Am I the only one who prefers the Studio to an iMac?

[Ryand123]

I had a late 2015 5K iMac. It was really nice but since I didn't want to spend too much I only got an i5 and the graphics card with 2GB. I think it originally only had 8GB of RAM but I eventually went all the way up to 32GB. The RAM upgrade helped but it did feel at times underpowered for the 5K display with some stuttering and lag. I always felt like the iMac's laptop grade components were maybe not quite up to the task of powering all those pixels.

Last year I got the Studio and the Studio Display. My wallet HURT from this move. But other than price, I like this better. There are zero performance issues or lag to speak of. The fans never kick in. There are more ports. And I have the freedom to use other monitors if I want. And there's better cooling, I'm guessing this machine will last about as long as I want it to.

I predicted way back last March when they released the Studio that the 27 inch iMac was dead. For good. And so far it's looking like I was right. I think they want to position the 24 inch iMac as the lower tiered item--kind of like what they've done with AirPods vs. Beats. Apple bought Beats (the number 1 headphone brand at the time) only to neuter them and make them headphones for people not quite bougie enough to own AirPods! Apple truly are a bunch of evil geniuses. But I digress.

When desktop towers were huge and bulky all in ones had more of a place but they've figured out how to pack so much power into small packages, that the convenience advantage is negligible but you get better performance and perhaps longevity.

Except the price.

But that's Apple. Always finding new ways to increase profits EVEN MORE. But in this case, I'm not too mad about it. $1,000 for a monitor stand? Obnoxious. $550 for a pair of bluetooth headphones? Ridiculous. But this almost makes sense.

 

[wdhpgx]

I never preferred permanently attaching my monitor to my computer, so I definitely prefer the studio over the iMac.

 

[bobcomer]

I like all in ones overall and prefer to use my 2020 iMac 27" (i7) over my Mac Studio Max.

I was able to add ram to my iMac up to 128G, which makes up for any deficiencies in processor speed between my Studio and my iMac.

 

[Feek]

I went from a Mac Pro to an iMac, then another iMac, then another iMac and now the Mac Studio.

I have no preference, they've all worked beautifully for me.

 

[Luis Glez]

I prefer the Mac Studio due to its much superior cooling system.

My previous 5K iMac and Macbook Pro always had overheating issues, especially when working with 3D. In contrast, the Studio stays cool and silent no matter what I throw at it. Right now, I consider it the perfect workstation for high demanding tasks, provided that you want to stay inside the Apple ecosystem, of course.

 

[MacGizmo]

I absolutely loved the simplicity of the iMac. One cable, done. The display was superior to anything on the market, and still pretty much still is, other than Apple's two external (overpriced) displays. But I hated the fact that I was locked into that display if something ever went wrong with it. And I really didn't like that I couldn't adjust the height of the display.

I got a Studio w/64 GB RAM as soon as they were released and absolutely love it. I have a 34" 5k display hooked up to it, and like the iMac Pro I replaced it with, I never hear the fans. Ever. I love the extra ports it offers, too.

While I consider the Studio to be the best Mac I've ever owned, dating back to the SE30 in the mid 80s, I'm also aware that in about 5 to 6 years, I'm going to replace it with... the best Mac I've ever owned – whatever that may be at the time.

 

[H_D]

I would love 27" or 32" iMacs for the office. If they're proportionally as light as the 24" model, say with the M3 gen, they would be perfect. Apple should consider allowing external video input, so that you could use them as 5/7K screens after the machine itself has become aged. As, yes, we have quite some 5K iMacs with still-fine screens but the CPU/RAM/HDD isn't up to speed anymore. We have 3 Studio/ASD sets and much as I like the display and the Studio as an out-of-marriage-child of the Darth Vader MacPro, it is clumsy when transported. The cables Cables, carrying two machines, it feels so 1990s-Windows. The iMac is so beautifully grab-n-go.

That said, if the HomeOffice-trend keeps going on, we will all end up on MacBooks (instead of the studio) +bigger displays. I use the ASD and MBP14" Max at home and that is almost as good as the Ultra in the office. Which is, still, astounding, to not feel a difference anymore between a MacPro-level Workstation and a ****ing notebook.

 

[orionquest]

Yes you are the only one, which is why Apple created other models besides AIO in the 80's called the Macintosh II..

 

[MacsRgr8]

I went from a Mac Pro to an iMac, then another iMac, then another iMac and now the Mac Studio.

I have no preference, they've all worked beautifully for me.

