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...And BD and HDMI and matte screens and latest generation video cards and ...

Hopefully this update will bring Macs up to date feature wise

I love how you guys latch onto one statement and then apply it to things no one has said. :rolleyes:
 
How about this?

A very thin iMac that un-docks from the arm and becomes a tablet... Am I the only one thinking this would be super cool?
 
It doesn't look like Apple needs any additions to their current desktop line. It's difficult enough to sell desktops these days as it is. It's all about mobile power now.

I need to tell my Apple desktop customers that. They come in to replace G4+5 towers, they have a choice of a $799 mini or a $2,499 MacPro and they don't want laptop powered iMirrors.

$650 gets them a Phenom II quad core HP with 6GB memory.
$1,100 gets them an i7 with 9GB.
 
I need to tell my Apple desktop customers that. They come in to replace G4+5 towers, they have a choice of a $799 mini or a $2,499 MacPro and they don't want laptop powered iMirrors.

$650 gets them a Phenom II quad core HP with 6GB memory.
$1,100 gets them an i7 with 9GB.

I don't understand why the solution is not an iMac with external monitor if needed and external array if needed. Apple makes it as an all in one form factor for a reason. It is internally complete and externally expandable. Right?

The whole idea of an iMac is they hid the CPU in the monitor.

Rocketman
 
Getting rid of that pesky old FW port in lieu of a SD card slot?

Apple gets it right again!!!!:mad:

Without firewire or esata, the iMac won't be a viable video editing solution. USB 2 is not quick enough. And it won't work for multi-track audio, either. Again, firewire or esata is needed. Without a place to add a FW or eSata interface card, you can't fix it.

Now if they added an expresscard 34 slot ...

Eddie O
 
Is it just me who doesn't really use the SD card slots?
Card slots are handy: but more than SD is needed: SD, CF, MS at least. Most new video cams use SD, but some higher ends Sony's (among others) use CF or MS.

But as I noted earlier, without FW or eSata drives, other than iMovie, it doesn't cut it for FCP or FCE video editing, or multi-track audio (for example, ProTools says the USB is not a qualified device for ANY of their platforms).

Eddie O
 
How about Apple is the only company that can charge over $1,000 for a dual core laptop on a stick and call it a desktop? :rolleyes:

The quad core iMac has been a desire since Intel released the QX6700 back in November 2006.

Only if it's unlocked.

I've wondered about that too. I've come to the conclusion that Apple just didn't care. They didn't feel that the iMac's customer profile just didn't warrant fast quad core chips. Don't think I ever lost an iMac sale because of it.

Having said that, I really don't see how Apple can forego having fast, affordable quadcore desktop computers anymore. We'll see.
 
I don't understand why the solution is not an iMac with external monitor if needed and external array if needed. Apple makes it as an all in one form factor for a reason. It is internally complete and externally expandable. Right?

The whole idea of an iMac is they hid the CPU in the monitor.

Rocketman

One of the secrets of sales is to give your customers what they need, not what you think they need. These Apple customers want fast new towers with lots of memory and fast video cards. They want to spend $800-$1,200. Not one of them has ever mentioned the need to hide the cpu behind the monitor. These customers don't want iMirrors no matter how much you insist on them buying them. Apple has nothing like that for them. If they did, I would sell it to them and they'd be much happier.

I know they make the iMac for a reason, but it's the only desktop choice between $799 and $2,499.
 
One of the secrets of sales is to give your customers what they need, not what you think they need. These Apple customers want fast new towers with lots of memory and fast video cards. They want to spend $800-$1,200. Not one of them has ever mentioned the need to hide the cpu behind the monitor. These customers don't want iMirrors no matter how much you insist on them buying them. Apple has nothing like that for them. If they did, I would sell it to them and they'd be much happier.

I know they make the iMac for a reason, but it's the only desktop choice between $799 and $2,499.

What it boils down to is there is a wide range of customers accustomed to the Wintel meme that expects to have box they can customize and add stuff to. This is something Apple simply does not offer except in the MacPro line. Remember anytime you complain about price, not form factor, you are automatically on ignore in the Apple world, because they have a profit margin target and an included software business model. So the only thing you could hope for, is something along the lines of a triple high MacMini case with internal add-on capacity. But I believe third parties already offer alternative cases for that.

