More Claims of October Launch for Updated iMac Models

[JayLenochiniMac]

Also, we need at least one computer with an optical drive.

No, we don't. Physical media is pretty much dead and no new computers will come standard with an optical drive two years from now.

People said the same thing when they started to get rid of the floppy drive. "We need at least one computer with a floppy drive." Look where it is now.

 

[apolloa]

"Now, a new report from DigiTimes" ............you know to stop reading the article and move on at this point.....

 

[willcapellaro]

I am waiting for the Mac Mini. I think they should create a MOUNT on the back of a Cinema Display where you mount a Mac Mini like you do an iPhone to a Doc and call it the iMac. The new Mac Mini could be smaller as well.

Surely you jest. I actually could see this, but as a 3rd party attachment using repurposed novelty suspenders. Could be rare situation where Apple would sue its actual customers.

What is this Cinema Display of which you speak? Something from the not so recent past or future? (Typed on a MBP connected to a ACD)

 

[bungiefan89]

Can the current iMacs use Target Display Mode with a DisplayPort input like I'm doing now?

Unfortunately, no they can't.
This is because the only ports for of video connections on the iMac is the thunderbolt. That means a couple of things:
1) The 2011 iMac's screen can be used in Target Display Mode to show information from a connected thunderbolt-equipped mac like one of the more recent MBAs or MBPs. Supposedly this means TDM will also work with other thunderbolt-equipped devices, but since those are in such short supply today, it doesn't really matter very much.
2) The 2011 iMacs can output through Display Port to other devices. One of my iMac's Thunderbolt ports usually has a Display Port-DVI adapter in it which I use to connect an external display to my computer. It works fine in terms of backwards compatibility with Display Port in that direction but...
3) ...Thunderbolt ports simply will not accept a Display Port input.

So, yeah, that's why I'm hoping the 2012 iMacs support HDMI in/out ports. I don't just want to hook this machine up to other devices, I also want to be able to use it as a screen for OTHER things, like perhaps a Blu-Ray player, or a game console, or someone else's computer. It seems such a waste to have such a big, beautiful computer screen like the one on the 2011 iMacs be so severely crippled from a lack of input compatibility.

 

[willcapellaro]

No, we don't. Physical media is pretty much dead and no new computers will come standard with an optical drive two years from now.

People said the same thing when they started to get rid of the floppy drive. "We need at least one computer with a floppy drive." Look where it is now.

Agree in principle. Apple is perpetually in the role of harbinger-of-extinction/evolution. However, with an iMac it is harder to argue that they needed the space. But, space is space, parts are parts, and if it offset the cost of a Retina bump I'd happily forswear the rare optical media. For users that need to use discs, the SuperDrive exists.

"Now Without Lettuce"

 

[BenniG]

October......mmmhhhh.....close to windows8 release date....must be either something great or the rumor is nonsense.

 

[KdParker]

I have to respectfully disagree with you. Upgrading my late 2008 MBP to the rMBP was a dramatic difference in screen quality and clarity. It's beyond noticeable when jumping back to my old laptop (which I still do as I slowly migrate files over to my new one) and working with text (think Xcode) is a dream.

The lack of glass panel also significantly improves the glare, which gives you the clarity of a glossy screen but the (almost) anti-glare of a matte display.

I can understand if your only experience is at an Apple store but if you really want to appreciate the difference sit it next to a previous MBP and switch back and forth.

Agreed....especially if you are moving from a 13" in. mbp

 

[iMacFarlane]

Apple needs to wow everybody with these, whenever they are released. In my opinion, the wow factor is very low with retina, at a huge cost/performance loss. They'll wow me by simply providing SSD for the OS, and HDD for storage volume, standard. That'll be a big thing. It's as if they keep making faster and faster cars but our county only has dirt roads. Everyone will poke around at the same speed (Kia and Ferrari alike) until we get some proper infrastructure.

SSD+HDD, screw retina!

 

[Madmats]

Well, I'm glad I didn't wait if this turns out to be true.

 

[thekev]

Maybe if there was a retina display, hopefully, just hopefully, they would SLI/crossfire a couple of high-end mobile GPUs or find a way to cool some high-end GPUs in order to accommodate such a high density.

OSX doesn't support SLI configurations, so the necessary work to implement such a thing would be greater. It would also increase the cost given the need to accommodate 2 gpus and the expense of the parts themselves. I haven't seen an imac logic board in some time, but I remember the gpus using an embedded design.This would make it virtually impossible to fit more than one due to restrictions in logic board space.

Apple would do the same thing for the iMac they did with the MacBook Pro's - saving the Retina display for the high end iMacs. I don't want a retina display. Too few companies are supporting it and it's going to take a long time for web site developers to create graphics with such high resolution.

It depends on the maximum size they can produce displays that can be branded as "retina". I realize Apple left themselves a considerable amount of leeway here.

With how badly the NVidia GT 650M drives the Retina display I hope the iMac would pack any Kepler-based GTX GPU.

Any how I wish they released Ivy Bridge iMac a few months back and then release the Retina display iMac by October.