Almost exactly the same!
Mac Pro 2008 -> iMac 27" 2013 -> iMac 27" 2017 -> Mac Studio Max

I later added a 2010 Mac Pro (for the fun of it), and I love them all. iMacs came into my life once the grfx became decent: iMac 2013 with GeForce 780M and iMac 2017 with Radeon 580 Pro.

 

[JaredJenkinsDesign]

Definitely depends on the user situation but I agree with you.

Back in 2017 when I was deciding between a MBP and a 27" iMac, I went with the MBP and hooked it up to an external monitor. Looking back at it now, I regret not going with the iMac as I barely used that MBP outside my room and only had that one computer at the time.

Now, I have the Mac Studio and I'm glad this little beast of a machine is not an iMac. I've got two other work computers that I use so it would have been a hassle everyday having to move the iMac to the side and use a separate monitor in-front of me when I needed to use my work computers. I also like that if there's ever any problems, it's going to be much easier to bring it into an Apple Store instead of carrying a 27" iMac through a parking lot and mall.

The extra monitor options that it opened up is also fantastic as I know some people prefer a larger 32" monitor, 34"/38"/40" Ultrawide monitors or even the 28" LG DualUp for their workflow. If the Mac Studio were an iMac, the only way to get that same M1 Max performance and still use a larger monitor would have been going with the more expensive 14"/16" MBP.

 

[Feek]

iMacs came into my life once the grfx became decent: iMac 2013 with GeForce 780M and iMac 2017 with Radeon 580 Pro.

Aye, I put an 8800 into my Mac Pro. My first iMac was a 2011 standard spec i5 but I very quickly replaced that with the top spec i7 with the 2 Gb HD 6970M and then my 2017 iMac was also maxed out with CPU and the 8 Gb Radeon Pro 580.

Looks like we went a very similar path

 

[designerdave72]

I loved my late 2014 i7 maxed out iMac right up until it lost the power to contend with graphic tasks and started suffering screen burn. 8 years I used it until I bought the Max and ASD in November. I like them both and they’re powerful but the price is another thing. Once I got over that I’m happy! Oh, until M2 or M3 come long!

 

[pshufd]

I have a Studio but would prefer an iMac for video conferences and creating YouTube videos so that I don't have to have an external microphone on my desk. I also like the speakers without having to run wires.

 

[Feek]

I have a Studio but would prefer an iMac for video conferences and creating YouTube videos so that I don't have to have an external microphone on my desk. I also like the speakers without having to run wires.

*cough* Apple Studio Display *cough*

 

[pshufd]

*cough* Apple Studio Display *cough*

I dislike the value proposition of the Studio Display. I'd just prefer to add an old 5k iMac on my desk rather than get a Studio Display.

 

[bobcomer]

I dislike the value proposition of the Studio Display. I'd just prefer to add an old 5k iMac on my desk rather than get a Studio Display.

Me too. Mac Studio + Studio Display = WAY too much money in comparison. I refuse to pay that much for a monitor.

 

[pshufd]

Me too. Mac Studio + Studio Display = WAY too much money in comparison. I refuse to pay that much for a monitor.

There's a 2020 iMac 27 for sale for $450 in my area, reduced from $500. The catch is that it crashes from time to time. The owner has tried to fix it unsuccessfully. It would be a great price for a great monitor and computer which I could use for video conferences and phone calls if I can fix the crashing problem. It looks like it's used for graphics work so it's possible that it's a thermal issue or a sensor. It would be a great price for a 5k monitor and I get a computer along with it. I could use it next to my Studio monitors.

It's been advertised for sale for a month and I'm considering just waiting for it to drop to $400. I suspect that the vast majority of buyers wouldn't care to deal with system crash issues and it's out of warranty so Apple wouldn't do anything about it. I'd bring my own bootable external SSD to check it out. I don't strictly need it but it would be nice to have another 27 inch monitor on my desk.

 

[Feek]

I don't strictly need it but it would be nice to have another 27 inch monitor on my desk.

I don't think the 2020 iMac supports target display mode, how would you use it?

 

[pshufd]

I don't think the 2020 iMac supports target display mode, how would you use it?

The 2020 iMac supports Airplay to Mac but I'd just use it as a separate computer, connected to my Studio using Universal Control.

 

[bobcomer]

There's a 2020 iMac 27 for sale for $450 in my area, reduced from $500.

I bought a 2020 i7 iMac from apple refurb this year. It wasn't badly priced, cheaper than a studio display, but it wasn't $450! I upped it to 128G of RAM and now I use it more than any other computer at home. I even Bootcamped it, first Mac I've ever used that for. It's REALLY a nice machine even if it isn't the fastest available now. I don't have any crashing problems, so it's probably a hardware problem its having. It might be RAM, which is an easy fix...

