Help me understand iMac upgrade path

[sinanziric]

Like, from what I see at the moment - mac mini is far more powerful machine than iMac by having a configuration options like:

• Apple M2 Pro with 12‑core CPU, 19-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine
• 32GB unified memory
• 1TB SSD storage

This costs $2199

iMac doesn't have any upgrade path and is far far behind mac mini in power.

I don't understand this at all....

It was logical to have iMac with more powerful upgrade paths.

 

[Onimusha370]

Agreed - sadly when they redesigned the iMac in 2021 they canned the larger version that was planned, which would have likely given us Pro/Max chips with a 27/30 inch 5K 120hz display. Once the Mac Studio and ASD launched in March 22, the rumours of a larger iMac all went away.

I imagine there’s an environmental calculation in this decision somewhere, but I also think the Apple desktop line would be pretty cluttered if they had [mac mini, iMac, iMac Pro, Mac Studio, Mac Pro]. Having 5 desktop models when they have 2 lines of notebooks seems crazy in 2024.

 

[Chuckeee]

In addition, the current super thin iMac design limits the logic board to the chin implemented in a “computer on a stick” physical configuration. The result in insufficient area (width) for a MxPro chip with a heat sink and the tiny iMac fans in the chin provide insufficient cooling too.

Innards of an M1 iMac, the logic/motherboard is the skinny rectangle at the bottom between the 2 small fans

Here is the motherboard, with the heat sink removed

 

[Fishrrman]

"iMac upgrade path" ???

Mac Studio now,
or
Wait for new m4pro Mini, coming later this year.

and...
The display of your choice.

 

[picpicmac]

The iMac is for those who want an AIO, or for people who don't know what they want in a computer and have no need to "upgrade".

Which leads to this question: what exactly are your uses that the current M3 iMac cannot meet?

 

[basdeninard]

My issue is quite simple. They discontinued the 27-inch iMac without offering an upgrade path for existing customers. You are forced to buy a Mac mini with an Apple Studio Display if you want to replicate the experience, and this configuration along with a keyboard and mouse costs substantially more in real terms than the 27-inch iMacs that were discontinued.

 

[Adelphos33]

My issue is quite simple. They discontinued the 27-inch iMac without offering an upgrade path for existing customers. You are forced to buy a Mac mini with an Apple Studio Display if you want to replicate the experience, and this configuration along with a keyboard and mouse costs substantially more in real terms than the 27-inch iMacs that were discontinued.

Rest assured, any new larger iMac that Apple mays today would also cost substantially more in real terms than the 27 inch iMacs that were discontinued

 

[basdeninard]

Rest assured, any new larger iMac that Apple mays today would also cost substantially more in real terms than the 27 inch iMacs that were discontinued

I wouldn't be too offended if that were the case. I'm getting a little tired of Apple these days, so it would give me the reason to switch platforms.

If they don't offer a reasonable upgrade path by the time my iMac needs to be replaced, I will buy an Intel or AMD desktop computer and install a Debian-based distribution on it.

 

[mcnallym]

Blame the people that kept banging on about having a perfectly good screen that having to get rid of when changing to a later iMac 27” 5k with the removal of target display mode.

instead now from Apples perspective, you buy the Studio Display and then you select the amount of power/storage want, ie mini, mini pro, studio max, studio Ultra etc.
outgrow the power/storage then disconnect and swap out for newer mini/ studio etc and reuse perfectly still good screen.

I am still using a perfectly good dell 3008wfp monitor with my studio that bought brand new upon launch.

 

[gilby101]

You are forced to buy a Mac mini with an Apple Studio Display if you want to replicate the experience, and this configuration along with a keyboard and mouse costs substantially more in real terms than the 27-inch iMacs that were discontinued.

In my view, likely that any 27" iMac would be a similar price to Mini + Studio Display. The Studio Display will out last 2 or 3 Mac Minis - that changes the cost calculation. and, of course, it is easy to upgrade to a Mac Studio if you outgrow the Mini.

The biggest issue with discontinued 27" iMacs is that you have paid a lot of money to have a great screen. In a year or two, the 27" will be unsupported by macOS as well as not having features which will be available in macOS 15 onwards. What do you do with the 27" iMac then?

