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iMac (aluminum) Hardware Updates for Spring 08 Speculation

takeabyteoutta said:
2. These products apparently exist for you and your glare filled home. Go buy one and stop wasting valuable thread space. why do you insist on complaining if there's a simple solution to this "deal-breaking" problem?
Click to expand...

What's the big fuss? Everybody in their right mind must agree that it is better to offer a matte alternative rather than not offer it :rolleyes:

I know these are small polls, but I dare you to find any poll that shows the opposite result.

http://lenovoblogs.com/designmatters/?p=71
http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=698
http://macslash.org/pollBooth.pl?section=&qid=192&aid=-1

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061018-8022.html

Lenovo recently ran an online poll asking its customers their personal preference, and the results are revealing. An overwhelming 86 percent of respondents preferred the old-school anti-glare matte finish for their laptops, with only 8 percent voting for the glossy reflective finish. Only 5 percent were indifferent. Clearly, non-glossy won by a landslide.
Click to expand...

I rest my case.
 
takeabyteoutta said:
The updates are really dependent on the technology. Penryn's new coding structure is a slight step up, but the jump isn't necessarily justified by the cost. The newest chips are the most expensive. The performance boost to cost ratio probably doesn't justify upgrading, even if you factor in that you can use a smaller, cheaper fan. Other problems involve the supply of the penryn chips, which apparently is very small.
Click to expand...

I don't disagree that newer is usually most expensive. But the cost of making a new chip (building new fabrication lines, research, testing, etc.) must be distributed over every chip. Mass produced chips will therefore sell for less than specialty chips with a smaller market.

takeabyteoutta said:
As for WiMax, I believe it is a big deal. There's been speculation as to apples future plans and involvement with the auction of analog tv signals.
Click to expand...

We're talking about a desktop here. If Apple thinks WiMax will be big, they'll jump aboard it using laptops way before they put it in desktops. Apple isn't even going to wait until June and Montevina to release new MBPs thus not even the upcoming revision of MBPs will have WiMax. So why do you think that they would hold off iMacs for a technology that would be marginally beneficial (if beneficial at all) for desktop computers?

takeabyteoutta said:
Power consumption negates your arguement for penryn as well as montevina, although I'd prefer my computer to be more energy efficient and I wouldn't mind if apple slapped some energy star stickers on the back.
Click to expand...

I think you misunderstood me. I'm saying that lower power consumption is NOT a big deal for a desktop (although certainly preferable) and since one of the benefits of Montevina is less power consumption, I was saying that this is yet another reason why Apple will not hold off on an update until June for Montevina.

Anyway, I stand by my prediction: iMac revisions by the end of March with a small Penryn boost.
 
As a recent switcher to a brand new iMac with the glossy screen, I thought many would find my testimony intersting.

First of all... lets get this out of the way. There is more glare, and in a VERY bright room with lots of natural lighting, the glare may be too much to deal with in the middle of the day.

Now... the more important part. It is kind of difficult to explain, but now that I have switched, my general perspectives on computer screens has changed. For the first time my screen seems almost 3-D, and seemingly composed of 'real' elements which you could almost reach out and touch. The screen elements don't look generated by an OS, but more like real elements that have texture.

If you have an iPhone, this is the best way to explain it. Did you notice that when you got your iPhone everything looked just a little bit better on it? the icons looked like real glass, the pages really looked like they were being scrolled through? Well, it has something to do with the high resolution screen... but more I think to the glossiness. When the screen isn't catching a lot lf glare, it is catching a little... and I think it is this little glare that makes everything appear more three dimensional and attractive.

I went into this very worried about the glossy screen, and now I would recommend it to ANYONE. I am so happy with this screen and what 'it adds' to my computing experience... it is really amazing. I only wish I could more easily describe it. You just have to try it for yourself. Go to the Apple Store near you and give it a test drive. If you dont' like it, fair enough... but for me personally, (and I do realize this is very much an opinion) it was a HUGE upgrade.

If I had to describe my new 24" screen in one word, it would be "lickable".

Yum.
 
