Anybody Like The New 2021 iMac Design?

[rambo47]

I like it. I'm replacing a Late-2010 iMac with the new M1 iMac so no matter what Apple did, it's a huge step up for me. I like the evolution of Apple's minimalist/industrial design, but with a nod to the original iMac via colors. And lf course for those not feeling the nostalgia the M1 iMac is offered in silver.

When I bought my 27" iMac the other choice was 21.5", just a little too small for my taste. My previous desktop computer was a PowerMac G3 with a dual-monitor setup. I figured I needed the screen real estate. But it's huge on my desk, which had to be a table if I wanted anything else next to it.

Initially I was disappointed with the lack of a larger option on the new 2021 iMac. But I'm now realizing my 27" is way larger than I need or use, so why clutter my table with all that unused area? The new 24" size is right in my wheelhouse. And will I take a look at the larger version we all know will be released shortly? Of course I will! But it will have to be so over the top if I'm going to upgrade again.

The only puzzling thing for me, echoed by others already, is lack of gigabit ethernet. Ironically I am upgrading our home internet on Monday to gigabit FiOS service. I liked having my iMac connected via ethernet while everything else used WiFi as it was a safeguard for WiFi dropping out. Oh well.

 

[Warped9]

^^ Gigabit ethernet is available for the new iMac. It’s an affordable option on the entry model, but standard on the upper tier models.

 

[KeithJenner]

They will be darker because if Apple wanted to remove space gray, they would have done it already on the iPhone 12 Pro and iPad Pro, which they haven’t.

That logic doesn’t necessarily work. Space grey has been around for a long time in apple products, but they still sometimes release a product without that colour being available (especially macs).

I buy space grey by default and have owned Mac mini’s, MacBook Airs, MacBook Pro’s and iMacs in silver because the greys weren’t offered at the time. This was despite owning space grey phones, iPads and watches at the same time.

As of today there is no space grey iMac available for purchase, which was the case before they released the iMac Pro.

My guess is that the bigger iMac will be available in space grey, and I agree that it does seem to be a colour that the “pro” devices come in. However with Apple you really don’t know for sure and they have history of releasing products which aren’t in colours you would expect.

 

[nieks]

keep my computers for 7 to 10 years. So wanting a little better processor is important to me.

But if the M2 or M1X comes out, you will again be able to say “yeah if only the processor would be a little better”.
With your way of thinking, one could never buy a new computer. That’s what I meant by my previous post.

Apple’s current best processor is the M1. it basically burns anything intel has to offer. But you’re not gonna buy it beacause according to you, it’s not good enough. When the M2 comes out, that’ll be the best they offer then. But then you’ll probably hold out for the m3 I guess? And when the M3 comes out, you won’t buy because you’ll hold out for the M4?

And in the end you’ll never upgrade because it’s never good enough for you. Basically, that’s what you were saying.

that’s what I meant with “I don’t get you people”.

 

[Loyola]

But if the M2 or M1X comes out, you will again be able to say “yeah if only the processor would be a little better”.
With your way of thinking, one could never buy a new computer. That’s what I meant by my previous post.

Apple’s current best processor is the M1. it basically burns anything intel has to offer. But you’re not gonna buy it beacause according to you, it’s not good enough. When the M2 comes out, that’ll be the best they offer then. But then you’ll probably hold out for the m3 I guess? And when the M3 comes out, you won’t buy because you’ll hold out for the M4?

And in the end you’ll never upgrade because it’s never good enough for you. Basically, that’s what you were saying.

that’s what I meant with “I don’t get you people”.

Basically you are trying to guess what you think I am thinking.

 

[rambo47]

^^ Gigabit ethernet is available for the new iMac. It’s an affordable option on the entry model, but standard on the upper tier models.

 

[Warped9]

The M1 is the best there is today and better than whatever came before it. If it were to be a long wait until the the M2 in the next iMac and MacBooks—say another year or two—then I‘d advise make the jump now if you really need a new computer. Of course, if you’re not in dire straits then you can wait.

But the M2 in the bigger iMac is expected later this year—within eight months and maybe less—for those who can afford to wait then it might be worth it. It’s a reasonably safe bet if you can wait and see what else the bigger iMac will offer. Thats what I will do even though I like the 24in. and it would be an upgrade to what I have now. But I’m not desperate for a new machine so I can wait.

If the M2 still isn’t what you want then there isn’t anythng else to say.

 

[NotTooLate]

I think the new iMac is a home-run for the target audience, which is the average person or reception desk in an office. Future iMac's will have larger screens, and improved processors and that's what many MacRumour folks will be waiting for but it doesn't negate the benefits of the new iMac's.

I recently replaced both my desktop plus my wife's with a pair of M1 Mac Mini's, knowing that these were the first low-end systems using the new Apple Silicon processors. They are still considerably better than the systems we were using. I am 100% confident that faster systems with more memory and GPU cores will be released in the next year, and that's a great thing for all of us! The negative whining about the performance and aesthetics of the bezel are hilarious - if this isn't the perfect system for you, wait until the next release and see if that's closer to what you want. Just because you don't like the bezel, or some other factor does not mean these systems aren't perfect for many others.

