Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

New iMacs - when?

mac.fly

mac.fly

macrumors regular
Original poster
Apr 8, 2008
110
1
UK
Will there also be new iMacs, when Snow Leopard will be released
this summer? Or will they come later...? Still hoping for blu-ray...
 
Apple would be making quite a few owners unhappy if new iMacs were released within months of each other. The last time they did that, it wasn't pretty.
 
1. iMacs were updated 3 months ago -> No update before Q4 '09 - Q1 '10.

2. Usually no hardware releases when OS is released

3. No Blu-Ray in iMac before 2015...
 
> 1. iMacs were updated 3 months ago -> No update before Q4 '09 - Q1 '10.

Doesn't it make a difference, if a new *model* came out 3 months ago
or if it was just a specs update? In the first case I would expect a longer
waiting time until the next release, but in the second case...?

> 2. Usually no hardware releases when OS is released

Why not?

> 3. No Blu-Ray in iMac before 2015...

Seriously? I know many people who would buy an expensive mac,
but are waiting just for blu-ray. It's not just me.
 
If you want a "heads up" on any major Apple hardware release . . . keep an eye on when they start moving inventory out the warehouse doors.

For instance, Apple is selling the 3G iPhone directly by mail, with no shipping charge. That was the industry signal that a new phone is going to be announced.
 
mac.fly said:
> 1. iMacs were updated 3 months ago -> No update before Q4 '09 - Q1 '10.

Doesn't it make a difference, if a new *model* came out 3 months ago
or if it was just a specs update? In the first case I would expect a longer
waiting time until the next release, but in the second case...?

> 2. Usually no hardware releases when OS is released

Why not?

> 3. No Blu-Ray in iMac before 2015...

Seriously? I know many people who would buy an expensive mac,
but are waiting just for blu-ray. It's not just me.
Click to expand...

1. What is "new model"? Design isn't going to change in few years and iMacs already have best components that exists (lacks quad-core, coming in next update). Desktop sales are already small so there's no reason for updating 'em every few months because previous model's price will drop significantly. Last update took almost a year with six moths of rumors and speculation.

2. The reason is simple, money. When new OS is released, people is going to buy that disk for $129. If new hardware released at the same time which will have new OS pre-installed Apple will lose that $129. All hardware refreshes have been before new OS or few months later.

3. Ask from Tallest Skil. He have told that so many times. Blu-Ray is useless. It would bump the price up for ~200-400$. Who really uses it? Okay it's nice to watch BR movies but I like to watch 'em from HDTV with PS3 or BR player more than from my iMac's screen.

We don't need these threads....
 
Is there a serious demand for optical drives? Frankly, I haven't given any consideration to buying a "next gen" optical drive, whether it's blu-ray, green-ray, paisley-ray . . . since digital content is going to be distributed without discs, it already is.
 
MTI said:
Is there a serious demand for optical drives? Frankly, I haven't given any consideration to buying a "next gen" optical drive, whether it's blu-ray, green-ray, paisley-ray . . . since digital content is going to be distributed without discs, it already is.
Click to expand...

Yea, that's true. In future, all content will be downloaded. Blu-Ray is nice in home theater setup but I can't fin it useful (and worth it's money) in computers.
 
viccles said:
So you would be reasonably safe to buy one in the next month or so?
Click to expand...

Even if they did come out with a "new" iMac next week . . . just imagine the buying opportunities developing from all the "must have latest" buyers selling their gently used, but now unworthy, status symbols. ;)
 
MTI said:
Even if they did come out with a "new" iMac next week . . . just imagine the buying opportunities developing from all the "must have latest" buyers selling their gently used, but now unworthy, status symbols. ;)
Click to expand...

I am going to wait out at least the WWDC :)
 
Hellhammer said:
Okay it's nice to watch BR movies but I like to watch 'em from HDTV with PS3 or BR player more than from my iMac's screen.
Click to expand...

Well,to each his own,I guess,but like HellHammer I also enjoy BR hooked up to my HDTV.
 
