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Is the iMac a bargain compared to other options?

  • Yes, it's a bargain!

    Votes: 21 63.6%
  • No, it's still an overpriced device

    Votes: 12 36.4%

  • Total voters
    33

iMi

Suspended
Original poster
Sep 13, 2014
1,624
3,200
I am very happy with the new iMac. The display is simply amazing. It's a lot of computer for the money which got me thinking. Is the new iMac also a great bargain?

Let's take the standard high-end model. It retails for $1999

A compatible display costs between $1300 and $1,500. The processor is $250. The graphics card is about $300 (assuming it compares well to RX580). Ram is about $100. Good set of bluetooth keyboard/mouse will run you about least $100.

That's a total cost of compatible specs that is between $2050-2250 and that's before you add the cost of the logic board, speakers, bluetooth controllers, the housing and other miscellaneous bids. This makes the new iMac a bargain, in my opinion.

Do you agree?
 

redheeler

macrumors G3
Oct 17, 2014
8,419
8,838
Colorado, USA
The iMac with Retina 5K Display was first released in Late 2014. At the time there was really only one competing display on the market, Dell's 5K UltraSharp, with the same price tag as an entire iMac for just the display. (The first-gen 5K iMac did seem prone to developing image retention, so looking back that was probably the biggest downside.)

Today it is still hard to come up with a display comparable to the iMac's, thanks to the improvements Apple (and LG, the manufacturer of the panel) have continued to make. So I would say that the current 5K iMac, as well as the two prior iterations, have offered decent value for money.

When someone compares the iMac to a standalone PC (either OEM or self-built from parts) with similar specifications, and says it is overpriced, often they are completely overlooking the value of the built-in display.

Something else that is often overlooked is the PCIe SSD in the iMac - much faster than a typical SATA III SSD, and that is why it costs more of a premium to get.
 
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trsblader

macrumors 6502
May 20, 2011
450
203
I don't know that it's a "bargain" but it seems to me to be competitively priced. When I think of bargain I think of 30 or 40% off normal cost. A 5k screen doesn't matter much to me, so if I were to build a PC I could save quite a bit right there. Piece for piece though, I think it's very reasonable.
 

Moriarty

macrumors 6502
Feb 3, 2008
436
208
Apple's hardware is not cheap, but the haters who claim that you can get better PC hardware for less money are nuts. You just can't. They cheat by using slower SSDs, 4K displays, exclude costs such as the OS and keyboard / mouse, etc.

You can build your own for about the same price as the 5K iMac, but it's not an AIO, and you have to build it all yourself. Forget about pre-builts from other manufacturers...
 
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Shivetya

macrumors 68000
Jan 16, 2008
1,669
306
While I like my iMac, having owned them for many years, they are not a bargain and these false price claims are just silly. If you want to see what iMac should be go look up Digital Storm's Aura.

34 INCH curved 1440p screens and the buyer can perform upgrades on many components.

is it a perfect replacement? No, but an AIO can be done in many configurations and the iMac leaves a lot to be desired. Apple just seems incapable of moving forward. the iMac Pro disappointed me the instant I saw that it was stuck in a 27 inch chassis. Just like iMac continues to disappointment that larger sizes are not availabe
 

SaSaSushi

macrumors 601
Aug 8, 2007
4,156
553
Takamatsu, Japan
While I like my iMac, having owned them for many years, they are not a bargain and these false price claims are just silly. If you want to see what iMac should be go look up Digital Storm's Aura.

34 INCH curved 1440p screens and the buyer can perform upgrades on many components.

Nowhere near the quality of the iMac's panel on that thing. I'm sure it's a lot louder and if Apple ever released a product that looked like that there'd be a revolt.
 
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Moriarty

macrumors 6502
Feb 3, 2008
436
208
While I like my iMac, having owned them for many years, they are not a bargain and these false price claims are just silly. If you want to see what iMac should be go look up Digital Storm's Aura.

34 INCH curved 1440p screens and the buyer can perform upgrades on many components.

is it a perfect replacement? No, but an AIO can be done in many configurations and the iMac leaves a lot to be desired. Apple just seems incapable of moving forward. the iMac Pro disappointed me the instant I saw that it was stuck in a 27 inch chassis. Just like iMac continues to disappointment that larger sizes are not availabe

3440 * 1440!? With specs that are otherwise similar to the iMac for the same price? Get that ugly e-peen outta here :D:D:D

That's a gaming machine which has a purchasing cost that's much greater than the sum of its individual components (and a terribly low-res display). The iMac is a professional machine, and it just so happens that you cannot build an equivalent 5K PC for less money.
 

paulryp

macrumors regular
Sep 22, 2016
135
133
No. In the UK I'm looking at £3,000 for an i7 580 512ssd. That is not a barging, If i can get that spec in 6 months on the refurb store then maybe, but 3K ill be sticking with my 2011 iMac.
 

