New iMac Is Bizarre

[SuperMatt]

I added you to my ignore list and for some reason this reply still showed up for me. This is the last time I will ever reply to any message you ever address to me on here.

I am not repeating any false information. The iMac comes with 8 GB. I know it can be upgraded. Obviously my point is that 8 GB is too low and it should come with 16 GB instead.

A power brick is indeed a problem. Not everyone will be able to simply place the brick on their floor. People have all different kinds of setups. Plus, why would anyone now want an annoying power brick on the floor when we never had one prior? This is a fail. And all due to an obsession to make the iMac crazy thin for no proper reason other than looking cool.

The power brick does not have ethernet with the base model. Think about that. You have to pay extra for it. That's ridiculous.

A laptop power brick is completely different. I don't have to use the power brick at all times when the machine is in use. You do with this iMac.

My point regarding BT speakers is that you will be forced to use them over wired speakers unless you want to see a cord jutting out from the side of your iMac.

This has nothing to do with whether I would buy it or not. I prefer a larger screen so it's not something I would want. That doesn't mean I can't express my thoughts on an Apple product. In what world can't someone be critical of an Apple device if we don't intend on buying it. What?!

And with that, I am seriously done every replying to you ever again. Cheers.

I also can express my thoughts on an Apple product. So can everybody on this forum. And some posters will disagree with other posters. You certainly also have the right to ignore others. It’s a shame my opinions made you angry.

As for the 8GB claim, you originally said:

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.

In case there is any confusion among those reading this forum: the minimum RAM on the new iMacs is 8GB or you can order 16GB as an option. You cannot upgrade after the purchase though. Just want to clear that up, as some might think these only come with 8GB if they read that, and Apple doesn’t feature the 16GB option very prominently on their website.

 

[Abazigal]

With that said, I'm a bit disappointed in that it only got a M1, its not more powerful processor. In the past the iMac received what you would consider a desktop processor and was more powerful then a mac Mini or MBA. That's not really the case today.

Another way of looking at it is that the MBA received the same desktop processor that the iMac did.

It used to be that with Intel chips in the past, users often had to make a conscious tradeoff between performance and battery life. Laptops often got slower, less powerful chips because their thin form factor limited how much heat they could dissipate. In addition, more powerful chips tend to consume more battery life as well. Meanwhile, the really powerful desktop chips often required more space, meaning bulky desktop form factors.

Rather than say that the iMac is no more powerful than the MBA or Mac mini, why not say that the Mac mini is now as powerful as the iMac? If you want to use a Mac mini with your own ultra-wide display, you now can, and not have to sacrifice performance for it (compared to the past when the Mac mini came with a dual-core processor and integrated graphics). Is this not the modular headless Mac that people have been clamouring for all this while?

Apple is turning conventional wisdom on its head by allowing people to have their cake and eat it too, and I think many people are still having difficult processing this cognitive dissonance because they have been conditioned by Intel for so long that performance and battery life are somehow mutually exclusive. The iMac, Mac mini, MBA, MBP and iPad Pro all sport the same M1 processor. I am free to choose the best form factor for my needs, without having to worrying about compromising on specs or performance.

If I already have a monitor, keyboard and mouse - Mac mini.
If I am getting my first desktop, or want an integrated experience - iMac
If I want the cheapest laptop for work or school - MacBook Air
If I am willing to pay a little more for better sustained performance / Touch Bar - MBP
If I want a tablet / hybrid form factor - iPad Pro with smart / magic keyboard and Apple Pencil

I see most people gravitating towards the MBA and iMac. I feel the MBP has perhaps the most dubious value proposition (mainly because the Touch Bar hasn't exactly caught on). The Mac mini will be popular as a cheap entry level Mac desktop, but I believe the sheer convenience of an all-in-one form factor will still be a powerful draw.

Let's see Intel try to top that.

 

[matrix07]

I don’t get why this is even a debate. You have to be an insane apple loyalist to not think they made some strange choices with this design.

It's strange at first because we're not familiar to it. I have a feeling it will look good in person though. The all glass front. That should look good.

