Buying a 27-inch iMac in July 2021, am I out of my mind?

[One2Grift]

I've mentioned it in the previous comments. A lot of Adobe programs which I use daily still need Rosetta 2 and has known issues mentioned on the Adobe website (https://helpx.adobe.com/download-install/kb/apple-silicon-m1-chip.html). I mainly use Bootcamp for some casual gaming and to use my Oculus VR stuff, since they aren't supported by Mac whatsoever.

However, I do believe that once M1X/M2 gets put into more professional computers, like the 16-inch MacBook Pro and the iMac, even the Mac Pro, they will receive native support from Adobe. Fingers crossed.

Fingers crossed indeed.
I think we'll have our first indication in 3 weeks time. Apple will report its 3rd quarter results. Keep an eye on the Mac sector. Apple saw a BIG YoY jump in Mac sales in the previous quarter. And that quarter shockingly saw higher Mac revenue than the previous/holiday quarter. That is not normal. However, it may just have been covid caused 2020 underperform and 2021 is simply seeing that pent up demand equalizing in 2021.
IF Q3 2021 Mac sales crush it again? That's a better sign that Apple silicon/M series may be propelling greater sales.
IF that's the case then M1X/M2 Pro lines should boost Mac sales even further. It would be a not insignificant shock to the PC world. Ultimately the adage "build it and they will come" applies. Burgeoning Mac(M series) sales certainly means Adobe (among many others) will have significantly increased revenue impetus to offer native M apps ASAP.

 

[awsom82]

0 chance I would buy an intel 27inch iMac atm with the rumors saying the new 27's will be sometime later this year.

Bloomberg says it would be 30''... Cant wait. Need iMac badly, but for costing $7k, I don't want to see how the presented absolutely new iMac in the next few months dramatically drops the value of my iMac...

But Apple is Apple, there also a big chance they can release it only next year...

 

[MetalMK]

Plus... you say you are a graphic designer... but don't go into detail. Do you really need THE BEST screen out there? Safe for the XDR display? If you've gotten by with your MBP's 15" one?

I've gotten used to the Apple Retina display over the past few years, and it's hard for me to comfortably work on any other monitors, knowing my MacBook Pro will produce the colours better at the cost of a smaller monitor. I mainly do graphics like illustrations, posters, UI/UX, occasionally photo editing and video editing, so I rely on the Adobe Creative Suite most of the time.

As for the suggestion of 40-43" TVs, I think they are too big for my desk and I don't think they offer DCI-P3 colour gamut. The main reason I'm looking at the 27-inch iMac is not only because of its colour accuracy and contrast ratio, but also the size hits the "sweet spot" for me personally. Not really a good idea to bury my face in a giant TV 8-10 hours a day.

 

[eldho]

I watched the video at the start of this thread on my lg ultrafine 5K and looked at it on the angles shown in the video. I could not see any significant effect as claimed in the video. It is usual for recordings of such things to be far more extreme than the actual situation so those recordings are, at the least, very misleading. I am very impressed with this monitor having moved to it from a 2011 iMac.

 

[deef]

Why not get a 12.9“ iPad and run it as a second display? You can always trade it in for credit towards an iMac if needed later. And you get a portable solution that works with your laptop, and the screen quality is better than any monitor out there.

 

[awsom82]

Why not get a 12.9“ iPad and run it as a second display?

iPad vs iMac, are you serious? Buyin iPad in that case, it's like just throwing money in the window

 

[Marshall73]

If part of your work in design is the use of Adobe software then you might want to wait for the new M based iMac. Otherwise you will find support for the intel version drying up in 3 -5 years or so. Adobe will drop support for older macOS and with it, intel. It also may be a better value option to get a 24” iMac and a windows gaming desktop?

 

[Gregintosh]

If Apple develops a new feature exclusive to the Apple Silicone processors, it would probably leave a bad taste in my mouth, knowing I paid more for an Intel model, yet did not get the feature, even though I have no clue what this feature will be yet.

It's already happened. Mac OS Monterrey coming this fall has several M1-only features. Namely, the new 3D Maps, Live Photos (being able to highlight text in photos), and I am probably forgetting something else but I know there was a few.

So THIS YEAR you will already be missing out on some new software features if you go Intel, and probably by next year there will be even more Apple Silicon exclusives.

Knowing Apple, they will probably make some things artificially require Apple Silicon to convince owners of past machines to upgrade faster.

