Sad it doesn't have a Nvidia GPU. I would have sent you my ML model 😂
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To those who decided to buy the Intel iMac 2020: what argument prevailed?
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Haven't got one yet but will be getting one soon unless Apple spring a surprise and update the iMac Pro/Mac Mini/16inch MacBook Pro anytime soon.
My reasons are simple, I need to run bootcamp, and I can't wait until next year or two years later when they finally bring Apple ARM to the power user macs, I want to get work done now.
Other reason is that other then the Mac Pro (which is a bit beyond my budget) and the Mac Mini (which is underpowered and a bit long in the tooth) the iMac is the only model with user upgradable ram which is good as my ram needs right now are around 32gb but could go up to 64 when I work on 8k more frequently and who knows after that when 128gb becomes the norm.
My reasons are simple, I need to run bootcamp, and I can't wait until next year or two years later when they finally bring Apple ARM to the power user macs, I want to get work done now.
Other reason is that other then the Mac Pro (which is a bit beyond my budget) and the Mac Mini (which is underpowered and a bit long in the tooth) the iMac is the only model with user upgradable ram which is good as my ram needs right now are around 32gb but could go up to 64 when I work on 8k more frequently and who knows after that when 128gb becomes the norm.
I bought mine for a few reasons. Firstly, I think the ARM Macs are going to be first generation nightmares. Again, that's just my opinion, but I don't think they are going to be really good until the second iteration of the product.
Secondly, I worry that Apple is going to solder the RAM in all of their Macs moving forward. And for those that doubt that, look at what they've done to the MacBook Line, and even the 21" iMac line. They want more and more control over their devices and I can easily see them saying if you want more RAM, you have to pay a fortune for it through us. I just can't accept that and want to be able to purchase RAM elsewhere at a fraction of what Apple charges.
Thirdly, I don't really care about bezels or lack thereof. I love the design of the current iMacs and will continue to use my new one well into the future.
Secondly, I worry that Apple is going to solder the RAM in all of their Macs moving forward. And for those that doubt that, look at what they've done to the MacBook Line, and even the 21" iMac line. They want more and more control over their devices and I can easily see them saying if you want more RAM, you have to pay a fortune for it through us. I just can't accept that and want to be able to purchase RAM elsewhere at a fraction of what Apple charges.
Thirdly, I don't really care about bezels or lack thereof. I love the design of the current iMacs and will continue to use my new one well into the future.
That was part of my thinking too. When I ordered yesterday the Apple rep tried to push me to buy the RAM from Apple. That would have cost me NZ$1250 more than 3rd party. Over 3x more for 64GB of RAM, which would have pushed me from "that's a lot of money to spend on a computer" to "OMG, that is ridiculous and unaffordable. Time to build a PC and learn to live with Windows!"
I don't mind paying a little extra to have Apple install more RAM in the factory, but the prices they charge are daylight robbery.
I really hope they don't do that, but I could see them making user installable RAM only available for the Mac Pro line and iMac Pro (if it still exists) line. I just don't want to pay those ridiculous prices for their RAM.
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Right, but we were discussing Apple potentially making all of their devices with the RAM soldered in.
I ordered mine online without a rep but had to talk to Apple Live chat about something (I first had a Nano screen and returned it to order standard glass, blah blah blah) and the guy commented on how I ordered a pretty decked out machine with stock RAM and told me it was "smart" that I was going to upgrade the RAM on my own lol
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I still don't quite understand why Apple charges so much for their RAM... Yes, some people talk of the "Apple Tax", but the RAM situation is straight price-gouging... Every other component in the iMac is reasonably priced in my opinion; even if you were to 'rebuild' a PC with components as-similar you could get the price difference is very small... but that damn RAM what the hell Tim...
I know I'm not alone when I say there is no way in -hell- I would buy the computer I just bought if I had to pay Apple's RAM prices. Instead I'd buy a Macbook and build a PC to do the 'heavy-lifting' (it would be painful but it would have to be done...)
Maybe that's the master plan! ... 🧐
What leaves me scratching my head is why they think it's a good business decision, since anyone who knows anything will just buy third party RAM. But Apple isn't stupid, so I'm sure they've done the math. Presumably there are enough people who are content to pay the exorbitant Apple RAM prices ... but still, wouldn't they make more $$ by dropping their prices a little in order to sell RAM in higher volume?
Yeah, I get this but I can't think of another example where Apple price-gauges components like that – maybe there are some out there that I can't think of, but everything else I can think of (while expensive) feels fair...
I hear ya... Who knows...
For sure. The big question is, if the ASi redesign does not have user upgradable RAM, will that subset that is prepared to pay Apple for RAM outweigh the people who will no longer buy an iMac because they refuse to pay their outrageous RAM prices?
Or, would they sell enough more RAM upgrades if they priced them more reasonably to make up for the outrageous margins they are making currently on (hopefully) the relatively small proportion of Macs they sell with upgraded RAM?
I don't know what the answer to those questions is, but I do know that I would not have bought a 2020 iMac if I had to pay the Apple price for 64GB. I would have probably kept my 2017 MacBook and built or bought a cheap ESXi server with lots of RAM for my VMs. I'd just prefer to do it all in 1 machine. Ironically, depending on how my needs evolve over the next 3-5 years, that is probably what I will have to do when the time comes to get an ASi Mac.
This is two completely different thing. If you are serious about virtualization I’d consider the ESXi way before macOS with Parallels.
