Apple iMac

[Saab2000]

So my current computer is an 10-year old Apple MacBook Air. It works fine but just sits on the desk in my office. I almost never use the portability anymore as 99.9% of my on-the-road connectivity occurs with an iPad or iPhone even. As one can discern from these products, Apple has their claws in me pretty good and I expect that to continue.

I'm considering upgrading to an iMac and am curious for peoples' thoughts on this. Assuming I'll be going with a desktop, is there any reason to not buy an iMac? I'll probably hit a bunch of the upgrades during the ordering process to sort of future proof it to some degree and allow for some growth in the user experience.

My usage consists of normal daily operations - web browsing, email, occasional documents, online banking, etc. I rarely have more than a few windows open. I don't play video games and don't do any audio or video processing, though I think the latter is very intriguing and I wouldn't mind dabbling in video someday. Someday.

When I got my MacBook Air I also clicked a bunch of the options for more RAM and the best chips and most memory available at the time. I haven't regretted this at all and plan to do the same with anything I buy.

It seems like the Pro versions of their products are actually designed for people who actually work for a living with their machines. I don't really do that and I think stepping up to an iMac Pro (when the newer one is available) will only be extra money gone and the admittedly desirable large screen.

Does anyone have the current 24" iMac? Thoughts?

Open to all suggestions and thoughts on a modern Mac for home usage.

[sk_tle]

Well if you are happy with MacOS and the Apple ecosystem I guess there is not real alternative. The M1 processor series are really well praised. I guess you are looking for a bigger screen?

[Saab2000]

Well if you are happy with MacOS and the Apple ecosystem I guess there is not real alternative. The M1 processor series are really well praised. I guess you are looking for a bigger screen?

I can get by with the 13" screen on my MacBook Air but yeah, bigger screens are usually pretty nice. And the newer screens are brighter and clearer than my older one.

Also, yes, I am pleased with the Apple ecosystem and Apple products I've bought over the years. They are very durable and Apple seems to support them for a long time. I still get frequent updates to my 10-year old Air. Anything I buy will be with me for a number of years and it seems Apple products are able to be perfectly functional for years before becoming glitchy.

[Peter Polack]

I have a 21" iMac I purchased last year which replaced a 12 year old iMac, when the elder crapped the bed.

The newer ones have solid state drives, which aren't as large as the default disc drives of old. But the SSD is definitely faster.

Standard memory seems to be fine for me, and I use mine for pretty much the same uses as you.

The accessories I purchased, or already had on hand were, a Time Machine backup drive, and a CD drive.

Minor quibble: I do wish the wireless mouse had a tactile ridge delineating the left vs. right mouse buttons. There's nothing separating the sides; sometimes you press "left" but get nothing, or get the "right" function.

[Scott G.]

Apple is dropping Intel again, the new iMacs and Mac Mini are M1 (Power PC Redux) processors.
So check your programs, to see if they're supported on the M series chips.
If you are running Windows programs in a VM, that is gone with M1.

I've 2012 Mac Mini, the last of friction shifting Macs.
(you can upgrade the hard drive and memory)

[Saab2000]

Apple is dropping Intel again, the new iMacs and Mac Mini are M1 (Power PC Redux) processors.
So check your programs, to see if they're supported on the M series chips.
If you are running Windows programs in a VM, that is gone with M1.

My computer illiteracy is evidenced by how little of what you wrote that I actually understood!

I am a dummy and just want a quality product that works well and looks good. I’m pretty sure it’ll be an iMac and it will certainly be an Apple product. I guess what I’m wondering is if there’s any real reason to go with something else in Apple’s lineup.

[sk_tle]

My computer illiteracy is evidenced by how little of what you wrote that I actually understood!

To make it simple. Apple M1 processors are arm based (like iphones and ipad, and all android smartphones as well as devices such as raspberry pi), which use different instruction set / "way of talking" than a intel compatible one. So an executable prepared for intel do not work on arm unless there is something to translate. This is a big change for Apple almost bigger than their switch from powerpc to intel in 2006 but they did their homework well in that sense and provide such a tool which is called Rosetta and install itself whenever you try starting an app made for intel. But there can be edge case when it is not 100% perfect and a small performance hit.

I expect very few issues in your case unless you are using obscure professionnnal apps. Parrallels managed to support windows VMs quite quickly and reports says it works more or less ok. Most DAWs which are usually picky with latency, connection with hardware music devices and such work well with Rosetta with very small performance hit.

I am a dummy and just want a quality product that works well and looks good. I’m pretty sure it’ll be an iMac and it will certainly be an Apple product. I guess what I’m wondering is if there’s any real reason to go with something else in Apple’s lineup.

Unless there is a specific thing you can't stand anymore with Apple/MacOS I don't think you are the kind of person who would want to enter the windows or linux world so short answer is no.

