Q: No DVD drive in new iMac ???

Skip iDVD and go with Toast. The menus aren't as fancy, but the encoding and burning ability is better than iDVD.

Ziatron wrote:

Consumers will want these systems also.  Most motion pictures now are shot in 4K (about 4 times the resolution of current 1080p).

A lot will depend on cost, both of the drives & of the media.

The Sony/Panasonic announcement says they are developing this technology for commercial archival use. Commercial products tend to cost significantly more than consumer ones. Businesses have bigger budgets to work with & are willing to pay more for durable, long lasting products, especially for things like archiving their records & assets.

And even if consumer versions become available at mass market prices, there is no guarantee studios will release movies on the media, or do so at reasonable prices.

But let's say everything happens to make this a practical consumer item & you want one ASAP. How long would you wait for Apple or a PC maker to build one of the drives into their "all-in-one" products? Wouldn't it be more likely that you would buy a stand alone player for your entertainment system, or maybe an external drive that you could attach to your current (& next computer)?

I've got a 2010 iMac.  Had to take it to the Apple store to have a new HDD fitted.  I was looking at the new iMacs whilst there...I won't be buying one either.  NO Optical drive...wrong move...I use my DVD drive all the time as i work in an industry that requires me to to burn Master Copies of CD's and DVD's!  One of the industries that Apple has been associated with greatness for for a long time is the outstanding ability to handle graphics, music and video...This is a big factor when purchasing a Mac over a PC..But with no way to transfer anything to CD/DVD without buying an add-on seems like a completly ridiculous move..Yes the new iMac looks lovely and sleek, but at what cost?  It look sleek when it had the DVD Drive!...

Bad move apple assuming that no one wants a DVD drive anymore...

The drive is (a) available and (b) optional. If you must have one, buy one.

Get a 3rd party optical drive.  I personally prefer drawer loading drives and otherworldcomputing.com offers a variety of potential candidates.

OT

I thought point of an All-In-One isnt really to have various things hanging out the back of it..I like having the drive tucked away, and I do use it alot so that'd be my decision why not to purchase a newer model which is a shame really as I was looking to update mine..

Well, after much consideration (since April) and receiving and reading so many email notices of this thread.

I have bought a new iMac. This will be my seventh Apple Computer.

I admit, I was opposed to no DVD drive when I learned of that back in April. I just bellied-up and bought an external drive that should be more depndable tha my old 2009 aluminum iMac.

I am getting excited as my new 27" iMac will arrive tomorrow. Gotta Do, What Ya Gotta Do!

Neil.Dynamix wrote:

Yes the new iMac looks lovely and sleek, but at what cost?  It look sleek when it had the DVD Drive!...

If you compare the incredible performance & astounding quietness of the new iMacs to the old ones, you may see that the old ones were not quite so "sleek" in the areas that count as you might have thought. Besides, if you use a DVD drive all the time, an external one can be placed wherever it is easiest to access it. I don't know about you, but I was never fond of having to find the slot on the side of the more modern iMacs & carefully insert the disc, making sure not to scratch it on the case.

And remember, there never has been a true "all-in-one" iMac -- they all need at least an added on keyboard & pointing device to be useful.

I agree. I saw a new iMac at a retail store and it was so cooool to the touch.

G_Daddy wrote:

I am getting excited as my new 27" iMac will arrive tomorrow.

If you are anything like me, you will be blown away by how fast it is, how quiet it is, & how great the new low-glare screen is.

I have yet to find any task that ramps up its single, almost dead quiet fan above a whisper, or even warms up the case above room temperature.

Oh yeah, the sound system is also amazing -- more bass than anything that thin should be able to put out, or for that matter than the the thicker ones it replaced.

I have a 2011 iMac, and it's hot and noisy when working hard. I have never put anything in the DVD slot so I wish I had waited.

Wanna swap

I agree with you that it looks very nice.  but in reply to the keyboard issue thats a no brainer..we have to have these things, but they are bluetooth so dont take up any port space.

Im actually a bit surprised that one of leaders in touch screen mobile phone technology hasnt even considered implimenting this into their newest models...Windows is one step ahead all be it a pile of crap OS!! But thats not the discussion here!..I still prefer to have the drive in the unit rather than as an external desk filler.  Personal choice...thats all..

You were getting a new drive fitted to your old iMac. Wouldn't it be easier to have an externel drive and just order one and plug it in save the labor cost and have the same effect?

No..I was getting a new HDD fitted not DVD Drive..My HDD became corrupt..apparently iMacs in 09/10 were recalled because of faulty Seagate Hard Drives which I wasnt aware of until yesterday.  Mine kicked the bucket so I took it in and they told me its one of the dodgy HDD by Seagate and they'll replace it for free.  Whilst I was there i had a look at the new iMac..

I can't stand the thought of hanging one more ugly periphial from the back of my Mac.  And the fact that there is not one USB or SD card slot located in a convenient location!  A step backwards in usability in my opinion.

But good luck with it!