Any rumors on a newer iMac?

[Adelphos33]

They are almost 1,000 days old!!

Oh I agree that they are old - however those that are complaining about the 24" iMac would still be complaining if it were updated to the M3!

 

[satchmo]

Oh I agree that they are old - however those that are complaining about the 24" iMac would still be complaining if it were updated to the M3!

Of course they would.

But at least any iMac update (even if were a minor M2 upgrade) would give a potential buyer the confidence to pull the trigger. As it stands now, it’s just risky to buy because it’s due.

 

[Abdichoudxyz]

They are almost 1,000 days old!!

So what? My iMac is still doing exactly what it did the day I bought it. It works perfectly for me. I don't need an update. And truth be told, neither do most oter users. People just want new shiny because Capitalism. We should be looking for greater longevity, and longer gaps between product iterations, not another new gizmo every two seconds.

 

[satchmo]

So what? My iMac is still doing exactly what it did the day I bought it. It works perfectly for me. I don't need an update. And truth be told, neither do most oter users. People just want new shiny because Capitalism. We should be looking for greater longevity, and longer gaps between product iterations, not another new gizmo every two seconds.

Yes, we don’t need a new iMac (or iPhone) every year.
Heck my 2010 MBP is still in use.

But I don’t think an update after 3+ years is unreasonable. You don’t have to buy it if you’re happy with your iMac. But those looking to buy a new one are likely holding out for a refreshed model.

As far as capitalism, that’s for another discussion.

 

[sack_peak]

So what? My iMac is still doing exactly what it did the day I bought it. It works perfectly for me. I don't need an update. And truth be told, neither do most oter users. People just want new shiny because Capitalism. We should be looking for greater longevity, and longer gaps between product iterations, not another new gizmo every two seconds.

Yes, we don’t need a new iMac (or iPhone) every year.
Heck my 2010 MBP is still in use.

But I don’t think an update after 3+ years is unreasonable. You don’t have to buy it if you’re happy with your iMac. But those looking to buy a new one are likely holding out for a refreshed model.

As far as capitalism, that’s for another discussion.

Typical replacement cycle for computers

- 4 years: Apple
- 5-6 years: Intel
- 11+ years: <8% 🇺🇳; <9% 🇺🇸; <5% 🇬🇧; <13% 🇮🇳; <8% 🇨🇦; <2% 🇦🇫; <0% 🇰🇵; <5% 🇨🇺

2019 macOS Catalina does not officially support hardware older than

- 2012 iMac
- 2012 MBP
- 2012 MBA
- 2013 MP
- 2015 MB

Final macOS Catalina Security Update was on Jul 2022.

More frequent product refresh that other people will buy will materially benefit you 10-15 years after your purchase as they are financing R&D of your future repalcement. When you make the next purchase whichever decade the buyer decides will in turn help fund future tech for other people.

I'm on a 2012 iMac 27" and I really wanted a 2023 iMac 32" M2 Pro released with the Jan 2023 Mac mini M2 & M2 Pro and Jan 2023 MBP 14" & 16" M2 Pro & M2 Max.

I'd likely replace that with a 2033 model.

 

[picpicmac]

... And truth be told, neither do most oter users. People just want new shiny because Capitalism. We should be looking for greater longevity, and longer gaps between product iterations, not another new gizmo every two seconds.

Well, I'm typing this on an approximately 5400 days old iMac, and while it works fine for simple things like this forum there exists some websites like Youtube (and pretty much any video embed heavy website) where the age really shows.

Plus there are no longer any software updates, by which I don't mean just OSX/MacOS but third party applications, other than trivial utilities meant to work on older OSX versions.

So yes, I'm one of those clutching their wallet, wanting to spend money but I'm not going to go with the M1 iMac, not because the M1 processor itself can't handle most of my needs, but I think that when Apple made final decisions for that iMac (and concurrent other Mac entries) they made them during a pandemic in which memory chip availability and pricing were iffy. The memory config options for the M1 iMac are not priced anywhere near what the market demands and supplies today, outside of the Apple ecosystem.

Plus, I suspect that the M3 line of Macs (regardless of type) will be hanging around for a long time. The days of flipping models every year on the iPhone has driven people to expect the same with other computing devices, but as the M1 iMac currently demonstrates Apple is willing to go three years (or more) between refreshes.

