I got mine yesterday - 17", 250 MB hard drive. I have a 17" iMac at work, so it's not all that different from that. I can't tell a difference in speed (the new one is 100Mhz slower), and it looks very similar. It's not noticeably thinner, the optical drive is more in the middle of the side rather than the top, the ports are along the bottom back rather than the side, and the on-off switch is on the left back rather than the right back.
I like FrontRow more than I thought I would. My TV is about the same size as the screen, and I could see watching DVDs on it rather than the TV for the extra detail. But it's definitely got the 1.0 blues. In addition to the glitches that others have mentioned, I noticed that I now have two of just about every genre, capitalized and lowercase: jazz and Jazz, classical and Classical, etc., even though those don't appear in iTunes. I haven't had time yet to figure out what's going on there.
When I first tried FrontRow, it froze for quite some time, and I later realized it was because iTunes and iPhoto were being loaded for the first time, and it wanted me to click 'Agree' on the copyright thingy. That made FrontRow have spasms, despite being an easily predictable situation. It also just generally seems slow when you first use it, presumably because it's creating thumbnails and previews. Most of the FrontRow issues could be fixed easily with a software update, I imagine. I'd also like to see iTunes visuals available through FrontRow.
But in general, it's very nice to sit back and flip through songs and videos with a clean interface and a very intuitive remote. Apple nailed that. My iMac is in a home office, but it would be the ultimate dorm room computer. I have a bunch of short videos that I've collected over the years, nested in directories in 'Movies,' and they show up perfectly, making it nice to sit back and flip through them or iPhoto pictures. This thing would be the ultimate porn viewer, if you're into that kind of thing. If you use VLC for non-QuickTime videos, you'll want to switch to the QuickTime plugins if you want to view them through FrontRow. (Does anyone know if it's possible to watch REAL videos through Quicktime?)
This was the first time I'd used a mighty mouse, and it's OK. The scroll ball does feel small, and doesn't scroll diagonally in any of the apps I've tried, and just in general doesn't feel as precise as a scroll wheel. Many scroll wheels have a little click and/or a little bit of a tightness-then-give that allows you to feel how much you're scrolling. I think it's the lack of that kind of feedback that makes it not feel quite as precise. You can scroll just a little bit, and nothing will happen, and then it starts to take. I do really like the way you press the third (scroll ball) button, where the whole mouse clicks rather than just the ball, and it seems to very reliably distinguish right and left clicks. Overall I slightly prefer the other optical scroll wheel mice I've used, but the Mighty Mouse is fine.
The video camera is nifty. Now if only I knew someone else with one to video chat! Otherwise, I'm not sure how often it will get used. And I can't seem to shake the feeling that someone could spy on you with the right hack...
About how much HD do you have left from first boot?
About how much HD do you have left from first boot?
Unfortunately I didn't check before I loaded my laptop onto it. I have 177 GB free now, and I loaded probably around 30 GB, so maybe 210? That's just a guess. Remember how much software it comes with pre-installed. And a 250 GB drive is really only about 235 GB.
The scroll ball does feel small, and doesn't scroll diagonally in any of the apps I've tried, and just in general doesn't feel as precise as a scroll wheel. Many scroll wheels have a little click and/or a little bit of a tightness-then-give that allows you to feel how much you're scrolling. I think it's the lack of that kind of feedback that makes it not feel quite as precise. You can scroll just a little bit, and nothing will happen, and then it starts to take.
Huh, I just realized that you have to actually press down slightly on the scroll ball to make it scroll. If you just lightly scroll it, nothing will happen. Having figured that out, it feels much better.
Also is Front Row something you can install from a CD? I want to wipe the drive and start from scratch but I don't want to lose Front Row. I would think it would be on the OS install DVD... Same thing with Picture Booth I imagine?
Also is Front Row something you can install from a CD? I want to wipe the drive and start from scratch but I don't want to lose Front Row. I would think it would be on the OS install DVD... Same thing with Picture Booth I imagine?
I don't remember a case in which some Mac came with software that was not on the system software CD or DVD. I don't see why the new iMac would be any different.
BRussell, just one question for you: have you tried playback of HD trailers? 720p should be more than OK, how about 1080p? Of course 1080p does not make sense in the resolution of the 17" model, it is more for the... forthcoming 23" one . However, it remains interesting to see how these machines perform in h.264 decoding.
I really wish there were something like frontrow for those of us who bought Apple's expensive products.. you know, just make it so we can use a 3rd party remote or something.
