IFixit iMac teardown reveals dual mics, difficult RAM upgrades and glued-on LCD

http://9to5mac.com/2012/12/01/ifixit-imac-teardown-reveals-dual-mics-difficult-ram-upgrades-glued-on-lcd/

by Quekster • 14 years ago

31 39 14 years ago

coin• 14 years ago

Off topic, buy I really wish that 9to5mac would just serve up the normal desktop version content, instead of the mobile version. On my first gen iPad their website is utterly unusable.

rhizome• 14 years ago

I was going to complain about not simply posting the ifixit link, but ifixit's site design is so terrible I had to go through the entire "guides > mac repair > imac > imac model" click path to find it, after having to think about what of "guides," "answers," etc. it might be under.

Ifixit seems to be trying to push their retail sales over their content, so thanks 9to5mac...I guess.

neya2• 14 years ago

Ughh..this is terrible! I wanted to buy one badly, but considering how expensive it is, and considering the fact that I can't upgrade anything on the 21" models despite being expensive, I just decided to go for an Alienware X51 instead. By no means it's a fair comparison, but it fits me needs perfectly (3d Modeling and Rendering + some occasional gaming) and is completely upgradeable, including the GPU!

tobylane• 14 years ago

I'm also put off, though I'm thinking of going for maxed out Mini plus Cinema Display.

I wonder why they're doing this with desktops. Having a MBA in a upright stand [1] isn't the look to be aiming for with desktops, even all-in-ones. Ram upgrades aside chasing smaller seems to be done entirely reasonably and successfully.

What's the need for spring loaded cpu sockets? Is that to make sure you get soft contact with the bottom?

http://www.accessoryvillage.co.uk/images/products/010500_0.j...

duaneb• 14 years ago

I'm sure that repairability is less of a factor than sexiness with most of their purchases.

jws• 14 years ago

I've been using the mini+display option for a while. I got tired of recycling perfectly good LCDs just because the computer expired. It's more money up front but if you get two minis to the display you are ahead.

neya2• 14 years ago

Same here, except the Alienware X51 + Apple's Cinema Display! Cheers :)

DIVx0• 14 years ago

I've been waiting to buy an iMac for my house/kids but I held off until I saw a teardown and how hard it would be upgrade the RAM / HD. Glad I did, having to unglue the screen just to get to these components is a non-starter for me.

sneak6• 14 years ago

Just buy it with adequate RAM and HDD from Apple. If you need to upgrade later, buy a bigger one and dump the old one on Craigslist or eBay.

Save the screwdrivers (or heatguns) for people who enjoy spending their limited time dicking about with computer internals. Specialize!

CrazedGeek• 14 years ago

Installing more RAM or a new HDD is hardly an intensive or complex process on a system designed to be upgradeable. On pretty much any tower and certain laptops, it would take three minutes, tops.

On the other hand, I'm currently dealing with an easier-to-upgrade-than-this-one iMac (late 2006). I'm having an incredibly irritating time sticking plastic cards into odd places, finding multiple different sized Torx screw bits, and prying various pieces off, all to replace a failed HDD.

If only one or two components don't suit your needs, spending money on an entire new computer is just a waste.

MBCook• 14 years ago

RAM is something you definitely want to buy enough of, but hard drive space isn't a big issue on a desktop. Unlike a portable machine, there is no problem with buying an external drive and just leaving it attached all the time. There is also the option of some kind of network attached storage.

The 27" model is supposed to have a little RAM bay so it can be upgraded by the user. I have last year's 27" iMac on my desk at work and it's a great machine. The display is fantastic.

joejohnson• 14 years ago

I wouldn't mind losing the ability to upgrade myself if I could have one of these slim iMacs. You can always pay the Apple tax if you want upgrades.

philk• 14 years ago

I'm not really sure the direction they're taking the iMacs is optimal. Yes, they look lovely but ultimately they're a desktop and not portable in the first place. With a notebook I'll sacrifice upgrades for portability, with a desktop portability is irrelevant.

I suppose they're doing it largely for the style but surely Jonathan Ive and co can make a beautiful iMac that's a couple of centimetres thicker.

SoftwareMaven• 14 years ago

The VAST majority of people look at their computers the same way they do their DVD players, microwaves, and vacuums: they are a "unit" that they buy, plug in, and use until it's time to buy a new one. I've built more computers than I can count, but, due to the flattening out of the "end-user performance experience" (eg: there are very few upgrades I could do to a PC to make it faster without needing to replace everything), I'm becoming one of them.

Apple has recognized this and is using that knowledge to throw away old assumptions and put the resultant "compromise space" into beautiful products that people are proud to display in their home.

Sounds like a smart plan to me, but I can understand why there is a small percentage of the market who still sees their PC as a conglomerate of components. I'm pretty convinced Apple is not the company for people like that.

ChuckMcM2• 14 years ago

Totally agree with this, it isn't a computer to most people, its a TV. When is the last time you "upgraded" your TV without buying a completely new one?

tammer• 14 years ago

Let's not forget there's still a model that allows storage/RAM upgrades easily, the Mac Pro. I've always seen the iMac as one of these TV-like devices, just due to the form factor alone.

The display is one of the primary elements I like to have an upgrade path for, something the iMac has never offered. The new model's sealed form factor is the logical conclusion for the product line.

I'm interested to see what they do with the Mac Pro.

orangecat2• 14 years ago

On the other hand, Time Machine is a core feature of Macs and requires a separate hard drive, so Apple clearly doesn't believe that expansion in general is a concept only suitable for geeks. And when they charge such ridiculous markups on RAM and storage, I can't help but think that non-upgradability isn't a decision made in the interests of their customers.

barredo• 14 years ago

> surely Jonathan Ive and co can make a beautiful iMac that's a couple of centimetres thicker.

All previous models.

JuDue• 14 years ago

I guess we wont really know until we see the new Power Macs.

The line up is shifting downwards towards the Air.

iMac = desktop Air :)

jvm• 14 years ago

They're just not targeting savvy people, which of course drives all us savvy mac fans up the wall. But then what's the alternative, run Windows? I'd run linux but unfortunately I need Adobe CS and MS Office.

rayiner2• 14 years ago

I don't get the point of upgrading a Mac. They retain value so well it's just easier to sell them on eBay and buy a new one, and the cost difference is usually minimal versus upgrading piecemeal.

rdl2• 14 years ago

Until recently, Apple RAM was so overpriced that I'd place simultaneous orders for a minimum-RAM machine and Crucial RAM at the same time. I wouldn't really upgrade an old mac.

Shivetya• 14 years ago

The only issue I take with the new iMacs, which is only on the twenty seven inch not reviewed here, is that there is ONE SSD option for 768g and it cost $1300.

Where are the 256 or 512 options?

Osmium• 14 years ago

There's also the 128 GB option that comes with the $250 fusion drive. If you don't want the fusion drive, you could always reformat it to be two separate drives instead.

jrockway• 14 years ago

Premium computers still come with spinning disks? Quaint.

IFixit iMac teardown reveals dual mics, difficult RAM upgrades and glued-on LCD

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