Apple Announced the 24-Inch iMac Three Years Ago Today

[citysnaps]

Most people are complaining about the screen size.

Most people? You mean highly tech-centric people here on MR representing a very small slice of Apple's iMac market?

Or do you have numbers from the majority of Apple's iMac market; ie teachers, gardners, artists, librarians, real estate agents, retail sales clerks, police officers, plumbers, students, bus drivers, receptionists, nurses, etc, etc?

 

[AF_APPLETALK]

I like and want the orange color, but my MBP is too good and I'd never really use the iMac.

Also, I love the white border.

 

[Biro]

I am still using a 27 inch 2012 iMac and use it every day. Still going strong. If they release a new one, I’ll consider it. But unless it supports target display, I might get a screen and Mac mini / laptop (which is probably their intention for no target display).

Honest question: What are you doing for security with the 2012 iMac? Your software is kind of old.

 

[glorp]

As far as I'm concerned, the 24" is the end of the iMac. I'm finally able to convince users that they're MUCH better off with a Mac mini and a 3rd party display. AND they save money.

Good bye, throwaway screens!

If they made a few fairly minor tweaks, they'd likely have been able to win a lot of customers, despite the major points against it.

Merely allowing us to hook up the monitor to another device would have made me bite the bullet, on this and on a high spec laptop at the same time.

 

[AL2TEACH]

I was ready to throw money at Apple when I saw it during the presentation but they never did show a 27" model so Apple didn't get my money.

I know they wanted me to buy a Mac Studio with the stupid expensive display but lol no thanks.

Likewise, I was more than ready then came the disappointment.

Still waiting to update my 27in. I'm guessing my current one might be my final computer based on Apple comments. Oh well, I'm old so am not in the 13 year old target/TikToc audience.

Can't agree more.

 

[azpc]

For my parents the 24 inch iMac is fine. Apple Silicon hasn't been so hot for me. Would like a 30 inch iMac please!

 

[2pacjeeman]

Give me this exact machine but with 27-inch! No need for PRO-model. Just want ALL-in-ONE for internet and writing! (And black bezels).

 

[svish]

Have a pink M1. Love the iMac with its bright and beautiful colours. Hope Apple continues to have bright colours in the lineup and not tone down the colours like in the non Pro iPhones. Will be nice if Apple releases a non Pro larger iMac, maybe at around $1999.

 

[madmin]

They could do that but Apple doesn’t want to offer you a 40 percent cheaper option. The idea is to get you to pay more with each round of device updates. Your best options - assuming the Studio Display has been ruled out - is the aftermarket.

No the idea of getting me to pay more hasn't worked. I've kept my 27" iMac, my best and cheapest option so far.

Watching the chips roll in, and I watch them roll away again...

 

[joecomo]

Plot twist: it never will. Who will buy Apple Studio Display then?😃

well in late 2014 they had some legitimate reasons due to the limitations of DP at the time. But they never changed it later …

 

[joecomo]

It's already here. Apple Studio Display + Mac Mini or Mac Studio. And it also replaced the iMac Pro too.

It makes no sense for Apple to sell the same computer twice, it's duplicate and a waste of resources.

unless you can hide the desktop computer or looks don’t matter it is not the same

 

[antonrg]

What iMac sales declines say is that people who already own an iMac (those who aren't tech-focused like people here, representing the majority of Apple's market) are happy with what they have and see no need to purchase a newer iMac.

People here on MR are tech-focused believing they always need to have the latest and greatest. That's the minority of Apple's market.

My guess is people on MR are in great majority Apple consumers, who check the website for news and use it to see what to buy best next when they actually need and not want to upgrade. I don't think majority on this site need/can afford/actually buy the latest and greatest all the time. This is just a community site for those who appreciate and use Apple products.

 

[antonrg]

As far as I'm concerned, the 24" is the end of the iMac. I'm finally able to convince users that they're MUCH better off with a Mac mini and a 3rd party display. AND they save money.

Good bye, throwaway screens!

That's the saddest part, the older iMacs have excellent screens and Apple purposely does not let people use them as external monitors. Then they go and call themselves eco-responsible. Sure!

I have a MBP and I would love to use my iMac as an external screen for when I work on video at home, but no, Apple wouldn't let me and the 5K iMac that's in an excellent shape just sits there gathering dust.

 

[Zest28]

unless you can hide the desktop computer or looks don’t matter it is not the same

It's exactly the same computer. In the past, the Mac mini, iMac and iMac Pro had different hardware. But with ARM Mac, the 27" iMac and iMac Pro would have exactly the same hardware as the Mac Mini and Mac Studio with the Apple Studio Display.

Apple is not going to release the same computer twice, makes no sense.

And the Mac Mini and Mac Studio are very small desktop computers, so you can hide them very easily.

 

[kmpowell]

And removed any desire I had to update my old (but still working) 27” iMac. But I’m glad they did, as it ended my “must replace with another Mac” mindset I had.

Ditto. My 27" iMac would have been replaced if Apple had recently released a 27", but instead I've made mine last.

It's a late 2015, which I specced fairly high for longevity. i5 3.3 + M395 + 16GB RAM + 1TB SSD.

