Decision: M2 now, while await M3

[Skyblazer]

Old dude, age 88, use for email and read news 9 hrs per day, Netflix, no games (stop laughing).

My late 2014 iMac 27" Big Sur (plus a 2nd Apple Thunderbolt 27 monitor) is getting sketchy, especially with 100 emails per day. Moving up to 32GB Ram helped. Shoulda stayed with Catalina.

I'm not rich, but I do have ample means to buy anything I want, and I'm psychologically inclined to overkill when buying electronics.

I WANT TO END UP HERE: Mac Studio M3 MAX with two new Apple 27" monitors. (I admit; total overkill, I don't care). The plan to date has been to hang on until the M3 Mac Studio arrives, but the iMac 27" may not last.

If needing to buy something today, which of these is the "smart" move to lose the least money on resale?? (assumes I'd get a M3 Mac Studio MAX hopefully in June 2024, or November 2024 saith the gurus)

I'm an old Vietnam jet fighter jock so I get 10% off on all Apple products.

All of these options are overkill for my use. I don't care. I like top end stuff.

1. Buy Mac Studio M2 MAX now? (move up to Mac Studio M3 MAX in 7 or 13 months [maybe])

2. Buy Mac Studio M2 ULTRA now? (total overkill but maybe better resale value?)

3. Buy MBLT Pro 14" M3 MAX (to drive the 2 x 27" monitors) I have no use for a laptop as a laptop.

When I upgrade to the Mac Studio M3 MAX, which of the above could be sold for the least lost?

Any assistance from the brilliant young minds here would be greatly appreciated

 

[richmlow]

Old dude, age 88, use for email and read news 9 hrs per day, Netflix, no games (stop laughing).

My late 2014 iMac 27" Big Sur (plus a 2nd Apple Thunderbolt 27 monitor) is getting sketchy, especially with 100 emails per day. Moving up to 32GB Ram helped. Shoulda stayed with Catalina.

I'm not rich, but I do have ample means to buy anything I want, and I'm psychologically inclined to overkill when buying electronics.

I WANT TO END UP HERE: Mac Studio M3 MAX with two new Apple 27" monitors. (I admit; total overkill, I don't care). The plan to date has been to hang on until the M3 Mac Studio arrives, but the iMac 27" may not last.

If needing to buy something today, which of these is the "smart" move to lose the least money on resale?? (assumes I'd get a M3 Mac Studio MAX hopefully in June 2024, or November 2024 saith the gurus)

I'm an old Vietnam jet fighter jock so I get 10% off on all Apple products.

All of these options are overkill for my use. I don't care. I like top end stuff.

1. Buy Mac Studio M2 MAX now? (move up to Mac Studio M3 MAX in 7 or 13 months [maybe])

2. Buy Mac Studio M2 ULTRA now? (total overkill but maybe better resale value?)

3. Buy MBLT Pro 14" M3 MAX (to drive the 2 x 27" monitors) I have no use for a laptop as a laptop.

When I upgrade to the Mac Studio M3 MAX, which of the above could be sold for the least lost?

Any assistance from the brilliant young minds here would be greatly appreciated

Hello Skyblazer,


As you mentioned in your post, your target computing platform is a MASSIVE overkill for your tasks!

The following configuration would be MORE than adequate for 10+ years from now:

2023 Mac mini M2 Pro, 32GB RAM, 512GB SSD storage.

I have this particular configuration (see my signature). It will last me 10+ years from now and I use it for "heavy" computing tasks.

Good luck in your purchasing decision!


richmlow

 

[davidlv]

Old dude, age 88, use for email and read news 9 hrs per day, Netflix, no games (stop laughing).

My late 2014 iMac 27" Big Sur (plus a 2nd Apple Thunderbolt 27 monitor) is getting sketchy, especially with 100 emails per day. Moving up to 32GB Ram helped. Shoulda stayed with Catalina.

I'm not rich, but I do have ample means to buy anything I want, and I'm psychologically inclined to overkill when buying electronics.

I WANT TO END UP HERE: Mac Studio M3 MAX with two new Apple 27" monitors. (I admit; total overkill, I don't care). The plan to date has been to hang on until the M3 Mac Studio arrives, but the iMac 27" may not last.

If needing to buy something today, which of these is the "smart" move to lose the least money on resale?? (assumes I'd get a M3 Mac Studio MAX hopefully in June 2024, or November 2024 saith the gurus)

I'm an old Vietnam jet fighter jock so I get 10% off on all Apple products.

