Ex-iMac users - happy you switched?

[Geoff777]

I think there are likely to be a lot of iMac users who felt pushed to getting a Studio - I did.
I was waiting for a 27" version of the iMac with Apple silicon to be released but gave up in the end.
The 24" just doesn't cut it for me.
My 2017 5k iMac was starting to show signs of age, funny little things happening (or expected things not) and then not being able to properly switch to Sonoma made me decide it was time to move on.
The Studio (Max) and Studio display cost me about 1.7 times what I paid for my iMac - I could have saved by getting a different monitor for sure. A big chunk of change.
Anyway, it's done now, and I'm happy as Larry! Using Final Cut Pro is like a brand new experience, I'm stunned!

Apparently Studios only make up 1% of Macs and 4% of desktop sales, which is a surprise to me. Thought it would have been more popular with the power, form factor and expanded connection slots.
But I'd love to know how the rest of you that moved feel.

 

[b17777]

Before I vote, Who's Larry ?

 

[Geoff777]

Before I vote, Who's Larry ?

🤣 Not sure! https://www.theguardian.com/notesan...ey was an australian,hence as happy as Larry".

 

[CWallace]

Yes I am happier with my Mac Studio than my 2020 iMac 5K. I have a 1100+ zone 32" MiniLED 144Hz 4K as my primary display and while it is not Retina, it does have exceptional text clarity and the extra screen real-estate at the same 2560x1440 resolution is most-welcome.

 

[LeeW]

To be fair, I still miss my iMac, but I have since gotten used to selecting my own monitor, keyboard, and mouse. If they brought back a larger iMac, would I buy one? Maybe. Chances of it actually happening and us seeing a new iMac in a larger format? Slim to none.

 

[Feek]

My Studio is mounted under my desk so I don't even really see it. With a couple of ASDs on the desk, to all intents and purposes, it looks like I have an iMac.

So no, I don't regret it. It was an expensive purchase but it means that when I replace it (in another five years, maybe), I won't need to buy any new displays.

 

[ondioline]

I'm extremely happy. Coming up on a year and I haven't had a SINGLE issue with this machine. Rock solid, silent, fast.

 

[Feek]

I'm extremely happy. Coming up on a year and I haven't had a SINGLE issue with this machine. Rock solid, silent, fast.

Oh, neofetch is pretty.

 

[SpecFoto]

Love my MacStudio M2 Max with 64GB and 1TB, which I have had for 4 months. I am using a 27" ASD with an old Apple 27" LED Cinema Display as the 2nd screen, as I was doing on my 2019 27" iMac. Plan to upgrade the 2nd display to a ASD.

The Mac Studio is better in so many ways, it:
Starts up and shuts down WAY faster,
Runs cooler and is much quieter, haven't heard any fans noise yet, where it was almost a daily occurrence with the iMac.
Heavy PS/LR tasks are at least 50 % faster, transcoding time is 50% shorter.
Has 4 TB ports, one I use for the 4TB NVMe startup enclosure along with 3 others all in use, and was able to get rid of my external TB3 dock.

10 outa 10 for me, could not be happier!

 

[Mac Hammer Fan]

I have a Mac Studio M1 Max 32 GPU and a Dell Ultrasharp 32" monitor. I am happy with the larger screen.

 

[PhoenixDown]

I don't have a studio but in general, I prefer having the display and the machine separate. Its easier to upgrade the mac and keep using the display. That said, my iMac was stupid cheap compared to just a solid 5k monitor which is why I bought it in the first place.

 

[Velin]

M2 Max Studio. Love it, it has been absolutely rock solid, silent, fast, and am much happier with this versus an iMac. Running it with an LG C3 42-inch OLED monitor/TV, CODE white-backlit 104 keyboard, G502 mouse, and desktop speakers along with headphones.

Two key things. First, after you use a 42-inch OLED monitor -- or any OLED monitor larger than 27 inches, you're never going back to a 27" IPS display in a desktop machine. Even a minor power user will prefer selecting the best monitor, the best keyboard, the best mouse for their needs. Also prefer selecting my own webcam.

Second, the Mac Studio form factor is vastly superior to the iMac. All the ports are right where you need them, and it's a breeze swapping things because the Studio is a simple cube, meaning it's sturdy and easy to plug-and-play. The SD card slot is very useful for all kinds of file swapping and media sharing, I use it constantly, which was a surprise.

Much prefer all of this to the iMac. Not going back even if they do release a new iMac.

 

[Luis Glez]

I'm still on a M1 Max Studio and it's the best Mac I've ever used. As others have mentioned, it's fast, silent and rock solid. Capable of doing intensive 3D work that would make the iMac fans spin like crazy. I'm very happy with it, and waiting for the next -Ultra model.

 

[theluggage]

I think there are likely to be a lot of iMac users who felt pushed to getting a Studio - I did.

In 2017 I felt pushed into getting an iMac - the alternatives then were the worst-ever 2014 Mac Mini or the already-announced-as-a-flop Trashcan - I was already using a Hackintosh and my real dilemma was whether to sink money into upgrading that and cross my fingers every time an OS update came out, and I was a hair's-breadth away from switching back to Windows. The iMac screen was - and still is - incredible - if a 27" 5k display was exactly what you wanted - but I really wanted a dual 4k display setup & always used the iMac with a second mismatched display. Now I've got a M1 Max Studio with a pair of Huawai 3:2 4k+ displays, and although they'd come second in a side-to-side comparison with a 5k iMac or ASD, in practical terms they are much closer to what I want.

The main thing I miss about the 5k iMac is the combo of glossy finish and anti-reflective coating. (IMHO if you have lights or windows reflecting in your screen then that's the problem you need to solve - a matte screen is the equivalent of sweeping dirt under the carpet until the carpet gets all lumpy - or, in this case, you can't see the reflection but you've lost all the contrast on the screen).

I think it also depends on which iMac you're coming from - the lower-end, sub-$2k 5k iMacs were an absolute steal compared to the modern equivalent of a Mac Mini + Studio Display - but I guess that was unsustainable for Apple too, since 5k failed to take off with the wider PC world, the panels have probably stayed rather expensive. However, at launch the Mac Studio Max CPU/GPU/IO/RAM specs were really in top-end i9 iMac or base iMac Pro territory. If you compare the old price of a i9/1TB SSD iMac with Studio Max + ASD combo then the price difference basically comes down to whether you paid Apple for a 32GB RAM iMac upgrade or got a cheap 3rd party one - an option which would have doubtless been taken away with any hypothetical Apple Silicon 27" iMac.

Also, now Apple have published repair manuals, the internal construction of the Studio does actually look better than the Mini - with most of the ports etc. that might break on replaceable modules and the SSD at least replaceable even if Apple won't sell you an upgrade.

 

[UnifiedMelody]

have a m2 max mac studio with 64GB/2TB more than happy. plugged in external 4K monitor 27" from asus. not the most compatible with apple studio display as an example but it seems fine for me i havent ran into any issues yet
barely can hear the fans [which my PC is fc*kng notorious for even under simple browsing] = pumped a lot of heat for no reason. Mac is more power efficient yet 4x faster than my current pc...

now to find macbook pro lol im itching due to the M3 Max/M4 performance lol haha those forecasts are promising

edit: best part the mac studio is a cute little box that can sit on the top of my desk... my pc tower is ridiculously heavy and has to sit on the floor