Talking about performance, there is another point that I probably missed. We have yet to see comparisons between the previous and current generation iMacs running the same game. Apple too used to post such comparisons but this time the dedicated page is just empty. I think this tells much about the GPU performance advance with this update.
This may be old news to everyone, but I did a comparison on the weekend and the display panel in the new 20" model is noticeably inferior to that in the previous 20" Intel and G5 models-much like the old 17" panel the contrast is very sensitive to angle of view, and you can even notice solarisation effects if you look from above.
If anyone is thinking of buying one for graphics work then that should be a dealbreaker regardless of your feelings about the glossy display....
I hope the remote attaches to the iMac's side. I've already lost two -- from a Mac mini and a Hi-Fi. Maybe I should attach them to my wrist with a string ... or Apple could include an option for a beeper similar to when I need to locate my misplaced portable phone.
I hope the remote attaches to the iMac's side. I've already lost two -- from a Mac mini and a Hi-Fi. Maybe I should attach them to my wrist with a string ... or Apple could include an option for a beeper similar to when I need to locate my misplaced portable phone.
It doesn't. You can feel where the magnet attempts to grab the remote but the remote is either to heavy or what I expect is the glass screen cover is moved just enough away from the magnet that you can't get solid contact.
Hey duct tape is the same color as the new imacs.......
So this is confusing, why would an imac necessarily be faster than a Mac Book Pro? Off the shelf mine has a 2.4Ghz Core 2 Duo, 256MB Graphics Memory and 2 GB of RAM. That beats all bar one of the iMac's anyday, the only thing you can say is that the high end iMac has a faster processor than is found in the MBP but that is all.
The iMac also has faster 3.5"hard drives instead of slower laptop drives. IME, drive speed makes quite a difference.
My point was more that the iMac gets sneered at often for not having the 'Pro' suffix when in reality it's at least on a par with the Mac Book Pros and faster in some respects. Plus, you can have a 1TB drive in there now. That's pretty mental. My first computer with a hard drive had 10MB.
I agree. However, IF someone really needs to hang the remote on the computer, I have a suggestion. At times,
some adverts come with a magnet backing. Cut a small piece and glue it on the computer where ever you want it. If it's small enough, it won't be obtrusive. Personally, I wouldn't want a magnet on or near my desk or computer because of the USB drives and other media I use and are usually on my desk. Even a magnetized paper clip can cause a problem.
Maybe that was a valid concern with floppies but I doubt it's a problem with hard drives. You need a surprisingly strong magnet to disturb the data on a hard drive.
Talking about performance, there is another point that I probably missed. We have yet to see comparisons between the previous and current generation iMacs running the same game. Apple too used to post such comparisons but this time the dedicated page is just empty. I think this tells much about the GPU performance advance with this update.
this doesn't tell us everything, and I don't know which gpu was in the old iMac (was it the upgrade, or not?), but what it doe show is telling.
88.7 FPS for the old 24" when running Unreal Tourn 2004, and 86.3 on the new 24".
Hopefully, the drivers need improvement, as that's not uncommon.
Maybe that was a valid concern with floppies but I doubt it's a problem with hard drives. You need a surprisingly strong magnet to disturb the data on a hard drive.
I wasn't referring to hard drives. USB thumb drives and such. My publisher still uses floppies and I'm careful with them around magnets. Not thinking, a friend laid a magnetized paper clip on a floppy and lost much of the file.
I also think that the more options customers will have when they purchase a computer from Apple the more people will be able to get the configuration that best fits their needs.
To me glossy is not a problem, as I got used to it faster than I thought with my MacBook. Apple has recently gone a long way, it seems, to offer more options and I believe they'll go this way far enough to provide customers with a choice of displays as long as it doesn't make it much more expensive for them to have two kinds of iMac ready with different displays, or maybe the glossy gets cheaper to produce, that I wouldn't know.
The underpowered GPU is a real missed opportunity. As a games developer an iMac is the perfect machine - I can use Mac OS X for generaly document writing, graphic design, day-to-day stuff. Then boot up in Windows and do game development stuff.
As a games player - there's some exciting shifts - EA bringing it's catalogue to Mac etc. Why aren't Apple supporting this - with a decent spec'd machine. Things move so fast in the graphics world - that not only do you want the best your money can buy for performance, but there's the longevity as well - which is also vital in a system that cannot easily be upgraded.
A missed opportunity Apple - I'm now faced with still having to save up for a Mac Pro, or having two systems - one Mac and one PC.