All of these options are overkill for my use. I don't care. I like top end stuff.

1. Buy Mac Studio M2 MAX now? (move up to Mac Studio M3 MAX in 7 or 13 months [maybe])

2. Buy Mac Studio M2 ULTRA now? (total overkill but maybe better resale value?)

3. Buy MBLT Pro 14" M3 MAX (to drive the 2 x 27" monitors) I have no use for a laptop as a laptop.

When I upgrade to the Mac Studio M3 MAX, which of the above could be sold for the least lost?

Any assistance from the brilliant young minds here would be greatly appreciated

The Apple Silicon M2 Studio Max with 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD (2TB SSD if you are saving movies) will amaze you with the speed, coming from a 2014 iMac (I have one so I know). You could sell it for a minimum loss in a year if you want, but for your tasks, I doubt you will feel that is necessary. The difference in perceptible speed would be almost none doing what you do now. The real expense is the Apple monitors. You might want to check out buying one Dell 6k 32" monitor or two of the LG 27 5K monitors made for the Mac. The LG uses the same panel used by Apple.

 

[Skyblazer]

Hello Skyblazer,


As you mentioned in your post, your target computing platform is a MASSIVE overkill for your tasks!

The following configuration would be MORE than adequate for 10+ years from now:

2023 Mac mini M2 Pro, 32GB RAM, 512GB SSD storage.

I have this particular configuration (see my signature). It will last me 10+ years from now and I use it for "heavy" computing tasks.

Good luck in your purchasing decision!


richmlow

richmlow, that is very good to know. Many thanks. From reading articles, I decided to go Studio instead of Mini in case I want more slots.

 

[Skyblazer]

The Apple Silicon M2 Studio Max with 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD (2TB SSD if you are saving movies) will amaze you with the speed, coming from a 2014 iMac (I have one so I know). You could sell it for a minimum loss in a year if you want, but for your tasks, I doubt you will feel that is necessary. The difference in perceptible speed would be almost none doing what you do now. The real expense is the Apple monitors. You might want to check out buying one Dell 6k 32" monitor or two of the LG 27 5K monitors made for the Mac. The LG uses the same panel used by Apple.

david, that is very helpful. Many thanks. On the Geek-Scale 1-10, I'm hovering at 3. On this board I about compatibility issues with non-Apple monitors. So to play it safe and avoid potential frustration, I'll pay the premium for an Apple overpriced monitor.

 

[ondioline]

Here’s what I would do today in your circumstance:

I would buy the Mac Mini with M2 Pro today because the M3 Pro is a side-grade at best. You can also connect two Studio Displays to it (I have this setup)

Do not buy the M2 Max/Ultra Studio. Why? Because the M3 Max is a clear upgrade over the M1/M2. If people are going to be dumping any machines onto the market, it will be these. No one is going to be selling their M2 Pro Mac Mini.

Then buy the M3 Studio when it comes out!

 

[Skyblazer]

Here’s what I would do today in your circumstance:

I would buy the Mac Mini with M2 Pro today because the M3 Pro is a side-grade at best. You can also connect two Studio Displays to it (I have this setup)

Do not buy the M2 Max/Ultra Studio. Why? Because the M3 Max is a clear upgrade over the M1/M2. If people are going to be dumping any machines onto the market, it will be these. No one is going to be selling their M2 Pro Mac Mini.

Then buy the M3 Studio when it comes out!

I like your brilliant analysis. I'll look into that option tomorrow. Not sure what side-grade means, but I think i get the jist; side-grade is not that big of deal for the additional cost. The expertise on this forum is phenomenal. I'm so grateful.

 

[ondioline]

I like your brilliant analysis. I'll look into that option tomorrow. Not sure what side-grade means, but I think i get the jist; side-grade is not that big of deal for the additional cost. The expertise on this forum is phenomenal. I'm so grateful.

Indeed! Quite simply from benchmarks on the M3 Max, it is in the same league as the M2 Ultra. That means the M3 Ultra will be a vast performance leap when it's released.

The M2 Pro is literally an M2 Max with some GPUs chopped off. It has the same exact CPU so it was always a great deal if you didn't need the graphics performance.

