[quiklee]

Personally, I don't see that much difference between my current 24" and the new 24" iMac. I actually prefer the all white exterior compared to the two tone style of the new iMac. No new features actually blow me away . . . . I guess Ive really did come up with the ultimate all-in-one design . . . i just wished they put a backup battery into the new ones so if the power ever goes out, it won't die and lose everything . . . .

[fisherKing]

damn!
i've been waiting for these, but...no matte screen option?
i work in a space with a lot of light, and anyway...prefer a matte screen (i've used a friend's macbook here).

am praying there's a matte option, but...not likely? aaaargh....

[Koralatov]

Originally Posted by quiklee 

No new features actually blow me away . . . . I guess Ive really did come up with the ultimate all-in-one design

I think you're right on the design front: Ive and Co. pretty much nailed the "all-in-one" form factor with the G5 and it's hard to imagine where they could possibly go with it from there.

On personal note, I'm not sure I'm fond of the new aluminium casing. I like the plastic for consumer/aluminium for pro dichotomy that's existed in Apple's product line-up for many years now. Having said that, however, I think I have to see it in the flesh before making a definitive judgement.

I do like the new keyboard though. Very nice.

[iM@k]

Edit: Now that the pics are up on Apple, I can see that the whole thing IS silver in color!!! And that IMHO is perfect. Now it looks like a big Pro display, and I don't have to shovel out extra money to get it painted. I'm so Frickin' happy right now. YAY!!!!!!!!!


<Original post from earlier ---> >When I read that it was aluminum and glass I was excited, I thought, finally we get rid of the God-awful white, only to see it remains.

My plans all along have been to send a new iMac to Colorwarepc.com and have it painted black...so that's what I'm going to do as soon as Colorware shows they're ready. Then I think most will agree, turning the white to black makes the updated design one very sexy looking beast.

[No Time 4 Love Dr. Jones]

I like the unified look they are going for; the enclosure definitely has an iPhone look to it. I wish they'd have gone to black, backlit keys on the keyboard and a matching mouse, though. Much sleeker and modern-looking than the big white Leno. Glossy screens are not my preference, but they are gorgeous as long as there isn't a great deal of light behind the user, or the user is "wide" enough to block the light.

The specs on the $1199 model are amazing for the price and should "reel in" many more fence-riders.

[Doofy]

It's well documented that I hate anything silver-coloured (except actual silver), so I won't be buying one of these. Unless I Hammerite the front of it in black, of course.

That new keyboard looks crap too. How on earth are they going to fit a Euro-style return key on that?

[CIA]

Where's the ultimate 30" model? I want to replace my TV!!

[iM@k]

[UNTeMac]

I'll need to use that keyboard in the store before I chuck my old white one.

As for the design, I knew it would have an iPhone inspiration. I just with they'd gone with the chrome around the outside. This one looks like they couldn't decide and made compromise between two people's ideas.

[hldan]

So glad they got rid of the old style iBook white. Looked like a kids computer and just would never fit into a corporate environment. I am ordering ASAP today! The new aluminum look and glossy glass screen is beautiful. At last I have my living room TV, entertainment computer system! Yahoo!!

[fisherKing]

Originally Posted by hldan 

So glad they got rid of the old style iBook white. Looked like a kids computer and just would never fit into a corporate environment. I am ordering ASAP today! The new aluminum look and glossy glass screen is beautiful. At last I have my living room TV, entertainment computer system! Yahoo!!

hmm, i hear you. but for me, i don't want a tv, i want a computer. and the glossy screen is a drag (or rather, not having a matte option is a drag).

still...will have to go to the apple store & see it...

[ESavage]

I love the look I think Apple did a good job.

Originally Posted by iM@k 

<Original post from earlier ---> >When I read that it was aluminum and glass I was excited, I thought, finally we get rid of the God-awful white, only to see it remains.

The Pictures on Apple.com show no white, that baby is all Aluminum in color.

[mousehouse]

Apple offers matte and glossy options on all notebooks, one would think it is only a matter of time before both options show up for the iMac as well...

The presentation mentioned that the Mac Mini was being updated as well... The Apple site still shows the 'old' Mac Mini - anybody seen any details on that?

[Big Slick]

I...can't..stop...my...drooling... Im trying to get my pricing specs but they're not ready yet.
Can anyone speculate on shipping "atual units" with upgraded vid, ram, etc. The previous models said a 3-5 business day shipping.

[Brien]

Originally Posted by Koralatov 

I like the plastic for consumer/aluminium for pro dichotomy that's existed in Apple's product line-up for many years now.

Agreed. They used to have it nailed down pretty well, with the consumer 'i' line in white plastic, and the pro 'power' line in aluminum, but that tradition seems to be being chucked out the window. Apple TV, the mini, this new iMac, the lower end iPods, and the iPhone all have some amount of metal now.

