Anyone else looking at the new iMacs?

[derbothaus]

Noisy fans??? I never hear my fans. Yes, the case produces heat, but that's also because the case serves as a heat sink to pull heat away and radiate it off. Even when pushing my Mac to the fullest with running Pro apps, Creative Suite software, ProTools, etc. my fans rarely kick up speed to the point where I can hear them (and even then, the fans are quieter than the one in my cable box).

Even when the case (on the top) is very hot, the internal temps are perfectly fine, no complaints here. (and yes, the display is absolutely phenomenal)

Just a couple things. Pro tools and Adobe CS do not push the iMac to it's limit. Or at least not very often. Unless you have 50+ instances of Trilogy loaded. You'll usually run out of RAM before you over tax you proc. 4 hour multi core video 3D renders push it and the fans with it. What are your temps at idle? They should be no higher than 40-50ºC at idle. According to documentation the i7-2600 max tcase is 72.6ºC. Prolonged temperature close to or beyond that increases the chance of damage or thermal shutdown. Mac Pro's idle well below this thanks to the large case and all the space in the world for heat sinks. Never higher than 35-40ºC in summer at idle.

 

[wallysb01]

I could see large desktop displays sticking around and in a few years from now being able to place your ipad in front of them only to have it form a virtual keyboard and trackpad while the display operates via a wireless display bus standard. I could totally see them do this with graphics that resemble a physical keyboard appearing on the surface of the ipad. The current one is a bit small, but you never know what sizes will appear in the future. I'm currently wondering how many years before laptops are displaced in truly large numbers by tablets. The only reason I don't own one is because I wouldn't use it much. When I'm not at the computer, I don't like to carry it with me. I could see tablets even displacing smart phones to a degree. Perhaps you wouldn't carry your tablet everywhere, but if the interest shifted to tablets which can be used to text or for short calls, the upgrade cycle on smart phones could slow significantly, just like phones basically ate point and shoot camera sales.

I don't think the physical keyboard will disappear, at least not for the foreseeable future. Even typing out relatively short emails or this post, I find the virtual keyboard to be very annoying. Having to hold your fingers above the "keyboard" and look for each key is just a pain. Maybe others are better at these iPad/iphone keyboards than I am, but I don't see myself and many others even coming close to the efficiency a real keyboard offers. Then, if this is a safe assumption, I don't think tablets will ever significantly eat in to the laptop market, since to do any real work you need the real keyboard. And if you're going to carry around a tablet and a keyboard (even one that rolls out flat or is fairly compressed), you might as well bring a laptop that gives you more processing power, more data storage, and a larger screen.

Now, I do think tablets and smart phones will eventually have their place as a "plug-in-desktop", where they maybe just dock to a power station and wirelessly sync to a keyboard, mouse, and display as you mention. But I don't see them killing, or even coming close to killing, the laptop. Its just too convenient to have a full (or at least full-ish) keyboard and large enough monitor to do anything that can be called work, all in a size that is still portable.

 

[Digital Skunk]

Just a couple things. Pro tools and Adobe CS do not push the iMac to it's limit. Or at least not very often. Unless you have 50+ instances of Trilogy loaded. You'll usually run out of RAM before you over tax you proc. 4 hour multi core video 3D renders push it and the fans with it. What are your temps at idle? They should be no higher than 40-50ºC at idle. According to documentation the i7-2600 max tcase is 72.6ºC. Prolonged temperature close to or beyond that increases the chance of damage or thermal shutdown. Mac Pro's idle well below this thanks to the large case and all the space in the world for heat sinks. Never higher than 35-40ºC in summer at idle.

The more serious question is the temp of the room the machine is sitting in. Working around workstations for most of my professional career in print, journalism, broadcast and now education has gotten me very used to the cold, and has shown me that keeping an area relatively cool will help keep components working effectively.

