Design details and teardown photos of Apple's new iMacs
Apple's new iMac sports a chassis that's stamped from a single piece of aluminum, making it the world's first consumer electronics device to have been carved from a piece of metal that large.
In probing Apple representatives for the finer details, Gizmodo also notes that the aluminum undercarriage of the iMac's new keyboard is exactly 3mm thin -- the same thickness as the system's chassis.
Sitting atop the unit's iSight cam is its built-in microphone, which consists of 8 laser cut holes -- so small, reportedly, that a grain of sand would have problems passing through. Meanwhile, the iSight sensor itself, as well as the IR receiver, are positioned behind the black glass border near the top of the display bezel.
Gone from the new iMac is the magnetic remote control fastener, and the only visible screw on the unit can be found at the base of the display module, between the speakers where the RAM door is located. Since the speakers are pointed downward, the sound reportedly bounces off the desk exceptionally well at a sufficient volume.
According to Giz, the black backside of the new iMacs produce a slimming effect, making the units appear to have less "junk in the trunk."
There are also some differences between the two models. For instance, the 20-inch iMac is said to feature a display with a slightly lower viewing angle and lower brightness than the 24-inch model (160-degrees vs. 178-degrees; 290 nits vs 370 nits.) However, the 20-inch iMac reportedly offers more contrast at 800:1, as opposed to the 24-inch model's 750:1. Additionally, the 24-inch iMac seems to be wall-mount ready, while the 20-inch does not.
Giz also observes that there are no LEDs on the front of either unit to indicate they are asleep. The displays are also said to be extremely glossy. "[It's] far glossier than a MacBook Pro's glossy LCD, and will be less visible in direct sunlight, if you happen to put it near a window," the site notes. "The preset color calibration for 'iMac' makes the screen look washed out. I preferred one of the other RGB profiles."
While some turned to Apple for answers on the new iMac design, others took matters into their own hands -- literally. The always dependable tear-down folk at Kodawarisan have already ripped the guts from one of the new units, revealing dual cooling fans and and a Philips-made LCD panel. Also apparent from the website's pictorial is that the iMac's glass panel must be carefully removed with suction cups.
Additional photos are available at Kodawarisan.
In probing Apple representatives for the finer details, Gizmodo also notes that the aluminum undercarriage of the iMac's new keyboard is exactly 3mm thin -- the same thickness as the system's chassis.
Sitting atop the unit's iSight cam is its built-in microphone, which consists of 8 laser cut holes -- so small, reportedly, that a grain of sand would have problems passing through. Meanwhile, the iSight sensor itself, as well as the IR receiver, are positioned behind the black glass border near the top of the display bezel.
Gone from the new iMac is the magnetic remote control fastener, and the only visible screw on the unit can be found at the base of the display module, between the speakers where the RAM door is located. Since the speakers are pointed downward, the sound reportedly bounces off the desk exceptionally well at a sufficient volume.
According to Giz, the black backside of the new iMacs produce a slimming effect, making the units appear to have less "junk in the trunk."
There are also some differences between the two models. For instance, the 20-inch iMac is said to feature a display with a slightly lower viewing angle and lower brightness than the 24-inch model (160-degrees vs. 178-degrees; 290 nits vs 370 nits.) However, the 20-inch iMac reportedly offers more contrast at 800:1, as opposed to the 24-inch model's 750:1. Additionally, the 24-inch iMac seems to be wall-mount ready, while the 20-inch does not.
Giz also observes that there are no LEDs on the front of either unit to indicate they are asleep. The displays are also said to be extremely glossy. "[It's] far glossier than a MacBook Pro's glossy LCD, and will be less visible in direct sunlight, if you happen to put it near a window," the site notes. "The preset color calibration for 'iMac' makes the screen look washed out. I preferred one of the other RGB profiles."
While some turned to Apple for answers on the new iMac design, others took matters into their own hands -- literally. The always dependable tear-down folk at Kodawarisan have already ripped the guts from one of the new units, revealing dual cooling fans and and a Philips-made LCD panel. Also apparent from the website's pictorial is that the iMac's glass panel must be carefully removed with suction cups.
Additional photos are available at Kodawarisan.
Comments
there was some junk at the end of picture url
I was deciding last night whether I should get one of these.. or food.. The need for both is oddly strong!
Thanks for the pics! (And the fixed link mstone.
Jimzip
I always find the whole process somewhat questionable. Prominently pictured in many is the happy and valiant scavenger - posing like an angler with a great fish - beside some marvel of Apple engineering that loses something from the photography and composition. I suppose some would find the word descriptions interesting enough, and others would call "BS" were it not for the laborious amount of photos documenting the occasion.
I, for one, am amazed that someone actually considers such demantling serious work and attacks it with a relish seemingly implied by the industry shown.
Is there a similar frenzy attending every Dell or HP product launch?
