its a Mac you can pick up and move around.
It's a desktop. Sure the thing is only 10 pounds, but to say that you can pick it up and move it around would seem to be a less common use case than merely wanting ports and wired connections.
I can't find a reason why Id use hard wired internet vs jsut using wifi 6.
Wired Ethernet is ALWAYS a more STABLE connection. Just because WiFi 6 is fast doesn't negate that fact at all.
The main reason for this Mac is the screen quality and snappiness of the M1. If you require the most gpu you can buy, why would you buy this thing versus waiting for the pro version? In the real world, you probably wont notice a difference or the few times you do, its going to be an extra minute wait while you output your 4k color graded movie.
For the record, the lack of the 8th GPU core is not why I'm perplexed by the lower-end model. Nor do I feel like it's a significant difference at that price point. It's the lack of ports and marquee features (Ethernet on the power adapter and TouchID on the keyboard) that seem needless to me. This thing is a desktop. You want ports on a desktop. Telling me that two ports is enough on a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro is one thing (and for many people it isn't the case there either); telling me that it's enough on a desktop is a totally different thing entirely.
My Mac password is 4 characters. DO I really need Touch ID?
No, but you probably need a more secure password than that as that is seriously unwise in this day and age.
I have it and I didnt have it on other Macs and never cared. Typing it is faster than putting my finger up. Sure maybe ill get teh pro Mac or maybe ill get this. the disadvantage of the Big Mac is losing the flexibility of moving it around. I have broken several big screens in the past trying ot move them around, especially the curved monitors. The benefit of this Mac is the screen quality and all in one package for moving around. I didnt want the mini and a monitor because monitors cant match the quality and I dislike cables and trying to gather all the crap just to move it. The more I save on this thing now, the less of a hit I take when selling it for the newer one down the line.
Selling Macs used doesn't work that way. If you buy a specc'ed out Mac, you take the same hit to resale value over time that you would an entry level model. You just get to ask for more for it than you would for the base model. The only difference is that you won't have the demand of the people looking for the cheapest possible Mac no matter what, but that doesn't mean that you won't have the demand of people that would appreciate a higher end model (especially if they need 16GB of RAM and more than base storage).
I picked one up mainly because I have an Air M1 which is my main Apple device with 16gb ram and 1tb of space and then a gaming rig so I don’t necessarily need the power. This is going to strictly be my work device and I don’t need 8 core GPU for my line of work which is just data stuff. Also I just wanted to try it out honestly and wanted to spend the least amount of money possible. Plus colors lol.
I think wanting an entry level Apple Silicon Mac is a solid reason for being okay with a 7-GPU-Core M1 versus an 8-GPU-Core M1. Though, unlike with the MacBook Air where it's a smaller cost differential with not much else different (other than lower base storage capacity), the 7-GPU-Core M1 24" iMac drops a bunch of other marquee features that are not insignificant. Gigabit Ethernet (again, it's a desktop, not a portable), Touch ID, and two more USB ports (when it's already pretty starved for ports to begin with) are not insignificant features to get for the extra $200. Nor are they insignificant to not have on a $1300 Apple Desktop (especially when you can get a base model Mac mini with a 24" 4K display and still have the extra ports and GPU core in tow for that same cost). Again, the extra GPU core is not the talking point here. Though, it's definitely a cherry on top when we're talking about a $1300 Apple Desktop versus the $1500 one that's next higher-end.
I feel the post above has a really good point. If you need the most out of the GPU, best is wait for the replacement to the 27inch or Pro or whatever they do as that will offer you the power one is looking for. I look at these iMacs as an iPad Air if that makes any sense.
Again, the GPU core is not really the issue here. It's the rest of the features omitted from the 7 GPU Core model (namely ports and Touch ID) that make it seem like a poor value proposition.
I didn't order the base model (in fact, I ordered a maxed out one), but I can absolutely see the reasoning behind people buying the base model.
I just posted this on a different thread (I have a very different usage - and interest in computers - to many of my family and friends):
For a very large number of people the base model is exactly what I would recommend.
These are people who don't have huge requirements of their computers. They use them for internet browsing, some music, maybe looking after their photo library and playing around with iMovie for videos they have taken. They may use a word processor or spreadsheet occasionally (often Pages/Numbers as that is free).
