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New iMacs Introduced


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New iMacs have been introduced at this morning's Media Event.

 

Models:

24" $2299 (2.8 Ghz C2D Extreme, Radeon HD 2600 Pro 256 MB, 2 GB Memory, 1920x1200, 500GB)

24" $1799 (2.4 Ghz C2D, Radeon HD 2600 Pro 256 MB, 1 GB Memory, 1920x1200, 320 GB)

20" $1499 (2.4 Ghz C2D, Radeon HD 2600 Pro 256 MB, 1 GB Memory, 1680x1050, 320 GB)

20" $1199 (2.0 Ghz C2D, Radeon HD 2400 XT 128 MB, 1 GB Memory, 1680x1050, 250 GB)

 

New models are aluminum and have glass displays. These include a new keyboard design made of aluminum (included in all the models).

 

All models include features from the older model (i.e. iSight, IR, etc.). New models also include iLife '08 pre-installed (as well as the other new Mac computers).

 

Pictures:

 

dsc_1314.jpg

 

dsc_1313.jpg

 

dsc_1310.jpg

 

(P.S.: iLife '08 and iWork '08 was also introduced today!)

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2600 Pro is way downscale from an 2900XT. 3D graphic performance-wise it is roughly somewhere around a low-end 1950, like say a 1950 Pro. But with video decoding abilities, a lot more hardware video processing features (programmable AA filters and such), and much lower power consumption. It roughly corrosponds to the NVidia 8600.

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2600 Pro is way downscale from an 2900XT. 3D graphic performance-wise it is roughly somewhere around a low-end 1950, like say a 1950 Pro. But with video decoding abilities, a lot more hardware video processing features (programmable AA filters and such), and much lower power consumption. It roughly corrosponds to the NVidia 8600.

Exactly. If you are a hardcore gamer this is a let down. (but at reduced settings probably adequate for most.)

 

Good review about the 2900 Pro here: http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2151756,00.asp

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I am not a hardcore gamer, infact my GF 4 Ti4600 works fine for most part. But hey who doesnt like to relax a bit now and then.

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If you were a hardcore gamer, you wouldn't buy a mac, anyways.

Maybe I should re-phase that: if you have some demanding hardcore games, you may be disappointed.

 

I'm still getting one, I only play 2 high end games. UT2004 and RCT 3. (UT4 had terrific framerates on my old 7900GS hack, RCT3 not so.)

If performance now is only moderate on some current games, what can we expect from future titles?

 

I think many people would be willing to pay a little more for a more robust video card and aren't as concerned as Apple as reducing the iMac deep from 4" to 2".

They've eliminated the floor box already, how important is the deep to most people compared to a few more options? (Atleast give us the HD 2600 XT)

 

I suppose games should be reserved for the XBOX360/PS3/Wii anyways, but my posture and mouse both suck when used on the living room couch! :)

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Lol, at that price who needs a demo! You know want it :D (Camps outside an Apple store like a Harry Potter geek waiting to get his fix!)

 

I posted this elsewhere, but here again are my thoughts.

 

 

Well, this is indeed a great day for the Hackintosh community.

 

For many of the wrong reasons.

 

I don't know how upgradeable the iMacs are but the black trim around the screen... what on earth were Apple thinking? Perhaps the contrast between the old iMacs and iPhone was too great, so they felt they had to add black to the iMac casing. It's not easy on the eye. Clean lines, still, but... does it work for you guys? As a touch typist, that keyboard makes me want to run a mile. I would like to run and try it out, first, and hopefully change my mind but... why? If they want to get more machines into offices, with their 'pro' pretensions, they need to supply office quality keyboards, not something that feels like a MacBook? I hope I'm wrong about that keyboard.

