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iMac now or wait unti WWDC?

AaronM5670

AaronM5670

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 19, 2012
603
163
Norwich, UK
I am looking for an iMac (either top-specced 21.5" or 27" - haven't decided yet)

I don't have a specific time frame in mind, so I could wait until WWDC.

Do you think the new model would come out then, or would it be a longer wait (probably for Haswell)

Will the upgrade be significant enough?

Sandy Bridge to Ivy Bridge was only roughly a 5-10% performance increase so will Haswell (and the wait) be worth it or not?

Another consideration is DDR4 memory and a retina display.

I am looking to sell my PC and switch over to Mac in the next 3/4 months ideally.

Also I noticed the other day that Apple took the 'New' designator off the Late-2012 iMac, does this mean a refresh is coming?
 
No one knows for sure. But hey... the current iMac is brand new. Maybe people are still waiting for their orders, while others have just been playing with them for 1 or 2 months. So I wouldn't bet on a quick refresh. Maybe late Q3 or Q4.

Haswell is interesting for mobile (energy use), but much less for desktops.
 
AaronM5670 said:
I am looking for an iMac (either top-specced 21.5" or 27" - haven't decided yet)

I don't have a specific time frame in mind, so I could wait until WWDC.

Do you think the new model would come out then, or would it be a longer wait (probably for Haswell)

Will the upgrade be significant enough?

Sandy Bridge to Ivy Bridge was only roughly a 5-10% performance increase so will Haswell (and the wait) be worth it or not?

Another consideration is DDR4 memory and a retina display.

I am looking to sell my PC and switch over to Mac in the next 3/4 months ideally.

Also I noticed the other day that Apple took the 'New' designator off the Late-2012 iMac, does this mean a refresh is coming?
Click to expand...

All of your questions are valid, however.

The late 2012 iMac was a significant release. IMHO it will be quite some time before the iMac platform sees another product refresh as significant as the late 2012.

The only thing I see (just my opinion) occurring with the passing of the WWDC is calendar pages.

Then again, it's your purchase and your decision.

My recent iMac acquisition was the ending punctuation on several years of planning and in the end what turned out to be waiting on a product refresh so evident and anticipated that no guessing was required.

Good luck with your decision.
 
Naw... the next major announcement will likely be of a new Mac Pro... That's what's due, and expected. I would only expect minor tweaks to the iMac, such as an increase in base processor speed, or a larger SSD offer. All speculation, though...

Also, regarding the Mac Pro, a comment from Larry at OWC in a recent email suggested:

2013 MacPro on the horizon?
Could new MacPros be right around the corner? For a brief time the 12-Core
2.4GHz, normally $3799, was available from both BestBuy and Amazon for
$2499. That's the normal price for the base 4-core model. Available units
went quick and the window for backorders accepted at that price didn't
last long. This is the kind of thing we typically see when Apple's
clearing out excesses ahead of a new model. We know this is the year...
hopefully this is sign the new MacPro will be sooner vs. later.
<http://list.macsales.com/link.php?M=932021&N=1699&L=5636&F=T>.
Quick pops like this I also get the word out fast on via Twitter:
<http://list.macsales.com/link.php?M=932021&N=1699&L=5637&F=T>
 
Go for iMac now..there will not be a refresh this year. Haswell will be on mobile platform (Macbooks). So at WWDC will announce haswell for macbooks and iphone and ios 7. That it and in sept-octomber the next ipad and ipad mini and mac pro if wasn't announce at WWDC
 
there is no point in waiting for flying cars, if you fell like that your hardware is due an upgrade do it now, if you fell you can leave with it for another 3 month you more than likely will have in front the same machine sold today so it will not make any difference.
 
Get the iMac now. It took Apple a while to adopt ivy bridge. It's a good probability it will take Apple a while to adopt Haswell.
 
I disagree, the iMac will get a spec bump later this year (late summer?), but I doubt the small increase in CPU power will be worth it (probably 5-8%). As it is now, the iMac is very powerful. Just get the iMac now IMO. Next year will most likely see a huge upgrade in GFX card, but that is some time away...
 
I simply can't see them updating the iMac this summer. I would bet money on it if I could. Later this year is a possibility but it will be a spec bump. Perhaps late Oct to Nov, but nothing earlier.

As others have said. You should just get it now instead of being disappointed at WWDC.
 
I waited for the big announcement last year at the WWDC. That announcement finally came later on in the year with a delayed release of the 27" iMac at that. So at some point one has to stop waiting and make the purchase. The 2012 iMac offers more solutions for me now than waiting for the potential features of a future released machine. Others may feel different.
 
Seems to me....

too, valid questions, so I will share my POVs in some of these:

1-Retina display? Not seeing it without a complete redesign. And then problems with design/manufacturing can arise what get Apple away from this technology. See the rumors about iPad mini with Retina support.

2-Haswell chips? Probable, but more laptop or even Mac mini oriented because power management/consumption abilities.

