It's about the Xeon E3-1200 series that offer slightly different models from the desktop i5/i7-2000 series, at similar prices. Same socket.
The nice thing here is that I believe we will have SB cores without the GPU. Right now the SB GPU just wastes power in my opinion. Especially on the desktop where you will want more powerful graphics.
I'm ready to upgrade my core 2 vintage imac. I'd apprecaite some opinions on the timing of this.
Honestly I can't say anything about timing as a simply don't know! However the products Apple needs are either on the market now or are coming soon. So I don't think an overhaul is that far off.
Quote:
I do mostly database OCR and voice recognition work, very little video, no gaming.
I hate a slow machine and generally upgrade every 3-4 years.
It is nice to be able to do that.
Quote:
I've been looking at the refurb 27" i7 units- in particular the mid 09 model. I don't feel I need the extra graphics hp for what I do.
Honestly a refurb 2009 model isn't much of a step up over a 3 to 4 year old model.
Quote:
My specific questions are:
when the upgraded imacs are announced do you think they will be further discounts on the older models?
Well some stock does get sent to the refurb store at lower prices.
Quote:
Would the SB upgrades be worth waiting for even for the i3/i5 models?
That is a very good question. If Apple tries to bone us with a SB processor and no discrete GPU then no they won't be worth waiting for.
Quote:
many thanks for your advice
Note that the info here is an opinion it is not advice. Advice costs money, the meanderings here are free and worth all that is being charged for them.
As a side note with respect to the need for attention to the GPU in your future machine I think you discount the need for a good GPU to much. In a modern machine a good GPU goes a long way to making the machine feel snappy, especially a machine with a lot of pixels like the 27" model. Beyond that you need to know about GPU acceleration in WebKit and the use of OpenCL by developers. Unless you have very specific uses where you are absolutely sure you will never be running future versions of Mac OS, WebKit or other system software I'd strongly recommend more GPU horse power than Sandy Bridge provides. Especially if you intend to keep the machine for 4 or more years as your primary user machine.
You might see this as a none issue for you, that is you have yourself convinced a good GPU isn't needed. You may very well be right today or based on past experience, just realize that GPU's are becoming more important to overall system performance. Even things like Safari are getting GPU acceleration. Further it isn't always easy to determine if software you will be using in the next 4 years will make use of OpenCL. It may pay to research your current software suite and find out which vendors will be using GPU acceleration in the future or for that matter already are. If you do go the used/refurb route I'd go so far as to say a good GPU is even more important as the CPU is already dated.
I have a PC that's barely hanging on and I've decided to go with a Mac. I need to make a purchase within the next few weeks. Hopefully something will be announced soon.
The iMac is imminent by the sounds of it. Always nice to see them get an update.
A couple of weeks tops?
I just see an evolutionary spec bump.
Thunderbolt will be nice.
But until there's 6-8 cores, 8 gigs of ram standard and a decent GPU that can throw around the 27 inch resolution? Doubt we'll see 6-8 cores on an iMac until next year. And I expect this year's gpu to underwhelm as it has done for the last several revisions.
*Shrugs.
It will be 'nice.' But hardly essential update. I guess it upto the individual.
I have a PC that's barely hanging on and I've decided to go with a Mac. I need to make a purchase within the next few weeks. Hopefully something will be announced soon.
I'd stretch that machine for at least a couple of more weeks. Indications are that iMac inventory is being drawn down, this is one of the better signs of a coming update.
Even if we end up with the same number of cores we should still see a significant boost in CPU performance.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lemon Bon Bon.
The iMac is imminent by the sounds of it. Always nice to see them get an update.
A couple of weeks tops?
I just see an evolutionary spec bump.
Well it is a well established platform, pretty much anything they would do would be evolutionary. Especially considering that Thundrbolt has already been introduced.
Quote:
Thunderbolt will be nice.
But until there's 6-8 cores, 8 gigs of ram standard and a decent GPU that can throw around the 27 inch resolution? Doubt we'll see 6-8 cores on an iMac until next year. And I expect this year's gpu to underwhelm as it has done for the last several revisions.
You never know. However Apple can only ship what intel has to sell
Quote:
*Shrugs.