...oh, and yes, I DO like them!

The better machines , when they arrive , will also be a target of "hate posts" , you can bet your house on it , the haters will pick anything from this list (probably missing more items) and posts dozens of threads :
- Price , this will be the #1 complaint regardless of CPU performance , Display quality , SSD speeds or DRAM BW.
- Looks , this will be #2 on the complaint lists , no matter what , ppl will be vocal about it (same as with the iMac).
- Upgradeability , this might jump to #2 if the looks is slick , no matter the fact you cannot purchase LPDDR memory dimms (there is no such product) , we will be bombarded by the "but I can buy DRAM in Newegg , why cant I use that" , unknowing that technically its impossible to replace the LPDDR memories without serious soldering skills , its not Apple doing it on purpose , all the modern machines who use low power DDR (LPDDR) has the same limitation.
- Ports , no matter what ports apple will put in the machine , we would get complaints about missing ports.
- Price , did I mention it ? the folks who never bought a decked out MBP will be up in arms about the prices of the top end MBP`s.

 

[LeeW]

It is growing on me, not that I would ever have one, 24" is just too small for me but I know many that have pre-ordered and although I think a couple of the colours are garish, they are the ones people are ordering.

 

[Apple_Robert]

The new iMac looks fine to me, although I don't buy Macs based on looks. If I was in need, I would get one. It can get the job done. That is the bottom line.

 

[azentropy]

Overall the design is nice as long as your are fine with Apple typically choosing form over function. Not too many people I know of were complaining that the old design was too thick or too heavy. They were complaining that the bezels and chin are too big, that it isn’t height adjustable, that it was special order for VESA mount, that it wasn’t user upgradable enough etc. Really the only thing they improved there was the bezels are smaller but in my opinion is negated by making them light colored which to me sticks out more.

The back, sides, top look great. The front not so much as it looks very plain/homely/generic. I also think a lot of people that are complaining (even me) would have liked it a lot more if they would have least offered one or two options with black/dark bezels (with matching keyboard mouse). Like the classic silver/black combo or a space gray/black combo.

Anyway - ordered the blue for my parents. But I'm not interested in one for myself. "If" they would have offered a dark option I may have considered getting it for myself and handing down my 2019 27" iMac "downstairs" system instead.

 

[DanTSX]

Oh no a bunch of flappybird port “developers” and filter applying “photographers” don’t think it’s professional enough looking! Go clutch pearls!

 

[Warped9]

There is a solution for those not satisfied with what manufacturers are offering—get your own custom built. It’s still a thing today, and one that many seem to relish bragging about.

Computers being easily user upgradeable has been on the decline for years—this is nothing new—unless you know how to work on the insides of a computer and swap out parts yourself. Things do change and we find ourselves having to let go of something familiar we’ve had for years. We get used to it. When the iMacs discontinued having optical drives along with the chassis design upgrade you could no longer easily upgrade your own RAM on the 21.5 unless you knew how to open the machine up. But the 27 still allowed you to upgrade your own RAM. But other things like video cards, hard drives and processors were never user upgradable. In that sense then nothing has changed with the new 24in. It’s not likely the forthcoming bigger iMac will have any easy user upgradable capability if the RAM is part of the M processor. So griping about it will get you nowhere. The best option will be to configure a machine with the most RAM you can. I suspect the big Mac will offer more than 16GB.

I had an eMac. I wasn’t crazy about the all white colour—too artsy—but it was a better computer than the indigo coloured G3 it replaced. I loved the look of that G—I thought it looked so cool and futuristic. I didn’t care at all for the sunflower or the white pizza box Macs, but I would have bought one if I had needed it.

I really liked the 2009 redesign with its futuristic silver look. At the time the bezels did not look too big. More than ten years on the design (refreshed in 2012) still looks good even compared to newer designs from other manufacturers. But even as I still liked it I did feel it was due for a serious refresh/upgrade. Now, finally, it’s here.

Sure, not everyone was going to like it, but some of the reactions are really over-the-top given it’s really an evolution on the previous design. Either some had entrenched expectations of what the new design should be or they expected something drastically different from previous, but some of the reaction to not having expectations met has been ridiculous.

 

[dugbug]

I’m sick of black and space grey. Like everyone is such a Lightroom editor that bezels matter.

 

[4sallypat]

The new iMac looks fine to me, although I don't buy Macs based on looks. If I was in need, I would get one. It can get the job done. That is the bottom line.

Same here, I am buying one to replace and Intel setup that I have not been happy with a laggy Mac (2019 iMac 21.5") w/ 27" TB display.

My M1 Mini base is super capable compared to the hot, fan blowing, thermal throttling: Intel Mac it replaced (2012 CTO/BTO i7 Mini Server w/ 16GB).

