Next-Generation iMac: Quad-Core Processors? No Blu-Ray?

[splashnader]

First the new iMac's were imminent. Then we found out that there never were any shortages of supply from resellers or on the apple online store. As you can now get all versions of the iMac shipped within 24 hours. Then we were told there would be blu-ray and slimmer designs. More than likely there will be no new iMac's this year. Like everyone has said this is not Apple's style. They don't just release major upgrades like this with no advance promotion. I think more like spring of next year we will see new iMac's along with new MBP's.

 

[tempusfugit]

They don't just release major upgrades like this with no advance promotion.

That's completely untrue. I've been blindsided by unexpected Apple updates as I'm sure many of us have. The 13" MBP is a good example.

It would make sense that they would update the imacs around now, before the holiday season as it is more of a mainstream computer as opposed to professional. Also, core2duo is old as heck.

 

[The Samurai]

They don't just release major upgrades like this with no advance promotion.

What?!

They've never promoted/hinted any updates/redesigns in the past. They usually send out media invites a week or 10 days before an event - even then, they do not hint what is coming. Its all down to speculation i.e. resellers reporting shortages, resellers leaking new SKU's etc.

 

[splashnader]

What?!

They've never promoted/hinted any updates/redesigns in the past. They usually send out media invites a week or 10 days before an event - even then, they do not hint what is coming. Its all down to speculation i.e. resellers reporting shortages, resellers leaking new SKU's etc.

True. A week to 10 days would be on par with the past. But I think apple will wait till first quarter, late 1st quarter of 2010 before they do a redesign. That is more of their style This late in the calendar year seems unlikely. I mean it's almost November, other years they have always released new designs products by late September, early October at the latest. I just can't see a November or December release. I think this is all just rumors, as always.

 

[mgzilla]

That's 10+% increase in price on current iMac prices... add in the Apple-Care and you suddenly have a $2500-3000 iMac.

I think the iMac is meant to be for those who do not want to spend on a Mac Pro and is willing to compromise performance and price. $3000 is not compromising price

I plan on spending about 3K on my iMac, but I'm waiting for the new one to come out...then again, that 3K includes an iPod classic, the Harmon Kardon Speakers, AppleCare, a printer/scanner/copier...who knows, it might be over 3K. But I've got the money. I just wish Apple would release it already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mgzilla]

First the new iMac's were imminent. Then we found out that there never were any shortages of supply from resellers or on the apple online store. As you can now get all versions of the iMac shipped within 24 hours.

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/imac?mco=MTAyNTM5OTY

Um yeah, the one iMac still says 1-3 business days, as well as the Mac Minis saying 3-5 business days for both.

 

[mgzilla]

Sorry I'm posting a lot all of a sudden but...

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/10/15/windows_7_to_be_met_with_apples_mac_marketing_blitz.html

What better way to put down Microsoft besides talking smack about Windows 7? Release a whole new updated line of computers, as I said they would do about a week ago in a different topic. A lot of people have been saying the 20th, and I agree.

 

[HiRez]

Good lord, they'll have invented some new format and moved on before Blu-Ray makes it into a Mac. If it hasn't happened by now, it doesn't seem like the chances are good of it ever happening as the modern Apple tends to be an early adopter on technology and not a late adopter. (personally, not having Blu-Ray isn't going to ruin my life, but it still gets a lot of attention)

 

[splashnader]

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/imac?mco=MTAyNTM5OTY

Um yeah, the one iMac still says 1-3 business days, as well as the Mac Minis saying 3-5 business days for both.

1-3 days is normal. All other iMac's ship within 24 hours. The mac mini shipping dates have been all over the map over the last month.

 

[Full of Win]

What?!

They've never promoted/hinted any updates/redesigns in the past. They usually send out media invites a week or 10 days before an event - even then, they do not hint what is coming. Its all down to speculation i.e. resellers reporting shortages, resellers leaking new SKU's etc.

