Apple Discontinues 512GB and 1TB SSD Configurations of 4K 21.5-inch iMac

[glenthompson]

Only they don't offer 5TB fusion drives, the SSD portion is 32GB not 256GB and unlike with a Windows dual drive set up (which arguably does offer the best of both) you don't get to choose what goes where.

The 2 & 3tb fusion drives have a 128gb SSD which provides far better performance. The 1tb model is a loser for many workflows.

 

[Anson_431]

They may have said this, but I don't recall them saying that it was it was temporary.

I think more accurately they said something like it was their answer to the pro community, but they also got something more coming up.

but either way, it’s interesting to see the iMac Pro (finally) finished its historic mission and we’re much closer than an M1 iMac than ever though!

 

[MikeyUnix]

Chip shortage. Can’t see it getting better anytime soon either.

Although there are chip shortages I don't believe discontinuing the iMac 500Gb SSD and 1Tb is anything to do with it. Suspect it more likely supply inasmuch as they will want to sell as much of their existing stock of fusion and 256gb SSD's which are probably in the majority, so no point in making new 21.5imac with 500Gb or 1Tb drive if they want to sell their existing stock before what looks like an inevitable and imminent iMac upgrade. The SSD's in the existing iMac will in all probability be upgraded in any new M series iMac as the SSD's in the M range products already released were much more efficient and fast than previous SSD's.

When you read Samsung's account of chip shortages it seems to be the run of the mill Chinese produced chips where shortages are occurring, rather than production outside of China.

Interesting that Intel contacted TSMC to produce chips for Intel. Ironic then they conduct a campaign against TSMC produced chips in the M series.

TSMC expects to be able to produce 3nm chips by next year.

They already produce a 5nm (FinFET)

 

[MacStreamer]

Still selling machines with 8th gen processors at premium prices.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Why not? Combining fast expensive storage and huge cheap storage gives you the best of both worlds. Given the choice of 5TB SSD or 256 GB SSD + 5TB HDD, with your spouse watching your bank account, what would you prefer?

If money was a concern, I would get the biggest SSD I could afford and store anything that wasn't a daily crucial on external storage.

 

[zombierunner]

Just kill off the 21.5 inch and make a 24 inch with thin bezels.

 

[Lukomaldini]

Guys, it’s happening! It’s finally happening!... Maybe

 

[Romeo_Nightfall]

Non-snark question: Would Apple announce an M1 iMac if they didn't have the chips to satisfy initial demand?

Sure - they have done that often recently

 

[Romeo_Nightfall]

All the hate for Fusion drives? I have a late 2013 iMac 14,2 with a 1TB Fusion drive and eight years later it’s still performing perfectly. DriveDX reports the SSD part still has 60% life left. My iMac boots Catalina very fast because of the Fusion drive.

Because the rolling stone hits the bus after you ...

 

[Sasparilla]

Keeping the fusion drive offering helps to draw consumers who may have a set budget.

Definitely. And the base storage sizes are so small - given the choice of 256GB SSD or a 1TB Fusion (current options available to customers) I'd take the fusion because of the size.

If they're going to offer a fusion though they should take advantage of the technology and offer a 4TB fusion for $200. I was expecting them to get rid of fusion drives with the new M1 iMac, but with the chip issues, we say them hang on for a while.

 

[jerryk]

It sounds like the whole iMac line is going M1xx very soon! This will be a great change! Hopefully, with the leftover space inside, they will insert a NVME drive carrier with slots where we can insert additional nvme drive sticks.

 

[brownpaw]

I wonder if a M1 iMac will just be a quiet release?


I remember a few years back, there were many threads with people asking when Apple was going to update the iMac Pro. My thoughts back then were that the iMac Pro was an one-time release, a stop-gap until the Mac Pro.

Looks like that might be the case.

Isn’t that literally why they said they released it? To hold people off until the Mac Pro.

 

[Erehy Dobon]

Chip shortage. Can’t see it getting better anytime soon either.

This makes zero sense.

NAND memory chips are in good supply right now. That's why m.2 SSDs and SATA SSDs are quite inexpensive even while many other PC component prices have skyrocketed.

Besides a replacement iMac (whether it be Intel-based on Apple Silicon) would require NAND chips anyhow, maybe even more.

