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The Tech Behind Apple’s Impossibly Thin New iMacs

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Re: The Tech Behind Apple’s Impossibly Thin New iMacs

#41

Post by Osmium »

SenorWilson wrote: post #2

This is interesting, but I have no idea why they're spending money making a desktop thinner. Using the old thickness(which was fine) and todays technology could produce a better computer. Why do people want thin desktops(or why does Apple?).

Consider the contrary: what do you get with a thicker computer? These iMacs already have performance (top-end: 3.4 GHz i7, 32 GB RAM, GTX 680MX with 2 GB GDDR5, thunderbolt and USB 3). If they said, "okay, instead of making it thinner, let's keep it the same size and make it better," what exactly do you expect?

The only improvements you could get with a thicker computer are things that would also negatively affect the amount of power it requires. Thinness is just a pleasant consequence of power-concious design.

Re: The Tech Behind Apple’s Impossibly Thin New iMacs

#42

Post by Osmium »

da_n wrote: post #32
SenorWilson wrote: post #2

This is interesting, but I have no idea why they're spending money making a desktop thinner. Using the old thickness(which was fine) and todays technology could produce a better computer. Why do people want thin desktops(or why does Apple?).

I too find that design decision perplexing. Personally, it is ongoing choices like these which have pretty much made me decide to build a hackintosh instead and in the long run move away from Apple to Linux (only Photoshop holding me back now Adobe!). I have been using Apple computers for more than a decade so it has not been an easy choice. If I continue to stick with Apple however my hardware choices are: 1. Mac Pr…

Mac Pros are due for a significant update. That aside, I think it's disingenuous to say that they're not investing anything into their desktop line. These are the most powerful, most power efficient, computers they've ever released. How different do you really think they'd be if the iPhone/iPad didn't exist? The iMac has never had good expansion options, all the way back to its inception, so this should come as no surprise.

Re: The Tech Behind Apple’s Impossibly Thin New iMacs

#43

Post by da_n »

GuiA wrote: post #7
w1ntermute wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's good advertising/branding. Form over function.

Form IS function.

I would say this is subjective but even if it were the case 100% of the time surely you will agree this doesn't mean it is an improvement, in this case the choice of form has a functional penalty. This is like making a thinner refrigerator, looks amazing but it is much less useful and practical.

Re: The Tech Behind Apple’s Impossibly Thin New iMacs

#44

Post by Osmium »

w1ntermute wrote: post #8
GuiA wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Form IS function.

No, it isn't. But getting people to believe that is the RDF's power.

Yes, it is.

Let's talk about form. The iMac is integrated: it has one cable, you plug it in, turn it on, and it works. That's form. If I were not tech-savvy, I wouldn't need to know my VGA from my USB from my power cables and what goes where and why.

The iMac has a low footprint: I don't have room for a tower. That's form.

The iMac is practically silent: it doesn't distract simply by existing, that's form.

The iMac is accessible: you don't need to be able to build your own machine to get great performance. Look at the SSD + HDD system they have. It's not a cache system, there's no wasted space, the OS always writes to the SSD and transfers rarely-accessed date to the HDD and presents both as a hybrid drive. I don't know if I could replicate that on a custom box. I certainly know no ordinary person could. That's form.

All this form adds up to a hell of a lot of function.

"Form is function" means looking at a computer and seeing more than a list of tech specs.

Re: The Tech Behind Apple’s Impossibly Thin New iMacs

#45

Post by da_n »

Osmium wrote: post #42
da_n wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I too find that design decision perplexing. Personally, it is ongoing choices like these which have pretty much made me decide to build a hackintosh instead and in the long run move away from Apple to Linux (only Photoshop holding me back now Adobe!). I have been using Apple computers for more than a decade so it has not been an easy choice. If I continue to stick with Apple however my hardware choices are: 1. Mac Pr…

Mac Pros are due for a significant update. That aside, I think it's disingenuous to say that they're not investing anything into their desktop line. These are the most powerful, most power efficient, computers they've ever released. How different do you really think they'd be if the iPhone/iPad didn't exist? The iMac has never had good expansion options, all the way back to its inception, so this should come as no su…

New Mac Pros won't be out till the end of next year, and no one knows what these are going to be. If Apple made a cheaper Mac (sans the 'Pro') with current high-end consumer components I would seriously consider it, but I can't hang-on another year playing wait and see and there isn't really anything tying me down to OS X anymore except Adobe CS. I guess what they think I need is the iMac, but it is too much of a compromise for me. I own a 2009 iMac, and I never really considered it a 'desktop'. It is a screen with a laptop stuffed inside it and it shows; I can't even watch YouTube 720p without the fans coming on full. I am tired of compromising on speed and power for just OS X and nice aesthetics, so I simply will not consider an iMac over a custom built PC for the sole advantage of having a 5mm edge. Building something myself means I get a ludicrously powerful i5 desktop with GTX 680, 16GB ram, 256gb SSD, 1TB HDD, Thunderbolt, USB 3, and a nice IPS monitor for around $1500. I am super happy they made the iPhone/iPad as I own both and the industry needed it, but I do think it has drawn their focus away from the desktop and it is much lower as a priority. Not saying they are going to abandon the desktop line tomorrow however I struggle to believe it will still be around in 5-10 years; I don't want to carry on investing in a low priority OS and Linux is much more mature than it used to be. I am probably in the 10-20% of computer users that Apple doesn't cater to, so I don't think they will lose sleep over it.

