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

[Yebubbleman]

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).

Again, I'm baffled that such a product is earning its keep when it's (a) an extremely poor value in 2021 and (b) Kaby Lake CPUs have to have been long EOLed by this point. I'm pretty sure that's why the iMac Pro was discontinued ahead of the Apple Silicon replacement to the 27" iMac; that Xeon was due to be removed from sale this year to OEMs. I can't imagine a Kaby Lake CPU that was out earlier in 2017 hasn't long since hit that point already.

 

[CWallace]

Again, I'm baffled that such a product is earning its keep when it's (a) an extremely poor value in 2021 and (b) Kaby Lake CPUs have to have been long EOLed by this point. I'm pretty sure that's why the iMac Pro was discontinued ahead of the Apple Silicon replacement to the 27" iMac; that Xeon was due to be removed from sale this year to OEMs. I can't imagine a Kaby Lake CPU that was out earlier in 2017 hasn't long since hit that point already.

To be fair, we're looking at the value proposition as consumers who would use it as their primary machine. And it is indeed a very poor value for most folks in such a situation.

But if, say, a large enterprise customer like Hilton or Marriott are looking at it with an installed base of thousands (or even tens of thousands) units and an IT support system designed around it, it likely is still at least enough of a value to keep adding it.

And yes, Intel formally put Kaby Lake on EoL in late 2020, but that arguably could only have been for retail package units. They could still be making them for commercial customers like Apple or Apple stock-piled enough to continue to sell them for the time being.

You are correct that Intel is ending production of the W-2100 series Xeons used in the 2017 iMac Pro and it could be the model was selling poor enough it was not worth Apple stockpiling them to continue sales (I expect they did buy some to have on hand for future warranty claims and to support paid repairs until the model is formally Obsoleted and all support ends).

 

[4sallypat]

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).

Yes, this is correct.

Where I work, an AIO is important to maintain equipment uniformity across all users.
We have been using iMacs since 2004 and have not changed from the AIO design.

In contrast a MBA/MBP would get stolen in our organization, Minis would end up with user supplied monitors and different looking I/O devices would be used, etc....

 

[azentropy]

Costco has the 4K Retina version for $899 currently. That is really what version they should have kept and priced it at $999 or $1099.