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I don't see the massive appeal of a bezel-less display this big. I mean I currently use a 32" LG 4K display as a second monitor on my 2019 MBP. It's a big slab of monitor floating above my desk. The bezel really doesn't interfere with anything. In fact it provides a nice visual border to stuff behind my monitor (sort of like trying to read text over a multicolored background). Sure if you're making a video wall (12K?) it matters, but for most normal people thin/no-bezel really doesn't apply for a massive desktop monitor. yes for video editors and the like that might matter, but lets be honest that is a small demographic. id much rather have no dongles versus thin/no-bezel any day
 
The iMac really does seem like the perfect Mac model to get a whole new design as its first entry into the Apple Silicon side of this transition. It didn't make sense with the MacBook Air or the 2-port 13" MacBook Pro. I'd argue that the Mac mini would've also been a ripe candidate for this, but that particular model's inclusion into the first wave definitely was the messiest part of it.
 
I still don't get the iMac.

It's a monitor with a Mac Mini. Why merge them into something that doesn't need merged?
For one the quality of the panels in the iMacs is exceptional. There are very few consumer monitors on the market that match it - and if they do they are quite pricey. Another positive about the iMac is just that it is 'all-in-one.' Compared to a Mac mini + monitor there are less cables, and almost all monitors are less attractive than the iMac's design. Design and appearance and cleanliness are important to many. The iMac, due to its thermals, is also more powerful than the mini.. for those that need that sort of capability.
 
For something with potentially a 32" 6k display with mini LED and local dimming zones any fans could be for that as much as for an M1X design with additional CPU and GPU cores.

The only thing I would add is that a 6k iMac would surely have to be a 'Pro' model and priced accordingly.

A 24" 4.6K iMac would be a general purpose one for the rest of us.
Most people don’t need 6K resolution. They barely need the 2K resolution available on current, 27” iMacs. 4K resolution, though, is mainstream enough for most people in the market for an iMac and the larger, 32” format would provide exceptional functionality for the majority of use cases without breaking the bank. A 24” 2K monitor would more than fill in the lower tier use cases.

Rather than an all in one design though, I would rather see a federated monitor where the monitor provides TB4 and USB4 Type C hub functionality. I want a clean, adapter free desktop. Also, the Apple Silicon CPU/GPU tech is far more likely to evolve and be replaced faster than any contemporary monitor or expansion bus design. Keep them independent for now until they are, once again, evolving at the same pace.
 
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I keep hoping Apple will announce new iMacs as I need a new Mac within the next couple of months. Right now I’m planning on an M1 Mac Mini but am willing to go with an iMac if it’s worth it. The worst part of this 2 year transfer is not wanting to buy an Intel Mac, but not wanting to buy the current M1 just because it’s the only thing available. I wish Apple would have had more devices ready in the first few months.
 
I thought the general consensus is that they can fit a "bezel-less" 32 inch panel in the same footprint of the 27 inch one, and a 24 inch panel in the footprint of the 21.5 inch version? These are the sizes I'm expecting to see anyways.

The current 27" is about 30.5" diagonal measured from corner to corner including the chin. I then measured on the diagonal of the current screen and assuming a 32" screen with the same dimensions as ratio as the current screen, the width width of the screen would be about 3" wider than the 27" including the bezels. So adding narrow bezels the total width would probably be around 4" to 5" wider than the current 27". Given the chin, the height wouldn't need to change much. With an arm chip cooling should be less of an issue so I'd expect a 32" to be noticeably wider, but not hugely so. I think a 24" becomes much more desirable than the 21.5". For personal use I think I'd be happy with the 24".
 
My biggest complaint about the iMac design is how truly inaccessible the myriad of ports are. Every time I go to change a plug or adapter or dongle, I have to move the monitor around, "swing it up, swing it down" (if anyone here remembers Polaroid's Swinger camera back in the mid-60s, you'll recognize that theme), and then figure out "which direction the Thunderbolt or USB cable needs (Apple's beige-on-white miniscule symbols don't really help).

Why can't Apple design an iMac with the ports on the sides at least? I know it would destroy the pure, raw aesthetic appearance that Jony Ives and Steve Jobs spent endlessly years fretting over, but, come on, let's get some Real Users in there to point out some obvious flaws.

And can we finally get some height adjustment with all of Apple's monitors? My Dell monitors are easy to adjust; what is Apple's stigma towards a flexible, adjustable stand?

In fact, the "swivel" of the iMac is rather too loose for its bulky, flat size. Have you ever watched someone carry an iMac into an Apple store for a repair? It's quite the balancing act!
I don’t mind the ports being on the back so long as there is a way to access them easily. Why not implement an inter interface port design where by you can swivel or hinge the access ports rather than the whole monitor. Alternately, build the ports into stand bottom for easy access.
 
For one the quality of the panels in the iMacs is exceptional. There are very few consumer monitors on the market that match it - and if they do they are quite pricey. Another positive about the iMac is just that it is 'all-in-one.' Compared to a Mac mini + monitor there are less cables, and almost all monitors are less attractive than the iMac's design. Design and appearance and cleanliness are important to many. The iMac, due to its thermals, is also more powerful than the mini.. for those that need that sort of capability.
Apple Silicon has rendered the thermal issue almost completely moot. A mini sized box with heat liberty based transpiration cooling is more than capable of managing the heat load and temperature related heat density.
 
Apple Silicon has rendered the thermal issue almost completely moot. A mini sized box with heat liberty based transpiration cooling is more than capable of managing the heat load and temperature related heat density.
Still confused about where the 'non tech angst' was that you talked about earlier...

