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To those still holding out for a 27" iMac, as I was for all of last year, I am over the moon about my M2 MacBook Air and Studio display. Now that I'm over the sticker shock--I did manage to save $450 between the two--the combination is a joy to use.

After our trusty 2015 27" iMac died a couple months ago, I am currently using the exact same setup - and I hate it. Well, maybe hate is too strong of a word, but lets' say I'm not a fan. At all. If Apple ever comes out with a 27" iMac again, I'll get it. Period.

My Macbook travels with me between home and work (and occasional actual out-of-state trips). I HATE having to plug it in at home. It defies the purpose of a portable computer. Even worse, we are two users at home, currently both using a Macbook Air with the Studio Display. It's a PAIN to change peripherals between macs. All of this is solved with a designated DESKTOP computer. I still hate the idea of a mini, but we're currently saving up for one because the current setup? Is just not what I expect the "Apple experience" to be. Flawless. Easy. Neat. Uncomplicated.
 
I still remain skeptical we're going to see an iMac larger than the 24" with Pro and Max series SoCs. I really believe the Studio + Studio Display is Apple's answer to that market segment (with the Mac mini Pro now an option, as well). That being said, I hope Apple releases one for those who want it.

While I have owned iMacs since 2011, an Apple Silicon iMac is not in my future as I need Intel and Windows Boot Camp in an AIO so I will be replacing my 27" iMac 5K with a Mac mini Pro and Windows PC, both paired to the Samsung 5K display when it finally ships.

LG and BOE are both developing 31.5" 6K 60Hz SDR panels so if Apple does release a larger iMac, it might very well be a 6K model.
 
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I was about to start configuring a Mac Studio. Is it worth waiting for an iMac Pro? How likely is it that the iMac Pro will actually materialize?
 
What I expect from Apple if they do in fact release a 27” iMac.

iMac 24” with pathetic hardware cost: $1900 after taxes.

iMac 27” with up to date current hardware cost: $2,900 after taxes.

Effectively pricing out most of their customer base? Yup.
I don't believe that you are at all exaggerating. I almost bought a Mac Pro years ago with pathetic specs at $2700 but was $3500 after matching specs you would expect for a standard Windows desktop PC. I built my own Windows computer instead for around $1800 with the specs I wanted. My wife has a Dell Inspiron instead of a MacBook for the same reason; we couldn't afford a MacBook with 16 GB RAM/1 TB hard drive. Apple certainly prices people out with its crappy base configuration and insanely expensive upgrades. But I now have the means to eat the cost of upgrades.
 
...if they cared about the environment they’d let us use old 5k iMacs as monitors for new macs.
From your keyboard to God's ears. If they did that, I'd buy a high-end Mac Mini M2 Pro right now.
 
What I expect from Apple if they do in fact release a 27” iMac.

iMac 24” with pathetic hardware cost: $1900 after taxes.

iMac 27” with up to date current hardware cost: $2,900 after taxes.

Effectively pricing out most of their customer base? Yup.
They already have an existing 24" iMac at $1299. Why would it suddenly be $1900?
 
Until everyone dumps the studio display for not being up to modern day spec with 120hz and Mini LED when the new one comes out
Yes, but if you have a Mac Studio system then at least you can upgrade the display without buying a whole new computer.
if they cared about the environment they’d let us use old 5k iMacs as monitors for new macs.
Absolutely agree - I don't think it was feasible with the original 5k iMacs because DP1.2 and Thunderbolt 1/2 couldn't do 5k, but it ought to have been possible with the newer Thunderbolt 3 iMacs. Still, having a second (Intel) Mac running as well as the display is a waste of energy.

Case in point, though - that shows why 'separates' systems are just better, especially when CPU tech and display tech are on separate cycles: if you weren't stuck with an old iMac you'd have been able to keep your old display and use it with a new Studio while you waited for large-screen miniLED displays (if that's what floats your boat) to appear.

Personally, I've shunned the Studio Display and gone with a matching pair of 3:2 4k+ displays which might not match the SD on picture quality, but blow it out of the water in terms of meeting my needs (and together cost less than a single studio display). I can see a niche for the 24" iMac as a general purpose desktop machine, but many higher-end users will want a wider choice of displays.

To those still holding out for a 27" iMac, as I was for all of last year, I am over the moon about my M2 MacBook Air and Studio display.
...and that's the other thing about the "Studio Display" - it doubles as a MacBook Air/Pro docking station so potentially (...I have my own beefs about the price & design of the thing) it can sell to a much wider market than just the niche who still want a desktop machine, which is good for Apple.

The (probable) reason for the demise of the "higher end" iMac is that - thanks to Apple Silicon - the iMac has now lost one of its major selling points: The Intel iMac offered significantly more bangs-per-buck than the MacBook Pro - whereas, now, Apple Silicon desktops are packing exactly the same silicon as the laptop models, and only offer maybe a marginal performance boost over a MacBook Pro (yes, there's the Mx Ultra which delivers more bangs - but for twice as many bucks - and who's to say that a 3nm, more power-efficient Mx Ultra won't show up in a future Macbook Pro).

Laptops were steadily eating the market for desktops anyway and now - in the Mac world at least - they're offering the same specs and performance. I've gone for a desktop because I really don't need portability at the moment, but if I still needed a laptop no way would I have bought a desktop as well when I could get so much power out of a MBP.

