Launch of Apple's new iMac lineup is 'imminent' - report - Page 3

I'd like Retina on the iMac but I doubt it's feasible at this point and want/need the larger display more than I want the higher PPI of the RMBP.

 

Your iMac is okay, '09 Xserves, '09 MacBooks and Mac Mini's just barely made the cut.  I wasn't exactly clear, but this is what I'm talking about.

 

Want the Power Nap feature?  Hope you have a 1-year old Mac

 

Want AirPlay?  Hope you have a 1-year old Mac

 

Want AirDrop?  Hope you have a 2010 or later MacBook Air or Mini

 

http://www.apple.com/osx/specs/

 

Sure you can update machines and get MOST of the supported features, however there are some selective omissions on Apple's part, especially when you consider there are some aftermarket solutions that seem to be able to mimic most of these features.  And since Apple doesn't really promote these solutions their solution is for you to upgrade your hardware.

 

Am I being picky?  I would say a yes to a certain point, but at the same time, I'm not wrong either...  ;-)

This is quite typical. I realize people on these boards are somewhat mesmerized by the resolution, but it doesn't totally make up for real estate. I'm in the habit of minimizing ui elements in favor of hotkeys whenever possible regardless of software.

Oh nice. I may get an ipad for doodling at some point. While I'm not an imac fan, I hate the ergonomics of notebooks. In that regard it's a very nice alternative. The rMBP saw some interesting improvements. I'm wondering if any of them will make their way into the next imac.

The intention of retina isn't to give you more real estate though in some cases it does accomplishe that. Rather the ideas to dramatically improve the quality of whatis drawn on the screen. It isn't that we are mesmerized, well most of us, it is thatthe. Viewing experience is dramatically improved.

I'm an old guy but even with aging eyes my transition to iPad 3 from version one was very enlightening. Honestly I don't think I ever swathe pixels in iPad 1 but iPad 3 is just a dramatically better experience. I've dramatically reduced my use of my laptop as a portable and as such I'm strongly leaning towards getting a desktop in 2013 or so. The problem is right now Apple doesn't have a desktop that reaches out and grabs me. I could end up going with another MBP. Ergonomics is a big issue and frankly I've struggled with the MBP at the desk. Things like the Thunderbolt port though could make the use of a MBP as a desktop replacement a little bit easier to deal with. The jump from iPad 1 (barely usable as a tablet) to iPad 3 dramatically changed my thoughts on the viability of laptops for most of my travel needs. IPad 3 still has issues, for one it still needs more RAM, but it is a major step forwards. This is the other thing that burns my ass! If Apple would put half the effort they put into laptop engineering, into desktop engineering, they would have the hottest desktop line up in the world. Nothing in the desktop line up is impressive at all. In reality the designs are stale and un inspired. The whole line up on the desktop seems to be the result of decisions made probably a decade ago when Steve came back and never updated for current market realities.

I have a mid-2010 iMac. One reason do dislike the idea of dumping optical drives is that my internal drive can reliably rip (legitimately purchased) CDs that my external drives fail on. For an unknown reason, my externals have a habit of failing to securely rip 1 or 2 tracks, usually the last, of some CDs, but the internal drive works a-ok. The externals are a lot faster, though.

I don't think that has anything to do with it being internal v. external. Have you tried a better quality ODD? Have you tried Apple's external ODD option?

It is probably the speed of those external drives that are creating problems. If you have noticed Apple has often sold drive mechanisms that are rated much faster by other vendors. I suspect Applke runs them slower to increase reliability.

I have had a long history with optical hardware and frankly it hasn't been a lot of joy over the years. High speed drives are only such in terms of marketing, in real life trying to use the high speed modes on these drives just brings heartache.

Ergonomics have always been an issue with a notebook. Ideally if you're using a computer for longer periods of time, you can look straight ahead. Most displays (non Apple) are height adjustable. You move it to where you don't end up doing the computer neck thing to view. That was a big advantage for lcd displays over the older CRTs five or more years ago. I did see some people use the adjustable arms on their cinema displays.

 

The number of desktop vs notebook sales comes up on here frequently, but the real question is what Apple feels they can push as a system. If the ipad and future devices further outpace the macs, would a notebook really be the ideal accompaniment? The notebooks are still the hot thing. They're popular among students getting their first macs as they're still arguably better for note taking than a tablet device. The rMBP is the first Mac I've seen with a truly credible display effort. It's the first time where they tried to hit a typical D65 sRGB display on one of their notebooks. I had many complaints with the prior ones, especially the way they'd profile them. The default colorlcd profile on the older ones made pretty extreme adjustments to the green and blue relative to the red, and the red gamma was high to begin with. That just made no sense to me. i had i1 profiler aim it at native white point + gamma 2.2, and the software adjustment instead attempted to normalize all 3 rather than 2 to the highest initial value. The white point measured 8000k which is still quite cold (again LED), but trying to aim that at a lower target would create too many problems hitting it across the range.

 

It appears they do have the hottest desktop line up in the world...

 

 

 

Impressive enough that HP just KIRFed it.

I'm not sure where you get that idea. Almost all of their success in the US comes from the laptop line up. The Mini and Pro have seen significant slides in sales.
HP will be no more successful with that than they have been with anything else. The problem with iMacs apparent success is that Apple doesn't give people any other real choice, thus the success is artificial. People buy the iMac because it is Apples only reasonable desktop solution. IMac has done more to force people into laptops than anything else.