According to their sources, it’ll be a basic machine with a 3.1GHz dual-core processor and AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics card, 2GB of DDR3 RAM, and a 250GB hard drive. While full details aren’t obviously known yet (and indeed, this rumour could be nothing but hopeful speculation), it’s very likely this iMac would cost under $US1,000 when it’s released.
So what say you, students? Apple’s cheapest iMac is currently $US1,199. Would you be willing to sacrifice specs for a sub-$1,000 price-tag, or is the extra few hundred dollars a worthwhile investment in your future? [9to5Mac]
scalfy
Monday, August 8, 2011 at 7:43 PM2GB of ram would be fine for business students who only need MS Office/iWork. But for everyone else – architecture, design, visual arts, IT even Medicine and Sciences 2GB isnt going to cut it.
Sam
Monday, August 8, 2011 at 7:53 PMAgreed, 2GB is very small, even for Mac’s – and RAM is so cheap nowadays, putting 4GB into a Mac can’t be too hard?
Steve
Monday, August 8, 2011 at 8:32 PM“putting 4GB into a Mac can’t be too hard?”
This isn’t a PC we’re talking about. If their stance on HDDs is any precedent, Apple will fight tooth and nail to prevent people doing their own upgrades to force people to choose the more expensive options on their site.
josh
Monday, August 8, 2011 at 8:36 PMi upgraded the ram in my old iMac, (last white model), its VERY easy, all you do is unscrew a plate on the under side and the RAM is in there.
Steve
Monday, August 8, 2011 at 8:45 PMYeah, it’s very easy, but so was HDD upgrade until 2010/2011. I just fear the worst… that they’d encase it in steel, solder a heat sensor on, or use some insane connector like they did last time.
Jamie
Monday, August 8, 2011 at 10:11 PMI highly doubt they’d stop making RAM user replaceable. It is exceptionally easy in all the machines. Hard drive replacement in the iMacs is a piece of cake too, took less than 5minutes to open the machine up and put a new hard drive in.
The thing is with a machine like this, is that your basic computer user isn’t going to want huge amounts of RAM. If this machine does exist to be released, it isn’t going to be marketed towards the high end users and high end users are going to know that.
ba!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011 at 9:40 AMYou’ve obviously never owned a Mac.
It’s easier than a PC and it doesn’t even void AppleCare if you have it- if you do it yourself.
Steve
Monday, August 8, 2011 at 8:41 PMMedicine doesn’t really use computers, but I know at USYD’s science faculties, we have the baseline iMacs running Windows 7 which seems awfully counter-productive, unless they got a really good bulk deal from Apple.
josh
Monday, August 8, 2011 at 8:59 PMyeah UoW use iMacs running XP in a few of the labs
Thorbjørn
Monday, August 8, 2011 at 7:55 PMYeah. I’m surprised about the 2 gigs of ram. If it’s upgradable to 4GB ram and keep a pricetag under $1000, it’d definitely be worth consdering.
I’m guess it’ll start on at least $AU1000 thou…
josh
Monday, August 8, 2011 at 8:34 PMif you can get 4gb of ram then i defiantly would buy one
Steve
Monday, August 8, 2011 at 8:35 PMWould be a step in the right direction, but $1000 USD baseline (likely) and only 2GB RAM is insane. RAM is cheap as chips these days, why couldn’t they have just shoved another stick on for a $50 extra or something.
These days, you can make a pretty powerful tower with <$500 which would leave these specs in the dust. Apple should sweeten the deal and stack it with their regular education discounts and promotions (eg the free ipods or something)
Max
Monday, August 8, 2011 at 10:06 PMI’d rather spend half that on a much better PC.
Pete
Monday, August 8, 2011 at 10:14 PMactually just been officially released…
DarthDVD
Monday, August 8, 2011 at 10:38 PMum…. remember apple will stiff us on the import price… even if they try and say its transport fees…. CHINA IS CLOSER TO AUSTRALIA!!!!
ba!
Tuesday, August 9, 2011 at 9:42 AMMost of the students who came in were more interested in the Macbook, just because it was cheaper.
I say things like ‘but you get an extra 2gig of ram in the pro, and it can go to 8!’ but they just wanted the cheapest. I think it’s a nice viable option for Students and tightarses.
Gonna be hard to sell the ol’ Mac Mini though
Sam
Tuesday, August 9, 2011 at 11:24 AMcompared to our new i5 laptops with 4gb ram and external graphics for under 750 each…