Apple IS going to wait for Montevina. If they wanna keep their "You can't be too thin or too powerful" slogan, Montevina would be the way to go. It's gonna allow for 800mhz DDR3 RAM, and the FSB will be increased to 1066mhz which together will make a ~10% performance boost. Montevina will also reduce power consumption which will allow Apple to keep the iMac real thin without worrying about overheating problems. With Apple almost always getting Intel chips early (MacBook Air, Mac Pro Penryn, Santa Rosa iMac (2.8ghz) etc..), we'll see an iMac in early June, when Montevina and its new chips will come out. We'll also have the 3600 512mb ATI mobility card ready by then...
 
I will probabially be getting a new imac sometime around late april, and I know in this forum it talks about the new imac being released anytime between now and june.
Here are my questions...

1. Does this date refer to the actual date they will be in stores, or when it will be announced... meaning they would be in stores about 2 months later?

2. Will the rumored imac be just new software and be able to go faster... or will it look different from the outside? (such as glossy vs. matte screen, color)

3. If I do choose to buy the current imac, does anybody think this aluminum faced imac will quickly look dated?

4. Where is everybody getting this information... i haven't been able to find another source becides this one about the spring 2008 release?
 
tjohanne said:
What's the big fuss? Everybody in their right mind must agree that it is better to offer a matte alternative rather than not offer it :rolleyes:

I know these are small polls, but I dare you to find any poll that shows the opposite result.

http://lenovoblogs.com/designmatters/?p=71
http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=698
http://macslash.org/pollBooth.pl?section=&qid=192&aid=-1

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061018-8022.html



I rest my case.
Click to expand...

ya, you also skipped over this quote in that article "Lenovo's poll may not reflect the true preference of the buying public in general, as online polls tend to be self-selecting."

I dare you to show me some real iMac market research that reflects the polls above.

you also can't rest your case, because you never had one to begin with.
 
Ryanb1281 said:
I don't disagree that newer is usually most expensive. But the cost of making a new chip (building new fabrication lines, research, testing, etc.) must be distributed over every chip. Mass produced chips will therefore sell for less than specialty chips with a smaller market.



We're talking about a desktop here. If Apple thinks WiMax will be big, they'll jump aboard it using laptops way before they put it in desktops. Apple isn't even going to wait until June and Montevina to release new MBPs thus not even the upcoming revision of MBPs will have WiMax. So why do you think that they would hold off iMacs for a technology that would be marginally beneficial (if beneficial at all) for desktop computers?



I think you misunderstood me. I'm saying that lower power consumption is NOT a big deal for a desktop (although certainly preferable) and since one of the benefits of Montevina is less power consumption, I was saying that this is yet another reason why Apple will not hold off on an update until June for Montevina.

Anyway, I stand by my prediction: iMac revisions by the end of March with a small Penryn boost.
Click to expand...

WiMax at the moment may be marginally beneficial, but if it fits into apple's future plans, then its worth incorporatng the "backwards compatibility". Also, until the MBP update is actually annouced, your arguements moot. I personally wouldn't be surprised if apple held off until they could incorporate montevina into MBP's.

As for everything else, you've completely misunderstood me. Penryn offers no noticable or worthwhile performance gains compared to the cost for the iMac other than decreased heat and power production, which isn't important because the current iMac can hand the heat from a 65nm chip.

MONTEVINA on the other hand will offer a 10+% performance gain for the iMac, which is important and the main reason apple is holding off until they can put montevina into the iMac.

It's pretty obvious you want the iMac revision to be sooner rather than later (we all do), but there's actually not much reason for you to hold off buying one if you want it now.

The current 2.4 ghz computer will be comparable to the base model ~2.2 ghz iMac montevina in terms of perforamce. The only other major difference is that we may see slight increases in the base HDD size with no increase in cost.

There are rumours on the front page that intel is launching Montevina in early June, which means an iMac update is unfortunately going to be in May at the earliest.
 
fivepoint said:
As a recent switcher to a brand new iMac with the glossy screen, I thought many would find my testimony intersting.