It will be 'nice.' But hardly essential update. I guess it upto the individual.
Lemon Bon Bon.
There is really no such thing as an essential update.
I am excited for this update. I need to replace my dying early 2006 iMac. Does anyone know how long it usually takes for new models hit the refurb store from the release date? Also, has Apple allowed refurbs to qualify for the annual back to school iPod rebate?
IMAC is due. Only question is how soon and logic would dictate that somewhere around the release of LION (unfortunately apple doesn't use logic). In any case it should be soon and hopefully that besides a sandy bridge chip and a Thunderbolt port we see some other nice features like a standard configuration with an SSD.
New iMac between May and July probably... If you can wait, wait. If you can't, don't.
With SB and TB the new iMacs should be worth waiting for! As to your projections I'm thinking in terms of weeks or less. Mainly because of the big indicator which ia the inventory drawdown.
I'd stretch that machine for at least a couple of more weeks. Indications are that iMac inventory is being drawn down, this is one of the better signs of a coming update.
Hopefully the Mini update will come with it. I wish they wouldn't hold the Mini back just so people don't go and spend their money on it first though. It uses laptop components so it should be updated whenever the 13" MBP gets a refresh. Not that this one will be a great upgrade with just dual i5 and HD 3000 graphics. NVidia seem to be pondering external graphics solutions:
While Thunderbolt isn't ideal for running a high-end GPU, it can still run the highest-end GPUs at 85% of their maximum performance. If they brought out a $100-200 GPU specifically designed for this, I think they'd have a decent market. Imagine a Mac Mini with a small external GPU that has maybe a 35W GT 540M inside it with its own small PSU and hooked up to a 1080p TV via HDMI. It'll play most modern games on high quality.
The iMac models will likely match the MBP line in that it will be dual-core in the smaller screen-size and quads in all the higher models. This at least means getting a quad-core 27" should be more affordable and will probably kill sales of the highest model.
Even if we end up with the same number of cores we should still see a significant boost in CPU performance.
Well it is a well established platform, pretty much anything they would do would be evolutionary. Especially considering that Thundrbolt has already been introduced.
You never know. However Apple can only ship what intel has to sell
There is really no such thing as an essential update.
There is if you waited ten years for it.
As for shipping what Intel or other companies have to offer.
A comment dripping with irony.
Apple could have had quad cores across the board in the imac range. They're cheap enough. They could ship better gpus but they don't. They could make a more affordable tower but they don't.
There are cheaper and more affordable cpus and gpus than the ones they choose. They could offer more choice. But they don't.
Apple. Does a lot of things well. But they play the politics of greed with their line up.
I'd call it cynical. But hey, the shareholders are happy, I guess.
*Looks at UK prices of the desktop range. A cosmic joke.
Thinks back to when the entry iMac cost £675 inc VAT. Now it's £995?
Pfft.
I'll upgrade when I can buy my 'essential upgrade' in a sale in 3 years time.
Hopefully the Mini update will come with it. I wish they wouldn't hold the Mini back just so people don't go and spend their money on it first though. It uses laptop components so it should be updated whenever the 13" MBP gets a refresh. Not that this one will be a great upgrade with just dual i5 and HD 3000 graphics. NVidia seem to be pondering external graphics solutions:
While Thunderbolt isn't ideal for running a high-end GPU, it can still run the highest-end GPUs at 85% of their maximum performance. If they brought out a $100-200 GPU specifically designed for this, I think they'd have a decent market. Imagine a Mac Mini with a small external GPU that has maybe a 35W GT 540M inside it with its own small PSU and hooked up to a 1080p TV via HDMI. It'll play most modern games on high quality.
The iMac models will likely match the MBP line in that it will be dual-core in the smaller screen-size and quads in all the higher models. This at least means getting a quad-core 27" should be more affordable and will probably kill sales of the highest model.
Apparently, Nvidia are 'evaluating' the external GPU market for laptops. I guess that would include the likes of the iMac and Mac Mini as well. No firm plans as yet.
Imagine being able to buy the latest hot (heh) Nvidia gpu and plug it into a thunderbolt iMac or laptop?
Comments
It's not about the E7 series.
