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User profile for user: neila452
neila452 Author
User level: Level 1
10 points

iMac M-chip with 27 inch or larger screen?

This is more of a manufacture and marketing question. Why didn't Apple give the M3 chip iMac a larger screen than just 24 inches?


My current iMac is a late 2014 model with 5K 27-inch screen and a 5 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 processor. It still works very well, but its OS can't be updated beyond Big Sur v. 11.7.10. As a result software I depend on regularly such as Office 365 and Photoshop Lightroom Classic 12.5.2 also cannot be updated.


I am a retired college professor and can no longer afford to upgrade my Mac every few years. Neither can I afford a Mac Studio computer and an Apple Studio Display. Nor do I wish to downsize my display by purchasing an M3, 24-inch display iMac. (I find the idea of choosing one's own exterior color childish and beneath Apple's station in the computer world. Reminds me of a much earlier iMac offering. Colored computer cases = quicker obsolescence IMO.)


I really need to migrate to a Mac whose OSX is current and upgradable, but I don't need the power and can't afford the high price of a Studio model and Apple display. For the first time since 1992, when I switched from PC to Apple computers, Apple has made me feel stuck. 😞


-Neil Anderson

iMac 27″

Posted on Oct 19, 2024 10:38 AM

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7 replies
User profile for user: D.I. Johnson
D.I. Johnson
User level: Level 7
23,345 points

Oct 19, 2024 10:51 AM in response to neila452

Hey there, my friend. I feel you.

I love my own still fully functional 27" iMac running Catalina and don't look forward to the day I actually chose to replace it. I'm hopeful that Apple will have introduced an iMac larger than the 24" units by that time. I can appreciate the power of the Mac Studio and the beautiful screen of the Apple Display, but like you can't afford that combination.


However, you've not even mentioned what I think is the sweet spot in Apple's current offerings: the Mac mini.


The mid tier of the Mac mini is reasonably priced and I believe would be a great improvement in performance of your 2014 iMac. Couple it with any of a number of beautiful third-party monitors that sell for way below the cost of the Apple Display and you would have an awesome machine that could carry you forward for the next 10 years.


You might want to consider it. 🙂


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User profile for user: rkaufmann87
rkaufmann87
User level: Level 10
143,374 points

Oct 19, 2024 12:40 PM in response to neila452

Hi,


Per the Terms of Use we all (including you) agreed to on these forums we cannot comment or speculate about Apple decisions or unannounced products. Therefore we cannot answer your "Why didn't Apple give the M3 chip iMac a larger screen than just 24 inches?" question.


If you cannot afford a Mac Studio, consider the Mac Mini as suggested and then select the display you want to use (no you cannot use your 27" iMac as a display) The current Mac Mini's are far more powerful and much faster than any 2014 Mac so you will see a huge upgrade. Also, did you know Apple offers 12 month no interest financing, so if you want to make a big purchase you don't have to empty your bank account, this may be a viable option for you. If you are not familiar with that program contact Apple's online store or if you have an Apple Store (not a reseller) in your area they can help explain.


Good luck!

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User profile for user: rkaufmann87
rkaufmann87
User level: Level 10
143,374 points

Oct 19, 2024 4:37 PM in response to neila452

No problem, 2025 is around the corner but it could be a year or longer. You may want to research about what month's Apple has historically released iMacs in the last 5-10 years so you get an idea and then you can decide if you want to wait or not. Frankly my next Mac will be a MM, no need for an AIO machine any more. In 2020 Apple completed the transition of releasing all Macs with SSD storage leaving behind HD based systems. This is important as the HD's had too major issues, a) they were very slow compared to SSD's and b) they have a higher failure rate than SSD. The icing on the cake was SSDs really have come down in price.

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User profile for user: neila452
neila452 Author
User level: Level 1
10 points

Oct 19, 2024 4:05 PM in response to rkaufmann87

Thank you for highlighting the Terms of Use policy on Apple's decisions regarding its product line. My first Mac was an Apple IIvx, Apple display, and Apple laser printer. The year was 1992. It was far beyond the DOS machines I had owned at the time. That purchase made an Apple believer out of me. Since then, I have purchased a dozen or more Apple computer products, and my university installed and upgraded regularly the Apple computers it provided for me to use at work. All of those many Macs served my purposes very well. Now, 32 years later I am kind of stuck because my still very nice machine cannot run upgraded Microsoft and Adobe software, even though it still has plenty of computing power remaining. It's a little disappointing. Perhaps, I will wait until the next series of iMacs are released. I read somewhere that it might be in 2025. One can only hope!


Respectfully,

Neil Anderson

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iMac M-chip with 27 inch or larger screen?

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