Apple Reportedly Developing Larger iMac With Over 30-Inch Display

[DerrickEver]

I have considered the Mac Mini and could probably get away with it but I would need to make some RAM / SSD upgrades which would make it about half the price of the lower end Studio. The thing for me is that, based on my first Mac computer (which was my current 2013 iMac), I expect any Apple desktop machine to last at least 10 years - so I want to buy something that is decent. If I get the Mac Mini, I don't want to regret not getting the Studio, and have to upgrade to a Studio, leaving me with a Mac Mini I have no use for! It's just because these machines should have such a long lifespan that I want to get it right first time...and that basically means waiting for the product I want to come out...but Apple are taking so damn long with a bigger all-in-one!

I also have concerns about buying a separate monitor - if this is the route Apple desktops are going (ie. non-all-in-ones) then I can justify it as I can use it on the next computer I buy (hopefully). But it is a damn expensive monitor. How can a monitor cost more than a Mac Mini?!

I don't know. I am just getting frustrated and impatient now. These products are so expensive, it just results in me taking too much time to think it through, and it leaves me stuck with this 2013 iMac...which works but is now limited.

Any advice to help me think / decide is welcome!

As for your 2017 iMac, does it have an SSD or mechanical hard drive? My 2013 iMac has a mechanical one inside, but I now boot from an external SSD which made a big difference! So if your HDD is mechanical, booting from an SSD may improve it.

EDIT:

On an unrelated note, does anyone know how I can get email notifications about replies to my posts here? Or do I just have to come back and check manually?

Alex, at the very top of the thread there should be a button on the right side, to Watch or Unwatch a specific thread. I believe when you click Watch, you should get notification options. That’s what I did for this thread a few months back, which is how I then received your original post (and notification of subesquent posts about this thread) via email.

 

[DerrickEver]

I have considered the Mac Mini and could probably get away with it but I would need to make some RAM / SSD upgrades which would make it about half the price of the lower end Studio. The thing for me is that, based on my first Mac computer (which was my current 2013 iMac), I expect any Apple desktop machine to last at least 10 years - so I want to buy something that is decent. If I get the Mac Mini, I don't want to regret not getting the Studio, and have to upgrade to a Studio, leaving me with a Mac Mini I have no use for! It's just because these machines should have such a long lifespan that I want to get it right first time...and that basically means waiting for the product I want to come out...but Apple are taking so damn long with a bigger all-in-one!

I also have concerns about buying a separate monitor - if this is the route Apple desktops are going (ie. non-all-in-ones) then I can justify it as I can use it on the next computer I buy (hopefully). But it is a damn expensive monitor. How can a monitor cost more than a Mac Mini?!

I don't know. I am just getting frustrated and impatient now. These products are so expensive, it just results in me taking too much time to think it through, and it leaves me stuck with this 2013 iMac...which works but is now limited.

Any advice to help me think / decide is welcome!

As for your 2017 iMac, does it have an SSD or mechanical hard drive? My 2013 iMac has a mechanical one inside, but I now boot from an external SSD which made a big difference! So if your HDD is mechanical, booting from an SSD may improve it.

EDIT:

On an unrelated note, does anyone know how I can get email notifications about replies to my posts here? Or do I just have to come back and check manually?

I feel your pain regarding the lack of larger-than-24-inch iMacs! I know many folks will pile on and tell us we need to get accustomed to the idea of separate components but there’s a lot to be said for all-in-ones. However, I’m warming up to the idea of a separate Mac and monitor (if that is indeed my only option, and as of today it appears to be) but as many have already noted, the price of the Studio Display is just bananas. Although I would still prefer an Apple display over the alternatives.

I wish my 27-inch iMac could go a few years longer, but at the same time I hate not being able to upgrade to the latest OS, and I’m already experiencing serious Bluetooth connectivity issues with peripherals, and I’m always being slowed by unresponsive apps. It’s so frustrating some days to just get basic tasks done. And I’m at peak RAM and space so that’s not the issue.

My 27-inch iMac has a Fusion drive, and I have considered upgrading some of the internals to improve performance but I’m not sure I want to spend more money on old hardware that even Apple is no longer fully supporting. I’m ready for more modern processing, chips, etc. I’ll see how much longer I can go with this machine, and whether a larger iMac ever becomes a reality. I can probably hang in there for another year before I through in the towel. But a Mac Mini and Studio Display may be where I end up.

 

[alex4748]

Although I would still prefer an Apple display over the alternatives.

Yes, I have looked into alternatives and they aren't much cheaper, but the quality is going to be substantially lower than Apple...so whilst it's a rip off, I think I would probably go for the Studio Display too.

