Leaked iMac parts suggest Apple set to release new model with thinner design - Page 3

 

Exactly! This probably will have as much stock to it as the "teardrop iPhone". And it might even be a complete mistranslation. 

Ivy bridge comes with USB 3 automatically- so that's a lock (like the new Pros and airs)

Not right now. A desktop gpu would give me a suntan. Both my iMacs get hot from hours of use as it. I know it's hot to dissapate- but wow. Now dropping the optical, putting in a 2.5" standard sdd boot drive, and adding a fan- all while adding ivy bridge. That'd be enough for me- "redesign" or not.

I'd love a Blu ray burner somewhere too- but id also like to win the lotto...

You just got in you, don't you? Being aggressive with everybody all the time. You need treatment.

 

edit : maybe not agressive, but certainly annoying.

if only I could block you.

Edited by ClemyNX - 10/15/12 at 1:27am

Ok well I waited and waited for the new iMac to come out. Every site forum u name it said wait wait wait. So I set aside my projects And sat back and waited. Well that was quite awhile ago now. And now iam regretting that decision. I bought a refurb iMac 27 with the 3.4 i7 and after using it for a bit I'm wondering why all the hype? Now I'm out a lot of time that if I would of bought much sooner I would be well into my projects and using my iMac to fuel my video editing, I feel like people shouldn't wait for a update if the current model will do the job and do it well. If ur so worried and gaming then go buy a ps3 or Xbox. iMac and Mac pro is amazing for work. I felt worried at first but shortly realized it is a amazing machine and wish I would have got one much sooner. Now gonna try and make up for lost time, so in short stop wishing and start doing and don't be afraid to buy what works for u. There will always be a new upgrade and just buy what works not what is coming. If u wait for what might be coming u will just fall further behind.

Thinner means less material. Less material generally means more environmentally friendly.

Yes, it also depends on what you put in there, but PC innards are more or less the same when you boil them down to raw materials, so any design that reduces material count is a win. And yes, repairability matters, too, but thinner parts generally imply fewer parts count, which in turn generally results in less breakage. This is especially the case for desktops, where making thinner cases doesn't penalize you against drops, shocks, etc.

It'll be more environmentally friendly on freight, too, as others have noted, as Macs are typically flown from China to their destinations. Lighter Macs = less jet fuel consumed.

All of these are assuming that they don't sacrifice functionality, of course. I'd be disappointed if they get rid of the optical drive from the iMac--unlike laptops and even the Mini, there should be enough space inside an iMac to accommodate a DVD-RW, and I still rip enough CDs to want one built-in. But we'll see.

Then don't hang around heels. /s

First, you're wrong. There are a lot of professionals who use FCP.

Second, it's irrelevant. This thread is about the iMac - which is not really sold as a professional level machine.

I've got to admit, the "teardrop" description confused me, too.

 

Anyhow, I'm looking forward to a new model.  I LOVE my Late 2009 iMac.  But I've also been waiting for something new and different to come around, as I want to upgrade.  We'll see, once they actually announce it.

 

One question:  I've heard a few people mention a "quieter" machine.  My iMac is almost silent, then again I'm not doing pro video editing.  Are people's machines really loud?  Is it just that I'm doing more consumer oriented stuff, so it's quiet?  I don't get it.  

Edited by AaronJ - 10/15/12 at 5:00am

Your computer is less than 3 years old, do you really need a new one? I understand sometimes the envy to buy something new touches us all, but it's also good to try to distance ourselves from this over-consumerist world. I'm wondering myself if I should wait since my iMac works still very well.

 

 

 

 

All of this assumes Apple will continue to make the 27 inch model.  I wouldn't be surprised to see a single 21-23 inch iMac with a "retina" display and watch the 27 inch go the way of the 17 inch macbook pro.

 

As for the thickness issue, all I'm concerned about his heat dissipation.  Keeping it the same thickness or even a smidge thicker is fine if it runs cooler.  Some technical considerations are actually important, and ultimately even Apple can't fight physics.

FCP7, yes please still use it, but how much longer? Maybe 2 years. FCPX may be used by some professionals, but NO ONE is cutting a feature length film on it. I mean the program dumbed down a lot of the capabilities that FCP7 had. Not to mention that Adobe Premiere came in and created a settings tab that practically duplicates FCP key commands. Premiere took the FCP7 market and the rest switched to Avid. True story. 

 

I challenge your 2nd point for a number of reasons.

