Rumors swirl over Apple's iMac Blu-ray, quad-core plans
The latest rumors surrounding Apple's plans for its upcoming iMac makeover hint that Blu-ray could remain a "bag of hurt" for a bit longer, while the company taps Intel for its latest mobile chips to help fill the void.
More specifically, people close to the Cupertino-based company have picked up on chatter suggesting that earlier plans to offer Blu-ray technology on the new all-in-one desktops may have been pulled back just before the systems went into production last month.
Either way, it's believed that the technology would have found its way into the new models largely in the form of build-to-order options, given steep pricing still associated with Blu-ray drives.
Around the same time, others with connections to the Mac maker have shared word that Intel's recently released Core i7 'Clarksfield' quad-core mobile processors may find their way into the new iMac line in some capacity, making the new models the first consumer-oriented Macs with four processing cores.
The chips are available in 1.6GHz and 1.73GHz flavors, in addition to a pricer 2.0GHz variant that Apple would appear less likely to adopt in a consumer Mac given a price tag north of $1000.
Although AppleInsider has been unable to confirm either of these rumors with 100% certainty, it publishes them for the sake of completeness.
More specifically, people close to the Cupertino-based company have picked up on chatter suggesting that earlier plans to offer Blu-ray technology on the new all-in-one desktops may have been pulled back just before the systems went into production last month.
Either way, it's believed that the technology would have found its way into the new models largely in the form of build-to-order options, given steep pricing still associated with Blu-ray drives.
Around the same time, others with connections to the Mac maker have shared word that Intel's recently released Core i7 'Clarksfield' quad-core mobile processors may find their way into the new iMac line in some capacity, making the new models the first consumer-oriented Macs with four processing cores.
The chips are available in 1.6GHz and 1.73GHz flavors, in addition to a pricer 2.0GHz variant that Apple would appear less likely to adopt in a consumer Mac given a price tag north of $1000.
Although AppleInsider has been unable to confirm either of these rumors with 100% certainty, it publishes them for the sake of completeness.
Comments
If this true about Apple scrubbing plans to include a Blu-ray option in the upcoming iMac refresh, it'll be really disappointing. Why in the world do you include the capability of burning to Blu-ray in Final Cut Studio if you refuse to offer any way of doing it without resorting to 3rd-party drives? Yes, I understand that FCS is a "pro" app and as such is really meant for the Mac Pro, but Apple doesn't have a Blu-ray option there either. And as far as calling pricing on Blu-ray drives steep, I beg to differ. You can now get the new Pioneer internal Blu-ray burner for $250. That's half of what I paid for a DVD burner when they first came out. Come on Apple and get over this whole Blu-ray issue.
Not to mention we have iMovieHD and can't burn it's files properly?
You can buy a Blu-ray machine now for $200!
It's difficult to imagine Apple putting a $500 CPU into an iMac, let alone a $1000 CPU. There are powerful enough CPUs in the $300 to $400 range.
These will be for the higher end iMacs.
I'm sure there will be a low end iMac that will keep on using a Core 2 Duo with 9400M chipset.
As for BluRay, BluRay readers with DVD+RW capability might cost more, but they're not that much more. BluRay burners are another thing entirely however.
It's difficult to imagine Apple putting a $500 CPU into an iMac, let alone a $1000 CPU. There are powerful enough CPUs in the $300 to $400 range.
Agreed, not to mention that going from a C2D to an i5 or i7 is a huge jump and could undermine the used Mac Pro market (Quad cores).
Agreed, not to mention that going from a C2D to an i5 or i7 is a huge jump and could undermine the used Mac Pro market (Quad cores).
As if Apple cares about the USED market???
The Mac Pro should be the first Mac with Blu-ray IMO and it should be a recorder.
Apple is dragging its feet in adopting Blu-ray technology and at this point is far from being innovative. This rumour is truly annoying. Is it that difflicult to provide this as an option?
My sentiments exactly. I know that OWC sells BR drives that are supposed to work with Macs, but I'm reluctant to purchase a new Mac with the hopes that a 3rd-party BR drive will perform the way an actual Apple-offered option would.
What exactly is so innovative about adding a Blu-ray drive?
The same thing as when the iMac added the DVD drive in 1999- current technology and the ability to watch a Blu-ray on your Mac and directly access its special features via the internet. Even if its just a player- add it already. Apple used to call it the "cool factor" in the iMac line. Remember the "Rebirth of Cool" campaign? That was the addition of DVD.
What exactly is so innovative about adding a Blu-ray drive? In the end I welcome a move towards Quad Core processing for the iMac lineup over Blu-ray which is a nice to have but not a must.
The Mac Pro should be the first Mac with Blu-ray IMO and it should be a recorder.
Like I said, with Blu-ray support (even if it is a bit limited) in FCS7 and Compressor 3.5, a Blu-ray burner option should have been a given for the Mac Pro when the latest Final Cut Studio came out this summer.
Also, it isn't so much that adding a Blu-ray drive would be all that innovative, it was just encouraging to hear that Apple seemed like they were finally going to offer the option.