In contrast: the new M3 Pro is a completely new processor design with reduced CPU performance cores (from the M3 Max.) From everything I've seen not only is it behind the M3 Max, but it isn't really beating the M2 Pro either. Thus it's pointless to upgrade from M2 Pro to M3 Pro, you're not really getting anything worth the money.

But it is worthwhile and justifiable to upgrade an M1/M2 Max to M3 Max, and definitely M1/M2 Ultra to M3 Ultra when the time comes. So those are the machines that will be popping up on eBay ;P

 

[M2MaxMan]

I’m a retired veteran as well with the 10% discount and I purchased the M2 Max August of this year upgraded to the 1TB storage instead of the 512GB storage and currently using my old Apple 27” Thunderbolt display and three Apple 27” Cinema displays without having any problems at all. If you decide to get any M2 Mac Studio model right now, you’ll still be in great shape if the M3 models were to come out because it’s going to be about performance. It’s just like buying a Corvette and it’s about performance on the base, grand sport, Z06, ZR1 models of these cars and other factors to consider as 1LT, 2LT, 3LT and with/without the magnetic ride and Z51 packages, too. Trust me as an owner of two Corvette generation models, I know well better. But, it’s your own personal preferences of what you to decide that is applicable for your needs and if you decide to buy now or wait later, so be it.

 

[Fishrrman]

Get a well-equipped m3pro Mini when they come out early next year.

That oughta last you a while longer...

 

[Jumpthesnark]

@Skyblazer , it seems that you will only be waiting a few months to get what you want - that M3 Max Studio. But after using your iMac for nearly 10 years it's easy to see that you're not the type who buys something every year or two, so my question has to do with your iMac.

(I too am using a late-2014 27" iMac and I can tell that it's not going to last forever. Looking as well at a hoped-for M3 Pro Mini [if the M3 version is great, like M2 Pro Mini] plus a Studio Display. So we're in a similar place.)

What is going on with your iMac that you're worried you should buy a Studio now, and then upgrade in the spring when the M3 Studios are likely to be released? Is it something that can be easily fixed?

My similar iMac is a dust magnet, and I've opened it up a couple times to clean it, which has kept it running cooler. That may be all yours needs to keep it going for another 6 months.

That said, I know you'll be happy with buying an M2 Studio Max or Ultra now. If you're going to get Studio Displays (and if you're a Costco member) you should know that they are on sale there now through the 27th for $1350.

Sounds like you're in a no-lose situation. Good luck and let us know what you decide!

 

[Skyblazer]

I’m a retired veteran as well with the 10% discount and I purchased the M2 Max August of this year upgraded to the 1TB storage instead of the 512GB storage and currently using my old Apple 27” Thunderbolt display and three Apple 27” Cinema displays without having any problems at all. If you decide to get any M2 Mac Studio model right now, you’ll still be in great shape if the M3 models were to come out because it’s going to be about performance. It’s just like buying a Corvette and it’s about performance on the base, grand sport, Z06, ZR1 models of these cars and other factors to consider as 1LT, 2LT, 3LT and with/without the magnetic ride and Z51 packages, too. Trust me as an owner of two Corvette generation models, I know well better. But, it’s your own personal preferences of what you to decide that is applicable for your needs and if you decide to buy now or wait later, so be it.

M2MaxMan, your info very valuable on two levels. #1. I have two old 27" Thunderbolt displays that work perfectly and have almost no resale value. Only using one due to desk space limitation. As stated, I'm not too geeky and was concerned that connecting the old 27" TB monitor might be too tricky for me, whereas the new 27" would be plug and play, as I understand it. I get lost pretty fast when trying to understand the various generational connection compatibilities. If you see this post, would you comment on the ease/complexity of connecting a Mac Studio M2 Max to the older Thunderbolt 27" monitor. I read someplace the new 27" is not stellar and Apple is working on new monitors. So, if I use the old 27" TB for a year or so I coul await a better Apple monitor. And, is it dramatically different viewing either text or a movie between old and new Apple 27" monitors?? Greatly appreciate the valuable and useful info you have provided.

#2. Love you car analogy and I can learn from that. Owned long list of BMW, Benz (300SL Gullwing), Audi, Porsches (Cup Car), Ferrari (2004 Challenge Stradale). Using your analogy, I'd be fine in the base model Corvette as I go from stop light to stop light on Pacific Coast Highway alongside the VWs and soccer moms in their gigantic Bentley SUVs.

