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27-inch iMac gets a major update

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Re: 27-inch iMac gets a major update

#191

Post by JohnTHaller »

ogre_codes wrote: post #143
dijit wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It will almost certainly be a low end macbook. In fact, there's a non-pro 'macbook'[0] that already exists which would be perfect, it was discontinued a year ago, but used ultra-low power CPUs. In fact when they were talking about them (prior to release) they thought they would have ARM CPU's back then. They are fanless and have a 5W thermal envelope, which fits in with the current A12X too. The major criticisms of t…

> But for a $600-$700 machine with an ARM CPU? that's insanely competitive, and is in-line with the "basic" macbook branding. I'm skeptical Apple's introduction of their high performance CPUs exclusively on a low end device. A super light/ high performance 12ish inch machine seems right up their ally, but they don't want the new CPU associated with being a low-end "Intel Pentium Gold" type device. There might be a lo…

Maybe not exclusively, but it would make more sense as users of their more 'budget' machines likely won't be put off by its inability to run Windows and running existing Mac software more slowly due to emulation (unless it's been recompiled in the latter half of 2020).

Edit: Thanks to the replies letting me know that Rosetta is still a thing. I somehow forgot. Updated.

Re: 27-inch iMac gets a major update

#192

Post by zalthor »

look_lookatme wrote: post #70

I wish I could use it as an external display. I would buy one as my personal machine and then use the display during the day with my MBP for work. Would be nice in this new world of remote work.

You can always boot from your mbp? Treat it like an external bootable storage system. Yes you won’t be able to use the display on the laptop, but you will be able to run your applications on the iMac. (Assuming that matters more? For me it does. I can’t stand how slow docker is on my mbp, pretty much puts my cpu to 100% and has the fans running at full speed)

Re: 27-inch iMac gets a major update

#193

Post by rimjongun »

asadkn wrote: post #15

It just feels wrong to buy anything new from Apple with "Intel Inside" - when they're clearly going to dump it soon, in favor of ARM (excuse me for not using the cringey term Apple Silicon).

But your use of ARM is not encompassing of the entire change here. Apple Silicon is the whole SoC environment. All the custom cores, power management, specialized hardware decoding parts.. etc... This is far more than an instruction set change.

Re: 27-inch iMac gets a major update

#194

Post by [deleted] »

Someone wrote: post #150
look_lookatme wrote: post #70

I wish I could use it as an external display. I would buy one as my personal machine and then use the display during the day with my MBP for work. Would be nice in this new world of remote work.

Never used it, so I don’t know how well it works, but https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204592 : “With target display mode, you can use your iMac as an external display for another Mac.”

[deleted]

Re: 27-inch iMac gets a major update

#195

Post by thomasedwards »

supernova87a wrote: post #188

I still find it fascinating how the choice of Intel chip generation is almost an afterthought (well, maybe only for a minority, but do most buyers look carefully? are they aware?) in the difference between models or computers when you click to buy something. Is this a strategy of Apple (or Intel) to be able to get people to ignore (and therefore they can optimize the cost of) the generation of chip used? It's almost…

I still don’t fully understand this world, I ‘downgraded’ from an i7 to a slower i5, and my computer got faster. I wish they’d use sensible clear names for the generations so you can clearly understand what’s better.

Re: 27-inch iMac gets a major update

#196

Post by skohan »

n3k5 wrote: post #134

“SSDs across the line with quadruple the storage” 1/4 TB of storage in the $1800 model, 1/2 TB in the $2300 one. Ugh. (So before the lower-end one had 64GB? [Edit: Nope, 1 TB Fusion Drive, thanks smnrchrds!] That would be FULL just from installing the one game the press release mentions.) What kind of magic fairy dust SSDs are they using that you can't have a sensible amount of storage space at those prices? Looking…

It seems crazy. I bought a 2TB M.2 PCIE gen 3 drive not too long ago for 200 EUR.

These drives are so tiny now they could easy offer an expansion slot which is accessible to the user, like the PS5 will. I miss the early-2000s era Apple who would actually do something like that.

Re: 27-inch iMac gets a major update

#197

Post by Yeri »

nicoburns wrote: post #152
ogre_codes wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But for a $600-$700 machine with an ARM CPU? that's insanely competitive, and is in-line with the "basic" macbook branding. I'm skeptical Apple's introduction of their high performance CPUs exclusively on a low end device. A super light/ high performance 12ish inch machine seems right up their ally, but they don't want the new CPU associated with being a low-end "Intel Pentium Gold" type device. There might be a lo…

I've heard rumours of a low end 12" MacBook, along with a 13" MacBook pro targeting developers as launch devices. No idea if it's true, but it would certainly make a lot of sense.

With the Intel release they also released two devices at the same time (MBP and iMac, and other models quickly followed).

I’d assume them to do the same: a high end (MBP?) and low end device (MB? MBA?); that’s where ARM will shine first (mobile: battery life; maybe even integrating a modem with esims).

Desktops will follow later.

Re: 27-inch iMac gets a major update

#198

Post by avianlyric »

supernova87a wrote: post #188

I still find it fascinating how the choice of Intel chip generation is almost an afterthought (well, maybe only for a minority, but do most buyers look carefully? are they aware?) in the difference between models or computers when you click to buy something. Is this a strategy of Apple (or Intel) to be able to get people to ignore (and therefore they can optimize the cost of) the generation of chip used? It's almost…

I think part of this is driven by the fact the Intel chip generations are a bit of a mess at the moment. It's takes them over year at this point to release a full line of new generation chips, and even within that generation you get a mix of tech thanks to Intel's fabrication struggles.

Obfuscating the chip generation is almost a necessity at this point because the variations within and between generations is too complicated to keep track off.

Re: 27-inch iMac gets a major update

#199

Post by obmelvin »

rimjongun wrote: post #160
obmelvin wrote: post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It may work fine, but its slightly absurd to need a better webcam for a recently made 2k USD laptop

What are you talking about? My $3k Dell, and $3k Lenovo have horrible cameras.

And that's even more absurd

Re: 27-inch iMac gets a major update

#200

Post by kevin_thibedeau »

zitterbewegung wrote: post #189
n3k5 wrote: post #134

“SSDs across the line with quadruple the storage” 1/4 TB of storage in the $1800 model, 1/2 TB in the $2300 one. Ugh. (So before the lower-end one had 64GB? [Edit: Nope, 1 TB Fusion Drive, thanks smnrchrds!] That would be FULL just from installing the one game the press release mentions.) What kind of magic fairy dust SSDs are they using that you can't have a sensible amount of storage space at those prices? Looking…

Schools need Macs at that price point or they can’t buy them .

Schools need Macs?
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