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iMacs Freshened with 2.0 GHz G5, Bluetooth, WiFi
amichalo writes "Apple has updated the popular consumer level Mac, the iMac G5.
So better support the now standard Mac OS X Tiger, Apple has made significant improvements to all standard configurations including 512MB RAM, Radeon 9600 128MB graphics, and on 2.0 GHz models (17" and 20"), a slot-loading dual-layer 8x SuperDrive is standard. The 1.8 GHz 17" model includes a slot-loading Combo Drive.
Also standard are Apple's AirPort Extreme 802.11g WiFi and Bluetooth. Pricing remains at $1300, $1500, and $1800 respectively for 1.8 GHz 17", 2.0 GHz 17", and 2.0 GHz 20", though 2.0 GHz models include additional upgraded features.
These improvements are significant as this line has not seen a refresh in about a year and the upgrade to a Radeon 9600 graphics card will allow the new iMac to take better advantage of Tiger features such as Core Image, which is significant because the video card cannot be upgraded. Lastly, Apple is continuing the interactive chat and QuickTime support program for the iMac G5."
If you're referring to the clock speeds mentioned, vs the clock speeds of Intel or AMD chips in 2002 (which has, oh, nothing to do with the OS), then I suggest you do some reading as to the actual comparative performance, especially in the graphics processing areas where macs are traditionally strong.
I'm not a fanboy, but I've never liked the way chips are advertised by clock-speed, it's quite misleading.
The cool thing about this imac is that the bluetooth, airport extreme and ethernet card are all included in the base price, which was not the case previously.
You will never have experience until after you needed it.
I suppose that means we'll be seeing updated PowerMacs soon. :)
Quite unlikely, since they were updated a couple of weeks ago (to the 2.0-2.7 GHz family). The 1.8 single CPU model - the one used by jest3r in his comparison - was introduced last year and it was never the king of performance. It was even slower than the "original" 1.8 GHz PowerMac G5, due to slower bus clock. It's market niche are the customers who don't want to pay the hefty price for the "real" PowerMacs, but they want a modular computer, so iMac/eMac/Macmini is not an option. This model probably will be updated soon, but it will be purposedly crippled not to make it run too good to damage the high-end models sales.
I paid $2400 for a Powerbook a year ago, and you know what I got that I can't get on any PC?
I enjoy using a computer again. A bargain.
i'm tired of fucking dumb ass macs.. i dont care how good they are, i'm not paying $1300 for a Mac that isn't even CLOSE to their higher end models..
You probably think that the 1000 pc. socket set at Walmart is fantastic. I mean, look how many sockets you get!
Quality over quantity, sweet teats.
"upgrade" to a mac user means "buy a whole new computer"
By and large, yes it does.
But you're not telling the whole story. You left out the part where the mac user sells the old mac on eBay for far less of a discount than you'd need to put on a similarly aged PC. Easily over half the original price, in my experience. Sometimes ends up being as much as 2/3rds the price of a new mac just by selling your old one, depending on how frequently you upgrade.
Upgrades are for chumps.
Random and weird software I've written.
His comments don't really display much in the way of "insider" knowledge, but they are usually factual, so he gets modded up as "Informative" a lot, which is the way moderation is supposed to work.
I don't think he's an Apple guy of much significance. For all we know he works the "genius bar" at a really, really slow Apple Store somewhere, and surfs slashdot to kill time... if he works for Apple at all.
Whatever the case is, he can claim to be whoever he likes. It doesn't matter. What matters is that his comments tend to contribute to the discussion, while your comment is just whining flame-baiting.
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
The plural of "anecdote" is not "data," as they say.
The problem with generalizing from your woes--as much as I'm sure they've sucked--is that Apple consistently is very highly ranked in customer satisfaction surveys (though I don't have a link for this). Unless you have some data to back up your anecdote, I'm going to stick with my personal experience: Apple makes really good machines, typically much higher quality than Dell et al., and supports them well.
"Science is a tribute to what we can know although we are fallible" -Jacob Bronowski
... in the habit of signing their name to their words, at least he had the guts to do that.
But lets not dwell on the snide tone of your comment. Have you ever tried to get work done on a Mac vs. Windows/Linux PC? I have done serious work all three and I rate the OS.X as first (and it took a major step forward with Spotlight), Linux comes in as a quite close second (largely because it is a bit chaotic and less polished than OS.X) and Windows comes in at a distant third and it's saving grace is mostly the fact that it has a larger and more varied flora of applications than the former two.
Only to idiots, are orders laws.
-- Henning von Tresckow
You do make some valid points about upgrade potential with component based systems compared things like the iMac. I tend to see the iMac as more akin to a laptop than a desktop for this very reason.
On the other hand, PC hardware changes so rapidly that sometimes an upgrade is practically new system anyway. About a year and a half ago, my 800mhz duron system failed -- cpu fried. I decided I'd use that opportunity to move to an athlon -- this meant a new video card due to incompatability between MB and video card, new ram because old ram wouldn't fit, and a new power supply just to be safe (old one was a 350, I moved up to 500). So by the time I got done, all I had of the "old" computer was the case, burner, and hard drive.
Anyway, it is also true that if you want to upgrade the video on a PC, you might just have to change out the motherboard as well because of rapidly changing plug shapes, voltage levels, or what have you.
What changed under Obama? Nothing Good
... then why are you posting about how much you hate them?
I think the answer is that you *do* care, and being a PC fanboy, you hate the fact that Apple are making real strides and doing things that Microsoft can't seem to (like stick to their OS schedules).
Realistically, this doesn't impact you in any way whatsoever, as you've got your PC, and you're probably happy with what you paid for it.
So why do you hate the concept of the Mac so much?
Is it because you hate anything *different*?
Is it because it threatens to invalidate your choices?
Face yourself - you care, and the proof of that is in your post. You're coming across as someone who's upset about something that really shouldn't affect you.
Oh - to your 'point'... I'll go out on a limb and say that most Slashdot readers know about technology - where it's been, where it is now and some vague idea of where it's going next. Most people are reasonably well educated around here. They're capable of making their own choices, and they're capable of making informed choices.
Apple are gaining a lot of mindshare around here because they're doing a lot of things right. OS X is the best OS out there, and is actually innovating. People can read the source code for Darwin if they like, and contribute to it if they want to. Macs are easier to use than ever, and people like that.
What can we do on our Macs that you can't on your PC? We can forget the computer and use the things as the tools they are. I don't have to screw around on my iBook to get things working, or to maintain the system integrity. The OS takes care of that for me. I don't have to worry about it. I can get on and just use the apps to get stuff done.
I've used computers since 1981 (when I was 10), and I've seen pretty much everything that's happened in the industry. I've used Windows since 3.1, and before that DOS, CP/M, Amiga-OS and others. I know what I'm talking about. In my view, OS X is the current pinnacle of operating systems. People are noticing it, and people are buying Macs.
If you don't like it, you'll have to learn to live with it.