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Upgraded/Updated iMac this year?

T

TiffanyBee

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 30, 2010
45
0
California
I'm going to buy my very first iMac this year (my boyfriend has one & I find myself sitting in front of it just because it's so beautiful to look at) after being a PC user for 12 years.

The buyer's guide has suggested that I shouldn't buy the iMac unless I really need it as it's approaching the end of its cycle.

What are your speculations of when the new iMac will be released or if they'll even release one within two months?

If they release a new iMac in May/June, what do you think will change?

I'm looking to buy the 21.5" with ADI 4670 but I hoped that they'd integrate the i5 or i7 processor...although I've heard that so many people are having problems with it.
 
I've been lurking the forums for a while. I haven't read that many good things about the i5/i7. Is it even worth the wait if it'll be awhile before programs can take full advantage of the processor?
 
spinnerlys said:
WWDC is a likely date for updates and faster CPUs, maybe i5/7 in 21.5" iMac.
Click to expand...

No i7, they are too hot. 21.5" will likely get Clarkdale (i3+i5) which is dual core but high clocked and 32nm as they are suitable for 21.5" but 27" will likely use the same chips as now because there are no faster ones available yet.

WWDC looks the best now but wouldn't be surprised if Apple silently updates them
 
Thanks for giving me an approximation. I'm really looking forward to the upgrade. I'm assuming most of you believe the i5 is worth the wait...?
 
what u mean if i5 is worth the wait? the imac already got i5 quad core.

im thinking summer, early fall for an update, hopefully it will get a gpu update aswell
 
TiffanyBee said:
Thanks for giving me an approximation. I'm really looking forward to the upgrade. I'm assuming most of you believe the i5 is worth the wait...?
Click to expand...

Depends on what you do. C2Ds are more than fine for most people. Waiting game is endless, there is always new tech coming all the time.

If you have the $ for i5, get it, it won't get more than a slight upgrade
 
Yes, I know the i5 is available but the title of my thread says 21.5 inch not 27. So I'm asking if people are speculating whether or not the upgraded 21.5 inch will have i5.
 
I dont understand why it says to wait.. the last release was 6 months ago so why wait another 6 months.. Im ordering the i7 next week and cant find any real reason to wait
 
Whatever you buy and whenever you buy makes little difference in reality, as the next spec bump or revision is always only a few months away. Tech is constantly being updated/upgraded. You have to pull the trigger sometime, it makes sense to buy the best you can afford to give yourself a bit of future proofing.
 
If you're buying the higher end i5 or i7 models then there's no reason to wait save for a few GHz bump and paying less than before. If you're going for the Core 2 Duo models then I'd say wait for the refresh.
 
Hi there!

Although the current 3.06ghz Core2Duo's are pretty nippy in the 21.5" models, you have to bare in mind that the technology is quite a few years old now. Buying the next 21.5" iMac, if it did have an i3/i5 CPU in the next refresh, would mean that even if the speed increases weren't drastic, you'd be getting brand new tech, and so the lifespan of your computer and its compatibility will be greatly increased ;)

In terms of current speed, the Core2Duo's are fine for a majority of people. The problem these days is that hardware is something to boast about through names and numbers. Just because a person may get an iMac with an i7 does not actually mean they are going to get value for money, or use the CPU to its max. You actually hear from people asking whether an i5 is "good enough for browsing the net". I mean, seriously?...

A lot of software that is also 'supposedly' optimised for multi-core are not always going to benefit from these latest processors either. You only have to look at Adobe Photoshop CS5, the latest version, which barely even benefits from 64bit technology unless you're working with huge files. And again, it barely pushes multiple cores. It's so, so important to research whether the main software you'll be using will actually push your machine or not.