Or is it because Apple is so secretive, it becomes more a question of "voyeurism" than mere intellectual curiousity?
What exactly is the benefit to the several post-mortem sites that always duplicate each others efforts, often reducing such efforts to something that looks like various degrees of shade tree mechanics trying to work on a Ferrari?
Curious - I'm sure someone will defend it as a "necessary" and "rewarding" practice. *Yawn* There nevers seems a serendipitous moment in all of it.
Too bad I just don't get it. I certainly don't have to read it if I see it is going to be a "tear-down" article.
Also, I hope that's not the procedure for opening the iMac, suction cups on the glass. The old one you just unscrew some screws and the whole back lifts off.
Look at the image where they remove the screen and think of how beautiful it could have been had they not put a stupid black border on the glass.
It would have looked almost exactly like the old one...
There always seems to be an intense interest (something akin to feverish scientists panting crazily to get their hands on the latest crashed UFO so they can reverse engineer it) by would-be techno-buzzards to tear down and dissect anything Apple makes.
I always find the whole process somewhat questionable. Prominently pictured in many is the happy and valiant scavenger - posing like an angler with a great fish - beside some marvel of Apple engineering that loses something from the photography and composition. I suppose some would find the word descriptions interesting enough, and others would call "BS" were it not for the laborious amount of photos documenting the occasion.
I, for one, am amazed that someone actually considers such demantling serious work and attacks it with a relish seemingly implied by the industry shown.
Is there a similar frenzy attending every Dell or HP product launch?
Or is it because Apple is so secretive, it becomes more a question of "voyeurism" than mere intellectual curiousity?
What exactly is the benefit to the several post-mortem sites that always duplicate each others efforts, often reducing such efforts to something that looks like various degrees of shade tree mechanics trying to work on a Ferrari?
Curious - I'm sure someone will defend it as a "necessary" and "rewarding" practice. *Yawn* There nevers seems a serendipitous moment in all of it.
Too bad I just don't get it. I certainly don't have to read it if I see it is going to be a "tear-down" article.
You sure took a lot of fancy words to tell everyone you don't like it.
There always seems to be an intense interest (something akin to feverish scientists panting crazily to get their hands on the latest crashed UFO so they can reverse engineer it) by would-be techno-buzzards to tear down and dissect anything Apple makes.
I always find the whole process somewhat questionable. Prominently pictured in many is the happy and valiant scavenger - posing like an angler with a great fish - beside some marvel of Apple engineering that loses something from the photography and composition. I suppose some would find the word descriptions interesting enough, and others would call "BS" were it not for the laborious amount of photos documenting the occasion.
I, for one, am amazed that someone actually considers such demantling serious work and attacks it with a relish seemingly implied by the industry shown.
Is there a similar frenzy attending every Dell or HP product launch?
Or is it because Apple is so secretive, it becomes more a question of "voyeurism" than mere intellectual curiousity?
What exactly is the benefit to the several post-mortem sites that always duplicate each others efforts, often reducing such efforts to something that looks like various degrees of shade tree mechanics trying to work on a Ferrari?
Curious - I'm sure someone will defend it as a "necessary" and "rewarding" practice. *Yawn* There nevers seems a serendipitous moment in all of it.
Too bad I just don't get it. I certainly don't have to read it if I see it is going to be a "tear-down" article.
personally i'd just like to know if there's any hope of a user hard-drive upgrade
What's the resolution of the iSight camera? Anyone know?
No idea, but http://www.apple.com/imac/isight.html claims it's high-resolution. The MacBook and MacBook pro do not say high-resolution when describing the camera itself.
Here's hoping for several megapixels, unlike the current .3.
-=|Mgkwho
Also, although it would be difficult for someone at home to do, I don't see any problems that a techie would have in getting to the guts of the iMac.
A simple suction cup and removal of the LCD and you're there.
And I quite like the black rim around the screen. I think it would look far too plain and machinery-like without it there.
It also hides the camera.
All in all, it's a great iMac.
It is however, NOT a mini-tower, which I still feel is necessary.
I'm assuming that Apple wants Time Machine to backup to the same HD, so that there are no USB connections at the back? Silly idea. There should have been dual drives inside.
And I'm assuming the Apple expects us to have a digital camera with USB support for uploading our pictures to the iMac? There are no media card slots on it (unless I'm missing something). For those with more than one card style, or more than one card for their high end camera, then that would be another cord dangling from the back.
So, to compare an iMac the way they do with one power cord, and one USB cord (for the keyboard/mouse) with a PC with a tangle of cables at the back is misleading.
To use time Machine, you need the external HD. To use anything that has a media card, you need another cord. Etc. Etc.
They haven't compared apples to apples. Yes, the iMac does away with SOME of the cords necessary, but certainly not in the way they represent it.
So, IMHO, they still need a mid-tower Mac.
