7 ms·

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

31 points by Quekster 14y ago

coin 14y 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 14y 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.
neya 14y 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 14y 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.jpg http://www.accessoryvillage.co.uk/images/products/010500_0.j...
  - duaneb 14y ago
    I'm sure that repairability is less of a factor than sexiness with most of their purchases.
  - jws 14y 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.
    - sneak 14y ago
      Both the current iMacs and the previous generation support functioning as a display only via the thunderbolt/miniDP port as an _input_.
    - deleted 14y ago
      [deleted]
  - neya 14y ago
    Same here, except the Alienware X51 + Apple's Cinema Display! Cheers :)
- deleted 14y ago
  [deleted]
DIVx0 14y 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.
- sneak 14y 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 14y 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.
    - rayiner 14y ago
      The practicality of piecemeal upgrades is overstated, especially with external storage. I've never wanted to upgrade my GPU without also upgrading the CPU (so its not CPU-bottlenecked), which usually necessitates a new motherboard anyway and these days usually new RAM too (DDR-XYZ).
      - jasonlotito 14y ago
        Upgrading RAM is something I've always done. The cost difference between getting it from Apple and getting it from New Egg or a local shop was always dramatically different. Also, being able to upgrade the hard drive vastly improves the performance and capabilities as well. This is especially good when you can then turn around and hand off the laptop to a relative or a non-techy who will benefit from the device. The resale value is never enough to pay for the upgrade costs, unless you are almost upgrading every time a new model comes out.
taligent 14y ago
Honestly I don't think this is as much of a problem as it used to be. Both RAM/HDD have stayed fairly static the last couple of years. Provided you have 4GB/SSD then you will likely be future proof for a long while yet. Interesting that there isn't anything on the software front that is pushing hardware forward.
joejohnson 14y 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 14y 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 14y 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.
  - ChuckMcM 14y 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?
    - daigoba66 14y ago
      Well... to most people it's still a computer and not a TV. That's why they buy both :). But they purchase computers like TVs (a single product with practically no user serviceable parts).
      - ChuckMcM 14y ago
        True people buy both, although most people who buy a device that you and I are calling a 'computer' those people are buying it strictly as information consumers, and to a lesser extent codified information producers (like instagram or uploading a youtube video). They will never change its configuration, or attempt to program it in any way. It is an information appliance, like a TV, except with a keyboard and a web cam.
Shivetya 14y 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 14y 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 14y ago
Premium computers still come with spinning disks? Quaint.

31 points by Quekster 14y ago

coin 14y 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 14y 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.

neya 14y 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 14y 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.jpg http://www.accessoryvillage.co.uk/images/products/010500_0.j...
- duaneb 14y ago
  I'm sure that repairability is less of a factor than sexiness with most of their purchases.
- jws 14y 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.
  - sneak 14y ago
    Both the current iMacs and the previous generation support functioning as a display only via the thunderbolt/miniDP port as an _input_.
  - deleted 14y ago
    [deleted]
- neya 14y ago
  Same here, except the Alienware X51 + Apple's Cinema Display! Cheers :)
deleted 14y ago
[deleted]

DIVx0 14y 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.

sneak 14y 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 14y 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.
  - rayiner 14y ago
    The practicality of piecemeal upgrades is overstated, especially with external storage. I've never wanted to upgrade my GPU without also upgrading the CPU (so its not CPU-bottlenecked), which usually necessitates a new motherboard anyway and these days usually new RAM too (DDR-XYZ).
    - jasonlotito 14y ago
      Upgrading RAM is something I've always done. The cost difference between getting it from Apple and getting it from New Egg or a local shop was always dramatically different. Also, being able to upgrade the hard drive vastly improves the performance and capabilities as well. This is especially good when you can then turn around and hand off the laptop to a relative or a non-techy who will benefit from the device. The resale value is never enough to pay for the upgrade costs, unless you are almost upgrading every time a new model comes out.

taligent 14y ago

Honestly I don't think this is as much of a problem as it used to be. Both RAM/HDD have stayed fairly static the last couple of years. Provided you have 4GB/SSD then you will likely be future proof for a long while yet. Interesting that there isn't anything on the software front that is pushing hardware forward.

joejohnson 14y 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 14y 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 14y 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.
- ChuckMcM 14y 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?
  - daigoba66 14y ago
    Well... to most people it's still a computer and not a TV. That's why they buy both :). But they purchase computers like TVs (a single product with practically no user serviceable parts).
    - ChuckMcM 14y ago
      True people buy both, although most people who buy a device that you and I are calling a 'computer' those people are buying it strictly as information consumers, and to a lesser extent codified information producers (like instagram or uploading a youtube video). They will never change its configuration, or attempt to program it in any way. It is an information appliance, like a TV, except with a keyboard and a web cam.

Shivetya 14y 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 14y 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 14y ago

Premium computers still come with spinning disks? Quaint.