Apple Releases New iMacs

[jbabcock]

Yuh, me too!

I would really like a blu-ray drive in it!

WORD!

Anybody got any useful comments about the graphics card options on the upper end? Specifically, does the extra $150 for NVIDIA provide any benefit for the non-gamer graphic designer using Creative Suite apps? Another user elsewhere in this thread suggested something about the heat from the GeForce that would la da da blah, whatever it was he said. A potential problem?

 

[anmoldagreat]

...wait is it tuesday?

 

[Trip.Tucker]

3GHz reminds me of the the fabled G5. Would never see that running at 3GHz inside an iMac let alone dual core.

Seems pretty impressive. Still I'm happy with my matte iMac.

Hear hear! Thats the one thing stopping me about the iMac - the glossy (reflective screen)

 

[mike12806]

If they're using desktop chips now, why not stuff a quad-core in there???

 

[3247]

I'll be doing that but also picking up an iPhone, so I'll do my part to stimulate the economy. Like others, I don't think is the best solution, but I'd rather money be in my hands than the Fed's hands, so I'll take it.

The iPhone is MADE IN CHINA, isn't it?

 

[137489]

Yeah b/c our economy is going downhill, they are giving $600 to most individuals who earn less than a certain amount (I think around $80k/yr). However, the idea was that everyone is SUPPOSED to spend it to get the economy going again (not likely to happen even if they do spend it). But I think most ppl are going to just save the money or apply it to debt.

Since I already bought my Macbook 2 weeks ago, I am going to use mine to apply to debt.

 

[dannyboi83]

If they're using desktop chips now, why not stuff a quad-core in there???

There not using desktop chips, and a quad would be way to hot for such a small enclosed space such as the iMac

 

[crees!]

I'll be using my "economic stimulus" for the v2.0 iPhone.

Same here but just got blinded-sided with the comment, "We're going to put this toward the wedding fund, right?"

 

[chadder007]

Meh, you can only update the graphics card on the 24 inch model.

Disappointed..

When will we see the next (real) upgrade?

Yep, the graphics are still dissapointing. They didn't even switch to the 3000 series of ATI cards when the 4000's are about to come out....

 

[Shadow]

If they're using desktop chips now, why not stuff a quad-core in there???

2 words: thermal envelope.

 

[Obi-Wan Kubrick]

A little longer to wait.

Welcome...and now might be the time to replace that G5

It will probably be replaced when the rumored Mac Book Pro comes out sometime this year.

 

[superfly3000]

Which is more bang for my buck (yen)

I'll be at the store first thing tomorrow (It's still a Tuesday release here in Japan).
I'll be getting the 2.8Ghz 24" model and I've got an extra 200 dollars to spend.

I'm wondering which would be a better use of my money, upgrading the processor from 2.8 to 3.06, or the memory from 2gb to 4gb?

 

[Eidorian]

And all you PC users who want 8Gb of RAM, thats what the Mac pro is for, 4Gb is plenty for most especially with the processors, and OSX is way better than windows at handling memory.

Old Santa Rosa supported 8 GB of RAM. Sadly Apple's implementation is limited to 4 GB given the developer note not to mention the lack of 4 GB SODIMMs.

 

[gnasher729]

Well if that's the case then why bump the RAM to 800 at all?

(667 x 2) > 1066

A lot of the numbers with RAM are pure marketing.

The "667", "800" or "1066" number is the clock speed of the memory. But there is another number that you need to know: The number of clocks that the memory takes to deliver data. It is quite possible that a company builds 667 MHz RAM that takes four cycles to start delivering data, 800 MHz RAM that takes five cycles, and 1066 MHz RAM that takes six cycles. So the 1066 MHz RAM wouldn't actually be a lot faster.

Anyway, 800 MHz sells better than 667 MHz

 

[occamsrazor]

WORD!

Specifically, does the extra $150 for NVIDIA provide any benefit for the non-gamer graphic designer using Creative Suite apps?

What I would like to know is why isn't the GPU used more for movie playback, it seems a natural thing to do... For example when playing back DivX/Xvid files using VLC you can make VLC do some rather CPU-intensive "post-processing" to really improve the image quality... but why is it the CPU doing this? H.264 1080p files can be a real processor hog....

Is there any indication that a higher-end graphics card will improve movie playback and/or take some of the movie playback tasks away from the CPU leaving it for other things? Like with Aperture.....

Am not sure I really understand what happens during movie playback in terms of tasks allocated to the CPU & GPU but am interested to learn more about this....