 

[pshufd]

I bought a 2020 i7 iMac from apple refurb this year. It wasn't badly priced, cheaper than a studio display, but it wasn't $450! I upped it to 128G of RAM and now I use it more than any other computer at home. I even Bootcamped it, first Mac I've ever used that for. It's REALLY a nice machine even if it isn't the fastest available now. I don't have any crashing problems, so it's probably a hardware problem its having. It might be RAM, which is an easy fix...

People without tech skills are often eager to dump tech which is one of the things I look for on Craigslist.

 

[Velin]

People without tech skills are often eager to dump tech which is one of the things I look for on Craigslist.

Lots of people who don't check in here or other tech sites really don't know how to troubleshoot hardware or software, or even install RAM or swap a hard drive. Mention SATA or IDE, you're speaking a foreign language. Say the phrase NVME M.2, and now you're an alien.

Also helps if you've built a PC in the past. You gain a much better understanding what the main components are, do, and how they work together. And you gain experience with flashing and accessing a BIOS, flashing firmware, driver maintenance, using the command or terminal line, voltages, RAM timings, CPU/GPU temps, etc. Even just looking at the pinouts on a CPU, looking at the PCIE slots on a motherboard, and generally just inspecting the major components is highly informative.

And when I hear people complain their two or three year old iPhone/iPad/Macbook is "too slow" or "stutters" or "can't run the latest operating system," I think to myself, "doesn't know how to perform a clean install of the latest OS." Because when you do clean installs and can manage the device, I've never, ever had any Apple device perform poorly in the past fifteen years.

 

[Gudi]

When desktop towers were huge and bulky all in ones had more of a place but they've figured out how to pack so much power into small packages, that the convenience advantage is negligible but you get better performance and perhaps longevity.

You're wrong on so many accounts, that I've got to pick which one to rebuttal or else this text will get way too long. We need to carefully distinguish silicon architecture and form factor. Yes, the Mac Studio is great, but it's great because of Apple Silicon, not because a small Cube is generally better than an All-in-One. If anything than the increased power-efficiency and performance of the new silicon architecture means, that the iMac concept is way more viable than ever before. Only the old Intel iMac is dead and will never come back. A large-screen M3/M3Pro iMac is guaranteed to come later this year and will by many magnitudes outsell the much more expensive Mac Studio + Studio Display combo on which you wasted so much money.

 

[basdeninard]

I had a late 2015 5K iMac. It was really nice but since I didn't want to spend too much I only got an i5 and the graphics card with 2GB. I think it originally only had 8GB of RAM but I eventually went all the way up to 32GB. The RAM upgrade helped but it did feel at times underpowered for the 5K display with some stuttering and lag.

That was probably caused by the hard drive rather than the processor (which were not laptop-grade, just to clarify).
I presume you had a 27-inch iMac since you were able to upgrade to 32 GB RAM. Unless you opted for an SSD only system, the base model came with a 1 TB Fusion Drive (with a 24 GB SSD).

Nothing wrong with the Fusion Drive system per se, but they are not as fast as SSD only systems. I have a 2017 iMac with a 1 TB Fusion Drive (with a 32 GB SSD). It's never caused any trouble for me, but I know it would be vastly more responsive if I replaced the hard drive with an SSD. Never felt the need to though.

There were also performance issues with the macOS WindowServer in older versions of Mac OS X, affecting system animations in areas like Mission Control. It primarily affected iMac systems due to the resolution density of the Retina displays. This was largely addressed in macOS 10.13 High Sierra (released in 2017), so that may explain some of the stuttering and lags you encountered.

Last year I got the Studio and the Studio Display. My wallet HURT from this move. But other than price, I like this better. There are zero performance issues or lag to speak of. The fans never kick in. There are more ports. And I have the freedom to use other monitors if I want. And there's better cooling, I'm guessing this machine will last about as long as I want it to.

Are you trying to convince us of your Mac Studio purchase, or yourself?

If you are happy with your purchase, that's great, but the Mac Studio and Studio Display combination is absurdly expensive when purchased together. No reasonable person could claim that Apple discontinued the 27-inch iMac in favour of this combination. It is simply not good value for money.

 

[transmaster]

I am not interested in an iMac, or a MacBook for one major reason. The technology going into monitors advances almost by the month. With the iMac after several years has a monitor that is obsolete and you cannot update it. The Mac Mini, and the Mac Studio on the other hand you can take advantage of latest technology in monitors. Note I am not talking about the Apple Studio Display, you can get a 5K LG monitor with Thunderbolt connectivity for much cheaper.