The Demise Of The 27″ iMac
Last month, after releasing the Studio Display, Apple pulled all 27” iMacs from the Apple Store. Most Mac pundits believe that, for now, the 27” iMac is gone.
Don’t panic…
The good news is that you build your own 27” Apple computer, by combining Apple’s new Studio Display with either a Mac Mini or Mac Studio.
- 27” 5K resolution – Exact same panel as the 27” iMac.
- 12MP ultra-wide camera with Center Stage.
- 6 speakers with force-canceling woofers and Spatial Audio.
- 3 studio-quality mics.
- 1 Thunderbolt 3 port and 3 USB-C ports.
Prices range from $1,599 to $2,299.
The Studio Display is beautiful, but it’s annoying that Apple has not used the same mini-led technology they put in the new MacBook Pro. As a 5K display, its only competitor is the LG Ultrafine that’s about $300 cheaper. The LG is a good monitor, but with a wobbly plastic stand and poor speakers, I wouldn’t recommend it.
The Studio Display has a camera issue, but Apple know about it and are working on a software update to fix the problem.
Mac Mini can be built with the same specs as a high-end 24” iMac. It’s fast, capable, and perfect for most users.
- M1 Chip with 8-Core CPU and 8-Core GPU
- 16GB memory.
- 1TB of storage.
- 2 Thunderbolt/USB-4, 2 USB-A, and 1 HDMI port. Gigabit Ethernet/10GB port. 3.5mm headphone jack.
Prices range from $899 to $1,399.
Mac Studio is for professionals working with video, graphics, photos, and sound. It starts at $1,999, but it’s worth spending an extra $400 to get a decent configuration:
- M1 Max 10-Core CPU, 32-Core GPU, 16-Core Neural Engine
- 32GB memory
- 1TB storage
- 4 Thunderbolt 4, 2 USB-A, and 1 HDMI port. Gigabit Ethernet/10GB port. 3.5mm headphone jack (support for high-impedance headphones)
- On the front – 2 USB-C ports and an SDXC card slot (UHS-II)
This clocks in at $2,399. After that, you move to the M1 Ultra chip and the sky’s the limit in terms of speed and price.
MacBook Air or Pro With Studio Display
Of course, if you have a Macbook Air or Macbook Pro, you could just add the Studio Display, a keyboard, and a mouse to create a nice desktop setup.
Conclusion
It’s disappointing that the 27″ iMac has been discontinued… but every cloud has a silver lining. In the future, when you decide to upgrade, you keep the monitor, and only have to buy a new Mac Mini or Mac Studio.
Helps save the environment too 🙂
That’s it. Have a great week.
John