Will There Really Be Another iMac Pro?

[unsui_grep]

If you're a "Pro" you want the latest processor etc. Displays tend to update less often. It seems better to be able to update your machine and keep the same display.

How often do professional software developers update their laptop screens?

 

[Realityck]

How do you define “overpay?” Raw specs and measurements alone, or the fact that enough people are willing to pay Apple’s price for a product that the company makes a sizable profit?

The $1999 Mac Studio received $200 off Black Friday deals. The Studio Display Apple was selling for $1359 refurb. But New what have we see $100 off thats about it from retailers. I don't think it sells enough for the marketplace to give it deeper discounts. Whereas previous 27" iMacs had better discounting.

 

[Realityck]

How much for an iMac Noob model?

$149 OFF 24-inch iMac (8-core, 256GB) for $1,349.99
Is that what you were thinking about?

 

[throAU]

I once had a maxed out non-Pro iMac. It was a great machine with a great display. However, when the computer was at end of life for computing I said I would never have another iMac because that display was not at end of life except for the fact that it was locked to that computer.

Yup.

For a supposedly green company, Apple's iMac is responsible for a huge amount of premature asset disposal. Monitors last (and work just as well as day 1) for 10 years or more generally. The components inside an iMac will be ancient, unsupported and pretty useless for modern workloads by that point. But the display would generally still be fine.

 

[dubiousgif]

Yup.

For a supposedly green company, Apple's iMac is responsible for a huge amount of premature asset disposal. Monitors last (and work just as well as day 1) for 10 years or more generally. The components inside an iMac will be ancient, unsupported and pretty useless for modern workloads by that point. But the display would generally still be fine.

They should bring back Target Display Mode if they still insist on making iMac. For those who don’t know, it made the iMac into a monitor for other Macs: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204592

Edit: Forgot there’s now AirPlay to Mac and this third-party option which is more robust (supports more Macs/non-Macs, higher resolution): https://astropad.com/product/lunadisplay/

 

[throAU]

They should bring back Target Display Mode if they still insist on making iMac. For those who don’t know, it made the iMac into a monitor for other Macs: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204592

Or even better, release an imac with a processing bay in it that you can upgrade. The M based system boards are small enough that they could be integrated onto a cartridge style plug-able module. System board fried in the compute part? SSD failure? Just unplug the compute unit and swap it out.

But then, apple aren't interested in you only upgrading half your device....

 

[dubiousgif]

Or even better, release an imac with a processing bay in it that you can upgrade. The M based system boards are small enough that they could be integrated onto a cartridge style plug-able module. System board fried in the compute part? SSD failure? Just unplug the compute unit and swap it out.

But then, apple aren't interested in you only upgrading half your device....

That would definitely be the most environmentally friendly.

 

[thingstoponder]

No!
They’re simply is no need for all in ones for professionals these days.
There is still a need for good quality Thunderbolt displays, very few good options out there. But the laptops and studios are definitely the way forwards.

I agree for the iMac Pro. That device was a failure, there’s a reason they never updated it and canceled it with no direct replacement.

But the 5k iMac was a fantastic product. It was downright cheap for what you get. I just bought a 2499 config refurbed from Apple for 1799. i7, 1TB, 8GB GPU. It’s an amazing computer. The only other option if I wanted a 5k display was the studio display which is almost as much with no computer. Hell you can even get a base model 5k iMac for 1299 right night brand new from Best Buy.

 

[thingstoponder]

Or even better, release an imac with a processing bay in it that you can upgrade. The M based system boards are small enough that they could be integrated onto a cartridge style plug-able module. System board fried in the compute part? SSD failure? Just unplug the compute unit and swap it out.

But then, apple aren't interested in you only upgrading half your device....

Seems like way to much effort for little gain. When does an SSD fail? Or a a CPU? It also wouldn’t allow them to maximize performance.

 

[escargot3]

you know there's an iMac you can buy, right?

If you must have a bigger screen, buy it, and use it with the studio or the mini depending on your processor requirements.

