New range of iMac desktops could be in the works

When Apple took to the stage at the Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this year, the brand had taken the wraps off its latest notebooks. The notebook that took the centre stage was the MacBook Pro with Retina Display capabilities. This new notebook was praised the world over for reasons much more than its above average resolution. Apple’s desktop line-up took a backseat, and did not warrant a mention at the event, though it did receive a slight bump up in specifications. Many rumours since then indicate that Apple could be making a new range of desktops. A recent report by Fox News backs these speculations by claiming that a new range of iMacs are in the works.

As per the report, the author Clayton Morris states, “Multiple sources tell me that a new lineup of desktop machines from Apple is imminent. A quick look around Amazon’s website shows dried up supplies for the 27-inch version. The popular MacRumors website looked at Apple store supplies and found dwindling availability as well, although 21-inch iMacs do appear to be widely available.”

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May be coming soon

Apple may add Retina Display to its upcoming iMacs. However, the report quotes Instapaper creator Marco Arment who stated in a blog post, “I’ve now heard from multiple sources that while an iMac update is indeed coming this fall, it will not have Retina displays.”

While we may not witness a high end resolution on the next iMac desktops, some hardware specifications may surely make the cut. These include the new Ivy Bridge processors, improved graphics chips, USB 3.0 along with expanded SSD capacities. Though there may be some major improvements, something that will not make the cut will be the optical dries, a feature which Apple may ditch altogether when they upgrade their desktops.

Commenting on the removal of the optical disc drive, Apple Insider states, “The appearance of new Mac Pro and iMac models in the USB booting support list doesn’t definitively mean the models won’t have optical drives, as it also lists MacBook and MacBook Pro models that do incorporate an optical drive. At the same time, Apple has clearly indicated in the newest Mac mini and Retina Display MacBook Pro that it plans to get rid of optical disc drives as soon as possible across the board, providing an external USB drive as an option for users who need one. Users increasingly have fewer opportunities to use optical drives, as the bulk of third party software is now available as a digital download either directly from the vendor or through Apple’s App Store. Apple also sees digital distribution as the future of music and movies, as exemplified in Apple TV, which has never included an optical drive.”

In June, in a letter to a Mac Pro customer regarding a concern about the Mac Pro refresh, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook has stated that Apple was working on an update for that particular line-up of desktops. He stated, “Our Pro customers like you are really important to us. Although we didn’t have a chance to talk about a new Mac Pro at today’s event, don’t worry as we’re working on something really great for later next year. We also updated the current model today. We’ve been continuing to update Final Cut Pro X with revolutionary pro features like industry leading multi-cam support and we just updated Aperture with incredible new image adjustment features. We also announced a MacBook Pro with a Retina Display that is a great solution for many pros.”