Apple Releases New iMacs

[Roadstar]

Like I said, I know the feeling. But you're not just avoiding unnecessary tinkering, you're also avoiding unplanned reflections off that glossy screen.

If you actually prefer the glossy screen to something else, then you're set. If you kinda despise them, though...

Well, I'm watching a glossy MacBook display right now and I've also used my friend's iMac for some hours, and I don't have any problems with the display in either of the machines.

So in any case, I think we're all better off if Apple starts to offer some good choices in the sub-Mac-Pro level, instead of the current "take it or leave it" approach.

Good point. There is a gap in the Apple product line, and I hope they do something about it at some point. I'm not holding my breath, though.

 

[MacinDoc]

So in any case, I think we're all better off if Apple starts to offer some good choices in the sub-Mac-Pro level, instead of the current "take it or leave it" approach.

I think that would be great, but Apple's never been in that market (expandable minitower), and doesn't show much interest in it.

Personally, I think the minitower market is partially made of of people who are misled into thinking that they can save money by upgrading in the future. Having had several expandable Macs (Mac II, Power Mac G3 desktop) and several iMacs, I know from experience that I spent much more money upgrading the expandable Macs than I did selling the iMacs and replacing them.

The option to add your own screen to a mid-range Mac would be great, though, especially for all those who are not fond of Apple's displays.

 

[djpanos]

Another happy switcher here. I have been studying and preparing my self for a while. The switch was much easier than I was expecting. Everything works fine except one thing: the cd stuck inside the cd rom slot. So far I tried 3 cds and all of them stuck. I tried all the possible commands to released but only the clipper trick worked. That's really not pleasant considering that I am dj and I burn cds everyday for my work. What should I do? Take it back to the Apple store and ask for exchange? Please advice I have no previous experience with Apple.

 

[mreg376]

Another happy switcher here. I have been studying and preparing my self for a while. The switch was much easier than I was expecting. Everything works fine except one thing: the cd stuck inside the cd rom slot. So far I tried 3 cds and all of them stuck. I tried all the possible commands to released but only the clipper trick worked. That's really not pleasant considering that I am dj and I burn cds everyday for my work. What should I do? Take it back to the Apple store and ask for exchange? Please advice I have no previous experience with Apple.

Call Apple tech support first. They may be able to figure out the problem.

 

[onlinemoniker]

i hope to get one of the new imacs shortly after graduation. thinking the 2,8ghz, 2gb, 500gb, nvidia. if ram is "needed" later, can buy it for cheaper elsewhere. of course may "splurge" on the ram at purchase if the situation is right.

first time an imac has sounded good to me.

 

[jmillar]

I live in oregon, called the closest apple store to my house, and they had a few in stock but had not even taken them out of the shipping boxes yet. Ran up at lunch and grabbed one. Heres a link to the CPU-Z as well, more info on this one than that original utility had. Again, I dont know how to translate all this, but the data appears to match up correctly?

http://valid.x86-secret.com/show_oc.php?id=353588

Is the CPU-Z processor speed reading correct? I've always taken as a given that a 3.06 Ghz dual core processor meant 3.06+3.06 running in parallel. Not the sum of 1.5+1.5+ GHz of each of the two cores! Is CPU-Z misreading? Is the iMac 'downshifting' to save energy (and keep cool) in a practically idle state?

 

[Shivetya]

Well I am interested in a new 24" iMac, I have the white generation 24" with a 7600GT in it (only 160gb drive) and will probably sell it after buying the newer model.

At first I was against buying the top end machine but the upgrade pricing seems to indicate that they are throwing in the extra speed for free or just murdering ya on the the price for upgrade parts (drive + 8800).

I did like the appearance of the current generation of iMacs but was amazed they had chosen ATI cards. Now that they are offering what appears to be a very good video card it is time to upgrade.


ps: on a side note, where can I go to look up prices on used imacs? ebay?

 

[Shivetya]

as a continuation of my last post...

anyone else using white generation iMac with 7600GT that has already upgraded to a 8800 version? If so, was the improvement worth it in your book?

 

[purfledspruce]

discontinued 24" model

Can someone please help me with a link to where I can buy the discontinued 24" model? I can't find it on the Apple website. Thanks in advance.

You can find new discontinued ones at the "Clearance" section of the Apple store:
here

You can probably find refurbished ones, too, at the "Refurbished" section of the Apple store:
here

I ordered a Refurbished 24" iMac the day the new ones came out. It's fantastic. The glossy screen looks great, I just placed the computer perpendicular to the windows it's nearby to eliminate glare almost entirely. The older video card still runs WoW at top resolution and nearly the top settings for every slider and I'm getting 37 FPS.

