Apple said to have canned entry-level iMac

[thelostswede]

According to rumours coming out of Taiwan, Apple was planning three different iMac models for release this year, but the company has now canned the entry-level model for whatever reason. It's unclear what the difference was between the entry-level model and the two that will be launching.

The details are still thin as with regards to what we can expect to see in terms of hardware, but Taiwanese Digitimes is reporting that we can expect the same 21.5 and 27-inch screen sizes as on the previous iMac models. By simple deduction we also know that Apple will be offering Ivy Bridge CPUs in the new iMacs, but it's unclear which CPU models will be on offer. A good bet would be the S or T SKUs, as they've been designed will all-in-one systems in mind.

A wild guess would be the Core i5-3475S (2.9GHz with Turbo clocks of up to 3.6GHz) and the Core i7-3770S (3.1GHz with Turbo clocks of up to 3.9GHz). If we follow this line of thought, it's possible that Apple tested the Core i3-3225 and decided that it didn't cut the mustard. That said, it's entirely possible that Apple will ignore Intel's graphics entirely and we'll see a system that only uses discrete graphics.

The upcoming iMacs were supposed to start shipping back in June, but were delayed for an unknown reason – possibly due to Intel being late with the Ivy Bridge platform, or no suitable discrete GPU being available – and as such early production runs didn't start until July. According to Digitimes, the new iMacs won't go on sale until the holiday season, which isn't good news for Apple, as they missed out on the lucrative back to school season.

Apple is said to have shipped 2.232 million iMacs in the first half of this year which scores them the top position for all-in-one computers. That said, all-in-one Windows machines have yet to proven popular with consumers, as most of them are fairly underspecced and few can compete with the iMac in terms of design.

Source: Digitimes

 

[reinkrijgsman]

Waiting for a 23" or 24" version with a higher resolution... E.g. 2560x1440 on 24" would be nice though...

 

[Phillystax]

It is this reason that I built my Hackintosh with the new Gigabyte Z77X-UP5 TH board and Ivy Bridge 3770K chip. They keep pushing this stuff back. I love Apple products and I've never thought of "cheating" on them until this year. By the way, I'm LOVING my new Hackintosh though

Phillystax

 

[askSchwa]

I bet that the iMacs are going to be running on integrated HD4000. I would love a 6870 though.

 

[PhoenixFF]

Same here, I built my Hackintosh because of the iMac delay. I'll never go back now.

 

[mrkratz]

Seems like a good way to squeeze extra money out of those who only require entry level kit

 

[LSlugger]

Article: Apple said to have canned entry-level iMac

I switched from Windows to Mac largely because of product activation in Windows XP. I just couldn't see myself calling some call center in India every time I upgrade the motherboard, video card, etc. I'm on my third iMac at work, and I was looking to replace the 24" iMac at home.

I can't stand the glossy display on the 27" iMac I have at work. Other than that, it's a great machine, if a bit expensive. The Mac mini doesn't quite cut it, and the Mac Pro is way too expensive. Thanks to the articles, tools, and forums here, I have a fast, expandable system at a fair price. Coming from Snow Leopard though, Mountain Lion is hugely disappointing so far. Maybe this hackintosh will end up being a stepping stone to Linux.

 

[xtwombly]

I wonder if this might lead to an upgrade of the mac mini instead? I was a bit surprised that the mini hasn't been on any roadmap for this year.

 

[tonyapple]

mini mac should be wireless with external screen. better to do that.

 

[HackerLinks]

24' iMac's with 4k and 27' iMac's with 8k resolution would be awesome! But of course they will charge an extra $1,000 for that. -_-