iPad on a stick
The new iMac, despite all the hype, is a glorified 'iPad on a Stick'.
The iMac, that's the May 2011 revision, was a barnstorming AIO with plenty of bells and whistles - I should know as purchased two of the 27in BTO models - instead of waiting for intel Haswell chips, Ive and co decided to re-imagine the iMac as a iOS device minus the touch interface - so while it may be aesthetically pleasing to those who actually just utilise it to show off to friends and colleagues, for your average day to day users its basically crippled, i.e., no optics, lack of user upgrades - RAM is soldered into 21in models - and basically it loses the utilitarian functionality it once had, at a higher price point.
Have said it before, but will say it again, why upgrade the look now, basically all it required was a upgrade to USB3, Ivy Bridge Processors and latest AMD or NVIDEA GPU.
So, here's the crack, in December you get a new 27in iMac based on a CPU that's been out six months already and that will be upgraded in May next year - Intel Haswell launch timeframe, you also don't get the latest wifi, its old 'N' stock - so come May/June next year, you'll have to upgrade again in all probability - this is known as customer price gouging - a sane business would have made big changes with Haswell, particularly given heat dissipation issues.
Still, I suppose if you like a 'iPad on a Stick', the new iMac is great, if you much prefer an OSX device that does not require you to add ad-dons such as a DVD drive, it sucks - I for one will not be upgrading, rather wait until second release with better CPU and better wifi options, i.e., future proofed more than the newly released and presently unavailable newer, thinner and more expensive iMac.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