The Studio and M2 Pro Mini were probably easier & cheaper to design and build than an iMac-style machine, and the Studio Display can be sold to virtually any Mac (or even iPad) user...

Also note that Apple are now offering a choice of two external displays - and not everybody is going to want to pay the likely price of a 32" XDR iMac - so what are they going to do, make two new models of iMac (for a shrinking niche market)? Offering mix-and-match computers and displays is a much more economical option.
 
The real issue is not the lack of a 27" iMac, the real issue is the insane prices for 27" 5k monitors.

Monitors and TVs have absolutely plummeted in prices since I bought my 2015 27" iMac, yet...well again, we all know the issue.
 
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I'm sure that I am speaking for the majority here...I do not need a 27" iMac Pro, but I do need a 27" iMac with upgraded hardware.
Late 2013 27" iMac owner here, waiting impatiently on Catalina. I would have hoped they would upsize to a 30" or 32" screen by now instead of the same old 27".
 
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My intel 27 inch iMac has been a great machine, however, all good thing must come to an end. After examining the new Studio at the local Apple Store, I realized that I preferred the design of my current iMac.

The 24 inch iMac doesn’t have a large enough screen, nor does it have enough ports or memory. The Studio is a nice machine but for my use is just too expensive.

What I would like to see is an iMac with a 27 to 30 inch display, with processor, port and memory options similar to those of a high end MacBook Pro.
 
The Studio is a nice machine but for my use is just too expensive.

What I would like to see is an iMac with a 27 to 30 inch display, with processor, port and memory options similar to those of a high end MacBook Pro.
The Mac Studio is essentially the same price as a 14in. MacBook Pro. A 16in. MacBook Pro is several hundred dollars more and more than a Mac Studio.

A current Studio Display is a 6k monitor. That leads me to think Apple could market a new 27in. iMac with a 5k display for a similar price as a 16in. MacBook Pro, or maybe even a 14in MacBook Pro.

If Apple does reintroduce a new larger iMac I’m sure they know it will cut into Mac Studio and Studio Display sales. By what margin would Apple be comfortable with is an open question.
 
They already have an existing 24" iMac at $1299. Why would it suddenly be $1900?
Because the $1,200 option is for your school library. Who offers a 256GB HD in 2023 man? With 8GB of Ram. Its a desktop computer for crying out loud.

So either spend $5,000 on their nonsense computer or spend $1,200 and get what a laptop offered 5 years ago? No thanks.
 
I don't believe that you are at all exaggerating. I almost bought a Mac Pro years ago with pathetic specs at $2700 but was $3500 after matching specs you would expect for a standard Windows desktop PC. I built my own Windows computer instead for around $1800 with the specs I wanted. My wife has a Dell Inspiron instead of a MacBook for the same reason; we couldn't afford a MacBook with 16 GB RAM/1 TB hard drive. Apple certainly prices people out with its crappy base configuration and insanely expensive upgrades. But I now have the means to eat the cost of upgrades.
Yup. Exactly what I did. I needed a new Apple TV because it was no longer allowing me to install certain apps. The new Apple TV was $200 so I went and got a FireStick for $35 and bought 4 for 4 different rooms for the cost of 1 stupid Apple TV. The Firestick also puts the Apple TV to shame with its speed, ability and quality.

I waited 8 years to finally get the new iMac 27" and what did Apple do? They released a 24" underperforming to todays standards Crayola Crayon colored iMac for $1,200. So I went and bought a HP monitor and saved myself $1,000. Keep raising prices and lowering the standard of your products Apple, good job Cook!
 
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16 GB RAM standard, please, Apple. You're killing sales by forcing the upgrade price to get what are now table stakes in modern computing.
Oh yes they are killing sales! My favorite iMac now is a late 2014. It runs Big Sur which has less bugs than the newer OS’s. I can upgrade the memory and hard drive myself. How absolutely ridiculous that you have to pay $200 to go from 8 GB to 16 GB. I just upgraded my 2018 Mac mini and paid $150 for 64 GB of memory. I wont buy another new Mac until they get off these ridiculous memory and SSD upgrade prices.
 
It's lunacy that Apple is avoiding bringing an 27" range size iMac now. was hoping this would come at WWDC, but an article like this just shows apple continues to miss a huge need people have.
It’s unreal. They are really killing their educational sales because the 27” iMac is the perfect computer for high school and higher education.

Right now it would be incredibly more expensive to get a Mac mini with separate monitor.
 
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A current Studio Display is a 6k monitor. That leads me to think Apple could market a new 27in. iMac with a 5k display for a similar price as a 16in. MacBook Pro, or maybe even a 14in MacBook Pro.

The current Studio Display is a 27" 5K display...

The current Pro Display XDR is a 32" 6K display...
 
The 27” Retina iMac was affordable and awesome. The 27” iMac Pro was just too expensive, so I am hoping for a 27 inch iMac that’s affordable.
 
As a lifelong Mac user I’m increasingly finding the lack of innovation and the irrational cost increases unpalatable.
When my current 27” iMac meets its maker that will be it for me as there’s nothing that hits the same spot for my use case.

~27” iMac or goodby Apple.
 
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