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Did they just discontinue iMac 27"?
- Thread starter iBug2
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Oh for sure there'll be folks who dislike this move - whether for aesthetic or cost reasons - equally valid.
In my case I never considered the iMac because it was an integrated system.
Where I see real strength in the Studio Display is in using it with a Macbook Pro or similar - you get a 27' iMac experience when docked, while still retaining the portability of the MBP and not needing worry about syncing files between multiple computers.
Should the day come when I need replace my Dell U2717D and Caldigit TS3+ docking setup, I might very well consider the Studio Display.
IIRC though the M1 is inherently limited to 16GB by its design? not just Apple's decisions about product differentiations. The 14" and 16" MacBook Pros offer 32GB Ram with the M1 Pro and 64GB with the M1 Max.. so that's a precedent for configurability. (I could see them dropping the 13" MacBook and bumping up the MacBook Air, too...)
Yes, that's a gap - I wonder if we'll see an M1 Pro equipped Mac Mini quietly appear this year.
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Yeah, maybe to push out the last of the Intel Mac minis? Kinda surprised they're still there.
Lets do a comparison based on the US prices (pre tax as on the website)
iMac 27 inch (Info found via the wayback machine set to a few days ago)
The three base models cost - 1.8K, 2K, 2.3K
Today the Studio costs - 2K, 4K
(This is without a screen, mouse and keyboard)
iMac 27 inch (Info found via the wayback machine set to a few days ago)
The three base models cost - 1.8K, 2K, 2.3K
Today the Studio costs - 2K, 4K
(This is without a screen, mouse and keyboard)
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Note that the website labels the M1 iMac as "iMac 24". If this were to now be the only iMac from hereon, I would have thought they'd remove the sizing from the name.
My guess is that they'll release a 27" M1/2 variant later in the year.
My guess is that they'll release a 27" M1/2 variant later in the year.
I just realised that as you typed it and will add it into the post above. Still thanks.
This got me thinking too. Apple did say in the keynote that the Mac Pro was the last Mac to be moved to M1 and no news on it now.
If what you say is correct (despite what Apple said in the keynote), why remove the 27s from the store when there is no direct replacement?
Has Apple ever discontinued something and released the new model months later (ie a decent time period where you can't buy it at all)?
Just yesterday I posted this in the rumor thread for the event. Although I have to say I’m quite surprised they already discontinued the iMac 27”.
Very interesting rumors to say the least. A couple of months ago I wrote about how Apple really needs to re-think the iMac as a concept. Here we are!
Assuming this is true, Apple have chosen to prioritize a new 27" standalone 5K display and headless "Mac Studio" over the long overdue iMac 27". This really speaks numbers. The 24" iMac is clearly not selling.
Why Apple couldn't foresee this is beyond me. The desktop used to offer so many advantages over laptops. Performance, Display Size, Storage Space, Connectivity, and so on. Today's iMac add none of that except display size. I get the exact same performance in a MacBook Air that I can bring anywhere, at which point it makes more sense to just get a separate display.
Speaking of laptops, most employees already have a company issued laptop and with working from home being a thing, people need a large screen to work on. Since Apple were crazy enough not to add Target Display functionality to the iMac, it now means that the iMac is competing with (often prioritized) work setups over expensive living space.
I would have loved to see Apple expand the functionality of the iMac to make it appealing once again. A "Surface Studio" type of device would have appealed to the creatives and content creators. An iMac serving as a "home hub" would have appealed to families all over the world. I even remember an Apple patent years back that allowed you to dock your MacBook by just sliding it into the display.
On the other hand, rumors can oftentimes get the basics right - e.g. form factors and sizing from leaked schematics, but completely misinterpret the device. We've seen it so many times. Now what if this is indeed a new iMac 27"? What if it's called iMac Studio? From the video it appears they only managed to confirm the name of the headless Mac Studio. The "Studio Display" name was just a rumor.
Looking forward to tomorrows event!
Very interesting rumors to say the least. A couple of months ago I wrote about how Apple really needs to re-think the iMac as a concept. Here we are!
Assuming this is true, Apple have chosen to prioritize a new 27" standalone 5K display and headless "Mac Studio" over the long overdue iMac 27". This really speaks numbers. The 24" iMac is clearly not selling.
Why Apple couldn't foresee this is beyond me. The desktop used to offer so many advantages over laptops. Performance, Display Size, Storage Space, Connectivity, and so on. Today's iMac add none of that except display size. I get the exact same performance in a MacBook Air that I can bring anywhere, at which point it makes more sense to just get a separate display.
Speaking of laptops, most employees already have a company issued laptop and with working from home being a thing, people need a large screen to work on. Since Apple were crazy enough not to add Target Display functionality to the iMac, it now means that the iMac is competing with (often prioritized) work setups over expensive living space.