It's about the Xeon E3-1200 series that offer slightly different models from the desktop i5/i7-2000 series, at similar prices. Same socket.
The nice thing here is that I believe we will have SB cores without the GPU. Right now the SB GPU just wastes power in my opinion. Especially on the desktop where you will want more powerful graphics.
I'm ready to upgrade my core 2 vintage imac. I'd apprecaite some opinions on the timing of this.
Honestly I can't say anything about timing as a simply don't know! However the products Apple needs are either on the market now or are coming soon. So I don't think an overhaul is that far off.
I do mostly database OCR and voice recognition work, very little video, no gaming.
I hate a slow machine and generally upgrade every 3-4 years.
It is nice to be able to do that.
I've been looking at the refurb 27" i7 units- in particular the mid 09 model. I don't feel I need the extra graphics hp for what I do.
Honestly a refurb 2009 model isn't much of a step up over a 3 to 4 year old model.
My specific questions are:
when the upgraded imacs are announced do you think they will be further discounts on the older models?
Well some stock does get sent to the refurb store at lower prices.
Would the SB upgrades be worth waiting for even for the i3/i5 models?
That is a very good question. If Apple tries to bone us with a SB processor and no discrete GPU then no they won't be worth waiting for.
many thanks for your advice
Note that the info here is an opinion it is not advice. Advice costs money, the meanderings here are free and worth all that is being charged for them.
As a side note with respect to the need for attention to the GPU in your future machine I think you discount the need for a good GPU to much. In a modern machine a good GPU goes a long way to making the machine feel snappy, especially a machine with a lot of pixels like the 27" model. Beyond that you need to know about GPU acceleration in WebKit and the use of OpenCL by developers. Unless you have very specific uses where you are absolutely sure you will never be running future versions of Mac OS, WebKit or other system software I'd strongly recommend more GPU horse power than Sandy Bridge provides. Especially if you intend to keep the machine for 4 or more years as your primary user machine.
You might see this as a none issue for you, that is you have yourself convinced a good GPU isn't needed. You may very well be right today or based on past experience, just realize that GPU's are becoming more important to overall system performance. Even things like Safari are getting GPU acceleration. Further it isn't always easy to determine if software you will be using in the next 4 years will make use of OpenCL. It may pay to research your current software suite and find out which vendors will be using GPU acceleration in the future or for that matter already are. If you do go the used/refurb route I'd go so far as to say a good GPU is even more important as the CPU is already dated.
A couple of weeks tops?
I just see an evolutionary spec bump.
Thunderbolt will be nice.
But until there's 6-8 cores, 8 gigs of ram standard and a decent GPU that can throw around the 27 inch resolution? Doubt we'll see 6-8 cores on an iMac until next year. And I expect this year's gpu to underwhelm as it has done for the last several revisions.
*Shrugs.
It will be 'nice.' But hardly essential update. I guess it upto the individual.
Lemon Bon Bon.
I have a PC that's barely hanging on and I've decided to go with a Mac. I need to make a purchase within the next few weeks. Hopefully something will be announced soon.
I'd stretch that machine for at least a couple of more weeks. Indications are that iMac inventory is being drawn down, this is one of the better signs of a coming update.
The iMac is imminent by the sounds of it. Always nice to see them get an update.
A couple of weeks tops?
I just see an evolutionary spec bump.
Well it is a well established platform, pretty much anything they would do would be evolutionary. Especially considering that Thundrbolt has already been introduced.
Thunderbolt will be nice.
But until there's 6-8 cores, 8 gigs of ram standard and a decent GPU that can throw around the 27 inch resolution? Doubt we'll see 6-8 cores on an iMac until next year. And I expect this year's gpu to underwhelm as it has done for the last several revisions.
You never know. However Apple can only ship what intel has to sell
*Shrugs.
It will be 'nice.' But hardly essential update. I guess it upto the individual.
Lemon Bon Bon.
There is really no such thing as an essential update.
Does anyone know how long it usually takes for new models hit the refurb store from the release date?
1-3 months.
Also, has Apple allowed refurbs to qualify for the annual back to school iPod rebate?
Absolutely not.
