Filed under: Desktops, iLife, Rumors, iMac, Apple
Rumor: New iMac on August 7
It's no real secret that an iMac update is most likely in the works, but ThinkSecret says they've narrowed down an actual date for the announcement: August 7th. As soon as two and a half weeks from now, we could be seeing a brand new iMac on the Apple Store.The rumors, as you may have heard, say the new iMac will sport a brushed metal enclosure, to match up to the MacBook Pros and Mac Pros out there, and other sources say the new iMac will include a matching keyboard. ThinkSecret also speculates that iLife may be released earlier than its expected October date (originally, the suite was tracking a release right alongside Leopard). But apparently those rumors are less solid than the iMac release-- iLife and iWork are both supposed to take advantage of new techs in Leopard, so it would be a bad idea to release them early just for the sake of releasing.
As always, don't forget to take that standard grain of salt with all of these rumors. But if you are thinking about picking up an iMac, looks like it might behoove you to wait a week or two just in case.
Thanks, Corinne!
Get a WordPress.com Blog
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
mike said 3:51PM on 7-19-2007
You mean to match MacBook pros and Mac Pros, MacBooks don't have brushed metal. By the way Apple is moving away from brushed metal, as we saw at WWDC with the new Leopard Finder, Safari, etc., so why would they make a brushed metal iMac (even though it would be quite awesome)? And if they plan to keep brushed metal computers, everyone knows Apple uses the brushed metal for the pro models, and plastic for the regular models.
Reply
GW said 3:53PM on 7-19-2007
The MacBook now comes in a brushed metal finish? Must have missed the blog on that, hidden as it was in the midst of all the 'Look at the functionality I can disable on my iphone to avoid paying for a full ATT contract' blogs there have been since 29th June
Reply
Stephen Coyle said 5:26AM on 7-27-2007
No Macs have a brushed metal case. The Macbook Pro and Mac Pro have an aluminium case, it's anodised like the iPod Nano and Shuffle. Brushed metal is a totally different look. In any case, the metal case look seems to be more for the "Pro" line of Macs, I doubt it would ever be used for "consumer" Macs like the iMac of the Mac Mini.
Reply
RM said 4:12PM on 7-19-2007
While the timing certainly makes sense, I really don't see Apple bringing out the new design in brushed metal. For one thing, it's always been used for the "Pro" products - PowerBook/MBP, G5/Mac Pro, Cinema Displays. "Consumer" products have always been white or coloured plastic - iPods, iMacs, iBook/MacBooks. In addition to that, both looks have been around for quite a while, and the brushed metal is being phased out in software, I wouldn't be surprised if they changed it in hardware too. Perhaps an iMac with similar styling to the iPhone - black with a translucent polycarbonate layer, with some silver thrown in? Or maybe something completely different. Brushed metal just doesn't seem to fit the pattern at all.
Reply
Brandon Martinez said 4:15PM on 7-19-2007
You know, I really like the iMac design they have now. So what if it's a little old; it is still one of the most stylish, and elegant computers I have ever seen (or had for that matter :P). I mean, anytime one of my friends see it, they're always, gzz, I've got to get me an iMac. :)
Reply
JUdson said 4:45PM on 7-19-2007
It'd really break the pattern, but I like the idea of a new keyboard. I'd love to see macbook style keys, aluminum and maybe even backlit.
Reply
chuck wilrycx said 6:18PM on 7-19-2007
I have got to agree with the comment above about the current state of the iMac. The form factor is still leaps ahead of anyone else around, and outside of a functional feature upgrade, swivel or touchscreen, why mess with this until the departure could be more radical? I too get nothing but oohs and ahhhs when my friends see my huge 24"
Reply
Fourbin said 5:32PM on 7-19-2007
I love TUAW but what's the deal lately over here? That Think Secret news is almost two weeks old now...
Reply
Dominik Trzaskacz said 7:07PM on 7-19-2007
Sony VAIO desktops' design is as elegant as Apple computers.
Reply
Quix said 4:35PM on 7-19-2007
Brushed metal, aluminum, plastic, bamboo, whatever - I don't care as long as Apple pulls its head out of the sand and throws a decent video processor in this thing (as the current 20" iMac continues to creak along with the Radeon X1600 after a year-and-a-half). Unreal Tournament 3 is coming to Mac, after all! And don't forget about Starcraft 2...
Reply
Joe said 4:39PM on 7-19-2007
I've been waiting 8 months for this iMac. Fingers crossed :)
Reply
jeff said 4:45PM on 7-19-2007
Can I ask a dumb question? Why is Apple so damn secretive about their upcoming hardware? I don't understand the point of doing so. I realize this is a place for comments, but maybe asking the question is a comment in itself...
Reply
Gaurav said 4:54PM on 7-19-2007
I've also heard rumours that 17" iMac will be shelved. I don't understand it! That was a major revenue generator through college kids.
I mean I'll be going to college this fall, and I had my eyes set on the 17" iMac. Now if they only offer the 20/24 iMacs at the current prices, they're going to lose many college customers, including me. I mean, to us, even $400 can mean a semester's tuition for the biology course. Seems like I ahave to give up on the idea of an iMac. Sigh! (Disappointed)
Reply
Scott said 4:52PM on 7-19-2007
I've been waiting most of the year for the new iMac, too, to replace my G4. But is Apple really greedy enough to release a new set of iMacs in August and then Leopard/iLife in October and not give iMac buyers during that interim period free coupons to upgrade? (I guess I know that the answer to that is "yes".) I know I have no interest in shelling out 2-3 hundred bucks more a few months later. I'll wait for October before buying a new iMac.
Reply
Bob said 4:58PM on 7-19-2007
"Brushed metal just doesn't seem to fit the pattern at all."
Look at the iPod nanos, the Mac Mini, the AppleTV... They are moving in this direction across the board.
I'm not trying to pick a fight, just pointing out my humble observation and opinion.
Reply
kinezo said 5:07PM on 7-19-2007
#9: If they announce to early, then people won't buy the current iMacs. So try to keep it hush hush until the day of release if they can.
#12: Umm .. I don't see why this prevents you from buying a current white 17" iMac? It's a solid computer with Core 2 Duo still.
And to all the people calling it brushed, it's not. :) It's 'anodized': http://www.apple.com/ca/macmini/design.html
and yeah .. it's on the mac mini .. hardly their 'pro' line.
Where do you people come up with all these funny statements? Does no one here know how to surf the intertubes to back up their statements?
Reply
dstaley said 6:06PM on 7-19-2007
Hmm, I've been thinking about purchasing an Apple Wireless keyboard in the next week. Should I hold out?
Reply
Josh Holat said 5:46PM on 7-19-2007
@11 I've head this too. I heard that it was becuase of the fact that htey can make the bigger ones for cheaper now do to lower costs. So you can get the bigger version for the same price as the 17 inch costs, which makes sense.
mntdev.com
Reply
JeffDM said 6:08PM on 7-19-2007
Apple does have a texture on their aluminum that's often mistaken for brushed look. I think it is blasted with a fine glass bead and then anodized. There is a faint directional structure, that might just be the crystal grain of the metal.
Reply
jbisrael said 7:45PM on 7-19-2007
==i can't believe i'm commenting on this==
i just don't buy it. I can see a redesigned keyboard, or a SLIGHT modification to the current design (like allowing the screen to pivot left and right, a glass screen or even incorporating multi-touch) but I just don't think they're gonna redesign the whole thing. IMHO the iMac will be the first computer to become a tablet and until that's ready (which it might be), we're not gonna see a new iMac.
also, has nobody notices that current iMac has an anodized aluminum base? no? no...? oh well.
Reply