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Not sure why some people run dinosaurs and like it. I've always come out ahead financially selling the old model while it was still worth something, and buying the new model (sometimes "recently discontinued") at a discount. That way I'm running either the latest or perhaps one generation behind for less money than others spend maxing out RAM and putting in an SSD in their dinosaur that still has a sub-par processor and less video capability.
Emotions, low information, lack of planning, unforeseen financial situations and so on.
 
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There is a suitable replacement, the 4.5K iMac is absolutely capable of doing everything the 5K did. It's just a little smaller and the next 5.5K iMac will be just a little bigger.
Do you have any sources on a 5.5K iMac?
 
What’s ironic is that these machines are still completely usable, and will also run ventura with patchers. There honestly hasn’t been a massive upgrade in the past decade in computing power, especially looking at higher end 10 year old computers. Cheap 2012 Celeron PC laptops, sure those have been junk for several years already. Any i5/i7 based mac or PC from roughly a decade ago until now, if you throw a couple ram sticks and an ssd in it, it’s good as new and still a perfectly fine computer for most people. It really speaks to the longevity of the i5/i7 series CPUs. My Sandy Bridge 2011 iMac actually is still fine too, but it isn’t worth my time or money to upgrade the hard drive to an ssd when I have a 1 year old Ryzen PC and a 2018 mac mini. I understand Apple is doing this from both a business perspective, and I’m also sure any non-Apple part would be incredibly difficult to source at this point, i.e. CPUs/GPUs from 2013. It’s definitely a shame though because these computers are not outdated junk. They just have incredible longevity.
 
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What’s ironic is that these machines are still completely usable, and will also run ventura with patchers. There honestly hasn’t been a massive upgrade in the past decade in computing power, especially looking at higher end 10 year old computers. Cheap 2012 Celeron PC laptops, sure those have been junk for several years already. Any i5/i7 based mac or PC from roughly a decade ago until now, if you throw a couple ram sticks and an ssd in it, it’s good as new and still a perfectly fine computer for most people. It really speaks to the longevity of the i5/i7 series CPUs. My Sandy Bridge 2011 iMac actually is still fine too, but it isn’t worth my time or money to upgrade the hard drive to an ssd when I have a 1 year old Ryzen PC and a 2018 mac mini. I understand Apple is doing this from both a business perspective, and I’m also sure any non-Apple part would be incredibly difficult to source at this point, i.e. CPUs/GPUs from 2013. It’s definitely a shame though because these computers are not outdated junk. They just have incredible longevity.
They're turning 10yo next year.

If you use em for approaching 3,650 days at ~12 hours per day then it may be time to retire them all together.
 
These iMacs look so beautiful and WAY better than the M1 re-design..
I really hope Apple re-design them again for M2 and improve the front design.

Without Apple logo the front of the M1 look incomplete add that white bezel and they really look ugly.very strange design choice and such a downgrade.
 
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These iMacs look so beautiful and WAY better than the M1 re-design..
I really hope Apple re-design them again for M2 and improve the front design.

Without Apple logo the front of the M1 look incomplete add that white bezel and they really look ugly.very strange design choice and such a downgrade.
I think the deficiencies of the M1 iMac design is in its color choices.

Adopt the color pallet of the last Intel iMac and it looks better.
 
I think the deficiencies of the M1 iMac design is in its color choices.

Adopt the color pallet of the last Intel iMac and it looks better.

I love the colours of the iMac 24", and they look even better in person.

The only thing that's prevented one being on my desk – in place of my iMac Retina 5K, 27-inch – is the fact Apple haven't yet introduced a larger variant.
 
Perhaps M1 iMac 24-inch? This is the closest you can get today. The combination Mac Studio + Studio Display is way too expensive and powerful for most users. Definitely not an iMac 27-inch replacement.
If nothing changes, I will probably go with a MacBook. I dont need portability with my office machine but it seems like the next best choice if I add a nice external display. I am going to wait until mine is joining the list to see what happens but it has been on my mind recently.
 
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Sad day. Means my late-2015 Retina 5K will be next up :(

Wished I could've replaced that with another 27" 5K model for the same sub-$2K USD price, but Apple moved in an entirely different direction (as did I - when my M2 MBA goes, will probably replace that with an iPad Air/Pro).

