New iMacs and Magic Trackpad out

[BKK-OZ]

Post title says it all.

http://www.apple.com/imac

[Shooshie]

Interesting. They're trying to force those worthless Wireless Keyboards on their poor, unsuspecting customers. Maybe that means they're going to clear out their inventory, then they'll introduce a full-size Wireless Keyboard. I sure hope so. I'd put my wireless on a stick and use it for a spatula to cook rice with. Or run a rod up in its battery compartment and use it for a twirl-around fan.

I like the Magic Mouse and the big trackpad. Those look interesting. But that Apple Wireless Keyboard (and yes, I own one) is a big fat steenkin' no-good low-down bust. After the iMac customers buy up the remaining unsaleable stock, here's hoping that they'll introduce the one we've been waiting for.

As for the iMac itself, it's like the song says "It's gettin' better all the ti-ime. Soooo muuuch better!…"

Shooshie

[BKK-OZ]

I'd put my wireless on a stick and use it for a spatula to cook rice with. Or run a rod up in its battery compartment and use it for a twirl-around fan.

Whoa Shoosh, methinks you've got some anger issues there son! Relax, be nice to that wireless keyboard, it ain't doing you no harm...

[carrythebanner]

This trackpad looks interesting. I have a Bluetooth mouse for my Mac mini that's connected to the TV, but a regular mouse isn't particularly well-suited for the "coffee table in front of the TV" scenario and as a result I rarely actually use it. This trackpad has the potential to be a better fit for that niche.

[Shooshie]

I'd put my wireless on a stick and use it for a spatula to cook rice with. Or run a rod up in its battery compartment and use it for a twirl-around fan.

Whoa Shoosh, methinks you've got some anger issues there son! Relax, be nice to that wireless keyboard, it ain't doing you no harm...

I actually wrote a letter to Steve Jobs about this one. Why make a wireless keyboard that doesn't have a numeric keypad? At the VERY least, why not one with a "numlock" that turns the right-half into a keypad? Apple gave us neither, though even the last solution would be pretty lame. They've always given us a full-size wireless. Why stop once they came out with the perfect keyboard?

Yeah, I guess you could say I'm angry. But so far I haven't abused the keyboard. Honest. …not much.


Shoosh

[Dan Worley]

I ordered the new trackpad today. I can't wait to get it. I've been waiting for it. I'm going to upgrade to SL just so I can use it. After using a PB and MBP for so long, the trackpad is a natural for me. When I got another desktop it was uncomfortable going back to a trackball or mouse.

We have three Apple wireless keyboards here we got with new Macs for the office. None of those keyboards are being used. No one likes them here. Oh, I do use one with the iPad once in awhile.

c-ya,

Dan Worley

[James Steele]

I ordered the new trackpad today. I can't wait to get it. I've been waiting for it. I'm going to upgrade to SL just so I can use it. After using a PB and MBP for so long, the trackpad is a natural for me. When I got another desktop it was uncomfortable going back to a trackball or mouse.

Anxious to hear your review. I believe it's bluetooth only and seeing as my Mac doesn't have bluetooth, I don't know that I'll want to install the bluetooth option in my Mac just to use it.

[Prime Mover]

Unfortunately, with so many people on Sibelius (myself included), keypad-less keyboards are a deal breaker. I've TRIED using Sibelius with a laptop & numlock, btw, and it was just too painful.

[James Steele]

Unfortunately, with so many people on Sibelius (myself included), keypad-less keyboards are a deal breaker. I've TRIED using Sibelius with a laptop & numlock, btw, and it was just too painful.

Not to mention DP. I totally depend on measure locate and other functions accessible via the number keypad. Totally stupid IMHO to put out the wireless keyboard without it... but this is the new dumbed-down Apple putting out consumer bling for the kiddies while the shareholders watch their stock prices rise. High-end desktops you would think will always make sense... but if Apple can't remain competitive on a price-to-performance basis, I hope they'll launch one last big UP YOURS at Redmond, WA and open up Mac OSX to run on generic PCs. That will give Steve Balmer heartburn!

[KEVORKIAN]

I hope they'll launch one last big UP YOURS at Redmond, WA and open up Mac OSX to run on generic PCs. That will give Steve Balmer heartburn!

And run Apple straight out of business!

I admit it would be fun to watch Balmer freak out, but you have to remember that most people won't instantly install the Mac OS on their PC so the gain in marketshare would likely not come close to overtaking MS.

