[rubaiyat]

Originally Posted by WOPR 

At last! The new keyboard has proper powered USB 2 ports you can use for your iPod etc, at last USB 1 is gone.

Glad to hear that.

It was more than passingly annoying for people who didn't know why sometimes things worked and sometimes they didn't. Nor did it help that the different ports were not equal but Apple failed to distinguish them even on the back of the iMac.

Which raises the issue of the extremely awkward position of the ports especially on the oversize 24".

I wonder if the SuperDrive spits out DVDs and CDs like on my iMac G5. If I don't catch them they go rolling off across the floor.

Because of this, its slow speed, the unreliable burning of discs and the inability to insert small CDs & DVDs I purchased external FW burners.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by rubaiyat 

I wonder if the SuperDrive spits out DVDs and CDs like on my iMac G5. If I don't catch them they go rolling off across the floor.

Not all iMac G5s are like that. None of the ones at my work are. I do know a Power Mac that's a little overzealous about ejecting CDs, though.

[rubaiyat]

It's an intermittent problem.

Doesn't always do it but I keep my hand ready just in case.

[mavherzog]

Originally Posted by Big Slick 

I...can't..stop...my...drooling...

Maybe this will help. (stop the drooling, that is)

ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT and 2600 Pro Review: 3DMark06 Benchmarks
<sigh>

[reemas]

i thought i was the only one with that problem. (good) to see others with that issue.

[WOPR]

Originally Posted by butterfly0fdoom 

I thought he said MacBooks, not Macs.

My bad. Here's what he said:

"We plan to introduce our first Macs with LED backlight technology in 2007," he wrote. "Our ability to completely eliminate fluorescent lamps in all of our displays depends on how fast the LCD industry can transition to LED backlighting for larger displays."

Wonder why they've not done the MacBook yet then?

[vertigociel]

To clear up a couple of questions about this thing -
I have an iMac G5 that likes to spit CD's as well. So far, the new iMac hasn't been doing this, but neither did my G5, initially, so time will tell.

The iChin is smaller than the previous design - about 1/2 the height, compared to my G5.

[ddma]

Ok

I like:
1. The new glass and aluminum enclosure. Basically because many design studios are using iMac as their work station and more professional look & feel is welcome.
2. The new keyboard. For some reason, the old transparent keyboard always collects dust and hair... and they are visible at the base of the transparent keyboard.
3. Very thin.

I don't like:
1. No Quad-core option.
2. Still having the same "Post-it" area underneath the screen.
3. iPhone look... but no touch screen.

[PaperNotes]

I have searched in vain for the answer and can't find how long battery life is for the new wireless keyboard. Anybody know, please?

[dru]

Originally Posted by REVBCO 

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

That is a big mistake.

In the presentation Steve explained it was designed to better balance on the customer's lap which was a major request. You do realize they research these things, right?

[dru]

Originally Posted by mavherzog 

Maybe this will help. (stop the drooling, that is)

ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT and 2600 Pro Review: 3DMark06 Benchmarks
<sigh>

That's a synthetic benchmark on Windows. I'd rather see Mac OS X-based benchmarks and, honestly, I don't care about FPS. Sure they went with "budget" parts but they're also DX-10 for those who insist on using Boot Camp to run Vista for 'omg games'

Kudos for Apple not sticking with integrated graphics in the lowest end model.

[feethea]

My two cents worth: -

The new 24" 2.8Ghz machine will probably tip the balance in Apple's favour re getting rid of my desktop windows PC. Fast CPU, decent graphics card which should play Quake 4, et al, roughly the same price (at least here in the UK), maybe a bit more, than the old 2.16Ghz 24" machine, nice aluminium frame to go with my MBP.

Anybody interested in a high-spec, dual-monitor, Windows computer (many parts still under warranty)?????

[Paco Loco]

Have been waiting for these machines for a while now and will definitely be buying one as I need a new mac and it's the only model that fits the bill.
Have to say I'm a little disapointed with the new design though... here's my thoughts:

- Can't believe the glossy screen is not optional. Sure that's great for watching movies etc but a heck of a lot of people use these machines for work too - there's not a lot of design work that the iMac cannot handle so most people don't need the Pro machine. These people do not want glossy screens.

