I have a 2010 iMac 27 i7, 32Gb ram, 1TB SSD that I use for photo editing raw files in Capture One. It will be a problem that I have to use high sierra if I buy a new camera in a couple of years. Editing is also a bit slow. Will I gain a lot buying the new M1 the model?
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Should I go for the new 24" iMac?
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I would definitely upgrade to 16 GB of unified memory, but you will see much improved performance overall from a much better CPU, GPU, storage, memory, display, cooling, form factor, webcam, speakers & mic and setup for the future on Apple Silicon architecture over your 2010.
What are your needs now?
There’s no point in switching to a new computer now in case you decide to purchase a new camera in a few years. Better then to save money until you can get the camera you want and a computer that matches your performance needs at that time.
If you use your 32 GB of RAM then going to an M1 Mac isn’t viable. If you step down from a 27” screen to a 24” one you will probably feel cramped.
Save your money until there’s a real 27” iMac successor. At that point you can make a fair judgment of what model fulfills your needs at a cost you can bear.
If you're not buying a new camera for a couple more years, there is no sense in basing your computer purchase on it now. If your current computer works for you right now, keep using it. You're using an 11 year old computer right now, which is astonishing to me. I would keep using it until the wheels fall off, so to speak.
If the computer doesn't work well for you now, then buy a new computer now.
Who knows what OS a camera will work well with years from now... so there's little point in considering it now.
If the computer doesn't work well for you now, then buy a new computer now.
Who knows what OS a camera will work well with years from now... so there's little point in considering it now.
It depends on your needs, if you use it for work and this “slow” iMac is causing your waste time/money. Definitely buy the new iMac 24”. But if you are not going to change your camera until a couple of years it’s a no sense. You can wait for a better and powerful chip and a redesign of the 27”.
16GB of RAM maybe It’s more than enough in this M1 chips
16GB of RAM maybe It’s more than enough in this M1 chips
I think Mikael's advice is right on, particularly if you tend to keep your computers for more than a couple of years. Good hunting!
If it were me, I'd be looking at exactly what my needs are in terms of software, and workflows. Whatever computer is in use is merely a tool to achieve the required results, and if the existing tools work, then they don't need changing.
The problem would come with hardware that is getting older. Not because it is inherently less reliable, because generally that isn't particularly true, but because it is slow, relatively speaking.
The degree to which that matters depends on the work being done, and broadly, as long as the software doesn't change, and the work remains based on the same data volume, there isn't any great need to upgrade - either hardware or software.
Unless software 'times out', the fact macOS may not support later versions than the one in use matters very little either. This is why for some people it is still possible to use G5/G4/G3/68k Macs for productive work, even now.
All of which means that if it were me, I would be happy to stick with what I already have if it still works for me the way I want it to, and still gives the results I need. But, if I were to find it lagging, particularly in being able to deliver results in a timely fashion through performance degradation or software restrictions, I would look to upgrade, based on the realization that the time I was losing to poor performance costs money, and that a new system would potentially pay for itself reasonably quickly as a result.
The problem would come with hardware that is getting older. Not because it is inherently less reliable, because generally that isn't particularly true, but because it is slow, relatively speaking.
The degree to which that matters depends on the work being done, and broadly, as long as the software doesn't change, and the work remains based on the same data volume, there isn't any great need to upgrade - either hardware or software.
Unless software 'times out', the fact macOS may not support later versions than the one in use matters very little either. This is why for some people it is still possible to use G5/G4/G3/68k Macs for productive work, even now.
All of which means that if it were me, I would be happy to stick with what I already have if it still works for me the way I want it to, and still gives the results I need. But, if I were to find it lagging, particularly in being able to deliver results in a timely fashion through performance degradation or software restrictions, I would look to upgrade, based on the realization that the time I was losing to poor performance costs money, and that a new system would potentially pay for itself reasonably quickly as a result.
Unfortunately software does time out. This doesn't apply in the OPs case but if you were publishing an app to the iOS or MacOS App Store, you would need a very recent version of Xcode which would require the latest version of MacOS.
A more common issue might be browser support.
I agree with the OPs feeling that his iMac might be due for replacement. The new 24" iMac would be a solid choice but in his position I would consider the M1 Mini instead. It is quite a bit cheaper and would work with his current keyboard and mouse or touchpad. Also, I believe the 2010 iMac supports target display mode so he could still use his current iMac as a display or to run any Intel only software he had lying around.
I agreed pretty much with everything you’ve said except the memory comment.
The fact is that Unified Memory is a whole new ball game and you cannot simply compare sizes.
My MBA can edit far more videos at the same time then my 24GN I7-4GHZ 27” iMac can from 2014.
As a matter of fact, my MBA literally blows the doors off my iMac in every way. Including graphics, even though the iMac has AMD Radeon video as a discrete graphics system.
It’s because of this that I certainly ordered a 24” iMac 16GB/512GB earlier this month.
My 27 lasted me 7 years as a daily driver; I expect the new one to do the same.
Well you are comparing your M1 MBA to a 2014 iMac which is quite ancient at this point. I don't think Unified Memory is some magical thing that makes a 32gb work load fit into 16GB. If anything I would want more RAM with Unified Memory since it is both the system RAM and the video RAM.
If you run a high memory workload on a machine with not enough RAM your Mac's SSD will be very busy (there are a few threads on this issue).
It depends on your budget, but I might wait a while and see. If your current computer is working, then it sounds like you could wait. The current M1 chips are limited to 16GB of RAM at maximum. Depending on your workflow, you may (or may not) truly need 32GB. If so, the machines in their current form may not be ideal.
The other thing to consider is the screen size. Would you be ok going from a 27" to a 24" display? Yes, the 24" is a 4.5K display and yours is currently 1440p @ 27", but the recent-gen 27" iMacs have a 5K display, and it's rumored that the next-gen larger iMac may have a display in the 30" neighborhood (and at minimum a 5K display, potentially something like a 5.5K display).
With that said, the new machines compared with what you currently have will be like magic. And if your budget tops out at $1800ish, then the 24" iMac may be the sweet spot.
Nice to get that much time to try out the new iMac.
We only get 14 days in the US...
As for photo editing, I use a M1 Mini base with 8GB Unified Memory and does not even lag using Adobe CC. 6 months of using the base Mini and it outperforms any Intel Mac I have used in the past 15 years.
I ordered the base M1 iMac with 8GB as well as Pro Apps Bundle (FCP, LP) and will see how that base machine works editing 1080 videos...
Unified memory is a new ball game but even speedy memory interfaces aren't magical. If your tasks require more than 16 GB of RAM an M1 simply won't cut it. That said, a relatively small percentage of people actually do need more than that, but again: if you do, you're better off waiting for the next class of M chips.
If the operation needs more memory, it would be swapped on disk, so a little bit decreasing speed occur, and nothing more.
Don't think they announce it at WWDC, too close to the iMac "24 announcements.
I think they announce an MBP16 M2 with release in June. And iMac 30/32" seems logical to announce at the end of the year in October.
So I definitely put the order on two iMac 24 but still thinking about the specs I need. Seems 8GB RAM/7GPU baseline works perfect, but as it goes for main workhorses including Unreal Engine 5, Xcode, and some software run in Parallels. Still not sure...
But how much was the 4K monitor?
(and peripherals to make it a fully functioning computer?)