Apple today unveiled a completely new iMac with a stunning design, brilliant display with reduced reflection, and faster processors.* With third generation Intel quad-core processors, powerful NVIDIA graphics and an innovative new storage option called Fusion Drive, the new iMac is the most advanced desktop Apple has ever made.
“With a stunning design, brilliant display and faster performance, we’ve made the world’s leading all-in-one desktop computer better in every way,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, in the press release. “The all-new iMac is unbelievably thin, yet packs an incredible amount of performance and technology into our most innovative desktop.”
Redesigned from the inside out, the new iMac packs high-performance technology into an aluminum and glass enclosure with up to 40 percent less volume than its predecessor and an edge that measures just 5 mm thin. Built with an unprecedented level of fit and finish, the new iMac delivers an amazing desktop experience in a gorgeous design. The new iMac also features a completely reengineered display that reduces reflection by 75 percent while maintaining brilliant color and contrast. In the new design, the cover glass is fully laminated to the LCD and an anti-reflective coating is applied using a high-precision plasma deposition process. Every iMac display is individually color calibrated using an advanced spectroradiometer.
The new iMac features third generation quad-core Intel Core i5 processors that can be upgraded to Core i7. The latest NVIDIA GeForce processors deliver up to 60 percent faster performance for advanced gaming and graphics intensive apps. Every new iMac now comes standard with 8GB of 1600 MHz memory and a 1TB hard drive, and customers can choose to configure their iMac with up to 32GB of memory and a new 3TB hard drive, or 768GB of flash storage for ultimate performance. With two Thunderbolt and four USB 3.0 ports, the new iMac delivers even greater expandability and support for high-performance peripherals.
Fusion Drive is an innovative new storage option that gives customers the performance of flash storage and the capacity of a hard drive. It combines 128GB of flash with a standard 1TB or 3TB hard drive to create a single storage volume that intelligently manages files to optimize read and write performance. Fusion Drive adapts to the way you use your iMac and automatically moves the files and apps you use most often to flash storage to enable faster performance and quicker access.
Apple also updated the Mac® mini with third generation dual-core Intel Core i5 and quad-core Intel Core i7 processors that are up to twice as fast and have integrated graphics that are up to 65 percent faster.** Mac mini comes standard with 4GB of 1600 MHz memory with support for up to 16GB. Retaining its amazingly compact aluminum design, the new Mac mini now includes four USB 3.0 ports in addition to its Thunderbolt, HDMI, SDXC, Gigabit Ethernet, and FireWire 800 ports.
Both iMac and Mac mini meet stringent Energy Star 5.2 requirements and achieve an EPEAT Gold rating.*** iMac uses up to 50 percent less energy than the previous generation when idle, and features LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. Mac mini retains its status as the world’s most energy efficient desktop computer, using only 11W when idle. Both the iMac and Mac mini include PVC-free components and cables, contain no brominated flame retardants, and use highly recyclable materials and material-efficient packaging designs.
iMac and Mac mini ship with OS X Mountain Lion, bringing Messages, Notification Center, system-wide Sharing, AirPlay Mirroring, Dictation, Game Center and the enhanced security of Gatekeeper to your Mac. With iCloud built into the foundation of OS X, Mountain Lion makes it easier than ever to keep your content up to date across your Mac, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
Pricing & Availability
The 21.5-inch iMac is available with a 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.2 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US); and with a 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US). The 21.5-inch iMac will be available in November through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.
The 27-inch iMac is available with a 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (US); and with a 3.2 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US). The 27-inch iMac will be available in December through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.
The Mac mini is available with a 2.5 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1 GHz, 4GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive for a suggested retail price of $599 (US); a 2.3 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.3 GHz, 4GB of memory and a 1TB hard drive for a suggested retail price of $799 (US); and a 2.3 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.3 GHz, OS X Server, 4GB of memory and two 1TB hard drives for a suggested retail price of $999 (US). The Mac mini is available today through the Apple Online Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.
Additional technical specifications, configure-to-order options and accessories are available online at apple.com/imac or apple.com/mac-mini.
*Testing conducted by Apple in October 2012 using preproduction iMac configurations. For more information visit apple.com/imac/features/.
**Testing conducted by Apple in October 2012 using preproduction Mac mini configurations. For more information visit apple.com/mac-mini/features.html.