The original cube was their near top of the line chip in a cool form factor. I know what you wish you could see, is something like a slimline PC case with some expansion options (IIsi). I think it is more likely Apple would add a 2nd HD sled and a single PCI slot in an iMacPro type of thing, but then you would run into the same price objection.

To be honest, you like commodity hardware at commodity prices and it just doesn't compare to margin driven, value added software driven business models.

I do believe you are pissing into the wind.

Although I agree with your sentiments.

I wish for unicorns too. :)

Rocketman
 
This kind of bugs since I just bought my new 24" iMac back like 4 months ago. I really couldn't wait that long though. My aging 17" G5 iMac (from 2005) just couldn't handle graphics anymore and needed a new machine for some freelance work.

If they ad an SD card, blu-ray and a thinner design, that doesn't justify me to upgrade. I've already got an iPod dock that has a SD and compact flash slot, plus two more USB slots. So that's out of the equation. Blu-ray? Don't need that. I watch movies on my HDTV. There might be more power added, but doesn't that always happen every 6 months?

So, I'm still happy with my purchase. Maybe in a couple years I'll upgrade like the average Joe. ;)
 
This kind of bugs since I just bought my new 24" iMac back like 4 months ago. I really couldn't wait that long though. My aging 17" G5 iMac (from 2005) just couldn't handle graphics anymore and needed a new machine for some freelance work.

If they ad an SD card, blu-ray and a thinner design, that doesn't justify me to upgrade. I've already got an iPod dock that has a SD and compact flash slot, plus two more USB slots. So that's out of the equation. Blu-ray? Don't need that. I watch movies on my HDTV. There might be more power added, but doesn't that always happen every 6 months?

So, I'm still happy with my purchase. Maybe in a couple years I'll upgrade like the average Joe. ;)

the last Mac refresh came right after an intel CPU release as well. the next intel CPU release is late early 2010 when the 32nm CPU's come out
 
the last Mac refresh came right after an intel CPU release as well. the next intel CPU release is late early 2010 when the 32nm CPU's come out
We'll see. Same thing happened when I got a G5 iMac in 05' but did that release slow my computer down, nope. Still worked fine for years after that.

I used a Mac Pro tower with G5 in it at work after the release of intel for years and that didn't slow anything down either. Ran fast! Still does! But finally, the Mac Pro is due for an upgrade since G5 won't work on SL.

Let's put it this way, if my computer slows down where my performance is getting bad, I'll upgrade. But I think it will be fine for a few years like history has shown.
 
The Xeon L3426 is a great cpu. You guys shouldn't dismissed it just because it's a Xeon. If you took the time to look it up, you would see that:

- it's just a low-voltage desktop Core i7 cpu with ECC memory support (up to 32GB, vs 8GB for the mobile Core i7 cpus).
- great TDP for AIO computers (45W, just like the low-end and midrange mobile Core i7 cpus) way lower than regular desktop Core i7 cpus (95W)
- better performer than most mobile Core i7 cpus (1.86GHz vs 1.60/1.73GHz), and fast turbo mode (up to 3.20GHz, just like the 2.00GHz mobile Core i7)
- very affordable for a 45W cpu ($284) vs the mobile Core i7 cpus ($364, $546, $1,054)
- uses a very simple and inexpensive, low power (5W), 3400/3420 chipset, very similar to the new P55 chipset for the midrange desktop Core i7 cpus

Now it remains to be seen that Apple will indeed use this cpu and/or variations of it in the upcoming iMacs.
But if they do, I'd quote Adobe's CEO when Apple switched to Intel cpus: What took you so long?
Low voltage, inexpensive, dual and quad-core Xeons have been available for ages.

This cpu is the best fit for the iMac thin/AIO design in terms of TDP, performance and price.
 
Take this with a grain of salt...some of this is likely to be true...most of it is likely to be horsesh....

I thought it was ..."all this is taken with the tongs to use". Ahhh. idioms, the automatic translators' nightmare.
 