BRussell, just one question for you: have you tried playback of HD trailers? 720p should be more than OK, how about 1080p? Of course 1080p does not make sense in the resolution of the 17" model, it is more for the... forthcoming 23" one . However, it remains interesting to see how these machines perform in h.264 decoding.
I played "The Fountain" and "Geisha" on 1080p, and they didn't get lower than 12 fps, and got up into the 20s but only when not much was happening (e.g., black screen with credits only). I'd say the average was around 15. I tried them both at full size and half size, and that didn't seem to make a difference. It seemed very watchable to me, even if 720 would be the right resolution for this iMac. My only complaint is that I still have absolutely no idea what "The Fountain" is about.
My only complaint is that I still have absolutely no idea what "The Fountain" is about.
First, thank you for trying the HD trailers. But, what do you mean you have no idea about The Fountain? I am in a machine without QT7 now and cannot watch the trailer. However, googling it gives a clue at least:
I was at an apple store today playing around with the 20 inch iMac. Man, is that thing freaking awesome. I really like front row. I'm looking forward to picking one up in January once I've got the funds and it comes preloaded with iLife 06.
I was at an apple store today playing around with the 20 inch iMac. Man, is that thing freaking awesome. I really like front row. I'm looking forward to picking one up in January once I've got the funds and it comes preloaded with iLife 06.
Yeah I was in an Apple Store yesterday too and played with Photo Booth.....
Can't wait to order mine on Tuesday! Anyone know, even though the Apple Store online says it ships in 5-7 business days, is it actually quicker than that?
It's beautiful. Very refined compared to previous revs. 100% silent at all times so far (except for DVD drive spin up but then settles down)
isight is high quality and photobooth has been the source of much fun with friends and family
FrontRow while nifty is a piece of poorly coded crap. Even for a 1.0. It's as if it was written and then never used before release. Just using it the first time you notice glaring problems and inefficiencies. The remote, while small, is too limited and i fear that it will hold back front row in the future simply because it should have at least a couple more buttons to function better.
Audio adjustment does not work if you use surround sound/optical out. That is completely stupid. FrontRow media center software that doesn't work correctly with media hardware.
Movies don't continue where you stopped them
Large iTunes libraries are slow to load and play
Scrolling through an iTunes library list with the button takes forever compared to the iPod wheel.
The DVD playback part is a stupid hack that doesn't let you access any of dvd player's functions when you play a DVD through front row.
Each individual app is loaded in the background before you can use each part of front row and then they do not quit when you close front row.
iPhoto just uses the default slideshow music for a slideshow
It is very tedious to have to press menu to go back through each screen to get to the main page or the desktop again
It should pull album art from the web like it does for movie trailer posters
One thing I just noticed is that the remote works even if you're not in Frontrow. You can fiddle with Quicktime and iTunes and the DVD player, and computer volume if you're not in one of those apps. And if iTunes is open, even if in the background, the remote will control iTunes. Just basic things like play and pause and volume.
FrontRow while nifty is a piece of poorly coded crap. Even for a 1.0. It's as if it was written and then never used before release. Just using it the first time you notice glaring problems and inefficiencies.
You are not the only one who has complaints about FrontRow. It is the general consensus that FrontRow works problematically for now. Macworld agrees too.
Quote:
The DVD playback part is a stupid hack that doesn't let you access any of dvd player's functions when you play a DVD through front row.
What do you mean? You cannot access the DVD menu (subtitles, languages, etc.)?
Quote:
Each individual app is loaded in the background before you can use each part of front row and then they do not quit when you close front row.
That's actually a good thing. Next time you will use FrontRow, the apps will be there already open waiting for your input, something that will accelerate things. Is it not so?
What do you mean? You cannot access the DVD menu (subtitles, languages, etc.)?
no. you can only access the DVD's actual options. you can not access any of DVD Player's options (ie: the menubar to change a setting such as zoom video or scan rate or preferences)
Quote:
That's actually a good thing. Next time you will use FrontRow, the apps will be there already open waiting for your input, something that will accelerate things. Is it not so?
no, not at all.
if I'm using front row to view photos i want to use front row to view them and then when i close front row my viewing is over. if i want iphoto to be open i should open it. same thing for dvd player.
front row's biggest weakness is its lack of options and customization. it's really a ridiculously simple front end app that does basically nothing other than put a couple fancy graphics and text on top of each program. the only thing new is the movie trailers part.
i'm very negative about it but i honestly am shocked at how poor of an app is it is by apple's standards. it shows very little thought, vision, and knowledge of what they are doing. heck it barely even shows an effort
no. you can only access the DVD's actual options. you can not access any of DVD Player's options (ie: the menubar to change a setting such as zoom video or scan rate or preferences)
Sorry, I think I do not understand well what you say. My question is: when a DVD is playing, can you access and change chapter, language, subtitle and audio settings for this precise DVD that is in the drive, using the remote?