I will probably do the same as you and just get the Mac Mini (or Studio) and the Studio Display...I am a bit OCD and don't really like the idea of the computer unit sitting on my desk next to the monitor...clutter! I know you can get under-the-desk mounts, but it's not ideal.

I made another thread here about the rumoured 32 inch iMac Pro you might be interested in reading - consensus so far seems to be that it ain't happening!

 

[Chuckeee]

I feel your pain regarding the lack of larger-than-24-inch iMacs! I know many folks will pile on and tell us we need to get accustomed to the idea of separate components but there’s a lot to be said for all-in-ones. However, I’m warming up to the idea of a separate Mac and monitor (if that is indeed my only option, and as of today it appears to be) but as many have already noted, the price of the Studio Display is just bananas. Although I would still prefer an Apple display over the alternatives.

I wish my 27-inch iMac could go a few years longer, but at the same time I hate not being able to upgrade to the latest OS, and I’m already experiencing serious Bluetooth connectivity issues with peripherals, and I’m always being slowed by unresponsive apps. It’s so frustrating some days to just get basic tasks done. And I’m at peak RAM and space so that’s not the issue.

My 27-inch iMac has a Fusion drive, and I have considered upgrading some of the internals to improve performance but I’m not sure I want to spend more money on old hardware that even Apple is no longer fully supporting. I’m ready for more modern processing, chips, etc. I’ll see how much longer I can go with this machine, and whether a larger iMac ever becomes a reality. I can probably hang in there for another year before I through in the towel. But a Mac Mini and Studio Display may be where I end up.

Add an external SSD and use that as your system and main disk drive. When you upgrade, you can take it with you and use it as a second drive. No need to open your iMac and perform surgery. The Fusion Drive is a dumpster fire

 

[dandeco]

The 24 GB of RAM plus M3 SoC is enough for light to medium duty 4K video processing. But serious 4K video processing needs something like a M3 Max with 64 GB of RAM, in my opinion.

Given the specs of the current 21.5" 4K iMacs, that's likely already the case for them, mostly doing up to medium-duty 4K editing. They already have a souped-up Mac Studio and a couple 27" 5K iMacs for 4K video work.

 

[alex4748]

Add an external SSD and use that as your system and main disk drive. When you upgrade, you can take it with you and use it as a second drive. No need to open your iMac and perform surgery. The Fusion Drive is a dumpster fire

That's what I did - much easier to get an SSD and an enclosure for it than to open up the all-in-one display. I actually installed MacOS on a SanDisk Extreme PRO USB stick, purely to avoid having an external drive / wire sat on my desk (OCD!). It works very well. If I didn't do that, I'd have probably gaffa-taped an external SSD to the back of my iMac instead 😁

 

[DerrickEver]

That's what I did - much easier to get an SSD and an enclosure for it than to open up the all-in-one display. I actually installed MacOS on a SanDisk Extreme PRO USB stick, purely to avoid having an external drive / wire sat on my desk (OCD!). It works very well. If I didn't do that, I'd have probably gaffa-taped an external SSD to the back of my iMac instead 😁

Thanks to you both for this advice. This sounds like it would extend my use of the iMac, and hopefully improve the performance issues I’ve been experiencing. I’ve never used an external to boot from, although it all sounds pretty simple. Any further advice you can provide or lead me to to help with this process would be greatly appreciated.

I’m pretty comfortable with most (general) tech and troubleshooting but doing this, even for me, is somewhat unchartered waters, so I know I’ll have basic questions, like: What do I do next?

 

[alex4748]

Thanks to you both for this advice. This sounds like it would extend my use of the iMac, and hopefully improve the performance issues I’ve been experiencing. I’ve never used an external to boot from, although it all sounds pretty simple. Any further advice you can provide or lead me to to help with this process would be greatly appreciated.

I’m pretty comfortable with most (general) tech and troubleshooting but doing this, even for me, is somewhat unchartered waters, so I know I’ll have basic questions, like: What do I do next?

It's pretty easy - you just need to make a bootable installer on a USB drive (you make this via terminal commands, and it basically puts the MacOS installer onto the USB, ready for installation on your external SSD). You would then restart your iMac and hold the option key and follow the prompts to run the bootable installer USB, and install MacOS onto your external drive.

Tutorial here.

Once you've done that, your internal iMac will still have the original MacOS install on it - you can switch back to it if you want / need to in future by holding the option key while rebooting (this will allow you to select which disk to boot from - i.e. internal or new SSD external). Handy if there is something on the old install that you forgot to backup / transfer. Once I was sure my migration was complete, I ended up formatting the internal drive using disk utility and I just use it for additional storage.

As I said, it's pretty easy once you familiarise yourself with the process!