 

[matrix07]

It’s not about agreeing or liking/not minding the choices. It’s about acknowledging that white bezels are at least unusual, for reasons of contrast, and that 99% of people in the world would have chosen to add a centimetre of depth to house the fans rather then persevere with the enormous chin. Like if you can’t admit that the chin is “strange” then I honestly don’t know what to say to you.

The chin isn't strange. Previous iMac has chin and it was not strange then and it's not strange now.
And it's also good for post-it. 😄

 

[DanTSX]

I like it.

 

[matrix07]

from a design stand point...white works better with brighter and colourful colours ..black should be kept away
This is a "youthful" product
Its clear meant for the "consumers" and for home/office that are not into the dev/it segments
This is a fresh take, and an welcome one

Exactly. People still think their own taste are universal. Very strange.

This design is based on design principle, not an amateur job. It's the first iMac redux so to speak.

 

[SuperMatt]

I’ve seen a lot of posts about the M1 chip and people wanting something more powerful in the iMac. I can understand that feeling as well. I read a very interesting article on that from ExtremeTech, though.

Apple's M1 Positioning Mocks the Entire x86 Business Model - ExtremeTech

Apple is positioning its M1 quite differently from any CPU Intel or AMD has released. The long-term impact on the PC market could be significant.

www.extremetech.com

In a nutshell, they are saying the power and efficiency of the M1 is enough to allow Apple to challenge the entire x86 business model.

 

[Orionfox]

First , while I agree the looks can be very controversial, I like it. From the colors, to the white bezels, to the chin, to the matching accessories. I don't have an issue with the appearance of the new iMac.

My issue with what is bizarre, is the configuration. I keep hearing about how this is designed for people to just surf the web and do emails. Why would anyone spend and EXTRA $1300 to do that when almost the entire world has a smart phone that already does that? Why would you spend that on a computer when you can spend $300 for a low end iPad, or $100 for an Android tablet if you just can't do it on your phone? Why put in such an expensive display, when you only have a GPU that can't really drive all those pixels beyond basic tasks (I mean top end GPUs struggle with 4K gaming)?

Look, I know many Apple fans look down on gaming, but computer gaming (which is VERY different from console or phone gaming) is one of the last reason to actually use a full on computer other than actual work. I would have loved to see this with a 1080p screen but either more GPU cores or a discrete card.

Also with not having USB-A ports, I would have to buy a dock just so my mouse can work. While I love the look of Magic Mouse (especially with the matching colors) it's just a bad mouse for me. The response is way too slow on the screen, even at max and also with "adjusting" the tracking in terminal. The size also is not comfortable. I want to like it enough to use it, but compared to my Logitec G502 can't be bat - sue to size and response.

Lastly, I know this is a minor issue but I would VESA mount this. I know there are models that come that way, but why can't they just make an adapter like they used to that lets a "normal" iMac be Vesa mounted without having to buy a special version? At some point, I may want the stand.

 

[usagora]

It’s not about agreeing or liking/not minding the choices. It’s about acknowledging that white bezels are at least unusual, for reasons of contrast, and that 99% of people in the world would have chosen to add a centimetre of depth to house the fans rather then persevere with the enormous chin. Like if you can’t admit that the chin is “strange” then I honestly don’t know what to say to you.

It doesn't seem like you know much about Apple. They have a history of being non-conformist and making bold choices. You're basically saying "Why doesn't Apple just do what all the other computer manufacturers do?" I don't give a flying you-know-what about the chin, the power brick, the white bezels, etc. and I'm positive I'm in the majority in that feeling among iMac users. Honestly, they don't make an iota of difference to my experience. My LG TV has light, silver bezels. Never once have I thought, "Gee, if only this TV had dark, black bezels, I could enjoy this movie more." LOL! I'm focused on the display, not the bezels (or the chin or the power brick).

 

[jeyf]

turn the over and they all look the same

 

[SuperMatt]

First , while I agree the looks can be very controversial, I like it. From the colors, to the white bezels, to the chin, to the matching accessories. I don't have an issue with the appearance of the new iMac.

My issue with what is bizarre, is the configuration. I keep hearing about how this is designed for people to just surf the web and do emails. Why would anyone spend and EXTRA $1300 to do that when almost the entire world has a smart phone that already does that? Why would you spend that on a computer when you can spend $300 for a low end iPad, or $100 for an Android tablet if you just can't do it on your phone? Why put in such an expensive display, when you only have a GPU that can't really drive all those pixels beyond basic tasks (I mean top end GPUs struggle with 4K gaming)?

