I also was geared up for a new IMac but the M3 max storage is 2TB. My old machine has a 3 TB fusion drive. It wont run the latest OS but I can get by. Apple post Steve Jobs throws a lot of curves. Will wait a bit see if they upgrade the Mac Mini. As soon as I order one they will upgrade the IMac.
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M3 iMac Rant
- Thread starter TrenttonY
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HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
The point was not that they SHOULD but that they COULD. I wasn’t making an inventory management recommendation but only an observation. They already complicate their supply chain by making special versions of select products for select markets… like SIM card iPhone. And this wouldn't be like that where they keep making the old and new at the same time… just like that: choosing regions where one type is sold before rolling it out to the rest of the world when the outdated type stock thins out.
Personally, I doubt that there is this passionate demand for different ports on these peripherals. I suspect all who are commenting have keyboards and mice now and replacements with different ports won’t make perfectly functional ones get immediately trashed.
In my own case, I have a Lightning-based MM and will likely use it until it conks. I already have multiple lightning cables on hand to keep it charged. Then, I’ll happily go USB-C in the replacement. But no need tossing it now if a clone launched today with another port. Perhaps that’s just me.
I would certainly place myself in the retire-Lightning, “one cable to rule them all” camp too, but this is simply a practical matter: use perfectly functional accessories until they conk… replace them with whatever is for sale at that time.
If someone needs a replacement now but does not want Lightning, there is plenty of USB fish in this sea. The walled garden is not the only store. Go USB today if one wants. Bonus: by shopping in much bigger ponds, fix- through careful selection- any and every other flaw slung at the Apple versions of these things: Port placement? Ergonomics? Thinness? Etc.
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Testing conducted by Apple in September and October 2023 using preproduction 24-inch iMac systems with Apple M3, 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 24GB of RAM, and 2TB SSD, as well as production 24-inch iMac systems with Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB of RAM
From 8 core and 8 gpu to 8 core and 10 core gpu to have up to 2 twice as fast and under ray tracing probably even more....while on my Intel systems i have to wait 4 years to get up to 2x
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They "could" do Micro-USB, a barrel jack or even go back to fully wired.
None of that will happen and neither will EU only USB-C versions.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Again, they are (probably) not opting to make NEW versions with BOTH port types... just thinning out existing inventory of Lightning before they go USB-C... likely what any other company would do with existing inventory and no burning urgency to "switch everything" immediately.
I doubt they are overloaded on Lightning inventory, so I wouldn't be surprised if some Lightning things become USB-C soon... perhaps still in 2023. Such a change doesn't need a live or video event or even a press release. Just ship the new USB-C version to replace the last of the Lightning versions. Most customers buying a mouse of keyboard may not even realize there was a change. They just use whatever comes out of the box, whatever cable is in the box, whatever kind of charging brick is included.
If you are this disappointed and want USB mice and keyboards now, hit Amazon and search. There are PLENTY of sellers of USB-based accessories like that. I use a Logi MX keys keyboard with USB-C charging already and like it BETTER than my former Apple keyboard. If you feel Apple should be punished for not switching accessories to USB-C now, punish in a way that they can notice- which is not whining in an online forum- but expressing your wants/needs with your wallet.
I doubt they are overloaded on Lightning inventory, so I wouldn't be surprised if some Lightning things become USB-C soon... perhaps still in 2023. Such a change doesn't need a live or video event or even a press release. Just ship the new USB-C version to replace the last of the Lightning versions. Most customers buying a mouse of keyboard may not even realize there was a change. They just use whatever comes out of the box, whatever cable is in the box, whatever kind of charging brick is included.
If you are this disappointed and want USB mice and keyboards now, hit Amazon and search. There are PLENTY of sellers of USB-based accessories like that. I use a Logi MX keys keyboard with USB-C charging already and like it BETTER than my former Apple keyboard. If you feel Apple should be punished for not switching accessories to USB-C now, punish in a way that they can notice- which is not whining in an online forum- but expressing your wants/needs with your wallet.
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To me this is another of many, many, many,.... many rants about "The minimum isn't good enough for me so it shouldn't be good enough for anyone."
Not everyone NEEDS more than 8GB RAM.
Not everyone NEEDS more than 128GB storage.
Not everyone NEEDS Touch ID.
Not everyone NEEDS Ethernet.
Not everyone NEEDS USB-A.
Not everyone NEEDS SD card slot.
If you think iMac should have a bigger screen, or touch screen, or more external display capability, etc - that's fine. You're asking Apple to add something that isn't currently available and that's a valid request. But these arguments about base config, when the options are RIGHT THERE if you want something else, are silly.
Re-phrasing the argument: "Macs are for better people. Apple shouldn't offer them at a price where plebes and peons could possibly afford one."
Not everyone NEEDS more than 8GB RAM.
Not everyone NEEDS more than 128GB storage.
Not everyone NEEDS Touch ID.
Not everyone NEEDS Ethernet.
Not everyone NEEDS USB-A.
Not everyone NEEDS SD card slot.
If you think iMac should have a bigger screen, or touch screen, or more external display capability, etc - that's fine. You're asking Apple to add something that isn't currently available and that's a valid request. But these arguments about base config, when the options are RIGHT THERE if you want something else, are silly.
