Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Desktops > Any chance for an iMac 21.5 retina this year?

Any chance for an iMac 21.5 retina this year?
Thread Tools
pigmode
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 23, 2015, 06:45 PM
 
Any word on a 21.5 retina?

I've been to the Apple store a few times in the last two weeks, hoping to buy an iMac 5k. What's holding me back is the sheer size of the 27" screen--the height actually, plus I don't need that much screen. My last desktop system was a Motorola Al tower, with 23" Cinema display.
     
Mike Wuerthele
Managing Editor
Join Date: Jul 2012
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 24, 2015, 12:14 AM
 
I haven't even heard rumors about a 21.5 retina.
     
P
Moderator
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 24, 2015, 07:58 AM
 
There are no suitable displays on the market at the moment, AFAIK, which implies that there are no such panels to be had. Samsung is now selling a 23.6" 4K IPS (PLS) display - that is probably the closest there is right now.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
pigmode  (op)
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 25, 2015, 10:35 PM
 
I'm going to try to wait a little bit maybe for 4k offerings and support to improve, or perhaps a smaller than 27" iMac retina. Perhaps even a 16-17 macbook pro.
     
Mike Wuerthele
Managing Editor
Join Date: Jul 2012
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 26, 2015, 12:23 AM
 
I don't think there will ever be another 17-inch MBP.
     
P
Moderator
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 26, 2015, 04:40 AM
 
Agree on that last, I don't see any bigger MBPs on the horizon. Apple could very well change the sizes of the available iMacs, but the time to do so would have been before launching a 27" Retina model.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
pigmode  (op)
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Apr 27, 2015, 12:32 PM
 
Thanks, decided to order a 2015 13" retina mbp (5/5 delivery), and will probably wait till WWDC for a chance intro of a <27" iMac.

Would really like to try a non-Apple 4k monitor with the mbp, but I'd eventually get frustrated without close to 100% seamless integration, especially on stuff such as sleep issues etc.
     
pigmode  (op)
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jul 28, 2015, 02:34 PM
 
Article from June 15. Of course it could very well be support for existing external display.

I was very close to ordering a 5k last fri, but didn't.

When in Fall does Apple usually intro new Macs?



New iMac release date rumours: new 21in Retina iMacs may come soon - News - Macworld UK

What's the latest news about the 21in iMac?
It looks like Apple has plans for the 21in iMac – code in the El Capitan beta is suggesting that a 4K 21.5in iMac may be in the pipeline.

According to reports, the latest developer beta for OS X 10.11 includes a reference to a Mac with a 4096 x 2304 resolution display – also known as a 4K display. That is smaller than the display on the 27in iMac, which is 5120?by?2880 resolution, while the 15in Retina MacBook Pro offers 2880 by 1800 pixels. Therefore it is likely that this 4K display is destined for the 21.5in iMac.
     
Mike Wuerthele
Managing Editor
Join Date: Jul 2012
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jul 28, 2015, 02:55 PM
 
They generally don't. October is iOS season. I think we're set for the calendar year. Never know, though.

As far as I know, there is still no 20-inch 4k screen suitable for a computer...
     
pigmode  (op)
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jul 28, 2015, 03:47 PM
 
What would be even better would be a 21.5 retina external display. Not holding my breath, but are the Broadwell processors for the iMacs available yet?
     
Mike Wuerthele
Managing Editor
Join Date: Jul 2012
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jul 28, 2015, 04:37 PM
 
No, but connected to AC power with a discrete GPU, there's no compelling reason for an iMac to go Broadwell.
     
P
Moderator
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jul 28, 2015, 05:10 PM
 
iMac probably won't go Broadwell at all. Skylake launches August 5th, starting with the models usually in the iMacs, so I would expect an update based on that at some point. Like Mike says, Apple doesn't often update the iMac in the fall, but it has happened.

One thing that speaks against that is that there is no good GPU to update to. It would be fantastic if Apple could put an underclocked version of AMDs newest GPU Fury in an iMac, but I can't see them spending that sort of money. It would fit, though - Fury is tiny with its HBM - and AMD have spoken about a low-power R9 Nano based on Fury that would run cool enough.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
macdude22
Forum Regular
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Iowa
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Jul 31, 2015, 03:38 PM
 
I'd settle for a 21.5 with a 3TB Fusion and better than a 750M . Apple can charge me whatever BTO they want but give me some options. I agree the 27 is just too much screen for my desk. I want to replace my 20" with something similar sized but damned if apple offers something in that format that I want..........
"Don't try to be a great man, just be a man."
     
pigmode  (op)
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 7, 2015, 10:37 AM
 
Latest rumors at 9 to 5. No info about processors or other upgrades or configurations.


Apple planning to launch new 4K 21.5-inch iMac next week, iPad Pro in early November | 9to5Mac
     
Mike Wuerthele
Managing Editor
Join Date: Jul 2012
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 7, 2015, 11:25 AM
 
The only reason I remain skeptical about this one, and we're talking a bit about it in our article about the rumors today, is there is no 4K 21.5-inch panel, from any manufacturer. In every other Retina-class product, Apple used an existing panel.

Sure, they could have an utter lock on the supply, or be making their own.
     
pigmode  (op)
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 8, 2015, 11:55 AM
 
Originally Posted by Mike Wuerthele View Post
The only reason I remain skeptical about this one, and we're talking a bit about it in our article about the rumors today, is there is no 4K 21.5-inch panel, from any manufacturer. In every other Retina-class product, Apple used an existing panel.

Sure, they could have an utter lock on the supply, or be making their own.

I that in the podcast? I need to check that out because for some reason I thought everything about the retina displays were proprietary.
     
Mike Wuerthele
Managing Editor
Join Date: Jul 2012
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 8, 2015, 11:59 AM
 
NOTHING about retina-class displays is proprietary, never has been.

I forget which episode we talked about the 4K iMac in the podcast. Probably a few times.
     
P
Moderator
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 8, 2015, 01:19 PM
 
Originally Posted by Mike Wuerthele View Post
NOTHING about retina-class displays is proprietary, never has been.
The display controller in the 5K iMac is probably what he was thinking of. You don't need that for a 4K display, though - there are lots of them on the market.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
reader50
Administrator
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: California
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 8, 2015, 03:47 PM
 
I'm not sure even the 5K iMac display controller is proprietary. Apple just overclocked a DisplayPort 1.2 interface until it had enough bandwidth. They may have done it via chip binning.
     
P
Moderator
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 8, 2015, 05:55 PM
 
According to iFixit, it is a unique controller that they haven't seen anywhere else. Even now it is apparently not for sale from the manufacturer, unlike the others in the same series.
The new Mac Pro has up to 30 MB of cache inside the processor itself. That's more than the HD in my first Mac. Somehow I'm still running out of space.
     
pigmode  (op)
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2004
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Oct 9, 2015, 07:30 PM
 
My bad looks like I keep choosing the blue pill. Guess I'm the only one though, who thinks Apple is deferring attention to the Mac line.
     
   
Thread Tools
 
Forum Links
Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Top
Privacy Policy
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:32 PM.
All contents of these forums © 1995-2017 MacNN. All rights reserved.
Branding + Design: www.gesamtbild.com
vBulletin v.3.8.8 © 2000-2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.,