iMac progress since Steve Jobs died: opinions?

[Macmamamac]

The greatest computer moment I ever had was firing up a 24" 2007 iMac. The combination of OS X ( leopard I think ), which for me was the greatest leap in user experience ever, and the design just made it a 'wow' moment. It was a night and day experience from any other computer I had ever seen or used.

8 years later I have just taken delivery of a ( late 2015) retina iMac and the 'wow' factor just isn't there. Not much has changed. It's almost identical except for screen resolution and speed -- 2 things which are natural technological progressions and not apple related.

The last 'wow' factor I had was when I changed my 2007 iMac HDD to an SSD a couple of years ago -- The speed difference kept the 2007 imac going strong until just a few days ago.

I suppose the question I am asking people, is if they think iMac has stagnated because of technology constraints, or because Steve jobs isn't there anymore?

I ask this question because 8 years before the 2007 aluminium iMac, Apple revolutionised the CRT desktop with their multi coloured 'bulbous' machines ( I owned one ), but 8 years after the 2007 aluminium no revolution has happened in both design or operating system.

 

[Icehawk]

I don't think its the lack of Jobs. I keep questioning Apple's obsession with thinness. What could they do with the iMac or iPhone if it was just a tiny bit thicker?

I joined the Apple club with the the Intel switch. Retina was the next big thing I recall computer wise. Then the macbook pros going pure SSD. Yet I'm not sure what the next thing could be. It all seems like natural progressions and advancements in a way. Better this or that. Different ports. Not sure what the next big thing in computers will be. Heck, I have no clue.

 

[aevan]

It's almost identical except for screen resolution

It's almost identical except for the most important thing you can change on a professional computer: the screen.

I don't know what 'wow' factor are you expecting, but I do know it's unrealistic.

 

[Jason32]

5k screen isnt a wow factor?

 

[Macmamamac]

I don't think its the lack of Jobs. I keep questioning Apple's obsession with thinness. What could they do with the iMac or iPhone if it was just a tiny bit thicker?

I joined the Apple club with the the Intel switch. Retina was the next big thing I recall computer wise. Then the macbook pros going pure SSD. Yet I'm not sure what the next thing could be. It all seems like natural progressions and advancements in a way. Better this or that. Different ports. Not sure what the next big thing in computers will be. Heck, I have no clue.

5k screen isnt a wow factor?

No, it wasn't. It was massive improvement, but not something unique because I see 4K on others screens.

 

[Macmamamac]

It's almost identical except for the most important thing you can change on a professional computer: the screen.

I don't know what 'wow' factor are you expecting, but I do know it's unrealistic.

My point is the 2007 iMac was also using current technology, but because of design and OS, it had a 'wow' factor.

All other companies at the time had access to same technology but never got close to 'wow' factor.

 

[Smarky]

I think as the categories Apple are in mature it gets harder and harder to produce a "wow factor" it becomes about constant small steps. If you went away for 5 years and didn't follow all the news and then where given a model that just came out you would be more impressed.

Where can the iMac go? The speeds of computers now are starting to plateau and are already fast enough some years ago for most tasks. The iMac is already crazily thin, I am not sure anybody would care if it was thinner, in fact the iMac would likely benefit from being a little thicker, but again the performance from this would be marginal for most users and Apple would see it as a step backwards design wise.

Also I think that Apple is becoming less and less about the wow factor and more about yearly improvements and optimisations, this is Tim Cooks Apple now and it seems more about efficiency, which might not give you that wow factor, but still worthwhile.

Perhaps this is why Apple is moving into things like Cars, something that seems quite far out for them, but that's really the only places they can go if they really wanna innovate and get that wow factor back with there products.

 

[garirry]

The thing with as you say the "wow factor", it's that Apple never made any major changes throughout the years. When you get your first iMac, you're impressed! Why? Because chances are, you never seen anything like it. When you get a newer one, you're still impressed, but much less, because you already know that it exists, plus it isn't that different. So, it's perfectly fine you think that way, and not because of Steve Jobs' death.

 

[AppleHater]

In video game terms, the first time playing Super Mario 64 was a wow moment. Does it mean that the game is better than games nowadays? Far from it. Just it was the first of its kind.

It's hard to be the first of its kind especially when the industry is matured. Everyone copied and everyone else's and most ideas have been tried and refined.

Until a next big idea comes along its like this. I suspect it's going to be related to advancement in AI and self learning which still have ways to improve.