***Claim based on energy efficiency categories and products listed within the EPA ENERGY STAR 5.2 energy database as of October 2012. EPEAT is an independent organization that helps customers compare the environmental performance of notebooks and desktops. Products meeting all of the required criteria and at least 75 percent of the optional criteria are recognized as EPEAT Gold products. The EPEAT program was conceived by the US EPA and is based on IEEE 1680 standard for Environmental Assessment of Personal Computer Products. For more information visit www.epeat.net.
Source: Apple Inc.
I want one ASAP!
Me, too. As soon as the “Select” button goes live on the Apple store, I’ll click it; right now it just says, “Available in December”. I wish the Ed discount was more than $100, though.
Yeah, I don’t really need a desktop, but the 27″ monitor and the fusion drive may change my mind.
…or to wait for the fusion drive to be offered on MBP Retinas?
A joke right? There is no spinning platter drive to fusion with…
MBP is already fully flash drive so its about as fast as it’s gonna get 🙂
… at the specs, they list a 500 GB or a 750 GB hard drive.
Spinning disk.
A closer look, though, proves you right. That’s the older model. Or, perhaps, an old-school model. The Retina display model does no spinning – all flash. Confusion inevitable.
“…or to wait for the fusion drive to be offered on MBP Retinas?”
Now yer talkin’ !
This is a GREAT update. But… If I can get the previous generation iMac 21.5-inch as an Apple Certified Refurb for something like $899, I may go for it instead.
The older iMac has user upgradeable RAM, so I can buy it with the minimum and buy more cheaply from OWC. Extreme thinness looks awesome, but is NOT as important in a desktop Mac, since the user is always looking at it head-on and not moving it from place to place.
The new display has the same overall specs. It is thinner, but again, not as big a deal for a stationary computer. The glare aspect may be important to some, but it has not bothered me previously. It has USB 3.0 instead of 2.0, but all of my current peripherals are USB 2.0 or FireWire; I think I can go one more iMac without having 3.0. I don’t really care too much about the optical drive (or lack of…), but it is there in the previous iMac for the one or two times a year that I may use it (I have a USB optical drive already that I can plug in).
The new iMac 21.5-inch has two Thunderbolt ports versus one for the previous 21.5-inch model, which may become more important. The new iMac is (probably) somewhat faster.
I’ll have to think about it between now and the time the new iMac becomes available… My current iMac was purchased as an Apple Certified Refurb (for $849) after it was no longer the latest model, and I’ve been VERY happy with it all these years.
Apple does say “four user-accessible SO-DIMM slots” on the 27″ iMac, but is curiously quiet on the 21″‘s ram. It would be a mistake to not have user-upgradeable ram on the 21″.
Yep! Total redesign with something other than silver with black logo way overdue! Yawn. I’ll pass.
Yawn? The thing is razor thin and packs a serious punch. Pass all you want, but nothing comes close to it in the marketplace. So if it was hot pink you’d buy one since it wouldn’t be silver? Seriously flawed logic? Or just immaturity?
Yeah Bobby, enjoy your experience with windows 8, it will be terrific. Bye
… he said nothing about Windows 8 – or ANY OS! Not even OSX. He was a little harsh on iMaki’s post – only a little.
You know, the one where the buying decision is based entirely on the color scheme? The User-accessable RAM (or not) on the 21″ machine should be more significant than the color scheme.
Guess you don’t care about anything but exterior decoration. Industrial design is about integrity, not flashy trivialities.
What a sad little man you are!
Yeah, maybe some chrome and some neon lights.
Yep, bring disco back!
“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” — Steve Jobs
So buy a SlickWrap for it. Then it can be anything you want.
I’m not in the market for this but it looks like a solid machine.
One niggling point though: What makes the “fusion drive” deserve the label “innovative”? Hybrid drives have been around for a few years now, still new enough they can be called innovative, but it’s not an Apple innovation.
Hybrid drives aren’t themselves a new innovation, but Fusion Drive is, as tends to be the case when Apple introduces something new, a better implementation of the hybrid concept.
For one thing, the SSD “cache” is 128GB, unlike the typical 8-16GB caches on other hybrids. The OS permanently resides on this cache in its entirety.
Something Apple didn’t explicitly mention but is quite possible is that because the SSD and hard drive are separate devices, one or the other could potentially be upgraded (this has yet to be determined, of course).
“Innovation” doesn’t always mean “brand new, never before used technology”. Apple rarely makes all-new tech – instead, they use tech that’s out there in more useful, better ways.
Thanks for the excellent explanation. It wasn’t clear earlier what the improvements over normal hybrids was.
