Just like most people I'm very disappointed they didn't update the iMacs at MW09. Since I now have the funds to update I'd very much like to, but I'm not sure what to do. I could wait till the end of Jan if I knew an update would be that soon. However, most things I've read suggest something later in the year. Closer to June or Aug. Not sure if I can wait that long. That 3.06Ghz is looking mighty tempting. Not sure if I would even benefit with new and improved graphics card. So what do you guys think is next with the processors? Most of the things I do with my computer is editing and encoding video. Should I wait or would 3.06Ghz be a dream to have?
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What's next with iMac processors?
- Thread starter cwazytech
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I think the 3.06 would be great to have no matter what. I'm in the exact same situation. I have $2500 set aside for a new iMac and I was really riding on MW09 to deliver the goods.
I'm going to wait until the end of the month to see what happens. I think iLife '09 shipping with new macs at the end of the month is a little suspicious. Apparently Apple does store maintenance/updates on tuesdays, so a lot of people are riding on the 27th. Only time will tell.
The obvious is that there WILL be a new iMac, unless Apple wants to go strictly notebooks (Highly unlikely), then there will definitely be an update. The question now is when.
I'm going to wait until the end of the month to see what happens. I think iLife '09 shipping with new macs at the end of the month is a little suspicious. Apparently Apple does store maintenance/updates on tuesdays, so a lot of people are riding on the 27th. Only time will tell.
The obvious is that there WILL be a new iMac, unless Apple wants to go strictly notebooks (Highly unlikely), then there will definitely be an update. The question now is when.
Maybe...maybe. There is a pretty good chance considering the last 2 updates, Apple has been the first to introduce a new kind of Intel processor. I can see it as a built to order on the mid models and base on the high end.
Im not sure when and/or where, but I thought I read that quad cores are not significantly faster than dual cores? My dilemma is, is it worth waiting for? Or is 3.06Ghz the beez-neez?
ok the fact part.... i have a 3.06 and do video and gaming and everything and it is very smooth to use...i used to want a macpro even tho theyre too expensive but this imac im very happy with.....i can certainly say you wont regret it
the not-fact part.....i think there will be a imac upgrade soon but it will be a bump type and not a big change....sometime quad sure but probably not the next imac.....and even then the first quads probably arent the best to buy....i think the next best time is maybe after quad hardware is around a while and snow leopard and its new multicore stuff has settled down....
if u want/need an imac now i dont think u will regret a 3.06 in 6-12 months
if u can wait well sure....
the not-fact part.....i think there will be a imac upgrade soon but it will be a bump type and not a big change....sometime quad sure but probably not the next imac.....and even then the first quads probably arent the best to buy....i think the next best time is maybe after quad hardware is around a while and snow leopard and its new multicore stuff has settled down....
if u want/need an imac now i dont think u will regret a 3.06 in 6-12 months
if u can wait well sure....
You can get a 3.0 GHz dual core or a 2.4 GHz quad core at about the same price.
Pick raw clock speed or more cores depending on what work you do. I'd just go with the quad for all around.
i think the quad cores imac will be introduced at the same time as snow leopard.
If you think about it, the imac is probably apple's most important desktop. They can use new quad core imac to demonstrate the advantages of snow leopard's grand central. there is no way they would put a more powerful chip in a $600 mac mini than in a $2000+ macbook
What good is snow leopard if there isn't a "must have" feature. Right now, the only machine to really take advantage of it is Mac Pro. how many people buy mac pros?
the imac was used to introduce intel macs (despite the fact that they were just updated 2-3 months earlier)
i guess the new imacs will come out in feb/march
If you think about it, the imac is probably apple's most important desktop. They can use new quad core imac to demonstrate the advantages of snow leopard's grand central. there is no way they would put a more powerful chip in a $600 mac mini than in a $2000+ macbook
What good is snow leopard if there isn't a "must have" feature. Right now, the only machine to really take advantage of it is Mac Pro. how many people buy mac pros?
the imac was used to introduce intel macs (despite the fact that they were just updated 2-3 months earlier)
i guess the new imacs will come out in feb/march
That would make the most sense. The iMac shadows the pro towers by about a year to a few years. It should happen soon. Whether its an extreme Core series or a Xeon, I don't care so long as it has four processors/cores.
i have a 3.06 iMac, bought in October. it is a great machine.
