Apple debuts colorful 24-inch iMac with M1, upgraded camera and audio

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Comments

  • Reply 161 of 283
    dewmedewme Posts: 5,335member
    docno42 said:
    nht said:
    It’s one HDMI cable different. And if I mount the mini to the back of the display it becomes invisible.
    One cable?  Are you the reincarnation of Tesla and figured out wireless power transmission now too?  

    Also it's only "invisible" if your computer backs up against a wall without anything on the other side of it.  Otherwise it's a rats nest of cables again.  

    Lots of use cases where computers are not backed up against walls.

    If only Apple provided choice, they could solve this hopeless conundrum  :p
    You make a very legitimate point here. When I look behind my iMac I see a thunderbolt drive and cable for my Time Machine drive, a thunderbolt to DisplayPort connection to a secondary monitor, a USB3 hub and cable for various iDevices, a USB3 hard drive and cable for Carbon Copy Cloner, a USB cable for my primary speakers, a USB cable to a DAC for headphones, and a USB3 cable to an external SSD hosting my VMWare virtual machines. Oh, throw in the Ethernet cable as well. And power cord. 

    Yeah, it’s a freaking rats nest. The question is how could I reduce the mess? I suppose an Ethernet NAS device that supports both Time Machine and CCC backups would cut off a couple of cables. I suppose I could hide the USB hubs under my desk and learn to live with the built in audio and the headphone jack. 

    Fortunately my iMac backs up against a window so I don’t have to see the rats nest. Realistically I don’t know how I’d eliminate all the topside claptrap other than moving it underneath the desk. In fact, Apple’s strategy of putting the Ethernet connection into the power cord is a step in the right direction. If there was a way to move all of the ancillary connections to an outboard pod that is located under the desk I’d be thrilled. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 162 of 283
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    Who uses Ethernet ?  
    I do.  Both my office iMac, and my home iMac are both using Ethernet.  It will always be better and more secure than WiFi.

    I'm surprised folks like you still bring up that question.
    docno42elijahgbaconstangrandominternetpersonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 163 of 283
    toddzrxtoddzrx Posts: 254member
    elijahg said:
    stuartf said:
    elijahg said:
     It also has no Ethernet port at all on the base model, 

    The specs say the base model has Ethernet as a configurable option. It's probably as simple as swapping the power supply!
    That's a good point, I/we have no idea yet how many pins are in the power supply. Would be cool if it had USB C such that you could plug things in to the hidden power supply brick, would keep things tidy. Otherwise the case would need to be different for each config. I'd prefer a USB socket on the side too for things like memory sticks, and a SD card reader would be good too, dunno why they got rid of that. I use mine regularly.
    Get a dock...
    Totally defeats the purpose of an AIO.
  • Reply 164 of 283
    God those are ugly. Might be good for my daughter's kindergarten class, but that's it. Hope they keep the pro designs intact.
  • Reply 165 of 283
    docno42docno42 Posts: 3,755member
    dewme said:
     In fact, Apple’s strategy of putting the Ethernet connection into the power cord is a step in the right direction. If there was a way to move all of the ancillary connections to an outboard pod that is located under the desk I’d be thrilled. 
    Yes, I find this the most exciting thing that was launched.  If the ethernet signal is carried by USB or thunderbolt, then some enterprising third party should be able to deliver a power brick and hub all in one.  For those instances where you have a Mac out there being able to connect everything with one cord is pretty appealing.  It will be interesting to see what the accessory vendors can do when these things hit the street.  

