New macs arent compelling
Maybe its just the geek in me, but after trying out the new iMacs Im struck by how uncompelling they are.
I already own an eMac, and Im obviously comparing the iMac to it. When I do, what I see is the same excellent software, and, aside from the screen and a speed bump, and identical machine. It has the same complement of ports, and doesnt even feel that much faster.
Basically, after using one, I didnt get any feeling of "I must have one now".
I curious to know how other people feel about the iMac. While I think it is a solid upgrade to the line, it doesnt seem to me like it really offers anything to existing AIO users, and nothing at all to Powermac users. I think it will be a popular choise with new buyers, but Im now feeling that as a product it is going to fail. For a long time Apple has relied on their existing user base to keep them going, and I feel that the iMac has little appeal to those users.
I sum up the new iMac with the slogan:
"The same, only faster."
I already own an eMac, and Im obviously comparing the iMac to it. When I do, what I see is the same excellent software, and, aside from the screen and a speed bump, and identical machine. It has the same complement of ports, and doesnt even feel that much faster.
Basically, after using one, I didnt get any feeling of "I must have one now".
I curious to know how other people feel about the iMac. While I think it is a solid upgrade to the line, it doesnt seem to me like it really offers anything to existing AIO users, and nothing at all to Powermac users. I think it will be a popular choise with new buyers, but Im now feeling that as a product it is going to fail. For a long time Apple has relied on their existing user base to keep them going, and I feel that the iMac has little appeal to those users.
I sum up the new iMac with the slogan:
"The same, only faster."
Comments
I'm not impressed with the design at all. It's one-of-a-kind but that's only because similar thin all-in-ones sacrifice space for better equipment like an All-in-wonder card or faster video card in general (yes, I'm still pissed about the iMG5 vid card).
It's a G5, it's within a defined price range, and it's compact.
The thing is just so ... vanilla. Not really that cheap. Not really that amazing at all. The sacrifices for space efficiency are too obvious. I suppose it's only saving grace is that it's easily serviceable (aside from the screen).
Anybody can put the bare minimum of components into a tiny box, the real innovation comes when they put something reasonable in there.
Originally posted by mmmpie
"The same, only faster."
You can only be so innovative, there has to be a point where the WOW factor in new desktop computers just isn't there because there isn't really much more to do with them.
As for comparing the iMac to the eMac, the iMac will be more future-proof. In a couple of years, which one is going to be ripe for replacement?
Originally posted by CheapFrag
Anyone here have an iMac? I do, I upgraded from an eMac 1GHz and couldn't be happier. Great computer. Quiet and fast. Much faster than my eMac especially in iPhoto. I haven't tried iMovie yet but I have seen benchmarks that say this is where the G5 really trounces the G4. Anyways, I guess its up to you define compelling for yourself. Lots of other options out there to a mac certainly...
Dont get me wrong, I think that the iMac is good value, and that if I was in the market to buy a new machine it would be up there. What Im talking about is that it isnt a compelling upgrade for someone with a fairly recent mac. Ive got an 800 eMac, and it just doesnt seem that much different ( a bit faster, better screen - my emac looks just as thin when Im sitting in front of it ).
It just doesn't have the 'Oh my God!' impact of the last two designs.
Originally posted by mmmpie
Maybe its just the geek in me
If you were a real geek, you'd:
* pop the hood off the new iMac and be awed
* appreciate the engineering skills that made it possible
* dig the VESA, wall-hanging possibilities
You're not a geek. You're a poseur.
I don?t like bitching but these machine were well over two thousand dollars and they just don?t blow me way. Plus I hate that friggen white space under the screen, ?CHEESY?.
I should have bought 2 17-inch PowerBooks or 2 PowerMacs dual 1.8ghz.
APPLE CONSUMER COMPUTERS SUCK!!!!!!!
"...and having those Chinamen..."
Absolutely brutal. Shame on you for this, Aurora. Racist s&#t like this has no place here.
great for grandma's and non gamers but heck those people would be just fine with a G3 or G4 model. Its a gimmick that will fade. A year from now apple will again be scratching its head.
