So why not let us choose like they used to with the 21.5 and the 27?
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Hands-On With the 24-Inch M3 iMac
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I had the PowerBook 5300c, the model with the overheating batteries. The one Apple designed a hot-swappable drive bay which inexplicably didn't fit a CD-ROM drive. The one who's CPU had no cache. The one that was so bad that Apple offered a recall/trade in program where people could return theirs for a credit towards a PowerBook G3 (which I took advantage of).
Let's not kid ourselves into thinking that even if a mythical 27" Apple Silicon iMac existed that it wouldn't also cost $1500 more for the same specs given Apple's upgrade pricing. Did you pay Apple for that 128 GB of RAM that's installed on your current iMac or did you install that yourself aftermarket?
Apple's balancing act between leveraging their tech and design while maintaining huge profits isn't straightforward, especially when everyday computing needs have been met by existing tech for over a decade. The iMac's unique 4.5K screen, sets it apart in the market. But this uniqueness complicates comparisons with, say, a Mac Mini setup. A hypothetical 5K iMac Pro would need to rival the Studio Display and a Mac Mini with a Pro chip at minimum, pushing the price well north of $3000.
At that price, one must ponder the necessity of an all-in-one versus the flexibility of a Studio Display and Mac Studio combo, especially considering port selection.
In 2023, two major sticking points with Macs are the exorbitant costs for RAM and storage upgrades, and the upscaling/screen dilemmas. The scarcity of 5K displays (and the need for a 6K display for a 32-inch screen to maintain retina quality and fully utilize Mac capabilities) presents a real conundrum.
This iMac itself is impressive, offering a unique retina screen, 24GB of RAM, and a TB of storage. Unfortunately the pricing with those upgrades is a letdown.
The Mx equivalent of my 2017 iMac with 40 GB of ram would be a Mac mini but now I don’t see any benefit to a desktop computer. My life would be better if I had had more mobility
You can. Your choice is a Studio Display + mini/Mac Studio.
When we had the 27” (especially when the iMac Pro came out) everyone just begged to have Apple sell us a standalone 27” 5K display and a either a cheap and/or powerful small desktop to pair with it. Be careful for what we wish for??
I refused to buy a 24 inch. So I ended buying an iMac 2020 27inch. 1 TB SSD. This machine for my needs is prefect for the next 5 years. And bought for 1000K!
if you do have this Mac. just stick on a Mac logo . I have lots of the stickers from earlier purchases. and they are perfect.
I'm not sure if anyone experienced this but I found that the IPS glow was so bad on the one I received that I to return it. I never owned an M1 24" but I have owned several 5k iMacs. Mine was fairly maxed out also. So I ended up going with an M3 MacBook Pro and a Studio Display. Have to say love the Studio Display.
Wow! You paid $1M for a 2020 iMac?!?! Was it gold-plated?
Honestly the more I think about it, 24" probably is about the biggest one should purchase an all-in-one. A nice stand-alone 27" monitor will be cheaper than an iMac Pro and not literally attached to the computer. I bought a 27" years ago I'm still perfectly happy with that works with all my computers.
;-) I got ripped off. 1000Wow! You paid $1M for a 2020 iMac?!?! Was it gold-plated?
But Apple's P/E ratio is not out of line for a large corporation. Right now it's around the territory for Walmart. Apple's profits per share are not "huge".
I had the 24" iMac with M1 for a week and I thought the screen size was more than adequate, but this is coming from someone who almost always uses a Laptop with a smaller screen. If I were to go the Desktop route I'd be looking at the Mac Studio with the Studio Display, it's just a better all-around desktop, but hard to argue with the value you get with the 24" M3 iMacs right now.
Just because two companies may have similar P/E ratios or earnings-per-share doesn't mean their profits are similar. Apple's net income for fiscal 2023 was over eight times greater than Walmart's. Apple definitely has "huge profits" (the other poster’s comment) and is currently the most profitable company in the U.S.
It should have an apple logo on the front so everyone knows you have an expensive computer on your desk.
Finally ordered my M3, 24GB, 512 SSD replacement for my M1, 16GB, 256GB. This is a living room computer, and the color matches my walls (I got purple to go with my purplish gray living room).
I am currently using 100GB on my M1, I figure I can get away with 512 for the next few years. I have a MacBook with 1 TB if I want to horde files. I figure this computer will be blazing fast for the next five years or so.
I am currently using 100GB on my M1, I figure I can get away with 512 for the next few years. I have a MacBook with 1 TB if I want to horde files. I figure this computer will be blazing fast for the next five years or so.
Silver - Quick Silver of course
I’m still annoyed that Apple didn’t give us the choice of the M3 Pro in the iMac when the Mini has a Pro chip.
The iMac motherboard is significantly smaller the the Mac mini motherboard (and the 14” MBP motherboard too). The iMac motherboard is just a stick in the chin (along with the fan, connectors and speakers) with no room to grow. The M1/M2 pro chip would not fit on the iMac motherboard and it is not clear if the M3 Pro chip is significantly smaller.
There is also issue associated with additional cooling required for a Mac Pro chip and the capacity of the iMac’s small heatsink and fans as compared to the Mac mini or the 14” MBP.
