User Name
Password
AppleNova Forums » Apple Products »

Late '12 iMac


Register Members List Calendar Search FAQ Posting Guidelines
Late '12 iMac
Page 1 of 10 [1] 2 3 4 5  Next Last Thread Tools
Capella
Dark Cat of the Sith
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Rochester, NY
Send a message via AIM to Capella  
2012-10-23, 12:39

Oh my god it's so thin why does a desktop need to be that thin anyway but dear god that's amazing looking anyway what the hell is that manufacturing technique that's insane hey that fusion drive sounds cool

The prices are awful high; I know it's because of the amount of stuff you get for it, but high prices on a classic/flagship line makes me feel iffy. As much as I hate the "Apple tax" claims thrown around all the time, it does seem like Apple is definitely moving into the high-end luxury space and away from everyday prices.

From Ars Liveblog:

21.5": 2.7GHz quad-core i5, 8GB ram, GeForce GT 640M, 1TB HDD, $1299
27": 2.9GHz quad-core i5, 8GB RAM, GeForce GTX 660M, 1TB HDD, $1799

"A blind, deaf, comatose, lobotomy patient could feel my anger!" - Darth Baras
twitter ; amateur photographer ; fanfiction writer ; roleplayer and worldbuilder
  quote
Brave Ulysses
BANNED
I am worthless beyond hope.
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
 
2012-10-23, 12:45

Terrible update and a botched unveiling.
  quote
Partial
Stallion
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Milwaukee
 
2012-10-23, 12:47

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Love it!
  quote
PB PM
Sneaky Punk
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Vancouver, BC
Send a message via Skype™ to PB PM 
2012-10-23, 13:04

It's thin, and that's about all I can say about it. Nothing else there hasn't been done before. Seagate has made something like fusion drive for some time now, but in one package, thus negating the need for software to get in the way.
  quote
Axl
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Ca na da
 
2012-10-23, 13:04

Will the new Cinema Display be as thin?
  quote
chucker
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: near Bremen, Germany
Send a message via ICQ to chucker Send a message via AIM to chucker Send a message via MSN to chucker Send a message via Yahoo to chucker Send a message via Skype™ to chucker 
2012-10-23, 13:11

Seems an oddly irrelevant product.
  quote
digitalprimate
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Antwerp, Belgium
 
2012-10-23, 13:15

I agree. Still glad it's finally there though! :-)

So they were working on getting it wafer-thin. Yet people seem underwhelmed (myself included) despite the technological advances. It's an interesting thought. I think it's the anti-climax of postponing this new update/version of the iMac. No matter how much it's been pushed on, unless it's a completely new thing, unlike the previous generation, people will always be underwhelmed, I think.

And then WHEN they're coming up with a new overhauled design, people instantly go nostalgic and cry that the previous model had this and that as a better feature.

We are weird.
  quote
Maciej
M AH - ch ain saw
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2012-10-23, 13:18

Quote:
Originally Posted by Axl View Post
Will the new Cinema Display be as thin?
What new Cinema Display?
  quote
Axl
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Ca na da
 
2012-10-23, 13:20

Quote:
Originally Posted by Maciej View Post
What new Cinema Display?
Just wondering if the new slimMac will influence the next gen Cinema Display (whenever the release date is).
  quote
Mugge
Thunderbolt, fuck yeah!
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Denmark
 
2012-10-23, 13:21

It's absolutely gorgeous! Though, I would have killed the chin rather than shaving a few extra millimetres off.

The fact that Tim Cook sounds like a kindergarten teacher trying to get the kids excited is irrelevant because the subject matter (including this iMac) is just too damn awesome.

AAPL might be down almost 6 %, but screw that, I'm buying. This is the strongest launch in terms of both quality and quantity in a long time.

  quote
Matsu
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2012-10-23, 13:22

I haven't looked at a shred of Apple news today, then I hit this site and hmmm... I still haven't looked at Apple's site, but I'm wondering if they went too far? What are the max RAM and HDD/SSD configs... and no real reason for worry. In fact, I quite like what I see. Apple may have struck the perfect balance between glossy and non glossy screen, and they've got oodles of storage and good RAM capacity (up to 32GB)

Looks like a decent photoshop machine...