Hellhammer said:
Yea, that's true. In future, all content will be downloaded. Blu-Ray is nice in home theater setup but I can't fin it useful (and worth it's money) in computers.
Click to expand...

although DVD's started the same way, and BR will find its way down in cost, I have to agree. Blu-ray was a ridiculous product that was released to the "must-have" market. I have a buddy named clint that fits this profile, he builds "benchmarking pc's" and must own everything in BR because he needs the 1080P. He doesn't care if the movie is any good or if he can tell the difference in the 480-720 from the 1080 ranges. /end rant

The best thing about BR is the 50gb capacity of the disks, with hard drives being as inexpensive as they are, not to mention some running solely off of USB power and avoiding large hot power bricks why bother?

IMHO: BR media is reserved for those that must have latest and greatest. It is not economical, and optical media will always be cumbersome in terms of cost of ownership.
 
odej98 said:
although DVD's started the same way, and BR will find its way down in cost, I have to agree. Blu-ray was a ridiculous product that was released to the "must-have" market. I have a buddy named clint that fits this profile, he builds "benchmarking pc's" and must own everything in BR because he needs the 1080P. He doesn't care if the movie is any good or if he can tell the difference in the 480-720 from the 1080 ranges. /end rant

The best thing about BR is the 50gb capacity of the disks, with hard drives being as inexpensive as they are, not to mention some running solely off of USB power and avoiding large hot power bricks why bother?

IMHO: BR media is reserved for those that must have latest and greatest. It is not economical, and optical media will always be cumbersome in terms of cost of ownership.
Click to expand...

Macs aren't for people who want the latest and fastest. BR disks can go up to 400GB now and 1TB disks are in prototype. I don't really know why Macs can't have BR but as I said, Tallest Skil has very good reasons

This is what he wrote in other thread:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Of all the things to ask... I really don't know. Apple doesn't like the licensing and HDCP. While I haven't read too much into it, I don't see a change in the Blu-ray DRM policy any time soon. Perhaps it won't even happen until the 400GB Blu-ray disks are mainstream and we're watching Super Hi-Vision movies with them. Little segue here: Super Hi-Vision compressed to MPEG-2 is 600Mb/s. I don't want to get into all the conversions and size changes here, but this will be available as a release on Blu-ray disks FAR before the U.S. broadband network can manage something of this nature for downloads (much less STORAGE on a computer as Apple wishes!); heck, FIOS maxes out at only 50Mb/s right now! Now, when our televisions are 7680x4320 (Super Hi-Vision resolution), 1080p video downloads in iTunes will have just become available to everyone (available in terms of the affordability of broadband speeds fast enough to handle such a download in a reasonable amount of time, in addition to having computers with the storage to hold said videos in iTunes... We'll have seen the demise of the 20" iMac by then, because it would be bad marketing in Apple's eyes to make a screen below 1920x1200 resolution). But, as I said, the availability of 1080p for download on the fly (hard to imagine now) will be made somewhat insignificant by the onset of 7680x4320 movies on disks and such a download would take over 10x the time needed to go to Wal-Mart and buy a 400GB Blu-ray disk with said resolution movie on it.

So, in a roundabout way of saying it, when Super Hi-Vision is the new standard for video resolution, that is when we will see Blu-ray in Macs, because nationwide broadband will NOT be able to catch up in time barring the discovery of a true room temperature superconductor. And not the one they have right now. That thing just barely hits what scientists call "room temperature" (room temperature to them is "above the liquefaction point of nitrogen" so that the material–a ceramic, in this case–can be cooled to the point of superconductivity very cheaply).

Wait... where was I going? Okay, Super Hi-Vision... 400GB Blu-ray disks... a room-temperature superconductor for nationwide broadband infrastructure... oh, yeah.

