Apple quietly refreshes iMac line, now up to 3.06GHz

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  • Reply 141 of 362
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    Elections don't change anything. If you are waiting for politicians to bail you out, you're going to have a long, long wait.



    Bailing me out?



    You live here too, from what I see from your location.



    Anyway, that's not the point.



    Quote:

    In my situation my original core duo 20" is just fine for surfing the web and playing videos/music so I don't need a new iMac on my kitchen table. At work, though, I do need more power for FCP, but 8 cores is a lot of money, recession or not.



    Yes, 8 cores is a lot of money even if we were not in a recession.



    But there is an advantage to 8 cores. This is the first time that computers are more powerful than needed for most programs, even professional ones.



    As these programs are revised over the next few years, they will use more the the present 8 core machine. This will actually allow them to work more quickly on the (then) old machine than they did when the machine and software was new.



    This will enable that machine to add years to its life that otherwise, a weaker machine with fewer cores wouldn't have.



    This means that the machine will have a much better ROI than a 2 or 4 core machine.



    Besides. This is a capital investment for a company. There are tax advantages to buying it. In the end, the cost will be much less than you think.
  • Reply 142 of 362
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by zinfella View Post


    The photography blogs are full of dissatisfied 24" iMac owners specifically because of the screen gradient problem. Apple refuses to admit the problem, but, they do exchange models that have it. Some people have done as many as 3 exchanges, and still had the problem.



    We bought 20 24" machines for the two photography labs in my daughters school. I've been helping the teachers with their classes. I've not noticed this problem, and I wonder where it comes from.



    What blogs are you talking about, because the pro sites I'm a member of, where more than a few pro's use these machines, have had not a word of it.



    Quote:

    Don't misunderstand, folks not into high end graphics or heavily into photography, aren't going to have an issue, but, that sure isn't everyone. We already know that Apple is looking at going to all LED displays, what we don't know is when. Maybe the next iMac upgrade, who knows?



    You mean backlit displays, right?



    Quote:

    Some of the unhappy photographers are pros and some are serious amateurs, but all demand high quality images. Screen gradient issues showing uneven light and color are an impediment to that. They think it's a VERY big issue, and it's their money .



    As I've just said, I've not seen this issue, nor have I read about it. Please give me a link or two to check out. I would be very interested.
  • Reply 143 of 362
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    Perhaps I should have used this quote instead.



    I think you read too much into that one too. Even if there's a power shift, it takes several months for it to mean anything more than just be a feel good effect.
  • Reply 144 of 362
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mstone View Post


    Perhaps I should have used this quote instead.



    He's right. you're reading something into it that I didn't say, or mean.



    I'm not relating the end of the recession to the elections. It's just that economists think that the recession will end shortly after the elections, perhaps around January.



    It's coincidence. Though some better economic policies would help.
  • Reply 145 of 362
    elrothelroth Posts: 1,201member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by edwin2213 View Post


    The President doesn't have the last word. A presidential veto can be overridden by a two thirds majority vote of both the house and the senate.



    After a presidential veto, it takes 67 senators to override. So unless there are 67 democrats in the senate, the president and the republicans have all the power they need to stop any meaningful change.
  • Reply 146 of 362
    welshdogwelshdog Posts: 1,897member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    Er, no!



    We're just beginning to enter the worst of the recession. It wasn't even agreed upon that we were IN a recession until last month.



    The estimate is that this recession will last longer than the average 8 months for recessions that has been true since WWII. Perhaps a year. Hopefully, we will be coming out of it shortly after the election.



    The future is not so bright and we won't need shades. Peak oil, Google it.
  • Reply 147 of 362
    elrothelroth Posts: 1,201member
    According to a story on MacNN, Intel has confirmed that the chips are 45nm Penryn chips with Santa Rosa chipset.



    "The 3.06GHz processor and fellow chips in Apple's new iMacs are part of a special run of Intel's existing technology... Although the processors match the same core clock rates and 1,066MHz system bus speeds as those for the upcoming platform, the processors are now known to be unlisted speed grades that include special support for the faster bus speeds (up from 800MHz)...The mainboard remains based on the same "Santa Rosa" chipset as for earlier iMacs and MacBooks."



    I still like what I know so far.
  • Reply 148 of 362
    abster2coreabster2core Posts: 2,501member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by gastroboy View Post


    The one thing we have both not investigated is; what import fees is the USA charging? After all you need to compare like with like. No point pretending it is only Australia that has handling costs.