This is factually incorrect. For example, please consider the invite for the event that unveiled the unibody notebooks. I think this is most definitely a hint, don't you?

​

 

[MacDSmith2]

Clarksfield would be awesome, but I doubt it will happen.

Obviously from your chart, only the i7 720 quad would be a good candidate for wattage and price in the Mac line of <thin> computers!

 

[bimmerfreak0]

I would have to disagree. Music is still predominantly produced in stereo for this reason so I wouldn't say 5.1 beats stereo. Even if your 5.1 rig is set up perfectly, move out of the sweet spot and the 3D sound experience is destroyed.

In a film I would argue the experience comes from firstly the quality of the content of the film in terms of storyline, actors etc and the soundtrack. In the home theatre experience where people do not typically set speakers up correctly I would say a great pair of stereo speakers are a much better option with a great film.

Yes if you use ribbon tweeters (which nobody does now) then your speakers will be highly directional....

anything remotely like this speaker is basically the antithesis to "directional"

 

[Val-kyrie]

If Apple chooses any nehalem mobile chip, they wont be able to use Geforce 9400M anymore and they have to resort to discerete graphics (or Intel's integrated crap) for their machines. Somehow I dont see them doing that just yet

It's not like they are in a battle for hardware peformance superiority; PCs won that battle long time ago!

If Apple moves to a Nehalem mobile chip for the iMacs, I think they will only do this for the upper end of the line which they will likely pair with a discrete graphics chip. I am going to wager that Apple will keep the Core2 Duo for the lower end of the line and keep the 9400M in them without discrete graphics, but bump up the frequency (i.e., use the higher frequency older chips) for the lower end. Thus the line will split between dual-cores and quad-cores and the highest end quad-core will likely have the best graphics option.

 

[Stavros.P]

if the new imacs do come out with the i7 mobile..then what on earth will they put on the upgrades of macbook pros in 2010? I have been dying to get a new macbook pro for sooo long now! I cant wait any longer!! I know its off topic..but im just really curious as to what they will do with the macbook pro if they take imacs on i7's from now?!

 

[zedsdead]

if the new imacs do come out with the i7 mobile..then what on earth will they put on the upgrades of macbook pros in 2010? I have been dying to get a new macbook pro for sooo long now! I cant wait any longer!! I know its off topic..but im just really curious as to what they will do with the macbook pro if they take imacs on i7's from now?!

Honestly, I think Apple will stick with dual-core in the laptops which would mean Arrandale in Q1 of 2010.

 

[iMacmatician]

Honestly, I think Apple will stick with dual-core in the laptops which would mean Arrandale in Q1 of 2010.

I also think dual-core…until around 2011.

 

[AidenShaw]

I also think dual-core…until around 2011.

So, we'll see octo-core Windows laptops before the first quad-core Apple laptop?

 

[MacDSmith2]

We understand that, however you need to face the facts that Blu-ray is dead on the vine. If it doesn't have a miracle turn around this holiday season, it will be joining the other "also rans" (Laser Disc, HD-DVD, Beta).

I"m not sure that is true. But no one has brought up the obvious fact that Blu-Ray is not going to take off until people start adopting LCD TV's in massive numbers. Now we just saw last Christmas that LCD TV's started to take off. Assuming that continues this Christmas with the lowered prices we are seeing, then Blu-Ray will follow next year. So if Apple figures out how to do the Blu-ray and iTunes media upgrade by early next year, they will be in line for wider adoption of Blu-Ray, assuming the TV sales this Christmas justify it. I for one have just now started relpacing my TV's with LCD units.

 

[Val-kyrie]

I"m not sure that is true. But no one has brought up the obvious fact that Blu-Ray is not going to take off until people start adopting LCD TV's in massive numbers. Now we just saw last Christmas that LCD TV's started to take off. Assuming that continues this Christmas with the lowered prices we are seeing, then Blu-Ray will follow next year. So if Apple figures out how to do the Blu-ray and iTunes media upgrade by early next year, they will be in line for wider adoption of Blu-Ray, assuming the TV sales this Christmas justify it. I for one have just now started relpacing my TV's with LCD units.

