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What to expect from iMac 2012 - Discussion

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Crankx said:
Since i just started looking for an IMac 1 month ago, i have no idea how the releases went in the past ?

How did it happen ? No official shout outs from Mac, saying something about the new product ?

Did the new Imac last year just show up in the apple store, just like that ?

I find it kinda wierd, that the new IMac's maybe show up any minute, no countdown nothing ;)

And btw why Tuesday ? Is there is explanation for that ?
Click to expand...

Pretty much. There are past threads on this message board chronicling how it went down. It happens "gradually, then suddenly," as they say. During a dead period when not much is going on, there will be a new CPU launch (like we just had) or other factor, then a short time later, config-to-order shipping dates will slip (which might be happening now, depending where you look), then stockouts are sometimes reported around the community (mostly on Macbook Pros because those are Apple's best-selling Macs, and this is the factor we haven't seen yet this time around) and then bam, refresh, seemingly out of nowhere for all the comment Apple themselves offered beforehand (none).

The consensus here seems to be coalescing around the next couple of weeks or so, possibly faster, but in any case before June. But we could be completely wrong... it's all just educated guessing. It has already been the longest period of time between iMac refreshes, so it's overdue no matter what Apple does at this point. Then again, few truly expected the Mac Pro to go almost two years now in a state of neglect. "Long in the tooth" doesn't describe it...

Tuesday because it's a common announcement date for new releases of consumer goods.
 
Roozer said:
I'll give you that my choice of words was a bit strong - you have a point in that the iMac is limited as far as GPU are concerned.

I suppose I was mostly wondering whether Ivy Bridge (sounds overhyped sometimes) would have beneficial effects for video cards or none of the noticeable kind.
Click to expand...


Have you even looked at the benchmarks for the 7970M? They score slightly better then the 560TI (desktop) GPU
http://images.anandtech.com/doci/5778/7970m-vs-gtx675m.png
 
Crankx said:
Since i just started looking for an IMac 1 month ago, i have no idea how the releases went in the past ?

How did it happen ? No official shout outs from Mac, saying something about the new product ?

Did the new Imac last year just show up in the apple store, just like that ?

I find it kinda wierd, that the new IMac's maybe show up any minute, no countdown nothing ;)

And btw why Tuesday ? Is there is explanation for that ?
Click to expand...

If Apple are just bumping the spec of the computer then they just show up in the store with an official press release statement. If it is a re-design, then they are normally revealed at an event.
 
Mike Valmike said:
Pretty much. There are past threads on this message board chronicling how it went down. It happens "gradually, then suddenly," as they say. During a dead period when not much is going on, there will be a new CPU launch (like we just had) or other factor, then a short time later, config-to-order shipping dates will slip (which might be happening now, depending where you look), then stockouts are sometimes reported around the community (mostly on Macbook Pros because those are Apple's best-selling Macs, and this is the factor we haven't seen yet this time around) and then bam, refresh, seemingly out of nowhere for all the comment Apple themselves offered beforehand (none).

The consensus here seems to be coalescing around the next couple of weeks or so, possibly faster, but in any case before June. But we could be completely wrong... it's all just educated guessing. It has already been the longest period of time between iMac refreshes, so it's overdue no matter what Apple does at this point. Then again, few truly expected the Mac Pro to go almost two years now in a state of neglect. "Long in the tooth" doesn't describe it...

Tuesday because it's a common announcement date for new releases of consumer goods.
Click to expand...

Nothing new for me but this is just an incredibly excellent and helpful post. Props for outdoing the internet.
 
Dear Apple


Please release updated iMacs. (aka Shut up and take my money!)


Regards


Me (and 90% of people in this thread)
 
tagheuer said:
ok, thanks. I can wait a month or two...just don't want to wait 5 months if its going to be May.
Click to expand...

So did you wait a month or two and are you still waiting?!

----------
EnzoAmata said:
I have just sold my 2010 iMac and waiting for the refresh
Click to expand...

Oops. So you have been waiting since January having sold your computer. How have you been coping and do you wonder if your back ups will still work so you can migrate to the new machine when it comes out? I am only jesting of course as I am in the same boat since last weekend. Hope I don't have to wait for 3 months though

----------
gigawatt said:
Sandy Bridge desktop chips came out in January 2011 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Core#Core_i5_2) then the iMacs were refreshed in May 2011.

I think it's a combination of when the chips are released and where that particular mac is in its development cycle, as I don't think there would be any reason to push the next iMacs to 5 months after Ivy Bridge.
Click to expand...