    The same goes for marketing, etc. If the paperwork and marketing were not done in Australia then it would have to be done in the USA.



    There is no import fee that the USA is charging. Cost of transportation from whereever, including all the paperwork and legal stuff is in the cost of goods.



    Even though there is no country import tax, there still is freight forwarding costs and landing tax that is born by the receiver.



    Marketing, although most is done in the US, there is still regional issues that have to be addressed, i.e., country specific legal issues such as warrantees and the like. Just the cost of another language, phone numbers, translations, etc., are added costs. In addition, accounting, patent and copyright filings, monitoring, support and tracking is costs that have to reflect the regional concerns as well. Just can't dump American Made and not expect to pay the piper.
  • Reply 149 of 362
    elrothelroth Posts: 1,201member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    Barefeats showed that 8800 is not much benefit for video editing, it's a detriment. For its capabilities that relate to pro apps, It's actually slower than some older, "lesser" cards.



    http://www.barefeats.com/harper10.html



    They tested the 8800 GT against the 2600 XT (it doesn't say how much memory). Do you think the same results hold for the 8800 GS (512MB) against the 2600 Pro (256 MB)? (I'm interested in the apps, not the gaming). The way the cards are named is pretty confusing.
  • Reply 150 of 362
    zinfellazinfella Posts: 877member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    We bought 20 24" machines for the two photography labs in my daughters school. I've been helping the teachers with their classes. I've not noticed this problem, and I wonder where it comes from.



    What blogs are you talking about, because the pro sites I'm a member of, where more than a few pro's use these machines, have had not a word of it.







    You mean backlit displays, right?







    As I've just said, I've not seen this issue, nor have I read about it. Please give me a link or two to check out. I would be very interested.



    Here are several pages worth.



    <http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&amp;rls=en&amp;q=iMac+24"+screen+gr adient+issue&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8>



    Another from Photo.net.



    <http://photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=00OED9>;



    They're not hard to find.
  • Reply 151 of 362
    Well I just placed my order for the 24" 3.06ghz box with the NVIDIA GPU. I'm moving from a 7 year old Dell PIII box (that's slow as hell) and never used a Mac in my life. What's the best way to learn the new OSX environment? Just dive in? Pay the Apple store for "lessons"? Wish me luck!
  • Reply 152 of 362
    zinfellazinfella Posts: 877member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ncpcguy View Post


    Well I just placed my order for the 24" 3.06ghz box with the NVIDIA GPU. I'm moving from a 7 year old Dell PIII box (that's slow as hell) and never used a Mac in my life. What's the best way to learn the new OSX environment? Just dive in? Pay the Apple store for "lessons"? Wish me luck!



    IMO, join a MUG, you can't beat all of the info at your fingertips. For example, here's an excellent one, and yes I'm a member, <http://www.amug.org/>. For $39 a year you will get unlimited online support, plus member discounts on merchandise, and we have monthly meetings if you live close enough.



    I've gotten many times more than $39 worth of help every year that I've been a member.
  • Reply 153 of 362
    elrothelroth Posts: 1,201member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ncpcguy View Post


    Well I just placed my order for the 24" 3.06ghz box with the NVIDIA GPU. I'm moving from a 7 year old Dell PIII box (that's slow as hell) and never used a Mac in my life. What's the best way to learn the new OSX environment? Just dive in? Pay the Apple store for "lessons"? Wish me luck!



    One option is the book "Mac OS X Leopard: The Missing Manual." Also, the Apple Stores have beginning classes/workshops for free (or you can pay for one-on-one time). There's a "Switchers" page on the Apple website.
  • Reply 154 of 362
    gastroboygastroboy Posts: 530member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ncpcguy View Post


    Well I just placed my order for the 24" 3.06ghz box with the NVIDIA GPU. I'm moving from a 7 year old Dell PIII box (that's slow as hell) and never used a Mac in my life. What's the best way to learn the new OSX environment? Just dive in? Pay the Apple store for "lessons"? Wish me luck!



    You'll find strong similarities with Windows but many things which we find obvious you will have to discover. You'll be looking pretty hard for wizards (there are none and you won't miss them).



    Most of the "obvious things" will just need to be pointed out to you. Like going to someone else's house there will be a kitchen, bathroom, broom closet etc. Just somewhere else. We speak a different language and name the pets odd names like "Finder" instead of "Explorer".



    On the bright side we are not as mean spirited, malicious or mercenary as the Windows world. No endemic diseases to speak of, you can even drink the water if you don't mind Kool Aid in it.