Look, I know many Apple fans look down on gaming, but computer gaming (which is VERY different from console or phone gaming) is one of the last reason to actually use a full on computer other than actual work. I would have loved to see this with a 1080p screen but either more GPU cores or a discrete card.

Also with not having USB-A ports, I would have to buy a dock just so my mouse can work. While I love the look of Magic Mouse (especially with the matching colors) it's just a bad mouse for me. The response is way too slow on the screen, even at max and also with "adjusting" the tracking in terminal. The size also is not comfortable. I want to like it enough to use it, but compared to my Logitec G502 can't be bat - sue to size and response.

Lastly, I know this is a minor issue but I would VESA mount this. I know there are models that come that way, but why can't they just make an adapter like they used to that lets a "normal" iMac be Vesa mounted without having to buy a special version? At some point, I may want the stand.

This computer can do WAAAAY more than surf the web and do emails. The M1 is a very powerful chip, and I know a number of developers who are using the M1 MBP and are surprised how fast it is, and that it runs so much cooler than their prior Intel MBP’s. I recommend ignorning those telling you this can only be used for email and web browsing.

Apple showed the machine doing some gaming, but I am aware that the idea of PC gaming is massive GPU’s to run the latest FPS-shooter at 4K at 100+ FPS. Apple isn’t competing in that gamer machine market, and never has. But you can play lots of games on this, and the GPU is quite capable from all the reports I’ve read so far.

The original iMac, more than 20 years ago, ditched tons of ports, and was one of the first computers to use USB. It required people to buy adapters and/or new peripherals. Apple has always led the way in discarding legacy ports. One can wish otherwise, but this is nothing new for Apple.

Apple has long sold flat-screen iMacs with VESA (starting with iMac G5), and as far as I know, it has always required a special version. Also, if you get a VESA mount, you’d need a USB extension cord at the very least, so I’m not sure why a usb-c-to-a adapter for a mouse becomes a deal-breaker in that situation. It would be interesting to see the VESA version in person. I imagine there is a good reason you have to buy a special version; it might not be simple/easy to switch out the mount with a regular iMac stand.

 

[easy4lif]

I don’t think many of you are getting it when it comes to the new iMacs,

1 it plays to peoples nostalgia, most kids who had an iMac G3 will be the grown ups that buy this for their kids now.

2. It’s keeps with apples design choices; it was pretty radical back in the G3 era to get rid of the floppy drive and serial ports for usb-a and cd drive. Pure usb-c ports makes sense. It’s apples way of saying “time to say goodbye to usb-a.

3. When apple announces the 31 inch iMac, watch, these will be the “prosumer” models. Silver & space grey M1X/M2 16/32gb, 6 usb-c ports, xdr on highest end, that’s it.

 

[iDave]

Also with not having USB-A ports, I would have to buy a dock just so my mouse can work.

Don’t forget about adapters.

 

[Orionfox]

But you can play lots of games on this, and the GPU is quite capable from all the reports I’ve read so far.

Have you ever seen the graphics when a monitor is not run at native resolution? In order to have anything remotely smooth you have to drastically dial down the resolution and everything just looks bad. In the main game I play, have played for 16 years, and probably will continue to play till it's dead, the current M1 Macs have been, well ok. I hear they match my 2018 I3 Mac mini with a 560 external GPU based on what I have seen videos of. But again, I am running a 1080p monitor, not a 4K.

The original iMac, more than 20 years ago, ditched tons of ports, and was one of the first computers to use USB.

I know I was there and I was ok with it. I have been using Macs since the Ici and II si, even through the lean years. USA-A is not a serial port or an Appletalk port. It just the standard Apple still uses to do things like charge it's phones. It makes no sense except that someone some where said "these ports cost $.0.25 and we can save money if they are gone". I worked for Dell and saw engineers try to do the same with their diagnostic lights that cost $0.18 at the time.

Apple has long sold flat-screen iMacs with VESA (starting with iMac G5), and as far as I know, it has always required a special version.

