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New iMac - Inside-Out
- Thread starter arn
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re: iMac innards...
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but I bet grafting a generic LCD onto there would be quite simple. The only remaining question would be if the iMac is slavishly devoted to 1024x768, or if it would detect a screen's ability to do higher. (I have an 18" panel with a native resolution of 1280x1024 that I would love to stick on there.) Any comments on whether this would work?
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the native resolution could very well be hobbled in firmware, so beware!
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but I bet grafting a generic LCD onto there would be quite simple. The only remaining question would be if the iMac is slavishly devoted to 1024x768, or if it would detect a screen's ability to do higher. (I have an 18" panel with a native resolution of 1280x1024 that I would love to stick on there.) Any comments on whether this would work?
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the native resolution could very well be hobbled in firmware, so beware!
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In integrated systems like an iMac or a PowerBook, the video is supplied by video chips integrated into the motherboard chipset.. there is no separate "card" like one would find in a tower. This also of course means there is no upgrading the video chipset without swapping mainboards. As for where the chip is on the board, I couldn't get the pictures to enlarge enough, clearly enough, to see which were what.
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What you see is what you get...
At least the Cube was expandable - it appears as if you're stuck with what you've got with the new iMac.
A Cube can give you:
1.5Gb of STANDARD easily accessible Ram
Dual-Processor capability
A hefty Internal Hard Drive
A 22" LCD Display
A REPLACEABLE Graphics Card (some report using a GeForce 3!)
One of the only benefits I can see with the iMac is the Superdrive - but then again, burn-times are slower than some external firewire drive models out there.
Check out "The Cube vs. The New iMac", at the Cube-Zone website (www.cube-zone.com) for more comparisons!
At least the Cube was expandable - it appears as if you're stuck with what you've got with the new iMac.
A Cube can give you:
1.5Gb of STANDARD easily accessible Ram
Dual-Processor capability
A hefty Internal Hard Drive
A 22" LCD Display
A REPLACEABLE Graphics Card (some report using a GeForce 3!)
One of the only benefits I can see with the iMac is the Superdrive - but then again, burn-times are slower than some external firewire drive models out there.
Check out "The Cube vs. The New iMac", at the Cube-Zone website (www.cube-zone.com) for more comparisons!
Re: What you see is what you get...
Well, first off, they don't make a cube anymore - so it's hard to expand something you don't have......
60 GB is hefty enough for me - esp given the servers I have for network attached storage that make storage basically infinite
I think you miss the target audience of this - it's the people who want to plug in the power cord and the dsl cable and go - plug in a camera and burn it to a dvd all with about three mouse clicks.
Could you trade a faster burner, more Mhz processor, bigger display - sure - but each one raises the price and thus shrinks the audience who can afford it. Strange as it may seem, there are people who don't live to take computers apart, tweak them or the software that runs on them - they just want an appliance that works.
Well, first off, they don't make a cube anymore - so it's hard to expand something you don't have......
60 GB is hefty enough for me - esp given the servers I have for network attached storage that make storage basically infinite
I think you miss the target audience of this - it's the people who want to plug in the power cord and the dsl cable and go - plug in a camera and burn it to a dvd all with about three mouse clicks.
Could you trade a faster burner, more Mhz processor, bigger display - sure - but each one raises the price and thus shrinks the audience who can afford it. Strange as it may seem, there are people who don't live to take computers apart, tweak them or the software that runs on them
- they just want an appliance that works.
Re: Manual for iBook?
Well, having soldered ram chips piggy-back to the internals of an Atari 520ST, I strongly suspect you COULD add to the internal RAM on an iBook.. but I really would not recommend it. Also, any manual you would find for the iBook would not cover something like that. You can of course add or change whatever SO-DIMM is in the upgrade slot, but this would not increase the "maximum" RAM on the machine.