Does it? I just got a new iMac 20 for my wife and completed the whole process in 2 hours with EVERYTHING via good old "firewire 400". Doesn't everyone on the planet have a firewire cable by now? Target Disk Mode is really quite easy to use. I just wish I could copy straight across through the finder, but a few Software companies might raise objections at that.
The underpowered GPU is a real missed opportunity. As a games developer an iMac is the perfect machine - I can use Mac OS X for generaly document writing, graphic design, day-to-day stuff. Then boot up in Windows and do game development stuff.
As a games player - there's some exciting shifts - EA bringing it's catalogue to Mac etc. Why aren't Apple supporting this - with a decent spec'd machine. Things move so fast in the graphics world - that not only do you want the best your money can buy for performance, but there's the longevity as well - which is also vital in a system that cannot easily be upgraded.
A missed opportunity Apple - I'm now faced with still having to save up for a Mac Pro, or having two systems - one Mac and one PC.
iMacs will never have gaming gpu's because the design of the iMac could not tolerate the heat generated by an 8800 series card, not the mention the need for a bigger power supply with power support for the gpu.
I would assume this is one of the reasons many are asking of a mid level tower system, which or course they will never see from Apple.
iMacs will never have gaming gpu's because the design of the iMac could not tolerate the heat generated by an 8800 series card, not the mention the need for a bigger power supply with power support for the gpu.
I would assume this is one of the reasons many are asking of a mid level tower system, which or course they will never see from Apple.
This is really really sad. Apple is loosing many potential customers because of this?and it's not only about games. A friends friend was asking for recommendations on a desktop computer for around $1500 to for her "graphical" school. A good graphics card was needed for 3D applications. Where's the Mac to match that?
This is really really sad. Apple is loosing many potential customers because of this?and it's not only about games. A friends friend was asking for recommendations on a desktop computer for around $1500 to for her "graphical" school. A good graphics card was needed for 3D applications. Where's the Mac to match that?
Correct me if I'm wrong (I've been a Mac user for @ 5 years) , but didn't Mac gain its early reputation for being THE go to computer for GRAPHICS? What happened along the line? Is the ball in the PC court now (rhetorical)?
Comments
The reason I ask is that I have the previous version (C2D 2.33 GHz 24") and have two really irritating noises:
- A crackling sound, possibly from the power supply.
- A kind of hollow buzzing sound when I set the screen light intensity to minimum.
Possibly both can be attributed to cheap power supply parts and not a fault in my machine only (I have heard similar noises from other 24-inchers).
What about the 2.8 GHz version. Is it still a mobile processor (I got a bit confused when I saw it is called "Extreme")?
If anyone is thinking of buying one for graphics work then that should be a dealbreaker regardless of your feelings about the glossy display....
I hope the remote attaches to the iMac's side. I've already lost two -- from a Mac mini and a Hi-Fi. Maybe I should attach them to my wrist with a string ... or Apple could include an option for a beeper similar to when I need to locate my misplaced portable phone.
It doesn't. You can feel where the magnet attempts to grab the remote but the remote is either to heavy or what I expect is the glass screen cover is moved just enough away from the magnet that you can't get solid contact.
Hey duct tape is the same color as the new imacs.......
So this is confusing, why would an imac necessarily be faster than a Mac Book Pro? Off the shelf mine has a 2.4Ghz Core 2 Duo, 256MB Graphics Memory and 2 GB of RAM. That beats all bar one of the iMac's anyday, the only thing you can say is that the high end iMac has a faster processor than is found in the MBP but that is all.
The iMac also has faster 3.5"hard drives instead of slower laptop drives. IME, drive speed makes quite a difference.
My point was more that the iMac gets sneered at often for not having the 'Pro' suffix when in reality it's at least on a par with the Mac Book Pros and faster in some respects. Plus, you can have a 1TB drive in there now. That's pretty mental. My first computer with a hard drive had 10MB.
It's not good if you're a gamer.
http://barefeats.com/imacal.html
Barefeats has started posting results.
It's not good if you're a gamer.
http://barefeats.com/imacal.html
I'm hoping they screwed up on the initial driver release like they did on the MBPs. Otherwise, it's going to be a long couple of years.
I agree. However, IF someone really needs to hang the remote on the computer, I have a suggestion. At times,
some adverts come with a magnet backing. Cut a small piece and glue it on the computer where ever you want it. If it's small enough, it won't be obtrusive. Personally, I wouldn't want a magnet on or near my desk or computer because of the USB drives and other media I use and are usually on my desk. Even a magnetized paper clip can cause a problem.
Maybe that was a valid concern with floppies but I doubt it's a problem with hard drives. You need a surprisingly strong magnet to disturb the data on a hard drive.
