27-inch iMac gets a major update • Hacker News Board

Re: 27-inch iMac gets a major update

#551

Post by scarface74 » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 4:32 AM UTC

samatman wrote: post #493

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…

Agreed, and I want to add one prediction (which is maybe just a hope): It will have a SIM card slot, and get at least 12 hours of battery life while using LTE. This would be a truly compelling product, filling a niche Apple has tried to inhabit a couple of times, with the distinct possibility of getting it right this time.

The problem with that is that MacOS has no concept of “low data mode”. If it has a connection, apps are going to use it. You can deny apps from being able to use data over cellular on iOS. Also, well behaved apps will usually give you an option to either not use data or in the case of streaming apps, use less data.

Re: 27-inch iMac gets a major update

#552

Post by minerjoe » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 4:36 AM UTC

newscracker wrote: post #352

minerjoe wrote: post #324

Wonderful computer. How much you wanna bet that in < 5 years they drop support forcing almost everyone that purchased one to throw it out and get a new one?

Firstly, you have to consider that Apple has said the transition to ARM will take about two years. So it’s going to have to release a few more Intel Macs next year too. For the less than five years bet, if you’re referring to macOS updates, I can personally bet my entire wealth (which is a decent figure) that you’ll lose. There’s no way the Intel Macs released this year are going to lose macOS support for another six…

Yea, I got the timeline wrong. More like 10 years.

I've worked e-waste recycling and the number of beautiful but unsupported macs that were dropped off was very sad and to this day I definitely consider Apple a significant force for evil on this planet, just for the planned obsolecense ecological damage alone, let alone the right to repair.

I've gotten linux running on a few of them and they are wonderful machines. Sad that the owners had to throw them in the trash.

Re: 27-inch iMac gets a major update

#553

Post by scarface74 » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 4:45 AM UTC

ddavis wrote: post #35

PascLeRasc wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Massive upgrade for people working at companies whose IT refuses to buy anything but the cheapest model.

Still only 8GB RAM though, a bit of a bummer.

It’s crazy. Even though my work laptop (https://www.cnet.com/reviews/dell-latitude-e6500-review/) was considered high end in 2010. My company ordered it for me because of some Windows CE development I was doing. It had 8 GB RAM.

They gave me the laptop when the company went out of business. It was my Plex server until last year.

Re: 27-inch iMac gets a major update

#554

Post by scarface74 » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 4:48 AM UTC

woobar wrote: post #486

gowld wrote: post #441

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They probably decided having a iMac Pro was pointless when it could just be the upgraded iMac. It made sense for a little while before the iMac screens were upgraded to 5k.

5K iMac was introduced in 2014, several years before iMac Pro. I think the point of iMac Pro was to fill the gap while the new Mac Pro was in development.

Actually, the iMac Pro was going to be the only “Pro” Mac until they had a change of heart.

Re: 27-inch iMac gets a major update

#555

Post by __mp » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 4:52 AM UTC

_ph_ wrote: post #489

nouveaux wrote: post #484

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you considered an external GPU?

Only looked briefly at it. Combining the tiny Mini with a huge external GPU seems a bit off, and unfortunately, for all the size, they don't integrate any storage space. Also, currently the Mini doesn't offer good CPUs. Anyway, I will wait now with my next purchase till there are good Apple Silicon offerings.

For me, the eGPU setup is not worth the benefits. I am also waiting for Apple Silicon to streamline my setup.

I have a MacMini + eGPU. Every time I (re)boot the machine I have to remember to remove the remove the eGPU: Otherwise I cannot enter the filevault password. This is super annoying since the machine seems to have crashed every time I want to use it (even without an eGPU).

Previously I used the eGPU with an 13” MPB and the experience was annoying in different ways: Simply unplugging the eGPU kills the programs using it. Every time I wanted to “undock” the MBP I had to remember to click to remove the eGPU from the MBP: otherwise half the programs running are killed/not responsive.

Re: 27-inch iMac gets a major update

#556

Post by scarface74 » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 4:56 AM UTC

asveikau wrote: post #366

enterprise1 wrote: post #272

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because not everyone can be a computer nerd. Apple has put a huge amount of real effort into direct outreach and support of their customers, really. Microsoft chased business. Apple chased people. Google is chasing its own tail. For the markup over the retail price of the SSD, someone else does the installation, validation, built dumb stupid restore and backup services to boot. Dell? Lenovo? Microsoft? Still ramming…

You seem to be really angry at people who make choices different from yours. So much sarcasm and contempt for others here. Anyway, if you want to get into it... Microsoft dominated the consumer market in the 1990s. The same people you say who were not nerds and didn't care ... Didn't care to get an Apple machine either, they got whatever everybody else got, which were Wintel PCs. Most didn't care if something else ha…

Microsoft is definitely not a major force outside of tech circles.

Apple alone sells about the same amount of phones+tablets than all of the personal computers sold in the world (https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2020-01-1...) and it only has 13% market share.

The PC market is tiny compared to the mobile market.

Re: 27-inch iMac gets a major update

#557

Post by paulcarroty » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 5:10 AM UTC

simonh wrote: post #514

paulcarroty wrote: post #397

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But I'm never going to want to do that, so I don't experience any practical annoyance. It seriously looks like finding an excuse.

Before switching to Macs I used to build my own machines. You want to know how many times I upgraded any of them? Never. Seriously, I specced them out quite generously and never needed to, they lasted as long as I intended them to. Now I’m a Mac user it’s the same thing. I’ll spec out a 27” with plenty of headroom and Ill be done.

> You want to know how many times I upgraded any of them? Never.

I did it several times. Seriously, upgrade is advantage. Some of Apple fanboys can deny it, but better to have that possibility.

And Apple SSD specs in 2020 makes me laughing. But I'm not whining, you want mac - be ready to pay premium price or spend time with hackintosh. It's just business.

Re: 27-inch iMac gets a major update

#558

Post by lotsofpulp » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 5:10 AM UTC

snapetom wrote: post #283

PopeDotNinja wrote: post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think my favorite computer was my late-2010 MacBook Air. It was such a departure from the big & clunky Windows laptops I'd owned up until that time. And of course I have fond memories of my first computer, an IBM PC Jr (although I really wanted the 2nd disk drive, and copying floppy disks with only one drive & 128kb of RAM was suboptimal).

I recently found a pic of my friend holding up my Air that I had just got delivered at the office. She has this look of awe on her at how thin the thing was. I still have that Air. Love that thing.

I think Airs are the ideal machine for the majority of the population that just needs to reliably accomplish basic tasks. It's probably the cheapest if amortized over its lifetime.

At least until iPads can do everything laptops can.

Re: 27-inch iMac gets a major update

#559

Post by dan1234 » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 5:14 AM UTC

ddavis wrote: post #35

PascLeRasc wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Massive upgrade for people working at companies whose IT refuses to buy anything but the cheapest model.

Still only 8GB RAM though, a bit of a bummer.

You can upgrade the RAM in the 27” yourself. There’s a door on the back, which gives acces to 4 SODIMM slots.

Re: 27-inch iMac gets a major update

#560

Post by uoylj » Wed, Aug 05, 2020, 5:16 AM UTC

efficax wrote: post #48

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…

the 12" macbook is my favorite laptop of all time. Mine is the 2016 version and it's starting to feel dated and I'm hoping that they rerelease this on the new silicon first. I'll be smashing the buy button the day it's out.

Same (2016,m5,8gb,512gb). It's a really great little laptop, and has been my daily driver until catalina hit. The only people I ever see shitting on the 12" macbook are people who've never owned one.