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Apple updates its iMac line

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Re: Apple updates its iMac line

#261

Post by todd8 »

naravara wrote: post #207
_fzslm wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'd love to see Apple make a system that supported upgradeable memory, SSDs, High capacity hard drives, graphics, and separate larger monitors, but that doesn't look like that will ever happen. You may want to keep your eyes out for the new Mac Pro that's meant to release this year.

Even if the Mac Pro is the computer of all our dreams, I doubt it will meet the poster’s needs. Seems like they want a fairly bare-bones, minimalist and simple computer. I doubt a Mac Pro is going to come in at under $3.5k at the entry level.

It's not that I think the Mac's are too expensive, I paid more that $3.5k for my current gen Mac Book Pro laptop. I wish it had a good keyboard and I wish it was as easy to handle as one of my ThinkPads.

My current development machine is a Mac Pro, the little cylinder from 2013, and I had a couple of the aluminum box ones and my first was in a plastic case. I just couldn't see upgrading to a current Mac Pro ($5k to $13k). It's thin and looks cool, but I thought that I would want to use a different (wider) monitor and didn't think the cooling offered by the case was a good idea. Maybe the new Mac Pro that is supposed to be offered later this year will be just right.

Re: Apple updates its iMac line

#262

Post by nudded »

abrugsch wrote: post #239
ceejayoz wrote: post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, but with a user-accessible RAM bay built into the back of the machine, I can't work up the energy to be too mad about that one.

In 2019 how many apple products have user (or technician for that matter) upgrade-able anything? honest question. I'm not a Mac person and all I see is anecdotal reports of "soldered in RAM here" "fully bonded case there" etc.

Both new Mac mini and 27" iMac have upgradeable RAM.

Re: Apple updates its iMac line

#263

Post by asdff »

vbezhenar wrote: post #49
coldtea wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Companies don't price products based on component costs.

With healthy competition product price is reduced almost to component cost. Not the case with Apple, sadly.

Soldering in the RAM amounts to apple resorting to extortion. Where else are you gonna get this RAM other than paying the toll troll hundreds of dollars over what it should cost solely because apple greedily removed alternatives.

Re: Apple updates its iMac line

#264

Post by stadeschuldt »

_s wrote: post #200
jandrese wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It seems crazy to me that Apple compromised the cooling solution of their desktop machine to save 5mm of thickness. Does anyone outside of Apple's marketing department care about the thickness of their desktop machine as long as it is below an inch or two?

We're not the target audience. For programmers, developers etc, Apple has the Mac Pro.

The Mac Pro has not been updated since Dec 2013.

Re: Apple updates its iMac line

#265

Post by sbarre »

derefr wrote: post #253
todd8 wrote: post #201

It's just frustrating, I switched the household over to Apple devices when OSX came out, and now there really aren't any systems from Apple that look interesting to me. I've been programming since before the (Unix) dawn of time, and Apple devices have been good development machines for me since OSX was released 18 years ago. I'm comfortable on Linux, but the Apple iOS devices and computers are all over my home and in…

If someone could figure out a legal way to offer recommended-hardware Hackintosh builds as a service†, that'd be pretty ideal for what you're talking about, in the sense of "you could buy one for your mom", and it would "just work" (and hopefully continue to "just work" through updates, if they do it right.) † I guess, if you were to operate a "Hackintosh OEM", you could sell the hardware build itself without actuall…

I feel like anyone becoming too successful in this space would find the ol' Eye of Sauron pointed at them pretty quickly..

Whether through technical or legal means, I doubt Apple would sit around and let this openly thrive or grow into a viable option for the average consumer.

Re: Apple updates its iMac line

#266

Post by MBCook »

matwood wrote: post #27
UseStrict wrote: post #6

I hope this is indicative of Apple starting to get it, no one wants to buy a machine that is 3-4 years behind the curve. I could live with having a fast hardware refresh cycle and a slower design one.

Agreed. Updates 2 days in a row is a bit of a new thing for Apple. It is a good change if they are setting a precedence for doing more frequent spec bumps outside of events. We will not know for sure until 6-9-12 months from now.

They have an event soon and seem to be getting other announcements out of the way.

