New iMac G5 Announced

[Little Endian]

Aww factor Gone

The design is uninspiring, I expected better. Doing an all in one only 2 inches thick is'nt all that remarkable considering the Xserve with it's Dual Processors, PCI-X slots and Multiple drive bays fit in a 1.73 inch enclousure.

As far as what is available in the imac the Geforce FX 5200Ultra could have been equipped with 128MB of RAM, regardless of what people say that does make a difference depending on the situation. Using a GeforceFX 5700Ultra or a Radeon 9600 would also have been nice and would be possible to intergrate into imac since both cards are available in Mobility Options. And no these are not considered High End Cards, these fools who think anything better than a 5200Ultra constitutes as High end know nothing about Graphics Cards. X800 XT and 6800Ultra are high end meaning they are litteraly up to 4-8 times faster than a 5200 Ultra!! Those who argue that the imac should not be equipped with a Graphics Card better than what the Power Macs are offered with should be more asking "why the hell do the Power Macs ship with such Crappy Cards in the first place" Damned Graphics should be upgradeable in the first place as well!! And don't nobody give me that Crap that this current G5 imac form factor won't allow for that because there aint enough room in it's 2 inch thich chassis because the Xserve is only 1.73 inches thick yet they find Room for Two FUll size PCI-X slots!

Also since of Course imacs offer no full PCI Card slots how about they put in a couple of Type II PC card slots like the ones found on notebooks. I believe an all in one mentioned earlier from a PC maker had PC card slots.

 

[rdowns]

After reading all the posts, replies and counter-replies, I'm still left with two questions.

1. When the specs read "Line voltage: 100-120V AC or 100-240V AC, depending on country of use," does this mean I can buy one in the US (120v) and bring it over to Europe (240v) without having to hook it up to a converter?

2. Is the graphics card in any way upgradeable? I've looked all over the specs page and can't figure out whether or not I'll be able to put something else in there instead -- maybe not now, but in one or two years' time. My iBook G3/500 was quickly outdated by Quartz rendering and I'm determined not to have the same thing happen again when Tiger appears.

Thanks to whomever answers these.

Apple has published a list of supported video cards for Core Image and the 5200 is on it. I can see the class action suits if Apple tries leaving this card behind. Since I purchased the 20: this AM, I'd join it.

 

[alexf]

People here complaining about the lack of a swing arm, like they were rotating it every which way. C'mon, all you did was set it and type.

No, this is a matter of HEALTH. The amount of neck injuries from having a monitor too low (and sometimes even high) is large and growing. It is not about rotating the display left and right, but higher and lower.

Hard to believe: Apple finally gets it right by making one of the most ergomic computers in the industry (the G4 iMac) and now does away with this feature in one fell swoop!

 

[Flowbee]

So poorly designed I can't beleive it came from Apple! The ports on the back are an unexcuseable disaster! EVERYTIME YOU ADJUST THE SCREEN YOUR PERIPHERALS COULD BE POTENTIALLY MOVED OR UNPLUGGED, CABLES FEEDING THROUGH THE HOLE IN THE STAND OR NOT!

Ha! Very funny. I move my Powerbook all over my desk and my cables have never become disconnected. Besides, how often do you adjust your desktop computer screen?

 

[chabig]

You could always just post a nice sign near the Macs that says "Power button in the lower back right."

First, don't turn the machine off--ever. Put it to sleep with the mouse or keyboard and wake it up with the mouse or keyboard. But if it is off, don't Macs still turn on using the keyboard?

 

[Chip NoVaMac]

Specs wise, it's exactly what I expected, but I think they should have added another 256 Megs of RAM. I wonder if the iMac G5 will sell better than the G4 model.

I agree on both of your first points. Though an 8x DVD would have made it even sweeter.

It does make you wonder where the eMac is going in the next revision. I thought that it might had gone to the G5 at 1.6mhz in Sept/Oct. Though it does seem that Apple is allowing for differences between revisions that make us scratch our heads over (4x vs. 8x DVD, etc.)

Time will only tell about the sales.

 

[AirUncleP]

Duel Swing Arm Use

Could you attach the new iMac to a dual swing arm to give you more flexability in monitor position?

Cables would be a mess, but on a secretaries desk it would only be power and Ethernet. Velcro straps takes care of that.

 

[trilogic]

sometimes I wonder if pc users also discuss the look of their computers on forums.

i like the new look. reminds me to order a 30" cinema display as soon as they are available.

 

[slughead]

John Carmack can shove his attitude up his $#^*@#.

He's never liked macs at all, don't listen to a word he says about them. He makes Rob Enderle look like a genius.

Uh carmack is easily one of the smartest and best FPS/3d graphics innovators in the history of gaming.

Also, I don't think I ever heard him say a bad word about the Mac, except in regards to their overly-****e video cards.. well, he might have in the mid-90's, but he was probably right.

