[PB PM]

I’m a spec whore, so sue me. Sure it’s an appliance, but when I’m paying the Apple price for something I want the best stuff at that price point, not leftovers.

Does DDR4 6400 vs DDR5 6400 matter? Not really, but for the price, give me the full beans please.

[psmith2.0]

I’ve never really thought about the type of RAM, just the quantity (because I can do something about that). Getting into the weeds over 4 vs. 5 on a product that already doesn’t have the latest, best just isn’t something I’m gonna put myself through.

Yes, for the money asked for this stuff, there should be no chintzy corner-cutting on Apple’s part, I fully agree. But that’s in their DNA. Whatever/wherever they improve something, they’ll even it out by making another component or feature a less-than step back/downgrade.

Yes, they’ll give everyone the Space Grey 32” iMac Ultra Pro next week, but it won’t have any ports. At all. And the stand will be an optional add-on for $399.

Be careful watch you ask for with this bunch. You’ll get your DDR-5, and then take it in the shorts on graphics, underpowered (or non-existent) fans/cooling, battery performance, crippled SSDs or some moronic new mouse or keyboard design.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by PB PM I’m a spec whore, so sue me. Sure it’s an appliance, but when I’m paying the Apple price for something I want the best stuff at that price point, not leftovers. Does DDR4 6400 vs DDR5 6400 matter? Not really, but for the price, give me the full beans please.

Sure, but "what Apple puts in the tech specs" and "what you can ultimately find out" aren't the same — for reference, Apple M1 is LPDDR4X-4266, and everything since (M1 Pro/Max/Ultra, M2 incl. Pro/Max/Ultra) are LPDDR5-6400.

M3 might go 8533 or even 9600.

None of them use DDR4 or DDR5; they would draw too much power.

Originally Posted by psmith2.0 Yes, for the money asked for this stuff, there should be no chintzy corner-cutting on Apple’s part

FWIW, Apple's M series does not cut corners in terms of RAM speed.

I suppose you could argue they do cut them in terms of capacity and pricing… at this point, a 128 GiB laptop would be nice. And of course, the Mac Pro just went from a 1.5 TiB(!) ceiling to… a mere 192 GiB. Oops.

[psmith2.0]

I’ve only been looking at/paying attention to notebooks lately because I knew the M1 iMac, after 2.5 years wasn’t a wise purchase, in the years to come. But an M3 model, with 24GB RAM and 500GB SSD (what I always spec for any Air purchase), would be an awesome Mac. You lose portability, but you get 11 more inches of screen. And if, like me, your MacBook sit/lives on a desk 24/7, why not get the bigger machine that’s meant to do so? My phone is my portable device. If folks know you have a notebook, you’re always tied to work. You’re expected to take it with you, be “on call”/available for endless tweaks/revisions, etc. and I don’t always wanna!

At least with a desktop, you can leave town for the weekend and reasonably expect to be left alone and not bothered with revisions, updates, tweaks, “can you airbrush out that telephone wire?” and “we have to include these six new paragraphs where you barely have room for what’s already there…” hassles.

“I’ll get to it Monday. Right now I’m learning how to not fall off a galloping horse and dying to death…”.

My one and only horseback experience 20+ years ago, up in the Smokey Mountains, on a trail/open fields, scared the hell out of me. Those things are way bigger, more powerful in real life than they seem in cowboy movies (my only real exposure to them). Just the idea that he could take off in a sprint or do some wild bucking and fling me off, any time he wanted, was always at the edge of my mind. “Nice, nice horsey…you’re a good boy, yes you are! You got no reason to be mean to me. Want a carrot now? Or a yummy apple?” I looked/acted like Don Knotts/Barney Fife the entire time. Bug-eyed and antsy as could be. There’s a reason I’ve never been on one since.

[psmith2.0]

I know desktops aren't where it's at right now, but it is kinda weird that Apple gave everything in the lineup an M2 over the course of a year or so, but opted to never touch the iMac.

How hard would that have been to do, I wonder?

After the 18-24 month mark of no updates? Would it not be a "we need to, guys" kinda thing? Who made that call?

