I really never understood what was Tim Cook's problem with the 27" model. It was my favourite. Now what to do? Maybe I should go and hunt for an imac pro at bargain.
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Apple Discontinues 27-Inch iMac
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Quite the 180 degree turn Apple! Those big iMacs have hit the price–performance sweet spot for so many years, it's hard to remember how long it has been since a separate Mac and display was my daily work machine. I'm all for the modularity… but as I type this up on my 2017 27 inch iMac, I still find it hard to believe they would completely discontinue one of the best (and presumably highest selling?) machines they ever made.
I've owned every form factor of the iMac since my first Lime one back from 1999 and when the 24" came out last year I thought "hmm, pretty good but I'll wait for the larger screen and then decide". With the advent of the M1 Pro, Max and now ultra, the M1 is already feeling a bit dated. I'm going to carry on limping along with my late 2012 27" iMac in the hope that they offer size options, and maybe some better colour options. The pastel colours don't really float my boat.
Agreed. There is a huge price gap from the 24" iMac to the studio w/ studio display.
This is a bummer. I wasn't gonna get one since I have a work MBP/personal MBA, but would have loved to see the next gen of this.
I had to have Boot Camp so I bought a refurb 2020 iMac 5K last September.
Otherwise, I'd be packing up my 2017 iMac 5K and preparing to welcome my Mac Studio and Studio Display.
Nah.. all-in-ones are generally stupid, especially high end ones. Only way to upgrade them is to replace the whole thing, including perfectly good screen. Poor cooling form factor, and they just look bad with their giant besels.
A nice small besel display paired with a small desktop or a laptop is a much nicer combination. For receptionists and school computer labs - 24" iMac is more than sufficient.
It was a great move by Apple to dump 27" iMac.
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Where is that? In the refurbished section? I see one discounted iMac Pro, the rest not discounted.
I suspect that they might come out with a Mac mini with the M1 Pro, though I don't think they will add the "Pro" name, that gets too confusing when you have the Mac Pro. Better to just call it the Mac Mini (with M1 Pro BTO chip) just like you used to be able to order the Mini with an i3, and i5, or an i7. that would probably slot into that price gap you mentioned.
Schools are more likely to get the 24" iMac.
Those designers could by a Mac mini and couple it with the new Studio monitor. The M1 Mini is faster than almost all models of the previous 27" iMac. Once the upgrade to the M2 later this year, the performance will be more and they might be able to get up to 32GB of RAM. alternately Apple may add an M1 Pro option to the Mini.
In either case, this change gives more flexibility to the customers.
By no means can a 60hz display be considered futureproof. You're misrepresenting how awful an investment that display is.
Normally I'd agree but all apple options including (seemingly) the new Mac Studio don't offer upgradability so that point is moot. Everything is soldered on so you need to select your CPU/GPU, RAM, and storage space and once you do there's no going back unless it's the Mac Pro. Historically 27" iMacs offered upgradable RAM, one of the last hold outs to do so in fact. That ability will be missed.
Agree that most receptionists and computer labs are good with the 24" though, plenty of power for most and decent screen size.
That is the old Intel Mini that is expected to be replaced by an upgraded Apple Silicon Mini later in the year.
The M1 Mini may be faster than most past 27" iMacs in CPU power but definitely not in GPU power. There is a gap here in their offering which makes this quite inflexible to customers in my opinion. The entry-level GPU on the 2019 27" iMac is a Radeon Pro 570X which out computes the top level option for the M1 Mac Mini 8-core GPU.
Hope they they will add an M1 Pro option to the mini like you mentioned, however this will still be more expensive than a 27" iMac would be because you'll need to add a large sized screen.
I work for a university, and they have a list which offers two options for desktop Macs that can be purchased without requiring an exception from IT, and those are currently the Mac mini and 24" iMac. It hasn't been an issue so far, as far as I know.
K-12 schools, probably. However as other posters have said - for tertiary education/college level, teaching advanced design, animation, video, visual arts, the 24" isn't enough both in terms of screen and computing power. I'm a design student and the only Macs we have anywhere on campus are 27" iMacs (and there are labs full of them).
Nooooooo...
Been waiting for the new 27" M1 iMac to drop so I could replace my son's ancient iMac with a new one.
