why is everyone so negative about the iMac?

[inkswamp]

I completely agree with all the people hating the fact that all the complaints come here and make all the good things about the imac's get covered in false mass opinions.

Huh? This isn't Digg. It's MacRumors.com. There are a few trolls, but it's mostly Mac fans and users posting here. If you're seeing a large number of negative opinions about the iMac, perhaps you should consider what people are saying. It's not some kind of conspiracy.

And for all the talk I hear about how great these new iMacs are, I see very little specifics from those defending it. What I see is mostly this starry-eyed Apple-can-do-no-wrong thing that gets a little irritating.

What exactly is so great about this new iMac? What sets it apart from the previous iMac? With each major redesign, you were able to point to something new and cool about the machine, some fundamental design or feature that made it a significant leap ahead of its predecessor, something that made you swear off the old design in favor of the new one.

So what is so amazing about this new iMac that it required a special event to unveil? Especially after a year of waiting. IMO, Apple spent too much time on the iPhone and made a halfhearted effort with the iMac. It's too bad. It's been a great line of computers so far.

I use a glossy macbook pro screen for my photo editing, and I am in design and photography and to be honest I have compared the two side by side on macbook pro's and actually they both have their benefits over color matching when printing. glossy doesn't matter any more.

I've worked in design as well and color matching isn't import to all aspects of design work. And there's little evidence that a glossy screen makes better color. In fact, from what I've read, it oversaturates and darkens the color too much. LCDs are inferior to CRTs for color range to begin with. A glossy screen is not going to fix that.

Its a shame that threads like this come about because this is one of the reasons I find it hard to currently read macrumors, its either I hate blah blah or a post about people waiting for the new mac

Do you need everyone to agree with you to be happy? If you like the iMac, then great. There are many of us who feel it was a bad effort on Apple's part and there are some fatal flaws in this revision of the machine. (For me, personally, the glossy screen is going to be an issue. I have lousy eyesight and ANY glare off the screen causes me trouble. I love the matte screen because it's much easier for me to deal with.) That's just the reality of it. If you can't handle dissenting points of view, you probably shouldn't be on the Internet.

 

[iSee]

I was really excited about making the switch to mac, and was gonna wait for the new iMac to be released to make the switch, everyone seemed really excited about it...but now all I hear on this site is negative talk about it...bad video chips, failing screens, it not being worth the money...A little less happy about getting it..just wondering why there was such a negative pull towards this product? Is it really all that bad? Would I just be better off going back to a PC?

Some people get mad when the computer they've been waiting for isn't everything they hoped it would be--of course it never is, so they are doomed to be unhappy every time around.

As far as I can tell, the best knocks against the new iMac is the lack of a non-glossy option. Glossy only hurts in some situations, but anyone in those situations can no longer consider an iMac (well, not the latest ones).

The other major knock is the lack of a powerful gaming video card option. Actually, nothing in the history of iMac development suggests Apple would provide such an option, but with the recent push to release major new games on the Mac plus the boot camp gaming option, this was the best chance yet. You've got to wonder if Apple is walking away from a big opportunity here.

The complaints about the design are pretty pointless. It's completely a matter of personal opinion, so I can't argue with the the-black-border-is-horrendous people. But I think it's just the normal knee-jerk reaction some people have new designs. Anyway, you should wait 'til you see one in person before you judge it. They are really quite impressive. The sleek shape of black glass and aluminum is beautiful. To anyone comparing it to the black and silver plastic designs used in many consumer electronics designs, please see the machine in person.

 

[zap2]

I'm impressed with the iMac...however I wish the back was silver. My mother and I went to see the iMac, and she said it looked more like a dell.


It was an interesting though.....at first I disagreed, but now I she where she was coming from.


And now, Apple losing the white look

 

[inkswamp]

The complaints about the design are pretty pointless. It's completely a matter of personal opinion, so I can't argue with the the-black-border-is-horrendous people. But I think it's just the normal knee-jerk reaction some people have new designs.

I've been enamored of every revision of the iMac since its beginning but this one is badly conceived. And it's not all a matter of opinion. There are objective ways to look at it.

For a design to succeed, it should at least be consistent. This new design is all over the board. The mouse doesn't match the keyboard. The keyboard has a different look to it than the iMac itself. The front of the iMac looks like it was trying to be sleek and minimalist, but then you have this awful duct tape-like border around the screen that interrupts that. Then, the back of the machine is a whole different aesthetic that neither matches the front of the machine nor the keyboard/mouse.

You can get away with all this as long as there is some overriding element to the design that ties them all together, but I don't see it. From a design perspective, it's a near-random mishmash and possibly one of the least inspired things Apple has ever put out.