For those purposes 8gb/256gb is absolutely fine. I know lots of people like this. Many use Macs.
These are often people who have plenty of disposable income, want an easy experience (they really don't want to be messing around with the things that many on this site love) and whilst they can justify £1,249 for an iMac they have no wish to start upgrading it and feel they are getting a lot for their money.
If these people do upgrade from the base model then I suspect most would do it for touchID rather than to get extra storage. If they did start paying more for storage and the extra GPU core then they are probably paying for something they will never use (outside of the OS keeping files/data in RAM when closed).
The 7-GPU core model and the base 8-GPU core model have the same RAM and storage. Again, the extra GPU core is not the significant drawback here. 2 ports with no Gigabit Ethernet (let alone 10GbE option) on a DESKTOP COMPUTER is the issue here. Also, restricting Touch ID for those willing to shell out $1500 or more is the issue here. If Apple made the base model (7-GPU-Core) iMac cost $1099 or $999 instead, with the base model 8-Core GPU/4-port iMac costing $1299, I'd say that makes sense, is perfectly fair, and is in line with the value that you get from the other M1 Macs.
It's a desktop As such I'm not fussed if my ports are thru a hub or direct connections to the box
If anything the hub has the advantage of the ports being positioned where I want them (at the front) rather than having to scramble around the back of the machine to reach them
It's not like the ports are on the back of a traditional tower. I'd also rather not NEED a hub, but that's kind of moot for anyone wanting USB-A on any model of 24" M1 iMac.
Likewise my preference is to go with network access via wifi. The only time I reach for an ethernet cable is flashing/configuring IP-based controllers - which I do just as easily with a 15 bucks 10/100 RealTek dongle as I could with a baked in gigabit port
Gigabit Ethernet will always be more stable and more reliable than WiFi, even WiFi 6. To each their own about using WiFi vs. Ethernet. Certainly I carry a seldom used Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter with every 2012-2015 MacBook Pro and Air that I own as well as a USB-C to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter with every 2020 MacBook Pro/Air that I own as well. But on a desktop, to not have that as a standard feature seems needlessly penny-pinching on Apple's part, especially since it can be configured to come with one.
To be honest Touch ID on the MacBook Air hasn't been much more than a novelty for me; I still end up having to enter password on start up and there's a fair few situations where I'm asked to validate via password rather than via touch ID
The only situation wherein you need to enter your password instead of Touch ID is when first booting up. Possibly in Terminal on a few occasions. For all other instances, Touch ID replaces traditional password entry.
So frankly, if push came to shove, I'd be more inclined to up the RAM to 16GB on the 2-port base model for the same 1449 UK price point, than spend the 1449 on buying that 4-port/gigabit/8graphic cores/Touch ID equipped model
Certainly with a 1449 pound budget, I'd much rather 16GB of RAM on a 2-port iMac than 8GB on a 4-port iMac. But, if I'm spending that much money to begin with, I might as well save to have my cake and eat it too.
I didn't order that model but I know there are lots of people who simply don't need more than two USB ports, nor ethernet, nor Touch ID. Or, they have a limited budget but still want a Mac.
I know tons of people in that boat too, but just about all of them would eventually find themselves wishing they had just spent more to not have those drawbacks. Not everyone wants Bluetooth keyboards/mice on a desktop, and the notion that you can always add external storage to a desktop for added storage sort of goes out the window when the amount of ports you have are limited (requiring you to spend more of that saved money on hubs). Certainly, for scenarios where Ethernet isn't practical (kiosk machines or portable setups), it's probably plenty sufficient. But for standard home use or use where this is someone's only computer, it doesn't seem to be a sensible buy for what goes missing.
Sometimes when I study specs of a new car I wonder why on earth anybody would consider the base model. But I know it gets you from point A to point B, and in many cases runs and looks almost the same.
Car analogies are a slippery slope. Certainly if you're looking at this as "it's the cheapest iMac", then fine. But if you consider what you're getting, you almost certainly get a better value out of an M1 Mac mini and a 4K display than you would out of that base model 2-port iMac. The features on the 4-port model seem much more obviously justifiable when compared to a Mac mini, let alone a 2-port iMac.