Now the next question is, can *normal* hybrid drives work in the new iMac… or, will Apple also offer these as after-purchase upgrades on older machines, like the mid-2012 Macbook Pro? I’m assuming these are 2.5″ drives since the new iMac is so thin.
Hybrid drives all act the same.
you see 1 drive.
99% sure the Fusion drive is just one drive, just like all other Hybrids. not two separate physical drives.
To clarify:
IF it’s two drives… the OS is just forcing RAID 0.
If it’s one drive, It’s nothing new. Seagate and others do this already, and I just found a 128GB Hybrid drive doing the same thing…
http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/01/revodrive-hybrid-pairs-hdd-with-ssd-on-pcie/
for those that “know” the Fusion is a 2 drive solution… Proof it can be done in one. granted this is in a PCI slot..
I very seriously doubt Apple will offer the Fusion Drive as a separate upgrade for older iMacs. First, older iMacs may not have the necessary connections or other internal components for the Fusion Drive.
But most importantly, Apple wants to sell you a new iMac, not upgrade your old one. And that’s primarily why you won’t be able to get one aftermarket.
The Fusion drive is more about the software then the hardware invovation. It does the allocation of what items go on the SSD or standard HD automatically, based on the users use of applications an files.
From what I have seen, most hybrid drives like the Seagate laptop drive have 4 Gig of SSD combined with 750 gig of HD, but cannot intelligently move most used apps into SSD, even IF there was enough SSD space to do so.
Apple’s drive (argue about innovative if you must) has almost a TB of SSD, coupled with either a 1 TB or 3 TB hard drive, that inteligently via Mountain Lion, moves most used items into the faster SSD space. If not ‘innovative’ its certainly a giant leap forward in capacity and management capability.
Well crap… Hit the send button too soon. Was thinking of the 756GB SSD in the new MacBook Pro 13″ Retina Display model while talking about the new iMac. Sorry, my bad. Still, point stands, 128GB of SSDin the Apple Fusion vs 4GB in the Seagate hybrid is a huge differenece
really? it can’t?…..
“Seagates Adaptive Memory™ technology uses algorithms to monitor data usage in real time, ensuring frequently used data is stored in the NAND flash memory and dramatically improving system-level performance.”
http://www.seagate.com/internal-hard-drives/laptop-hard-drives/momentus-xt-hybrid/
Apple uses Seagate drives (and others) it wouldn’t surprise me at all the Fusion Drive is made by Seagate.
Again, 4GB is almost enough for a large video file, or several 10s of RAW still data…… 128GB will fit the entire OS, commonly used apps, and files. 4 vs 128, no comparison other than the very mathematically obvious 32x more space.
OTOH FTB, I’ll bet you are right about Seagate being the manufacturer.
Key word there might be “data”. Apple is saying that entire applications (i.e. launching faster!) would be moved to reside on the flash partition (at least until something else becomes more “frequent” and it needs the room.) while the current hybrid drives move “data” that is being frequently manipulated. Apple seems to be look much farther ahead than just what an application calls for.
yeah, cause an App is not data….
maybe you should READ some more on the hybrid drives.
they MOVE boot files as well as apps. there are hybrid drives with as much as 16GB of Flash, not just 4GB.
Fusion drive is nothing more than a BIGGER Flash portion of the hybrid drives.
and As I said, it wouldn’t surprise me if Seagate actually makes these drives… we will know next month when the tear downs are shown.
Yes, but 4GB isn’t anywhere near enough to put your OS on (Windows, OS X or Linux), let alone include apps and data files.
Apple’s Fusion Drive allows you to have your entire iPhoto library or iTunes library available for fast access on Flash instead of just a few files (amazing how 4GB is relegated to “small files” these days!). So while Fusion Drive is not a brand-new, never-seen-before invention, the use and structure is innovative in holding the entire OS, apps, and data files.
(Bangs head on desk)
4 GB on ONE DRIVE……. there are Drives with 4GB/8GB/16GB and 120GB of Flash and the REST are HDD.
oh wait…. Just like Fusion.
And reading other blogs, it DOES look like Seagate is the maker of these Fusion Drives….
the only thing new, is the name… Fusion, and the entire OS will be stored there by default instead of the OS files used during Boot etc.
Current Seagate drives do not store anything in the Flash section at first… they adapt to your use over time. The Fusion drive seems to skip that step and put the OS there to start and THEN adapts to the REST of your use.
That folks… is the new thing.