[cash]

My wife has one, purchased mid 2020 to address WFH limitations of her MBP. She selected a few modest upgrades and all in spent $2k on it. It’s been great for her, slotted seamlessly into her tech config which is heavily Apple biased. Video conferencing through all of the usual suspects has been good. Really, if you know and like the Apple world, it will be very familiar, just with a better and bigger screen. Best upgrade was the Apple Magic keyboard, especially coming from the weird keyboard on her MBP. Setup was easy - pull from box, plug in, connect to our home network, login. Done.

[Mark Walberg]

When thinking about adding storage, note that additional built in storage is very expensive. External storage is way cheaper and is getting cheaper all the time.

[Scott G.]

[QUOTE=Saab2000;1069984]My computer illiteracy is evidenced by how little of what you wrote that I actually understood! [snip]

Apple is going from Honeywell to Garmin G5000.
Note the Garmin avionics actually work consistently, unlike their bike stuff.

[Saab2000]

[QUOTE=Scott G.;1070005]

My computer illiteracy is evidenced by how little of what you wrote that I actually understood! [snip]

Apple is going from Honeywell to Garmin G5000.
Note the Garmin avionics actually work consistently, unlike their bike stuff.

Ha! And all I know is Rockwell-Collins from a past life and Honeywell from my current life. I know nothing of Garmin avionics beyond that they exist.

Heading to the Apple store soon to see one of these machines in person.

[j44ke]

I’ve given up on desk top computers. I get MacBook Pros until they stop working with the newest OS and stop receiving security updates. Then I get a giant monitor for the desk and just plug it in to that when I’m doing something that needs it. Otherwise my wife uses the monitor connected to her work computer (MS Surface) and her MB Pro when she’s home. I think we have a giant curved Dell monitor. Everything is USB-C or Thunderbird so connecting/disconnecting is easy peasy. I can even use the Sony TV in a pinch if there is a line to use the monitor. If I got an iMac I would miss having a laptop, so I’d end up spending $$ on two computers. Better to get the monitor as a multi-user occasional tool. The new iMacs just look like a laptop glued to a screen anyway. Probably not getting much different except that it is anchored to the desk.

[Peter Polack]

Update on my earlier post: The "lower tier" 21-inch iMac must be ordered with the amount of memory you want. Yeah; there are youtube videos showing you how to open your 21-inch iMac to change memory, but I don't find it a very practical modification. The 24" does have a user-friendly port for the consumer to change memory. That's what you get when you buy upscale.

[mg2ride]

I'm on my 3rd iMac. My first one was the 1/2 basketball base from the mid 2000s. Currently on a 2019, 27in 5K Retina. I can provide all the processor, memory graphics card info but it sounds like it would be as meaningful to you as it is me.

So far I average about 8 years of use before I start to see issues with speed or ability to browse. Honestly, I only upgraded to this one because we download 100s of pics every year and the old one was getting slow when using iPhotos.

I think the computer world is starting to become more and more equivalent so I'm sure almost any brand name desk top would suit your needs. I however will stick with what I know and keep buying iMacs.

[rabo]

I would buy a new MacBook, and a refurb little windows box that you can hdmi to your tv with a bluetooth keyboard.
This way you have both platforms , plus you can use the M B more safe.
Windows OS seems to be free now.

[Scott G.]

New stuff from Apple on March 8, good time to catch a sale or a good deal
on Apple's refurb site.

https://www.macrumors.com/2022/03/02...k-performance/

[Saab2000]

I plan to get one but the purchase is a bit on hold. I just had new windows installed at home and that is an expensive project and it happened sooner than I expected, which is a good thing. But it means the computer will wait. Still planning the 24” iMac but waiting to see if there will be a 27” or larger coming soon. I want the green one!

Likely not getting a MacBook Pro as I don’t require the portability as virtually everything I do while traveling is done on my iPad.

[rwsaunders]

I just got an new 24” iMac in December to replace my iMac from 2011 and it’s what you expect from Apple. Working from home since 2004 and it’s my preferred device for work and especially for video calls, which are the new norm. When on the road and moving around the home, I use my iPad Pro and with iCloud, I can get to files and pics from any of the devices, including my phone.

PS The 2011 iMac was moved to light duty in our rec room above the garage…takes a licking and keeps on tickling like a Timex.

[DanicaB]

If you don't need a really powerful computer, then you shouldn't necessarily spend extra on that.

Although, if you're looking to get into video editing and need a better computer for that, iMacs are great.

[prcrstn8]

Ergonomics - iMacs kept getting higher and higher off the desk, craning my neck further and further back. When they went to 24" with no way to lower it, I downsized to a MacBook, pretty much the same height as the eggshell iMac. Now I look down instead of up.