And I expect that cadence to grow longer.

I think I want 32GB RAM and I hope Apple realizes that if they are going to start implementing more "AI" (though it's not really AI) and more sophisticated visuals (see AVP) that more RAM is going to be needed than 8GB.

So I wait, and Apple does not get my $$$ yet.

 

[sack_peak]

Well, I'm typing this on an approximately 5400 days old iMac

Jumping from a 45nm to 3nm chip.

Pls give us a review of how it feels to jump into tech 15 years more advance.

Assuming you maintain that cadence then replacement of that 2024 iMac would be by 2039 on a 0.2nm (A2) chip.

 

[Abdichoudxyz]

Well, I'm typing this on an approximately 5400 days old iMac, and while it works fine for simple things like this forum there exists some websites like Youtube (and pretty much any video embed heavy website) where the age really shows.

Plus there are no longer any software updates, by which I don't mean just OSX/MacOS but third party applications, other than trivial utilities meant to work on older OSX versions.

So yes, I'm one of those clutching their wallet, wanting to spend money but I'm not going to go with the M1 iMac, not because the M1 processor itself can't handle most of my needs, but I think that when Apple made final decisions for that iMac (and concurrent other Mac entries) they made them during a pandemic in which memory chip availability and pricing were iffy. The memory config options for the M1 iMac are not priced anywhere near what the market demands and supplies today, outside of the Apple ecosystem.

Plus, I suspect that the M3 line of Macs (regardless of type) will be hanging around for a long time. The days of flipping models every year on the iPhone has driven people to expect the same with other computing devices, but as the M1 iMac currently demonstrates Apple is willing to go three years (or more) between refreshes.

And I expect that cadence to grow longer.

I think I want 32GB RAM and I hope Apple realizes that if they are going to start implementing more "AI" (though it's not really AI) and more sophisticated visuals (see AVP) that more RAM is going to be needed than 8GB.

So I wait, and Apple does not get my $$$ yet.

Yeah I totally understand all that. I bought my iMac after many years of using a MacPro 1.1, then a late 2012 MacMini. The MacPro I used right up until 2020, when I finally decided enough was enough. It didn't work with my new camera, and I was having to use a PC laptop to convert DNG files to be able to view them in LR etc. I got fed up of having to use complicated workarounds all the time. So that's nearly 14 years of use. The MacMini was bought s/h as a stopgap, as there was no sign of the long-rumoured new M1 iMac, so I had to wait over a year. That MacMini did at least accept the latest (at the time) OS, so it was a decent little machine. But I have no intention of replacing my current iMac for a good few years yet. As long as it carries on doing what I need it to, it'll be fine.

I know people who 'upgrade' stuff every year or two. Computers, wearables, audio, cameras etc. I have no idea why; it doesn't seem to improve their productivity or quality of output any. They are the same kind of people who buy lots of new clothes etc as well. Capitalism loves people like this.

 

[picpicmac]

Pls give us a review of how it feels to jump into tech 15 years more advance.

If and when I finally make a purchase (probably not till Jan'24 though if Apple does release a new iMac in Nov I just might buy it as a Christmas present to myself)... I'll report back.

Frankly, the real big jump was replacing a spinning device with SSD for my Start Up disk. The real problems I have are due to software not being updated any more, and bloated software (Chrome browser.)

 

[sack_peak]

(Chrome browser.)

Try Firefox...

 

[picpicmac]

Assuming you maintain that cadence then replacement of that 2024 iMac would be by 2039 on a 0.2nm (A2) chip.

I remember when going to sub-micron scale was a big thing. I worked very tangentially on a project intended to make IC's on different substrates than silicon, to be driven at much higher frequencies than what Si ICs could do at the time. Those were the days when we were waiting to see where Intel or Zilog was going to take the 8080 instruction set. IBM of course chose the 8086 family for their PC and Intel and others began the race to make them ever faster (and shrinking the device sizes.)

But for a time a micron sized transistor was the thing and breaking that barrier was the goal for any company.

I for one think there will not be commercially viable products with IC devices down to 0.2 (real) nanometers. Certainly not with lithography, even X-Ray lithography as I think it's not a viable thing for low cost devices.

Back in the old days people were looking for other ways to computer. A co-worker was playing with some optical processing using a physical array of clear material - it was a way to do something like a Fourier transform using interferences, IIRC (and I may not be.)

