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Has anyone actually transitioned from their 27' inch (2020) to the M1 24' ?

ignatius345 said:
The small design firm I work for has like six 27" iMacs sitting around. Everyone is using either recent MacBooks or M1 Minis connected to some fairly middling monitors. The iMacs would be incredible displays, but there's no way to use them that way.

Someone recently recommended those Luna display extender things -- anyone have any experience with that?
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I think Apple has realized that the AIO (All In One) design is best used for budget computers from HP or Dell rather than high end desktops. I think to appeal to the home user they made the smaller iMac but I'm not sure if the bigger iMac will ever come out. I know it's so much better to have one device with one single cable coming out of it rather than two separate devices with a cable between those devices but the problem is is half of the device becomes out of date and the other half is still very much usable, but unfortunately permanently attached to the out of date half.

I've heard Luna display is pretty good, but there are some limitations and it has some input lag. I've never used it before. I suspect it's probably not the ideal solutions for a professional environment. Unfortunately when you're in a professional environment sometimes the company doesn't care how good the displays is as long as it's functional. Sure a nice display looks a thousand times better but you can still see what's on the screen so it's good 🤣
 
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TinaBelcher said:
You got a point there. However, the Studio display has a very flawed camera that Apple hasn't managed to fix with software updates, therefore this version's lifespand may be short. The really need to fix that, and it probably require a hardware update.
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Flawed like how? It works fine for plenty. If it's a real concern, there are plenty of third party cameras, or use your iPhone for free.

Continuity Camera: Use iPhone as a webcam for Mac - Apple Support

Use the powerful camera system of your iPhone to do things never before possible with a webcam, including Center Stage, Portrait mode, Studio Light, and Desk View.
support.apple.com support.apple.com
 
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BeatCrazy said:
Flawed like how? It works fine for plenty. If it's a real concern, there are plenty of third party cameras, or use your iPhone for free.

Continuity Camera: Use iPhone as a webcam for Mac - Apple Support

Use the powerful camera system of your iPhone to do things never before possible with a webcam, including Center Stage, Portrait mode, Studio Light, and Desk View.
support.apple.com support.apple.com
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Now that I've gotten the studio display I stand by the camera is blurry. At least on my face. I feel like the background is very detailed but my face appear blurry. It doesn't bother me, as I don't use the camera, but considering the price it should've been PRO. I'm glad I got it to a cheap price then
 
We tried a new iMac in our AV dept. We’re used to 27” iMacs, 30” Apple Cinema’s, and a few LG 38 Ultrawide displays for timelines. Going down to a 24 was pretty rough, but it looks nice on the reception desk, so it found a new home there.

The day they build a mac studio in a 36-42” display, talk to me.
 
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TinaBelcher said:
Now that I've gotten the studio display I stand by the camera is blurry. At least on my face. I feel like the background is very detailed but my face appear blurry. It doesn't bother me, as I don't use the camera, but considering the price it should've been PRO. I'm glad I got it to a cheap price then
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Might want to return it, burry face and detailed background is not expected operation.
 
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TinaBelcher said:
Now that I've gotten the studio display I stand by the camera is blurry. At least on my face. I feel like the background is very detailed but my face appear blurry. It doesn't bother me, as I don't use the camera, but considering the price it should've been PRO. I'm glad I got it to a cheap price then
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Have you done the firmware updates?
 
russell_314 said:
Maybe there will be something come out. I really liked my 24” iMac! If I didn’t get a good sale price, I would’ve kept it.

I don’t think you can compare the 21.5 inch iMac to any kind of external separate solution. If I remember right it had a 1080P screen Maybe a base $599 Mac mini plus a $200 monitor? That would be $799.

Even with the 24 inch iMac while the screen is significantly better that’s another issue. I’m not aware of anyone that makes a similar screen, so comparing it with a Mac mini attached to a 4K monitor wouldn’t be a fair comparison. You would be compromising on screen quality with a 4K monitor.

I think if you wanted to compare prices you would have to compare the price of a 27“ iMac versus a similarly configured Mac mini with a 27” Studio Display. I suspect the price is similar.

As much as I like the iMac, it has one huge negative. That beautiful screen is going to outlast the rest of the computer by a long time. At least historically that’s been the case where people buying 27” iMacs. The display is still outstanding but the computer hardware is outdated. Maybe that’s why Apple has moved away from the AIO format when it comes to the 27”. I couldn’t imagine it would be very hard to incorporate a Mac mini mainboard into the Studio Display.
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Same here. I replaced my 2015 27" iMac only because the fusion drive was becoming suspect. My 24" M1 is great, but I miss the screen real estate.
 
HDFan said:
What would you expect to see with faster processors given that most displays don't have have them?
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I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at. It sounds like you're talking about a Studio Display instead of an iMac. Obviously putting a Pro chip would be absurd for a studio display.
 
ignatius345 said:
I moved from my aging 2014 iMac 5K to the M1 iMac pretty soon after it came out. I was (and still am) really blown away by the performance bump and everything else about the machine. I've rarely actually heard the fans spin up, and it takes a lot of stress before it actually slows down at all, even with "just" the M1 and 16GB of RAM. I initially thought the ultra-thin design was a bit silly but it's grown on me and I appreciate the way it looks and how easy it is to move around.

As for the screen space, well, to me it's like going from a king sized bed to a queen -- big enough but you can't really spread out the way you'd like.