Apple has left a gaping hole in the desktop line. Mini only has M1. Stufio only has M1 Max. The vast majority of users want an Mx Pro, which they don’t offer on ANY desktop. What were they thinking??? Unless you need the graphics cores, memory bandwidth, or more than 3 displays, forcing users to buy the Max is just $1000+ down the drain…

 

[escargot3]

I just bought a 2499 config refurbed from Apple for 1799. i7, 1TB, 8GB GPU. It’s an amazing computer. The only other option if I wanted a 5k display was the studio display which is almost as much with no computer. Hell you can even get a base model 5k iMac for 1299 right night brand new from Best Buy.

Yes, but it has an aging Intel processor that won’t be compatible with new versions of macOS in the near future.

 

[Da_Hood]

Doesn't sound like something they egos at Apple would say. Where are the on record saying this? I'd bet it will be called iMac Pro

Interview requoted by this site in at least 2 different articles. Industry reluctantly purchased them, bit voiced their displeasure at the non “pro” adaptability of them.

 

[theorist9]

My best guess is that Apple won't offer an iMac Pro, but they will offer a large iMac:

I don't think they'll introduce an AS iMac Pro for two reasons: (1) The original iMac Pro was intended only as a stopgap, to keep pros satisfied until they introduced the 2019 Mac Pro. (2) The functionality of an AS iMac Pro, which would offer Max and Ultra processors, is already available with the Studio plus the ASD.

However, a large (consumer-priced) AS iMac does make sense, since they offered that before, it was popular, and there is nothing avaialable now that replaces it—you'd need an M# Pro Mini and a consumer-priced 27" Retina display, neither of which Apple offers.

 

[throAU]

It also wouldn’t allow them to maximize performance.

All the connections required for the board to connect to the display could be done over a PCIe slot.

There's nothing that would preclude max performance and being able to swap it out and upgrade it sooner would mean higher performance over time for the user for less money with less environmental waste.

SSDs don't just fail they also get too small.

 

[theorist9]

They should bring back Target Display Mode if they still insist on making iMac. For those who don’t know, it made the iMac into a monitor for other Macs: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204592

Edit: Forgot there’s now AirPlay to Mac and this third-party option which is more robust (supports more Macs/non-Macs, higher resolution): https://astropad.com/product/lunadisplay/

Agree with the first part, since Target Display Mode allowed the iMac to be used as a fully functional monitor.

Alas, that's not the case with Air Play and Luna Display, since using them can lead to compression artifacts and delays; plus they don't offer 60 Hz refresh rate when you choose 5k resolution. I assume what's going on is that the bandwidth with these approaches is much lower than it would be with a direct wired TB connection.

Thus, if Apple were serious about making iMacs less disposable, they would offer them with a TB input. Then the iMac's screen would perform just as well when driven by an external computer as it does when driven internally. IIUC, that's how the old Target Display Mode worked.

 

[svish]

Hoping to see a larger iMac. Atleast a non Pro variant.

 

[Solomani]

68% = chance of a Mild Recession in 2023

38% = chance of an iMac Pro in 2023

 

[Bug-Creator]

If there's cost savings, it will be from a new screen, likely with newer technology,

[about the XDR] sure, nothing stands still and what was high end a few years ago will midrange soon at which point the XDR in it's current form is just a bad deal. They could drop the price, they could replace it with something better, they could cancel it or they could just let it sit on their site for years without selling any.

$800 would have been a stellar deal compared to other similar displays in that market segment.

The same display was used in the 27" iMac which for a few $ more included a full computer made of the parts Apple had to buy from Intel/AMD/etc so it stands to reason that basic monitor of this kind could be sold for $500 (aka $800 with Apple tax). It is just that noone outside Mac cared about 5k@27".
It ain't HDR, it ain't high refresh, it ain't OLED. It ain't anything that would justify premium pricing (apart from the ).

 

[iPadified]

I don't think they'll introduce an AS iMac Pro for two reasons: (1) The original iMac Pro was intended only as a stopgap, to keep pros satisfied until they introduced the 2019 Mac Pro. (2) The functionality of an AS iMac Pro, which would offer Max and Ultra processors, is already available with the Studio plus the ASD.

