The description of the new iMac strongly suggests that the SSD can not be upgraded by the end user. That is frankly a showstopper for me since the SSD pricing (> $1K for 4TB!!) are easily double what you can buy online. A very disappointing decision on Apple's part.
You can buy a TB3-certified, external case for an NVMe drive for $80 from OWC. Put whatever SSD you want in it. A much better proposition than cracking open an iMac. The drive will run about as fast as what Apple supplies internally.
Sure you can. In fact I did the same and use the external SSD as the boot drive. That isn’t the point. We buy a beautiful iMac for its design perfection with Bluetooth keyboard and mouse to minimise cable clutter..
Then hang an external SSD off it, ruining that beauty. All because Apple overcharges for storage it has made too hard for a user to replace.
I don't "hang" an SSD off of my iMac. I have an external SSD drive enclosure on the back of my iMac attached with velcro to the back of my iMac stand. I don't even see it back there.
I get what you're saying. It goes back to the same, tired debate. Most people will never upgrade the internals of their computers once they purchase them. Those that do represent such a ridiculously small percentage of users, that Apple doesn't see it beneficial to include any additional engineering to support those that want to upgrade internals.
TB3 solves that. The SSD enclosures are so small - like the ones from OWC - that it's moot. It is not the big deal that everyone is making them out to be.
USB 3 and TB3 ports are very fast. This isn't a laptop, so it's not a big deal to get external storage. That's what I did.
It's still ridiculous that internal expansion for a DESKTOP computer is still sacrificed on the alter of "thin".
The one Apple obsession that drives me up an absolute wall. That people think velcroing an external drive to the back of their Mac is no big deal boggles my mind. It wouldn't be that hard for Apple to include a couple of M2 slots as well as two 2.5" bays - that would serve the vast majority of people's needs with out external cable, enclosures and everything else strewn everywhere.
Especially when early iMac marketing made fun of mini towers with cables running everywhere - yet here we are, in a "box" that doesn't need to exist but for the obsession with "thin at all costs"
USB 3 and TB3 ports are very fast. This isn't a laptop, so it's not a big deal to get external storage. That's what I did.
It's still ridiculous that internal expansion for a DESKTOP computer is still sacrificed on the alter of "thin".
The one Apple obsession that drives me up an absolute wall. That people think velcroing an external drive to the back of their Mac is no big deal boggles my mind. It wouldn't be that hard for Apple to include a couple of M2 slots as well as two 2.5" bays - that would serve the vast majority of people's needs with out external cable, enclosures and everything else strewn everywhere.
Especially when early iMac marketing made fun of mini towers with cables running everywhere - yet here we are, in a "box" that doesn't need to exist but for the obsession with "thin at all costs"
Well, I can't argue with you there -- all valid points. I especially like the idea of user-upgradeable M2 slots. That wouldn't even cost much n the "thin" department.
Alternatively, create a Mac Mini that is a little bit bigger with user upgradeable RAM and SSD, then sell a good apple-branded 5k monitor.
Heck, when ASi arrives, maybe go really nuts and make the SOC in that Mac Mini upgradeable, too. That's probably a 1 in 100 shot of actually happening, but I can think of a good reason to do it --- selling more ASi SOCs makes much better business sense for Apple than selling more Intel CPUs. Say Apple sold SOC upgrades for $200 -- I'd probably buy a new SOC every year.
Odd they went with an i9-10850k rather than the more common (and slightly faster) i9-10900k... But I suppose it fits with Intel's production issues (shortages.)
Edit: Also, I just realized that I cannot find a *16gb* 5700xt standalone card for sale anywhere...
It is annoying you have to go to the top i7/i9 model to be able to upgrade the GPU too. Why not the mid range model? I would have been quite happy with an i5 paired with the 5700. Particularly as the mid range option already comes standard with 512 GB storage.
USB 3 and TB3 ports are very fast. This isn't a laptop, so it's not a big deal to get external storage. That's what I did.
It's still ridiculous that internal expansion for a DESKTOP computer is still sacrificed on the alter of "thin".
The one Apple obsession that drives me up an absolute wall. That people think velcroing an external drive to the back of their Mac is no big deal boggles my mind. It wouldn't be that hard for Apple to include a couple of M2 slots as well as two 2.5" bays - that would serve the vast majority of people's needs with out external cable, enclosures and everything else strewn everywhere.
Especially when early iMac marketing made fun of mini towers with cables running everywhere - yet here we are, in a "box" that doesn't need to exist but for the obsession with "thin at all costs"
There's actually loads of space inside the 27" iMac, they could add an extra door, extend the RAM door or have a sliding caddy like a giant SIM drawer from the bottom to enable upgrades. But they know that they can make $$$ from upgrades, so they don't. Probably the reason they stick the screen on rather than retain it with magnets like in the pre-2012 models.