Thing still serves quite well though as a movie/media server.
 
It’s replacement is the 24” iMac launched last year.Can’t see Apple making another 27” iMac now that there is the Mac Studio and 27” Studio Display.
I feel like there was a rumor a while back about the possibility for a 30" again but nothing ever became of it. I think if 24" is the option I will look at it, noticed them in the store and not bad, but likely the answer for me is MacBook. I had one prior to my iMac but didn't need to take it from the office so I went iMac when it was time to update.
 
All-in-one (AIO) desktop computers like the iMac should not be allowed. You throw away an expensive display that is working perfectly. And worse of all, you cannot use Display Target Mode with latest iMacs. Is Apple protecting the environment or is this programmed obsolescence?
While I wouldn't say they shouldn't be allowed, build whatever people are willing to buy. I do think they are a dumb idea. I've only had Mini's and laptops. I have repurposed Mini's running less CPU intensive tasks.
 
My late 13 iMac still runs excellent - use it for heavy Photoshop work and run VMWare Fusion without issue.

I REALLY widh target display still worked. It feels so dumb recycling a great screen for no reason.
 
All-in-one (AIO) desktop computers like the iMac should not be allowed. You throw away an expensive display that is working perfectly. And worse of all, you cannot use Display Target Mode with latest iMacs. Is Apple protecting the environment or is this programmed obsolescence?

But all-in-one (AIO) laptops are okay? I don't see much of a difference.

I agree with your point, but I think a bigger problem than planned obsolescence is people needlessly upgrading hardware. I own two Macs, a 2011 iMac and a 2014 MacBook. Both work perfectly. I use the MacBook as a professional editing computer.
 
I guess Ventura will be the last year of support for my 2017 iMac ? Should still get security updates for a few more years though.
I have the 27" 2017 iMac as well, and I swear it feels like I just bought it (to be fair I bought it new on black Friday 2019, so it was a slightly older model then)- how can we be approaching the end of support already? lol

It's been a great machine.
 
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Not sure why some people run dinosaurs and like it. I've always come out ahead financially selling the old model while it was still worth something, and buying the new model (sometimes "recently discontinued") at a discount. That way I'm running either the latest or perhaps one generation behind for less money than others spend maxing out RAM and putting in an SSD in their dinosaur that still has a sub-par processor and less video capability.

That is what Apple probably wants us to believe, however my iMac enters now its 11th year and if I‘d bought a new computer every time the support ended, I would have had to a new one twice by now, looking at how much you have to pay for a new one and what you get for a used one, there is no way that this is cheaper than just using it longer.

And the term „dinosaur“ is simply not fitting, since as I said, in my case everything I do just works great with my late 2012 iMac and it doesn‘t feel like an old “ancient“ machine, if you want to call computers „dinosaurs“ maybe have a look at Atari or Commodore machines, since these came from actually now dead companies, this term fits better if you are so keen to use it.
 
I guess Ventura will be the last year of support for my 2017 iMac ? Should still get security updates for a few more years though.
Security Updates until 2026.

macOS historically received Security Updates up to its 120th month.

Point updates end typically on the Mac's 7th year. So that would be 2024?
 
All-in-one (AIO) desktop computers like the iMac should not be allowed. You throw away an expensive display that is working perfectly. And worse of all, you cannot use Display Target Mode with latest iMacs. Is Apple protecting the environment or is this programmed obsolescence?

I wouldn't say they shouldn't be allowed, but they aren't a good long-term solution and I stopped buying them about a dozen years ago.
 
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@tubular @Marx55

For us who replace our whole Mac every decade it's a good value.

What I'd like retained was Target display mode with the latest version of macOS.

That would have me using my 2019 MBP 16" with my 2012 iMac 27" until 2029.

Again, wish I kept using my 2012 iMac & 2012 MBA until 2022.
 
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Sad day. My late-2014 5K iMac, 4GHz, 32G with a 1TB SSD (replaced the fusion drive a few years back) and running Big Sur is on that list. It runs great, and doesn't feel obsolete to me.

That said, I do want to transition to SOC eventually, and to have a monitor with a better color gamut. Guess I'll see how long this "obsolete" machine keeps going.
 
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I just installed Ventura on my 2014 5k iMac using Opencore. Still works well for basic tasks, and the screen is still fantastic
 
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