Gadgetsteria » imac

Belkin Pimps It’s New Thunderbolt Express Dock At IDF.

Jordan Carpenter — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 06:05:15 +0000

With the partnership between Apple and Intel barreling through the tech world at lightning speeds, so making sure we stay connected at these speeds is a plus. With Apple equipping Thunderbolt on it’s latest round of refreshes, it isn’t out of the norm for companies to jump on the bandwagon of peripherals to keep us connected.

Just as it was when Apple rocked FireWire years ago, and just like USB 3.0 will soon start to catch on – we are left with only a few items that are able to utilize the blazing loud thunder clapping speeds on our shiny new MacBook Airs. But don’t worry folks, Belkin is here to save the day!

Hop on in to read all about it!

Belkin had their latest peripheral sporting a wide array of ports at this year’s IDF. The Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock is a sexy little dock that will compliment anyone’s iMagic. The dock sports the iMac’s boot style stand on the top and bottom with the tiny port dock in between.

The Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock features three USB ports, a Thunderbolt port for daisy chaining, a Firewire port, and a GbE port. This is basically the same port setup that’s found on the new 27” Apple Thunderbolt Display.

If your pockets aren’t lined with enough dough to float the latest Apple Display but still would like the port functionality, this will be the next best thing (read: not really). Don’t get us wrong – it’s pretty, but without a price tag and no word if a pricy Thunderbolt cable will be included, we really aren’t too sure if it’s worth it.

We’ll try to get a review version to test with our shiny new Airs, and hopefully be able to fully recommend another peripheral that matches our slew of Apple computers.

Source: Daily-Tech

Apple Releases $999 iMac For Students.

Mike Norris — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 12:08:54 +0000

Students, teachers and anyone else in the education world looking for an affordable “in” into the OS X way of life now have one thanks to Apple’s new student-specific iMac. In order to make the 3-digit $999 price bracket, some performance had to be lost. Still, the configuration isn’t too terrible — 21.5″ 1920 x 1080 display, 3.1 GHz Core i3 dual-core processor, AMD Radeon HD 6750 GPU, 2 GB DDR3 RAM and 250 GB hard drive. If you’d like to upgrade the RAM to 4 GB (and we highly suggest you do so) the ultra-affordable factor is slightly lost. Nonetheless, options are options, right?

Get the new “student” iMac for $999 on Apple.com.

Gadget Porn: 2011 iMac Teardown.

Mike Norris — Wed, 04 May 2011 13:28:04 +0000

While many men stair at scantly clad women, nerds stare at the insides of plastic boxes looking for the most intricate and tiny pieces of silicon. (Ok, there’s some women thrown in from time to time too…) In that regard, the “PlayBoy” of the gadget world, iFixit, continues to impress and intrigue with their detailed teardown guides full of big, vivid pictures. And like clockwork 24 hours after Apple unveils their new 2011 iMac line complete with Thunderbolt I/O technology and new Sandy Bridge architecture, iFixit is ready to deliver the goods. Try not to drool too much.

– iFixit 2011 iMac Teardown

New iMacs Pack More Power And Thunderbolt Connectivity.

Mike Norris — Tue, 03 May 2011 14:59:46 +0000

Just as rumors suggested, Apple unleashed new iMacs today. The biggest upgrades include the highly successful Intel Sandy Bridge processors and Intel’s new Thunderbolt I/O connectivity which first debuted on the recently revamped Macbook Pro line. More surprising, however, is a new option for a Mac Pro-like graphics card by way of the AMD 6970M with 2GB of video memory. With that said, the big question you’re probably asking: Are the new iMacs worth it? Hop inside for a full breakdown…

For starters, all iMacs — from 21.5″ – 27″ — are now quad-core, feature a 720p FaceTime camera, and ship with at least one Thunderbolt port. The higher end 27″ iMacs feature two Thunderbolt ports. Considering you can daisy chain quite a few devices with the new I/O technology (and lack Thunderbolt-capable accessories) mean you’re unlikely to run into a port problem for at least a year or two.

What’s also worth noting is that the dual-Thunderbolt configuration will allow those with enough piggy banks to spring for two additional 27″ Cinema displays for some tri-screen action. Sounds pretty tantalizing to us.