My guess is that the affected NAND chips have been set aside for a production ramp of the iMac refresh. If this is indeed the case we should see an iMac launch within a month.

Remember that something 80+% of Macs sold are notebook models. It's okay for Apple to draw down inventory and reduce availability of certain iMac configurations.

 

[EugW]

I have always been disappointed with Apple storage line up since every year instead of reducing prices they increase performance. Sure you get something crazy fast, but does it really need to be that much faster next year? We should have options of multiTB storage that don’t cost thousands of dollars

It's a stationary iMac. Just get an external SSD.

Samsung T7 2 TB USB 3.2 gen 2 is US$299.
Or if you insist on Thunderbolt 3, the Samsung X5 2 TB is US$880.

I have a 2017 iMac with 1 TB SSD, but it wasn't enough so I bought a Samsung T7 2 GB for CAD$365 (US$292). Works well. I keep my Photos database and my other photo libraries on it.

 

[Juicy Box]

I wonder if a M1 iMac will just be a quiet release?


I remember a few years back, there were many threads with people asking when Apple was going to update the iMac Pro. My thoughts back then were that the iMac Pro was an one-time release, a stop-gap until the Mac Pro.

Looks like that might be the case.

Isn’t that literally why they said they released it? To hold people off until the Mac Pro.

No!

AFAIK, Apple hasn't officially said anything about the iMac being temporary or a one-time release, but Apple did tease what ended up being the 2019 Mac Pro when announcing the iMac Pro back in 2017 in their attempt to appease the Prosumer.

Hindsight is 20/20 of course, and there will be a lot of people that will now say that Apple discontinuing the iMac Pro isn't surprising, but back in 2018 and 2019 when there were threads asking when Apple will update the iMac Pro, comments like that were rare.

 

[BigMac?]

A lot of the lineup is in desperate need for a „makeover“.

iMac: design and architecture
Macbook Pro: design and 1/2 architecture
MacBook Air
Mac Pro: design and architecture

the software is great, the hardware long lasting, but when intel is in need to sharpen the MacBook bezels in an ad, then it’s time to update the design.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

That is a good thought. Apple has already explained their new chip. There is really no need to rehash the same type information with an hour video. The last presentation was entirely too long, in my opinion.

I'm pretty sure it's been a long, long time since Apple last had a presentation that was of appropriate length for how much they had to show.

 

[Koivari]

I just wish that planet earth would finally run out of spinning hard drive components so that Tim would not be able to use them anymore.

 

[Jay-Jacob]

I agree. We got the 3tb fusion drive for my wife's 2017 iMac because she needed the space and the cost of SSD only was prohibitive. With the 128gb SSD in the 2 and 3tb models, performance is quite good with a high hit rate on the SSD. The smaller SSD on the 1tb can be a performance problem with some workflows.

I'm looking to get an M based iMac but which depends on the offerings. For me a 24" screen would be ideal. I find the 27" just a bit large. Ideally I'd prefer a wider screen without so much height, maybe a 20:9 ratio. I find it easier to work side t side than up and down. My preferred configuration is 16gb ram and a 1tb SSD.

I am looking get M based iMac too. I haven't decided when get one yet but it depends on when Apple release M based iMac and price, speed etc. I defo want new iMac by 2023 so I can wait if need to. 27 inch was too expensive plus I have tiny space between bookcase so 27 inch didn't fit in that space so get 21.5 inch that time. Now years later bookcase been moved away bit and change so I can get bigger screen if wanted to but probably end up getting 24 inch size if they come out with that. Wait and see really.

I also will want 16GB RAM minimum and 1TB SSD for first time too (no more fusion drive, it serve me really well but time to move on newer tech).

 

[dominiongamma]

I just wish that planet earth would finally run out of spinning hard drive components so that Tim would not be able to use them anymore.

People keep buying them so Apple won’t take the hint

 

[chouseworth]

Just hours after officially discontinuing the iMac Pro, Apple has also discontinued the 512GB and 1TB SSD configurations of the 4K 21.5-inch iMac.

Last month, both options became unavailable for purchase, although it was unclear at the time whether it was a temporary issue due to a component supply problem or if it was a permanent decision to no longer offer the options.

Apple has now removed both of the affected SSD options from the iMac’s configuration page entirely, leaving a 256GB SSD and a 1TB Fusion Drive as the only options for customers.

