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Curious that everyone is clamoring for a thunderbolt-enabled machine, but there isn't a single thunderbolt drive available on the market.

I guess some people just need to feel like they have new stuff even if it's totally pointless.
Most people keep their machines for at least a couple of years, so it makes sense to have TB built in. Many companies have announced that they are looking into TB, and not just for external storage. The possibilities of TB are much broader than that. Think of it as having PCIe on a cable. You could, for example, give your iMac USB3 support if a company decides to build an USB3 host with a Thunderbolt port. Same for eSATA etc...

Of course not much can be done right now, but you have to start somewhere to overcome the chicken/egg-problem.

We'll probably see broader support for TB when PCs based on Ivy Bridge are hitting the market next year (Intel has said to include TB support directly in the chipset). At that time, most of the people waiting here will still be using their mid-2011 iMacs for quite a few years to come.


Besides abolishing the ability of your graphics card, there are other interesting features of the processor. The hardware giant has confirmed that Sandy Bridge was designed with an integrated content protection to prevent piracy of high-end digital quality.
Just because the hardware supports it, it doesn't mean the software has to use it, especially in Apple's case. They even had seperate TPM chips built into the first Intel Macs and never actually used them for anything.


1- Matte screen option (Isn't there an aftermarket for this?)
No, there isn't. Putting an anti-glare film on a glass panel is NOT the same as a matte screen.


That's why I keep saying look for a redesign this Fall, just before or just after Lion is released.
What sense would it make for Apple to update the iMac twice in such a rapid succession? If anything, Apple's hardware cycles are getting even longer, mostly around 10-12 months in recent years. And at least from Intel, there will be nothing new to put into these machines by that date.

Lion is going to be released about a month after the new iMac, so if the redesign somehow really coincides with the release, it will probably happen right now.


Please keep USB 2.0 and Firewire for a couple more years.....
I don't think you have to worry about that for a long time.
In addition, we'll probably even get native USB3 in next year's models.


What's the deal with people wanting the matte version? Anyone care to explain the reasoning behind it to a noob like myself? Thanks in advance
If you have a window behind you or bad ceiling lights, the glass screen is almost unusable because of the reflections.
Matte screens do not have this problem because they diffuse the light.
 
It's always nice to see a refresh in an Apple product, it gives details on where their headed... But I really am bidding my time until the MBP refresh... I know.... it's still a long way...:rolleyes:
 
Better Broadcom chipset? More than 1500MTU?

Okay, all the new processor stuff - awesome. Wonderful that it will have some super-fast ports.

When I got my 27" 2.7GHz Core i7 iMac, I tried boosting some throughput with iSCSI and fatter network packets between my older MBP and my Drobo-FS NAS.

Alas, that was not the case. I was restricted to the network framesize of 1500 because someone at Apple decided to cheap-out and go chintzy on the network chips.

Are they going to do the same thing on this round? Gee - one extra dollar might have made a big difference. As it stands, only my OLDER MBP and an ASUS P6T Mobo-based PC I built can handle bigger frames. :mad:

So tell me Steve - gonna do that again? Cheese-out on something you think *I* don't need? Personally I would e-Bay my 27" iMac and get a new one - but if the Broadcom chipset is chintzed again, a new iMac will never be in my future again...
 
To Quote Hellhammer specs,

"1199$ 21.5" iMac

Intel Core i3-2100 (3.1GHz)
AMD 6490M with 256MB GDDR5
750GB HD
2x2GB RAM; option for 4x2GB

1499$ 21.5" iMac

Intel Core i5-2400S (2.5/3.3GHz); option for Core i5-2500S (2.7/3.7GHz)
AMD 6750M with 512MB GDDR5
1.5TB HD; option for 3TB
2x2GB RAM: option for 4x2GB

