Will there ever be a new large iMac (Pro)?

[Wolf1701]

I have a 2019 i9 and don't think it needs to be "redesigned."

Of course, no one with a 2019 think it "need" a redesign 😉 (I have a 2019 myself) but... it's time like Traverse pointed out.

Just, with Apple QC, it could be wise to wait some time before jump into the new iMac.

 

[Zen_Arcade]

Of course, no one with a 2019 think it "need" a redesign 😉 (I have a 2019 myself) but... it's time like Traverse pointed out.

Heh!

Just, with Apple QC, it could be wise to wait some time before jump into the new iMac.

I certainly agree with that!

 

[JoeG4]

Hopefully they make it a tower 😀

 

[Moonjumper]

When I say the iMac doesn't need to be redesigned, I'm referring to the case design, not the internals. The iMP is proof that the iMac case doesn't need to be redesigned - just the internals. I certainly take your point re the T2 (and cooling, though note the iMP reference above), but the T2 is hardly something that requires a case redesign.

There are people here who want a design with narrower bezels, smaller chin, etc., but those are cosmetic.

Narrower bezels are not just cosmetic if running a multi screen setup. It avoids a big gap between displays.

Narrower bezels would also allow an iMac to fit into narrower spaces, useful for many in constricted home spaces.

 

[askunk]

I know I have been the first saying that it would be almost impossible that Apple went for AMD CPUs but now that TB3 comes integrated, Snazzy does make a point.

 

[satchmo]

maybe as a percentage of total costs, but in terms of absolute values I think that a $2000 or more iMac in a a case that the company has been making for seven years probably has extremely high margins.

No doubt Apple has streamlined efficiencies in building a 7 year old design. Regardless, estimates of AirPod sales for next quarter alone, is 4 billion dollars. The iMac simply can’t overcome the sheer numbers of AirPod sales.

 

[dapa0s]

I mean, I just think it's stupid that we have zero information on the new iMac coming out or being redesigned.

The iMac is the only outdated Apple computer now and the only one without the T2 chip. It's design is super outdated, and it's in a weird place now with the iMac Pro, kinda competing for the same demographics, but with a worse cooling system? Even the Mac Mini received an update..

The iMac also has an extremely weird update "schedule" now, and it's not like the iPhone, that we can bet on it coming out in September every year. I think the way they are withholding information now is very anti-consumer. The Macbooks were already weird with their updates recently, but the iMac really takes the cake..

Come on Apple, give us something..

 

[CWallace]

I mean, I just think it's stupid that we have zero information on the new iMac coming out or being redesigned.

It's not stupid if there are no plans to redesign it. Which there probably are not.

The iMac is the only outdated Apple computer now and the only one without the T2 chip. It's design is super outdated, and it's in a weird place now with the iMac Pro, kinda competing for the same demographics, but with a worse cooling system?

Adopting the iMac Pro's cooling system means no more user-upgradeable RAM. That alone is reason enough to not mess with it for a large portion of the user-base. Plus AMD at least is getting their act together on process shrinks with cooler temps and there is hope that Intel will shortly do the same, which means the existing cooling system will have more headroom.

The iMac also has an extremely weird update "schedule" now, and it's not like the iPhone, that we can bet on it coming out in September every year.

Thank Intel's inability to ship a CPU (and to a lesser extent AMD's inability to ship a GPU) in volume to any sort of predictable schedule for that. The iMac has had to go from a roughly annual update schedule to now a roughly 18-month update schedule because it's waiting for new CPUs and/or GPUs with enough of a performance increase to make it worthwhile.

 

[deconstruct60]

....
Adopting the iMac Pro's cooling system means no more user-upgradeable RAM. That alone is reason enough to not mess with it for a large portion of the user-base. Plus AMD at least is getting their act together on process shrinks with cooler temps and there is hope that Intel will shortly do the same, which means the existing cooling system will have more headroom. ....

If dogmatically follow the cooling system and CPU layout then it is a problem. But if the DIMM slots are moved back to the middle of the board design it would be possible to put them under a RAM door.

The primary root cause issue is Apple desire to hide the RAM door from normal view. And also the main exhaust vent. Both are being hidden by the pedestal arm. Get rid of the "Hide behind the arm" constraint for just one of these and this is a non-problem.

