Keep the 27” iMac or upgrade to Mac Studio + Studio Display?

[fpenta]

I had that same 2014 iMac (had 32GB of RAM installed in it) and can say unequiocally that an M1 Mac will feel much, much faster. For photography, I don't believe you need 64GB of RAM at all. I'm doing a lot of graphic design work on an M1 iMac with 16GB of RAM and it's quite snappy. I suppose more RAM is always better, but that 64GB of RAM is bound to cost quite a bit.

And unless you're editing video or doing something else that demands tons of resources, that Mac Studio seems like massive overkill.

the 24" iMac is not enough for me. I do intensive photography processing with large files and make 4k/8k Timelapses using the adobe suite. The Mac Studio would be perfect for me but I refuse to spend €2000 for the Studio display.

I plan to keep my iMac 2020 until it dies out. This is going to be my last intel mac.

That's gonna last at least 10 years for sure!

 

[webbga]

I love my late 2015 27" iMAC and was hoping to replace it with another one with an M1 chip and more RAM. Not the first time in life that my plans have been detoured. I do not see myself going with the 24". It is a nice machine, but I need more than 16 gig of RAM, and after having 27" to do my work I do not want to step down to 24" I do a lot of photography and Lightroom, Photoshop, and Luminar get a workout. I have time to wait for the Studio Display to be straightened out and time to get used to the idea of a new and more powerful system.

My first Mac was an 8" Mac Classic with 1 megabyte or RAM and an external 20 megabyte hard drive. After a year I upgraded to 4 meg or Ram and thought I was set for life. Live and learn and never say never.

 

[MajorFubar]

Problem is that I have many peripherals like backup storage and studio monitor setup with audio interface that every time I connect and disconnect the MPB I should eject or turn on and turn off etc..Hate this. And the display is not powering the 16" MBP enough since it can only output 96w, so every time I would need to connect both the megsafe and thunderbolt. Not a great solution IMO

This is exactly the reason I bought a Studio Max not a MPB. However it took me about 3/4 days to decide what I wanted to do so consequently my delivery time is a month from now. I think Apple are still mining the ore and rare elements for my Studio Max.

 

[MajorFubar]

I refuse to spend €2000 for the Studio display.

Likewise. That's why I'll be mating mine to just a cheap regular 4K display that cost me not much more than 15% of the price. In the unlikely event I ever need a better display, there are way more options out there sub 1000 that give better value than the studio display. Apple tie our hands when it comes to (internal) storage and memory size, but there's a whole world of goodies out there for KVM.

 

[ignatius345]

the 24" iMac is not enough for me. I do intensive photography processing with large files and make 4k/8k Timelapses using the adobe suite. The Mac Studio would be perfect for me but I refuse to spend €2000 for the Studio display.

Yeah, I was just pointing out that if you're using a 2014 iMac 5K, any M1 Mac will be dramatically faster.

But if you want a display on par with the one you have now, there aren't a lot of options out there.

 

[dimme]

For my use case "downsizing" to a 24" iMac from a 27" 5K iMac was not that big of a deal. After a week or so I did not notice a difference. But as always YMMD

 

[pmiles]

I find it fascinating how whenever there is a new Apple dog and pony show, everyone decides they need a new computer.

I'm sitting here writing this on a 2010 Mac Pro. Long since EOL'd by Apple. Still running Mojave. Apple's newer machines are the ones you need to worry about in regards to "support". They have a far shorter shelf life than the older machines. They aren't upgradeable, whereas the older ones are. They don't run Windows, the INTEL models do. If anything, you'd be replacing the new M1 Macs sooner than you would have replaced the older INTEL ones... assuming you aren't rich beyond rich and buy a new computer whenever there is a new spec upgrade.

Apple is one of those companies that banks on customer loyalty... you know, the guy that buys Mac just because it's a Mac without question. The same guy that uses the same insurance company for years out of habit, not realizing they have been slowly raising their rates on them because they are so loyal. That is they actually took the time to check out the other guy, they'd realize they'd been fleeced by their insurance company for years.

Apple is no different. You've been paying more and more for Apple products than you should be because you blindly accept their price structure. Blindly accept their transition into 100% non-upgradeable / non-user repairable / forced obsoletion model. Why charge x for this computer when you can get y for it merely because you told them this was a good price? They're laughing all the way to the bank. Really. All because you let them tell you when it is time to buy a new computer.

Auto dealers would love to get you to buy a new car each year... most people realize they don't need one until they really do. With Apple products, you're looking to replace them as soon as you've unboxed it. Apple loves you.

I'd keep your computer until it no longer does what you want it to, not what Apple tells you it needs to do. Sort of like when you transmission dies in your car and you figure it would be cheaper to replace it than to fix it.

