New iMac rumors

[Renzatic]

A Flower Power iMac Pro?

(Actually, the Flower Power iMac G3 looks kinda nice in person).

Kinda, but more obnoxiously cutsey...cutesie...cutesey...

...however you spell that word. Anyway, it's gotta make some people mad.

 

[Colstan]

I think there will be a “max duo” option with double the cores, but we will see.

I noticed in a followup to the first tweet, Dylan stated: "There *may* be an added configuration but at this time I can't say for certain." That may be the "Max Duo" option that you are suggesting, and Apple is evaluating if that is possible given current time, material, and engineering constraints. I do hope that Apple does something to differentiate the iMac Pro, beyond just bolting the Pro/Max onto a 27-inch monitor. It'll be a great machine, but the comparisons to similar priced desktop PCs aren't going to favor Apple, if nothing changes.

The anger over there at the pastel low-end iMac was hilarious.

I don't mind the colors so much as the white borders. I prefer to use dark mode, which evidently Apple's consumer research backs up, because during the last product announcement they said that the new MacBook Pros "look great in dark mode, which our pro users love". If the iMac Pro follows the same color scheme, then Apple is clearly drawing a visual distinction between their consumer and professional Macs. It also helps hide the notch, but that's another matter entirely. As a desktop user, I don't care about the notch one way or the other, but it is convenient for Apple.

 

[MEJHarrison]

As a desktop user, I don't care about the notch one way or the other, but it is convenient for Apple.

The notch doesn't bother me at all. What does bother me is the wasted opportunity to toss FaceID in there. Hopefully that will be in place when the new iMacs come around. A notch, just for a web cam, seems odd to me.

 

[Cmaier]

The notch doesn't bother me at all. What does bother me is the wasted opportunity to toss FaceID in there. Hopefully that will be in place when the new iMacs come around. A notch, just for a web cam, seems odd to me.

Raises an issue, though. Do you want the screen to unlock when it sees your face? Or do you want to have to also hit a key or something? (I don’t want my screen unlocking just because I’m in the room).

And for Apple Pay, you’d have to hit a button anyway.

So that’s something that needs to be figured out.

 

[mr_roboto]

The notch doesn't bother me at all. What does bother me is the wasted opportunity to toss FaceID in there. Hopefully that will be in place when the new iMacs come around. A notch, just for a web cam, seems odd to me.

https://valkyrie.cdn.ifixit.com/media/2021/10/29113941/MBP_M1_2021_68-letterbox_resize.jpg

Take a look at this picture from iFixit's 2021 MBP teardown. They put an iPhone 13 FaceID/front camera assembly next to a MBP display, and it neatly illustrates why the M1 Pro/Max webcams don't have FaceID.

Perhaps they're working on a substantially thinner version of the FaceID dot array projector and sensor for future machines, but until they've got that they can't put FaceID into something as thin as the MBP display housing.

 

[MEJHarrison]

Raises an issue, though. Do you want the screen to unlock when it sees your face? Or do you want to have to also hit a key or something? (I don’t want my screen unlocking just because I’m in the room).

And for Apple Pay, you’d have to hit a button anyway.

So that’s something that needs to be figured out.

I don't want it constantly scanning. So, just when I hit a key. And then you'll say, why not push the key with TouchID. And I'll say, I have no idea, I just know I rarely touch the thing on my laptop, so I'm somehow accustomed to NOT touching it. Probably because my watch unlocks the laptop. I'm not saying it makes logical sense. I'm saying I want one dammit! Sorry, I don't have all day, so I hit fast forward.

Honestly though, it would be nice for more than just unlocking your computer. And for the price they're charging, I wouldn't mind seeing both as an option. Having lived with it for years on my phone, I very much prefer FaceID, but there have been times when TouchID would have been nice. Why limit yourself on a device as large as a desktop? Stick both in there. Apple Pay can be a combination of both methods.

I'd also love to see the ability to lock any app on my Mac. That would be pretty cool with FaceID, but somewhat annoying with TouchID.

 

[MEJHarrison]

https://valkyrie.cdn.ifixit.com/media/2021/10/29113941/MBP_M1_2021_68-letterbox_resize.jpg

Take a look at this picture from iFixit's 2021 MBP teardown. They put an iPhone 13 FaceID/front camera assembly next to a MBP display, and it neatly illustrates why the M1 Pro/Max webcams don't have FaceID.

Perhaps they're working on a substantially thinner version of the FaceID dot array projector and sensor for future machines, but until they've got that they can't put FaceID into something as thin as the MBP display housing.

My phone is considerably thicker than the lid of my laptop, so I'll buy that excuse for a laptop.

But for the new iMacs, that excuse doesn't fly. They should, in theory, have a lot more space to work with on the iMac. It certainly won't influence my decision one way or the other about getting one. But I do hope Apple chooses to go down that path.