So all points out, IMHO, to a speed bump upgrade later in the year. Or even a change in the options right now in the Online store, as more flash storage, some options of Fusion as stock options or different graphic cards supported. A wait for the WWDC and some announcement can be worth, if some of the above said comes to light. Or even if Apple releases the speed bumped machines and you can get a deal in the current generation.

:):apple:
 
dandrewk said:
Almost exactly the words Mac Pro users used to say. ;)
Click to expand...

I knew it was going to be moments before someone chimed in about the Mac Pro ;)

If you notice though, the MP is obviously the oddball in Apple's entire Mac lineup. It's the only machine that you can still gives you control over upgradeability, other than just the memory. Every other Mac is either now an entirely closed system or the only thing you can upgrade is the memory. In the case for the classic MBP, the hard drive and battery is user-upgradeable still, but there is obviously a shift towards retina model focus as the 15" model is now down to one stock configuration.

Given Apple's ridiculously high margins on BTO options, the iMac's relatively lower entry price (half the cost of the entry level Mac Pro), and it's endearing popularity between consumers, prosumers, and perhaps even professionals, there is still quite a fruitful market that the iMac still enjoys. The report of a sudden jolt in Mac sales earlier this year when the iMac returned to normal production schedules is clear that the iMac is still selling quite well.

Maybe there will be a time when trucks, er I mean desktop Macs, will have shrunken down to such a level that allows Apple to relax to a two year refresh, but recent sales tell me that we're not at that point yet. Especially since right after a redesign with momentum picking back up, I just don't see Apple slowing down the iMac just yet.
 
A late year speed bump is probable. The new design will likely stick for 2-3 years or more. The new LCD is a nice improvement. I can't see retina or whatever it might be any time soon until there's some revolution in GPU. Too much power involved. Apple will not offer a pro GPU in a consumer machine that has no space to deal with the inevitable heat. Remember, they just made it skinny, cool and quiet?

The Mac Pro Line is another story.
 
thedeske said:
Apple will not offer a pro GPU in a consumer machine that has no space to deal with the inevitable heat. Remember, they just made it skinny, cool and quiet?
Click to expand...

Yea, true, but the iMac has always used mobile GPUs anyway and what they did do that i think is pretty amazing (in terms of engineering anyway), was managing to squeeze in that 40% smaller chassis, the fastest mobile GPU on the market today.

But yea I still agree, I'm not expecting a retina iMac just yet...
 
smoking monkey said:
I simply can't see them updating the iMac this summer. I would bet money on it if I could. Later this year is a possibility but it will be a spec bump. Perhaps late Oct to Nov, but nothing earlier.

As others have said. You should just get it now instead of being disappointed at WWDC.
Click to expand...

I kinda agree, I should've written late summer/early autumn, more likely August/September I guess. There is no reason why Apple shouldn't update the iMac this year, now that the new design is out.
Everybody is talking about retina, but what about getting an iMac update with a 120hz screen with great colours and 2560x1440 resolution (when this would be available on the market). That would be just as nice IMO.
 
I found an app on the app store which will send you an automated push notification the minute Apple announces this years WWDC. You can get it here: WWDC Checker
 
I can see in your signature you are still using a powermac 233mhz beige. if this is computer you are wanting to replace get the 2012 iMac now. It has the latest design, new ports usb 3.0, lightening ports. The only major things that may come out in the near future is better wi fi and retina display so go ahead and get yourself a new apple you deserve it.
 
I believe only the server variants of the haswell chip will get ddr4 support. Unless I'm mistaken.. If you need the mac now get it, no question. If its not immediate, then wait for the next MP or iMac.
 
There will certainly be a 2013 iMac, but I wouldn't expect it until late summer/early fall, and the upgrade will be incremental from the current version. Unless you're keen on gigabit wifi, there's probably not a compelling reason to wait.
 
AaronM5670 said:
I am looking for an iMac (either top-specced 21.5" or 27" - haven't decided yet)

PowerMac G3 233MHz (Beige)
Click to expand...
If your experience of OS X or Macs in general is a Beige G3, then the 2012 iMac will seem like Star Trek. It is frighteningly fast and more than capable of doing anything you throw at it. The "2013" model may be a bit faster still, but you are unlikely to need or use that difference for most work.

I spent all of 2012 waiting for an iMac refresh: checking MR pages, reading pointless speculations on forums. If I had known it was going to be LATE 2012, I might have bought a 2011 earlier in the year. In the end, I thought a Mini was a better option.

If you need one: buy one. It will do everything you need to, comfortably. There will always be a better computer x months later. If you keep waiting, you'll never actually enjoy what you have.
 
mrmarts said:
I can see in your signature you are still using a powermac 233mhz beige. if this is computer you are wanting to replace get the 2012 iMac now. It has the latest design, new ports usb 3.0, lightening ports. The only major things that may come out in the near future is better wi fi and retina display so go ahead and get yourself a new apple you deserve it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but then he would have to replace his dot-matrix impact printer and lose his dial-up and pay for broadband. :D
 
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