• [Rumour] Specs for up-coming iMac

    From Your Name@21:1/5 to All on Sat Apr 8 14:25:48 2017
    XPost: comp.sys.mac.misc

    New iMacs With Up to Xeon E3 Processors, 64GB RAM,
    AMD Graphics, and Thunderbolt 3 Rumored for Late October
    --------------------------------------------------------
    Earlier this week, Apple made the rare move of pre-announcing
    that it is working on new pro-focused iMac models that will
    launch later this year.

    Apple did not share any specific details about what the
    upgrades will entail, but if the blog Pike's Universum is to
    be believed, the next-generation iMac lineup could feature
    several improvements that make Apple's desktop computer a
    more powerful workstation for professionals and average
    consumers alike.

    The blog, citing a "little bird" that is "usually pretty
    accurate," claims the incoming iMac lineup will be available
    with up to the following tech specs:

    € Intel Xeon E3 processors: The new iMac will supposedly
    have up to a pro-grade Intel Xeon E3-1285 v6 processor.
    Intel has not released that particular chip yet, but
    based on previous generations of the E3-1285, the
    processor could essentially be the E3-1280 v6 coupled
    with integrated Intel HD Graphics P630. Notably, Xeon
    processors support ECC RAM.

    € 16GB to 64GB of ECC RAM: 16GB of ECC RAM, configurable
    to 32GB or 64GB, in line with the current Mac Pro.
    iMacs currently have 8GB of non-ECC RAM, configurable
    to 16GB or 32GB. ECC RAM can detect and repair errors
    that cause data corruption and system crashes. No word
    if it will be DDR3L or DDR4.

    € Faster NVMe SSDs: The rumor claims the next iMacs will
    have faster NVM Express PCIe-based flash storage with
    capacities up to 2TB. The current 4K and 5K iMac models
    are also configurable with NVMe PCIe-based SSDs or
    Fusion Drives up to 2TB.

    € AMD graphics: The new iMacs will supposedly have AMD
    graphics options to support virtual reality and
    professional apps. The inclusion of AMD graphics in the
    next iMac has been rumored previously by Bloomberg. The
    current 27-inch iMac uses AMD Radeon R9 GPUs.

    € Thunderbolt 3: Thunderbolt 3 ports would be an
    unsurprising inclusion in the next iMacs given they
    already exist on the latest MacBook Pro. Thunderbolt 3
    carries power, USB, DisplayPort, HDMI, and VGA over a
    single cable, creating one standard for connecting most
    accessories and peripherals.

    The report claims the next iMac models will be unveiled in
    late October and be accompanied by a brand new keyboard. A
    previous report said Apple was exploring a standalone
    keyboard with a Touch Bar and Touch ID, but its release
    allegedly depends upon how well those features have been
    received on the latest MacBook Pro.

    The blog also claims Apple is working on an 8K external
    display for Apple's "completely rethought" Mac Pro. This
    isn't a rumor we've heard before, but Apple did confirm it
    is working on a new Apple-branded pro display of an
    unspecified resolution. Dell recently launched a 32-inch
    8K display for $5,000.

    Another tidbit mentioned in the report is that macOS 10.13
    supposedly will not use a mountain or park name anymore,
    with two alternative names in the running, including one
    that starts with the letter M. Apple's trademarked names
    that could fit that description include Monterey and
    Mojave.

    Last, the report said the next high-end Mac mini "won't be
    so mini anymore," suggesting that the most expensive model
    might have a larger or taller design. Apple recently said
    the Mac mini is "important" within its product lineup, but
    it remained tight-lipped about the prospects of future
    updates.

    Pike's Universum is best known for spotting references to
    unreleased Macs or upcoming software versions hidden
    within Apple's operating systems. The blog does not have
    an established track record of reporting on Apple's plans
    based on its own inside sources, so this rumor should be
    treated with caution for now.

    <http://www.macrumors.com/2017/04/06/imac-xeon-e3-64gb-ram-amd-late-octo
    ber/>

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