Of course, the Macbooks and 5.5G iPod are the only ones having not been updated recently, which leads me to believe there might be a redesign coming.

[REVBCO]

Take a look at the new wireless keyboard. It doesn't have the number keypad.

That is a big mistake.

[Brien]

Wow, I didn't notice that.

Unlike the wired, that looks like it's just a Macbook keyboard in a metal enclosure. The wired one actually has slightly larger keys, but that looks *exactly* the same.

[theNewiMacsSuck]

Utter ****.

1. No video input, on a computer that's basically a living room computer
2. Ugly black border between the edge of the iMac's aluminum frame and the display itself.
3. SLOWER videocard (7600GT is MUCH faster than the new Radeon HD Pro)
4. Crap keyboard without numberpad and laptop style keys.
5. GLOSSY GOD DAMN SCREENS. WHY!? WHY!??!!? Who the hell thought this was a good idea? Are their actually customers that like this, or just ones that THINK they are supposed to like it, since it's new and different? Why the hell is this better? TVs strive to avoid glare! Now Apple ADDS glare and claims it's an improvement! WTF.

[iM@k]

Not really. I am typing this on MacBook, of which I love the spaced keyboard. The people this is aimed at don't really need the side number pad, and I'm sure like most laptop keyboards, it's there with the fn control.

[butterfly0fdoom]

Originally Posted by Brien 

Of course, the Macbooks and 5.5G iPod are the only ones having not been updated recently, which leads me to believe there might be a redesign coming.

The MacBooks were Apple's first all-new design for the MacTels. Don't expect an aluminum casing for it for a while.

So anyway...
1) Smaller wireless keyboard is a disappointment. I guess I'll aim for getting a wired one.
2) Two-tone look is nice, but I wish they didn't curve the lower corners of the black part (a straight line would've looked better). In tandem with that, I think it would've looked better if the black part went to the edges, instead of there still being an aluminum border around the black part.
3) Yay! Glossy screen! I <3 Glossy.
4) Ah, in typical Apple fashion, Core 2 Extreme is only available with the 24" model. D: (not like I was in the market for an iMac anyway)
5) No matter what the design is, it'll never be as awesome as the G4. That was the ultimate all-on-one (mostly because of the super-adjustable screen and just plain awesome good looks).

[REVBCO]

The normal keyboard looks fine to me. But I personally use a wireless keyboard right now because I don't like wires. But now there is no way that I could use this new keyboard with all the spreadsheet work I do.

This new keyboard would be great for a TV computer.

Hey Steve, offer us a choice of two wireless keyboards. One with the number key and one with out.

[theNewiMacsSuck]

But the POINT of a laptop keyboard is to save space. What is this doing on a desktop?! People LIKE numberpads. They use them for taxes, for anything business related, for gaming, etc. Not having one sucks. So does having laptop keys on a desktop.

[iM@k]

Originally Posted by theNewiMacsSuck 

Utter ****.

1. No video input, on a computer that's basically a living room computer
2. Ugly black border between the edge of the iMac's aluminum frame and the display itself.
3. SLOWER videocard (7600GT is MUCH faster than the new Radeon HD Pro)
4. Crap keyboard without numberpad and laptop style keys.
5. GLOSSY GOD DAMN SCREENS. WHY!? WHY!??!!? Who the hell thought this was a good idea? Are their actually customers that like this, or just ones that THINK they are supposed to like it, since it's new and different? Why the hell is this better? TVs strive to avoid glare! Now Apple ADDS glare and claims it's an improvement! WTF.

1. that's what TV tuners are for.
2.required tohold the glass, and reduces glare that you're all fretting about.
3. These aren't pro machines
4. Number pads aren't really needed, if you're one of the few that do need one, there are plenty of options for you
5. Glossy=beautiful. I've been using a glossy screen for about two years now, and I appreciate it's clarity. If you desperately need matte, get any antiglare screen film, and put it on geez.

[PaperNotes]

Can't wait to get the wireless keyboard. For once I can put the laptop on the side and have a good keyboard for my lap. No more burning balls! My sperm is saved.

[imitchellg5]

Not the best looking iMac in my opinion, but it's not horrible. I dislike two tone on anything except the iMac G3. And only glossy ticks me off since I work right in front of a window. And why is the Apple Store down again?

[REVBCO]

So what is my iMac worth now?

2006 - 24" with 2.33Ghz Core 2 Duo, NVIDIA 7600 GT w/256mb RAM, 500gb HD, Wireless Keyboard & Mouse, 2gb RAM.

It was a BTO fully loaded.

