Next-Generation iMac to Offer Two 'Compelling' New Features?

[mixel]

That statement is just silly. Why would you want two screens if you're only going to use one? The Mac mini is much better for that job; It is smaller, nearly as powerful, much cheaper, and better looking.

Well it wouldn't be useful to me in that configuration, I was thinking more of things like dorm rooms and so-on. Having a centrepiece imac that does everything could be pretty useful and be a big space saver. Most people wouldn't bother with a second screen as most* people aren't as fussed about the gloss.

*probably.

I agree the mini is more useful in that role as most people have a much bigger TV already. I just think a BD'd up imac is going to be considerably more appealing to a number of audiences than a non-BD one.

 

[Eidorian]

Well I guess for you it all comes down to noise.

Apple has sacrificed cooling for low noise. It's nothing new. The new Unibody Aluminium notebooks are a prime example of this. 75° in the iMac isn't uncommon and the MacBook you'll hit ~100° C unless you alter the fan settings.

I have a TX-3 and an Accelero S1 Rev. 2 on my video card. I sometimes can't tell if my computer is on. The Accelero S1 Rev. 2 is even a favorite in the Mac Pro crowd for the 3870 and other cards. It's a great passive solution that can even best the original stock cooling fans.

 

[Target362]

You like your iMac thats great, but do not call it a professional machine and do not call it faster than a powerful PC.

Who cares what people call it. If he/she wants to call their imac a "pro" machine, then so be it. What does it matter to you?

 

[*LTD*]

I routinely run Crysis, Adobe CS, and graphics software on my iMac, but you're right it's just a pocket calculator.

What you and the rest of the Hack crowd don't understand is that many of us are perfectly happy paying a premium for the Apple product for the reasons that have been exhaustively mentioned. Many of us use our computers FOR WORK and don't want to be one patch or update away from an unusable machine.

Again, you guys are the ones that don't get it. Apple hardware is elegant and some of us have no problem spending on it.

You act like you are some kind of super Jedi with your PC building skills because you can put a processor in a socket and get it to run OS X.

Try compiling custom Linux kernels and running them on overclocked Toshiba laptops with hand built drivers and then maybe you will be in a position to make fun of other peoples building and installation skills. You guys think because you follow some Hackintosh advice on a website that you are geniuses.

Seems he's really only interested in outdoing the kid in the basement next door on performance vs. price. Crysis it is. With a smattering of WoW.

It's all about gaming and hardware bragging rights with his crowd. The rest of us have work to do.

 

[jmpage2]

Apple has sacrificed cooling for low noise. It's nothing new. The new Unibody Aluminium notebooks are a prime example of this.

I have a TX-3 and an Accelero S1 Rev. 2 on my video card. I sometimes can't tell if my computer is on. The Accelero S1 Rev. 2 is even a favorite in the Mac Pro crowd for the 3870 and other cards. It's a great passive solution that can even best the original stock cooling fans.

You are arguing with someone who would rather call people idiots than admit that his view point is not the only one.

And, for the record, I never said the iMac was a pro machine, I just said it's the fastest multi tasking machine I have yet used.

 

[TennisandMusic]

The difference is the OS. It doesn't matter if the iMac has faster hardware, the operating system is better at multi-tasking, the way real users typically use their machines.

I must be wrong though, which is apparently why Macs keep dominating the "high end" market even though it is pack full of uber Windows based machines.

I've been building my own PCs for years and I'm an MCSE. I'll take a whisper quiet "underpowered" Mac over a top notch gaming rig running MS Windows any day of the week.

Make your own choice, if Windows makes you happy and hitches/slowdowns and other issues associated with drivers, virus scanners, spyware sweepers, etc, don't ruin your mood than by all means, have at it.

I've been building PC's for years too, and I'll do one better than MCSE. I'm a software engineer. MCSE is not that hard to get. I understand all of this stuff quite well.

Where are Macs "dominating" any sort of computing field these days?

In case you didn't notice in my last post, I use Macs. I have one windows box that sits there and does nothing because I don't need it. Win 7 is still much faster than Leopard for me though. And it flies at multitasking. Not that I'll use it, but I did try it out for awhile. To suggest that somehow OSX is sooooo superior at multitasking that an iMac would outpace a beefy windows box is completely absurd. It reeks of the whole "fanboy" thing, and certainly not someone who I would hope would know better, being an IT person and all. So yeah, I definitely use OSX and only OSX pretty much, but Windows is still a fine overall OS, and getting snobby about it is just plain stupid. You think people want to try OSX when users act like that?

Your statements regarding driver issues, malware, viruses blah blah is just more FUD. It takes extremely little effort to keep a windows box clean and working well. No one even bothers trying to break a Mac because so few people, like you and me, even use them in the grand scheme of things.

 

[Shiner]

I routinely run Crysis, Adobe CS, and graphics software on my iMac, but you're right it's just a pocket calculator.