 

[Populus]

Here’s what I would do today in your circumstance:

I would buy the Mac Mini with M2 Pro today because the M3 Pro is a side-grade at best. You can also connect two Studio Displays to it (I have this setup)

Do not buy the M2 Max/Ultra Studio. Why? Because the M3 Max is a clear upgrade over the M1/M2. If people are going to be dumping any machines onto the market, it will be these. No one is going to be selling their M2 Pro Mac Mini.

Then buy the M3 Studio when it comes out!

This is the best advice I've read so far.
I second this.

Get a well-equipped m3pro Mini when they come out early next year.

That oughta last you a while longer...

He cannot wait until next year. If he could, he would wait and purchase the machine he really wants, the M3 Max Studio. He likes overkill machines, and I respect that.

 

[Skyblazer]

@Skyblazer , it seems that you will only be waiting a few months to get what you want - that M3 Max Studio. But after using your iMac for nearly 10 years it's easy to see that you're not the type who buys something every year or two, so my question has to do with your iMac.

(I too am using a late-2014 27" iMac and I can tell that it's not going to last forever. Looking as well at a hoped-for M3 Pro Mini [if the M3 version is great, like M2 Pro Mini] plus a Studio Display. So we're in a similar place.)

What is going on with your iMac that you're worried you should buy a Studio now, and then upgrade in the spring when the M3 Studios are likely to be released? Is it something that can be easily fixed?

My similar iMac is a dust magnet, and I've opened it up a couple times to clean it, which has kept it running cooler. That may be all yours needs to keep it going for another 6 months.

That said, I know you'll be happy with buying an M2 Studio Max or Ultra now. If you're going to get Studio Displays (and if you're a Costco member) you should know that they are on sale there now through the 27th for $1350.

Sounds like you're in a no-lose situation. Good luck and let us know what you decide!

Performance status of late 2014 iMac 27. When I went from Catalina to Big Sur, the computer seemed to decline. I changed from 16GB to 32GB memory and they greatly improved performance. On initial start up in morning, it is very slow to connect to chrome. Once connected to Chrome/Safari, everything works normally the rest of the day. Connecting to Gmail is often up to 2 minutes. Then email disappears from Inbox and I have to find it in Archives. All kinds of inconsistent craziness with Gmail. Sent does not show what I've sent. Trash does show what is in trash. Gmail is the biggest problem and I do a lot of email. I am a Costco Exec 2% member. Thanks for the tip. Apple Vets 27 display
price is $1439. Just checked Apple.com and Studio Display shows out of stock.

 

[M2MaxMan]

For the two

M2MaxMan, your info very valuable on two levels. #1. I have two old 27" Thunderbolt displays that work perfectly and have almost no resale value. Only using one due to desk space limitation. As stated, I'm not too geeky and was concerned that connecting the old 27" TB monitor might be too tricky for me, whereas the new 27" would be plug and play, as I understand it. I get lost pretty fast when trying to understand the various generational connection compatibilities. If you see this post, would you comment on the ease/complexity of connecting a Mac Studio M2 Max to the older Thunderbolt 27" monitor. I read someplace the new 27" is not stellar and Apple is working on new monitors. So, if I use the old 27" TB for a year or so I coul await a better Apple monitor. And, is it dramatically different viewing either text or a movie between old and new Apple 27" monitors?? Greatly appreciate the valuable and useful info you have provided.

#2. Love you car analogy and I can learn from that. Owned long list of BMW, Benz (300SL Gullwing), Audi, Porsches (Cup Car), Ferrari (2004 Challenge Stradale). Using your analogy, I'd be fine in the base model Corvette as I go from stop light to stop light on Pacific Coast Highway alongside the VWs and soccer moms in their gigantic Bentley SUVs.

For the two Thunderbolt displays to connect to the M2 Max Studio, you need two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 adapter and the cable that came with your Thunderbolt 2 display. The cable on our Thunderbolt displays connect to the adapter end on the bottom and then connect it to the rear of the Mac Studio.

 

[Skyblazer]

For the two

For the two Thunderbolt displays to connect to the M2 Max Studio, you need two Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 adapter and the cable that came with your Thunderbolt 2 display. The cable on our Thunderbolt displays connect to the adapter end on the bottom and then connect it to the rear of the Mac Studio.

Great!! Thanks. Will copy and make note of this in the event I used the Thunderbolt monitors. Thanks too for the photo of the adaptor.

