If you replace your iMac every decade then a separate Mac + display is useless to you

[xraydoc]

Out of all the years I've been using Macs (a long time), I've only owned two iMacs, and I kind of regretted buying them. I'm not always ready to upgrade everything at once -- sometimes I wanted to just upgrade the display and sometimes I would have fine with the same display but wanted a CPU upgrade. Can't do that with the iMac.

Trouble was, this was during the era of very expensive Mac Pros with poorly performing Mac minis (which I've also had a couple). While for people who keep their computers for an extended period of time, iMacs are ok. But for someone like me who likes to upgrade every few years, it's really not very cost effective. I probably would have been better off buying the more expensive Mac Pro at the outset.

I personally probably won't buy another iMac. It'll be only laptops and/or Mac Studio-type machines for me from now on.

 

[mushy peas]

I personally probably won't buy another iMac. It'll be only laptops and/or Mac Studio-type machines for me from now on.

I’ve had 3 iMacs in succession: 2011, 2014 and 2019 and I for one am glad to see the back of them.

The main reason, and one the OP forgets, is that putting computer and screen together doubles the chances that a problem will knock out your computer and force you to buy a replacement.

For example, my 2014’s logic board died in 2019, but the screen worked fine. Had they been separate, I’d still be using that screen nearly 10 years later. But because it was an AIO, to Apple for recycling it went.

What a waste.

My next computer + display won’t have that problem, and I’ll happily get 10 years or so out of whatever monitor I buy.

Also, why is that people who keep their computers for a long time feel compelled to tell everyone like it’s some sort of badge of pride? No one cares, it doesn’t make you a better person. You just have different needs.

 

[mcnallym]

Not that you are "wrong". Not everyone needs the latest and greatest from their monitor. Once again you assume they are buying a new computer so they can do "graphics design" or some crap. Most people are just buying a new computer so they can continue to stay up to date on security features while they browse the web and check their email. The old monitor is just as good for that purpose.

If is checking email and browsing web then don’t know why people would buy a computer full stop.

is what my iPad is for.

 

[Warped9]

The fact my 2011 21.5 iMac is still in good condition and functional for my needs means I really got my money’s worth and saved me money by not having to buy three computers instead of one over these twelve years. And what I did spend in upgrades would still not have bought me even a Mac Mini.

Back in 2001 when I started looking at getting my first computer I hated the way most of them looked. It was a helluva lot of money for something that looked slapped together and cheap as hell. Indeed in the broader scheme of things it doesn’t seem to have changed much. I have also never liked laptops—I don’t like the smallish screen and the posture you adopt to use the keyboard. I also hate the trackpad. It just doesn’t work me.

Seeing the G3 iMac in 2002 really grabbed my attention. And the more I looked into it the more I liked It. I’ve owned a G3, a G4 eMac and my current 2011 21.5—they all worked flawlessly and I’ve never regretted buying any of them. That and the experience I’ve had with my iPhones and iPads has kept me sticking with Apple.

And thats why now I want/prefer a new iMac for my next computer. It just works for me.

 

[mcnallym]

The fact my 2011 21.5 iMac is still in good condition and functional for my needs means I really got my money’s worth and saved me money by not having to buy three computers instead of one over these twelve years. And what I did spend in upgrades would still not have bought me even a Mac Mini.

Back in 2001 when I started looking at getting my first computer I hated the way most of them looked. It was a helluva lot of money for something that looked slapped together and cheap as hell. Indeed in the broader scheme of things it doesn’t seem to have changed much. I have also never liked laptops—I don’t like the smallish screen and the posture you adopt to use the keyboard. I also hate the trackpad. It just doesn’t work me.

Seeing the G3 iMac in 2002 really grabbed my attention. And the more I looked into it the more I liked It. I’ve owned a G3, a G4 eMac and my current 2011 21.5—they all worked flawlessly and I’ve never regretted buying any of them. That and the experience I’ve had with my iPhones and iPads has kept me sticking with Apple.

And thats why now I want/prefer a new iMac for my next computer. It just works for me.

And a 24” iMac with Mx Processor would still be a massive leap up in monitor and cpu/GPU/storage/screen.

and is still available for you.

 

[mushy peas]

And a 24” iMac with Mx Processor would still be a massive leap up in monitor and cpu/GPU/storage/screen.

and is still available for you.