However, a large (consumer-priced) AS iMac does make sense, since they offered that before, it was popular, and there is nothing avaialable now that replaces it—you'd need an M# Pro Mini and a consumer-priced 27" Retina display, neither of which Apple offers.

Reason 1 is a speculation and the proof for that is that the iMac Pro did not solve anything that modular Mac Pro users requests. Neither did Mac Studio. Reason 2 is valid but here user preferences come in play and people including me think that Mac Studio + ASD is simply an unattractive solution and too expensive compared to 27 inch iMacs. Actually a MBP+ASD is more attractive in many situations in my opinion.

Can't see why a MBP mother boards, MX X SoCs and cooling system in a large screen iMac would be so impossible. Expensive yes but a very nice machine for work.

 

[Bug-Creator]

The vast majority of users want an Mx Pro,

Correction:

A significant number of "loud" MacRumors users claim to want an MxPro.
Might end up just like the iPhone Mini.

The vast majority of users want a MacBookAir followed by the vast majority of desktop users who seem quite satisfied with the M1 Mini and iMac.

Given the layout of the M1Pro/Max/Ultra chips and the almost identical performance between Pro and Max in non GPU tasks I do think that the Pro only exist to better utilize wafer space and is only offered in the 14/16"MBP due to them not wanting to make more and M1Max being somewhat limited thermally at least in the 14".

Put an unbinned M1Pro with 32GB in a Mini and you cannabilze Studio sales. But Apple would want to charge every step updating from a 16/512 M1 to M1Pro with at least 2 binned versions in between.

Now putting the Pro into the 2fan iMac would have made sense, but Apple didn't do it and I doubt they will do with M2 unless they differentiate Pro and Max by more then just the GPU count and memory size/bandwidth.

 

[haydn!]

I can’t see it happening, not now we have the studio.

The original iMac Pro was a quick fix, stop gap solution from Apple after the they struggled to refresh the trash can Mac Pro. Now that’s been replaced and Apple have also now released the Mac Studio, there isn’t really a space for it.

A larger iMac may come, but I doubt we’ll see another iMac Pro any time soon.

 

[threesixty360]

Biggest reason for apple to produce a new 27 inch iMac is economics. They are leaving money on the table as people who buy a mac studio buy another monitor as they don’t want to spend 1500 pounds on one from apple.

Put the two together again and you get what the customer gives to dell or lg for their monitors.

I wonder if the underestimated how many people bought the 27inch iMac. It’s a big hole in their lineup.

I think they need a cheaper monitor or produce the 27 inch iMac again.

 

[stocklen]

Apple has left a gaping hole in the desktop line. Mini only has M1. Stufio only has M1 Max. The vast majority of users want an Mx Pro, which they don’t offer on ANY desktop. What were they thinking??? Unless you need the graphics cores, memory bandwidth, or more than 3 displays, forcing users to buy the Max is just $1000+ down the drain…

"only" ?

All I can say is that your computing requirements fall into maybe 1% of Apples target audience.

I would stand by my theory that you'll not get what you want in that tiny thin enclosure on an all-in=one.


Plus..... an Mx Pro? Its not available in any desktops because it doesnt exist....Theres no such thing. Of course there are Max and Ultra versions... and the Ultra version in the Mac Studio is insanely fast (and pricey!) and way more than 99% of any computer user currently needs. You want more than that? embedded in a millimetres thin display - the thermals seem unrealistic.... You aren't going to get what you seem to want - sorry.

 

[hagar]

For pro users it makes no sense to buy an iMac with a pro screen without the option to ever upgrade the computer parts that will become outdated one day.

So, Apple split up the screen and computer and released the Studio.

Everybody happy. End of story.

 

[dawnrazor]

Bringing back the iMac Pro would be ridiculous, it was a stop gap machine that was far too quickly eclipsed by the regular 27” iMac… Bringing back a 27” iMac might be more likely but then there’s quiet a bit of overlap in the product line… 32” iMac might be something interesting but if it has an XDR screen it’s going to have to be silly money…

The ‘pro’ market is going to be very well served by the new Mac Studio and the new Mac Pro… there is very little need for a iMac in the pro user space anymore…