I don’t think it’s actually a special “hybrid” drive. I’ll bet it is actually a separate 128 GB flash-based drive and standard hard drive. It’s Mac OS X that “merges” the two drives, so that the user seamlessly sees it as ONE large AND fast volume. And THAT, would be “innovative.”
It was briefly mentioned in the presentation as an option for the new Mac mini as well, which makes sense since the Mac mini can have two 2.5-inch drives (one could be flash-based). Hopefully, it will be possible to set up the “Fusion Drive” (great name) with ANY Mac that has an internal flash drive and hard drive, since it is possible for older iMacs and Mac mini (and Mac Pro obviously) to have a flash drive and hard drive.
This OS feature was rumored a while ago…
I think it’s one drive. not two.
Just like the hybrid drives that have them both on one drive. Just the Fusion drive uses more Flash.
I believe that you grokked it, ken1w. OS X is the key, although it is possible that Apple added a new hardware interface component, as well.
I doubt they’re separate. The 1 TB Fusion drive is also an option in the Mac mini, they’re not going to add space and connectors just for a second drive, no matter how small the flash module is, when hybrid drives are already fairly proven technology.
The other reason I doubt they’re separate: The 1 TB Fusion is a $250 upgrade option on the Mini, over the same-sized HDD. Just tossing in 128 GB of flash memory for $250 is a hideously overpriced upgrade even for Apple.
I agree. 1 drive.
FYI – The Mac mini already has the space and connectors for a second drive. The server version has two 2.5-inch hard drives, and it’s the same design. It can just use a mass-produced commodity 2.5-inch flash drive, not a more expensive specialty flash module used in MacBooks.
Maybe it’s one drive, but a design that uses two separate drives that the OS merges into one volume is a more flexible implementation, especially for a desktop Mac, which can accommodate two standard commodity drives. It does not depend on a more expensive specialty part.
ok…
Now I can see the Fusion drive being a 1 or 2 drive solution.
Check the pic.
there is NO room in the new iMac for two drives… BUT, see the “up to 768gb Flash” on the left?
Now I can see it as 2 drives… but a Fusion drive STILL only uses 128GB Flash.. so still confused.
But for those saying the combination of the two drives is “key”… it’s the exact same as RAID 0.
There IS room for two drives. ONE of them is a flash drive. Why can’t it be a 128GB module? I don’t understand the confusion… The whole point is to reduce cost while maintaining high storage. If it had 768GB of flash storage, that defeats the purpose for doing the “fusion.”
> But for those saying the combination of the two drives is “key”… it’s the exact same as RAID 0.
It may be “RAID 0” or not, but that’s NOT the distinction. The “key” is that Mac OS X is intentionally placing the OS system components on the flash storage, and intelligently moving other files around over time (based on usage) so that files that are used most often are placed on the flash storage. And the user just benefits from better performance with zero added complexity.
the RAID 0 part.. thats HOW THE OS SEES 1 DRIVE….. NOT the moving the files around. thats the “Fusion” part. (which I believe is Seagate’s adaptive stuff, since other blogs swear Seagate makes the drive..)
the Fusion drive only uses 128GB flash… the picture shows up to 768GB flash.
which makes one think the Fusion drive IS 1 drive..
If we can order a 3TB Fusion drive AND a 768 Flash drive, then we know the Fusion drive is an all in one drive.
We will know soon enough.
What I’m saying is that whether it’s one drive or two, the distinctive and innovative part about “Fusion Drive” is not the hardware, but the software.
My speculation is that I could be done more flexibly (and economically) using two separate drives, with Mac OS X making it a seamless experience for the user.
With Apple purchasing Anobit.. 2 drives *could* make sense.
but.. With Apple using Seagate drives, AND using the same idea that Seagate uses.. 1 Drive is also possible.
We won’t know for sure until ifixit etc tears the new iMac apart 😉
The question that immediately springs to my mind is…can you upgrade the RAM yourself?
Excellent question, I upgrade my 7 generation iMac myself, save over $300.
Yes, BUT only on the bigger model.
From Apple’s iMac page: “Or add more memory to the 27-inch model yourself by popping open the easy-to-access memory panel on the back”
In the tech specs section it does note that the 21″ comes with 8GB, configurable to 16GB, so lack of mention of upgrading the 21″ memory later may be no more than failing to mention it.
they could have easily said
“Or add more memory yourself by popping open the easy-to-access memory panel on the back”
Specifically mentioning the 27″ tells me there was no “failure” to mention the 21.5″
What FTB said.
