I like the iMac design, but it seems to work best for younger people with better eyesight.
What do I mean? With progressive eyeglass lenses, the close-in viewing portion is in the bottom of the lens. (Don't snicker. Wait until you hit 40!)
Since the iMac screen does not raise or lower and the screen actually starts a few inches above the bottom of the faceplate, I find I need to raise my chin and tilt my head back to see the screen clearly. Hardly ergonomical, and downright uncomfortable during a long session.
Is it too much to ask for the customer to be able to lower the screen for better viewing with bifocals?
Remember, Apple, we're the ones with the high disposible income!
I was all for eSATA until I researched the thing a bit wanting to buy an eSATA dock for boxless hard disks. As it is now, it is interesting only for fixed external storage: you must have your external hard disks on when you startup your Mac, you cannot hotswap, etc.
So I rather have them implement USB 3 as soon as possible (mind you, eSATA would be nice anyway, but it is no faster FW or USB substitute).
eSATA hotswap works perfectly well if the controller and the OS/driver properly implement the spec.
Apple needs to get with the program and update it's antique 30-inch displays.
I'm guessing one of the new features that Apple didn't want to go with is SATA. Frankly I'm a little miffed that my Mac Pro and iMac are stuck with old Firewire technology and the Windows world is cruising around with external SATA ports.
For the Mac Pro, just buy a $50 eSATA PCI card and put it in an open slot. Bam, eSATA ports!
eSATA hotswap works perfectly well if the controller and the OS/driver properly implement the spec.
Yes. I have a Firmtek eSATA card in my G5 tower, as well as a somewhat generic SATA card (Syba brand if it matters) with a Silicon Image 3132 chip in my Mac Pro. Hot swap works fine, you just eject the drive by dragging it in the trash and then unplug it to remove the drive.
The Sil 3132 card took a bit of fiddling to get it to work, so I suggest getting an eSATA card that explicitly supports OS X.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Snafu
I was all for eSATA until I researched the thing a bit wanting to buy an eSATA dock for boxless hard disks. As it is now, it is interesting only for fixed external storage: you must have your external hard disks on when you startup your Mac, you cannot hotswap, etc.
So I rather have them implement USB 3 as soon as possible (mind you, eSATA would be nice anyway, but it is no faster FW or USB substitute).
eSATA should have lower latency, with USB3 or FW3200, you have to hop data across more controller chips. But maybe the drives simply aren't fast enough for latency to matter, I don't know, we'll see when we start getting actual devices.
perhaps merely that Blu-ray hasn't crashed and burned. it actually looks like it is going to have a market.
that said, I can't see them putting it in all machines. I can see it in the Pro and perhaps the highest 24", perhaps as a custom option on the others.
as for the thinner comments. the thickness is due to the components so it likely won't change too much. not until they go solid state, which is also something I could see being a custom feature at least on the higher end. prices are coming down enough it's possible.
a +3 ghz processor on the high end would be nice. more harddrive and cheaper ram (that upgrade to 8gb is a hurt right now), all probably in the pipe.
touch screen imacs I don't really see as a high market. perhaps an option on the displays for businesses, but I would think that a matte finish option is more wanted than touch screen. again at least as a custom choice for the high end 24" and the display.
and a 30" display and/or 30" imac would probably have some market, particularly if prices came down
I wonder if the encoding process for Blu-Ray is far more difficult than standard DVD. I've seen many BRD demos where there has been significant image 'stutter' during film action sequences. I couldn't watch it more than a few minutes I was so distracted.
AppleInsider has its ups and downs (down when they let Prince Maclean aka Daniel Dilger launch into one of his conspiracy theories, up when they stick to the facts) but this is the worst article of the last year by a considerable margin.
1) It contains no information. Zero.
2) It tries to slyly hint at Blue Ray without actually saying so - as if this makes the article witty and interesting rather than bland and pathetic.
3) It has been highlighted in Red on the AI website (unclear whether that is a manual setting or an automatic flag in response to traffic). Still Red implies an article of above average interest and this one is clearly not one of those.
Yes - the next iMacs will differ from the current iMacs in some ways. If history is any guide the changes will be slight, everyone will claim disappointment and they will go on to sell in record numbers anyway.
If this is the standard of reporting we can expect from AI going forward you guys are off my bookmarks list immediately.
Wow. You registered just to make one comment, then take AI out of your bookmarks? Try harder next time.
I like the iMac design, but it seems to work best for younger people with better eyesight.
--snip--
Is it too much to ask for the customer to be able to lower the screen for better viewing with bifocals?
