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A base 27” iMac in 2020 will run you $2000.

Today a base Mac Mini and 27” studio Display will run you $2100

Overall only $100 more plus your display isn’t wasted should you upgrade to a M2 Mac mini, Mac Studio or Mac Pro.

I can see why Apple’s in no hurry.
 
Sure, but at some point in time you still have adapt to inflation.
I do think there is a valid reason why they did raise the price on the MBA while going a different route with the Mini.
Screens and batteries are something Apple needs to buy from 3rd parties and if those prices did go up.

The cost of an M2 MBA here in the UK went up by 25% compared to an M1. Even if adjusted for inflation the thing is £130 more expensive than the previous model. In the US it's something like $80 after inflation. When you take into account that most people's income does not magically adjust for inflation it's quite steep.

I don't disagree that prices will inevitably rise, even though you'd expect older stuff to get cheaper over time, but I still believe that Apple very deliberately positions these products as 'new' -- and therefore at a new and higher price point -- rather than the updated version of an existing product, because then the price increases would be even more visible.
 
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They used to need to be plugged in. They don’t need to be plugged in any more. But I’m sure someone will explain why it’s better in 3,2,1..
Wait, what? What Mac desktops could you run without plugging into power? It’s only laptops that can run on battery.

Either I’m grossly misunderstanding you, or you’ve started your Super Bowl drinking early.
 
I have a 2020 iMac but with much better specs. I would have loved an alternative to the iMac but the Mac Pro was and is absurdly expensive and the Intel Mac minis absurdly underpowered and had no GPU worthy of the name.
I think you’ve nailed why the iMac is no longer important: now that the Mac mini isn’t underpowered, and the Max Studio exists, there’s not much an iMac brings to the table.

A Mac mini and Studio Display today costs more than an iMac, but a mini and display today plus an upgraded mini 2-3 years from now costs a lot less than two iMacs. As others have pointed out, people tend to hood into displays longer than computers.

And Apple, who prides themself on respecting the environment, can tout this as less waste. That’s one reason I think the iMac’s days are numbered.
 
A base 27” iMac in 2020 will run you $2000.

Today a base Mac Mini and 27” studio Display will run you $2100

Overall only $100 more plus your display isn’t wasted should you upgrade to a M2 Mac mini, Mac Studio or Mac Pro.

I can see why Apple’s in no hurry.

More like $1799 in 2020 vs. $2299 factoring input devices.
And you'd have the bare minimum of their desktop offer.
But then yeah I can see why Apple would be in no hurry.
 
The timeline of all these updates is so messed up.

Chip shortages. Apple couldn't escape it, even with them hogging everything up from TMSC. While it was recent the shortage impact has been lessened, but a company as huge as Apple plans their product manufacturing over a year in advance. We're seeing the hobbled together product line they must've planned during the height of it, or coming one the downhill. M2 will probably be the shortest M-series chipset.
 
If you factor the 2020 27" iMac costing $1799, you'll have an heck of an experience paying the same amount for the Studio Display and then staring at it with a blank look on your face because there is no computer attached.
A new 27" iMac at $1,800 today would only come with 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD. To be actually useful, I'm guessing you'd have to spend at least $2,500.
 
Sorry iMac fans but I don’t think it’s coming. Apple is working on several other external monitors and I believe that they along with the Mini and Studio are going to be the new iMac.
 
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Wait, what? What Mac desktops could you run without plugging into power? It’s only laptops that can run on battery.

Either I’m grossly misunderstanding you, or you’ve started your Super Bowl drinking early.
Oh come on. I’m saying, the old Intel Mini used a high wattage “desktop” chip that wasn’t used in the low power MacBooks. Now, the Mini uses the same chip as in the MacBooks, so it doesn’t NEED to be plugged in anymore, but Apple still puts it in the old Intel-era case because they suck.
 
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I said this on another thread about iMacs and I feel it still applies:

Feels like Apple has painted themselves into a corner with the iMac now. I think the iMac now will only ever get standard M chips and not the Pro/Max/Ultra line ups and the Mini and Studios will essentially become the desktop version of the iPhone S cycle.

If they make a 27” or bigger and it’ll eat into ASD sales and probably Mac Mini sales.