No the Mini + Studio Display (or a decent 4K 27") is a much better deal.

 

[profcutter]

I feel your pain re:the lack of a 27 inch iMac replacement, but I think the ship has sailed at this point. I think a pro mini or a studio with a 5k monitor is the best, and really, only choice. I’m not happy about it but here we are. I mean, MBP’s are quite good at this point, but yeah, if you wanted a desktop, apple’s made the choice for you.

 

[basdeninard]

In my view, likely that any 27" iMac would be a similar price to Mini + Studio Display. The Studio Display will out last 2 or 3 Mac Minis - that changes the cost calculation. and, of course, it is easy to upgrade to a Mac Studio if you outgrow the Mini.

The biggest issue with discontinued 27" iMacs is that you have paid a lot of money to have a great screen. In a year or two, the 27" will be unsupported by macOS as well as not having features which will be available in macOS 15 onwards. What do you do with the 27" iMac then?

No the Mini + Studio Display (or a decent 4K 27") is a much better deal.

Hmm, I'm not sure how much longer an Apple Studio Display would last versus an iMac display. I've had this iMac for 7 years and it's experiencing the typical image retention that all HiDPI displays from Apple appear to invariably experience after several years of ownership.

If I had a 27-inch Apple Studio Display with the same issue after seven years, I wouldn't exactly consider a Mac mini or Mac Studio with an Apple Studio Display a much better deal since I'd still be faced with a situation where I'd be forced to replace the display to get rid of the problem. Once image retention starts to develop on a display, it only gets worse over time.

Much to the demise of computer manufacturers who would love customers to upgrade their computer every few years, they are easily lasting 7 years or more. Apple, mysteriously, cannot find a single supplier that can produce a large screen display without image retention appearing within a few years of ownership.

I am not convinced that a 27-inch Apple Studio Display with a high-end Mac mini or Mac Studio configuration would last much longer than a high-end 27-inch iMac configuration. I weighed the options and all I could see from Apple's current line up is poor value, so I upgraded my 2017 iMac instead of replacing it. I will wait a few more years. If Apple does not offer a replacement 27-inch or 30-inch iMac by the time macOS 13 stops receives security updates, then I will buy an Intel or AMD system and switch to a Debian-based distribution.

I am willing to pay more than I did in 2017 because many years have passed, but the price still has to be reasonable. Apple's current strategy is, in my opinion, not reasonable. You have to buy everything separately, and even taking into account changes in inflation and advancements in technology, you are spending substantially more in real terms because they desperately want to increase the profit margin on their Mac business.

Apple should try to innovate instead of discontinuing products and increasing prices. They spend a fortune on R&D and the best they came up with, for iMac customers, is a 24-inch screen in different colours with no useful I/O.

 

[HoreaG]

The biggest issue with discontinued 27" iMacs is that you have paid a lot of money to have a great screen. In a year or two, the 27" will be unsupported by macOS as well as not having features which will be available in macOS 15 onwards. What do you do with the 27" iMac then?

What do you do with it? Well... you use it like you used it all the years before. How comes that once MacOS 15 is avaible you all of a sudden forget using your old iMac exactly the same as you did for years?

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Seems to me, the people who aren’t happy about the current lineup are those that would buy a 27” iMac and use it for 5-7 years or more. Which, given iMac’s shrinking market share, is Apple’s least profitable demographic.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved my 27” iMac too. But I got the LG 5k display, before the Studio Display was available - I’d get the Studio Display today. My M1 mini is doing fine; I’d like a bit more horsepower but I can hold off for the M4 Pro (or whatever comes next).

 

[gilby101]

What do you do with it? Well... you use it like you used it all the years before. How comes that once MacOS 15 is avaible you all of a sudden forget using your old iMac exactly the same as you did for years?

Good point! But:
1) The logic of that is I would have the house full of 10, 20...50 year old computers doing the same thing as they did many years ago. Would I want that?
2) I like doing things in new ways, so there comes a point when being restricted to the old ways is limiting, frustrating and annoying.