Where Has the iMac Gone

Apple, this past week, announced the new Mac Studio and Studio Display. From everything that was discussed in the presentation, they appear to be terrific products. The M1 computers that Apple has introduced have all lived up to the hype, at least the ones I’ve used have (Mini M1, base MacBook Pro 14 inch with the M1 Pro). I am expecting the Mac Studio to be more of the same.

Honestly though, I would probably only be interested in the base Mac Studio as the higher end version is really for folks that do more video / sound development. For what I do, the base M1 chip is more than fast enough.

What I am very interested in is the new Studio Display and the “end of life” of the 27 inch iMac. I’ve been using various versions of this iMac, as my main computer, for many years now. My current iMac is a 2017 5k version. It still works great, is plenty fast and the 5k screen is still one of the best I’ve ever seen.

I’ve been waiting though for Apple to bring out another monitor in the 27 to 30 inch range and hopefully price it where “normal” folks can afford it. I’ve been using Apple’s old 27 inch LED Cinema Display ($999 new) and the 30 inch Cinema Display ($3299 new) and have enjoyed them immensely. I’ve used them with both Mac Minis and laptops. They are gone now due to “house cleaning”.

What I’ve really been waiting for though is a monitor with the quality of the 5k iMac. Apple finally delivered this with the new Studio display. It appears to have the same panel as the iMac did as well as having Apple’s latest when it comes to sound and cameras. So far, so good. Then comes the price meaning value or maybe, lack of value.

When I look at value, I only look at Mac products vs. looking at Windows products as most folks that buy a Mac are buying it because of the operating system and applications.

Basically, in the case of the new Mac Studio and Studio Monitor, Apple has left out the power user, price wise. By power users, I mean hobbyists or pros that use their computers a lot and will push them performance wise as well. Apple seems to think, based on their latest products, that pros only develop video or work in sound studios but that isn’t the case, not by a long shot.

For example, if Apple dropped the video specific sections of their CPU while keeping a “normal” amount of GPUs while retaining or increasing the amount of CPUs, Apple would have a great power user chip. Maybe the base M1 Pro with a few more CPUs. Just a thought.

The Mac power users have probably been using 27 inch iMacs or the old iMac Pro or maybe a high end Mac Mini with some sort of monitor. New Mac Pros or the Pro display would be out of reach for most or simply overkill. With that in mind, let’s look at some prices.

2020 base iMac 27 (no longer available); 3.1 Ghz Core i5; 256gb SSD; speakers; camera; keyboard; mouse. $1799

Studio Display; speakers; camera; aluminum case $1599; With height adjustable stand $1999

LG Ultrafine 5k Monitor (recommended by Apple); camera; speakers; adjustable stand; plastic case $1349

Finally, here are the prices of what an equivalent base 27 inch iMac costs now.

Studio Display $1599
Base Mac Mini $699 M1 256gb SSD 8gb
Keyboard $99
Trackpad $129
Total: $2526 ($727 more than the old iMac)

I’m not totally sure what Apple’s thought process with this is, outside of more profit. My hope is that they will one day reintroduce a 27 inch iMac.

If Apple would have priced the Studio Display at $1599 with the height adjustable stand, it would be a reasonable value. Maybe even more than reasonable.

One more thing, that adjustable stand, that they charge so much for, is basically the same thing they used on the old G4 iMac (the sunflower design from 2002) except wires ran through that adjustable arm and it had even more movement than the new one. Oh, and it came with the iMac and was not an option.

What other options are there from Apple for the 27 inch iMac? One really, the 24in iMac which has a great design and is available in multiple colors but only comes with the base M1. The model that matches the specs above is $1499. Except, you only get a 24 inch monitor. If that works for you, it would be my recommendation. Better yet, find a 27 inch iMac (or keep the one you have) and keep on computing!