Apple's iMac overhaul tracking for mid-to-late summer

[AppleInsider]

Apple Inc.'s hotly anticipated iPhone device will have a few weeks to bask in the limelight before the electronics maker returns focus to its Mac business with a pair of redesigned iMacs positioned to catch the tail end of the educational buying season.

People familiar with plans for the next-generation consumer desktops say Apple hopes to unveil the new systems sometime between the latter half of July and mid-August -- a timeframe well suited to garner sales from higher-education individuals and back-to-school shoppers in general. Those same people add that the Cupertino-based Mac maker may also have a few smaller surprises in store for fans of its Mac line around the same time.

As was reported exclusively by AppleInsider in March, Apple engineers have been toiling long-hour days on a pair of radically redesigned 20- and 24-inch iMacs that will be both slimmer and sleeker than today's offerings. When the project manifests later this summer, it will represent the first major industrial design overhaul to hit the flagship all-in-one consumer Apple desktops in nearly three years.

Omitted from the makeover will be Apple's 17-inch iMac model, people familiar with the project have said. The entry-level offering will reportedly become the subject of considerable neglect, and may eventually meet the same fate as the firm's now defunct 12-inch PowerBook and soon-to-be sacrificed Mac mini.

Earlier this month, the Internet was rife with unsubstantiated rumors that Apple would use its developer conference (last week) to introduce new iMacs clad in "brushed metal" enclosures. AppleInsider, however, advised against those claims, explaining that the company would instead use the annual gathering to focus on Mac OS X Leopard, third-party iPhone development, and its software strategy in general.

While Apple's current iMac line remains in relatively good availability, supplies should begin to constrain in the weeks ahead, especially through high-level dealers. The company continues to fill new orders for existing models, but checks within the supply chain indicate that it is doing so through smaller volume shipments.

Apple last updated its iMac line in September, when it upgraded each model with Core 2 Duo mobile processors and introduced a 24-inch model to the family.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[SpamSandwich]

Alright... I'm willing to wait another couple of months to buy a new iMac. Confirmed!

[brettpappas]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

As was reported exclusively by AppleInsider in March, Apple engineers have been toiling long-hour days on a pair of radically redesigned 20- and 24-inch iMacs that will be both slimmer and sleeker than today's offerings. When the project manifests later this summer, it will represent the first major industrial design overhaul to hit the flagship all-in-one consumer Apple desktops in nearly three years.

Why do I have this bad feeling that they are going to sacrifice the 3.5HDD for 2.5HDD in order to get the display as thin as possible. This would be the final component that keeps this desktop from being made out of all laptop parts..

I know the 2.5 drives are making big improvements in capacity and are available in 7200RPM models but they still trail 3.5 drives in terms of performance and cost. I have been patiently waiting for new iMacs but this would kill it for me. The only saving grace would be if they offered eSata so I could run the OS from an external drive. I hope my gut is wrong, do we really need the iMac to be thinner than it already is?

[psychodoughboy]

The 500+GB HD units are already causing considerable delays in the iMacs if you customize a configuration that includes them. I'm not sure what could cause this, but I'm sure it's related to the current iMac's impending EOL, since if it were going to be around for more than a month Apple surely wouldn't be allowing a 2-3 week delay for a 750GB hard drive configuration.

edit: Also, it is my belief that the Mac Pro will get an update before the iMac, if only to get 2GB of RAM in the standard configuration (so as to equal the MacBook Pro's current offerings), since the iMac may also be getting 2GB of RAM standard in its higher-end models, with 1GB standard in the lower end to equal the MacBook.

[duzledwarf]

Well my 800MHz G4 is beginning to show it's age. Just about time to upgrade I guess. It's been a good 5 years. Can't wait to see what these new iMacs look like.

[fraklinc]

all i really will like is to included LED screens, on the new models which sound, like alot, with LED prices over the roof right now

[juggernaut30]

I REALLY hope there is a quad core version of the iMac offered. Maybe in the 24" version??? Especially since Leopard will have more multi-thread capabilities. I don't want to have to shell out the cash for a MacPro.

[randyharris]

If a thinner iMac is the goal then my hopes of an iMac that can house (2) 3.5" drives sounds like a distant dream. Easy user access and (2) 3.5" bays would mean a lot more to me in an iMac than a thinner design. It is already very thin. (2) drives would be great with Time Machine coming out soon too.

Randy at www.MacSeven.com

[fraserdrew]

The new iMac nneds to have the following:

Higher Res Screens (possibly LED)
More memory as standard
New design
Santa Rosa

And needs...
better iSight (leopard)
To stick with 3.5"HDD
Superdrives throughout (why do apple still ship combos?)