[Lava Lamp Freak]

Originally Posted by iM@k 

1. that's what TV tuners are for.
2.required tohold the glass, and reduces glare that you're all fretting about.
3. These aren't pro machines
4. Number pads aren't really needed, if you're one of the few that do need one, there are plenty of options for you
5. Glossy=beautiful. I've been using a glossy screen for about two years now, and I appreciate it's clarity. If you desperately need matte, get any antiglare screen film, and put it on geez.

1) Granted
2) I like the new looks.
3) It doesn't have to be a Pro machine to have a good video card. Consumers like to play games, too. I don't know anything about this particular card. Is it really that much worse than the 8600 that is in the new MBP?
4) I use the number pad every day. I currently have the bluetooth keyboard and love not having the wires. I'll probably just continue using it if I get the new iMac. But give us an option Apple!
5) I'm indifferent on the glossy topic. I've never owned a display with a glossy screen.

[Eriamjh]

What is this?

Processor and memory
2.0GHz or 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, or 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme processor

I didn't see a 2.8GHz C2D Extreme processor listed anywhere. Did Apple slip?

[tomzo22]

I've never used the numerical keypad on the left, always use the top bar numbers so not too bothered about that, though i see why it would annoy some people.

Initially i thought the new closure wasnt as good as the previous white plastic one, but its quickly grown on me and i really like it now.

Can anyone remember the price of the lowest end imac before the change? is it £100 more expensive? i guess that must be cos there is no 17"

[theNewiMacsSuck]

Considering it has a better screen, and a faster GPU, I'd say it's worth more than the 'new' 24" iMac.

[tomzo22]

Originally Posted by Eriamjh 

What is this?


I didn't see a 2.8GHz C2D Extreme processor listed anywhere. Did Apple slip?

nope, on the far right 24" one its there

[mfbernstein]

Wouldn't hold my breathe waiting for a matte screen option. Apple's decided to go glossy, and they only offer choice now on the pro machines (ACD displays and MBPs).

Aesthetically, these seem to fit in well with the iPhone look. Once again though, form trumps function. On the bright side, all currently shipping Macs are now 64-bit!

[lpkmckenna]

I like it. The aluminum+black matches the GUI trend of OS X.

[Peter]

Decent upgrades. Glossy screens are the future.
The video card is quite a serious upgrade... About 40% faster according to a quick benchmark search (and DX10)

[Eug]

Originally Posted by Peter 

Decent upgrades. Glossy screens are the future.

Sez who? It's the future... of consumer machines maybe.

It's no surprise that the pro models come in matte screens too. Much less glare. I really don't like the glare on my MacBook, but it depends on the ambient lighting of course.

[Corbenk]

er, at first sight I thought the ugly grey was... Well, ugly. However, I said the same thing about leopard's theme, but U eventually warmed up to it.

[Eriamjh]

Originally Posted by tomzo22 

nope, on the far right 24" one its there

My eyes and my brain must be going out...

So... Cool!

[NotGoingAway]

Originally Posted by Peter 

Decent upgrades. Glossy screens are the future.
The video card is quite a serious upgrade... About 40% faster according to a quick benchmark search (and DX10)

WRONG. It's slower than the outgoing 7600GT. Yes, the new card has DX10 support, but who cares? It's far to slow to do any gaming @ 1920X1200, so what is the point? Yes, it's compatible, but it might as well not be since it's so freakin' slow. The 7600GT is much faster. Unlike you, I can backup my stats.

http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/11...a_r/index.html

http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/88...a_r/index.html

The 'new' card is about 15-25% slower than the 7600GT.

Originally Posted by Eug 

Sez who? It's the future... of consumer machines maybe.

It's no surprise that the pro models come in matte screens too. Much less glare. I really don't like the glare on my MacBook, but it depends on the ambient lighting of course.

Good question. The only people I know who like glossy screens are both PC users, and both have laptops, and both say it seems brighter, but the glare is annoying, but they still like it. I haven't heard anybody else complaining about 'matte' screens, so who exactly asked for these? Search the iMac forums, I don't see any threads about people lusting after glossy screens, do you?

Originally Posted by REVBCO 

So what is my iMac worth now?

2006 - 24" with 2.33Ghz Core 2 Duo, NVIDIA 7600 GT w/256mb RAM, 500gb HD, Wireless Keyboard & Mouse, 2gb RAM.

It was a BTO fully loaded.

More than the new one. It has a better keyboard, faster videocard, and easier to see screen with less glare. Also, you can make it just as fast as the new one by upgrading the CPU from pricewatch.

