Teardown of 21.5" iMac with 4K Retina display finds new LG LCD, no PCIe SSD slot, soldered-on CPU

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Comments

  • Reply 61 of 96
    nolamacguy wrote: »
    you get it fixed. that's it. what's so difficult for you to envision?

    I think that's sorta teh point of the op. You have to get it fixed, which takes 1-2 weeks depending how close auth aapl support is where you live. I have been able to fix my Macbook and iMac drives myself in about 2-4 hours (I'm not a natural tech). Waiting 1-2 weeks for a family computer is torture these days (and I suppose a sm business should have a backup machine if it's mission critical). Just sayin': For Apple's convenience and margins, it's now very inconvenient for the user that can turn a scewdriver.
  • Reply 62 of 96

    I generally agree that user upgrades aren't all that important, though I do like to have the option to replace or upgrade a hard drive and/or add more RAM to my Mac.  Those aren't unrealistic scenarios, are they?

  • Reply 63 of 96
    indyfxindyfx Posts: 321member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by MAJANI View Post

     

     

    No, you're right, I don't know how to car and I'd take it to a mechanic. But the car doesn't have purposefully designed parts that force it to have the whole engine replaced because the transmission fails, either. The option is there for me to do it myself if I have the ability to do it.

     

    also

     

    eww




    You can lead a horse to water...

    but you can't make it drink.

  • Reply 64 of 96
    indyfxindyfx Posts: 321member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dsuden View Post

     

    I generally agree that user upgrades aren't all that important, though I do like to have the option to replace or upgrade a hard drive and/or add more RAM to my Mac.  Those aren't unrealistic scenarios, are they?




    Yeah they are, for >95% of people taking their computer apart and replacing a disk drive (particularly if it is working) is completely unreasonable.

     

    Let me put it to you this way, have you ever heard "motor heads" discussing compression vs boost vs stoichiometric ratios and how easy an upgrade this or that is and how you only have to cut this, reroute that add a couple things and hack the chip tables? And as your eyes glaze over you thoughts drift over to the though of just hw nuts this sounds to you because you need you car to run, you can't have it compromized by some "mod" (or worse fail to run at some point.) that added a fractional performance improvement?

     

    I recently had a car "modder" telling me how limited my stock WRX is, and how his heavily modded VW is soooo the bomb, and how I could just do this and that, to my car I could get 10-20 more horsepower (which amounts to less than 10%) All the while I'm thinking, "Dude I like my car. It is reliable, goes in the snow like nobodies business, is fairly economical and if I want to dab the accelerator goes like a scared cat." I am going to hack a working car (that is under warranty mind you) which pretty much does everything I want it to (and possibly adversely affect reliability, economy etc) for a minimal performance boost? You have to be out of your effing mind."

     

    Well.. that is the general public when "builders" talk about "only" having a 5400rpm drive and bla, bla, bla... They think you are crazy, for taking apart a perfectly good computer just to make "mods" to give minimal improvement. (or doing "self service") They simply want a computer that looks good and runs reliably (perhaps the most important, as is likely also the case with most non "enthusiasts" about their cars) and when and if it breaks they will have it repaired by someone reputable.

     

    Again I'm not sure if the "builders" and PC "enthuasts" here are actually this clueless, or if they are (as I said) just being purposefully obstinate and obtuse just so they can generate negative arguments about an apple product. Either way, (they) aren't painting themselves in a favorable light.

  • Reply 65 of 96
    hrguyhrguy Posts: 24member
    indyfx wrote: »

    Yeah they are, for <95% of people taking their computer apart and replacing a disk drive (particularly if it is working) is completely unreasonable.

    Let me put it to you this way, have you ever heard "motor heads" discussing compression vs boost vs stoichiometric ratios and how easy an upgrade this or that is and how you only have to cut this, reroute that add a couple things and hack the chip tables? And as your eyes glaze over you thoughts drift over to the though of just hw nuts this sounds to you because you need you car to run, you can't have it compromized by some "mod" (or worse fail to run at some point.) that added a fractional performance improvement?

    Again I'm not sure if the "builders" and PC "enthuasts" here are actually this clueless, or if they are (as I said) just being purposefully obstinate and obtuse just so they can generate negative arguments about an apple product. Either way, (they) aren't painting themselves in a favorable light.

    ...but you could change your own tire, if you wanted too. I see swapping out a dead drive as about as hard as changing a tire. You don't have to get your WRX towed to the shop for that if you want to do it yourself. Apple is saying you have to get it towed and stuck in the shop for the simplest repairs.

