New iMacs Next Week?

[50548]

Apple's hardware line-up sucks right now. The iMac has overstayed its welcome. Apple needs to kill it and move on. There's an obvious gaping hole where a mid-range tower should be, and I'm not the only one out there noticing it. Many high-profile tech commentators have noticed it, including lots of Mac-friendly ones.

Well, if you are a longtime Apple user, you will probably remember also those dark days of confusing and chaotic product lines...Performa/Quadra/LC series anyone?

No thanks...I will stick to Apple as the most successful computer company of THESE days...

As for the iMac, your statement couldn't be farther from the truth...it's easy for us Mac users to dismiss the iMac as an old fag...but for the 90% base of "non-enlightened" customers out there, it's by far the best desktop offering in the market...one of my colleagues at work, a longtime PC user and IT worker, bought a new one a few months ago and couldn't be happier...the iMacs ARE fantastic machines for the bulk of the market.

Whiners? Yes, the usual bunch: PC fanboys, the design-unconscious, gamers and geeky hobbyists that love to set up their own machines from spare parts...everyone else just LOVES them.

As for mythical headless, we have one and it's called MacMini...how many people out there change their parts? Close to zero in real terms, apart from RAM and USB peripherals. Pretty much NOBODY cares about what GFX card is inside that box, or whether the DVD is 8x or 12x...so yep, Apple is wise in not giving in to the wishes of the geeky few.

 

[Darkroom]

2. An all-in-one. Our savvy switchers very well might have a nice LCD which they want to bring to their Mac, so this won't do. Also, it lacks a video input, so you won't be connecting your PC, PS3, or 360 to it.

clearly i agree with you, and i think it would be difficult to find someone who doesn't agree... but there are options for video input for the Mac... like: Elgato EyeTV Hybrid. it's not at all expensive for what it enables users to accomplish: TV and can hook your gaming consoles up to it... the only downside to it is that it doesn't support component inputs... only s-video and composite... so for the Wii you can get 480i, but not 480p... but whatever right?

 

[Jon the Heretic]

Sure but

People are complaining about the TN panels in iMacs, but I was under the impression that only the 20" had a TN panel and that the 24" had a H-IPS panel. Is that not true?

Yes, the 24" iMac has a vastly superior display---the same quality level as the all white 20" iMac. Better color and better viewing angle.

While I personally think it'd be swell to buy the more affordably priced iMac 20" with a display that equalled the color range of my 1990 SE/30 with 32-bit RasterOps and external Trinitron display, I don't see it happening.

Apple has figured something really cool out -- business cool, not product cool -- they can put lower end parts in and charge still really high margins...and people will buy them! Did you see the latest Earnings report -- "The Mac is back!" As an investor, boy is that cool. As a consumer, I have higher standards...and Apple will be there to sell more me even more expensive equipment to meet them. It's win-win...for Apple, that is.

If anything, I expect the 24" iMac might get the cheaper 6-bit display next. It worked with the 20", why not? They wouldn't even have to lower the price and these displays just get cheaper. And they have unpaid spokesmen all over the Web that will actually DEFEND this change!

Well, why not? You can always choose the 30" Apple Display with a new Mac Pro, if you want to beat my SE/30's color standards. Right?

 

[Jetson]

...The iMac has overstayed its welcome. Apple needs to kill it and move on. There's an obvious gaping hole where a mid-range tower should be, and I'm not the only one out there noticing it. Many high-profile tech commentators have noticed it, including lots of Mac-friendly ones.

I couldn't disagree more!

As someone posted earlier, the iMac is a fantastic machine. I love the all-in-one aspect which is the hallmark of the original Macintosh.

I have a G5 2.1 gHz model in white. It is sleek, aesthetically beautiful, powerful and is a joy to use. And it does all that without a tower and a separate monitor and a rat's nest of connecting cables.

Could the iMac be better? Definitely. One glaring weakness is that it's almost impossible for the owner to replace/upgrade the hard drive without performing major surgery that might damage the iMac. This is a big step backward for Apple and I'm hoping that they wake up and make the iMac owner accessible again. And of course I want performance improvements - speed, storage, quality, etc.

Other than that, I don't see any reason whatsoever to claim that the iMac has "overstayed it's welcome". That bit of hyperbole does credit to a troll, not a serious analyst.

 

[Darkroom]

Yes, the 24" iMac has a vastly superior display---the same quality level as the all white 20" iMac. Better color and better viewing angle.

While I personally think it'd be swell to buy the more affordably priced iMac 20" with a display that equalled the color range of my 1990 SE/30 with 32-bit RasterOps and external Trinitron display, I don't see it happening.

Apple has figured something really cool out -- business cool, not product cool -- they can put lower end parts in and charge still really high margins...and people will buy them! Did you see the latest Earnings report -- "The Mac is back!" As an investor, boy is that cool. As a consumer, I have higher standards...and Apple will be there to sell more me even more expensive equipment to meet them. It's win-win...for Apple, that is.