BenTrovato

macrumors 68040
Jun 29, 2012
3,035
2,198
Canada
None of Apple's offerings are a bargain and they are not trying to be a bargain either. Their mandate is to deliver premium look/feel hardware and a premium user experience. I think the display figures you used are too high, at least for where I live and building your own (upgradable) configuration is always going to be more of a bargain over an all in one machine.
 

jackoatmon

macrumors 6502a
Sep 15, 2011
617
655
*edit – deleted / sorry thot this was about the new iMac Pro
 
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SaSaSushi

macrumors 601
Aug 8, 2007
4,156
553
Takamatsu, Japan
No. In the UK I'm looking at £3,000 for an i7 580 512ssd. That is not a barging, If i can get that spec in 6 months on the refurb store then maybe, but 3K ill be sticking with my 2011 iMac.

Wow, it seems to me that in the UK the iMac may, in fact, be overpriced if that's what it costs there. I'm in Japan and at current exchange rates, I paid about £2000 (8% tax included) for exactly that machine (7% educational discount as I teach part time in a local university).

By the way, you left out the most expensive component, the iMac's unrivaled display.
 
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vkd

macrumors 6502a
Sep 10, 2012
969
345
I wouldn't go as far as to say a "bargain" but having said that, this mid-2011 iMac is the best computer I've ever used, a real pleasure, which I am sure is value for money. Looking back on all the headache, heartache and frustration from being a Windows user, in summary its a price you have to pay.
 

HobeSoundDarryl

macrumors G5
First, one would need to define "bargain" in some tangible way.

Next, you are comparing retail prices of components vs the price of this iMac. Conceptually, you could price out every bit of almost anything and make the mass-produced alternative a "bargain". For example, I'm drinking out of a plastic tumbler. I think I purchased it at Walmart for about $4. Is that a bargain?

If I wanted to argue that it was, I'd could price out what the plastic would cost, what the molds would cost to make, what the glues would cost, etc. In the end, to make one from scratch vs. the mass-produced one I have, the latter would certainly be a financial "bargain" as I'm sure I couldn't make the same for less than $4.

In building the iMac, Apple isn't paying retail for the various components and then offering it at a generous discount. They are getting all those parts at aggressively-negotiated prices. They are not paying manufacturing costs for just one built for OP. Instead, they are mass producing these and thus getting all kinds of labor economies. And so on. If one tries to build an equivalent from scratch, the price of this can probably be viewed as a "bargain."

In common use, getting a "bargain" is usually implying that the buyer somewhat managed to put one over on the seller: "at the bankruptcy option, I got a bargain on this _________ because it was XX% lower than what it would cost at retail"... or "I got this ________ on sale at 50% off retail. What a bargain!"

What you get with this iMac is Apple's full retail price. You're not beating Apple's retail- just paying the full price they want for this product.

So it is a bargain? Again, define bargain. To make paying full retail a "bargain" one probably has to flip the definition into a subjective perception of value for the money spent. Do you think you got good value for the money? Apparently you do. If so, your definition of bargain might be thought of like that... a substitute for a perception of "good value".

In my own case, I've still got a working iMac purchased in 2010. I consider it a bargain because it is still fully functional and helping me make money as a business tool even though I paid more than this $1999 price way back then. Here, I'm bending the definition of bargain (too) by associating it with longevity of service of this tool. I'm (also) substituting the word bargain in place of "value".

In short, I think nobody gets a "bargain" out of paying full MSRP for anything. However, I think many can get a "good value" out of this particular product, especially if it can serve them well for many years to come. That's just my own opinion based upon my definition of "bargain". Others will certainly differ.
 
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Fishrrman

macrumors Penryn
Feb 20, 2009
28,198
12,361
"Is the new iMac also a great bargain?"

No. It isn't.
Not even close.

If you've got the money, it may be worth it to you.
Particularly if you use it to earn money -- then it becomes a business expense which is depreciable.

But for many folks, it ain't no bargain.
Indeed, it's a costly piece of equipment.

But I like the new iMacs and have recommended them to others.
 

paulryp

macrumors regular
Sep 22, 2016
135
133
I think if apple released a mac mini i7 with thunderbolt 3 and fast ram. No one in there right mind would buy an iMac.
 
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