- I like the aluminium but I can't believe they used black plastic on a Mac - why not keep the back panel as white plastic? The overall colour scheme is so Dell-ish.

- Why have so much white on the peripherals when the machine itself has no white on it at all? This looks wierd to me and makes it look like the peripherals are from another machine. They should have either had some white on the machine itself (as suggested above) or put black keys on the new keyboard and supplied a black mighty mouse and remote. Ditto for the cables.

- Was the previous iMac design so perfect that they would change so little with this revision? The stand, the position of the ports, power button - all exactly the same. I'm sure there's more room for improvement here, or at least a little variation just to keep things interesting.

- Is it just me, or are we missing a 'nice surprise' with this new iMac? It seems like in previous revisions we've always been pleasantly surprised by an unexpected little addition - e.g. the iSight camera, the Apple Remote. What have we got this time? The new keyboard is the answer I suppose. Don't get me wrong, I actually really like the keyboard, but it doesn't really add anything to the overall experience and a keyboard redesign was loooong overdue in my opinion

- As a few other people on here have previously commented, it is a bit of a shame that the era of 'playful' mac design is well and truly over. I suppose they don't have a choice really, as computers become less 'office equipment' and more 'entertainment device' they need to fit in with peoples homes better and not be so intrusive if they are to be widely accepted. That is a real shame...


Oh well. Better go and place my order I suppose...

[DarkStarRed]

Oh well! I actually like it, you have the option on 24# for the quad-core "2core extreme that's nice I know it's not like a true quad-core. I prefer the wireless keyboard styling of the rounded-base, strange they didn't keep that for the wired?
I now understand the mix of F-keys & Media-keys with the styling of the wireless keyboard the arrow keys are something not to be
desired though. I guess all those who want white or what ever... maybe iSkin etc. Will come-up with stuff for the iMac & keyboard?

[Simon]

The Merom XE (it's not Conroe people!) upgrade option for $250 is a hot deal. Rumors claim the X7900 will have a 1k price of $851 when it's officially released in September. The 2.4 GHz T7700 has a 1k price of $530. Apple is likely getting a discount from Intel, but the CTO option is definitely not overpriced.

[Andhee]

Originally Posted by PaperNotes 

I have searched in vain for the answer and can't find how long battery life is for the new wireless keyboard. Anybody know, please?

I read on the apple site that is estimated 9 months with average usage.

[DarkStarRed]

Ooop's my mistake should have seen that the C2E QX6800 needs has 8MB of L2 cache.

[opus_az]

I stopped by the Apple store on my way home yesterday to look at the iMacs. I own a white 24" iMac so at the store I focused mainly on the new aluminum 24".

The glossy display is definately better in my opinion but I should say that I also prefer the glossy on the MacBooks and MacBook Pros. I'm trying to compare specs between the old and new LCD displays, things like nits and contrast ratios, but I'm suddenly unable to find them for the old iMacs and I'm too tired to keep searching. But subjectively I think maybe perhpas the new iMacs LCD are better. (They had some of the old style iMacs on display near the new ones so I could quickly switch between them.)

The video cards have 256MB of VRAM, up from 128 is a nice upgrade.

One big plus; the new iMacs come with 1GB RAM, that is, one stick of RAM so there's a free memory slot. I was a bit surprised when my white iMac came with two 512 sticks which meant I either had to buy extra RAM at the time of purchase or lose the existing sticks later. Not so with the new iMacs. Thanks, Apple. That was nice.

The brushed aluminum and the black border neither wowed nor bothered me. The now black apple icon on the front is much more noticable and a bit more distracting than the gray one on the old iMacs.

There's no longer the soft white glowing light on the front, to pulsate pleasantly at you when the iMac sleeps. I think I might miss that. Heaven knows why. I wonder how you can tell if the iMac is off or sleeping.

I think if they got rid of the 'chin' beneath the LCD the upgrade would have a bit more wow factor. I was secretly hoping the new iMac would look just like a cinema display. That would have made for a more exciting upgrade.

The other obvious upgrades like CPU and harddrive speak for themselves. Between the CPU and the VRAM, the new iMac felt zippier, but that could have the reality field getting all distorted, I'll admit.