[Ireland]

Can we say coolio?

[The Vapour]

Groan! I was hoping not to have to wait that long....Also the potential of 2.5 inch drives would suck.

[superlatic_uk]

Annoyed to say the least, however I was always saying I would buy either mac pro or imac, whichever was updated first, and was always kinda hoping that would be the mac pro

When abouts are these intel price cuts scheduled for, mid july?

[tsvisser]

i have mixed feelings on going down to 2.5" drives. i could appreciate the industrial design aspects of such a move. is there any way that Santa Rosa's hybrid / flash memory capabilities help pick up the slack, or is the status of SR and flash sort of on the downturn? i have heard that lots of Intel partners are not so hot on that feature of SR.

if they did move down to 2.5" drives, it would be nice if it could hold dual 2.5" drives, so that the user could choose what configuration, concat, RAID, or independent volumes... when thinking green, the power draw and heat of the larger 3.5" drives is considerable. having an eSATA port would seem like a must. i think that direct attached storage is becoming somewhat replaced by NAS to some extent for many people's storage needs.

[vtprinz]

Originally Posted by The Vapour

Groan! I was hoping not to have to wait that long....Also the potential of 2.5 inch drives would suck.

Is the thickness all that different between 2.5" and 3.5" HDD's? If only a couple millimeters, I dont' see it being a necessary change just to make the enclosure thinner, as it's already, what, 2x or 2.5x thicker than a 3.5" HDD? (going off of memory here)

[psychodoughboy]

Originally Posted by superlatic_uk

Annoyed to say the least, however I was always saying I would buy either mac pro or power mac, whichever was updated first, and was always kinda hoping that would be the powermac.

When abouts are these intel price cuts scheduled for, mid july?

The Power Mac probably won't be updated for a long time.

[AquaMac]

Originally Posted by juggernaut30

I REALLY hope there is a quad core version of the iMac offered. Maybe in the 24" version??? Especially since Leopard will have more multi-thread capabilities. I don't want to have to shell out the cash for a MacPro.

So you want Mac Pro speed in a 24" iMac with a lower price than a Mac Pro. hummm
Me too

[superlatic_uk]

Originally Posted by psychodoughboy

The Power Mac probably won't be updated for a long time.

pardon my french was hoping the mac pro would be updated first

[shanmugam]

Some news is better than NO News!

[xflare]

WOW..... nearly a whole year will have passed before the iMac is updated. Very poor.

[snoopy]

Everyone seems to assume new iMacs will have a pedestal base just like the current iMacs. It could have a pedestal base that contains components, like hard drives.

[apcpa2000]

I can deal with the end of July. If this starts creeping to far into August, I will have wondered why I just didn't suck it up and buy one 3 weeks ago.

[xflare]

So this article is hinting at a possible replacement for the Mini then?

[fluidinclusion]

Originally Posted by xflare

So this article is hinting at a possible replacement for the Mini then?

Instead of a replacement to the mini (i.e., the "headless minitower"):

Maybe this is when the ultraportable with multitouch will be released. After the iPhone hubub and initial kinks are worked out (August).

[troberts]

Originally Posted by juggernaut30

I REALLY hope there is a quad core version of the iMac offered. Maybe in the 24" version??? Especially since Leopard will have more multi-thread capabilities. I don't want to have to shell out the cash for a MacPro.

I think we will see a quad-core iMac after the Penryn (45nm) processors are available.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by juggernaut30

I REALLY hope there is a quad core version of the iMac offered. Maybe in the 24" version??? Especially since Leopard will have more multi-thread capabilities. I don't want to have to shell out the cash for a MacPro.

I would not expect to see that until next year. Apple has stuck with the notebook chips, and I don't know when the next round of notebook chips will be available.

Originally Posted by fraserdrew

The new iMac nneds to have the following:

Higher Res Screens (possibly LED)

Higher res isn't totally necessary. It can be an option though, like on the 17" notebook. I don't see a higher res 24" coming though, that's already the max you can get without going dual link, and I don't know if there are any higher res screens in that size.

Superdrives throughout (why do apple still ship combos?)

I guess they need something to help up-sell to the next model.

Originally Posted by Ireland

Can we say coolio?

I forgot about that one. What a joke that rumor was.

Originally Posted by vtprinz

Is the thickness all that different between 2.5" and 3.5" HDD's? If only a couple millimeters, I dont' see it being a necessary change just to make the enclosure thinner, as it's already, what, 2x or 2.5x thicker than a 3.5" HDD? (going off of memory here)

The thickest point on an iMac is 2". 3.5" hard drives are about 1" thick. Most current 2.5" notebook drives are 9mm thick. The difference is about 17mm and lead to a cooler system, because they take about a fifth of the power.