I don't think the physical keyboard will disappear, at least not for the foreseeable future. Even typing out relatively short emails or this post, I find the virtual keyboard to be very annoying. Having to hold your fingers above the "keyboard" and look for each key is just a pain. Maybe others are better at these iPad/iphone keyboards than I am, but I don't see myself and many others even coming close to the efficiency a real keyboard offers. Then, if this is a safe assumption, I don't think tablets will ever significantly eat in to the laptop market, since to do any real work you need the real keyboard. And if you're going to carry around a tablet and a keyboard (even one that rolls out flat or is fairly compressed), you might as well bring a laptop that gives you more processing power, more data storage, and a larger screen.

Now, I do think tablets and smart phones will eventually have their place as a "plug-in-desktop", where they maybe just dock to a power station and wirelessly sync to a keyboard, mouse, and display as you mention. But I don't see them killing, or even coming close to killing, the laptop. Its just too convenient to have a full (or at least full-ish) keyboard and large enough monitor to do anything that can be called work, all in a size that is still portable.

We say this about every tech transition though. This generation may not be able to cope, but the ones coming up may. We all know how Apple pushes the envelope, and has the uncanny power to just convince the masses that the what they put out is the way it should be.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the keyboard and mouse take a back seat before the end of this decade. They won't die, just take that back seat to something else.

P.S. I punched this post out rather efficiently with the touch keyboard on my iPad. Auto correct did help that along though.

 

[wallysb01]

We say this about every tech transition though. This generation may not be able to cope, but the ones coming up may. We all know how Apple pushes the envelope, and has the uncanny power to just convince the masses that the what they put out is the way it should be.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the keyboard and mouse take a back seat before the end of this decade. They won't die, just take that back seat to something else.

P.S. I punched this post out rather efficiently with the touch keyboard on my iPad. Auto correct did help that along though.

And I'm tapping this out on my iPhone now, but it's taking about ten times as long to do so.

And some technologies are more like the wheel. Nothing may replace them for millenia. The key board is going to stick for a long time yet.

 

[Digital Skunk]

And I'm tapping this out on my iPhone now, but it's taking about ten times as long to do so.

And some technologies are more like the wheel. Nothing may replace them for millenia. The key board is going to stick for a long time yet.

Agreed, but the keyboard isn't the wheel in the sense, it's not that basic and doesn't permeate every aspect of computing.

Now, the wheel did come from wooden parts covered in a band of leather and move up to a rubber tube with an inflatable bladder. The keyboard and mouse may just move on screen.

I will always prefer a keyboard for long typing sessions, but I do see the trends for it taking a back seat at some point.

 

[nambuccaheadsau]

Will stick with my X5355 upgraded Mac Pro.

Neighbour purchased a new iMac. Too glossy for me, and could not cope with that single hard drive, even with an external, limited graphics and after eleven months it is on its third slot loader optical drive, a known weak point in MacBooks, Minis and iMacs sadly.

 

[nutritious]

To the guy that thinks the aluminum casing of the Mac Pro works like a heatsink, no, not really.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

To the guy that thinks the aluminum casing of the Mac Pro works like a heatsink, no, not really.

On the iMac it does.

 

[derbothaus]

On the iMac it does.

That was not a design decision it was only a result of materials. The heat spreaders do not mount to the case for this dispersion. Aluminum just soaks it all up regardless of intent. The problem in the iMac case is airflow. No space left.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

That was not a design decision it was only a result of materials. The heat spreaders do not mount to the case for this dispersion. Aluminum just soaks it all up regardless of intent. The problem in the iMac case is airflow. No space left.

Then as we all know Apple brought a flawed design to market. I've heard many stories regarding the iMac over the last 4 years.

 

[derbothaus]

Then as we all know Apple brought a flawed design to market.

Oh, the horror!
Seriously though, still better than anything the PC players have done. If you don't look at your temps all the time most users are none the wiser. And it's winter so a space heater is very welcome.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

Oh, the horror!
Seriously though, still better than anything the PC players have done. If you don't look at your temps all the time most users are none the wiser. And it's winter so a space heater is very welcome.

I certain that most here that have not been brainwashed would agree that when you pay top dollar, you expect the best. Instead, we get shoddy qt and a company that support suicide nets in a communist country we are at war with and all the complaints here hold value to most members. When Apple screws up they never admit it, they have tobe called on it. Where have you been. "Theirs a forum for that" I as most here want to see consumers get what the pay for and all to often with Apple and some others, they do not. I know some who pain nearly 4 grand for iMac and it was a disaster, it took several replacements. The Mac pro has a lower production volume/update cycle and is more reliable.