VESA Mount Adapter Kit for iMac Pro Space Gray - Apple

Apple Store Search Results

www.apple.com

Also, if you get a VESA mount, you’d need a USB extension cord at the very least, so I’m not sure why a usb-c-to-a adapter for a mouse becomes a deal-breaker in that situation

I haven't needed one on my Mac mini. I just plug it into the back everything works fine. Not sure why you would need an extension cord.

 

[Orionfox]

Don’t forget about adapters.

Thank you! I didn't know about these! Still would be extra money just to use a mouse but that kinda minor in comparison to the price tag.

 

[DanTSX]

I’ve seen a lot of posts about the M1 chip and people wanting something more powerful in the iMac. I can understand that feeling as well. I read a very interesting article on that from ExtremeTech, though.

Apple's M1 Positioning Mocks the Entire x86 Business Model - ExtremeTech

Apple is positioning its M1 quite differently from any CPU Intel or AMD has released. The long-term impact on the PC market could be significant.

www.extremetech.com

In a nutshell, they are saying the power and efficiency of the M1 is enough to allow Apple to challenge the entire x86 business model.

Yeah. Even the “pros” here are overlooking how much of a change to a new era we are in with the M1.

 

[fromsixtozero]

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) White bezels used to be on iphones and ipads, even macbooks and many people preferred them. White pages for example match nicely with them. Apple could do many things, but in any case white/black preference is very subjective. Even if pros preferred black, this is not an iMac for real pros, the display is not a reference monitor.

2) What if I want cheap IMac with gold/red/silver/ yellow bezels? Yes Im out of luck too..they cannot make every color just because some people might prefer it.

3) Every apple product has the logo on the back, so they probably wanted to unify this and it is again subjective. I might say that it looks cleaner now... Agreed the chin is not ideal, but it was always there and it doesnt make the IMac any less usable. It is just a design choice and probably has a good reason. Whether it is thermals/ manuf. cost... From my point of view it is good to have the hot cpu and gpu not directly behind the display, look at ipad pro/air 10.5 for example, where hot components behind lcd created white spots over time. Same by some MS surface devices.

4) Agreed. 4 usb should have been standard...

5) Every macbook or ipad/iphone is also an all in one device and all have power bricks? its not like you travel with the imac or move it very often?

6) why?

7) you might be right, but apples solutions doesnt seem to have many drawbacks either. External brick for a desktop, why not.. headphone jack from the side, why not.. chin is not function related, if anything it moves hot components away from lcd = always good.

8) I heard that unified RAM works differently and unified 8GB = normal 16GB. But not sure...

9) there is always the silver one which is as neutral as it gets.

 

[satchmo]

I’ve seen a lot of posts about the M1 chip and people wanting something more powerful in the iMac. I can understand that feeling as well. I read a very interesting article on that from ExtremeTech, though.

Apple's M1 Positioning Mocks the Entire x86 Business Model - ExtremeTech

Apple is positioning its M1 quite differently from any CPU Intel or AMD has released. The long-term impact on the PC market could be significant.

www.extremetech.com

In a nutshell, they are saying the power and efficiency of the M1 is enough to allow Apple to challenge the entire x86 business model.

Interesting take on how disruptive the M1 chip can be.
I just think there’s some impatience on many Mac owners for the next gen M chips. We’ve seen the potential, now we want to see more. And because we didn’t see a different chip in the iMac, people are writing it off and calling it a failure.
All the while, it’s probably is more than enough power for 80% of the intended audience.
But it’s nothing new...it’s the same old spec wars.

 

[SuperMatt]

I haven't needed one on my Mac mini. I just plug it into the back everything works fine. Not sure why you would need an extension cord.

True, it does depend on how/where you are mounting it. Many VESA mounting situations do require an extension though… And I’m not sure how the Mac mini fits into this since it doesn’t have a built-in screen

 

[blairh]

Seriously, dont buy Apple products if you dont like them.
They have been making the same design decisions since I first started using Apples over 20 years ago.

Nothing has changed. You simply dont like the direction.

