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27" iMac's from 2020 are on sale at Best Buy
- Thread starter rick.m650
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It’s a great machine. I bought the entry-level configuration in 2020 and it’s perfect for my needs — working with long documents in Word/PDF formats, online legal research, Zoom meetings, email, general office tasks, etc. The 2020 model had some significant upgrades over earlier ones, including a much improved camera — which is better than the one on the Apple Studio Display. For my needs, the fact that it uses an Intel processor rather than an M1/M2 is not a big deal. And I think Apple is likely to support it for at least another five years.
Not if the folks who were suckered into buying the overpriced Mac Studio/Studio Display have their way.
I was thinking about getting the 27 in. iMac to replace my older iMac. I’m wondering if it will be slow or have any problems. I am not crazy about the newer colored iMacs.
My 2020 i7 iMac is not slow and has had no problems. Pretty much the same speed as my M1 Pro MBP. After 6 years of making 5K iMacs Apple have sorted out any problems, I think.
The only issue with these iMacs is that Apple is phasing out Intel machines, so support for them is doubtful after about 2025. I suggest think of it as lasting about 3 years. This is shorter than what most people would like, but if the price is right it can be a good choice.
I was tempted to jump on that and replace my late 2012 iMac, but want something long term again and not sure how long Apple will support that compared to their M1/M2 machines. Wish they would have just come out with a 27 M1/M2 iMac. Studio is overkill for me.
I second that. I ordered the i7 model w/upgraded graphics back in 2020 as I needed one for working remote, it's an upgrade over the Late 2015 model. Flash storage as default and no more awkward Fusion Drive, you can still do aftermarket RAM. The downside may be 802.11ac WiFi and not 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6).
I noticed some issues related to Bluetooth/Wi-Fi after macOS Ventura upgrade. Overall, it's a great iMac and support the Apple Studio Display.
Yes, flash storage as standard — as opposed to custom order — was very welcome and greatly overdue! My model cost $1,799 when I bought it in summer 2020, which was pretty fair at the time. Only $200 more than the Studio Display on its own is now. And the current $600 off deal makes it a great buy for some users. I suspect there will be no more to be had quite soon. But obviously not for people who want the latest.
Just to put things in perspective, Geekbench multicore scores:
2020 i7 Intel iMac: 8930 (my machine)
2021 M1 iMac: 7440
Sure, benchmarks are not everything, but they are better than biased uninformed guesses.
So the mantra that Intel is "slow" compared to AS is not entirely true, and the criticism that Intel is "hot" compared to AS really does not matter much for a desktop with a decent and quiet cooling system.
btw, I also have an M1 Pro MBP (which I really like, multicore score 9540), so not just being partisan.
The main issue is that Intel machines may not be supported by Apple for very long
2020 i7 Intel iMac: 8930 (my machine)
2021 M1 iMac: 7440
Sure, benchmarks are not everything, but they are better than biased uninformed guesses.
So the mantra that Intel is "slow" compared to AS is not entirely true, and the criticism that Intel is "hot" compared to AS really does not matter much for a desktop with a decent and quiet cooling system.
btw, I also have an M1 Pro MBP (which I really like, multicore score 9540), so not just being partisan.
The main issue is that Intel machines may not be supported by Apple for very long
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Forgive my ignorance but basically can one get this iMac and with Luna display turn the iMac into a 5k display that's cheaper than Apples display and is also a computer?