I am somewhat tempted to get a middle-spec 27” to replace my 2013 15” MBP. It’s still great most of the time but when it runs out of puff it really struggles, esp with a 4K external screen. But the spec I want is about £3k and I suspect id only get £1k on a trade in in mid 2021...
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Will there ever be a new large iMac (Pro)?
- Thread starter krazzix
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Just learned new job is only on Windows PCs...
Not used a Windows machine in more than 10 years.
I need mental preparation.??
At least I'm going to be able to wait until first AS iMac, but I don't know where I'm going to be able to place it ?
Not used a Windows machine in more than 10 years.
I need mental preparation.??
At least I'm going to be able to wait until first AS iMac, but I don't know where I'm going to be able to place it ?
There has been lots of talk about a possible larger display for a redesigned iMac in this thread, and now a potential screen by LG Display (who already make panels for the iMac) has apparently entered production. The LM315QU1-SSA is a 31.5" 8K (7680x4320) “Real borderless” IPS panel. I'd be happy with that. https://www.tftcentral.co.uk/blog/lg-display-latest-panel-development-plans-oct-2020/
I want Apple to go to 8K if they go beyond 27" / 5K not because I need 8K, but because I want to be able to use a 4K panel as a secondary display and not have my windows resize. This is why I love the current 27" 5K panel - my secondary panel is a 27" ASUS QHD gaming panel at 2560x1440 so it matches my 5K in HiDPI mode.
My only fear is what a 31.5" 8K panel will cost. I'm willing to spend $3500-5000 for an iMac with it, but I expect I am in the significant minority so would Apple actually do it?
I do not want Apple to go 32" 6K using the XDR panel because there is no monitor using a 3008x1692 panel so I'd have to get a 4K panel and run it at a lower-than-native res which will result in blurriness - and I use my second display for text, so that is kind of a non-starter for me. And buying an XDR as my second display is also financially a non-starter.
My only fear is what a 31.5" 8K panel will cost. I'm willing to spend $3500-5000 for an iMac with it, but I expect I am in the significant minority so would Apple actually do it?
I do not want Apple to go 32" 6K using the XDR panel because there is no monitor using a 3008x1692 panel so I'd have to get a 4K panel and run it at a lower-than-native res which will result in blurriness - and I use my second display for text, so that is kind of a non-starter for me. And buying an XDR as my second display is also financially a non-starter.
I doubt Apple would use the 31.5 8K model. Although I would love it I think that just the fact that the panel has only 400 cd/m2 is probably an indicator that Apple won't use it. (current iMac uses 500 cd/m2).
Also, what would drive such displays? I don't know. I really want redesign with bigger than 27" but i feel 8K is not yet ready.
Also, what would drive such displays? I don't know. I really want redesign with bigger than 27" but i feel 8K is not yet ready.
Considering how well the current SoCs chew through multiple 4K video streams, they might very well handle a single 8K stream with aplomb.
Yeah, maybe. I remember what I got the first retina back in 2012. That wasn't really smooth experience 
I guess it all depends how well they can implement GPU intensive tasks and what AS will have on that matter.
Don't get me wrong, I would love awesome Apple 8K display 31.5 because I'm sure it wouldn't really be off shelf version and it would most likely have some Apple tweaks. But is that even feasible in iMac? Wouldn't this 8K panel be insanely expensive? I would think that if we are going to get 8K then wouldn't the XDR get it first and then it would trickle down to iMacs eventually? Alternatively, this could go to iMac Pro first maybe but then what would the iMac line be?
24, 27 and 31.5 - air, normal, pro?
I guess it all depends how well they can implement GPU intensive tasks and what AS will have on that matter.
Don't get me wrong, I would love awesome Apple 8K display 31.5 because I'm sure it wouldn't really be off shelf version and it would most likely have some Apple tweaks. But is that even feasible in iMac? Wouldn't this 8K panel be insanely expensive? I would think that if we are going to get 8K then wouldn't the XDR get it first and then it would trickle down to iMacs eventually? Alternatively, this could go to iMac Pro first maybe but then what would the iMac line be?
24, 27 and 31.5 - air, normal, pro?
I just want a pair of 4K 27" Mini-LED Thunderbolt Display which support daisy chaining at an affordable price
That is my fear, though the more panels LG makes, the lower their costs are. Apple was second to the 5K display market (with the iMac 5K) after Dell, but thanks to the volume Apple was buying, the base iMac 5K was about the same price as Dell's display.
That being said, the Dell 8K monitor is $3999 so even if Apple matched that with an ASi "iMac Pro", that is a big jump from the current $1999/2499 Intel iMacs, though it would be cheaper than the current Intel iMac Pro. This is also why I am skeptical Apple will use the 32" XDR display for an ASi "iMac Pro" because even if you de-content it to reduce cost, the underlying panel itself has to be very expensive due to it probably being produced in low volumes as it appears unique to the XDR.
I agree that this 30+ wish list is wishful thinking and would be priced out of practical range. Even an imac pro with a super duper pro screen would likley be more like the size of the apple pro monitor and a limited feature list in comparison. You can't exactly tack on $3k-$5k to an already expensive imac pro, let alone regular imac.
My memory may be faulty on this, but I swear that the iMac was the first 5K screen. It was first available on the late 2014 iMac. The 5K Dell was only available from early 2015.
