You are reading the article Ifixit Imac Teardown Reveals Dual Mics, Difficult Ram Upgrades And Glued Lcd updated in December 2023 on the website Achiashop.com. We hope that the information we have shared is helpful to you. If you find the content interesting and meaningful, please share it with your friends and continue to follow and support us for the latest updates. Suggested January 2024 Ifixit Imac Teardown Reveals Dual Mics, Difficult Ram Upgrades And Glued Lcd
While we had some pictures of a brief teardown earlier this week, iFixit has now completed its ritual teardown of the new 21.5-inch iMac that officially went on sale on Friday.
Unfortunately, iFixit described the process as an “exercise in disappointment,” noting the iMac’s new thinner design introduces new hurdles for repairability. Most notably, the device’s glass and LCD are now glued directly to the iMac’s frame, while accessing the RAM, CPU, and hard drive will now mean having to remove the entire logic board:
The late 2012 iMac 21.5″ — code-named EMC 2544 — is an exercise in disappointment for us. We were quite worried when we saw that super-thin bezel during Apple’s keynote, and unfortunately we were correct: the glass and LCD are now glued to the iMac’s frame with incredibly strong adhesive. Gone are the lovely magnets that held the glass in place in iMacs of yesteryear.
A few things noted in iFixit’s highlights: a new rubber housing that “dampens the vibrations from the spinning hard drive,” a new single fan layout, dual microphones, and a 5mm thinner LG made display. Those are some of the highlights of Apple’s new design, but iFixit is scoring the new iMac as a 3 out of 10 (down from 7 last year) due to the many issues with repairability. Here are just a few:
* National Semiconductor VM22AC
* To our dismay, we must break out our trusty heat gun and guitar picks to get past the adhesive holding down the glass and LCD.
* We were fairly surprised to see that the new iMac’s LCD sports the same model number as last year — LM215WF3 from LG — even though the LCD is 5 mm thinner.
* By switching from a traditional 3.5″ desktop hard drive to a 2.5″ laptop drive, Apple designers were able to free up lot of real estate inside the iMac. Apple turned to HGST — formerly Hitachi, now a Western Digital company — to manage the iMac’s spinning storage.
* A rubbery housing is lightly adhered to the edges of the hard drive beneath the upper and lower hard plastic bezels. This design is far different from what we’ve seen before. Since the internal components are more tightly packed than before, small vibrations may carry through more components. The rubber housing dampens the vibrations from the spinning hard drive so they are not perpetuated throughout the device.
* A new fan layout! Apple is changing things up quite a bit and has moved from multiple small fans to a single centralized fan. “1” may be the loneliest number, but removing 2/3 of the fans goes a long way towards saving space. Judging by the orientation of the fan, we gather that it draws cool air from the bottom vents, then blows hot air out of the grating in the back of the iMac.
* The webcams in iMacs of yesteryear have always been connected to the logic board with long snaking cables that were relatively fragile; that is no longer the case. A ribbon cable we can only describe as “beefy” keeps the FaceTime HD camera in touch with the logic board.
* The newest iMac features not one, but two microphones. Dual microphone technology has been utilized in mobile devices for years to cut out background noise during phone calls. Now, the same idea is being applied here to improve sound quality during intimate FaceTime chats with your mother.
* The speakers may look simple, but removing them is nerve-wracking. For seemingly no reason other than to push our buttons, Apple has added a notch to the bottom of the speaker assemblies that makes them harder-than-necessary to remove.
* Good news: You can upgrade the iMac’s RAM. Bad news: You have to unglue your screen and remove the logic board in order to do so. This is just barely less-terrible than having soldered RAM that’s completely non-removable.
* After a short hiatus, Broadcom is back to bring WLAN capabilities to the iMac. A Broadcom BCM4331 single-chip WLAN solution dominates the tiny AirPort card.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
You're reading Ifixit Imac Teardown Reveals Dual Mics, Difficult Ram Upgrades And Glued Lcd
Surface Studio Vs 2023 Imac
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
The iMac is a tough all-in-one to beat and with Microsoft going in at even higher price doesn’t help. Whether it’s worth paying extra for the Surface Studio largely comes down to whether you’ll benefit from it’s flexible design, touchscreen, the Surface Pen and Dial.
