New iMac Is Bizarre

[blairh]

So many puzzling decisions by Apple with the iMac redesign.

1. White bezels are terrible for content consumption. If you use dark mode it's going to make the bezels stick out so much. There is a reason just about no monitor, TV, etc, is white these days. Yes I'm aware Apple used white bezels back in the day. No I don't think that's a good reason to use them again. They could have either matched the bezels with the colors of the machine, gone with silver, or used less pastel colors. At the very least offer the silver model with a black bezel.

2. Yes, the bigger future iMacs will look very different. But what if you want a cheaper/smaller iMac with no white bezel? You are SOL.

3. The chin looks bigger without the logo. It also looks like an unfinished product without it.

4. The ports on the base model are pathetic. No ethernet unless you pay for it on the power brick or get the next up model. Two USB 4/Thunderbolt ports and nothing more is a joke for a machine that starts at $1,300.

5. The power brick is embarrassing. The whole appeal of the iMac is that it is an all-in-one device. A power brick is such a junky addition.

6. Headphone jack on the side sucks if you use wired speakers.

7. This obsession with thinness on a desktop makes no sense to me. Other than taking an iMac to the Apple store for service, who cares how light your iMac is? I'd rather have a thicker iMac and not have a power brick, not have a headphone jack on the side, and potentially not have a chin either.

8. 8 GB of RAM is really cutting it close and not very future-proof. My iMac struggles at times and I'm a light user with the same amount of RAM. Luckily I can manually update mine if needed. You cannot manually update the RAM on this iMac so you have to pay for 16 GB at purchase if you are unsure if 8 GB will be sufficient.

9. The look of this iMac itself is very polarizing. Pastels combined with white bezels is a bold choice of course but with such choices you are going to turn off a lot of consumers looking for something less bold and/or more professional. Another reason why a silver/black bezel model would have made sense as an option.

Edit - I actually like the new thinness with respect to how light the machine now is. It makes the idea of bringing it to the Apple store for repairs much less daunting.

 

[QCassidy352]

Agree with everything you wrote. They've made so many good design decisions recently with their MacBook line (and, if you believe the rumors and leaked specs, are about to really hit it out of the park with the AS 14" and 16") and then this. Woof.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I see nothing "bizarre" about the new iMacs. I do see that the OP doesn't care for what Apple is currently offering. Not liking and bizarre is not the same thing.

 

[blairh]

I see nothing "bizarre" about the new iMacs. I do see that the OP doesn't care for what Apple is currently offering. Not liking and bizarre is not the same thing.

I think offering such an important product in your lineup in only pastel colors with white bezels is a bizarre choice. You are free of course to disagree.

(Yes the silver model is not pastel. But the silver looks especially super terrible IMO with white bezels.)

 

[CWallace]

Well there is a traditional Silver option, so it is not all pastels.

And white borders are not good for video, but even in Dark Mode so many applications and web sites are still white so I expect in general use the white borders are not as much of an issue as many feel they could (would) be.

I expect the current RAM limitation is due to using the same on-package memory modules as they use in the iPhone and iPad and the memory industry is currently focused on 4GB and 8GB modules for those applications. They are working on 16GB and 32GB modules so we should see higher densities and it may be possible to have more than two modules so we could see 4x8GB for 32GB.

 

[blairh]

Well there is a traditional Silver option, so it is not all pastels.

And white borders are not good for video, but even in Dark Mode so many applications and web sites are still white so I expect in general use the white borders are not as much of an issue as many feel they could (would) be.

I expect the current RAM limitation is due to using the same on-package memory modules as they use in the iPhone and iPad and the memory industry is currently focused on 4GB and 8GB modules for those applications. They are working on 16GB and 32GB modules so we should see higher densities and it may be possible to have more than two modules so we could see 4x8GB for 32GB.

The silver has a white bezel though and it's a pretty terrible combo IMO. That model should have a black bezel.

