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retta283

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Jun 8, 2018
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Hey:
Just been thinking a bit about the possibility of a refreshed iMac, and what I'd want it to look like. What I say below is probably unlikely, but this is MY dream iMac...

20", 24", and 30" 16:10 screens, all Retina.
Thicker case for better thermals. Slimmer bezels and reduced chin, with option for white glass and aluminum, and Space Gray.
SSDs standard, upgradable RAM on all models. Audio line in returns.
Include extended keyboard as free BTO option.
1080p iSight camera, if not 4k
New Apple Remote and Front Row software; 30" iMac would be a killer mediacenter.

If you have a dream iMac, feel free to post yours.
 
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I too would want a thicker case with a more industrial look from behind. Think the back ringed with with Allen or Torx bolts. I'd like the look plus the it would make it much easier to service or upgrade. I'd like to get away from aluminum. Personally I'd like bronze or high carbon steel so it develops a nice patina. Cast iron would also be cool. The Apple logo should be the old rainbow. Actually I'd use the logo, badge and font from the Apple II era. The stand would have height, tilt and pivot adjustment. Plus unbolt using a standard 100mm x 100mm VESA mount.

GPU: Speaking of thickness I'd want it to be able to handle a full sized double slot blower style GPU fitted sideways for easy upgrades. Internally using multiple DP connectors to the GPU to allow for easy upgrades, running the internal display and throughput to Thunderbolt connectors. Plus dual 6+2 pin PCIe power cables.

SSD: Two standard M.2 connectors PCIe 4.0 x4. They can have the T2 chip. Make it something you can disable in recovery mode. If you don't care about the secure enclave and just want something you can upgrade. Four connectors in iMac Pro

HDD: None standard. Bays for one to three 3.5" HDD depending on screen size.

USB: Use the new USB 4 standard or at least USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 w/ Thunderbolt 3. Type A and Type C connectors.

Ethernet: 10Gbps, at least optional. Gigabit has been standard for what 20 years now? Fiber optic option

WiFi: 802.11ax, rear antenna leads if someone needs a better signal than the internal antenna provide.

Display: I like the 16:10 although I'd rather 22", 28" and 34". Perhaps a 44" 8K model. Matte finish. Of course thinner bezels. I'd also want 4K to be an optional downgrade on larger sizes for those who just want a bigger screen without paying exorbitant 5K, 6K and 8K prices.

CPU: Ryzen, Threadripper in the iMac Pro. Since Intel seems stuck at the moment.

RAM: Easy upgrades by removing back, DDR4 3600Mhz, 4 slots for all regular iMac, 8 slots for iMac Pro.

Webcam: Companies put 4K cameras in $200 phones. It's time for 4K in the iMac. At least full HD. I wouldn't mind something which can do FaceID and sacrifice 4K for whatever the iPhone 11 uses for the front camera. Unless it does 4K.

Keyboard: Mechanical. Bring back the Apple Extended Keyboard II to the same exceptional standards. Use a rechargeable battery for a wireless keyboard. But use AAA NiMH so you can just swap them. Same with the mouse. Not Bluetooth something more responsive like Logitech Unify for the wireless keyboard and mouse.

Mouse: Don't bring back the Apple ADB mouse. I'd like a nice, ergonomic laser mouse with multiple buttons and a scroll wheel. Like something from Logitech. Perhaps offer left handed, right handed and neutral option. Neutral being standard.

PSU: 1,000 watt, 80+ Platinum, Made by Seasonic or Superflower. 1,200 watt in iMac Pro to accommodate Threadripper

Audio: Asus Xonar with properly isolated circuitry with rear gold plated RCA jacks and 7.1 channel SPDIF.

Cooling: Just larger as the case will be thicker to handle a desktop GPU anyways. Wouldn't want liquid because that fails.
 
Hey velocity,

Yours was far far more in-depth and creative than mine was. Excellent post. I actually was gonna add a better webcam as one of the features, I definitely would want at least 1080p. I also agree that they should have a keyboard with replaceable batteries. There hasn't been a keyboard with numeric pad with AA batteries since 2007. They must assume that no one does Excel spreadsheets or calculations.

The reason I gave the screen sizes I did is because that's what Apple has used before. Certainly they could expand it out, 22" would be a nice size, I think. Matte option for sure.
 
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- No more glue to open, screws and nice open and close lever
- Removable RAM and Disk
- Better GPU options

This machine used to be for casual users. Now it’s for developers and media folks. Apple needs to stop playing games with the people that code their IPhone apps and make this stuff upgradable and try to upsell on good services instead.
 
Hey velocity,

Yours was far far more in-depth and creative than mine was. Excellent post. I actually was gonna add a better webcam as one of the features, I definitely would want at least 1080p. I also agree that they should have a keyboard with replaceable batteries. There hasn't been a keyboard with numeric pad with AA batteries since 2007. They must assume that no one does Excel spreadsheets or calculations.

The reason I gave the screen sizes I did is because that's what Apple has used before. Certainly they could expand it out, 22" would be a nice size, I think. Matte option for sure.

Thanks. For the screens I was just thinking more of have them take up the bezel than the case be reduced to take up the bezel. Like the 16" MBP.