Entry Level Options

21″ iMac:
For a cool $1,199, you can pick up a 21.5″ iMac powered by an Intel Core i5 processor ticking along at 2.5GHz, packed with 4 GB of RAM, a 1920 x 1080 resolution, 500 GB hard drive, and AMD 6750M video card. Up the ante to $1,499 and you’ll get a slightly faster 2.7GHz Core i5 processor, 1 TB hard drive, and an AMD 6770M also packing 512 MB of video memory.

27″ iMac:
Moving on to the bigger 27″ sibling — choices vary from a 2.7GHz Intel Core i5 ($1,699) for the entry level machine to a faster 3.1GHz Core i5 for the higher-end $1,999 option. All 27″ iMacs feature a 2560 x 1440 resolution, 1 TB hard drive, and 4 GB of memory as standard. The entry level 27″ iMac comes with an AMD 6770M (512 MB) video card while the higher end model ships with an AMD 6970M with 1 GB of video memory.

Optional Features

While the above configurations are more than most people will ever need, the power hungry folk have several options to push the performance (and price) higher.

21″ iMac:
A fully loaded 21″ iMac can be fitted with a faster 2.8GHz Core i7 processor, 8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM (2 x 4 GB), and 2 TB HDD/256 GB SSD/Hybrid: 256 GB SSD + 2 TB HDD drives.

27″ iMac:
Power users will enjoy the 27″ iMac’s longer legs compliments of a 3.4GHz Core i7 processor, additional options for 8 and 16 GB RAM configurations, the same 2 TB HDD/256 GB SSD/Hybrid: SSD + HDD options as the 21″ model, and either an AMD 6970M in both 1 GB and 2 GB form.

**Optional Cinema Displays cost an additional $999 each. The 21″ iMac can run itself and a second Cinema Display while the 27″ iMac will run itself and two additional Cinema Displays.

Overall, the latest iMac refresh is certainly worth a look. If we didn’t travel so much, we’d drop a pretty penny on a maxed out 27″ iMac ($3,649…pre-tax) and two extra 27″ Cinema Displays (an additional $2k) making for an obscenely expensive piece of art and technology.

Who’s ordering a new iMac?

Best Buy Launches Mac Hardware Sale In Lieu Of Impending Refresh.

Mike Norris — Mon, 02 May 2011 22:07:39 +0000

It’s pretty much a guaranteed bet that Apple will be refreshing their Mac hardware (Mac Pro, iMac, Mac Mini, MacBook Air) lines with the latest generation of Sandy Bridge processors. Current rumors say this week (likely tomorrow). While Apple never comments on such things, subtle evidence is popping up. Take for example, a new Best Buy sale where interested customers can get up to $250 (average is ~$100) off Apple’s shiny hardware. For those who know Apple’s premium pricing and reluctance to offer sales, $250 is quite a steal.

Besides the speedier Sandy Bridge platform, the upcoming refresh will also likely bring Thunderbolt (the new super speedy I/O port.

Who’s ready for some new Apple hardware?

Via: Macnn

Audio Problems Affecting 27 Cinema Displays? #apple

Mike Norris — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 23:54:57 +0000

Since October, an ongoing thread in Apple’s Discussion Forums has drawn light to a potential hardware issue affecting Apple’s 27-inch Cinema Displays. The issue according to over 200 hundred responses thus pertains to audio — specifically USB audio, as newer Macs which send audio to the display via mini-Display Port aren’t affected.

At this point, it’s unclear whether the audio problems are caused by a software issue or hardware issue. For what it’s worth, Windows users have reported the same audio problems as well. But honestly, cross-platform audio problems can be caused by both software and hardware.

Either way, Apple is aware of the issue. Though as is common, they have yet to announce any official plans to recall the affected units. With that said, if users make a warranty call, Apple will replace the displays. But be forewarned, the same thread is claiming that even new replacement displays show the same audio problems.

At this point, you might as well hold on to your CInema Display because something isn’t right whether it be hardware or software. Hopefully Apple can get to the bottom of this quickly. There’s nothing like unwrapping a brand new piece of gadgetry only to find that it’s tainted.