Exactly. If you're keeping your computer for 10 years you clearly don't have any demanding workflows, so why wouldn't a 24" iMac work just as well as a 27" iMac? Just buy another monitor if the 10% less screen size is such an issue.

These 27" iMac threads are always really about price, they're just dressed up with a bunch of other specious arguments, or someone would just buy a Mac Studio and a Studio Display - or some other monitor - and get on with their life.

A Mac Studio is a much better computer than the tired, flawed 27" iMac ever was.

 

[mcnallym]

Exactly. If you're keeping your computer for 10 years you clearly don't have any demanding workflows, so why wouldn't a 24" iMac work just as well as a 27" iMac? Just buy another monitor if the 10% less screen size is such an issue.

These 27" iMac threads are always really about price, they're just dressed up with a bunch of other specious arguments, or someone would just buy a Mac Studio and a Studio Display - or some other monitor - and get on with their life.

A Mac Studio is a much better computer than the tired, flawed 27" iMac ever was.

The guy has a 21.5” iMac which is why suggested that a 24” shouldn’t be an issue.

if he had a 27” wouldn’t suggest the 24”

i’ll be honest and I cannot deal with less then 27” which is why kept my 3008 with its 2560x1600.

have a dual dell u2719d for work with windows laptop at home and I struggle with the dual 24” when have to go into office.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

The fact my 2011 21.5 iMac is still in good condition and functional for my needs means I really got my money’s worth and saved me money by not having to buy three computers instead of one over these twelve years. And what I did spend in upgrades would still not have bought me even a Mac Mini.

Back in 2001 when I started looking at getting my first computer I hated the way most of them looked. It was a helluva lot of money for something that looked slapped together and cheap as hell. Indeed in the broader scheme of things it doesn’t seem to have changed much. I have also never liked laptops—I don’t like the smallish screen and the posture you adopt to use the keyboard. I also hate the trackpad. It just doesn’t work me.

Seeing the G3 iMac in 2002 really grabbed my attention. And the more I looked into it the more I liked It. I’ve owned a G3, a G4 eMac and my current 2011 21.5—they all worked flawlessly and I’ve never regretted buying any of them. That and the experience I’ve had with my iPhones and iPads has kept me sticking with Apple.

And thats why now I want/prefer a new iMac for my next computer. It just works for me.

The fact that "...my 2011 21.5 iMac is still in good condition and functional for my needs" just means that (A) your needs are very minimal and (B) you were lucky. Far more likely is that an all-in-one box 12 years old would have had some component fail, so do not presume that your good fortune was about good decision making. It was just luck.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

If is checking email and browsing web then don’t know why people would buy a computer full stop.

is what my iPad is for.

Many of us far prefer Mac OS to iPad OS, including for such allegedly mundane tasks. In my world "email" includes building a document to express communication. That means typing, editing typing, getting snippets from elsewhere, concurrently reviewing other documents, importing/editing images, etc. (For me, YMMV) iOS and iPad OS totally suck for email compared to Mac OS.

 

[macfacts]

loved my iMac, but will never buy an AIO ever again. It's just too big and bulky for my taste

Just google image search Imac starbucks, lol, tons of ppl with the opposite opinion

 

[Warped9]

The fact that "...my 2011 21.5 iMac is still in good condition and functional for my needs" just means that (A) your needs are very minimal and (B) you were lucky. Far more likely is that an all-in-one box 12 years old would have had some component fail, so do not presume that your good fortune was about good decision making. It was just luck.

I suppose it was just luck my G3 and eMac never gave me any issues either? The only grief I had with any of them was the door of the optical drive tray on the eMac would sometimes stick. That was it. That was the extent of mechanical failure over three distinctly different devices from the same company over a twenty-one year period. Thats a fair bit of good luck. As such I figure Apple was doing something right when assembling each of those machines. Consequently that gives me the confidence to stick with the company because I feel they’ve earned my loyalty to their brand.

My uses are mine and I don’t pretend to represent anyone else. But the fact is these three devices met or exceeded my expectations for how I use them.

 

[nemodomi]

A Mac Studio is a much better computer than the tired, flawed 27" iMac ever was.

👆 At a cost of 2X-plus for a box-plus-display combo versus iMac cost, one might hope it would be!! 🤦‍♂️

 

[Longplays]

👆 At a cost of 2X-plus for a box-plus-display combo versus iMac cost, one might hope it would be!! 🤦‍♂️

Yeah... if you have the use case of upgrading every 1-6 years. That is a very valid upgrade cycle that I'd hazard more than 80% of everyone does.