If that's the case, why did the MBA refresh in 2011 happen a mere 273 days after the 2010 refresh?
 
Last edited:
gigawatt said:
Sandy Bridge desktop chips came out in January 2011 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Core#Core_i5_2) then the iMacs were refreshed in May 2011.
Click to expand...

Sandy Bridge iMacs were delayed by the wait for the Z3 chipset, which Apple ended up getting early access to. The CPU is sadly only one component.

That said, 100% of the necessary components should now be available, unless the rumors of a anti-glare screen are true and there are production problems with them.
 
Murtagh said:
Have you even looked at the benchmarks for the 7970M? They score slightly better then the 560TI (desktop) GPU
http://images.anandtech.com/doci/5778/7970m-vs-gtx675m.png
Click to expand...

Yeah. It's a shame... half the reason I'm waiting is that I hope the new 21" iMacs (or equivalent) will have graphics on par with the current 27". The 7970m is so good that I might just wind up going nuts and buying the new 27" equivalent instead! :p
 
forty2j said:
Sandy Bridge iMacs were delayed by the wait for the Z3 chipset, which Apple ended up getting early access to. The CPU is sadly only one component.

That said, 100% of the necessary components should now be available, unless the rumors of a anti-glare screen are true and there are production problems with them.
Click to expand...

Are 802.11ac wifi chips available? Apple was a very early adopter of the n spec, and I can see them doing the same with ac. The large scale model refreshes would be the ideal time to introduce them.
 
TopToffee said:
Dear Apple


Please release updated iMacs. (aka Shut up and take my money!)


Regards


Me (and 90% of people in this thread)
Click to expand...

+1 from me

shut-up-and-take-my-money1.jpg


----------

In fact I think this is really what I want to say to Apple

0f4.jpg
 
Build-to-Order Pricing

I for one, believe the 2012 refresh is around the corner.

Furthermore, a couple things are obviously coming:

  • Ivy Bridge CPUs
  • 7000 series AMD Mobile GPUs
Some things are not so obvious:
  • Standard SSD
  • More Memory
  • Anti-glare
I just wanted to get everyone else's opinion on what the pricing for these options will be. My plan is to purchase a 27" SSD Core i7 with the fastest GPU available (likely 7970m). After thinking about it, I can't see how Apple plans to keep the price of the 27" the same for the upcoming refresh. At least, not if they plan to keep their ridiculous margins.

For instance, and correct me if I'm wrong:
  • The 7970m (the clear contender for the 27") will no longer come in a 1GB version, only the 2GB.
  • Even a 128gb standard SSD costs more than a 1TB HD.
  • Anti-glare is almost sure to raise costs.
  • Any increase in standard memory would raise costs.
These are obviously more expensive parts, and furthermore they serve as one of the key functions in Apple huge profit margins. At the same time, raising the costs on an already very expensive computer doesn't seem like a great idea.

I mean, if the 7970m and SSD come standard, that's basically a $500 discount off the bat from last year.

What do you guys think?
 
fsu06 said:
I mean, if the 7970m and SSD come standard, that's basically a $500 discount off the bat from last year.

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

I don't believe for a second that we will see a standard SSD. It is too expensive and not mainstream. For a desktop you can't live with only 128/256gb HD, you need an additional one. Look at MB Air, it is very pricy with small screen and only 128gb SSD.
 
i think ssd capacity will go up for around the same price , or the current price for same ssd capacity will drop somewhat.

graphics wise- 7970m 1GB standard with 2GB custom , just as is now.

i think it will be slightly slimmer too, and clear anti glare glass
 
lifeguard90 said:
i think ssd capacity will go up for around the same price , or the current price for same ssd capacity will drop somewhat.

graphics wise- 7970m 1GB standard with 2GB custom , just as is now.

i think it will be slightly slimmer too, and clear anti glare glass
Click to expand...

Don't think the 7970m is available in a 1GB version, only 2GB
 
cocky jeremy said:
The only way i see SSD standard is a very small one only large enough for the OS.
Click to expand...

Bring it on! The videos I've seen of performance with an SSD are startling, night and day difference. In fact, I think a computer with an SSD for it's OS and core apps supplemented by a large volume HDD for data and media is the single most revolutionary prompt jump in performance I've ever seen. What a selling point.

Salesman: "Here, I'll show you how long this takes to boot. Well, there you go, about 5 seconds."

