iMac 5K update at WWDC??

[Civil Engineer]

What do you think the chances of any update to the iMac 5K are at WWDC?

 

[tillsbury]

Almost nil. What were you expecting? There are plenty of other lines needing updates first, such as the rest of the imac range.

 

[redheeler]

What do you think the chances of any update to the iMac 5K are at WWDC?

Don't count on it. A 4K 21.5" is a possibility.

 

[Liffey]

Practically 0%.

Expect it in October.

 

[EnesM]

Broadwell for Imacs should be ready in a few months, so expect it by October. Not sure about Skylake, as those are also arriving later this year. I also expect a Mac Mini refresh, I'll only get one once it gets Skylake due to its HDMI 2.0 support.

 

[randalf72]

What do you think the chances of any update to the iMac 5K are at WWDC?

Pretty remote IMO

now a 21.5" retina upgrade may be on the cards and if that comes with an upgrade in graphics card beyond the current riMac then there is a slight possibility that the card upgrade could be moved into the 27" as well.

So I would expect that its a minor upgrade if any and that October is more likely.

 

[dagamer34]

Practically speaking, if you want a *substantial* upgrade in either CPU or GPU for the iMac, you're waiting until next year for Skylake and 14nm GPUs from either AMD or Nvidia.

 

[MacNerd1239]

What do you think the chances of any update to the iMac 5K are at WWDC?

Probably zero. As of late the iMac seems to be updated during a "Special Event" during the Fall. However, if it does happen at WWDC my wallet will be emptied a little earlier. I'm hoping for an updated 2.5K iMac, she'll be coming home with me for sure.

 

[NewStart178]

Hi all,

I am in the market for a new computer, eyeing the Imac 5K
(Currently, I am using my wife's 7 years old laptop for anything that can not be done on Iphone/Ipad. It is quite old and laggy).

Do you think it is worth the wait to make the purchase after the WWDC in June? or there is absolutely nothing to wait for.

One month is bearable to me, but the sooner I have a computer the better.

Also will either the Broadwell or the Skylake do me any good? I just need it to work from home sometimes, mainly word, excel, powerpoint, and for some light entertainment, e.g. movie, music. simple photo editing.

Thanks

 

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

If you can wait, wait. Do you need it now, buy.

 

[joe-h2o]

Hopefully the non-retina one will get a 980M at some point. That's all it really needs to give it some decent life.

What they do with the retina one, who knows?

 

[loekf]

Hi all,

I am in the market for a new computer, eyeing the Imac 5K
(Currently, I am using my wife's 7 years old laptop for anything that can not be done on Iphone/Ipad. It is quite old and laggy).

Do you think it is worth the wait to make the purchase after the WWDC in June? or there is absolutely nothing to wait for.

One month is bearable to me, but the sooner I have a computer the better.

Also will either the Broadwell or the Skylake do me any good? I just need it to work from home sometimes, mainly word, excel, powerpoint, and for some light entertainment, e.g. movie, music. simple photo editing.

Thanks

No, the current main speed drive for computers is sold state drives and integrated GPUs... plus you get more for less money, see e.g. actual usable 200 dollar laptops with decent battery life (running Windows though)

The market is moving to 4k displays.

 

[NewStart178]

I guess this is the answer for my 2nd question? Sorry i haven't bought any computer for like 8 years, mostly relied on my work laptop.

Best if you can help clarifying this. Thanks

 

[NewStart178]

No, the current main speed drive for computers is sold state drives and integrated GPUs... plus you get more for less money, see e.g. actual usable 200 dollar laptops with decent battery life (running Windows though)

The market is moving to 4k displays.

Now reading this again, it seems that the Imac is a waste of money given my need?

 

[loekf]

Now reading this again, it seems that the Imac is a waste of money given my need?

No, no, didn't say that. You see Microsoft struggling with Chromebooks, sub 200 dollar el-cheapo laptops. You also see that for a lot of things, an cheap Android box is sufficient, e.g. a HTPC can be replaced by a Fire TV with XBMC, no-brand Chinese Android player or even mini-PC (NUC).

On the desktop and >400 dollar laptops you see that the main driver at the moment is power (125-150W TDP ==> 45/65W TDP, fanless laptops etc). Integrated GPUs are also getting better and better. For CPUs, there are no large speed gains. The largest speed gain at the moment comes from the transistion from spinning drives (HDDs) to SSDs, specially with the current arrival of eNVMM (reduces SATA overhead over PCIe), so speeds of >>600 MB/s are possible.

If you need an iMac now get one now. If you really need things like:

- faster SSD speeds (AFAIK the new Macbook has NVMM, so an updated SSD controller)
- USB type C connectors (don't think USB 3.1 aka 10 Gbps is part of Intel chipsets this year yet..). But type C to type A are ridiculously expensive.
- more GPU horse power
- Higher res 21" screens.
- Better Facetime webcam
- Faster thunderbolt (?)

I also wonder whether Apple will try to put a fanless mobile CPU (from the new Macbook) in the low-end iMac from last year.

Otherwise wait another 6 months. I don't think we'll see an iMac refresh at WWDC. Usually WWDC is all about SW. AppleTV and the new streaming service might be an exception.

 

[Neodym]

Don't count on it. A 4K 21.5" is a possibility.

