder gives one click (touch) access
- cover flow allows you to flip through selections.
- spaces has "button" type icons to jump between screens, birds eye view lets you select the screen with one click (touch).
- quick look gallery spreads out like a series of buttons to select documents
- time machine rolls through the records that can be brought up with one click (touch)
- etc..

I know that many of you say that a touch screen would be a waste of time or that it would be a pain to use, but you looking at it from the current state of touch screens. Apple would make it an elegant, intuitive and easy to use interface.

Let's face it, the mouse is a awkward, 30+ year old interface. Granted, most of us have gotten use to it (remember how it took some time to get use to moving that stupid mouse around when you first started), but it can be a pain in the rear to drag the pointer over to scroll down a screen and then drag it all the way across the screen again to click on a button, then drag it across the screen again, etc... Just think, you could scroll with one finger and then tap a button with another finger instantly. It allows you to do multiple items in a few quick taps instead of having to drag a mouse back and forth across the screen. (it is like doing everything with shortcut keys with out having to remember key strokes or setting up custom macros).

The first machines will still have all the keyboard and mouse capabilities, but eventually the old interfaces will fade away. Remember that flak that apple took when they dropped the floppy drive etc.. Apple wants to be the pioneer and change the way we do things. They want to put their computer years ahead of the competition.

You guys have to think outside the box. In five years we will all be laughing about how stupid it was to use a mouse!
Click to expand...

I agree, the iphone will be the first step in this transition. I don't think the next imac will be touchscreen (if it was I'd be selling my powerbook and getting one of those and a iphone)

people will use the iphone and think "man touch screens are cool" soon they will be wishing they had computers with touch screens. I was doing history research in the lab the other day at school with one of the monitors I was standing up using. I thought how cool would it be if I was going through different websites enlarging and moving maps with my fingers instead of the mouse.

soon as more and more people get on the iphone and use it and adjust to using that type of feature then we will see it intergrated into some products but a major redesign would take forever like others have said...unless apple has been developing this for awhile. but wouldn't jobs of said something at WWDC? maybe at next years conference

at least I hope!
 
alchemy2u said:
Apple has not delayed the revision of the iMac just to put it in a fancy new shell and upgrade with the latest processors! They could have done that months ago.

Remember their mantra "to change the world". Look closely to many of the graphical changes to Leopard. They all say touch screen interface!

Here are a few examples:
- stacks from the dock give you one click (touch) access, the grid set-up looks just like the iPhone!
- the sidebar in the new finder gives one click (touch) access
- cover flow allows you to flip through selections.
- spaces has "button" type icons to jump between screens, birds eye view lets you select the screen with one click (touch).
- quick look gallery spreads out like a series of buttons to select documents
- time machine rolls through the records that can be brought up with one click (touch)
- etc..

I know that many of you say that a touch screen would be a waste of time or that it would be a pain to use, but you looking at it from the current state of touch screens. Apple would make it an elegant, intuitive and easy to use interface.

Let's face it, the mouse is a awkward, 30+ year old interface. Granted, most of us have gotten use to it (remember how it took some time to get use to moving that stupid mouse around when you first started), but it can be a pain in the rear to drag the pointer over to scroll down a screen and then drag it all the way across the screen again to click on a button, then drag it across the screen again, etc... Just think, you could scroll with one finger and then tap a button with another finger instantly. It allows you to do multiple items in a few quick taps instead of having to drag a mouse back and forth across the screen. (it is like doing everything with shortcut keys with out having to remember key strokes or setting up custom macros).

The first machines will still have all the keyboard and mouse capabilities, but eventually the old interfaces will fade away. Remember that flak that apple took when they dropped the floppy drive etc.. Apple wants to be the pioneer and change the way we do things. They want to put their computer years ahead of the competition.

You guys have to think outside the box. In five years we will all be laughing about how stupid it was to use a mouse!
Click to expand...

You have completely ignored all of the issues many people here have raised with touchscreens:

1. A computer is usually arm's length away. Try holding your arms in front of you for any extended period. What is Apple going to "elegantly and intuitively" do to reduce the effects of gravity on your arms? Antigrav elbow rests? Helium filled floaties?

2. What are the killer apps for touchscreen? Cover flow? Whoop de doo, looks great, but how does it make you any more productive than pointing at it with your mouse? The reason touchscreens are on MOBILE devices is because there's no room for a mouse, but there's plenty on your desk!

3. Screens aren't meant to be manhandled all the time, and get fingerprints constantly (although I admit that this could potentially be overcome using some exotic coating that has never been seen on computers before).

4. What justifies the added expense of a touchscreen? Even in volume, there's no way Apple can get the cost down to <$400 per screen. So why would they add such a huge expense to a gimmicky way to interact with your PC?

You're forgetting that the reason the mouse is still around is because it does what it does quite well. There are myriad problems with touchscreens (you cover what you're pointing at, your finger isn't as high-res as the single-pixel cursor tip, etc) that we put up with on portable devices because we have no better alternative. But on desktops, we do have alternatives. It's called a mouse and a keyboard.
 
DTphonehome said:
You have completely ignored all of the issues many people here have raised with touchscreens:

1. A computer is usually arm's length away. Try holding your arms in front of you for any extended period. What is Apple going to "elegantly and intuitively" do to reduce the effects of gravity on your arms? Antigrav elbow rests? Helium filled floaties?

2. What are the killer apps for touchscreen? Cover flow? Whoop de doo, looks great, but how does it make you any more productive than pointing at it with your mouse? The reason touchscreens are on MOBILE devices is because there's no room for a mouse, but there's plenty on your desk!

3. Screens aren't meant to be manhandled all the time, and get fingerprints constantly (although I admit that this could potentially be overcome using some exotic coating that has never been seen on computers before).

4. What justifies the added expense of a touchscreen? Even in volume, there's no way Apple can get the cost down to <$400 per screen. So why would they add such a huge expense to a gimmicky way to interact with your PC?

You're forgetting that the reason the mouse is still around is because it does what it does quite well. There are myriad problems with touchscreens (you cover what you're pointing at, your finger isn't as high-res as the single-pixel cursor tip, etc) that we put up with on portable devices because we have no better alternative. But on desktops, we do have alternatives. It's called a mouse and a keyboard.
Click to expand...

QFT. It's funny how no one seemed to care about multi-touch iMacs until the iPhone came out. I also find it funny how people think Apple would first put a touchscreen in a desktop rather than a notebook. A notebook computer with multi-touch would actually be more useful and viable (writing notes, etc).
 
firstly.....what is the point in a touchscreen iMac.....that would be so annoying always reaching your hands across and touching this vertical screen, i couldnt think of anything worse...

and secondly...i would absoloutely love for them to combine the mac mini and the 17" into something really cheap and affordable which would be great for kitchens and grand-parents.....and actually come to think of it...if you had one of these iMac Mini's (i just named them, its official) in the kitchen, touch screen would come in and handy cause you could have a virtual keyboard just pop up....but otherwise, touchscreen is stupid.

i'm contridicting myself, get over it.
 
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