 

[thomasp]

That's the trouble with the Internet, and especially forums in general - more people complain than praise.

I dropped my PowerBook off at an AppleStore yesterday for repair (with a problem that, according to The Internet, is very widespread, but realistically probably affects less than 0.01% of the machines) and had a look at the glossy iMacs at the same time.

We all know how brightly Apple light their stores - not the best conditions for viewing a glossy screen in. However, I couldn't see what all the fuss was about - only at a couple of random angles which I'd never dream of looking at a computer screen from could I get any screenglare bad enough to upset my work (my dad agreed with me as he was there at the time - he's a photographer who still uses an old CRT display which is, guess what, glossy!).

In my opinion, the black border to the screen helps reduce the "chin" the iMac has, and I like it, but that's my opinion.


I think people are blowing this whole Glossy Screen thing out of proportion - what were we using 5 years ago when the G3 iMac was out, with its CRT screen? We were using CRT monitors, which have a large sheet of glossy glass in front of them. Yes, the Classic iMac had a supposed "Matte" screen, but it's definitely glossy compared to the MacBook Pro (matte screen) I'm currently typing from.


I'm sure we'll all adapt if computer manufacturers decide that glossy screens are the way forward. If the worst comes to the worst, you can always chop up 3 pieces of cardboard and duct tape them around the top and sides of your screen to shield the light

 

[inkswamp]

I think people are blowing this whole Glossy Screen thing out of proportion - what were we using 5 years ago when the G3 iMac was out, with its CRT screen? We were using CRT monitors, which have a large sheet of glossy glass in front of them.

Maybe you have better than average eyesight. For some of us, any glare, no matter how insignificant to others, causes problems. I'm like that. There's no reason Apple couldn't have made this optional.

And, yes, I know we used to have glossy CRTs way back, but the switch to LCDs was a godsend to me. I would never go back and so therefore, even as a Mac fan, I can't buy this new iMac. Any or even faint reflections of a reflective surface like that can be very tiring on my eyes and cause eyestrain. I haven't ever experienced that with an LCD. For some of us, this glossy thing is an unwelcome step backward.

And contrary to what's being commonly said around here, the glossy surface oversaturating and darkening the colors is not doing any favors for designers out there.

 

[craig1410]

Hi,
Speaking as someone who was almost put off buying an iMac by the comments about the glossy screen, having now bought one I can categorically say that it is not a problem (for me at least). I appreciate we each have different tolerances to this but I honestly can't see any glare even when I am looking for it. Only when the iMac is switched off are reflections visible.

Even when I viewed the machine in the Scotsys shop in Glasgow I didn't find the reflections a problem although you could certainly see them. This is a brightly lit shop with south facing windows along the whole side of the shop so it couldn't be any less favourable. I think the brightness of the screen and the fact that the reflections are at least twice as far away from you as the screen itself prevents your eyes from focussing on them.

Cheers,
Craig.

 

[AlBDamned]

I would never go back and so therefore, even as a Mac fan, I can't buy this new iMac. Any or even faint reflections of a reflective surface like that can be very tiring on my eyes and cause eyestrain. I haven't ever experienced that with an LCD. For some of us, this glossy thing is an unwelcome step backward.

And contrary to what's being commonly said around here, the glossy surface oversaturating and darkening the colors is not doing any favors for designers out there.

But if you're a serious designer who needs a Mac and a matte screen then why don't you just buy a Mac Pro and separate screen? Or maybe spend $300 more and get a second screen for the iMac?

There are plenty of solutions or options out there. If you're a pro and you need different kit then get it?

And I doubt the vast majority of people buying iMacs are intending to use them for professional photo editing. Such people probably make up a tiny percentage of users.

 

[trojanman2011]

Glossy Screens

A lot of people dislike the glossy screen due to the glare, myself included. However, many people are rumbling about their lack of color accuracy for things like design and editing. This is not true. The new iMac usues a Glass layering over the traditional LCD screen, therefore remaining color accurate. The glossy macbooks and macbook pros use a finish that refracts the light between the screen and the finish layer to artificially saturate the color.

So aside from the glare, pro users should still be able to enjoy accuracy in their screens.

 

[megfilmworks]

A lot of people dislike the glossy screen due to the glare, myself included. However, many people are rumbling about their lack of color accuracy for things like design and editing. This is not true. The new iMac usues a Glass layering over the traditional LCD screen, therefore remaining color accurate. The glossy macbooks and macbook pros use a finish that refracts the light between the screen and the finish layer to artificially saturate the color.

So aside from the glare, pro users should still be able to enjoy accuracy in their screens.

