It’s looking more and more like the entire iMac lineup is going to be refreshed in April! It’s a bit odd that they are leaving some configurations but not others, though.
Flushing inventory. What's still available is all that's left.
I do not think the 27" iMac will be refreshed until the next gen. M-series (M2). We'll only see new smaller models released using current M1 and a new variant.
Just had a thought ... could apple offer an M1 iMac/iPad hybrid with detachable iPad screen?
This is basically an iPad running Mac OS X.
It made me think of the powerbook duo… you can still see one (or a 20th anniversary Mac) in the background of Seinfeld's apartment in quite a few episodes.
I never thought i would say this but I am almost over Apple. The crap storage capacities they sell are a joke. 256GB for any $1000 plus machine is ridiculous. Also upgrade charges for larger SSDs are horrible. Apple is becoming a Joke when it comes to cost weighed against value. Do not get me wrong, they have the best Software and Hardware but the cost of RAM and Storage space is a joke. Also the computers in 2021 still starting at 256 GB is laughable. I think I have one more Apple purchase in me, then I may look to move on.
You know those holes in the sides of your Mac? They are called ports and they allow you to plug in external storage. Personally I prefer my 16Terabyte RAID system not being built into my Mac as it made upgrading so much easier. The internal storage I use only for software.
I suspect Apple are hoping we’ll all give up on local storage eventually and hold out data in the cloud, specifically their cloud. That seems to be the push of the industry.
A typical Mac comes with several different hardware options (memory, storage, built-in software, optional peripherals) and that means there are roughly 16 "skus" that Apple has to have stocked on hand ... or does Apple build its products only after they have been ordered?
I never thought i would say this but I am almost over Apple. The crap storage capacities they sell are a joke. 256GB for any $1000 plus machine is ridiculous. Also upgrade charges for larger SSDs are horrible. Apple is becoming a Joke when it comes to cost weighed against value. Do not get me wrong, they have the best Software and Hardware but the cost of RAM and Storage space is a joke. Also the computers in 2021 still starting at 256 GB is laughable. I think I have one more Apple purchase in me, then I may look to move on.
Unfortunately I agree with you.
Some of the costs for hardware make it difficult to not feel offended.
Apple has always walked the line maximising revenue while not making customers feel they are being taken advantage of. I think over the last few years the line has been crossed and they need to reset again.
HDD survived for far too long, as have the low storage options and RAM options. Undeniably to aid Apple’s bottom line but it’s been at the expense of customers best interests.
For a company which cares so much about it’s environmental responsibility. They seem to miss how much junk they’ve produced. I’ve seen and retired so many junk machines a couple of years old with capped 128GB storage etc.
Though I won’t be making the change, although I feel they are past the line. The alternative is a lot worse and an option I wouldn’t consider.
So go and don't let the door hit your backside on the way out. It's obvious Apple's products aren't for you.
Apple will continue to make the best machines for everyone else. Don't get me wrong, I think the prices that Apple charges for RAM was ridiculous, the SSD's not so much so. Then again, Macs have a longevity and support that no other manufacturer has. They're reliable, and for me, helps keep me working and generate income. It's the best tool I have. Good enough that I purchased a 2020 iMac knowing it will be my last Intel-based iMac.
Just had a thought ... could apple offer an M1 iMac/iPad hybrid with detachable iPad screen?
Apple does kind of sell that. They sell a MacBook that can run iPad apps, and they sell an iPad that can operate relatively seamlessly with documents and applications stored from and running on your Mac. I go back and forth between my iPad, my MacBook and my iMac fairly frequently without all that much friction. Further, the iPad can serve as a MacBook second screen that supports touch (albeit poorly). It just costs $600 more than a MacBook alone. So, the minimum price to buy into that level of the Apple ecosystem is not light on the pocketbook.