We'll see Blu-ray in Macs around 2015. This date is based on the first adoption of Super Hi-Vision as a broadcast format (Japan in 2012 for TV), a cheapening of those 400GB Blu-ray disks (because of mass production), and TV manufacturers' greed toward the American people, because once we ALL have HDTVs, they'll break out the "Oh, 1080p sucks! Here! Look at 4320p!" argument and we'll start to see that resolution of TV come out. Of course, the first 7680x4320 Blu-ray movies will have to have 1920x1080 copies on the disk as well, for backwards compatibility for people without Super Hi-Vision TVs yet.

But... we MIGHT see it earlier. I just think my argument has a decent level of merit. I hope it wasn't too confusing!



Whoo! More typing! Okay, Blu-ray isn't the "little guy". Blu-ray is the next majority. Blu-ray is the next tyrant. Blu-ray is the next DVD. Blu-ray will be the format for disks for YEARS to come, thanks to its continued expandability. Sure, we have 25 and 50GB disks now, but there are 400GB disks (read the above for more) in the works, as well as a 1TB version later on (for those longer Super Hi-Vision movies ).
Click to expand...
 
BR iMacs 2015...? - I can't believe it! Too much competitors who already or soon will offer it.

> ... when our televisions are 7680x4320 (Super Hi-Vision resolution)...

BTW What is the "resolution" of movies you watch in cinemas?
Just to be able to compare if such resolutions would make sense at all.
 
mac.fly said:
BR iMacs 2015...? - I can't believe it! Too much competitors who already or soon will offer it.

> ... when our televisions are 7680x4320 (Super Hi-Vision resolution)...

BTW What is the "resolution" of movies you watch in cinemas?
Just to be able to compare if such resolutions would make sense at all.
Click to expand...

In 2015, BR will be todays DVD... As I said, downloading is today and future, it's cheaper, environmentally better and easier. Macs don't need Blu-Ray and if you really want it, buy external one for 100$ and use Windows or 3rd party app to play it.

High definition came few years ago and nowadays almost everyone has HDTV. Their prices have drop easily over $1000. Same will happen with Super Hi-Vision.

P.S I guess it's 720p or 1080p, depending on movie and theater.
 
I could definitely see them being upgraded in August/September, as nVidia today released five significantly faster and lower powered mobile video cards:

i4jpso.jpg



I do not see anything other than video card updates occurring in the next 6 months. I think the new update will surround upgrading the video card offerings, which Leopard is said to take full advantage of.
 
iMacmatician said:
I think early 2010 with Arrandale.
Click to expand...

And really again no new model for the christmas business...??

Because I need to buy 4 iMacs in the next months (much money!),
I tried to find out when there will be new models.
I just don't want to invest in "old" computers (don't get me wrong).

So it would be helpful to know if new models will be released
within the next 3...6 months. I couldn't wait longer...

Where could I find more information...?
Where are the insiders?
Or when could this information be available?
Thanks!
 
mac.fly said:
And really again no new model for the christmas business...??

Because I need to buy 4 iMacs in the next months (much money!),
I tried to find out when there will be new models.
I just don't want to invest in "old" computers (don't get me wrong).

So it would be helpful to know if new models will be released
within the next 3...6 months. I couldn't wait longer...

Where could I find more information...?
Where are the insiders?
Or when could this information be available?
Thanks!
Click to expand...

Nobody really knows...

There's small possibility that they'll come in 2009 but as other have said above, Arrandales are out in early '10 and Apple will likely use them. iMacs were updated 3 and a half months ago and last update took almost a year and rumors started 6 months before update. Current iMacs are great but if you want to wait, sure, next update will likely be significant because Arrandales will provide huge performance bump.

You can't find any information because Apple doesn't tell their plans to consumers. Rumors and leaks usually starts couple months before update
 
apple will not use arrandale for imacs. They will use lynnfield. If they do not use a quad core in their next imac it would be suicide for the imac.
 
wesleyh said:
apple will not use arrandale for imacs. They will use lynnfield. If they do not use a quad core in their next imac it would be suicide for the imac.
Click to expand...

Interesting! And when could they use it?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back