I haven't seen the new iMac in life, i will keep my thoughts about the gloss and the black band to myself.
But people keep coming back to the same point. In designing new computers apple has a total approach, very different from other companies. They make design choices from the start with far going implications for the hardware possibilities in the end. Ordering options are limited, even worse some product classes don't even show up (midtower). As design choices in the (near) past has been very succesfull (iPod, iMac, Macbook), it's strange to see such a limited product line. It has been pointed out that limited models mean limited factory lines and less general costs and more profit per unit. But who will guarantee apple will keep on guessing right and deliver the next best thing? Isn't it very dangerous for future profit to rely on such a small product choice? And will this arrogant (we'll decide for you) attitude not fire back? If they really want to be ahead of the pack, why don't they put blue ray drives in their new imacs? And why don't they compare themselves with true competition instead of Dell's low budget model?
I beg to differ. Target Disk Mode is still the best and most straight forward way. I doubt you could do it via USB 2.0 at the moment, and gigabit means the older Mac will need to have a working OS that can do file sharing - rather messy.
If TDM supports Firewire 800, even better!
I think it would be more likely for people to have a 6pin to 6pin Firewire cable than it would be to have an A to A USB 2.0 cable. Most people have A to B or A to mini USB cables.
I always crack up at the reviews about iMacs that mention professionals being disappointed with them for some reason or another. Any professional knows that the iMac line is for consumers and will be going the obvious Mac Pro route.
So you're saying that even if you're running under Rosetta, it's worth the upgrade? My wife needs to upgrade her current PowerMac G4 MDD (867Mhz x 2) machine, but uses Photoshop & CS2 extensively - which would run in Rosetta.
I've been trying to work out what kind of speed change she would receive by migrating. Best I can come up with is that if she bought the base model (2.0 Ghz) she'd be slightly faster (20%?). 2.4Ghz would be proportionally faster of course.
(Naturally, when she upgrades to CS3 she'll see a performance jump).
If she runs CS2 under Rosetta, she will find a slowdown with a number of operations.
I'd recommend waiting until MacWorld in January, if she can, depending on her other uses for the machine.
I would imagine that we might see Penyrn then, as well as a better gpu.
Penyrn will be out in a couple of months, possibly three at most. By the time Apple intro's machines in January, it could be in them
I'm trying it right now and it just isn't happening.
One reviewer found that theirs didn't stick either. They called Apple who said it should and is sending them another remote. So ... go to an Apple store and try it there and see what happens. Of course you'll have to convince them to help you since I'm sure they won't let a remote out of their sight.
If you are spending the money, go with the new 24" and upgrade the RAM yourself while ordering the best CPU and HDD you want to afford. Leopard won't cost that much and won't be necessary to wait for.
As far as GPUs go, I am quite displeased with Apple as Jobs touts that Macs are for your digital Life. Well if we are processing this much HD, would not a very powerful GPU be needed? If not for HD, then for the sheer amount of video/photos.
Disclaimer: I am on a G5 at the moment. Things have had to improve, but for the price, why not allow the option to upgrade? Or would this put the iMac too close to the Mac Pro?
Am I upgrading? YES! Does the iMac fall short of expectations? YES! Does iLife 8 fall short of expectations? YES!!
... For the average home user more interested in watching movies or presenting a slideshow, the effect is striking ... In a properly-lit room, reflections are still a fact of life ...
Unfortunately, there are signs that Apple is headed down a questionable path for its design choices. In his press event announcing the iMac, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs claimed that customers "loved" glossy displays; we respectfully disagree. The benefits it provides are useful primarily under controlled lighting and for marketing the system in a store. If your home has bright spot lighting that can't be moved or you're a professional who has to judge color accuracy on the fly, the gloss could be troublesome and a potential deal-breaker. Apple should have at least offered matte screens on some models or as a custom option.
I do not think the average home user is primarily or only using their iMac to watch movies in a dark room. Office and classroom situations (I have taken several classes which used iMacs and had large windows directly behind the students -- can we say Major Light Reflection Source) have windows and lights and this new GLOSSY only likely will cause issues and problems.