- Edited for clarity.

Re: The Tech Behind Apple’s Impossibly Thin New iMacs

#46

Post by brusch »

arrrg wrote: post #5
SenorWilson wrote: post #2

This is interesting, but I have no idea why they're spending money making a desktop thinner. Using the old thickness(which was fine) and todays technology could produce a better computer. Why do people want thin desktops(or why does Apple?).

Because it looks great. I really don’t understand why some people are completely mystified how that could be an argument. So you don’t care about looks? Fine. Others do. And computers are a part of the furniture. Some people buy those really nice looking but functionally identical faucets that cost three time as much, some don’t. That’s all. There is nothing ridiculous about that, it’s just a difference in taste.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think it looks really ridiculous with it's hump. But you don't see the hump on the normal Apple pictures.

Re: The Tech Behind Apple’s Impossibly Thin New iMacs

#47

Post by Osmium »

da_n wrote: post #45
Osmium wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mac Pros are due for a significant update. That aside, I think it's disingenuous to say that they're not investing anything into their desktop line. These are the most powerful, most power efficient, computers they've ever released. How different do you really think they'd be if the iPhone/iPad didn't exist? The iMac has never had good expansion options, all the way back to its inception, so this should come as no su…

New Mac Pros won't be out till the end of next year, and no one knows what these are going to be. If Apple made a cheaper Mac (sans the 'Pro') with current high-end consumer components I would seriously consider it, but I can't hang-on another year playing wait and see and there isn't really anything tying me down to OS X anymore except Adobe CS. I guess what they think I need is the iMac, but it is too much of a com…

I certainly agree with a lot of this. The lack of a pro machine is certainly a disgrace at the moment. I sometimes wonder if the decisions Apple made when computers were its entire business now need to be revisited now they've diversified a bit. I think they can afford to compete on price now, and not price gouge over BTO options. They've started being more reasonable with RAM prices, but they have a long way to go.

For what it's worth, your YouTube issues are down to Flash. I have an older iMac (2007) and 720p runs fine for me in HTML5.

Re: The Tech Behind Apple’s Impossibly Thin New iMacs

#49

Post by 89a »

arrrg wrote: post #5
SenorWilson wrote: post #2

This is interesting, but I have no idea why they're spending money making a desktop thinner. Using the old thickness(which was fine) and todays technology could produce a better computer. Why do people want thin desktops(or why does Apple?).

Because it looks great. I really don’t understand why some people are completely mystified how that could be an argument. So you don’t care about looks? Fine. Others do. And computers are a part of the furniture. Some people buy those really nice looking but functionally identical faucets that cost three time as much, some don’t. That’s all. There is nothing ridiculous about that, it’s just a difference in taste.

Power and heat distribution are more valuable in a desktop than how it looks.

I love the look of the last iMac, no idea why they did this stupid design and removed ram upgradability for the sake of it looking thinner (from some angles).

I predict it will fatten up again when they go retina

Re: The Tech Behind Apple’s Impossibly Thin New iMacs

#50

Post by da_n »

Osmium wrote: post #47
da_n wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

New Mac Pros won't be out till the end of next year, and no one knows what these are going to be. If Apple made a cheaper Mac (sans the 'Pro') with current high-end consumer components I would seriously consider it, but I can't hang-on another year playing wait and see and there isn't really anything tying me down to OS X anymore except Adobe CS. I guess what they think I need is the iMac, but it is too much of a com…

I certainly agree with a lot of this. The lack of a pro machine is certainly a disgrace at the moment. I sometimes wonder if the decisions Apple made when computers were its entire business now need to be revisited now they've diversified a bit. I think they can afford to compete on price now, and not price gouge over BTO options. They've started being more reasonable with RAM prices, but they have a long way to go.…

Agreed, I really wish they had revisited it. I wonder if it was the failure of the Cube that made the mid-tier Mac disappear? I suppose it could be the Mac Mini which replaced it ultimately, I seem to remember the Cube was pretty underpowered.

Anyway thanks for the YouTube tip, I have tried the HTML5 version a few times and it is certainly less taxing on resources (just H264 without the Flash wrapper I guess). Can't remember why I went back to Flash, think I just had a few weird glitches in playback, I'll try it again.

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