 

1- video editing can now be done on lower level machines. At first it required all the manpower possible to edit low res stuff. Now, iMacs are actually great machines to edit on. The iMac also still starts at 1k, so it deserves to be a competitive machine. Which my original point was, yes it should have been updated 6 months ago to be competitive. 

 

2- With the MacPro being absent for a while, the iMac filled that void for a short time. 

 

3- We've noticed a convergence of consumer and professional technology in almost all realms. I'm sure you've heard the term "prosumer." So yeah, I think the iMac fits that description. 

 

But continue to argue that the iMac doesn't need an update, because that makes sense...

Mac Pro is not a consumer machine. Stuff it under a desk and no one sees it and no one really cares. I don't think Apple makes enough of them anymore to justify a redesign. Making it much smaller compromises the acoustics. Smaller workstations and servers tend to be loud.

iMacs, I can see going thinner because the 3.5" drive and ODD are probably going away on the next update. Maybe 5mm thinner overall.


It makes no sense when you still have a base that can't be made shorter or you lose stability. That base is a constraint on packaging thickness. One might be able to shave a few percent on weight.

When people see my iMac, no one is complaining about the thickness. What I don't like is the sound. It's very good "for a computer" but they're still computer speakers. I'm considering adding a couple bookshelf speakers to the desk to make up for what I removed when switching to an iMac.

I used to think that "thin" on a desktop was too much about elegance, too.

However...I have an orig. intel 20" white. But my GF brought home her new 21" iMac for me to configure for her.

I was amazed at the difference in weight compared to my orig. iMac. The new iMac seemed to be at least a third lighter. This saves fuel in shipping and less materials in production. I think Apple is on the right track with focusing on thinner, lighter and therefore, more elegant systems.

Had to move my '07 iMac in the man-cave. Boy it was heavy. Considering a MBP purely based on that, but is that price difference really worth it?

Maybe - they could get away with 2560 x 1440 on the 21.5" and 3200 x 1800 on the 27" but I'm thinking SSD as standard is more important.

The default configuration of the iMac could be 128GB boot drive with a 1TB 2.5" 7200 rpm HDD. That might make it $100 more expensive - would have been more had it not been for the optical removal.

The rounded edges would make it better for pulling down to use for touch input. I can't think of another reason for getting rid of the squared-off design. I also wonder how that will affect the RAM slots at the base. Maybe it is curved at the top and sides and flat at the base.

I doubt they'd go the soldered RAM route with the iMac but you never know. 8GB minimum and up to 32GB. I think Apple will do this on more and more machines. 4GB on the entry Mini up to 16GB.

 

Is that a sentence? Or, rather, is there a point here other than insulting me by claiming I'm insane? Because I don't really see why you can't just answer the question I asked.

 

You should never have done that. The saying that many new Apple users ignore when telling others what to do is "If you need it now, buy it now. If not, wait." Which means that if you have work, you clam up, buy whatever is available immediately, and you never look back. NEVER hold off on work for an update.

 

Of course they will. It's the only display they make, too. These are desktops. That's a laptop. The laptops are going to be slowly killed off while the desktops see a resurgence. I'll guess that in five to seven years, the 27" iMac will be one of the smallest ones they make. 

 

I'm still trying to work on a stand design that affords this capability with one hand, like all the other iMac designs. Not going well. 

 

When Apple does it, it'll be spectacular. And they have to do it before they can switch over OS X to fully multitouch.

I never said that the iMac doesn't need an update. Please stop putting words into my mouth.

What I've said is that raw performance is no longer the driving force for most people to upgrade. For the average person, even a low end computer today is more than fast enough to handle all their needs. So upgrade cycles will slow down (which we've seen) and decisions are likely to depend on more than just raw performance.

The tiny percentage of pros using their iMacs for video editing doesn't change that.

Paranoid much? Tallest Skil is often exasperating, but here he definitely did not.

 

If you want to get back at him anyway, just do it like that:

"Tallest Skil, how do you like iPhone 5?"

Are you joking, or are you seriously doing drugs?

 

No, that was a critic.

 

Ooh, do this. That'll get back at me. 

 

You'd have to be completely out of the loop to think that laptops will have any real presence in the future. And as multitouch desktop interfaces go, 27" isn't as big as you'd want. Oh, sure, I can see some people wanting a 21.5", and so that would still be around for a while, but 27" isn't the high end of that, no sir. 