Quote:
no, not at all.
if I'm using front row to view photos i want to use front row to view them and then when i close front row my viewing is over. if i want iphoto to be open i should open it. same thing for dvd player.
front row's biggest weakness is its lack of options and customization. it's really a ridiculously simple front end app that does basically nothing other than put a couple fancy graphics and text on top of each program. the only thing new is the movie trailers part.
i'm very negative about it but i honestly am shocked at how poor of an app is it is by apple's standards. it shows very little thought, vision, and knowledge of what they are doing. heck it barely even shows an effort
\
Fortunately, this is a piece of sotfware and as such Apple could and should improve it with an update.
Sorry, I think I do not understand well what you say. My question is: when a DVD is playing, can you access and change chapter, language, subtitle and audio settings using the remote?
Yes, you can access everything that the actual disc has. (disc settings, chapters, audio tracks, etc)
what you can't do is go to the computer and use the mouse to go to the menubar to select something dvd player specific. this has created a couple of annoyances so far because then i have to go all the way back through the front row menu system back to the desktop, then choose dvd player and change the settings and then i wind up just watching it with dvd player instead
I have a somewhat different view than misterioso. I think the idea is sound, but the bugs needs to be cleaned out. I'm not sure it would be a good idea to provide true control over your computer from a remote. In theory, one could create new playlists in iTunes, set pan and zoom prefs in photo slideshows, and the like, from a remote. But I don't think I'd want that kind of control from the remote, as long as you can set those things when you're at the computer.
But you should have as much control as you'd have over a DVD player or a stereo with a remote. Apple isn't quite there yet - for example, the fast forward button on the remote doesn't seem to skip chapters as it would in a regular remote, it only fast forwards. There are definitely lots of glitches and annoyances, but if they can be worked out, it will be a very nice system.
Yes, you can access everything that the actual disc has. (disc settings, chapters, audio tracks, etc)
what you can't do is go to the computer and use the mouse to go to the menubar to select something dvd player specific. this has created a couple of annoyances so far because then i have to go all the way back through the front row menu system back to the desktop, then choose dvd player and change the settings and then i wind up just watching it with dvd player instead
Yes, you can access everything that the actual disc has. (disc settings, chapters, audio tracks, etc)
what you can't do is go to the computer and use the mouse to go to the menubar to select something dvd player specific. this has created a couple of annoyances so far because then i have to go all the way back through the front row menu system back to the desktop, then choose dvd player and change the settings and then i wind up just watching it with dvd player instead
OK, thanks, it is clear now. However, being able to access the features you talk about, would probably require a more complicated remote.
Comments
Originally posted by BRussell
I got mine yesterday - 17", 250 MB hard drive. I have a 17" iMac at work, so it's not all that different from that. I can't tell a difference in speed (the new one is 100Mhz slower), and it looks very similar. It's not noticeably thinner, the optical drive is more in the middle of the side rather than the top, the ports are along the bottom back rather than the side, and the on-off switch is on the left back rather than the right back.
I like FrontRow more than I thought I would. My TV is about the same size as the screen, and I could see watching DVDs on it rather than the TV for the extra detail. But it's definitely got the 1.0 blues. In addition to the glitches that others have mentioned, I noticed that I now have two of just about every genre, capitalized and lowercase: jazz and Jazz, classical and Classical, etc., even though those don't appear in iTunes. I haven't had time yet to figure out what's going on there.
When I first tried FrontRow, it froze for quite some time, and I later realized it was because iTunes and iPhoto were being loaded for the first time, and it wanted me to click 'Agree' on the copyright thingy. That made FrontRow have spasms, despite being an easily predictable situation. It also just generally seems slow when you first use it, presumably because it's creating thumbnails and previews. Most of the FrontRow issues could be fixed easily with a software update, I imagine. I'd also like to see iTunes visuals available through FrontRow.
But in general, it's very nice to sit back and flip through songs and videos with a clean interface and a very intuitive remote. Apple nailed that. My iMac is in a home office, but it would be the ultimate dorm room computer. I have a bunch of short videos that I've collected over the years, nested in directories in 'Movies,' and they show up perfectly, making it nice to sit back and flip through them or iPhoto pictures. This thing would be the ultimate porn viewer, if you're into that kind of thing. If you use VLC for non-QuickTime videos, you'll want to switch to the QuickTime plugins if you want to view them through FrontRow. (Does anyone know if it's possible to watch REAL videos through Quicktime?)