Not to much to ask is it?
New iMac between May and July probably... If you can wait, wait. If you can't, don't.
With SB and TB the new iMacs should be worth waiting for! As to your projections I'm thinking in terms of weeks or less. Mainly because of the big indicator which ia the inventory drawdown.
somewhere around the release of LION
Before. They'll come with Snow Leopard.
(unfortunately apple doesn't use logic).
Sure they do...
I'd stretch that machine for at least a couple of more weeks. Indications are that iMac inventory is being drawn down, this is one of the better signs of a coming update.
Hopefully the Mini update will come with it. I wish they wouldn't hold the Mini back just so people don't go and spend their money on it first though. It uses laptop components so it should be updated whenever the 13" MBP gets a refresh. Not that this one will be a great upgrade with just dual i5 and HD 3000 graphics. NVidia seem to be pondering external graphics solutions:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/video/d...portunity.html
While Thunderbolt isn't ideal for running a high-end GPU, it can still run the highest-end GPUs at 85% of their maximum performance. If they brought out a $100-200 GPU specifically designed for this, I think they'd have a decent market. Imagine a Mac Mini with a small external GPU that has maybe a 35W GT 540M inside it with its own small PSU and hooked up to a 1080p TV via HDMI. It'll play most modern games on high quality.
The iMac models will likely match the MBP line in that it will be dual-core in the smaller screen-size and quads in all the higher models. This at least means getting a quad-core 27" should be more affordable and will probably kill sales of the highest model.
Even if we end up with the same number of cores we should still see a significant boost in CPU performance.
Well it is a well established platform, pretty much anything they would do would be evolutionary. Especially considering that Thundrbolt has already been introduced.
You never know. However Apple can only ship what intel has to sell
There is really no such thing as an essential update.
There is if you waited ten years for it.
As for shipping what Intel or other companies have to offer.
A comment dripping with irony.
Apple could have had quad cores across the board in the imac range. They're cheap enough. They could ship better gpus but they don't. They could make a more affordable tower but they don't.
There are cheaper and more affordable cpus and gpus than the ones they choose. They could offer more choice. But they don't.
Apple. Does a lot of things well. But they play the politics of greed with their line up.
I'd call it cynical. But hey, the shareholders are happy, I guess.
*Looks at UK prices of the desktop range. A cosmic joke.
Thinks back to when the entry iMac cost £675 inc VAT. Now it's £995?
Pfft.
I'll upgrade when I can buy my 'essential upgrade' in a sale in 3 years time.
Lemon Bon Bon.
Hopefully the Mini update will come with it. I wish they wouldn't hold the Mini back just so people don't go and spend their money on it first though. It uses laptop components so it should be updated whenever the 13" MBP gets a refresh. Not that this one will be a great upgrade with just dual i5 and HD 3000 graphics. NVidia seem to be pondering external graphics solutions:
http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/video/d...portunity.html
While Thunderbolt isn't ideal for running a high-end GPU, it can still run the highest-end GPUs at 85% of their maximum performance. If they brought out a $100-200 GPU specifically designed for this, I think they'd have a decent market. Imagine a Mac Mini with a small external GPU that has maybe a 35W GT 540M inside it with its own small PSU and hooked up to a 1080p TV via HDMI. It'll play most modern games on high quality.
The iMac models will likely match the MBP line in that it will be dual-core in the smaller screen-size and quads in all the higher models. This at least means getting a quad-core 27" should be more affordable and will probably kill sales of the highest model.
Apparently, Nvidia are 'evaluating' the external GPU market for laptops. I guess that would include the likes of the iMac and Mac Mini as well. No firm plans as yet.
Imagine being able to buy the latest hot (heh) Nvidia gpu and plug it into a thunderbolt iMac or laptop?
Lemon Bon Bon.
Looks like a reasonable chance of a refresh next week.
I have my finger crossed...
I have my finger crossed...
Myself I have to cross fingerS.
Ok enough with the funnies. I can't imagine the new iMacs being much farther off than a couple of weeks. Let's hope they live up to our wishes.
Looks like a reasonable chance of a refresh next week.
Yes, there is a lot of chance to see Sandy bridges Macs the next week.