.........................................
  quote
Maciej
M AH - ch ain saw
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2012-10-23, 13:22

Quote:
Originally Posted by Axl View Post
Just wondering if the new slimMac will influence the next gen Cinema Display (whenever the release date is).
All I am saying is that it will never be updated - just like the Mac Pro.
  quote
FFL
Fishhead Family Reunited
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Slightly Off Center
 
2012-10-23, 13:25

Quote:
Originally Posted by Matsu View Post
I haven't looked at a shred of Apple news today, then I hit this site and hmmm... I still haven't looked at Apple's site, but I'm wondering if they went too far? What are the max RAM and HDD/SSD configs...
Availability here, but no pricing yet. Looks like only 16 GB of RAM on the 21.5" models.
  quote
Brave Ulysses
BANNED
I am worthless beyond hope.
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
 
2012-10-23, 13:31

This is a deeply troubling product update that completely puts needless form over function.... and the tradeoffs were not worth it.


Thinness

it doesn't matter on this product. As long as this computer is supported by an 8" deep stand, the product's true thickness will be 8". This is Apple's idea of innovation? Making a desktop 5mm thin on edge? And removing features, making it more expensive, and moving certain things like the SD Card slot to less user friendly positions? It's simply silly. I'm sure a lot of effort and R/D went into making this thinner and it may be a beautiful design, but it is not a SMART design.

Price

The entry level $1299 model is great. Good value, and it has been for some time now. I wish they could get it lower, but hey, it's Apple.

The 27" iMac jumping to $1799 is awful. $100 more and you lose the optical drive and pretty much have the same computer from 475 days ago (oh, 4GB more RAM which should have been done 475 days ago). But it's thinner!


Ports/SD Card Slot

The SD card slot has been moved to the back of the machine.... it was bad enough that the ports were on the back of the iMac... a constant complaint from users and definitely a case of form over function. Now the SD card slot that had been located somewhat conveniently on the side (I say somewhat because there was no way to know its location from looking at the machine head-on) is also located on the back. This is entirely due to Apple making this needlessly 5mm thin on edge. I use my desktop by sitting in front of it, and it stays at my desk. As far as I can tell my desktop when I am using it is just a screen. What is behind it or how thick it is doesn't matter. Again, the stand makes this 8" thick... and looking head on, as everyone who uses a computer does, the thinness will never be observed or more importantly... used!

Fusion Drive

Hell Phil... talk about this new Fusion drive for 5 minutes and how amazing and next generation it is and then announce the 2 standard configurations that don't include it, and don't even discuss the BTO option. Genius!


next generation?

We are suppose to think this is the fruit of Apple reevaluating the iMac and redesigning it from the ground up? The best they could do was thin. This is not innovation.

And after 475 days... it's not even available now. November.... supposedly.

Last edited by Brave Ulysses : 2012-10-23 at 13:41.
  quote
Luca
ಠ_ರೃ
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
 
2012-10-23, 13:33

Why bother making it thinner at the cost of an optical drive and a worse GPU? It's a desktop.
  quote
FFL
Fishhead Family Reunited
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Slightly Off Center
 
2012-10-23, 13:38

I probably would have been happier to see the outside form factor remain the same, and an update just for the guts. I agree that it's disturbing that the main tagline of this redesign is "look at how thin it is!".

But the display does sound nice/clearer/sharper, and the antiglare treatment could be appealing.
  quote
Quagmire
meh
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2012-10-23, 13:45

Quote:
Originally Posted by Luca View Post
Why bother making it thinner at the cost of an optical drive and a worse GPU? It's a desktop.
The good news is, the more you spend, the better the GPU you get. $1299 iMac has the 640M, $1499 iMac has the 650M, $1799 iMac has the 660M, $1999 iMac has the 675MX with the 680MX optional. I don't know how those cards compare to current GPU's or the ones in the iMac previously, but at least they improve with model we buy.