That is a very interesting point, quite a difference. Although I would not buy an iMac, I like the pro models, it sure looks nice in the pictures. Beautiful design, sure to be copied by the Dells of the world.

 

[daneoni]

A lot of people dislike the glossy screen due to the glare, myself included. However, many people are rumbling about their lack of color accuracy for things like design and editing. This is not true. The new iMac usues a Glass layering over the traditional LCD screen, therefore remaining color accurate. The glossy macbooks and macbook pros use a finish that refracts the light between the screen and the finish layer to artificially saturate the color.

So aside from the glare, pro users should still be able to enjoy accuracy in their screens.

Finally.

Post of the year.

 

[booksacool1]

There are really only two things I dislike about the imac
-The graphics. HD2600... why oh why. It will NOT handle new games at stock 24" resolution. Any company developing mac games must be so pissed right now.
-1GB ram. At least its single stick (****ing finally) but still, I wouldn't use a new machine with less than 1.5gb nowadays.

A few other little nit-picking points
-upgrading the second last model to the last models specs results in no price difference (2.8ghz, 2gb, 500gb). Normally there is some 'bonus' in buying the most expensive model, but not here.
-Would be nice if apple had some sort of included tv tuner.
-Not enough USB ports still

Otherwise its a nice machine. Pity about the graphics though...

 

[K-Funk]

I have a crazy idea for everyone who doesn't like the new iMac -- Don't buy one.

People seem to think that they are somehow entitled to getting exactly the product they want. Apple is a business, and they designed the new iMac in a way that they think will maximize profits.

Perhaps Apple made a poor business decision by not making matte an option, or by not making the color of the keyboard/mouse match the display, but the way to register your complaint is simply by not buying one.

 

[inkswamp]

I have a crazy idea for everyone who doesn't like the new iMac -- Don't buy one.

In other words, Apple can do wrong and those who think otherwise need to sit down and shut up.

Nice.

But if you're a serious designer who needs a Mac and a matte screen then why don't you just buy a Mac Pro and separate screen? Or maybe spend $300 more and get a second screen for the iMac?

I'm not a "serious designer." I was simply responding to the defense I keep hearing that the glossy screen gives you better color accuracy. It doesn't. Serious designers who need the broadest color range shouldn't be using LCDs to begin with as they have not yet matched the CRTs. I was just responding to that assertion.

A lot of people dislike the glossy screen due to the glare, myself included. However, many people are rumbling about their lack of color accuracy for things like design and editing. This is not true. The new iMac usues a Glass layering over the traditional LCD screen, therefore remaining color accurate.

That whole argument is a red herring. LCDs are not the way to go for the best color range. They are getting very close, but have not yet matched the CRT for color display (at least, that was true last year when I investigated it for my employer.) To argue this color issue one way or the other is sort of missing the point.

 

[Tonerl]

Heat Problem?

Since nobody has replied to my original post, I must assume that iMac users don't care about their computers being hot. I've been using personal computers since the days of the Tandy TRS80 and can tell you that hot components fail sooner than components that are merely warm.

Though I like the look of the new iMac and could even put up with the (non-)glossy screen, I'm not over-concerned about prettiness: a computer is for doing work with, after all. However, I worry about the reports that say the machines run hot - unless Apple is using the aluminium frame to dissipate heat and the insides are much cooler as a result. Is anyone willing to share their quantitative info on this aspect?

 

[devman]

There's no reason Apple couldn't have made this optional.

sure there is: ROI.

Two SKUs vs one.

 

[craig1410]

Since nobody has replied to my original post, I must assume that iMac users don't care about their computers being hot. I've been using personal computers since the days of the Tandy TRS80 and can tell you that hot components fail sooner than components that are merely warm.

Though I like the look of the new iMac and could even put up with the (non-)glossy screen, I'm not over-concerned about prettiness: a computer is for doing work with, after all. However, I worry about the reports that say the machines run hot - unless Apple is using the aluminium frame to dissipate heat and the insides are much cooler as a result. Is anyone willing to share their quantitative info on this aspect?

I can only speak for my 24" iMac but it doesn't get anywhere near what I would call hot. The best measurement I can take is using a childs forehead thermometer strip. It reads the top dead centre of the case as 35-36 celsius which is hardly "hot" is it. I'm sure it will get a bit hotter than that while running a 3D game or doing some ray tracing but it's certainly no hotter than any other LCD screen I've owned even without a built in PC.

I hope this helps,
Craig.

 

[ascender]

Are we not getting conflicting wishes though?

People want the iMac casing to be smaller so that the chin will disappear. But surely the chin is only there because it has to be due to the amount/size of components inside it. Which are laptop based. So are they not as small as they reasonably can be at the moment in terms of available parts v design and cost?

