It has a Mini DisplayPort which converts to HDMI, DVI, or VGA. $29 from Apple.
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iMac Update Might Be Coming Sooner Rather Than Later
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It has a Mini DisplayPort which converts to HDMI, DVI, or VGA. $29 from Apple.
As others have mentioned, other than costing $1000+ less?
I'm in the "what do I do" boat right now myself, I've got an older iMac that needs updating and a 13" Aluminum MacBook (just before it was rebadged as a MBP). I'd love to get an MBP with Retina and a Thunderbolt Display but I'd be looking at $3200 vs $1500-2000 for a new iMac.
The Mac Mini is stuck with onboard graphics which isn't ideal for the work I'm doing (design and 3d) and the Pro is overkill and too expensive (and you have to add the display).
Yes, parts of the iMac will become obsolete but there's still some nice resale value in it when you need to upgrade. My rather old 20" iMac will still bring $400-500 on eBay.
iMac is a cheaper solution than a Macbook Pro + Display . And consider one thing...iMac screen is great, not only big but also really great! In my country buying a screen with this image quality can cost almost 400$. So its not the same. And another thing, there are people who hate laptops, because they can fall on the ground easily, and often they are not so durable.
Apparently Apple have now moved beyond just the Retina Display and will be introducing the new 'Cochlear Speaker' who's resolution will be so high that you cannot hear the individual samples. Unfortunately we will still have to wait a while for the 'Olifactory Stinkbulb' technology to mature sufficiently for public release.
I assume you meant what a MBP+display would NOT do for me. The answers are:
1. 256 SSD OS drive + 4TB internal media drive, optimal for iTunes serving of HD video to various AppleTVs, at much less cost than a bunch of Promise or LaCie TB rigs. No MBP anywhere can do this at all. iMac does it perfectly. Right now I have an older iMac and I can only put ~150GB of video into iTunes at a time. Just fine for the wife and I watching the occasional movie, but not as good with three kids who want to watch their cartoon videos every-single-day.
2. Speed and power under the hood per dollar spent ratio is much higher than for any MBP, since the MBP also has a cost for portability.
3. Includes display instead of additional $1000 cost.
A MacBook Pro with the same or a bit worse specs than an iMac + a 27 inch thunderbolt display will be more than $1500 more than a top-of-the-line 27 inch iMac. Portability is an issue to some, but I have an older MBP and an iPad, so buying an iMac now makes the most financial sense to me.
Yeah, its too bad Apple never offered a small chassis desktop with a dedicated GPU, faster CPU options, user serviceable RAM and storage, basically a MBP15/17 in a box. It wouldnt even have to be the mid tower some folks have wanted (i.e., it wouldnt need slots or huge bays for storage).
The 2011 iMac can handle a 4TB drive; it's just not officially supported by Apple. An AAR will gladly install it for you for the cost of labor.
If we're talking base-line MBP, then you can add "no dedicated graphics card" to the reasons why a person would choose an iMac over a MBP.
Also, please point me to a $200 monitor that has 2560 x 1440 native resolution. Most monitors that price are probably going to be 1080p tops.
A lot of us couldn't care less about portability. I do 99% of my computer work in my home office. I need a computer that will park on my desk and stay there. Why spend $2000+ on a laptop and then still have to buy a seperate screen when I can spend $1000 less and get the sharp iMac screen with it?
For the other 1% away from home iPad does the job and it's easier to carry around than a Macbook Pro.
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Well, they did for a while
But yeah, if I could have a Mini with simply a legit GPU I'd buy that in a heartbeat.
Desktop processor and hard drive
Higher performance
Lower price
Better heat management
Larger screen
Clean design, smaller desktop footprint than a laptop and monitor
How many reasons do you need?
PS: The Macbook Pro you love so much probably won't be around in two years.
I heard that it was due to a Apple webmaster asleep at the wheel and that those specs are from the 2010 iMac.
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Thanks for the report.
I've been waiting a while to get a new iMac to replace my 2005 G5 PM and not about to drop $2000 on the current model. I really want USB3 and the new Ivy Bridge CPUs, a matte screen option would be a nice bonus.
I'm hoping the new iMac comes out with the next OS X update in July or August. So I can save a few more $$$ to get a better model.
I've been waiting a while to get a new iMac to replace my 2005 G5 PM and not about to drop $2000 on the current model. I really want USB3 and the new Ivy Bridge CPUs, a matte screen option would be a nice bonus.
I'm hoping the new iMac comes out with the next OS X update in July or August. So I can save a few more $$$ to get a better model.
You can use an iMac just for its screen as a second life.
I would advise to buy a steroid version for iMac. My late 2009 one still displays around 9000 at this well known benchmark which means it is still usable.
Usage wise I already have a pro HP laptop for excel, CAD etc, my iMac is all about multimedia (so less sensitive to obsolescence i guess)
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It seems to me my iMac has better specs than the new MBP. 2TB disk too. And cheaper than the 15-inch MBP at the time.
Attachments
Can anyone list what the projected specs are on the base model of this rumored iMac?
Based on the OP, we have:
Ivy Bridge Core i7-3770 quad-core processor
4 GB of 1600 MHz RAM
USB 3.0
What about the rest?
Hard drive?
SSD comes standard or as a BTO option?
ODD?
Based on the OP, we have:
Ivy Bridge Core i7-3770 quad-core processor
4 GB of 1600 MHz RAM
USB 3.0
What about the rest?
Hard drive?
SSD comes standard or as a BTO option?
ODD?
Followup on iMac vs MBP + Display
Likely not. Reports from iFixit show that both the Air and the Retina are unrepairable and non-upgradable bricks. Too bad. I do hope that the new iMac does not follow suit, but I wouldn't bet on it.
I keep my computers for a while and things will change by the time I am in the market again. I have owned a Macintosh since 1984, but Apple did not always do right by me. For example, they produced crap hardware though most 1990s and I bought a clone during that time.
Thank you everyone for your comments. We all use different criteria when choosing a product. I wish you all success with your choices.
Likely not. Reports from iFixit show that both the Air and the Retina are unrepairable and non-upgradable bricks. Too bad. I do hope that the new iMac does not follow suit, but I wouldn't bet on it.
I keep my computers for a while and things will change by the time I am in the market again. I have owned a Macintosh since 1984, but Apple did not always do right by me. For example, they produced crap hardware though most 1990s and I bought a clone during that time.
Thank you everyone for your comments. We all use different criteria when choosing a product. I wish you all success with your choices.
Apple has so much cash on hand, so....
How about they lower the margins on the i-Mac for once(and actually price competitively with Win systems), and get a flood of new users hooked on OSX? At the same price point, they could make the next-gen i-mac a beast.
Then they can slowly raise their prices.
How about they lower the margins on the i-Mac for once(and actually price competitively with Win systems), and get a flood of new users hooked on OSX? At the same price point, they could make the next-gen i-mac a beast.
Then they can slowly raise their prices.