Next-Generation iMac Chip, Stand, and Color Details Rumored Ahead of Apple Event

[bommai]

So because a product that a sliver of their overall computer business, and that is literally used for hotel lobbies and family rooms, hasn’t been updated in 3 years it’s languished?

iMac’s are awesome. When you buy them. I have a 27” iMac. I loved it. Then it got old. Then I can’t even use this amazing 5K screen as a monitor. They’re pointless. Buy a Mac Mini. Buy a Studio Display. Call it a day.

I got rid of my 2007 24” iMac and got a Mac mini and a dell ultrasharp 27” 4K monitor. Works great and I can switch to a different mini later without paying for a new monitor! Also I have my work laptop hooked up to the monitor so I can switch between them.

 

[Chuckeee]

I got rid of my 2007 24” iMac and got a Mac mini and a dell ultrasharp 27” 4K monitor. Works great and I can switch to a different mini later without paying for a new monitor! Also I have my work laptop hooked up to the monitor so I can switch between them.

You got 16 years of use out of your iMac, Great Job 👍🏼

 

[picpicmac]

I got rid of my 2007 24” iMac and got a Mac mini and a dell ultrasharp 27” 4K monitor.

I'm on the same path with my 2008 iMac. I've priced out a Mac Mini set up, was planning to buy sometime from Black Friday to post Christmas sales... but then Apple throws up this late "event" and now I am wondering if they can tempt me with an iMac.

 

[bcclimber]

When you are finally successful, brace yourself for the other number: the price. I strongly believe iMac "bigger" will be resurrected, branded PRO and priced about the same as last iMac 27" PRO.

Any concept that the old iMac 27" pricing will also resurrect can't seem to fly. If the iMac 27" monitor alone (ASD) is priced at about $2K with stand option, adding a whole Mac + keyboard + mouse to it seems the price must considerably rise above $2K.

Brand it PRO (for PROfit) and my guess is "starting at..." about 2X what we remember as iMac 27" "starting at...". Those specs will probably be too weak, so upgrading RAM and SSD a tier or two should get into Mac Studio + ASD + keyboard + mouse territory.

If your hope is old pricing, I'll hope right with you.... but I just can't imagine $2K ASD and $2K (same monitor) iMac + Keyboard + Mouse. So for former iMac pricing, Apple would have to heavily cut ASD pricing and I don't see any reason for them to do that now that it is established at former "whole iMac 27" pricing.

I agree – it'll be pricy. That said, it's a work tool, so within reason I'll adapt to a price bump – even if it's hard to swallow. The minimum spec Studio I'd consider is over $7k CAD with a 27" monitor, and that's still using an M2. An M3 or 4 27" or 32" iMac Pro is also a bit less hassle to move from one location to another, which I do now and then. Until I see what they're planning for the Pro, I'll just keep using my 2020 – it's well specced and still serves me well.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I agree – it'll be pricy. That said, it's a work tool, so within reason I'll adapt to a price bump – even if it's hard to swallow. The minimum spec Studio I'd consider is over $7k CAD with a 27" monitor, and that's still using an M2. An M3 or 4 27" or 32" iMac Pro is also a bit less hassle to move from one location to another, which I do now and then. Until I see what they're planning for the Pro, I'll just keep using my 2020 – it's well specced and still serves me well.

If it helps any, I just saw an article today about loaded M1 Mac Studios Ultras from B&H at record discounts. You might want to do some searching and recheck that CAD pricing if ordered from there. Similarly, while Apple people will push Apple monitors like they are the only possible choice, you don't have to shop among only 2 monitor choices. There's PLENTY of fish in that sea.

I chose to pair my own Mac Studio Ultra with a NOT-Apple monitor. Why? I wanted an ultra-wide and found one that looks like 2 of my prior iMac 27" monitors jammed inside of one thin bezel. There would be no going back to a 16:10 format monitor in ASD or an iMac bigger now. Ultra-wide forever!!!

Maybe adapt your high spec Studio down a tier and pair it with a good-but-third-party monitor to do much better than "over $7K." If I was going again, I'd probably buy MAX instead of ULTRA and save $2K. While I have sometimes got some benefit out of those extra horses, I could have still got the same work done only a little slower with MAX instead.

 

[jimonqa]

I want an iMac 27" or greater.

 

[constantsnags!]

I didn’t say that. And a major university is not a typical education environment. You’re clearly lucky to have some budget.

My main point is that people would be better served with more ram and storage than a marginal processor bump, which you seem to agree with. I didn’t say they’re only useful at home. I said the main things they are used for don’t need more processing power right now, which again you clearly agree with.

I work from home, and the iMac is my own. The MBP was bought by work, but it's used probably less than half of the time. You said "People aren’t using this to make movies. They’re using it to watch movies and keep a thousand Chrome tabs open and store their pictures. None of that needs a faster processor. All of it can use more storage and RAM." which clearly indicates you don't see the professional utility of a machine like the M1 iMac, and I'm telling you it tears through just about everything. It could edit multiple 4K streams on release, and it still can now. That's not my use case, but it's entirely feasible.

 

[CarAnalogy]

I work from home, and the iMac is my own. The MBP was bought by work, but it's used probably less than half of the time. You said "People aren’t using this to make movies. They’re using it to watch movies and keep a thousand Chrome tabs open and store their pictures. None of that needs a faster processor. All of it can use more storage and RAM." which clearly indicates you don't see the professional utility of a machine like the M1 iMac, and I'm telling you it tears through just about everything. It could edit multiple 4K streams on release, and it still can now. That's not my use case, but it's entirely feasible.

Ok yeah I did say that, probably shouldn’t have said “people aren’t,” just that I didn’t think most people are. I am willing to admit I may be wrong but I didn’t think Apple promoted it for that, they seem to want to sell you on a Mac Studio and XDR Display for that.

This comment aged badly anyway since they did exactly what I said they didn’t need to do, but I get it. You say it tears through stuff now, that’s what I was implying. That it already works great and that it didn’t need a more powerful processor as much as more base RAM especially. But hey, powerful new processor is good too.

 

[constantsnags!]

Ok yeah I did say that, probably shouldn’t have said “people aren’t,” just that I didn’t think most people are. I am willing to admit I may be wrong but I didn’t think Apple promoted it for that, they seem to want to sell you on a Mac Studio and XDR Display for that.

This comment aged badly anyway since they did exactly what I said they didn’t need to do, but I get it. You say it tears through stuff now, that’s what I was implying. That it already works great and that it didn’t need a more powerful processor as much as more base RAM especially. But hey, powerful new processor is good too.

What I'm waiting for is an updated Studio Display...when that shows up, I'll very likely spring for it plus a Studio. I think my days of integrated machines are over, regardless of how good the iMac M1 I'm typing on right now is (and I count it as probably the second favourite of all the Macintoshes I've ever used, going back to the Plus!).