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iMay buy an iMac; Thoughts / Opinions?


Derek™
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Retina display is the biggest thing I've been reading into. As awesome as it is on an iPhone, I'm under the impression that it's not technologically beneficial to apply it to a 27" iMac screen. (The resolution would be 4,000+ x 3,000+ pixels. Crazy.) I'm sure it would also be significantly pricier.

Apple confirmed that the Pro is getting a remodel / upgrade for 2013, but not so much the iMac. Which makes me think that if full-screen retina support is down the road, it won't be until 2014 at least. And frankly, I don't think I can afford to wait it out, if it's going to happen. But I'll inquire anyway.

Thanks for the suggestions and advice. I'm thinking 1 TB would suffice for the HDD, definitely. Which upgrades are you referring to, Ryan? Software or hardware? I figured the new line of iMac are borderline impossible to upgrade, physically.

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derek, get 8 gigs of ram, and if in the future you need to get more ram due to new programs using more memory, you can usually take it after warranty to a mac shop that can do it with low cost ram instead of apple charging you p the ass. i upgraded mine for like $30. hell when my hard drive failed after 5 years, they told me it would be $175 to fix it, i checked youtube and did it myself for $40 (price of a hard drive. . 

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Yessir.  I know that pretty much all iMacs - prior to this latest line - were a bit of a pain to upgrade, but definitely doable with some lightweight Youtube research.  I'm reading that that's not the case, this time around, thanks to some type of glue adhesion in lieu of the tried-and-true magnets.  Not a huge deal.  Everyone I've talked to (including you guys) has suggested that my processor will become obsolete far before I'd need more than 8 GB.  So that settles that.

 

Does anyone own an Apple trackpad?  They look sleek as hell, and I'm considering going that route for casual navigation.  I'll always be a mouse-guy when it comes to pixel perfect alignment in Photoshop, etc.

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Retina display is the biggest thing I've been reading into. As awesome as it is on an iPhone, I'm under the impression that it's not technologically beneficial to apply it to a 27" iMac screen. (The resolution would be 4,000+ x 3,000+ pixels. Crazy.) I'm sure it would also be significantly pricier.

That's silly. The pixel count is irrelevant in this equation, it's all about how the picture looks when you're viewing it. As you've seen with the iPhone - maybe a retina iPad - the goal is to illuminate discernible pixels, creating a user experience that's more natural and less digital. Go look at the screen of a 15" MacBook Pro retina, then an iMac or MacBook Air.

Apple confirmed that the Pro is getting a remodel / upgrade for 2013, but not so much the iMac. Which makes me think that if full-screen retina support is down the road, it won't be until 2014 at least. And frankly, I don't think I can afford to wait it out, if it's going to happen. But I'll inquire anyway.

Apple confirmed what? The Pro model? Pro model of what? The iMac? Certainly not the Mac Pro, since it doesn't come with a monitor. And both MacBrook Pro's where upgraded to retina last year (the 17" was discontinued). Also what's full-screen retina support?

 

Either way, yes, retina will cost more, now. Those prices will eventually come down.

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Yeah.  The Mac Pro itself - both its specs and design - are receiving upgrades later next year.  Obviously there won't be an inclusion of a monitor, no.

 

The "full-screen" comment was in reference to a full sized 27" monitor with retina display, should it exist.  I know that retina is nothing short of incredible, but I'm still smitten over the standard iMac display.  And I haven't even seen the latest screen, with its anti-glare surface and new manufacturing process.  But everyone seems to be gushing about them.

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 Does anyone own an Apple trackpad?  They look sleek as hell, and I'm considering going that route for casual navigation.  I'll always be a mouse-guy when it comes to pixel perfect alignment in Photoshop, etc.

I recently picked one up for use with my iMac and it is pretty great once you learn all the guestures. I barely use the mouse at all any more. Only for the few precision tasks I come across. I would like to see a wired version. Wireless is not necessary for my desktop machine, but battery life is pretty good. My rechargeables last at least 4 weeks of daily use (~2 hours/day).

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Yeah.  The Mac Pro itself - both its specs and design - are receiving upgrades later next year.  Obviously there won't be an inclusion of a monitor, no.

This has been "rumored" to be happening for so long, I would take it with a grain of sale.

 

Consider this, after two years of negligence, Apple finally delivered a modest spec to the Pro, despite rumblings of a new take on the product. Other factors working against are Apple's slipping commitments to their pro-sumer market. Logic, Final Cut Pro X, Works have all fallen by the wayside. Not abandoned, mind you, but Apple is clearly more consumer centric these days.

 

Laptops are a different story, since Apple laptops sell better than anything in their computing space, so it makes sense that the Pro lines got a bit of an update, however, the 17" was cut since, again, Apple doesn't seem to care about Prosumer. 

 

Even if the Mac Pro were upgraded, so what? Honestly, I see their point. What's the market for them anymore? iMacs are powerful enough that they can do most of the work in a reasonable timeframe (hell, South Park Studios now does most of their work on iMacs).

 

The Mac Pro is one of those relics I can't see a justifiable reason for. Yes, some will always require THAT kind of power. I just don't think Apple cares to cater to them anymore.

 

Actually, I know they don't. Look at the poor Mac Pro.

 

The "full-screen" comment was in reference to a full sized 27" monitor with retina display, should it exist.  I know that retina is nothing short of incredible, but I'm still smitten over the standard iMac display.  And I haven't even seen the latest screen, with its anti-glare surface and new manufacturing process.  But everyone seems to be gushing about them.

They're gushing about it because its the best... for now. If it was retina (when it goes retina) they'll be lamenting that Apple didn't introduce this change sooner. I agree the 27" looks nice - its what I use for my work.

 

That said, it always struck me as a bit dear. The icons are a bit too small, websites always need to be zoomed in - which is kind of a pain since I design sites.  A retina screen, which could return the resolution to a more manageable 1920x1080, although at 4x the pixel density, would be a dream for me. The best of both worlds.

 

Either way, I wouldn't worry about it. You're gonna get a great computer with the iMac. I find they work great for 4-5 years before you might feel the need to upgrade due to emerging technologies and what not.

 

You won't regret the purchase. Trust me.

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