There is no faster CPU available. The only thing Intel offers is more cores and newer designs. Within the thermal envelope of the current iMac and the price of the chips they're currently using there is only one chip that would offer better performance and it's a Xeon.
More RAM? 4GB is more than enough for consumers and 4GB DIMMs are insanely expensive still.
Better video, I sure hope so, but Apple usually waits for a second revision before upgrading them.
Slimmed down. I hope not because it will prevent use of higher performance parts.
Quad core. I hope so, but it won't happen if the case is slimmer.
Don't care about BluRay and cannot see any point in a 5MP iSight.
Apple doesn't like eSATA and it's not needed on an iMac.
I agree that multitouch and USB 3 aren't coming this year.
As I've already stated, the iMac can't get any faster unless Apple re-designs it (makes it bigger) to allow desktop processors or they go with the Xeon L5520.
A speed bump in RAM doesn't mean more RAM. It means faster RAM. It currently uses 1066 MHZ DDR3, They could probably bring that up to 1300 MHz or higher.As for processor I meant that the lower end models would get a faster processor by default. Slimmed down is always a possibility with the advances in cooling and Apple being aesthetic freaks.
The problem I have with Blu-ray drives being included as an option is that we still don?t have support at the OS level to make AACS encrypted video play in HD. Apple could have included that and then let their customers buy external drives for Blu-ray playback but they haven?t. They also haven?t included it Snow Leopard as of yet. The licensing has been simplified more than enough time to at least get that ball rolling and it?s not in Apple?s favour to make Blu-ray on a PC a big to-do when they are clearly pushing their digital content as a "good enough" quality, convenient alternative to buying a Blu-ray player.
How hard would it to add the necessary support at the OS level? Could it be hiding on an internal build that hasn't been shown? Would it require extensive beta testing?
I'm still hoping they are going to sneak it in as a feature announced at the Snow Leopard launch. The support for Blu-ray in Final Cut and the itunes blu-ray mention seem to indicate that Apple has something up their sleeve. Or maybe it is wishful thinking. I built a Windows HTPC partly because I wanted blu-ray and partly because I wanted games, but I hate it. I'd be happy to relegate it to games only.
I think we're going to see another lame update that only adds an SD slot and one other minor change like BluRay. With expectations set that low it should be easy for Apple to exceed them.
Joy. An even slimmer design. I guess the likelihood that the iMac will ever get a Quad Core is going down. The iMac doesn't use current 45W Penryn Core 2 Quad or the special 65W desktop Core 2 Quads and Nehalem based quad cores aren't much better at 95W for Lynnfield and 55W/45W for mobile Clarksdale. Further thinning the iMac which will likely further reduce thermal room won't help any.
iMacs probably won't see Quad-Cores until the mobile i5 and i7 processors come out next year seeing how they're based on mobile chipsets:
My guess is we'll see an announcement of a major refresh to notebooks and iMacs announced around the usual time of MacWorld in January to the Intel i5 and i7 architecture.
I'm sure Apple and NVIDIA (or maybe ATI ???) are working on integrating the video chipsets right now. I'm going to take another guess and say we'll see a return to ATI video chipsets after the recent outbursts between Apple and NVIDIA and NVIDIA and Intel.
This article was so awkwardly written that I had to read the first few sentences a few times to understand what it was even about. I was then dismayed to find that it isn't about anything.
Aside from the stupid business lingo phrase "up(ping) the value proposition," there is nothing terribly awkward or hard to understand about the first sentence.?
And, of course, a SUPER Mac mini or a Mac mini TOWER. That is, a headless Mac that is QUIET.
You should just change your handle to "contrarian."
What you want is a combination of the exact opposite of what most consumers want, and the exact products that Apple and most industry followers have determined they will never, ever produce.
Good luck with that.
Edit: Along with criticising them for something (noisy machines), when almost everyone agrees they makes the quietest machines on the planet in general.
I think the following would work well for the iMacs, you guys have any feature thoughts?
- Slimmer design
- Blu-Ray drives
- SD Card Slot Reader
- Full LED Displays (currently still LCD+inverter assemblies)
- Backlit keyboard optional
- 2.0MP iSight Camera
- Quad-Core option
Brian
....and a 30" screen!