My advice: Don't buy an Intel machines anymore. Why not try the 24 inch M1? It may be a bit smaller *but* it will likely retain more value than the 27 inch over the next couple of years. Or if you can wait, just wait. Unless you are okay with getting the 27 inch now to make your work life easier with the intent of selling it by early next year when the bigger ones come out at a bit of a loss.

Most likely, I wouldn't expect 30 inch iMacs until fall at the absolute earliest (October/November launch) and probably Spring 2022 at the latest (at which point they will update the 24 inch models with a newer processor AND add a larger model).

 

[PeterJP]

If what you want is a DCI-P3 capable screen, then there's plenty of choice for that. The LG supposedly has 99%, but I've had very good experience with Dell monitors and their UltraSharp UP3216Q has 100%, 10-bit screen, 16-bit lookup. It should be plenty for what you need doing graphical design. If that's not enough, you should consider going the pro way, which is a couple of screens for your work + a calibrated one for colour accuracy. That would mean an Eizo or Konvision or the like. Or the Apple XDR one. But we're talking three or four times the price of the Dell then.

Really, comparing an imac vs mac mini with a good screen, I would always go for the mini. If nothing else, you can buy a better keyboard and mouse for less money than the Apple versions cost.

 

[pshufd]

Fingers crossed indeed.
I think we'll have our first indication in 3 weeks time. Apple will report its 3rd quarter results. Keep an eye on the Mac sector. Apple saw a BIG YoY jump in Mac sales in the previous quarter. And that quarter shockingly saw higher Mac revenue than the previous/holiday quarter. That is not normal. However, it may just have been covid caused 2020 underperform and 2021 is simply seeing that pent up demand equalizing in 2021.
IF Q3 2021 Mac sales crush it again? That's a better sign that Apple silicon/M series may be propelling greater sales.
IF that's the case then M1X/M2 Pro lines should boost Mac sales even further. It would be a not insignificant shock to the PC world. Ultimately the adage "build it and they will come" applies. Burgeoning Mac(M series) sales certainly means Adobe (among many others) will have significantly increased revenue impetus to offer native M apps ASAP.

My local stores seem to be selling a lot of Macs - M1s and even the Intel iMacs. I had been stalking them for a while and I can see inventory come in and go out - the dates on when they are in the stores changes regularly. There isn't much used inventory in my area either. It's more really old stuff from 2009 - 2013. People are scarfing up even old Macs.

 

[tornado99]

How good are you at DIY? There is a thread on these forums of people building their own 5K displays using a real retina panel and Displayport/HDMI controller board from aliexpress, and a case from a broken iMac on ebay. That would get you exactly what you want with some effort!

There's also the Geekon X27 Fusion which uses the full laminated glass iMac panel, unlike the Ultrafines with their plastic-coated 5K. If you are able to export from China that is also 100% what you are looking for.

Geekon 27-inch 5K monitor swivel lift professional design ThunderBolt Thunderbolt 3 power supply

X27, GEEKON, Brand New, National Joint Insurance, China Mainland, 16:9, HDMI, DP, USB2.0, TYPE-C, Audio, 178°, AH-IPS, 500, 178°, 5 Ms, 5 Ms, X27ProStand Bracket, X27FusionStand Bracket, X27ProliteStand Bracket, Official Standard, No, Level 1, No Camera, Rotatable, Built-in Speakers, Wall...

www.ebuy7.com

 

[PsykX]

0 chance I would buy an intel 27inch iMac atm with the rumors saying the new 27's will be sometime later this year.

Same thing.
I've been holding my purchase since the last 16 months or so.

I wanted a new design at first, because I see the same thing in front of me since the last 12 years now, but now that Apple Silicon is around, especially because it will have a faster chip in the 30-32 inch, this is really what I want.

 

[cwosigns]

 

[CWallace]

The only reason I am considering replacing my 2017 iMac 5K with a 2020 iMac 5K is because I might continue to need BootCamp for the next few years as my current WFH status might become permanent this Fall and I use Windows for work and a VM is just to inefficient compared to running BootCamp for my workflow.

I am really looking forward to a 32" iMac 6K with a Jade-C SoC and that would be my first choice if I do go back to the office, but at best I might be able to run Windows 10 ARM or Windows 11 on it in a virtual machine and I just don't think that is going to be as efficient as running Windows 10/11 in BootCamp on an iMac 5K.

Fortunately, my 2017 is still more than sufficient as both a macOS and a Windows machine so I can wait to see both how my work situation pans out and if any iMac 6K does ship this Fall or if it is pushed to 2022.

