Height Adjustable

[Maconplasma]

Screen height is very important to me and most people with an interest in ergonomics. I spent quite a bit of time 30 years ago recovering from working with a monitor that was at the wrong height. My company handled it as a workers comp claim. It took months to recover. So, this particular topic is near and dear to me.

I don't disagree with the importance of screen height. I run my own business and I'm in front of a computer all day (many years before COVID) so screen positioning is important. There are reasons why companies make adjustable desks and chairs and they are very successful. Relying on a company to make the ideal computer to accommodate the perfect height adjustment is unreasonable, considering the fact that Apple has millions of customers. It's enough that one can't satisfy two out of two customers. There's always one of the two that has overly high standards.

Apple makes very fine computers so I'm not going to expect them to do everything to accommodate "me". As consumers with specific needs it's important to create your own accommodations such as the right adjustable desk and adjustable chair. That's not asking too much.

 

[svenmany]

I don't disagree with the importance of screen height. I run my own business and I'm in front of a computer all day (many years before COVID) so screen positioning is important. There are reasons why companies make adjustable desks and chairs and they are very successful. Relying on a company to make the ideal computer to accommodate the perfect height adjustment is unreasonable, considering the fact that Apple has millions of customers. It's enough that one can't satisfy two out of two customers. There's always one of the two that has overly high standards.

Apple makes very fine computers so I'm not going to expect them to do everything to accommodate "me". As consumers with specific needs it's important to create your own accommodations such as the right adjustable desk and adjustable chair. That's not asking too much.

OK. Your position makes sense.

We just differ in the opinion that screen height adjustability should be baseline in any monitor of reasonable quality.

I did find an official Apple core value that I think covers this aspect of their computers. At the bottom of their web page they list their values. Accessibility is one. It is my opinion that monitor height adjustment falls under the umbrella of accessibility. I don't believe accessibility is only intended to cater for diagnosed disabilities.

 

[pmiles]

Respectfully disagree. But, I don't consider your opinion to be as ridiculous as you do mine. I personally have not reviewed their official stance on consumer safety, but I'm sure it's available somewhere. I suspect it wouldn't be limited to the functionality of the Apple Watch.

Nothing written in stone here. Just what we each expect and hope for from the companies we choose to buy from. Your expectations from Apple are less than mine in this regard.

Screen height is very important to me and most people with an interest in ergonomics. I spent quite a bit of time 30 years ago recovering from working with a monitor that was at the wrong height. My company handled it as a workers comp claim. It took months to recover. So, this particular topic is near and dear to me.

Then based on your own comments, you shouldn't by an iMac (assuming not going VESA route) because it is the wrong height for you. The iMacs have been at a fixed height for like forever now. If ergonomics is such a big deal, you would obviously go with a product that meets or exceeds your expectations. The iMac hasn't fit that bill for a very very very long time (your usage case scenario).

 

[thingstoponder]

Just get a monitor stand. It also gives you more space to put things on your desk and tuck away hard dives and cables.

 

[mj_]

I remember a post a while ago in which someone had a desk that was completely wrong height for using a computer. He returned a brand new computer because it was too tall. Everyone said, get a normal desk height, problem solved. He said he spent all his money on the computer and couldn't afford a new desk.

I vividly remember this thread! The desk was very expensive and he didn't want to buy a new one since he couldn't afford it due to the new computer being so expensive. Fun times...

Anyway, I wish the new iMac was height adjustable but it's not a deal breaker since there are numerous ways around this limitation, be it a VESA mount (which, with the new iMac's ultra-low weight should no longer be an issue even when using cheap and flimsy VESA mounts) or a riser underneath the Mac itself. For most people it is going to be too low rather than too high, and a small monitor stand will go a long way.

 

[DanTSX]

I’ve never had a problem with iMac height. It’s always perfect.

 

[Moonjumper]

For most people it is going to be too low rather than too high, and a small monitor stand will go a long way.

Is that really true? It is too high for me, and I am just under average height for a male, higher than the average female.

 

[JouniS]

This is another example of the minimalistic form over function design Apple often falls to. In my case, the height of the iMac is about right, but the webcam points too low. Whenever I need the webcam, I have to adjust the display to a weird angle.

 

[svenmany]

L

Then based on your own comments, you shouldn't by an iMac (assuming not going VESA route) because it is the wrong height for you. The iMacs have been at a fixed height for like forever now. If ergonomics is such a big deal, you would obviously go with a product that meets or exceeds your expectations. The iMac hasn't fit that bill for a very very very long time (your usage case scenario).