Has Apple ever had that diverse of a GPU choice on a Mac outside of the Mac Pro?

giggity
  quote
Mugge
Thunderbolt, fuck yeah!
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Denmark
 
2012-10-23, 13:45

BU, I suspect that a lot of people out that share your thoughts about this iMac. And a year ago I would have done the same and you can probably find some old thread with Robo and I arguing over thinness, but the thing is that the thing Apple has always been able to prove me wrong in this regard. Their new products always give a first impression of too much form over function, but once people get their hands on the products it gradually dawns on the collective internet that Apple has once again raised the bar in terms of what is possible.

And let's not forget that we have pretty much all known that Apple has had it in for optical drives since they refused to adopt BluRay
  quote
Brave Ulysses
BANNED
I am worthless beyond hope.
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
 
2012-10-23, 13:48

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mugge View Post
BU, I suspect that a lot of people out that share your thoughts about this iMac. And a year ago I would have done the same and you can probably find some old thread with Robo and I arguing over thinness, but the thing is that the thing Apple has always been able to prove me wrong in this regard. Their new products always give a first impression of too much form over function, but once people get their hands on the products it gradually dawns on the collective internet that Apple has once again raised the bar in terms of what is possible.

And let's not forget that we have pretty much all known that Apple has had it in for optical drives since they refused to adopt BluRay
What is going to change when this device is in front of me? Seriously. It is going to look identical from where the user sits. Minus the reduction in glare thankfully.

Yet it will be more expensive e, have weak graphics, a stupidly placed sd card slot, no optical drive, 5400 rpm hard drives instead of 7200, and the 21 inch model's ram can not be upgraded by the user
  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-10-23, 13:50

That's not an upgrade. 5400rpm?
  quote
Matsu
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2012-10-23, 13:54

I wonder if someone can cook up a 21.5" keyboard base with batteries that turns your imac into the baddest laptop evar!!!

Actually, given the size, maybe the Apple should bring back a feature we haven't seen since the original iMac: A carrying handle for moving it around the house...

I wonder if this model signals that Retina is not coming to the desktop for at least a couple of years, or if they'll follow this current looong update cycle with a comparatively fast one mid next year?

As it is, the 27" configs seem to have ample RAM (up to 32GB), storage, speed, and connectivity now (FINALLY, USB3) that they could meet most desktop needs for 4-5 years.

.........................................
  quote
Mugge
Thunderbolt, fuck yeah!
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Denmark
 
2012-10-23, 13:57

Quote:
Originally Posted by Brave Ulysses View Post
What is going to change when this device is in front of me? Seriously. It is going to look identical from where the user sits. Minus the reduction in glare thankfully.

Yet it will be more expensive e, have weak graphics, a stupidly placed sd card slot, no optical drive, 5400 rpm hard drives instead of 7200, and the 21 inch model's ram can not be upgraded by the user
That summation ignores all the upgrades on offer. And exactly the screen is the biggest selling point for the vast majority of users.

The way I see it, you pay more and get more spec wise. The beauty of the machine will make the paying bit easier to swallow.
  quote
PB PM
Sneaky Punk
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Vancouver, BC
Send a message via Skype™ to PB PM 
2012-10-23, 14:00

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
That's not an upgrade. 5400rpm?
It's called they want you to upgrade to the SSD. I am so glad I bought my iMac last year when the May 2011 update came out.
  quote
Quagmire
meh
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2012-10-23, 14:02

Quote:
Originally Posted by pscates2.0 View Post
That's not an upgrade. 5400rpm?
The 27" iMac still has a 7200 RPM HD.
  quote
Brave Ulysses
BANNED
I am worthless beyond hope.
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
 
2012-10-23, 14:06

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mugge View Post
That summation ignores all the upgrades on offer. And exactly the screen is the biggest selling point for the vast majority of users.

The way I see it, you pay more and get more spec wise. The beauty of the machine will make the paying bit easier to swallow.
All the upgrades?

the screen could have been added to existing design just fine.

The screen did not require the computer to get thinner.