Remember, Apple, we're the ones with the high disposible income!
I have the problem you describe. Also, my 86 year old mom has a 24" iMac. She arranged it so that the chair she uses is a bit higher than normal and her desk seems lower than normal.
When I use it, I always wondered why the screen seemed to look funny. She set the screen resolution to something less than 1920X1200. This makes everything bigger.
She has owned and loved Macs since the very first one that came out. She is a retired secondary school teacher (French) and will rap your knuckles if you mess with her Mac!
Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that there are ways for those of us with mature vision to still use Macs.
I can't wait for a new Airport card that includes GiFi and WUSB, but I'm sure we won't see that anytime soon. As a musician, WUSB seems really exciting, because you could hook up wireless USB-MIDI controllers.
I use a Mac notebook an personally love the keyboard.
A lot of younger people who "prefer notebooks" to desktops will share your love of the status quo. But as an owner of Apple equipment since 1984 (and I've not yet hit the elderly age of 40 yet, mind you), I have come to enjoy good keyboards from Apple.
In light of those past good experiences, it makes me sick to think I have to plunk down more cash now for a keyboard that is as good as what Apple used to make for us "free in the box." Now Apple caters to the "notebook" generation, with keys that sink down all of 3mm when you press them. I prefer the less-than-stellar keyboard on my Mac 128k to the current MACK-truck-flattened abomination that ships with new iMacs. I shudder to think how awful it will be when Apple starts to cater to netbook-minded users! Indeed, I have little doubt that Steve Jobs wants a Star Trek style keyboard, with no mechanical keys at all, the likes of what you have on the iPhone. While "cool" in the extreme (and believe me, I love coolness very much), it would not be practical for those of us who prefer not to rap our fingers across our desks for fun. Tactile feedback is needed in a stock Apple keyboard that doesn't cost me anything extra. And for the eco-minded among us, better stock equipment reduces garbage too. What a waste to buy a new computer only to ditch the stock keyboard in the trash (or closet) because Apple forces you to buy a "decent" keyboard from elsewhere!
Apple, bring sanity and practicality back to your stock keyboards. Or make one for a modest fee as a BTO option.
I wonder if the encoding process for Blu-Ray is far more difficult than standard DVD. I've seen many BRD demos where there has been significant image 'stutter' during film action sequences. I couldn't watch it more than a few minutes I was so distracted.
you sure that wasn't the TV you were watching it on? I haven't seen any 'stutter' in the action scenes
I'm going to go on record as speculating that one of the new features is an external multi-touch trackpad instead of the Mighty Mouse. In my experience, the MacBook (Pro/Air) trackpad is superior to any mouse.
Agreed. I'd be happy if they just developed software to allow me to pair my ipod touch with my iMac and use it as a multi-touch trackpad, but a suitably larger desktop equivalent of the glass multi-touch trackpads would be epic.
I wonder if the encoding process for Blu-Ray is far more difficult than standard DVD. I've seen many BRD demos where there has been significant image 'stutter' during film action sequences. I couldn't watch it more than a few minutes I was so distracted.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jfanning
you sure that wasn't the TV you were watching it on? I haven't seen any 'stutter' in the action scenes
I wonder what it would be. I don't think TVs would do anything that appear like lowering frame rates. I don't recall anything that would look like that, and I use a full HD projector for watching Blu-Rays.
I can't wait for a new Airport card that includes GiFi and WUSB, but I'm sure we won't see that anytime soon. As a musician, WUSB seems really exciting, because you could hook up wireless USB-MIDI controllers.
Agreed. I'd be happy if they just developed software to allow me to pair my ipod touch with my iMac and use it as a multi-touch trackpad, but a suitably larger desktop equivalent of the glass multi-touch trackpads would be epic.
ARgh!! Then everybody will be dropping their iPods due to excessive movement and shattering the glass screens due to falls and carelessness!
Comments
What do I mean? With progressive eyeglass lenses, the close-in viewing portion is in the bottom of the lens. (Don't snicker. Wait until you hit 40!)
Since the iMac screen does not raise or lower and the screen actually starts a few inches above the bottom of the faceplate, I find I need to raise my chin and tilt my head back to see the screen clearly. Hardly ergonomical, and downright uncomfortable during a long session.
Is it too much to ask for the customer to be able to lower the screen for better viewing with bifocals?
Remember, Apple, we're the ones with the high disposible income!
I was all for eSATA until I researched the thing a bit wanting to buy an eSATA dock for boxless hard disks. As it is now, it is interesting only for fixed external storage: you must have your external hard disks on when you startup your Mac, you cannot hotswap, etc.