Not necessarily. The SoCs are high performant when run the codec, resolution, and color encoding all match the fixed function logic embedded in the SoC. When there is a mismatch then won't match the fixed function. That is the trade off. For what fix function logic is narrowly targeted to it is extremely fast. For what they are not targeted to , they quite often don't do much good.
If the fixed function logic isn't expecting single 8k scan line buffer working sets. That would be a mismatch. That is different than working on 4 different working sets with 4 different buffers.
Apple doesn't necessarily have to use the full exotic ( blue light and filters and 1000+ sustained) backlight on the 6k panel on an iMac Pro. Same panel foundation but a backlight that is in same range as the current 5K panel would work fine in a "twin" set-up with one for text , email , etc. and also a XDR attached.
If there was a supported but not exotic backlight system then LG could pump out a 6K UltraFine if Apple didn't want to do it. Matching those up as a pair would probably not "break the bank" with a XDR. And othere folks with larger budgets could pair up iMac Pro and XDR. If Apple commited to a contract for couple 100k per year for 2-3 years for a very good 6K panel ( as opposed to a XDR varaint ) then probably could get the panel vendor to do a independent product. Same way Utlrafine 5K fell out of doing production runs for iMacs.
Also don't need $900 stand magic magnetic mount point either. If take the basic 6k panel size take the super sizzle over engineering flourishes off of it, then would have decent panel for an iMac Pro which wouldn't drive up costs all that much. If Apple had found some CPU-SoC pricing declines then could have a trade-off for the increased screen size.
Another path would be the 6k-2880 of just taking the current 5k display a bit more "ultra wide". ( again essentially same backlight as 5k display to control costs. ). Wouldn't pair up exactly with the XDR but it would work for now .
Once had a 6k iMac Pro chassis then in next iteration (or one after that) could weave in mini or micro LEDs and perhaps go 'XDR' when the costs were more reasonable. But skip on first generation.
The 31" with mini-LED and the "borderless" have potential for LG take that backlight tech and couple it to the 5K display. If Apple and Ultrafine was going to be the only "buyer" then probably could stay hidden from any roadmap. The XDR has an exotic backlight that supposedly Apple composed largely on their own. If there was a much more mainstream mini-LED backlight that met Apple's criteria perhaps it wouldn't be larger.
That Apple has moved XDR display to the iPhones any panel that is less HDR than the current 5K is probably on the "no fly" list at Apple. 8K with no HDR is somewhat just a Mr. Magoo screen. Hard coupling that to iMac Pro internals would narrow the market of who would buy the system.
If Apple releases a refresh of iMac Pro hardware with 5K XDR installed, it will be an instant auto purchase for me. And don't care about the exterior design.
Yes I remember this distinctly. Everyone was like ... they skipped 4K and went to 5K? Seemed crazy at the time. I love the 5K screen, but the rest of the industry is sadly all 4K now.
It was always an odd size and I think ahead of if its time. It does not seem like Dell sold many of these and never bothered to update it. 8K is the next jump, but I considering how long it's taking for 4K to be mainstream, I am not holding my breath.
I am currently using a 27" Dell 4K monitor alongside an old 24" Cinema Display. The ACD is always connected to a Mac Pro. The Dell is swapped between the Mac Pro and a Windows PC. I am considering a huge ultrawide for my next monitor that also has at least 120 Hz refresh rate. This will give me the benefits of two 27" monitors in one and a much cleaner setup with less wires.
A good point about Apple could stay hidden from any roadmap. The other thing they probably have the power to do is get substrates cut to the sizes they want. They probably already are considering no other company has had any 5K screens for years.
LG manufacture screens using gen 10.5 substrates that measure 2940×3370mm. That fits 4 panels by 8 of the 32" Pro Display XDR with little wastage, which suggests the LCD panels are not the expensive part, it is the high performance miniLED. So it may be economic to use that size with more mainstream backlighting for a redesigned iMac.
The Pro XDR Display does not use MiniLED - MiniLED would actually be a real benefit in reducing the display's heat generation and power consumption, though not sure how it might affect peak brightness and sustained nits.
Sorry, yes it is not miniLED, it is slightly bigger LEDs used in the same manner as miniLED, but providing fewer zones. It is still an expensive backlight solution, and there is the potential for pairing the LCD panel with a simpler backlight for a more mainstream product such as the iMac.
As far as I know, there is no difference in lumens per watt for miniLED (a quick search of a couple of academic papers backs that up). There may be some advantages when only part of a zone needs to be illuminated, but that shouldn’t make too much difference. The XDR simply produces so much heat because it can output many lumens.
Wow, this thread seems to have slowly ground to a halt... Gearing up to November some interesting yet presumably fictional rumors - https://www.hardwareheaven.com/a-ryzen-5950x-in-an-imac-pro/ - I suppose make your own mind up.
nonsense! Apple is not going to AMD for just 1 generation of a computer. Apple is sticking to Intel for now and then goes straight to AS. Anyone who thinks that AMD is still in the cards is either totally naive or just plain idiot!
If Apple was going to AMD then they would have done so ages ago. Not when a transition is announced and on the way. 1.5 years left till full transition. AMD is out, simple as that.
If Apple was going to AMD then they would have done so ages ago. Not when a transition is announced and on the way. 1.5 years left till full transition. AMD is out, simple as that.