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iMac redesign in late 2012

Only internal storage should be a SSD, 256 base, 512, and 1024g. Externalize the DVD and traditional hard drives. Someone responded to my post of that idea on another thread about how Apple doesn't like cords and while that may be true it certainly would not stop them from doing this. Why? Because the majority would never need the external storage options.

Removing the traditional drive and DVD player opens up many options. One it lets them increase their revenue by charging for an external drive. It also lets them reinforce the idea that physical media is dead (they have their cloud and the mac app store) and it lets them make the system even thinner.

Getting weight down would require finding a good impossible to scratch replacement for glass which I doubt they can do.


My only problem with the iMac line is that GPU upgrades are reserved for the top end model only
 
BasilFawlty said:
1. Don't eliminate DVD - I need it! If anything, at least make it an option.
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If you need one, external will do just fine

BasilFawlty said:
2. Make Blueray an option
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Not going to happen

BasilFawlty said:
4. Double the number of memory slots so people can upgrade to 32GB without spending a fortune on 8GM sticks.
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32GB RAM, really? Not going to happen anyway, the space in iMac is still very valuable and I see no pint to waste it on RAM slots only you can use

BasilFawlty said:
10. Bring back Rosetta support so people can still use pgms like Quicken
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Not going to happen
 
boy-better-know said:
I hope it comes earlier than late 2012. I think the 27" screen is just fine.
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Not that I know much about these sorts of issues, but if you look at Intel's CPU roadmap it doesn't make a lot of sense for them to do it any earlier than mid-late 2012, as the next generation of processors is supposed to arrive in March 2012. (The Ivy Bridge low-power re-formulation of the current Sandy Bridge.)

Also, the last refresh was just this past summer, and it was a major update to the insides, so I'm not so sure they would do it very soon. The top spec 27" is a monster right now. Only modest upgrades are even possible with the current available components.
 
My prediction is bye-bye chin. I think the next iMac will look a lot like the Thunderbolt display.
 
It seems clear enough with the way mobile device screen PPi's are going, that the newer edition could very well have a more sharp pixel density, perhaps packing in 2560x1440 (or x1600) into a 24-25" space. That would, in my mind, be absolutely perfect.
 
What exactly are people using their 32gb ram on? My imac has 8gb ram and I rarely ever go above 4gb of usage, even with paging disabled. :confused:
 
lotones said:
My prediction is bye-bye chin. I think the next iMac will look a lot like the Thunderbolt display.
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This may be a valid prediction. As I said in other posts, they can move the stuff in the bezel and on the back of an iMac to the stand. They can fit the logic board into the base and arm of the stand. This can be achieved with a base much thinner than a Mac Mini since the arm of the stand can also hold HDDs and/or SSDs. They should also make the stand removable so that an iMac can be upgraded by changing the stand or transformed into a standalone display by using a bare-bone stand.
 
I want the chin much smaller or gone. I also would like the speakers improved, and the same amount of user serviceable ram slots. :)
 
Yes!

The "chin" on my iMac started bothering me after I got my 2 thunderbolt displays. :eek:
 
old-wiz said:
I like the DVD drive so I can watch movies.
Making the insides more accessible would be great.
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Yeah I might not use Superdrive a lot, but it really takes up room and USB when you have to use an external like on my mini Server.
 
danny_w said:
My thought exactly. I currently have a 24" and wouldn't want anything bigger than that, but the 21.5" just seems like too much of a downgrade from what I currently have. Making it so that it is easier to upgrade HDD/SD would also be very welcomed (every other AIO is easy to upgrade, why is iMac so difficult?).
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Apple has demonstrated with various product releases that the ability for consumers to access the internals is a non factor for them in terms of design. They probably chose something easy to manufacture without a lot of visible seams, but their recent designs have been annoying me in almost every product line. I don't like to have to take a machine into the Apple store for anything short of potential logic board problems.

TrollToddington said:
Different screen sizes maybe. I am perfectly satisfied by the current design - I think it's awesome.

I guess if they omit the DVD drive we can hope for a price decrease.
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Why would a $25 part have any real impact on the price? It would obviously save Apple a few dollars per machine, but there's no reason to expect it to impact the price. Really it'll be a price increase if you want an external version. Perhaps they'll at least use it for a second ssd connection assuming it won't tax the power supply too much?

Shivetya said:
Only internal storage should be a SSD, 256 base, 512, and 1024g. Externalize the DVD and traditional hard drives. Someone responded to my post of that idea on another thread about how Apple doesn't like cords and while that may be true it certainly would not stop them from doing this. Why? Because the majority would never need the external storage options.

Removing the traditional drive and DVD player opens up many options. One it lets them increase their revenue by charging for an external drive. It also lets them reinforce the idea that physical media is dead (they have their cloud and the mac app store) and it lets them make the system even thinner.

Getting weight down would require finding a good impossible to scratch replacement for glass which I doubt they can do.


My only problem with the iMac line is that GPU upgrades are reserved for the top end model only
Click to expand...

It's a consumer machine that sits on a desk. Why would weight be a factor? I do expect we'll eventually see SSD only but it's going to suck on capacity at first. Do you really expect to see 1TB SSDs offered by Apple next year? OCZ has a few pcie versions made for server hardware. They run about $4k. Their newer sata versions may be cheaper, but they'll still cost too much to be practical for a consumer machine (yeah it sees some professional use too but it has so many annoying limitations).

I forgot to add before. CPU upgrades may have to do with heat. The components in the 27" are spread out over a wider area so they have a better ability to spread out the hottest components. This also works into the fact that Apple likes to force upgrades into groups and keep manufacturing costs down by limiting the number of available configurations. There are a lot of extra things people would like, but it comes down to what Apple wants to produce. They've really moved away from providing any kind of specialty solutions.
 
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deafgoose said:
Yes!

The "chin" on my iMac started bothering me after I got my 2 thunderbolt displays. :eek:
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I also found that the bezel on the iMac is bothering!

After I acquired my current 2010 Mac Pro with a 27" Cinema Display for my office, I considered buying an iMac for home use. The bezel appeared so ugly to me in comparison with my 27" Cinema Display. I ended up buying a 2011 Mac Mini and a 27" Cinema Display (I could not wait for the Thunderbolt Display).
 
1)A redesigned stand, that thing has been the same for 6 years
2)Color options
3)USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt and Firewire 800
4)Easy way to upgrade HDD/SSD
 
leman said:
If you need one, external will do just fine
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You understand that we're talking about iMac, right? What's the point of iMac if you were to link all those external devices to it? It sounds messy. I love the fact that there is only power code going into my iMac; clean, minimal, has everything I need in one piece.
 
User upgradeable hard drive.

Doubt that happens. Probably will see dual hard drives, at least at upper end, as standard. SSD and hard drive.

What else is there?

Won't have desktop gpu because way too noisy/hot.

Nice if they had external gpu option but would probably be too expensive.

Some ports on the side wouldn't hurt.

I always wanted enough of a battery inside that would let me move the iMac into another room without turning it off. But that probably isn't practical for a mass market product. In other words it won't happen.

I would love it if you could actually use it as a monitor without booting it up into OSX.

And actually why not just eliminate the iMac. What if you had the ability to buy a Mini (in some new form factor if needed)and clip it to the back of an Apple monitor in some elegant fashion?
 
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