There will always be a new Mac coming out... even more so now that they know people will buy a new one just because.

 

[GalileoSeven]

From your use case, it sounds like you could go either way. If your existing iMac still does the job, it comes down to spending the money now vs later (the performance jumps of the new M1 chips though vis-a-vis Intel might make the investment worth it though)

 

[ignatius345]

I find it fascinating how whenever there is a new Apple dog and pony show, everyone decides they need a new computer.

I'm sitting here writing this on a 2010 Mac Pro. Long since EOL'd by Apple. Still running Mojave. Apple's newer machines are the ones you need to worry about in regards to "support". They have a far shorter shelf life than the older machines. They aren't upgradeable, whereas the older ones are. They don't run Windows, the INTEL models do. If anything, you'd be replacing the new M1 Macs sooner than you would have replaced the older INTEL ones... assuming you aren't rich beyond rich and buy a new computer whenever there is a new spec upgrade.

True, with older hardware and software you can just freeze your setup and it'll keep working the way it did when it was new. Especially when you're not dealing with software you buy instead of rent (sorry, "subscribe").

The problem comes when you start chasing newer versions of software or want interoperability with newer tech like an iPhone or something -- which often require OS upgrades. Those tend to be way more demanding of the hardware if they can be installed at all, and before you know it your machine is absolutely dragging. This is what happened to me with my 2014 iMac 5K. It was silky smooth and fast when I got it, but as I installed each new OS version, it felt slower and slower until I was seeing beachballs left and right. I've got an iPad Mini 4 that's much the same: very snappy and nice to use a few years ago, but almost unusable under iOS 15.

They've been very successful in convincing people that older hardware "gets slow" when in fact the issue is the system software becoming far too demanding instead of accounting for old hardware by running (say) a subset of its features. You're left with the dilemma of running a years-old OS or just watching your machine drag more and more with every new version until you find yourself replacing it.

 

[MajorFubar]

I find it fascinating how whenever there is a new Apple dog and pony show, everyone decides they need a new computer.

I'm sitting here writing this on a 2010 Mac Pro. Long since EOL'd by Apple. Still running Mojave. Apple's newer machines are the ones you need to worry about in regards to "support". They have a far shorter shelf life than the older machines. They aren't upgradeable, whereas the older ones are. They don't run Windows, the INTEL models do. If anything, you'd be replacing the new M1 Macs sooner than you would have replaced the older INTEL ones... assuming you aren't rich beyond rich and buy a new computer whenever there is a new spec upgrade.

Apple is one of those companies that banks on customer loyalty... you know, the guy that buys Mac just because it's a Mac without question. The same guy that uses the same insurance company for years out of habit, not realizing they have been slowly raising their rates on them because they are so loyal. That is they actually took the time to check out the other guy, they'd realize they'd been fleeced by their insurance company for years.

Apple is no different. You've been paying more and more for Apple products than you should be because you blindly accept their price structure. Blindly accept their transition into 100% non-upgradeable / non-user repairable / forced obsoletion model. Why charge x for this computer when you can get y for it merely because you told them this was a good price? They're laughing all the way to the bank. Really. All because you let them tell you when it is time to buy a new computer.

Auto dealers would love to get you to buy a new car each year... most people realize they don't need one until they really do. With Apple products, you're looking to replace them as soon as you've unboxed it. Apple loves you.

I'd keep your computer until it no longer does what you want it to, not what Apple tells you it needs to do. Sort of like when you transmission dies in your car and you figure it would be cheaper to replace it than to fix it.

There will always be a new Mac coming out... even more so now that they know people will buy a new one just because.

Took me 11 years, that long enough? lol

 

[dimme]

I find it fascinating how whenever there is a new Apple dog and pony show, everyone decides they need a new computer.

I'm sitting here writing this on a 2010 Mac Pro. Long since EOL'd by Apple. Still running Mojave. Apple's newer machines are the ones you need to worry about in regards to "support". They have a far shorter shelf life than the older machines. They aren't upgradeable, whereas the older ones are. They don't run Windows, the INTEL models do. If anything, you'd be replacing the new M1 Macs sooner than you would have replaced the older INTEL ones... assuming you aren't rich beyond rich and buy a new computer whenever there is a new spec upgrade.

Apple is one of those companies that banks on customer loyalty... you know, the guy that buys Mac just because it's a Mac without question. The same guy that uses the same insurance company for years out of habit, not realizing they have been slowly raising their rates on them because they are so loyal. That is they actually took the time to check out the other guy, they'd realize they'd been fleeced by their insurance company for years.