Good grief. Hardcore gamers and grandmas are not the only people who use macintoshes. Here at the university, all of the secretaries have the lamp-mac, and on their cluttered desks, I can't help but see getting the whole thing off the desk as a good idea. There's a reason the "pod" design is so popular. I see no reason why it won't catch on with the desktop.
Seems to me lots of people called the iPod a "gimmick" as well...
Aurora in his/her/it total ignorance spewed the following racist bullshit
Racist BS
Wow. Just wow.
Anyway, on the topic of iMacs, I have found great speedups in certain functions when compared to my year-old 1.25GHz Aluminium P-P-P-PowerBook. I did some rendering in Blender 2.34 and the iMac is much much faster than my AlBook. Like rendering a still image that takes 4.5 minutes on my AlBook takes about 3.5 minutes on the iMac. Multiply that times 30 frames/sec times x seconds per animation and that 1 minute/frame savings adds up with the quickness.
Compiling in XCode has been instantaneous on the iMac while the AlBook takes noticeable time to compile. If I had programs larger than my musical scales program I could bench the time difference but my program compiles in <1 minute on the AlBook. Still, compared to instantaneous (or <5 seconds), the speed is greatly improved on the iMac.
Working on the 6.3 Megapixel images coming from my Digi-Reb camera is much easier on the new iMac as many of the photo filters (sharpen, unsharp mask, gaussian blur) I use take about 1 second to apply to the whole photo. Adjusting parameters in preview mode affect the whole picture instantly. It's really great!
I can understand that the new iMac isn't leaps and bounds beyond what a comparable G4 is, but we haven't seen too much software come out yet that's completely optimized for the G5 & 64 bit data chunks.
Once Tiger comes out next year I believe the difference between the G4 and G5 will become more readily apparent. For now, I can live with my new G5 iMac with its buss speed of 3x my AlBook's along with the 128 bit memory path & higher clock speed.
On top of all this, my new iMac is the first computer I've had where I sometimes find myself stuck using my AlBook because my wife is actually using the computer. This really never happened before. I also love the fact that now that she seems to be able to find her way around in OS X a thousand times better than Win2K on my old PC. Now I don't have to answer those silly "How do I do ... ?" questions I used to field from her.
So yes, the video card is definitely the weakest part of this package, but so far it isn't holding me back one iota. Of course if you look at what I use my iMac for, the video card shouldn't be a holdup/letdown.
I agree with the basic feeling of "same interface, same features, different box."
I think it's important that Macs be able to do compelling things other computers can't (or just don't). Apple has lacked in this department for a few product launches now.
I disagree with the notion that the iMac form factor is really anything special. This micro computer was released 2 years ago. Granted it's composed of some laptop hardware, but even if those things were fullsized, it's still cramming a lot of power in a very small space. After something like that, two years later the "revolution" of iMac compactness isn't all too exciting.
Changing the form factor alone isn't the answer when it is still the same system under the hood. So what should Apple do?
- Wi-Fi and/or bluetooth come standard with some computers. I think Apple should bite the bullet on their sales and start integrating them as well. The iMac would be nearly wireless right out of the box. Some motherboards in the PC D-I-Y market even integrate a wireless router right on the board.
Any other ideas?
Originally posted by mmmpie
Maybe its just the geek in me, but after trying out the new iMacs Im struck by how uncompelling they are.
...
Basically, after using one, I didnt get any feeling of "I must have one now".
...
Shhh. Don't look now... but you're simply getting older.
Diminished techno-lust is a sure sign of ageing.
Originally posted by wienerdog
Absolutely brutal. Shame on you for this, Aurora. Racist s&#t like this has no place here.
Racists? stating the facts isnt racists its the truth. Apple is doing what our govt is making all companies do and thats get the heck out of America. Way to go (R)Congress.Dont be so upset about your Chineese Mac. My Quicksilver was made in California and is still going strong. Guess those days are over anyways i stand by my statements. all white imac is BLAH! another Pod. Apple learned nothing. Performance is right there with last years or two PCs and has a $16.00 video chip better then integrated by a few hairs.. Iam not impressed and either will anyone who games. And who gives a crap about footprint imac G4 took up the same space for the most part. Sorry cant get excited about this though it does have last years slower G5s in it. No iam a mac user not a Mac Zealot sorry. Apple could have done better.
--B