This discussion is about some people wanting a change and some not feeling it's warranted. It's not about whether someone is willing or not to compromise and buy the iMac regardless. I cannot productively work on a Windows machine, so that would outweigh the ergonomics considerations for me if I wanted iMac type form factor. So, even though it's obvious to you, it is not true.

I haven't bought an iMac for myself in years. I did buy the iMac with with the adjustable height years ago. I would consider an iMac for myself if I could lower it. Right now I have a MacBook Pro. My Asus monitor's height is adjustable.

I have a feeling that people who react so strongly against the suggestion that height adjustment is a warranted change are just happy with the height they get or are lucky enough to be able to afford and utilize a separate stand. To be honest, I haven't thoroughly researched stand options. I have a kind of nice desk and wouldn't want to clamp anything to it or drill any holes in it.

People often misuse the noun "opinion". But I genuinely believe this is all a matter of opinion. You can only point to comparable evidence in the market and assert that Apple is falling short in this matter - kind of like house appraisals and neighborhood comps. I bet most quality monitors (> $300) are height adjustable. But, since I haven't gathered the evidence, I'm only left with my opinion that Apple should provide height adjustment.

 

[svenmany]

Is that really true? It is too high for me, and I am just under average height for a male, higher than the average female.

Yeah, it's too high for me. I want my eyes at a level near the top of the screen.

 

[JLOAKS]

Evidently the 24" iMac can be swapped between VESA and Stand at an Apple Genius Bar for a price. The hardware is integrated into the back case and they just swap em out.

Great to hear this. Although it's an extra step I'm very happy the possibility is at least there, not requiring me to set up an entirely new computer if I want to swap configurations.

 

[svenmany]

I see a review of the iMac in a front page article https://www.macrumors.com/review/m1-imac/. One of the reviewers did mention to height issue in the Guardian.

There's no doubt this is the best 24in all-in-one computer available and one of the very best Macs you can buy. But it is not perfect. The lack of USB-A ports and an SD card slot will mean users require adapters for older gear, but it is the fact that Apple still hasn't made the iMac height adjustable that is the most irritating. You can buy the 24in iMac with a universal VESA mount so you can add your own adjustable stand. iMacs balanced on third-party height risers, books or reams of paper will remain a common sight for years to come.

This reviewer's opinion has no more weight than our own. It's just another data point in the discussion.

 

[svenmany]

And another review by Wired https://www.wired.com/review/apple-imac-24-inch-2021/. They conclude the review with "WIRED" (the good) and "TIRED" (the bad). The TIRED starts with the sentence

Apple can’t make the iMac height adjustable in 2021?

At this point I'm left with the philosophical question: how do you define "reasonable expectation". Putting that aside, there is some evidence that people beyond this forum feel justified complaining about the lack of height adjustment in very public ways.

I'm feeling less fringe.

 

[satchmo]

There’s no technical reason it couldn’t be done. IMO, it’s a marketing one.
You can’t charge $1000 for a MacPro stand alone, and turn around and integrate the same features in a $1300 AIO computer.
Which is unfortunate, given 3rd party monitors have been offering height adjustment for the longest time and for much less money (albeit made in cheaper plastic).

 

[svenmany]

There’s no technical reason it couldn’t be done. IMO, it’s a marketing one.
You can’t charge $1000 for a MacPro stand alone, and turn around and integrate the same features in a $1300 AIO computer.
Which is unfortunate, given 3rd party monitors have been offering height adjustment for the longest time and for much less money (albeit made in cheaper plastic).

Sounds right. They probably couldn't implement an affordable solution with the fit and finish that they require.

 

[za9ra22]

And another review by Wired https://www.wired.com/review/apple-imac-24-inch-2021/. They conclude the review with "WIRED" (the good) and "TIRED" (the bad). The TIRED starts with the sentence



At this point I'm left with the philosophical question: how do you define "reasonable expectation". Putting that aside, there is some evidence that people beyond this forum feel justified complaining about the lack of height adjustment in very public ways.

I'm feeling less fringe.

Everyone's 'reasonable expectation' will differ from everyone else's, and it would obviously not be possible to meet them all. I, for example, had no reasonable expectation that the 24-inch iMac would be height adjustable, because Apple hasn't built this into iMacs in two decades. This tells me that their design aesthetics don't include how to build the product so it can be height adjusted.

The question is, should it be? And the answer is unequivocally yes, it should.

In the US, it seems there is very little regard for the health and safety aspects of systems use, while in Europe, the issues surrounding system/human ergonomics have been well known, and codified for many, many years. I know (having for some time performed health and safety workplace audits) that if I had been called into inspect and report on my own office, where a non-height adjustable 27-inch iMac was sitting barely 18-inches from my face, and the top of the screen was around 3-inches above eye level, I would have reported that the user would be entitled to a series of remedial actions - including the height of the screen.