The upgraded graphics card & faster processor machine must be amazing, but I feel pretty good about my purchase: I'm getting good performance out of this machine and saved $800 by getting a refurb with the slightly slower processor and less powerful graphics card...woo hoo!

 

[gavstephenson]

Hi all,

Hope everybody is well.

My parents are thinking about buying mac. Finally persuaded them to ditch Windows after all these years!

However, they are not big computer users and have their eye on the 'old' 2.0GHz SuperDrive Desktop because John Lewis are still selling them and it is £100 cheaper than the 'new' equivalent.

Is there really much difference between these two computers? Just the processor speed?

What would folks advise to two people who use the computer to Skype relatives and play freecell!

 

[BongoBanger]

What would folks advise to two people who use the computer to Skype relatives and play freecell!

To stick with their old machine.

 

[gavstephenson]

To stick with their old machine.

Broken!

I exaggerated a wee bit. They surf the net as well. They suffered from credit card fraud a few months ago and think it stemmed from the computer, although they do run their virus checkers. One of the reasons they are looking to change to a Mac is the lack of viruses ('virusi'?!)

Hmm, maybe a Mac Mini.

 

[iFizz]

...They suffered from credit card fraud a few months ago and think it stemmed from the computer, although they do run their virus checkers.

Even OSX isn't immune to poor computing habits that lead to successful phishing attacks (like clicking links in suspect emails and not checking to make sure a website is valid..). Not saying that is what happened, but my point is it doesn't matter what computer or OS you are running if you don't know how to keep your personal information secure.

 

[gregorsamsa]

My parents are thinking about buying mac. Finally persuaded them to ditch Windows after all these years!

However, they are not big computer users and have their eye on the 'old' 2.0GHz SuperDrive Desktop because John Lewis are still selling them and it is £100 cheaper than the 'new' equivalent.

Is there really much difference between these two computers? Just the processor speed?

Noticed John Lewis are also selling the pre-updated, higher-end 20" iMac for £799 (previously £945). With the 2 year guarantee, that's a great deal!

Biggest difference between the two 20" iMacs is the graphics card. If your folks were gamers or using a lot of 3D applications, I'd say go for the Mac with the HD 2600 PRO card. It's a decent enough, mid-range card which will have a far greater useful life-span than the 2400.

Otherwise the 2400 video card on the lowest-priced 20" iMac should be ideal at the price (£699, while stocks last).

 

[gavstephenson]

Thanks for your replies, guys. Some interesting stuff and most appreciated!

 

[Zygon Gambit]

Noticed John Lewis are also selling the pre-updated, higher-end 20" iMac for £799 (previously £945). With the 2 year guarantee, that's a great deal!

Biggest difference between the two 20" iMacs is the graphics card. If your folks were gamers or using a lot of 3D applications, I'd say go for the Mac with the HD 2600 PRO card. It's a decent enough, mid-range card which will have a far greater useful life-span than the 2400.

Otherwise the 2400 video card on the lowest-priced 20" iMac should be ideal at the price (£699, while stocks last).

Thanks for that - I didn't notice they were the old models at first.

 

[monty77]

Noticed John Lewis are also selling the pre-updated, higher-end 20" iMac for £799 (previously £945). With the 2 year guarantee, that's a great deal!

Biggest difference between the two 20" iMacs is the graphics card. If your folks were gamers or using a lot of 3D applications, I'd say go for the Mac with the HD 2600 PRO card. It's a decent enough, mid-range card which will have a far greater useful life-span than the 2400.

Otherwise the 2400 video card on the lowest-priced 20" iMac should be ideal at the price (£699, while stocks last).

If JL sell out PC World are doing them at that price too .. got myself one last week.

Cheers,
Adam

 

[jnc]

Broken!

I exaggerated a wee bit. They surf the net as well. They suffered from credit card fraud a few months ago and think it stemmed from the computer, although they do run their virus checkers. One of the reasons they are looking to change to a Mac is the lack of viruses ('virusi'?!)

Hmm, maybe a Mac Mini.

Core Solo Mac Mini, if you can find one.

 

[Zygon Gambit]

If JL sell out PC World are doing them at that price too .. got myself one last week.

Cheers,
Adam

I've just bought one of the JL ones, 4 left now...

 

[gregorsamsa]

If JL sell out PC World are doing them at that price too .. got myself one last week.

I've just bought one of the JL ones, 4 left now...

Good for you, guys! I must admit, even though I'm not much for glossy screens, at those prices I'm very tempted to get one myself. Decisions, decisions.