EDIT:

Forgot to say, when you reboot your iMac in future, it will just load the last disk automatically - so if you end up with just the external SSD for MacOS, it will boot from that automatically, so there will be no faffing about selecting a disk every time you turn it on!

EDIT 2:

Also, you can't really cock it up considering your original internal disk won't be getting overwritten - just be sure to select the new external SSD drive when installing MacOS from the USB installer. If it goes wrong, just unplug it all and your iMac should boot from the internal drive as normal! So defiantly worth a shot!

 

[DerrickEver]

It's pretty easy - you just need to make a bootable installer on a USB drive (you make this via terminal commands, and it basically puts the MacOS installer onto the USB, ready for installation on your external SSD). You would then restart your iMac and hold the option key and follow the prompts to run the bootable installer USB, and install MacOS onto your external drive.

Tutorial here.

Once you've done that, your internal iMac will still have the original MacOS install on it - you can switch back to it if you want / need to in future by holding the option key while rebooting (this will allow you to select which disk to boot from - i.e. internal or new SSD external). Handy if there is something on the old install that you forgot to backup / transfer. Once I was sure my migration was complete, I ended up formatting the internal drive using disk utility and I just use it for additional storage.

As I said, it's pretty easy once you familiarise yourself with the process!

EDIT:

Forgot to say, when you reboot your iMac in future, it will just load the last disk automatically - so if you end up with just the external SSD for MacOS, it will boot from that automatically, so there will be no faffing about selecting a disk every time you turn it on!

EDIT 2:

Also, you can't really cock it up considering your original internal disk won't be getting overwritten - just be sure to select the new external SSD drive when installing MacOS from the USB installer. If it goes wrong, just unplug it all and your iMac should boot from the internal drive as normal! So defiantly worth a shot!

Thanks, Alex. I’ll look into this. I have zero experience with terminal commands (this may all be a bit out of my comfort zone and level of expertise) so I’ll review very, very carefully before (if) I leap. But the tutorial looks fairly straighforward and easy to follow.

 

[alex4748]

Thanks, Alex. I’ll look into this. I have zero experience with terminal commands (this may all be a bit out of my comfort zone and level of expertise) so I’ll review very, very carefully before (if) I leap. But the tutorial looks fairly straighforward and easy to follow.

Terminal commands daunted me at first too but it is pretty simple - the commands are provided in the tutorial so you literally just need to copy / paste it - you just need to edit the last bit so that it points to your USB drive instead of 'MyVolume'! Honestly, the whole process is easy - anyone can do it!

 

[DerrickEver]

Terminal commands daunted me at first too but it is pretty simple - the commands are provided in the tutorial so you literally just need to copy / paste it - you just need to edit the last bit so that it points to your USB drive instead of 'MyVolume'! Honestly, the whole process is easy - anyone can do it!

Cool. Thanks.

And, I’m sure by now you've seen this new post: https://www.macrumors.com/2024/08/14/apple-still-working-on-larger-imac/

 

[alex4748]

Cool. Thanks.

And, I’m sure by now you've seen this new post: https://www.macrumors.com/2024/08/14/apple-still-working-on-larger-imac/

I had not seen that! Thanks for sharing. Not sure I can wait until 2026 for it though! My next upgrade is a toss up between a specced out M4 Mac Mini, the base M4 Studio model, or this new larger all-in-one...will probably end up buying whichever comes out first as I am getting impatient now! Don't fancy buying an M2 machine when M4 is around the corner.

 

[DerrickEver]

That's what I did - much easier to get an SSD and an enclosure for it than to open up the all-in-one display. I actually installed MacOS on a SanDisk Extreme PRO USB stick, purely to avoid having an external drive / wire sat on my desk (OCD!). It works very well. If I didn't do that, I'd have probably gaffa-taped an external SSD to the back of my iMac instead 😁

@alex4748 @Chuckeee

Thanks to you both for the advice on booting from an external SSD over my failing Fusion Drive. I have a rookie question: I‘m in the final step of completing this but am now faced with two options: Restore from Time Machine or Install macOS Ventura onto the SSD.

I’m pretty sure I want to Restore from Time Machine so that my bootable SSD is ready with all my essentials and things set much the way they are on my regular desktop. Is that the correct next step? I’m worried that if I select a clean macOS install that the bootable SSD won’t be desktop-ready, so to speak.

Am I thinking about this the right way?

I appreciate any tips.

