Shipping Estimates for 27-Inch Retina iMac Slip to 2 to 3 Weeks

[DEMinSoCAL]

And yet it seems demand is outstripping supply. They're not so dumb over there I guess.

Easy to create a false sense of demand by limiting production. Physical stores seem to be stocked. If demand was that great, stores would be empty.

More than likely, the supply chain for the panels is what is causing the delay in custom orders.

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ANY computer can be second-guessed in a few years. DDR4, DisplayPort 1.3, OLED, SkyLake, etc; why does my computer not have these things? Might as well enjoy being one of the first to use 5K now

My 6 year old Mac Pro 2009 with NON-SOLDERED, REPLACEABLE/UPGRADABLE components will beat the pants off the $2500 retina iMac. Good luck upgrading the iMac in a few years.

 

[Wiggle]

Angry birds HD edition and home-made videos of pet cat? Why don't you do some research on what actually R9 M295X is. Just the concept of a mobile graphics card pushing that many pixels is pathetic.

Seems to run Assassin's Creed Unity perfectly smooth at max settings. Also my documentary in FCP with my RED footage is cruising along swimmingly. Thanks for asking.

 

[Renzatic]

Angry birds HD edition and home-made videos of pet cat? Why don't you do some research on what actually R9 M295X is. Just the concept of a mobile graphics card pushing that many pixels is pathetic. Those crappy cards were a joke before retina iMacs, now it's a full on circus.
And Apple does it because they can. People will still buy those pretty looking iMacs with out-of-date components.

A Ferrari with a Prius engine - at least it moves. Whatever floats your boat.

I've done more than enough research to know what the M295X is. Yeah, it's a mobile graphics card, but it's more than stout enough to handle just about anything you throw at it for the next 3-4 years at least. A weak machine it is not.

If there's one thing to be concerned about, it's not performance, it's how hot the thing gets under load.

 

[osofast240sx]

Mobile graphics card in a nearly $3k desktop computer...iMacs always make me LOL. New trend at Apple: looks over function, a contradiction to industrial design.

It's a graphics card that happens to be used in mobile devices just like the A7 and A8 chips

 

[Keirasplace]

Easy to create a false sense of demand by limiting production. Physical stores seem to be stocked. If demand was that great, stores would be empty.

More than likely, the supply chain for the panels is what is causing the delay in custom orders.

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My 6 year old Mac Pro 2009 with NON-SOLDERED, REPLACEABLE/UPGRADABLE components will beat the pants off the $2500 retina iMac. Good luck upgrading the iMac in a few years.

Man, hope you never run a business with this constant "creating shortage" mantra; to what end? Pissing off their clients enough they'll go elsewhere?

The only place I've actually seen this used is in natural resources like oil, diamonds, copper, etc. Were the price actually goes up if a resource is scarce. In this case, the price is fixed so creating a shortage is totally utterly pointless; it doesn't happen.

It does seem though that Apple is very conservative in building up inventory on all new products and as such can easily run out if demand even slightly outstrips predictions.

This happens even in products that would not require football fields sized sheds to store inventory. That's good for keeping working capital down but there is a risk of losing sales by doing this constantly. Client loyalty mostly prevents that but they are cutting it close and could get burned eventually.

 

[Renzatic]

The only place I've actually seen this used is in natural resources like oil, diamonds, copper, etc. Were the price actually goes up if a resource is scarce. In this case, the price is fixed so creating a shortage is totally utterly pointless; it doesn't happen.

Playing devil's advocate for a sec, you could argue they're rigging supply in order to increase the fervor surrounding it. The harder a popular item is to get, the more people lust after it.

Thing is, that'd only work with super popular items that create a giant media storm, and get people to line up around the block for. Like iPhones, or new console releases, and whatnot. No matter how great it might be, a $2500 desktop PC is just too expensive, and too narrowly marketed to create that much demand.

 

[pietrov]

I really like the display... I'll buy one...

 

[Keirasplace]

Playing devil's advocate for a sec, you could argue they're rigging supply in order to increase the fervor surrounding it. The harder a popular item is to get, the more people lust after it.

Thing is, that'd only work with super popular items that create a giant media storm, and get people to line up around the block for. Like iPhones, or new console releases, and whatnot. No matter how great it might be, a $2500 desktop PC is just too expensive, and too narrowly marketed to create that much demand.

