Non-retina 2017 iMac: Why is Apple still selling it? Who is buying it?

[Yebubbleman]

Apple is still selling the 2017 non-retina 21.5" iMac. They never updated it in 2019. It still comes with the same class of Intel Kaby Lake CPUs that came in the 2017 2-port 13" MacBook Pro. It's hard to navigate to on Apple's website (though, it's much easier to get to from the Apple Store iOS app), which only seems to want to direct you to the 24" M1 iMacs or the 2020 27" Intel iMacs.

Not to knock anyone for buying one of these in 2021, but is anyone buying them? Does anyone have any insight as to why Apple has kept this model around? It seems like a really odd choice to keep it around in the lineup, especially since the 2-port M1 model isn't priced to be its replacement like it ought to have been.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

Apple is still selling the 2017 non-retina 21.5" iMac. They never updated it in 2019. It still comes with the same class of Intel Kaby Lake CPUs that came in the 2017 2-port 13" MacBook Pro. It's hard to navigate to on Apple's website (though, it's much easier to get to from the Apple Store iOS app), which only seems to want to direct you to the 24" M1 iMacs or the 2020 27" Intel iMacs.

Not to knock anyone for buying one of these in 2021, but is anyone buying them? Does anyone have any insight as to why Apple has kept this model around? It seems like a really odd choice to keep it around in the lineup, especially since the 2-port M1 model isn't priced to be its replacement like it ought to have been.

Because they are in stock, then they are listed on the shop. It's normal business practice.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Because they are in stock, then they are listed on the shop. It's normal business practice.

Things do get discontinued.

 

[4sallypat]

Government, schools, and corporations that deploy many at the same time and want an older OS vetted for use with certain MDM controls.

Our organization uses them with the slow spinning HDD as we bought tons of them for computer labs. They are pre-T2 which makes them easy to enroll in DEP and have our 3rd party MDM control for: easy wipes, restores, OS updates and track usage (man in the middle) cloud filtering.

 

[acorntoy]

We bought two for our small business a few months ago, after the M1 but before the 24’. Hardest work is typing in quantities in safari. If the stores dead I’ll put Hulu on.

Was the cheapest imac, don’t really get used at all, and they look as classy in the stores as the more expensive models would’ve been. Easy decision. Mini would’ve required me to also get a screen and other extras, quite possibly troubleshoot problems randomly on my off time (“so the screen was working… and now it’s not, all I see are cables can you come see?”)

They work great, the worst thing about them is the screen. As far as I can tell it’s the exact same 1080p display that debuted on the late 2009 21.5”. It’s washed out, dim, and grainy. But when your just typing 12 into an inventory box that doesn’t matter. I can see (limited) interest in them. If you want one you know what to look for, which is why it’s hard to find.

 

[acorntoy]

Even after the 24” I’d still buy the 21.5” for the company. It has legacy ports which are needed for things like label printers and such, and it has more than two ports. To get both on the 24” you’d need the 1.5k model.

The processor is solid. Intels single core gains have been dismal since 2016, which has led to newer devices being only slightly better at things like safari (meaning the 2019 4K 21.5’s weren’t that much faster). Its also $400 cheaper than the next suitable option with the refresh. A no fuss workhorse with familiar software that doesn’t encourage use by being lavish, while also looking high end to anybody who isn’t using it personally.

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

If it's cheap enough, maybe the price can justify.

 

[RodDavies]

Because they are in stock, then they are listed on the shop. It's normal business practice.

Because not everyone wants a 24” pastel coloured PC?

 

[Nguyen Duc Hieu]

Because not everyone wants a 24” pastel coloured PC?

That's speculation from buyer's perspecive.
My speculation is from seller's (Apple's) perspective. Selling what you have in stock until the last one, as long as the stock remains, and storage cost can balance with the sales margin.

 

[mdgm]

especially since the 2-port M1 model isn't priced to be its replacement like it ought to have been.

It's possible that when the 24" iMac is refreshed probably in about 12-18 months that they keep the low-end M1 model around but drop the price a bit and replace the higher end model with a M2(?) model or two. We'll have to wait and see.

 

[azentropy]

Things do get discontinued.

Sure, So they should just bury them in a landfill?

 

[BATman.Berlin]

Bought one in January for my kiddo to do school. It is fast enough for that, screen size is perfect for a 3rd grader. We tried a 27” before and it was too big.
They still have their niche and are sturdy, proven and affordable.

 

[rambo47]

They got 'em, they sell 'em. Clearance-priced to move, and when they're down to the last handful Apple will donate them.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Government, schools, and corporations that deploy many at the same time and want an older OS vetted for use with certain MDM controls.

Our organization uses them with the slow spinning HDD as we bought tons of them for computer labs. They are pre-T2 which makes them easy to enroll in DEP and have our 3rd party MDM control for: easy wipes, restores, OS updates and track usage (man in the middle) cloud filtering.

To my knowledge and experience the T2 Macs aren't hard to enroll into DEP. Wiping the OS could be an issue if you're not keen on keeping current with the OS, but that's an issue that isn't necessarily easier on M1 Macs too.