Originally Posted by iM@k 

1. that's what TV tuners are for.
2.required tohold the glass, and reduces glare that you're all fretting about.
3. These aren't pro machines
4. Number pads aren't really needed, if you're one of the few that do need one, there are plenty of options for you
5. Glossy=beautiful. I've been using a glossy screen for about two years now, and I appreciate it's clarity. If you desperately need matte, get any antiglare screen film, and put it on geez.

1. TV tuners have lag. They do not allow very good picture quality, nor can you hook up gaming consoles. The EyeTV hybrid was supposedly supposed to be lag free, but it too has lag. Plus it sticks out the back, ready to break off.
2. It's ugly. And the glass causes glare.
3. So what? Neither was the last iMac. The 24" iMac is a PROSumer machine. It's got... wait... HAD great specs, and allowed consumers a decent choice for a machine that was faster than a mac pro with a 7300. Now, the only way to get decent 3d performance it so throw down a ton of cash on a mac pro, and if you enjoy gaming, you have to buy the PRO machine, even though you are a consumer.
4. The 'few' who need one? Are you joking? Millions of people use numberpads.
5. Glossy= increased glare. Matte= reduced. Go TV shopping.

What a failure. I hate this new machine.

[Xyphoid Process]

Nice to see that they ship the standard 1gb ram on a single stick - considering that you can get a 1gb stick on the street for 1/6 the price of their 2gb BTO option. With the previous 2x512 configuration you had to throw out at least one of the sticks if you upgraded.

[dfbennett]

Well I think I'll be replacing my aging 17" G4 iMac around the time I get my tax return next year and and I was originally thinking I'd only be able to get a 17" iMac for the $1200 price tag, now it seems like 20" it is. Who knows though what the lineup will look like by then. Either way seems like I'll be getting more for my dollar and can then relegate my current machine to secondary duty as the jukebox in my basement and get rid of the old circa 2002 Windows 2000 machine I have down there now!

[CIA]

I read here that the 2400 and 2600 graphics cards have hardware h.264 specific chips. Slower 3D, faster h.264 encoding? Wonder if 10.4 or 10.5 will use this.

[OreoCookie]

Originally Posted by NotGoingAway 

WRONG. It's slower than the outgoing 7600GT. Yes, the new card has DX10 support, but who cares? It's far to slow to do any gaming @ 1920X1200, so what is the point? Yes, it's compatible, but it might as well not be since it's so freakin' slow. The 7600GT is much faster. Unlike you, I can backup my stats.

http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/11...a_r/index.html

Gigabyte's GeForce 7 Series Tested :: TweakTown

The 'new' card is about 15-25% slower than the 7600GT.

That's not what the stats you've linked to show (besides the obvious fact that one benchmark doesn't really say too much), both at 1024x768:
ATI HD 2600 Pro: 30 min, 62 avg
nVidia 7600 GT: 21 min, 41 avg

The same goes for the popular 3dmark2006@1024x768:
ATI HD 2600 Pro: 4660
nVidia 7600 GT: 3331

Perhaps you've mixed up the 7600 GT with the 8600 GT.

[mattcass]

Is the new screen LED or still fluorescent?

[lpkmckenna]

What's Apple's plan for the educational market? Will they still sell the 17" iMac to schools?

[hldan]

Funny, we got a few WIndows PC using Trolls on the forum. They're just mad because the new iMac is a fantastic upgrade and now can be configured to suit gamers and it's not an ugly HP or Dell box residing on the trolls desk.

[Eriamjh]

Originally Posted by lpkmckenna 

What's Apple's plan for the educational market? Will they still sell the 17" iMac to schools?

Apple didn't release a $999 education iMac until sometime after the new iMacs were announced. It's possible a GMA950/960 cheap education model will come along soon, although they can't wait too long since school is starting and time is money...

With no 17" model, would Apple really expect school to pony up for the 20 inchers?

[angelmb]

Originally Posted by hldan 

Funny, we got a few WIndows PC using Trolls on the forum. They're just mad because the new iMac is a fantastic upgrade and now can be configured to suit gamers and it's not an ugly HP or Dell box residing on the trolls desk.

[ajprice]

Would have looked better with the whole front face as black glass(so no chin), with the apple mounted on the glass at the bottom. But it still looks pretty good as it is. And a 2.8GHz top spec? is that a Conroe desktop chip?

[C.A.T.S. CEO]

Originally Posted by angelmb 

Does anybody know how long you can wait before you can't get a free trade-in if you just bought a iMac?

[imitchellg5]

Originally Posted by Eriamjh 

Apple didn't release a $999 education iMac until sometime after the new iMacs were announced. It's possible a GMA950/960 cheap education model will come along soon, although they can't wait too long since school is starting and time is money...

With no 17" model, would Apple really expect school to pony up for the 20 inchers?

My school wouldn't that for sure. $1,000+ for each computer is a ton for any school.