Are the new 4K 21.5" iMacs worth buying

[QCassidy352]

2011 21.5" iMac is probably the best version of that size ever. I couldn't imagine downgrading to a later year model of the same screen size.

Loved my 2011 21" - had an i7, 256 ssd, 12 gigs of ram, and the 6770. It was a terrific computer that I only sold because I moved somewhere I had no desk space. But now I do again, and I miss it.

 

[fathergll]

I do think that the new iMac 4K is an excellent buy for a home computer. The only downside (not upgradeable at purchase time) is the iGPU but that's not a grad deal.

If you are looking into playing games @4k you're looking at the wrong computer. I can't stress it enough, the HDD can be upgraded at purchase time to SSD and the home user is not expected to need more than 8GB of ram.

Here's my problem. Once you configure your iMac with an SSD(which is mandatory in 2015 imo), after tax you are spending close to $2k on a computer with 8GB of ram.

If Im dropping that much money on a computer in 2015 it better have 16 GB because I don't want to be the guy in 3 years saying "why didn't I double my memory when I had a chance years ago?"


It's not an excellent buy. The 27" iMac is an excellent buy do to the low cost for a 27" display, dedicated GPU and upgrade-able memory

 

[kupkakez]

I picked up the 4K iMac and so far I'm enjoying it. I have super basic needs and it's been great so far. The screen is absolutely worth it in my opinion! I was teetering between the mid-21.5" and the 4k, glad I spent the extra ~$200.

 

[Lankyman]

I picked up the 4K iMac and so far I'm enjoying it. I have super basic needs and it's been great so far. The screen is absolutely worth it in my opinion! I was teetering between the mid-21.5" and the 4k, glad I spent the extra ~$200.

That's how I would rate this machine - 1. for the basic user or 2. for a user where money is no object or they simply cannot accommodate a larger screen.

Either way it's no longer a mainstream product IMO.

 

[toddzrx]

They are the best all in ones available, accross the range (21 & 27) you have the option to get just about any configuaration you could need for all but the most demanding use cases. To be honest with the choice of 8GB to 64GB and up to 3TB fusion drives or 1TB ssd's I can't see why anyone would need to upgrade the internals.

If fiddling around inside a computer is your bag then apple don't make anything for you anymore it's as simple as that, you may not like this direction they have taken but they have taken it and all you can do is put it as an option to discard if buying what you need up front is not what you want to do.

I see comments like these a lot on this forum as well as over at AppleInsider. Not sure why people comment like this, but most everyone is identifying the value they're NOT getting, in this case with the new 4K iMac. Sure, while you can upgrade to a pretty nice machine, you're paying an awful lot for it.

 

[toddzrx]

Its sad they've pidgeoned-holed the 21.5 iMac as a consumer/family computer, but oh well...

Agreed, and that' too bad. I've got a 2010 21.5" that I did the SSD upgrade on, and it's a great computer that I will use for the next 2 years more than likely (assuming nothing breaks catastrophically). Seems to me the 21.5" range used to cover both more basic consumer needs as well as professional/prosumers too, but this current one doesn't strike me that way at all. Instead, it seems to me that it's been built to maximize profits instead of building a very nice, capable machine with decent value: 5400RMP HD, no discrete graphics even as an upgrade, and surprisingly not even a single USB-C port. Apple even got cheap on the lower-tier Fusion Drives.

 

[Thrilledge]

I had the 2013 iMac. And just purchased the new 4k iMac with the Fusion Drive upgrade. I'm returning it. It seems like the Fusion drive is much slower than the 2013 version. I can't do much at all on it without getting beachball like crazy. Also the boot up appears much slower. Not sure if I just have a bad one. Thinking about going with the 27 now.