Incidentally, I'd think that if you want a Mac using an older, but still supported macOS release, the Intel Mac mini would be a much better way to go, considering it's got 8th Gen hexa-core CPUs and SSDs versus the non-retina 21.5" iMac's 7th Gen dual-core CPUs and spinning drives.

Even after the 24” I’d still buy the 21.5” for the company. It has legacy ports which are needed for things like label printers and such, and it has more than two ports. To get both on the 24” you’d need the 1.5k model.

The processor is solid. Intels single core gains have been dismal since 2016, which has led to newer devices being only slightly better at things like safari (meaning the 2019 4K 21.5’s weren’t that much faster). Its also $400 cheaper than the next suitable option with the refresh. A no fuss workhorse with familiar software that doesn’t encourage use by being lavish, while also looking high end to anybody who isn’t using it personally.

Seems to be a poor value when compared to the Intel Mac mini.

Sure, So they should just bury them in a landfill?

No, they...wait for it...discontinue them!

They got 'em, they sell 'em. Clearance-priced to move, and when they're down to the last handful Apple will donate them.

Clearance heavily implies discontinuation. There is no discontinuation here, hence my post.

 

[acorntoy]

To my knowledge and experience the T2 Macs aren't hard to enroll into DEP. Wiping the OS could be an issue if you're not keen on keeping current with the OS, but that's an issue that isn't necessarily easier on M1 Macs too.

Incidentally, I'd think that if you want a Mac using an older, but still supported macOS release, the Intel Mac mini would be a much better way to go, considering it's got 8th Gen hexa-core CPUs and SSDs versus the non-retina 21.5" iMac's 7th Gen dual-core CPUs and spinning drives.



Seems to be a poor value when compared to the Intel Mac mini.



No, they...wait for it...discontinue them!


Clearance heavily implies discontinuation. There is no discontinuation here, hence my post.

It isn’t a poor value, as the mini would increase workload without providing any benefit.

The second point; Mac mini you mention is less than 10% faster at single core performance, browsing and light tasks that’s not going to be noticed whatsoever.

Also the 21.5 includes 256gb SSD’s standard since August 2020. 1TB fusion is now BTO for free.

 

[acorntoy]

They got 'em, they sell 'em. Clearance-priced to move, and when they're down to the last handful Apple will donate them.

I don’t think that’s the case, when the pandemic hit and work/school from home boomed most of Apple computers were shipping in months the base 21.5 had a 2-3 week delivery time on Apples website, as well as being out of stock on Amazon BH etc. They were out of stock and being built as ordered then shipped directly from China to consumer the same as newer models, even if they weren’t being ordered as much. There wasn’t a glut of inventory.I think it might be for the few who are willing to buy it the margin is so great it’s worth continuing.

 

[rambo47]

I don’t think that’s the case, when the pandemic hit and work/school from home boomed most of Apple computers were shipping in months the base 21.5 had a 2-3 week delivery time on Apples website, as well as being out of stock on Amazon BH etc. They were out of stock and being built as ordered then shipped directly from China to consumer the same as newer models, even if they weren’t being ordered as much. There wasn’t a glut of inventory.I think it might be for the few who are willing to buy it the margin is so great it’s worth continuing.

Makes sense. If there's still enough demand Apple will fill it. I suppose it fills a deeded space in the product line up at a popular price point. A lot of people don't want to buy a first-get iMac with the M1 processor but they still need a new desktop computer. I've learned the hard way that buying first-gen Apple models is a perilous proposition.

 

[Lerten]

I think its quite similar to what they did with the MacBook Pro 9,2 (mid 2012 - non retina, HDD and DVD drive) as well as the 2015 MacBook Air. Both of them were sold for a couple of years after their redesigned successor was announced. They are cheaper (lets them advertise the starting price) so more people want them, plus some customers want/need the older tech (dvd drives on the MacBook Pro, USB-A on the MacBook Air and so on). I’m not a fan of that approach, generally speaking, but it seems to be working rather well for Apple.

 

[junkw]

Because not everyone wants a 24” pastel coloured PC?

24" silver is not pastel

 

[4sallypat]

I think its quite similar to what they did with the MacBook Pro 9,2 (mid 2012 - non retina, HDD and DVD drive) as well as the 2015 MacBook Air. Both of them were sold for a couple of years after their redesigned successor was announced. They are cheaper (lets them advertise the starting price) so more people want them, plus some customers want/need the older tech (dvd drives on the MacBook Pro, USB-A on the MacBook Air and so on). I’m not a fan of that approach, generally speaking, but it seems to be working rather well for Apple.

Yes, I remember Apple doing that for our large organization purchase of the legacy MBP (2012 13" non Retina) - we purchased many in 2016 at a very low price even though the model is 4 years old - they are very solid and still work to this day.

They are also easy to manage in our MDM environment which is why we also got the non Retina 2017 iMacs without T2.

Pre T2 makes is super easy to wipe remotely whereas the newer MBP (we recently got 750 2020 Intel i7 MBP) are a pain to remote wipe - they require IT to personally touch the device with a firmware code and bypass the security enclave by using a provisioner USB drive.