When do they ever make multiple releases in the same generation? Last year was a bump to slightly faster versions of the same thing. They were drop-in components, and Ivy Bridge had been delayed.

Why in the name of Woz does it have to be very, very thin?
It will compromise it's performance even more.
Soldered ram? Please, just stop it.
What is wrong with people?

People want to think they understand and can relate to Apple or any other multi billion dollar company. It's too silly for words.

Perhaps the form factor should be made thinner on any new iMac, but I'm not convinced screen improvement to a retina display is required. If Apple could just address reflectivity/glare with the current screens, it would be a significant improvement.

Then they just need to upgrade to new processors, USB 3, ditch the HDD for all SSD, ditch the ODD, make some further improvements in the speakers and iSight camera and I'd be all over getting one for the home office use. The current BTO with SSD already is one of, if not THE, fastest Macs out there (not sure about comparing to the new MBP's). With their volume purchases on SSD's, they should be able to lower prices on a base 21" iMac with 128gb SSD down to below $1000 and offer the 256gb SSD version for $1199 and a 512gb version for $1499.

I'm not convinced the form factor matters much here in actual use. Such changes would just be for the sake of making changes. It's just a way of attracting attention. They did have a $1000 imac at one point. I don't see that coming back. The mini and 11" Air are occupying that pricing tier. Apple also had a $2300 dual package mac pro. That is also unlikely to return.

what a loser LOL, does your wife work 8 to 5 instead of you while you stay home all day? WTF

I am not married but when I do so, if I want a ****ing $3000 iMac and it is with my hard earned money, I would buy it without consulting anybody!

You have no idea if both work or just one. You don't know how responsibilities are divided, and you don't know their financial situation. Perhaps you should simply decline to comment.

I went Mac Pro nearly 6 years ago and haven't missed a laptop once. Certainly not since the iPad came out. Just sold my old MP for nearly $1K. Try getting that for your rMBP in 6 years! Or a rIMac for that matter.

I'm surprised you got that much for a 1,1. I don't think the oldest ones are worth that, but someone obviously disagreed with me as they paid for it.

iMac's are a PITA to service. Before they started using desktops parts, the iMac's I worked on behind the bar were always a ***** to work on. Any time an iMac goes in for service, a business loses a system which is one reason why many design firms and businesses are moving away from iMac's and back to towers as they're quicker for on-site part swapping and upgrades.

The 27" imacs are Apple's way of locking in a high starting price point on the model. They aren't a great concept for commercial use.

GPU selection is definitely Apple's weak point across the line, especially since they have no low end systems with PCI expansion. Thunderbolt should have been able to fix this, but they are really dragging their feet on getting OSX to support external GPU's over TB. Stupidly pathetic that this can be done in Windows running under Boot Camp on a Mac, but not in OSX on the same machine. And how hard can it be to build an external PCI chassis? Should have been available as soon as TB machine were out.

Thunderbolt gpus are still an awkward solution at best, and OSX would have to support both the implementation and the card itself. I'm not very optimistic on this one.

 

[xgman]

"Now, a new report from DigiTimes" ............you know to stop reading the article and move on at this point.....

But macrumors doesn't usually create rumors, they just report them That is after all the point of the site right? It's not Macfacts.com. I see so many people getting so mad at every rumor. Remember, they are just rumors!!

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Agree in principle. Apple is perpetually in the role of harbinger-of-extinction/evolution. However, with an iMac it is harder to argue that they needed the space. But, space is space, parts are parts, and if it offset the cost of a Retina bump I'd happily forswear the rare optical media. For users that need to use discs, the SuperDrive exists.

They won't be getting rid of it in order to save space so that argument is moot. Space saving is a bonus but not the real reason. Everybody will be downloading stuff from the iTunes and App stores as well as online.

 

[ppilone]

Apple needs to wow everybody with these, whenever they are released. In my opinion, the wow factor is very low with retina, at a huge cost/performance loss. They'll wow me by simply providing SSD for the OS, and HDD for storage volume, standard. That'll be a big thing. It's as if they keep making faster and faster cars but our county only has dirt roads. Everyone will poke around at the same speed (Kia and Ferrari alike) until we get some proper infrastructure.

SSD+HDD, screw retina!

What, exactly, are some of the cost/performances losses between the base rMBP and base MBP?

 

[CplBadboy]

Reading the report on the GPU suffering performance on the RMBP Im not that keen on a RiMac.

Just a question though does the GPU performance of the RMBP improve if Retina mode is changed to scaling mode say at 1650 x 1050???

Would really like to see a 30" too!

 

[HurryKayne]

Then why wasting time to make me know how bad i am,maybe my english is very bad but i don't tend to insult people for things like this.
I apologize for all the mess i made writing here,wasn't my real intentions.
I leave,even because,to be honest ,all this talking around just nothing is useless.

 

[Thunderhawks]

Although a funny reply, I and a lot of other people here are more than frustrated over Apple's extreme slowness in releasing Desktops in a timely fashion...especially this time 'round with almost a 2 year wait on the iMac.

And as others stated, I'm not paying the full, 100% price on July 3, 2012 that was the the same price 1.5 years ago on the exact same computer. Apple can find some other sucker.