If their reason was "no/slow sales", then no kidding. People in mid-late 2023 probably aren't eager to shell out $1,600+ for a machine not touched/updated since spring 2001. I know I wouldn't.

Ain't gonna have much in the way of "legs" or "future-proofing", already two years in the hole, behind every other Mac in the lineup.

I know the Air also got a total redesign, going from M1 to M2. But was that a "have to" thing or more of an "it's time" thing? Could the current 24" M1 iMac have gotten the M2 at some point in the first half of 2023 (or late 2022, months after the new Air debuted), just to keep it a bit current/desirable?

Letting a major product languish for 2.5 years just isn't a good look, for anyone. And kinda says some things. Remember they did this with the first-gen(?) Mac mini a thousand years ago? Didn't it go many, many years without an update, from Rev. A to B?

I assume the thing is a slow, modest seller at this point. Maybe that changes next week? I don't know. As long as they don't raise the price by $700 or something stupid.

But I won't lie: part of me is kinda braced for, once the event is over and the site is updated and the store is back online, there's just no iMac present, period. One of those "silent discontinuations" they sometimes do. I'll need a minute, if so. Because, even more than OS 9, that marks the true "end of an era". The iMac, 24-25 years ago, got the ball rolling to where we are now. I remember, quite clearly, life pre-iMac, and post-iMac (and all it spurred, led to, influenced, etc.). I never wanted an Apple laptop until I saw that little orange and white toilet seat iBook. Just what a fun era all that was. You looked forward to the keynotes or events because, back then, anything truly was possible. Once the jellybean iMac and toilet seat iBook hit, would else was possible? What would they not do if those two things existed in the computer world?

A very exciting, "damn, what's next?!?" time, I remember. You almost couldn't mock up stuff any crazier than they were actually making/selling! Ive was running on all cylinders, but hadn't yet been bitten by the "thin & minimalist" bug yet, so his stuff was still fun and daring and amazing to look at, before he decided to make everything silver/grey, flat, straight and no ports.

I miss those days. No social media (and all that it has spawned), no iPhone (and all that it has spawned), if you liked to take pics, you better find/buy a good digital camera, etc.

[709]

Originally Posted by psmith2.0 I know desktops aren't where it's at right now, but it is kinda weird that Apple gave everything in the lineup an M2 over the course of a year or so, but opted to never touch the iMac.

Gruber is 'spitballing' (from a few days ago) that the upcoming event might not have M3 chips at all, instead:

M2 Pro and Max iMacs would justify “Scary Fast” in a way that just plain M2 iMac speed bumps would not. This would still allow the Vision Pro to launch “early next year” while the M2 remains the current Apple silicon generation. And this would fit with the scuttlebutt that TSMC’s 3nm production capability is, for the near future, almost entirely dedicated to keeping up with demand for the iPhones 15 Pro.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[psmith2.0]

Ah, could be. This upcoming show is kinda interesting because of all the “what ifs” and variables. A new AS generation or no? Is the focus pro notebooks or consumer iMacs? Or both? Anything interesting re: pricing (other than the inevitable bump/increase)? Any new styling/design tweaks to the iMac? Colors, black bezels, a logo on the chin, the chin going away? Etc.

Yeah, despite my snark upthread, I’ll probably tune into this one because I still have more love for/interest in the Mac over the yearly, predictable iPhone stuff.

In fact, I’m probably on my last iPhone. *shrug*

[709]

I haven't taken the time to upgrade our phones yet this year, but I can see holding on to these latest ones for 4-5 years barring some incredible new feature.

[Frank777]

Originally Posted by 709 Gruber is 'spitballing' (from a few days ago) that the upcoming event might not have M3 chips at all, instead: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Haven't read Gruber in a long time, but that does seem plausible.

[PB PM]

I have it guys! No new Macs! They are just introducing a new color! Pumpkin Spice Orange!

[709]

And now you have psmith's attention.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by PB PM I have it guys! No new Macs! They are just introducing a new color! Pumpkin Spice Orange!

Oh, goodness, the fall women's-spice season has infiltrated the Apple color-committee! Where's that barf smiley?

Originally Posted by 709 And now you have psmith's attention.

It's sad that we've all been hanging around here so long that this makes sense to us.

