Apple Releases New iMacs

[HLdan]

Depending on the Apple store. Most sell what they have in stock. Some have some supply of the most popular parts on hand and my be able to customize it there (I have seen some genius bars do upgrades and repairs on the spot), if you are looking for something they do not have or cannot do, they can always order it for you.

That is so not correct. Some of the Apple stores will have a pre-configured models with upgrades as well as the base models. The stores do nothing more than upgrade ram on demand, they do not install processors or GPU's, that has to be done through the online store only.

 

[localoid]

And that's exactly what the Mini needs.

It would be nice to see Apple slide the current Minis down ~$200 each (so they're priced more in line to what they're actually worth) ...

Reality check: the current street prices on a 2Ghz "mobile" cpu is more than $200.

 

[gfoster610]

Sure about that? Gateway's One base model is $1349 and Apple's iMac base model is $1399 (configured). The Gateway has a 1.5 Ghz Core 2 and the iMac has a 2.4Ghz. Apple's baseline isn't too bad especially before configuration it's only $1199.

I'm sorry, but to compare and Apple product against a Gateway is stupid. Gateway produces some of the worst machines out there. They're one step up from Compaq machines. Their failure rate is really high and their repair service is laughable. The reason I was saying that it was crap right out of the gate were the specs. These underwhelming updates where the processor gets bumped a little along with a few very small changes are not significant.

Also, to answer some of the comments about gaming and games for the Mac, you people really should understand it a bit better. As far as the amount of games out for the Mac, there's plenty. As far as why there aren't more, there's no real argument out there in regards to that anymore. Take Eve Online for example. They were able to make a Mac client simply by tweaking the PC client. The Mac client won't run on Power PC machines because they simply tweaked it using WINE. When Apple was maing the move to Intel, a lot of Mac game developers were interviewed in regard to this. Pretty much all of them said that the move to Intel would make coding much easier, and make gaming on the Mac much more viable. If you want to read the articles you can find them at www.insidemacgames.com

Yeah, and I still love the perception that gamers are teenagers.

 

[inkswamp]

Reality check: the current street prices on a 2Ghz "mobile" cpu is more than $200.

Reality check: Apple doesn't pay street prices on anything.

 

[daneoni]

No.

Elaborate...?

 

[ikir]

Fantaaaaaaastic! 2 friends of mine will buy one next week!

 

[darthraige]

Wow. The high end model comes with a 500GB HD and 512 Graphics. Wish they had that standard for the MacPro.

 

[dernhelm]

I'm hoping more an complete overhaul than an update. Too many flaws to sell as is.

Amen. But I'll be ordering whatever it is they finally get around to producing. My sister-in-law and husband need a new computer. It's Mac or bust.

Esp. since I'm tech support.

 

[DaBrain]

Well damn... I guess I was way wrong on the colors Sorry guys

You need to can your inside source! Ooops that was you!

 

[IlluminatedSage]

very disappointing Apple hasn't added a superdrive which can also read Blu-Ray discs. Also bummed that Apple hasn't started to offer Blu-Ray burning drive as an option.

Apple really wants to keep the HD movies on Apple products solely from itunes.

feels pretty lame!!

 

[diamond.g]

These are simply THE BEST, MOST WELL BUILT, MOST WELL INTEGRATED AND MOST POWERFUL ALL IN ONE ON EARTH! Thank you AGAIN Apple!

There is NO WAY someone should whine now...SUPREME processors, SUPREME GPUs, SUPREME OS..!

I will take the top one with the NVidia GPU too, thanks a lot!

GO APPLE GO!

Fixed...

 

[macshark]

Note that many of these configs are based on the same die.

There's nothing that would prevent Apple & NVidia from making a deal where Apple puts an underclocked 8800GT configuration into the new iMac and calls it 8800GS...

Core Clock (MHz) Shader Clock (MHz) Memory Clock (MHz) Memory Amount Memory Interface Memory Bandwidth (GB/sec) Texture Fill Rate (billion/sec)
GeForce
8800 Ultra 612 1500 1080 768MB 384-bit 103.7 39.2
GeForce
8800 GTX 575 1350 900 768MB 384-bit 86.4 36.8
GeForce
8800 GTS 500 1200 800 640MB or
320MB 320-bit 64 24
GeForce
8800 GTS 512MB3 650 1625 970 512MB 256-bit 64 41.6
GeForce
8800 GT 600 1500 900 512MB 256-bit 57.6 33.6
GeForce
8800 GS 550 1375 800 384MB 192-bit 38.4 26.4
GeForce
8600 GTS 675 1450 1000 256MB 128-bit 32 10.8
GeForce
8600 GT 540 1190 700 256MB 128-bit 22.4 8.64
GeForce
8500 GT 450 900 400 256MB 128-bit 12.8 3.6
GeForce
8400 GS 450 900 400 256MB 64-bit 6.4 3.6

 

[neoelectronaut]

Will be ordering this by the end of May.

 

[commander.data]

So if i managed to get a 1066 DDR3 SO-DIMMS would they work in the current iMacs?

