Then buy a mouse, a Mac Mini, and the biggest screen(s) you can afford. Samsung's UD22B square-ish monitor comes to mind. Or Samsung's Odyssey Geo G9 5K 49".
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Do I want another iMac?
- Thread starter ssledoux
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If you want to just try and "play" with new tech, I'd strongly suggest to try getting a 2020 27' intel iMac. IMO it's the best iMac I've ever owned. It's powerful and you can still do things the M- series Macs cant like bootcamp to Windows. Personally, I don't have much interest into M-Macs. When my 2020 iMac will die, I don't know if I'll buy a new mac or just return to PC.
For desktop VS portable, there's always a period of the year when I'm saying to myself that my iPad can handle all I need but I always end up to go back to my desktop full time. Its just quicker to do almost everything.
For desktop VS portable, there's always a period of the year when I'm saying to myself that my iPad can handle all I need but I always end up to go back to my desktop full time. Its just quicker to do almost everything.
thats how my mind works. imac 2011, lasted a long time and then died. 2017 imac was an expensive emergency purchase. now that is having intermittent usb and bluetooth problems, and i keep looking at the m2 mini which is always on sale. only €630 compared to the €2k i paid for my imac or the €1.5k for an imac that is smaller than my old one and less powerful than the mini. I then have a choice of just buying a cheaper screen, or if i buy something nice it will last me for this mini and the next one.
Well I’m not addicted to shopping - just to clarify. Having the urge every now and again to buy/have something new doesn’t make one an addict. I don’t really splurge at all in other areas (Well, except groceries/food - I’m pretty particular about what we eat).
Thanks for the tip, but I’m not trying to win favor with anyone, and I do a lot to assist people in need - doesn’t mean I can’t do things for myself or my family also.
There will always be people struggling to keep their head above water. Which is no reason not to have to help them. But it is also no reason for us to dampen our happiness by feeling guilty. Life is love. It would testify to our love of life if the burden other people weighed down by does not prevent us from enjoying life to the full. I think your apologies to @ssledoux are commendable.
Get a new iPhone. Seriously, for some people (including me), having a new phone is just like having a new life episode. It’s brand new, new apps, migrated data, new size (probably) and new case as well. iPhone with bigger screen may lead some ideas on using your iPad (and Mac).
I am considering an upgrade in the fall because I regret not getting the max phone, but I don’t want to do it a few months out from a new release.
Right now, I’m holding out to see what WWDC brings. Maybe I’ll just order a new watch band. Lol
Unless you've been talked out of it, I'd suggest buying an inexpensive monitor (this is the one I got; bought used for $250 but you can get it for under $200 used now; works great with my Mac and is iMac sized) with USB C/Thunderbolt and then you can connect that to your iPad to make it into a desktop-style setup, with a big screen, which is really what you miss. https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/connect-to-a-display-with-a-cable-ipadf1276cde/ipados
Then get a bluetooth keyboard and mouse and connect those as well.
You said it's not the same, and it's not, but it's not the same because it's iPadOS, not macOS. If you really miss macOS, get a cheap M1 Mac mini on the used market for a low price, get the external monitor, and you're back in business.
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I hear you. I've settled into a MBP 14" (M1Pro) and love it (I use the SD Slot for TM.) I also have a 2018 Intel MacMini with a big screen. It mostly runs daemons and alternate TM destination which require always on, but I could off-load it all to a decent NAS. I could keep the screen/mouse naked and connect the MBP when I want the screen. Maybe attach the screen to an older ATV for watching streams in the Den. I also have an older iPad that I really only use on airplanes and to read eBooks. I found not having a connected keyboard/mouse was an issue for me on iPad so my everyday device is the MBP. I've been using Apple stuff since 1985 so I've seen it all. I'm a bit of an old-school dinosaur.
Everyone will find their best fit so don't let anyone (like like me) tell you what you should do. Apple's iCloud makes having a dedicated desktop machine much less important than it was 5-10 years ago.
