27” IMac owners looking to upgrade: What will you do now that the 27” didn’t get an upgrade?

[mikehalloran]

Time for me to Unwatch this Battle of the Armchair Experts as they repeat the same rumors in their ongoing attempts to destroy each other's credibility.

What could be a popcorn fest is just boring. I'm ottahere…

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

As noted, Apple has said nothing about any iMacs other than that the Intel models will be replaced with M-series SoCs.

But there has been plenty of ancillary data released from multiple sources, some with very high "hit rates" on their claims, that the M-series iMacs would be larger than their Intel predecessors. We have had rumors of a 23-24" M1 iMac since early 2020 and rumors that there would be an iMac larger than 27" started gaining traction in January 2021 with l0vetodream and Bloomberg (though I now believe the J456 and J457 model numbers Bloomberg referenced are for the 2-port and 4-port 24" iMac).

The only claim I can recall about there being a direct 27" replacement for the mid-2020 iMac 5K was Ming Chi Kuo, who in March 2020 said Apple was working on a new iMac Pro that would have a 27" miniLED display that he said would launch in late 2020 alongside a 24" M1 iMac and a miniLED 12.9" iPad Pro. (Assumption at the time was the iMac Pro would be an Intel-powered model using the new W-Series Xeons Intel had released.)

Oh, so they killed it because: Intel. Hmm..

I wonder how much Apple gets to the point it's breathing hard, before they kill it. (Although the Cube could be said to be something that shouldn't have been released, although it does look AWESOME!)

EDIT: And at the uni that I went to, I asked the campus rep if I should wait it out for the IIcx replacement, or just buy the IIcx. They *would not leak any plans*. I waved cash under their noses. Not a peep. Just over a month, the IIci was released. I was, I thought, in the 'in crowd', and they would at least have a 'tell' so I could figure out what to do.

I loved the IIcx, but the dirty roms and all, well... It was a disappointment. And steve not releasing the new roms in a SIMM that the IIcx was designed to handle was also disappointing. Sad... People, at the uni, were dumping IIcx like a bad habit. I had less than zero chance to get anything out of trying to sell it. *shrug* I went to Windows, and, well...???

 

[CWallace]

Oh, so they killed it because: Intel. Hmm..

Well "we" (myself included) just assumed it would be used in a refreshed Intel iMac Pro because Intel had new Xeons and AMD was working on new GPUs. So the parts were there for Apple to refresh it. But with hindsight, it seems unlikely Apple ever intended to refresh the Intel iMac Pro and instead the plan was to let it die a natural death (as it did once Intel stopped making the Xeons it used) and replace it with an M-series model (which is what "we" now assume is going to happen).

It is possible there was never a 27" 5K miniLED display - MCK might have just heard from the supply chain that Apple was working on a "large miniLED display for a Mac" and assumed it would be for a new iMac Pro and therefore would be 27 inches and 5K resolution when it is actually larger than 27" as the rumors/pundits are now claiming (and which would need to be close to or at 6K to be Retina). It is also possible there is a 27" 5K miniLED display in the works - but that it is for the forthcoming Apple Thunderbolt Display.

We'll know when Apple eventually ships an iMac Pro and/or a Thunderbolt Display.

 

[zerofour]

Thinking of a larger iMac, I'm another one thinking that Apple is unlikely to announce a larger iMac at WWDC simply because it may well impact on sales of the 24", some of which won't even have shipped by the time of WWDC. Is it more likely that an announcement will come later in the year?

 

[theluggage]

Thinking of a larger iMac, I'm another one thinking that Apple is unlikely to announce a larger iMac at WWDC simply because it may well impact on sales of the 24", some of which won't even have shipped by the time of WWDC.

Even assuming they're sticking to the old pricing structure, we're talking about a range running from $1800-$3200 vs. a range running $1300-$1700. They shouldn't be in contention, and Apple don't want to be selling too many $1700 computers to people who might otherwise buy $3000 ones... As I recall, the 21.5 and 27" iMacs have been launched/upgraded together in the past.

The sticking point is that the larger iMac will probably need the "next gen" processor (which would probably be a WWDC announcement, as it may have implications for developers) and that Apple's next priority is probably the higher-end MacBook Pro replacement.