More of an issue from the utterly mindless thin obsession is cooling. My i9 iMac initially clocks to about 4.5ghz when all 8 cores are loaded, but then drops to 3.7ghz or less in about 10 seconds when it heats up. The Pro Vega 48 also throttles at times.
Do you know where all these going ? Heavy assaults on Windows to capture more market share to drive service revenue. Future MACs based on Apple Silicon will be better featured, somewhat cheaper(pass Intel->Apple Si savings to customers). In recent months, switching from Windows to MACs have accelerated and will continue for foreseeable future.
No they won’t be cheaper, Apple has been designing its own iPhone chips for how long now? And yet it has deliberately forced the pricing of its market sector higher and higher and they are not premium phones, because those exist and cost a LOT more for crazy rich people. but based on Apples history it’s future Mac range will not be cheaper because they’ll have Apple processors in them.
iPhone, iPad have never used Intel chips.
Peza’s point is making things cheaper is not the Apple way and will not be the objective of Apple Silicon. Apple phones set industry pricing, and not in a cheap way. Otherwise SSD upgrades would reflect market SSD prices.
Do you know where all these going ? Heavy assaults on Windows to capture more market share to drive service revenue. Future MACs based on Apple Silicon will be better featured, somewhat cheaper(pass Intel->Apple Si savings to customers). In recent months, switching from Windows to MACs have accelerated and will continue for foreseeable future.
No they won’t be cheaper, Apple has been designing its own iPhone chips for how long now? And yet it has deliberately forced the pricing of its market sector higher and higher and they are not premium phones, because those exist and cost a LOT more for crazy rich people. but based on Apples history it’s future Mac range will not be cheaper because they’ll have Apple processors in them.
iPhone, iPad have never used Intel chips.
Peza’s point is making things cheaper is not the Apple way and will not be the objective of Apple Silicon. Apple phones set industry pricing, and not in a cheap way. Otherwise SSD upgrades would reflect market SSD prices.
IF Apple keeps the same prices it would be because they ADDED new features. They won't just fill the gap of savings with money to screw the customer.
Time will tell. Cheaper with similar features. Same price with new features.
Do you know where all these going ? Heavy assaults on Windows to capture more market share to drive service revenue. Future MACs based on Apple Silicon will be better featured, somewhat cheaper(pass Intel->Apple Si savings to customers). In recent months, switching from Windows to MACs have accelerated and will continue for foreseeable future.
No they won’t be cheaper, Apple has been designing its own iPhone chips for how long now? And yet it has deliberately forced the pricing of its market sector higher and higher and they are not premium phones, because those exist and cost a LOT more for crazy rich people. but based on Apples history it’s future Mac range will not be cheaper because they’ll have Apple processors in them.
iPhone, iPad have never used Intel chips.
Peza’s point is making things cheaper is not the Apple way and will not be the objective of Apple Silicon. Apple phones set industry pricing, and not in a cheap way. Otherwise SSD upgrades would reflect market SSD prices.
Do you know where all these going ? Heavy assaults on Windows to capture more market share to drive service revenue. Future MACs based on Apple Silicon will be better featured, somewhat cheaper(pass Intel->Apple Si savings to customers). In recent months, switching from Windows to MACs have accelerated and will continue for foreseeable future.
No they won’t be cheaper, Apple has been designing its own iPhone chips for how long now? And yet it has deliberately forced the pricing of its market sector higher and higher and they are not premium phones, because those exist and cost a LOT more for crazy rich people. but based on Apples history it’s future Mac range will not be cheaper because they’ll have Apple processors in them.
iPhone, iPad have never used Intel chips.
Peza’s point is making things cheaper is not the Apple way and will not be the objective of Apple Silicon. Apple phones set industry pricing, and not in a cheap way. Otherwise SSD upgrades would reflect market SSD prices.
IF Apple keeps the same prices it would be because they ADDED new features. They won't just fill the gap of savings with money to screw the customer.
I just bought one today! Regarding RAM, Crucial hasn't updated their website yet for this model. If I purchase the RAM for the 2019 27" iMac will it work right in this new iMac? Also, there are four slots, right? So if I'm getting the 8GB of RAM I can buy two 32GB sticks and end up with 72GB RAM? (I do photo work.)
“The ports on the rear of the machine remain the same, with four Thunderbolt 3 ports, two USB 3.2 type A ports“
This is incorrect. Just checked apple.com. These ports on the 27” iMac are the same as ever. 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports and 4 USB A ports.
Also, those four ports are just 5Gbps USB ports, whether they're USB 3.2 Gen 1×1, USB 3.1 Gen 1, or USB 3.0. Labeling them "USB 3.2" is meaningless without the Gen 1x1 distinction, if they are even indeed USB 3.2 spec.
Thanks. I guess I’ll have to see one in person. The explanation sounds more like market-speak than anything else. I’ll have to check it out.
Hope they make this an option for the iPad Pro though.