[solipsism]

1) Santa Rosa
2) Dual HDD option for built in Time Machine support.
3) iSight camera with higher resolution
4) Still a chin on the new desgin but not so profound. More Cinema Display like, but thicker.
5) Anodized aluminum with iPod nano colours.

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by JeffDM

I forgot about that one. What a joke that rumor was.

Huh? What the what?

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by JeffDM

I forgot about that one. What a joke that rumor was.

What about this "coolio" rumour?

Originally Posted by JeffDM

The thickest point on an iMac is 2". 3.5" hard drives are about 1" thick. Most current 2.5" notebook drives are 9mm thick. The difference is about 17mm and lead to a cooler system, because they take about a fifth of the power.

That is a significant size difference but 3.5" HHDs still make the most sense in the desktop for multiple reason.

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by solipsism

What about this "coolio" rumour?

I don't get this either, I said coolio, meaning 'cool' This is funny!

[Ireland]

Courtesy of John and Joel.

[Hudson1]

Dropping the 17" model might be what allows Apple to eliminate the chin altogether. Separately, I can't imagine two HDDs in the iMac... just seems counter to the market and mission of the line.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by Ireland

IMAGES

Courtesy of John and Joel.

Those are really nice. I think the iPhone copy is the most realistic of the designs.

Originally Posted by Hudson1

Separately, I can't imagine two HDDs in the iMac... just seems counter to the market and mission of the line.

I can, because Apple is pushing Time Machine and it requires two separate HDDs. The ease of use of Time Machine is very Apple-like, while the implementation of having a seperate external HDD hanging off your sleek, all-in-one computer with a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard is not Apple-like. That is my reasoning, take it or leave it.

[desarc]

apple isn't making computers anymore.
they're making phones...
and dvd drives w/o dvd drives in them...
and apparently, car navigation.

i can't wait to buy my first iCamera

[meelash]

Originally Posted by desarc

apple isn't making computers anymore.
they're making phones...
and dvd drives w/o dvd drives in them...
and apparently, car navigation.

i can't wait to buy my first iCamera

Idiot. Nice attempt, trying to be funny. Too bad your last line gave away that you haven't a clue what you're talking about.

[meelash]

Originally Posted by apcpa2000

I can deal with the end of July. If this starts creeping to far into August, I will have wondered why I just didn't suck it up and buy one 3 weeks ago.

So, will this be like last year, when they updated the iMacs within the free iPod for education promo time period, but disqualified the new iMacs from the deal?? The time frame was a little different then, only a few weeks before the end of the promo, whereas here it might be a month or so, but still, there is a disturbing precedent....

[mmmpie]

Originally Posted by solipsism

Those are really nice. I think the iPhone copy is the most realistic of the designs.


I can, because Apple is pushing Time Machine and it requires two separate HDDs. The ease of use of Time Machine is very Apple-like, while the implementation of having a seperate external HDD hanging off your sleek, all-in-one computer with a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard is not Apple-like. That is my reasoning, take it or leave it.

Quite true, quite true. Thats why Apple wants you to buy an airport basestation and plug the hard drive in there.

One of the values of backups is in having media that is distinct from the computer hardware. You know, so that when you send it away for repair you can keep the data. It would be nice to see a removable drive option, but that goes against the grain for an imac.

Best option? I want to see a slot to plug in an macbook battery. Built in UPS.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by mmmpie

Quite true, quite true. Thats why Apple wants you to buy an airport basestation and plug the hard drive in there.

Excellent point, mmmpie.

[Ireland]

Originally Posted by mmmpie

Quite true, quite true. Thats why Apple wants you to buy an airport basestation and plug the hard drive in there.

Yeah cause they wont make money on that airport, or the potential notebooks they sell if someone buys one.

[mr O]

Originally Posted by meelash

Idiot. Nice attempt, trying to be funny. Too bad your last line gave away that you haven't a clue what you're talking about.

haha Did it really take you so long before noticing his irony Oh and by the by, does anyone have a clue what they're talking about?


I hope they redesign the Apple Remote (no irony involved here)! Something offering you a nano-esque user experience with click wheel!

Oh, and please get rid of this awkward linear Front Row user interface! We want Front Flow i/o Front Row!! Hmm, something like this would do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyd8O-2mkgk

[Bregalad]

Originally Posted by mmmpie

Quite true, quite true. Thats why Apple wants you to buy an airport basestation and plug the hard drive in there.

So true. Steve Jobs really hates the look of wires/cables/etc. That's probably a key reason why the AirPort Extreme (n-version) lacks a gigabit Ethernet router. It's his way of telling us all to unplug.