Thanks for listening.
Oh... and why do people open their computers? Well, I for one appreciate those pictures to see how Apple designed it. I am fascinated by how things are designed, put together, how hard it is to take apart for the technician or the home user, etc.
I wonder at the poster above who wonders about those of us who enjoy seeing the design INSIDE as well as outside of our equipment. The same thing is done in the home theater environment.
Thanks for "listening".
No idea, but http://www.apple.com/imac/isight.html claims it's high-resolution. The MacBook and MacBook pro do not say high-resolution when describing the camera itself.
Here's hoping for several megapixels, unlike the current .3.
-=|Mgkwho
Although iChat currently limits it to 640*480, apparentely the iSight in the new MBPs is 1.3. I read that on macrumors I think.
Edit: Yup, found the link
http://www.macrumors.com/2007/06/28/...-3-mp-upgrade/
I'm assuming that Apple wants Time Machine to backup to the same HD, so that there are no USB connections at the back? Silly idea. There should have been dual drives inside.
That would affect the form factor though, with space and heat being the issues.
And I'm assuming the Apple expects us to have a digital camera with USB support for uploading our pictures to the iMac? There are no media card slots on it (unless I'm missing something). For those with more than one card style, or more than one card for their high end camera, then that would be another cord dangling from the back.
So, to compare an iMac the way they do with one power cord, and one USB cord (for the keyboard/mouse) with a PC with a tangle of cables at the back is misleading.
Are you referring to the small box on top of the Dell case? Thats an IR sensor for the media remote controller, not a card reader...
I don't see an issue of using a multi-card reader connected via the USB slot on the Mac keyboard for ease of access...
To use time Machine, you need the external HD.
I was under the impression you can always backup over to a network share? Surely a locally connected hard disk isn't the only option?
To use anything that has a media card, you need another cord. Etc. Etc.
Again, covering all the various standard out there would affect the form factor. If there was a single industry standard of flash media, I'm sure Apple would have included it.
So, IMHO, they still need a mid-tower Mac.
Maybe I should offer this as a services... Does Apple sell the glass covers as spare parts? Just in case one wants to restore the original status.
Seeing that taking the glass cover off the screen is rather easy, I had an idea on how to solve the problem some people have with the high-gloss display: Take it to your local glass shop and have the front sandblasted or etched.
Maybe I should offer this as a services... Does Apple sell the glass covers as spare parts? Just in case one wants to restore the original status.
As just posted on Macworld:
For those that missed it the "GLOSSY" part of the screen is really just a glass plate held on by magnets, over a regular, MATTE finished LCD. If you really had your heart set on an iMac, simply removing the glass plate will restore the traditional non-glossy screen, AND provide a nice recess to keep the screen in shadow.[/I]
It seems obvious that third-party 'non-glare replacement glass' will be for sale in the next day or so. With or without the black frame. Maybe even from Apple.
NOTE: According to recent posters who have actually gone to an Apple Store and had hands-on, glare is not an issue.
There always seems to be an intense interest (something akin to feverish scientists panting crazily to get their hands on the latest crashed UFO so they can reverse engineer it) by would-be techno-buzzards to tear down and dissect anything Apple makes.
I always find the whole process somewhat questionable. Prominently pictured in many is the happy and valiant scavenger - posing like an angler with a great fish - beside some marvel of Apple engineering that loses something from the photography and composition. I suppose some would find the word descriptions interesting enough, and others would call "BS" were it not for the laborious amount of photos documenting the occasion.
I, for one, am amazed that someone actually considers such demantling serious work and attacks it with a relish seemingly implied by the industry shown.
Is there a similar frenzy attending every Dell or HP product launch?
Or is it because Apple is so secretive, it becomes more a question of "voyeurism" than mere intellectual curiousity?
What exactly is the benefit to the several post-mortem sites that always duplicate each others efforts, often reducing such efforts to something that looks like various degrees of shade tree mechanics trying to work on a Ferrari?
Curious - I'm sure someone will defend it as a "necessary" and "rewarding" practice. *Yawn* There nevers seems a serendipitous moment in all of it.
Too bad I just don't get it. I certainly don't have to read it if I see it is going to be a "tear-down" article.
That's a lot to say, I am puzzled by the verbosity.
I think it's the challenge of it, Apple's products are notoriously hard to get into.
Seeing that taking the glass cover off the screen is rather easy, I had an idea on how to solve the problem some people have with the high-gloss display: Take it to your local glass shop and have the front sandblasted or etched.
Maybe I should offer this as a services... Does Apple sell the glass covers as spare parts? Just in case one wants to restore the original status.
Etching is a bad way to go, you aren't likely to be able to see anything through it. I would pay more for an antireflective treatment that's been done on some CRTs and eyeglasses. It's done on most camera lenses & binoculars that I've seen too.