Apple Says New iMacs Geared Towards Pros Coming Later This Year

[CWallace]

"Federighi thinks the new iMac models will address "even more of the pro market,"..."

Are we talking about pro features, or pro prices here? The prices for the MacBook Pro and iMac have already increased so much over the last couple of years, that these products are gonna loose a lot of sales.

And yet the new MacBook Pro saw double-digit percentage sales increases.

And why are Apple insisting on using the inferior AMD GPUs, when Nvidia has several killer GPUs available? I thought Apple's philosophy was to use the best products for their computers, but not anymore?

Logic X and Final Cut Pro are both optimized for AMD. Pairing them with nVidia would result in a significant decrease in performance. So if nVidia is being added to the mix, those apps will need to be optimized before release.

 

[Peperino]

Apple 1997: Think Different

Apple 2017: Better Late Than Never
[doublepost=1491334985][/doublepost]It seems like they are going to put a new iMac with faster processing, a 2tb hardrive and more RAm with a keyboard option with a stripe on the top....
Remove all the ports and put just USB-C

And Charge you an extra $500

Nowadays that is called innovation...

 

[shk718]

It's a very old tactic in marketing.

When your competition has beat you to market, and you're taking losses, you try to get customers to hold out and save their money to buy your future product instead of the one your competitors have right now.

except apple isn't experiencing any losses. This is a very small segment of their business. I think this is just a very pro consumer move by apple to assure their most loyal fans that they haven't forgotten them. They made a mistake and will fix it.

 

[Wildhope]

Nice. I know its only a small user base but no mac mini updates?

 

[That1GuyRob]

Apple 1997: Think Different

Apple 2017: Better Late Than Never
[doublepost=1491334985][/doublepost]It seems like they are going to put a new iMac with faster processing, a 2tb hardrive and more RAm with a keyboard option with a stripe on the top....
Remove all the ports and put just USB-C

And Charge you an extra $500

Nowadays that is called innovation...

Ha! I was thinking it would be a modest CPU spec bump, then just remove all the external ports and Apple will call it the iMac Pro - because pros don't use ports.

 

[Keerock]

Faster processors on the low end models please. My mom needs a new one.

It's your Mom, give her your old one.

 

[CWallace]

Nice. I know its only a small user base but no mac mini updates?

They said they're still going to keep it in the lineup which implies we'll see future upgrades (even if nothing spectacular).

https://www.macrumors.com/2017/04/04/apple-says-mac-mini-is-important/

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

Surprised he admits that. Apple are normally pretty mum on this stuff.

As they said, they have been watching forums like this, and felt that the whiners were getting too numerous to ignore at this point, and wanted to nip the growing bad rumors in the bud.
[doublepost=1491337107][/doublepost]

Too expensive, not good for the margins.

Depends on whether you are building a Pro-graphics machine, or a Gaming machine. AMD is better for the former, nVidia for the latter.
[doublepost=1491337299][/doublepost]

:/ Could later this year mean WWDC?!?

I don't want to wait

Might be announced at WWDC; with availability in the Fall.
[doublepost=1491337423][/doublepost]

OK, so glad to hear Macs will not be discontinued this year -- but didn't thing they would. Apple is working on a new iMac - the first in over a year and a half. Shocker. Question for me is why later this year? Two years for an iMac. I hope is MF amazeballs for that amount of time.

OMG! a WHOLE year and a half!!! How can anyone stand it?!?

Sheesh!
[doublepost=1491337831][/doublepost]

Very good news. I am not in the market now, but am always glad to hear about Macs being updated. Not sure what else they can do with the iMac beyond a Surface Studio-like configuration or bumping the specs considerably, but it is obvious Apple do not want to lose their Mac users.

It is nice not to have snark on Schiller for once too.

Apple PATENTED the "Surface Studio" iMac in 2010, so obviously they already prototyped, and rejected, that configuration.

http://www.cultofmac.com/56138/apple-thinks-touchscreen-imac-ergonomics-in-new-patent/
[doublepost=1491337937][/doublepost]

If you Want amazeballs then check out the Microsoft Studio...unfortunately its Windows based. The new iMac will look almost exactly the same with a speed and memory bump and a change in the ports. Nothing amazeballs because they don't sell enough to warrant the R&D

Apple has already been there, PATENTED that, back in 2010. Apparently it didn't "test" well with users.

http://www.cultofmac.com/56138/apple-thinks-touchscreen-imac-ergonomics-in-new-patent/
[doublepost=1491338089][/doublepost]

I wonder how they are going to beat Surface Studio because their current OS policy is what it is. Meaning separate OS for touch devices and desktop.

Howabout a combo-package price for an iMac and an iPad Pro with Pencil? that would actually be more ergonomically-sound.
[doublepost=1491338160][/doublepost]

Yes, the Studio is pretty cool, but, yes, Windows, so pass. I'm totally OK with Apple copying it if they can't out imagine MS. But I'll take the same current iMac form factor updated with current specs too -- but then no Studio pricing. Heh.

Um, RE: the Surface Studio. Who's copying WHO, again?

http://www.cultofmac.com/56138/apple-thinks-touchscreen-imac-ergonomics-in-new-patent/
[doublepost=1491338267][/doublepost]

I'm still rocking my 2008 20" iMac. This is getting painful! To the point that if they dropped the price of the current (2 year old) iMacs today by $200 or so, I would probably just go with one.

The wait won't be long. I'll bet we start seeing "low stock" stories within a month. That ALWAYS portends an imminent product refresh...

 

[kazmac]

http://www.cultofmac.com/56138/apple-thinks-touchscreen-imac-ergonomics-in-new-patent/

Your elephantine memory is to be commended .