In October Microsoft announced its first desktop PC in the form of the Surface Studio, an all-in-one PC aimed at creative professionals. Fast-forward to June and Apple has responded, finally updating its iMac line-up for 2023.
Surface Studio vs iMac: PriceThe Surface Studio comes in only one size, so we’re mainly going to be comparing it to the larger iMac, but it’s worth noting that the smaller iMac at 21.5in is a significantly cheaper option. To be fair, all iMacs are significantly cheaper than the Surface Studio.
We’ve outlined pricing for the various options below. (Note that the iMac Pro won’t be available until later in the year.
Microsoft’s all-in-one is not at all priced for the masses, whereas Apple’s iMac – at least in its basic incarnation – arguably is. It’s certainly more affordable for the average Joe, if still priced somewhat out of reach.
It’s almost difficult to believe we’re writing this, but Apple is the clear winner on value. Is it worth the extra cost for the Studio, though?
Surface Studio vs iMac: Design and buildThese devices are quite similar in many senses and yet very different in others.
While the iMac sits on a very small and thin stand with all the components behind the display, the Surface Studio is essentially the reverse. It has the core components in the base while the screen is ultra thin because it sits on its own.
The benefit to the Surface Studio’s design is that it’s far more adjustable. The hinge on the back of the screen and the one on the base provides a lot more viewing angles compared to the iMac which just has one hinge behind the display.
Two points of movement will be a big bonus for some, especially if you want to use the display with Microsoft’s Surface Pen stylus or Dial (or both at the same time). The screen can come down into ‘Studio Mode’ like having a digital drawing board.
These are both large computers and weigh a fairly hefty 9.5kg each but you can move them around still. Both come with a wireless mouse and keyboard but the Surface Studio also comes with the Surface Pen stylus.
Surface Studio vs iMac: Specs and hardware ScreenStarting with the screen, Microsoft has gone even bigger than the already large iMac at 28in and the PixelSense display has an aspect ratio of 3:2 and a resolution of 4500×3000 resulting in a pixel density of 192ppi.
It’s also 10-point multi-touch enabled and supports the Surface Pen and Dial – the iMac is not touch sensitive. One interesting thing is that you can change the colour profie of the Surface Studio’s screen on-the-fly between Adobe sRGB, DCI-P3 and Vivid Color profiles.
For its 2023 iMac Apple has updated the entire range with new displays that it says are the best ever. They include 500 nits of brightness, 10-bit dithering and one billion colours.
As previously, though, the 27in iMac has a 5K Retina display with an IPS panel and a resolution of 5120×2880. That’s an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a pixel density of 217ppi. There are smaller iMacs at 21.5in that have either Full HD- or 4K resolutions.
Processor and memoryWhile the Surface Studio is running sixth-generation Intel Skylake Core i5 and Core i7 processors, the iMac has now been upgraded to seventh-generation Kaby Lake. These chips have higher base and turbo frequencies for improved performance.
As standard the iMac comes with a Core i5 chip, though you can customise the spec for a Core i7 at extra cost.
All the iMac models come with 8GB of RAM (2x4GB) but you can configure up to 16- or 32GB if you’re happy to pay extra. The 27in model will go up to 64GB and this time the modules are not soldered on so you can upgrade it yourself – it will void any warranty, though.
On the Microsoft side of the fence you’ll get either 8-, 16- or 32GB of RAM depending on which model you buy.
StorageIt’s a similar story when it comes to storage, as you’ll get 1TB for the first two models and 2TB for the top-end with Microsoft and Apple. The 27in iMacs get Fusion Drives as standard, but all 2023 iMacs benefit from 50 percent faster SSDs.
Graphics cardsThe 27in iMac 5K comes with a choice of AMD Radeon Pro 570, 575 or 580 graphics cards with up to 8GB of VRAM. Meanwhile the cheapest 21.5in iMac has Intel Iris Graphics 640, and the 4K 21.5in iMac gets a choice of AMD Radeon 555 or Radeon 560 with up to 4GB of VRAM.
