It is out of Apple’s character to make an announcement of a major new product, but then again you would not fault Apple for taking the road less traveled when it comes to getting things done. This is how they have rolled over the years in order to differentiate themselves from the others, and Apple has actually made a pre-announcement of upcoming new products with confirmation of a new iMac 2017 range arriving later this year.
Phil Schiller has already confirmed that Apple is currently working to release an update for the iMac. The iMac is a desktop computer that millions around the world have come to know and love, and use regularly. Schiller shared, “We have big plans for the iMac. We’re going to begin making configurations of iMac specifically with the Pro customer in mind.” Does this mean that the iMac is going to be souped up as though it is some sort of budget Mac Pro? Only time will be able to tell, but it is nice to see Apple finally pay some attention to the long neglected iMac line of desktops.
Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, added, “The iMac has seen an incredible evolution over the past decade. The original iMac you wouldn’t have thought of as remotely touching Pro uses. But today’s 5K iMac in its top configurations? It’s incredibly powerful. Tasks that previously would have required the Mac Pros of old are now being well addressed by today’s iMac.”
What does this mean for those who are mulling over whether to purchase a brand new iMac between now and December of 2017? The best answer? You would do well to hold out until something official is announced and subsequently, released. In terms of pricing, we should be able to expect the very same price point, or somewhere in the region which will be in line with previous iMac releases.
More importantly, it would certainly not be out of place to see a brand new design introduced to the new iMac -- right from the chassis all the way to the innards. Expect new components and core chipsets to see an overhaul, and also for changes to be made to the availability of the different types of iMacs. After all, the landscape has certainly changed by leaps and bounds over the past few years, and desktop computing is a different creature altogether. Hence, it will be interesting to see what Apple’s take will be with the new iMac family. Hopefully it will not go off tangent like the Mac Pro that had already been admitted by Apple to be a mistake.
In the meantime, it would be best to hold off any purchases until the brand new iMac hits the market if you or the office works within the OS X environment. This is assuming there are no mission critical tasks that need to be attended to with utmost urgency, of course. Otherwise, you might find yourself with a bad case of buyer’s remorse when the new iMacs arrive in the months to come.