So I rather have them implement USB 3 as soon as possible (mind you, eSATA would be nice anyway, but it is no faster FW or USB substitute).
eSATA hotswap works perfectly well if the controller and the OS/driver properly implement the spec.
Apple needs to get with the program and update it's antique 30-inch displays.
I'm guessing one of the new features that Apple didn't want to go with is SATA. Frankly I'm a little miffed that my Mac Pro and iMac are stuck with old Firewire technology and the Windows world is cruising around with external SATA ports.
For the Mac Pro, just buy a $50 eSATA PCI card and put it in an open slot. Bam, eSATA ports!
For the iMac, you have a point...
eSATA hotswap works perfectly well if the controller and the OS/driver properly implement the spec.
Yes. I have a Firmtek eSATA card in my G5 tower, as well as a somewhat generic SATA card (Syba brand if it matters) with a Silicon Image 3132 chip in my Mac Pro. Hot swap works fine, you just eject the drive by dragging it in the trash and then unplug it to remove the drive.
The Sil 3132 card took a bit of fiddling to get it to work, so I suggest getting an eSATA card that explicitly supports OS X.
I was all for eSATA until I researched the thing a bit wanting to buy an eSATA dock for boxless hard disks. As it is now, it is interesting only for fixed external storage: you must have your external hard disks on when you startup your Mac, you cannot hotswap, etc.
So I rather have them implement USB 3 as soon as possible (mind you, eSATA would be nice anyway, but it is no faster FW or USB substitute).
eSATA should have lower latency, with USB3 or FW3200, you have to hop data across more controller chips. But maybe the drives simply aren't fast enough for latency to matter, I don't know, we'll see when we start getting actual devices.
NO glossy screens, PLEASE!
At least two FireWire 800 ports.
Quad core processor.
QUIET.
And, of course, a SUPER Mac mini or a Mac mini TOWER. That is, a headless Mac that is QUIET.
You got that right. Kill the glossy-only and give us a choice already. I'll pay $50 more for non-glossy.
perhaps merely that Blu-ray hasn't crashed and burned. it actually looks like it is going to have a market.
that said, I can't see them putting it in all machines. I can see it in the Pro and perhaps the highest 24", perhaps as a custom option on the others.
as for the thinner comments. the thickness is due to the components so it likely won't change too much. not until they go solid state, which is also something I could see being a custom feature at least on the higher end. prices are coming down enough it's possible.
a +3 ghz processor on the high end would be nice. more harddrive and cheaper ram (that upgrade to 8gb is a hurt right now), all probably in the pipe.
touch screen imacs I don't really see as a high market. perhaps an option on the displays for businesses, but I would think that a matte finish option is more wanted than touch screen. again at least as a custom choice for the high end 24" and the display.
and a 30" display and/or 30" imac would probably have some market, particularly if prices came down
I wonder if the encoding process for Blu-Ray is far more difficult than standard DVD. I've seen many BRD demos where there has been significant image 'stutter' during film action sequences. I couldn't watch it more than a few minutes I was so distracted.
AppleInsider has its ups and downs (down when they let Prince Maclean aka Daniel Dilger launch into one of his conspiracy theories, up when they stick to the facts) but this is the worst article of the last year by a considerable margin.
1) It contains no information. Zero.
2) It tries to slyly hint at Blue Ray without actually saying so - as if this makes the article witty and interesting rather than bland and pathetic.
3) It has been highlighted in Red on the AI website (unclear whether that is a manual setting or an automatic flag in response to traffic). Still Red implies an article of above average interest and this one is clearly not one of those.
Yes - the next iMacs will differ from the current iMacs in some ways. If history is any guide the changes will be slight, everyone will claim disappointment and they will go on to sell in record numbers anyway.
If this is the standard of reporting we can expect from AI going forward you guys are off my bookmarks list immediately.
Wow. You registered just to make one comment, then take AI out of your bookmarks? Try harder next time.
I like the iMac design, but it seems to work best for younger people with better eyesight.
--snip--
Is it too much to ask for the customer to be able to lower the screen for better viewing with bifocals?
Remember, Apple, we're the ones with the high disposible income!
I have the problem you describe. Also, my 86 year old mom has a 24" iMac. She arranged it so that the chair she uses is a bit higher than normal and her desk seems lower than normal.
When I use it, I always wondered why the screen seemed to look funny. She set the screen resolution to something less than 1920X1200. This makes everything bigger.
