New iMac disassembled

And who, exactly, can resist taking apart the latest hotness? (Or, for that matter, writing a post about it?) Kodawarisan over in Japan ever so delicately tore their new iMac apart, and what a surprise, it's got all the trappings of a regular PC (SATA drive, DVD burner, CPU, etc.). Still, it's fun to see how Apple crams all that crap in there, you know?

Update: Looks like we took down (Engadgeted?) Kodawarisan's site. Sorry guys! They sent us a mirror to use though, go here.

[Rob @ Aug 8th 2007 10:38PM]

Love them, or hate them. It does amazes me how Apple manages to cram so much into such relatively small spaces. I guess there's a reason, after all, for the J. Leno chin.

The guy didn't show how he removed the screen glass. I know he used the suction thing, but is the glass glued or screwed to the unit? Anyone?

[ftf @ Aug 8th 2007 10:53PM]

I'm sure it's glued.

[Cyrus @ Aug 9th 2007 12:43AM]

It's actually held on with magnets. My friend at a local 3rd party mac shop told me all about it today .

[Rob @ Aug 9th 2007 12:49AM]

Magnets???
Hmm, maybe that's why the guy in the pictures just pulled the glass off with that suction thing and didn't show/mention anything about removing screws. That's very interesting. Now, at the risk of sounding ignorant, wouldn't all those magnets needed in order to support the weight of the glass be a bit of an issue with the hdd? Hdd is still magnetic media, right? And magnets are also used for erasing magnetically stored media. I'm really curious as to how Apple managed to deal with this potential challenge.

[JD @ Aug 9th 2007 1:25AM]

HDD's are actually a lot better shielded from magnetism than most people make them out to be. They aren't floppy disks- there is actually a faraday cage around the actual platters and whatnot to prevent magnetic destruction. This, coupled with the fact that the Hd was in the middle of the screen, probably means they've got plenty of safety buffer built in, between the physical distance and the magnetic protection.

[alex @ Aug 9th 2007 1:28AM]

you know, there are high-power magnets just centimeters from the disks in your hard drive. they drive the voice coil for the read/write arm. if those aren't a danger, the ones holding the screen aren't either.

and JD, faraday cages are for lightning and electricity, not magnetism.

[craig @ Aug 9th 2007 10:10AM]

...and "faraday cage" was the wrong term to use in the first place. Hard drive cases are magnetically shielded whereas faraday cages provide EM shielding. They are used to keep EM from getting "out" or getting "in". Saying they are for lightning and electricity misses the point.

[JD @ Aug 9th 2007 11:45AM]

Yeah, I knew faraday cage wasn't the right term, but you got it, lol. Thanks for correcting me, though. But yeah, the magnets driving the arm would be a much greater danger than any magnet holding a glass screen on, in any case.

[humpty @ Aug 8th 2007 10:51PM]

Whats the point of a desktop if you cant upgrade it? Might as well get a laptop.

[lostprophet @ Aug 9th 2007 9:32AM]

Most people just buy a new computer if they are looking for a upgrade.

[Tech^Cellfish @ Aug 9th 2007 1:27AM]

A laptop does have the comfort of working with a 24" screen, real fullsize keyboard and mouse. The iMac's are also great because you don't need the 'box' that regular computers have.

[Jeff @ Aug 9th 2007 10:56AM]

Explain to me again why there's no way to stick 2 internal hard drives in anything but a Mac Pro? Seriously kids, internal hard drives are not reliable enough to have 500GB device without backing it up...

[johnzilla @ Aug 9th 2007 10:56AM]

A very small percentage of the total PC market sees "upgrading their computer" as an activity worth their time and money.

The vast majority of PC users (PC meaning personal computer, Apple or otherwise), see their computers as tools to be used in support of some other activity worth their time and money.

[craig @ Aug 9th 2007 10:13AM]

Apple doesn't make an upgradable desktop other than their largest Mac and there are far more use for desktops than MacPros are suitable for. Most people never upgrade their machines anyway.

[mattclarkie @ Aug 9th 2007 12:03PM]

Because the type of people who buy Macs often don't know how to upgrade.
Neither do most people that buy PCs, but it is true that many people who have no knowledge of technology buy a Mac because of the look and status they believe it has and have too much many.

And before you flame me I didn't say everyone that owns a Mac is thick, I said technophyls often choose a Mac over a PC.

[RedBull Runner @ Aug 9th 2007 12:17PM]

Lets please not feed the trolls. They have been hungry as of late -.-

[michas_pi @ Aug 8th 2007 10:51PM]

Yes! I've been waiting for this.

[michas_pi @ Aug 8th 2007 10:52PM]

...aaand the server is overloaded. Hooray.

[michas_pi @ Aug 8th 2007 10:53PM]

Service Temporarily Unavailable
The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems. Please try again later.

[JerkyChew @ Aug 8th 2007 11:06PM]

So what do we call it when Engadget overloads a server? Engadged?

[cmonkey @ Aug 8th 2007 11:07PM]

All the trappings of a regular PC? Hardly. It's more of a laptop/desktop hybrid. My Thinkpad, which actually is a laptop, is easier to take apart/upgrade. Sad really. Still a nifty device for those who don't tinker though.

[John Doe @ Aug 8th 2007 11:26PM]

Apple designs it that way. How else are they going to get people to upgrade their systems in 4 years?

