Apple Updates iMac

[malware]

Apple today introduced the updated all-in-one iMac, which now offers the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors and the most powerful graphics ever available in an iMac. The ultimate all-in-one desktop computer includes faster processors with 6MB L2 cache, a faster 1066MHz front-side bus across the entire line, and 2GB of memory standard in most models. And the 24-inch iMac now offers a 3.06GHz Intel processor and the high-performance NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS graphics as options. Available immediately, the new iMac starts at just $1,199 preinstalled with Mac OS X Leopard and iLife '08. Find out more here.



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[kenkickr]

I want one so bad!!!

 

[candle_86]

seems a bit overpriced for the hardware to be honest

 

[newtekie1]

$2,200

No Thanks Apple

seems a bit overpriced for the hardware to be honest

Oh, it definitely is. However, their software kind of makes up for the price. MacOSX is a great OS, and the ilife suit is very nice. However, that only costs $109 to buy by itself. The fact that you can only run it on their hardware forces you to buy their overpriced hardware.

 

[lemonadesoda]

Come on, its a great deal... even if techno overkill for the majority of iMac buyers. Unlike TPU members, most iMac users NEVER HEARD of the words "overclock" or "volt mod".

But the new iMac is actually now a lot more powerful than the average TPU members PC. And apple deserves credit for that. Remember the days when buying an apple meant the poorer cousin of technology even if the OS as nice. Those days are over. They make a top notch dual xeon system, and these new iMacs actually look great in the living room as a TV replacement. Just put on a USB TV card, and you can watch DVDs and TV etc. Can do that with the typical PC without looking like a complete nerd.

 

[newtekie1]

Hardware wise, no it isn't a good deal, even for the people that don't overclock or volt-mod. You can get a better system for the same price, or the same system for less.

I don't know about a TV replacement. I couldn't handle a 24" TV, it is just way to small for my tastes, and I'm sure many others. Plus there is the lag assosiated with using a TV tuner, yeah it works fine for watching TV and such, but what about playing console games? You can't do it, at least not with any USB TV tuners.

As for looks in a living room, there are plenty of HTPC cases that look just fine in a home theater setup. They blend perfectly with most consumer electronics. As for looking like a geek for having a computer in your living room, I think I would get some odd looks if I had a big white iMac sitting where my TV should be.

 

[Wile E]

Hardware wise, it is a good deal. You CANNOT compare this to our standard desktop PCs. The iMac is an all-in-one computer. Compare it to the likes of the Gateway One, and some of the HP all-in-ones, and you'll find that this provides much more for your money.

 

[Ravenas]

Newtekie, unless you're being sarcastic, I've never actually disagreed more with you than I am now. Calling it over priced because you can build a machine that's 100$ cheaper is not legit at all. The case itself is made out of better materials than the case you're looking at. The software that comes with the iMac is top par, including the OS.

Furthermore, this is a prebuilt dream.

EDIT:

Also 109$? Can you find me a place where I can buy Leopard and iLife for 109$? Please show me!

 

[Ravenas]

Hardware wise, no it isn't a good deal, even for the people that don't overclock or volt-mod. You can get a better system for the same price, or the same system for less.

I don't know about a TV replacement. I couldn't handle a 24" TV, it is just way to small for my tastes, and I'm sure many others. Plus there is the lag assosiated with using a TV tuner, yeah it works fine for watching TV and such, but what about playing console games? You can't do it, at least not with any USB TV tuners.

As for looks in a living room, there are plenty of HTPC cases that look just fine in a home theater setup. They blend perfectly with most consumer electronics. As for looking like a geek for having a computer in your living room, I think I would get some odd looks if I had a big white iMac sitting where my TV should be.

Apple TV ever occur to you? There are only a very small percentage of people who actually use HTPCs.

 

[newtekie1]

Newtekie, unless you're being sarcastic, I've never actually disagreed more with you than I am now. Calling it over priced because you can build a machine that's 100$ cheaper is not legit at all. The case itself is made out of better materials than the case you're looking at. THe software that comes with the iMac is top par, including the OS.

Furthermore, this is a prebuilt dream.

Actually, I'm not being sarcastic at all. Did you look at the build that was $100 cheaper? It was not only $100 cheaper, but significantly better. Blu-Ray burner, extra 2GB of RAM, extra 250GB hard drive, processor with higher FSB.

The only software that comes with the iMac IS the OS, which includes the wonderful iLife suite. Which I said is the only redeeming quality, but in the end you can buy it for $109. The only reason Apple's hardware sells is because the their great software only runs on their hardware. If they allowed their software to run on any PC they would never get away with charging $2200 for that.

The argument can be made, that part of the price premium is because of the all-in-on form factor. I can understand that if I was buying a laptop, form factor matters. However, not so much in the desktop market. There are several down sides to having an all-in-one, that just make buying one for a desktop a bad move. The most obvious being that if one part breaks, you have to send your whole computer in to be fixed. If the web-cam breaks, your computerless for however long it takes them to fix it. Having an All-in-one is great for the laptop market where people are going to be maving the computer around all the time, but in the desktop world it is useless. I'm not picking up my iMac(and yes I do own one) and moving it around. I set it up, and it hasn't moved since.