Or maybe people are just fervent about Apple, Androites do compare Apple fans to cult members after all... BTW, people line up all nights for black friday right in freezing cold mid November for the chance of saving a few hundred bucks... That's a lot more insane than lining up for something Apple in early September. That tells you that the psychology of the person in the lines is always beyond understanding for someone who is not in that line.

 

[ValSalva]

The stuttering is due to the GPU throttling. It throttles because it's insufficiently cooled. Could software fix it? Maybe if the GPU were run hotter, or if fans were more aggressively spooled up.

If I bought this RiMac, I'd configure it with ONLY SSD storage inside. Removing the HDD will drop internal temps significantly and no HDD belongs in an inaccessable space anyways. There might even be a way to add a fan in the HDD space to aid in cooling, but that's another discussion

I do think some of the stuttering (due to the GPU being throttled) can be fixed with software. More efficient software will presumably tax the GPU less. But I'm talking about web site viewing and OS transitions/animations such as Mission Control. No software patch will drastically help with GPU throttling during gaming.

I agree that it's best to get this RiMac with an SSD only. Less heat and more space.

 

[Quixotic3]

I ordered on the Oct. 30 with a estimated delivery of between today and Tuesday the 18th ... today the estimate has been changed to Nov. 26 - Dec. 1. I was told that the delay was because of parts that they could not get and that they would not charge me for the expedited shipping that I paid for (but when it does become available I will get expedited shipping). I understand that it is a popular product and that supply is low but when I order a product it should be that my name is on lets say #56273 iMac which will come off the line in x days and will be shipped on the estimated day that it is supposed to ship. Apple not being able to give proper shipping dates for a product that they produce is well, baffling. How could they make shipping dates more accurate?...Maybe they could make an App for that
.

 

[DEMinSoCAL]

Man, hope you never run a business with this constant "creating shortage" mantra; to what end? Pissing off their clients enough they'll go elsewhere?

The point being, Apple has somewhat created a false sense of high demand for the product by making only one configuration of the iMac available in-store. Obviously, a base configuration (apparently) not many want. Therefore, customers are forced to purchase online a customized model, causing a backlog of orders. Is this high demand, or just an artificially created demand issue because of the lack of pre-built choices?

That has always been an issue with me. I don't want to wait for a model with an SSD or better CPU or graphics to be built and shipped. I'm willing to compromise, though, if I could walk into an Apple Store and walk out with a model with some SSD and an i7. They'd really only need 3 SKU's -- the base model, one with Core i7 + SSD and one with Core i7 + SSD + enhanced Graphics. RAM is easily added after the fact, or even in store for those who want to buy Apple brand.

I bet most people would wind up walking out of the store with a more expensive model just due to the fact they can have it NOW instead of later. Instant gratification sells.

 

[ssspinball]

LOL at the people that still, even in 2014, compare building your own computer to an all-in-one with components fully tested to play nice together and a full warranty/after-sale support program.

Time is money! I have my own custom built-PC (and have had many over the years) and it takes some efforts to do such at thing and not have driver issues or flakiness. This is like questioning people that pay to have their car's oil changed or tires rotated. Time is money!

 

[macduke]

I think some of the stuttering will be fixed in subsequent software updates to Yosmite. It was the same with Mountain Lion and the first rMBP's.

I hear you about Skylake though. Apparently it won't be delayed. So by next year at this time Skylake should be out.

I'm waiting for Skylake for the next significant rev of Thunderbolt. Skylake will make a Retina ACD a realistic option. Right now not even the nMP can drive 5K, at least not with one TB port.

Yeah, lots of people keep telling me that Intel will push Skylake back artificially, but you'd think they would have done it by now. Surely there are a lot of people like us who saw the delay in Broadwell and thought "Well crap, we could get Skylake with a completely new architecture in less than a year so let's wait." However, the truth is that mobile 64-bit ARM chips are quickly catching up to Intel (my iPad Air 2 benches about as fast as a MacBook Air, lol), and can be easily modified and have extremely low power requirements. They're going to be a big competitor going forward. I also think that it's likely Apple might make their ARM play next year, perhaps starting with an iPad/MacBook Air hybrid device. If no ARM MacBooks come out by Skylake next autumn, then I'll feel better about buying Intel. I don't want my apps to quickly become obsolete if Apple switches platforms again. And IMO an ARM iMac would at least come a year after an ARM MacBook Air hybrid device. But that's a lot of speculation on my part.