Inside the Surface Studio is a Nvidia GeForce GTX 965M graphics card with 2GB of memory but the top-end model has a 4GB GTX 980M.
We’re looking forward to benchmarking the new iMacs to see just how much performance differs.
Other specsBeyond core specs, there will be hardware elements which affect your choice between devices so here’s what Apple and Microsoft offer in the way of ports, wireless and cameras.
The iMac comes with a FaceTime HD webcam, stereo speakers, dual mics, a headphone jack, SDXC card slot, 4x USB 3.0 ports, 2x USB-C (that support Thunderbolt 3) and an Ethernet port. It’s got 11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2.
The Surface Studio has a 5Mp webcam which supports Windows Hello face sign-in, 2.1 stereo speakers with Dolby Audio, dual mics, a headphone jack, SDXC card slot, 4x USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort, 11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0. It also has Xbox Wireless for use with the console controllers.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Surface Studio comes with the Surface Pen and you’ll get a free Surface Dial if you pre-order. The device is a multi-functional tool which works on the Studio’s screen exclusively.
Of course, software is very different here with each firm providing its own operating system in macOS Sierra and Windows 10 Pro. We won’t go into a comparison of those here.
Motorola Droid X2 Review: Dual
With a gorgeous display and dual-core power, the Droid X2 won’t disappoint gamers or multimedia addicts, but video capture is terrible and you don’t get 4G data speeds.
The hotly anticipated follow-up to last year’s Droid X, the Motorola Droid X2 ($200 with a two-year contract from Verizon) isn’t all that different from the original Droid X, with two big exceptions: a dual-core processor and a qHD display (explained below). Though this is the first dual-core phone from Verizon (it runs on an Nvidia Tegra 2 processor), it misses out on any extra boost from Verizon’s 4G LTE network, as the Droid X2 is only a 3G phone. The X2 excels when it comes to handling video, apps, and other productivity features, but the camera isn’t great, and I wish Motorola would just drop the Motoblur user interface.
DesignThe 4.3-inch display dominates the face of the X2 with the same four thin, rectangular buttons lying below it (the usual Menu, Home, Back, and Search) buttons. On the left spine, you’ll find both a micro-USB port and an HDMI port for connecting your phone to your HDTV. On the right spine is the volume rocker, which is nicely recessed into the side of the phone. At the top, you’ll find the 3.5-mm headphone jack and the power/lock switch.
The X2’s 4.3-inch display might be the same size as the original, but this one is a qHD display, which stands for Quarter High Definition. This means the display has a resolution of 960 by 540 pixels in a 16:9 aspect ratio. This resolution is one-quarter of a full HD 1080p frame (hence the name) and is three-quarters of a 720p frame. The result is crisper details, brighter colors, and better viewing angles.
MotoBlur: Improved, but Not PerfectLike the Droid X, the X2 runs Android 2.2 with Motoblur. Verizon says that the phone will be upgraded to Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), but the carrier didn’t specify when. The X2’s version of Motoblur is a slightly updated version of what comes on the Droid X and other Motorola Droid phones.
When Motoblur first launched on the Motorola Cliq, it was a mess of chaotic bubbles taking over your home screen with Facebook status updates from high-school friends you no longer speak to and alerts from random RSS feeds. Motoblur has been reduced to home-screen widgets, which you can sync with your social networks.
Some of the things I found annoying about Motoblur have been fixed (like the Gallery, which I’ll discuss below), but it still isn’t perfect. I don’t find that Motoblur really adds much to Android aesthetically or in productivity.
