Apple Store iMacs: Core Solo?

[jsw]

I have to say, I'm really tempted to do this on my next trek to the local Apple Store(s) just to confuse the employees. It's always fun. The other day, I was doing the ⌥-⌘-+ screen zooming "thing" and amazed a few of them. Sad. So much influence on potential buyers, so little training. One said he'd never used a Mac before starting there. Must be tough finding employees here, I guess.

 

[Caitlyn]

Maybe this is our new "all-in-one education Mac"?

 

[FF_productions]

I have to say, I'm really tempted to do this on my next trek to the local Apple Store(s) just to confuse the employees. It's always fun. The other day, I was doing the ?-?-+ screen zooming "thing" and amazed a few of them. Sad. So much influence on potential buyers, so little training. One said he'd never used a Mac before starting there. Must be tough finding employees here, I guess.

I would like to work at an Apple Store, make money telling people that Macs are better than PC's.

I'm starting to believe that someone played with CHUD tools and changed the processor settings somehow. It can't possibly be a new product, and that's the bottomline cuz Stone Cold said so.

 

[Unorthodox]

ME figured it out. If you disable onecore, It does say you have a core solo. However, If you enable one core again, you must reboot you machine to get it to say core duo.

Thanks, yeah, I know, I am so smart J/k!

We need to see a video demonstration, with surround sound.
And lots of HD screenshots.
And the signatures of ten people who witnessed it.

You know, to make sure your not making this up.

 

[StealthRider]

This was the Cincinnati store, BTW.

I call BS...I was there a week ago picking up my Core Duo iMac, and played with most of the Macs in the store...all of the iMacs said "Core Duo".

 

[Peace]

We need to see a video demonstration, with surround sound.
And lots of HD screenshots.
And the signatures of ten people who witnessed it.

You know, to make sure your not making this up.

Low definition screen shots before and after disabling one core :

 

[Unorthodox]

Low definition screen shots before and after disabling one core :

Sorry, I forgot to add a ""
I believed the guy/gal.

 

[Peace]

Sorry, I forgot to add a ""
I believed the guy/gal.

I know you were kidding..I was too.Didn't feel like breaking out the wide-screen HD camcorder to shoot the video..hehe..

 

[mkrishnan]

Low definition screen shots before and after disabling one core :

Perhaps they turn a core off to keep them running somewhat cooler to reduce the amount of fan noise in the store?

 

[Peace]

Perhaps they turn a core off to keep them running somewhat cooler to reduce the amount of fan noise in the store?

i'm guessing some customer was checking out the iMac and while playing around with it set it to core solo..

 

[mkrishnan]

i'm guessing some customer was checking out the iMac and while playing around with it set it to core solo..

They don't have the "require authentication for each secure system preference" or whatever option enabled on store Macs?

 

[Peace]

I've been in a couple stores and played extensively with system settings.It all depends on who set up the demo model.

 

[kildraik]

Ah! Anybody can have a Core Solo iMac! I do! Here's what I have: a 17" 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo iMac, 512mb ram.
Now then. Here's how I have a "Core Solo" iMac. First, Pictures of proof:
Top, Core Duo "Mode" Bottom, Core Solo "Mode."

Now, the RED outlining indicates the settings that change, the BLUE indicates the given info when a core is turned on or off, which doesn't change. Isn't that awesome? I really do notice a difference in performance, too, as the Core Solo mode is a lot slower. This is a really neat feature! I'm not sure why you would want to turn off a core in an iMac, as you don't need to save battery or anything, but I guess its just a cool fature that gives you the choice of either having one or two processors. On the contrary, this program was mainly developed for the MacBook and MacBook Pro, so you can save battery if a lot of processing power isn't needed.

How do you find this? Well, first of all, this is a free developer program from Apple Pro, in their CHUD package. To download Apple's CHUD, click here! The download should start immediately. CHUD also has some other neat programs integrated into it, such as a program to control and regulate the RPM speed that your Hard Drive can spin at. Again, to help save battery. It is so cool! I have not run into any problems with it, either. Have a lot of fun with it, as I have!

Oh, and if more questions are needed to be asked, go ahead!

 

[karichelle]

Here's the screenshot...

We looked at some others and they all say Core Duo but this one said Core Solo and there are people on the other ones I looked at unfortunately...there are quite a few people in here right now. I asked an employee about it and they have no idea how it got that way and were equally confused. I was able to change the system preferences to make the Mighty Mouse behave as a two button mouse, so I would assume that none of that is disabled and a customer likely did it.

I also have a fullsize TIFF screenshot but it wouldn't let me post it because I guess it either doesn't like TIFFs or it was too large.

So here it is...

 

[kildraik]

Here's the screenshot...