One of the factors pushing the CPU (and DIMMs ) out of the middle of the iMac Pro is the desire for separation from the Vega GPUs. The mainstream GPUs aren't quite as hot so the need to have higher physical separation is lower. Apple could also bleed the exhaust vent outside the bounds of the pedastal arm ( or make the arm wider to hide it , if still wedded to that 'hide' dogma. ) .

The iMac Pro very similar work around the 'hide' dogma would be to make either the whole enclosure wider or the pedestal arm wider. Can keep the same two fans with some adjustments to the heat pipe lead-ins.

Thank Intel's inability to ship a CPU (and to a lesser extent AMD's inability to ship a GPU) in volume to any sort of predictable schedule for that. The iMac has had to go from a roughly annual update schedule to now a roughly 18-month update schedule because it's waiting for new CPUs and/or GPUs with enough of a performance increase to make it worthwhile.

That's not totally Intel's fault. The Mac Mini was comatose for years . Mac Pro comatose for years. Some of this is also Apple's can't walk and chew gum at the same time factor. ( if Mini and Mac Pro are updated then rest of desktop line up is set to 'coast' mode. Same will probably be true next year for Mac Pro while some other desktop products get a 'turn' of being actively worked on. )

 

[Traverse]

Hopefully they make it a tower 😀

LOL, I don’t really need or want a modular tower for myself, but I’d love a larger “Mac Mini Pro” with good graphics and an Apple 5K display.

I love my iMac, but it pains me to a degree to give up a perfectly good panel when I replace the computer.

 

[dapa0s]

That's not totally Intel's fault. The Mac Mini was comatose for years . Mac Pro comatose for years. Some of this is also Apple's can't walk and chew gum at the same time factor. ( if Mini and Mac Pro are updated then rest of desktop line up is set to 'coast' mode. Same will probably be true next year for Mac Pro while some other desktop products get a 'turn' of being actively worked on. )

I completely agree with this. And I find it hard to believe that Apple doesn't have enough time and resources to make a new, slightly improved, iMac.

 

[Wolf1701]

LOL, I don’t really need or want a modular tower for myself, but I’d love a larger “Mac Mini Pro” with good graphics and an Apple 5K display.

I love my iMac, but it pains me to a degree to give up a perfectly good panel when I replace the computer.

It's not perfect like a Mac Mini Pro would be... but reselling lessens the pain (my iMac 5K 2014 selled a few weeks ago for 1/4 of his original price)

 

[Traverse]

It's not stupid if there are no plans to redesign it. Which there probably are not.

I wonder if their eventual plan is to postpone a redesign until the architecture transition. There were rumors of the first ARM-based Macs coming in 2020. If they introduced a low-end ARM MacBook in 2020 then it's not impossible that by fall 2021 or 2022 they'd have chips suitable for the consumer-grade iMacs. Perhaps do the full redesign then.

I'd assume Apple's ARM chipset would have significantly different thermal and power needs as opposed to Intels. I just hope they they use that cushion to push performance to extreme levels rather than use it as an opportunity to slim the iMac again. I always amused me back in the 2012 redesign how they were boasting about thinness. I guess it's impressive, but I would think most people are indifferent to the thickness of a desktop.

 

[CWallace]

I wonder if their eventual plan is to postpone a redesign until the architecture transition...I'd assume Apple's ARM chipset would have significantly different thermal and power needs as opposed to Intels. I just hope they they use that cushion to push performance to extreme levels rather than use it as an opportunity to slim the iMac again. I always amused me back in the 2012 redesign how they were boasting about thinness. I guess it's impressive, but I would think most people are indifferent to the thickness of a desktop.

I personally think it's just Apple feels the unibody 2012 iMac design was the "optimum" one for an All-in-One running macOS so they have not changed it.

And it's not like the iMac is alone in having reached an "optimum aesthetic" in Apple's mind - the MacBook Pro and Mac Mini have been fundamentally the same for a decade or so since the launch of the unibody versions of each.

And you could arguably go back even farther for most of them - the Mac Mini has been the same general shape since launch in 2005 and the MacBook Pro design has major design cues going back to the PowerMac G4 Titanium of 2001.

 

[Traverse]

I personally think it's just Apple feels the unibody 2012 iMac design was the "optimum" one for an All-in-One running macOS so they have not changed it.