Re: Apple updates its iMac line

#267

Post by jbigelow76 »

naravara wrote: post #207
_fzslm wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I'd love to see Apple make a system that supported upgradeable memory, SSDs, High capacity hard drives, graphics, and separate larger monitors, but that doesn't look like that will ever happen. You may want to keep your eyes out for the new Mac Pro that's meant to release this year.

Even if the Mac Pro is the computer of all our dreams, I doubt it will meet the poster’s needs. Seems like they want a fairly bare-bones, minimalist and simple computer. I doubt a Mac Pro is going to come in at under $3.5k at the entry level.

The iMac Pro starts at $4,999 and was (probably) intended to be Apple's only "pro" desktop but the desire for an upgradable system was too much so Apple caved and a new Mac Pro is on the horizon. Apple is going to charge a premium for that upgradability that the iMac Pro doesn't have, I'll bet the base price for the Mac Pro is going to be at least $5,999.

Re: Apple updates its iMac line

#268

Post by specialist »

jwr wrote: post #242
todd8 wrote: post #201

It's just frustrating, I switched the household over to Apple devices when OSX came out, and now there really aren't any systems from Apple that look interesting to me. I've been programming since before the (Unix) dawn of time, and Apple devices have been good development machines for me since OSX was released 18 years ago. I'm comfortable on Linux, but the Apple iOS devices and computers are all over my home and in…

I'm curious why you think that. I mostly write code for a living and apart from the notebook line catastrophe (I'm stuck on a 2014 model of a MacBook Pro and waiting for something to come out with a reasonable keyboard and perhaps more than one port that I can use), the desktop line is improving quickly. I've been really tempted by the Mac Mini, I would buy the iMac Pro if I could afford it, and now I intend to get t…

To the parent's point... I'd recommend a hackintosh Intel NUC. I got blisters stuffing RAM SIMMs into daughter cards. I've agonized over IRQ choices for peripherals. I'm so over fiddling with my daily driver. I've got Audrinos and RPi projects for scratching that itch.

Uncertainty over the keyboards is precisely why I postponed replacing my laptop.

I'd probably use my iMac more if I could find a keyboard & trackpad combo in the same form factor as my laptop's. I want the trackpad flush and centered below the keyboard. I've used cardboard wedges to fake the arrangement, but it's not the same. And since Teleport has stopped working, I haven't figured out how to use my laptop's inputs across devices. (First world problems, I know.)

Re: Apple updates its iMac line

#269

Post by DelightOne »

hollerith wrote: post #257
fredsted wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's probably bogged down by the harddrive, not the RAM.

Agree. My 2011 Mac mini with only 2 gigs of RAM is almost as comfortable for web browsing as the 1350-usd brand-new Windows 10 box in the office with 8 gigs of RAM. A recent experience qualifies me to say that using a recent version of MacOS on a 5400-rpm hard drive is infuriating compared to using the same version of MacOS running on the same Mac with an SSD. My 2011 Mac mini has an SSD in it. Everything is fine wit…

> I couldn't just reformat the SDD because there was data on it that I didn't have a backup for

Not used time machine or is it not backing up all necessary?

Re: Apple updates its iMac line

#270

Post by vbezhenar »

turtlebits wrote: post #248
todd8 wrote: post #201

It's just frustrating, I switched the household over to Apple devices when OSX came out, and now there really aren't any systems from Apple that look interesting to me. I've been programming since before the (Unix) dawn of time, and Apple devices have been good development machines for me since OSX was released 18 years ago. I'm comfortable on Linux, but the Apple iOS devices and computers are all over my home and in…

Since you're using a desktop, what's wrong with the 2018 Mac Mini? Upgradable RAM, storage and GPU can be added externally. Dual 4k support out of the box or a single 5k should be enough for your single monitor?

I want single pretty case, not some mess of wires. I want good Nvidia gaming GPU like 2060 for reasonable price, not some overpriced professional underpowered card. I want very fast CPU that will reach boost frequencies and keep operating there with quiet cooler and PSU, not laptop CPU which throttles on any prolonged load. Mac mini is tiny, but I don't need that tiny form-factor, I want huge case.
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