An interesting way of looking at it -- and probably a good reinterpretation of my suggestion from an earlier thread:
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Apple Developing iMac Pro With M5 Max Chip
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An interesting way of looking at it -- and probably a good reinterpretation of my suggestion from an earlier thread:
You can buy logic boards to turn your iMac into a 27” monitor. Well documented on YouTube. Might be worth having a look. 👍🏼
Maybe they should also drop the i and standardize and clean up the names and line up a bit.
Boxes: Mac and Mac Pro
All in ones: MacStudio and MacStudio Pro
Laptops: MacBook and MacBook Pro
Displays: MacDisplay and MacDisplay Pro
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You can buy logic boards to turn them into a monitor. Strip the insides out, replace with logic board. Search YouTube.
But I agree: this should be standard. Bad Apple.
Here's one article on the topic, for reference: YouTuber Luke Miani converts a 2014 iMac into an external monitor.
(And this is admittedly the third time I've found an excuse to reference that link in the forum... this type of conversion is a very popular idea. I'll likely perform this surgery on my 2019 iMac as well, eventually.)
I could also see Apple’s active development and deployment of Apple Silicon-powered Apple Intelligence server hardware having some kind of positive impact on future Mac Pro prospects, since that’s one area where they’re invested in maintaining a platform that isn’t strictly consumer (as opposed to prosumer) focused.
I’d love a 32-inch iMac with M5 Max chip - as long as I can afford it.
Until I bought my M2 Max Mac Studio in December of 2023, I owned a series of iMacs - the last one a 2019 27-inch with Intel chip (i5 9600). Since Apple Care won’t run out on my Mac Studio until December 2026, I have no plans to trade it before then. It works fine.
But now, my entire logic of having a separate display - at least an Apple display - will be called into question if Apple unveils a Gen 2 Studio Display with, say, a 120hz refresh rate and possibly HDR. The idea when I bought my current set-up was to keep the display and only have to upgrade the box. What’s more, even an M4 Max-equipped Mac Studio is quite a bit more expensive if kitted out like mine. An M5 Max will no doubt be even more expensive.
I’d rather go for a 32-inch iMac (even a 27-inch) with M5 Max chip than a new $3000-plus Mac Studio PLUS a Gen 2 Studio Display. Or I can just admit that I have been priced out of the market and keep my Gen 1 display and go for a Mac Mini with an M5 Pro or M6 Pro chip. Already, the M4 Pro bests my M2 Max chip in a number of ways.
Until I bought my M2 Max Mac Studio in December of 2023, I owned a series of iMacs - the last one a 2019 27-inch with Intel chip (i5 9600). Since Apple Care won’t run out on my Mac Studio until December 2026, I have no plans to trade it before then. It works fine.
But now, my entire logic of having a separate display - at least an Apple display - will be called into question if Apple unveils a Gen 2 Studio Display with, say, a 120hz refresh rate and possibly HDR. The idea when I bought my current set-up was to keep the display and only have to upgrade the box. What’s more, even an M4 Max-equipped Mac Studio is quite a bit more expensive if kitted out like mine. An M5 Max will no doubt be even more expensive.
I’d rather go for a 32-inch iMac (even a 27-inch) with M5 Max chip than a new $3000-plus Mac Studio PLUS a Gen 2 Studio Display. Or I can just admit that I have been priced out of the market and keep my Gen 1 display and go for a Mac Mini with an M5 Pro or M6 Pro chip. Already, the M4 Pro bests my M2 Max chip in a number of ways.
Waited so long to replace my 2012 iMac. I have few room and everything's more compact is better for me.
Would have loved a 27 (or plus) M Max iMac but rumors indicated nothing would come out. Finally went for a Mac studio and a Studio Display this summer and now this... But compared to the expensive combo that is Studio and its Display, this rumored iMac is going to be very very pricey though as it may be more expensive.
Would have loved a 27 (or plus) M Max iMac but rumors indicated nothing would come out. Finally went for a Mac studio and a Studio Display this summer and now this... But compared to the expensive combo that is Studio and its Display, this rumored iMac is going to be very very pricey though as it may be more expensive.
Elegant solution with a single power cord and you get a great display and computer for the price.