1699$ 27" iMac

Intel Core i5-2400 (3.1/3.4GHz)
AMD 6750M with 512MB GDDR5; option for AMD 6950M with 1024MB GDDR5
1.5TB HD; option for 3TB
2x2GB RAM; options for 4x2GB, 2x4GB and 4x4GB

1999$ 27" iMac

Intel Core i7-2600 (3.4/3.8GHz)
AMD 6950M with 1024MB GDDR5
1.5TB HD; option for 3TB
2x4GB RAM; option for 4x4GB"

More is here
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/943495/
 
To explain,

Tom was referring to this feature.
"Intel... takes advantage of a new hardware module inside Sandy Bridge's GPU to enable the secure delivery of downloadable HD content to PCs, has been blasted as "DRM." But of course it's only a DRM-enabler—a hardware block that can store predistributed keys that the Sandy Bridge GPU uses to decrypt movies a frame at a time before they go out over the HDMI port."

It allows for secure playback of cloud movies, without the risk of pirating. Your own files aren't being scrutinized.

Clix Pix put the matte preference well in an old post:

Go "matte.....easier on your eyes under all lighting conditions, more accurate representation of what will be printed or show on other people's monitors."

Photographers and people who don't like sparkled/ full of reflection monitors go with matte.
 
Go "matte.....easier on your eyes under all lighting conditions, more accurate representation of what will be printed or show on other people's monitors."

Bold part. Explain how Matte offers such a thing if "other people's monitors" are glossy ? How does matte better represent the content as displayed on glossy monitors ? :confused:

Photographers and people who don't like sparkled/ full of reflection monitors go with matte.

Those guys must not have existed before the advent of LCD monitors... what did those guys do with the big glass tubes ?
 
To Quote Hellhammer specs,

"1199$ 21.5" iMac

Intel Core i3-2100 (3.1GHz)
AMD 6490M with 256MB GDDR5
750GB HD
2x2GB RAM; option for 4x2GB

1499$ 21.5" iMac

Intel Core i5-2400S (2.5/3.3GHz); option for Core i5-2500S (2.7/3.7GHz)
AMD 6750M with 512MB GDDR5
1.5TB HD; option for 3TB
2x2GB RAM: option for 4x2GB

1699$ 27" iMac

Intel Core i5-2400 (3.1/3.4GHz)
AMD 6750M with 512MB GDDR5; option for AMD 6950M with 1024MB GDDR5
1.5TB HD; option for 3TB
2x2GB RAM; options for 4x2GB, 2x4GB and 4x4GB

1999$ 27" iMac

Intel Core i7-2600 (3.4/3.8GHz)
AMD 6950M with 1024MB GDDR5
1.5TB HD; option for 3TB
2x4GB RAM; option for 4x4GB"

More is here
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/943495/

that top spec 27" is never going to happen, it will have 4GB RAM and a i5 processor with BTO option of a i7
 
Curious that everyone is clamoring for a thunderbolt-enabled machine, but there isn't a single thunderbolt drive available on the market.

I guess some people just need to feel like they have new stuff even if it's totally pointless.

Sorry, but you are wrong there........
Thunderbolt would only be pointless if it was fitted to a PC and Mac's had USB3 about to come out.

As many PC's have USB3 and Mac's are about to have Thunderbolt, that makes it the most important and awesome thing ever :D
 
Those guys must not have existed before the advent of LCD monitors... what did those guys do with the big glass tubes ?

I agree 100% with the sentiment of what you're saying -- I think the matte vs. gloss thing is WAAAAY overblown, but just for argument's sake, remember that CRT have a curved front screen, not a flat sheet of glass. That's going to diffuse a lot of external light just by the nature of the design.
 
iMac Love Letter

The last 27" i7 iMac is the best computer I've ever bought. I went pretty full-out. Got 2 hard drives including an SSD and went for full-speed with 8GB of RAM. I also have my 30" Cinema Display attached. Absolutely couldn't be happier. Best work-horse ever!
 
Maybe...