Dazzled customer: "Wha :eek:. . . my computer takes about one minu*"

Salesman (interrupting): "And now we've just simultaneously opened all 18 of our bundled system apps. I'm sorry, what were you saying?"
 
iMacFarlane said:
Bring it on! The videos I've seen of performance with an SSD are startling, night and day difference. In fact, I think a computer with an SSD for it's OS and core apps supplemented by a large volume HDD for data and media is the single most revolutionary prompt jump in performance I've ever seen. What a selling point.

Salesman: "Here, I'll show you how long this takes to boot. Well, there you go, about 5 seconds."

Dazzled customer: "Wha :eek:. . . my computer takes about one minu*"

Salesman (interrupting): "And now we've just simultaneously opened all 18 of our bundled system apps. I'm sorry, what were you saying?"
Click to expand...
That would be great. Maybe use à 64gb ssd or so.
 
Smartie said:
I don't believe for a second that we will see a standard SSD. It is too expensive and not mainstream.
Click to expand...

To the contrary, after the Thailand floods last fall, the entire industry lurched toward SSDs as a stopgap solution and prices plummeted on SSDs as a result, giving them a degree of entrenchment almost by default. Other technologies should be so fortunate as to gain widespread adoption so easily.

This is the single biggest change in the iMac price profile and is the reason I didn't grab a 2011 iMac back in January -- by the time the fallout from the flooding was becoming clear, 256GB SSDs weren't $750 anymore, or even close to it, and they sure as heck aren't that pricey now. Don't be surprised to see a single 256GB SSD as the sole drive in the base iMac configuration. In fact they may not even continue support of the additional HDD if the iMac is redesigned and slimmed down substantially -- no room. But the positive side of that is that the 2011 iMac equivalent, which DOES support SSD+HDD together, will get much cheaper overnight due to becoming the previous model and not the current model. Win-win.

I am about to buy four Macs for a new retail installation in late June, and I do hope the refreshes have occurred by then, though I'm not holding my breath on the Mac Mini to get its update. It just doesn't make sense to buy the 2011 Macs right now. I could manage on a 2010 Mini for a media server and an iPad for one of the point-of-sale terminals, though, if need be.
 
fsu06 said:
I for one, believe the 2012 refresh is around the corner.

Furthermore, a couple things are obviously coming:

  • Ivy Bridge CPUs
  • 7000 series AMD Mobile GPUs
Some things are not so obvious:
  • Standard SSD
  • More Memory
  • Anti-glare
I just wanted to get everyone else's opinion on what the pricing for these options will be. My plan is to purchase a 27" SSD Core i7 with the fastest GPU available (likely 7970m). After thinking about it, I can't see how Apple plans to keep the price of the 27" the same for the upcoming refresh. At least, not if they plan to keep their ridiculous margins.

For instance, and correct me if I'm wrong:
  • The 7970m (the clear contender for the 27") will no longer come in a 1GB version, only the 2GB.
  • Even a 128gb standard SSD costs more than a 1TB HD.
  • Anti-glare is almost sure to raise costs.
  • Any increase in standard memory would raise costs.
These are obviously more expensive parts, and furthermore they serve as one of the key functions in Apple huge profit margins. At the same time, raising the costs on an already very expensive computer doesn't seem like a great idea.

I mean, if the 7970m and SSD come standard, that's basically a $500 discount off the bat from last year.

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

Prices tend to be revised at each revision. The current prices were set when RAM and SSD drives were more expensive, so they should be able to give more for the same price at the next revision.

cocky jeremy said:
The only way i see SSD standard is a very small one only large enough for the OS.
Click to expand...

I hope they do this, an SSD big enough for operational storage requirements such as OS and apps, combined with an HDD for files. Volume and speed at a reasonable price.
 
Right now we have room for two hard drives. If we lose the ODD, there's room for three, i believe. I'd like the ODD dropped, a small 32-64 GB SSD standard for the OS, with the option for an HDD+SSD option as well. I'd definitely add a 1-2 TB HDD and 256-512 SSD on top of the standard OS SSD.
 
cocky jeremy said:
Right now we have room for two hard drives. If we lose the ODD, there's room for three, i believe. I'd like the ODD dropped, a small 32-64 GB SSD standard for the OS, with the option for an HDD+SSD option as well. I'd definitely add a 1-2 TB HDD and 256-512 SSD on top of the standard OS SSD.
Click to expand...

When you order an iMac with SSD+HDD do they leave the optical drive in there or does the SSD replace the Optical drive.
 
There's just no way that Apple is going to give the user THREE hdd to contend with. Two is confusing enough as it is. Honestly, I wish the OS would just handle it all for me and make the two drives look like one and put the important stuff on the SSD and the photos on the mechanical.
 
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