This new iMac furthers mac's impotence when it comes to gaming, and further deters game makers from making mac games.

So, in short, it's partly Apple's fault there are no games for Apple.

From rage 128s to rage pro's to FX5200's, they've consistently crippled their computers (or at least their entry level computers) with crappy video cards. Why release a game for a system it wont run on?

 

[68k_575]

I think that the "underpowered" 4x/16x/32x optical drive is basically unimportant, since the target market for this machine (the iPod junkie) doesn't even need to burn CDs anymore thanks to AirPort Express and various accessories. and might not even need to rip them if they use iTMS exclusively (which is of course Apple's ideal customer). The iPod also handles data backup, for the most part. Those who might want to burn CDs for music or to *cough*backup applications*cough* will hardly ever need to do so anyway, assuming they buy into the iPod+AirPort+all the other stuff.

 

[alexf]

First, don't turn the machine off--ever. Put it to sleep with the mouse or keyboard and wake it up with the mouse or keyboard. But if it is off, don't Macs still turn on using the keyboard?

No, they don't.

 

[emw]

First, don't turn the machine off--ever. Put it to sleep with the mouse or keyboard and wake it up with the mouse or keyboard. But if it is off, don't Macs still turn on using the keyboard?

The G4 iMac doesn't, I am assuming this one doesn't either. Could be wrong, though.

Also, in a computer lab, you don't necessarily have control over the shutting down of the Mac, although that would be a nice addition to Account Limitations in the Prefs.

 

[Catt]

Right.

1) I think its an OK design, not amazing but not terrible. Apple has now left itself open to be overtaken by PCs on the design front now - they've lowered the design bar. As has been said it is a tablet PC with no battery and very little portability; which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Apple should have produced it in other colours, white is not all that attractive. IMHO, Apple got away with it in previous iMac incarnations because the design itself was strikng, the new iMac isn't. The old criticism of 'beige boxes' can now be levelled at the iMac.

2) Apple should be using better TFT LCDs in these models. They should have moved to dual lamp models as used in Sony and, some, Toshiba Laptops.

3) Bluetooth and WiFi have interoperability issues. Having a bluetooth keyboard alongside WiFi could lead to some users experiencing problems.

4) They represent reasonable value for money. But they are still behind PCs in these stakes and, as I have already said, Apple could fall back on the design to sell it to the more tech savvy consumer - the new design will make this much harder.

 

[agentbristow]

I NEED CASH

Ok, so I really want one of these, but I have college tuition coming up, and I just can't afford one like that, even with education discount. I want to know if anyone here knows of any grants or programs that would pay enough to get me the cash for an iMac. It is really important to me, and FYI, the model I customized was the 1.8Ghz 17" model, w/ 512MB and Bluetooth KB and Mouse bundle. It comes out to $1,550.00 If anyone knows of any grant, or grants that would pay this please E-Mail me at chi_chi_chi05AThotmail.com I would really appreciate it

 

[morkintosh]

I bought one for my daughter in first grade. To keep her on the same platform she uses in school. She got a TV for her bedroom, a TiVO unit built in and a peecee for school work and to practice typing. All in this slick little unit.

dude ... she's in the FIRST grade

 

[Electric Boris]

here's your new swing arm

No, this is a matter of HEALTH. The amount of neck injuries from having a monitor too low (and sometimes even high) is large and growing. It is not about rotating the display left and right, but higher and lower.

Hard to believe: Apple finally gets it right by making one of the most ergomic computers in the industry (the G4 iMac) and now does away with this feature in one fell swoop!

http://www.ergotron.com/3_products/flat_panel/neoFlex/gallery.asp

 

[Multimedia]

Man You Guys Sure Can Post Up A Storm When There's News

Yeah looks cool. Are there speakers under the screen? Too bad they didn't figure a swivel system. In some ways the old design is better for flexible screen positioning. But it's quite an engineering achievement to get all that into a 2 inch thick space.

Now onto the G5 PowerBook. Let's get that puppy ready in time for January San Francisco Mac World Expo 2005.

 

[Lancetx]

I think that the "underpowered" 4x/16x/32x optical drive is basically unimportant, since the target market for this machine (the iPod junkie) doesn't even need to burn CDs anymore thanks to AirPort Express and various accessories. and might not even need to rip them if they use iTMS exclusively (which is of course Apple's ideal customer). The iPod also handles data backup, for the most part. Those who might want to burn CDs for music or to *cough*backup applications*cough* will hardly ever need to do so anyway, assuming they buy into the iPod+AirPort+all the other stuff.

I agree totally. Besides, burning a full CD at 16x instead of say 32x takes only 2 1/2 minutes longer. Most consumer level users are not going to be put off by that one bit since they're not going to be burning dozens of CDs at a time or anything. Again folks, this is a consumer level machine, if you really need pro level features, then the Power Mac is what you need, not an iMac.

 

[603]

i think about it a little differently...