This thread is for people who delay replacing until the new Mac design comes out or when official macOS Security Updates cease.

Telling us to upgrade sooner than that is almost as bad as telling PPC Mac forum to throw their 17+yo Macs to the curb.

iMac to us is getting the largest Apple-quality display for use cases that remain largely static.

I've tried Dell displays and the IQ is sub par and ergonomics is meh.

We aren't app developers or constantly upgrading to latest 4K or 8K video camera. We see little purpose of buying a 100MP still camera.

What I'd like to see 8 hours from now would be a iMac 32" 6K M2 Pro at $3k. Yes, at that price I am dreaming but that would sell like hotcakes considering the value.

We also treat iMacs like a laptop. Just replace the whole thing after a decade's use.

 

[J&JPolangin]

The fact that "...my 2011 21.5 iMac is still in good condition and functional for my needs" just means that (A) your needs are very minimal and (B) you were lucky. Far more likely is that an all-in-one box 12 years old would have had some component fail, so do not presume that your good fortune was about good decision making. It was just luck.

...the 2011 iMac must be a good machine, mine is also still working great with 24Gb RAM & a 512 Gb SSD user installed over thunderbolt to Firewire 800 as the boot drive (so I didn't have to open her up) and none of the original components have failed me either.
I gave the original 2x2 Gb RAM to a friend so they could upgrade their machine for free...and the original 500 Gb HDD still functions inside the iMac as well...

 

[mushy peas]

👆 At a cost of 2X-plus for a box-plus-display combo versus iMac cost, one might hope it would be!! 🤦‍♂️

So, uh, buy a Mac Mini. Much cheaper, and still vastly better.

This really isn’t complicated.

But what you’re really complaining about here isn’t the computer, it’s that Apple put the old 27” iMac panel in the Studio Display and added an iPad to try and justify a ridiculously high price.

 

[mcnallym]

Many of us far prefer Mac OS to iPad OS, including for such allegedly mundane tasks. In my world "email" includes building a document to express communication. That means typing, editing typing, getting snippets from elsewhere, concurrently reviewing other documents, importing/editing images, etc. (For me, YMMV) iOS and iPad OS totally suck for email compared to Mac OS.

Well that would be because you are editing and creating documents. Not simply ”checking email”.

if you had given an accurate picture of what actually doing then wouldn’t suggest an iPad for what you actually do.

firstly you are going to want a proper keyboard for typing on. iPad keyboard is fine for short message but not document creation.
then also likely going to want a much larger screen if not multiple screens so can review multiple docs and the document you creating.

I build documents as well for a living, I goto site, along with suppliers so they can do wireless survey, work out cabling routes and work through what need to supply. Liase with OpenReach so that they know and work out what need to do to provision network circuits.

i then get there proposals through and create my own internal document after checking there proposals including make sure get the correct bill of materials / network diagrams. Snip relevant parts from there documents to incorporat.

I then email that document to the PM for sign off. In the mean while I have been using word processor, spreadsheet, Visio to create the document.

I guess though in your world I just use email.

 

[Mark.g4]

What I'd like to see 8 hours from now would be a iMac 32" 6K M2 Pro at $3k. Yes, at that price I am dreaming but that would sell like hotcakes considering the value.

I too would like an imac with these features at this price, but not with the design and ergonomics of the current 24" imacs.

I would like at least a 28" or a 32", but above all that it is ergonomic, with the possibility of easily installing a vesa mount and therefore also being able to use it vertically.
I would also like the possibility of using it as a Target display and more doors on the back and above all the possibility of disassembling it at least to clean it from dust and therefore keep the cooling system in order .

If I buy a desktop I'm not looking for a big iPad on a pedestal, with the disadvantages of a desktop computer.

All over the world the right to ease of repair is gaining momentum and things have already changed, with Apple already supplying repair manuals, spare parts and tools to get the job done.

So I'd like it without glue on the monitor, but with magnets like on the old one or with screws, easily repairable and above all with the possibility of easily replacing or at least adding memory.

I don't want a glued-down desktop computer as an iPad.

I don't want to generate electronic junk just because the soldered memory of my imac is burnt and it's not convenient to repair it or because it's not possible to repair it.