He prefers the big screen all-in-one (which I also prefer), and he doesn't need all the bells and whistles (or big $$$) of the new Mac Studio, so went with Plan B: Just bought him a refurbed 27-inch iMac 3.1GHz 6-core Intel Core i5 with Retina 5K display for $1,299 on the Apple Store. It arrives Friday.
Problem solved.
Been waiting for the new 27" M1 iMac to drop so I could replace my son's ancient iMac with a new one.
He prefers the big screen all-in-one (which I also prefer), and he doesn't need all the bells and whistles (or big $$$) of the new Mac Studio, so went with Plan B: Just bought him a refurbed 27-inch iMac 3.1GHz 6-core Intel Core i5 with Retina 5K display for $1,299 on the Apple Store. It arrives Friday.
Problem solved.
So glad I got my 2020 27" iMac when I did. I have a feeling it has just gone up in value, despite the many predictions on MacRumors forums that its value was sure to go down the toilet. The equivalent (base) spec Studio plus display, with same size SSD, would cost me at least $1300 $1600 (with mouse and keyboard) more than I paid.
Anyone who wants one better hit up the Apple refurb store pretty quick before they are gone and the scalpers get them all.
Anyone who wants one better hit up the Apple refurb store pretty quick before they are gone and the scalpers get them all.
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I have a 2015 iMac 27" and was eagerly waiting for the update, so bummed that it won't happen. I personally like the all in one for my application with an extended 5K LG monitor on the side. I was ready and prepared for $3K'ish, now I don't see any reason to make a change until my 27 dies for whatever reason
people seem to keep saying that the Mac Studio requires you go Ultra, you can get with Max for 2 grand.
I don't understand why anyone would need a desktop computer more powerful than a Mac Mini or 24" iMac, if they don't want to take the extra push and get a Max... those computers are completely capable of anything that isn't high end.
Have you guys used an M1 Mac? what can it not do that you want it to do? and if it can't, why not get a Max if its for serious use?
I don't understand why anyone would need a desktop computer more powerful than a Mac Mini or 24" iMac, if they don't want to take the extra push and get a Max... those computers are completely capable of anything that isn't high end.
Have you guys used an M1 Mac? what can it not do that you want it to do? and if it can't, why not get a Max if its for serious use?
Not true. The 8-core GPU on the M1 is only about half as powerful as the Radeon 5300 in the base model 27" 2020 iMac.
My desktop Mac history...
2004: Power Mac G5 Dual
2007: 24" Intel Core 2 Duo iMac
2013: 27" Intel Core i7 iMac
2017: 27" Intel Core i7 5k iMac (inherited when my dad passed, gave my 2013 to my bro).
So yeah, I've been on "the big iMac" for 15 years now. Before that, I did have a G5 tower + monitors.
I do photo editing and love the large 27" display. Mind you, these iMacs were typically in the $1800-2500 range. Not approaching $4000 like a Studio + Studio display with kb/mouse and certain options does.
I feel a huge hole in the desktop lineup. I'm looking for, basically, 14" M1 Pro MBP guts in a desktop form factor, be it a Mac mini or 27/30" iMac, but something I can spec to 32GB of RAM, because Adobe programs eat RAM like crazy.
I'm hoping for a price point right about $2500, well under $1200 less than the Studio/Monitor duo, but a cut above the base Mac mini or 24" iMac too.
I don't think Apple will leave that hole for too long, but it might last until 2023. My 2017 will hopefully truck along fine.
2004: Power Mac G5 Dual
2007: 24" Intel Core 2 Duo iMac
2013: 27" Intel Core i7 iMac
2017: 27" Intel Core i7 5k iMac (inherited when my dad passed, gave my 2013 to my bro).
So yeah, I've been on "the big iMac" for 15 years now. Before that, I did have a G5 tower + monitors.
I do photo editing and love the large 27" display. Mind you, these iMacs were typically in the $1800-2500 range. Not approaching $4000 like a Studio + Studio display with kb/mouse and certain options does.
I feel a huge hole in the desktop lineup. I'm looking for, basically, 14" M1 Pro MBP guts in a desktop form factor, be it a Mac mini or 27/30" iMac, but something I can spec to 32GB of RAM, because Adobe programs eat RAM like crazy.
I'm hoping for a price point right about $2500, well under $1200 less than the Studio/Monitor duo, but a cut above the base Mac mini or 24" iMac too.
I don't think Apple will leave that hole for too long, but it might last until 2023. My 2017 will hopefully truck along fine.