    I hope they carry it over to the bigger iMacs too!  Because even though mine is backed into a corner too, the mess of cables - while mostly out of site - makes cleaning/retrieving anything that falls back there a PITA.  If I could organize all the cables under the desk that would be amazing. 
    dewmewatto_cobra
  • Reply 166 of 283
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,092member
    toddzrx said:
    elijahg said:
    stuartf said:
    elijahg said:
     It also has no Ethernet port at all on the base model, 

    The specs say the base model has Ethernet as a configurable option. It's probably as simple as swapping the power supply!
    That's a good point, I/we have no idea yet how many pins are in the power supply. Would be cool if it had USB C such that you could plug things in to the hidden power supply brick, would keep things tidy. Otherwise the case would need to be different for each config. I'd prefer a USB socket on the side too for things like memory sticks, and a SD card reader would be good too, dunno why they got rid of that. I use mine regularly.
    Get a dock...
    Totally defeats the purpose of an AIO.
    No it doesn't.  Done right, if anything it enhances the AIO experience.  My 2020 iMac (at home) is connected to a Caldigit TS3+ dock which is bolted underneath my desk table.  So in addition to the power cable on the back of my iMac, I have one neat, slender Thunderbolt 3 cable going under my very clean, cable-managed desk.  That's it.

    To that dock, I have plugged into it a second Thunderbolt monitor, two Promise RAID R6 & R8 disk arrays, Gigabit Ethernet, and an Audio Engine Digital-to-Analog sound converter for my kick-butt sound system.  The front has an SD card slot I use constantly, along with USBa, and USBc ports for those occasional times I need to recharge/connect something.  

    I use a 2015 iMac at the office connected to two additional thunderbolt displays, and everything else is connected cleanly to another Caldigit TS3+ dock under that standing desk too.  Again, just one nice clean thunderbolt cable coming out of it under the desk to the dock with all cables neatly hidden.  

    Doing it your way, I'd have all those cables going to the back of my iMac which would make it a rats-nest of ugliness, might strain some of the connectors, and makes for a very ugly, sloppy appearance.  No thank you.

    My setup has all the cables neatly routed and hidden under my desk.  Both my office and home setups are standing desks and every cable is neatly hidden.  Super clean.  I don't want any of those wires going to the back of my iMac.

    I've received numerous compliments by my coworkers about the cleanliness of of my desk's cable management ideas.  Now others are doing the exact same thing to theirs.

    I prefer the least amount of cables going to the back of my iMac as it can be seen from the back.  If anything, adding the ethernet jack into the power brick I think is/was a brilliant move to continue to de-clutter the back of the iMac.  I think they should have went a step further and also included a USB4 port as well so along with a dock, only one cable would be needed on the back of an iMac.  Perhaps they'll do that for the bigger version of the iMac.
    edited April 2021 docno42baconstangwilliamlondonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 167 of 283
    KTRKTR Posts: 279member
    Apple's all-in-one desktop became the latest Mac to make the transition to Apple Silicon on Tuesday, with a new iMac sporting the M1 chip and an array of color options.

    Credit Apple
    Credit: Apple


    The redesigned 24-inch iMac sports an updated and sleeker design that's much more compact than its predecessors, thanks to the smaller footprint of the M1 system-on-chip design. It features softer edges and a front panel that's created from a single sheet of glass. On the display side, the new iMac sports a 24-inch Retina display with True Tone support.

    Apple has also given the new iMac a major upgrade across its audio and video channels, including a three-mic array, a 1080p FaceTime camera, and increased speaker power. It also supports Dolby Audio and Spatial Audio.

    Boasting Apple Silicon in the form of the M1 chip, Apple says it's the fastest iMac to date. Apple says the iMac is up to 85% faster than the previous models across apps like Xcode, Lightroom, and iMovie. It also sports graphics that are up to 2 times faster than past models.

    In a move that recalls the original iMac G3 released in 1998, the new iMacs come in a range of new color options, including green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue, and silver. On the rear, it has up to 4 USB-C ports, of which two are Thunderbolt 3, as well as a new magnetic power connector. The device also features an updated Magic Keyboard with Touch ID.

    It starts at $1,299 and becomes available for preorder on April 30, 2021. The device will start shipping out to customers in the second half of May.

    The iMac becomes the fourth Mac to transition to Apple Silicon, following the debut of the 13-inch MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and Mac mini last fall.