I would upgrade my original intel 20" iMac for that and buy a 2gig TimeCapsule. Coupled with a new iPhone 3GS, the new future Tablet and of course Snow Leopard-I'm good to go! Oh, and new a Prius and then I'm good to go.
1. Better video card for the iMac. And by better, I mean like something from the Nvidia GTS 100 or 200 series. It's time to give the iMac real desktop graphics and not under power it with mobile notebook versions.
2. All LED. And slimmer. Heck, if Samsung can make LED TVs at 1" thick nowadays, Apple should be able to create an iMac that's at most 2.5" inches thick (added thickness due to hardware, which 1.5" is not unrealistic. While I'm on it, get rid of the speakers, who listens to monitor speakers anyway? Would reduce the asymmetric bezel and make it uniform. Oh yea, drop the silver/aluminum.
3. Blu Ray? Un-needed, and takes up space. SD slot? More of a notebook feature, IMO.
4. Use regular, industry standard RAM for once. While I'm on it, use 1333 RAM.
5. Offer up to a 30" display. Yes, a 30" iMac. For added bonus, make the 30" iMac feature an H-IPS display, and of course 2560x1600 resolution.
6. Speaking of displays, time to throw out the old 30" ACD. Let's see something fresher, and please, for the love of God Apple, don't give the 30" ACD a Mini Displayport like you did for your 24" display; a normal DP would suffice along with a DVI-D. Make it an LED H-IPS, with 30-bit color, 100+% NTSC/Adobe range, a .25mm pixel pitch, and 8ms response time. ThAT would be an unbeatable display worth drooling over.
I'm going to go on record as speculating that one of the new features is an external multi-touch trackpad instead of the Mighty Mouse. In my experience, the MacBook (Pro/Air) trackpad is superior to any mouse. This is in stark contrast to any PC laptop, where the first thing I do is plug in a mouse. Perhaps it might even be an external keyboard with a multi-touch trackpad included.
There's no other explanation for why Apple hasn't touched the Mighty Mouse in years, despite the problem with the trackball getting jammed requiring manual cleaning.
Agreed! The current keyboards are like laptop keyboards and are a joy to use...I could see the newest laptop glass touch pads being incorporated with the current designed BT keyboards....I'd buy one for sure!
And, of course, a SUPER Mac mini or a Mac mini TOWER. That is, a headless Mac that is QUIET.
The current iMacs are pretty darn quiet! I have never even heard mine at all! Granted I have 3 dogs, 3 cats and 3 kids but even late at night I never heard it in all the time I've had it!
I've been wanting a Mini tower for a long time... don't hold your breath!
Bring on the Quad-core!
Don't need FW
KRR
PS. I don't really care about Blu-Ray. Movies are too expensive and I do backups on an external HD. DVD-+RW is just fine by me!
Of all the useless articles on AI... this one tops (bottoms?) them all...
Would anyone expect 'new' iMacs to have less features than the last? Of course there is going to be new stuff...
My predictions... 16GB of built-in SSD that will serve as the OS drive. A separate HD/SSD will sit along side it for apps/data. It will boot into an optional Internet mode, where Safari will load from a cold start in about 3 seconds.
Blu-ray. Not because it is 'needed', but who can resist a $300 'upgrade' that only costs Apple $20? This is their bread and butter... cheap upgrades marked up big time. I'm not criticizing... it's a fantastic business model that only works because they are their only competitor.
eSata/FW1600/USB3... there will be something faster... because there always is...
30 inch iMac... because if you can sell a 24 inch for $2500... you can sell a 30 inch for $3500... These screens costs peanuts really... it costs more to ship a bigger screen than to build it... so again, big mark-ups for perceived value...
Cores. Quad core will be the mid-level... only the cheapest will be dual core.
I think the following would work well for the iMacs, you guys have any feature thoughts?
- Slimmer design
- Blu-Ray drives
- SD Card Slot Reader
- Full LED Displays (currently still LCD+inverter assemblies)
- Backlit keyboard optional
- 2.0MP iSight Camera
- Quad-Core option
Brian
Hopefully Snow Leopard will be able to take advantage of them well. Dual Core is soon to be dead. High end laptops and PCs are all quad core now. I just won't buy a non-quadcore.