 

[dasein]

L2 Cache

Interesting that the bump in the MacBook Pro has a 3MB L2 Cache for most of the line, but this one utilizes the 6MB for all of them. I wonder if the next MBP updates will do the same. I thought it cheesey that they went with a 4 down to a 3MB L2 Cache on the 'pro' laptop line.

 

[137489]

I think it will be a while before we see blu-ray. I still do not see many PC's that have it, nor do I see any external DVD burners with blu-ray on the shelves anywhere. that being said (and I said it before) - Blu ray is nice, but still expensive. Also, is your source video files are not that good quality, then blu-ray is really not going to make a difference. We need camcorders or cameras that already record at that level. However, it would still be nice for us who have lots of files and still like to permanately backup to CD/DVD. My video files alone take up 20+gb (thats 5 regular DVD's if using DVD as a data disk). I looked at double layered DVD's and they were still $$$$ - 3 for $20. Right now I can buy 100 DVD's (well used to until CompUsa went out of business) for $17.

 

[skellener]

Specifically, does the extra $150 for NVIDIA provide any benefit for the non-gamer graphic designer using Creative Suite apps?

I would imagine Motion and something like Pixelmator will both benefit from the upgraded GPU. It's faster and now with 512mb, it will be able to store more info in the graphics buffer. I don't think Adobe takes advantage much of the GPU do they?. Maybe when they rewrite for 64-bit in CS5 in about 3 years it will. I think a 24" 3Ghz 512 iMac is in my future!

 

[skellener]

I don't think we'll see BluRay in a Mac until Final Cut Studio/DVD Studio Pro is upgraded. That probably won't be until next year.

 

[schmoopy.design]

What will benefit me the most?

Hi all. I have been waiting for this day for quite a while. I have a question for all you experts out there.

I will be using my imac primarily for graphic design, internet, word processing, and occasional movie viewing. Is it worth it for me to get the (previous version) 2.8 ghz with the 500GB HD and 800 mhz front side bus for $1599 or should I get the current updated 2.8 ghz with the 320GB HD and faster front side bus for $1699. I am wondering if the extra storage space will be more beneficial to me than the bus speed but I am not an expert on these matters?

Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks everybody!

 

[zekegri]

Like to know

What I'd like to know is why hasn't Apple embraced and been one of the first to install the new firewire? S3200, is backwards-compatible with the IEEE 1394b standard and will be able to use the existing cables and connectors already deployed for FireWire 800 products.
Get on with it already!

 

[dasein]

No one here cares!

Apple's market share has never been so high. The current product range is fine for 90% of people. If you want a cheap but powerful computer - just buy a windows machine. You won't ever see lots of games being released on OS X because Macs will never have the market share of Windows so it doesn't make sense financially.

Now go away.

Add to that that if a Mac user wants your PC game, he/she can just load it under bootcamp (their cost for the Windows OS). So why dual code for 2 platforms?

 

[RichardI]

Wow, that's an impressive update, IMHO. To get the exact same machine I have now, except for the better video card and processor, and FSB speed = $300 LESS Can. than I paid back in Aug. Get 'em while they're hot!!!

Rich

 

[Wolf04]

I'd just like to point out a few things since people seem to be confused by the naming. There is no such thing as a Montevina CPU as well as there was no such thing as a Santa Rosa CPU. These are platforms that are used by PCs. Why do you think PCs have Intel Centrino Duo (codename: Santa Rosa) sticker on them, when the Macs have only Intel Core 2 Duo?

That's because the platforms are for PCs and Macs don't use those platforms, which are PC-specific. A platform includes all the following things: Intel PRO/Wireless network adapter, Intel mobile processor, Intel mobile chipset (southbridge and northbridge).

During the Santa Rosa period, there were two CPU upgrades, the original Merom (later updated with what you people refer to as Santa Rosa CPUs, which is incorrect since all they were were updated Merom chips) and Penryn.

During the new Montevina period, the introductory CPU is updated Penryn chips. So, NO these new iMacs do NOT have Montevina chips (because there's NO such thing), they are updated Penryn chips.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrino#Montevina_platform_.282008.29
for the non-believers (and I will recopy this post into every thread where people ask if the new MBP will have Montevina chips and I can tell you that they won't, they'll have updated Penryn chips MEANT for the PC Montevina platform).

 

[johnmcboston]

And all you PC users who want 8Gb of RAM, thats what the Mac pro is for, 4Gb is plenty for most especially with the processors, and OSX is way better than windows at handling memory.

Depends on what you're doing. I was a little shocked the other day. When I woke the Mac up, it seemed a bit sluggish. Seems iphoto had taken up all available free memory on the computer. Talk about creep...