First of all... lets get this out of the way. There is more glare, and in a VERY bright room with lots of natural lighting, the glare may be too much to deal with in the middle of the day.

Now... the more important part. It is kind of difficult to explain, but now that I have switched, my general perspectives on computer screens has changed. For the first time my screen seems almost 3-D, and seemingly composed of 'real' elements which you could almost reach out and touch. The screen elements don't look generated by an OS, but more like real elements that have texture.

If you have an iPhone, this is the best way to explain it. Did you notice that when you got your iPhone everything looked just a little bit better on it? the icons looked like real glass, the pages really looked like they were being scrolled through? Well, it has something to do with the high resolution screen... but more I think to the glossiness. When the screen isn't catching a lot lf glare, it is catching a little... and I think it is this little glare that makes everything appear more three dimensional and attractive.

I went into this very worried about the glossy screen, and now I would recommend it to ANYONE. I am so happy with this screen and what 'it adds' to my computing experience... it is really amazing. I only wish I could more easily describe it. You just have to try it for yourself. Go to the Apple Store near you and give it a test drive. If you dont' like it, fair enough... but for me personally, (and I do realize this is very much an opinion) it was a HUGE upgrade.

If I had to describe my new 24" screen in one word, it would be "lickable".

Yum.
Click to expand...

The reason for the improved imagine quality is because matte screens not only block ambient light/glare, but they also block some of the light produced by your LCD. Glossy always offers better image quality.
 
when to buy...help please

I will probabially be getting a new imac sometime around late april, and I know in this forum it talks about the new imac being released anytime between now and june.
Here are my questions...

1. Does this date refer to the actual date they will be in stores, or when it will be announced... meaning they would be in stores about 2 months later?

2. Will the rumored imac be just new software and be able to go faster... or will it look different from the outside? (such as glossy vs. matte screen, color)

3. If I do choose to buy the current imac, does anybody think this aluminum faced imac will quickly look dated?

4. Where is everybody getting this information... i haven't been able to find another source becides this one about the spring 2008 release?

what does... "Buy only if you need it - Approaching the end of a cycle" mean this quote is from https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//#iMac

does it mean the update will be released soon... or the imac will be redesigned soon....



*** also when can you predict there to be a COMPLETE redesign of the imac, one like changing to aluminum or even bigger. (im talking about the outside of it)



THANKS SO MUCH TO ANYONE WHO WILL ANSWER MY QUESTIONS. I APPRECIATE ALL THE HELP I CAN GET, BECAUSE IMACS ARE SO EXPENSIVE AND BECAUSE IM STRUGGLING TO RAISE MY CHILDREN ALONE IN A UNPREDICTABLE ENVIRONMENT I WANT AND NEED TO DO ALL THE RESEARCH I CAN BEFORE I BUY SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
 
takeabyteoutta said:
ya, you also skipped over this quote in that article "Lenovo's poll may not reflect the true preference of the buying public in general, as online polls tend to be self-selecting."

I dare you to show me some real iMac market research that reflects the polls above.

you also can't rest your case, because you never had one to begin with.
Click to expand...

I love your logic: disregard what polls show, and install your own opinion as the correct answer.
I didn't say that the iMac screen was not nice, because I also liked it very much. I just said that it would be good to have a matte alternative, because obviously many people prefer matte. And the polls indicate that. And no matter how biased or small or what not the polls are, it is a fact that there will always be certain number of people out there who like matte screens. Matte is also nice.

I just happen to think Apple would do a great thing for their customers by offering both matte and glossy. I don't see how anyone can say otherwise. You really think Apple did something wrong if they offered alternatives? :confused:
 
takeabyteoutta said:
The reason for the improved imagine quality is because matte screens not only block ambient light/glare, but they also block some of the light produced by your LCD. Glossy always offers better image quality.
Click to expand...