 

[CWallace]

Thinking of a larger iMac, I'm another one thinking that Apple is unlikely to announce a larger iMac at WWDC simply because it may well impact on sales of the 24", some of which won't even have shipped by the time of WWDC. Is it more likely that an announcement will come later in the year?

Different models for different markets.

Besides, Apple might prefer to sell you a $2499 iMac Pro than a $1499 iMac depending on how the margins work out, so they would not want to dawdle lest you buy an iMac in the interim.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Different models for different markets.

Besides, Apple might prefer to sell you a $2499 iMac Pro than a $1499 iMac depending on how the margins work out, so they would not want to dawdle lest you buy an iMac in the interim.

I think that the iMac Pro is a dead thing...

If it was still a viable product, I would think that Apple would have announced a replacement. And they didn't. *shrug*

 

[imdog]

I think that the iMac Pro is a dead thing...

If it was still a viable product, I would think that Apple would have announced a replacement. And they didn't. *shrug*

Why would they announce it already when the next gen Apple Silicon chips aren’t even ready? Do you think they would’ve released the iMac Pro with an M1? Makes no sense lol

 

[Okta]

I would have to hope that Apple's Pro Strategy is to have some intermediary between the ridiculously expensive Mac Pro and not powerful enough 24" iMac

 

[CWallace]

I think that the iMac Pro is a dead thing...

If it was still a viable product, I would think that Apple would have announced a replacement. And they didn't. *shrug*

The Intel-powered iMac Pro is definitely a dead thing...

But I am now more and more believing that Apple is looking to go back to the "four-corner" product matrix that Steve brought back where there is a "consumer" line and a "pro" line with various differentiators.

So "consumer" Macs would be the MacBook (Air), Mac mini and iMac and then there will be "professional" Macs with the MacBook Pro, iMac Pro, and Mac Pro (and maybe a Mac mini Pro).

 

[Quondam2009]

I have A 2017 27” fusion drive iMac. I was looking forward to upgrading but love the big screen and not sure if I should get the 24” one or not. I could get a 2020 27” but I don‘t really think it’s a good idea to buy anymore Intel macs this late. What are you 27” iMac owners who were looking forward to upgrading doing now?

I wouldn’t consider it a downgrade for our situation. The 27” barely fits into the computer hutch we own, and the bottom lip of the very non-adjustable bookshelf above it blocks the facecam.

 

[Lemon Olive]

New reports out from Bloomberg today with details on the next MacBook Pro and and Mac Pro.

No mentioned whatsoever of another iMac. Doesn't really look good at the moment.

 

[blairh]

New reports out from Bloomberg today with details on the next MacBook Pro and and Mac Pro.

No mentioned whatsoever of another iMac. Doesn't really look good at the moment.

From the report:

"Apple has also been working on a larger iMac with in-house processors, but development of that version was paused months ago in part to let Apple focus on releasing the redesigned 24-inch model this month."

 

[Lemon Olive]

From the report:

"Apple has also been working on a larger iMac with in-house processors, but development of that version was paused months ago in part to let Apple focus on releasing the redesigned 24-inch model this month."

Yeah so, in so many words, we're fcked.

With all the information trickling out today, and that being the only tidbit about the iMac, I would give up any hope of seeing it any time soon.

 

[CWallace]

If it uses the MBP's SoC, then it could be this year.

If it uses the Mac Pro's SoC (with less CPU and GPU cores), then it could be a 2022 model.

 

[TheMadBrewer]

Funky after 3 years?

My main machine is a 2015 mbp
My wife's main machine is a 2008 mbp

Both work great.

What do you experience in terms of funkiness?

Finder hangs -- sometimes it doesn't hang, it just doesn't respond to any clicks. I've done all the usual things to no avail. Sometimes after 6-7 relaunches it will work, otherwise takes a reboot.

Lots of spinning beach balls.

I'm getting occasional kernel panics. No rhyme or reason that I can figure out, but I have a feeling it may be temperature related. I've been running my fan a little more and that has reduced them, but could be coincidence.

I used to go months without a reboot, now it seems to be almost a weekly thing or if I'm lucky every couple of weeks.

I am still running Catalina, read too many stories of problems with upgrades but I may give that a try if things worsen.

I don't want to exaggerate -- it is more of an annoyance at this point. My last iMac I got five years before it got bad enough to replace. I do work them: Xcode and Android Studio plus Adobe CS (web stuff and some You Tube video editing)