iMac 21.5--a couple questions

[JonMPLS]

I need to update my home system--my aging MacBook Pro. This time I want a larger screen, so I was planning on an iMac 21.5. I realize changes are coming in the fall, but I need to replace it now. The 27 is just too large for my desk and wipes out the view in my home office, so settled on the 21.5. My main use is just email, Safari, manage my music and photos, and the occasional tweak of some photos in Photoshop CS or Lightroom.

Question 1: Is the retina display worth the difference on the 21.5? Part of the reason I am asking is that I had a system configured and delivered, only to have a yellow discoloration in a vertical band just to the left of center. Really visible on any white background. Apple is great on returns, so I took it back. (FYI, this is the first Mac I have ever returned. No iPhone returns either, and only one iPad return . . .)

Question 2: Any other retina 21.5 owners out there? How has your screen been?

Thanks!

 

[kevo0822]

I always feel like there are very few people on here with 4K (21.5") iMacs... but I'm one of them! I'm incredibly happy with mine. I bought a regular iMac a few months before the retina was released. I felt like I was frequently "wishing" for a retina display because text just looked grainy on the traditional screen (...but maybe that's just a sign that I sit too close to the screen). So I bought the retina 21.5 when it was released, gave the "old" iMac to my parents, and have never looked back.

I've never had any issues at all with the screen! I'm sorry yours seemed off... hopefully that was just a fluke!

 

[Jimmdean]

21.5 non-retina owner here. Much the same situation as you until just recently. My desk is much bigger now so I am considering 27" on the next refresh. At the time though I just didn't see the value in upgrading to the retina, particularly since it had the exact same video card and I already had to put in a little extra dough for the SSD upgrade - which I am sure everyone can agree is a better upgrade than the retina if you had to choose.

Very likely the next refresh will do away with the non-retina model anyway - so it will be a moot point. Hopefully we'll know in a few days...

 

[JonMPLS]

Thanks for your replies--I appreciate it! I really like the size and form, and definitely would have kept my iMac if the screen had been more even. Have to admit, the return experience was pleasant. Years ago (quite a few years) I tried to return a custom configuration laptop, and Apple's policy was not to allow returns on custom configurations. So it was really refreshing to have them accept this return for refund. In the meantime, I did a little digging and found that a LOT of my hard drive was occupied by backups of iPhones and iPads I don't even use anymore, so deleted these. For now I think i'm going to wait until the refresh.