And the case itself is made out of better materials? How so? They are both plastic, aluminum, and steal. Well actually, there isn't any plastic on the Lian-Li I picked unlike the iMac. I would say the Lian-Li is actually built a lot better than the iMac, which is probably why Apple contracts them to build their Mac Pro cases .

EDIT:

Also 109$? Can you find me a place where I can buy Leopard and iLife for 109$? Please show me!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832110033

 

[Ravenas]

Actually, I'm not being sarcastic at all. Did you look at the build that was $100 cheaper? It was not only $100 cheaper, but significantly better.

The only software that comes with the iMac IS the OS, which includes the wonderful iLife suite. Which I said is the only redeeming quality, but in the end you can buy it for $109. The only reason Apple's hardware sells is because the their great software only runs on their hardware. If they allowed their software to run on any PC they would never get away with charging $2200 for that.

The argument can be made, that part of the price premium is because of the all-in-on form factor. I can understand that if I was buying a laptop, form factor matters. However, not in the desktop market. There are several down sides to having an all-in-one, that just make buying one for a desktop a bad move. The most obvious being that if one part breaks, you have to send your whole computer in to be fixed. If the web-cam breaks, your computerless for however long it takes them to fix it. Having an All-in-one is great for the laptop market where people are going to be maving the computer around all the time, but in the desktop world it is useless. I'm not picking up my iMac(and yes I do own one) and moving it around. I set it up, and it hasn't moved since.

And the case itself is made out of better materials? How so? They are both plastic, aluminum, and steal. Well actually, there isn't any plastic on the Lian-Li I picked unlike the iMac. I would say the Lian-Li is actually built a lot better than the iMac, which is probably why Apple contracts them to build their Mac Pro cases .

Lol your claims still don't hold grounds! Your comparing self-builds to pre-builds! Lol. Are you seriously trying to do that?

 

[Wile E]

The argument can be made, that part of the price premium is because of the all-in-on form factor. I can understand that if I was buying a laptop, form factor matters. However, not in the desktop market.

You're wrong here. Formfactor absolutely matters. I have a 20" iMac from 2 gens ago. We bought it because space was at a premium, and we needed the all-in-one formfactor. There was just nowhere to put a tower. As far as all-in-ones, the iMac is the best buy out of all of them.

 

[newtekie1]

Lol your claims still don't hold grounds! Your comparing self-builds to pre-builds! Lol. Are you seriously trying to do that?

Yes I am doing that, because I build computers. So the fact that it comes assembled for me doesn't matter one bit to me, or to most users of this forum that build their own computers. And if you really want, I can show you a pre-built of the same specs for less.(Edit: I just did it in fact. A Dell XPS 420 configured an E8400, 3GB of RAM, 24" LCD, 8800GT w/ 512MB, 750GB Hard Drive, wireless-n card, keyboard/mouse, speakers, and DVD+/-RW comes to $1,799. So even with the Dell being slightly better it is $400 cheaper.)

Edit: On a different issue, I just notice Apple is claiming their 8800GS has 512MB of RAM, how is that possible?

You're wrong here. Formfactor absolutely matters. I have a 20" iMac from 2 gens ago. We bought it because space was at a premium, and we needed the all-in-one formfactor. There was just nowhere to put a tower. As far as all-in-ones, the iMac is the best buy out of all of them.

Fixed. I meant it isn't nearly as important in the desktop market.

 

[Easy Rhino]

if i were looking to buy an all in one mac i would definately spend top dollar for it. great software package, great hardware combination, sleek design that can serve multiple purposes.

 

[jbizzler]

This is almost exactly what I've been waiting for. I've always wanted a Mac, but the jump between iMac and Mac Pro is just too huge. Now that the 8800 GS is an option, as well as the faster RAM/CPUs, the iMac is becoming a greater option in my mind. Just last week, I found myself wanting a Mac REAL bad after using one a little at school.

One complaint is that the 8800 GS is only an option for the 24'' model. That size is a little overwhelming for me, and for Mac OS X apps, the graphics performance is sufficient for the res, but I would continue to run Windows, and would prefer some games at the lower native 1680x1050 with an 8800 GS.

The only thing you can really upgrade in an iMac, though, is the RAM; and right now, there aren't any DDR2-800 upgrade kits for the iMac (all DDR2-667 from the last model and the MacBooks). I still wish there was a desktop Mac that's less bulky than the Mac Pro, but still open for upgrades like it. Until that's an option, this is the Mac I want, and will get as soon as I have the funds:

iMac, 24-inch
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS w/512MB GDDR3
2GB 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB
2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
500GB Serial ATA Drive
$1,999.00

And, of course, a 2-button mouse, Office for Mac, and Windows. That's sounding like a pretty good day to me.

 

[Wile E]

The ram doesn't have to be Mac specific. So long as you buy the proper socket type, you're fine.

 

[farlex85]

You can see the price differences when you compare products. Whats the difference between the $1199 version and the $1499 version? 70gb and a 2600xt as opposed to a 2600pro. $300 difference is too much. Last time I checked it costs $500 to upgrade to an 8800gt as well, and an extra $800 for a 24in monitor. That, is not well priced.