I'm waiting for the next refresh to see if they improve the 21.5" models. Personally, the changes I think we'll see:

iMac 21.5 (Low End)
- i3 Processor
- NVIDIA GeForce 320M/330M (since they're phasing out the 9400's and using these on the M.B.Pro's)

iMac 21.5 (High End)
- i5 Processor

Aesthetically, I would like to see on the DVD drive the 'brush' around the inner edge brought more forward to protect the discs from scratches, which have been a major problem. I can only guess they moved it back because of the new unibody design, but its a pain in the ass.

Like others, I don't think the 27" models will get an update as they are already fantastic machines that just need a few reliability tweaks. The 21.5" model is just a lovely sized machine, its no wonder this has been a great year for sales :)
 
Spidermonkey said:
Whatever you buy and whenever you buy makes little difference in reality, as the next spec bump or revision is always only a few months away. Tech is constantly being updated/upgraded. You have to pull the trigger sometime, it makes sense to buy the best you can afford to give yourself a bit of future proofing.
Click to expand...

While I agree, I think some people want to wait until the next update so that they have the "newest" thing at the time. I mean it makes sense. If you only have to wait a month or two, I think it is reasonable to wait. You'll usually end up getting a bit more for your money.
 
Myself I don't really have a choice in the matter, some dirtbags broke into my house the other day and stole my old G5 iMac. Which points out something obvious about me, I keep my macs for a long time. Before this happened I was thinking about buying a new machine on the next refresh, but now it's a choice between the i5 and the i7.

Since I do keep my machines so long I was thinking that I'd go i7, but with the ipads rolling out I heard that the built-to-orders could be delayed, so I'm ordering an i5.

ps. I'm typing this on one of my pc's which the thieves didn't bother stealing... I wonder what that say's ;)
 
It's impossible to keep up with technology, unless your loaded, where you can buy computers every year without burning a hole in your wallet.

If they do update the imacs, how much of a difference is it really going to be compared to the current ones?
 
If you are waiting to by an imac because you think that the problems with screen discoloration will be fixed, you are likely to be disappointed. If you are waiting because you think Apple will include faster processors and/or improved graphics cards then that would be the only reason I could think of to wait. It is likely that Apple will not release a perfect imac screen, at least to the degree of that of a professionally calibrated and built to spec LCD screen. Even the brand new macbook pro's just released are having some of the same discoloration problems, and quite a few threads of people reporting that their screens have a yellow tinge or a blue tinge, even some reporting a red tinge.

Most of the severe yellowish tinge problems that the imac suffered from when it was first released have been fixed. So I would say now is as good of a time to buy an imac as any. It is unlikely that new speed bumps that will come in the fall or late summer will be dramatically faster than the current processors. The 21.5 inch imac could get an increased GPU, but quad core might be unlikely. And it is very unlikely that the imac will be redesigned considering the current imac design is less than a year old. I would say the current crop of imacs will see only small changes this next update.
 
What's the chance that the new imac will be offered with a non-reflective screen option?
 
ATI 5670 instead of the current 4670, for the high end 21.5". In some games, the 5670 is almost twice as fast as the 4670.
 
Hellhammer said:
No i7, they are too hot. 21.5" will likely get Clarkdale (i3+i5) which is dual core but high clocked and 32nm as they are suitable for 21.5" but 27" will likely use the same chips as now because there are no faster ones available yet.

WWDC looks the best now but wouldn't be surprised if Apple silently updates them
Click to expand...

How could the i7 be too hot for the 21.5" enclosure if they managed to fit it into a MacBook Pro 17"?

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/specs-17inch.html

I've been waiting for an update of the 21.5", hoping they will get options for i5 or i7 processors. I'm just wondering if this is unrealistic, considering they have recently appeared in smaller enclosures...
 
blinkin182 said:
How could the i7 be too hot for the 21.5" enclosure if they managed to fit it into a MacBook Pro 17"?

http://www.apple.com/macbookpro/specs-17inch.html

I've been waiting for an update of the 21.5", hoping they will get options for i5 or i7 processors. I'm just wondering if this is unrealistic, considering they have recently appeared in smaller enclosures...
Click to expand...

I imagine he is talking about the quad core desktop i7.
 
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