Via: AppleInsider

Steve Jobs finally wants you to finger more than just his iDevices…maybe

Jordan Carpenter — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 03:02:59 +0000

I remember hearing the beginning rumors of a touch iMac years and years ago, probably before the first iFone. None the less, this is still a much desired piece to my Apple collection. Supposedly, Apple is testing out panels for a future touchy type iMac. Now, if these rumors are actually, *finally* true, what do you think will come of it? Do you think we’ll have a hit like we have with all the iPhones and iPods we use and fingerblast all day long? Or will the dorks, including myself, just be sitting at their desks at home “greasing” up their monitors and making huge messes.

I like the idea. But at the same time I kind of don’t. I would for sure get some sort of Jersey Shore protective film for it, since no one that reads this site would ever enter to win it, but still. Would this benefit our desk lives? Or should we push for a touch MacBook. I’m sure most of you remember the touch MacBook mod from like a year ago. I think Apple would have more success with a portable model, somewhat like their iPad, just lest party piece, and more work related. I mean, the iPad is more for your wider screened iFapping than it is business.

I guess we’ll see what happens in the future, if these are just stupid iRumors, or if they turn into a reality. Either way, my iDevices probably won’t be able to WiFi sync with it…

Save an old iMac. Save a hamster.

Mike Norris — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:08:56 +0000

I’ve often heard that gadgets/electronics are a waste. They venture into obscurity and irrelevance at alarmingly quick rates and are a real pain to recycle after their useful life has passed. Some people mod said gadgets into a new uber creation. Others simply save hamsters and give them a home. What kind of person are you?

Source:
Gizmodo

Beginning DIY’ers, the new iMac is not for you. Tip: Stay away from the SSD option.

Mike Norris — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:57:39 +0000

After reading through OWC’s new iMac teardown, I’ve come away depressed. Why? I really wanted at 27″ iMac so I could get a speedy SSD and slap it in myself, saving a couple hundred bucks in the process. But lo and behold, Apple’s our way or no way policy shines though yet again.

If you object to the SSD drive bubble on the ordering page, it’ll be a nice little test of your ingenuity and resourcefulness when it comes time for you to install your own SSD. You see, Apple designed the new iMacs to require proprietary cabling and mounting hardware to fit an SSD into the iMac’s body if it wasn’t originally ordered with one — in which case, the required hardware is obviously included. Furthermore, end users have to remove part of the logic board just to plug in the SSD. Seems like an awful lot of work for a simple hard drive upgrade/addition. Honestly — that’s because it is. Some will flame me for needlessly bitching, pointing out that the iMac isn’t a tinkerer’s machine, and if more power is warranted, upgrade to a Mac Pro. Ya, ok, let me just pull $3,500 out of the couch.

The most disappointing, though unsurprising move with the new iMac SSD option is the choice of drive itself. For an anal leaking $600, Apple will proudly sell you a low-end 2568GB Samsung SSD. People will immediately gravitate towards the storage size of 256GB. But it’s pretty useless. If you’ve read your SSD reviews thoroughly, you’ll know the Samsung drives are some of the slower SSD’s on the block. Drives featuring either Indilinx or Sandforce controllers are leaps and bounds better — even “lower-end” drives with said controllers. Even worse, a drive of that size needs TRIM to keep it performing optimally over the life span of the drive. Seeing as how this drive is both slow and can’t make use of TRIM (OS X doesn’t support it yet), it’s a no-brainer — Don’t buy this option! A solid year down the road, Apple’s only SSD offering is going to c.r.a.w.l.

Again, it’s nothing revolutionary that Apple empowers complete control over their products and aims to make the most money possible with proprietary hardware and software. It’s just that I thought with as much attention (both good and bad) and increased market share Apple is acquiring, they’d look at listening and catering to customers’ best interests a little more. Guess i was wrong.

Apple updates Cinema Display, iMacs & Mac Pros, releases Magic Trackpad and battery charger.

Mike Norris — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:01:30 +0000

The big news surrounding Apple today is that it’s Tuesday — a day that at several points during the year is the birth date of new Apple products and mild refreshes. What did Apple have in store for us?

The iMac line did in fact get the highly rumored Core i3 dual-core processors for the lower end units. Ranging in speed from 3.06GHz-3.2GHz, the small increase in speed isn’t quite as important as the change in architecture. Intel’s Core i3 dual-core line is a considerably better proc than the aging Core 2 Duo. All iMac’s have received minor bumps in graphics cards (ATI 5670 and 5750) and slightly more capacious entry-level hard drive options. Awesomeness all around.

