New Core 2 Duo iMac and Mac Minis Announced

[Gatekeeper]

Moderator Action: This thread contains posts that I split out of the G5 Performance thread as they went off topic to discuss the new Macs based on Merom CPUs

I just purchased my Intel iMac in July! Steve Jobs had better not announce a new chipset anytime before January!

Gatekeeper

 

[AlanH]

Does the iMac have its CPU in a socket? If that's the case you may be able to upgrade it to Core 2 Duo yourself.

 

[kf97mopa]

The iMacs and Mac minis have socketed CPUs, so you can drop in a Merom if you want to. The Macbooks still have them soldered in, I believe.

 

[Gatekeeper]

Socketed CPUs?

So, if I really wanted to, I could drop in the latest chipset at any time? I suppose that would definitely call for backing up all data and having to reinstall the OS from the disc that shipped with the iMac.

Obviously, my computer expertise shines through.

Gatekeeper

 

[JoAT]

I just purchased my Intel iMac in July! Steve Jobs had better not announce a new chipset anytime before January!

Gatekeeper

LOL! It's not quite January yet. Now available in 24" of Merom-y goodness! I may have to rethink my plans to go with a cheapo mini...

JoAT

 

[Gatekeeper]

LOL! It's not quite January yet. Now available in 24" of Merom-y goodness! I may have to rethink my plans to go with a cheapo mini...

JoAT

Great. Just great. I feel like a fool, and I bet the folks who purchased the G5s in December feel even dumber.

Apple's gonna risk pissing off its customers if it starts upgrading systems every six months. I feel like I got gyped. If I'd known this was coming out in September, I likely would have held off buying until now.

Well, I bet Civ IV will run like a gazelle on the new machines. It runs fine on my Intel iMac, at least. Can't wait for the patch that will enable me to play full-screen and with anti-aliasing turned on, though.

Gatekeeper

 

[Skippy_Kangaroo]

Great. Just great. I feel like a fool, and I bet the folks who purchased the G5s in December feel even dumber.

Apple's gonna risk pissing off its customers if it starts upgrading systems every six months. I feel like I got gyped. If I'd known this was coming out in September, I likely would have held off buying until now.

Well, I bet Civ IV will run like a gazelle on the new machines. It runs fine on my Intel iMac, at least. Can't wait for the patch that will enable me to play full-screen and with anti-aliasing turned on, though.

Gatekeeper

And so the wheel turns.

Apple introduced the MacBooks and speedbumped the MacBook Pro's less than a month after I bought my MacBook Pro. But, really, it can only be the green-eyed monster that is talking when people get pissed off that the computer they previously thought was the bee's knees, and does exactly the same things it did yesterday, is somehow worse because there is a newer, shinier one now available.

Six to twelve months from now these newly introduced iMacs will also be superceeded and you will get the cycle all over again. Lather, rinse, repeat.

 

[AlanH]

Great. Just great. I feel like a fool, and I bet the folks who purchased the G5s in December feel even dumber.

We're all going to have to get used to this. Apple is now running with the mainstream CPU producer instead of a niche supplier that created new chips once in a blue moon. Intel have to make regular new versions of their products to keep everyone feeling dissatisfied with the computer they bought yesterday. And Apple will have to put those new chips into their boxes in order to keep up with the Joneses.

 

[5150]

Apple's gonna risk pissing off its customers if it starts upgrading systems every six months. I feel like I got gyped. If I'd known this was coming out in September, I likely would have held off buying until now.

Who's fault is it that you didn't bother to look at Intel's product road map? Apple needs to do the things that will keep them competitive, rather than do as you suggest. An informed consumer can easily avoid feeling as you do, but most people really don't care. Upgrades to products happen. The old product doesn't slow down because of it, and the decision you made in buying it ("these features are worth X amount of money...") doesn't change, either.

 

[ancestral]

Apple's gonna risk pissing off its customers if it starts upgrading systems every six months. I feel like I got gyped. If I'd known this was coming out in September, I likely would have held off buying until now.

On the contrary. I think overall people will like having the machines updated often. If anything it means more people will have better machines

There's always going to be something better and newer. It's just a fact about the computer industry. Same with TVs, cars, and most consumer products. And if the company waits longer to update the machines, then the updates are more drastic, and then people are even more mad. There's not a winning scenario for everyone unfortunately, and every company has to stay competitive with the others. In this case, the Core 2 Duos just came out. Apple has to release machines with Core 2's in them, else they can't stay competitive with HP, Dell, Lenovo, and then rest.

Your iMac is still a pretty kicking awesome machine. I'd definitely love to have your machine over mine any day

 

[Gatekeeper]

And so the wheel turns.

Apple introduced the MacBooks and speedbumped the MacBook Pro's less than a month after I bought my MacBook Pro. But, really, it can only be the green-eyed monster that is talking when people get pissed off that the computer they previously thought was the bee's knees, and does exactly the same things it did yesterday, is somehow worse because there is a newer, shinier one now available.

Six to twelve months from now these newly introduced iMacs will also be superceeded and you will get the cycle all over again. Lather, rinse, repeat.

*sticks tongue out* Well, my green eyed monster is bigger than your green eyed monster! Nyah!

Gatekeeper

 

[Gatekeeper]

We're all going to have to get used to this. Apple is now running with the mainstream CPU producer instead of a niche supplier that created new chips once in a blue moon. Intel have to make regular new versions of their products to keep everyone feeling dissatisfied with the computer they bought yesterday. And Apple will have to put those new chips into their boxes in order to keep up with the Joneses.