That sounds like some kind of twisted Puritan logic: "If it is an urge it must be bad." I suppose you would say the same thing about enjoying a really good meal out, or about buying an expensive new knife for the kitchen.
The OP was clearly tongue-in-cheek when she called the urge to get a new desktop terrible. Asking here was just about optimizing her choices, and perhaps trolling a little... ;~)
Why do folks here routinely suggest buying an inexpensive monitor? Does everyone here have untrained eyes/brain? Or are such posters just assuming that all others have untrained eyes? The only reasons for buying an inexpensive monitor is if your eyes/brain cannot tell the difference or if finances demand it, and the OP suggested no such limitations.
As to iPad plus monitor, do note that many of us do prefer Mac OS to iPad OS, despite regular experience with iPhone and iPad since v1 of each. My suggestion to the OP (since she does not want a laptop) would be a Mac Mini with added RAM plus display, without limiting the display choices only to inexpensive ones. Personally I dislike all-in-one iMacs because display and computer are not separately replaceable if one part fails, or if needs change (like wanting a stronger computer or wanting a different sized display in the future).
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My counter: why do folks here routinely suggest just throwing money into the wind for the sake of spending? You act like there's no way to get a good monitor and to not spend a ton of money. There's a lot of consumerism that gets promoted on these forums—like upgrading devices yearly, buying things brand new all the time. I do my part to encourage people to be wise with their money and responsible with their electronic goods purchases.
For what it's worth, I have a nice 4K Samsung monitor with USB C power delivery and built-in speakers. Got it for $250. That's inexpensive by my book, but maybe not in yours, I don't know. But just because you can spend $500-1000 on a monitor absolutely does not mean you ought to do so. Doing so when there are acceptable alternatives is foolish.
My point is ultimately that there are nice monitors you can get that are also inexpensive. I bought mine in used condition and got a good discount.
Sounds like she knows she doesn't need it and is trying to be talked out of a really expensive purchase. That's why I suggested something that seems to scratch the itch (a monitor, which is the main thing she feels like she's missing) but that can be acquired for a very reasonable price (in my case $250, less than 1/4 of the price of an M1 iMac).
Not all urges are bad. But spending money for money's sake on things you don't need is financially foolish. It's not terrible to want a nice iMac; but it's foolish to spend where it's not needed.
Note that almost all the Mac Minis on sale are base models, and buying base-model RAM is almost always a mistake. Even though Apple's OS manages RAM so well that boxes function with less-than-ideal RAM, cheaping out on RAM leads to substantial degradation of long-term performance and is therefore not recommended.
This is not what you wanted to hear but since you asked I won’t hold back. Most people do work and have a lifestyle that has not any meaning to them. That imposes depression and sense of meaningless. Then they want to substitute that sense of meaning that they lost. Companies like Apple offer those false substitutes in form of products and services we don’t need. Much of the economy is based on that loss of meaning. These products are all false substitutes that cannot compensate for the lack of meaning. I think it’s important to realize this. Good luck!
FYI:
1) Displays do deteriorate as a function of time. Your used monitor had some (visually, the best part) consumed by its previous owners. Hopefully your good discount justified the fact that you got a partially-consumed product.
2) You suggest that there are nice monitors you can get that are also inexpensive. Sorry but monitors are not like 2x4s at Home Depot, where if you root through a big enough stack you can find a nice straight one at the same cheap price as all the warped ones.
3) One's own ability to visually perceive is part of how one defines nice as regards a monitor. Folks with developed visual perception bid up the price of visually superior monitors to where there are not equal monitors you can get that are also inexpensive, because the folks with superior visual acuity would quickly buy them up; causing the price to rise and/or causing them to be unavailable. A nice cheap monitor is only as defined by one individual's limited perception.