We looked at some others and they all say Core Duo but this one said Core Solo and there are people on the other ones I looked at unfortunately...there are quite a few people in here right now. I asked an employee about it and they have no idea how it got that way and were equally confused. I was able to change the system preferences to make the Mighty Mouse behave as a two button mouse, so I would assume that none of that is disabled and a customer likely did it.

I also have a fullsize TIFF screenshot but it wouldn't let me post it because I guess it either doesn't like TIFFs or it was too large.

So here it is...

Just look at mine above... they're screenshots of my own iMac Core Duo...

 

[karichelle]

We took a similar shot to yours with the system profiler open too and they both said Solo. The employee I talked to asked one of the Geniuses and he knew it could be done and just had him reboot it, but it still said Solo so they were going to set it back up properly later.

 

[The Reg]

Apology...

Even though I "try" to never comment unless it is to lend a helping hand, I will take the time to apologize to karichelle for all those that implied you were a liar. As a newbie, you will learn quickly to either contribute your knowledge to those in need or make silly comments to add to your post count. Anything else is dangerous territory.

 

[karichelle]

Even though I "try" to never comment unless it is to lend a helping hand, I will take the time to apologize to karichelle for all those that implied you were a liar. As a newbie, you will learn quickly to either contribute your knowledge to those in need or make silly comments to add to your post count. Anything else is dangerous territory.

Thank you, I appreciate that.

 

[someguy]

Even though I "try" to never comment unless it is to lend a helping hand, I will take the time to apologize to karichelle for all those that implied you were a liar. As a newbie, you will learn quickly to either contribute your knowledge to those in need or make silly comments to add to your post count. Anything else is dangerous territory.

Just for the record, this does not include me. (Post #3)

And also, you might want to add that making pointless posts to quickly increase your post count can also be considered dangerous territory depending on who reads it and what kind of mood they are in.

 

[karichelle]

Just for the record, this does not include me. (Post #3)

And also, you might want to add that making pointless posts to quickly increase your post count can also be considered dangerous territory depending on who reads it and what kind of mood they are in.

I'm unsure if that was an implication that this was a "pointless post to quickly increase my post count," but I can assure you it wasn't. It was an honest question, and now I have an answer as to why it showed that, and I posted the screen shot everyone wanted, so I'm not sure what else anyone wants. I've attached another screen shot that includes the system profiler (I would have posted it earlier but the store was closing, and I am at home now), and one of the computer itself taken with its neighbor's iSight...though it's way too small and blurry to be able to tell anything. (And I have no clue why it's backward either...it was like that in PhotoBooth right after it was taken.)

I don't appreciate being taken as a liar, and I don't understand why new people are automatically assumed to be dishonest. Surely everyone here was a newbie once. Now if I'd posted some sort of news post and tried to say Apple was sold to Microsoft or something else "outlandish" like that, I would understand, but all I was asking was why a Core Duo machine would potentially show itself to be a Core Solo, or even if such a thing ever existed as a test or something. I was just asking those who I felt might know more about the issue. I wasn't trying to revolutionize the Mac community with earth-shattering news.

This wasn't the first post I made, and I was looking forward to being a member of this community, but I must say at this point I'm feeling a bit unwelcome.

I do appreciate those of you though who did attempt to find ways, and found ways, that this could happen to an iMac. It appears that is what happened to this one and its neighbor by the door, which we couldn't get back on today because it was in use by someone who I believe was actually at the store to purchase a machine.

 

[someguy]

I'm unsure if that was an implication that this was a "pointless post to quickly increase my post count,"

It wasn't.

I do appreciate those of you though who did attempt to find ways, and found ways, that this could happen to an iMac.

That's what I was referring to Post #3 for, I said that the only way (AFAIK) an iMac could be a Core Solo is if one of the CPU's was disabled, in which case you could very well be telling the truth. I wasn't doubting you so much as whether or not the iMac's could be set up to disable one CPU or not. Now I know that they can, and it has been confirmed by others that doing so causes the CPU to show as Core Solo in the About This Mac window.

No one is going to call you a liar unless they have proof that what you're saying isn't true, but IMO, thinking for ourselves and not believing everything we hear or read is what sets Mac users aside from the average computer junkies.

 

[IEatApples]

Everybody make a note: karichelle is a truthful person.
And a warm welcome to MacRumors.

 

[blackout8]

Sorry to hijack this thread, but if you disabled a core on a MB(P), would you increase the battery life, or would the power change just be negligable?

 

[Sharewaredemon]

Sorry to hijack this thread, but if you disabled a core on a MB(P), would you increase the battery life, or would the power change just be negligable?

I guess a dual core processor is actually BETTER for battery life to answer your question quickly. But unfortunately I can't back that up as I am too lazy to look it up.