I wonder how much it has to do with getting prospective buyers to spend money on other upgrades. If somebody is pricing out an iMac and knows that they can save, say, $800 by upgrading the RAM themselves, they may be more inclined to spend that $800 on upgrading the CPU/storage/graphics, etc. despite not really needing those upgrades. It's the false perception that by saving $800, you have $800 to spend on other upgrades. The more disproportionate (within reason) the relationship between "savings" and upgrades the better. The other upgrades do seem a little (just a little) more in line with reality, but Apple is still profiting off of those upgrades, so any incentive to upgrade helps. It might also sway buyers to purchase an iMac in the first place, if they think they're getting a deal by being able to upgrade the RAM themselves.
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I wouldn’t say I’m serious about virtualisation, not at home anyway (my day job is another matter) but i do want to lab some stuff at home, which is my main reason for wanting 64GB rather than 32GB. All I’m saying is that if I had to pay Apple prices for RAM I would have done things differently, which would have resulted in less of my money going to Apple, not more.
The only thing I can figure, at least on the 27” iMac (the only model other than Mac Pro where the user can easily upgrade the RAM) is that they either want to keep RAM prices consistent with the upcharges on MacBooks etc. OR they are targeting business /volume purchasers who both get a discount and also aren't going to quibble over the line item if they want 20 machines with xGB of RAM. Like, I could see the argument being made that if you’re ordering enough systems, configuring them with the RAM you need from Apple and not having to bother ordering/testing/installing third-party RAM could be worth whatever excess fee you pay.
Consider how particular the 2020 models are compared to even those from 2019. If I ordered ten machines and then ordered a bunch of 16GB sticks, thinking I could add 32GB to every iMac before turning it on, only to realize I’ve got to use the same RAM (brand and size) across the system if I want to maintain speed and dual-channel, I’d be frustrated enough to wish I had just configured all of the machines with 32GB out of the box.
This year's iMac is the pickiest machine I can recall in like 5 years, but we’ve seen this sort of thing happen before. I’ve never worked as an IT admin, but I have to imagine that if I was supporting a large number of systems, I’d want to cut down on the potential for as many of those kinds of issues as possible.
This is a good argument for why. I would be willing to bet that there is enough people that just don't want to mess with ordering RAM from another supplier and taking the 2 minutes it takes to install it and just want their iMac (or iMacs) to come ready out of the box with everything directly from Apple.
It would be interesting to know what Apple makes each year on just RAM upgrades, but I would bet its a shocking high dollar amount. I really hope they don't do it, but I could see Apple making 16GB the standard in all iMacs soldered in, and you'd have to pay them for additional RAM upgrades that can't be changed. I do think the prices would drop, but they will still be overpriced.
I know anything, but I ordered my new 2020 iMac with RAM from Apple anyhow. In the past I updated my RAM on iMacs and Minis, first I had to do the research wich RAM, than I had to order it and fetch it from the post office and and the end I had to install ist. In the past I once or twice got not the RAM I ordered, so I had to return and reorder it. That is a lot more time than the "few minutes" everyone talks about and I value my time aver all, the only thing in live that can not be replaced, it is gone when it is gone.
Beside that, when upgrading the RAM myself I bear the risk of damaging the machine. I am always wondering, why nobody in the various Youtube videos, showing how to upgrade the RAM, takes proper precautions against ESD damage and that is just on way to damage the machine.
Yes, it is expensive and I surly wish it would be cheaper but nonetheless I do not like the hassle, so I stick with ordering from Apple.
The extra $2100 needed to order the 128 GB directly from Apple are a very strong reason to better do it yourself in 2 minutes.
My friend sold not long ago a Mac Pro with 768 GB of Apple memory.
My friend was like dude, are you crazy? Order from Crucial, you’ll save!
The buyer was persuaded it was better from Apple.
😅
I ordered "only" 64 GB
To answer the question from the thread title:
My 2014 iMac Retina starts to show its age, so I do not want to wait another 1-2 years before a Apple Silicone iMac is available. Beside that I occasionally need X86 virtual machines (Linux & Windows), I hope there will be some kind of emulation technology for Apple Silicone, but I do not want to bet on this.
I ordered the i9 (because I can use the extra cores when running multiple VMs at the same time) with 64GB RAM, 4TB SSD and the 5700 XT (to be future proof and just to be sure, because I do a lot of RAW development). I am planing to use this machine at least as long as my 2014 iMac, after that it will be my secondary desktop computer (currently an 2010 iMac). When I get 10+ years out of it the price is still high but justified.
I ordered "only" 64 GB
To answer the question from the thread title:
My 2014 iMac Retina starts to show its age, so I do not want to wait another 1-2 years before a Apple Silicone iMac is available. Beside that I occasionally need X86 virtual machines (Linux & Windows), I hope there will be some kind of emulation technology for Apple Silicone, but I do not want to bet on this.
I ordered the i9 (because I can use the extra cores when running multiple VMs at the same time) with 64GB RAM, 4TB SSD and the 5700 XT (to be future proof and just to be sure, because I do a lot of RAW development). I am planing to use this machine at least as long as my 2014 iMac, after that it will be my secondary desktop computer (currently an 2010 iMac). When I get 10+ years out of it the price is still high but justified.
Very nice, I hope that this iMac will last you and be happy for a long time. If you have no time or want to bother with installations etc you did what you should have done.
I think too that the i9 is very good for VMs, even the 8 core i7 is very powerful, so good choice.
Are you using Lr for RAW?
The extra $2100 needed to order the 128 GB directly from Apple are a very strong reason to better do it yourself in 2 minutes.
Same here! But as I said, I could imagine if you were ordering in volume and needed a specific configuration, the hassle of trying to source the right RAM (and making sure you have that RAM on hand) might outweigh the costs. Not for 128GB — but I can’t imagine many (any?) people ordering a 128GB config from Apple.
