[P1] OT: Any chance Apple will soon upgrade the 20" iMac? (and other questions)

[Brian Pearce]

> I know Apple just recently upgraded the iMac, but what are the chances 
> they
> will announce another upgrade to the 20" iMac (or a drop in its price)
> during the Macworld Expo January 5-9?

I'd say probably somewhere between slim and none; it's probably a 
better bet that all eyes will be on the "professional" line for the 
Expo. (Apple's product upgrades seem to come on about nine-month or 
greater cycles, so I think January is too soon.) And a price drop on a 
consumer model right after the Holidays seems sort of unlikely.

> I finally got together enough jingo to buy an iMac and just use my 
> iBook for the road, but I'm wondering if I should wait a month.

If you don't have an immediate need for an iMac, then you've got 
nothing to lose by waiting. But in general, waiting for 
the-next-big-thing with any model computer is a pointless exercise if 
you have a need that has to be filled (unless it's close to an macWorld 
Expo, when you have a *slightly* improved chance).

> Also, and I know this is a long shot, but what's the chance that they 
> will
> put a G5 in the iMac anytime soon?  If they might, any sense of when?

Between the *extraordinary* cooling system the G5 requires and Apple's 
desire to keep the Professional line (which is where the highest 
margins are) seperate from competition with its' consumer models where 
possible, I think a G5 iMac is far, far down the road. When it happens, 
it may not even be in the current iMac form factor. And even then, it 
may be a lower-power version of the chip (as will likely end up in the 
Powerbooks when that time comes).

> What are your thoughts on getting AppleCare?  Is it worth it at $119?
>
> Should I buy more RAM from Apple when I order the iMac, or is it 
> cheaper to
> buy it elsewhere?

Yeesh...never, ever by RAM from Apple if you can avoid it, and if you 
feel comfortable installing it yourself; the savings can be 
significant. You can get a good comparison fo current prices at 
<www.ramseeker.com>.

> If it's cheaper to buy RAM elsewhere, how much cheaper,
> and is it easy to install in the iMac?  I've installed RAM in my iBook
> before and it was fairly easy, so I imagine I could handle it on my 
> own.  If
> I did install it myself, would it void my AppleCare coverage?

With the iMac, there are two RAM slots; one is "user accessible" 
(getting to it is about as difficult as installing an AirPort card), 
and the other *isn't,* at least as far as Apple is concerned, and 
accessing it will void your warranty or AppleCare coverage. You *can* 
get to it (there are illustrated instructions on the web), but it 
requires specific parts (a special-sized Torx screwdriver, and thermal 
paste) and a great deal of care.

Essentially, there's are two great big pieces of metal that help to 
conduct heat out of the top of the iMac base, and the thermal paste (a 
silver, sort of toothpaste consistency) seals the joints between these 
two pieces to make them act as a single unit. To get to this second RAM 
slot, you need to seperate the two pieces; when finished you have to 
clean the joints and carefully apply new thermal paste before 
everything is put back together.

I've done this (replacing the installed 256 MB DIMM with a 512 MB DIMM, 
for a total of 1 GB), and I've lived to tell the tale, but you should 
have a look around and decide if it's something you think you can 
handle. (Many of the sites that sell RAM for this slot also have 
instructions on the web.)

I forget how it all worked out when I bought this iMac earler this 
year, but it seemed like a good solution to do the upgrade myself.

> If I have Apple install the RAM, does it matter whether I buy the 
> one-DIMM 512 MB chip
> for $90 or the two-DIMM chips for $180?

I *think,* if you want to avoid the complicated installation, that if 
you order the "512 MB 1 DIMM" option, it should leave the "user 
accessible" slot empty, for you to install your own additional DIMM. 
But it's worth a call to Apple, or further research. to make sure.

Good luck!
BRIAN/bpearce at cloud9.net