    Apple's all-in-one desktop became the latest Mac to make the transition to Apple Silicon on Tuesday, with a new iMac sporting the M1 chip and an array of color options.
    hmmm I wonder if apple will let HP lease these new announcements to their clients ? As part of there Daas program

    https://www8.hp.com/us/en/services/daas-for-apple-flex.html

    watto_cobra
  • Reply 168 of 283
    docno42docno42 Posts: 3,755member
    dewme said:
    You make a very legitimate point here. When I look behind my iMac I see a thunderbolt drive and cable for my Time Machine drive, a thunderbolt to DisplayPort connection to a secondary monitor, a USB3 hub and cable for various iDevices, a USB3 hard drive and cable for Carbon Copy Cloner, a USB cable for my primary speakers, a USB cable to a DAC for headphones, and a USB3 cable to an external SSD hosting my VMWare virtual machines. Oh, throw in the Ethernet cable as well. And power cord. 
    As to this point, for these computers I don't see that kind of stuff being plugged into many (maybe most) of them.  If you have an iMac at a reception desk, for example, you aren't going to have a time machine drive, external DAC or other accessories for them.  

    I wish Apple had an iMac styled monitor to pair with the Mac Mini - then people could pick whatever worked best for them.  Pretty amazing the consternation Apple not producing a matching monitor any more has and continues to cause :tongue: 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 169 of 283
    fahlmanfahlman Posts: 740member
    jcc said:
    sflocal said:
    I fail to understand the hate people have towards the iMac's "chin".  It really comes across as petty and that chin I think is what differentiates the iMac instead of making it look like some large, generic monitor.  Get over it people. 

    I actually glad there's some kind of chin there, especially with the new color options, it allows some of that color to come to the front of the unit as well.  Good job Apple.

    I do with the specs for the iMac were more beefy.  I used an M1-based MacBook and while I was absolutely floored by the performance, I expected Apple would give the desktop Macs with ASi chips made for desktop-class machines.  I just hope that whatever Apple has in store for the larger 27"+ iMac, it better include more RAM, and much higher spec ASi chips.
    A chin serves no purpose. It should be removed.
    The chin is where the logic board and speakers are located so the chin does server a purpose.
    baconstangrandominternetpersonwatto_cobra
  • Reply 170 of 283
    eightzeroeightzero Posts: 3,056member
    I've had just about every model iMac since Steve introduced them (and several iterations of the mac before those.) I will be a launch day customer for this one for the first time ever, as I have an immediate need and this fills it perfectly. I might ultimately buy 2.

    The 2015 iMac my wife uses is a huge disappointment. It has never done anything well, and is very, very sluggish on even just booting. Hoping I can get some trade in value on launch day. Anyone do that with a mac? You get the credit, the return box comes, and you have some time to transfer to the new iMac, and wipe the old, and off it goes? If they don't get it in a period of time, the credit is rescinded to the purchase card?
    edited April 2021 watto_cobradocno42
  • Reply 171 of 283
    docno42 said:
    titantiger said:
    And I pointed out in the very next post that the M1 Mac Mini with the same exact specs on RAM and SSD storage can be paired with a nice 24" 4k LG monitor, Apple keyboard and mouse and still come out $150 less. 
    For a much shittier experience.  

    Fine - you don't value it.  Apple thinks there are more people that will.  And I also think they are probably right.   Also you've already demonstrated over and over that even if they fixed your "issues" you wouldn't be buying it for other reasons so have fun being a contrarian for constrains sake.  It is one of the bigger Internet pastimes (and heck BBS's before the Internet too). 
    Actually, I would be buying it.  I was planning on buying it.  The drop from 27" to 24" wouldn't be that big a loss for me to gain the M1 and Touch ID keyboard....until I realized that those things were coming at a hefty premium and I'd still be losing two USB ports and an SD slot in the process while getting 1/4 the storage  So I guess I'll wait until the specs get more in line with the price.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 172 of 283
    I haven't really chimed in on the whole chin issue.  I would have preferred it be a little thicker and lose the chin myself, but it's not a deal breaker.  Right now, it's the specs - or lack thereof for the price point - that will keep me on the sidelines for now.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 173 of 283
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    docno42 said:
    titantiger said:
    And I pointed out in the very next post that the M1 Mac Mini with the same exact specs on RAM and SSD storage can be paired with a nice 24" 4k LG monitor, Apple keyboard and mouse and still come out $150 less. 
    For a much shittier experience.  