 

What I suspect I'm not wrong about is that more and more people will go the Hackintosh route. I have mixed feelings about that. I purchased Tiger and it remains in its shrink wrap, so to speak. I am also a very happy Mac Mini owner. But I do love my Hackintoshes. What graphics card/chip does the new Mini use? Certainly I will run out and buy iLife08, it appears to be exceptional value for money and will surely draw in new buyers to the Mac platform. The new iMovie makes me weak at the knees! biggrin.gif Pity I can't say the same about the iMacs. Will they continue to sell the old keyboard, I wonder?

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Lol, at that price who needs a demo! You know want it :D (Camps outside an Apple store like a Harry Potter geek waiting to get his fix!)

 

I posted this elsewhere, but here again are my thoughts.

Well, this is indeed a great day for the Hackintosh community.

 

For many of the wrong reasons.

 

I don't know how upgradeable the iMacs are but the black trim around the screen... what on earth were Apple thinking? Perhaps the contrast between the old iMacs and iPhone was too great, so they felt they had to add black to the iMac casing. It's not easy on the eye. Clean lines, still, but... does it work for you guys? As a touch typist, that keyboard makes me want to run a mile. I would like to run and try it out, first, and hopefully change my mind but... why? If they want to get more machines into offices, with their 'pro' pretensions, they need to supply office quality keyboards, not something that feels like a MacBook? I hope I'm wrong about that keyboard.

 

What I suspect I'm not wrong about is that more and more people will go the Hackintosh route. I have mixed feelings about that. I purchased Tiger and it remains in its shrink wrap, so to speak. I am also a very happy Mac Mini owner. But I do love my Hackintoshes. What graphics card/chip does the new Mini use? Certainly I will run out and buy iLife08, it appears to be exceptional value for money and will surely draw in new buyers to the Mac platform. The new iMovie makes me weak at the knees! biggrin.gif Pity I can't say the same about the iMacs. Will they continue to sell the old keyboard, I wonder?

 

The Mac Mini still features the Intel GMA 950. I would say that for the keyboard, Apple would sell the older model but as a refurbished one.

 

iMac design does look a bit weird. I would have prefered an all aluminum model. I might be wrong though, it could have turned worse than what it is now. Nevertheless, I would still buy it lol.

 

EDIT: Oh man, the bluetooth keyboard doesn't have a numpad...*sigh*...I might have to choose between the wired one or the bluetooth one...

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WTF is with the damn black border?!?!?!

Black border makes this ugly stripe at bottom thinner, which makes iMac nicer. At least everyone in my office agree on that.

And, actualy, this border make screen looks bigger, should have positive impact on sells :D

 

Lol, at that price who needs a demo! You know want it :D (Camps outside an Apple store like a Harry Potter geek waiting to get his fix!)

Keep in mind, here in Europe "that price" is $110 :)Still cheap, but not so cheap like in US.

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If you were a hardcore gamer, you wouldn't buy a mac, anyways.

Mmmhmm.

 

This iMac update is pretty cool. I wish it had a somewhat better video card though =(. Still, at least it supports DX10.

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I wish it had a better video card though =(. I don't mind the vid card, at least it supports DX10!

Having been a NVidia user exclusively for many years, I had to google for a bunch of reviews on these chips.

Apparently the video hardware support in these chips is great but current benchmarks for current 3D apps is a little disappointing.

(In some tests the 1950 actually beat these chips, but they also note that next gen games that use more shaders will benefit. Time will tell)

 

The 2600 XT looked at little better but its faster clocks speed require heatsinks on the RAM also, probably why Apple avoided these.

 

Many of the benchmarks I saw showed the 2600 Pro considerably lower than than GeForce 7900GS I had, so I hope we can hear some practical benchmarks from the first few people to get a new iMac.

 

It's not a show stopper for me, pretty sure I'm gonna be getting one anyways.

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WTF is with the damn black border?!?!?!

 

the black border enhances the images on the screen. there is a reason why tons of laptop computers such as those from HP, Sony, Toshiba etc as well as HDTVs and LCD monitors have black borders around the screen. When you watch a movie with a black border around it, it looks noticeably better.

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