New iMac

[Duce]

The upgrade issue is not an IMac only issue.  It's an AIO issue.  Of course you cannot simply open a panel and add a new graphics card, be it on an iMac, Visio All in one, Dell, HP, or any other brand AIO, for the most part.  While they are commodity guts in them, they are still special form factor just to fit in the AIO case.  Some you cannot even upgrade the RAM on, esp. the low priced PC AIO's.  iMac's you can add more RAM, including the new one.  It's standard DDR3L and easily accessible.

There's dozens of other vendors that make all in one or one piece PC's.  While there's some truth to the idea you're buying planned obsolescence, it's the form factor at fault, not an iMac only issue.

No different than a laptop - can't just throw a new gfx card in one of those whenever you like.  Personally, my biggest fear on AIO's has always been a display panel conking out on a person 1 day after warranty expires.

Good teardown on iFixit - https://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iMac+Intel+27-Inch+Retina+5K+Display+Teardown/30260

[DiskChris]

I bought a Mac Mini (which sits proudly on my A2000 and it's been the most solid piece of hardware I've had in awhile. I don't know maybe Im easily impressed, but all the ports are USB 3, and the RAM is easily upgradeable to 16 GB just by turning the latch on the bottom. I think the 2014 version might even do 32 GB. And while I normally run Linux on it (nothing can beat its memory usage) OS X is pretty...and some of the features are actually innovative. Like if the recovery partition is gone, the mac can boot to the internet and download a copy of OS X...no license keys to keep track of. Works well if one accidentally...uh hypothetically....erases his hard drive.

[TheDaddy]

If it exists please post the link where I can buy it.

Post 47 and 51

You can always make do with one of these in the meantime:

Samsung U28D590 28"

Tear down or not you can't upgrade the graphics card and I would NOT want to open it (removing the glue, taking it apart, upgrade, re-glue it...no way) when it costs £2000.
The minute the 5K monitors hit the shelves price will come down, PC gamers will want to run their new game at 5120×2880 and not just look at static screens.

This is way cooler:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZCla-omFyA

[Kronos]

So the short story here is:

If your a l33t gamer (iMac buyers are very rarely) have the skills and time to built a system from scratch (still not the typical iMac demography) can live with having a full tower cluttering over your desk (completly different market, but who cares) and are willing to spend a few 100$ more you can buy something better than that iMac.

Well not really, as you also have to wait a few months for the components to become available.


So yeah it's prooven that iMac costs twice as much as it should !!!

[Duce]

The iMac is an AIO.  The upgrade potential of an iMac is no worse than any other AIO PC.

If you are comparing an AIO to a full tower, 110% fully upgrade capable piece-built PC, you're really grasping at straws comparisons wise.  Ford vs. Chevy arguments are silly.

Two completely different beasts.  By that logic, the iPad or iPhone, or any other device that cannot be upgraded by the user is a POS.  Yet people still buy them by the millions every single quarter, and market share is growing year over year for all these overpriced products.

AIO's aren't for me, nor you apparently.  That doesn't make them useless to the world as a whole.  We could sit here for eternity and debate whether or not Apple products are overpriced as a whole, and I suspect our opinions would end up on the same page in the end

That doesn't change the fact that the iMac, the new one or one from 10 years ago - suits a lot of peoples needs just fine, and people buy them in spades.  Some people simply have no need to expand their machines past what the factory offers.  I do, some don't, and that's just fine by me.  It also doesn't change the fact that in 2013, Apple sold 16 million Mac's, and I suspect a vast, vast majority were iMac's.  Someone obviously finds them to suit their needs.  I don't happen to be one of them, 5k gorgeous display or not.

The new 5k iMac is actually only $500 more than last rev non 5k machine, and if you can point me at a comparable 27 inch 5k monitor AVAILABLE NOW for $500 I'll eat my hat.  Hell, I'll eat your hat, too.

[guest7657]

Post 47 and 51

You can always make do with one of these in the meantime:

Samsung U28D590 28"

Yes, it is quite nice but not exactly 5K.

Tear down or not you can't upgrade the graphics card and I would NOT want to open it (removing the glue, taking it apart, upgrade, re-glue it...no way) when it costs £2000.

It's an AIO - why would you want to open it? AIO is why you buy it - no clutter on desk.
I used to build all my PCs from parts in the past but now I just can't be bothered. Upgrades? It usually meant only chassis, kb and mouse survived the process

The minute the 5K monitors hit the shelves price will come down,

Sure, but for today you just can't buy one, can you?

From PC world only HP Z1 G2 workstation comes close but it costs the same as the standard non-5K 27inch iMac.

[TheDaddy]

>>Yes, it is quite nice but not exactly 5K.

It would do for a bit...

>>It's an AIO - why would you want to open it? AIO is why you buy it - no clutter on desk.

I answered Duce' tear down. I like opening and upgrading whenever I want that is one of the reasons I would not buy one.

>>I used to build all my PCs from parts in the past but now I just can't be bothered. Upgrades? It usually meant only chassis, kb and mouse survived the process.

Not from my experience. I usually go two to three CPUs up on the same motherboard, double the memory and two to three graphics card upgrades.

If you start at the top end you'll find it difficult to upgrade, it can still be done though.

You can't buy a 5K right now. Apple probably jumped in and ordered Samsung to make a few so they could be first, good call on their part. I'm still going to avoid it...

Got a 24" Intel based iMac (Windows 7 and OSX in dual boot, hardly use OSX), a PPC G5 iMac...in the garage somewhere, I work with them every day and in a network environment they are a pain, they are not for me.

Amiga on the other hand I like...

[jj]

Say what?
Don't go logic pro x vs ableton vs cubase discussion, all have pros and cons OSX aint doing audio production better than Windows nowdays.

It's all about the producer not the software or OS flavour.

I am not talking about the software but the audio sub system

Well lets put it this way.  I cannot get rid of latency spikes on windows drivers.   There is nothing in windows API that forces good bahaviour of driver.

Audio sub system on mac is joy to use. Audio routing on mac is a breeze

[som99]

I am not talking about the software but the audio sub system

Well lets put it this way.  I cannot get rid of latency spikes on windows drivers.   There is nothing in windows API that forces good bahaviour of driver.

Audio sub system on mac is joy to use. Audio routing on mac is a breeze

I'm using external hardware and ASIO, both a PCI-E sound card (Asus Xonar essence STX) and a USB tracker and I do not feel the driver latency spikes you are talking about.
I am only a hobbyist enjoying my electric guitars and doing it because I enjoy it.

But friends of mine are professionals using Windows instead of OSX and we have talked about this matter on both software and hardware level with the same conclusion.

I can not answer your problems without looking at your hardware and settings/drivers.
Iv'e seen problems in latancy matters on both systems from users.

So I would not call one or another system superior for music production, I see them equal and it's down to the user.