    To start I do suggest you go to the Apple.com tutorials and if you need a holding hand Apple's Forums. There are plenty of excellent tutorial videos on OSx and Apple's applications at their website as well.
  • Reply 155 of 362
    If I get a new computer with the $69 .mac subscription, does it just add the new time to my existing .mac account, or does the $69 deal only apply for new .mac accounts?
  • Reply 156 of 362
    gastroboygastroboy Posts: 530member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    As I've just said, I've not seen this issue, nor have I read about it. Please give me a link or two to check out. I would be very interested.



    Even Apple's own forums were full of complaints. I steered clear of the problem by buying the white 24" iMacs before they disappeared off the shelves. Got them at excellent prices too!
  • Reply 157 of 362
    zinfellazinfella Posts: 877member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by gobble gobble View Post


    If I get a new computer with the $69 .mac subscription, does it just add the new time to my existing .mac account, or does the $69 deal only apply for new .mac accounts?



    You use the number from the new .Mac account to extend your existing account when the current one expires.
  • Reply 158 of 362
    elrothelroth Posts: 1,201member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Stormchild View Post


    Actually, that's still way overpriced. You can get a full 4 GB of the exact same memory for under $100 elsewhere (and by the way it's 800 MHz, not GHz). Try checking the prices for 4 GB of 800 MHz DDR2 memory at Dealram. Never buy RAM or HD upgrades from Apple.



    The RAM you list is 240 pin instead of 200 pin. Crucial lists 2x2GB of the new iMac memory for $124. So yeah, it's a better deal than Apple, and you get the extra 2x1GB modules to sell or give away (if you want to deal with it).



    But still, $200 for the Apple factory upgrade (from 2 to 4GB) is not bad.
  • Reply 159 of 362
    gastroboygastroboy Posts: 530member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Abster2core View Post


    There is no import fee that the USA is charging. Cost of transportation from whereever, including all the paperwork and legal stuff is in the cost of goods.



    Even though there is no country import tax, there still is freight forwarding costs and landing tax that is born by the receiver.



    So same thing different name. It is not like we are paying separately for these either, but we wouldn't be paying yours as well as ours, just instead of.



    Quote:

    Marketing, although most is done in the US, there is still regional issues that have to be addressed, i.e., country specific legal issues such as warrantees and the like. Just the cost of another language, phone numbers, translations, etc., are added costs. In addition, accounting, patent and copyright filings, monitoring, support and tracking is costs that have to reflect the regional concerns as well. Just can't dump American Made and not expect to pay the piper.



    Again all these issues are instead of. We speak English, the laws and lawyers are similar and go with any working business. Any Apple office anywhere has to pay for its own telephones, stationery, accounts etc even in the States. You didn't have to pay a premium on your Macs to use Australia's Fred Anderson when he became HQ's CFO for many years.



    You would assume that all parts of an organisation contribute to the whole. There should not be any cross subsidisation unless you are trying to minimise tax in certain markets by loading them up with costs to reduce their profits and shift them to HQ.



    Should Mac consumers in Alaska pay more than say Canadian consumers? After all they are a small state in population and are much further from Apple HQ and face much greater transport and support costs?
  • Reply 160 of 362
    mr. hmr. h Posts: 4,870member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by elroth View Post


    According to a story on MacNN, Intel has confirmed that the chips are 45nm Penryn chips with Santa Rosa chipset.



    "The 3.06GHz processor and fellow chips in Apple's new iMacs are part of a special run of Intel's existing technology... Although the processors match the same core clock rates and 1,066MHz system bus speeds as those for the upcoming platform, the processors are now known to be unlisted speed grades that include special support for the faster bus speeds (up from 800MHz)...The mainboard remains based on the same "Santa Rosa" chipset as for earlier iMacs and MacBooks."



    I still like what I know so far.



    As I mentioned in a different thread, I think that whoever in Intel is providing these "facts", they don't have all the information.



    At issue here isn't just the CPU speed, but also that the iMac is using 800 MHz RAM, which Santa Rosa doesn't support.



    Which is more likely:
    • Intel made some special CPUs and motherboard chipsets that are just like Montevina and its updated Penryn CPUs, but not actually Montevina, and will supply Apple with real Montevina in 1 - 2 months' time, or...

    • Intel have delivered Montevina a couple of months early to Apple?

    Maybe Intel are deliberately lying about what chip this is because they don't want to piss off their other customers.
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