2012 27 inch iMac review coming from Anandtech?

[Steelbom]

Are they just busy or won't we be seeing one? I was looking forward to it. Don't suppose anyone knows?

[ViRGE]

It's best to ask Anand directly.

[Atty]

I have been waiting on one. I plan to purchase one soon and would like to see what they say. The Fusion drive review answered a few questions for me.

[Pandamonium]

I've been waiting for the thorough AT verdict as well. Please update the thread whenever you find out. Thanks!

[Tegeril]

I tweeted the question at Anand, I will report back if I hear anything

[Steelbom]

Originally Posted by ViRGE

It's best to ask Anand directly.

Aside from tweeting... how would one ask him directly?

Originally Posted by Pandamonium

I've been waiting for the thorough AT verdict as well. Please update the thread whenever you find out. Thanks!

Will do.

Originally Posted by Tegeril

I tweeted the question at Anand, I will report back if I hear anything

Sweet! Thanks!

[ViRGE]

His email address is in his articles.

[Spades45]

sure hope so, i might be grabbing one or two of these beasts!

[mmntech]

I'm sure Anand will review it, assuming he can find one. Apple is saying 3-4 weeks on their website.

[Atty]

He had a 27'' iMac he was using for the fusion drive tests, no? Surprised it has taken this long.

[Steelbom]

Originally Posted by ViRGE

His email address is in his articles.

Ah right! I've never really paid attention to that before.

[Destiny]

Most likely if he had one for his Fusion Drive article, he probably has one for testing or play for months. Industry wise, he may be bound by NDA until Apple gives him the go ahead to post the review. Obviously he doesn't want to violate NDAs otherwise he won't be getting new toys to play with before launch dates! It also gives him more time for a more complete review or for Apple to resolve bugs.

[Wreckem]

Originally Posted by Destiny

Most likely if he had one for his Fusion Drive article, he probably has one for testing or play for months. Industry wise, he may be bound by NDA until Apple gives him the go ahead to post the review. Obviously he doesn't want to violate NDAs otherwise he won't be getting new toys to play with before launch dates! It also gives him more time for a more complete review or for Apple to resolve bugs.

The problem with that theory is reviews for the iMac 27 started coming out in early December.

[Steelbom]

Yes, maybe we just won't see one this time around. Or Anandtech could just be chockers atm.

[Tequila]

Look I love Apple but the 2012 iMac is bullshit. It has ZERO serviceability. Want to add more RAM? Oh sure take the whole fricken thing apart. Add a new drive? Same thing.

Their arrogance and obsession with THIN has lead them to the most unserviceable desktop ever. It's ridiculous and I hope they get the message that this has to stop. I'm hoping for poor sales and that Anand brings this point up because Apple needs to wake up.

[Ice_Dragon]

Originally Posted by Tequila

Look I love Apple but the 2012 iMac is bullshit. It has ZERO serviceability. Want to add more RAM? Oh sure take the whole fricken thing apart. Add a new drive? Same thing.

Their arrogance and obsession with THIN has lead them to the most unserviceable desktop ever. It's ridiculous and I hope they get the message that this has to stop. I'm hoping for poor sales and that Anand brings this point up because Apple needs to wake up.

You can add RAM to the 27". I'm not even a fan of the 21.5" because of the minimal graphics. Hell, the only one that has decent graphics in my view is the top level 27" and that's with the CTO option.

[Tequila]

Originally Posted by Ice_Dragon

You can add RAM to the 27". I'm not even a fan of the 21.5" because of the minimal graphics. Hell, the only one that has decent graphics in my view is the top level 27" and that's with the CTO option.

Read my post. Yes you can add RAM but you have to take the whole fricken computer apart.

[Tegeril]

Originally Posted by Tequila

Look I love Apple but the 2012 iMac is bullshit. It has ZERO serviceability. Want to add more RAM? Oh sure take the whole fricken thing apart. Add a new drive? Same thing.

Their arrogance and obsession with THIN has lead them to the most unserviceable desktop ever. It's ridiculous and I hope they get the message that this has to stop. I'm hoping for poor sales and that Anand brings this point up because Apple needs to wake up.

Why would they get poor sales? We're entering an era of computing where 8GB of RAM is common and most likely exactly what most people need. They're going to sell tons of these and the same people who complained about not being able to swap a GPU with older iMacs will continue to not buy iMacs and complain about not being able to upgrade the RAM further. Apple isn't losing those people as customers, they never were.