Nothing did but Apple's marketing desires.

This is entirely different than a laptop or iPad where thinness and weight are major usability factors. Thinness is not for the iMac.
  quote
Quagmire
meh
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2012-10-23, 14:11

They could have still made the iMac thinner and move the I/O to the side. Sure maybe not 5 mm thin at the edges, but still a lot thinner.

Though I am happy that the iMac appears to keep the desktop class CPU's.

EDIT: If you ever plan on upgrading RAM, buy the 27" iMac. The 21.5" iMac RAM can't be upgraded.

giggity

Last edited by Quagmire : 2012-10-23 at 14:22.
  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-10-23, 14:37

Well if I get one, I suppose I'd step up a bit and get that Fusion drive. After watching the keynote and seeing how it works, I'd kinda get the SSD snappiness I've come to love from messing around with friends' MacBook Airs, and then there's 1TB of storage. I'll never fill it, but it's there and, to me, seems like an acceptable compromise...flash performance and reasonable real-world storage. That should please most people, I would think.

No idea how much it's going to cost, so it's hard to get too excited just yet.

I should know a few more things in a couple of months, regarding some travel and additional work at plant outages. My decision might be made for me (I may upgrade this current iMac to a MacBook Air if it's looking like I'll be gone for any significant chunk of 2013). But, if not, and I can stay local, I guess I'll look into that second-tier 21.5" (that's a nice size/resolution for me, and a step up from the 20" 1680x1050 display I've used for four-plus years).

Kinda worried about that Fusion pricing though. Is it not available anywhere yet? I don't see it at Apple's site. That kinda makes me go "uh-oh...".

I do hate how they cripple the 21.5" (again). It never has the BTO choices the 27" has. Some of that could be physical/technological, but you know damn well some of it is "up-sell". What if I don't want the 27", though? Oh well...

The drop to 5400rpm was a shock. See, stuff like that...I consider trade-offs of "not the good kind". I was dead-set against any kind of traditional hard drive on my next Mac, after four-plus years of the same one, so even a 7200rpm drive was a no-go. I'm sure as shit not going to drop backwards, down to an MacBook or Mac mini-like 5400rpm.

Weird. Things like that kinda make decisions for you.
  quote
Quagmire
meh
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2012-10-23, 14:45

They made access to the RAM slots easier for the 27". Just remove the power cable which exposes a button, then press it which then the door/panel pops off the back giving you access to it. No more screws....

giggity
  quote
psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2012-10-23, 14:50

Something tells me that Fusion drive is going to put the $1,299 "entry"-level model up to the ~$1,800 neighborhood. We already know Apple is so pricey on their SSD BTO options. Between that and this being some cool, new feature, I can see them charging $400-500 for it.

I'd love to be really off on that, but my gut - and history - tells me otherwise. The 128GB holds my current ~75GB of stuff, so I guess everything would fit there for the time being, should I go that route. The only non-Apple software I use in any basis is Illustrator and Angry Birds. Most of my use is with the core, built-in stuff anyway.

Still, I'm betting there's a MacBook Air in my future...
  quote
Mugge
Thunderbolt, fuck yeah!
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Denmark
 
2012-10-23, 14:54



Looking at the above picture, it's really not as much an extreme case of thinness as one of curvedness.

We can argue about the value for money regarding the specs, but if you are willing to pay, almost all of them can be upgraded to some pretty sweet levels. Though, that 758GB/3TB/7200rpm Fusion Drive is probably going to be expensive even by Apple standards.
  quote
Posting Rules Navigation
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Page 1 of 10 [1] 2 3 4 5  Next Last

Post Reply

Forum Jump
Thread Tools
Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Late '09 iMac chucker Apple Products 304 2010-03-16 01:27
Late '09 Mac mini chucker Apple Products 67 2009-11-20 03:04
Late '09 MacBook chucker Apple Products 183 2009-11-19 16:08
It is a bit too late for freescale! Quagmire General Discussion 6 2005-06-21 17:02


« Previous Thread | Next Thread »

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:03.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2024, AppleNova