Last year I did a thorough clean down of OSX and all software, then reinstalled and pulled down all my files from my iCloud+. That made it more than ready for another few years service, and the only thing I'm really missing i USB-C.

 

[Adelphos33]

It's an excellent computer. If you want a larger screen, more RAM, etc; Apple has many products available to you.

 

[mreg376]

And removed any desire I had to update my old (but still working) 27” iMac. But I’m glad they did, as it ended my “must replace with another Mac” mindset I had.

My son just got a new 24" M3 iMac to replace a 21" 2017 iMac, and he loves the new machine's display, size, and especially speed. I have a 2017 i7 27" iMac, and I don't want to reduce my screen size to 24", so I'll also be hoping that the 27" holds on and remains usable for a while.

 

[mreg376]

To be fair, that's been true for a long time. For the price of a Mac you can get much more powerful PC. For what I paid for my PC that'd only get me around the price point of these models:

• 14" macbook pro with m3 max, 64gb ram, 2tb ssd
• 16" macbook pro with m3 max, 64gb, 1tb ssd
• 24" imac with M3, 24gb, 2tb
• Mac Mini m2 with 32gb, 8tb ssd (no display/keyboard/mouse) or 4tb (with a display/kb/mouse inc)
• Mac Studio with m2 max, 96gb, 4tb (no display/kb/mouse) or 64gb or 2tb (with display/kb/mouse inc)
• Mac Studio with M2 ultra, 64gb, 1tb (no display/kb/mouse)

my PC is 27" 1440p 144hz display, 7950X3D, 64GB, 4.5TB SSD, RTX 4080 w/16GB VRAM (if it was unified RAM i'd have 80GB RAM), keyboard/mouse included.

the apple silicon processors are good and apple wins in terms of power consumption/efficiency. if you NEED macos then no PC will suit you. Windows has many flaws but it's compatible with pretty much everything and if you want to game it's a no brainer. These days with AI taking off having an Nvidia GPU is a must and no GPU comes close to them. If you want pure performance (at cost of efficiency) then PC is the way to go.

I know that this is not a PC v Apple thread, but I converted from Windows to Mac OS in 2007, after 20 years with Windows, and refuse to look back. I know several people with Windows systems, and the refrain is always the same, no matter what they pay for their system -- power hungry, overly susceptible to viruses and malware, driver issues, complicated update/restarting headaches, and they end up replacing it every two or three years.

 

[azpc]

No the idea of getting me to pay more hasn't worked. I've kept my 27" iMac, my best and cheapest option so far.

Watching the chips roll in, and I watch them roll away again...

Still using my 27 inch iMac. So far Apple silicon has been a disappointment to me. I would like a 30 inch iMac please!

 

[azpc]

My son just got a new 24" M3 iMac to replace a 21" 2017 iMac, and he loves the new machine's display, size, and especially speed. I have a 2017 i7 27" iMac, and I don't want to reduce my screen size to 24", so I'll also be hoping that the 27" holds on and remains usable for a while.

Still using my 27 inch iMac. Mac Studio with a Studio display doesn't have the right form factor, nor price.

 

[azpc]

Ditto. My 27" iMac would have been replaced if Apple had recently released a 27", but instead I've made mine last.

It's a late 2015, which I specced fairly high for longevity. i5 3.3 + M395 + 16GB RAM + 1TB SSD.

Last year I did a thorough clean down of OSX and all software, then reinstalled and pulled down all my files from my iCloud+. That made it more than ready for another few years service, and the only thing I'm really missing i USB-C.

Same here - still using my 27 inch iMac. The Mac Studio+Studio display is overpriced along with being the wrong form factor. I left Dell because I liked the large screen all in one design. I don't like Dell style boxes and cables.

https://i.blogs.es/3533c6/imacdell/450_1000.jpg

 

[ZiBart]

The best front reception desk computer ever made.

If they wanted more appeal to the masses, it would have a base 27” screen w/ a 32” option, target display mode, a built in power supply, and a removable stand with vesa mount points. Also, a space grey or midnight/space black color with a black border instead of white would help. Product development dropped the ball on this one. I actually like everything else about it.

 

[AdamNC]

They need to keep the 24 as a base iMac then have a 27 mid level and then 32 for Pro level.

 

[Highway61]

Because downsizing to 24" would have made working on the computer a great deal harder, I finally gave in to having to go with a Mac Mini M2Pro and separate display. And I do like it, but the AIO was just more fun and cool: It was "more Apple."
Additionally, I would be hating this setup, if I hadn't also bought a Satechi dock—which points to how Apple made a unilateral, non-consumer friendly decision to downgrade screensize and connectivity, to dress it all up in pretty colors, and then try to make people think that they're happy when they've actually been disregarded and shortchanged.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Product development dropped the ball on this one. I actually like everything else about it.

I think they did exactly what they were instructed to do...

The iMac was purposely changed and moved down market to push 27" iMac owners looking to upgrade into a much more expensive Studio Display + Mac Studio

(or Mac Mini I suppose ... those also get really spendy when speccing them up)

The "Tim Cook Special"