She has owned and loved Macs since the very first one that came out. She is a retired secondary school teacher (French) and will rap your knuckles if you mess with her Mac!
Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that there are ways for those of us with mature vision to still use Macs.
I use a Mac notebook an personally love the keyboard.
A lot of younger people who "prefer notebooks" to desktops will share your love of the status quo. But as an owner of Apple equipment since 1984 (and I've not yet hit the elderly age of 40 yet, mind you), I have come to enjoy good keyboards from Apple.
In light of those past good experiences, it makes me sick to think I have to plunk down more cash now for a keyboard that is as good as what Apple used to make for us "free in the box." Now Apple caters to the "notebook" generation, with keys that sink down all of 3mm when you press them. I prefer the less-than-stellar keyboard on my Mac 128k to the current MACK-truck-flattened abomination that ships with new iMacs. I shudder to think how awful it will be when Apple starts to cater to netbook-minded users! Indeed, I have little doubt that Steve Jobs wants a Star Trek style keyboard, with no mechanical keys at all, the likes of what you have on the iPhone. While "cool" in the extreme (and believe me, I love coolness very much), it would not be practical for those of us who prefer not to rap our fingers across our desks for fun. Tactile feedback is needed in a stock Apple keyboard that doesn't cost me anything extra. And for the eco-minded among us, better stock equipment reduces garbage too. What a waste to buy a new computer only to ditch the stock keyboard in the trash (or closet) because Apple forces you to buy a "decent" keyboard from elsewhere!
Apple, bring sanity and practicality back to your stock keyboards. Or make one for a modest fee as a BTO option.
I wonder if the encoding process for Blu-Ray is far more difficult than standard DVD. I've seen many BRD demos where there has been significant image 'stutter' during film action sequences. I couldn't watch it more than a few minutes I was so distracted.
you sure that wasn't the TV you were watching it on? I haven't seen any 'stutter' in the action scenes
This non-story reminds me of the comedy sketch that Mark & Lard used to do on Radio 1 in the afternoon - 'vague news'.
'Somebody may have said that it may or may not be cloudy somewhere later on'.
I'm going to go on record as speculating that one of the new features is an external multi-touch trackpad instead of the Mighty Mouse. In my experience, the MacBook (Pro/Air) trackpad is superior to any mouse.
Agreed. I'd be happy if they just developed software to allow me to pair my ipod touch with my iMac and use it as a multi-touch trackpad, but a suitably larger desktop equivalent of the glass multi-touch trackpads would be epic.
I wonder if the encoding process for Blu-Ray is far more difficult than standard DVD. I've seen many BRD demos where there has been significant image 'stutter' during film action sequences. I couldn't watch it more than a few minutes I was so distracted.
you sure that wasn't the TV you were watching it on? I haven't seen any 'stutter' in the action scenes
I wonder what it would be. I don't think TVs would do anything that appear like lowering frame rates. I don't recall anything that would look like that, and I use a full HD projector for watching Blu-Rays.
I can't wait for a new Airport card that includes GiFi and WUSB, but I'm sure we won't see that anytime soon. As a musician, WUSB seems really exciting, because you could hook up wireless USB-MIDI controllers.
Maybe in the next 5 years?
- an SD-card reader
- faster and quad-cores processors
- larger screens, something like 28" or 30"
- mate screens, at last
- Blu-Ray, but as an option
- new mouse or new keyboard with built-in track-pad
- bold new input device managed by the iSight camera
- iSight camera with auto-focus, just as the iPhone 3GS one
How long should we wait to get the answer from Apple or more precise rumors ?Are there holidays for rumors ?
Wow. You registered just to make one comment, then take AI out of your bookmarks? Try harder next time.
Haha nice one there.
I guess
- an SD-card reader
- faster and quad-cores processors
- larger screens, something like 28" or 30"
- mate screens, at last
- Blu-Ray, but as an option
- new mouse or new keyboard with built-in track-pad
- bold new input device managed by the iSight camera
- iSight camera with auto-focus, just as the iPhone 3GS one
How long should we wait to get the answer from Apple or more precise rumors ?Are there holidays for rumors ?
I guess you'll have 2 out of all the above spot on. No, there are no holidays for rumors.
Agreed. I'd be happy if they just developed software to allow me to pair my ipod touch with my iMac and use it as a multi-touch trackpad, but a suitably larger desktop equivalent of the glass multi-touch trackpads would be epic.
ARgh!! Then everybody will be dropping their iPods due to excessive movement and shattering the glass screens due to falls and carelessness!