Show off your 24" iMac (Apple Silicon)

[za9ra22]

Are people really happy with these little keyboards? ....

I was surprised that the compact TouchID keyboard with my M1 iMac was better to use than the older models I have had in the past, and I don't mind the size at all - I quite like the additional desk space that a compact keyboard provides. I even have a TKL mechanical keyboard on my G4 iMac at home, and Performa 630 at work, both of which are used heavily for typing.

But for anything serious, I just can't use these universally-dire, ergonomically awful, flat button pieces of junk. I have a brown-switch mechanical keyboard plugged into my blue iMac, with matching colour scheme and great tactile feel.

 

[primarycolors]

Interesting... I had a iMac i5 3.3GHz 27" (Mid 2020) 512GB and was offered $1050. What was your processor speed and how much factory memory did you have?

Yeesh, I'm jealous of both of you. My i5 3.0GHz (early 2019) with 1TB SSD and 32GB RAM was quoted at a measly $830 (compared to the ~$2.3k I paid for it a year ago). Decided not to do the trade-in, but not quite sure how to go about selling it myself either.

 

[primarycolors]

Been a few weeks with my iMac now and I absolutely love it.
I don’t use it to its full potential. There’s no video editing or lightroom happening on this Mac! But it’s been great for watching 4K content, having somewhere to sit and enjoy web browsing and to have a desk space I can just come to and relax.

I originally had the desk the other way so the red back could be seen when I walked in. But decided to change it up and place it the other way as I had some old Philips Hue Light Bars that were doing nothing and thought they could provide a nice back drop against the wall.

I also added Cat Peach which I seen another poster do 😁.

View attachment 1792949View attachment 1792950View attachment 1792951

What an all-around adorable setup! The Cat Peach is perfect 😆

 

[chhhrrriiisss]

Been a few weeks with my iMac now and I absolutely love it.
I don’t use it to its full potential. There’s no video editing or lightroom happening on this Mac! But it’s been great for watching 4K content, having somewhere to sit and enjoy web browsing and to have a desk space I can just come to and relax.

I originally had the desk the other way so the red back could be seen when I walked in. But decided to change it up and place it the other way as I had some old Philips Hue Light Bars that were doing nothing and thought they could provide a nice back drop against the wall.

I also added Cat Peach which I seen another poster do 😁.

omg twins!

 

[matsteman]

I want one.

Yep, paperweight. An older couple gave it to my family when I was a little kid, and I’ve always been fascinated by it.

 

[ColdShadow]

I’m not going to lie,I liked the last generation design better,I mean WAY better.these looks cool from rear but front side is such a huge disappointment compared to previous gen.
🥲

 

[Surfman]

I’m not going to lie,I liked the last generation design better,I mean WAY better.these looks cool from rear but front side is such a huge disappointment compared to previous gen.
🥲

Thanks for letting us know, good luck with pink tinge on your 2015, just sold mine.

 

[Kierkegaarden]

I was surprised that the compact TouchID keyboard with my M1 iMac was better to use than the older models I have had in the past, and I don't mind the size at all - I quite like the additional desk space that a compact keyboard provides. I even have a TKL mechanical keyboard on my G4 iMac at home, and Performa 630 at work, both of which are used heavily for typing.

But for anything serious, I just can't use these universally-dire, ergonomically awful, flat button pieces of junk. I have a brown-switch mechanical keyboard plugged into my blue iMac, with matching colour scheme and great tactile feel.

Where do you find these specialty keyboards? Is there anyone in the US making these? Is there a way to repurpose my Apple IIgs keyboard with an adapter?

 

[ColdShadow]

Thanks for letting us know, good luck with pink tinge on your 2015, just sold mine.

No issue with my 2015 whatsoever,I fitted a fast 1TB SSD and it runs like a new Mac now very fast and it’s 4k display is excellent too.no reason for immediate update but when I do,I’ll pickup the best model before this re-design,I’m not gonna get one of these as much as I wanted an M1 that’s for sure.

 

[za9ra22]

Where do you find these specialty keyboards? Is there anyone in the US making these? Is there a way to repurpose my Apple IIgs keyboard with an adapter?

They're not particularly 'specialty' keyboards - they're fairly inexpensive mechanical keyboards, often referred to as 'gaming' keyboards, from Amazon. The one I got for the iMac was $59.

FIRSTBLOOD ONLY GAME. AK35I Wired Mechanical Gaming Keyboard – Brown Switches - White-Blue Matching PBT Keycaps – White Backlit - Multimedia Keys Roller – White

FIRSTBLOOD ONLY GAME. AK35I Wired Mechanical Gaming Keyboard – Brown Switches - White-Blue Matching PBT Keycaps – White Backlit - Multimedia Keys Roller – White

www.amazon.com

Lots of options for types of keys, but my preference is brown - fairly light with a tactile 'bump' and not a lot of noise.

If the IIgs keyboard is ADB, which I seem to recall it is, there are some adapters out there to convert to USB. The one I like (and use the other way round, USB keyboard to ADB input) is the Wombat from bigmessowires.

