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iMacDV SE

Reality Spec:

Processor and memory

  • 400MHz PowerPC G3
  • 512K backside level 2 cache
  • 100MHz system bus
  • 128MB of PC100 SDRAM (3.3-volt, 64-bit wide, 168-pin, running at 100 MHz)
  • Two DIMM slots support up to 512MB using 64MB,128MB, or 256MB DIMMs

Display

  • Built-in 15-inch shadow-mask CRT (13.8-inch diagonal viewable image size); 0.28-mm dot pitch
  • On-screen geometry adjustment to keep display images properly aligned throughout its lifetime
  • Flip foot for 17° tilt

Graphics support

  • ATI RAGE 128 VR 2D/3D graphics accelerator with 8MB of SDRAM graphics memory and AGP 2X support
  • Three crisp, flicker-free screen resolutions: 640 by 480 pixels at 117 Hz, 800 by 600 pixels at 95 Hz, and 1,024 by 768 pixels at 75 Hz
  • 24-bit true color at all resolutions for displaying millions of colors

Storage

  • 13GB Ultra ATA HDD
  • Slot-loading 4x-speed DVD-ROM drive (plays DVD-Video discs; plays CD-ROMs at up to 24x )
  • Support for external USB storage devices
  • Support external FireWire storage devices.

Communications

  • Built-in 56K modem supports V.90 and K56flex standards (RJ-11 connector)
  • Built-in autoswitching 10/100BASE-T Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)
  • AirPort wireless networking slot for optional AirPort Card; runs at up to 11Mbps; 150-foot maximum range (depending on surrounding environment); 2.4GHz frequency

Peripheral connections

  • Two USB ports running at up to 12Mbps each;provides up to 500 milliamps per port to support bus-powered devices
  • Two 6-pin FireWire (IEEE 1394) ports running at up to 400Mbps; provides 6 watts of power to support bus-powered devices
| "Let me stand next to your FireWire
. . . .for under $2000!"

By Cris A. Dunnam

As long anticipated by MacRocks, the new line of iMacs will, with the exception of the low-end model, have FireWire. Thus proving that Apple intends to ignore the halfhearted USB2 FUD campaign being waged by Intel for the hearts and minds of high speed I/O and hold steadfast with their previous plans to make FireWire a standard across the majority of their product line. Not to suggest Intel isn't serious about USB2; more to point, they're obviously looking for future sources of revenue.

But I digress.

The real news is the decision to offer the iMac in three separate versions, a smart move that caught most Apple pundits and rumor sites off guard! But, as usual, it makes perfect sense. You've got yer $999 "basic" Blueberry, the flavored DV models and hands down our favorite for the MacRockers out there, iMacDV SE.

Doing a little research on Apple's online store, we found one can get the top of the line 400Mhz iMac for about $1,800 with 256mb of memory, FireWire, USB, trayless DVD, revamped speaker system by Harmon Kardon, 100Mhz system bus and much more.

Adding FireWire to higher end iMacs makes the necessity of audio across USB rather moot. Although we've discovered MacOS 9 has fixed the "isochronous transfer protocol" mumbo jumbo and will allow audio across USB.

With IEEE-1394 onboard, $200 buys a promising dongle from NewerTech that, in prototype photos, very much resembles the old Radius VideoVision breakout box with FireWire as the bus.

NewerTech's original press release on this product line described the following:

    "FireStorm AV allows a composite or S-video source to be connected to a FireWire-equipped computer through the FireWire port, which is now standard on the newest Macintosh computers. FireStorm AV displays video at up to 640 x 480 resolution and at a super-smooth 30 frames per second. Capturing video data to the hard drive is highly dependent on the speed of the hard drive and system and is typically less than the maximum display rate above. FireStorm AV uses a simple external video breakout patchbay to hook up audio and video cables. FireStorm AV is also exceptional for video mirroring to a large external NTSC monitor. FireStorm DV functions under the same principles as FireStorm AV, however, it serves as a tool for converting analog video into digital video and sending it to a FireWire-equipped computer. FireStorm DV makes short work of saving digital video files to common stock computer storage devices such as hard drives or removable media."

Most recently, the company has had only this to say about the products:

    "Newer Technology's FireStorm FireWire analog video capture product is currently being redesigned.

    The reason for the redesign is that Newer's engineering department has uncovered new technology which will allow the product to perform better. Rather than ship using the original design and then upgrade soon after, Newer has decided to delay shipment to be able to offer the most desirable feature set possible. For instance, while video mirroring has always been part of the FireStorm AV feature set, it will be much more robust in the new product design. Dedicated hardware designed to perform the translation of the analog video data from YUV to RGB format relieves the CPU from this demanding task, freeing system resources and smoothing the mirroring function.

    Additional information on the FireStorm model will be announced when available."

Granted, these things are placing emphasis on the DV (Digital Video) aspect of FireWire. But, as always, Video products come with audio included since "The Talkies" of cinema heyday. MacRocks.com has been active in pursuing the hardware companies who make audio hardware to pay the 25¢ per port FireWire fee, or license MLan from Yamaha; then get on the ball and produce a line of 1394 AD/DA multitrack I/O dongles and boxes.

The flood gates of FireWire peripherals have begun to open and all those semi-committed (Yamaha, for example) will come out of the 1394 closet to an extent greater than the surge of USB devices that have sprung like so many mushrooms over night in the marketplace.

MacRocks.com has uncovered some great new products and pseudo-secret licensing deals that are of great interest if you're a MacRocker wanting more about FireWire.

Have you ever known anyone who felt like hugging their PeeCee?

The new iMac Audio Specs:

  • Integrated high-performance Odyssey audio system from Harman Kardon
  • Built-in microphone for speech recognition and audio recording
  • Front-mounted dual mini headphone jacks
  • Analog audio input and output minijacks
  • Up to16-bit stereo and 44.1kHz sampling rate
  • Support for external USB audio devices
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