So isn't the next revision of TB supposed to be 50Gbps, and then 100Gbps after that? And wasn't the move to 50Gbps supposed to be using fiber optics combined with a copper wire for power? I wonder how close that is to being ready. If my math is correct, then I think PCIe 3.0 x16 maxes out at 126Gbps. So in theory later versions of Thunderbolt could nearly run a high-end graphics card at full speed. But by late 2015 PCIe 4.0 will be finalized, which should be twice as fast, so it might be less relevant by then.

I think late 2015/early 2016 is going to be a great time to upgrade, especially to those who are on the fence now and don't absolutely need a newer machine.

 

[882188]

Mine is playing all my games and running FCP and Premiere juuuuuust fine. Not sure what you're whining about.

Juuuuuust fine is not enough. We're talking about a $3k desktop computer, not about $700 notebook.

 

[Renzatic]

Juuuuuust fine is not enough. We're talking about a $3k desktop computer, not about $700 notebook.

You might be thinking that juuuuuust fine means merely good enough. From the way he's talking, juuuuust fine means it runs perfectly for what he's doing with it.

Don't discount the one it's currently got in it just because it's "mobile". Yeah, the riMac could have a better GPU, but you could say that about anything when it comes to computer hardware. It could have a dualie Xeon chipset inside of it, instead of merely going with a standard i5-i7 setup we got. That doesn't make it bad in comparison, because juuuust fine is juuuuust fine if it fits your needs.

On top of that, it's not like Apple's EVER gone with the top of the line GPU option for their machines. Even the MP doesn't use the best of the best that's available. I mean hell, even though it's a mobile GPU, it can handle the latest games at 5120x2880 at 30-35 FPS with all the settings jacked up. That's not bad at all for a machine that's not really meant for gaming.

 

[Wiggle]

Juuuuuust fine is not enough. We're talking about a $3k desktop computer, not about $700 notebook.

Not enough for someone who wants to play World of Warcraft at 500 fps in their mom's basement maybe.

I make $150k a year as a media producer on my Macs. When I say it's "Juuuuuuust fine", that means it's just fine for me. If you want more bang for you buck, do what you want. But I want to look at a display every day that makes me happy. My iMac does just that, and I can pay for it in a day doing what I do.

 

[ToastyFlake]

The base 27" riMac will be our next work computer purchase. To get the 5k screen for what essentially is a $600 premium over the standard 27" iMac, plus getting better graphics and cpu to boot, is a steal. Then spend another $165 for an additional 16gb of ram and you have a powerhouse AIO with better than 4k screen.

I was just at an Apple store the other night and forgot to check them out, although I'm never happy with any screens in-store, due to the overpowered ambient lighting.

I checked it out in the store 2 nights ago. I was really expecting to be underwhelmed and really didn't think there would be a noticeable difference between the retina and non-retina. I was very wrong, photos on the retina looked awesome, especially next to the non-retina.

 

[WardC]

A 1080p video is going to play in a small window on this display, and when you play it fullscreen, you are going to lose quite a bit of resolution...

One of the disadvantages...

To me, this display only seems to make sense if you work with 4K video production or high resolution raw photo editing...for photo editing and 4K video editing, it would be great. For general use, I still think the standard 2560x1440 is a better way to go. Even most applications do not take advantage of Retina resolution at this point and would be pixel-doubled for display on the Retina screen. I remember how crappy non-Retina apps looked on my Retina MacBook Pro..

 

[jmgregory1]

I checked it out in the store 2 nights ago. I was really expecting to be underwhelmed and really didn't think there would be a noticeable difference between the retina and non-retina. I was very wrong, photos on the retina looked awesome, especially next to the non-retina.

I didn't want to hear that. That's going to make me want to pull the trigger sooner on one.

I love our 15" rMBP for the screen, but like the size of our iMac. To have both in one machine sounds perfect. I'm guessing I'll be saying something similar but opposite when the new rMBA comes out, as I love our mba for the low weight and battery life now, but it's tough going back to it after using the rMBA.