Blu-Ray is possible, the licensing changed in the spring to help open things up. Probably an option for an extra $200-300.
You'd think the camera would be as least as nice as the iPhone ... :>D
was this a propaganda article really for windows 7 thinking it will push pc purchase or maybe a mislabeled article for "hope the pc's can catch up"
"compelling" hmmmm
fluff, i don't get it...sorry
hey what about 3-d, --bluray is not relevant anymore with everyone moving to downloads.
wireless syncing with iphone?
a iMac "sleeve" to slip in the new itablet? or mbp?
long live my strawberry imac g3
as mentioned above--"quick boot" with built in ssd, now that would compel me to upgrade my MACBOOK, nice to have in the imac, but make laptops instant on
Not long after Steve suggested that Blu-Ray is a bag of hurt the Blu-Ray association re did their licensing scheme. Not just a minor change either from what I understand, so maybe Steve did some good here as much wider deployment of Blu-Ray would be nice for people that want it.
Me; well lets just say my optical drive hardly gets a work out anymore. I might be more interested in Blu-Ray if I had a TV to drive but I don't and frankly I'm not in a rush to get one. Frankly I'd be surprised if Blu-Ray was indeed the feature being talked about here as movie distribution seems to be moving to SD cards in the future. Frankly SD cards make more sense than a bulky CD sized disc and the room that the drive takes up.
Comments
You're crazy.
There is no faster CPU available. The only thing Intel offers is more cores and newer designs. Within the thermal envelope of the current iMac and the price of the chips they're currently using there is only one chip that would offer better performance and it's a Xeon.
More RAM? 4GB is more than enough for consumers and 4GB DIMMs are insanely expensive still.
Better video, I sure hope so, but Apple usually waits for a second revision before upgrading them.
Slimmed down. I hope not because it will prevent use of higher performance parts.
Quad core. I hope so, but it won't happen if the case is slimmer.
Don't care about BluRay and cannot see any point in a 5MP iSight.
Apple doesn't like eSATA and it's not needed on an iMac.
I agree that multitouch and USB 3 aren't coming this year.
As I've already stated, the iMac can't get any faster unless Apple re-designs it (makes it bigger) to allow desktop processors or they go with the Xeon L5520.
A speed bump in RAM doesn't mean more RAM. It means faster RAM. It currently uses 1066 MHZ DDR3, They could probably bring that up to 1300 MHz or higher.As for processor I meant that the lower end models would get a faster processor by default. Slimmed down is always a possibility with the advances in cooling and Apple being aesthetic freaks.
The problem I have with Blu-ray drives being included as an option is that we still don?t have support at the OS level to make AACS encrypted video play in HD. Apple could have included that and then let their customers buy external drives for Blu-ray playback but they haven?t. They also haven?t included it Snow Leopard as of yet. The licensing has been simplified more than enough time to at least get that ball rolling and it?s not in Apple?s favour to make Blu-ray on a PC a big to-do when they are clearly pushing their digital content as a "good enough" quality, convenient alternative to buying a Blu-ray player.
How hard would it to add the necessary support at the OS level? Could it be hiding on an internal build that hasn't been shown? Would it require extensive beta testing?
I'm still hoping they are going to sneak it in as a feature announced at the Snow Leopard launch. The support for Blu-ray in Final Cut and the itunes blu-ray mention seem to indicate that Apple has something up their sleeve. Or maybe it is wishful thinking. I built a Windows HTPC partly because I wanted blu-ray and partly because I wanted games, but I hate it. I'd be happy to relegate it to games only.
I think we're going to see another lame update that only adds an SD slot and one other minor change like BluRay. With expectations set that low it should be easy for Apple to exceed them.
Well, which one is it?
Joy. An even slimmer design. I guess the likelihood that the iMac will ever get a Quad Core is going down. The iMac doesn't use current 45W Penryn Core 2 Quad or the special 65W desktop Core 2 Quads and Nehalem based quad cores aren't much better at 95W for Lynnfield and 55W/45W for mobile Clarksdale. Further thinning the iMac which will likely further reduce thermal room won't help any.
iMacs probably won't see Quad-Cores until the mobile i5 and i7 processors come out next year seeing how they're based on mobile chipsets:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/15/l...npage_engadget
My guess is we'll see an announcement of a major refresh to notebooks and iMacs announced around the usual time of MacWorld in January to the Intel i5 and i7 architecture.
