iMac Pro 2023/2024 iMac Pro Design

[VivienM]

More and more I'm of the mind that days of a larger iMac are over. Seems like they are good with an entry level machine for kids, households. And then if you want more you get ASD plus Studio or Mini depending on your needs.

In a weird way, that seems to go back to the late 1990/early 2000s era of household/kids-centric iMacs and affordable Power Macs. An era that ended... aroundish the time of the Intel migration, when they consistently refused to make a middle of the road monitorless desktop using Intel's desktop Core chips.

But... I still feel like the ASD is a major-league stop gap, and I don't see why LG Display or whoever it is would have developed that 32" 6K panel in that Dell monitor unless they had a biiiiiig order for it. So... 32" ASD coming? Or 32" iMac Pro? Or... both?

 

[tstafford]

So... 32" ASD coming? Or 32" iMac Pro? Or... both?

I hope both and would buy either!

 

[rpmurray]

More and more I'm of the mind that days of a larger iMac are over. Seems like they are good with an entry level machine for kids, households. And then if you want more you get ASD plus Studio or Mini depending on your needs.

Still amazes me that there are so many people still trying to justify the Mac Studio/Studio Display combo delusion of it being a suitable replacement for a larger iMac.

 

[VivienM]

Still amazes me that there are so many people still trying to justify the Mac Studio/Studio Display combo delusion of it being a suitable replacement for a larger iMac.

Well, it is the only currently available replacement, just like you could say that the 13" M2 MBA is the replacement for the 12" MacBook...

Whether it is suitable or not... my view is that the pricing is just not there. Studio Display + Mac studio + the damn peripherals is... just way more money than the lower-end 27" iMac combinations. But in all fairness... the Mac studio starts at 32GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD, 10 gigabit Ethernet, etc whereas the iMac started at 8GB/256.

That being said, now that you have M2 Pro Mac minis, it's not as bad...

 

[gilby101]

But the likelihood of a 32" has gone up. Dell is launching a monitor with the exact panel specs you'd want for a 32" retina iMac pro...

Which strengthens the case for a Studio (or Mini) - soon to have a choice of 6K screens. And note that the new Mini can drive an 8K display.

There really is no use case for an iMac Pro.

 

[VivienM]

Which strengthens the case for a Studio (or Mini) - soon to have a choice of 6K screens. And note that the new Mini can drive an 8K display.

There really is no use case for an iMac Pro.

Doesn't that depend on the pricing? The 27" iMac was always cheaper than the cost of a 27" LG or, in the pre-retina era, a Thunderbolt Display, a good Mac mini, and the Apple peripherals the iMac comes bundled with.

At equivalent pricing, obviously, I would prefer a separate monitor. Gives you lots more options in the long term.

 

[gilby101]

Still amazes me that there are so many people still trying to justify the Mac Studio/Studio Display combo delusion of it being a suitable replacement for a larger iMac.

A high end Mac Studio + Studio or XDR display is more flexible than an iMac Pro (which is what this thread is about).

And a Mini + any 5K screen is more flexible than a 27" iMac (not Pro).

 

[gilby101]

Doesn't that depend on the pricing? The 27" iMac was always cheaper than the cost of a 27" LG or, in the pre-retina era, a Thunderbolt Display, a good Mac mini, and the Apple peripherals the iMac comes bundled with.

My 2019 iMac was about AUD500 more than today's ASD + somewhat equivalent Mac mini. Inflation and exchange rate changes would make it even more expensive compared with ASD + Mini. (The upgradeable memory somewhat muddies the comparison). And the thing is, 3 years ago there was not a Mini comparable to the 2019 iMac.

There might just be a market for a 27" (non-Pro) iMac, for those who can't mount a Mini on a monitor stand and are prepared to pay for it. But the basic consumer market will continue to be happy with the 24" iMac and its M2 (more likely M3) successor.

But let's leave the consumer 27" iMac for another thread. This one is supposed to be focused on iMac Pro

 

[VivienM]

My 2019 iMac was about AUD500 more than today's ASD + somewhat equivalent Mac mini. Inflation and exchange rate changes would make it even more expensive compared with ASD + Mini. (The upgradeable memory somewhat muddies the comparison). And the thing is, 3 years ago there was not a Mini comparable to the 2019 iMac.

Okay, I'm not sure how you guys are calculating these prices. Maybe this country is different.

Here (Canada), the 2020 mid-2020 iMac started at CAD$2399 (see https://www.apple.com/ca/newsroom/2020/08/27-inch-imac-gets-a-major-update/ ). For that price, you got 8 gigs of RAM, 256 gigs SSD, i5-3.1, a discrete GPU, the 27" 5K screen, a Magic Mouse 2 and a Magic Keyboard.