 

[ValSalva]

Yeah, lots of people keep telling me that Intel will push Skylake back artificially, but you'd think they would have done it by now. Surely there are a lot of people like us who saw the delay in Broadwell and thought "Well crap, we could get Skylake with a completely new architecture in less than a year so let's wait." However, the truth is that mobile 64-bit ARM chips are quickly catching up to Intel (my iPad Air 2 benches about as fast as a MacBook Air, lol), and can be easily modified and have extremely low power requirements. They're going to be a big competitor going forward. I also think that it's likely Apple might make their ARM play next year, perhaps starting with an iPad/MacBook Air hybrid device. If no ARM MacBooks come out by Skylake next autumn, then I'll feel better about buying Intel. I don't want my apps to quickly become obsolete if Apple switches platforms again. And IMO an ARM iMac would at least come a year after an ARM MacBook Air hybrid device. But that's a lot of speculation on my part.

So isn't the next revision of TB supposed to be 50Gbps, and then 100Gbps after that? And wasn't the move to 50Gbps supposed to be using fiber optics combined with a copper wire for power? I wonder how close that is to being ready. If my math is correct, then I think PCIe 3.0 x16 maxes out at 126Gbps. So in theory later versions of Thunderbolt could nearly run a high-end graphics card at full speed. But by late 2015 PCIe 4.0 will be finalized, which should be twice as fast, so it might be less relevant by then.

I think late 2015/early 2016 is going to be a great time to upgrade, especially to those who are on the fence now and don't absolutely need a newer machine.

I really agree with your last statement about upgrades in late 2015 and early 2016. Although I'm sure Broadwell will bring improvements, Skylake's improvements will be significantly more drastic and worth waiting for, especially at this point in time.

I'm less convince about Apple moving to ARM chips for its Macs. The Intel switch in 2005 was easier. Intel was better across the board and Apple made the switch quickly across all Mac lines.

It's different now. I don't think Apple would want to fragment it's Mac lines. ARM may make sense for a rMBA but it probably wouldn't for the iMac and possibly for the top of the line rMBP's, let alone the Mac Pro.

I don't think Apple wants to risk harming it's slowly growing Mac lineup by creating confusion about which Macs run which software. Pushing ARM faster and faster for iOS makes sense. iOS is Apple's cash cow. And it's not like Intel is falling behind. But of course only time will tell...

 

[Quixotic3]

A 1080p video is going to play in a small window on this display, and when you play it fullscreen, you are going to lose quite a bit of resolution...

One of the disadvantages...

To me, this display only seems to make sense if you work with 4K video production or high resolution raw photo editing...for photo editing and 4K video editing, it would be great. For general use, I still think the standard 2560x1440 is a better way to go. Even most applications do not take advantage of Retina resolution at this point and would be pixel-doubled for display on the Retina screen. I remember how crappy non-Retina apps looked on my Retina MacBook Pro..

@ full resolution 1080p in final cut pro this is what it will look like on a 5k iMac ...
One of the advantages...

 

[macfoxpro]

Ive is happily married, he doesn't need you to blow him.

So that is the kinda stuff that is floating around your bean. Keep your dreams to yourself.

 

[w00t951]

I have a gaming PC with a GTX 760. I was hanging on to it until I got my Retina iMac. I put Boot Camp on, loaded Steam and a few of my games that have benchmarks in them and ran the benchmarks with identical settings.

My gaming PC is up for sale now.

I mean I upgrade my GPU every year so I'd hang onto my mITX tower.

 

[ZigZagLens]

happy

Just got mine a few days ago - 4.0 i7, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD - and it's glorious. A lot of nice things to say about it: it boots insanely quickly, the screen is absolutely gorgeous, and the video performance is excellent (actually the performance overall is fantastic). So, no complaints ... yet.

 

[deluxeshredder]

I was in the Apple store this week and compared a regular 27" iMac sitting next to a Retina iMac. I could tell a difference...but only when I looked really close. It was not the stunning difference I had thought it would be. You might want to see for yourself before taking out your wallet. Unless you're a photo professional, you might not find it worth the extra money.

You are actually supposed to sit close to big monitors as they are supposed to give an immersion effect, they are not TVs. And Yosemite's UI is very Retina-demanding.