iMac With M2 and M2 Pro Chips Could Arrive Soon, Says Latest Conflicting Rumor

[Gudi]

Or maybe some splendid new display will come out next year and I'll be able to switch to it without being forced to buy a new computer.

The only splendid new display to come out will be the display of the new iMac and its key feature will correspond to some special area of the new M-series chip. Your overpriced Pro Mini doesn't even work well enough with most current third-party displays.

 

[TouchMint.com]

Waiting to upgrade a 2017 32inch? iMac.

I might downgrade to 27inch but for sure not going down to 24inch.

 

[jouster]

You got it all wrong. The only way to justify a Mini + monitor solution is because a large M-series iMac does not yet exist and people don't want to wait. Once people actually have a choice, nobody will want to have everything separate. Just like nobody wants an iPad and its display in two different boxes.

Or because you already own a large monitor, and only need a small, less resource-intensive, box to plug into it. And you also don't want to buy another screen that you can't currently reuse, and another keyboard/mouse that you don't need.

 

[BeatCrazy]

Regardless of the transition, a 2017 iMac could run the latest MacOS just fine. Apple wants us to buy their new products, that’s always their goal. They’re a corporation. There’s no technical or security reason why they shouldn’t be supporting rigs from 2017. Apple Silicon won’t change their business strategy, which is to force people to upgrade on a given timepath.

There's no T1/T2 security chip in the 2017 iMac. And I believe all Sonoma-capable Macs require a T2 security chip

 

[theluggage]

Your overpriced Pro Mini doesn't even work well enough with most current third-party displays.

Well, that's strange because I must be hallucinating the two displays sitting in front of me right now and working very nicely thank you.

 

[icanhazmac]

Macs from 2009 already had a useable lifetime of over a decade.

I don't believe anyone here is trying to or suggesting that we resurrect a 2009 iMac for its monitor. However, if I recall correctly the first 5k iMac was released in 2014, almost 10 years ago, and that monitor would be perfectly at home as a 2nd monitor for a laptop or as a 1st or 2nd monitor for a mini or studio. I would guess that a full 80% of 2014 5k iMacs have been retired, of that number I would also venture to say that at least 75% of those have or had perfectly functioning screens at the time they were retired. There is absolutely no reason not to extend the life of these devices by another 5 or 10 years as a monitor.

An M1 iMac could probably outlive its owner and be passed down through the generations.

Nonsense as you would say. This is the silliest statement I have ever heard. Passed down through generations?!?! I sincerely hope this was a poor attempt at hyperbole. M1 iMacs, like most consumer computers, will be nearly useless as a daily driver at 10 years, if one is lucky. Think you are going to get away with 8gb RAM or 256 gb SSDs in 10 years? That is laughable!

Why aren't you using a Gen1 iPhone? If you are into generational hand me downs, perhaps you could make use of an Apple //c as your daily driver?

A computer-literate person should not have any more use for a dumbmonitor than for a dumbphone.

LOL, another silly statement. I spent 20+ years in IT so I am more than computer literate. Smart monitors, as an example the new ones form Samsung, are not only spying devices that report usage back to the mothership but planned obsolescence in that the screen will outlive the "smarts". How many smart TVs no longer receive app updates after only a couple of years because the TV manufacturers used the least common denominator parts for the smarts? I highly doubt many 8-10 year old TVs are receiving app updates. The list goes on, how many G1 Apple watches are still in use? My daily driver is a 2016 Samsung Plasma with an AppleTV, don't want or need anything more. In my office I have a Samsung 4k "smart" TV that is not allowed to talk to the intarwebz and also has an AppleTV.

Smart people buy smart devices.

Certainly in some cases, certainly not in all cases.

One might say that smart people don't buy redundant "smarts", why does a monitor need smarts?

You could at least try to debate in good faith. None of your arguments hold any water.

 

[Adelphos33]

I think people saying "use third party displays, keyboards, etc" are ignoring some of the quality aspects of Apple's offerings:

Keyboard - Touch ID on the Silicon Mac keyboards is very useful. I use it constantly for passwords, login, Apple Pay, etc. I haven't seen a third party solution for this

Trackpad - Apple continues to make some of the best trackpads in the market

Display - ASD, despite some of its shortcomings, has excellent picture quality. I've been disappointed in offerings like the new Samsung, which don't seem to offer a big price advantage. Even the iMac 24" screen is excellent, with a great webcam

When pricing out iMac, Mac minis or Mac Studios, whatever, I think it makes sense to include the price of Apple's peripherals

 

[icanhazmac]

there is no single, universal solution for all users

Agreed. My point was that there is a clearly defined need for laptops or mobile computing while one can argue that there is little need for an AIO approach versus a monitor and mini.

What's interesting, and sometimes off-putting, is the insecure attitudes and behaviors of some non-AIO users when this topic arises. It's as though some non-AIO users feel threatened that the very existence of AIOs is somehow a threat to their own personal user choice! LOL

I am hardly insecure or threatened by any device. Your attempts at personal attacks aside, please make a case for AIOs, in their current state, versus a mini and monitor?