The Xeon L3426 is a great cpu. You guys shouldn't dismissed it just because it's a Xeon. If you took the time to look it up, you would see that:

- it's just a low-voltage desktop Core i7 cpu with ECC memory support (up to 32GB, vs 8GB for the mobile Core i7 cpus).
- great TDP for AIO computers (45W, just like the low-end and midrange mobile Core i7 cpus) way lower than regular desktop Core i7 cpus (95W)
- better performer than most mobile Core i7 cpus (1.86GHz vs 1.60/1.73GHz), and fast turbo mode (up to 3.20GHz, just like the 2.00GHz mobile Core i7)
- very affordable for a 45W cpu ($284) vs the mobile Core i7 cpus ($364, $546, $1,054)
- uses a very simple and inexpensive, low power (5W), 3400/3420 chipset, very similar to the new P55 chipset for the midrange desktop Core i7 cpus

Now it remains to be seen that Apple will indeed use this cpu and/or variations of it in the upcoming iMacs.
But if they do, I'd quote Adobe's CEO when Apple switched to Intel cpus: What took you so long?
Low voltage, inexpensive, dual and quad-core Xeons have been available for ages.

This cpu is the best fit for the iMac thin/AIO design in terms of TDP, performance and price.

At first I dismissed this Xeon rumor, but that chip seems like the perfect fit for the iMac.
 
One of the secrets of sales is to give your customers what they need, not what you think they need. These Apple customers want fast new towers with lots of memory and fast video cards. They want to spend $800-$1,200. Not one of them has ever mentioned the need to hide the cpu behind the monitor. These customers don't want iMirrors no matter how much you insist on them buying them. Apple has nothing like that for them. If they did, I would sell it to them and they'd be much happier.

I know they make the iMac for a reason, but it's the only desktop choice between $799 and $2,499.

Not enough demand. No evidence that Apple would sell enough of them. We're not talking about tech enthusiasts, gamers (apart from the vast console market), or Pros here. We're talking about the average user, families, etc. That is, the biggest chunk of the market. People for whom a "video card" is something you hand over at Blockbuster to rent movies with. And really, why should it even be any more complicated than that for them? Besides, there is no point at all in playing around with new desktop lines when the market is headed in the direction of mobile power. Consumer desktops as we understand them now are heading into obsolescence.
 
ATI Radeon 5870

The intel Xeon in higher end rumor is just stupid thinking, thats not gonna happen.

I would say quad core for sure, there is no way Apple can hold off that any longer in the iMac.
4GB of ram standard across the line,
1 TB hard drive standard in the upper 2 models (If they keep 4)
Better graphics cards for sure. Probably still Nvidia integrated in the lower end models and the upper 2 Nvidia GT200 series cards.

I would like them to stick a 4870 inside the iMac but thats just me.

The new Radeon 5870 is the first card to offer full support for HD Blu-Ray bitstreaming. That would be nice, but I'm not sure there is a mobile version yet, which is probably what Apple would use.
 
I figured the SD slot would be coming, given its inclusion on the MacBook Pros. I still can't wrap my head around the console getting any thinner. How thin can it get and still have all the necessary parts? Blu-Ray will probably happen, as an expensive add-on ($200 plus?).

If they can get that 20-inch iMac to $999, then Apple's sales are going to skyrocket. I know many people would buy an iMac but can't afford it. Many want to make the switch.
 
sorry to be a little off-topic. if it's possible(?)for imac to change cheaper but more powerful processor, why isn't the mini? or is size a restriction?:confused:
 
sorry to be a little off-topic. if it's possible(?)for imac to change cheaper but more powerful processor, why isn't the mini? or is size a restriction?:confused:

thermal envelope and marketing strategy (when you look at the stats at apple mac mini green pdf, you can see it lower power usage)

the xeon/core i7 mobile we are discussing here are minimum $250 so that is expensive in mac mini ($600 machine)
 
That is true but there are also Core i7 that are going for $289. Granted these are desktop cpus to the mobile one may cost a bit more.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...5&bop=And&ActiveSearchResult=True&Order=PRICE

"A Bit More" yeah look at the differences between mobile Core 2 CPU's and desktop.

agreed +1

check out new Clarksfield processor and xeon processor

http://ark.intel.com/Compare.aspx?ids=43233,43124,43122,43126,

So uhh why wouldn't Apple go with Xenon?
 
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