I guess the glossiness also enhances the gradient problems and the back lighting on the machines that have this issue, like mine had.
 
tjohanne said:
I love your logic: disregard what polls show, and install your own opinion as the correct answer.
I didn't say that the iMac screen was not nice, because I also liked it very much. I just said that it would be good to have a matte alternative, because obviously many people prefer matte. And the polls indicate that. And no matter how biased or small or what not the polls are, it is a fact that there will always be certain number of people out there who like matte screens. Matte is also nice.

I just happen to think Apple would do a great thing for their customers by offering both matte and glossy. I don't see how anyone can say otherwise. You really think Apple did something wrong if they offered alternatives? :confused:
Click to expand...

I don't trust polls, especially ones that admit they're biased. Have you taken any statistics. maybe you'll remember this famous case of poll bias http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._presidential_election,_1948

That's why I asked for real market research... something without bias that analysies iMac owners who've used both matte screens and glossy displays. That obvious majority of matte screen lovers may infact just be a minority when it comes to iMac buyers.

And as I've said before, offering a matte option will increase the bottom line cost of manufactoring, thereby screwing those of us how don't want arsenic containing matte displays. It's a much simpler solution for those who prefer matte to go out and buy a $100-200 anti-glare screen. Heck, buy a removable one, and you can use it when the lights are on and take it off when the lights are off for movies so you can enjoy the extra vibrant colors a glossy display offers.
 
asdfa80 said:
I will probabially be getting a new imac sometime around late april, and I know in this forum it talks about the new imac being released anytime between now and june.
Here are my questions...

1. Does this date refer to the actual date they will be in stores, or when it will be announced... meaning they would be in stores about 2 months later?

2. Will the rumored imac be just new software and be able to go faster... or will it look different from the outside? (such as glossy vs. matte screen, color)

3. If I do choose to buy the current imac, does anybody think this aluminum faced imac will quickly look dated?

4. Where is everybody getting this information... i haven't been able to find another source becides this one about the spring 2008 release?

what does... "Buy only if you need it - Approaching the end of a cycle" mean this quote is from https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//#iMac

does it mean the update will be released soon... or the imac will be redesigned soon....



*** also when can you predict there to be a COMPLETE redesign of the imac, one like changing to aluminum or even bigger. (im talking about the outside of it)



THANKS SO MUCH TO ANYONE WHO WILL ANSWER MY QUESTIONS. I APPRECIATE ALL THE HELP I CAN GET, BECAUSE IMACS ARE SO EXPENSIVE AND BECAUSE IM STRUGGLING TO RAISE MY CHILDREN ALONE IN A UNPREDICTABLE ENVIRONMENT I WANT AND NEED TO DO ALL THE RESEARCH I CAN BEFORE I BUY SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
Click to expand...

1. The release date will most likely be the actual date they will be in stores, give or take a day or two at most. Occasionally, Apple announces an upgrade before it's available, but it's very unlikely this would fall into that category

2. The rumored imac will most likely just be a little faster (new processor) and will not come with any new software. It won't be a redesigned case since the case was just redesigned. There might be changes to the screen, but that too seems unlikely.

3. I think the current aluminum look will be around for a couple years. Apple only completely overhauls the look every few years, and this is less than a year old.

4. Where is everybody getting this information? Mostly our own heads and Intel's roadmap for its processors (check out wikipedia).

5. Buy only if you need it is an automated function on the buyer's guide here that works by taking the historical average number of days between updates and advising people to wait if we're near that average. It's just an average, so it's not really a great guide. This thread contains much more specific information. Our guess is an update soon(ish), but we don't know. I'd guess there won't be a complete redesign of the iMac for at least another year.

I understand about wanting to make a good purchase and raising kids. I'd advise you to get one of the current models available as a refurbished model on the Apple store. These were just reduced another $50-$100, and will be (I think) a lot cheaper than whatever updated models are soon or not so soon released. For example, the 20" 2.4Ghz model I'm considering is $1249 as a refurb, and $1499 new. I think when the new models come out, I'd still rather have $250 than the minor speed upgrade. Also, don't buy RAM from Apple!!! Get 4GB of RAM from crucial.com or some place like that for about $115. It'll make a huge difference over the base 1GB RAM the machine comes with.
 
miloblithe said:
1. The release date will most likely be the actual date they will be in stores, give or take a day or two at most. Occasionally, Apple announces an upgrade before it's available, but it's very unlikely this would fall into that category

2. The rumored imac will most likely just be a little faster (new processor) and will not come with any new software. It won't be a redesigned case since the case was just redesigned. There might be changes to the screen, but that too seems unlikely.