 

[TinaBelcher]

I don't think it'll come out this decade.
It'll just defeat to purpose of Apple's new cash crab strategy.
They discontinued the 27-inch iMac and downgraded to 24-inch, in order to make a more expensive high end; the 27- inch studio display and then tricking the customers into buying a "computer" to go along with it, to boost the sale of their Mac mini, Mac Pro, MacBook air, MacBook Pro, but brainwashing customers into feeling like they'll have a range of options to choose a computer that's personally fitted for them. And they're not wrong. It's a fact. I love my studio display, and my MacBook Air. I love the illusion of turning my MacBook into an iMac when I sit in front of my desktop, even though it just projects on to a monitor. However, I'm well aware that I basically was "forced" into paying the price of 2 models of the 27-inch iMac. Apple defiantly achieved what they tried to accomplished. It's basically go big (buy monitor and a computer separately to make them work) or go home (buy the more "affordable" at home iMac desktop computer).

 

[DerrickEver]

I don't think it'll come out this decade.
It'll just defeat to purpose of Apple's new cash crab strategy.
They discontinued the 27-inch iMac and downgraded to 24-inch, in order to make a more expensive high end; the 27- inch studio display and then tricking the customers into buying a "computer" to go along with it, to boost the sale of their Mac mini, Mac Pro, MacBook air, MacBook Pro, but brainwashing customers into feeling like they'll have a range of options to choose a computer that's personally fitted for them. And they're not wrong. It's a fact. I love my studio display, and my MacBook Air. I love the illusion of turning my MacBook into an iMac when I sit in front of my desktop, even though it just projects on to a monitor. However, I'm well aware that I basically was "forced" into paying the price of 2 models of the 27-inch iMac. Apple defiantly achieved what they tried to accomplished. It's basically go big (buy monitor and a computer separately to make them work) or go home (buy the more "affordable" at home iMac desktop computer).

Well, it certainly feels like this is the strategy. I just can’t go back to a 24-inch iMac from the 27-inch I've had (and love) over the past seven years. I’m 99% sure the Mac mini and Studio Display (preferred) are in my future.

But, while I’m a staunch all-in-one guy, I'm more and more comfortable every day with the idea of separate components, for all the reasons that have been bandied about on this and other threads. That seems to be the future for folks who prefer displays larger than 24 inches.

 

[bushman4]

Apple has gone with the Mac Studio with whatever size screen you want (27” 30” 32”)
While they think this may be versatile the customer wants something else They want an All in One AIO
Seems in the last few yeard Apple has wasted a lot of time and money in givinging customers what they don’t want. A perfect example would be Vision Pro while most people really want Apple Glasses

 

[Chuckeee]

While they think this may be versatile the customer wants something else They want an All in One AIO
Seems in the last few yeard Apple has wasted a lot of time and money in givinging customers what they don’t want. A perfect example would be Vision Pro while most people really want Apple Glasses

But do customers really want a 32” iMac Pro or is actually a Low Cost Bargain 32” iMac Pro? How much of that customer demands disappears if the cost is higher than the cost of an XDR display and a Mac Studio? I suspect a large portion* of those clambering for a new SoC large iMac are really looking for the good value that the 27” iMac provided. That for most* it is really about money, not the simplicity of an AOI. But saying it is about money doesn’t sound as noble.

* I assume there are a few that want a large AOI Mac at any price but I suspect they represent a distinct minority

 

[DerrickEver]

But do customers really want a 32” iMac Pro or is actually a Low Cost Bargain 32” iMac Pro? How much of that customer demands disappears if the cost is higher than the cost of an XDR display and a Mac Studio? I suspect a large portion* of those clambering for a new SoC large iMac are really looking for the good value that the 27” iMac provided. That for most* it is really about money, not the simplicity of an AOI. But saying it is about money doesn’t sound as noble.

* I assume there are a few that want a large AOI Mac at any price but I suspect they represent a distinct minority

Personally, I’d be happiest with a 27" (or 30" or 32”) AI0 BUT, as you mention at a price that makes sense.

Oh well. This discussion will continue even though Apple has clearly laid out their roadmap, which sadly for me does not include a larger than 24” (non-Pro) iMac. I don’t need a Pro machine; that’s what the Apple Studio is for.

I know what I need to do once my 27” iMac bites the dust.

 

[TinaBelcher]

Well, it certainly feels like this is the strategy. I just can’t go back to a 24-inch iMac from the 27-inch I've had (and love) over the past seven years. I’m 99% sure the Mac mini and Studio Display (preferred) are in my future.

But, while I’m a staunch all-in-one guy, I'm more and more comfortable every day with the idea of separate components, for all the reasons that have been bandied about on this and other threads. That seems to be the future for folks who prefer displays larger than 24 inches.

This is exactly the reason why I had to go the more expensive direction.
But I'm glad I did. I love that I can use my MBA as a desktop computer and plug it out and use it as a laptop when needed.