 

[Longplays]

I too would like an imac with these features at this price, but not with the design and ergonomics of the current 24" imacs.

I would like at least a 28" or a 32", but above all that it is ergonomic, with the possibility of easily installing a vesa mount and therefore also being able to use it vertically.
I would also like the possibility of using it as a Target display and more doors on the back and above all the possibility of disassembling it at least to clean it from dust and therefore keep the cooling system in order .

If I buy a desktop I'm not looking for a big iPad on a pedestal, with the disadvantages of a desktop computer.

All over the world the right to ease of repair is gaining momentum and things have already changed, with Apple already supplying repair manuals, spare parts and tools to get the job done.

So I'd like it without glue on the monitor, but with magnets like on the old one or with screws, easily repairable and above all with the possibility of easily replacing or at least adding memory.

I don't want a glued-down desktop computer as an iPad.

I don't want to generate electronic junk just because the soldered memory of my imac is burnt and it's not convenient to repair it or because it's not possible to repair it.

For right of repair I'd prefer it have more common screws instead of magnets. They can hide them by putting it on the back the screen. But with how Apple designed Apple Silicon logic boards to be as tiny as possible I wonder if they'll allow end users to replace the whole logic board

Dell is releasing a 32" 6K display for $3.2k.

So when Apple were to offer an iMac with that screen size themselves it would be priced to under $4k for

- M2 Pro
- 16GB memory
- 512GB storage
- Magic Keyboard with Number Pad & Touch ID
- Magic Trackpad
- Target Display Mode

 

[Warped9]

Some complaining of a component failing on an AIO and then having to ditch the whole device, panel and all. Hmm… Sounds like what happens to laptops which are really portable AIOs.

 

[Mark.g4]

But with how Apple designed Apple Silicon logic boards to be as tiny as possible I wonder if they'll allow end users to replace the whole logic board

Silicon is designed with unified ram and nothing can be done for that, but for HDD there is no reason to solder it...
Today there are service centers that upgrade hdd even on silicon, but it is a slow and complicated operation that requires tools and technique, but it would also be enough to insert an additional slot such as is present on the mac mini M for example (but it cannot be used by 'end user) to be able to add a bank of nvme if needed.
I prefer to put a memory bank inside rather than outside with a case.
In short, less planned obsolescence and easier repairs and upgrades are needed to reduce the environmental impact and electronic waste.
I can accept some solutions on a tablet or laptop, but a desktop computer is really nonsense.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Apple & many others said that you are better off with a separate 27" display + Mac Studio/mini as the monitor wouldn't be "wasted" if you upgrade.

Where does Apple say this? Sounds like a straw-man argument to me.

 

[Longplays]

Where does Apple say this? Sounds like a straw-man argument to me.

It's inapplicable to my use case.

 

[Longplays]

Silicon is designed with unified ram and nothing can be done for that, but for HDD there is no reason to solder it...
Today there are service centers that upgrade hdd even on silicon, but it is a slow and complicated operation that requires tools and technique, but it would also be enough to insert an additional slot such as is present on the mac mini M for example (but it cannot be used by 'end user) to be able to add a bank of nvme if needed.
I prefer to put a memory bank inside rather than outside with a case.
In short, less planned obsolescence and easier repairs and upgrades are needed to reduce the environmental impact and electronic waste.
I can accept some solutions on a tablet or laptop, but a desktop computer is really nonsense.

It would be nice if there was a vacant M.2 slot that is super simple to access and secure.

If need be to protect Apple's margin make it unencrypted or even SATA.

Who wouldn't want to put in ~$100 2TB, ~$200 4TB or even ~$400 8TB SSD?

 

[Bodhitree]

I think if you like a good screen, the 24” iMac is still quite a good buy. You just don’t get screens that good which are standalone for that price. And my computing needs are pretty minimal, I write and do a little photography these days.

 

[Mark.g4]

who needs a good screen?
who does photo and video editing, but if you do that 23.8" is today a small size to work with.
for $400 you can buy a 27" monitor with 100% sRG coverage and 98% P3.
With 500 dollars I bought a 32" 4k 100%sRGB and 95%P3 and integrated arm stand...excellent monitors also for photos and video editing, but above all great monitors that allow you to work well.

The new iMAc is a consumer computer, the performance is great, but it's designed for consumer use, there are too many things that limit it.
Those who really need a good monitor won't buy a 24" in 2023 or 2024, because it's too small.