Apple is no different. You've been paying more and more for Apple products than you should be because you blindly accept their price structure. Blindly accept their transition into 100% non-upgradeable / non-user repairable / forced obsoletion model. Why charge x for this computer when you can get y for it merely because you told them this was a good price? They're laughing all the way to the bank. Really. All because you let them tell you when it is time to buy a new computer.

Auto dealers would love to get you to buy a new car each year... most people realize they don't need one until they really do. With Apple products, you're looking to replace them as soon as you've unboxed it. Apple loves you.

I'd keep your computer until it no longer does what you want it to, not what Apple tells you it needs to do. Sort of like when you transmission dies in your car and you figure it would be cheaper to replace it than to fix it.

There will always be a new Mac coming out... even more so now that they know people will buy a new one just because.

For me it is all about Mac OS, I do not care forWindows and Linux is not mainstream enough for me. I like and use the new features of the newer Mac OS's so I am forced to upgrade my computers sooner that later, to get the features I want.

 

[HDFan]

That's gonna last at least 10 years for sure!

I'd keep your computer until it no longer does what you want it to,

True, with older hardware and software you can just freeze your setup

The problem comes when you start chasing newer versions of software or want interoperability

If you want interoperability, latest features, new 3rd party software, OS security and 3rd party software
updates it won't last 10 years. By that time all OS and 3rd party software will be Apple silicon based.

 

[ignatius345]

If you want interoperability, latest features, new 3rd party software, OS security and 3rd party software uupdates it won't last 10 years. By that time all OS and 3rd party software will be Apple silicon based.

Yeah, totally. I'm not on the "run the same Mac until it turns to dust" train myself, just pointing out that you can keep using an old Mac for quite a while if you want. And the Apple Silicon transition is a massive massive change that I think well warrants ponying up for new gear.

 

[ADGrant]

I plan to keep my iMac 2020 until it dies out. This is going to be my last intel mac.

That is my plan too.

 

[ADGrant]

Likewise. That's why I'll be mating mine to just a cheap regular 4K display that cost me not much more than 15% of the price. In the unlikely event I ever need a better display, there are way more options out there sub 1000 that give better value than the studio display. Apple tie our hands when it comes to (internal) storage and memory size, but there's a whole world of goodies out there for KVM.

What size of 4k display? There are certainly plenty of cheaper options that the Studio available unless you want a 5k 27" display. Then your choices are two very similar monitors, one from LG that costs about $1300 and looks a bit ugly and a nicer version of that display from Apple for another $300. The Apple display is worth paying the extra for IMHO. It has slightly improved brightness and contrast and much better build quality (its not even close).

It's weird that the Apple display is basically an Apple Silicon iMac permanently in Target Display mode. It's outrageous that the power cord is not detachable. However, I currently have a 2020 5k Intel iMac, previously I used a 2014" MBP attached to a 4k 24" Dell monitor. The display on my iMac is much nicer. I would find it hard to go back. I am sticking with my iMac for several more years but if I needed a new Mac right now, I would probably buy the new Apple display.

 

[MajorFubar]

What size of 4k display?

28". I don't need 5K so that means my options are both plentiful and cheap.

 

[ADGrant]

28". I don't need 5K so that means my options are both plentiful and cheap.

Yes, 4k monitors of around 27" in size a plentiful and cheap. There aren't very many 24" 4k monitors though.

None of those monitors will be as sharp as the Apple Display though. Aside from the lower dpi, you need to use fractional scaling which means using the GPU to downres the screen image.

 

[Ifti]

I find it fascinating how whenever there is a new Apple dog and pony show, everyone decides they need a new computer.

I'm sitting here writing this on a 2010 Mac Pro. Long since EOL'd by Apple. Still running Mojave. Apple's newer machines are the ones you need to worry about in regards to "support". They have a far shorter shelf life than the older machines. They aren't upgradeable, whereas the older ones are. They don't run Windows, the INTEL models do. If anything, you'd be replacing the new M1 Macs sooner than you would have replaced the older INTEL ones... assuming you aren't rich beyond rich and buy a new computer whenever there is a new spec upgrade.

Apple is one of those companies that banks on customer loyalty... you know, the guy that buys Mac just because it's a Mac without question. The same guy that uses the same insurance company for years out of habit, not realizing they have been slowly raising their rates on them because they are so loyal. That is they actually took the time to check out the other guy, they'd realize they'd been fleeced by their insurance company for years.

Apple is no different. You've been paying more and more for Apple products than you should be because you blindly accept their price structure. Blindly accept their transition into 100% non-upgradeable / non-user repairable / forced obsoletion model. Why charge x for this computer when you can get y for it merely because you told them this was a good price? They're laughing all the way to the bank. Really. All because you let them tell you when it is time to buy a new computer.