I'm sure Apple and NVIDIA (or maybe ATI ???) are working on integrating the video chipsets right now. I'm going to take another guess and say we'll see a return to ATI video chipsets after the recent outbursts between Apple and NVIDIA and NVIDIA and Intel.
I think the following would work well for the iMacs, you guys have any feature thoughts?
- Slimmer design
- Blu-Ray drives
- SD Card Slot Reader
- Full LED Displays (currently still LCD+inverter assemblies)
- Backlit keyboard optional
- 2.0MP iSight Camera
- Quad-Core option
Brian
As long as you're going with a card slot reader don't leave out CF cards.
You are cordially invited to the 'you're not first club'.
enjoy
Dratts!
This article was so awkwardly written that I had to read the first few sentences a few times to understand what it was even about. I was then dismayed to find that it isn't about anything.
Aside from the stupid business lingo phrase "up(ping) the value proposition," there is nothing terribly awkward or hard to understand about the first sentence.?
You are cordially invited to the 'you're not first club'.
enjoy
I can't believe you've been posting since 2006 and yet you think this lame-ass crap is humorous?
Since this stunt gives you a mental age of twelve *today*, maybe you started posting to the forum at the age of 8 or 9?
But then, being such a precocious child doesn't exactly jibe with still being such a lame little kid after all this time.
Very confusing.
NO glossy screens, PLEASE!
At least two FireWire 800 ports.
Quad core processor.
QUIET.
And, of course, a SUPER Mac mini or a Mac mini TOWER. That is, a headless Mac that is QUIET.
You should just change your handle to "contrarian."
What you want is a combination of the exact opposite of what most consumers want, and the exact products that Apple and most industry followers have determined they will never, ever produce.
Good luck with that.
Edit: Along with criticising them for something (noisy machines), when almost everyone agrees they makes the quietest machines on the planet in general.
I think the following would work well for the iMacs, you guys have any feature thoughts?
- Slimmer design
- Blu-Ray drives
- SD Card Slot Reader
- Full LED Displays (currently still LCD+inverter assemblies)
- Backlit keyboard optional
- 2.0MP iSight Camera
- Quad-Core option
Brian
....and a 30" screen!
I would upgrade my original intel 20" iMac for that and buy a 2gig TimeCapsule. Coupled with a new iPhone 3GS, the new future Tablet and of course Snow Leopard-I'm good to go! Oh, and new a Prius and then I'm good to go.
Blu-Ray.
I wonder what changed?
Snow Leopard.
To comply with the Bluray DRM, some changes to the OS are necessary. It makes sense to roll these into Snow Leopard.
1. Better video card for the iMac. And by better, I mean like something from the Nvidia GTS 100 or 200 series. It's time to give the iMac real desktop graphics and not under power it with mobile notebook versions.
2. All LED. And slimmer. Heck, if Samsung can make LED TVs at 1" thick nowadays, Apple should be able to create an iMac that's at most 2.5" inches thick (added thickness due to hardware, which 1.5" is not unrealistic. While I'm on it, get rid of the speakers, who listens to monitor speakers anyway? Would reduce the asymmetric bezel and make it uniform. Oh yea, drop the silver/aluminum.
3. Blu Ray? Un-needed, and takes up space. SD slot? More of a notebook feature, IMO.
4. Use regular, industry standard RAM for once. While I'm on it, use 1333 RAM.
5. Offer up to a 30" display. Yes, a 30" iMac. For added bonus, make the 30" iMac feature an H-IPS display, and of course 2560x1600 resolution.
6. Speaking of displays, time to throw out the old 30" ACD. Let's see something fresher, and please, for the love of God Apple, don't give the 30" ACD a Mini Displayport like you did for your 24" display; a normal DP would suffice along with a DVI-D. Make it an LED H-IPS, with 30-bit color, 100+% NTSC/Adobe range, a .25mm pixel pitch, and 8ms response time. ThAT would be an unbeatable display worth drooling over.
I'm going to go on record as speculating that one of the new features is an external multi-touch trackpad instead of the Mighty Mouse. In my experience, the MacBook (Pro/Air) trackpad is superior to any mouse. This is in stark contrast to any PC laptop, where the first thing I do is plug in a mouse. Perhaps it might even be an external keyboard with a multi-touch trackpad included.