It is possible to resolve some of these type of issues with adjustable seating and height-adjustable desks, but not all. The rest can really only be done with adjustable-height displays. That Apple don't regard this as an important aspect of their product design brief is really more than disappointing.

In my case, the problem has been solved - the 24-inch iMac is pretty much exactly the correct height for me/my chair/my desk.

All of which is to say that one should not feel 'on the fringe' due to perfectly reasonable health and safety concerns.

 

[junkw]

Almost all desk setups photos posted on this forum are cringely unergonomic so I guess Apple are right not offering ergonomic/adjustable stuff. Why invest in R&D when customer don't care

 

[Altis]

Almost all desk setups photos posted on this forum are cringely unergonomic so I guess Apple are right not offering ergonomic/adjustable stuff. Why invest in R&D when customer don't care

Yeah my neck hurts just looking at some of them, especially when it's just a laptop on a desk. I try to avoid using laptops (undocked) as much as possible, and really have no interest in the tablet form factor at all.

I'd love to see height adjustment as standard, but at least you can sort that out other ways. My favorite solution has been to make a shelf for the back part of my desk where my monitors sit. It's nice because it frees the far end of the desk for storing peripherals when not in use and just adds space while making the monitors approximately the right height. Both my monitors have height adjustment though anyways.

 

[satchmo]

That Apple don't regard this as an important aspect of their product design brief is really more than disappointing.

Truly. And it’s perplexing given how specific they can be with watch band sizing. They don’t take a one size fits all with wearables, why do they with the iMac?

 

[svenmany]

Truly. And it’s perplexing given how specific they can be with watch band sizing. They don’t take a one size fits all with wearables, why do they with the iMac?

But, I think we have the answer in this thread. Many posters here just don't care about height adjustment. Some even think it's way overkill to provide adjustment since a computer shouldn't have to satisfy everyone's special needs. Apple might just be reading their audience. Damage from poor ergonomics can take years to manifest and once it happens it's hard to figure out where to point the finger.

 

[satchmo]

But, I think we have the answer in this thread. Many posters here just don't care about height adjustment. Some even think it's way overkill to provide adjustment since a computer shouldn't have to satisfy everyone's special needs. Apple might just be reading their audience. Damage from poor ergonomics can take years to manifest and once it happens it's hard to figure out where to point the finger.

But when has Apple cared about it’s audience? I’m half joking. They pretty much decide what they think we need.
There has not been an adjustable iMac for decades since the G4. They chose not to revisit that feature for reasons unknown.

Regardless, ergonomics is a big deal as someone with carpel tunnel syndrome pain.

 

[rambo47]

For all the 'helpful' replies suggesting a VESA - the iMac is too heavy. I have an Ollin monitor arm for the second monitor and the iMac is too heavy for this and many other arms.

Monitor arms are a very imperfect solution to the problem of adjusting height - even the best ones suffer from 'wobble' which makes the experience of using the computer quite unpleasant.

Anybody suggesting changing the height of the desk and or the chair is in the ballpark but the human body is fixed in dimensions - so to get an ergonomic position - the computer screen needs to be height adjustable. If you move the chair and or desk up/down - the screen goes with it - and the relationship changes.

The floating iMac was a fantastic solution to this - but I guess the market forces aren't asking for it.

The NEW iMac is too heavy for the arm? Maybe the older models, but the new M1 iMac is very light.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

If you insist on height adjustable monitor, why buying iMac?
Just buy a Mac mini, hook it up to a height adjustable monitor, and be happy with it.
I simply can't understand your logic here.

Or if you are dead-set on an iMac, but still want it height-adjustable (lower it down), there are at least 2 options to make it possible:
1) Modify your desk and make an height adjustable stand for your iMac.
2) Modify the aluminum stand to a VESA compatible, then hang it to an monitor arm. There are products on the market that serve just this special need.
Asking Apple to tailor made it for you? Forget it. No way.

 

[bluespark]

Apple doesn't like height-adjustable Macs because a row of them would never be perfectly aligned with each other. As with its color choices, a major concern for Apple is how multiple devices look side-by-side.

 

[jclardy]

Given that there hasn't been a height-adjustable display on any Mac since the Luxo Jr iMac from 2002... you're complaining about a feature that hasn't existed for decades.

They have an aftermarket for such things and there have been a plethora of solutions for anyone who wanted it.

Google is your friend.

The XDR Pro display is height adjustable.