Updated iMacs coming next week?

We're not ones to peer too deeply into the Apple crystal ball, but Geeksugar says that spec-bumped iMacs are due on Tuesday, and the timing seems about right. Nothing major, apparently, just a speed bump and some bigger hard drives, but prices should stay the same. It's still just a rumor, of course, but Geeksugar was right on the money about that MacBook / MacBook Pro bump last time around, apart from saying that multitouch trackpads would hit all of Apple's portables. Perhaps some Best Buy / Future shop employees will let us take a peek in the database and let us know what's up, hmmm?

Update: We've gotten a couple sketchy reports that entries for new iMacs are in fact popping up in retailers' systems, but it's getting hard to focus what with all the grains of salt we've taken.

[john mckenna @ Apr 24th 2008 4:05PM]

Uhh...Okay! I guess thats cool!

[LondonConsultant @ Apr 24th 2008 4:21PM]

Well, it's tepid... New MacBook designs would be cool.

[carson @ Apr 24th 2008 4:07PM]

Meh. How bout' some alum Macbooks already. Geez.

[Maxime @ Apr 24th 2008 4:09PM]

Do they still have the crappy 256k colors monitors?

[André @ Apr 24th 2008 4:45PM]

All notebooks use 6bit + dithering to emulate millions of colors, not just Apple.

The iMac uses a TN-panel for the 20" model and an H-IPS panel for the 24" model, which by far is the one to prefer.

[vdogg89 @ Apr 24th 2008 5:35PM]

when i use new iMac, the colors all seem to be overexposed, and Ive tried to change the settings, but it seems to be from the angle i am viewing it at. the top of the screen seems normal, but the lower half is all washed out. does anyone else see this? Ive noticed this on many different new iMacs

[Lowest Ranked @ Apr 24th 2008 4:09PM]

Ok, I gotta admit. I like the look of the poison black apple logo better than the white one.

[michael pina @ Apr 24th 2008 8:25PM]

It's chrome.

[sNakeDoctor @ Apr 25th 2008 11:51PM]

@ michael pina: They are indeed black.

[Jon @ Apr 24th 2008 4:10PM]

Oh no, oh no, oh no....Oh yeah!!!!

[Frankenstein Black @ Apr 24th 2008 4:16PM]

MEH! iPhone 3G please. And don't let this beast first it...
http://www.sonyericsson.com/x1/default.aspx?cc=GB&lc=en&lc=en&cc=US

[noonas @ Apr 24th 2008 4:22PM]

ew!

[ipodrulz @ Apr 25th 2008 12:06AM]

A lotta people aren't paying attention to that site.. and throwing paper airplanes everywhere.....

[Abuzar @ Apr 24th 2008 7:45PM]

Noonas, this is me after seeing you don't like the XPERIA.

EW!

[trev @ Apr 24th 2008 4:21PM]

No sign of them ditching those awful reflective screens then : /

[Scott Russell @ Apr 24th 2008 4:35PM]

I totally agree! I wish there was an option to ditch the reflective screen.

[Lance @ Apr 24th 2008 4:22PM]

Nice, but when are they going to update their Cinema Displays.

[tyecies @ Apr 24th 2008 6:01PM]

I'm guessing the fact that they haven't updated the displays in a while indicates that they're going to cut off the display business eventually, and are just trying to milk it for some more money before they do

[psxp @ Apr 24th 2008 4:25PM]

I guess this means no redesign of the case etc until later in the year??

[Rowdehaj @ Apr 24th 2008 4:53PM]

Well if the former white model's lifetime is to be any indication - it'll take a lot longer than that.

I personally like the current design a lot though.

[Tallest Skil @ Apr 24th 2008 6:02PM]

We just had a case refresh at the last update.

[Ben @ Apr 24th 2008 4:34PM]

"We're not ones to peer too deeply into the Apple crystal ball"

Really? Engadget, admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery...

[roflercopterer @ Apr 24th 2008 4:36PM]

You beat me to the punch, co-signed.

[kal326 @ Apr 24th 2008 4:40PM]

@Ben
Nope, they spend much more time peering into Steve's belly button.

[rock99rock @ Apr 24th 2008 5:34PM]

+2

You may not be one to peer into, but you definitely hump the shit out of it.

[bestbuy @ Apr 24th 2008 4:37PM]

yes it is in the bb database

[Tyler @ Apr 24th 2008 4:39PM]

anyone notice that these iMacs have Tiger on them? what's with that Engadget?

[austin @ Apr 24th 2008 5:14PM]

google images > iMac

[happy_penguin @ Apr 24th 2008 11:19PM]

I see the Dashboard icon in the dock. How can it be Tiger?

[happy_penguin @ Apr 24th 2008 11:27PM]

Oh NM.... I forgot that Tiger had Dashboard too. But I still don't see how you can tell it's Tiger.

[Rowdehaj @ Apr 25th 2008 2:18AM]

The blue wavy wallpaper and the two-dimensional light Do....

Oh God....

*Hides in corner, shaking*

[Quix @ Apr 24th 2008 4:47PM]

Massive 3D processing upgrade please, Apple. You don't have a single gaming-worthy machine under $2k. Shameful.

[h8rain @ Apr 24th 2008 4:54PM]

I am hoping for that as well.

[sNakeDoctor @ Apr 25th 2008 11:51PM]

I bought one two weeks ago (when I read this post, I cried a little) and it plays games pretty well at 1680 x 1050.

You just can't enable anti-aliasing--framerates are dramatically reduced.

[Mark @ Apr 24th 2008 4:47PM]

Blueray please.

[Fred @ Apr 24th 2008 5:31PM]

blue-ray would be verry nice indeed

[Dale @ Apr 24th 2008 5:39PM]

I would prefer a Mantaray.

