iMac upgrades

nick danger · Post by **nick danger** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 1:15 pm

24" monitor, 3.06 GHz core 2 duo processor, 4 GB ram and 1 TB hard drive, anybody?

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/W ... 0971&sr=em

Beecave · Post by **Beecave** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 5:47 pm

I have a question. I've been using DP on my G4 Dual Tower for a few years now and I'm thinking of upgrading the computer. Because of the noise factor from the fan in the G4, I've had to put it in a soundproof closet so that the microphones don't pick it up. Now here's the question: Are the new iMacs noiseless? Is there no fan involved that would be picked up by mics? If that's the case, it would sure be a lot easier just to get an iMac instead of something pricier than a Mac Pro, even if not as powerful.
Noise has been the major bugaboo but if the iMac completely obviates that, then maybe that's the way to go, huh?
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Jeff

nick danger · Post by **nick danger** » Mon Apr 28, 2008 5:56 pm

I've got a 20" G5 iMac, 2.1 GHz, about 2 1/2 years old. It's a slightly different configuration than the new ones. It has a fan, but about the only time it ever comes on is on startup after the installation of new software. Otherwise it runs dead silent.

Unless the new, faster processors run a lot hotter, I would expect a new iMac would be the same.

BTW, I find the 20" monitor quite adequate. More real estate would be great, but if the money really matters....

mhschmieder · Post by **mhschmieder** » Thu May 29, 2008 4:18 pm

This is a no go, unfortunately: I did the restart/diagnostic trick at the Apple Store last week, and even the top-end 24" version of the new iMac uses the problematic Lucent/Aquire firewire chip instead of the robust/proven TI chip.

I'm really upset about this, because I can't see any realistic improvement from my G4 iMac with all the workarounds I would have to do with daisy-chaining the audio interface off of an external hard drive in order to have the RME Fireface 800 work with the new iMac.

Looks like I'll have to keep saving up for the Big Bucks machines: either a MacBook Pro 17" (the only model that uses the TI chip) or a ghastly MacPro (which is way overkill, isn't portable for session work, but at least is more bang-for-buck than a laptop with its miniaturisation costs and slower buss speeds, etc.).

It's a real shame, as otherwise the new iMac is far and away the best value of any Mac ever (and any currently on the market). Even though I hate the glossy screen, it would be nice to have two monitors so buying an extra non-glossy monitor for photo work would not be a huge investment vs. whatever equivalent setup involving a MacPro or MacBook Pro would cost.

Maybe there will be a surprising product announcement next week at the worlwide developers' conference? I forget off-hand which other model is due for an update (maybe Mac Mini, but rumour is it's being killed).

rentadrummer · Post by **rentadrummer** » Thu May 29, 2008 6:06 pm

nick danger wrote:I've got a 20" G5 iMac, 2.1 GHz, about 2 1/2 years old. It's a slightly different configuration than the new ones. It has a fan, but about the only time it ever comes on is on startup after the installation of new software. Otherwise it runs dead silent.

Unless the new, faster processors run a lot hotter, I would expect a new iMac would be the same.

BTW, I find the 20" monitor quite adequate. More real estate would be great, but if the money really matters....

I have the same G5 iMac, and if I'm doing a lot of recording, the fan cycles on and stays on for quite a while. It's anything but quiet, but all of my recording is direct so the noise isn't a problem, except when I'm listening to playback. I wonder if I need to try a different setting in the system prefs.