 

[Serban55]

I then shifted my attention to the 27-inch iMac, although it would be difficult to seamlessly transfer files between my MacBook Pro and the iMac

with Monterey you can now seamlessly
but for now we are on beta

 

[MetalMK]

So buying an Intel iMac that gives you the option to run Boot Camp, add or remove RAM, use software not compatible with Apple Silicon, connect devices using ports other than USB-C, use a built-in Ethernet port, and do anything else M-series Macs don't support if you choose, has value above and beyond the day-to-day use of the machine. And if Apple stops selling Intel Macs altogether, the value of this option greatly increases.

Basically this is the reason why I'm still considering Intel Macs. The performance of M1X/M2 remains unpredictable, would it be a bit faster than M1, or like 5x faster? I don't think any of us know the answer. As of now, the Intel processor with the AMD 5000 series graphics card outperforms M1, but who knows what M1X/M2 will bring to the table.

 

[CheesePuff]

In August 2020 I bought a top spec'd 27" iMac 2020 with the 8-core i7, 5500 XT, 32 GB RAM and love it. Last week I got a MacBook Air base model just to try out the M1, and it matches or sometimes exceeds the performance of my iMac. I love the desktop setup though so will keep it for another year until I see what Apple comes out to replace it with, but IMO you should either get the 24" M1 iMac or wait later this year to see what replaces it.

 

[KaliYoni]

who knows what M1X/M2 will bring to the table.

Yes, that's why I think focusing on unknown specs and performance, especially on rumored machines, may not be the best way to make a buying decision today. But if you value the ability to customize and connect an iMac easily, it sure looks like Intel is the end of the road for now.

 

[Realityck]

Sometimes I think these computers are coming rumors drive people crazy. Just buy what you need now, trade it for something better later. The 30" could come out and you're stuck with additional 90 days to get one because of production/demand issues.

 

[pshufd]

Sometimes I think these computers are coming rumors drive people crazy. Just buy what you need now, trade it for something better later. The 30" could come out and you're stuck with additional 90 days to get one because of production/demand issues.

It's a bit different for me as I use a combination of older machines so I can put some programs on one machine and some on another. I get by in this mode until the M1X unicorn arrives.

 

[Serban55]

Basically this is the reason why I'm still considering Intel Macs. The performance of M1X/M2 remains unpredictable, would it be a bit faster than M1, or like 5x faster? I don't think any of us know the answer. As of now, the Intel processor with the AMD 5000 series graphics card outperforms M1, but who knows what M1X/M2 will bring to the table.

just a little bit faster on cpu? i guess at around 2 times but on the gpu, expect 3 or 4 times with the higher SoC gpu cores config

 

[xraydoc]

If Apple develops a new feature exclusive to the Apple Silicone processors, it would probably leave a bad taste in my mouth, knowing I paid more for an Intel model, yet did not get the feature, even though I have no clue what this feature will be yet.

I'm certain there will be MX-only features at some point. Right now, it's TouchID. I'm sure others are coming. Whether they will be must-have features in the next 3-4 years is hard to predict.

 

[pshufd]

I'm certain there will be Mx-only features at some point. Right now, it's TouchID. I'm sure others are coming. Whether they will be must-have features in the next 4-4 yeaars is hard to predict.

All of the neural engine features in Monterey are M1-only.

 

[ADGrant]

So you said you’re a designer…..does any of the software you need run on windows? And this is not the same as PowerPC. This is Intel. Biggest PC chip maker on Earth. I don’t see apple dropping support for these for at least 5yrs. And as new features come out, Intel machines may not get them. That’s fine as long as they do what they did on the day you bought it right? I’m in this same predicament, but some of the software I want to be able to run is windows only/windows best…..

Yes, this is the point that most people miss comparing the current transition off of Intel to the one off of PowerPC and on to Intel. The x64 Intel Architecture is used by most of the worlds desktop and laptop computers and used for most server based workloads both in the cloud and on prem. IBM's Power architecture is still around but it isn't exactly mass market.

Apple has sold a lot of Intel Macs to large corporations, they won't want to abandon the corporate market by prematurely dropping Intel support.

I think Intel will lose ground in the server market (particularly for cloud hosted workloads) and even in the non-apple end user computer market (Windows on ARM may even become a thing). It will be a slow process though.

 

[ADGrant]

I'd 100% wait.
Even if there wasn't an architecture switch... the 27" iMac is OLD.

The 2020 27" iMac first shipped less than a year ago, I wouldn't call that old.