There are some 24" 4k screens in the wild, but I've not seen any in 21.5", so I expect the "smaller" iMac moving towards 24". The budget iMacs are just too price-sensitive to allow Apple to deviate from available standard panels just to cram 4k into 21.5".

A nice side-effect will be to have more space for better cooling in the bigger housings, as current GPU's will have to work quite a bit to render 4k.

 

[NewStart178]

No, no, didn't say that. You see Microsoft struggling with Chromebooks, sub 200 dollar el-cheapo laptops. You also see that for a lot of things, an cheap Android box is sufficient, e.g. a HTPC can be replaced by a Fire TV with XBMC, no-brand Chinese Android player or even mini-PC (NUC).

On the desktop and >400 dollar laptops you see that the main driver at the moment is power (125-150W TDP ==> 45/65W TDP, fanless laptops etc). Integrated GPUs are also getting better and better. For CPUs, there are no large speed gains. The largest speed gain at the moment comes from the transistion from spinning drives (HDDs) to SSDs, specially with the current arrival of eNVMM (reduces SATA overhead over PCIe), so speeds of >>600 MB/s are possible.

If you need an iMac now get one now. If you really need things like:

- faster SSD speeds (AFAIK the new Macbook has NVMM, so an updated SSD controller)
- USB type C connectors (don't think USB 3.1 aka 10 Gbps is part of Intel chipsets this year yet..). But type C to type A are ridiculously expensive.
- more GPU horse power
- Higher res 21" screens.
- Better Facetime webcam
- Faster thunderbolt (?)

I also wonder whether Apple will try to put a fanless mobile CPU (from the new Macbook) in the low-end iMac from last year.

Otherwise wait another 6 months. I don't think we'll see an iMac refresh at WWDC. Usually WWDC is all about SW. AppleTV and the new streaming service might be an exception.

Ok, so the dust has now settled - it seems that the Imac i was looking at is now £150 cheaper - should I buy bow or keep waiting? (A very old boring question I know)

I just feel that that the £150 discount has changed the landscape of the whole waiting game. how? I don't know yet

 

[roadkill401]

What do you think the chances of any update to the iMac 5K are at WWDC?

Don't count on it. A 4K 21.5" is a possibility.

Practically 0%.

Expect it in October.

Pretty remote IMO

So I would expect that its a minor upgrade if any and that October is more likely.

Probably zero. As of late the iMac seems to be updated during a "Special Event" during the Fall. However, if it does happen at WWDC my wallet will be emptied a little earlier. I'm hoping for an updated 2.5K iMac, she'll be coming home with me for sure.

Just got to love the line Never Say Never

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/201...ad-New-1-999-iMac-with-Retina-5K-Display.html

Apple Introduces New $1,999 iMac with Retina 5K Display

 

[xmichaelp]

None. No CPUs and I assume no AMD GPUs.

Maybe there will be a 4k iMac 21.5.

----------

There are some 24" 4k screens in the wild, but I've not seen any in 21.5", so I expect the "smaller" iMac moving towards 24". The budget iMacs are just too price-sensitive to allow Apple to deviate from available standard panels just to cram 4k into 21.5".

A nice side-effect will be to have more space for better cooling in the bigger housings, as current GPU's will have to work quite a bit to render 4k.

A 4k 21.5 is less PPI than the 5k displays...

They can still have a cheap 1080p entry level. Then sell the 4k ones for 1499 or so. Apple has never increased the screen size when pixel doubling. It makes no sense.

----------

Ok, so the dust has now settled - it seems that the Imac i was looking at is now £150 cheaper - should I buy bow or keep waiting? (A very old boring question I know)

I just feel that that the £150 discount has changed the landscape of the whole waiting game. how? I don't know yet

Buy it.

----------

Just got to love the line Never Say Never

http://www.apple.com/pr/library/201...ad-New-1-999-iMac-with-Retina-5K-Display.html

Apple Introduces New $1,999 iMac with Retina 5K Display

They didn't update the 5k. They just released a cheaper model and dropped the price of the normal one.

 

[roadkill401]

They didn't update the 5k. They just released a cheaper model and dropped the price of the normal one.

Apple sure seems to think it's a NEW machine and it does have a different CPU that the original two options that were there before it. So I would say that it is an update.. in the slower direction none the less but an update.

 

[MacNerd1239]

Apple sure seems to think it's a NEW machine and it does have a different CPU that the original two options that were there before it. So I would say that it is an update.. in the slower direction none the less but an update.

What's different about the CPU? I don't see anything different in the higher model.

 

[apolloa]

What's different about the CPU? I don't see anything different in the higher model.

It's got a lower clock speed, no idea if the cache size is different?

http://www.apple.com/uk/imac-with-retina/specs/

 

[TechZeke]

The fact that they made a $1999 5K iMac replace the old non-retina high-end iMac makes me think we will be seeing a 4K 21.5" iMac at WWDC.

 

[scottish]

Can someone confirm that there was previously only one standard configuration 5k iMac? And that it was £1999 in UK? I think I have completely confused myself thinking that there were two.

 

[TechZeke]

Can someone confirm that there was previously only one standard configuration 5k iMac? And that it was £1999 in UK? I think I have completely confused myself thinking that there were two.

The current $2300 USD high end model was the previous $2500 USD model. And yes, before today that was no low end model.