I don't get why people get upset and criticize when Apple doesn't do things on their personal schedule.

Exaggerated expectations will always lead to frustration when not met.
Be that for technical specs , price or whatever.

Anybody who has had Apple products has plenty of info that they operate on their own "APPLE" schedule and they don't even care about current what consumers want, what competitors release or the latest available technologies and specs.

Since we are not working at Apple in the iMac division we have no knowledge about what they are planning.
Besides component availability in quantity and at prices they deem okay, there could be marketing reasons, new designs being tested etc.

The computer market still moves so fast that any buyer should ask themselves what do I want my equipment to do right now (if you can't wait) and what is the best equipment to do this with.

If the product available at the time doesn't do that, buy the equipment that does.

So, if the current iMac line up does what you need it to do , buy one from the refurb store at reduced prices.

If it doesn't buy the DELL you think is better and will fit your need.

Trying to outwait manufacturers will surely lead to frustration, same as Apple's complaining about incremental upgrades without the latest specs spec-hounds crave.

Even if you are able to outwait them, rest assured that when the product gets into your hands it's old technology.

It's just like a car which loses it's value when you drive it off the lot!

Not everything Apple does makes sense.

I find it funny that they announce Mountain Lion for $ 19 for a July release
with no restriction from and they still have Lion and Snow Leopard for sale at $ 29 in the app store.

Not bank breaking $$, just quirky.

 

[threesixty360]

I think a retina IMac is more feasible than the mac book pro. The Imac doesnt have heat problems as its bigger and can have better cooling so putting in a monster graphics card to drive the display cant be a big problem.

I'm not sure about how easy it is to make a screen that size but the big LCD companies must be doing them by now. That coupled with a less reflective ips display is gonna be a big deal, especially as iMacs are used a lot in creative departments and the reflective screen isnt great.

The reality is it doesnt even matter whether Retina is "practical" or not, its a major selling point for a premium product. The retina branding sells machines and it also separates Mac from PC's in a bigger way than ever before.

You CANT run full 1080p in a window in any video editor on a Windows machine. You cant have a mixed mode where some UI elements use double the pixels on a WIndows machine at all. Their arent many things that both OS's cant do but this is one of them and one I expect Apple to exploit in all its apps. After all, the game is about selling these expensive boxes!

 

[Fandongo]

October huh?

Take it away, Hugh Laurie

--The Apple anthem.

 

[Hexley]

Look up "Early 2011" and "Late 2011" Macbook Pro.

And by Apple's definition retina display models are separate from the mainstream.

If ever Apple were to make a Retina display iMac it would at most have 4K resolution.

When do they ever make multiple releases in the same generation? Last year was a bump to slightly faster versions of the same thing. They were drop-in components, and Ivy Bridge had been delayed.

 

[F4C4]

Redesign...

So do you guys think Apple will change the design this time?

I think the iMac has a pretty nice form factor, but there's always a way to make it different/new...

I would like to see anti-glare glass and maybe side ports (USB 3, TB) instead of the current connections on the back...

 

[Nova Sensei]

Digitimes rumors should not be page 1 worthy...

 

[Lancer]

I can only assume IF they make a retina iMac in 2012 it will be like the MBP, a NEW model in the range. I don't want my 27" crippled by too many pixels and no DVD. That said I'd love to option of a matte screen on the iMac.

Still hoping out hope for later this month for the Ivy Bridge refresh of the iMac line.

 

[Rogifan]

Must be a slow news day when MR is quoting DigiTimes.

 

[Flood123]

Then why wasting time to make me know how bad i am,maybe my english is very bad but i don't tend to insult people for things like this.
I apologize for all the mess i made writing here,wasn't my real intentions.
I leave,even because,to be honest ,all this talking around just nothing is useless.

Don't worry about your English being perfect. Practice makes perfect my friend. Don't let those kinda posts get you down. I can guarantee your English is better than their best attempt at your native tongue. Keep on posting.

 

[thekev]

Look up "Early 2011" and "Late 2011" Macbook Pro.

And by Apple's definition retina display models are separate from the mainstream.

If ever Apple were to make a Retina display iMac it would at most have 4K resolution.

4k is really kind of a buzz word at the moment, although it's entirely feasible in the future. I'm just not sure how long that will take as I haven't followed developments very closely on this. I'm aware of early and late 2011 models. I referenced them in my reply saying that they were drop-in upgrades. They were essentially identical versions clocked slightly higher in both cpu and gpu upgrades. The low end 15" also received more vram. This was a very minor bump offered by intel because ivy bridge was still pretty far out. If the current generation could have hit stores by February 2012, it's entirely possible that Apple would have foregone those spec bumps entirely. Actually right now if you specifically need a powerful laptop on a budget, the models from last year are not bad options due to the price drops. It could be different if you do a lot of bootcamp gaming or require CUDA.

http://www.barefeats.com/aecs6.html

I noticed OpenCL has yet to make it to a lot of After Effects functions. It's kind of awkward and jumbled. After Effects has that, yet PS uses quite a bit of OpenCL which isn't properly supported on the Quadro 4k. Apple has a long way to go with gpu support.