[709]

Originally Posted by chucker Yes, it would work better with M3 (say) than with Intel's ill-fated Core M. Apple is better at the performance per watt game. But… I think they've resisted it because they'd have trouble positioning it next to the Air. For a start, isn't the "Air" supposed to be the light one? And second, people think smaller laptops should be cheaper. So then they'd have to make it $699, and that means they'd have to gimp it to justify it internally.

Maybe this rumor from yesterday has legs? When I quipped about an 11" I was imagining something a bit more robust, but this would fill that smaller niche.

[chucker]

Yeah, but it's gonna be either

a) cheap, or
b) thin/light, 12-inch MacBook style.

Can't see it being both.

[kscherer]

I think it would be cheaper to make a small notebook in the style of the current M2-equipped MacBook Air. While the M1's tapered design might use slightly less aluminum, the internal engineering and machine work to make the thing tapered seems more expensive than something a bit more "blocky".

[psmith2.0]

Blocky would have to be easier, and, therefore, cheaper, I would think. Based on absolutely nothing and knowing zero about design, manufacturing, etc.

But, hey...if everyone else here can chime in about everything, so can I!

Man, a little Mwhatever-powered 11" or 12" MacBook Something would be neat to see.

By all means, let's add more clutter/confusion to the notebook lineup! It's not hazy and crazy enough!

[chucker]

I think the most likely path here is that, as the current Air goes M3, the M1 sticks around, perhaps gets rebranded as MacBook SE, and pricing tiers change.

Right now:

$999 for M1
$1099 for M2
$1299 for M2 15"

Conceivable:

$799 for M1
$999 for M2
$1099 for M3
$1299 for M3 15" (M2 15" gets dropped)

Then perhaps another year or two down the line, the M1 becomes the $699 MacBook SE, and gets some upgrades but retains the same chassis.

That would be an iPhone-like approach.

What I can't see them doing is giving it the 2015 12-inch MacBook treatment at the same time. Not at prices below the regular Air.

[kscherer]

And, keep in mind that they could easily chuck that stupid 13" MacBook Pro and clean out a slot that shouldn't exist.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by kscherer And, keep in mind that they could easily chuck that stupid 13" MacBook Pro and clean out a slot that shouldn't exist.

They could, but this product wouldn't solve the "make the Pro start at $1999 but pretend it starts at $1299" problem.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by chucker They could, but this product wouldn't solve the "make the Pro start at $1999 but pretend it starts at $1299" problem.

You are correct. I am only suggesting that the "$1299" price slot is already filled with superior computers, and the 13" MacBook Pro only muddies the water. It should go. Adding yet another system (regardless the price) will only further mees things up. Make the 13" MacBook Pro go away, and introduce a new price tier at ~$700? Sure, I guess.

I think they will sell quite well, and people will be even more confused as to why iPads are suddenly so expensive in comparison.

Apple has roped themselves into a bit of a pricing corner regarding any laptop that is below $1000. Either they make a $700 laptop and clobber iPad Air/Pro sales, or they don't.

[PB PM]

Originally Posted by kscherer Oh, goodness, the fall women's-spice season has infiltrated the Apple color-committee! Where's that barf smiley?

I guess that they could also introduce barf brown too.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by PB PM I guess that they could also introduce barf brown too.

Indeed! It could be speckled with little red and green bell pepper-shaped bits.

[PB PM]

🤮 But it's green. Not what we were looking for...

If you are looking for additional emoji this is a good place, when not on a mobile device.

[psmith2.0]

About eight more hours to go. Nothing concrete has leaked yet, which is kinda unusual. Usually, by now, don't we have the entire thing spoiled? Usually by an Apple website worker, struggling with a serious case of premature specification? It happens.

I've got dinner plans around 5-6, but should easily be back home by 8 to see what rolls out. I kinda like this nighttime event/presentation. It's different, but after 7pm is usually when I'm logged out, flannel pants/robe/slippers on and am in more of a "kick back and watch stuff stuff" mood/frame of mind. These middle-of-the-day 1pm events are sometimes hard to juggle with work, phone calls, emails, real life errands, etc.