 

[macrumorino]

Good for you, guys! I must admit, even though I'm not much for glossy screens, at those prices I'm very tempted to get one myself. Decisions, decisions.

The refurb white iMacs are at a pretty good price, although, alas, they are "state of the art" for ca. 2005 at this stage. It looks like you lose about 30% in terms of performance, but gain a much better display and save about 20% of your hard-earned.

Of course, it's a refurb lottery. I don't know what is Apple's attitude towards returning what they send you if it's not in the shape you'd like it to be when you receive it.

 

[gregorsamsa]

The refurb white iMacs are at a pretty good price, although, alas, they are "state of the art" for ca. 2005 at this stage. It looks like you lose about 30% in terms of performance, but gain a much better display and save about 20% of your hard-earned.

Of course, it's a refurb lottery. I don't know what is Apple's attitude towards returning what they send you if it's not in the shape you'd like it to be when you receive it.

I haven't ruled out getting a white iMac because of issues with glossy screens, but as you say, there's also a significant compromise in performance, & on any non-upgradeable AIOs that's something I can't readily overlook.

AFAIK, Apple's attitude to refurbs seems to be no returns accepted unless the item is clearly faulty. So for eg., a few dead pixels, minor scratches, etc. wouldn't count as just cause, which seems fair enough. Then again, not being able to have 3 years Apple Care on refurbs makes me hesitate in case of more serious problems developing, however unlikely.

From what I've read, there seems to be a difference in screen quality between the 17" white iMac & the 2 bigger white iMacs. Certainly the failure rate for 17" iMac screens seems to be significantly higher (as anyone can see by Googling this issue). So yes, certainly a bit of a lottery, as is buying one from eBay (another possibility I've considered).

The best solution for me may be to get a new updated Mini when it's released & a PC for gaming, but as I'm getting tired of waiting & I won't buy a dated GMA950 Mini at current prices, some of these pre-updated iMac sales are increasingly tempting (& buying from JL also gets you a 2 year guarantee). Though the iMac's glossy screen is definitely a drawback (most people either love them or hate them), there's always my trusty iBook to fall back on whenever the glare gets too much.

Frankly, even though I understand some of the reasoning behind it (ie. despite Mac market share increasing, Mac Pro sales were suffering & losing out to matte screen iMac sales) I still think it's ridiculous that, despite achieving record profits, Apple leaves consumers with so little choice.

 

[macrumorino]

I haven't ruled out getting a white iMac because of issues with glossy screens, but as you say, there's also a significant compromise in performance, & on any non-upgradeable AIOs that's something I can't readily overlook.

AFAIK, Apple's attitude to refurbs seems to be no returns accepted unless the item is clearly faulty. So for eg., a few dead pixels, minor scratches, etc. wouldn't count as just cause, which seems fair enough. Then again, not being able to have 3 years Apple Care on refurbs makes me hesitate in case of more serious problems developing, however unlikely.

Oh, thanks for the heads-up, I did not know that! I thought you could get the usual 3-year warranty on the refurbs as well. Nope, a machine as user-unserviceable as the iMac is unacceptable without a long warranty.

The refurb return policy is not good, either; how do I know if the refurb item is in sufficiently good condition before I receive it?! If I want to play the lottery, I'll buy a ticket, not a computer.

The best solution for me may be to get a new updated Mini when it's released & a PC for gaming, but as I'm getting tired of waiting & I won't buy a dated GMA950 Mini at current prices, some of these pre-updated iMac sales are increasingly tempting (& buying from JL also gets you a 2 year guarantee). Though the iMac's glossy screen is definitely a drawback (most people either love them or hate them), there's always my trusty iBook to fall back on whenever the glare gets too much.

Frankly, even though I understand some of the reasoning behind it (ie. despite Mac market share increasing, Mac Pro sales were suffering & losing out to matte screen iMac sales) I still think it's ridiculous that, despite achieving record profits, Apple leaves consumers with so little choice.

Tired of waiting? What's the matter, are you afraid of turning into a cockroach or something?

Anyways, yep to all of the above; Apple's restriction and manipulation of choice for its customers is exasperating. Maybe the psystars of this world will prod them in the right direction, since our requests as paying customers have not done so.

 

[diamond.g]

Then again, not being able to have 3 years Apple Care on refurbs makes me hesitate in case of more serious problems developing, however unlikely.

That isn't true. You can get AC with refurbs.

 

[dal20402]

I thought you could get the usual 3-year warranty on the refurbs as well.

You can. The OP was flatly incorrect.

Honestly, I think refurbs are functionally a safer bet than new machines. They've been checked out once more.

It is true that you have a higher chance of minor cosmetic issues, though.