This was the first time I'd used a mighty mouse, and it's OK. The scroll ball does feel small, and doesn't scroll diagonally in any of the apps I've tried, and just in general doesn't feel as precise as a scroll wheel. Many scroll wheels have a little click and/or a little bit of a tightness-then-give that allows you to feel how much you're scrolling. I think it's the lack of that kind of feedback that makes it not feel quite as precise. You can scroll just a little bit, and nothing will happen, and then it starts to take. I do really like the way you press the third (scroll ball) button, where the whole mouse clicks rather than just the ball, and it seems to very reliably distinguish right and left clicks. Overall I slightly prefer the other optical scroll wheel mice I've used, but the Mighty Mouse is fine.
The video camera is nifty. Now if only I knew someone else with one to video chat! Otherwise, I'm not sure how often it will get used. And I can't seem to shake the feeling that someone could spy on you with the right hack...
About how much HD do you have left from first boot?
Originally posted by Feynman
About how much HD do you have left from first boot?
Unfortunately I didn't check before I loaded my laptop onto it. I have 177 GB free now, and I loaded probably around 30 GB, so maybe 210? That's just a guess. Remember how much software it comes with pre-installed. And a 250 GB drive is really only about 235 GB.
Originally posted by BRussell
The scroll ball does feel small, and doesn't scroll diagonally in any of the apps I've tried, and just in general doesn't feel as precise as a scroll wheel. Many scroll wheels have a little click and/or a little bit of a tightness-then-give that allows you to feel how much you're scrolling. I think it's the lack of that kind of feedback that makes it not feel quite as precise. You can scroll just a little bit, and nothing will happen, and then it starts to take.
Huh, I just realized that you have to actually press down slightly on the scroll ball to make it scroll. If you just lightly scroll it, nothing will happen. Having figured that out, it feels much better.
Originally posted by Feynman
Also is Front Row something you can install from a CD? I want to wipe the drive and start from scratch but I don't want to lose Front Row. I would think it would be on the OS install DVD... Same thing with Picture Booth I imagine?
I don't remember a case in which some Mac came with software that was not on the system software CD or DVD. I don't see why the new iMac would be any different.
Originally posted by PB
BRussell, just one question for you: have you tried playback of HD trailers? 720p should be more than OK, how about 1080p? Of course 1080p does not make sense in the resolution of the 17" model, it is more for the... forthcoming 23" one
I played "The Fountain" and "Geisha" on 1080p, and they didn't get lower than 12 fps, and got up into the 20s but only when not much was happening (e.g., black screen with credits only). I'd say the average was around 15. I tried them both at full size and half size, and that didn't seem to make a difference. It seemed very watchable to me, even if 720 would be the right resolution for this iMac. My only complaint is that I still have absolutely no idea what "The Fountain" is about.
Originally posted by BRussell
My only complaint is that I still have absolutely no idea what "The Fountain" is about.
First, thank you for trying the HD trailers. But, what do you mean you have no idea about The Fountain? I am in a machine without QT7 now and cannot watch the trailer. However, googling it gives a clue at least:
IMDB
Thezreview
movies.about
Originally posted by Flounder
I was at an apple store today playing around with the 20 inch iMac. Man, is that thing freaking awesome. I really like front row. I'm looking forward to picking one up in January once I've got the funds and it comes preloaded with iLife 06.
Yeah I was in an Apple Store yesterday too and played with Photo Booth.....
Can't wait to order mine on Tuesday! Anyone know, even though the Apple Store online says it ships in 5-7 business days, is it actually quicker than that?
[UPDATE] Ooohh now it says 3-5 business days
It's beautiful. Very refined compared to previous revs. 100% silent at all times so far (except for DVD drive spin up but then settles down)
isight is high quality and photobooth has been the source of much fun with friends and family
FrontRow while nifty is a piece of poorly coded crap. Even for a 1.0. It's as if it was written and then never used before release. Just using it the first time you notice glaring problems and inefficiencies. The remote, while small, is too limited and i fear that it will hold back front row in the future simply because it should have at least a couple more buttons to function better.
Audio adjustment does not work if you use surround sound/optical out. That is completely stupid. FrontRow media center software that doesn't work correctly with media hardware.
Movies don't continue where you stopped them
Large iTunes libraries are slow to load and play
Scrolling through an iTunes library list with the button takes forever compared to the iPod wheel.
The DVD playback part is a stupid hack that doesn't let you access any of dvd player's functions when you play a DVD through front row.