 

[Skyblazer]

Hello Skyblazer,


As you mentioned in your post, your target computing platform is a MASSIVE overkill for your tasks!

The following configuration would be MORE than adequate for 10+ years from now:

2023 Mac mini M2 Pro, 32GB RAM, 512GB SSD storage.

I have this particular configuration (see my signature). It will last me 10+ years from now and I use it for "heavy" computing tasks.

Good luck in your purchasing decision!


richmlow

Just discovered the Mac Mini M2 Pro is not available on the 10% discount Apple veterans site. only 8-CPU, 10-GPU, 16 Neural, 24GB, 512 for $719.

The recommended Mini M2 Pro 10-CPU, 16 GPU, 16 Neural, 32GB, 512 retail is $1699 and not available at Vets discount site.

 

[davidlv]

Performance status of late 2014 iMac 27. When I went from Catalina to Big Sur, the computer seemed to decline. I changed from 16GB to 32GB memory and they greatly improved performance. On initial start up in morning, it is very slow to connect to chrome. Once connected to Chrome/Safari, everything works normally the rest of the day. Connecting to Gmail is often up to 2 minutes. Then email disappears from Inbox and I have to find it in Archives. All kinds of inconsistent craziness with Gmail. Sent does not show what I've sent. Trash does show what is in trash. Gmail is the biggest problem and I do a lot of email. I am a Costco Exec 2% member. Thanks for the tip. Apple Vets 27 display
price is $1439. Just checked Apple.com and Studio Display shows out of stock.

E-mail: The best e-mail client out now is Thunderbird, and it's free too. When you start it up the first time, it offers to import your mail from otehr e-mail clients. Download it and try it once. You will soon know if it works for you.
There is only one thing that you need to do for every e-mail folder you make (no global setting at present). You have to use the the View menu and then the Sort by option and choose Descending - repeat using the View/Sort by menu again and choose Unthreaded. Thunderbird gets updates automatically, so that hassle is eliminated. I switched from Outlook recently and the speed difference is amazing, Outlook is an old decrepit marathon runner compared to the 100meter sprinter that Thunderbird has become. It also has three view options so you can customize it somewhat. I have heard there are many extensionss avialable too, but haven't felt the need to investigate further.
Mac Mini M2 Pro vs M2 Studio Max or Ultra: Any of these monsters will put a grin on your face! Don't overthink it, just go to the Apple store or the Apple web page and enjoy the shopping! I still have my old 2014 iMac, using OCLP and running Sonoma quite well, but my entry level M2 MBA runs circles around that older sibling. You will be amazed by the M2. No doubts. Life is too short to wait, as long as you have the funds order those adapter now and get connected!
🌜🌛

 

[Skyblazer]

E-mail: The best e-mail client out now is Thunderbird, and it's free too. When you start it up the first time, it offers to import your mail from otehr e-mail clients. Download it and try it once. You will soon know if it works for you.
There is only one thing that you need to do for every e-mail folder you make (no global setting at present). You have to use the the View menu and then the Sort by option and choose Descending - repeat using the View/Sort by menu again and choose Unthreaded. Thunderbird gets updates automatically, so that hassle is eliminated. I switched from Outlook recently and the speed difference is amazing, Outlook is an old decrepit marathon runner compared to the 100meter sprinter that Thunderbird has become. It also has three view options so you can customize it somewhat. I have heard there are many extensionss avialable too, but haven't felt the need to investigate further.
Mac Mini M2 Pro vs M2 Studio Max or Ultra: Any of these monsters will put a grin on your face! Don't overthink it, just go to the Apple store or the Apple web page and enjoy the shopping! I still have my old 2014 iMac, using OCLP and running Sonoma quite well, but my entry level M2 MBA runs circles around that older sibling. You will be amazed by the M2. No doubts. Life is too short to wait, as long as you have the funds order those adapter now and get connected!
🌜🌛

david, GREAT ADVICE! And greatly appreciated. Clearly I'm stuck in analysis paralysis. Apple Veterans site does not sell the Mini M2 Pro.

 

[Plutonius]

Old dude, age 88, use for email and read news 9 hrs per day, Netflix, no games (stop laughing).

My late 2014 iMac 27" Big Sur (plus a 2nd Apple Thunderbolt 27 monitor) is getting sketchy, especially with 100 emails per day. Moving up to 32GB Ram helped. Shoulda stayed with Catalina.

