Well, I'm still holding out (barely) for a new 27" (or larger) iMac, continuing to use my late-2014 Intel 27” iMac which for almost all of my needs is still perfectly fine. I'm simply expecting that it will eventually require replacement for one reason or another, plus (more importantly) it is unsatisfying to me that I'm no longer able to keep up with the latest macOS updates since they are all for the newer non-Intel Mac models.
I will also mention that this late-2014 27” iMac cost $2999 plus tax when I purchased it in December 2014 - this is with 16GB RAM (since upgraded to 32GB) and 500 GB flash storage. I feel that my decision to go with an all-solid state computer has paid off in longevity. 9 years and still running strong!
It is very reassuring to me that for this same $3K, 9 years later, I can buy a fully optioned out iMac (albeit 24"), in fact it would cost slightly less (having just gone through that exercise on the Apple website). That, to me, is remarkable. (I do not know which color I would select, either. It's going to take a trip to the Apple store to see them all in person before I could take the plunge and go for something other than trusty silver).
Whenever I consider the present (Apple Mac) alternatives, I find that:
- the 24" iMac is great in all respects except for the smaller display (I had previously thought that 16GB RAM was insufficient, so the new model with 24GB RAM removes that minor concern). Pricing is excellent, in my opinion.
- I'm not a laptop person and buying a new MacBook plus display for my day-to-day desktop use is just not what I'm interested in doing (but I suppose I could be convinced differently). Cost varies over a wide range depending upon which MacBook model is selected.
- the Studio, plus Studio display, is two components and is more expensive than what would I prefer to pay (plus it is just more computer than I need, frankly) - the least expensive Studio (which would be more than adequate for my needs), with 2TB storage, plus the Apple Studio display, would be just over $4K (and I'm not sure about whether I'd want to get the height adjustable stand). Yes, I could get a non-Apple display, but I'm not gonna do that having been fully satisfied with Apple computers for many decades since the first Macintosh.
- a mini, plus display? Again, I just don't want the separate components although it is a sensible choice and would in all likelihood be fully satisfactory for my needs. And the least expensive mini with 24GB RAM and 2TB storage is only a few hundred less than the cheapest Studio anyway, so if I decided to go with separate Apple components then might as well get the Studio.
None of us has any particular insight into Apple's plans for the next year or more. I personally think that there is still a reasonable possibility for a larger display iMac, even if it will be well into 2024 (if at all) and my trusty old iMac will be 10 years old by then! If it turns out that Apple does not eventually bring out a larger display all-in-one, then I'll go with one of the alternatives available when the time comes, and probably be just fine.