Anyway, I am in the market for something and I expect this next computer to be the last I will buy, hoping it goes for 15 years.

 

[sack_peak]

I remember when going to sub-micron scale was a big thing. I worked very tangentially on a project intended to make IC's on different substrates than silicon, to be driven at much higher frequencies than what Si ICs could do at the time. Those were the days when we were waiting to see where Intel or Zilog was going to take the 8080 instruction set. IBM of course chose the 8086 family for their PC and Intel and others began the race to make them ever faster (and shrinking the device sizes.)

But for a time a micron sized transistor was the thing and breaking that barrier was the goal for any company.

I for one think there will not be commercially viable products with IC devices down to 0.2 (real) nanometers. Certainly not with lithography, even X-Ray lithography as I think it's not a viable thing for low cost devices.

Back in the old days people were looking for other ways to computer. A co-worker was playing with some optical processing using a physical array of clear material - it was a way to do something like a Fourier transform using interferences, IIRC (and I may not be.)

Anyway, I am in the market for something and I expect this next computer to be the last I will buy, hoping it goes for 15 years.

I just discovered that 2015 Win10 can run on 2004 Pentium 4 chips. Assuming 3rd party browsers will run on Win10 5 additional years after EOL in 2025 then that Intel part could have a useful life of 26 years.

 

[Chuckeee]

Typical replacement cycle for computers

- 4 years: Apple
- 5-6 years: Intel
- 11+ years: <8% 🇺🇳; <9% 🇺🇸; <5% 🇬🇧; <13% 🇮🇳; <8% 🇨🇦; <2% 🇦🇫; <0% 🇰🇵; <5% 🇨🇺

Might want to check your cut & paste references a little closer.

<0% 🇰🇵

What it means, the significance or the validity that the 11+ year Typical replacement cycle for computers from North Korea is less than zero ⁉️

 

[sack_peak]

Might want to check your cut & paste references a little closer.

<0% 🇰🇵

What it means, the significance or the validity that the 11+ year Typical replacement cycle for computers from North Korea is less than zero ⁉️

It is supposed to emphasize that poor countries are less likely to use 11+ year old Macs than rich countries.

If 32" 6K display parts were under $1k 52W ago I would have replaced my 2012 iMac 27" for a early 2023 iMac 32" 6K M2 Max last Jan when it came out with the Mac mini & MBP.

With 2024 Windows 12, Microsoft may harden the minimum hardware requirement 14nm Intel 8th gen chips released after Sep 2017 & 12nm AMD 2nd gen Ryzen chips released after Apr 2018. Win11 can unofficially run on older hardware.

2015 Windows 10 would be able to run on 2004 Pentium 4 chips.

Next year Win12 PCs would only run on 6yo hardware. This is a quality of life improvement.

 

[Chuckeee]

It is supposed to emphasize that poor countries are less likely to use 11+ year old devices than rich countries.

I could understand a 0% replacement rate (they don’t replace anything) but what is a negative replacement rate?

 

[sack_peak]

I could understand a 0% replacement rate (they don’t replace anything) but what is a negative replacement rate?

As I pointed out it is supposed to make a point.

 

[curnalpanic]

I could understand a 0% replacement rate (they don’t replace anything) but what is a negative replacement rate?

In Soviet Russia, computer replaces you!

 

[macguru9999]

They should release the 24" imac with an M2, and then the 27+" imac with the M3. Alot of people I know did not buy the 24" M1 because they saw it as a backward step from their 27" intel imacs (in some ways) ; however people with 21" imacs , not so much.

 

[Abdichoudxyz]

I remember when going to sub-micron scale was a big thing. I worked very tangentially on a project intended to make IC's on different substrates than silicon, to be driven at much higher frequencies than what Si ICs could do at the time. Those were the days when we were waiting to see where Intel or Zilog was going to take the 8080 instruction set. IBM of course chose the 8086 family for their PC and Intel and others began the race to make them ever faster (and shrinking the device sizes.)

But for a time a micron sized transistor was the thing and breaking that barrier was the goal for any company.

I for one think there will not be commercially viable products with IC devices down to 0.2 (real) nanometers. Certainly not with lithography, even X-Ray lithography as I think it's not a viable thing for low cost devices.