    I'm not trying to 'generate negative arguments' silly. I have all Apple stuff. There is not a single non-Apple device in my house, except my telly. I'm just saying that Apple is taking it too far, and starting to loose me on the 'insanely great' part. If I was seeing lower prices from the supply chain b/c of all this sealed manufacturing, I think I could live with it, but the 4K iMac is a premium price for yesterday's Broadwell chip and yesterday's 5400 drive.
  • Reply 66 of 96
    indyfxindyfx Posts: 321member



    No actually I don't, when I need new tires I take it to someone who has the machinery and expertise necessary to mount and dynamically balance (very necessary with low profile tires) to make sure the job is done properly.

    I don't (nor do most people) even change my own oil or oil filter or spark plug, which are far easier than mounting new tires.

  • Reply 67 of 96
    hrguyhrguy Posts: 24member
    indyfx wrote: »

    No actually I don't, when I need new tires I take it to someone who has the machinery and expertise necessary to mount and dynamically balance (very necessary with low profile tires) to make sure the job is done properly.
    I don't (nor do most people) even change my own oil or oil filter or spark plug, which are far easier than mounting new tires.

    ...flat tire, silly. Everyone knows that mounting your own tire is actually dangerous and that you need specialized equipment for that.

    so quick to pick a fight. sigh.
  • Reply 68 of 96
    indyfxindyfx Posts: 321member

    I I see... not really replacing parts on your own but an emergency backup to get to where you can have the car serviced by a professional?

     

    Kind of like how the mac has an emergency boot sector, and net boot capabilities to get you on your feet in the case of an unforeseen emergency?

     

    Pick a fight? My friend, do you not realize that are making horribly obtuse arguments (like the last one) in an attempt to disparage a new apple iMac as "unsuitable". Assumably you dislike Apple (because lets be real... Mac's have been basically sealed "consumer products" from day one) so you come to an apple forum to pick a fight.

    Are you really that incognizant, or do you just like acting the part of the petulant child?

  • Reply 69 of 96
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    hrguy wrote: »
    I think that's sorta teh point of the op. You have to get it fixed, which takes 1-2 weeks depending how close auth aapl support is where you live. I have been able to fix my Macbook and iMac drives myself in about 2-4 hours (I'm not a natural tech). Waiting 1-2 weeks for a family computer is torture these days (and I suppose a sm business should have a backup machine if it's mission critical). Just sayin': For Apple's convenience and margins, it's now very inconvenient for the user that can turn a scewdriver.

    normal people don't swap CPUs on their macs. in fact few people even upgrade the RAM. we do, but we're not normal people. you can bemoan it all you like, but thems facts. if my TV were to blow a chip on it, i get it repaired. i see no reason why you'd expect an all-in-one mac to be any different.
  • Reply 70 of 96
    nolamacguynolamacguy Posts: 4,758member
    dsuden wrote: »
    I generally agree that user upgrades aren't all that important, though I do like to have the option to replace or upgrade a hard drive and/or add more RAM to my Mac.  Those aren't unrealistic scenarios, are they?

    im a tech guy and built countless PC rigs over the years. but even I've never changed a HD on any of my macs. i get them, they do the job, and when i need something else i give away or sell the old one. its an appliance. that a few tinkerers do swap out drives is no reason for apple not to push the envelope on integrated system designs.
  • Reply 71 of 96
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,732member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by NolaMacGuy View Post





    normal people don't swap CPUs on their macs. in fact few people even upgrade the RAM. we do, but we're not normal people. you can bemoan it all you like, but thems facts. if my TV were to blow a chip on it, i get it repaired. i see no reason why you'd expect an all-in-one mac to be any different.



    Normal people also don't spend $1,500 on desktop computers either but I digress. Like I mentioned earlier, my only beef with the iMac, or more specifically the Retina iMac models, is that they still ship with spinning drives as standard. For a premium-level desktop machine starting at $1,500, that's an insult.  The rMB, rMBP, MBA, all ship with PCI-e SSD as standard now. The Retina iMacs should all have, at the very least, Fusion Drives as standard.  Other than that, the Retina iMacs are great machines.

  • Reply 72 of 96
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by IndyFX View Post

     



    You can lead a horse to water...

    but you can't make it drink.


     

    Care to extrapolate?

  • Reply 73 of 96
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by IndyFX View Post

     

    Not sure how a socket affects power consumption... 


     

    It doesn't. LPDDR3 affects power consumption. I realise that wasn't stated in the one post you quoted, but read the rest of the discussion and I've stated it very clearly. Don't cherry pick.

     

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by IndyFX View Post

     

    Not sure what all that means...

    "smartphone companies are heinous" duuuude.... "heinous"... seriously?


     

    Yes, heinous. 