Re-phrasing the argument: "Macs are for better people. Apple shouldn't offer them at a price where plebes and peons could possibly afford one."
Here you go:
Studio Display
The 27-inch 5K Retina Studio Display is the perfect Mac creative partner — with a 12MP Ultra Wide camera, three studio-quality mics and six speakers.
www.apple.com
You can add whatever Mac/Apple device you want, to that. MacBook Air, MBP, iMac, MacMini, Mac Studio, MacPro. Even an iPad!!!!!
No need to thank me.
Here you go:
Studio Display
The 27-inch 5K Retina Studio Display is the perfect Mac creative partner — with a 12MP Ultra Wide camera, three studio-quality mics and six speakers.www.apple.com
You can add whatever Mac/Apple device you want, to that. MacBook Air, MBP, iMac, MacMini, Mac Studio, MacPro. Even an iPad!!!!!
No need to thank me.
Studio displays were offered when a larger iMac was as well in the past. That’s not an all in one.
The problem here isn’t the iMac. It’s your expectations.
I may have misheard but in the presentation I think they referred to the 24 inch iMac being the ideal replacement for both 21 and 27 inch Intel iMacs. That sounds to me like this is the only iMac we are going to get for the foreseeable future.
And really that's sort of OK, as the more flexible Mac Mini is the upgrade path from an iMac. I wish Apple did a cheaper monitor, but there's plenty of good monitors available from other brands.
I think this reflects the reality that desktop PCs in the home are a pretty dead market.
And really that's sort of OK, as the more flexible Mac Mini is the upgrade path from an iMac. I wish Apple did a cheaper monitor, but there's plenty of good monitors available from other brands.
I think this reflects the reality that desktop PCs in the home are a pretty dead market.
M1 wipes the floor on tasks where Apple spares most of their transistor quotas on. Simple as that. Otherwise why they bother to include a media engine on M2 instead of sections for general computing? When I got my M1 Mac, it wiped the floor of my old 2014 MacBook Air 11” in terms of the performance. Today? It feels just as responsive as my old 2014 MacBook Air with Big Sur on my daily tasks, maybe a bit better.
Apple silicon is a welcome wake up call to the industry, but its power jump has also been way overblown.
Agreed. I'm sure it just doesn't make business sense to sell two different sizes of iMac. TBH I'm not sure it makes business sense to sell 7 different colors either 🙄 but a different color certainly doesn't represent the engineering/manufacturing challenge that a different size would.
Mac mini with Pro chip, and Mac Studio, are good alternatives to the 27" iMac - and superior in a lot of ways.
I'll keep my 27" 2020 iMac with 64G user-upgradable RAM, thanks
This was a token gesture to the iMac faithful. For all intents and purposes the iMac as we knew it over the last few decades is dead.
Although tbh, the mac mini or studio route is a great alternative for power users. No need to throw away a great quality monitor if you need a spec bump.
Although tbh, the mac mini or studio route is a great alternative for power users. No need to throw away a great quality monitor if you need a spec bump.
What utter, utter nonsense. The iMac is a staple of the Mac computer line. What some people on here have to try to understand, is that MOST computer users don't want or need loads of power, 'upgradeability', expansion, multiple monitors etc. Those that do are in a very small minority, globally. Very small. And for those there are many options. Why can people not understand this???
So that's fine. Now go and tell that to all those screaming about wanting a 27" or 32" iMac...
Oh, nobody should buy an Intel system for the horrible heat and noise issues alone. That’s no comparison.
The M2 already introduced a 10-core GPU (albeit not to the iMac). From 16 to 20 to 25 billion transistors the core performance of the M-series chips has stayed roughly the same with 4 performance and 4 efficiency cores. Even the 8GB memory of the entry level stayed the same. Only when you do ProRes, AV1 or RTX the new special engines will put the M1 far behind.
At the other end the M3 Max is a significant boost over the previous generation. While the M3 Pro swaps two performance cores for two more efficiency cores. So Apple concluded most people will benefit from more battery life. And I don’t doubt they are right about that.
So we have no performance shifts for the entry-level, more efficiency for the mid-range and large performance gains at the high-end. You just need to know what kind of user you are?
I feel you on all that, but believe me, they did not slap it together. All the tiers are planned 100% on purpose. They get the starting price as low as possible. If Steve Jobs were here, the starting price would be $1499 and you’d get mouse and keyboard with TouchID and a bit more most likely. Not guaranteed, but apple did more like that under him. Now it’s all about low entry prices and high Mac config prices by adding multiple tiers and layers.
My thought exactly.
I've been thinking of switching back to a pc after 20 years in the Apple world.
Given the price of the iMac, I don't think people's expectations are the problem.
Nah - get people to bite with M3, then release new color combos and updated USB-C peripherals at the half year mark.
Imagine someone in Apple actually persuaded the Apple leading management team to update the software so internal monitor of those iMac could be decoupled.
This is something they can do now to have an impact, not by eliminating iMac lineup.
Agreed. 8GB is no slouch still these days. I literally have proof it can photo edit and 4K video edit all day every day with green memory pressure
Not everyone opens 500 tabs. I have 5 open at max.
Which is why the hope for more than 8GB RAM in the entry level was always wishful thinking.
They used to put a spinning hard drive in their cheapest 21" iMac when a simple Fusion Drive would’ve cost them nothing. The upsell is for real. 😧