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

[PhatBoyG]

Surely I'm not the only one who's noticed that the i7 is slower than the i5, and that the Radeon HD 6970M is slower than the 6750M.

Whaaaaa?

The baselines are different when you click the different models. The 6970M is most definitely faster than the 6750M.

 

[neuropsychguy]

The trackpad option is awesome. Every bundled Apple mouse I've gotten for the past 15 years has gone straight in the trash. The only good mouse Apple ever made was the ADB II. At least now I get a free trackpad to play with! Cool!

I'd love to have a trackpad but I do really like the Magic Mouse. It's not super ergonomic, of course, but I like it more than most other traditional mice.

 

[cube]

Any instances and hardware where this is carried out?

You can hook 3+3 displays from some AMD 6000-series PCIe cards. I am not sure if it also works for 4+2 or 5+1, which would allow for different screen configurations (eg: 4x24"+2x30" or 5xSmaller+1x30"3D).

 

[puckhead193]

wow what an update. Seems like a fast computer for the average user.
One thing i noticed was the SDD option takes 4-6. Is there a shortage of SSDs?

 

[x98jacobs3]

Number of Displays?

This from Intel's Technology Brief on Thunderbolt Technology:

Users can add high-performance features to
their PC over a cable, daisy chaining one after another, up to a total
of 7 devices, 1 or 2 of which can be high-resolution DisplayPort
v1.1a displays (depending on the controller configuration in the host
PC).

So does this mean 3 external monitors once we can daisy chain? (I'm assuming one is the internal display.)

 

[Eidorian]

You can hook 3+3 displays from some AMD 6000-series PCIe cards. I am not sure if it also works for 4+2 or 5+1, which would allow for different screen configurations (eg: 4x24"+2x30" or 5xSmaller+1x30"3D).

Daisy chaining displays over the Display Port connector and/or the/a monitor or cabling that supports it not just Eyefinity.

 

[cube]

Daisy chaining displays over the Display Port connector and/or the/a monitor or cabling that supports it not just Eyefinity.

 

[realberen]

I'm chasing the 32GB RAM option for the 27" iMac

 

[Eidorian]

I understand that Eyefinity offers a single display per connector. The best example being the 5/6 Mini DisplayPort video cards on the market.

What I have not seen are daisy chaining multiple displays from a single DisplayPort connector (via proper cabling) or from a passthrough based on a display to an additional monitor.

 

[BeSweeet]

Meh. Still greatly overpriced for the hardware.

 

[cube]

I understand that Eyefinity offers a single display per connector. The best example being the 5/6 Mini DisplayPort video cards on the market.

What I have not seen are daisy chaining multiple displays from a single DisplayPort connector (via proper cabling) or from a passthrough based on a display to an additional monitor.

You can see the multiple monitor setups for those cards in the usual hardware sites.

 

[Eidorian]

You can see the multiple monitor setups for those cards in the usual hardware sites.

That is still one display per output though.

 

[katanna]

Love the free upgrade to the Magic Trackpad... I already have an $80 mouse (the Logitech MX Revolution) so I don't need a Magic Mouse, but I would love a free Magic Trackpad!

Matthew

 

[ZAiPhone]

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

 

[BeSweeet]

Love the free upgrade to the Magic Trackpad... I already have an $80 mouse (the Logitech MX Revolution) so I don't need a Magic Mouse, but I would love a free Magic Trackpad!

Matthew

I wouldn't consider it as being "free", since I'm sure they put it into the actual price of the iMac.

 

[Farthen]

I'm chasing the 32GB RAM option for the 27" iMac

Be careful! Those RAM modules from Amazon are full size DIMM modules. The iMac needs the smaller SO-DIMM modules though - they won't fit.

 

[cube]

That is still one display per output though.

If the monitors cannot daisy chain, you need a hub for the port(s) to which you connect multiple such displays.

 

[ethana]

I just called three local Apple Stores in the Seattle area and not a single one has the new iMacs in stock. Is this happening to everyone else? I really wanted to pick mine up today!

 

[Eidorian]

If the monitors cannot daisy chain, you need a hub for the port(s) to which you connect multiple such displays.

Thanks, I was just curious.

 

[Al Coholic]

So why doesn't Apple's main screen lead with the new iMac? It still shows white iPhone. Kind of telling, eh? It's almost like they're ashamed to let people know that a phone/tablet maker also churns out computers on the side.

Get 'em while you can folks before they get of the business.

 

[Lesser Evets]

macpro dead in 2 years...my prediction

We were discussing this a few threads down the front page.

Doubt the MacPro will be dead, but the market for it will shrivel up very badly unless some universal need for extreme processing is manufactured. With current processing speeds and ThunderBolt accessories, an iMac can become a full pro machine for all sorts of jobs that don't need to work titanic piles of data.

This Pro I purchased in early 2007 is still excellent. It will last until 2014 or beyond, and by that point I will probably go with an iMac. Today's iMacs are already faster than this tower in most ways.

 

[Daghis]

I just called three local Apple Stores in the Seattle area and not a single one has the new iMacs in stock. Is this happening to everyone else? I really wanted to pick mine up today!

I stopped by my local Apple store and had a similar experience. Actually, it was a bit worse... they still had the old iMacs out and when I asked about the new ones, I was told "What new iMacs?"

 

[eddieairplanes]

Anyone know how long it usually takes Amazon to get these in?

 

[ethana]

I stopped by my local Apple store and had a similar experience. Actually, it was a bit worse... they still had the old iMacs out and when I asked about the new ones, I was told "What new iMacs?"

LOL. That's kind of unusual for Apple.

 

[hayesk]

but i thought half the point of TB was that you would only need one output from the computer, and since we don't have any TB displays (or anything for that matter) how do we know that the ports are limited to one display?

TB has two 10 Gbps channels. A display takes up one of them. To power a second display, you could use the other channel, but you'd need some kind of breakout box that housed a video card.