    Fine - you don't value it.  Apple thinks there are more people that will.  And I also think they are probably right.   Also you've already demonstrated over and over that even if they fixed your "issues" you wouldn't be buying it for other reasons so have fun being a contrarian for constrains sake.  It is one of the bigger Internet pastimes (and heck BBS's before the Internet too). 
    Actually, I would be buying it.  I was planning on buying it.  The drop from 27" to 24" wouldn't be that big a loss for me to gain the M1 and Touch ID keyboard....until I realized that those things were coming at a hefty premium and I'd still be losing two USB ports and an SD slot in the process while getting 1/4 the storage  So I guess I'll wait until the specs get more in line with the price.
    These iMacs are replacing the 21.5".  The replacements for the 27" will come later in the year.  Hopefully they'll suit your needs better at a decent price.
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 174 of 283
    JinTechJinTech Posts: 1,020member
    blastdoor said:
    JinTech said:
    And it seems only 8GB memory across the board with no upgrade to 16GB. WTF Apple?
    https://www.apple.com/imac-24/specs/

    Clearly states "Up to 16 GB unified memory"
    Good to know. I was just going based on the Apple Store online and what the rep told me from the Store. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 175 of 283
    darkvaderdarkvader Posts: 1,146member
    Just as I feared.  It's garbage.

    An external power brick.  On a desktop.  With a magnetic power cord that will pop out if you bump it a little.

    Thin.  The thin fetish strikes again.  On a desktop.  A computer that DOES NOT need to be thin or light.

    Soldered RAM.  On a desktop.

    Soldered storage.  On a desktop.  (I can't confirm that it's definitely soldered, but... Apple seems to be going that way.

    And the colors.  The HIDEOUS colors.  Silver is the only one that doesn't look like garbage, would have been nice to have space grey or piano black.  Those pastels are literally a pale imitation of the iMac flavors.  What's next, a pale variant of flower power or blue dalmatian?

    Oh yeah, and only 4 USB ports. 

    Garbage.
  • Reply 176 of 283
    toddzrxtoddzrx Posts: 254member
    sflocal said:
    toddzrx said:
    elijahg said:
    stuartf said:
    elijahg said:
     It also has no Ethernet port at all on the base model, 

    The specs say the base model has Ethernet as a configurable option. It's probably as simple as swapping the power supply!
    That's a good point, I/we have no idea yet how many pins are in the power supply. Would be cool if it had USB C such that you could plug things in to the hidden power supply brick, would keep things tidy. Otherwise the case would need to be different for each config. I'd prefer a USB socket on the side too for things like memory sticks, and a SD card reader would be good too, dunno why they got rid of that. I use mine regularly.
    Get a dock...
    Totally defeats the purpose of an AIO.
    No it doesn't.  Done right, if anything it enhances the AIO experience.  My 2020 iMac (at home) is connected to a Caldigit TS3+ dock which is bolted underneath my desk table.  So in addition to the power cable on the back of my iMac, I have one neat, slender Thunderbolt 3 cable going under my very clean, cable-managed desk.  That's it.

    To that dock, I have plugged into it a second Thunderbolt monitor, two Promise RAID R6 & R8 disk arrays, Gigabit Ethernet, and an Audio Engine Digital-to-Analog sound converter for my kick-butt sound system.  The front has an SD card slot I use constantly, along with USBa, and USBc ports for those occasional times I need to recharge/connect something.  

    I use a 2015 iMac at the office connected to two additional thunderbolt displays, and everything else is connected cleanly to another Caldigit TS3+ dock under that standing desk too.  Again, just one nice clean thunderbolt cable coming out of it under the desk to the dock with all cables neatly hidden.  

    Doing it your way, I'd have all those cables going to the back of my iMac which would make it a rats-nest of ugliness, might strain some of the connectors, and makes for a very ugly, sloppy appearance.  No thank you.

