The new iMacs; my view
So it’s been a week or so since the new iMacs and their respective keyboards were introduced and I have been intentionally quite about the matter simply because I don’t like to fuel unfounded rumors and complaints when I have no solid proof or experience. So I just kept my mouth tightly closed until I got to my local Carbon Computing to actually put both of these new Apple Inc. offerings to the test.
Here is what I can tell before even walking in the door; Apple Inc. seems hell bent on ripping off a much larger chunk of the market share than previously enjoyed in years past. Why? Who offers more, MUCH MORE, for that much less? Lets put it this way, to get the fastest mac mini at 2.0 GHz with the most amount of storage (160 GB) available to it and a 23″ Cinema display will run you about $1773. Now have a look at the base model 24″ iMac; more processor power, twice the storage, the ability to run multiple monitors on a graphics card that far exceeds the sad excuse for video output on the mini, built-in iSight… for $1799. I don’t know about you but that is the best way to spend $26 no matter where you come from!
Now I am all for cheaper computers and better savings and all, but where are the savings coming from? Not off the profit margins! Apples shareholders are not known for taking a hit an keeping quite about it. Granted many of the components come down in price over time, but with all the components they’ve added to the new iMacs I really wonder how they managed to drop the price so far. I hope it’s not been in shoddy manufacturing processes.
My thoughts after physically touching and seeing the iMacs side by side with their white predecessors? WOW on looks! The new iMacs look stellar by design and function. The new, glass covered screens are true and brilliant. Not enough good can be said about that improvement from flat to glossy (actually makes me jealous just owning a regular HD 23″ Cinema). The ports are still a bitch to get at but it’s all about keeping the visible faces clean so I fully understand there, but just on USB on the side would have been nice. Though the guts aren’t all that different from the previous iMacs, and it’s hard to gauge when simply opening the basic apps and such, but the new iMacs seem to be zippy enough. Keep in mind that I come from the Mac Pro world so it’s hard for me to be a judge of that sort of thing.
But that keyboard… mmm I don’t know. My impression of laptop keyboards is that the feel cheap and flimsy, so to model a desktop keyboard after that of a laptop seems wrong to me. I gave the new keyboards a spin and just could get behind the feel. Now I have read a lot of reports on the new keyboards improving peoples typing speed and reducing arm fatigue so I am sure I will end buying one for those reasons, but I have serious doubts that it’ll hold up to my regular key bashing abuses. It’s pretty sharp looking though, and very light weight. If I were one to care about this sort of thing, it would honestly suite my setup better; aluminum Mac Pro, aluminum Cinema display… aluminum keyboard perhaps?
[tags]iMac, Apple Inc., Mac Mini, Mac Pro, Cinema dispay[/tags]