Moving onto bigger and better things, the iMac’s bigger brother, however, received an even bigger shot of muscle, with new processor options randing from 4 all the way up to 12 cores — 12…count them…12! Sadly we’ll have to wait a few more days-weeks as the new Mac Pros are listed as “coming in August”. At the very least, a few more days isn’t so bad, is it? I can lie and say I’d stress a 12-core Mac Pro, but it would be nothing more than pure bragging rights. Hey, we all deserve to smile.

Taking a step away from the computers themselves and focusing on accessories, Apple took the wraps off of their new Magic Trackpad — $69 — (think of it as a cross between the Magic Mouse and your standard laptop trackpad…except way bigger). I personally don’t have much use for the trackpad at this point, though I could see how it would be a huge help and time saver in many different types of editing applications and possibly even normal web browsing when gesture-based controls are used.

And last but not least — a new battery charger.

**Almost forgot — The IPS-based Cinema display now tops out at 27″ and features 2560 x 1440 resolution all for a cool $999.

Asetek reveals all-in-one liquid-cooled powerhouse!

Mike Norris — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:05:38 +0000

Besides Apple’s iMac, all-in-one computers haven’t really seen any “Messiah” if you will. HP has pushed out a few gimmicky touchscreen all-in-one’s with a smattering of attempts by other manufacturers too. But nothing that comes remotely close to the iMac’s design or power in a neat package has come to light. That is, until Asetek took the wraps off of their new all-in-one prototype: A liquid-cooled power house featuring an Intel Core i7 920 and graphics provided by an Nvidia GTX 280M.

For an all-in-one, such power is unheard of simply because of the heat output (200W) that comes with a system of this caliber. Clever design however, has integrated the pump and radiator assembly withing the all-in-one’s stand. Regrettably, the stand isn’t as sleek as the rest of the unit, but for the power listed above, I’d certainly be willing to make a few compromises. It all looks good on paper, so we are eagerly awaiting for some manufacturer to pick this up and run with it. Because, this would be awesome.

Jump inside for a video detailing the Asetek all-in-one beast…

Video

Engadget

Put that 27-iMac to good gaming use: Belkin AV360 adapter

Mike Norris — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:33:22 +0000

Now that Steam has been ported over to work with Mac OS X and after ATI, Nvidia, and several other hardware manufacturers have promised increased focus on the Mac platform, it’s only a matter of time before Macs become legitimate gaming machines. But until then, you can put that iMac of yours to good use with the Belkin AV360 adapter.

This handy little box of magic will allow you to plug in your Xbox 360 or PS3 in via HDMI, turning said signal into a usable mini Display Port for use with your 27-inch (only) iMac. The only caveat (and it’s a rather big one) is that the Belkin AV360 only accepts up to 1080p signals. A bummer given the iMac’s display is 2560 x 1440 pixels in size. Even more disappointing however is that the output of the AV360 is even lower — 720p.

So half-HD is about as good as you’ll get. But those pinching pennies will no doubt take what they can get by way of larger-screened displays for their gaming needs. Speaking of price however, the AV360 will set you back $150. Pretty steep (and a bit overpriced I’d add) for something that can’t even output true HD quality signals. But I digress. Would this work for you?

OhGizmo! > Ubergizmo

Macbook Air refresh and new 27″ display to tag team our hopes and dreams?

Mike Norris — Mon, 10 May 2010 18:23:58 +0000

The focus on consumers’ pockets and minds may be on blazing fast notebooks and gargantuan desktop’s ala iMac, but a large group of people still want something slim, light, and ultra portable. The iPad would seem like an option, but the iPhone OS is rather limited in the sense that it’s not a full desktop OS and some people just don’t like tablets.

Back in 2008, Apple’s answer was the Macbook Air. It wasn’t released without much criticism however. It seemed that you were either for it or against it without much middle ground to stand on. Fast forward to mid-2010 and it now looks like Apple’s given up on it’s once “world’s thinnest” laptop…

A new rumor surfacing today breathes new life on Apple’s mini-laptop however. The leak comes from a reliable Macworld source who is said to have had the most recent Macbook Pro refresh in the bag a full week before it went official. The new machine will supposedly have a model number of

MC516LL/A K87 BETTER BTR-USA

Even more exciting (to me anyway) though is tales of a newer, bigger LED display topping out at 27″, complimenting the bigger iMac’s larger than life proportions. It only makes sense really and was more or less expected. Being one for matching multiple screens myself, I would never have gotten a 24″ LED display and sat it next to my 27-incher. But I’m pretty weird…

So with that cat somewhat out of the bag, if tomorrow is in fact D-Day for a Macbook Air refresh, what features would you personally like to see and what features will Apple actually implement? My vote goes towards some new Core i3/5 processors and a beefier hard drive. And maybe, just maybe, a second USB port.