But also the 27" has easily upgradable RAM, and no, upgrading the RAM in the 27" does not require 'taking the whole computer apart.' You unplug it, open the RAM door, and swap out the RAM.

[Ice_Dragon]

Originally Posted by Tequila

Read my post. Yes you can add RAM but you have to take the whole fricken computer apart.

I am aware of that though who would want to do that? $1,299 gets you a 640M, $1,499 a 650M each with 512 MB. You would think the upper 21.5" with a CTO would offer 1 GB for $200 more or so.

[Tequila]

Originally Posted by Tegeril

Why would they get poor sales? We're entering an era of computing where 8GB of RAM is common and most likely exactly what most people need. They're going to sell tons of these and the same people who complained about not being able to swap a GPU with older iMacs will continue to not buy iMacs and complain about not being able to upgrade the RAM further. Apple isn't losing those people as customers, they never were.

But also the 27" has easily upgradable RAM, and no, upgrading the RAM in the 27" does not require 'taking the whole computer apart.' You unplug it, open the RAM door, and swap out the RAM.

Sorry I got the 27" mixed up with the 21" iMac. Too much beer in my veins from watching Superbowl and posting to a bunch of threads

Still have to take it apart to replace the hard drive.

[TheStu]

Originally Posted by Tequila

Sorry I got the 27" mixed up with the 21" iMac. Too much beer in my veins from watching Superbowl and posting to a bunch of threads

Still have to take it apart to replace the hard drive.

You're not wrong, but you're also not the target consumer for the device. The iMac has never really been all that tinker friendly, it's been their sort of commercial flagship desktop (in the sense that it is the one that is most obviously a Mac, easy to spot in commercials, TV shows and movies.) and as such needs to appeal to the widest swath of people.

It bugs me too that they removed the ability to upgrade the RAM on the 21" iMac. The sticks aren't soldered in, they just didn't put in the upgrade door. Hopefully the next rev will fix that problem (they've backtracked on stuff like that before).

[Atty]

Originally Posted by Ice_Dragon

Hell, the only one that has decent graphics in my view is the top level 27" and that's with the CTO option.

The stores carry a 27'' with the i7, 8GB, 1TB Fusion Drive, and the 680MX 2GB (or whatever the highest tier is). They are rarely in stock but its the exact model I want to buy. I'm just waiting for the Anand review. Sigh.

[Tequila]

Originally Posted by TheStu

You're not wrong, but you're also not the target consumer for the device. The iMac has never really been all that tinker friendly, it's been their sort of commercial flagship desktop (in the sense that it is the one that is most obviously a Mac, easy to spot in commercials, TV shows and movies.) and as such needs to appeal to the widest swath of people.

It bugs me too that they removed the ability to upgrade the RAM on the 21" iMac. The sticks aren't soldered in, they just didn't put in the upgrade door. Hopefully the next rev will fix that problem (they've backtracked on stuff like that before).

It's the trend that disturbs me. There's no need for an iMac to be thin as it is and trade that for near zero serviceability. Now we see it in the retina MBP with parts glued and soldered together. It's like they looked at the MBA and though "ooh we gotta make everything else that thin now!". The MBA is fine since it's for a specific market but laptops and desktops for serious work you should always be able to upgrade the hard drive and memory.

I complain because I care. If people don't speak up we'll end up with all macbooks and iMacs as thin as a piece of paper with all parts glued with absolutely no way to upgrade except buying a new one.

[Atty]

Originally Posted by Tequila

It's the trend that disturbs me. There's no need for an iMac to be thin as it is and trade that for near zero serviceability. Now we see it in the retina MBP with parts glued and soldered together. It's like they looked at the MBA and though "ooh we gotta make everything else that thin now!". The MBA is fine since it's for a specific market but laptops and desktops for serious work you should always be able to upgrade the hard drive and memory.

I complain because I care. If people don't speak up we'll end up with all macbooks and iMacs as thin as a piece of paper with all parts glued with absolutely no way to upgrade except buying a new one.

Most Mac purchasers don't want to upgrade their own ram. They don't want to service their own machine. They buy them so that they never have to or if they needed anything, an Apple Store can do it for them.

[PeeluckyDuckee]

Taking apart the 2012 to reach the internals is scary, and I would not be willing to detach it and attempt to scrape off and reapply two sided tape to upgrade/replace existing hard disk.

I like the magnet approach on the 2011 iMac. Easy on, easy off.