Why in the world do you include the capability of burning to Blu-ray in Final Cut Studio if you refuse to offer any way of doing it without resorting to 3rd-party drives?
This. I've been burning Blu-rays on my Mac Pro for a year and a half now using a 3rd party drive and Windows.... WINDOWS!!
I'm looking forward to upgrading to FCS3 and losing the Windows, but this whole Blu-ray ≠ Apple thing has been ridiculous.
Apple is dragging its feet in adopting Blu-ray technology and at this point is far from being innovative. This rumour is truly annoying. Is it that difflicult to provide this as an option?
"Either way, it's believed that the technology would have found its way into the new models largely in the form of build-to-order options"
Since when have BTO options been not an option?
The same thing as when the iMac added the DVD drive in 1999- current technology and the ability to watch a Blu-ray on your Mac and directly access its special features via the internet. Even if its just a player- add it already. Apple used to call it the "cool factor" in the iMac line. Remember the "Rebirth of Cool" campaign? That was the addition of DVD.
For me, it's more about content delivery. What better way to deliver HD content than on a Blu-ray disc. Being able to watch Blu-ray movies would only be an added bonus.
"Either way, it's believed that the technology would have found its way into the new models largely in the form of build-to-order options"
Since when have BTO options been not an option?
Since when does "would have" mean will?
Around the same time, others with connections to the Mac maker have shared word that Intel's recently released Core i7 'Clarksfield' quad-core mobile processors may find their way into the new iMac line in some capacity, making the new models the first consumer-oriented Macs with four processing cores.
The chips are available in 1.6GHz and 1.73GHz flavors, in addition to a pricer 2.0GHz variant that Apple would appear less likely to adopt in a consumer Mac given a price tag north of $1000.
Can I say goodbye to my no quad-core until 2011 pessimistic prediction? I hope so.
I would expect the 1.6 GHz to replace the current 2.67 GHz, the 1.73 GHz to replace the 2.93 GHz, and the 2.0 GHz to probably replace the 3.07 GHz.
It's difficult to imagine Apple putting a $500 CPU into an iMac, let alone a $1000 CPU. There are powerful enough CPUs in the $300 to $400 range.
The lower two are close in pricing to the Core 2's used in the iMac, assuming Apple is getting them for the price everybody else is.
If this true about Apple scrubbing plans to include a Blu-ray option in the upcoming iMac refresh, it'll be really disappointing. Why in the world do you include the capability of burning to Blu-ray in Final Cut Studio if you refuse to offer any way of doing it without resorting to 3rd-party drives? Yes, I understand that FCS is a "pro" app and as such is really meant for the Mac Pro, but Apple doesn't have a Blu-ray option there either. And as far as calling pricing on Blu-ray drives steep, I beg to differ. You can now get the new Pioneer internal Blu-ray burner for $250. That's half of what I paid for a DVD burner when they first came out. Come on Apple and get over this whole Blu-ray issue.
I spent less than that on a Blu-ray burner in February. The thin, slot loading drives that are required for most mac products are another story.
If I were to guess, they want to wait until the next Apple TV is ready and the iTunes store is upgraded to 1080p before offering Blu-ray. I doubt that they would want to make Blu-ray appear to be better than their iTunes store offerings. Other than that, there are many other potential hangups. OSX will need an update, so will iTunes, Quicktime, and dvd player. Or of course they could be running into production problems with the hardware.
At some point in the future I expect the following: Blu-ray, 1080p Apple TV and iTunes Store, 720p iPhone/iPod Touch dock (the hardware is capable, and it would provide a mid product cycle boost in sales), and a tablet. Of course timing is everything to Apple, and I think a new Apple TV is almost a requirement before Apple considers any of these other concepts. I see a video centric event coming eventually, and could become an annual thing like the music (iPod) one they have in the fall.
For me, it's more about content delivery. What better way to deliver HD content than on a Blu-ray disc. Being able to watch Blu-ray movies would only be an added bonus.
True- I was just simplifying. Anything that can be read off that large of a disc would be great.
Like I said, with Blu-ray support (even if it is a bit limited) in FCS7 and Compressor 3.5, a Blu-ray burner option should have been a given for the Mac Pro when the latest Final Cut Studio came out this summer.
Also, it isn't so much that adding a Blu-ray drive would be all that innovative, it was just encouraging to hear that Apple seemed like they were finally going to offer the option.
I think that is the kind of his point. If they haven?t added it to the Mac Pro and haven?t added support to the OS for AACS to play DRMed Blu-ray media then why should we expect Apple to give the iMac an option. It?s not a professional machine and it?s not their biggest seller. It?s a pointless place to start. On top of that, Blu-ray adoption on PCs have shown to been low and Apple has done little to update their consumer and professional apps to utilize these HD optical media formats.
Personally, I don?t think they?ll add Blu-ray support to 10.6 until they feel that their considerably more convenient, though lower quality attack with digital downloads is secured? and even then I don?t expect a Blu-ray drive option for most Macs, just the OS level support for playing media with AACS.