user upgradeable?

I am looking at the new imacs, and i'm just wondering how easy it is to upgrade ram, harddrive etc.,

Thanks

webbywebber said:

I am looking at the new imacs, and i'm just wondering how easy it is to upgrade ram, harddrive etc.,

Thanks

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well, Unless you buy the 24 inch imac you can't upgrade the video card. Ram, well, On the bottom there is a removable plate where you can stick a gig stick in. That's all i know for the most part. i thought i read somewhere that someone here was gong to change out the hdd but it was buried deep inside the thing. If you go with the 24 inch imac it's worth it. What are you looking to do with your Mac?

If I am correct you will only be able to add ram which sounds fairly simple, Harddrive is packed away under several other parts.

The only part that Apple intended to be user-upgradable is RAM. Nothing else is easy to get to, especially without voiding your warranty.

Geez, all these Mac owners are soooo paranoid over their precious warranties. I've torn apart and rebuilt PCs for years and unless the hardware is bad from the factory (which you'll know sooner rather than later) then don't be a wuss and go ahead and tear into it and do what you want. My Mini is getting a 7200rpm drive, a Pioneer DVDRW, and a Core2 Merom. It's all good.

Hulk_SMASH said:

Geez, all these Mac owners are soooo paranoid over their precious warranties. I've torn apart and rebuilt PCs for years and unless the hardware is bad from the factory (which you'll know sooner rather than later) then don't be a wuss and go ahead and tear into it and do what you want. My Mini is getting a 7200rpm drive, a Pioneer DVDRW, and a Core2 Merom. It's all good.

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That's all well and good on a PC or a Mac Mini, where the monitor isn't integrated into the computer. But on an iMac or a notebook, if something big breaks and you don't have a warranty, you now have a very expensive blank screen. I've never cracked open my iMac, but I would imagine certain components might be tougher to get at than in a Mini. Prior to the addition of the iSight you actually had to open the case to get to the RAM, but now it's much more complicated inside. So it's not really a matter of paranoia, it's more a matter of difficulty.

dohidied said:

So it's not really a matter of paranoia, it's more a matter of difficulty.

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Agreed.
Windows boxes are all fairly straightforward when it comes to cracking open the case. Same goes for some Windows notebooks as well. They are pretty generic and more or less just a big box with parts inside.
Macs on the other hand, are much more intricate and not so easy to get inside. The design of the case in most Macs is "non-standard" and the components are made to fit within that finite amount of space. It can be done, but you run a risk of damaging something that might not have any connection to what you are trying to accomplish by cracking the case.
Not to mention that it is no easy task to get inside most Macs to begin with.


Macs in general really don't need any upgrading (with the exception of RAM maybe, depending on what apps you run on a regular basis) and they run extremely well in their standard configs. The 'need' to upgrade I find is more of a holdover from some people's Windows PC days where you almost had to in some scenarios in order for some new software to run properly under the Windows OS.
Macs are harmonized so the hardware and the software work with each other in a much better way.
:black:

I don't think apple's intended consumer base particularly revels in the idea of upgrading their computers from the inside out, they purchase their macs because they're satisfied with the existing product, and simply add on, or buy new once their needs aren't being addressed any longer. iMacs in particular, address these needs very well!

Everything is upgradable (CPU, RAM, Disc Drive, and Video card [24" only]). It's a little difficult to get open and will void your warrantee but that doesn't really matter because you will probably only need to upgrade after your warrantee.

--Cheers

Also, as far as the video card goes, you'll have to get a compatible MXM card. They aren't really available other than in existing laptops, at least not at this point. Also, people have had varying degrees of success trying to actually get a new MXM video card installed and working.

How often does a screen go bad anyway? Usually if you have stuck or dead pixels that will happen when you first get it or years on down the road after the warranty is up. Also If you've got a 17"imac with a core solo, then a merom core2 would be quite a good upgrade and well worth cracking the case open over. As far as difficulty goes, if you don't feel comfortable ripping the case open and getting your hands dirty then maybe you should pay the $50-$100 for your local shoppe to do it, eh? Maye he'll want a core Quadro when they come out next year. Intel says they'll be compatible you know.

Hulk_SMASH said:

Also If you've got a 17"imac with a core solo, then a merom core2 would be quite a good upgrade and well worth cracking the case open over.

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No, I think that should remain intact as a collector's item, because that computer never existed.

bah! you know what I mean, lol