 

[aevan]

My point is the 2007 iMac was also using current technology, but because of design and OS, it had a 'wow' factor.

All other companies at the time had access to same technology but never got close to 'wow' factor.

All other companies today have access to the same technology and they haven't created anything even close to the iMac 5K.

You get an insane screen where Apple had to, like, invent their own TCON just to run it. And organic passivation to make it 30% more energy efficient. And photo alignment. And oxide-based TFT. And then - as if this wasn't enough - they added P3 color space to it.

They still managed to pack it into a best looking computer that is thinner than most monitors on the market and keep the great performance. The latest technologies. And made the thing virtually silent. And it runs arguably the best OS on the market.

And then, just for kicks, they made a trackpad for it that tricks you into thinking it's actually clicking, while it's detecting the pressure you apply to it. Just read that sentence again and let it sink in. I'm serious, they did that.


I'm not sure what would be 'wow' for you. Perhaps if it levitated above your desk. I agree that would be cool.

 

[Benjamin Frost]

Wish it still had an optical drive. I still have a ton of DVDs.

 

[Macmamamac]

[

All other companies today have access to the same technology and they haven't created anything even close to the iMac 5K.

You get an insane screen where Apple had to, like, invent their own TCON just to run it. And organic passivation to make it 30% more energy efficient. And photo alignment. And oxide-based TFT. And then - as if this wasn't enough - they added P3 color space to it.

They still managed to pack it into a best looking computer that is thinner than most monitors on the market and keep the great performance. The latest technologies. And made the thing virtually silent. And it runs arguably the best OS on the market.

And then, just for kicks, they made a trackpad for it that tricks you into thinking it's actually clicking, while it's detecting the pressure you apply to it. Just read that sentence again and let it sink in. I'm serious, they did that.


I'm not sure what would be 'wow' for you. Perhaps if it levitated above your desk. I agree that would be cool.

Your post is about raw tech, and not tech personality.

I am apple through and through. I am an apple completist. Wow factor does not exist anymore however. Magic Trackpad 2 is closet I have got to wow moment -- again, simple tech which Apple has used to perfection.

 

[aevan]

Your post is about raw tech, and not tech personality.

Your post is highly subjective.

 

[sparkie1984]

To be honest I feel Apple generally has lost its "wow factor"

The software is glitchy on both iOS and OS X I feel it's all rushed now rather than waiting and getting it right.

As others had said the obsession with thinness seems to be getting out of hand. Who wants an iMac that turns see through when viewed side ways?? I'm sure most people would rather have the body of a 2011 iMac with some decent cooling.

Things like the Mac Pro, why does it need to be so tiny? It's a pro machine and will the trash can design be even close to as useful as the classic Mac Pro design which is still upgradeable today. I've just put a PCI-E ssd in my 2009 model and its screaming fast. It cost me £165 for 256gb. How much would it cost to put that in the new model?

To me Apple are going for pure aesthetics over function which is a shame as their products were hardly horrid looking!

That said I'll still be buying their products as its still best in class (IMO)

 

[maflynn]

The term familiarity breeds contempt may be fitting here.

OP, there's not much more apple could do with the iMac regardless if Jobs was running the show. AIO computers are very limited in terms of design options. Personally I think they erred in making this as thin as it is. Its a desktop computer that people generally don't move around, there's no reason to make it razor thin. That may not have happened if Jobs was around but we don't know.

In any event, I think when Apple rolled out the 5k iMac that was a Wow event. When companies were struggling to roll out a 4k display, apple goes and releases a 5k computer. If that's not a wow event then perhaps you should reconsider how you define that.

 

[mcnallym]

Computer technology is fairly predictable now and fairly mature. Apple is also more mature. Go back and watch the 1984 video and then look at the announcement that Apple is partnering with IBM to sell Apple into the Enterprise. Then realise it IS the same company that looking at.

A lot of other vendors since 2007 have spent decent money on R&D improving the look and feel, of there computers, you are also used to OSX which is changing incrementally ( Microsoft have learnt the hard way what happens when you try to radically change ) and piecemeal rather then big, massive changes.