Hmmm, I'd be pretty disappointed if that was the case. I would love to see a redesigned iMac with an adjustable stand (never going to happen) with improved camera, speakers, and thinner bezels - but that is purely aesthetic preference.

Ultimately, I don't care if they leave the outside the same - I want them to redesign the internals as they did with the iMac Pro. My 2017 iMac gets noisy under moderate load. I'd love to run 8 core and the high end AMD series GPUs easily in the more optimized internal design. I think that will happen eventually - but it is very possible that the external remans the same.

If they elect to remove the iMac Pro, I wonder if the Space Gray will ever return.

 

[deconstruct60]

I completely agree with this. And I find it hard to believe that Apple doesn't have enough time and resources to make a new, slightly improved, iMac.

It is matter of allocated resources and allocated "person work hours " time. Apple tends to pragmatically understaff due to functional matrix skill groups and over allocating products to function assignments and to priorities. Also if 'forest fire' breaks out on product X that means "robbing Peter to pay Paul" to put the fire out. So running out of people/resources is believable. ( more lawyers and accountants to work on the double irish with a Bahamas triple twist tax dodge ... sure. More engineers to do an long term established product in Mac space... "Whoa, Nelly! that is expensive. " )

 

[satchmo]

Hmmm, I'd be pretty disappointed if that was the case. I would love to see a redesigned iMac with an adjustable stand (never going to happen) with improved camera, speakers, and thinner bezels - but that is purely aesthetic preference.

Ultimately, I don't care if they leave the outside the same - I want them to redesign the internals as they did with the iMac Pro. My 2017 iMac gets noisy under moderate load. I'd love to run 8 core and the high end AMD series GPUs easily in the more optimized internal design. I think that will happen eventually - but it is very possible that the external remans the same.

If they elect to remove the iMac Pro, I wonder if the Space Gray will ever return.

Apple gets criticized for putting form over function and in some cases it’s justified. But I also think Apple’s audience demands a certain aesthetic. Yeah, sure it doesn’t matter if it’s a few centimeters thicker, because it’s desktop. People also buy based on emotion, so it still has to look desirable.

 

[Wolf1701]

People also buy based on emotion, so it still has to look desirable.

my emotion when I try to find a port in the back of the iMac is... unspeakable

 

[satchmo]

my emotion when I try to find a port in the back of the iMac is... unspeakable

You might like this then. 😛

There’s very few if any modern all-in-ones, with any ports on the front.

 

[Wolf1701]

You might like this then. 😛

There’s very few if any modern all-in-ones, with any ports on the front

I just think that design and functionality are not, and should not be, mutually exclusive. Unless you are a third party accessory maker... 😉

 

[ksec]

LOL, I don’t really need or want a modular tower for myself, but I’d love a larger “Mac Mini Pro” with good graphics and an Apple 5K display.

I love my iMac, but it pains me to a degree to give up a perfectly good panel when I replace the computer.

I kept thinking why did they not continue with the Trash Can Design and just call it Mac. They have invested a whole assembly line into automating to the point it should be fairly efficient. Just Change it to Core X processors, ( or even better would be AMD Threadripper ), the design has upgradeable memory. And only Single GPU option so the thermal issues is not longer a problem.

The Mac is an ageing platform, they really should be milking every last ounce out of of it.

I wouldn't put Ming's absent of information as iMac redesign not happening. Ming's main source are Display Vendors and changing of Spec. If new iMac retains the same display panel ( which is likely the case ) then it might fly under his radar, unlike the 16"MBP Changes in Display size.

 

[sakurarain]

I am expecting the new iMac with much thinner bezel......

IMO, Mr. Kuo Minchih will not keep silent if there is really some news from his ”info”-friends

 

[askunk]

And we are still quite far away from fools' day...

rumor-apple-plans-to-launch-a-new-high-end-mac-in-2020-designed-to-address-the-esports-market

 

[Wolf1701]

And we are still quite far away from fools' day...

rumor-apple-plans-to-launch-a-new-high-end-mac-in-2020-designed-to-address-the-esports-market

and now, our beloved mac, becomes a console (Amiga cd32). Deja vu 🙁

 

[Wolf1701]

Meanwhile, while we are here, dreaming of a 2020 iMac, this forum is full of threads 'OMG my iMac 2010-2013 need an upgrade'. If I was Apple, reading all this, I will postpone the upgrade forever. 😉