I still haven't replaced our family's old 4:3 flat screen TV. We receive no OTA digital signal except for a channel with children's TV programming and BR movies are more expensive where we live. TV isn't important enough for our family to pay for cable; we would rather read, exercise, or play games. Eventually, perhaps in a year or two, I will consider a new TV, but only after BR becomes mainstream and lower cost. Until then, DVD-quality is good enough.

 

[BuddhistGirafe]

Ok, this is my opinion on this matter. Quad Cores are a good idea for BTO high end iMacs. I think Blu-Ray is a good BTO option to. But.. for a person like me, who is looking into getting a iMac later this year, I don't need that stuff. I am looking at the $1500 2.66GHZ 24" right now. That is a perfect machine for ME. Yes I know many of you want quad cores and what not, but I would rather see apple wait until the clock speeds are decent and not 1.7GHZ, I would rather have a dual core running at 2.66 then a quad running at 1.7 any day. But hey, it is just me. I think they should get rid of the 20", and drop the $1500 24 to the 20" spot, or even like $1300, just a price drop for me and I will be a happy camper. Oh, and if the rumors of making it thinner are true, as long as it doesn't produce a heat problem, I am fine with it. Just my take on things.

 

[dwd3885]

Ok, this is my opinion on this matter. Quad Cores are a good idea for BTO high end iMacs. I think Blu-Ray is a good BTO option to. But.. for a person like me, who is looking into getting a iMac later this year, I don't need that stuff. I am looking at the $1500 2.66GHZ 24" right now. That is a perfect machine for ME. Yes I know many of you want quad cores and what not, but I would rather see apple wait until the clock speeds are decent and not 1.7GHZ, I would rather have a dual core running at 2.66 then a quad running at 1.7 any day. But hey, it is just me. I think they should get rid of the 20", and drop the $1500 24 to the 20" spot, or even like $1300, just a price drop for me and I will be a happy camper. Oh, and if the rumors of making it thinner are true, as long as it doesn't produce a heat problem, I am fine with it. Just my take on things.

You DO know that the 1.7 Quad core overclocks to 2.8 when running on dual core and 3.06 when on single core right?

 

[Eidorian]

You DO know that the 1.7 Quad core overclocks to 2.8 when running on dual core and 3.06 when on single core right?

A lot of people only look at the base clock rate and aren't informed about Turbo Boost.

 

[Rocketman]

I still haven't replaced our family's old 4:3 flat screen TV. We receive no OTA digital signal except for a channel with children's TV programming and BR movies are more expensive where we live. TV isn't important enough for our family to pay for cable; we would rather read, exercise, or play games. Eventually, perhaps in a year or two, I will consider a new TV, but only after BR becomes mainstream and lower cost. Until then, DVD-quality is good enough.

California announced today they are going after big screen TV's for excessive energy usage.

Leaded old skewl TV's are lookin' pretty good now, eh?

Rocketman

 

[SAIRUS]

Consumers don't always care if a product is a superior product (again look at Laser Disc, HD-DVD and Beta). In these tight economic times, people aren't going up grade their movie collections or invest in a technology that doesn't have legs or can stand on it's own.

So basically you're a supporter of buying a PC?!

I love my PS3 and I love watching HD with the highest sound and picture quality right now. I know downloads are the future, but its still a long way off when bandwidths can allow reasonably similar download quality. Committing to downloads now, you miss the best right now. Its like me supporting holographic technology of 3D movies without glasses. I know its going to win, EVENTUALLY, but till then I'll enjoy what I got now.

 

[Stavros.P]

I also think dual-core…until around 2011.

Please dont tell me that! I've been waiting for a Quad-Core on MacBook Pro's for about a year now..and its REALLY hard holding back until February/March..anyone with any more insides to this?!