[John Doe @ Aug 8th 2007 11:25PM]

So you can probably upgrade the CPU, at the cost of voiding your warranty. RAM...nach. Hard drive of course. Basically for the non techy who wants to have their iMac upgraded in a few years (When the 3 year warranty expires.) all they need to do is find a geek and buy a new CPU, hard drive, and RAM and they are golden. GPU is another matter, but as always people don't buy iMac's to game on.
There is plenty official and unofficial expansion. People bitching about expansion need to STFU and realize these systems are for the non-techy who couldn't give less of a shit about tech specs. People who don't know the difference between a GB and a Ghz.
It really is amazing that folks really do have a hard time wrapping their mind around the concept that there are people out there who don't give a shit about how many MB's of VRAM they have in their computer and only care about if the system can do what they want. Yes Billy. there are people who don't care about OCing their system to get a few extra FPS in WoW.

[Rob @ Aug 9th 2007 12:52AM]

You're post is the best I've read in a long time.

[Rob @ Aug 9th 2007 12:53AM]

I meant "your" instead of "you're".
Sorry about that little oversight on my part.

[out0266 @ Aug 9th 2007 5:24AM]

Yes it amazes me how many people bitch about how they can't upgrade the iMac, they still can't understand or believe that 90% of the home users & 99% of business buy a new machine when the old one doesn't cut it anymore with the exception of adding more Ram. Wake up!!

[michas_pi @ Aug 9th 2007 1:58AM]

You, sir, speak the truth. Thank you.

[tnkgrl @ Aug 9th 2007 4:23AM]

There are even people (like me) who DO know the difference between a GB and a GHz (and are software engineers and hardware hackers) but who still DO NOT give a shit about how many MB's of VRAM they have in their computer and only care about if the system can do what they want :)

[craig @ Aug 9th 2007 10:18AM]

In three years there will be no current processor or memory that will be compatible with this machine. Nice try, fanboy.

[desu @ Aug 9th 2007 11:16AM]

@cr

I can still find faster ram and cpu's for my 4 year old hp and I'm sure I'll stil be able to find faster parts for the mac in 3.

[Nick @ Aug 9th 2007 11:37AM]

And even if people dont buy iMacs to game on.. they still hold up. Last year at school we were running XP on an intel iMac and playing CS:source and COD2 all the time and it handled the games perfectly well. Sure it wasn't a bagillion FPS and yadda yadda... that the gamming addicts always drool over.. but for a typical gamer they work just fine.

@ craig... no where in the post was there even a hint of Fanboy-ism.. you troll.

[Andir3.0 @ Aug 8th 2007 11:27PM]

No! No disassemble!

[BoZs13 @ Aug 9th 2007 7:05AM]

+ 5million points for the Short Circuit line :)

gotta love those movies! NUMBER 5 is ALIVE!

[mark @ Aug 8th 2007 11:33PM]

[quote]People bitching about expansion need to STFU and realize these systems are for the non-techy who couldn't give less of a shit about tech specs.[/quote]

.

[mudd @ Aug 8th 2007 11:49PM]

If apple phased out its OS and sell this as a windows machine I would buy one tomorrow.

[scott @ Aug 8th 2007 11:57PM]

TROLL!!!

Seriously, you can run Vista on it, go for it.

Like using an antique Katana to chop wood...

[Alex @ Aug 9th 2007 2:09AM]

if apple did this it wouldn't be the same OS X you know on a Mac. because apple controls hardware too, they know their software will "just work." I forget where the quote came from but it was:

"People who are really passionate about their software, design their own hardware."

[mudd @ Aug 9th 2007 12:04PM]

I'm going to rephrase that.
If Apple sold a version of the iMac with only Vista installed I would buy one tomorrow.

[humpty @ Aug 9th 2007 12:01AM]

lol @ iMacSheepPro.. coming on here an voting down all the posts which put down Apple and their God Steve Jobs.. even at the slightest.

[bob @ Aug 9th 2007 5:35AM]

you want one so bad don't you? lol and to the guy that would buy a mac if it had windows, well you could put windows on it but the MAIN reason for buying a mac (unlike a lot of people that think its cause theyre 'pretty') is because of the best OS out there

[nih @ Aug 9th 2007 12:07AM]

It also looks like the chin is there as a speaker-surface. Check out the two speaker vibrating thingees in the bottom corners.

[Constable Odo @ Aug 9th 2007 12:30AM]

You people really believe the average person tears open their PCs and upgrades them. Not really. Most of the people I know that had them would usually take them to the shop to have them upgraded if they bothered to upgrade at all. These iMacs are supposed to be like toasters. Sit 'em on your desk and use 'em. That's it.

[Homostasis @ Aug 9th 2007 12:47AM]

Speaking of which, now my name is only slightly "gayer" than yours.

Grow up.

[glossysucks @ Aug 9th 2007 1:02AM]

hey he took off the glass! maybe it won't be glossy anymore!

[glossysucks @ Aug 9th 2007 2:49AM]

also the LCD is an LG PHILIPS LM201WE3. That seems to be a TN panel in case anybody wondered

[Ghosthunter @ Aug 9th 2007 1:34AM]

I wonder if it would also blend?

[michas_pi @ Aug 9th 2007 2:00AM]

Of course, but piece by piece.

[Kevin \\\ @ Aug 9th 2007 10:32AM]

Well, with the limitations of current blender technology, I doubt that it would blend. I do believe, however that someday in the future we will develop a blender that is up to the task.

[cthree @ Aug 9th 2007 1:35AM]

Sometimes I find myself reading the comments posted to these globs and inevitably I come away thinking "there goes 10 minutes I'll never get back."

Keep up the good work. Someday I'm sure you'll win if you just keep at it.

[michas_pi @ Aug 9th 2007 2:03AM]

Trolling in Engadget comments: it's like pissing in an ocean of piss.