I was getting tired of the "all black" look of Macs the past 10 years so it's great Apple decided to go back to their PPC root with a medley of colors!

 

[ian87w]

Like most Apple stuff, they tend to look and feel better in person than from photos. I believe the new iMac would look amazing in person, as we cannot appreciate the thinness just by looking at photos.

I don’t quite understand why people are calling it ugly. The look is quite standard for all in ones. I have had worked with companies using Lenovo all in ones that are all white, so the white bezel is nothing strange. And for most Windows all in ones, they have chins as well for speakers/electronics. It seems that people complaining about the white bezel and chin are just petty as white bezel and chins are not uncommon in the world of all in one PCs.

 

[4sallypat]

Like most Apple stuff, they tend to look and feel better in person than from photos. I believe the new iMac would look amazing in person, as we cannot appreciate the thinness just by looking at photos.

I don’t quite understand why people are calling it ugly. The look is quite standard for all in ones. I have had worked with companies using Lenovo all in ones that are all white, so the white bezel is nothing strange. And for most Windows all in ones, they have chins as well for speakers/electronics. It seems that people complaining about the white bezel and chin are just petty as white bezel and chins are not uncommon in the world of all in one PCs.

Yes, I am getting antsy waiting for my pre-ordered iMac in blue.

Hoping it matches the blue iPhone 12 Pro....

Love the new slim design, simplicity with cable management, and the Ethernet on the power brick.

I ordered the base iMac w/ $30 Ethernet option to get full access at 1 GBps of upload/download - can't match that speed with wireless....

 

[Warped9]

Myself included, there was a lot of expectation the new iMac would be essentially an oversized iPad Pro with a pedestal. That expectation was fuelled further by renderings of that very thing—people could just taste it (so to speak).

Quibbles aside, why Apple went the direction they did makes perfect sense(mostly). But that doesn’t matter in the face of dashed expectations.

Something else to consider for some on-the-fence. Given the way Apple upgrades their devices with relative frequency it might not be that long (maybe a year) before they put the M2 into the 24in.

 

[Maconplasma]

Anyway - ordered the blue for my parents. But I'm not interested in one for myself. "If" they would have offered a dark option I may have considered getting it for myself and handing down my 2019 27" iMac "downstairs" system instead.

So you decided against an amazing computer (which should be used a tool first and foremost and not a decoration 🙄) because it wasn't available in a darker color. SMH.

 

[blairh]

I Was Looking At A MacRumors Comment Section On The New iMac, Mostly All Of The Comments Were "The New Design Looks So Ugly" And "Who Will Buy This?" I Just Wanna Know Who Here Likes The New iMac

I think going exclusively with white bezels on all models was a mistake. One model with black or silver bezels would have made a lot of sense (probably that silver option). Design-wise the new thinness will move a ton of units as consumers simply find that element very cool and enticing. Also making the machine so light (a touch under 10 lbs.) is actually very beneficial for when you need to take your iMac to a store for service. I do think overall this model will sell very well for Apple.

 

[DarthMoops]

The chin doesn’t bother me that much, but I would have kept the apple logo on it, it looks a little weird and empty.

Overall, the design language is much more attractive than the 10 years old previous design. But for me, the white bezels is a huge dealbreaker, and a huge design mistake. It would have been much better with the same colors but black bezels.

I think I will tune out the white bezel pretty quickly, agree to keeping the logo or even having it say "iMac" on the chin.

 

[Caliber26]

Hated it at first but the more I look at it, the more I actually appreciate the design and colors. Especially the green one. If there were a 27” variant, I’d probably get one. Heck, I might have to get one if the new “Pro” iMacs are too expensive for me.

 

[Never mind]

Hated it at first but the more I look at it, the more I actually appreciate the design and colors. Especially the green one. If there were a 27” variant, I’d probably get one. Heck, I might have to get one if the new “Pro” iMacs are too expensive for me.

Same here. At first I wasn’t enthused by the new look, but now it has grown on me. I am not a professional, but just a simple user for simple needs and the iMac 24 inch fits the bill for many of us, specially non-professionals. They can wait a little while longer for the ones they want and need. 🤓

 

[Warped9]

A significant issue for me is being able to do 3D modelling, which is a hobby of mine and why I upgraded my 2011 21.5 over the years. I want to see what the big iMac has to offer, but I’d be happy with the 24in.

I could well end up getting silver, but I, too, like the green one.

 

[Maconplasma]

Same here. At first I wasn’t enthused by the new look, but now it has grown on me. I am not a professional, but just a simple user for simple needs and the iMac 24 inch fits the bill for many of us, specially non-professionals. They can wait a little while longer for the ones they want and need. 🤓

Ugh this word is being dragged around here to a point that I'm willing to bet the majority of this forum could not provide a solid explanation of what a "professional" is in terms of certain Apple computers not suitable for such a person.