Overall, I'm not disappointed to come home to my white iMac. However, next year when the 30" iMacs come out (hint hint) I might just have to get one.

[kenna]

haha I don't care if the iMac has a glossy screen really, I love the new design and im really happy about the price drops! I can now get the 24" that I always wanted and can finally have an Apple computer!!!!

The sleeker design really pulls me in as I will be fitting this on a small desk and so I really don't have that much room on it, I can watch DVDs now chilling on my bed with my lil remote control! I can now go travelling as I always wanted to do, take 1000's of pictures and come back and edit them all on my beautiful 24" screen! Hell I may even get a video camera and create my own video! All this just sounds amazing... I think most of you who are bummed out by the new glossy screens etc. are already spoiled with one of apples already created beasts. I mean to a new user, I do not want the design to go more like P.C's I love that Apple are original with their designs and I can't wait for the new OS.

Going to get mine in October me thinks, I need to start saving!

Im tempted to get the 2.8 GHZ extreme, but I think im likely just to upgrade the 2.4 to the same specs as the 2.8GHZ without the additional power. i.e. 2GB RAM and 500 GB hard drive, i've already tried purchasing sequence and it seems I can have my iMac shipped within 5 days unless I add for the wireless keyboard which then says 3-5 weeks! I Wonder why that is....

[DaveNinja]

Originally Posted by wolfen 

Daveninja, yes please let us know what kind of framerates you get. And the noise level. And stuff.

Please.

Please, Daveninja?

Please?

I currently only have the default 1GB of RAM. i'm going to order another 1GB chip today, hopefully.
I only happened to notice framerates once during karazhan. at the top of the stairs, the start of Moroes trash, was around 30 fps (using cntl-r) and the court yard just inside the instance portal was about 60fps. I havent really messed with the video setting much; i just set them way high. i was messing with them earlier in Shatrath City and had it make all the terran turn gray. I'm not sure which of the options did that since i ended up turning off a bunch of the click boxes at the bottom of the video settings page.
karazhan was totally smooth, no jumpiness or video lag. the place is amazing looking.
I used the new keyboard (but my old mouse) and had no issues. i really like the new keyboard, its nice and quite and easy on the wrists since its so thin that its almost like you're typing on the table top. I also didnt realize it came with the new iWork programs, eventhough i'll likely not use them much.

over all its really great, but my previous computer was a dual 1.8 GHz G5 powermac, so 3 years will make a difference.

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by ChrisA 

My guess is they did this to ensure that iMac sales do not cannibalize the Mac Pro/ACD. I'm sure they know well that no professional photographer or editor would ever want a glossy screen. For them color fidelity is "everything".

This is probably accurate. Apple is notorious for dumbing down their consumer-level hardware in an effort to force power users to shell out the extra money for the pro-level counterparts. Another example was crippling display spanning on the G4 iBooks, which only allowed mirroring without a third-party unsupported hack. The hardware was plenty capable of spanning. Apple disabled it as a way to dumb down the iBook compard to the PowerBooks.

I think the guy who invented lite beer was a genius. Who would have thought they could simply add water to beer and people would still pay the same price for it. By calling it "lite" he created a demand for even cheaper to make beer.

Ahaha...the new iMac screen is the Bud Lite of desktop displays.

Originally Posted by dru 

In the presentation Steve explained it was designed to better balance on the customer's lap which was a major request. You do realize they research these things, right?

You'd think for $80 they could include a separate numpad (bluetooth or wired), like the original Logitech diNovo had.

If I want to put a keyboard on my lap, I'll use a laptop. The ergonomics (or lack thereof) of putting a keyboard on your lap to use a desktop computer are really terrible. Plus, the 3 AAs required to power it are going to add some heft - not much, but noticeable to some people.

I would not at all be surprised if Apple started selling a coordinating bluetooth numpad within the next few months...for the low, low price of $50+.

[Dakarʒ]

Well for those of us who don't have a laptop, we'll probably go with this. I like this keyboard because I almost never use (or need) the keypad, and its small so it won't be a bulky addition for in the living room.

And god, did I hate the old pro keyboard.