In day to day personal stuff (web, email, writing, etc) I don't notice as much, but these days 9-5 I'm using it for graphic design work and things like Illustrator or InDesign will eat through a LOT of space very quickly with all the control palettes that are sometimes necessary. At times I've resorted to using my MacBook as a kind of second monitor by using Universal Control.

The idea of putting a full on second monitor on my small desk doesn't really appeal, so if a 27" iMac doesn't materialize in the next year or so I could see myself moving to a Mini + Studio Display setup. Not my first choice, but I could really use to extra space these days.
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Can I ask, why a Mac Mini instead of a Mac Studio or a MBP? Considering you’re a graphic designer. You probably need at least 32GB RAM and at least a half TB storage. And that just getting closer to the price of a standard Studio
 
I replaced my 2019 iMac 27’ i9 with an Apple Studio Display and a Mac Mini M2 Pro. To make sure I can use this little machine for a few years I bumped up the specs to 2 TB SSD, 32 GB RAM and even the M2 Pro with 12‑Core CPU, 19‑Core GPU, 16‑Core Neural Engine.

And this combination is a dream. It’s silent, it’s fast and the ASD plays perfectly with the Mac Mini. The camera is more than enough for video conferences. I mostly spend a few hours per day in MS Teams conferences and only got compliments how good my video is. I don’t use the follow mode, but the portrait mode with blurred background. And it looks superb.

Probably I won’t ever need the better M2 Pro processor though.. 🙃

I personally don’t believe Apple will release a iMac 27’ again, but you never know. And even if - it will be expensive. The old iMac was always a pretty good deal for what you got. But this times are over.
 
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iSuzan said:
I replaced my 2019 iMac 27’ i9 with an Apple Studio Display and a Mac Mini M2 Pro. To make sure I can use this little machine for a few years I bumped up the specs to 2 TB SSD, 32 GB RAM and even the M2 Pro with 12‑Core CPU, 19‑Core GPU, 16‑Core Neural Engine.

And this combination is a dream. It’s silent, it’s fast and the ASD plays perfectly with the Mac Mini. The camera is more than enough for video conferences. I mostly spend a few hours per day in MS Teams conferences and only got compliments how good my video is. I don’t use the follow mode, but the portrait mode with blurred background. And it looks superb.

Probably I won’t ever need the better M2 Pro processor though.. 🙃

I personally don’t believe Apple will release a iMac 27’ again, but you never know. And even if - it will be expensive. The old iMac was always a pretty good deal for what you got. But this times are over.
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May I ask why, with all those upgrades, why you still chose the Mini instead of a Studio?
I got the studio display yesterday and now trying to decide on what computer I Want my monitor to support.
 
TinaBelcher said:
May I ask why, with all those upgrades, why you still chose the Mini instead of a Studio?
I got the studio display yesterday and now trying to decide on what computer I Want my monitor to support.
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I wanted the the machine which is more quiet. And I wanted the M2 processor.

But I confess the choice is not so easy, especially now the M2 Studio is out. But really depends on your needs and how much money you want to spend.

Thankfully I am still very very happy with my choice. And what is very good now - if I think next year, I want a Studio I can just sell my Mini and can keep my fantastic monitor. Nowadays I prefer 2 separate devices instead of an all-in-one iMac.
 
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iSuzan said:
I wanted the the machine which is more quiet. And I wanted the M2 processor.

But I confess the choice is not so easy, especially now the M2 Studio is out. But really depends on your needs and how much money you want to spend.

Thankfully I am still very very happy with my choice. And what is very good now - if I think next year, I want a Studio I can just sell my Mini and can keep my fantastic monitor. Nowadays I prefer 2 separate devices instead of an all-in-one iMac.
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Oh, the M2 came out on the Mini before the Studio? I didn't know that.
What was your reasoning for not getting a MacBook with your monitor? I'm still debating for myself. I don't use a laptop on the go anymore, and I prefer my iPad with me for traveling. But a MacBook sure is more versatile because it can be both a laptop but also a home computer when plugged into the studio display.
 
TinaBelcher said:
Oh, the M2 came out on the Mini before the Studio? I didn't know that.
What was your reasoning for not getting a MacBook with your monitor? I'm still debating for myself. I don't use a laptop on the go anymore, and I prefer my iPad with me for traveling. But a MacBook sure is more versatile because it can be both a laptop but also a home computer when plugged into the studio display.
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That’s a valid question. But I guess for me it was plainly the price.

But yes, you can use it as second monitor and it is mobile so also a good idea.

As office laptop I have a M1 Pro 16’ MacBook and this is a brilliant machine. So probably searching for an M1 Pro MacBook can be bought for a reasonable price now.

I know - soooooo many options. Maybe you really concentrate on what you want to do with it and how much money you want to spend.
 
iSuzan said:
That’s a valid question. But I guess for me it was plainly the price.

But yes, you can use it as second monitor and it is mobile so also a good idea.

As office laptop I have a M1 Pro 16’ MacBook and this is a brilliant machine. So probably searching for an M1 Pro MacBook can be bought for a reasonable price now.

I know - soooooo many options. Maybe you really concentrate on what you want to do with it and how much money you want to spend.
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You have the M1 MBP too? Can I ask, if you had to give one up, would it be your MBP or your mini pro? What would you keep to use with your monitor?
 
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