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Memory in New $1099 iMac is Soldered and Not Upgradable

AppleScruff1 said:
Are you serious? It's so you are forced to pay Apple prices on more RAM at time of purchase. You pay Apple $200 for RAM you can buy yourself for $50. There is no other reason besides dollars and cents in Apple's pockets.
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They might as well raise prices on their RAM and memory. People will pay it anyways.
 
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Alenore said:
So let me sum up.

Same CPU as the MBA.
8gb non-upgradeable RAM.
500gb hard drive.

For $1099.

Meanwhile, a MBA with 8gb RAM is $999.

They should have taken a MBA body (without screen), put inside an iMac case, and connected the MBA to the screen. It'd be around the same price and a better deal.
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You do know this is probably what they did? :D
 
Missing the point

All of you going on and on about how terrible and underpowered and non-upgradeable this is are missing the point. We aren't the target market for this system. For the person looking for a low cost desktop system to do basic things this IS enough machine. For someone just surfing, organizing music and photos, and playing casual games it IS enough processor, it IS enough RAM, and it IS a big enough HD. Those users have no interest in cracking the case and adding RAM or upgrading the HD, if they even know what those things are. They won't be interested in rendering 3D CGI videos. Heck most probably won't even try to use iMovie or Photoshop.

So you don't like the system? Fine but you and I aren't the target market. This is for people who might get a Mac Mini but don't want to figure out what monitor would work with it.
 
mrrydogg said:
Look I agree with you in some respects, the entry level Mac Users they are aiming for with this aren't looking for upgrade options, just an off the shelf model.

BUT….

There really is no need to do this. It can't be that much cheaper to have it locked down in this manner, then to have it not locked down. The entry level customers still wouldn't touch their computer in order to upgrade it anyway. Just a bad decision.
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It's true from the consumer point of view. But I guess Apple's reason for doing this is to make the option clear cut for customers, that this model is only for users who don't care and want a basic off the shelf unit, and those that want more than 8 gb, well your only option is to buy the higher end, higher margin one, and not just buy the base model and upgrade it yourself.

Purely a business tactic to retain their margins.
 
512ke said:
Apple should make their stuff great not cripple it.

Even the low end iMac should have fully upgradeable RAM.

But I guess you could argue that the iPhone's RAM can't be upgraded, either!
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Or most laptops now or tablets. 8gb is plenty for anyone using this. You just do not need it with decent programming and memory management. It's such a crappy windows mentality.

Apps that need big ram are video compositing heaving imaging and big data stuff. And you are not going to buy this if you do that stuff.
 
Becuase!

because, if you build it, they will buy it,
same reasons that a ****** place in middle of the desert turned into a tourist destination, power of marketing (every movie holywood produce, have a mention to vegas),
Samsung, took a ****** product and marketed the hell out of it, and slowly it turned into an icon,
 
casperes1996 said:
Is there anyone who expected it to be upgradable? I didn't.

Yeah, it's possible in the other 21.5 inch iMacs, but it's not exactly easy. Apple clearly didn't intend for users to do it, and with the new lowest end machine that is essentially more MacBook Air than iMac, nobody could've possibly expected upgradability.
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You're right, good on Apple!
 
Icaras said:
Except they won't be insulted because they'll be oblivious to the notion and idea of expansion.

If for example my parents, who are completely and technologically inept, we're to buy this iMac, they would never even begin to think about upgrading it. Why exactly would they be insulted by it? This is the entire reason why they now enjoy a completely iOS-centric life style (no PCs). It's simple and it's safe. And all they would ever have to do is click "Upgrade" when a new OS update is out.

On the contrary, I think they would feel even more comfortable knowing that they would never have to alter or configure the hardware for the entire lifespan of the machine.
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But when they complain to you in a few years that their computer is getting slow, you say, no problem, I'll throw in some new RAM and it will be good to go. Only you won't be able to. It's not a case of never having to alter the hardware, it's a case of not being able to do it, forcing someone to buy a new computer instead of spending $50 -100 upgrading it. Personally I don't see how that is comforting. It's like if your car needed a tune up and you had to replace the car instead.
 