CameraOther than these improvements, I must again lament Motoblur. The camera interface isn’t as intuitive as it is on other Android phones, such as HTC’s, or the standard Android camera app for that matter. For example, if you want to change the exposure, you can’t access the setting from the touch menu when you’re in shooting mode. Instead, you have to hit the physical Menu
Overall, the 8-megapixel camera took good pictures. Of course, snapshots taken outdoors looked better than the ones I shot inside. Colors looked bright and natural, but details weren’t as sharp as I’ve seen on other cameras. Indoor photos had a bit of a dark cast to them, but looked pretty good when I had enough lighting. Photos taken in a dark restaurant looked decent, but not as sharp. I tried the LED flash to see if that would help, but it completely blew out the colors and the whites of my subject (a fake rose on a table; see image above).
Video capture was dismal. As you can see from the sample clip below, the X2’s camcorder had a hard time handling fast-moving action. It had lots of ghosting, blurring, and even some crazy distortion when a bunch of cars went by at once. The video clip below pretty much speaks for itself:
In fairness, I also shot some videos of slow-moving objects (a wind-up toy, my coworkers), but I still noticed ghosting and artifacting, albeit not as pronounced.
Unlike many of the high-end phones we’ve seen, the X2 has no front-facing camera for making video calls. I can’t say I’m exactly surprised, however. Video calls over 3G aren’t exactly ideal in terms of quality and consistency.
Multimedia and BrowsingThe Droid X2 is made for watching video and playing games. The dual-core processor helped games run smoothly, while the 4.3-inch display showcased colors, details, and actions brilliantly. I downloaded some games with 3D graphics–Speed Forge 3D, for example–and was impressed with how flawlessly the game ran.
The X2 has a new app called Mirror Mode, which lets you view and share your photos, videos, and downloaded movies on a HDTV via the HDMI output. An HDMI cable for this is unfortunately not included with the Droid X; you’ll have to buy it separately.
Besides your usual VCast suite of video and music apps, the Droid X2 comes loaded with other Verizon standbys (bonus apps or bloatware, depending on how you look at it) such as NFL Mobile, NFS Shift, Skype, Slacker QuickOffice, and more.
Web browsing on the X2 is fantastic. Pages loaded quickly over 3G, and even faster over Wi-Fi. Scrolling and zooming into text was silky smooth. Flash 10 videos played superbly as well. The browser has some nice little tweaks, such as the Bookmarks toolbar, which shows you thumbnail-size versions of your favorite pages. Page history is clustered into groups that can be opened and viewed in the same manner.
PerformanceCall quality over Verizon’s 3G network in San Francisco was very good. My callers sounded clear and natural with an ample amount of volume. Overall, my friends were very pleased with how my voice sounded over the network.
I haven’t had a chance to formally test the battery life of the X2, but I was impressed with how the battery held up after a full day and a half of testing. I needed to plug it in only at the very end of my testing.
Bottom LineIf you’re holding out for the ultimate Verizon phone–one with a dual-core processor and LTE 4G speeds–you might want to go with the Motorola Droid Bionic, which has been hotly anticipated since CES in January. But if you don’t have 4G coverage in your area, or you don’t want to pay a premium to use 4G, you’ll be happy with the Droid X. Gamers, in particular, will appreciate the large, high-resolution display combined with the power of a dual-core processor. However, if you plan on shooting HD videos with your phone, go with an HTC or Samsung phone–heck, even the iPhone 4. The X2’s video capture is probably the worst we’ve seen from a high-end smartphone.
1Gb Ram Ticwatch Pro Initial Reactions
Having recently been released the TicWatch Pro has created a lot of excitement. This is part of a recent trend of up and coming companies taking a piece from the iconic market leaders such as Apple and Google. Here are the initial reactions to the 1GB Ram TicWatch Pro, both positive and negative.
At just $260 the price is very attractive and is probably the stand out feature of this tight little package. Produced by Mobvoi, the new 2023 TicWatch Pro has double the RAM of the 2023 model and it also has MIL-STD 810G Drop/shock resistance which means it’s very tough. The Wear OS smartphone app works a lot better than previous models. And let’s not forget you can also just use it as a watch when it is in Essential Mode. But where it really shines is the ability to function as a smartwatch while also acting as a fitness gadget.
