Apple's redesigned iMac is 5mm thin with edge-to-edge glass - Page 5

You didn't confuse me, I was trying to inquire about that other person's comment. I find it best for people to be clear about they're responding to, and that was the technique I was testing to help illustrate that.


I know you mentioned they weren't for sale or preorder, but I don't remember any mention by anyone about release date or month.

I don't fully get that either, but then, it means they don't have to take back nearly as much product.

Anyone have a chance to look in an Apple store? Seems like they must be clearancing the 2011 model.


I recall it happens once in a while, maybe not on this time scale so much. It might be an artifact of just-in-time manufacturing and changing production methods, given how they're changing how the display panel and the chassis are made.

It looks like if you want I/O options you need to buy a Mac mini. Ethernet, FW800, HDMI, Thunderbolt, 4x USB3, SDXC, Audio in & out, infrared.

 

The specs for the iMac say of the audio jack, "Support for Apple iPhone headset with microphone". So there is audio in hiding in the port.

 

The two Thunderbolt ports certainly have potential, but I don't think we've seen external boxes with a variety of I/O ports in them.

 

The SD slot location looks like a huge ergonomics fail. I'm guessing it's there to boot from. It doesn't look usable on a regular basis.

 

As others have said, the thinness doesn't impress me. It sits on a desk and takes up space. A few mm either way doesn't change anything. Ergonomically, I'd rather have a front or edge facing USB port - for cameras, GPS, Nook, phone, drives, and many other random devices that have USB ports on them these days. And a front or edge facing SD slot. Yes, front facing ports would ruin the looks of the chin, so put them on the side/bottom.

 

- Jasen.

This is a great upgrade but the 21.5" is useless unless you ONLY want it for internet. There is a slower HD (5400 rpm) so unless you want to buy a $400 thunderbolt external, (to then be paying same price as the 27") you are out of luck.

There were rumors about manufacturing difficulties with the new way they are doing the screens. Perhaps they originally intended to have them on sale today.

The Mini has always had excellent I/O. I think it is to give it potential for hobbyists/unique uses.

 

Re: the lack of audio in on the iMac, wouldn't pro audio people have some kind of high end kit for that kind of thing?

 

Yes, this iMac upgrade makes the Mini a great contender (which is probably why Apple removed the separate GPU in the Mini to hobble it.)

 

I don't understand the obsession with thinness with the iMac. If the reductions were contributing to less aluminium and reduced shipping costs - and thus lowering prices - it would be cool.

 

But the iMac's at the same $1299. it's always been. And the RAM in the 21" now isn't user replaceable. Advantage Mac Mini, for anyone looking for a home machine.

We'll see what the BTO options are. They already say that 21" iMac has an available Fusion Drive option.

Please don't spam your blog on us.

 

On the second model, not the cheapest, which I think is a CROCK, but hey. They've done that forever.

 

That's rather insultingly dismissive of people who still have perfectly valid reasons for using optical media, including convenience, compatibility and even influences outside their direct control (eg. clients, employers, family).

 

It's understood that optical storage is less critical now than it once was, but that doesn't mean people who need or choose to use it are making a mistake. Dropping optical drives isn't the same as dropping floppy drives was because optical discs aren't just file storage media, they're still the most common delivery medium for both audio and video material. Obviously CD use is declining rapidly and we're now a couple years into getting rid of DVD/Blu-Ray, but to dismiss their still-dominant status as of right now is either disingenuous or ill-informed.

 

I agree that optical discs will eventually join floppies on the pile of obsolete media, and for some they already have. That doesn't mean they're irrelevant NOW.

 

That said, it doesn't strike me as a terrible hardship to use an external burner.

Apple REALLY no optical Drive.  Let's see this is your main computer, your kid has a project to make a movie that need to be written to DVD to take to class, oh yeah  you don't have one. There goes the idea of all in one. BIG MISTAKE not to have an optical Drive. How about getting with the times and adding a blue-ray that would have been a nice upgrade, and would get me to update my iMac. Now just because is thinner is not big deal is a Home computer we don’t carry it around. It could be bigger with better features.