So this should be fun and relatively uninterrupted. It'll be dark outside, which is a first for me (not counting some of those Japan or Paris keynotes from years ago that hit at a weird time here).

Yeah, I think all the M3 hesitation and downplaying is weird. This has to be the M3 rollout. Apple isn't going to put on a dedicated event just to take the iMac - a Mac they themselves act like doesn't even exist anymore - to an M2. That's not noteworthy or important at any level. But taking the iMac, and the pro notebooks to an all-new M3, that's a little more interesting/exciting and worthy of such a thing.

I suppose just those two things could be the focus of a 60-90 minute video presentation, especially once they pad it with store and services updates, as they always do, a "lifestyle" video of Apple products "changing lives" in some African village and other "before we get to the reason everyone's watching" filler. That'll all take about 15-20 minutes, so by 8:25 (ET), the Mac stuff should kick in?

I wonder if there might be some sort of new, or updated, accessory or side item introduced as well? Air Pods, some sort of AirPort/Time Capsule successor? Some other Mac-related add-on/side-piece that would make sense in such a presentation but that nobody has predicted or mentioned yet? I don't think the mouse or keyboard are going to be redesigned. Everything has a webcam built in, so no need for a standalone USB C iSight 2 camera. Some new wheels, perhaps?

I do think, if the iMac makes the show, there will be new colors. Maybe not across the board or a drastic change, but it's hard to believe, after 2.5 years, they'd stick with those exact same seven vibrant "rainbow" hues from spring 2001 for another 1-2 years. If they do, I can even imagine a few colors - yellow, pink and purple? - being dropped, and the lineup being silver, blue, green and orange, perhaps in some tweaked hues? There will surely be some sort of visual differentiator between the M1 and M? iMacs. Tossing in an M3 and calling it a day just seems so lazy and underwhelming for a company that often goes out of its way to change things for the sake of change, to set one generation/model line apart from the preceding one (materials, colors, edge treatments, etc.). Colors seem the most logical and easy to pull off. Or going with a black bezel, like every other product - notebooks, displays, iPads, iPhones - in their lineup? The white, just randomly on the iMacs, seems a little odd. It would be neat if they ditched that entry-level model with the missing ports, fan and started the lineup at $1,299, fully-formed/equipped. For the money being asked, spending $1,299 for a model missing ports and a step down in graphics seems a little chintzy. Or keep those, and sell for $999 instead. Once you get to four figures, there should be less of a compromise and doing without, IMO. It's annoying/insulting.

We'll see in about eight hours.

[Frank777]

I'll go one further.

We're not only going to see the M3, we are going to see the return of the larger-screen version of the iMac.

There's been an unusual cone of silence over this announcement, which isn't expected to be more than a new-chip spec bump.

And in the runup, Apple seems to have gone out of its way to plant the idea that the larger-screen version isn't coming for a while.

Classic 'Columbus-style' misdirection.

32-inch is bigger than anyone is asking for. Cost will be a key factor for the next two years. There's already a 5K, 27-inch in the parts bin.

I could be wrong, but I think it's coming.

[kscherer]

I hope so. The 27" has been in high demand in our shop, but we can't get them. Because reasons!

If a 27" (or larger) is announced, we're going to have a very busy fall.

[psmith2.0]

Hmmm, I haven’t even thought about that. I’ve never been big on huge screens, so I’ve never talked about them. The few times I’ve sat at/used a 27”‘iMac, it felt like, after about 45-60 minutes, it was just going to eat me. I can’t even imagine ever being okay with a 32” model. I don’t wanna be that “immersed”. I need to be able to flick my eyeball to the side and see my cat, or upward and see my wall clock. I don’t wanna have to scoot my chair back or turn my entire noggin. 24” is just right for this guy.

I suppose they could bring that larger iMac back. People still talk about it/want it, even though that nice 27” display (and Mac mini/studio all exist). The AIO might be more desirable than we’ve been led to believe.

[chucker]

So they'll do an entire event about "hey, remember when we made the iMac big? It's baaaaaaaaack! Thanks guys, can't wait to see what you do with it"?

[kscherer]

Sounds about right.

[chucker]

That would be sadder than the iPhone 61 announcement.