But I do agree, thankyou, as you go on to say that the glossy design decision is "questionable". I'd go further and say they made the wrong choice. What Were They Thinking!
Reflections cause eye-strain, and attention loss, at least in my case.
Yes, they should offer a non-glare option. I have posted to Apple Feedback asking for that.
BTW, do you notice if the 24" has better color and viewing angle than the 20", as it allegedly uses a different higher quality screen type.
I'm trying it right now and it just isn't happening.
I agree. Who has a USB A to A cord?!? Consumers are more likely to have a firewire cord from an external hard drive. Or if they are forced to buy a cord, a firewire cord is far more likely to be utilized in the future than a USB A-A. Gigabit Ethernet would be a resonable option however. My original Quicksilver PowerMac circa 2001 even has Gigabit. Even 100Mb eithernet would work relatively well. If it works well enough to stream content to an AppleTV, it should be able to transfer a user profile profile in a fair amount of time.
I've owned one for almost a week now and the new iMac is great. Really great.
The glossy screen makes pictures and videos look fantasic. Super clear and crisp.
Glare is no issue either. I don't have any lights shining toward the screen but direct sunlight hits mine for a short time around mid day and it still looks fine. Much better than my old matte iMac in fact, that used to sit in the same spot.
I was a little puzzled by the black band around the screen at first, but it actually makes the screen look brighter and hides the rest of the machine from view.
I think once people actually get a chance to see it they are going to want it. Everyone that has seen mine, which includes many PC owners, does.
I understand the new iMac slightly disappoints übergeeks but is still an amazing improvement over anything from the PC world and better than the one it replaces ?
Can't quite grasp why the tone of the reviewer reads somewhat picky, then...
I believe the remote will only stick in the black frame area surrounding the screen. It definitely won't stick to aluminum.
This has been hashed out at some length on various discussion sites.
The official Apple word is that the remote isn't designed to stick-- the guy who said he had an Apple employee tell him otherwise is either mistaken or was talking to an Apple employee who was misinformed.
With a lot of careful poking around, it is possible to get the remote to stick to the screen bezel. That's because the glass is held in place with magnets, one of which is in the lower right hand corner.
You could also get your remote to stick to a desktop speaker, if you tried hard enough, since that also has a magnet in it, but that doesn't mean that's what Apple had in mind.
I don't miss the sleep light one bit and I never understood the point of it aside from looking cool. If the computer is asleep, it's asleep and you can tell that by the screen being off. Why do we need a glowing reminder? I don't need a Tamagotchi pulsing in front of my computer making my bedroom glow at night.
I understand the new iMac slightly disappoints übergeeks but is still an amazing improvement over anything from the PC world and better than the one it replaces ?
Can't quite grasp why the tone of the reviewer reads somewhat picky, then...
I actually think the review is pretty dead-on, and that 3.5/5 is a fair score.
The fact that there is not an option for a matte display is reason enough to knock one full point off, especially considering that this design decision alone is enough to be a deal-breaker for many users who would've otherwise purchased one. Regardless of the positives that the new iMac has going for it, glossy is not an option for folks who rely on true-color accuracy, and/or those who will be in rooms with windows or overhead lighting.
The other cons mentioned warrant at least another .5 point to be taken from the score..
5 stars would mean a perfect machine, and though the iMac is "good," it is by no means "perfect."
Personally, I am one who falls into the category of the glossy display being a deal-breaker.. Other than that, the iMac is perfect for my needs and I was all set to buy.. I really hope that a future revision will begin offering matte as a BTO option.
Regardless of specs, the new all aluminum case is beautiful and the article writer is wrong.
The thinner lighter frame is high tech, up to date and outstanding.
I think the price, considering the monitor in included, is fine but I would like to see it dropped $200 on the line for school purchases by parents, not in school that want to buy at scholastic discounts for their kids.