 

All right; I don't know what it means. "You just got in you, don't you?" doesn't sound like any grammar or colloquialism I've ever heard.

Edited by Tallest Skil - 10/15/12 at 9:35am

No, 'teardrop iPhone' was exactly correct. Except that the teardrops were coming from the competition.

Really? What evidence do you have to support that?

First, laptops are the only segment of the market that's still growing. A lot of people (myself included) no longer use desktop computers - laptops are now powerful enough that I can do everything I need without being tied to a desk.

Second, the idea that no one will ever buy a monitor/computer less than 27" is ridiculous. Lots of people find even the 27" iMac to be too large. Even the 30" cinema display was dropped in favor of a 27". I think we're at (or very close to) the maximum reasonable size for a desktop - and most people will be happy with smaller ones.

But if you have any evidence AT ALL to back up your claims, feel free to provide it.

Keeping all the components behind the display makes it harder because you have to allow for the cables. They might be able to do it like this:



The cylinder at the hinge can essentially act like a travel wheel i.e rotates the opposite way you expect - clockwise as it collapses. This means the foot and wheel act as the supports. The part in the middle is hidden inside the foot and extends out as you pivot the display. Just pivoting the display would raise/lower it and because it's on a roller, without much effort - it would lock until the display was pivoted. It keeps the center of gravity in roughly the same place and it can limit the maximum drop to protect connected cables. The hinge/wheel is of course taking a lot of weight and you know kids will lean on it but that's for Apple to figure out.

Having a rounded edge will make it easier to rest on the table without damaging either.

Dang, I was gonna make that… 

 

Stet. But that's only when you call the "market" by the name "everything we used to call a computer, ignoring tablets". 

 

Good thing I didn't say that.

 

… with a mouse. I'll agree.

 

Ah, indeed! And Apple even has a patent on this. But how do you keep the hinge stable when it's up? 

Rumors and leaked images are driving Apple into an scenario where they cannot surprise the audience any longer. We knew how the iPhone5 was before it was released. Chances are that we already know everything about the "iPad mini" (maybe even its name!!!). And it seems the same might happen with new iMacs.

 

Apple needs to push things a bit. If the new iMac lacks retina, then at least give it 8 cores, or other powerful stuff that can surprise the audience in some way.

 

Not about the specs.

 

And you're honestly saying you weren't surprised at all by any aspect whatsoever of anything at the last keynote?

They pulled it from 1 MacBook Pro model, the MacBook Air models, and the Mac Mini. That's hardly "most." But your point is taken, it's clear that Apple is pushing the optical drive-less future just as they did when they removed the floppy drive from the original iMac.

 

3 years isn't old for a house or a car, but in tech terms it can be an eternity.

 

I don't have any problems with my iMac, granted.  But there's no reason I can't sell it and move up to a newer, faster, sexier model.  I mean, why not?

Going ever thinner and lighter, restricting heat pumping capability, removing components, moving away from large scale local storage, sealing the box... Steve Jobs always believed the personal computer should be an appliance. When was the last time you modified your microwave oven?

 

I happen not to agree with that philosophy, but last time I checked I wasn't running a major corporation with a fruit inspired logo.

 

I'm surprised that the iMac hasn't been updated in 17 months, but agree with many that the existing model meets the needs of almost every possible customer. While it's true that the hardware is behind the gamer PC market, the iMac is not a gaming machine and none of those people buy Macs. I'm much more surprised that their entire desktop line is still able to boot Snow Leopard. I thought that fact alone would have prompted an update this past spring/summer.

 

Sealing the box is troubling because all drives fail eventually. Making it difficult for technicians to get into the box is just bad for everyone, even Apple.

 

The question of third party RAM isn't black and white. If Apple locks out RAM upgrades they could theoretically lower the entry level price to reflect the reduced complexity, reduced repair costs and extra profit from models with more RAM. In practice I believe none of those savings are passed along to the consumer. Apple exists to make maximum profits and their Mac customers are the affluent minority. Either pay the asking price or go elsewhere.

This goes back to the solution in search of a problem thing. The biggest gain you see there is the ability to share peripheral devices between a macbook pro and mac pro. There are probably people who would benefit from this, and others who believe they might benefit even though they'd never actually use that capability after purchasing the machine. Keep in mind Ivy Bridge variants appropriate to the mac pro aren't due out until 2013 anyway. You're suggesting that they don't do any updates until 2014. The ivy bridge Xeons that are currently on the market are a totally different type. If Apple wanted to go that route, they may as well do a headless imac rather than a quasi workstation (referring to the lack of full workstation gpu driver support).