Auto dealers would love to get you to buy a new car each year... most people realize they don't need one until they really do. With Apple products, you're looking to replace them as soon as you've unboxed it. Apple loves you.

I'd keep your computer until it no longer does what you want it to, not what Apple tells you it needs to do. Sort of like when you transmission dies in your car and you figure it would be cheaper to replace it than to fix it.

There will always be a new Mac coming out... even more so now that they know people will buy a new one just because.

!00% spot on!

 

[Ifti]

True, with older hardware and software you can just freeze your setup and it'll keep working the way it did when it was new. Especially when you're not dealing with software you buy instead of rent (sorry, "subscribe").

The problem comes when you start chasing newer versions of software or want interoperability with newer tech like an iPhone or something -- which often require OS upgrades. Those tend to be way more demanding of the hardware if they can be installed at all, and before you know it your machine is absolutely dragging. This is what happened to me with my 2014 iMac 5K. It was silky smooth and fast when I got it, but as I installed each new OS version, it felt slower and slower until I was seeing beachballs left and right. I've got an iPad Mini 4 that's much the same: very snappy and nice to use a few years ago, but almost unusable under iOS 15.

They've been very successful in convincing people that older hardware "gets slow" when in fact the issue is the system software becoming far too demanding instead of accounting for old hardware by running (say) a subset of its features. You're left with the dilemma of running a years-old OS or just watching your machine drag more and more with every new version until you find yourself replacing it.

Very true. I used to be one of those who would upgrade OS every year (even though I think a yearly OS upgrade cycle is way too much). I learnt my lesson when I promptly moved to Big Sur and found some of my important software (RAID Drivers etc) no longer worked and had to wait for updates etc. Also, considering newer OS's tend to be riddled with bugs recently, I stopped the upgrading. Now I let Apple release their first lot of patches etc before I decide what to do.

I have a 2019 16" MBP running Big Sur since that seems to be rather stable for me now. As I said above, I learnt the hard way so I have no desire to move to Monterey at the moment. I will most likely only upgrade an OS whenever I decide to purchase a new system and the new OS comes with it, so I'm forced into it! Otherwise I've decided to stay put considering my system does everything I need it to do!

 

[MajorFubar]

!00% spot on!

Not really. The test-sample here is not representative. The majority of people IRL are not upgrading their kit every time Apple releases something new. You only have to look at the sheer volume of 'backlit' Macbooks still in use out in the wild to realise the majority of people do not do this.

Forming a general opinion about purchasing-behavior based on what happens on this website is like asking how many people in a dentist's waiting-room have toothache and then hypothesising in general that most people's teeth are falling out.

 

[ADGrant]

Very true. I used to be one of those who would upgrade OS every year (even though I think a yearly OS upgrade cycle is way too much). I learnt my lesson when I promptly moved to Big Sur and found some of my important software (RAID Drivers etc) no longer worked and had to wait for updates etc. Also, considering newer OS's tend to be riddled with bugs recently, I stopped the upgrading. Now I let Apple release their first lot of patches etc before I decide what to do.

I have a 2019 16" MBP running Big Sur since that seems to be rather stable for me now. As I said above, I learnt the hard way so I have no desire to move to Monterey at the moment. I will most likely only upgrade an OS whenever I decide to purchase a new system and the new OS comes with it, so I'm forced into it! Otherwise I've decided to stay put considering my system does everything I need it to do!

I upgrade after the MacOS version ends with a .2 . I can't hold off indefinitely because Xcode drops support for older versions of MacOS quite aggressively.

 

[ignatius345]

Very true. I used to be one of those who would upgrade OS every year (even though I think a yearly OS upgrade cycle is way too much). I learnt my lesson when I promptly moved to Big Sur and found some of my important software (RAID Drivers etc) no longer worked and had to wait for updates etc. Also, considering newer OS's tend to be riddled with bugs recently, I stopped the upgrading. Now I let Apple release their first lot of patches etc before I decide what to do.

Sadly, I've pretty much fully bought into riding the current wave of hardware and software updates. I just have no discipline when something bright and shiny appears in my field of view. For the most part things are stable and very snappy, but I'm sure by MacOS 15 or so I'll be griping about how slow my M1 iMac is...

 

[GDF]

Yeah, I was just pointing out that if you're using a 2014 iMac 5K, any M1 Mac will be dramatically faster.

But if you want a display on par with the one you have now, there aren't a lot of options out there.

I guess it depends on what you are doing. When I purchased and returned a 24 M1 iMac it did not feel any faster than my late 2012 27 iMac. However, my 2012 27 iMac has a 512gb SSD and 16gb of memory. Will end up probably buying a the base studio or wait for the upgraded mini.