iMac Refresh This Year ('18)?

[mreg376]

When Apple restricts support on it's Macs to 6-7 years (mid 2012 is required for Mojave btw...) one year is quite a lot IMO. Also, I see no reason not to include the latest chips when Intel releases them except to do more profits on the older chips.

Why would it be more important to have the latest tech in a $999 phone used for Emojis than it is for a $3k computer used for work?

Apple has never been about giving customers the latest and greatest hardware components. Windows machines are there for that, which are essentially parts slapped together with Windows thrown in. I imagine (I would hope) that more time and software engineering is involved to create the relatively smooth and integrated iMac experience, so at some point they probably gather the parts and the specs and produce one generation of iMacs over a period of a year or two. I grew up on Windows PC's, and was always upgrading and tinkering to have the latest gear. However, it is when using my iMacs that I've been the most productive. Not an unreasonable business model, unless you give no value to the total iMac experience.

 

[DQ11]

For those of you still waiting, the wait continues...

I guess my June 2017 iMac purchase was smarter than I thought.

Yea I'm not waiting another 4-5 months to start making music again. I like the i7-7700 in the 21.5" but I wish they offered it in the 27"5k.

 

[Juicy Box]

Might wait for the Mac Pro redesign because while I don't need that much power, I could upgrade it over time since it's supposed to be "modular."

I completely understand this.

My Mac Pro 1,1 from 2006 is an impressive machine. It is used everyday by my children, and also used as a Plex server, it is still fast and going strong after many years.

I have upgraded it many times, I think I upgraded the RAM 3 different times, the drives have been upgraded many times and is currently use a mix between a SSD boot drive, and RAID 0 for the Plex server. I upgraded the GPU twice, both purchased from the Apple Store. I have upgraded the display twice, not counting the first one I used.

Depending on how the next Mac Pro looks, I might just get that to replace my Late 2012 iMac.

One thing I worry about is Apple's use of the term "Modular".

I don't think it will be like the cheese grater Mac Pro, but a desktop-unit with a bunch of swappable external components in their own contained enclosure. Like an external GPU, but external everything.

I don't like the idea of this, because it might reduce the use of third-party HW upgrades, as you might only be able to use Apple made stuff. Since it is Apple made, each external component would most likely be many times the price of the traditional upgrade.

I could be wrong about this, and maybe it will be like the cheese grater.

 

[macduke]

I completely understand this.

My Mac Pro 1,1 from 2006 is an impressive machine. It is used everyday by my children, and also used as a Plex server, it is still fast and going strong after many years.

I have upgraded it many times, I think I upgraded the RAM 3 different times, the drives have been upgraded many times and is currently use a mix between a SSD boot drive, and RAID 0 for the Plex server. I upgraded the GPU twice, both purchased from the Apple Store. I have upgraded the display twice, not counting the first one I used.

Depending on how the next Mac Pro looks, I might just get that to replace my Late 2012 iMac.

One thing I worry about is Apple's use of the term "Modular".

I don't think it will be like the cheese grater Mac Pro, but a desktop-unit with a bunch of swappable external components in their own contained enclosure. Like an external GPU, but external everything.

I don't like the idea of this, because it might reduce the use of third-party HW upgrades, as you might only be able to use Apple made stuff. Since it is Apple made, each external component would most likely be many times the price of the traditional upgrade.

I could be wrong about this, and maybe it will be like the cheese grater.

I’d be fine with this as long as it’s well supported. Especially if it lets us easily upgrade things like CPUs. Maybe it will also have Thunderbolt 4 100Gbps and we can just add new GPUs whenever. I’d like to buy a low-end modular Mac Pro for $2999 and upgrade parts over time. I also wonder if their new display will be larger and higher res than 5K. Would be cool to have a 32” 6K.

 

[DQ11]

I recently did the third option, although I'm not to ready to characterize computers released last year as "older hardware," even though one year is older then, let's say, one month. I'd prefer to think of the current iMacs' hardware as "mature," or more "tried and true," as opposed to the problems people are starting to see develop with the "new hardware" iMac Pros. Plus, everything's relative, and for me I was upgrading from a 2007 machine so my 2017 is SWEET...

I'm also looking to upgrade from a 2007 machine...a MBP. I just can't do what I want or need to do in Logic Pro 7 on that MBP so I'm looking at the 2017 imacs.

I have a feeling I'm going to spend $3,450 on a 27" imac and then 3-4 months later they announce a new imac with the 6 core i5's that run cooler than the i-7700k but just as powerful.

I just hope with what I want to do in logic. 35-45 tracks that it doesn't cause the fans to be too bad.

 

[mreg376]

I'm also looking to upgrade from a 2007 machine...a MBP. I just can't do what I want or need to do in Logic Pro 7 on that MBP so I'm looking at the 2017 imacs.

I have a feeling I'm going to spend $3,450 on a 27" imac and then 3-4 months later they announce a new imac with the 6 core i5's that run cooler than the i-7700k but just as powerful.

I just hope with what I want to do in logic. 35-45 tracks that it doesn't cause the fans to be too bad.

Well, I've seen no fan issues to speak of. I've heard the fan only when I was trying to run full-screen 8K/60 fps Youtube videos. The fan went on a minute or two and then was gone. Didn't even stay on the whole video. And the fan was not loud (my 2007 fan had taken to being on with almost any activity -- I think maybe after a decade the heat sink compound must be drying). The i7 fan was much less intrusive.

Deciding whether to wait is always annoying. It's just that I don't see Apple being in a rush to close the gap between the next iMac and its brand new iMac Pro, which I think means either we won't see a new iMac for a while, maybe into the Spring, or it will have fewer options, not more, like non-user-upgradable memory, and only a minimal CPU performance boost. Of course no one really has any idea whatsoever. The usual advice is "if you need a computer now then get it now."

 

[DQ11]

Well, I've seen no fan issues to speak of. I've heard the fan only when I was trying to run full-screen 8K/60 fps Youtube videos. The fan went on a minute or two and then was gone. Didn't even stay on the whole video. And the fan was not loud (my 2007 fan had taken to being on with almost any activity -- I think maybe after a decade the heat sink compound must be drying). The i7 fan was much less intrusive.

Deciding whether to wait is always annoying. It's just that I don't see Apple being in a rush to close the gap between the next iMac and its brand new iMac Pro, which I think means either we won't see a new iMac for a while, maybe into the Spring, or it will have fewer options, not more, like non-user-upgradable memory, and only a minimal CPU performance boost. Of course no one really has any idea whatsoever. The usual advice is "if you need a computer now then get it now."

thanks for the input/advice. I have a feeling the fan in the 27" with the i7-7700k even if loud, won't be as loud as the fan in my 2007 MBP. Plus I'll be doing a lot of my stuff with headphones on...I'm in an apartment.