Power and DisplayWith a layered display composed of a typical LCD screen and a smartphone standard AMOLED underneath, it combines a long battery life with brightness and is the best solution available at this stage. A silver material covers the back and there are a few holes there as well to track your heart rate. It has 2 buttons mounted on the right with the upper button being used to move between launching apps and showing the watch face. The lower button launches the TicExercise app but it can be customized to launch any app that you desire.
Battery life consists of 5 days of power before you need to recharge it according to Mobvoi. Be aware that this consists of 3 days of Essential Mode use. Or you can turn it to Essential Mode and extend the battery life to a month if that is what you wish. Or you can use up the power in 3.5 hours of music and GPS.
PerformanceUsing the Wear OS is easy because there are 6 swipe down controls that allow for a world of choices. These are airplane mode, sound toggle, find your phone, Google Pay, screen off and do not disturb. By hitting the gear icon you’ll be able to access all the different settings that are available. Installed apps include Fit Breathe, Fit Workout, the aforementioned Tic Exercise, Google Pay and TicPulse. The bad news is that they can’t be uninstalled.
ComfortWhile the TicWatch Pro is big it also passes the comfort test easily and it doesn’t come across as gaudy or intrusive either. We all like to sneak a quick peek at the time while the boring business meeting is dragging on too long and this watch allows for that by being set on Essential Mode. With a RAM of 1GB it finally seems the aspiration of the smartphone is finally being delivered upon because it can deliver functionality without any latency or slowness which have been a bugbear of smartphones until now. Basically it can do what the smartphone does but in a much tighter package mounted on your wrist.
General AcceptanceWhile there is room for improvement it seems the TicWatch Pro represents the coming of age of the smartwatch and maybe they’ll become even cheaper in the long run. But all this represents a compromise between the convenience of wearing a watch and having to to put up with a small screen. It’s going to take some convincing to get people to watch their favorite shows on a wrist watch when it is so much more enjoyable to watch it on laptop, tablet or smartphone. However there is a call for convenient and useful packages and the TicWatch Pro fulfills that role expertly.
It’s Electric: Chrysler Reveals Alternative
Not to be outdone by GM’s Chevy Volt hoopla last week, Chrysler today revealed three prototypes from its own electric-car program earlier today on CNBC. Who knew Chrysler had an electric-car program? Practically no one. But the company calls it ENVI, pronounced “envy,” and the first consumer product from the program could appear as early as 2010.
The other two vehicles — the Chrysler EV minivan and the Jeep EV Wrangler four-door — share a similar powertrain setup as the Chevrolet Volt. That is, an electric motor drives the wheels and a small gas engine is assigned to charging the batteries as needed, and providing enough power to extend the cars’ electric range. Like Chevrolet, Chrysler isn’t calling these cars hybrids (though most engineers refer to such systems as “series hybrid”) — rather they’re “range-extended electric vehicles.”
Chrysler says it intends to bring at least one of the electric-drive vehicles to market by 2010 to consumers in North America, and later in Europe.
Dodge EV
The Dodge EV is a two-passenger rear-wheel drive sports car propelled by a 200 kW (268 horsepower) electric motor, a lithium-ion battery pack and integrated power controller.
Chrysler EV Minivan
The seven-passenger Chrysler EV is Chrysler Town & Country minivan fitted with an electric motor to drive the wheels and a gas engine to charge the batteries and extend the range. Engineers generally call this setup a series hybrid.
Jeep EV
The Jeep EV is a electric-driven vehicle that combines an electric motor and lithium-ion battery with a small gasoline engine and integrated electric generator to extend the range from 40 miles on battery alone to 400 miles.
At&T Lg Thrill 4G (Aka Optimus 3D) And Htc Hd7S With Super Lcd Announced
Pair of 4.3-inch Smartphones For Best-in-Class Portfolio Include the LG Thrill 4G With Glasses-free 3D Experience, in Addition to the HTC HD7S, an Exciting Addition to the Windows Phone Portfolio
DALLAS, March 21, 2011 —
Key Facts
· AT&T* announced two new leading-edge smartphones, the LG Thrill 4G and the HTC HD7S, will be added to the industry’s best portfolio of mobile phones.