Well, having soldered ram chips piggy-back to the internals of an Atari 520ST, I strongly suspect you COULD add to the internal RAM on an iBook.. but I really would not recommend it. Also, any manual you would find for the iBook would not cover something like that. You can of course add or change whatever SO-DIMM is in the upgrade slot, but this would not increase the "maximum" RAM on the machine.
Re: 144pin only up to 256MB
512 SODIMM is not hard to get buy. how on earth do you belive the TiBook can get to 1 GB, and the iBook to 640?
Yes, you guessed right, with a 512 144-SODIMM. Theese chips are a bit expensive though...
And I should know, since I sell these chips (and Macs also of course)...
512 SODIMM is not hard to get buy. how on earth do you belive the TiBook can get to 1 GB, and the iBook to 640?
Yes, you guessed right, with a 512 144-SODIMM. Theese chips are a bit expensive though...
And I should know, since I sell these chips (and Macs also of course)...
the cube remark is 'tarded. what about the LCD joker??? anyways, the HD looks pretty standard to me, meaning i can put whatever i want in there. and no, 60 gigs is just not enough for me.
unbelievable engineering.
unbelievable engineering.
max RAM
I've got queries in to our Apple sales and engineering reps about this. No answers so far.
The engineering rep said that the draft copy of the Service Source PDF is just that - a draft - and not necessarily up-to-date.
From the verbage in the draft version, it does appear that Apple may have gone back to voiding the warranty for those who mess around (too deeply) inside of the box.
"Note: There are two RAM expansion slots. This describes installing a memory module in
the internal memory slot located on the main logic board. It uses PC133 168-pin DIMMs
up to 512 MB in capacity, requires removal of the main logic board and can only be
installed or replaced by an Apple Authorized Service Provider."
I've got queries in to our Apple sales and engineering reps about this. No answers so far.
The engineering rep said that the draft copy of the Service Source PDF is just that - a draft - and not necessarily up-to-date.
From the verbage in the draft version, it does appear that Apple may have gone back to voiding the warranty for those who mess around (too deeply) inside of the box.
"Note: There are two RAM expansion slots. This describes installing a memory module in
the internal memory slot located on the main logic board. It uses PC133 168-pin DIMMs
up to 512 MB in capacity, requires removal of the main logic board and can only be
installed or replaced by an Apple Authorized Service Provider."
Expandability
Buy a tower.
If you really need to expand the iMac be creative. Yank the CD, DVD or what ever removable media drive you buy and put it in an external firewire to ATA case. Yank the 5400 RPM HD and put two faster larger drives in there and stripe them. If there is a second ATA bus on the logic board you should get great performance otherwise it will just be ok performance. Put a GIG of RAM in it. Look for some software that will let you go beyond the 1024 x 768. SwitchRez comes to mind. Then attach a display capable of diplaying the resolution to the external video port.
If that isn't enough expandability buy a tower. A Mac tower that is!
Buy a tower.
If you really need to expand the iMac be creative. Yank the CD, DVD or what ever removable media drive you buy and put it in an external firewire to ATA case. Yank the 5400 RPM HD and put two faster larger drives in there and stripe them. If there is a second ATA bus on the logic board you should get great performance otherwise it will just be ok performance. Put a GIG of RAM in it. Look for some software that will let you go beyond the 1024 x 768. SwitchRez comes to mind. Then attach a display capable of diplaying the resolution to the external video port.
If that isn't enough expandability buy a tower. A Mac tower that is!
FICKLE!
This is what really makes me laugh...
All but 5 minutes ago, you were all speculating as to what the Macworld Expo was to unveil to the awaiting Apple Public - siting such improvements as G4's into the GHz range, GeForce 3's as standard, a BIGGER (?) LCD Monitor to the 22", and even G5's.
I know we all love Apple, and their products ARE built to last (Heck - I've still got an '84 Mac that boots up as if it was new...), but I want Futureproofing. I bought my Cube a year ago because it had the possibility for expansion, and with that, perhaps a prolonged life expectancy - let's face it; computers ain't cheap!