When the mid-2012 MBPs were released I almost jumped for joy thinking they’d finally managed to put a discrete graphics card into the 13″. I thought this because all 3 models (13″, 15″, 15″ Retina) shared a combined box in the specs section for graphics, and naturally thought it meant all three had the same features.
I had to read it 3 times before noticing it said the discrete graphics was only available on 15″ MBP and MBP Retina. The letdown was considerable.
So, lesson learned: if Apple singles out models for a feature, the other(s) don’t have it.
When I realized that I couldn’t upgrade the RAM myself, that’s when my jaw dropped. No thank you. No thank you very much.
This lack of upgradability and over priced RAM will make me leave the Mac behind. Not a smart move IMO.
Ridiculous. Have the Genius Bar install it. So you pay a little bit more; most people couldn’t figure out how to buy and install RAM even with easy-open doors.
Are you for really! It so simple, if a dummy like me can do any one can install RAM on an iMac. Plus the saving if you install 8g is enough to buy you an Mini iPad.
That doesn’t mean Apple should necessarily design down to the least technical amongst us though does it? I thought the idea was that the Macs were meant to be “trucks” and the iOS devices “cars”.
… every Mac behind because the 21″ iMac won’t let you add RAM yourself? OK … that could be a deal-breaker for me, as well – for the 21″ iMac. I say COULD be because it comes with 8GB of RAM installed.
Since I want the 27″ iMac, there is no such problem. If 8GB is not enough, I add more. But … my MacPro quad only has 5GB, and that is sufficient.
Question: do you know – or even think – you need more than 8GB RAM? Or does that limitation just bother you? Or, perhaps, you are just a childish troll being … “cute”?
Yeah you guys go ahead and buy a W8 machine it should wow you with all its levers and new fangled widgets and you can touch the screen!!!! It’ll fit your personality and craving for stimulation.
Totally blew my mind, that is one sexy machine. The PC industry just shit a brick because there is no way to match it, no way.
If they (the analysts) don’t think the iMac will dominate desktop sales for the next 2-3 years, they are living in dream land.
Now I know a lot of people say what’s the big deal, who needs a desktop, right. How about every family who have kids and their desktop is a shared machine for the family. Most will have one desktop (iMac) and then several touch devices such as iPad, iPad mini’s, iPhones and iPod touches. There is a still a need for a shared desktop for most families.
I see AAPL is down again. It’s on sale, I’m buying more because Xmas is going to be the most profitable ever.
You’re right. This is 2 birds with 1 stone.
The new form factor keeps the iMac going from a sales perspective, but more important it puts way more space between Apple (as a whole) and the rest of the industry.
For a consumer who walks into an Apple store now, and there’s nothing even resembling products from the PC world. (Mac Pro — you’re next.)
I guess this new generation of iMac shows that you (or at least Apple) CAN improve upon all-in-one perfection.
Now if they will finally stand and deliver on a new Mac Pro, the universe would be a better place.
Hear hear! I had but a dim hope (now crushed) that they would unexpectedly deliver a new truck for those of us that need one. Oh well. The rest is all good.
Tim Cook did specifically state a few months ago that 2013 would bring a new Mac Pro…
Now that most of the Mac lineup has been replaced with new products, and the iPad/iPhone/iPod devices are all new, a brand-new Mac Pro for a spring announcement looks good.
Awesome. Unbelievable. And mine…haha
I been waiting for this so long, finally its here
I am so glad the optical drive is gone. Get rid of that anachronistic monstrosity. I know some video people need to be able to burn DVDs for clients, but I’m glad to see Apple pushing the industry away from that junk.
The sooner optical/magnetic spinning media disappears, the better.
SSDs lose speed over time and have a shorter service life than traditional magnetic discs. There are also security issues regarding disposal.
Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!
Beautiful computer.
Apple should include the external optical drive in the box. Optical disks may become obsolete but they are heavily used in medicine, education, museums and churches.
In medicine, optical drives are used to give patients MRI scans etc. Internet will not work for medical privacy issues.
I have seen several churches already removing iMacs from media booths because they cannot create AVCHD disks. This is becoming a huge issue in many content creating organizations such as churches and museums.
Apple could solve this issue by updating iMovie to burn an AVCHD disk.
Have none of these institutions ever heard of an external drive?
Yes. All the churches deserves Windows PC’s. It is perfectly right for them.
I think churches use Stained Glass Windows PC’s…
And you have nailed it.
but wait, the Apple fanboy’s will now attack you for being in a profession that is not up to “their” standards.
