Comments on: New Faster Core 2 Duo iMacs (Updated)

By: ca46

ca46 — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 03:20:26 +0000

Now I am convinced to buy Imac. Their designs are pretty sleek and appealing, aren’t day.

By: BlogD

BlogD — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 01:50:50 +0000

The main problem with the 1GB RAM is that Apple kinda screws you on it if you want to upgrade. The iMac only has two slots, and they put in two 512MB chips. So, to upgrade to 2GB, you have to throw out the entire 1 GB of original RAM… unless you pay Apple’s relatively steep price for pre-installed RAM. Apple should have made it so the 1GB was a single chip, allowing for a cheap and painless upgrade to 2GB buying from 3rd party dealers; that’d save you $50-$70. Instead, they more or less force you to buy your extra RAM from them.

By: Ryan Gray

Ryan Gray — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 15:03:32 +0000

Adam, I don’t understand the complaint that the $999 iMac doesn’t come with the Front Row remote. The unit is $200 cheaper, and adding the remote is only $29, but at least you can add it. What I would be more concerned with are the things you can’t add to it at all like Bluetooth, the ATI video card, the extra 2MB of L2 cache or the Superdrive. If you add the Front Row remote and up the RAM to 1GB on the $999 model, you are only $100 away from the $1199 model and for that extra $100 you get Bluetooth, the ATI video card, the extra 2MB of L2 cache and the Superdrive.

The $999 iMac model is much like the Mac mini in that it is just not a very good deal compared to the $1199 iMac Go configure the $799 mini to get near the specs of a base $1199 iMac (nor forgetting the keyboard), and it is nearly the same price ($1152). The iMac then adds a 17″ screen, Core 2 Duo at 2 GHz vs Core Duo at 1.83GHz, and the ATI video.

If I do the same with the $599 mini to compare to the $999 iMac (which has more similar hardware), I get $927 for the mini and $1028 for the iMac (added the remote). Here, the mini is at a bit more of an advantage than before in price and you also get Bluetooth that you can’t get in the $999 iMac, but for $101 more you get the iMac with a 17″ screen and 1.83 GHz Core 2 Duo vs 1.66 GHz Core Duo.

The mini may be small, but you will still need a screen, and the iMac is only a shade bigger than most screens. Given that you can get an iMac with better specs and a screen for hardly any more money, the argument that you save money on the screen and keyboard seems worth $179 at best. So, the only other application would be for when you can’t have a big screen.

The thing that really kills the mini price-wise it when you BTO the specs higher. Adding things to the mini costs quite a bit. So, if you were to not need the extra upgrades, you make out better, but you’d better not have to spend too much on a display.

By: Ryan Gray

Ryan Gray — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 14:26:54 +0000

Tim, I can imagine mounting the 24″ iMac on the wall, then sitting across the room with the Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and it would be terrible. Perhaps if you are only using Front Row would it be nice.

By: fermat

fermat — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 08:48:04 +0000

The $1,199 17 inch iMac is an upgrade from the old model, I think the $999 iMac is the new eMac.

By: Ken

Ken — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 04:58:50 +0000

FYI. The older Core Duo 17″ iMac used a Radeon X1600graphics card with 128MB of dedicated video RAM while the new Core 2 Duo iMac uses an integrated Intel GMA 950 processor 64MB of RAM which it shares with the main memory. I don’t understand why Apple would upgrade the line accross the board but downgrade this feature.

Oh well, I’ve got my eye on the 24-inch model anyway.

By: one1step1

one1step1 — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 03:11:15 +0000

These prices aren’t even the educational ones.. so if you can get that discount, the prices are even lower.

By: Mo

Mo — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 22:24:17 +0000

Crikey, the 24″ is HUGE. Plus you get a 24 Watt Digital Amp instead of the usual 12 Watt…

By: kris form 24 under review

kris form 24 under review — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 21:50:59 +0000

you forgot to mention that you can upgrade to a 2.33 GHz Model

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 21:23:34 +0000

Message to Albert – the marketing name ‘Intel Core 2 Duo’ is used to specify *both* the Conroe and Merom chips. In the case of the new iMac, it refers to the mobile varient of this chip, the Merom.