Websites are quickly moving to darker themes. I use Dark Reader so no sites I browse are white.

 

[Leonard82]

To address problem 1-3
I think a colored tempered glass with BLACK color bezel with silver apple logo on the bottom center. there should also be a separator between the chin and the bottom bezel and just like previous iMac, make it of different color so that it doesn't look like one huge dangling chin. we can just hope tempered glass manufacturers make it.

this one is for the iphone, but you get the idea.


well at least people who are actually considering to buy this don't have to wait for the larger pro iMac with black bezel cause for most non power hungry users the new iMac is good enough.

Here it is. Black Bezel TEMPERED GLASS FOR NEW iMac 2021.

 

[Burebista]

I don't like the white bezels. I'm not convinced with the design choice to cover the whole front, including the chin, with glass. And I'm puzzled with the magsafe connector on a device that doesn't have a battery- anticipate more trouble than convenience.

But I wouldn't call it bizzare - Apple knows exactly what they're doing. They'll first milk this design the best they can, then a year or so from now will update it with black bezels and new colours to match and milk it again.

And then we might see it yet again as an iMac SE, upgraded with XDR screen, M3 and 32 GB RAM 😂

 

[usagora]

I'm sorry you're so upset about them. I think they're nice. I guess you'd be better off with a Mac Mini and your own choice of monitor. Isn't it great we have choices?

P.S. The iMac is a not a "pro" device.

P.P.S. I don't think people have a problem with people being critical of Apple here. The issue is the language is so extreme in many posts (hideous, horrendous, terrible, horrible, crap, bizarre, embarrassing, pathetic, etc.) that it sort of loses its credibility because it comes across as simply a rant, not constructive, even-keeled criticism. You have some valid points, but they get overshadowed by the extreme language.

 

[usagora]

I think offering such an important product in your lineup in only pastel colors with white bezels is a bizarre choice. You are free of course to disagree.

Silver is not a pastel color.

EDIT: And apparently that makes some people "angry" LOL!!!

 

[SamRyouji]

Hearing all of these white bezel fiasco, I'm pretty sure there will be lots of accessory companies offering a black bezel frame or black bezel screen protector combo in the not too distant future.
😀

 

[SamRyouji]

Silver is not a pastel color.

inb4 someone starts saying it's "pastel white" or "pastel grey". 😛

 

[Leonard82]

A little off topic, but I really wish someone would sue Apple for iMac & Macbooks just like how they sued them on iPhones for planned obsolescence.
Claiming they are in the green, but they actually don't give a **** about that in their products.
1. No upgradable SSDs when all most other manufacturers allow this. Sure two nvme slots wouldn't hurt. Once your TBW max has been reached, just be prepared it would die anytime soon.
2. No upgradable RAM. I mean come on.

If for any reason you break this iMac after your warranty expires, be prepared to pay ******** of repair fees to Apple. And even the fees would probably be close to buying a new one.

 

[blairh]

Silver is not a pastel color.

I’ve already addressed the silver model mate in my OP.

 

[satchmo]

So many puzzling decisions by Apple with the iMac redesign.

1. White bezels are terrible for content consumption. If you use dark mode it's going to make the bezels stick out so much. There is a reason just about no monitor, TV, etc, is white these days. Yes I'm aware Apple used white bezels back in the day. No I don't think that's a good reason to use them again. They could have either matched the bezels with the colors of the machine, gone with silver, or used less pastel colors. At the very least offer the silver model with a black bezel.

2. Yes, the bigger future iMacs will look very different. But what if you want a cheaper/smaller iMac with no white bezel? You are SOL.

3. The chin looks bigger without the logo. It also looks like an unfinished product without it.

4. The ports on the base model are pathetic. No ethernet unless you pay for it on the power brick or get the next up model. Two USB 4/Thunderbolt ports and nothing more is a joke for a machine that starts at $1,300.