DVD is on the way out… but FAR from dead.
@Rorschach
External is fine, oh wait.. iMac on a cart or hanging from a wall mount. Now they need to mount an external drive somewhere… more wire to get in the way etc.
My Chiropractor uses the camera built into her iMac mounted on the wall to record patients movements (Or lack of…) and can burn the DVD for the patient. Uses a twelve south magic bar to connect the wireless KB and trackpad together. would you like her to drill holes in the wall to mount the DVD drive? yeah… that looks professional.
ooooo double faced tape on the drive and wedged underneath the iMac!
Optical gone from MBP.. OK.
Gone from iMac?.. not so OK.
If Apple ever updates the Mac Pro… Removing the Optical there would be real stupid.
Mac Mini no Drive. meh.
go to preferences: sharing: share DVD/CD drive from any other mac on the network. problem solved.
yeah… that works!!!
walk into another room, put disk in drive, walk BACK to the other room. Burn disk. walk BACK to other room, get disk, walk BACK to first room. hand disk to patient.
Glad you thought of that!
such a time saver!
or take pics/vid from one mac, tell patient to wait while you send the data to a shared location on other mac, go to that room with the drive, insert disk, burn disk, walk back to patients room.
now just think… you are one of a dozen dr.’s in the building doing the same thing! Gotta love waiting in line!
now multiply that in a hospital….
you REALLY know how to save time!
again, Optical is not dead.
Velcro with double-stick tape. You’re welcome.
Plus, the new iMac is 8 lbs lighter, so less chance of it falling off the wall and killing some kid.
Forgot about Velcro!
Somebody has been giving those churches very bad advice, since drives and software to produce the disks are easily available.
Although very nice looking, I don’t see why we desperately need an ever thinner computer everytime just so the design fetishists get satisfied.This is especially true for the desktop! It’s becomes undesirable if it comes at the expense of being able to upgrade you RAM and loosing onboard SuperDrive. STOP THE FETISHISM!! I WANT TO BE ABLE TO UPGRADE THE RAM WITHOUT HAVING TO GO TO AN APPLESTORE OR WHATEVER. This is why I am not getting one of these, nor the MacBook Retina. No thank you. This minimalistic fetish is being carried way too far!
the 27″ can still be user upgradable. read Apple’s performance page.
21.5″ has no mention of any panel.. so only the 21.5″ is out for user upgrades.
Yeah, why should we use less material in our products, when we can use more, more, MORE!
Good heavens, why not power these machines with coal, too!
And just how often do you upgrade your RAM? Once?
The “minimalistic fetish” is about desire, want, style, and ultimately sales. When you walk into a Best Buy, you don’t drool over the all-in-one PCs. They look fat and cheap.
You drooled over the iMac. You were amazed at the aluminum, the fit and finish, the screen clarity.
Now the iMac is thinner than a picture frame. The droolworthiness just went through the roof. Set it next to a Windows AIO and you’ll never sell another Windows AIO again.
I’m proud to be typing this on my (now fat) iMac for which I have a minimalistic fetish and new iMac fetish-envy.
Apple selects the appropriate RAM for their machines. I too would rather have Apple pre-install a RAM configuration. Much better to cover during warranty service and less of a concern in terms of reliability and performance.
Your complaint about how Apple designs their hardware is 100% contrary to their belief. They always try to push the boundaries of design and if there are boundaries, they will invent technologies to create their designs. Their designs aren’t merely to be thinner but to be lesser and provide more interaction and computing power at the same time.
If you don’t like it, don’t buy it. Buy a Windows 8 machine from Dell or something.
Obedient fanboi aren’t you?
“Apple selects the appropriate ram for their machines”
I’ve been managing/supporting installed bases of THOUSANDS of apple machines for nearly two decades. If there is one constant, it is base config macs having too little ram, and buying more ALWAYS cost double when buying from Apple.
“Push the boundaries of design” To what end? Design for design’s sake is self-indulgence and masturbatory. So it is super thin, great. Not like Apple hasn’t proven they can do that over and over again. This update doesn’t exactly reduce the footprint of the machine, it is superficial and likely driven by lowering material costs. Beyond that, what is special, innovative or new with this design? NOTHING.
I like Apple kit as much as anyone, I use it exclusively for my personal gear, as well as my family, but at some point I gotta call a fanboi a fanboi.