3. I think the current aluminum look will be around for a couple years. Apple only completely overhauls the look every few years, and this is less than a year old.

4. Where is everybody getting this information? Mostly our own heads and Intel's roadmap for its processors (check out wikipedia).

5. Buy only if you need it is an automated function on the buyer's guide here that works by taking the historical average number of days between updates and advising people to wait if we're near that average. It's just an average, so it's not really a great guide. This thread contains much more specific information. Our guess is an update soon(ish), but we don't know. I'd guess there won't be a complete redesign of the iMac for at least another year.

I understand about wanting to make a good purchase and raising kids. I'd advise you to get one of the current models available as a refurbished model on the Apple store. These were just reduced another $50-$100, and will be (I think) a lot cheaper than whatever updated models are soon or not so soon released. For example, the 20" 2.4Ghz model I'm considering is $1249 as a refurb, and $1499 new. I think when the new models come out, I'd still rather have $250 than the minor speed upgrade. Also, don't buy RAM from Apple!!! Get 4GB of RAM from crucial.com or some place like that for about $115. It'll make a huge difference over the base 1GB RAM the machine comes with.
Click to expand...




Thank you ... this was very helpful!
 
Go With Refurbished ...or Not

hello... me again... one more question I promise
I've spoke with some people and they have told me not to get a refurbished imac no matter what. they say "there refurbished for a reason, who knows if apple fixed it" I am starting to aggree with them.
Does anyone have either good or bad Experiences with refurbished imac's. I have had many replacement cell phones which were refurbished, and I had terrible Experiences with them.
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP.
 
refurbished

I haven't bought a refurbished mac, but I have bought refurbished ipods and have never had a problem. My take on refurbs is that aside from being a good deal, you know that a human has actually checked it out prior to putting it back out for sale, so in some ways it's a safer bet. Refurbs also come with the same 1 year warranty as new macs so if there is a problem you're covered.

To add on to the buy now or wait: I'd advise looking at it this way. If the current model doesn't meet your needs then waiting makes sense, otherwise don't sweat the updates. If all you want a computer for is email, web, homework, etc, I'd even consider looking at previous generation iMacs (or if you have a good monitor minis).

Aside from the Apple store powermax has some decent deals on used and open box computers. They do charge for shipping (from Oregon) but don't charge sales tax.
 
asdfa80 said:
hello... me again... one more question I promise
I've spoke with some people and they have told me not to get a refurbished imac no matter what. they say "there refurbished for a reason, who knows if apple fixed it" I am starting to aggree with them.
Does anyone have either good or bad Experiences with refurbished imac's. I have had many replacement cell phones which were refurbished, and I had terrible Experiences with them.
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP.
Click to expand...

Refurb have the same waranty that brand new model. The person who told you this probably had a bad experience.
 
takeabyteoutta said:
so who thinks the iMac lineup will be refreshed this tuesday?
Click to expand...

I was doubting it, but now I think it may be true. In case you didn't notice, about a week or so ago, Apple moved up the current gen of Alum iMac refurbs to the top of the list and labeled them "Limited Time Special Price" (see http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?node=home/specialdeals/mac) it's gotta mean they are clearing refurb stock before the new machines arrive, and the value of the current generation drops.
 
You can guarantee they'll be released this tuesday or on the 4th its sod's law, as I've been waiting since November to buy an updated iMac. However on the 1st March I have to fly to Singapore for 3 weeks. So I won't be able to order straight away, as there will be nobody to take delivery!
 
It seems pretty likely the iMac won't be updated for atleast a month now, and it seems more likely they'll wait for Montevina in approximately 2-3 months. Hopefully we'll see a price cut in the mid-term, but that seems unlikely.
 
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