By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 20:05:31 +0000

Just noticed what might make my wife let me buy one…the VESA-mount adapter! Now available. Picture it – you’ve got the 24-inch display on the wall while you’re across the room with the bluetooth keyboard/mouse. Sweet.

By: Albert

Albert — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 19:52:14 +0000

Intel Core 2 Duo is the Conroe Desktop Processor!

Go to Intel and look it up.

By: lars

lars — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 18:57:22 +0000

but how easy is it to uppgade it later.

but sure they are stylish, and I am so looking forward to the 12th.

By: Avner

Avner — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 18:12:31 +0000

What I’m really missing is the new “Mac”. The mini is too small (separate power brick, small notebook hard drives and only a single-link DVI output). The Mac Pro is too large and too expensive.

I’m looking for a nice white (aluminum?) cube to drive that awsome 30″ display (which also needs the iSight and Remote ASAP).

By: maccast

maccast — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 17:58:42 +0000

Yuri,
I think you forgetting that iMac is a consumer Mac and look at what Apple has to cram in that case. There is not a ton of room left for cooling. My G5 iMac is noisy as hell with it’s fans going most of the time. Plus the Merom is in no way a slouch of a processor.

By: Mark Fleser

Mark Fleser — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 17:53:56 +0000

My order’s in. A completely maxed out 24″.

By: Yuri

Yuri — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 17:53:39 +0000

I’m not very happy with these updates to the iMac line. iMacs should have a Conroe processor inside, not Merom. If Apple managed to put a G5 inside an iMac, why couldn’t they use a Core 2 Duo Desktop chip, which is anyway cooler?
That makes the iMac to fall in the category of “Mobile Computer”. It’s existence would not make sense now since there are Macbooks and MacBook Pros that can be considered as “All in One” computers too and must be updated with Merom.
There is now a gap in the desktop line between the Mac mini and the Mac Pro. Is Apple going to release a headlless Conroe Mac? I Hope so.
24″ iMac would be great with no chin, a Conroe processor and a black body, don’t you think so?
Mac mini updates are also not very exciting.

By: Bob Baker

Bob Baker — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 17:41:13 +0000

I just ordered the 24″ and upgraded to the 2.33Ghz processor, 2Gb RAM and a 500Gb drive, and Aperture preinstalled–my new digital darkroom! I CAN’T WAIT for it to be delivered!

By: Charles Hepburn II

Charles Hepburn II — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 17:30:44 +0000

you lucky SOB!!!!!!

By: rich

rich — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 15:41:44 +0000

I just ordered the 24″!!!!!!!! :)

By: B. Minich

B. Minich — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 15:40:38 +0000

Looks like they addressed your pet peeve of offering 512 MB of RAM as the default – except for on the cheap model, which still offers that, all the others are 1 GB – they don’t even offer any less.

By: Wilf

Wilf — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 15:34:22 +0000

Also… it seems the bottom of the line Mac Mini now has a Core Duo processor instead of the Core Solo

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 15:33:53 +0000

Holy moly batman! Those look slick.

By: Wilf

Wilf — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 15:28:37 +0000

These are very beautiful machines, 24″ just blows my mind! For an iMac anyway! I bet behind it is probably filled with empty space behind it… or room for a load of hard disks like the Mac Pro :)

Adam, I’m sure you’re also pleased with the standard 1GB of RAM (except the very cheapest model) which is important. The cheapest iMac is sort of like the Educational one that was pulled in my opinion.

I think I’m due a new computer… :D

By: Bruce

Bruce — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 15:14:36 +0000

Awesome! I have a friend I’m trying to convince to buy an iMac. These new models and low price point may be just the thing to get him to do it. Yeah!

Now if only I could get one too. :-)