I had to buy because of a PC box crash. i felt as if the iMacs would have been updated around when i bought thanks to the RUMORS on here. glad I bought it and not waited...it is a good machine.
I had to buy because of a PC box crash. i felt as if the iMacs would have been updated around when i bought thanks to the RUMORS on here. glad I bought it and not waited...it is a good machine.
Dual cores are still better. Most of the games and other software doesn't support quad-core yet so you will lost the power. If you do a lot of multitasking it's better.
And quads have lower clock speed
And quads have lower clock speed
3.06 GHz is enough for almost everyone. With new ones you could just have it cheaper
I wouldn't say that... typically, video encoding loves more cores over higher clock speed. So a slower quad core chip would likely perform better than a faster dual core.
I'm in the same boat. My iMac died, so I need something to continue encoding (my core duo MBP isn't cutting it). I think I'm going to wait until mid-February and see if anything has arrived by then.
It all depends on Intel's mobile i7 plans - and the prices they'll be charging.
Could be seeing mobile i7s in Apple iMacs before anyone else and I'd guess April, along with Snow Leopard.
Nehalem Mac Pros could arrive in Feb, maybe along with a revised Core 2 Mac Mini.
Could be seeing mobile i7s in Apple iMacs before anyone else and I'd guess April, along with Snow Leopard.
Nehalem Mac Pros could arrive in Feb, maybe along with a revised Core 2 Mac Mini.
The articles I keep reading about quad cores vs. dual cores seem to agree on the same thing. You really don't get that much of a performance boost and quad cores are typically more expensive. What If I wait until mid Feb and nothing? I'll probably convince myself to wait longer(and probably be kicking myself along the way). I think even if they were updated next week I probably wouldn't be pissed.
+1
3.06 ghz Core 2 Duo's are already fast enough. The RAM is always the bottleneck it seems. Even if the processors don't really get an upgrade. DDR3 & the new Nvidia stuff is all I care about.
I hope that you mean next April, because they're not even going into production until Q4 2009.
i7 isn't gonna go in the iMac... i5 possibly
I personally think the i7 will be out a lot earlier than Q4 09. And they definitely are already in production. However; the iMacs TDP at the moment for the top of the line 3.06 Ghz is 55 watts. So its either gonna be a mobile chipset, a 65 watt desktop chipset (10 watt increase wouldn't be a problem) or the i5, but I couldn't find the TDP on those. Anyway, quad core processors are very much possible for the next iMac. Also, would be stupid if Apple didn't do so.
The main thing is: even though this MacWorld didn't bring up a new iMac, my guestimate is still Q1 2009. This because there is still a order for 800.000 iMacs this quarter.
My guess for the topmodel:
24" 1920x1200 led display
DDR3 4GB Ram
9400+(9600 or 9800) nvidia chipset
1 TB HDD
Possibly they will enable hybrid Sli (FFS!!) because this is totally possible with that chipset.
I personally think the i7 will be out a lot earlier than Q4 09. And they definitely are already in production. However; the iMacs TDP at the moment for the top of the line 3.06 Ghz is 55 watts. So its either gonna be a mobile chipset, a 65 watt desktop chipset (10 watt increase wouldn't be a problem) or the i5, but I couldn't find the TDP on those. Anyway, quad core processors are very much possible for the next iMac. Also, would be stupid if Apple didn't do so.
The main thing is: even though this MacWorld didn't bring up a new iMac, my guestimate is still Q1 2009. This because there is still a order for 800.000 iMacs this quarter.
My guess for the topmodel:
24" 1920x1200 led display
DDR3 4GB Ram
9400+(9600 or 9800) nvidia chipset
1 TB HDD
Possibly they will enable hybrid Sli (FFS!!) because this is totally possible with that chipset.