2011 iMac Notes: Magic Trackpad Option, Display Connectivity, Boot Camp Update

[schimmel]

Did anyone notice that it has an IPS display?
http://www.apple.com/imac/features.html#displays

iMac 24's have had IPS displays since their inception in 2006. Every 21.5 and 27 inch iMac has had IPS displays, as evidenced by SwitchResX readouts, and the fact that they have around 178 degrees horizontal and vertical viewing angles.

If allows me to run Starcraft 2 at the insanely high native resolution with all the details set to high at 60 fps, I'd spring for it. (the 2GB upgrade)

You get basically no performance benefit whatsoever going from 1 GB to 2 GB even at 2560x1440, see Anandtechs test of just this:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/graphics-ram-4870,2428.html

More info on GPU memory in OS X:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/2804

 

[seek3r]

Personally I'm a huge fan of daisy chaining. Less devices, less cables, less clutter. You just attach each device to the next.

What is it you have an aversion to?

What if I need to pull a drive somewhere in the chain but I'm still accessing a device farther along the chain? Daisy chaining is a *massive* pain for anyone who deals with external devices that aren't permanently, or at least semi-permanently, hooked up to a single machine!

 

[mudstuff]

Hi, I've been lurking for the last few months waiting for the refresh. This'll be my first home Mac (got a Mac Pro and MBP in my office).

I ordered the 27" i7 Quad yesterday with 2GB 6970 and trackpad. Got the standard 4GB RAM and will add some more myself. It's a shame about the target display mode as I was hoping to use the iMac sporadically as a display in the lounge when my buddies bring their Xbox 360's round but hopefully there'll be a HDMI/DVI/Mini display port > ThunderBolt box. It's a pretty expensive occasional use proposition though and it might be easier to throw a £100 TFT display in a cupboard to get out for gaming.

I look forward to seeing some benchmarks.

 

[ten-oak-druid]

So I read that if a monitor, such as an imac in target display mode, is part of a thunderbolt chain of devices, it must be the last in the chain and is not hot-swappable. Correct me if I'm wring but that is what I remember reading about it here on MR I believe.

This reminds me of the days of scsi. So if I want to use a thunderbolt monitor, I need to turn the computer off and back on at the start and end of the session in order to connect and later disconnect the monitor.

Are devices connected to a hub in the chain ending with the monitor still hor swappable?

I'm looking forward to thunderbolt drives. The monitor thing doesn't look too appealing for portable macs at least. For a mac mini or tower it isn't as much of a problem.

 

[morespce54]

Software options are an epic fail more expensive than Apple's own Mac app store

That's because you got the physical DVDs included.


Anyway, I'm not getting these Rev A... Kidding!

 

[hoonu]

So I read that if a monitor, such as an imac in target display mode, is part of a thunderbolt chain of devices, it must be the last in the chain and is not hot-swappable. Correct me if I'm wring but that is what I remember reading about it here on MR I believe.

This reminds me of the days of scsi. So if I want to use a thunderbolt monitor, I need to turn the computer off and back on at the start and end of the session in order to connect and later disconnect the monitor.

Are devices connected to a hub in the chain ending with the monitor still hor swappable?

I'm looking forward to thunderbolt drives. The monitor thing doesn't look too appealing for portable macs at least. For a mac mini or tower it isn't as much of a problem.

Too bad the mac mini that works with this iMac doesn't exist. Nor does that tower you're speaking of.

 

[Bertmg]

new iMacs missing the "Bang"

No Blue Ray, no 30 inch monitors, no new OSX (yet), Bootcamp still requires re-start, no new included software like Pages, and prices did not come down... Waited several years to replace my TI laptop and my 30 inch external monitor (yup I still use them and they work really good).

Very, very disappointing.

 

[mBox]

Whine and Cheeze

I'm beginning to think that most Apple users are just spoiled brats

Don't like...don't buy it

 

[ten-oak-druid]

Too bad the mac mini that works with this iMac doesn't exist. Nor does that tower you're speaking of.

????

Has nothing to do with my comment.

 

[drsmithy]

And where on the MBP logic board would you like to place the second video card?

You don't need two video cards to drive two outputs.

 

[r00fus]

Wow, the dual screen output is what could some day push me over the edge. A 27" display + 2 27" Apple screens either side sounds pretty nice. Still not enough to make me part with my 30" ACD right now though.

You do realize you can do almost the same thing (not sure about resolutions) with USB2 displaylink adapters?

My lowly 2007 Santa Rosa MBP can handle this fine with one 22" monitor using the old EVGA UVPlus... I even run it over a hub that also does keyboard, mouse and iphone cradle. Slight delay, no stutter, nothing. videos play fine (never tried full screen, but it's my work computer, so no need for that).

 

[Bertmg]

Apple feeds spoil brats!

I'm beginning to think that most Apple users are just spoiled brats

Don't like...don't buy it

"Beginning to think..."? of curse we are spoil brats! We pay top dollar for that privilege. Apple created us and cater to us first (Until recently not counting the mobile devices) lol..

I am a huge Mac fun and I am aware there are some downfalls an I like to voice them out. For Apple, "great power comes great responsibility"... lol Most if not all the time Apple comes up with a new update, specially for a product so awaited as it is the iMac, it usually comes with a "Bang" for innovation and new features. I didn't feel it, did you?

An Apple will be next for me never the less As much as I hate desk clutter and cables, I may just replace my setup with a MacBook Pro when the new OS comes up and keep my nice 30 inch monitor instead. Or just wait for the next MacMini or just the iPad 3 (I waited enough for next PC innovation what is a year more) .

PS: I also wanted a lighted key board, input connections on the side not the rear, remote control updates, cooler temperature monitor (My friend's iMac is a little room heater) and direct connection from the iMac via Wi-Fi to my TVs so I can use the TV either as an extended monitor, sans cables, or to I watch TV content without the need to use the AppleTV.

 

[Ivan Malagurski]

...

One more amazing Apple product

 

[3282868]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8G4 Safari/6533.18.5)

What has Apple done since the iPhone:

snip

I think I covered enough

__________________

u mad bro?

Seriously though. Most of that is just you being angry at apple. It has nothing to do with the Mac Pro. At all. Not including a blu-ray drive is a FAR bigger nuisance to consumers than it is to professional users, yet you list it because, what? You're angry?

Apple has no reason to discontinue the Mac Pro.

No "bro," not mad at all, are you? There are more important things in the world to be mad about. Was just agreeing with another members comments. Don't want to discuss it further as it seems to be making others mad that I expressed my opinion. My apologies.

And yes, most of my comments are in regard to professional users. It is rather frustrating that new users to Apple who came onboard with the iPhone and iOS, etc get upset with users who carried Apple through the many years they were borderline bankrupt before Jobs returned. Most don't even know what RI means or the difference bet IPS and S-IPS panels or that graphic designers almost always use hoods with non-antiglare displays as anti-glare disperses the pixels making fine editing difficult.

My only point now is that Apple has dropped us, prosumers, for the masses of Soccer mom's and fashionista's with iPhones, iMacs and iPads. Funny how even Annie Leibovitz has left Apple systems due to this and that many in the film industry who invested thousands in Apple pro apps and hardware have switched platforms.

However, this isn't a topic a lot of the newbies know or understand, so instead of discussing it civilly they get obnoxious and defensive.

PS when did I state that Apple may discontinue the Mac Pro? I stated their focus has shifted, you're over reaching and reading emotions that don't exist in my comment(s).