 

 

 

Thunderbolt may not be native at all in Haswell Xeon chips. I haven't seen any indication of this. With the "mainstream" sockets they're basically run over integrated graphics as far as I can tell. These simply aren't present in Xeons. In terms of waiting, they weren't inherently included with either Sandy or Ivy. Neither has native integration of thunderbolt. There was a rumor that it would be included in Ivy, but intel corrected that.

It would have to have a locking mechanism engaged/disengaged baed on the display position. Highly dampened movement on the wheel and clicks to lock when upright or low down perhaps with a release button on the side.

The more mechanical it gets, the more chance there is of it going wrong though.

A more reliable method might be the following:



If it's bottom-heavy, the stand can connect at a lower point and it could just slide up the back. That's a much stronger setup no matter what position it's in. A kid could lean on that while it's flat all they wanted.

Again, the height could be directly linked to the pivot on a ratchet. Just push the top of the screen back and it can slide down the stand. Pushing it back up would be harder - they'd have to make something that would slide up by just pushing gently at the base. Cables will still be a problem too.

We might not see a touch iMac until the top part can be light enough to be moved around much more easily. Moving to 2.5" drives and laminating the glass should help reduce the weight a fair bit but probably not enough. OS X obviously has to be made to work properly with touch or switched to iOS so this might be on the shelf for a few years down the line.

 

Or they move the guts of the machine into the base like the iMac lamp or the more recent Vizio AIO. 

 

Having had a Cintiq it's always somewhat awkward to transition upright to flat though.

 

NOW we're talking. That's just what I was thinking, but you have the technical knowledge to make me think it's actually possible. 

 

This is screwin' with my excitement levels here. Years away and I'm already psyched for it. 

Only reason they are releasing on Oct. 23 is because HP is releasing it desktops on that same day. Apple is far behind in this market, they have allowed too much time to lapse to hold their share on the 21- and 27-inch desktops. Holiday is not the market for desktops regardless. Back-to-school and Q4 buying are their two strongest segments both of have passed.

Good one! Wait... you're serious?!

I've said it many times over the years and I'll say it again: I love the chin, and I hope it never goes away.

 

Apple is the only company in the entire industry posting increasing desktop sales. Heck, posting increasing computer sales at all (right?). 

 

Try again. Or fly away home. 

The heart symbol was modeled after the shape of a woman's ass. So you know what was on that artist mind.
I mean a thoroughly modern machine. For example:

1. Support USB 3 - this is huge and I'm not sure why most people aren't up in arms over the lack of this port in the desktops.
2. Switch over to Solid Sate storage over PCI Express. This would set up Apples platforms for several more years of storage developments.
3. Offer up state of the art GPUs and significant VRAM configuration.
4. Concentrate on serviceability. Apple obviously has the engineering skill as demonstrated by the laptops so apply that skill to the desktops. To put it bluntly the effort required replace a storage device or power supply is just unacceptable.
5. Speaking of RAM they could switch to Intel 3D RAM initiative though it is probably early for that. Given that that won't happen support lots of RAM.
6. Add an expansion slot. Yeah I know it has never had one. It doesn't have to be a standard slot but supporting maybe twenty watt cards ought to do it. I'd love to see Apple offer a TV Tuner / Cable interface card for the iMac. However the "slot" should be generally useful.
7. A retina display. Maybe a step to far but even a more modest improvement would be a great nice.
8. dual Thunderbolt ports.
   

This is just a small list. Apple could do much to make the iMac more appeal-able to a wider array of users.

 

I can see them eventually doing everything here except 6 (SSD over PCIe is gonna be a tough sell).

 

8 negates the need for 6.

 

1. USB 3 is big but expected in the current iMac and mini.

2. Meh...SATA SSDs are finally a reasonable price.  If the industry standardized on the form factor and connector then that would be fine.  But otherwise I prefer to have the option of cheaper SSDs over size.

 

The rest are not likely to happen except for the dual TB ports on the highest end iMac and maybe retina.  For one thing TB removes much of the need for an expansion slot in anything but the Mac Pro.

 

As for Touch I see as unlikely having used several.  It appears that Apple strategy is the trackpad for gestures.  Plus I don't see them adding a digitizer.

 

IF OSX was getting touch you'd see it first in the MBA.