Today, the Studio Display costs CAD$1999. The Magic Keyboard that's equivalent to the one thrown in the 2020 iMac is CAD$119. Magic Mouse is $119.

So, let's recap.

For CAD$162, you got a 6-core Intel CPU, 8 gigs of RAM, 256 gig SSD, and a GPU.

The cheapest Mac mini is CAD$799. For an M2, 8 gigs, 256 gig SSD.

I'm not sure how the M2 compares to the mid-range i5 desktop chips, but that is neither here nor there. (And really, for a fair comparison, we should compare with today's mid-range i5s, not 2020's) Bottom line: we are at CAD$630 more in the new world.

Apple used to basically give you a free mid-range Intel desktop bundled in the back of your 27" 5K retina monitor... and, well, now they don't.

I don't have the pricing for new upgraded 2020 iMacs, but the base model M1 Max studio is CAD$2499. Add $119x2 for the two peripherals, $1999 for the monitor, that puts you at CAD$4736. For that price, you get 32 gigs of RAM, a 512 gig SSD, 10GbE, and an M1 Max. If I try to estimate by looking in the refurb store around CAD$4200, for that price I am finding an i7 with 8GB of RAM, 8TB SSD and a Radeon 5700 XT, another i7 with 128GB of Apple RAM, 1TB SSD and a Radeon 5500. Then I have an i9 with 32GB of RAM, 4TB SSD, 10GbE, and the 5700XT. That i9 configuration new... would have been the same price as your Mac Studio combo with 512GB of SSD instead of 4TB. Should I look for a 32GB/512GB/10GbE config in the refurb store? And I found one - i7, 32GB of Apple RAM, 512GB, 10GbE, 5700 XT, for $2829CAD. That configuration, at most, would have been CAD$3500 new. $1200 less than the Mac studio and Studio display.

That's what fundamentally this comes down to: even if you paid substantially to upgrade your free mid-range Intel desktop in the back of your 27" monitor (the iMac also gave you the option of not buying Apple RAM...), you were still saving considerable amounts of money.

 

[tstafford]

Still amazes me that there are so many people still trying to justify the Mac Studio/Studio Display combo delusion of it being a suitable replacement for a larger iMac.

Not sure how you read my post as "justifying" anything. Just commented that it looks (to me) that Apple may be setting their assortment as 1) pick a computer (mini or studio or pro) and 2) pick a display (ASD or XDR). FWIW - We are still rocking our 2015 27" iMac and love it. My wife won't let me swap it out!

 

[rpmurray]

Not sure how you read my post as "justifying" anything. Just commented that it looks (to me) that Apple may be setting their assortment as 1) pick a computer (mini or studio or pro) and 2) pick a display (ASD or XDR). FWIW - We are still rocking our 2015 27" iMac and love it. My wife won't let me swap it out!

Reread your condescending post I was replying to.

 

[rpmurray]

A high end Mac Studio + Studio or XDR display is more flexible than an iMac Pro (which is what this thread is about).

And a Mini + any 5K screen is more flexible than a 27" iMac (not Pro).

If money is no object and you like strewing your desktop with multiple devices then "maybe".

Please list for me all the "any" 5K displays available because I'm only aware of two, one is an overpriced iPhone and the other is wrapped in cheap plastic.

 

[tstafford]

Reread your condescending post I was replying to.

I'm sorry you found my post triggering. I've re-read it and I don't see how it's condescending, but clearly it upset you and for that I apologize.

 

[12soldier]

A ultrawide iMac with the same height as the 24" but diagonal equivalent to a t 32"-36" (curved or not curved) with chips equal to MacBook Pro offerings and non pastel colors would be my choice. And if the chin stays, then put at least 1 or 2 USB port(s) on the front and the SD card reader (same as MacStudio).

If they do this, then I'll offer up $3-4k easily. After all, my current Macs are all 8 years or older (3 iMacs: 2015, 2009, 2004). I get a new one about every 5 years, except currently as I wanted to upgrade but didn't want 24" nor a pastel color. That's approximately $800 per year. I suppose if I did go with the best MacMini or entry range of the MacStudio then I could save by the year and my monitor would last over the years or there would be less eWaste/recycling.

If they update the MacStudio first or do nothing bigger for the iMac, then I believe Apple made my choice for me. However, an M2 update might intrigue me to buy now then wait a year to see where things are and update again by handing down the M2 to a relative. In any case, we are in need of an update and some issues, screen issues, needing to be resolved first. Over a year since an update on the Studio and going on 2 years for the iMac.

If apple discontinues support on machines after 5 years, what's the point of getting an iMac now that's technically already about 2 years old?