Why I decided to get an iMac instead of a Mac Mini

[Chuckeee]

Recycling vs Reusing old iMac displays

When the power supply died on my 27” late 2012 iMac it was time to let it go. But after doing a minimum of research is became obvious that there is a large market for used 27” iMac screens (even my old non-retina 2.5K screen). Sold it very quickly for almost $200 profit (after packaging & shipping).

Lesson learned: There are loads of people looking to reuse old iMac screens, so even after the computer part is gone, it not exactly trash yet.

 

[WC7]

Why? My old age. Simplicity and clean look. I like my connections to be mostly internal.

 

[AlastorKatriona]

As I wrote upstream, how "forward" should we be thinking?

Do you think the current M3 iMac will not last 10 years?

Typical depreciation of a desktop, by a company, is over 60 months. Apple supports a desktop computer for about 8 years (give or take), longer than the expected turn-over time.

And, do you think the current trend in displays will continue, with OLED gaining popularity? For all their weaknesses (which have been known since they were invented, e.g., longevity problems, burn in, etc.), the OLED trend is not going to go away, I propose.

If I do buy an iMac, to replace my currently 15-year old iMac, I'll be happy if I can use it at least 8 years, and if I can use it 10 years then all the better.

That's a good point. A 2014 iMac didn't last 10 years. As in, still usable 10 years later for modern work. Will an M3 iMac? Possibly. It's hard to imagine, with its level of performance, that it won't. But we can't know.

 

[JBaby]

If you're going for seven years, I'd advise overshooting on how much RAM you get. I think you can get by with 8GB today for a lot of uses, but when you get seven OS updates down the road, it will be feeling a lot slower. It's happened on every Mac I've ever bought.

I’m a go big or go home kind of girl. I maxed out everything. I got the trackpad instead of the mouse because I’m a gesture girly. Also, the Magic Mouse is trash IMO.

That's a good point. A 2014 iMac didn't last 10 years. As in, still usable 10 years later for modern work. Will an M3 iMac? Possibly. It's hard to imagine, with its level of performance, that it won't. But we can't know.

That depends on the modern work you need it to do. I’m self-employed and my 2013 iMac can still do the work I need. I’m upgrading because I haven’t been able to upgrade the OS in years. There are apps I want to be able to use not only on my iPad, my main computer, but on the Mac too. I expect the M3 iMac to perform similarly.

 

[AlastorKatriona]

That depends on the modern work you need it to do. I’m self-employed and my 2013 iMac can still do the work I need. I’m upgrading because I haven’t been able to upgrade the OS in years. There are apps I want to be able to use not only on my iPad, my main computer, but on the Mac too. I expect the M3 iMac to perform similarly.

If the iMac from 2013 is still enabling you to do "modern work" then you probably don't need a Mac for it in the first place.

 

[BillyBurke]

I fretted over this choice as well. I can afford either choice (and, honestly, my 2019 Intel iMac was doing just fine...) so I went to the Apple Store to look and touch. That Mac Studio is HUGE. That 27" AD is HUGE. The iMac is so clean and simple. I went for the 16/1TB iMac in Yellow. Very satisfied with the choice. I do email, web, messages, ...just messing around stuff.

 

[ChrisA]

The biggest problem with iMac for me is the smaller 24" screen. For a lot of use cases 24" is big enough but I do some software development and like to have many text windows open and some reference documents all at once. Video editing needs all the screen space you can give it as does 3D CAD. I mostly use a Dell 27" 4K monitor.

But I do have an older Early 2009 20" iMac that still works just fine. t is in a quieter room upstairs and is good for just reading or a few on-line courses I do. The small screen is good if you are only consuming media, not trying to create it because then, you are doing just one thing and don't need many windows open.

 

[JBaby]

If the iMac from 2013 is still enabling you to do "modern work" then you probably don't need a Mac for it in the first place.

We’ll have to agree to disagree.

 

[justmadeupname]

This is exactly what I did. The new iMac will be replacing my Late 2013 iMac. I expect to get at least 7 years from this one. But this time I’m gonna have peace of mind about keeping it so long. I’m so relieved that my current iMac hasn’t had hardware issues because it’s way out of warranty and I didn’t want to buy an M1 iMac.