Or make an iMac with M2/M2 Pro and a decent selection of ports (more than 2 USB C on the base spec) and it’ll eat into Mac Mini Pro and low end Studio sales.

The biggest con is the ASD as others have said - it’s the same panel as the 27” 5k iMacs of the last 5 years only now you don’t get a computer with it and they are still charging nearly the same price…
 
I know the 24" iMac is entry-level, but it seems weird to wait 3 years between updates when other entry-level products, like the MacBook Air and the Mac Mini are updated more frequently than that. What makes the iMac the lowest priority Mac?
 
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A base 27” iMac in 2020 will run you $2000.

Today a base Mac Mini and 27” studio Display will run you $2100

Overall only $100 more plus your display isn’t wasted should you upgrade to a M2 Mac mini, Mac Studio or Mac Pro.

I can see why Apple’s in no hurry.
Yeah. With Siri there's no need for a trackpad, keyboard & Thunderbolt cable.... That adds up to 2515.00 + tax
 
I know the 24" iMac is entry-level, but it seems weird to wait 3 years between updates when other entry-level products, like the MacBook Air and the Mac Mini are updated more frequently than that. What makes the iMac the lowest priority Mac?
low sales
 
If you factor the 2020 27" iMac costing $1799, you'll have an heck of an experience paying the same amount for the Studio Display and then staring at it with a blank look on your face because there is no computer attached.
Mind you, they put an A13 in it, which probably has as much single core horsepower as the Intel processor in that 2020 iMac, but they're not letting you use it. Quite the experience indeed...
 
I seriously doubt Apple would go through the trouble of designing the new iMac and then drop it two years later.

But the day the iMac ends I will mourn. Just as I did with the iPod (I also mourned the ending of the last VW Beetle—one of the last distinctive cars you could buy). Besides its versatility the iMac looks cool. As a child of the 1960s/‘70s the iMac is science fiction here today.

There is part of me that doesn’t give damn how good a Mac Mini is with a separate display, even a Studio Display—I don’t like the look of it.
 
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For the average homeowner, the M1 is more than capable and will last many years. Only tech nerds trying to chase tech complain there aren't yearly updates.
Not disgreeing with you on the tech/performance aspect, but Apple sells top-shelf products at a premium, it’s hard to justify buying something with last year’s specs at the full price when more recent components are used in some models only (and not necessarily the most expensive ones either).
 
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Have a feeling the iMac is heading the way of the iPod.
It’s just a consumer product that
That wouldn’t be the case if Apple lowers the price of the existing/new iMac. The Mac Studio setup is too confusing for new consumers. More importantly, it’s kinda pricey.
the max mini is the most likely choice for the average consumer and not the studio. I was interested in the studio until they released the Mac mini with the m2 pro chip
 
I need something by the end of this year. My iMac Late 2013 now OBSOLETE with Apple and some of the features of Catalina is breaking or struggling. I don’t want to buy one introduced 2 years ago or so because that’s the start date of when Apple does its obsolete marker on a product. It’s not when you buy it, it’s when it was introduced.
 
What if the MacBook Air goes the same route as the iMac right now and doesn't end up getting updated until the M4 chip? Its like Apple wants each form factor to have advantage over the other. Hence why they are not updating the Mac Studio concurrently with the release of the new Mac Pro. Also, the other issues with supply chain might also be factoring into this.
They aren’t going to neglect one of their gets selling products. They know exactly who is buying their devices and when. I wouldn’t be surprised if the iMac consumers are a very small group of people. Especially after a few years where many consumers where actively upgrading their stuff
 
A base 27” iMac in 2020 will run you $2000.

Today a base Mac Mini and 27” studio Display will run you $2100

Overall only $100 more plus your display isn’t wasted should you upgrade to a M2 Mac mini, Mac Studio or Mac Pro.

I can see why Apple’s in no hurry.

That's innacurate.
According to Mac Tracker a base 27" iMac in 2020 was $1799, not $2000.
The base Mac Mini is $599 and the display is $1599 - $2188 in total.
The keyboard and mouse (included with the iMac) would need to be purchased too if you went for a Mac Mini and Apple display. This would cost a further $179, bringing the total to $2376 - a difference of $577 to the 27" iMac - not the $100 you claimed.
 
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