Comments
But people keep coming back to the same point. In designing new computers apple has a total approach, very different from other companies. They make design choices from the start with far going implications for the hardware possibilities in the end. Ordering options are limited, even worse some product classes don't even show up (midtower). As design choices in the (near) past has been very succesfull (iPod, iMac, Macbook), it's strange to see such a limited product line. It has been pointed out that limited models mean limited factory lines and less general costs and more profit per unit. But who will guarantee apple will keep on guessing right and deliver the next best thing? Isn't it very dangerous for future profit to rely on such a small product choice? And will this arrogant (we'll decide for you) attitude not fire back? If they really want to be ahead of the pack, why don't they put blue ray drives in their new imacs? And why don't they compare themselves with true competition instead of Dell's low budget model?
Yes, AI gets it wrong yet again...
There IS a magnet exactly where macfanboy says it is; please correct your article.
-=|Mgkwho
I'm trying it right now and it just isn't happening.
I beg to differ. Target Disk Mode is still the best and most straight forward way. I doubt you could do it via USB 2.0 at the moment, and gigabit means the older Mac will need to have a working OS that can do file sharing - rather messy.
If TDM supports Firewire 800, even better!
I think it would be more likely for people to have a 6pin to 6pin Firewire cable than it would be to have an A to A USB 2.0 cable. Most people have A to B or A to mini USB cables.
roog
So you're saying that even if you're running under Rosetta, it's worth the upgrade? My wife needs to upgrade her current PowerMac G4 MDD (867Mhz x 2) machine, but uses Photoshop & CS2 extensively - which would run in Rosetta.
I've been trying to work out what kind of speed change she would receive by migrating. Best I can come up with is that if she bought the base model (2.0 Ghz) she'd be slightly faster (20%?). 2.4Ghz would be proportionally faster of course.
(Naturally, when she upgrades to CS3 she'll see a performance jump).
If she runs CS2 under Rosetta, she will find a slowdown with a number of operations.
I'd recommend waiting until MacWorld in January, if she can, depending on her other uses for the machine.
I would imagine that we might see Penyrn then, as well as a better gpu.
Penyrn will be out in a couple of months, possibly three at most. By the time Apple intro's machines in January, it could be in them
We may have some surprises then.
I'm trying it right now and it just isn't happening.
One reviewer found that theirs didn't stick either. They called Apple who said it should and is sending them another remote. So ... go to an Apple store and try it there and see what happens. Of course you'll have to convince them to help you since I'm sure they won't let a remote out of their sight.
If you are spending the money, go with the new 24" and upgrade the RAM yourself while ordering the best CPU and HDD you want to afford. Leopard won't cost that much and won't be necessary to wait for.
As far as GPUs go, I am quite displeased with Apple as Jobs touts that Macs are for your digital Life. Well if we are processing this much HD, would not a very powerful GPU be needed? If not for HD, then for the sheer amount of video/photos.
Disclaimer: I am on a G5 at the moment. Things have had to improve, but for the price, why not allow the option to upgrade? Or would this put the iMac too close to the Mac Pro?
Am I upgrading? YES! Does the iMac fall short of expectations? YES! Does iLife 8 fall short of expectations? YES!!
Rich
http://richgetz.com
The gpu is perfectly fine for HD.
Even the built-in graphics of the 950 in the Mini and MacBook is perfectly fine for HD.
Better cards are only required for playing higher end 3D games, or running polygon intensive 3D programs such as Shake, etc.
Design, the Glossy Display and the Apple Keyboard
... For the average home user more interested in watching movies or presenting a slideshow, the effect is striking ... In a properly-lit room, reflections are still a fact of life ...
Unfortunately, there are signs that Apple is headed down a questionable path for its design choices. In his press event announcing the iMac, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs claimed that customers "loved" glossy displays; we respectfully disagree. The benefits it provides are useful primarily under controlled lighting and for marketing the system in a store. If your home has bright spot lighting that can't be moved or you're a professional who has to judge color accuracy on the fly, the gloss could be troublesome and a potential deal-breaker. Apple should have at least offered matte screens on some models or as a custom option.