There's no other explanation for why Apple hasn't touched the Mighty Mouse in years, despite the problem with the trackball getting jammed requiring manual cleaning.
Agreed! The current keyboards are like laptop keyboards and are a joy to use...I could see the newest laptop glass touch pads being incorporated with the current designed BT keyboards....I'd buy one for sure!
NO glossy screens, PLEASE!
At least two FireWire 800 ports.
Quad core processor.
QUIET.
And, of course, a SUPER Mac mini or a Mac mini TOWER. That is, a headless Mac that is QUIET.
The current iMacs are pretty darn quiet! I have never even heard mine at all! Granted I have 3 dogs, 3 cats and 3 kids but even late at night I never heard it in all the time I've had it!
I've been wanting a Mini tower for a long time... don't hold your breath!
Bring on the Quad-core!
Don't need FW
KRR
PS. I don't really care about Blu-Ray. Movies are too expensive and I do backups on an external HD. DVD-+RW is just fine by me!
Would anyone expect 'new' iMacs to have less features than the last? Of course there is going to be new stuff...
My predictions... 16GB of built-in SSD that will serve as the OS drive. A separate HD/SSD will sit along side it for apps/data. It will boot into an optional Internet mode, where Safari will load from a cold start in about 3 seconds.
Blu-ray. Not because it is 'needed', but who can resist a $300 'upgrade' that only costs Apple $20? This is their bread and butter... cheap upgrades marked up big time. I'm not criticizing... it's a fantastic business model that only works because they are their only competitor.
eSata/FW1600/USB3... there will be something faster... because there always is...
30 inch iMac... because if you can sell a 24 inch for $2500... you can sell a 30 inch for $3500... These screens costs peanuts really... it costs more to ship a bigger screen than to build it... so again, big mark-ups for perceived value...
Cores. Quad core will be the mid-level... only the cheapest will be dual core.
Wouldn't the upcoming tablet be perfect for this?... If Apple really wants a coup with their new iMacs, I think this would blow everyone away.
I think the following would work well for the iMacs, you guys have any feature thoughts?
- Slimmer design
- Blu-Ray drives
- SD Card Slot Reader
- Full LED Displays (currently still LCD+inverter assemblies)
- Backlit keyboard optional
- 2.0MP iSight Camera
- Quad-Core option
Brian
Hopefully Snow Leopard will be able to take advantage of them well. Dual Core is soon to be dead. High end laptops and PCs are all quad core now. I just won't buy a non-quadcore.
Blu-Ray is possible, the licensing changed in the spring to help open things up. Probably an option for an extra $200-300.
You'd think the camera would be as least as nice as the iPhone ... :>D
I am so psyched up for this!
Really...
Wait, what am I psyched up for?
Isn't this along the lines of Dean Kamen's IT hype?
But they were authorized to say there is "compelling" new features?
But I'll hope for Quad Core & Blu-Ray.
was this a propaganda article really for windows 7 thinking it will push pc purchase or maybe a mislabeled article for "hope the pc's can catch up"
"compelling" hmmmm
fluff, i don't get it...sorry
hey what about 3-d, --bluray is not relevant anymore with everyone moving to downloads.
wireless syncing with iphone?
a iMac "sleeve" to slip in the new itablet? or mbp?
long live my strawberry imac g3
as mentioned above--"quick boot" with built in ssd, now that would compel me to upgrade my MACBOOK, nice to have in the imac, but make laptops instant on
Blu-Ray.
I wonder what changed?
Not long after Steve suggested that Blu-Ray is a bag of hurt the Blu-Ray association re did their licensing scheme. Not just a minor change either from what I understand, so maybe Steve did some good here as much wider deployment of Blu-Ray would be nice for people that want it.
Me; well lets just say my optical drive hardly gets a work out anymore. I might be more interested in Blu-Ray if I had a TV to drive but I don't and frankly I'm not in a rush to get one. Frankly I'd be surprised if Blu-Ray was indeed the feature being talked about here as movie distribution seems to be moving to SD cards in the future. Frankly SD cards make more sense than a bulky CD sized disc and the room that the drive takes up.
Dave