Another point I forgot to make is on cost: add up a high-quality monitor, possibly some speakers and a webcam because those are often inadequate or nonexistent on third-party monitors, a keyboard, a mouse, and a comparably-spec'd Mac mini and you are pushing way over iMac's cost territory. The long-term advantage to the mini is that you can upgrade / replace either the display or the computer separately, which you obviously can't do with an all-in-one.
 
I just took a tape measure to my 27" iMac - if the bezels are completely eliminated then the same width x height results in 30.5" corner-to-corner. Thinking about it that way, a 31.5" or 32" display sounds reasonable since it would be only slightly larger than the current 27" iMac even with minimal bezel width taken into account. An inch wider and taller perhaps?

agree

Face ID would be terrific. And better camera.

Similarly, a new 24" iMac would probably be very close in size to the current 21.5", taking the likely much smaller bezel size into account.

I don't think the aspect ratio of the screens won't match the overall dimensions of the current iMacs which include a substantial chin. To some extent the dimensions of the overall unit will be dictated by the aspect ratio of the screen. I tried the tape measure thing before I saw these posts. I figured the new iMacs will have to a little wider, and probably no taller (perhaps a bit shorter) than the current models. But I agree they won't have to a lot bigger.
 
Just make the Mac Mini the size of the trash can Mac Pro and give it some power, that’s what I want. Next to the Mac Pro it would still be “mini”.

The worry I have for the new desktop macs is that Apple will cease using third party graphics and rely only on their own integrated graphics.
 
I'm partial to blue. Pink would also be nice. The thing is, there's nothing wrong with my existing iMac aside from the occasional slow response. Hmmm, maybe a point here!
 
When reading about the bezel-less iMacs I am always wondering how fingerprints on the display can be avoided when inserting something into the ports on the back, at least I am holding the iMac in these cases at the chin.
They should built the ports into the stand. Solves a lot of problems.
 
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I am wondering why i woud choose this over a Mac Mini with a monitor of whatever size i choose?
Footprint and overall ease of “so easy, there is no step 3”. That may not be my use case or yours, but it definitely serves enough customers for apple to offer it.
 
I don't think the aspect ratio of the screens won't match the overall dimensions of the current iMacs which include a substantial chin. To some extent the dimensions of the overall unit will be dictated by the aspect ratio of the screen. I tried the tape measure thing before I saw these posts. I figured the new iMacs will have to a little wider, and probably no taller (perhaps a bit shorter) than the current models. But I agree they won't have to a lot bigger.
Good points, and we are in agreement that the overall size will be very similar, depending upon what they do release (31-32" being what most seem to expect).
 
My biggest complaint about the iMac design is how truly inaccessible the myriad of ports are. Every time I go to change a plug or adapter or dongle, I have to move the monitor around, "swing it up, swing it down" (if anyone here remembers Polaroid's Swinger camera back in the mid-60s, you'll recognize that theme), and then figure out "which direction the Thunderbolt or USB cable needs (Apple's beige-on-white miniscule symbols don't really help).

Why can't Apple design an iMac with the ports on the sides at least? I know it would destroy the pure, raw aesthetic appearance that Jony Ives and Steve Jobs spent endlessly years fretting over, but, come on, let's get some Real Users in there to point out some obvious flaws.

And can we finally get some height adjustment with all of Apple's monitors? My Dell monitors are easy to adjust; what is Apple's stigma towards a flexible, adjustable stand?

In fact, the "swivel" of the iMac is rather too loose for its bulky, flat size. Have you ever watched someone carry an iMac into an Apple store for a repair? It's quite the balancing act!
That's another good point. I think marketing wise a 30" 5.5k display wouldn't sound as impressive as a 32" 6k display but the whole thing would be huge. The Pro Display XDR is best mounted on an external mount so it'll be interesting to see what Apple come up with since the reviews of the $1000 stand aren't that impressive.

Most people don’t need 6K resolution. They barely need the 2K resolution available on current, 27” iMacs. 4K resolution, though, is mainstream enough for most people in the market for an iMac and the larger, 32” format would provide exceptional functionality for the majority of use cases without breaking the bank. A 24” 2K monitor would more than fill in the lower tier use cases.

Rather than an all in one design though, I would rather see a federated monitor where the monitor provides TB4 and USB4 Type C hub functionality. I want a clean, adapter free desktop. Also, the Apple Silicon CPU/GPU tech is far more likely to evolve and be replaced faster than any contemporary monitor or expansion bus design. Keep them independent for now until they are, once again, evolving at the same pace.

You're not thinking like Apple here - they will continue to use the 218ppi panels - if they need a 32" display it will be 6k to retain the Retina qualification. Anyone who says 4k or even 2k will be sufficient in a 32" panel hasn't understood what makes Apple different and they may as well buy a Mac mini and add their own Dell display.

A 24" iMac at Retina resolutions will be 4.6K which will be good enough.

Ironically, if Apple are going down the Mini Pro line then people who want to use their own display choice are sorted as well.

The only question mark there what Apple choose to do with the upper SKU Mac mini which can dissipate a 65w Intel CPU. If Apple put an M1X SoC in the upper SKU mini in June's WWDC/October (at the same time as the iMac for example) and give that 4 Thunderbolt ports then it might just be fine for most people - especially if GPU performance going to be much improved over the standard M1.
 
rumors were already pointing to bigger than 27".

btw maybe they could go to a wider screen.

I think I would be more interested in the low end being 24".
 
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