Back in the old days people were looking for other ways to computer. A co-worker was playing with some optical processing using a physical array of clear material - it was a way to do something like a Fourier transform using interferences, IIRC (and I may not be.)

Anyway, I am in the market for something and I expect this next computer to be the last I will buy, hoping it goes for 15 years.

I can happily say I don't understand any of this. But that's the thing; people are different and have different needs and requirements. It's essential we have people who do understand such things, and I'm grateful for that, but we also need people who understand other things too. Some of us just need something that works well, reliably and does what we need it to, without us needing to understand the magic that makes it all work. I need my iMac to process digital photographic images from my camera, to be able to manipulate them however, and maybe bits of video footage, graphic design and stuff. I bought my first Mac in 2000, after having used them in college, and I found the Mac OS to be far more intuitive and useable than Windows. When I got my current iMac two years ago, I was so happy with it, it was faster, more efficient, and the display is so much better than anything I've ever used. As a tool, it's a pleasure to own and use. I'm perfectly happy with the screen size, the keyboard and trackpad, all of it. What a fantastic peice of design. I think more people should appreciate what they have, and try to get the most out of it, instead of worrying about the next New Type Shiny™.

 

[mobes78]

Had a 27” iMac from 2011-2020, in between for an MacBook Air in 2015….fast forward to 2023 and sold the 27” in 2020 and my only PC has been the MacBook Air.

I purchased a 24” iMac last month but after reading here and other places, returned it the day it arrived cause I’m looking at a M3 refresh, which can’t happen soon enough cause I could REALLY use an updated PC.

So y’all really think it will come in the next few weeks? 😀

 

[Abdichoudxyz]

So y’all really think it will come in the next few weeks? 😀

There may never be another 27" iMac, so you may be waiting forever. Surely the 27" Studio Display + MacMini or Studio is the new 27" iMac? I think it would be better for Apple to just produce the one 24" sized iMac tbh. The original iMac line was just the 15" CRT models after all. When I bought my iMac in 2021, a larger displayed model was 'rumoured', but here we are over two years later and nothing has materialised. Good chance it won't.

 

[mobes78]

There may never be another 27" iMac, so you may be waiting forever. Surely the 27" Studio Display + MacMini or Studio is the new 27" iMac? I think it would be better for Apple to just produce the one 24" sized iMac tbh. The original iMac line was just the 15" CRT models after all. When I bought my iMac in 2021, a larger displayed model was 'rumoured', but here we are over two years later and nothing has materialised. Good chance it won't.

I’m actually fine with a 24” but would like the updated M3. I returned the M1 in hope it wil be refreshed this month.

 

[swandy]

I’m actually fine with a 24” but would like the updated M3. I returned the M1 in hope it wil be refreshed this month.

I have the 24" iMac and very happy with it - aside from my mistake of reading how well the M1 chips run apps with only 8GB of RAM and stuck with that. And while the apps I run on the Mac side run great - even Pixelmator PRO and Apple Photos with some large RAW files - I forgot that using while using Parallels to run Windows 11, it will only use 1/2 the available RAM. So waiting (my birthday is coming soon) to upgrade to the M3 and not make the RAM mistake again.

 

[sack_peak]

Tip: If you're willing to wait, wait. If not then buy any Mac and enjoy it.

Story of buyer's remorse.

As early as 2017 Apple's A11 Bionic chip found in 2017 iPhone 8 and X were now more powerful than the Intel chips found in a 2017 MacBook Pro. Thought Intel to Mac chip transition was just at a less than 20% performance boost over Intel like how it was from PowerPC to Intel back in 2006. So I bought a 2019 MBP 16".

No one was emphasizing that Apple had access to 5nm die shrink via iPhone chips and that Apple preferred iGPUs on their Intel chips would result in better performance per watt, raw performance and battery life.

If I could have a redo I'd have delayed purchase for a 2021 MBP 16" M1 Pro instead.

 

[picpicmac]

But that's the thing; people are different and have different needs and requirements.... Some of us just need something that works well, reliably and does what we need it to....

Way back (in possibly another thread) I listed what was important for the future of these kinds of devices, and at the top of my list were cost and durability (longevity.) That is what I think we (that is, the share of this planet's population that are fortunate enough to live in societies which can support modern luxuries) really need out of our computers going forward.