What Apple is doing is erasing grey market and self service AKA increasing their service revenue. I cannot believe no one is talking about the fact that the glass and screen are now laminated together. Adds cost to the repair of scratched/cracked glass I am sure. They made it much harder to get to the internals when they went to the back and aluminum iMac a few years ago, remember the white imacs that you could quickly and easily open and remove parts with the thumbscrews? The lack of user upgradeable ram also sucks. Apple is moving toward a sealed device model, they want you to buy another iMac, not upgrade your ram and hard drive to get a couple more years. It is not what I would call user friendly.
The optical disc, well honestly who cares on that one, cheap externals are easy to source if you need optical capabilities, the other moves suck.
There is room for criticism of Apple and only a fanboy thinks everything they do is perfect.
Can’t wait a thing of true beauty and brains
I want one!
That statement says it all.
Apple you’ve done Steve jobs proud.
Fusion Drive …… Sold ……
For myself it means less time waiting for photos to load / render / whatever the heck they are doing ……
I have an 11″ Air at home and use sometimes for photo retouch and it is a LOT FASTER than my work iMac 27″ loaded to the fills with Ram and fastest graphics card ….. And the iMac was a 2011 model and my Air is first generation 2010 ….. So the drive is the key ……
1 TB Fusion Drive is a $250 config option for the Mac mini. I hope Apple makes them available as store-installed upgrades for older Macs. $350 would be a reasonable (though high) price for drive and installation.
Don’t hold your breath. And at $350, you’re almost to the price point of a new Mac mini.
Apple wants to sell you a new iMac or Mac mini, not upgrade your old one.
Remember when Apple use to make fun of PC’s for having all the wires? Well the more things change the more they stay the same…
I liked the Jeff Goldblum commercials. Got any of those?
The Fusion Drive is cool. Losing the optical drive just to make it thinner — for no good reason — is not. It sits on the desk. You don’t carry it around. It doesn’t need to be thinner. It could be four inches thick and would operate just as well. Sure, it’s pretty. So what? For the price, they should stick the external SuperDrive in the box for free, not make me pay $79 extra bucks for it, as Old Tech says above. (If I get one, it’ll be the 27″, 32 Gb RAM, 3Tb Fusion Drive. It’ll be pricey.)
And Phil’s condescending attitude towards the optical drive I could do without. I use my DVD player 3-5 times a week. Screw you, Phil.
Makes me wish I’d bought one yesterday, since now you can’t get ANYTHING on the web store, even the old one.
Get an external drive and put it under your desk, or on the stand itself underneath the display. You’re missing the point – Apple is driving out spinning optical/hard drives. Just like it forced out the floppy drive and drove in USB.
Apple is moving full speed ahead with content delivered online – iTunes, AppleTV, iCloud. The optical drive is outdated, even though it is still used by some.
I don’t burn CDs for my kids to take Keynote/PowerPoint presentations to school; they take a jump drive. Holds more, is more portable, and its faster.
Also, just go down to Best Buy or your local Apple Store. The new iMacs don’t go on sale for a few weeks for the 21″ and December for the 27″, so I’m sure there’s plenty of current iMac stock available, possibly for a discount.
I know optical drives are on the way out; I’m realistic about that. I also know that most people don’t use them, so I get why Apple is pushing the issue — particularly with selling content from the iTunes Store. But the quirks of my job require me to use an optical drive constantly.
Also, I have too much music to qualify for iTunes Match, and it would cost me a couple of thousand bucks to rebuy from the iTunes Store and get under the 25,000 track limit. So the heck with that. I might as well still buy music on CD, since it’s higher quality. Which means I still have to rip them into iTunes. And yes, I know that reduces the quality anyway, but if I buy from the iTunes Store I still have to BURN them to CD. (I’ve gotten burned more than once on buying music from iTunes and having it vanish from the Store, which means I’ll be damned if I’m going to rely on iTunes in the Cloud.)
As far as buying an iMac from Best Buy or the local Apple Store, I’ve already looked in to the catalog stores (MacConnection, CDW, etc.), but I always max my equipment out via Build to Order. I could upgrade myself after I buy a stock model — I used to run an IT department, so that’s not a problem — but I hate to void the warranty on something I’m spending $3000-4000 on when I SHOULD be able to get it from Apple.
This is amazing, I’m sure the cinema displays will follow suit shortly.
I use the optical drive in my 2011 iMac frequently, to rip DVD’s to my iTunes library. I also use it to burn videos which I send to family and friends. I can’t believe Apple just omitted something still so widely used for the sake of thinness.