I would have loved to see Apple expand the functionality of the iMac to make it appealing once again. A "Surface Studio" type of device would have appealed to the creatives and content creators. An iMac serving as a "home hub" would have appealed to families all over the world. I even remember an Apple patent years back that allowed you to dock your MacBook by just sliding it into the display.
On the other hand, rumors can oftentimes get the basics right - e.g. form factors and sizing from leaked schematics, but completely misinterpret the device. We've seen it so many times. Now what if this is indeed a new iMac 27"? What if it's called iMac Studio? From the video it appears they only managed to confirm the name of the headless Mac Studio. The "Studio Display" name was just a rumor.
Looking forward to tomorrows event!
I was just waiting for an updated 27" iMac to replace my current iMac. My iMac is 11 years old and has just as much RAM and more storage than the high end 24" iMac. And a Mac Studio is out of my price range. I need a new family computer, but I feel like the 24" iMac lacks RAM and storage, and everything else in their lineup is way too expensive.
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A good friend of mine once said: if you cannot buy it, that means it is not for you. Well, he was right.
The problem is that there's a huge gap between the 24" iMac and the Mac Studio, in both price and specs. I can't afford a Mac Studio, but the 24" iMac is under powered. The current high-end iMac in 2022 has the same RAM and less storage than my iMac from 2011.
I understand that and you are right in that regard, that there is a gap now, but that is Apple, a hugh profit driven company and they are making their products more and more niche for customers who can afford these.
This means, that in the future Apple products will get even more expensive and out of reach for most people on this planet. Well, that is why I am also turning away from this company. They are not made for my pocket.
That's really unfair since the base Studio is 3 times faster than the fastest iMac.
This.
I get the appeal of an all in one, but the 27" iMac was a consumer device. Is there any reason people are comparing the cost of a Mac Studio + 27" Studio Display instead of a Mac Mini + 27" Studio Display?
The M1 chip in the base model mac mini is already far more powerful than most of the processor options which came in the 27" intel iMac.
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Honestly I think they will cancel all iMacs on the long run, not just 27 inch.
It seems Apple will just oversimplify its Mac lineup, so it won't be late with M1 machine announcements anymore:
MacBook (Air, Pro)
Mac Studio (Mac Mini, Mac Pro, and even iMac users will be pushed this direction)
It seems Apple will just oversimplify its Mac lineup, so it won't be late with M1 machine announcements anymore:
MacBook (Air, Pro)
Mac Studio (Mac Mini, Mac Pro, and even iMac users will be pushed this direction)
Thank you for your replies but I feel I might not have explained my point well enough.
My point was
Yes the Studio is 3x faster. But I was coming from the prosumer end of the market who need M1 Pro or low end M1 Max in a desktop. Currently you can got get that so either you get 24 iMac or Mini (lower than your needs) or studio (essentially overkill).
Say you do get the base model studio to get the 32GB (or 64GB) RAM and something more than a consumer level M1. You have to pay Studio prices. Whereas pre M1 you could pay low to mid tier 27 inch prices to get a prosumer Mac.
In my opinion the studio is easily professional level. The Mini and 24 iMac is consumer level. For those who ant prosumer or better they now have to jump into the professional level. So how much more are they paying to get a better than consumer level Mac.
For those who want a professional level Mac, the studio is right up their alley. For those who want a prosumer Mac, yeah my above price comparison is apt. Do you sacrifice and get a consumer level Mac or do you pay more for power you do not need in a studio?
(this is assuming you want a desktop)
I agree, so I think next Mac Mini refresh should get M1 Pro chips and keep the price close to 1000$. Then you can get a M1 Pro mac with a 27" display for 2500$, which is still faster than the last 27" iMacs.
I think we will see an updated Mac mini this year or next year with a SOC with performance similar to M1 Pro. But not before the Macbook Pros get updated aswell.
Hell, I think Apple should clean up the Macbook line.
Apple really wants to make a big (price and performance) gap between the consumer/prosumer/pro lines. And that is what is happening right now. It can also happen, that there wont be a Mac mini with M1 Pro at all.
Who would buy an Mac Studio with M1 Max if you can get for the half price a Mac mini with M1 Pro? I know, I wouldn't.
Really tired of seeing this misconception posted over and over on this forum. It's faster only in Geekbench numbers which represents burst performance.
The m1 chip in base Mac mini comes with only 8GB soldered RAM. The base iMac can be upgraded to 128GB RAM for peanuts.
The M1 GPU is weak sauce compared to even the base model Radeon Pro 5300, in benchmarks and most workloads.
M1 chip is only faster in single core CPU benchmarks, which again is barely felt in real world performance. I've tested both machines personally (M1 iMac and a i5 2020 iMac) and decided to keep the iMac 2020 in the end.