The iMac is still now what it was then, ( other then having lost the chin ), and you have a Keyboard and Mouse, possibly trackpad, and OSX still looks pretty much the same, yes new features added but still basically the same. Other then improvements to Processor Power, GPU power ( AMD Graphics aren't rebadged products from 2007, despite what some people may say, NOT saying that the recent ones aren't disappointing in terms of being last years, tweak a bit and rebrand, but they are a BIG improvement over 2007 iMac GPU's. ), transition to 4K/5K screens then there hasn't been much of a change.

 

[ericv]

I agree with the OP. The new iMac is great (I have one). However it could have been a lot better. I don't care if my iMac was an inch thicker. If that inch gets me better hardware, better cooling, and more upgradability than it's worth it. 5k isn't really that much more impressive than 4K (for those of us that don't edit videos and pictures professionally). Outside of the screen it is a middle of the road computer that just happens to cost $1000 more than is you built it yourself (assuming you use a 4K monitor instead of a 5k). Honestly the most impressive thing about the new iMac is the trackpad and keyboard (IMO). Apple could have done way better. That said the overall experience of using a middle of the road computer paired with OS X is still better than a higher end Windows machine.

 

[ryannel2003]

I've had many Macs over the years and though getting each one was exciting, nothing really prepared me for the sheer size of my 27" iMac when I took it out the box. It's absolutely beautiful and I have to say once I booted it up the screen was pretty breathtaking. It definitely had (and still does) have a wow factor to me.

 

[colodane]

Overall, I'd say that the continual improvement in the user experience that I've come to expect from Apple has continued after the loss of Jobs. That is not to say that I agree with every design decision that has been made. But that was also true when Jobs was in charge.

Focusing on the iMac and desktop computing, Apple still makes the best available solution unless you want to roll your own. OS-X is a terrific operating system and continues to improve, with greater convergence and information sharing with iOS. Apple's hardware tends to be high quality. I like the emphasis on acoustically quiet operation, efficient and reliable power supplies, SSD options, the TrackPad, etc. etc.

The 5K display is a big selling point and actually quite reasonably priced in the iMacs. For me personally, however, it is not a game-changer. I remember when it was first available and I rushed over to the Apple store to see it side-by-side with the previous 27 inch display. I had to look closely to see any difference - kind of a letdown. But I do realize that it is a useful improvement for graphics professionals. For what I do, Im actually quite satisfied with the display on my 2011 21.5 inch iMac.

My biggest source of disappointment is Apple's recent emphasis on making the iMac as thin as possible. I would much prefer it to be thicker and "boxier" if it would allow for easier user access to the internals, better speakers and more upgrade options.

 

[maflynn]

The 5K display is a big selling point and actually quite reasonably priced in the iMacs.

As I run the numbers, I find because of the screen it makes sense. That is getting a comparable computer will run me more $$ when considering a large 5k sort of display.

 

[AlifTheUnseen]

<snip>I'm not sure what would be 'wow' for you. Perhaps if it levitated above your desk. I agree that would be cool.

Ha, I lol'ed at that. It made me remember my Apple Cube - I still have one that I'm going to upgrade at one point in the future. While all other computers out there at that time were ugly huge beige boxes (or so I want to remember), the Apple cube was a small perfect object hovering above your desk…

(source: https://web.archive.org/web/20001216030100/www.apple.com/powermaccube/)

 

[Abazigal]

The iMac has its drawbacks (lack of cooling definitely being one), but I would argue that they are more a result of its all-in-one design than any lack of innovation on Apple's part.

Which is annoying because the iMac is pretty much the de-facto desktop option for most consumers out there, but you are saddled with annoying limitations like integrated graphics and soldered ram (for the 21.5" iMac) and possible thermal throttling (for the 27" iMac if you go with 4gb of graphics memory).

 

[joema2]

All other companies today have access to the same technology and they haven't created anything even close to the iMac 5K....

A good example of this is the Dell XPS 27. It is expensive, max RAM of 16GB, comes only with a 2TB HDD, only has a 2GB GT-750m GPU, is 1.6 *times* the weight of an iMac 27, and has an acoustic noise level that AnandTech described as "brutal". It is essentially an iMac as built by Herman Munster.

 

[cynics]

I think your wow factor was based on your subjective experiences upon booting the 2007 Mac. I find that to be a fairly rare event, like maybe your first NEW car, for first smartphone, etc etc. I had the same experience with my 2013 iMac and my first iPhone, subsequent updates have felt meh even when Jobs was around.

 

[chabig]

Wish it still had an optical drive. I still have a ton of DVDs.

Nothing is preventing you from plugging one in.