[PBG4 User]

Originally Posted by adamfishercox 

I like the power button on the keyboard

Originally Posted by pyrite 

yeah, I SO wish that was actually for the iMac, and not just to turn off the wireless keyboard

The power button on old mac keyboards was the best idea ever.

I just learned about the following key combo a couple of weeks ago:

CTRL + Eject key brings up the power down options screen. If you hit the Return key you'll power down. Other options are restart, sleep and cancel.

[Veltliner]

Originally Posted by Paco Loco 

- Can't believe the glossy screen is not optional. Sure that's great for watching movies etc but a heck of a lot of people use these machines for work too - there's not a lot of design work that the iMac cannot handle so most people don't need the Pro machine. These people do not want glossy screens.

I have not yet worked with a glossy screen.

Why is it not good for graphics/digital photography work? Isn't the glossy screen supposed to show better detail?

You have to be more careful about annoying reflections, that's for sure.

[fisherKing]

Originally Posted by Veltliner 

I have not yet worked with a glossy screen.

Why is it not good for graphics/digital photography work? Isn't the glossy screen supposed to show better detail?

You have to be more careful about annoying reflections, that's for sure.

colors are a bit exaggerated, not what pros want. and the reflection is a nuisance! (for me anyway).

i want a new imac, but am not a fan of glossy screens.
i may wait, see if a matte screen becomes an option (as the glossy screens became a macbook pro option..)

i may be waiting a long time...

[Veltliner]

What I like:

1. Firewire 800

2. The screen seems to have improved, contrast ration 750:1 resp. 800:1

3. 1GB RAM comes in one so-dimm, only taking up one slot.

4. New graphics cards

5. Looks like there are better speakers.

6. Price

7. No more Combo drives even for the basic model.


What is questionable:

1. The end of the simpleness of the design. The black frame arount the screen looks like the mask of Disney's Beagle Boys.

2. Keyboard. Sure it is better to clean, but if it is good to write long hours has to be seen yet.

[Veltliner]

Originally Posted by fisherKing 

colors are a bit exaggerated, not what pros want. and the reflection is a nuisance! (for me anyway).

i want a new imac, but am not a fan of glossy screens.
i may wait, see if a matte screen becomes an option (as the glossy screens became a macbook pro option..)

i may be waiting a long time...

Same goes for me, then.

Exaggerated colors? That means you can calibrate your display and still your colors would be off?

[CheesePuff]

Yea, the glossy is not going anywhere and matte won't become an option in the future.

[fisherKing]

Originally Posted by CheesePuff 

Yea, the glossy is not going anywhere and matte won't become an option in the future.

apple added glossy as an option on the macbook pro, so...i can hope they'll do that here.
probably not (hey, i'm a realist), but i hope they see the NEED for a matte screen option.

either way, by sept i am getting one...!

[Veltliner]

Looks like they don't want pro oriented users to buy the iMac any longer.

Many professional photographers, for example, actually have been using the iMac so far.

[wolfen]

Well, luckily I'm blessed with 2 Apple stores within 30 minutes of each other. One did not have any 24" iMacs when I called at 11am this morning, but the other store did. You know, I was around when these stores went up and there is something important to understand: The iPhone and iPod products have doubled the traffic in these stores. Easily. Every station was full, there were twice as many store clerks as I'd seen even a year ago, and people were standing in line at the registers. All this on a Wednesday lunch hour.

It's interesting that they keep the white iMacs out on the floor to deplete stock, but the people who know about the new iMacs can ask them to pull from stock in the back room. It felt like I was part of the "in" crowd or something.

When I asked if they could stick in another 1gb ram the guy was like "Sure, if we can figure out how to do it. We haven't cracked one of these open yet and don't even have any technical worksheets yet."

I will report on iGlare, .mac, iWork, iLife, and so on later.

[twalker294]

Originally Posted by pyrite 

that is a freaking awesome comparison...

It is but I'm surprised they didn't use the BT mouse and keyboard in the pic. Then there would only be one cable on the iMac.

[fisherKing]

Originally Posted by wolfen 

When I asked if they could stick in another 1gb ram the guy was like "Sure, if we can figure out how to do it. We haven't cracked one of these open yet and don't even have any technical worksheets yet."

