iMac's and SSD/Flash storage

[mlody]

I can't say, I am an Apple fanatic, but I do like some of their products. One thing I can't wrap my head around is why in this day and age iMac's do not have SSD/Flash storage as the base storage?
Apple switched MBA to SSD/Flash in 2010, MBP in 2012, 2nd gen MP is all flash as well. This really leave mac mini and iMac.
With 500 GB SSD starting in high $100 and 1 TB SSD drives costing in high $300 I believe it just shouldn't make any sense for them to even plan and engineer a computer with spinning drives anymore.

Take the spindles out of the base models and replace them with 256GB flash (1.4 Ghz model) and 512GB (rest of the lineup) and all of sudden a decently priced product becomes an excellent and great value product with improved performance and longevity.

This poses a question; how many years will it take till flash becomes a standard storage in iMac? I am really hoping that they are ready to make the change this year, but that might be just wishful thinking.

 

[AppleFan360]

Simple. SSD's are still too expensive to keep the overall cost down on a low-end iMac and still allow users to keep their stuff all in one place (instead of adding external drives which some don't like to do). Yes, I suspect we will eventually see SSD's become standard. Still need more time however for costs to come down just a bit more.

As far as reliability between spinning hard drive and SSD, that's a whole other debate. Put it this way, any server admin who works in a data center would laugh you out of the building if you mention converting everything to SSD. Great for home use, not so great for true industrial use (at least right now).

 

[andy9l]

The 2014 iMacs come with a SSD as standard. Fusion drive includes a 128GB SSD, or the 256GB SSD can be selected for no additional cost.

 

[mlody]

The 2014 iMacs come with a SSD as standard. Fusion drive includes a 128GB SSD, or the 256GB SSD can be selected for no additional cost.

Not sure about UK, but in the US, the non-retina iMac's come with spindle. The retina iMac comes with fusion. Also, the 256GB SSD option on retina iMac is BTO - not standard, so you cant just walk to a store and pick it up. The fact is, no iMac comes standard with SSD/flash storage in their base configuration.

 

[andy9l]

iMac's and SSD/Flash storage

The non-retina is a 2013 model.

If you walk into the store and buy a 2014 iMac - retina, 5K, whatever you want to call it - it will have a 128GB SSD inside it.

BTO you could opt for a 256GB SSD at no extra cost.

For me, that's SSD as standard - worldwide.

 

[ixxx69]

The 2014 iMacs come with a SSD as standard. Fusion drive includes a 128GB SSD, or the 256GB SSD can be selected for no additional cost.

The non-retina is a 2013 model.

If you walk into the store and buy a 2014 iMac - retina, 5K, whatever you want to call it - it will have a 128GB SSD inside it.

BTO you could opt for a 256GB SSD at no extra cost.

For me, that's SSD as standard - worldwide.

Wasn't there a Mid 2014 iMac that is not retina? In any case, I don't know if we're really at that point yet where we can assume a 2014 iMac is the retina one? We're just starting to ween ourselves off "rMBP", and all the current MBP's have had retina for a couple of years.

 

[DeltaMac]

Wasn't there a Mid 2014 iMac that is not retina?
...

The mid-2014 iMac is non-retina - 1.4 GHz, and 500 GB spinner is the standard install, 1 TB spinner is an upgrade option. And, in the UK web store, a 256 GB flash adds £200

 

[redheeler]

Simple. SSD's are still too expensive to keep the overall cost down on a low-end iMac and still allow users to keep their stuff all in one place (instead of adding external drives which some don't like to do). Yes, I suspect we will eventually see SSD's become standard. Still need more time however for costs to come down just a bit more.

Even though I usually recommend against Fusion drive in favor of pure SSD, it does nicely solve this problem. Hence why I'm confident the base retina model will retain the 1 TB Fusion drive even after it eventually replaces the base model late 2013.

 

[andy9l]

I'm referring to the latest iMacs released - which are the retina ones - since you asked when it would be standard. The answer is as of October 2014, in my view.