An all-new redesigned iMac based on Apple silicon is expected to launch later this year, but a more specific launch timeframe isn't yet known.

Article Link: Apple Discontinues 512GB and 1TB SSD Configurations of 4K 21.5-inch iMac

Just hours after officially discontinuing the iMac Pro, Apple has also discontinued the 512GB and 1TB SSD configurations of the 4K 21.5-inch iMac.

Last month, both options became unavailable for purchase, although it was unclear at the time whether it was a temporary issue due to a component supply problem or if it was a permanent decision to no longer offer the options.

Apple has now removed both of the affected SSD options from the iMac’s configuration page entirely, leaving a 256GB SSD and a 1TB Fusion Drive as the only options for customers.

An all-new redesigned iMac based on Apple silicon is expected to launch later this year, but a more specific launch timeframe isn't yet known.

Article Link: Apple Discontinues 512GB and 1TB SSD Configurations of 4K 21.5-inch iMac

I think they are getting ready to announce an M version iMac. Availability will be limited at first but that has not stopped Apple before.

 

[Magnifix]

All the renders (Prosser etc) seem to forget to adjust for the bottom edge of the visible screen. If it’s all edge to edge compared to current iMacs, your eyes need to move 3 inches lower if the renders are to believed. Logically, it would mean a higher stand. Or 3 extra books under it.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

I find it odd that they discontinued the 1 TB SSD option and still kept that damn fusion drive, I bet has something to do with the chip shortage AND a redesign.

The only people who would call it a "damn fusion drive" are those who never had one. My 27" Late 2013 iMac has a 3 TB Fusion and it's going strong. Do you have any concept of how much a 3 TB SSD iMac would have cost in late 2013/early 2014? Fusion has worked great for me. I also have a newer, all-Flash iMac at work, and I can barely tell the difference between the two, performance-wise (both have 16 GB RAM).

Yes, I've heard all the reliability arguments, and the edge-case exceptions, but flat out, I have 3 TB of internal storage that performs like an SSD, at a small fraction of the price of a 3 TB SSD configuration in 2013/2014.

The cost of Flash has dropped significantly since then, but 1 TB Fusion is still way cheaper than 1 TB of Flash. It's still a decent "value proposition" for a person with a need for large internal storage, middle-of-the-road usage requirements, and a tight budget.

I'm quite confident Fusion will be gone altogether with the Apple Silicon-equipped iMacs. When those arrive I'm ready and willing to trade in my 7-year-old iMac and breathe a small sigh of relief that the spinner in the old one hasn't failed (assuming it doesn't fail in the interim). Meantime, I run a backup just like anyone with an all-SSD computer should.

Oh, and since my Photos library is over 800 GB by itself, I may have some challenges with running on all-internal storage... I'll figure that one out when I need to.

 

[Lounge vibes 05]

Yep. And it won’t be a high end. Which is why they are discontinuing both the iMac Pro and iMac 21.5.
I see an April launch of both Gen 11 Intel iMac 27” with only high-end chips for pro users who need eGPU, memory expansion, Intel chips, etc. and an M1 iMac 24” with same core specs as mini but higher clock speeds, with same ports and limitations. For a consumer level machine, it “just works.”

I think with more likely is this.
April or June: Apple introduces M1X chip, and puts it in a higher specked Mac Mini, a 14 inch MacBook Pro and a 24 inch iMac.
October/November: Apple introduces M1Z, and puts it in a 16 inch MBP and a 32 inch iMac.
So by the end of the year, all of their computers, with the exception of the Mac Pro, will have M1 inside.
M1: MacBook Air, low-end Mac mini, low end 13 MacBook Pro.
M1X: high end Mac mini, 14 MacBook Pro, 24 inch iMac.
M1Z: 16 MacBook Pro, 32 inch iMac

 

[Orson Farris]

Long time Windows guy here wanting to switch. Convinced by (believe it or not) SE 2020. Anyway, just bought an IMAC 21.5 with 8GB memory and 256gb SSD from Costco for $949.99. Just seemed the easiest and cheapest way to get into the Mac world. Machine is plenty fast for my needs and won't have any new model teething pains. After just 2 weeks I much prefer MAC OS to Windows.