    My setup has all the cables neatly routed and hidden under my desk.  Both my office and home setups are standing desks and every cable is neatly hidden.  Super clean.  I don't want any of those wires going to the back of my iMac.

    I've received numerous compliments by my coworkers about the cleanliness of of my desk's cable management ideas.  Now others are doing the exact same thing to theirs.

    I prefer the least amount of cables going to the back of my iMac as it can be seen from the back.  If anything, adding the ethernet jack into the power brick I think is/was a brilliant move to continue to de-clutter the back of the iMac.  I think they should have went a step further and also included a USB4 port as well so along with a dock, only one cable would be needed on the back of an iMac.  Perhaps they'll do that for the bigger version of the iMac.
    Oh great. Because you being one iMac user that finds a dock useful is clearly representative of the general population.

    Most home users, which is clearly the audience for this first iteration of an Apple Si iMac, are probably going to be as wireless as possible and won’t have all the extra stuff plugged in like you’ve got. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 177 of 283
    mwhitemwhite Posts: 287member
    Peza said:
    Well, I can’t say it’s what I was expecting... it is kinda growing in me, but man from the front those colours are just odd.. shame it’s an M1 too and not something more powerful. Still an interesting design, nice Touch ID integration too. Probably better value then the new M1 iPad Pro. Wonder what the 32” iMac will be like?
    However it’s incredibly overpriced, and I can see a 16GB 1TB model being 2 grand. And I bet anything you cannot upgrade any of those components yourself.

    From what I can figure the 16GB 1TB model will cost close to $2500 because that's what I'm getting my daughter, but it's hard to tell for sure without it letting me put all the info in on Apple site.
    edited April 2021 Pezawatto_cobra
  • Reply 178 of 283
    For people wondering why the new low end iMacs didn’t come in at previous generation’s lower price point, it's kinda typical for Apple to reset the price with a major redesign. 

    iMac G3 started at $1299 
    iMac G4 started at $1299
    iMac G5 started at $1299
    iMac Intel stated at $1299
    iMac Intel AL started at $1199
    iMac Intel AL thin at  $1299

    With the exception of the G4 each one went down in price over it's lifetime and then with a single exception the price went back to 1299 with the next redesign. The G4 iMacs were a little weird because they had the eMac come out which took the place of low end iMac. So there shouldn't be much surprise  when it comes to the price tag, it’s been remarkably consistent. Also, if you adjust for inflation the iMacs today cost about half as much as the original G3.
    edited April 2021
  • Reply 179 of 283
    This is clearly a consumer machine, but if this is the harbinger of things to come for the larger iMac, I am pretty annoyed. I don't want distracting colors, a silver bezel instead of a black one is horrible for trying to do design work. And as I produce professional audio, I can't use bluetooth to connect amp/speakers because bluetooth compresses and colors audio, so to stick the audio out on the side with a cord dangling. Awful. Looks like I will have to go the mac mini route unfortunately. I can't wait months to replace my aging 2013 iMac workhorse only to find out they repeat these awful decisions in the larger iMac. I historically go pretty easy on Apple's design decisions and am not prone to "fanboi" histrionics, but this does not bode well for the larger iMac, and Thor only knows when that will be released.  And Apple, what's your deal with not putting enough ports on anything?

    If you produce “professional audio”, why the f are you not using a proper USB audio interface instead of 3.5mm analog? Also, you know you can get a $9 USB-C to 3.5mm adapter from Apple? 
    Lol, an internet stranger in a jerky tone trying to tell me my business based on nothing but his own silly arrogance because he's personalizing the criticism of this machine. Ahh the internet. Good luck with that. If you want to have a grown up convo with me and for me to take you seriously, lose the combativeness.
    edited April 2021 TRAGdocno42
  • Reply 180 of 283
    guscatguscat Posts: 59member
    mario said:
    Headphone jack is located on the side on the desktop computer???? Who wants speaker cable dangling from the side all the time going to external powered speakers, instead of neatly tucked behind the screen and out of sight?
    Uh, because a standard headphone jack is actually thicker than the M1 iMac.
    randominternetpersonbaconstangtenthousandthingswatto_cobradocno42
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