Wise with getting AppleCare - preferably yearly I'd say.

My 2010 iMac 21.5" screen needed replacing after 2.5 years (covered by 3 year AppleCare) and after 6 years the 512GB HDD (not SSD) failed and it cost me £250 to fix it as it was past the 3 year AppleCare warranty. I recycled the 21.5" iMac after 13 years as it was in another country but it still was perfectly functional.

 

[ignatius345]

Also, the Magic Mouse is trash IMO.

Truly the worst mouse! I don't know how or why Apple gets so many things right but cannot figure out how to make a mouse that fits a human hand.

 

[ignatius345]

If the iMac from 2013 is still enabling you to do "modern work" then you probably don't need a Mac for it in the first place.

Oh please. Even a relatively slow Mac can get a lot of stuff done. Maybe not as quickly as the latest and greatest, but still.

 

[3Rock]

Truly the worst mouse! I don't know how or why Apple gets so many things right but cannot figure out how to make a mouse that fits a human hand.

And never a fix in sight. That’s been going on for so long, you would think that Apple will get the hint by now.

 

[Chuckeee]

Truly the worst mouse! I don't know how or why Apple gets so many things right but cannot figure out how to make a mouse that fits a human hand.

Fortunately, it is super easy to sell them on eBay. For some reason there’s a high demand for them.

 

[WC7]

And never a fix in sight. That’s been going on for so long, you would think that Apple will get the hint by now.

Worse? How about the original hockey puck mouse? But a perfect circle! Gorgeous.

 

[phillyman]

I agree, this is why the iMac is great, especially if one is picky about monitors, which sounds like we both are. I loved my 2017 27in iMac, but sold it to get something more modern (M2 Max). Its truly a shame Apple doesn't make a 27in or 32in iMac with a M3 Pro or Max for 1999 or 2499

Also hot take... I miss and prefer the Jony Ive style intel iMacs, just trim the bezels but keep the curves.

I agree I would get a 27inch in a heartbeat, the 24 for my dad is noticeably smaller (he has a second display at 27) . But they did add a more powerful mini and the studio to the lineup. So they have covered more price points with different monitor options. I think a lot of us would do 27 iMac but feel mini+ASD or studio would be overkill... So Apple doesn't compete with themselves. You don't get to be Apple's size by being nice

 

[justmadeupname]

Truly the worst mouse! I don't know how or why Apple gets so many things right but cannot figure out how to make a mouse that fits a human hand.

Must admit it's fine for my hand - has a low profile and has enough weight to it and it has built in gestures, l love especially scrolling with it.

Edit: And there's plenty of used/new ones on eBay 😉

 

[picpicmac]

Here's a good video on the topic:

That dude just repeats stuff for clicks.

And he includes a spiel about some environmental concern... but it's all an act. His very channel, like so many others, is about SELL! SELL! SELL! for big corporations. Without said corporations continually pumping out new products, he would have nothing upon which to base his Youtube business.

[Apple] seem to be taking the approach of re-marketing the iMac towards a more casual user base, who don't typically upgrade their computers for a long time (think 7-8 years).

Which means iMac buyers waste less than those non-casuals who keep buying new things every couple of years.

 

[picpicmac]

as evident from the numbers the Mac Mini and even the Mac Studio do over the iMac

Whose numbers?

I've posted before the estimates from analysts that show the iMac outsells the Mini by 13x.

It may be true that the iMac will go away.

But that is also true for the Mac Mini.

I foresee a day when Apple only does mobile and wearables (and TV accessories), offering perhaps one desktop solution for software developers.

 

[adamlbiscuit]

That dude just repeats stuff for clicks.

And he includes a spiel about some environmental concern... but it's all an act. His very channel, like so many others, is about SELL! SELL! SELL! for big corporations. Without said corporations continually pumping out new products, he would have nothing upon which to base his Youtube business.




Which means iMac buyers waste less than those non-casuals who keep buying new things every couple of years.

I accept that his titles are click-bait but I still think that video is at the very least thought provoking.