I just bought a MacBook Pro retina without an optical drive, and had to buy an external. It’s a pain to have to run and get it when I need it.
Finally … the Post-Glossy Era has arrived.
They killed the DVD drive too soon, it’s still widely used.
I’ll keep using the Mac machines I’ve got. Apple is unlikely to re-introduce the DVD slot, but I’m not interested in getting an external player.
What is it with all the backlash against the external drive? Especially since the damn internal SuperDrives fail so often. I’d much rather be able to take just a drive into the Apple store (or just buy another one) than have to lug my iMac in (or worse, SHIP it).
Totally agree. No one needs an external superdrive these days.
Ever heard of the cloud?
People who aren’t using the cloud need to wake up and smell the coffee!
Physical media is dead – period.
Everything is uploads and downloads these days. In 5 years time no one will be buying dvds of any sort. Hey, I haven’t been in a music store and bought a cd of movie dvd for years1
Get used to it because thats the future of computing.
Physical media is NOT dead, just because you say it is. More music is still sold on CD than via digital. More movies on DVD or Blu-Ray than digital BY FAR.
Just received a call from a client this afternoon who is a major Apple shareholder. He loves his iPhone and iPad but he notified me that he will not be purchasing iMacs for his office or home.
Why?
He will not put family movies of his young kids on YouTube or Facebook. His mom knows how to use her BluRay player but is not into computers enough to use Apple Tv etc. For these users High Definition physical media is essential.
Apple could solve this issue quickly by allowing iMovie to burn AVCHD disks.
I know Roxio Toast can do this but clients just don’t understand why they have to purchase third party apps to create a HD dvd. They repeatedly mention that with Apple you don’t have to purchase third party apps to burn an HD dvd.
Apple could really solidify their hold on these users by incorporating the ability to burn a HD dvd.
Mac’s used to be a turn key, value solution. Purchase a Mac and you did not have to worry about third party software because of iLife, iWork etc.
Let’s return to that value proposition Apple!
You also need an additional program to burn Blu-ray dads on Windows, so I’m not sure why him using Toast (or another application) and purchasing an external Blu-ray burner would be a deal breaker.
If he is dead set on only using HD physical media, what other options does he have that would be any easier? I’d much rather purchase additional software for a Mac than Windows…
“dads” = “DVDs” 😐
Most switchers to the Apple that I have had the pleasure of meeting were really enamored with iMovie.
Many of them watched friends make movies on their Mac’s three or four years ago. The initial impression never left and they switched to the Mac when the time came for a new computer.
What impressed them was the fact that you did not need to add third party software to make a good video presentation.
With Windows it is just expected that you have to add third party software. However, Apple advertised for years that the Mac included everything needed to produce great movies. This is still true with the exception of the ability to distribute the movie the way most people still distribute movies – optical media.
I know a lot of people who still love their Mac’s but are upset about the lack of support for a very popular medium – optical media.
Apple could solve this issue so easily by incorporating the AVCHD module in Final Cut Pro into iMovie.
I *really* want one of these new 27″ iMacs. I don’t NEED one (my mid 2010 27″ i7 is still doing great), but man, I WANT one.
This design is an amazing evolution of an already great design. I knew they would make it thinner, but I didn’t expect this.
A new i7 with the hybrid Fusion Drive is going to be VERY tempting…
Anybody wanna buy an iMac? 😉
Finally … We enter the Post-Glossy Age!
Love \ hate, love the design, display , don’t even mind the optical drive being separate (even though I still output my videos to DVD. I really really hate the position of the SD Card slot on the back, it was bad enough on the side (I put mine in the CD slot on more than 1 occasion). I can’t bleave Apple has stopped taking orders for the iMac, what are they thinking?
“I can’t bleave Apple has stopped taking orders for the iMac, what are they thinking?”
Yes, that *is* odd of them – I guess this is why they usually don’t announce things until they are ready to ship, or at least pre-order.
Right now, you cannot pre-order or purchase ANY iMacs, nor can you order (or pre-order) a current gen iPad. The only iPad you can get is the iPad 2. I realize that pre-orders on the iPads are only in 3 days, so that isn’t *SO* bad, but the fact that you cannot buy any 21.5 inch iMacs until November, and no 27 inch iMacs until December, seems like a poor decision.
I realize it won’t hurt Apple’s bottom line at all, but this is a strange way for them to handle this.
Here’s hoping the iMac pre-orders open up very soon.