     

     

     

     

    Godwin's Law about to be triggered

  • Reply 74 of 96
    indyfxindyfx Posts: 321member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NolaMacGuy View Post





    normal people don't swap CPUs on their macs. in fact few people even upgrade the RAM. we do, but we're not normal people. you can bemoan it all you like, but thems facts. if my TV were to blow a chip on it, i get it repaired. i see reason why you'd expect an all-in-one to be any different.



    You know I agree but it isn't just mac's. the vast majority of people WinPC or Mac's, Boxes or all in ones, don't upgrade CPU's (or disk drives or even for the most part RAM)  That is just the way it is people just want a computing appliance (which is why the iPads have taken off like they have)

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by MAJANI View Post

     

     

    Care to extrapolate?


     “You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means”

    —Inigo Montoya

  • Reply 75 of 96
    indyfxindyfx Posts: 321member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by MAJANI View Post

     

     

    It doesn't. LPDDR3 affects power consumption. I realise that wasn't stated in the one post you quoted, but read the rest of the discussion and I've stated it very clearly. Don't cherry pick.

     

     

    Yes, heinous. 

     

     

     

     

    Godwin's Law about to be triggered




    You missed the joke. Sorry, I should have made it more obvious.

  • Reply 76 of 96
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by IndyFX View Post

     

     “You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means”

    —Inigo Montoya


     

    Quote:

    Adjective[edit]

    heinous ?(comparative more heinoussuperlative most heinous)


    1. Totally reprehensible.

    Usage notes[edit]


    • Nouns to which "heinous" is often applied: crime, act, sin, murder, offence.

    Synonyms[edit]

     



     

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by IndyFX View Post

     



    You missed the joke. Sorry, I should have made it more obvious.


     

    Yea sorry, don't think I've seen/read what you are referencing.

  • Reply 77 of 96
    indyfxindyfx Posts: 321member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by MAJANI View Post

     

     

     

     

    Yea sorry, don't think I've seen/read what you are referencing.




    You misused the word "extrapolate" so I used a line from the princess bride as a humorous quip.

     

    In the second reply you used a very uncommon word "heinous" in a somewhat inappropriate context.

    It is only used commonly to describe trivial events or actions (the way you used it) in "valley speak" (an odd dialect spoken by LA stoners and valley girls) I though you were intentionally using it to make a joke of the severity of the action (a reasonable assumption)

    So I replied with two other common valley speak words "duuuude" and "seriously"

    Sorry I guess you didn't get my humor.

  • Reply 78 of 96
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by IndyFX View Post

     



    You misused the word "extrapolate" so I used a line from the princess bride as a humorous quip.

     

    In the second reply you used a very uncommon word "heinous" in a somewhat inappropriate context.

    It is only used commonly to describe trivial events or actions (the way you used it) in "valley speak" (an odd dialect spoken by LA stoners and valley girls) I though you were intentionally using it to make a joke of the severity of the action (a reasonable assumption)

    So I replied with two other common valley speak words "duuuude" and "seriously"

    Sorry I guess you didn't get my humor.


     

    1. ok fair enough, it's misuse of the word extrapolate, but I'm still asking you to extend your own side of the discussion rather than having me infer them.

     

    2. It's hyperbole to say heinous I am perfectly aware, are you are free to extrapolate upon that as you wish. I do think it's pretty dispicable of companies (and Apple is not alone in this) to provide a very limited baseline (16GB Phones, for example) consumers, almost mandating either an instantaneous, vastly overpriced purchase from them directly or an early upgrade to a newer model. (And yes, I'm completely unfamiliar with either stoners of valley speak.)

  • Reply 79 of 96
    nikon133nikon133 Posts: 2,600member
    aaplfanboy wrote: »
    Why the f**jk anyone wants to take a gorgeous iMac apart beats me. Just order it with the right specs to suit you, and enjoy.

    One's requirements can change during the lifetime of a product. A new video-editing software (or any other) might be released a year after one has made decision and purchased right specs machine (at the time of purchase), that will benefit from extra RAM.

    Personally, I'd like to see RAM expansion slot, even if default RAM is soldered. Just for some future-proofing - not everyone can predict exact hardware specs for the next 3 - 5 years. It can't add much to the price of machine, and even if I don't need it, no harm done.
  • Reply 80 of 96
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by NolaMacGuy View Post





    how many times have you taken your TV set apart, just to have a look inside? your audio reciever?

    I mean, clearly this iMac does not suit my needs, so I won't bother with it anyways, but to insult someone as the person I originally quoted because they took apart their own machine is a bit ridiculous. Unless you of course agree with his stance in which case I continue to think it is ridiculous that user access to a machine is not something out of the ordinary.

     

    Have you ever opened the hood of your car?

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