...when i see it like this:

https://forums.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=16791

 

[radii_]

No so good, no so bad.

I think that what Apple wants to do, is to aim to the iPod users who doesn't have a Mac. They want to expand out of their traditional community using the huge popularity of the iPod. The design of the iMac G5 is so similar to the iPod, is like a big brother. However, it's different to convince someone to buy a MP3 player, that to convince him to buy a personal computer. Generally, people think in the modular capabilities of their machines. If they want more memory to listen MP3, so they buy another MP3 player (or the wait for another revision of the player). But they cannot do the same thing with computers. The capacity of expanding some of the aspects of the computer (the graphics-card for exemple) is very important to some users. I agree with the design importance of the iPod, but I think it resides in his tactile nature. The key with the iPod is not solely his visual appeareance, is his tactile characteristic, his softness, his playness, his relation with the hand. The iMac G5, au contraire, has LOST that feature : the G4 iMac was a beatiful tactile machine, but the G5 is less manual, less "aisthetical". I'm not convinced, in the other hand, with the white space under de screen, I think it's a space witout use, in the iPod that is the space of the finger, in the iMac, it isn't clear.

One thing Apple miss, really, is aiming a little more the target of the living room - media center computers are most and most in the range of the "digital life" of technology aficionados and people who invest his money thinking in family spare time. The new iMac will be interesting if it provided more connectivity and innovation in the television-homevideo spectrum of the digital life. They are champions in music, but music isn't all. I don't think the theory which says that listening to music is good because it's "parallel" to doing other activities, while "watching tv" doesn't. One can "listen" a TV show while looks at the weather and seek for new e-mail. Also, I don't agree with the notion that TV is "passive" and interacting with computers is "active". Both of them are engaged and active activities. One not just sit and watch a TV show, like an irrational agent : the watcher chooses his program, compares, critiques, etc. Zapping is similar to alt-tabbing, in some way. I hope that the new iMac can use that possible strong point, to go to the living-room without fear. The Vesa solution is part, I think, of that idea.

 

[bullrat]

I didn't like the design at first glance, but I like it more the longer I look at it. If Apple would have eliminated the large bottom area by making the bottom another 2 inches thicker, then everyone would have complained it looked more like a futuristic eMac instead of iMac.

I'm one of the few that seem to be glad Apple kept the white motif for the consumer line. I just like it, so clean, and the aluminum support ties it nicely between product lines, not to mention iPodic.

I hope Apple eventually allows users to decouple the unit from the support. Imagine a touch/pen screen. I'd like to wander over to the couch and show photos to friends or wirelessly surf the Web, etc. While I'd never buy a single purpose Tablet PC -- if that feature were simply part of a package like this for occasional use -- that'd be fantastic.

Sad about the GPU, but I didn't expect much more from Apple. And it's not a matter of money. I wish Apple would have a BTO with a proprietary video card that was kick-butt. I don't care if it adds $400 more to the price, give us the choice to buy it -- or upgrade as desired later. The price would be the same for the price conscious, but power users who don't care about cost get their wish by being able to upgrade the video card, and Apple makes money with a new GPU product. Win/win/win.

 

[bigjohn]

I'm not a gamer so the graphics card matters very little, however I was ready to buy the 20" iMac until I saw that it only has a 4x DVDr. Sure I could add an external drive down the road, but I shouldn't have to (and it'd only be USB2 not FW800). With 16x DVDr and 4-8x DL DVDR (dual-layer) already out - just doesn't seem like they pay attention to the details too much. Weak. And you have to ADD Airport and Bluetooth. Weak.

Waiting for Rev. B and C...

John
-----------------------------
iBook G3 600, iMac G3 400
3 Tivos, 20GB iPod,
LA-area Emmy

 

[~Shard~]

I agree totally. Besides, burning a full CD at 16x instead of say 32x takes only 2 1/2 minutes longer. Most consumer level users are not going to be put off by that one bit since they're not going to be burning dozens of CDs at a time or anything. Again folks, this is a consumer level machine, if you really need pro level features, then the Power Mac is what you need, not an iMac.

I agree - I think some people are being far too critical of this new iMac. I always question people when they talk about CD burners, for example - who cares if you can burn a CD in 2 minutes instead of 4?!

The iMacs now have excellent G5 chips in them and are significant improvements over their predecessors - if they are still not good enough for some of you out there, then guess what - you need a PowerMac!

 

[alexf]

http://www.ergotron.com/3_products/flat_panel/neoFlex/gallery.asp

For $140? And looking like that? I don't think so...

In any case, it is the principle. The average user will not consider something like this until the damage has already been done and they suddenly can't move their neck. With the iMac G4 this wasn't an issue.

 

[Mac2004]

Not too impressed

I think it's ugly and the price is really not that good. I bought a new dual 1.8 G5 tower at an Apple Store for only $200 more. I was expecting something nicer looking. I think the best looking Imac was still the old white ones that this one will replace.