[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]
I do not think the average home user is primarily or only using their iMac to watch movies in a dark room. Office and classroom situations (I have taken several classes which used iMacs and had large windows directly behind the students -- can we say Major Light Reflection Source) have windows and lights and this new GLOSSY only likely will cause issues and problems.
But I do agree, thankyou, as you go on to say that the glossy design decision is "questionable". I'd go further and say they made the wrong choice. What Were They Thinking!
Reflections cause eye-strain, and attention loss, at least in my case.
Yes, they should offer a non-glare option. I have posted to Apple Feedback asking for that.
BTW, do you notice if the 24" has better color and viewing angle than the 20", as it allegedly uses a different higher quality screen type.
I'm trying it right now and it just isn't happening.
I agree. Who has a USB A to A cord?!? Consumers are more likely to have a firewire cord from an external hard drive. Or if they are forced to buy a cord, a firewire cord is far more likely to be utilized in the future than a USB A-A. Gigabit Ethernet would be a resonable option however. My original Quicksilver PowerMac circa 2001 even has Gigabit. Even 100Mb eithernet would work relatively well. If it works well enough to stream content to an AppleTV, it should be able to transfer a user profile profile in a fair amount of time.
The glossy screen makes pictures and videos look fantasic. Super clear and crisp.
Glare is no issue either. I don't have any lights shining toward the screen but direct sunlight hits mine for a short time around mid day and it still looks fine. Much better than my old matte iMac in fact, that used to sit in the same spot.
I was a little puzzled by the black band around the screen at first, but it actually makes the screen look brighter and hides the rest of the machine from view.
I think once people actually get a chance to see it they are going to want it. Everyone that has seen mine, which includes many PC owners, does.
Choosing aluminum has lightened the system
Uh, no it has not.
Previous 24-inch iMac -- "Weight: 24.7 pounds (11.2 kg)"
New 24-inch iMac -- "Weight: 25.4 pounds (11.5 kg)"
The new one is HEAVIER.
Can't quite grasp why the tone of the reviewer reads somewhat picky, then...
I believe the remote will only stick in the black frame area surrounding the screen. It definitely won't stick to aluminum.
This has been hashed out at some length on various discussion sites.
The official Apple word is that the remote isn't designed to stick-- the guy who said he had an Apple employee tell him otherwise is either mistaken or was talking to an Apple employee who was misinformed.
With a lot of careful poking around, it is possible to get the remote to stick to the screen bezel. That's because the glass is held in place with magnets, one of which is in the lower right hand corner.
You could also get your remote to stick to a desktop speaker, if you tried hard enough, since that also has a magnet in it, but that doesn't mean that's what Apple had in mind.
I understand the new iMac slightly disappoints übergeeks but is still an amazing improvement over anything from the PC world and better than the one it replaces ?
Can't quite grasp why the tone of the reviewer reads somewhat picky, then...
I actually think the review is pretty dead-on, and that 3.5/5 is a fair score.
The fact that there is not an option for a matte display is reason enough to knock one full point off, especially considering that this design decision alone is enough to be a deal-breaker for many users who would've otherwise purchased one. Regardless of the positives that the new iMac has going for it, glossy is not an option for folks who rely on true-color accuracy, and/or those who will be in rooms with windows or overhead lighting.
The other cons mentioned warrant at least another .5 point to be taken from the score..
5 stars would mean a perfect machine, and though the iMac is "good," it is by no means "perfect."
Personally, I am one who falls into the category of the glossy display being a deal-breaker.. Other than that, the iMac is perfect for my needs and I was all set to buy.. I really hope that a future revision will begin offering matte as a BTO option.
Uh, no it has not.
Previous 24-inch iMac -- "Weight: 24.7 pounds (11.2 kg)"
New 24-inch iMac -- "Weight: 25.4 pounds (11.5 kg)"
The new one is HEAVIER.
Thanks for the weight comparison. I was looking for that on another thread.
The new one has a glass panel which is adding some weight.
The thinner lighter frame is high tech, up to date and outstanding.
I think the price, considering the monitor in included, is fine but I would like to see it dropped $200 on the line for school purchases by parents, not in school that want to buy at scholastic discounts for their kids.