 

"Apple REALLY no floppy Drive.  Let's see this is your main computer, your kid has a project to make a movie that need to be written to floppy to take to class, oh yeah  you don't have one. There goes the idea of all in one. BIG MISTAKE not to have a floppy Drive. How about getting with the times and adding a PS/2 port that would have been a nice upgrade, and would get me to update my Performa. Now just because is a better computer in every imaginable way, leading us into the future instead of the past is not big deal is a Home computer we don’t want it to look good at all. It could be slower with outdated tech."

 

This has been another edition of: You, in 1997. Stay tuned!

the fusion drive makes me want one  as well as the improved screen plus i need a bigger hard drive, i personally think 27 is took big but i do like my 21.5 size

 

It's NOT universally "better" for everyone when the improvements are tempered by sacrifices.

 

Of course, bitching about those sacrifices HERE doesn't really accomplish anything. People need to tell APPLE about it through the feedback section: http://www.apple.com/feedback/

Does your hypothetical kid know what a USB stick is?

 

My hypothetical kid does. Her hypothetical teacher looked at the all-in-one CRT-TV-with-DVD-player strapped to the Bretford AV cart and asked what the hell she's supposed to do with THIS?

 

It's one of several cases in which optical media is still the preferred delivery format.

 

And for the four times a year it is, I'm okay with getting out the external burner, much like how I drag out the photo printer two or three times a year. Apple's marketing posturing does not invalidate the format, but neither does it prohibit its continued use.

It's probably the case at Detroit Public Schools, but other schools do have computers now.

Don't quite get it about the headline "edge-to-edge glass". They've all been edge-to-edge glass for quite a while now.
Article headline aside; I'm gettin' one of these. Been putting it off for ages. Trigger is now finally ready for pullin'

 

I didn't say anything earlier because I figured someone else would have by now!

 

It's more like edge to edge lack of edges than anything else. The next redesign, provided it keeps the same format* at all, will probably just be curve.

*vertical

Remember that the Operating System files are on the SSD portion, so it will be faster than 7200rpm. Yes, it will be slow for loading old files stored on the HDD portion

I used double sided sticky tape to stick a small hard drive for my time machine back ups on the back of my iMac. Even if you it was there it was impossible to see unless you turned the iMac around.

Too redneck?

To everyone complaining about 5400 RPM drives in the new iMac...

 

1. Rotational speed affects rotational latency: time required for the disk to spin to position the desired data under the read/write head.  This is only one factor in performance.  You also need to account for transfer rate, seek time, buffer size, cacheing algorithms, command queueing, etc.  Advances in all of those areas have made today's 5400 RPM drives much faster than those of the old days.

 

2. If you are really concerned about performance, order with a Fusion Drive.  SSDs are so much faster: orders of magnitude for some work loads.  For the times the system needs to access the HDD, I suspect the rotational speed won't make much of a difference in overall performance.  (Someone could do a HDD upgrade to 7200 RPM to benchmark this, assuming we can even open the darn thing...)

 

3. For low noise and low power consumption, 5400 RPM is definitely the way to go.

 

tzb

Totally agree.  There are still many valid uses for optical media in 2012.

 

I plan to strap a USB powered slimline external DVD writer under my desk at the front.  Tray will eject with just enough room to comfortably insert discs.  I already have the drive, so no additional cost to me.  I actually think it will be more convenient in this position than the vertical slot at the side of the previous generation iMac.

 

tzb

 

Your iMac would have to have Truck Nutz hanging from it to be considered close to that. And even then, less 'redneck', more 'phenomenally stupid'.

What would the difference be between an iMac (2011) with SSD and the new iMac (2912) with Fusion Drive?

 

Apple suggests boot times of 4x an HD with Flash, 1.7x with FD.  Would launching other apps also take a hit?  

 

When I moved up to the SSD iMac from a MacPro (2009) with a regular hard drive  the difference was night and day.

Edited by Bergermeister - 10/26/12 at 8:09am

I think that was meant for humans..lol

Anyway just little disappointed, but not unexpected, since the technology is way too expensive to make such a machine for desktop at moment.

For the five days in a year that you actually use the drive, you pull it out of the drawer and plug it in, use it, then put it back in the drawer. It causes ZERO clutter 99% of the time.

Not at all ... Sounds very tech savvy to me

Fluffy Dice ... then I'd worry.