5. The power brick is embarrassing. The whole appeal of the iMac is that it is an all-in-one device. A power brick is such a junky addition.

6. Headphone jack on the side sucks if you use wired speakers.

7. This obsession with thinness on a desktop makes no sense to me. Other than taking an iMac to the Apple store for service, who cares how light your iMac is? I'd rather have a thicker iMac and not have a power brick, not have a headphone jack on the side, and potentially not have a chin either.

8. 8 GB of RAM is really cutting it close and not very future-proof. My iMac struggles at times and I'm a light user with the same amount of RAM. Luckily I can manually update mine if needed. Not the case for this model of course.

9. The look of this iMac itself is very polarizing. Pastels combined with white bezels is a bold choice of course but with such choices you are going to turn off a lot of consumers looking for something less bold and/or more professional. Another reason why a silver/black bezel model would have made sense as an option.

While I agree on a few of your points, notably #7, and #4, I think a more appropriate description would be ‘unfamiliar’ rather than bizarre.

With respect to appearances, everyone has personal preferences. And generally speaking any new design takes a while to get accustomed to. The iMac G3 and G4 were polarizing back in the day and they were not only best sellers (G3), but also heralded as one of Apple’s best product designs (G4).

Because Apple took forever to update the iMac, black bezels with the logo on chin has been so entrenched in our brains for 10 years+. Come back in two years and the iMac will feel just like home. By then, all your technical complaints will likely be addressed by then too.

 

[BigMac?]

The new design feels like a collab with ikea.

 

[uptownnyc]

I'll wait to see what their larger-screen models look like, but I'd probably elect for an M1 (M2?) Mac Mini with the screens of my choice if some of the aesthetic choices carry over to the larger iMac.

 

[nambuccaheadsau]

'Tis very simple. Don't like the new iMac? Don't buy one and don't try to strangle those that do with your views.

Go buy a Dell all in one.

 

[blairh]

'Tis very simple. Don't like the new iMac? Don't buy one and don't try to strangle those that do with your views.

Go buy a Dell all in one.

Where am I strangling people who disagree with me? I'm simply expressing my opinion on a forum.

 

[4sallypat]

OP needs to get a job at Apple and design computers the way he/she feels fit.

I for one, buy a computer for it's performance, not aesthetics.

At work I use a Dell workstation that isn't elegant looking like Macs but it gets the work done.

 

[4sallypat]

People need to chill....

I am counting the days to pre-order a "bizarre Blue iMac" to match my iPhone

 

[SuperMatt]

So many puzzling decisions by Apple with the iMac redesign.

1. White bezels are terrible for content consumption. If you use dark mode it's going to make the bezels stick out so much. There is a reason just about no monitor, TV, etc, is white these days. Yes I'm aware Apple used white bezels back in the day. No I don't think that's a good reason to use them again. They could have either matched the bezels with the colors of the machine, gone with silver, or used less pastel colors. At the very least offer the silver model with a black bezel.

2. Yes, the bigger future iMacs will look very different. But what if you want a cheaper/smaller iMac with no white bezel? You are SOL.

3. The chin looks bigger without the logo. It also looks like an unfinished product without it.

4. The ports on the base model are pathetic. No ethernet unless you pay for it on the power brick or get the next up model. Two USB 4/Thunderbolt ports and nothing more is a joke for a machine that starts at $1,300.

5. The power brick is embarrassing. The whole appeal of the iMac is that it is an all-in-one device. A power brick is such a junky addition.

6. Headphone jack on the side sucks if you use wired speakers.

7. This obsession with thinness on a desktop makes no sense to me. Other than taking an iMac to the Apple store for service, who cares how light your iMac is? I'd rather have a thicker iMac and not have a power brick, not have a headphone jack on the side, and potentially not have a chin either.

8. 8 GB of RAM is really cutting it close and not very future-proof. My iMac struggles at times and I'm a light user with the same amount of RAM. Luckily I can manually update mine if needed. Not the case for this model of course.