Each individual app is loaded in the background before you can use each part of front row and then they do not quit when you close front row.
iPhoto just uses the default slideshow music for a slideshow
It is very tedious to have to press menu to go back through each screen to get to the main page or the desktop again
It should pull album art from the web like it does for movie trailer posters
Originally posted by L'Angelo Misterioso
FrontRow while nifty is a piece of poorly coded crap. Even for a 1.0. It's as if it was written and then never used before release. Just using it the first time you notice glaring problems and inefficiencies.
You are not the only one who has complaints about FrontRow. It is the general consensus that FrontRow works problematically for now. Macworld agrees too.
The DVD playback part is a stupid hack that doesn't let you access any of dvd player's functions when you play a DVD through front row.
What do you mean? You cannot access the DVD menu (subtitles, languages, etc.)?
Each individual app is loaded in the background before you can use each part of front row and then they do not quit when you close front row.
That's actually a good thing. Next time you will use FrontRow, the apps will be there already open waiting for your input, something that will accelerate things. Is it not so?
EDIT: deleted redundant repeat
What do you mean? You cannot access the DVD menu (subtitles, languages, etc.)?
no. you can only access the DVD's actual options. you can not access any of DVD Player's options (ie: the menubar to change a setting such as zoom video or scan rate or preferences)
That's actually a good thing. Next time you will use FrontRow, the apps will be there already open waiting for your input, something that will accelerate things. Is it not so?
no, not at all.
if I'm using front row to view photos i want to use front row to view them and then when i close front row my viewing is over. if i want iphoto to be open i should open it. same thing for dvd player.
front row's biggest weakness is its lack of options and customization. it's really a ridiculously simple front end app that does basically nothing other than put a couple fancy graphics and text on top of each program. the only thing new is the movie trailers part.
i'm very negative about it but i honestly am shocked at how poor of an app is it is by apple's standards. it shows very little thought, vision, and knowledge of what they are doing. heck it barely even shows an effort
Originally posted by L'Angelo Misterioso
no. you can only access the DVD's actual options. you can not access any of DVD Player's options (ie: the menubar to change a setting such as zoom video or scan rate or preferences)
Sorry, I think I do not understand well what you say. My question is: when a DVD is playing, can you access and change chapter, language, subtitle and audio settings for this precise DVD that is in the drive, using the remote?
no, not at all.
if I'm using front row to view photos i want to use front row to view them and then when i close front row my viewing is over. if i want iphoto to be open i should open it. same thing for dvd player.
front row's biggest weakness is its lack of options and customization. it's really a ridiculously simple front end app that does basically nothing other than put a couple fancy graphics and text on top of each program. the only thing new is the movie trailers part.
i'm very negative about it but i honestly am shocked at how poor of an app is it is by apple's standards. it shows very little thought, vision, and knowledge of what they are doing. heck it barely even shows an effort
Fortunately, this is a piece of sotfware and as such Apple could and should improve it with an update.
Originally posted by PB
Sorry, I think I do not understand well what you say. My question is: when a DVD is playing, can you access and change chapter, language, subtitle and audio settings using the remote?
Yes, you can access everything that the actual disc has. (disc settings, chapters, audio tracks, etc)
what you can't do is go to the computer and use the mouse to go to the menubar to select something dvd player specific. this has created a couple of annoyances so far because then i have to go all the way back through the front row menu system back to the desktop, then choose dvd player and change the settings and then i wind up just watching it with dvd player instead
But you should have as much control as you'd have over a DVD player or a stereo with a remote. Apple isn't quite there yet - for example, the fast forward button on the remote doesn't seem to skip chapters as it would in a regular remote, it only fast forwards. There are definitely lots of glitches and annoyances, but if they can be worked out, it will be a very nice system.
Originally posted by L'Angelo Misterioso
Yes, you can access everything that the actual disc has. (disc settings, chapters, audio tracks, etc)
what you can't do is go to the computer and use the mouse to go to the menubar to select something dvd player specific. this has created a couple of annoyances so far because then i have to go all the way back through the front row menu system back to the desktop, then choose dvd player and change the settings and then i wind up just watching it with dvd player instead
What settings were you changing?
Originally posted by L'Angelo Misterioso
Yes, you can access everything that the actual disc has. (disc settings, chapters, audio tracks, etc)
what you can't do is go to the computer and use the mouse to go to the menubar to select something dvd player specific. this has created a couple of annoyances so far because then i have to go all the way back through the front row menu system back to the desktop, then choose dvd player and change the settings and then i wind up just watching it with dvd player instead
OK, thanks, it is clear now. However, being able to access the features you talk about, would probably require a more complicated remote.