I will report on iGlare, .mac, iWork, iLife, and so on later.

that's actually funny; it was easy enough on the previous imac, it's a single screw and a slot on the new one.
hope they can do it without having to consult a tech manual!

[CadetStimpy]

I just bought the current 20" iMac less than two weeks ago. I spoke with my local Apple store yesterday and they assured me I was welcome to come in and exchange my purchase for the equivalent new model.

After a bit of thought, though, I think I'm going to stick with the current white model for the following reasons:

- I checked out the glossy screen, and it's really quite nice. However, I use my iMac in a room with several lamps, and my experience with one of the new glossy screened Macbooks revealed that glare would be a significant problem for my environment. So in my case, the matte screen is a better choice.

- While I'm not a heavy gamer, I do enjoy World of Warcraft. My current model has the ATI x1600/128 graphics chip, and frame rates in WoW are exceptional. With full graphics and depth at max, I'm enjoying fluid graphics and min/max frame rates between 60-180 fps. While I'm sure the new one could probably push a bit more, it's overkill for my use and not worth the trouble to switch it out.

- I do tend to use the numeric keypad quite a bit, so I'm a bit reluctant to switch to the wireless model sans keypad. Plus, I just tend to like the white. As others have noted, it seems to fit a bit better with Apple's other products.

All in all, I think the new iMacs will do well. But, if the price comes down on current stock, you might be able to pick up some killer savings on the current models, which for the most part (at least in my opinion) are pretty much identical except for the new bells and whistles.

Just chiming in. Personally, I'm a great deal more excited about iLife and iWork '08, but that's a topic for another thread.

[Veltliner]

Originally Posted by fisherKing 

that's actually funny; it was easy enough on the previous imac, it's a single screw and a slot on the new one.
hope they can do it without having to consult a tech manual!

It could be the genius factor weighing in here.

[PaperNotes]

Originally Posted by Andhee 

I read on the apple site that is estimated 9 months with average usage.

Surely you mean 9 hours or days! 9 months is crazy. Where does it say that?

[DaveNinja]

Originally Posted by wolfen 

Well, luckily I'm blessed with 2 Apple stores within 30 minutes of each other. One did not have any 24" iMacs when I called at 11am this morning, but the other store did. You know, I was around when these stores went up and there is something important to understand: The iPhone and iPod products have doubled the traffic in these stores. Easily. Every station was full, there were twice as many store clerks as I'd seen even a year ago, and people were standing in line at the registers. All this on a Wednesday lunch hour.

It's interesting that they keep the white iMacs out on the floor to deplete stock, but the people who know about the new iMacs can ask them to pull from stock in the back room. It felt like I was part of the "in" crowd or something.

When I asked if they could stick in another 1gb ram the guy was like "Sure, if we can figure out how to do it. We haven't cracked one of these open yet and don't even have any technical worksheets yet."

I will report on iGlare, .mac, iWork, iLife, and so on later.

i guess the iWork on the new iMac is only a demo or trial version. as for RaM, i ordered a 1GB chip from crucial for 50-something bucks. 2 GB should be enough. And i read the online manual for switching the ram, it is really easy. almost like putting an atari 2600 cartridge in.

[ajprice]

Originally Posted by DaveNinja 

i ordered a 1GB chip from crucial for 50-something bucks. 2 GB should be enough.

I just read that and went 'nooooo!'. But I checked the Apple Store and they are shipping the 1Gb RAM as a single chip now, I'm sure they used do that as 2x512Mb

[WOPR]

Well done to all the people slating the keyboard and screen without having seen or used one

[Lava Lamp Freak]

Originally Posted by PaperNotes 

Surely you mean 9 hours or days! 9 months is crazy. Where does it say that?

I have the previous wireless keyboard and I've been running on the same batteries since I bought the keyboard late last year. I still have 1/4 charge left.

[PaperNotes]

Originally Posted by Lava Lamp Freak 

I have the previous wireless keyboard and I've been running on the same batteries since I bought the keyboard late last year. I still have 1/4 charge left.