9. The look of this iMac itself is very polarizing. Pastels combined with white bezels is a bold choice of course but with such choices you are going to turn off a lot of consumers looking for something less bold and/or more professional. Another reason why a silver/black bezel model would have made sense as an option.

1. I don’t agree that white bezels are a problem. G3 iMac, G4 iMac, G5 iMac, early Intel iMacs all looked good (my fave was G4 iMac) with white or light-colored bezels. If people want something with black bezels, they can buy literally any other monitor because every single manufacturer makes monitors with the same boring black bezels.

2. This is the same as #1.

3. Perhaps to some, but I believe it is physically smaller, and why does Apple need to market their logo to people that already are using the computer? Makes more sense to put it on the back for marketing purposes.

4. Entry-level machine has fewer ports... this is most likely meant to cut costs for the lowest-end model, and perhaps drive people to buy the higher-end one. Not sure I like this too much either.

5. Not sure how a power brick is embarrassing. My MBP 16” has one and I have never felt embarrassed by it, nor thought it to be junky. The Apple Cinema Display was one of the coolest, non-junky monitors ever, and it had a power brick too. This complaint is really silly since the brick is on a cable 2 meters from the computer, meaning most likely on the ground and out of sight

6. Headphone jack is on the side of MBPs too.. this is not a real complaint, is it?

7. This obsession with wanting a big, bulky computer when it can be thinner and lighter due to advances in technology makes no sense to me.

8. You can order the iMac with 16GB of RAM.

9. Apple (thank the Lord) is not afraid to make polarizing choices in the shape and color of their devices. That’s one of the things that sets them apart. Perhaps you’ve heard of “Think Different” before?

Thank goodness Apple has changed it up after more than a decade of the same gray iMac design.

 

[JMacHack]

A little off topic, but I really wish someone would sue Apple for iMac & Macbooks just like how they sued them on iPhones for planned obsolescence.
Claiming they are in the green, but they actually don't give a **** about that in their products.
1. No upgradable SSDs when all most other manufacturers allow this. Sure two nvme slots wouldn't hurt. Once your TBW max has been reached, just be prepared it would die anytime soon.
2. No upgradable RAM. I mean come on.

If for any reason you break this iMac after your warranty expires, be prepared to pay ******** of repair fees to Apple. And even the fees would probably be close to buying a new one.

My man, the ram is on the SoC, it’s part of the architecture that makes the M1 speedy. Plus it’s LPDDR, which don’t come on DIMMs like regular RAM. That ship is gone.

They’re perfectly capable of making the storage expandable like on the Mac Pro though. Those removable drives are just “dumb” memory with the controller integrated into the T2 chip. I’d bet the M1 uses compatible controllers.

As for op, I don’t describe it as bizarre, but I’d have taken a few things in a different direction. No need to twist your shorts.

 

[CWallace]

5. Not sure how a power brick is embarrassing. My MBP 16” has one and I have never felt embarrassed by it, nor thought it to be junky. The Apple Cinema Display was one of the coolest, non-junky monitors ever, and it had a power brick too. This complaint is really silly since the brick is on a cable 2 meters from the computer, meaning most likely on the ground and out of sight

*nods in agreement*

I have a high-end ASUS gaming monitor that is as thick as a brick...and yet it too has an external power adapter.

So clearly thickness alone does not an internal power supply make.

 

[usagora]

6. Headphone jack is on the side of MBPs too.. this is not a real complaint, is it?

That's actually one point I agree with the OP on. Not the end of the world, but it does sort of look awkward to have a plug and wire sticking out the side of an otherwise stream-lined, clean-looking computer. I think the difference here is that unlike a notebook computer, the audio jack is elevated, not flat to the surface the computer rests on. I wish they had at least put it on the bottom of the display. Even better, incorporate a 2nd audio jack on the power brick.