That's fine.

Nobody that buys this iMac is ever going to WANT to upgrade it anyways, which is largely intended for web and office use.

8GB is pretty much optimal size for this role.

I had a PowerMac G5 about 12 years ago with 8GB, and my latest MacBook Pro also has 8GB, and I do things like Aperture, Final Cut Pro X, and Photoshop as well. It really is the optimal size for this.

I'm sure some advanced pros are going to want more memory, like 64GB, but they're going to buy the MacPro instead anyways...
 
AppleScruff1 said:
But when they complain to you in a few years that their computer is getting slow, you say, no problem, I'll throw in some new RAM and it will be good to go. Only you won't be able to. It's not a case of never having to alter the hardware, it's a case of not being able to do it, forcing someone to buy a new computer instead of spending $50 -100 upgrading it. Personally I don't see how that is comforting. It's like if your car needed a tune up and you had to replace the car instead.
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No one is going to complain about the 8GB memory size in a few years.

At all.
 
Sacird said:
They might as well raise prices on their RAM and memory. People will pay it anyways.
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I agree, people will pay it and defend Apple for charging them more. I'm a consumer and for some strange reason, I care more about my wallet than I do about some company's treasure chest.

Good to see you post again!
 
aliensporebomb said:
This is totally a model for institutional customers that won't worry about updating or need to - set it and forget it.

This isn't for the Mac power enthusiast.
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Additionally, the power users are buying Mac Pros.

Has there ever been a case of anyone WANTING to upgrade an iMac?

They really are only used for office apps, which 8GB is more than enough for the life of this product.
 
mozumder said:
That's fine.

Nobody that buys this iMac is ever going to WANT to upgrade it anyways, which is largely intended for web and office use.

8GB is pretty much optimal size for this role.

I had a PowerMac G5 about 12 years ago with 8GB, and my latest MacBook Pro also has 8GB, and I do things like Aperture, Final Cut Pro X, and Photoshop as well. It really is the optimal size for this.

I'm sure some advanced pros are going to want more memory, like 64GB, but they're going to buy the MacPro instead anyways...
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And you can speak for everyone? :confused:
 
Why the hate?

What the hell is with all the anger toward this model?

It's obviously aimed at a beginner market or businesses/schools buying in bulk, not most users.

But man, the complaints on here are ridiculous.
 
AppleScruff1 said:
I actually did laugh out loud on this post. I'm glad you can speak with such confidence about every consumer who buys one of these.
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There are far too many idiots that think they need to upgrade computers.

Computers should never be upgradeable.
 
Huh?

mozumder said:
No one is going to complain about the 8GB memory size in a few years.

At all.
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Then buy a newer, faster, and cheaper computer and sell this one to someone who can't afford new.

Everyone wins.

What's the problem?
 
Sane! This guy is sane!

Daalseth said:
All of you going on and on about how terrible and underpowered and non-upgradeable this is are missing the point. We aren't the target market for this system. For the person looking for a low cost desktop system to do basic things this IS enough machine. For someone just surfing, organizing music and photos, and playing casual games it IS enough processor, it IS enough RAM, and it IS a big enough HD. Those users have no interest in cracking the case and adding RAM or upgrading the HD, if they even know what those things are. They won't be interested in rendering 3D CGI videos. Heck most probably won't even try to use iMovie or Photoshop.

So you don't like the system? Fine but you and I aren't the target market. This is for people who might get a Mac Mini but don't want to figure out what monitor would work with it.
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All excellent points.
 
People complaining over this is getting me so angry.

1) I see a total of 0 of you complaining about the performance of macbook airs.
2) The customer who cares to upgrade will spend the 200$, after all 200$ is such a small discount right?
3) This is not a "new" product announcement, only a way to address another segment of the population. must you buy everything Apple makes?

Get it for what it is, a lot of people will benefit from this offering, move on.
 
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