One of the best keyboards ever manufactured by anybody with it's Alps key switches. Although the IBM Model M (pre-1993) would go toe to toe with it. Just look at all the space up top. You could put a touchbar along the top of it. There's so much room in the back. You could probably fit 12 AA rechargeable batteries to use the touchbar for 8 hrs🤪.

Apple_Extended_Keyboard.jpg
 
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Thanks. For the screens I was just thinking more of have them take up the bezel than the case be reduced to take up the bezel. Like the 16" MBP.


One of the best keyboards ever manufactured by anybody with it's Alps key switches. Although the IBM Model M (pre-1993) would go toe to toe with it. Just look at all the space up top. You could put a touchbar along the top of it. There's so much room in the back. You could probably fit 12 AA rechargeable batteries to use the touchbar for 8 hrs🤪.

View attachment 897998

Best part of that keyboard was the startup button on the top right. Functional. Classic.
 
All I really want is an 8TB SSD option. The current iMac has been capped at 2TB for a while.
 
I’d like height adjustment, which becomes more critical with another wish: A taller screen: 16:10, or even 3:2.

A removable back to swap SSD, add RAM, and remove dust. Maybe have a fixed 256GB SSD (all the T2 security stuff would suit that), but a second slot free. That way Apple doesn’t have to bother with so many BTO machines. A customer can walk into the store and have staff add more storage, or do it later themselves.

Smaller bezels so a second screen can be nearer.

I’d love it if multiple Macs could operate as one. That way you could have 2 iMacs set up as if a dual screen single computer, and make use of the processing power of both. An extension of the idea of an external GPU connected to a second monitor. The second iMac is treated as an external CPU+GPU + 2nd monitor.
 
Many wishful thinkers here...:)

My view:
iMac: thin and beautiful for home and office (laptop on a stick - just make it unobtrusive)
iMP "thick" and utilitarian for everyone else (desktop on a stick using XDR design)
 
Many wishful thinkers here...:)

My view:
iMac: thin and beautiful for home and office (laptop on a stick - just make it unobtrusive)
iMP "thick" and utilitarian for everyone else (desktop on a stick using XDR design)
Thin for the sake of thin is really pointless, especially when it has no effect on the ability to store it, as the stand still goes back as far as it used to.
 
Thin for the sake of thin is really pointless, especially when it has no effect on the ability to store it, as the stand still goes back as far as it used to.
The keyword i "unobtrusive" and it usually translates to thin. The old flat screen iMac in white plastic are thick and unobtrusive so it can be done. The design of the XDR screen is the exact opposite. It's design stinks of heavy industry. Point is, iMacs are used in many situations where power is not central but rather how it blends in with the environment.

I am fine with a 2-inch thick iMP in the industrial design of the XDR screen as long as it is silent.
 
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Thin for the sake of thin is really pointless, especially when it has no effect on the ability to store it, as the stand still goes back as far as it used to.

design is important to apple. Most other „electronics“ out there are made by and for nerds and geeks, that‘s why most normal people have problems while using them. It‘s Apple‘s philosophy to prioritise design, and they sure won‘t change for people like linustechtips or other nerds that „just want something that works better“. Honestly, you are free to buy anything else, if you don‘t care about design at all...

The design of the iMac is both timeless and idiosyncratic, and I would hate if they lose their senses and make something that makes more sense on paper (i.e. a thicker design).
 
* 24" and 30" options
* Drive: Affordable 500GB SATA SSD standard, with higher capacity NVMe SSD buyup options.
* Access door on all models for upgrading both RAM and M.2 SSD.
* No T2 chip. (Maybe a T3 chip that allows optional drive encryption and user SSD upgrades)
* GPU: Up to RX 5600-6GB on 24"; Up to 5700XT-8GB on 30".
 
design is important to apple. Most other „electronics“ out there are made by and for nerds and geeks, that‘s why most normal people have problems while using them. It‘s Apple‘s philosophy to prioritise design, and they sure won‘t change for people like linustechtips or other nerds that „just want something that works better“. Honestly, you are free to buy anything else, if you don‘t care about design at all...

The design of the iMac is both timeless and idiosyncratic, and I would hate if they lose their senses and make something that makes more sense on paper (i.e. a thicker design).

I'd also like to add that it has always been Apple's philosophy to approach technology in a way that makes it disappear to the user. Continuous and relentless miniaturization of their products is how they get to that point. If the iMac is going to get thicker, I can only see it on the iMac Pro, and even then, it probably wouldn't be more than couple of millimeters at most, as demonstrated by the progression of the iPhone.
 
The iMac is only very thin at the very edge. It could be done like some TVs that are thin to a point where the electronics and connections are. So instead of a single arc, the iMac stays thin for 20-30mm (an inch or so), maybe much more, then has a more pronounced bulge, or a step back. A bit like the iMac G4 screen if the surrounding plastic was not transparent. This could allow for more volume for cooling nearer the computing components, but making the iMac look thin from most angles.

Imagine just the back of the screen shape to see what I mean (I'd love a whole G4 style computer with adjustable arm, but for now I'm just illustrating the point of a step back compared to an arc). The amount it would have to come back would probably be different, but could be offset by being further away from the edge.

f0b9f4f5cf6aeb37415225c48e7b94e2.jpg
 
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