I'm not rich, but I do have ample means to buy anything I want, and I'm psychologically inclined to overkill when buying electronics.

I WANT TO END UP HERE: Mac Studio M3 MAX with two new Apple 27" monitors. (I admit; total overkill, I don't care). The plan to date has been to hang on until the M3 Mac Studio arrives, but the iMac 27" may not last.

If needing to buy something today, which of these is the "smart" move to lose the least money on resale?? (assumes I'd get a M3 Mac Studio MAX hopefully in June 2024, or November 2024 saith the gurus)

I'm an old Vietnam jet fighter jock so I get 10% off on all Apple products.

All of these options are overkill for my use. I don't care. I like top end stuff.

1. Buy Mac Studio M2 MAX now? (move up to Mac Studio M3 MAX in 7 or 13 months [maybe])

2. Buy Mac Studio M2 ULTRA now? (total overkill but maybe better resale value?)

3. Buy MBLT Pro 14" M3 MAX (to drive the 2 x 27" monitors) I have no use for a laptop as a laptop.

When I upgrade to the Mac Studio M3 MAX, which of the above could be sold for the least lost?

Any assistance from the brilliant young minds here would be greatly appreciated

If you plan on selling what you are buying now, why not get the M3 iMac for now (you seem to be ok with your current iMac but are concerned it will not last) ? Also, the M2 Studio Max is a great computer so you might get that and forget about a M3.

The M2 studio ultra will probably have the worst resale when the M3 Studio Max comes out.

Using a laptop as a desktop will eventually have issues. If you leave it plugged in, the battery will degrade faster. You might not care how well the battery holds a charge but, leaving the computer plugged in, will sooner or later cause swelling in the battery, That can damage the laptop and is a safety issue.

 

[Skyblazer]

If you plan on selling what you are buying now, why not get the M3 iMac for now (you seem to be ok with your current iMac but are concerned it will not last) ? Also, the M2 Studio Max is a great computer so you might get that and forget about a M3.

The M2 studio ultra will probably have the worst resale when the M3 Studio Max comes out.

Using a laptop as a desktop will eventually have issues. If you leave it plugged in, the battery will degrade faster. You might not care how well the battery holds a charge but, leaving the computer plugged in, will sooner or later cause swelling in the battery, That can damage the laptop and is a safety issue.

Excellent and helpful information. Everything seems to point to your suggestion; buy Mac Studio M2 Max now and not bother with the M3 Studio Max. For sure I'll eliminate using a laptop to drive the monitors. Great insight, thanks. I like two screens and a 24 next to a 27 seems a little weird.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Old dude, age 88, use for email and read news 9 hrs per day, Netflix, no games (stop laughing).

My late 2014 iMac 27" Big Sur (plus a 2nd Apple Thunderbolt 27 monitor) is getting sketchy, especially with 100 emails per day. Moving up to 32GB Ram helped. Shoulda stayed with Catalina.

I'm not rich, but I do have ample means to buy anything I want, and I'm psychologically inclined to overkill when buying electronics.

I WANT TO END UP HERE: Mac Studio M3 MAX with two new Apple 27" monitors. (I admit; total overkill, I don't care). The plan to date has been to hang on until the M3 Mac Studio arrives, but the iMac 27" may not last.

If needing to buy something today, which of these is the "smart" move to lose the least money on resale?? (assumes I'd get a M3 Mac Studio MAX hopefully in June 2024, or November 2024 saith the gurus)

I'm an old Vietnam jet fighter jock so I get 10% off on all Apple products.

All of these options are overkill for my use. I don't care. I like top end stuff.

1. Buy Mac Studio M2 MAX now? (move up to Mac Studio M3 MAX in 7 or 13 months [maybe])

2. Buy Mac Studio M2 ULTRA now? (total overkill but maybe better resale value?)

3. Buy MBLT Pro 14" M3 MAX (to drive the 2 x 27" monitors) I have no use for a laptop as a laptop.

When I upgrade to the Mac Studio M3 MAX, which of the above could be sold for the least lost?

Any assistance from the brilliant young minds here would be greatly appreciated

Per your needs/desires, a Studio Max is great, but as long as you are building such a box do not skimp on RAM to less than 64 GB. Personally I am very curious to see what M3 Studio Max looks like (is something additional happening that we have not seen in the M3 MBP Max?). Frankly IMO if you buy an M2 Studio Max with enough RAM I doubt that you would ever want M3 unless you get into some app like Maya that needs ray tracing.