4) I referenced visual perception above but other parameters are also relevant to each individual. Latency for instance is paramount to some folks, but not to me. Similarly how the display looks in its intended location can be huge. The entire feel of a home office may be defined by the computer's display. Or a high end graphics studio can destroy its whole image with low-end displays in the mix versus something like an XDR; plus being surrounded by visually good design helps designers create visually good design.
Note that I do not suggest that folks should not buy what works for their own individual perceptions and budget, because I do. I do however believe that claiming "that there are nice monitors you can get that are also inexpensive" is solely in the eyes/brain of the claimant.
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I am aware. My father's old clunky monitor from 2004 is still working 20 years later. If you take care of your devices and don't abuse them, you can get a lot of mileage out of them. The used monitor I got was in very good condition and isn't anywhere close to konking out.
Obviously life happens, but you make it sound like I've lost a substantial percentage of this thing's value or usability. A common misconception for those who look down upon the used market.
The tl;dr: people have different opinions of what "nice" monitors are. Agreed, but if we applied your logic across the board, no one could ever recommend monitors to anyone because it's all subjective. Since that's a silly position, and since I was just sharing my experience, your long comment breaking down well-known differences between monitor qualities is noted but ultimately unhelpful to you, me, or OP.
But to your point, I edited my original comment to detail the exact monitor I got, some of its features, and its price point. OP can do what she will with that information.
Your comment that "your father's old clunky monitor from 2004 is still working 20 years later" suggests that you still fail to grasp the fact that displays are a visual representation that do deteriorate as time goes on. E.g. I thought my 2016 MBP display was pretty good - - until I started using the M2 MBP.
There is more to that visual representation than just being able to read an email. Think about watching Star Wars on dad's display versus in a first class movie theater. If you cannot grasp that, I am unwilling to continue trying to explain it with words.
As to "you make it sound like I've lost a substantial percentage of this thing's value or usability," yes, with displays one does lose visual competence over time, You may still be happy with your perceptions of value/usability, and that is fine. But your suggestion that there is a common misconception for those who look down upon the used market just expresses your lack of understanding that displays' visual competence deteriorates with time.
Note that I never suggested that no one should ever buy used; just that displays do deteriorate. Whether one buys something used or not is all about price, not about misconception of the used market.
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I totally agree with this! But that really isn’t my situation. I pretty much live pretty close to the life I always dreamt of. I don’t work, spend lots of time with my adult kids and my grandkids, we travel, and enjoy being together. I have property and animals and no real complaints. That said, I really don’t splurge a lot. I have a basic wardrobe I don’t spend lots of money on, am not a girly girl who spends money on manis and pedis, don’t have expensive hobbies, etc. Sometimes I just get the urge to buy something new, and usually it’s something tech-y. If I didn’t use Apple products, I’m sure it would be whatever other tech I preferred.
All that is to say, though I agree with what you’re saying about trying to compensate for a meaningless, depressing situation, that’s really not what I’m doing here.
I don’t really know what trolling is, but that’s certainly not what I was trying to do. I like input, and to hear what others think.
On the other hand, what if all you want to do with this monitor is read email? Then maybe the 20-year old monitor is good enough. I once had a boss who had this ancient TV at his house. It must have been top of the line when it was bought, but it was just so old, and the picture quality was really poor in comparison to modern TVs, but you could still watch the nightly news on it -- it still worked. I'm sure my boss was aware modern TVs had better picture quality, and he could certainly afford to buy a new TV, but he just wasn't interested.
I think we all know newer, more expensive monitors provide better viewing experience. But not all of us want or can afford that. And there are plenty of used/inexpensive monitors that provide a fine enough viewing experience, even if they aren't top-of-the-line.
I too have recommended inexpensive displays to folks here trying to build a system on a tight budget. But that does not mean that we should generically recommend low end displays just because they exist. The statement "used/inexpensive monitors that provide a fine enough viewing experience" is 100% subjective as to what fine enough is to a given individual and is not always sound advice.