[YoMomma @ Apr 24th 2008 4:52PM]

In other news We are impatiently waiting for Windows XP SP3 release. More details after the break!

[h8rain @ Apr 24th 2008 4:52PM]

Great news! I have been in need for a desktop for about a month and half now. I normally I have my MBP hooked up to a monitor/keyboard/mouse, but my USB ports are fried. I will use my laptop as just a laptop now (just w/o USB, but I only use it for research and invoicing while away from my office, Express card slot works!).

Anyways, I refused to pay "full" price on an 8 month old computer, so I have been waiting on this, and since it has a screen I can have two monitors now :D .

[Greg @ Apr 24th 2008 6:00PM]

damn near none of that was needed

[Rowdehaj @ Apr 24th 2008 4:55PM]

They're saying that they usually take Apple-related rumours with a grain of salt, which is perfectly true.

Must every Apple-post be ridden with whiny comments like these?

[Baz @ Apr 24th 2008 5:03PM]

Yeah, well....whatever.

Offer me a sub-$1000 iMac (I'd even let you consider a 19" screen) or, better yet, a $500 EeePC / HP 2133 subnotebook killer and we'll talk.

Till then - nothing to look at here people...move along.....no need to (further) pad The Stevo's wallet....

[Zak @ Apr 24th 2008 5:43PM]

This may be news to you, but Apple is not in the bargain basement cheap-ass computer market. You're barking up the wrong tree with the "make everything cheaper stupid Apple" comments. You have plenty of choices in that market, get one of those and stop complaining about Apple.

[Baz @ Apr 24th 2008 6:12PM]

Oh, please -

Apple reported a 36% increase of profits over the same quarter last year, making $1.06 BILLION in the 2nd quarter alone.

There's been a 51% increase in Mac sales over the same period, while Apple is now building their computers with the same old bits that any Intel computer manufacturer can get (and here's a hint, ASUS, the manufacturer of the EeePC, builds for Apple), so please don't use the 'Apple is no cheap-ass product' to me - and that Apple can't / shouldn't afford to build competitively priced products.

The premium Apple users pay for their products these days (and I've had them in the past) does nothing more than prove 'there is a sucker born every minute' and that The Smug B*stard From Cupertino knows it.

[Zak @ Apr 24th 2008 7:03PM]

Right, because it's not patently obvious that things like custom designed aluminum cases cost exactly the same as cheap plastic cases. And Apple designs all their stuff from scratch, i.e. they don't use Asus cases, they design their own. And their own logic boards too, that's how they get everything to fit in the case shapes they design.

Now go ahead and tell me R&D doesn't cost money. Tell me aluminum costs the same as plastic, tell me designing and manufacturing custom logic boards costs the same as buying them pre-made. And why don't you go ahead and tell me how Apple's custom designed parts are the same bits that any PC manufacturer can get.

I mean according to your logic I should be able to go to Fry's, pick out a bunch of generic PC parts and build an iMac. Why not, right? They all use the same parts. Right?

Again, Apple is not in the cheap-ass computer market. If they were, they would be building computers CHEAPLY. The way Apple builds computers is not cheap, and that's their choice to make. If you don't like it, buy from somebody else. it's that simple.

[Decoy @ Apr 24th 2008 9:41PM]

Zac gets angry when you ask too any questions.

[LarryLarryLarry @ Apr 25th 2008 12:15AM]

Zak,

If you want to pay an extra $500-$700 for a desktop computer built with generic laptop parts, that's your choice. If you want a desktop that has circa 2005 graphics, a serious overheating problem, and no PCI slots, that's your choice. If you think brushed aluminum is some sort of expensive, brilliant artistic breakthrough, that's your opinion.

I'm just going to drink another designer Coors out of a custom-built aluminum can, which I purchased with all the money i saved on my Hackintosh. Coors doesn't make cheap-ass beer: THIS IS A CUSTOM CAN!

[dukeoconnor @ Apr 25th 2008 8:26AM]

LarryLarryLarry,

I use a 40-year-old Mt. Blanc fountain pen when I write by hand. I like the way it feels and the way the ink flows. I feel creative when I use it and I think it helps me write better. I don't really care about what parts the pen is made of. That's exactly how I felt when I switched to a Mac. Some people will never understand this, others won't respond to the Mac as I do and on this blog I'll have the pleasure of being called an iTard or sheeple for using crapple. Sorry, but to me life is an experience, not a spec sheet.

[Baz @ Apr 25th 2008 8:40AM]

Sorry, but the HP 2133 subnotebook has a custom designed all-aluminum case and the model starts at $499, so that's no argument for price. Besides, both the iMac and MacBooks come in 'cheap-ass' plastic, just like everyone else.

Hardware can cost as much or as little as you're willing on paying, and one can be pretty sure Apple ain't paying retail for their parts - while the cost of assembly in China mean they're likely paying their contractors around $75 month per person.

As for software, well, as Psystar and many private hobbyists have shown, with the right tweaks, any modern Intel box will run OSX. While I'm seeing reports of OSX installed on even the EeePC, more often than not, the hobbyists are running spec'ed out boxes with hardware far superior to anything Apple offers - at the fraction of the price.

R&D at Apple is limited these days to making the software look 'insanely cool' - certainly nothing in their design internally suggests any sort of research or engineering (see the abovementioned overheating, PCI slots, etc) goes into their products any more than anyone else.

Genuflect to The Stevo if you must, but accept the premium you pay for Macs is the Ego Tax.

[SJT @ Apr 25th 2008 10:01PM]

Just a heads up Baz, since we are discussing an iMac update. The current iMac is made of aluminum and glass, not plastic. Check the website, or did you make an argument for the HP 2133 being aluminum forgetting that Zak had just mentioned aluminum all over the place in his last post?