If they have a Matte screen option, I will upgrade my home network with three of these. But I'm not holding my breath. If 90% of the US can live with Windows 7, so can I. And I'm not alone in my thinking.
 
I agree 100% with the sentiment of what you're saying -- I think the matte vs. gloss thing is WAAAAY overblown, but just for argument's sake, remember that CRT have a curved front screen, not a flat sheet of glass. That's going to diffuse a lot of external light just by the nature of the design.

Sure, maybe, but I remember not being able to even see what was on glass tube CRT monitor when the shades were open. Heck, TVs in summer ? :eek: While there may be virtues to the matte screens, I doubt it's as big an issue as some people make it out to be.
 
The bottleneck is internet speed. Until the world has South Korean-esque internet speeds, physical media isn't going anywhere.
Well he was talking about things happening in the Future. 2016 is a long time from now especially in the tech world. Quite possible for internet speeds to catch up.
What kind of media do you expect that "cloud" to store data with? Your statement delves into the realm of privacy concern.
Cloud storage already exists. Look at dropbox, amazon, wuala, Carbonite. Lots of stuff which can handle user files and media already. Again, the person I quoted was talking about things in 2016, so quite possible for things to change by then.
Also look at services like Netflix and itunes. They seem to be handling "cloud" based streaming just fine. Even right now in 2011 you can watch an HD movie by just streaming it to your device rather than using a physical disk. Who knows what can happen in 5 years in the tech industry.
 
Cloud storage already exists. Look at dropbox, amazon, wuala, Carbonite. Lots of stuff which can handle user files and media already. Again, the person I quoted was talking about things in 2016, so quite possible for things to change by then.

He was talking about the fact that "Cloud storage" uses physical media. ;) The cloud is not some kind of magic thing, it's just a bunch of physical disks and servers. And those disks and servers aren't anything special either, they are your typical server computer and the disks are also your standard server based disk, grouped up in a volume manager over massive raid arrays.
 
He was talking about the fact that "Cloud storage" uses physical media. ;) The cloud is not some kind of magic thing, it's just a bunch of physical disks and servers. And those disks and servers aren't anything special either, they are your typical server computer and the disks are also your standard server based disk, grouped up in a volume manager over massive raid arrays.
Oh right, didn't think that part through.... Its the future everthing is magic! :D
 
:eek: How in the world can you make that statement? My 50gb Blu-Ray discs would disagree with you.

I have well over 200 Blu-Ray discs. Let's assume that each disc is a single layer (25GB) disc and that they only have one disc in each case, no bonus discs no behind the sceens.... I'd need 5TB of storage to keep the quality as good as it is sitting on the disc.

You'd be on something hard to think internet infrastructure could handle the digital distribution of all these movies on top of current expanding internet traffic.

Okay --

1) Next year you'll be able to buy a 5TB drive for about $200 bucks. (You can get a 2TB drive today for $120 at your local office supply store.) You should start backing up those outdated Blu-ray disks now.

2) The latest fiber optics tech is out and does more than 100 terabits per second -- or the contents of 250 Double Sided Blu-Ray discs each second. It does it on a SINGLE cable. This isn't tech you buy for your PC, it's tech that the Telco's are putting in to expand broadband coverage.

Put 1 and 2 together, and Blu-ray is looking like it's heading for "end-of-life" status pretty fast.

I'm sorry if I offended any Blu-ray fans, but I gotta say, the writing is on the wall.
 
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To those clamoring for a matte option I feel your pain but our time is long gone. I bought a Mac Pro just so I could use matte screen because my underdeveloped eyes couldn't get used to "looking past reflections" on the new iMac (which I sold in less than a year)
 
You are also stuck in current times. Physical media will be dead by then, everything is going to be cloud based, there will be no such thing as a physical copy of movies any more :)

tell that to the majority of the people in the world who struggle to stream a SD youtube video because internet speeds aren't up to snuff yet. we simply don't have the infrastructure for it yet.
 
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