Advice on Mid 2015 iMac

[buildingup]

My dad passed away and I found his mid 2015 iMac (specs below). I'm wondering if it's worth selling (it's worth ~$275), or using it somehow?I currently have a 2020 MacBook Air that I mostly use for browsing the internet and emails. I understand I can't use this particular iMac as a second display, and it doesn't upgrade to Monterey. So it appears I'm stuck on Big Sur.

I appreciate any ideas on how I can use it (maybe there's a way to rig it as a second display)? Thanks!

Specs:

iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Mid 2015) 3.3GHz i5 32 GB 1600 MHz 1TB capacity

 

[padams35]

There are lots of uses, just maybe not that many that you personally would benefit from.
a) Downgrade to Mojave to have a dedicated mac for running legacy 32-bit Mac Intel applications/games.
b) Leave it on Big Sur and setup a desk for internet surfing on a bigger screen. (The internet doesn't really require the aboslute newest version of MacOS).
c) See the 'unsupported' Monterey thread for upgrading to Monterey (and using it as second display via Airplay 2 Mac).
d) Gift it to a son/daughter/niece/nephew/grandchild who doesn't have their own system.
e) Use it as virtual aquarium (screensaver) that can provide guest internet access or entertain as a jukebox.
etc

If none of that is a use that appeals to you then sell.

 

[wilberforce]

I don't know where you are located, but I just entered that configuration in Apple's trade-in estimator for USA, and got a trade-in value of $390. You can get an Apple gift card for this amount and use it to buy anything from Apple store.

This is a pretty low spec iMac, btw, I think the lowest spec base 5k iMac ever made (lower than the 2014 base 5k iMac, to reduce the price)

 

[Lioness~]

You can have it to watch movies, series and all that kind of stuff. Better on a larger screen.
Great to have another device to do all the stuff you already do on your MacBook Air, but stationed to a desk all the time.
It’s a perfect setting to have one portable and one stationary Mac. You don’t have to take your portable with you everywhere.
You will get used to it, it’s great ??

 

[buildingup]

Thanks for the input -- this was helpful!

 

[pshufd]

The Mid-2015 iMac 27s had fairly weak CPUs as they are fourth gen, same as the Late 2014 models. This was fixed with the Late 2015 iMac 27 with sixth gen CPUs. So I generally avoid the Mid-2015 models when looking for used systems. There is one of these in my area for sale for $500 right now. She was selling a 2014 i7 and I bought that for $500. She listed a model pretty close to yours for $750. I told her it wouldn't sell at that price and she dropped the price to $500 but I think that's still too high.

What I like to do is run a cluster of systems on my desktop and run office stuff on the weaker CPUs and production stuff on the stronger CPUs. My current desktop consists of a Windows desktop (i7-10700 with 128 GB RAM) hooked to a 4k display, an M1 mini hooked to a 4k display, and the iMac hooked up to a 4k display. I use Synergy KM to control all three systems and four monitors with one keyboard and mouse.

The expectation of an Apple Silicon 27 inch iMac in March or April is resulting in a lot of 27 inch iMacs coming to the used marketplace so I expect price pressure on them this year. The nicest things about your iMac are the display and the speakers and that you don't have to run a lot of wires to it which makes for a clean desk. You could use it as a television set too.