Applications still need to catch up with the model, but one of my primary uses for switching around between devices is Word, and Microsoft very much seems to get the gist of the Apple operating model (which is also very much in keeping with Microsoft's current cloud-driven and subscription-based model). Adobe is slowly getting there, too, but it still has a ways to go, and it probably needs a better way of sharing larger files between devices which is something Microsoft doesn't have to think about as much. Apple is of course already surprisingly seamless, with Safari, TextEdit, Notes, Reminders, Music, Documents, Desktop, passwords, copy/paste, its productivity suite, and plenty more all running about as well on multiple devices (and types of devices) as they run on just one. They probably need to think more about Logic and Final Cut (which also suffer from the file size problem), but even those applications have some nice features for utilizing both device types simultaneously with an iPad providing a virtual touch-based control surface. Further, Garage Band and iMovie work across devices pretty well (though the iPad variant of iMovie is currently pretty underwhelming), and both can serve as starting points for work that is eventually pulled in to Logic and Final Cut.
I do sometimes find myself wanting to touch the screen on my Laptop after spending a bit too long using my iPad for editing something, but the trackpad really is such a better experience for use with macOS that I don't find it that much of a bother switching back. I really don't want to see macOS itself burdened with having to have a compelling touch interface, but there are a few apps that would benefit. Those apps, though, could probably start supporting use of an iPad as a second display, perhaps even as keyword/touch-display combo.
What I want to see is seamless use of multiple devices in my house for very large files or very large collections of files, without having to transfer through the cloud as an intermediary. That is the one place where hybrids have a serious advantage. It seems entirely fixable, though. Wi-Fi exists everywhere, is fast enough (it is at this point faster than disk drives) and Apple has figured out how to establish convenient and secure connections within a home network. Come on Apple! Solve this one!
Could Apple make a convertible that supports going back and forth between a macOS-style interaction model when a keyboard and touchpad are attached and an iOS-style interaction model when detached? Yes, and their current Xcode application development model could actually make that work surprisingly well sometimes. But, there is a lot more that differentiates a touch-friendly device from a lap or desk friendly one. A big one is that a touch interface probably shouldn't be larger than around 11 inches, but a laptop probably shouldn't be less than 13 or 14 and computer on a desk really shouldn't be less than 24. So, a compromise device is going to suck at one of its use cases.
Some interesting points here with respect to what's happening with device interoperability. I wish I knew where Apple was going just on the Mac side of things. The level of developer interest for developing new Mac apps seems a bit soft right now. Yeah, it's not a surprise because developers chase the money and consumer interest in iOS and iPadOS is attracting a lot of attention to those platforms compared to the Mac.
I think Apple is trying to blur the app distinctions between Mac and iOS/iPadOS with Catalyst and getting more developers using Swift for Mac as well as iOS and its variants. I just haven't seen, or I'm unaware of, a wave of third party apps that work seamlessly between all of the Apple platforms. Affinity is an exception in this regard and has done a very good job of delivering comparable capabilities across Mac and iPad. They are even working on Affinity Publisher for iPadOS, which will be an impressive accomplishment. Microsoft has done pretty well, I guess, especially if you have an iPad Pro with keyboard and pointing device.
As strange as it sounds, I think Microsoft may be in a position to make some serious waves in Apple's backyard - if they deliver what they're shooting for with .NET 6 by the end of 2021. Microsoft has shown no hesitancy in riding on Apple's platforms to sell their wares, and at least on the Office side of things, they seem to get a lot of traction. The goals for .NET 6 are very far reaching with interoperability and code compatibility across Windows, Mac, iOS/iPadOS, and Linux. If nothing else I hope Microsoft's ambitions, which are being done in the open, will light a fire under Apple's butt to go figure out when they're going to stop making their very impressive iPad Pro hardware look like it drew the short straw when it came to having an OS of its own. If Microsoft can achieve an impressive level of app and UX interoperability and code compatibility between Windows, Mac, and iPad (not to mention Linux) Apple should take notice and turn up the wick a bit.
By the way, Apple has started to solve the local file sharing problem but it is not universal. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210598 . Personally, I have no problem using cloud based solutions like iCloud and OneDrive, especially with Microsoft apps because you get 1 TB OneDrive storage with an Office 365 subscription.