I ordered the base model. I don’t need the extras included in the $200. I run Keynote, Sketch, Affinity apps, PDF Expert, so the base should be sufficient.
If I were heavy into photo and video work, I probably wouldn’t feel comfortable with the base model.
Again, the single GPU core difference, in and of itself isn't substantial. But tack on Touch ID, Gigabit Ethernet, and two more USB-C ports (which are not insubstantial given that, again, it's a freakin' desktop), and it becomes an immediately better value proposition. I don't know how to justify a 2-port 24" iMac over a Mac mini with a monitor or over spending $200 more extra on a system that has connectivity appropriate for a desktop, let alone one made by Apple.
I am considering the base model. Since storage is easily expandable through external drives/network drives, don't necessarily need more than 256 built in. 8gb of ram is fine -- I have the same on the m1 MacBook Pro already. Don't use wired ethernet for 10+ years already.
You only have two ports. Unless you want to spend the $200 you'd have saved on a 4-port model on a Thunderbolt 4 docking station, you sort of negate the benefit of a base model 2-port iMac if external storage is how you justify sticking with 256GB of storage.
Incidentally, network drive performance IS weaker on WiFi vs. Ethernet. Like, I'm not saying that you haven't been able to make it work for the past 10 years. Only that, for desktops, Ethernet is always better than WiFi.
The only thing is Touch ID, but you can get a $30 upgrade to a Touch ID keyboard I think, so you still save $170 over the next highest model and get at least that quite useful feature.
No, two extra ports is not insignificant. This is a desktop, not a MacBook Air.
Gigabit Ethernet is just +30$ and TouchID Keyboard is just +50$, and what do you need to attach to an iMac? 2 ports are plenty.
Wired keyboards and mice (because not everyone likes Bluetooth keyboards and mice on a stationary computer), printers, scanners, external storage, hubs, docks, audio units, cameras, need I go on? I get the point that not everyone needs that stuff. That point is easily arguable in the context of notebook computers. It is not in the context of desktop computers, let alone Apple's mid-range desktop computers.
The added price for just one GPU core seems just a ripoff to me, the question is why don't go for the base model (upgraded or not)
Because ports and the convenience of Touch ID. Also, that I don't need to expend a USB-C/Thunderbolt port to get Gigabit Ethernet.
This is probably a bit of an edge case, but there is also the ability to go up to 2TB. I don't need the extra GPU core, and could probably have lived with the 2 USB but didn't consider the base model because it only goes to 1TB.
Certainly added customization options are nice. The base model seems there to trap people who don't have the budget for the entry level 4-port iMac.
YES!
Gigabit Ethernet is most important to me as wireless is not as fast as true 1GBps link on a 10GBps backbone network.
I don't use WiFi unless I have to (iPad) so $30 for Ethernet option is worth every penny.
The GPU, extra Unified Memory, extra storage does not do anything for me as I don't need it (based on 6 months of use on a M1 Mini base).
Looking forward to my pre-ordered BASE blue M1 iMac - 12 days to go......
When we're talking about the amount of ports found on the M1 Air and M1 13" Pro and we're having that conversation about a freakin' desktop, I'd say those ports are important. Why am I spending $1300 on an iMac that has fewer features than a $1000 MacBook Air? Or rather, am I really paying $300 to have a 24" Retina display over a 13" Retina display, two fans (albeit not directly connected to the M1 in the way that the M1 Mac mini and M1 13" MacBook Pro are) and a lack of portability? Because that seems to be the equation here and that makes even less sense.
I think why would you order the other models unless you want the color options? Just add the ethernet and touch id, and save some money. That's what i will do, spec the base with 16gb, 1tb ssd, ethernet and touch id, save me around $200 that i can spend on accessories like a nice fancy USB hub or something, 2 usb-c/thunderbolt is plenty for me anyways. But everyone have different use cases i guess.
Once I add the Ethernet, and Touch ID keyboard and a Thunderbolt hub, I'm getting closer to the base model 4-port iMac. Seems like a poor value proposition. If the argument is use that $200 saved to get RAM and/or a storage bump, then I'd buy that for a dollar. But to say that I can use that money towards getting the things I get cheated out of by going with the 2-port model when the remaining savings isn't that great (and when I'm still only getting two internal ports) seems to be the wrong reason to go with the 2-port model.