Yes the Studio Display is larger but it’s more money and it’s just a display for example.
iMacs are the hardest pieces of tech to upgrade! You're better off buying the Mac computer separately and buying an Apple Studio Display.
Yep, I was once burned by Intel iMac. The computer runs hot, the display always has this smudge/burned mark after months of usage (google iMac smudge display and you'll see). Also mine died just after 6 years of usage, which was disappointing considering it costs $2K back in 2012.
No more all in one for me, no matter how sleek or elegant it looks. Buy an iMac if only you're asking for problems, literally.
I think we will get a new iMac Pro with a 27" display and your choice of M5 Pro or M5 Max SoC. But I also expect the regular 24" iMac to get the M5 and M5 Pro SoC too.
Here we go again: don't buy this.
Great computer, great display which also means expensive computer, expensive display: you do not want them to be bound together forever.
Silicon Macs are infamously non repairable and non upgradable. It's already bad enough that your Mac may die or become obsolete with no soloution, it's gonna be very sad if it drags your great display in hell at the same time.
There's only one reason to buy this: if your company pays for it AND for its replacement when needed. Never buy an iMac with your own money.
INB4, for the people who say "no other display would be good enough for me, I just absolutely need exactly that one":
1) No you don't. Find another, one that may last much longer connected with your next Mac.
2) Ok, let's say you do: you should be very sad that this is the only way to get it. You're being tricked into a bad deal.
Great computer, great display which also means expensive computer, expensive display: you do not want them to be bound together forever.
Silicon Macs are infamously non repairable and non upgradable. It's already bad enough that your Mac may die or become obsolete with no soloution, it's gonna be very sad if it drags your great display in hell at the same time.
There's only one reason to buy this: if your company pays for it AND for its replacement when needed. Never buy an iMac with your own money.
INB4, for the people who say "no other display would be good enough for me, I just absolutely need exactly that one":
1) No you don't. Find another, one that may last much longer connected with your next Mac.
2) Ok, let's say you do: you should be very sad that this is the only way to get it. You're being tricked into a bad deal.
That was the issue though if I recall. Apple had no alternative in 2017. Mac Pro was 4 years old and Mac Minis were terrible. Dark times for Apple then. This is why I laugh when people complain about specs today....you can basically use anything in the Apple Silicon lineup and its powerful and there are multiple desktops as well.
As much as the convenience of Target Display Mode was lauded by the minority of users who were aware of it, TDM (unfortunately) became an albatross around Apple's proverbial neck, and the introduction of the 5K iMac brought that issue to the forefront. At that time, DisplayPort simply couldn't push enough bits across the wires to accommodate a 5K display at native resolution. Add to that other issues, such as the obvious inefficiency of running a power hungry computer while only using it as a display for a separate equally power hungry computer, and the feature was essentially doomed anyway, by the changing priorities of society as a whole.
Of course, the playing field is a bit different, these days. Apple's current line-up of displays were initially mistaken by the rumor mill for new iMac prototypes... because they have an A13 Bionic chip embedded on their motherboard. You could argue that TDM has already been resurrected... in the form of those monitors.
(These are some of the reasons that I'm highly skeptical of any new iMac rumors.)
Apple needs a larger CONSUMER iMac that comes with all peripherals and is easy to setup. Several family members of mine want to replace their iMacs with a like model and not lose screen size. Not sure how a pro model makes sense when most pros want flexibility in components - ie. most pros like to plug MacBook Pros in or minis/Studios and upgrade those components more often than the screen.
If they bring this back and offer target display mode, then great.
If they bring this back and offer target display mode, then great.
Forget about ever seeing a mini with a max in it. The 2024 redesign happened for a reason.
I was just wondering to myself the other day if Apple would shrink the Mac Studio with the 2nm M6 or even offer a M6 Mac mini max. I'm a single monitor person and love the smaller Mac mini foot print next to the Studio display. I had the Intel 5k iMac and it was one of the best Macs I've ever owned and was an excellent value at the time. If they can match that same value proposition, I'd be down, but they'd need to bring back target display mode or build upon clustering efforts. The ability to cluster future Mac minis with an all-in-one iMac Pro would be very enticing.