What you and the rest of the Hack crowd don't understand is that many of us are perfectly happy paying a premium for the Apple product for the reasons that have been exhaustively mentioned. Many of us use our computers FOR WORK and don't want to be one patch or update away from an unusable machine. We like the Apple hardware and we can afford it. I don't go to sleep at night tossing and turning over the *gasp* hundreds I could have saved by building my own noisy FrankenMac like you have.

Again, you guys are the ones that don't get it. Apple hardware is elegant and some of us have no problem spending on it.

You act like you are some kind of super Jedi with your PC building skills because you can put a processor in a socket and get it to run OS X.

Try compiling custom Linux kernels and running them on overclocked Toshiba laptops with hand built drivers and then maybe you will be in a position to make fun of other peoples building and installation skills. You guys think because you follow some Hackintosh advice on a website that you are geniuses.

I guess you missed out on the part where I had to buy a MacPro for my job because the iMac couldn't cut it.

In order for us to get along just change your wording to:

"Apple enclosures are elegant and I am willing to pay extra for how it looks". The hardware is not elegant, it is the same.

 

[Hugh]

Touch Screen and Blue Ray

I AGREE COMPLETELY!!!

Why so many people want touch screen? What would you use it for?

I just don't see a reason to go touch screen. You're still going to type on the keyboard, unless you want something like the iPhone where you have the keyboard on the screen. Ugh.

As of Blue Ray, I have mix feelings on this. Yeah, at this point I think they should add it, but would it be a reader or both? I think if it's a reader/writer I can see it being add. If it's just a reader, is it really that important? Most people that are buying Blue Ray disks already have a player. Are they really going to watch the movie on their iMac too? I see Blue Ray hitting the Pros first not the iMac. :/

Hugh

 

[Target362]

I guess you missed out on the part where I had to buy a MacPro for my job because the iMac couldn't cut it.

In order for us to get along just change your wording to:

"Apple enclosures are elegant and I am willing to pay extra for how it looks". The hardware is not elegant, it is the same.

To be honest Apple's designs are getting a bit behind. Sure they are bulit great like the uni body, but they seem real plain compared to those of Sony. Even HP's notebooks look better.

 

[Eidorian]

You are arguing with someone who would rather call people idiots than admit that his view point is not the only one.

And, for the record, I never said the iMac was a pro machine, I just said it's the fastest multi tasking machine I have yet used.

Well that's your opinion man and I respect that. I do agree that I find myself more productive under OS X but the hardware is the limiting factor.

I guess you missed out on the part where I had to buy a MacPro for my job because the iMac couldn't cut it.

In order for us to get along just change your wording to:

"Apple enclosures are elegant and I am willing to pay extra for how it looks". The hardware is not elegant, it is the same.

I don't think anyone picked up on your Mac Pro ownership.

 

[Shiner]

Seems he's really only interested in outdoing the kid in the basement next door on performance vs. price. Crysis it is. With a smattering of WoW.

It's all about gaming and hardware bragging rights with his crowd. The rest of us have work to do.

Funny how he is the one that has crysis installed on his professional computer and all I have is advanced electron microscopy and molecular dynamics programs.

 

[TennisandMusic]

I routinely run Crysis, Adobe CS, and graphics software on my iMac, but you're right it's just a pocket calculator.

What you and the rest of the Hack crowd don't understand is that many of us are perfectly happy paying a premium for the Apple product for the reasons that have been exhaustively mentioned. Many of us use our computers FOR WORK and don't want to be one patch or update away from an unusable machine. We like the Apple hardware and we can afford it. I don't go to sleep at night tossing and turning over the *gasp* hundreds I could have saved by building my own noisy FrankenMac like you have.

You act like you are some kind of super Jedi with your PC building skills because you can put a processor in a socket and get it to run OS X.

Try compiling custom Linux kernels and running them on overclocked Toshiba laptops with hand built drivers and then maybe you will be in a position to make fun of other peoples building and installation skills. You guys think because you follow some Hackintosh advice on a website that you are geniuses.

You make good points here regarding buying actual machines for the support. I do the same. I'm not into the Hackintosh scene.

But your points regarding cars is just so wrong. Apple hardware is not elegant. Apple cases are elegant. The innards are cheap cheap cheap.

 

[Target362]

You make good points here regarding buying actual machines for the support. I do the same. I'm not into the Hackintosh scene.

But your points regarding cars is just so wrong. Apple hardware is not elegant. Apple cases are elegant. The innards are cheap cheap cheap.

Cheep? Over 400 bucks for ram is not cheep. Apple OVER CHARGES on their hardware and even parts.

Hopefully they will go down, like they did with the macbooks. Apple finally for brains there,.

 

[Shiner]

Well that's your opinion man and I respect that. I do agree that I find myself more productive under OS X but the hardware is the limiting factor.

I don't think anyone picked up on your Mac Pro ownership.

I mentioned it in my first post on this subject.