If anything, I expect the 24" iMac might get the cheaper 6-bit display next. It worked with the 20", why not? They wouldn't even have to lower the price and these displays just get cheaper. And they have unpaid spokesmen all over the Web that will actually DEFEND this change!

Well, why not? You can always choose the 30" Apple Display with a new Mac Pro, if you want to beat my SE/30's color standards. Right?

sure, if they want another class action lawsuit... remember how seemingly heroic steve jobs was to announce $100 apple store gift cards to early iPhone adopters? i think maybe apple tried this out, tested the waters, and found there to be sharks down there.

 

[MarkCollette]

...who need an accurte monitor. ... where acuacy matters?

Ahh, the irony

But incompetent tech support is obvious.

BADA BOOM!

yeah man, computers are so masculine... mine grows chest hair and is balding...

Mine won't stop scratching it's crotch. Embarassing.

Hey, most of the time, when I see someone scratching their crotch, it's a girl. The rug can get itchy, I guess

 

[northy124]

To be honest I hate the iMac's ever since they left the G4 iMac design, I loved it and think I'd rather buy one of them than any new one, unless they get Non-Glossy Displays

 

[Jon the Heretic]

Cost of doing business

sure, if they want another class action lawsuit... remember how seemingly heroic steve jobs was to announce $100 apple store gift cards to early iPhone adopters? i think maybe apple tried this out, tested the waters, and found there to be sharks down there.

Just the cost of doing business. Apple's earnings were excellent; I don't think the lawsuits ate too much into those profits!

Companies used to dump toxic chemicals into water supplies all of the time, just to get a little EPA fine WHEN caught, and that was almost always cheaper than dumping! Pay the fine, and it's business as usual.

Granted, that eventually got tougher after a few decades and many billions in profit, but it is how businesses think. If you are still making money hand over fist for overpriced, low quality products, who cares if you lose a lawsuit or two? This isn't Big Tobacco; it's just boutique computers. If you can bring in a lot more than you lose, it is all glory.

When consumers start to change their buying habits, now that's a different story. But those crappy 20" displays are selling like hotcakes...now that's a spicy meatball! They'd sell us 5-bit displays if they thought people'd fall for it. Really, there is no reason to put better displays in; but it might reinforce same behavior in the 24" line, see if they can get away with that.

 

[phalewhale]

To be honest I hate the iMac's ever since they left the G4 iMac design, I loved it and think I'd rather buy one of them than any new one, unless they get Non-Glossy Displays

I kind of agree. Hate is a strong word though... However, there was something totally fresh and funky about the "sunflower" design. It still doesn't look out of place in a modern office/reception. The new iMac is still beautiful, but not as much of a revolutionary statement as the sunflower...

Isn't this what a bully would do.

No.

 

[kabunaru]

What I see next week:
Penryn processor
New graphics card
Bigger capacity hard drives
That's pretty much it.

If lucky, matte screen option but knowing Apple, it wouldn't happen.

 

[bigwig]

The Macbook and the Mac Mini lack the acceleration required to make BD playback worth it. Apple doesn't strike me as the company that would keep a consumer feature from being used on the most popular consumer notebook they sell.

That's true now, but Intel's upcoming (est. June) X4500 integrated graphics chip has hardware acceleration of HD video. I expect the Macbook to get it quickly, but the Mini won't (IMO) get it until Intel is set to cancel the X3100.

 

[tuc]

As for mythical headless, we have one and it's called MacMini...how many people out there change their parts? Close to zero in real terms, apart from RAM and USB peripherals. Pretty much NOBODY cares about what GFX card is inside that box, or whether the DVD is 8x or 12x...

Well the point isn't upgradability but longevity. Pretty much nobody cares which
particular graphics card is in the box, but most of them care that it will be able
to handle reasonable stuff that they throw at it for the next couple of years.
With the antiquated GMA950, this is beginning to be a problem.

I'm looking forward to an upgraded Mini, not only for better integrated graphics
but also a higher RAM ceiling. That said, the original GeekSugar/Gizmodo rumor
mentions only the iMac, not the Mini.

 

[Macster389]

Question

I am a little confused. Why does Intel have two families of processors being released so close together? The Penryn was just released and the Montevina processor is coming soon!

Their is a lot of R&D money spent on a new gen processor, so why is the Penryn being replaced so fast? They can't recoup the R&D costs that quickly.

Is their a problem with the Penryn.

Thanks

 

[k2spitfire88]

I am a little confused. Why does Intel have two families of processors being released so close together? The Penryn was just released and the Montevina processor is coming soon!

Their is a lot of R&D money spent on a new gen processor, so why is the Penryn being replaced so fast? They can't recoup the R&D costs that quickly.

Is their a problem with the Penryn.

Thanks

I don't think there is a problem. Apple just took a while to update to Penryn, and that is why they seem so close together.

 

[CWallace]

While there is a significant "CPU gap" between the Mac Pro and the rest of the line now, we can expect quad-core MacBook Pros by year's end and perhaps a quad-core iMac by then, as well.