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

I loved that iMac design (lampshade) too. It is still my favorite. if they ever went back to that and added pencil support I'd be all over it. That said, you're probably right concerning macOS and the lack of touch screen.

It was called the "Sunflower" Mac; because that's what inspired Jobs to suggest that design.

And yes, I always thought that looked "ripe" for a touchscreen...

 

[gdeusthewhizkid]

wasn't the 5k imac considered a pro machine ?

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

Your elephantine memory is to be commended .

Not too elephantine, actually. This Patent has come up again fairly recently, when the Surface Studio's "Revolutionary Design" was debuted last Fall.

I think the only reason Apple isn't suing for patent infringement is because that would do nothing but draw attention to an otherwise poorly-marketed product.

 

[andreyush]

Hope I can keep my 2013 iMac up and running that long, it's on it's last legs.

Shove an SSD in it and it will be as new.

 

[kazmac]

Not too elephantine, actually. This Patent has come up again fairly recently, when the Surface Studio's "Revolutionary Design" was debuted last Fall.

I think the only reason Apple isn't suing for patent infringement is because that would do nothing but draw attention to an otherwise poorly-marketed product.

Ah, thank you. I did not remember the patent resurfacing (pardon the pun) last year.

It is interesting that Apple produced something like that floating hinge at least a decade before the SS. Talking about it makes me miss my "Sunflower" even more.

 

[coolbreeze]

In other words...

Apple: please don't run out and buy a Surface Studio...thx.

That machine is a super serious threat to Apple's creative base.

 

[CWallace]

In other words...

Apple: please don't run out and buy a Surface Studio...thx.

That machine is a super serious threat to Apple's creative base.

And yet Microsoft Surface division sales shrank last quarter.

 

[Macatize]

Does it come in Gold?

 

[Kcetech1]

I think the only reason Apple isn't suing for patent infringement is because that would do nothing but draw attention to an otherwise poorly-marketed product.

The touch screen iMac / Surface studio etc EXISTED long before the 2010 Apple patent. My household had a Sony Viao J/L touch screen all in one back in December 2009 on my husbands desk ( even had HDMI input and multi touch), when it was an actual product ok yes the tilt back stand or the VESA full articulation arm was an extra option, yes it did need a better interface for sure back then though. HP had units for medical and industrial applications a decade before that. I think it might be a hard patent to defend all in all.

 

[ateslik]

My prediction for the iMac is they add pencil support.

Jeebus that would be awesome. Cintiq killer.

It's like a drink of water to even hear talk about Macs coming from top Apple execs. My 2009 Macbook Pro badly needs replacing, and a 3 year old Mac Pro or a near-portless Macbook Pro is not going to work.

 

[HiRez]

WTF have they been doing all this time? We're now looking at another 8 months potentially?

"Quick throw them a bone before they all jump ship...". Im surprised they didnt say "theres something magical in the pipeline".

That's exactly what this was, an obvious attempt to head off people bailing to another platform, thinking Apple is never going to produce another pro machine. And, I'm glad they did it because I as well as the company I work for are in that group.

I don't think they'd make these statements just to string people along for another year only to pull the rug out from under them. So even though it sucks there's nothing right now, I think it's important to know that the Mac Pro is not dead. That's a huge clarification for many people. Unless you need cutting edge machines immediately, and you like the Mac platform, it's probably worth waiting until next year to see what they come up with, hopefully taking the best parts of both the aluminum and trash can MacPros (personally, I am not a hater of these machines, I think there's a lot of good in them that can be salvaged).

 

[sfwalter]

"later this year" sounds like "November" or "December" to me. it's long overdue. please hurry up!

I'm hopefully for WWDC. However it will most likely be post iPhone announcement.
[doublepost=1491343891][/doublepost]

*cough* GTX 1050 and 1050 Ti *cough*

Sadly I'm betting on them sticking with AMD. I am hopeful for AMD Vega.
[doublepost=1491344314][/doublepost]

Jeebus that would be awesome. Cintiq killer.

It's like a drink of water to even hear talk about Macs coming from top Apple execs. My 2009 Macbook Pro badly needs replacing, and a 3 year old Mac Pro or a near-portless Macbook Pro is not going to work.

My wrist would get tired very quickly.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

Makes me want to guess.. iMac Pro with an 8k display.

Sorry. Too expensive.

 

[TechZeke]

unprecedented announcement from Apple. Looks like the pro-consumers were loud enough and Apple listened - plus competition is heating up from Microsoft. Have to love competition - Apple works best when its under pressure - this is excellent news.

My prediction for the iMac is they add pencil support.

Immediately my thought as well. Remember Phil's "Can't innovate anymore, my ass" comment. People at Apple are listening to what the general public thinks, and the incredibly positive reaction from Microsoft's new Surface products definitely must put Apple on-edge. Microsoft entered Apple's game in one swoop. The main thing that kept the Surface Studio from completely making iMac almost irrelevant was price.

Apple's recent moves with iPad and this announcement definitely shows that Apple isn't immune to the magic of good competition or falling sales.

 

[MacsRuleOthersDrool]

What's wrong with it? It should still be a great computer at 3.5 years old.

Yeah, really.

I just went to a client's house the other day and worked on his 2007 iMac and his wife's 2010 Mac mini. Both are still rockin' every day. The iMac's display is getting a little dim, and a few years ago we replaced the HDD; but other than that, both have been working fine.

 

[Obocop]

Great news indeed! As a long time Macrumors reader, it's great to visit this site and see something that actually appeals to me, rather than watch bands, Apple's retail business etc blah blah.

Actual...Mac..rumors!