iMac (Alum) and Mac Mini Summer/Fall 08 Update Speculation

[takeabyteoutta]

It's never too early to start speculating on what's coming next.

The iMac was updated today, but the Mac Mini was not. Does this signal the Mac Mini's impending (rumored) discontinuation or does Apple have something else in mind? I'd also like to point out that the Mac Mini could very well be updated sometime soon (while it's still spring), but I'm ready to start establishing what will be coming packaged in the next update.

Here's just a few tidbits for the iMac.
- 8 months passed between the CD white iMac and C2D white iMac
- 11 months passed between the C2D white iMac and the first alum iMac.
- 8 months passed until the first update of the alum iMac to a 1066 fsb intel processor (while technically not a montevina, i'll refer to this iMac as the montevina iMac for simplicity)

assuming an 8-11 month cycle, that places the next imac update somewhere between november and feb. of next year.

Here's a few tibits of speculation, given the projected time frame, to get things rolling:

- Quad Core mobile processors drop sometime late this summer, which means they could be available for the iMac.
- Nethelam processors at the end of this year
- 4 GB std memory
- DDR3 memory support
- USB 3.0
- 28"-30" model
- 500 GB std HD

and a few things other things I'm not particularly excited about

- blu-ray support
- mesh option for the display
- smaller chin
- thinner case

and just some things that seem ludacrious at this point in time

- touch capability
- built in alarm clock

 

[Eidorian]

Fall 2008, Montevina for an overclocked QX9300. 55W TDP of quad core love.

I have hopes for 8 GB of RAM but the 4 GB SODIMMs still aren't here. Not to mention DDR3 SODIMMs.

 

[takeabyteoutta]

Fall 2008, Montevina for an overclocked QX9300. 55W TDP of quad core love.

I have hopes for 8 GB of RAM but the 4 GB SODIMMs still aren't here. Not to mention DDR3 SODIMMs.

thats right, i forget intels dropping a quadcore mobile processor at the end of this summer. that would look quite good in an iMac, although by then, Nethelam is so close and it's performance is truly next gen.

 

[treasurefinder]

I heard those quad-core intel chips are still going to be power suckers and big heat producers, which apparently is limiting them to "desktop replacement laptops." Think the iMac fits this category, lol

 

[D4F]

Quad core seems like next logical step but it wonders me if apple will go that far to challenge Mac Pro.
My bet stays on dual core.
4GB RAM on top end and 2GB on all the rest
750GB HD on high end with 500 and 350 on lower models.
Blue Ray... I don't think so.
nVidia 8800M GTS on all models with 8800M GTX on the high end.
8bit 20" display
Possible redesign to replace notebook components with desktop ones.

 

[Eidorian]

I heard those quad-core intel chips are still going to be power suckers and big heat producers, which apparently is limiting them to "desktop replacement laptops." Think the iMac fits this category, lol

You'll be happy to know that the quad core Core 2 Extreme QX9300 cooler then the 3.06 GHz Core 2 Duo in use right now.

Quad core seems like next logical step but it wonders me if apple will go that far to challenge Mac Pro.
My bet stays on dual core.
4GB RAM on top end and 2GB on all the rest
750GB HD on high end with 500 and 350 on lower models.
Blue Ray... I don't think so.
nVidia 8800M GTS on all models with 8800M GTX on the high end.
8bit 20" display
Possible redesign to replace notebook components with desktop ones.

Apple really needs a quad core in this world of tri/quad core desktop machines that fall in at half the price.

 

[takeabyteoutta]

i think the niche's of the iMac and Mac Pro, as spacesaver and expandability respectively, are well enough defined that Apple doesn't have to worry about too much about overlapping competition between the models if they do add a quad-core to the iMac lineup. plus, only the low end Mac Pro has a single quad core, whereas the top ends have been pushin 8 for quite sometime now. i suspect apple will probably drop the low end mac pro or update it to two quadcores if and when apple does place a quad core into the iMac.