So around Mac World we'll have the 8-core Mac Pro, the 4-core MacBook Pro and iMac, and the 2-core MacBook and Mac Mini. A nice, logical progression that should please Mr. Fitzgerald.

 

[CWallace]

I am a little confused. Why does Intel have two families of processors being released so close together? The Penryn was just released and the Montevina processor is coming soon!

Montevina is not a processor, but a platform.

Penryn processors go into Montevina systemboards.

 

[ABM]

I am a little confused. Why does Intel have two families of processors being released so close together? The Penryn was just released and the Montevina processor is coming soon!

Wrong way... Penryn is a processor, Montevina (or Centrino2) is a platform.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrino

 

[Mal]

Montevina is a platform, not a processor. It utilizes the Penryn processors.

Plus, upgrading quickly isn't a bad thing, we've just not been used to it. It's actually good overall, I think.

EDIT: Beat to it.

jW

 

[yadmonkey]

clearly i agree with you, and i think it would be difficult to find someone who doesn't agree... but there are options for video input for the Mac... like: Elgato EyeTV Hybrid.

Unfortunately the EyeTV doesn't support 1080p and that's half the reason I want a 24" monitor - to play my console games in full HD. Apple's way-out-of-date ACDs not only lack the second input, but also lack HDCP support.

The iMac should be able to handle a digital HD source at 1080p in monitor mode, but for some reason Apple doesn't seem to think people use things like PCs, Xbox 360s, PS3s, etc.

It's like SJ hates gamers - the Mac is a lousy gaming platform and he'll do nothing to accommodate those who wish to supplement their Mac experience with a gaming console. I think a few changes (mid range tower + iMacs with HDMI-in) would make Macs accessible to a lot more people and potentially increase their market share significantly.

Yes, the 24" iMac has a vastly superior display---the same quality level as the all white 20" iMac. Better color and better viewing angle.

Thanks for clearing that up!

 

[richard5mith]

I ordered an iMac 24" on the 16th, because I just couldn't wait any longer. It shipped on the 17th and turned up on the 22nd, but it was damaged. Top left, at the very top above the screen had a crack, like it had been smacked face on with something. The front glass was fine, it was underneath, as you couldn't feel it with your fingers, just see that it was smashed.

Anyway.

Phoned Apple, arranged the RMA and they said they'd send out a replacement on express delivery. That was the morning of the 23rd. In the afternoon, the new order went through. But it has a ship date of the 29th, with a delivery of the 1st. That's the express delivery they promised, but with a build date of almost a week. That nicely corresponds with the Tuesday date in this rumour.

Goodness knows what they'll send, since the spec listed on my order is still the current 24".

 

[Darkroom]

I ordered an iMac 24" on the 16th, because I just couldn't wait any longer. It shipped on the 17th and turned up on the 22nd, but it was damaged. Top left, at the very top above the screen had a crack, like it had been smacked face on with something. The front glass was fine, it was underneath, as you couldn't feel it with your fingers, just see that it was smashed.

Anyway.

Phoned Apple, arranged the RMA and they said they'd send out a replacement on express delivery. That was the morning of the 23rd. In the afternoon, the new order went through. But it has a ship date of the 29th, with a delivery of the 1st. That's the express delivery they promised, but with a build date of almost a week. That nicely corresponds with the Tuesday date in this rumour.

Goodness knows what they'll send, since the spec listed on my order is still the current 24".

did you order a refurb? if you did and they send you a newly updated iMac then that would own for you... but either way, it seems like you're gonna land a new iMac...

 

[Macster389]

Wrong way... Penryn is a processor, Montevina (or Centrino2) is a platform.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrino

What is the current Penryn platform and what will the benefit be with the Montevina Platform.

I am trying to decide wether to buy a new iMac when released or buy the current 24" after a price cut!!

 

[CWallace]

What is the current Penryn platform and what will the benefit be with the Montevina Platform.

The current systemboard platform is Santa Rosa. What Montevina would bring, in terms of as it applies to the iMac, is an increase in memory speed from 667MHz to 800MHz and an increase in FSB speed from 800MHz to 1066MHz, as Eidorian notes below.

 

[Eidorian]

The current systemboard platform is Santa Rosa. What Montevina would bring, in terms of as it applies to the iMac, is an increase in memory speed from 667MHz to 800MHz.

I'm here again to give you some more facts.

Penryn processors using the 266 MHz multiplier
1066 MHz Front Side Bus
DDR2-667, DDR2-800, DDR3-800 and DDR3-1066 SO-DIMM RAM support
DisplayPort
GMA X4500/HD

 

[richard5mith]

did you order a refurb? if you did and they send you a newly updated iMac then that would own for you... but either way, it seems like you're gonna land a new iMac...

No, not a refurb, just new.

They picked up the damaged one this morning as well, so it's not like the returns process is slow. So it definitely just seems as if the order is stuck till Tuesday. I guess it just gets substituted for whatever model in their new lineup most closely replaces the one I ordered. Assuming the rumour is correct.

And if it's not, either way I get my new iMac on Thursday.