Well that is amazing. I thought all Bluetooth devices lasted a few hours to a few days. New keyboard will be mine! Finally no more hot laptop on my sexual parts.

[Chuckit]

Originally Posted by CadetStimpy 

- While I'm not a heavy gamer, I do enjoy World of Warcraft. My current model has the ATI x1600/128 graphics chip, and frame rates in WoW are exceptional. With full graphics and depth at max, I'm enjoying fluid graphics and min/max frame rates between 60-180 fps.

Where, in the middle of Desolace? Even a high-end Mac Pro would be hard-pressed to get that in a crowded, busy area on max settings.

Originally Posted by WOPR 

Well done to all the people slating the keyboard and screen without having seen or used one

What? I've seen glossy screens and laptop keyboards, thank you very much.

[mindwaves]

I like mine even though I have not used it much thus far. The keyboard seems to be high quality and I like the slim profile of it. I'm not quite sure of the black bezel thing around the screen, but when watching a movie, it certainly creates an image of a bigger screen. The glossy/mate issue is a non-issue for me as I only keep my iMac in my room with the blinds closed most of the time.

It seems adequately fast for me. I cannot wait to reimport my photo library and try iWeb in conjunction with my 60 day trial of .Mac (iTools).

[Flagheimer]

Originally Posted by imitchellg5 

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

I recently had to do a group project for my college course at an elementary school, and in the library all their computers were the recent iMacs.

I had a Napoleon Dynamite moment: Lucky!

[No Time 4 Love Dr. Jones]

Originally Posted by Chuckit 

Where, in the middle of Desolace? Even a high-end Mac Pro would be hard-pressed to get that in a crowded, busy area on max settings.

THANK you...

I've read many places where iMac users claim that WoW runs like melted butter with settings maxed, but unless a 10fps slideshow is acceptable "performance", I just can't believe these stories. I've tried it on the now-previous generation with the settings maxed on the 256 MB video option and it was far from Dr. Zog's Sex Wax.

[G Barnett]

Yeah, not sure I completely buy those framerates myself. Now the ones DaveNinja reported, yeah, I could deal with that. In fact, that WOULD be Dr. Zog's from my point of view, seeing as I play on a 6-yr old DA G4 tower that's been upgraded to 1.3ghz with a Radeon 9800 pro. For me, 15 fps is a good thing.

Le sigh. Wish I could afford one of these puppies....

[hldan]

Originally Posted by twalker294 

It is but I'm surprised they didn't use the BT mouse and keyboard in the pic. Then there would only be one cable on the iMac.

Well they can't do that, Apple is suppose to be showing the out of the box experience. That wouldn't be fair anyway, you can get a wireless keyboard for the Dell.

[hldan]

Originally Posted by CadetStimpy 

After a bit of thought, though, I think I'm going to stick with the current white model for the following reasons:
While I'm not a heavy gamer, I do enjoy World of Warcraft. My current model has the ATI x1600/128 graphics chip, and frame rates in WoW are exceptional. With full graphics and depth at max, I'm enjoying fluid graphics and min/max frame rates between 60-180 fps.

Not to call you a liar or anything but that doesn't sound realistic. How can you possibly get 60-180fps on WOW at max settings on the crappy ATI X1600 GPU?
Sure you're not trying to convince yourself that you are happy with what you currently have?

[Andhee]

Originally Posted by PaperNotes 

Surely you mean 9 hours or days! 9 months is crazy. Where does it say that?

Apple Store - U.K. - Apple Wireless Keyboard (white) - English

This intelligent power management means you’ll get up to nine months of battery life based on average usage patterns.

[Lava Lamp Freak]

Originally Posted by hldan 

Not to call you a liar or anything but that doesn't sound realistic. How can you possibly get 60-180fps on WOW at max settings on the crappy ATI X1600 GPU?
Sure you're not trying to convince yourself that you are happy with what you currently have?

While I haven't checked the frame rate, WOW plays smooth on my MacBook Pro with the X1600. I have a 23" Cinema Display.

As long as the iMac is at least as good as what I have now, I'll be happy. I have a PS3 for gaming. WOW is the only game I'll play on the Mac.

My order from Amazon should ship tomorrow. I hope they'll offer the rebates on these like they usually do.