"market-speak"? Maybe you missed this with the XDR, but there are comparisons out there and it's drastic. I've been hoping ever since that the Nano-Texture Glass would trickle down to the rest of the lineup, and hoping this means we'll have the option on our laptops again.
I've missed my 2011 MBP's "Hi-Res Anti-Glare Display" or whatever ever since I upgraded to my 2018. Inside it's fine, but outdoors...
I just bought one today! Regarding RAM, Crucial hasn't updated their website yet for this model. If I purchase the RAM for the 2019 27" iMac will it work right in this new iMac? Also, there are four slots, right? So if I'm getting the 8GB of RAM I can buy two 32GB sticks and end up with 72GB RAM? (I do photo work.)
Appears to be the same: 260-pin PC4-21300 (2666 MHz) DDR4 SO-DIMM
And yes, you can add two 32GB sticks to the existing 8.
The description of the new iMac strongly suggests that the SSD can not be upgraded by the end user. That is frankly a showstopper for me since the SSD pricing (> $1K for 4TB!!) are easily double what you can buy online. A very disappointing decision on Apple's part.
u sound surprised at the pricing... and the lack of modularity...
i’ll patiently wait for Apple Silicon based Macs at this point... i’m no longer tied to apps requiring x86 code
besides... Apple may surprise us with a more flexible system for the next gen Macs
Seems strange to add a T2 this late in the game, especially since on the desktops it doesn’t really do much. I doubt they’ve just recycled the iMac Pro logic board as the Xeons are a different beast and would require a lot of engineering to convert the socket to a Core CPU.
I wonder if Apple will use the lack of a T2 chip in future Macs as a reason to drop support.
Actually the T2 does a lot. Securing the boot process is a unique differentiator of the Mac across all its forms now. Just look at the firmware hacks for USB & Thunderbolt devices and you see why this is a great feature. Also, I'd note that the ability to "key" an SSD to the device makes the encryption that much more secure.
As others have noted, there is an error in the article. There has been no upgrade to the ports available on the iMac 27". Rather than the 4 T3 ports the article states (which is what it iMac Pro has), the standard 27" iMac retains the 2x T3, 3x USB 3.2 ports of the old model - leaving the 4x T3 for the iMac Pro...
Shame really as 4x T3 would be a very nice upgrade.
Comments
This is incorrect. Just checked apple.com. These ports on the 27” iMac are the same as ever. 2 Thunderbolt 3 ports and 4 USB A ports.
Hope they make this an option for the iPad Pro though.
The one Apple obsession that drives me up an absolute wall. That people think velcroing an external drive to the back of their Mac is no big deal boggles my mind. It wouldn't be that hard for Apple to include a couple of M2 slots as well as two 2.5" bays - that would serve the vast majority of people's needs with out external cable, enclosures and everything else strewn everywhere.
Especially when early iMac marketing made fun of mini towers with cables running everywhere - yet here we are, in a "box" that doesn't need to exist but for the obsession with "thin at all costs"
Alternatively, create a Mac Mini that is a little bit bigger with user upgradeable RAM and SSD, then sell a good apple-branded 5k monitor.
Heck, when ASi arrives, maybe go really nuts and make the SOC in that Mac Mini upgradeable, too. That's probably a 1 in 100 shot of actually happening, but I can think of a good reason to do it --- selling more ASi SOCs makes much better business sense for Apple than selling more Intel CPUs. Say Apple sold SOC upgrades for $200 -- I'd probably buy a new SOC every year.
Edit: Also, I just realized that I cannot find a *16gb* 5700xt standalone card for sale anywhere...
More of an issue from the utterly mindless thin obsession is cooling. My i9 iMac initially clocks to about 4.5ghz when all 8 cores are loaded, but then drops to 3.7ghz or less in about 10 seconds when it heats up. The Pro Vega 48 also throttles at times.
IF Apple keeps the same prices it would be because they ADDED new features. They won't just fill the gap of savings with money to screw the customer.
Time will tell.
Cheaper with similar features.
Same price with new features.
It's directed at pros. They are picky.
"market-speak"? Maybe you missed this with the XDR, but there are comparisons out there and it's drastic. I've been hoping ever since that the Nano-Texture Glass would trickle down to the rest of the lineup, and hoping this means we'll have the option on our laptops again.
I've missed my 2011 MBP's "Hi-Res Anti-Glare Display" or whatever ever since I upgraded to my 2018. Inside it's fine, but outdoors...
Appears to be the same: 260-pin PC4-21300 (2666 MHz) DDR4 SO-DIMM
And yes, you can add two 32GB sticks to the existing 8.
i’ll patiently wait for Apple Silicon based Macs at this point... i’m no longer tied to apps requiring x86 code
besides... Apple may surprise us with a more flexible system for the next gen Macs
Shame really as 4x T3 would be a very nice upgrade.