 

[akm3]

I agree. Mighty mouse is long overdue for an overhaul (been around unchanged for about 4 years). I used to have one but returned it because the darn thing can't right click if you are still resting your finger on the left button. And don't get me started on the side buttons.

My long standing prediction is the mightymouse is killed and replaced by a multitouch trackpad.

 

[Eidorian]

Cheep? Over 400 bucks for ram is not cheep. Apple OVER CHARGES on their hardware and even parts.

Hopefully they will go down, like they did with the macbooks. Apple finally for brains there,.

Oh I remember when I met someone on here that paid for that $700 4 GB RAM upgrade on their MacBook Pro. I paid $79 off of NewEgg for my G.Skill that has never given me a problem. We were both happy so why fuss over it.

Still all OEM prebuilt vendors charge a kidney for some BTO options. For the price of the upgrade you can buy a retail box and still keep the original. Two for the price of one.

OWC and NewEgg are where most users are going to be looking at for upgrades.

I mentioned it in my first post on this subject.

I know. I read it.

 

[HLdan]

My iMac is showing it's age at almost 2 years old; an 800 mHz bus doesn't cut it anymore.

Big WOW, a computer showing it's age after only 2 years. Doesn't anyone actually USE their computers anymore or they just go by current specs. I don't think it's ready to be dumped.

 

[Target362]

My long standing prediction is the mightymouse is killed and replaced by a multitouch trackpad.

For desktops? Not sure about that. but I do know the mouse is in need for a revamp.

but I did find this over on google

nice mock up

 

[TennisandMusic]

Big WOW, a computer showing it's age after only 2 years. Doesn't anyone actually USE their computers anymore or they just go by current specs. I don't think it's ready to be dumped.

Depends on what people do with their machines. I do dev work, music, HD video editing and rendering, graphics work, and many times at the same time. Software gets updated relatively fast. I have Terabytes of data. Anything that slows me down is a pain. Current iMacs in no way cut it, and the Mac Pro's are incredibly expensive for what you get.

 

[Eidorian]

Big WOW, a computer showing it's age after only 2 years. Doesn't anyone actually USE their computers anymore or they just go by current specs. I don't think it's ready to be dumped.

My MacBook does its tasks so well that I don't see a reason to replace it. Apple must be mortified that I'm not buying a new machine to replace a perfectly fine one!

Anything heavy on my MacBook isn't my primary profession but my side work. Not that it doesn't pay well.

 

[Shiner]

Oh I remember when I met someone on here that paid for that $700 4 GB RAM upgrade on their MacBook Pro. I paid $79 off of NewEgg for my G.Skill that has never given me a problem.

Still all OEM prebuilt vendors charge a kidney for some BTO options. For the price of the upgrade you can buy a retail box and still keep the original. Two for the price of one.

OWC and NewEgg are where most users are going to be looking at for upgrades.

I know. I read it.

My old thesis advisor BTO a MacPro once. He added three video cards 8 GB of ram and the fastest processor at the time. It came to just over $6,000. He only has one screen and uses word and excel 99% of the time. Apple has its followers, many blind followers at that.

 

[Eidorian]

My old thesis advisor BTO a MacPro once. He added three video cards 8 GB of ram and the fastest processor at the time. It came to just over $6,000. He only has one screen and uses word and excel 99% of the time. Apple has its followers, many blind followers at that.

It's probably grant money. Luckily the professors that I know wanted a Mac Pro so they didn't have to share time on the computation servers for tasks.

Even then the goal was to break $2,500 (Not hard on the Mac Pro!) because of some weird asset management rule(s). Expensive purchases were subsidized by the university while cheaper ones were not.

There was one professor that bought a 24" iMac because they had a Power Mac G5 they were so sure was more powerful. It wasn't but who was I to tell him otherwise?

 

[munkees]

Try compiling custom Linux kernels and running them on overclocked Toshiba laptops with hand built drivers

That is sound disgusting, I hate Linux, ported it once to a mips processor, gave me more respect for BSD. Writing Drivers can be so much fun, very very rewarding.

Shiner

I just didn't want people getting out of hand and calling it near a professional computer.

define professional computer?

on a side note the iMac line is not marked as the Professional computer, yet is used in many business, including my own. I do not have the need to a Mac Pro or it power (yet).

 

[Treq]

As others have stated, that must have been one miserable "high end gaming" machine. The iMac is a fancy case surrounding two year old laptop parts!! It is not a desktop and no where near a professional computer. I was forced into buying a MacPro to get my work accomplished. Since this purchase I have built 2 hackintoshs using the i7 processors and they don't just run "rings" around the iMac, they mac it look silly! Apple has dropped the ball on the iMac. People that websurf and check email and maybe play sims 3 will never notice the difference but then again they are not professionals. I was simply responding to your statement that the iMac is pretty close to a professional system. It is not.

Hackintoshes are hobby machines and not professional systems.

 

[Target362]

Hackintoshes are hobby machines and not professional systems.

Not to menton they break apples EULA, something that should not be diascussed here.