I'd by fibbing if I didn't admit to a bit of envy. My main concern, though, is continued support for the "older" iMacs. If they're upgrading systems every six to nine months, will Apple keep the "first generation" Intel iMacs in mind, or will they get left in the dust, support-wise?

Anyway, I've got the three-year AppleCare plan in place. Hmm. I wonder if that covers upgrades to machines w/i three months of purchase? Heh. I doubt it.

Gatekeeper

 

[Gatekeeper]

Who's fault is it that you didn't bother to look at Intel's product road map?

*raises hand enthusiastically* Gosh, I didn't even know such things were in the public domain! I suspect 95 percent of folks don't.

Apple needs to do the things that will keep them competitive, rather than do as you suggest. An informed consumer can easily avoid feeling as you do, but most people really don't care. Upgrades to products happen. The old product doesn't slow down because of it, and the decision you made in buying it ("these features are worth X amount of money...") doesn't change, either.

Oh, it's still a good machine. I just hope Apple doesn't forget about its first-generation Intel iMacs as it keeps up with the Joneses.

Gatekeeper

 

[Gatekeeper]

On the contrary. I think overall people will like having the machines updated often. If anything it means more people will have better machines

There's always going to be something better and newer. It's just a fact about the computer industry. Same with TVs, cars, and most consumer products. And if the company waits longer to update the machines, then the updates are more drastic, and then people are even more mad. There's not a winning scenario for everyone unfortunately, and every company has to stay competitive with the others. In this case, the Core 2 Duos just came out. Apple has to release machines with Core 2's in them, else they can't stay competitive with HP, Dell, Lenovo, and then rest.

Your iMac is still a pretty kicking awesome machine. I'd definitely love to have your machine over mine any day

Heh. The ironic thing is, I waited for years to purchase a new Apple computer, mainly because I wanted to get in with a machine that would be "king of the hill" for at least six to nine months before becoming "dated."

With my track record, I probably should stay out of the stock market, too.

Gatekeeper

P.S. I notice the 24" Intel iMac has a 128MB Nvidia graphics card (I can't remember the exact model number). Heh. I wonder if that'll be another factor Brad, et al., have to take into consideration when patching Civ IV and porting Civ IV Warlords.

 

[AlanH]

Here's my hypothesis. It may be way off beam:

I believe Apple's original stated timescale when Steve stood up and said the product line would start transitioning mid 2006 and complete by 2007, was actually based on the Core 2 Duo roadmap. They hadn't intended to ship Core Duo products.

When they put together the Core 2 Duo hardware designs they were able to test them using then-available Core Duos and the performance they got was better than expected. They realised they could kill the performance lag that was hurting their sales of the Powerbook/iBook ranges, and short circuit the dip in their sales caused by the Intel transition announcement, by starting to ship the most popular products earlier using Core Duos.

Now the Core 2 Duo is available they are (almost) back to the original script. I say "almost" because I think the final piece in the jigsaw will be the 8-core Kentsfield-based Xserve, and possibly Mac Pro, with Xeons being the interim step here.

My 2¢.

 

[MxxPwr]

Here's my hypothesis. It may be way off beam:

I believe Apple's original stated timescale when Steve stood up and said the product line would start transitioning mid 2006 and complete by 2007, was actually based on the Core 2 Duo roadmap. They hadn't intended to ship Core Duo products.

When they put together the Core 2 Duo hardware designs they were able to test them using then-available Core Duos and the performance they got was better than expected. They realised they could kill the performance lag that was hurting their sales of the Powerbook/iBook ranges, and short circuit the dip in their sales caused by the Intel transition announcement, by starting to ship the most popular products earlier using Core Duos.

Now the Core 2 Duo is available they are (almost) back to the original script. I say "almost" because I think the final piece in the jigsaw will be the 8-core Kentsfield-based Xserve, and possibly Mac Pro, with Xeons being the interim step here.

My 2¢.

That and any machine with a Core 2 Duo in it will be expensive.

An example is the Core 2 Duo Extreme processor X6800 for the PC (Conroe). It's $1000 US just for the proc! :eek... still:

Trust me, you have to have a bridge between what was out there 6 months ago and Core 2 Duos or the price gap will kill it. Core Duo's machines fit that bill.

FWIW; I can't see Apple going wrong with Intel. Not with what Intel's finally coming out with.

 

[AlanH]

The Core 2 Duo Macs are out, not using Controe but using Merom, and they are at similar price points to their predecessors. Conroe is a lower cost CPU compared to Woodcrest, and Apple have priced the Woodcrest-powered Mac Pro very competitively.

PCs with Conroes and Woodcrests are the premium products that recover the slim margins that PC makers lose on their low end commodity products.

 

[dojoboy]

Well, I'm literally a week away fom purchasing a new iMac 17" 2.0GHz Core2 Duo, but now you guys have me hesitating.

 

[dojoboy]

Why? this thread is one person claiming (incorrectly as it happens) that you can't play on a G5 - since the mac you intend to buy isn't a G5 I don't see how it matters ...

You misunderstood. My statement was in reference to the more frequent upgrades in Apple's product line. That's all. I'm definitely making my purchase. I guess I should've put a there.

 

[gfeier]

Oops. Misread post, never mind.