And as an aside, I love the power brick with built in Ethernet for several reasons :

1 less cable out the back
Magsafe will allow the cable to remain near my table as I pack the lightweight imac away in a cupboard after WFH
As someone else said, it takes heat out the computer

This is a consumer device for general use. Not catering to your wired speakers is just tough for you - use the in built ones as no doubt they are great as they were before. I actually dont understand who would use separate speakers on an imac tbh, and if they were a mucisian, would have a dedicated audio USB interface.

Again, we can discuss Apple products on this forum freely. Declaring 'don't buy them' is completely ridiculous. This is an online environment where we discuss the pro and cons of Apple and their products.

An obsession with thinness is a poor design decision. Especially in a desktop.

Why do you care if one less cable is showing from the back of the device? Most people have their iMacs setup where you never even see the back.

A 2.1 speaker setup will always be superior to the iMacs speakers. Plenty of people use computer speakers mate.

 

[blairh]

1) White bezels used to be on iphones and ipads, even macbooks and many people preferred them. White pages for example match nicely with them. Apple could do many things, but in any case white/black preference is very subjective. Even if pros preferred black, this is not an iMac for real pros, the display is not a reference monitor.

2) What if I want cheap IMac with gold/red/silver/ yellow bezels? Yes Im out of luck too..they cannot make every color just because some people might prefer it.

3) Every apple product has the logo on the back, so they probably wanted to unify this and it is again subjective. I might say that it looks cleaner now... Agreed the chin is not ideal, but it was always there and it doesnt make the IMac any less usable. It is just a design choice and probably has a good reason. Whether it is thermals/ manuf. cost... From my point of view it is good to have the hot cpu and gpu not directly behind the display, look at ipad pro/air 10.5 for example, where hot components behind lcd created white spots over time. Same by some MS surface devices.

4) Agreed. 4 usb should have been standard...

5) Every macbook or ipad/iphone is also an all in one device and all have power bricks? its not like you travel with the imac or move it very often?

6) why?

7) you might be right, but apples solutions doesnt seem to have many drawbacks either. External brick for a desktop, why not.. headphone jack from the side, why not.. chin is not function related, if anything it moves hot components away from lcd = always good.

8) I heard that unified RAM works differently and unified 8GB = normal 16GB. But not sure...

9) there is always the silver one which is as neutral as it gets.

Yes, used to be. And I doubt they are coming back anytime soon. For a popular device like the 24" iMac, you really should provide an option beyond something with a white bezel. It's also not about just pros. People will be watching video on these iMacs and a white bezel is terrible for that.

They don't have to make a million colors. They just should have at least one model that isn't with a white bezel. One.

The power bricks are not needed to use the device in those categories. Just to charge them. For the iMac you must always have it connected. There will be plenty of people that are going to find the new power brick cumbersome in their setups.

The headphone jack on the side sucks because you can't hide the wire if you use wired speakers now. It will show no matter what.

Silver is not neutral when you have a clashing white bezel to go with it. That model should have a black bezel, at the very least.

 

[iDave]

... From my point of view it is good to have the hot cpu and gpu not directly behind the display, look at ipad pro/air 10.5 for example, where hot components behind lcd created white spots over time. Same by some MS surface devices.

So THAT'S why my iPad Pro has a white spot on the screen! I returned one under warranty, then shortly after the warranty expired the new one got a white spot in exactly the same place. Thanks for the info.

 

[Serban55]

Silver is not neutral when you have a clashing white bezel to go with it. That model should have a black bezel, at the very least.

because for decades Apple made you to think this way...its a human nature to get used to...If apple sold only imacs with silver+white bezels and now, with the new 24" offered you silver with black bezels...your human nature ,after decades of white+silver, screamed that the new one should have had silver with white

 

[Serban55]

From my point of view it is good to have the hot cpu and gpu not directly behind the display

Of course...even the fans should be kept away from the display , since the air can bring dust particles into the display since it cannot be sealed at micron level
And lets not forget with so many pixels, now the display gets hotter and hotter ...so to have the motherboard with cpu+gpu behind the display is not a good move

 

[usagora]

Thank you! I didn't know about these! Still would be extra money just to use a mouse but that kinda minor in comparison to the price tag.

Are there no Bluetooth mice that you like? Been using them for years with no issues and it also frees up a port.