Sure, but that's the problem. Apple leaves this GPU power dormant. It has probably a good reason to do so, but probably not. I don't know.
Apple does make some odd choices about things like this.
But, the point is that even a 950 CAN do it.
Talking about performance, there is another point that I probably missed. We have yet to see comparisons between the previous and current generation iMacs running the same game. Apple too used to post such comparisons but this time the dedicated page is just empty. I think this tells much about the GPU performance advance with this update.
this doesn't tell us everything, and I don't know which gpu was in the old iMac (was it the upgrade, or not?), but what it doe show is telling.
88.7 FPS for the old 24" when running Unreal Tourn 2004, and 86.3 on the new 24".
Hopefully, the drivers need improvement, as that's not uncommon.
http://www.macworld.com/2007/08/revi...imac/index.php
Here's another interesting one. More complete.
http://www.barefeats.com/imacal.html
Overall, not good.
Maybe that was a valid concern with floppies but I doubt it's a problem with hard drives. You need a surprisingly strong magnet to disturb the data on a hard drive.
I wasn't referring to hard drives. USB thumb drives and such. My publisher still uses floppies and I'm careful with them around magnets. Not thinking, a friend laid a magnetized paper clip on a floppy and lost much of the file.
Barefeats has started posting results.
It's not good if you're a gamer.
http://barefeats.com/imacal.html
Ah, I didn't notice before I posted. You beat me on this.
To me glossy is not a problem, as I got used to it faster than I thought with my MacBook. Apple has recently gone a long way, it seems, to offer more options and I believe they'll go this way far enough to provide customers with a choice of displays as long as it doesn't make it much more expensive for them to have two kinds of iMac ready with different displays, or maybe the glossy gets cheaper to produce, that I wouldn't know.
As a games player - there's some exciting shifts - EA bringing it's catalogue to Mac etc. Why aren't Apple supporting this - with a decent spec'd machine. Things move so fast in the graphics world - that not only do you want the best your money can buy for performance, but there's the longevity as well - which is also vital in a system that cannot easily be upgraded.
A missed opportunity Apple - I'm now faced with still having to save up for a Mac Pro, or having two systems - one Mac and one PC.
The underpowered GPU is.....
the underpowered-ness of the GPU is possibly overstated? an interesting read:
http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=339616
...
If TDM supports Firewire 800, even better!
Does it? I just got a new iMac 20 for my wife and completed the whole process in 2 hours with EVERYTHING via good old "firewire 400". Doesn't everyone on the planet have a firewire cable by now? Target Disk Mode is really quite easy to use. I just wish I could copy straight across through the finder, but a few Software companies might raise objections at that.
The underpowered GPU is a real missed opportunity. As a games developer an iMac is the perfect machine - I can use Mac OS X for generaly document writing, graphic design, day-to-day stuff. Then boot up in Windows and do game development stuff.
As a games player - there's some exciting shifts - EA bringing it's catalogue to Mac etc. Why aren't Apple supporting this - with a decent spec'd machine. Things move so fast in the graphics world - that not only do you want the best your money can buy for performance, but there's the longevity as well - which is also vital in a system that cannot easily be upgraded.
A missed opportunity Apple - I'm now faced with still having to save up for a Mac Pro, or having two systems - one Mac and one PC.
iMacs will never have gaming gpu's because the design of the iMac could not tolerate the heat generated by an 8800 series card, not the mention the need for a bigger power supply with power support for the gpu.
I would assume this is one of the reasons many are asking of a mid level tower system, which or course they will never see from Apple.
iMacs will never have gaming gpu's because the design of the iMac could not tolerate the heat generated by an 8800 series card, not the mention the need for a bigger power supply with power support for the gpu.
I would assume this is one of the reasons many are asking of a mid level tower system, which or course they will never see from Apple.
This is really really sad. Apple is loosing many potential customers because of this?and it's not only about games. A friends friend was asking for recommendations on a desktop computer for around $1500 to for her "graphical" school. A good graphics card was needed for 3D applications. Where's the Mac to match that?
This is really really sad. Apple is loosing many potential customers because of this?and it's not only about games. A friends friend was asking for recommendations on a desktop computer for around $1500 to for her "graphical" school. A good graphics card was needed for 3D applications. Where's the Mac to match that?
Correct me if I'm wrong (I've been a Mac user for @ 5 years) , but didn't Mac gain its early reputation for being THE go to computer for GRAPHICS? What happened along the line? Is the ball in the PC court now (rhetorical)?
A travesty and a tragedy!