You could build an equivalent system for at least $500 less, maybe $300 less if you put in a monitor. And thats with everything, only difference is you don't get the locked mac mb and os. And to some, that may be worth the extra money. To me, no thank you. Forget about oc, forget about gaming, forget about all that stuff. Even with those negatives taken out, the package is more expensive than its worth.

 

[panchoman]

love it! stop with the anti-macism so what if you cant oc the damn thing.. the os beats the crap outta windows any time and vmware fusion makes it very possible to do gaming on os x.. os x leopard is way ahead of vista os wise, its more efficent and user friendly to use then vista and i go on and on about how leopard pwns vista. the hardware is preety nice.. and its great for places where you dont want self-built stuff.. my school uses dual boot imacs and they are loads better at photoshoping and tasking then the shitty brand new computers that we used to have. our computer applications class uses mac much more then xp now, we learn how to use great inbuilt mac features like comic life, imovie, etc. which you'd have to pay a lot of money for in order to get good equivalents in windows. the form factor of the all in ones is awesome and they look excellent. its a much better thing to have then a giantass full tower case... i'd definently trade my rig for these.

 

[lemonadesoda]

...only difference is you don't get the locked mac mb and os.

There's no locked OS. You can put Windows and Linux on a iMac box if you want to. Just need to buy a new mouse with TWO buttons. LOL

 

[ManofGod]

There's no locked OS. You can put Windows and Linux on a iMac box if you want to. Just need to buy a new mouse with TWO buttons. LOL

There isn't? You mean I can use it on my.... oh wait, I guess not, meaning it is locked. I like the OS and the hardware is good but I do not want to spend that kind of money.

Joe

 

[panchoman]

boot camp easily lets you dual boot on mac machines.. you can also use vmware fusion.. which runs windows from within mac and integrates some windows functions into the mac os

 

[ManofGod]

boot camp easily lets you dual boot on mac machines.. you can also use vmware fusion.. which runs windows from within mac and integrates some windows functions into the mac os

Yes, but I would like to run the MAC OS on my machine and not what someone else thinks I should be running. I just realized, if the MAC OS where to be sold for us on a PC, they would probably have to almost double the price just to make money.

Joe

 

[jbizzler]

farlex86, take a closer look.

$1200 to $1500 is $300. For that $300 you get
2.4GHz to 2.66GHz CPU
1GB to 2GB RAM
250GB to 320GB Harddrive
Radeon HD 2400 XT with 128mb to Radeon HD 2600 Pro with 256mb

You said it was just bigger harddrive and noted the graphics jump, but named them incorrectly.

The next jump is $300 as well:
20'' to 24'' screen
2.66GHz to 2.8GHz

The lower-end 24'' model can have its parts configured individually to the upper one:
$200 for 2.8GHz to 3.06GHz CPU
$200 for jump from 2GB to 4GB of RAM
$150 for jump from 2600 Pro to 8800 GS
$50 for jump from 320GB to 500GB Harddrive

This is similar to the prices we see in all PC manufactures. It only seems expensive for people used to building their own computers, but don't forget these are all specially-made parts to fit into this all-in-one iMac. The CPU cost is because it's a CPU made for laptops. $150 jump to 8800 GS is not like some 8800 GS you can buy at Newegg; it's a special form that fits inside the monitor and actually has more RAM than the standard 8800 GS. $50 for jump from 320GB to 500GB is about the same as you'd see anywhere. The only thing really overpriced is the RAM, but luckily, you can easily upgrade that!

For $1500, I can build a similar PC; machine, monitor, speakers, keyboard, mouse, OS, and all similar to the machine I speced out a few posts up. Now consider the quality of materials, special form factor, the fact that it's already built, the singular support for being one of Apple's few machines, and the ability to run OS X, and I think it's worth it. If you don't care about all those extras, then it'd be silly to get one; but if you do like those extras, then it's worth it I think.

ManofGod: Also, consider how much more time Apple would have to spend on making OS X compatible for even a small array of Windows hardware, and how much more they'd have to spend on support. They are two completely different business strategies that can't be compared directly. It all comes down to preference. I used to feel like I was being jipped out of an OS as well, until I realized there are plenty of reasons to only allow OS X on Apple computers other than making you buy their hardware.

If you really want, there are ways to run OS X on regular PC hardware, but it's illegal, and I don't reccommend it.

 

[panchoman]

there is a way to make mac os x run on pcs....

but the day mac os x is released from apple to run on pcs will be the day that microsoft releases dx10 to all other oses..

not gonna happen cause then both companies would loose all buisness.

 

[ManofGod]

there is a way to make mac os x run on pcs....

but the day mac os x is released from apple to run on pcs will be the day that microsoft releases dx10 to all other oses..

not gonna happen cause then both companies would loose all buisness.

You could be right but I am not sure that I agree. Considering the number of PC's out there compared to the number of MAC's and it is a big difference. Now, if people had a choice with independent hardware, OSX might actually make it bigger than it already is.

Joe