I see your point about the mini as a separate enclosure, power supply etc. and I find this valid. However, I feel this arguement falls flat on its face when you consider that an AIO monitor can, and probably will, far outlast its CPU. In a scenario like a mini and studio display, I feel the display could live easily through 3 minis with a 5 year life span. If you were to add up all the parts of 3 complete iMacs versus my example of 1 studio monitor and 3 minis I think I win the eco challenge.

As found elsewhere in this thread, my "back-of-a-napkin" idea showing how Apple could easily modularize their M(x) boards and (possibly) provide a solution for both camps by providing users the choice of custom/replaceable monitor/processor solutions that would also be more eco-conscious.

I would completely change my mind about AIOs if your modular idea was introduced. If we could just swap a simple board into a studio monitor (or equivalent), like a Nintendo cartridge, it would indeed provide a solution for "both camps". I think this same argument could be made for mini's, why not have a power supply and cooling enclosure that holds a replaceable board? Or at least a recycle program for the mini enclosure, which is largely unchanged. Certainly the studio could benefit from this as well.

 

[picpicmac]

The screen, pixel-density and scaling on the M1 iMac is basically impossible to beat. I have 4K LG monitors as well. The iMac is a more pleasing visual experience for me, compared to Mac mini + 4K 27" monitor.

I believe you. And I'm still clinging on to the hope of a new iMac announcement before long. Otherwise my plan is to get an M2 Mini + LG monitor.

 

[hooptyuber]

Black bezel or no sale.

 

[theluggage]

What's interesting, and sometimes off-putting, is the insecure attitudes and behaviors of some non-AIO users when this topic arises. It's as though some non-AIO users feel threatened that the very existence of AIOs is somehow a threat to their own personal user choice! LOL

...well, yeah, but there have been times in the past when Apple was putting everything into AIOs and neglecting mid-range headless options (or offering turkeys like the 2014 Mini) which is why those of us who prefer "separates" may feel a bit threatened.

I wouldn't say I was "forced" to buy my 2017 Mac Pro - and I was fairly satisified with it for 5 years - but there really wasn't much choice from Apple when I bought it and I came very close to switching to PC or Hackintosh at that point.

I get the impression that there's a bit of a schism inside Apple over this - and would be worried if they flipped-back to "AIO is the one true Mac" and started neglecting the Studio/Mini Pro.

 

[ignatius345]

My guess - 80%

I'd guess around the same, if not more -- and that kind of explains why MacBooks get updated much more frequently.

 

[ignatius345]

However, if I recall correctly the first 5k iMac was released in 2014, almost 10 years ago, and that monitor would be perfectly at home as a 2nd monitor for a laptop or as a 1st or 2nd monitor for a mini or studio.

My office (small design firm) has literally 6 of these 5K iMacs sitting around doing absolutely nothing. They're getting too old to use for production, and we're all working on M1 Minis with various middling displays on them -- nothing nearly as nice as the 5K iMacs. If we could use them as externals it would be amazing, but Apple didn't see fit to provide for that. For all Apple's greenwashing, this is not a great look from a sustainability standpoint.

 

[goobot]

Why is the M3 'around the corner'? Even when it comes, they wouldn't want to introduce it into a low-volume desktop that doesn't need any of the likely efficiency improvements.

M3 will come to MacBooks, first.

Low volume desktop makes sense if they have low fab space due to the iPhone taking most of the yield

 

[Bug-Creator]

Low volume desktop makes sense if they have low fab space due to the iPhone taking most of the yield

If they can only make a limited number of M3s, put them into an iPP or the 13" MBP (if that is still a thing). Places where the chip makes sense and premium prices can be charged.

In the end it is both marketing and production, where does "M3" generate the most hype and what kind of "M3" can they produce at what cost (the bigger the chip the more a bad yield will hurt).

 

[dandyryan]

LOL. You really didn't think this through very well, did you?

A very solid case can be made for laptops and the need for mobility. People that travel for work, people that WFH but only certain days, the list goes on.

Very little case can be made for the benefits of, as an example, an iMac versus a Mini and a separate monitor.

LOL. You really didn't think this through very well, did you?

You didn't negate my point.

 

[GizmoDVD]

My office (small design firm) has literally 6 of these 5K iMacs sitting around doing absolutely nothing. They're getting too old to use for production, and we're all working on M1 Minis with various middling displays on them -- nothing nearly as nice as the 5K iMacs. If we could use them as externals it would be amazing, but Apple didn't see fit to provide for that. For all Apple's greenwashing, this is not a great look from a sustainability standpoint.

Sell them?

 

[icanhazmac]

LOL. You really didn't think this through very well, did you?

You didn't negate my point.

I believe I did.

Before you try and be unnecessarily pedantic, I was clearly referring to the iMac and other AIO desktops.

While a laptop is certainly an AIO, there is a very clear need and use case for portable computing.

I still stand by my assertion that there is little need or use case for an AIO desktop versus a mini and monitor combo which have very similar computing power and use cases. As far as I can see all the iMac offers versus a mini and monitor is 2 less cables and a bit less desk space.