Now, some of you I have read in other threads (who have previously said the exact same thing as me) are now praising Apple for putting out a non-expandable desklamp (albeit, currently quite a POWERFUL desklamp). I mean, even the whole IDEA of having a non-upgradeable graphics card, plastered on the motherboard, seems to be a bit annoying - especially when the GeForce 4 is due to be released soon.
This is a big step backwards from the Cube. It's not that I don't like this new iMac, because it is a nice machine. It's just that I want the OPTION to upgrade - beyond installing memory and an Airport card. Not by much - just a little. An AGP slot and perhaps one PCI would make the PERFECT machine.
I KNOW you all want this, too - I've sifted through so many comments from the members and guests of this site that scream out in bold letters - "BIGGER AND FASTER IS BETTER! FEED ME THE G5! I'LL BUY 2!"
Now - tell me I'm Lyin'...
This is what really makes me laugh...
All but 5 minutes ago, you were all speculating as to what the Macworld Expo was to unveil to the awaiting Apple Public - siting such improvements as G4's into the GHz range, GeForce 3's as standard, a BIGGER (?) LCD Monitor to the 22", and even G5's.
I know we all love Apple, and their products ARE built to last (Heck - I've still got an '84 Mac that boots up as if it was new...), but I want Futureproofing. I bought my Cube a year ago because it had the possibility for expansion, and with that, perhaps a prolonged life expectancy - let's face it; computers ain't cheap!
Now, some of you I have read in other threads (who have previously said the exact same thing as me) are now praising Apple for putting out a non-expandable desklamp (albeit, currently quite a POWERFUL desklamp). I mean, even the whole IDEA of having a non-upgradeable graphics card, plastered on the motherboard, seems to be a bit annoying - especially when the GeForce 4 is due to be released soon.
This is a big step backwards from the Cube. It's not that I don't like this new iMac, because it is a nice machine. It's just that I want the OPTION to upgrade - beyond installing memory and an Airport card. Not by much - just a little. An AGP slot and perhaps one PCI would make the PERFECT machine.
I KNOW you all want this, too - I've sifted through so many comments from the members and guests of this site that scream out in bold letters - "BIGGER AND FASTER IS BETTER! FEED ME THE G5! I'LL BUY 2!"
Now - tell me I'm Lyin'...
Now you know why
kiwi_the_iwik it appears you have the answer. You purchased a cube because you felt it was expandable, futureproof. Unfortunately not too many other people bought one. Six million people purchased the iMac, which has never had an upgradeable video card. What did that tell Apple?
The first thing I expect to hear is that the tower is too much money. We want it all. Inexpensive, expandable in every way, faster than anything else, cool designs, reliable, small, etc. And why not? We're the consumer, we always get what we want!
Until that is possible (and profitable) Apple has given us a couple choices. Somewhat expandable at a decent price (iMac) or very expandable at a premium price (PowerMac).
I expect Steve and the rest of Apple is working their asses off to get the G5 into the PowerMacs. It sounds as if some of us think they are intentionally holding it back. That is nuts. Apple more than anyone wants their systems to be the best.
kiwi_the_iwik it appears you have the answer. You purchased a cube because you felt it was expandable, futureproof. Unfortunately not too many other people bought one. Six million people purchased the iMac, which has never had an upgradeable video card. What did that tell Apple?
The first thing I expect to hear is that the tower is too much money. We want it all. Inexpensive, expandable in every way, faster than anything else, cool designs, reliable, small, etc. And why not? We're the consumer, we always get what we want!
Until that is possible (and profitable) Apple has given us a couple choices. Somewhat expandable at a decent price (iMac) or very expandable at a premium price (PowerMac).
I expect Steve and the rest of Apple is working their asses off to get the G5 into the PowerMacs. It sounds as if some of us think they are intentionally holding it back. That is nuts. Apple more than anyone wants their systems to be the best.