Wanting desktop components seems to go completely against the whole point of the iMac and the design of it. If we were to get a full upgradable machine based around desktop components, I don't understand how they could make it look anything like the iMacs have done.

As far as gaming goes, the iMac has been doing OK since Boot Camp came in, but not great. You can play fairly new games, but have to turn the graphics options down. I think that's a fair trade-off considering the form factor and the fact its not designed for games. If you're wanting a serious games machine, the realistic options are to buy a console or a system which will allow you to replace the graphics card regularly. To be honest, that's one reason I gave up with PCs as I felt it was a losing battle and when you see how consoles like the 360 have developed, its a no-brainer choice for me when you look at the sums involved.

Glossy screens? I'd be interested to see how many people who've slated it for this feature have actually seen one with their own eyes before commenting.

Multi-touch? I couldn't believe the amount of posts on here about this subject over the last while. Did anyone really expect it to make it on the new iMac?

Specs? All benchmarks and reports seem to suggest a big improvement over the last iMacs. There's also the 2.8GHz BTO option if you want to pay a bit more for a more powerful machine. Given where the iMac is in the product lineup, the new specs seem to be spot on apart from the problems with the graphics cards if you want to play games.

I'm not sure I understand what people really want. Could Apple produce a mid-priced upgradable system for people who want to play games, while keeping a tight rein on OS X and ensuring it runs smoothly with every available upgrade option out there? Would they not have done this already if there was a market for it?

I think the new iMac is a clear step on the way to a final goal of an ultra-thin computer, similar to the mock-ups which appeared on here. Something without a chin, looking like a big iPhone turned on its side. Unfortunately the technology isn't quite there yet.

 

[craig1410]

Hi,
Just tried getting the temperature after running 100% CPU for 10 minutes or so and it maxed out at around 38 celsius as shown in the photo below.

It should be noted that the black rear of the machine gets a bit hotter than this but is still not what I'd call hot. I can put the inside of my forearm on it and it's not in the slightest bit uncomfortable. It is off the scale of my temp strip but not by much I don't think. Perhaps 42 celsius at the warmest spot which is 1/3rd of the way in from the left hand edge (viewed from the front).

I hope this helps to clarify the heat issue.
Cheers,
Craig.

 

[craig1410]

_

 

[oscillatewildly]

Talking about games -> expectations. Not top of the range GPU, but ...

Which came first, the case or the spec? Does the case have to get thinner?

Glossy screen - 2 months of dust will sort that.

 

[Tonerl]

Thank you, Craig, for providing some real-world data. I can't get to a store just now but will as soon as I can so that I can try the forearm test. It may be that the units that some reviewers had were unrepresentative.

 

[maccompaq]

From what I've seen on various sites, the (non-)glossy screen could trouble anyone who has a window or light behind them when seated at their iMac. I can live with that but I worry about heat. Some reviews have mentioned that the machine gets hot or 'toasty'. Hot components have a short life-span. My conclusion? I shall wait for 6 months or more to see how reliable this kit is.

The new iMac is thinner than the last version, so more heat will be trapped inside. Heat destroys electronic components. I want a Mac that will live longer than 2 years, so I will not be buying an iMac.

 

[devman]

The new iMac is thinner than the last version, so more heat will be trapped inside. Heat destroys electronic components. I want a Mac that will live longer than 2 years, so I will not be buying an iMac.

Um if they don't live longer than two years then Apple are on a go out of business strategy selling three-year applecare for only hundreds of dollars dont'cha think?

 

[craig1410]

The new iMac is thinner than the last version, so more heat will be trapped inside. Heat destroys electronic components. I want a Mac that will live longer than 2 years, so I will not be buying an iMac.

Um, didn't you see my post showing the actual temperature?
I can speak as an electronics engineer when I say that 38 or even 42 celsius isn't going to do anything bad for modern electronics. This sort of temperature is towards the lower end of normal. My work IBM thinkpad gets much hotter than this and has been known to leave my legs burning hot when I sit with it on my lap for any significant length of time.

One thing I would also like to point out - Apple have clearly designed the iMac very well from a heat point of view. If you have seen the disassembly pictures posted elsewhere on this forum you will see that the cool air intakes are at the bottom with centrifugal fans blowing air through heat pipe matrices and exiting at the top. This is why the chin of my iMac is cold to the touch despite being on all day today and the top is "warm" - all the heat is being vented upwards. The fans won't have much work to do because convection will do most of the work. I'd bet the internals are much cooler than the 38-42 celsius I have measured at the exhaust which must be the hottest part.

Cheers,
Craig.