They might fit, but I don't think they would be electrically compatible. DDR3 runs at lower voltage so you'd probably fry it.

 

[diamond.g]

Elaborate...?

DDR3 is electrically different from DDR2. So the little notch is in a different location to keep you from frying your system.

They might fit, but I don't think they would be electrically compatible. DDR3 runs at lower voltage so you'd probably fry it.

No, it shouldn't fit.

 

[localoid]

Reality check: Apple doesn't pay street prices on anything.

Regardless, your logic is flawed, but I assume you don't have a good understanding re: computer hardware.

You think Apple should sell a the minis for $200? People would buy them just to gut and resell them on the open market if Apple was stupid enough to sell below their cost.

Answer this: Who else makes a system compatible with the mini (using the same mobile components) for less money, or where can someone buy the (same exact) components for less money.

 

[IlluminatedSage]

Wow. The high end model comes with a 500GB HD and 512 Graphics. Wish they had that standard for the MacPro.

yeah but it is the older midrange GPU. it's ok, but hardly an amazing graphics chip.

I like that apple has upgraded the imac, but count me among those who want the "mythical midsized mac tower"

Apple ought to offer a midsized tower which is upgradable!! Imac has a laptop chip in there, and has limited graphics card upgradability.

as Apple's marketshare grows, you would think they would understand the need for a great midrange tower. not everyone needs a mac-pro, but can use a bit of power, both CPU and GPU.

Blu-Ray drives by now would be nice. apple feels like the sole company to offer no BTO Blu-Ray configurations.

 

[BenRoethig]

Elaborate...?

DDR2 and DDR3 SODIMMs are not pin compatible.

 

[iheartapple]

ram!

Can anyone recommend where to get a good price on ram for the 24" 3.06 processor? I've heard either newegg or kingston.
Not sure if I should just go with upgrading it at apple for $200 bucks for the 4GB option? THANKS!

 

[farmboy]

You aren't getting it.

That would be hilarious if I didn't think you were serious. I've been using Macs for 15+ years and the level of fanaticism and self-delusion amongst my chosen platform's user base never fails to amaze.

If the current product range is fine for 90% of the people as you assert, why aren't 90% of the people using Macs?

It's true that Apple's market share has increased, but clearly the consumer-level offerings are weak and today's half-hearted iMac refresh alongside the continued neglect of the Mini doesn't do a whole helluva lot to fix that. My apologies, however, if this simple but logical response to your outta-yer-ass theory about 90% of the market spoils the party.

He's right that a machine like the iMac does indeed meet the needs of 90% of the population because 90% of the population has machines of equal or lesser capability and aren't lying awake at night waiting for the latest NVIDIA chip. Of course they're not all using iMacs, but they would find those models perfectly usable for what they do everyday as consumers or at work, and that was his point.

We use iMacs (and some PowerMacs) at work and run just about every business application out there from Word and Excel to Photoshop, and Windows XP, and they run just fine, no one complains about the speed, and no one complains about the glossy screen either.

It's interesting that for literally decades, Apple has not cared to produce a machine with screaming speed and completely swappable components to satisfy gamers, yet gamers are astonished and angry every time Apple introduces or revamps a machine which fails to live up to gamers' expectations. Is the learning curve really that steep?

And if everybody who does not have negative posts about every single Apple product is dismissed as a "fanboy", maybe all the whiners and complainers should be "flameboys" just so we can at least get the pointless and childish name-calling equalized.

 

[L3X]

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

Yes, but Apple is a US corporation.

 

[50548]

Excellent news: the Swiss Store and others have lowered their prices due to exchange rate fluctuations (i.e., the tumbling dollar).

Now the base iMac costs 300 Swiss Francs less than the previous models...so I will be able to get a new one with NVidia and 4Gb RAM for the same price I would get the previous model with half the memory and weaker GPU...EXCELLENT!

By the way, for those of you complaining about the nonexistent vaporware midtower...why don't you just buy a beautiful Psystar?

I am sure those haxxors are reliable...not to mention the free and eternal support for OS X in their beige boxes...

 

[BenRoethig]

Can anyone recommend where to get a good price on ram for the 24" 3.06 processor? I've heard either newegg or kingston.
Not sure if I should just go with upgrading it at apple for $200 bucks for the 4GB option? THANKS!

$100 for Crucial and $68 for pqi at NewEgg. Do note that it has to be 800mhz ram, not 667.

 

[recordprod]

Nice update... but, still no matte screen option. If that were available, I'd seriously consider one.

Exactly my thoughts - and still no way to hook up a 30" screen if I understand correctly?

 

[joeshell383]

Yeah, the Government is handing out $600 to stimulate the economy. Trouble is, they hope everyone is too dumb to realize that they will be taxed on it next year, so dumb people will receive $600 from government this year, spend all of it thinking it is free money, and then next year be taxed (say 25%) on it and so owe the government $150 or so.

Personally, I hate the "stimulus payments". Just lower the tax rate for heavens sake!

Even if this were true, big whoop. I think most people would be glad to have $600 NOW, even if they had to pay 25% of that back at some future time. Plus, the net nominal profit would still be $450 in your example.