Please, if you have a well thought out use case where an iMac setup outweighs my perceived downsides to a mini and monitor I’m willing to hear it.

 

[_Refurbished_]

There's no T1/T2 security chip in the 2017 iMac. And I believe all Sonoma-capable Macs require a T2 security chip

A requirement made by who exactly?

 

[BeatCrazy]

A requirement made by who exactly?

Ask Apple?

 

[SamuraiArtGuy]

Consistent with my expectations. I don't believe that 3mn M3 yields are what Apple hoped they would be. And they will absolutely prioritize the better selling MacBook lines, and not until next year. So they'll release a "spec bump" iMac 24" with little further changes other than the improvements that come with the M3 and M2 Pro... more storage and RAM options. Essentially a Mac Mini in the iMac case. M3 iMac in 2025.

As for the dreamed after 27" iMac. Dream on. Don't bet the mortgage money. Apple is under no compulsion to meet the expectations and wish lists of tech nerds. (Dangit). What I do suspect, given it's over enginnering and the fact that it contains an actual motherboard... was that the 27" Apple Display was originally intended to be the 27" iMac, but that plan got derailed and it was repurposed to be the companion display fore the Mac Studio.

 

[SamuraiArtGuy]

No one is going to want it knowing M3 is around the corner.

Wellllll... maybe more like around the corner and down a couple blocks... .

 

[ignatius345]

Sell them?

Uhh sure but that's not the point. The point is that they're excellent displays that, by design, cannot be repurposed.

 

[Gudi]

I would guess that a full 80% of 2014 5k iMacs have been retired, of that number I would also venture to say that at least 75% of those have or had perfectly functioning screens at the time they were retired.

I didn't say Intel iMacs will last a lifetime, I said Apple Silicon iMacs are going to last a lifetime. Just as Moore's Law indicates exponential growth in transistor count, the useable lifetime of those computers grows too.

There is absolutely no reason not to extend the life of these devices by another 5 or 10 years as a monitor.

The lifetime was already 10+ years for Macs built in 2009. A 2021 iMac will easily last two decades and more.

M1 iMacs, like most consumer computers, will be nearly useless as a daily driver at 10 years, if one is lucky. Think you are going to get away with 8gb RAM or 256 gb SSDs in 10 years? That is laughable!

8 GB RAM was enough in 2009 and is still enough. The only reason to retire old iMacs is heat, energy consumption and fan noise.

Why aren't you using a Gen1 iPhone? If you are into generational hand me downs, perhaps you could make use of an Apple //c as your daily driver?

You really don't understand the concept of technological progress, do you? I don't use a 2007 iPhone, because they didn't even sell those in most countries at that time. And I didn't want to waste my money on a 1st generation device. So instead of an iPhone I bought my first iMac in 2009 and that one is still in use as my mom's streaming TV. Yes, those monitors last a long time, but so does the computer inside.

LOL, another silly statement. I spent 20+ years in IT so I am more than computer literate. Smart monitors, as an example the new ones form Samsung, are not only spying devices that report usage back to the mothership but planned obsolescence in that the screen will outlive the "smarts".

The iMac is a smartmonitor, because there's a computer inside. Just like the iPhone is a smartphone, because there is a computer inside. Samsung's so-called "smartmonitors" are like Nokia's so-called "smartphones". Smart in name only, but actually dumb feature phones. A real IT nerd wants a programmable computer in everything, every light bulb, every power socket, every thermostat, door bell, window blinds and of course every monitor. Why would I want a monitor in my house, which I can't program to do what I want?

How many smart TVs no longer receive app updates after only a couple of years because the TV manufacturers used the least common denominator parts for the smarts?

All TVs are dumb. That's why I don't have a TV, I have an iMac.

I highly doubt many 8-10 year old TVs are receiving app updates.

And no computer-literate person cares. Those are not computers. Not smart, not a good purchase.

The list goes on, how many G1 Apple watches are still in use?

Still this silly idea of buying a 1st gen. product. My current iPhone is five years old and does 98% of what an Apple Watch can do. Why the hell would I buy one of those?

My daily driver is a 2016 Samsung Plasma with an AppleTV, don't want or need anything more. In my office I have a Samsung 4k "smart" TV that is not allowed to talk to the intarwebz and also has an AppleTV.

That's four dumb devices. You yourself put the "smart" in quotes. Buy a real iMac!

 

[Gudi]

Please, if you have a well thought out use case where an iMac setup outweighs my perceived downsides to a mini and monitor I’m willing to hear it.

Doesn't it seem a little bit odd to you that the Apple II, the Lisa, the Macintosh, the iMac, the MacBook, the iPhone, the iPad ... heck even the Apple Vision Pro are all AIO computers? And you say: I really wish the AIO form factor would just die.

The name Apple is synonymous with the success of the all-in-one. The Windows PC is the computer that ships in multiple boxes. Or was until Microsoft started the Surface lineup. Why don't you come up with a well thought out argument, why Apple should abandon its success strategy, which made them the largest most profitable company that ever was?