· The LG Thrill 4G is the first U.S. smartphone that will feature a “glasses-free” 4.3-inch stereoscopic 3D display plus 4G speed capability on the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network.
· Beyond its 3D screen, the LG Thrill 4G features a dual-core, 1 GHz processor, and a 5-megapixel dual-camera that allows you to shoot and share high definition videos and images in 3D.
· The HTC HD7S adds to the best portfolio of Windows Phones with its 4.3-inch, WVGA, super LCD display, 1 GHz processor and 5-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash.
LG Thrill 4G
The LG Thrill 4G will be exclusive to AT&T customers and reach AT&T stores in the coming months. Running the first dual-core, dual-channel 1 GHz processor in the U.S. and based on the Android 2.2 platform, LG Thrill 4G will be among the first to deliver a glasses-free 3D experience to U.S. customers and will allow users to shoot 3D video and 3D stills with the dual 5-megapixel stereoscopic camera. In addition to apps and games from Android Market, LG Thrill 4G will offer 3D content via the “LG 3D Space,” which houses 3D games, video clips and images for quick, convenient access.
Preloaded with 16 GB of memory (8 GB onboard plus an 8 GB MicroSD card), the LG Thrill 4G will record 3D video at 720p resolution and 2D at 1080p quality. The smartphone will be able to play video back in high definition through the HDMI-out port on the device or stream content wirelessly through DLNA technology.
HTC HD7S
The HTC HD7S will be the largest screen on a Windows Phone from AT&T and will include the latest version of Windows Phone software that offers many new benefits including the ability to copy and paste text. A powerful 1 GHz processor will power the unique Windows Phone experience and any of the more than 10,000 applications available for download or purchase from Windows Marketplace. In addition, with the preloaded U-verse® Mobile application, qualifying AT&T U-verse customers can download and watch hit TV shows on their Windows Phone. Non-U-verse customers can subscribe to U-verse Mobile for $9.99 a month and choose from a broad selection of programming to watch on their Windows Phone. This new AT&T smartphone will be the first HD7 model from HTC in the U.S. with an improved super LCD high resolution display. The HTC HD7S will be available in company-owned AT&T retail locations and online at chúng tôi in the coming weeks.
Quotes
“AT&T customers know that we offer the best lineup of cutting-edge smartphones in the country. Our first 3D phone plus a new, leading Windows Phone underscore our commitment to continue to offer the best,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “2011 is going to be another landmark year for us with more best-in-class devices.”
AT&T Smartphone Portfolio
The LG Thrill 4G is one of more than 20 4G devices AT&T plans to deliver in 2011. AT&T has completed the deployment of HSPA+ to virtually 100 percent of its mobile broadband network, which enables 4G speeds when combined with Ethernet or fiber backhaul.
4G speeds delivered by HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul. Available in limited areas. Availability increasing with ongoing backhaul deployment. Requires 4G device. Learn more at chúng tôi Actual speeds experienced will vary and depend on several factors, including device, location, capacity, facilities, and other conditions.
Important Information about 3D. Response to viewing 3D content varies by individual. Some viewers may experience discomfort (such as eye strain, eye fatigue, dizziness or nausea) while watching 3D content. If you experience any such symptoms, immediately discontinue use of the 3D function and do not resume until the symptoms have subsided. Viewing 3D content for an extended period of time may increase the likelihood of the above symptoms. Frequent breaks are recommended when using 3D functions. Parents should speak to a physician before allowing children under the age of 5 to view 3D content.
Geographic and service restrictions apply to AT&T U-verse services. Call or go to chúng tôi to see if you qualify. U-verse Mobile: Download and watch capability available for select content and requires select devices, Wi-Fi connection, and qualifying U-verse TV plan or monthly subscription fee. Standard data charges may apply.
Update the detailed information about Ifixit Imac Teardown Reveals Dual Mics, Difficult Ram Upgrades And Glued Lcd on the Achiashop.com website. We hope the article's content will meet your needs, and we will regularly update the information to provide you with the fastest and most accurate information. Have a great day!