Apple is of course already surprisingly seamless, with Safari, TextEdit, Notes, Reminders, Music, Documents, Desktop, passwords, copy/paste, its productivity suite, and plenty more all running about as well on multiple devices (and types of devices) as they run on just one.
Does Music work overall? I still couldn’t figure out how to come home and continue to listen to the Music from my iPhone on my MacBook Pro or AppleTV…
What? You just tap the AirPlay icon on your phone and send it to your Apple TV.
If you remember, you can already use an iPad as a second screen but I think that still needs to be wired. What may be useful is to allow an iPad to be an input device for a Mac. Connectivity via wireless would be needed for the required bandwidth.
I never thought i would say this but I am almost over Apple. The crap storage capacities they sell are a joke. 256GB for any $1000 plus machine is ridiculous. Also upgrade charges for larger SSDs are horrible. Apple is becoming a Joke when it comes to cost weighed against value. Do not get me wrong, they have the best Software and Hardware but the cost of RAM and Storage space is a joke. Also the computers in 2021 still starting at 256 GB is laughable. I think I have one more Apple purchase in me, then I may look to move on.
This is like a greatest hits of Apple complaints, been seeing basically this same comment for like 20 years now. "It's the best there is but it's also a joke" lol. TONS of people never use more than the stock apps and cloud storage if anything and don't even come close to using 256GB. Buy what you need, genius.
Just had a thought ... could apple offer an M1 iMac/iPad hybrid with detachable iPad screen?
This is basically an iPad running Mac OS X.
No it is not. Someone who does not understand large screen use from some small device screen does not understand principles of productive work that has commercial value - not a toying with apps.
I never thought i would say this but I am almost over Apple. The crap storage capacities they sell are a joke. 256GB for any $1000 plus machine is ridiculous. Also upgrade charges for larger SSDs are horrible. Apple is becoming a Joke when it comes to cost weighed against value. Do not get me wrong, they have the best Software and Hardware but the cost of RAM and Storage space is a joke. Also the computers in 2021 still starting at 256 GB is laughable. I think I have one more Apple purchase in me, then I may look to move on.
Bye Bye...Apples ram usage will be lower than AMD and Intel computers with the M series chips, that is also true in the phone world (with the A series) and will be the same in the laptop/desktop computer world.
OK, so here it is: Apple is putting an M1 (M1X?) chip in the 24 inch redesigned iMac, to be released this spring.
The 27 inch iMac will be renewed later this year with more powerful Apple silicone, and replace both the normal iMac and iMac Pro models.
The first generation is out, and the second generation is in the can ready for release this year, the last transition took 13 months, this transition will be about the same. In short it won’t be two years.
Comments
Flushing inventory. What's still available is all that's left.
I do not think the 27" iMac will be refreshed until the next gen. M-series (M2). We'll only see new smaller models released using current M1 and a new variant.
I suspect Apple are hoping we’ll all give up on local storage eventually and hold out data in the cloud, specifically their cloud. That seems to be the push of the industry.
What? You just tap the AirPlay icon on your phone and send it to your Apple TV.
Your MacBook Pro isn't an AirPlay target by default, but can be with Airfoil Satellite: https://rogueamoeba.com/airfoil/satellite/mac/
What? Sidecar works fine wirelessly.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210380
There's also AstroPad for more input control.
https://astropad.com
This is like a greatest hits of Apple complaints, been seeing basically this same comment for like 20 years now. "It's the best there is but it's also a joke" lol. TONS of people never use more than the stock apps and cloud storage if anything and don't even come close to using 256GB. Buy what you need, genius.
No it is not. Someone who does not understand large screen use from some small device screen does not understand principles of productive work that has commercial value - not a toying with apps.
Hopefully yes...
Bye Bye...Apples ram usage will be lower than AMD and Intel computers with the M series chips, that is also true in the phone world (with the A series) and will be the same in the laptop/desktop computer world.
The first generation is out, and the second generation is in the can ready for release this year, the last transition took 13 months, this transition will be about the same. In short it won’t be two years.