BGR > Macworld

Liquid cooling come to future iMacs, Macs in general? Eh…don’t get too excited…yet.

Mike Norris — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:03:31 +0000

As Apple transitions more towards actual desktop processors in the iMac line, heat is going to be an issue. The next logical step would be to add water cooling. But such setups take up pretty generous amounts of room — something the iMac doesn’t really have much of. But when there’s a will, there’s a way. A patent filed way back in ’06 showed Apple to be working on a type of iMac water cooled dock. While a dock and an actual iMac implementation are two completely different things, as processor speeds, cores, and demands rise, cooling will be an even greater necessity than before.

What kind of water cooling system would fit in something with as little space to spare as an iMac? That’s a good question. I’m not a hardware engineer so I can’t really offer up any beneficial solutions. Besides space requirements, actually maintaining and keeping a water cooled computer running is a much bigger job than a non-water cooled one. Spills and leaks are the number one danger of course, seeing as how water and electronics are violent enemies. Shockingly horrific self destruction tales aside, we have to expect that water cooling would come at some point, wouldn’t we?

Not necessarily. Just because a patent is filed doesn’t mean said feature is coming soon if ever. Sadly, in this day and age it is easier to file for a slew of patents just to cover you ass in stead of actually filing for patents on products you intend on bringing to market.

Another point worth mentioning — Mac Pro’s have a considerable amount more stuffed inside the case. From processors, to RAM, hard drives, and big fat video cards, I’d wager there’s quite a bit more heat under the hood of a Mac Pro than an iMac. Conversely, there’s also more room for cooling and fans. Valid points can be made both for and against water cooling. But really, it all comes full circle, back to reliability.

The only Mac’s to get water cooling from the factory were the higher-end 2.5GHz Dual-core G5′s. Even with Apple’s extra thorough testing and scrutinizing eye, the use of water cooling in the high-end G5′s was marginal at best. Ultimately, maintaining the water cooling system was more of a chore than the typical hands off approach Apple hardware boasts of.

Perhaps Apple is ready to give it another go. As we look towards the upcoming 6-core Gulftown processors and even larger graphics cards, unless something in those devices designs changes drastically, the heat issue for Apple, and iMac’s more specifically, are only going to grow.

What do you think? It’s no secret that Apple probably has a few water cooling test solutions working away, deep inside some secret Apple bunker. But will these designs ever make it to market? Or will Apple work some of their magic on the internal structures of iMacs, Macbooks, and Mac Pros to make them even more heat resistant without water cooling?

MacDailyNews > Patently Apple

[Image Source]

27″ iMac’s still broken. Wait time increases to 3 weeks. Unicorns and angels everywhere wheep…

Mike Norris — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:55:02 +0000

When I first spied upon with my very own eyes, the visual beauty that is the new 27″ iMac’s, I was pretty bummed I wouldn’t be clicking “order” anytime soon. It appears however my inability to actually afford the whole grail of all-in-one’s isn’t without it’s benefits — namely not paying upwards of two grand and countless returns/refurbs getting a bumb model.

The ever persistent yellow display problem is still running strong. Tech support at Apple is clueless, Steve Jobs is clueless, and God himself is also probably folding his arms and giving up at this point. Whatever the reason is behind the 27″ iMac’s jaundiced display, let’s hope someone can wrap their heads around it and quick as the newly updated wait times for said machines are now inching up to and past 3 weeks.

Other reports trickling around this digital jungle claim that the issue does not reside in the LED’s as some have speculated with several tinkerers dissecting their machines and actually measuring the color temperature on the various LED’s.

If you already have or are getting ready to go through a bum 27″ iMac, share your frustrations with us. We’re like a woman…we listen…we just don’t have a pretty face to look at…

MacDailyNews

[Image Source]