Combine that with Apple's low prices on OS upgrades and lack of copy protection and Apple's disdain for nickel-and-dime license schemes and you have a recipe for disaster as Apple's support costs will skyrocket with all of the issues from unsupported configurations.

And what would they do? say you can bring in your roll-your-own Alienware hack up box to the Apple store for tech support? Never... They would have to weed through their paying customers deciding who to support and they would face an endless backlash for this.

Apple can basically never stop making something like a MacPro so there is no need to worry about anything more than the prices they charge for one. Why? because Apple writes software and you can't write software on a phone. You need a powerful computer to do that with, thus a MacPro. You can't develop the actual iOS itself on a phone... you need a powerful desktop. At bare minimum Apple will make awesome computers to serve their own needs.

[James Steele]

No you're absolutely right. And I forgot that people will just pirate the OS lacking some sort of hardware authorization.

I'm just honestly very let down by the Mac Pro announcement today because I'm one of the people was hoping the $2499 model would be more than a rehash of the old model.

[mhschmieder]

This one's a no-brainer: new 27" iMac with two drives, one of them being SSD. Apple's premium isn't much beyond DIY. We'll see what the tear-downs at ifixit.com have to say tomorrow, but I suspect it's better to do the two-drive deal through Apple as made-to-order option.

Wow, what a contrast to the low value "entry-level" MacPro coming out in August. I no longer see any compelling reason to buy a MacPro, when price of entry is $3500 base, unless one can live long-term with 8 GB of RAM when iMacs (and I think MacBook Pro's) can go beyond that. What a joke.

This new iMac line-up is absolutely amazing all-around. Who expected this? No one, as far as I know. SO much for those rumours sites.

After finishing most of my work tasks for today, I have been speccing out my new iMac so I can hopefully order it tomorrow before the waiting line gets too long on shipments as the word spreads.

I'm curious about the tracker as well. I may try to go to the local APple store on Thursday with a friend I have neglected for too long, to give it a spin -- assuming they have them in stock. I can see adding it to the left side of the keyboard (I'm right-handed) as a secondary interface device to use in conjunction with mouse and keyboard or sometimes in place of.

I know the graphics professionals where I work like multiple devices, to give themselves a rest now and then. They find that just switching it up now and then between a trackball, standard mouse, tablet/pen, etc., helps avoid fatigue and repetitive stress injuries.

[KEVORKIAN]

No you're absolutely right. And I forgot that people will just pirate the OS lacking some sort of hardware authorization.

I'm just honestly very let down by the Mac Pro announcement today because I'm one of the people was hoping the $2499 model would be more than a rehash of the old model.

I absolutely agree that it's a bit of a let down. I think that the days of Apple releasing a "Blow the doors off" Mac Pro upgrade are gone. They don't sell enough of them unfortunately and the ones they sell work so well that many don't upgrade them for years and years beyond the sales lifecycle of a modern computer. If we all bought MacPros every 3 years then Apple would likely make more of them but they know we don't!

[KEVORKIAN]

This one's a no-brainer: new 27" iMac with two drives, one of them being SSD. Apple's premium isn't much beyond DIY. We'll see what the tear-downs at ifixit.com have to say tomorrow, but I suspect it's better to do the two-drive deal through Apple as made-to-order option.

Wow, what a contrast to the low value "entry-level" MacPro coming out in August. I no longer see any compelling reason to buy a MacPro, when price of entry is $3500 base, unless one can live long-term with 8 GB of RAM when iMacs (and I think MacBook Pro's) can go beyond that. What a joke.

This new iMac line-up is absolutely amazing all-around. Who expected this? No one, as far as I know. SO much for those rumours sites.

I saw something of this on the rumor sites. I agree that the real story of the day was the iMac upgrade. The iMac keeps growing more and more into a workstation and the MacPro is becoming a premium machine for the Audio/Visual/Xsan crowd.

[BKK-OZ]

I gotta admit, I'm not a dummy (at least I don't think I am), but I really really struggle to figure out what to buy. It is really hard to come up with some sort of value-for-money equation that makes sense. Plus, I just can't keep all the core count & clock speed variations in my head, so I find myself wondering if one machine with one CPU is better than the next, etc. Yes, I have seen things like the Geekbench performance tests, etc. but I still struggle.

I dunno, maybe I is dum dum.