 

[driftless]

I certain that most here that have not been brainwashed would agree that when you pay top dollar, you expect the best. Instead, we get shoddy qt and a company that support suicide nets in a communist country we are at war with and all the complaints here hold value to most members. When Apple screws up they never admit it, they have tobe called on it. Where have you been. "Theirs a forum for that" I as most here want to see consumers get what the pay for and all to often with Apple and some others, they do not. I know some who pain nearly 4 grand for iMac and it was a disaster, it took several replacements. The Mac pro has a lower production volume/update cycle and is more reliable.

I get it that some folks do not like the consumer or prosumer side of Apple. But that is not a reason to bash the iMac (insert iPad, etc., here). Bashing the the iMac does not make the Mac Pro better nor changes either series future fortunes. Your statement is pure hyperbole. The iMac is not a shoddy machine, it is a very nice machine that addresses a BIG need in the market that the Mac Pro does not nor was the MP designed to. The iMac may not be what you want, but that is OK, too. The Mac Pro is also a nice machine, and I hope that Apple continues the series. It is not, however, a straight up Apples to Apples comparison as both series are currently offered.

- David

P.S. - we are at war with China? When did that happen?

 

[derbothaus]

What tech company doesn't bring flaws to market? Humans are flawed, our tech is flawed. Nothing is perfect. Brainwashing works for and against you as you apparently have a grudge or agenda. I thought we were talking cooling system on a 2012 iMac. Not new world order conspiracies.

 

[RoelJuun]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

My biggest problem with the iMac that I currently own, is that I don't like having 5 external drives / cables around my desk. And the Pro offers more longevity of course.

 

[Digital Skunk]

Will stick with my X5355 upgraded Mac Pro.

Neighbour purchased a new iMac. Too glossy for me, and could not cope with that single hard drive, even with an external, limited graphics and after eleven months it is on its third slot loader optical drive, a known weak point in MacBooks, Minis and iMacs sadly.

I agree about the gloss, but the optical drive sounds like he might have had a lemon. I've never heard about the OD being a major weak point. I've heard about people that can't feel for a tiny slot that's the first slot from the bottom to stick their SD card into . . . i.e. user error, but not an OD that's prone to failing in an iMac.

The interesting thing is that I have every generation if iMac since the Bondi Blue, and they all still boot up just fine. My wife's 24" has only just recently had it's HDD replaced, which is very user serviceable. It ran fine for almost 4 years before that.

Again, other than a logic board failure, I see it running fine for at least another 3 years.

I get it that some folks do not like the consumer or prosumer side of Apple. But that is not a reason to bash the iMac (insert iPad, etc., here). Bashing the the iMac does not make the Mac Pro better nor changes either series future fortunes. Your statement is pure hyperbole. The iMac is not a shoddy machine, it is a very nice machine that addresses a BIG need in the market that the Mac Pro does not nor was the MP designed to. The iMac may not be what you want, but that is OK, too. The Mac Pro is also a nice machine, and I hope that Apple continues the series. It is not, however, a straight up Apples to Apples comparison as both series are currently offered.

- David

P.S. - we are at war with China? When did that happen?

Agreed, there are pluses and minuses to every system. We can go back and forth about the merits of each system for the type of user, but QC issues and imaginary flaws need to be left aside.

My biggest problem with the iMac that I currently own, is that I don't like having 5 external drives / cables around my desk. And the Pro offers more longevity of course.

You need to get a HDD array, or a Drobo or something. That was and still is my primary piece of advice to anyone that has more than 2 external 3.5" full sized HDDs sitting on their desk.

 

[xgman]

Does anyone think we will see something along the lines of an imac pro?

 

[driftless]

I would be all over an iMac pro. Some time ago there was a rumor about an new Mac product that might be introduced. Those rumors have died away though. I, like many, am very interested in seeing what Apple does with the Mac Pro and iMac series in '12. I will be upgrading to one of them.