Any Ultra is inappropriate, simply doubling what is already performance overkill.

I suggest that you consider jumping into the upcoming Apple Vision Pro before you go buying additional pricey displays. You just might love it.

 

[davidlv]

david, GREAT ADVICE! And greatly appreciated. Clearly I'm stuck in analysis paralysis. Apple Veterans site does not sell the Mini M2 Pro.

There is so much advice here based on what the person giving the advice wants, rather than what you would find good, it's getting rather hard to digest.
If the Veterans site doesn't have the Mini M2 Pro, do they have the M2 Studio Max? Order it with at least 32GB RAM and a SSD big enough for you, either 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB. You can add external SSDs as necessary later. If they have the Apple Studio Display, get two and be done with the analysis. You can always sell your old displays to regain some of the spent cash (and decrease your storage space requirements). I too doubt you will need to sell the M2 Studio as it is so fast, but you can if you decide to do that in a year or so (after the M4 comes out?).

 

[MacProFCP]

Old dude, age 88, use for email and read news 9 hrs per day, Netflix, no games (stop laughing).

My late 2014 iMac 27" Big Sur (plus a 2nd Apple Thunderbolt 27 monitor) is getting sketchy, especially with 100 emails per day. Moving up to 32GB Ram helped. Shoulda stayed with Catalina.

I'm not rich, but I do have ample means to buy anything I want, and I'm psychologically inclined to overkill when buying electronics.

I WANT TO END UP HERE: Mac Studio M3 MAX with two new Apple 27" monitors. (I admit; total overkill, I don't care). The plan to date has been to hang on until the M3 Mac Studio arrives, but the iMac 27" may not last.

If needing to buy something today, which of these is the "smart" move to lose the least money on resale?? (assumes I'd get a M3 Mac Studio MAX hopefully in June 2024, or November 2024 saith the gurus)

I'm an old Vietnam jet fighter jock so I get 10% off on all Apple products.

All of these options are overkill for my use. I don't care. I like top end stuff.

1. Buy Mac Studio M2 MAX now? (move up to Mac Studio M3 MAX in 7 or 13 months [maybe])

2. Buy Mac Studio M2 ULTRA now? (total overkill but maybe better resale value?)

3. Buy MBLT Pro 14" M3 MAX (to drive the 2 x 27" monitors) I have no use for a laptop as a laptop.

When I upgrade to the Mac Studio M3 MAX, which of the above could be sold for the least lost?

Any assistance from the brilliant young minds here would be greatly appreciated

1. Thank you for your service. It may have been generations ago, but your contribution is not forgotten.

2. Based on your cash flow and wants / needs, your decision is not based on value, but on the value you place on waiting. You can get a nice machine now or wait a year and get something faster.

3. Regarding technology, the advice is always to wait as long as one is able, as technology is constantly getting better. Regarding resale value, the question is when. From the date of introduction to five years out, both the M2 and the M3 will likely lose similar value percentage over time. Considering that the M2 Studio is less than a year since introduction, you haven’t lost much time, or value, if you buy now.

4. At 88, do you think your computer needs will change over the next five years? If so, it may be worth getting the machine you want now.

Again, thank you for your service to this country and I wish you the best in your decision making.

 

[Velin]

with two new Apple 27" monitors. (I admit; total overkill, I don't care)

I have a suggestion for you. Instead of spending all that money on twin 27" Apple monitors, get the LG C3 42-inch OLED screen instead. It uses HDMI 2.1, connects right up from the Mac Studio (or Mac mini) and runs at 120hz, better than the Apple monitors.

I have one. Using it right now. It is absolutely stellar. OLED is superior to LED/LCD. And the 42-inch screen size is perfect if you can push it about fourteen to sixteen inches away from you. Text is clear, large, very easy to read. Images look great. And video looks stunning -- absolutely destroys any "regular" LED/LCD monitor, including Apple monitors.

Seriously consider this suggestion. You'll save a lot of money. You won't have to deal with two screens and that damn bezel in the middle. And you'll have a tremendous monster screen that is easy to use, easy to see, and looks absolutely amazing for your use case. I promise you, once you try this -- you will never, ever go back to the "old" way of desktop monitors.