Wombat ADB-USB Input Converter | Big Mess o' Wires

www.bigmessowires.com

It can be used to connect USB to ADB or ADB to USB.

 

[Phil22]

I was able to pick one up at the local Apple store today. I recently built a little desk area for it in some wasted space around our living room / kitchen area.

So far I'm very impressed!

Hi, looks great. May I ask what the depth is of your desk with this setup?

 

[nospleen]

Hi, looks great. May I ask what the depth is of your desk with this setup?

Thank you! It’s about 18”.

 

[Phil22]

Thank you! It’s about 18”.

That's great. That is the depth of our desk as well, do you find it is comfortable to use? I was worried it might not be deep enough to realistically accommodate the iMac and keyboard/mouse.

 

[nospleen]

That's great. That is the depth of our desk as well, do you find it is comfortable to use? I was worried it might not be deep enough to realistically accommodate the iMac and keyboard/mouse.

I had the same concern, but was confined by the space. However, it actually ended up being the perfect size. The thin depth of the iMac saved the day.

 

[zoom25]

Having enough depth on your desk is key if you're getting a larger screen like a 27". Who knows what the 27" will be changed to in its revision? I specifically went with a desk that is 31.5" deep so I can place the 27" iMac far away. I use Ctrl + Mouse Scroll to zoom into stuff. I have that enabled on my iMac and MacBook Pros. The issue however is that the iMac's height is not adjustable. I have a desk with adjustable height, so it's perfect for my shoulders and wrist for typing and mouse. However, the screen is still a bit too high. The 24" will naturally be lower and may suit better. Ideally you want eye level with the top of the screen, or somewhere near the top.

 

[fivenotrump]

You prefer the smaller display? Can I ask why?

suits my field of vision and size of desk

 

[Kierkegaarden]

They're not particularly 'specialty' keyboards - they're fairly inexpensive mechanical keyboards, often referred to as 'gaming' keyboards, from Amazon. The one I got for the iMac was $59.

FIRSTBLOOD ONLY GAME. AK35I Wired Mechanical Gaming Keyboard – Brown Switches - White-Blue Matching PBT Keycaps – White Backlit - Multimedia Keys Roller – White

FIRSTBLOOD ONLY GAME. AK35I Wired Mechanical Gaming Keyboard – Brown Switches - White-Blue Matching PBT Keycaps – White Backlit - Multimedia Keys Roller – White

www.amazon.com

Lots of options for types of keys, but my preference is brown - fairly light with a tactile 'bump' and not a lot of noise.

If the IIgs keyboard is ADB, which I seem to recall it is, there are some adapters out there to convert to USB. The one I like (and use the other way round, USB keyboard to ADB input) is the Wombat from bigmessowires.

Wombat ADB-USB Input Converter | Big Mess o' Wires

www.bigmessowires.com

It can be used to connect USB to ADB or ADB to USB.

Thanks for the tip. Sounds like Griffin used to make something like this that was less expensive, but not anymore. Probably makes sense to just buy a new keyboard. I found some neat options from a company called Azio.

 

[za9ra22]

Thanks for the tip. Sounds like Griffin used to make something like this that was less expensive, but not anymore. Probably makes sense to just buy a new keyboard. I found some neat options from a company called Azio.

The Griffin device was called the iMate - I've seen them on eBay from time to time, though not usually inexpensive considering what they are.

A new keyboard is probably the best idea - at least that was my conclusion - using old ADB keyboards can be a great typing experience, and the Wombat is very reliable to use, unlike the iMate which sometimes wasn't, but there are quite a few remarkably good USB keyboards out there now, often for little more than an iMate or Wombat would cost, or even a bit cheaper. Reading up a bit about black, red, brown, clear, and blue key switches can make your head spin, but they all feel and sound different.

 

[MultiFinder17]

So I heard that this was the place to show off our beloved 24" iMacs?

 

[wilberforce]

So I heard that this was the place to show off our beloved 24" iMacs?

View attachment 1794550

Yes, and that is the real 24-inch iMac.

Unlike the current 23.5-inch iMac:

 

[BasilFawlty]

View attachment 1779036

Love how you ran your cables. Consider that stolen!

 

[artfossil]

Love how you ran your cables. Consider that stolen!

Agreed! So elegant!

 

[BasilFawlty]

Finally I'm able to close my rolltop !

 

[lc96]

What gets me is how different the colors look, from the photos, in different lighting situations. I’ve been looking through this thread trying to decide on a color, and it’s impossible. Every color can look good, or not so good, depending on the environment.

I’ll just have to go to the Apple store and see for myself. Thanks to all for sharing!

Agree on the colors. I’m glad I went into the store. I thought that I wanted the purple as the videos and photos made it seem kind of bluish purple, but in person the base is very purple so I ended up with blue (still on order).

 

[zachz]

Finally I'm able to close my rollmop!

View attachment 1794748

View attachment 1794750

I like your setup! The desk is also really cool, matches the iMac perfectly.

Gotta ask, what's in the Rickenbacker case?