 

[azentropy]

No, they...wait for it...discontinue them!


Clearance heavily implies discontinuation. There is no discontinuation here, hence my post.

Not sure what you are looking for, a big red blinking notice on the page saying they are discontinued?? Apple doesn't do that. Sometimes they may list things as limited availability, but even that is rare. Take the HomePod, even though they actually made an announcement that it was being discontinued you don't really see anything to that affect on the store.

If they did that as others have pointed out it doesn't mean they don't try and sell the remaining inventory or complete a production run using available parts. At that point they will just disappear from the store. I do agree that it is a very very poor value at what they have it priced at. Costco was at least clearing out the 4K version for that price (or lower).

24" silver is not pastel

The pale and flat grey of the chin could definitely be classified as pastel according to various definitions...

Oxford Languages/google define pastel: a soft and delicate shade of a color.
merriam-webster: pale and light in color
dictionary.com: having a soft, subdued shade.

Even if you go to say Sherwin-Williams website and look at just pastel colors, you will see some pastel while/greys that are almost an exact match. Or just google Pastel Grey in general and you will see plenty of other examples and matches.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Yes, I remember Apple doing that for our large organization purchase of the legacy MBP (2012 13" non Retina) - we purchased many in 2016 at a very low price even though the model is 4 years old - they are very solid and still work to this day.

They are also easy to manage in our MDM environment which is why we also got the non Retina 2017 iMacs without T2.

Pre T2 makes is super easy to wipe remotely whereas the newer MBP (we recently got 750 2020 Intel i7 MBP) are a pain to remote wipe - they require IT to personally touch the device with a firmware code and bypass the security enclave by using a provisioner USB drive.

You mean to tell me you can't remotely execute a startosinstall command via an installer to wipe a given machine? It may be cludgier than using your MDM provider's remote wipe function, but it would basically accomplish the same thing.

Not sure what you are looking for, a big red blinking notice on the page saying they are discontinued?? Apple doesn't do that. Sometimes they may list things as limited availability, but even that is rare. Take the HomePod, even though they actually made an announcement that it was being discontinued you don't really see anything to that affect on the store.

If they did that as others have pointed out it doesn't mean they don't try and sell the remaining inventory or complete a production run using available parts. At that point they will just disappear from the store. I do agree that it is a very very poor value at what they have it priced at. Costco was at least clearing out the 4K version for that price (or lower).

I'm not looking for anything per se. It just makes minimal sense to keep a four year old iMac in the line-up at that pricepoint. If they were to discontinue it and keep a low-end (but configurable) version of the 2019 21.5" 4K Retina iMac, that would make a degree of sense because that machine is likely using parts that haven't been discontinued by their OEMs. I can't imagine that Intel hasn't EOLed that dual-core U-series Kaby Lake i5. At least if they kept the 2019 model, it's much more likely that Apple would be able to keep it around for longer.

 

[CWallace]

Apple is still selling the 2017 non-retina 21.5" iMac...not to knock anyone for buying one of these in 2021, but is anyone buying them?

Not to come off as being glib or snide, but clearly someone is buying them - and in a decent enough aggregate quantity to make it worth continuing to manufacture them.

As some have suggested, there are likely commercial and institutional buyers who need to either run Intel-only apps under macOS or need Intel Windows BootCamp / VM support which invalidates the 24" iMac. They would still be buying these by the tens of thousands (again, in aggregate) which makes it worth Apple to continue to make them available for sale.

I fully expect the 27" iMac 5K will still stick around (probably as the $1999 SKU with RAM and SSD BTO options) when the new ~32" Apple Silicon model ships for the same reasons.

 

[Yebubbleman]

Not to come off as being glib or snide, but clearly someone is buying them - and in a decent enough aggregate quantity to make it worth continuing to manufacture them.

As some have suggested, there are likely commercial and institutional buyers who need to either run Intel-only apps under macOS or need Intel Windows BootCamp / VM support which invalidates the 24" iMac. They would still be buying these by the tens of thousands (again, in aggregate) which makes it worth Apple to continue to make them available for sale.

I fully expect the 27" iMac 5K will still stick around (probably as the $1999 SKU with RAM and SSD BTO options) when the new ~32" Apple Silicon model ships for the same reasons.

Again, there are better/newer/cheaper Mac models if what you need is an Intel Mac.

Though, I can't imagine you're at all wrong about them keeping around SOME Intel Macs after everything has moved over. They've kept older Intel Macs longer back when there wasn't a processor architecture transition for more cautious reasons.

 

[CWallace]

Again, there are better/newer/cheaper Mac models if what you need is an Intel Mac.

Yes, but perhaps an Intel MacBook Pro or Mac mini is an unsuitable form factor or an AIO desktop is the preferred form factor.

In the end, Cook is not a sentimentalist when it comes to product - if it is not earning it's keep, it gets scrapped (HomePod, Airport, Time Capsule, etc.). On the flip side, if it is earning it's keep, it sticks around (i.e. - non-Retina MacBook Air, AppleTV HD). That it is sticking around strongly implies that the 21.5" iMac is still earning it's keep (at least for the moment).