The New imac

[Andrew ren]

the LED-Backlit and in-panel switching(ips) look very interesting...

i think it reaches a point that do we still need a high end graphic panel? say a eizo?

a well-calibrated new 27in imac with these new technology does the job?

Andrew

[Ken Lee]

I saw some new ones at the Apple store a few days ago, and was pleasantly surprised at the difference between them, and my 1-year-old iMac.

I really had to change viewing angle substantially, to notice a change in color or brightness.

[Andrew ren]

Ken, correct me if I am wrong.

I think the new imac(LED&ips) is quiet new. might be just on market today?

its 21'' and 27" instead of the 20" and 24" version.

I am suffering the same problem on one of my one year old imac. i have to stand up and sit lower, pan left right to make sure the dark details are there. what a PAIN!

Andrew

[r.e.]

I haven't seen the new iMac in person (it was only announced a couple of days ago), but I've looked at the specs. Leaving aside the monitor, I would want to upgrade the processor and the amount of RAM from the stock model. That ups the cost significantly, although you can buy more RAM from cheaper sources than Apple.

There is also a lot of uncertainty about the future of Intel's i5/i7 processors as the company is moving to a new architecture and is not exactly forthcoming on its intentions about future support for those processors, especially the i7 series. Just something to keep in mind.

Myself, I'm going with a custom Windows build. I just want more control over what is going into my computer, and more control over future upgrades. The new iMac doesn't look attractive enough to change that plan, although I should point out that I've already got an Eizo monitor and it is one of the factors in my decision.

[Marko]

I haven't seen the new iMac in person (it was only announced a couple of days ago), but I've looked at the specs. Leaving aside the monitor, I would want to upgrade the processor and the amount of RAM from the stock model. That ups the cost significantly, although you can buy more RAM from cheaper sources than Apple.

There is also a lot of uncertainty about the future of Intel's i5/i7 processors as the company is moving to a new architecture and is not exactly forthcoming on its intentions about future support for those processors, especially the i7 series. Just something to keep in mind.

Upgrading from 2.66 GHz i5 to 2.8 GHz i7 costs about $200. That's about 10% of the package price. I'm not sure I would call that "significant". Upgrading RAM can be done cheaper through third party sources, but the upgrade would not be covered by Apple's warranty and I'm not sure the savings would cover the time and effort invested.

Bottom line is, you don't buy a Mac for price, you buy it for quality and reliability. And design. Design and quality matter to some of us.

Although, if you match a PC and a Mac by specs, item by item, you'll see that the price differential is not all that significant either. The major difference is essentially in the features built in. With PCs it's pick and choose, with Macs it's all or nothing.

Answering Andrew's monitor question - the only reason why someone would want to add a high end display such as an Eizo is that their top ($$$) models provide 12-bit depth and Adobe RGB color space, while new iMac OLED displays are 8-bit sRGB. They are still an improvement over the old LCD models, which were 6-bit. That difference is not Earth-shattering but it is noticeable.

[Andrew ren]

Answering Andrew's monitor question - the only reason why someone would want to add a high end display such as an Eizo is that their top ($$$) models provide 12-bit depth and Adobe RGB color space, while new iMac OLED displays are 8-bit sRGB. They are still an improvement over the old LCD models, which were 6-bit. That difference is not Earth-shattering but it is noticeable.

Well said. Marko.

Thanks

Andrew

[r.e.]

Marko,

The problem is that the processor upgrade that Apple offers, to what appears to be an i7-860, doesn't give me the processor that I want. What I want is an i7-950, or maybe a 920. For me, at least, the stock i5 processor in the iMac is a complete non-starter.

The cost of additional RAM, if purchased through Apple, is in fact out of line with what RAM is going to cost me for a custom Windows machine. I've checked the numbers.

Also, I want a solid state drive, and that does not appear to be offered with the new iMac. Also, I don't want a 1 terabyte internal drive, which I would be stuck with if I buy the new iMac. What I actually want is three internal drives, one for the operating system and applications, one for scratch and one for data. The iMac doesn't even offer this.

The truth is, a custom PC is analogous to a Mac Pro, not an iMac, and having costed out both, there is no doubt in my mind what is more cost-efficient and what will give me more control now and in the future.

I agree with the following statement: "With PCs it's pick and choose, with Macs its all or nothing."

I'm interested in pick and choose, because it means that I get what I want.

[Marko]

To each his own.

There is no good or bad choice - or, let me take that back and rephrase it - there are no bad choices at this time, only more or less appropriate ones.

For me, quality and stability are more important than price (alone). For you it is price. The great thing is, each of us gets what we want.

[r.e.]

Marko, if you had read what I wrote without blinders on, you would know that I was talking principally about quality and function. The machine that I'm building will cost more than the new base iMac, but it will have a better processor, better RAM and better drive configuration/performance. Trying to compare a custom-built PC with the new iMac is ridiculous, and you should know it. If you want to talk about Mac Pros, fine, that's another matter.

Don't be so insufferably patronizing.

[Marko]

I really don't see anything patronizing about what I said.

It's not like I started putting down PCs and praising Macs in a PC-related thread, now is it?