& in regards to iMac buyers wasting less, yep - that's my point. They're targeting the iMac now to those who have a much lower turnover of computers than 'pros'. There's nothing wrong with that - still doesn't mean they can't bring back Target Display Mode though. It's more practical even if you take e-waste concerns out of the picture entirely (see my example of wanting to use the screen as an occasional monitor for my work machine).

 

[justmadeupname]

I occasionally need to plug in my work computer to an external display. The iMac won't allow for it's display to be used for anything other than itself, so that automatically made the iMac a no-go for me. I'd rather use what little desk space I have on a screen that can be used across different setups.

Yes, this a consideration for me also.

It kind of puts me off a little buying the iMac and instead go modular with say a Mac Mini & Studio Display (though I'll admit it seems Windows work laptops can be hit or miss with the Studio Display).

 

[adamlbiscuit]

Yes, this a consideration for me also.

It kind of puts me off a little buying the iMac and instead go modular with say a Mac Mini & Studio Display (though I'll admit it seems Windows work laptops can be hit or miss with the Studio Display).

I use a Club 3D 4K 60Hz HDMI to USB Type C Video Cable. It works well enough, if all you need is basic video output (the speakers and webcam of the Studio Display won't work with this cable, but I have a headset and external USB webcam so it's a non-issue for me)

 

[zoom25]

I know AIOs that can't be used as external monitor become limited in use after a time (writing from a 27" Late 2009).

However, I do wonder if the Studio Display will have a long life as well due to the Thunderbolt 3 connection. I don't know if it has the staying power that say HDMI has had.

 

[magicMac]

the iMac does come with a very good monitor built-in, in my opinion. One improvement I'd like to see on the iMac though is a slight boost in refresh up to 75Hz/90Hz. I think the size and resolution is fine, I prefer small screens myself.

I think the only thing is if you want a better screen in future you have to change the computer and vice versa, so going to stick to the mac mini train myself.

 

[JBaby]

Wise with getting AppleCare - preferably yearly I'd say.

My 2010 iMac 21.5" screen needed replacing after 2.5 years and after 6 years the 512GB HDD (not SSD) failed and it cost me £250 to fix it as it was past the 3 year AppleCare warranty. I recycled the 21.5" iMac after 13 years as it was in another country but it still was perfectly functional.

Definitely yearly!!!! My 2008 iMac had a hardware failure that made the repair almost the price of the then new Late 2013. I’m grateful to have the option yearly AppleCare. That’s $60 well spent IMO.

Truly the worst mouse! I don't know how or why Apple gets so many things right but cannot figure out how to make a mouse that fits a human hand.

I don’t understand it either. I keep hoping they’ll fix it, but here we are.

 

[Gudi]

I guess one thing to consider about the monitor is whether or not you believe that a monitor 5 years from now will be significantly better - making the monitor inherent in the iMac somewhat obsolete.

3840×2160 = 8,294,400 px (100%) 4K UHD
4096×2304 = 9,437,184 px (+13.7%) 4K iMac
4480×2520 = 11,289,600 px (+36.1%) 4.5K iMac
5120×2880 = 14,745,600 px (+77.7%) 5K iMac / ASD
6016×3384 = 20,358,144 px (+145.4%) 6K XDR

Don't fall for that cheap decent monitor lie. Anything that can match a 4.5K display in pixels will remain more expensive and you don't even get a computer included. In five years time when 6K XDR iMacs will be widely available (albeit at horrendous prices), that 5K Apple Studio Display will have lost its resale value. Meanwhile the 24" iMac will still exist at the entry-level for about the same price as today. Apart from an M7 chip and a USB-C charging port on the bottom of the Magic Mouse, it will be indistinguishable from today's iMacs. So your iMac will also be seen as still valuable, because it has the same great display, beautiful form factor and M-series chip.

New monitors make old monitors obsolete. iMacs only become obsolete when there is a major platform transition to a whole new silicon architecture bringing huge advancements overnight. A lot of people have been burned by buying 2020 Intel iMacs, but a burned-down forest can't burn twice in short time. Now is the time to buy an iMac and not worry about the built-in monitor! 🖥️