The iMac Is Dead

[AngelaHornung]

A recent video by Luke Miani which I've linked below had me thinking about this. In the video Luke appears to plead to Apple to make a new iMac model like the OG 5K iMac and seems to wonder or at least inquire to the audience about why Apple hasn't created one. I'm sorry Luke but I think I know why and I'm going to try to put it together here. 

 

iMac's Original Appeal: In the 1990s when the original translucent iMacs we're unveiled to the public, the primary attraction of the device itself (other than those gorgeous colors) was the simplicity of the device. During a time where computers were typically beige and black boxes with cables and connections all around them the iMac was a brilliant breath of fresh air. No longer did the consumer need to worry about not only the specs of the computer, but the monitor, keyboard, mouse, disc drive, etc. Instead they merely needed to determine the spec they wanted and make the purchase. All necessary components to use the machine were built in. Now laptops also had these features often built in automatically, but laptops at the time suffered from detrimental performance and price differences from their desktop counterparts, making the iMac the best of both worlds which we can summarize as follows:

 

1. Performance and upgradability of a desktop computer with the purchasing and simplicity of a laptop computer

 

Innovative, But No Longer King?: I'd say the iMac thanks to the detrimental performance losses in the laptop platform and the easier upgradability of iMacs kept it the undisputed king of the Apple line up until the 2012 release. Come 2012 two trends caught up with the machine.

 

1. While certainly noticeable and significant, performance differences between laptop and desktop counterparts we're continuing to decrease to a point where many average consumers would no longer notice major differences if any at all (remember we're enthusiasts so of course we noticed, I'm talking about Jon/Jane Doe who use Facebook, Microsoft Office & Email). 
2. Apple's new iMac design heavily restricted the upgradability and completely removed the ease of upgrading, making the process out of reach for the average consumer.

 

Suddenly the best of both worlds for the device's existence had for the average consumer either become negligible at best or non-existent at worst all while not having the convenance of laptop portability. However while no longer king of the Apple line up (in terms of computers), the device still had a great following. It was still technically upgradable, it had better performance than laptop counterparts (even if it was no longer as large a gap as it used to be) and while not easy, it was upgradable/repairable all while being cheaper than its Mac Pro counterpart (and often comparable laptop models). This helped the device maintain relevancy as a more value friendly Apple enthusiast and workplace option. 

 

An Elegant Weapon For A More Civilized Age: With the sudden and dramatic efficiency increases in Apple Silicon, the performance gap in Apple's line up between desktop and laptop platforms shrunk tenfold. Certainly still existent and noticeable by us enthusiasts, but practically non-existent for our Jon/Jane Doe with the SOCs being nearly identical, completely negating the 1st half of our best of both worlds for its existence. Our second half for the iMac being king was its simplicity when compared to other desktops, but since the same simplicity can be achieved in a laptop with the added bonus of portability without major performance deficits, the iMac finally loses its luster in its original form.

 

Potential Futures: I don't see the possibility of an iMac Pro taking off unless Apple is to make their SOCs (even if just for this machine) upgradable. The appeal of the iMac was always the performance and upgradability of a desktop with the simplicity of a laptop, both of which due to innovation trends in more efficient and smaller hardware as well as non-repairable design from Apple have been nearly removed in their entirety. The product is effectively the worse of both worlds in its current state, those being the lack of portability of a desktop and the difficulty and or lack of upgradability of a laptop. 

 

Conclusion: There are only two places I see these types of machines continuing to be employed. Computer Labs (which thanks to device availability are also on their way out) and work places (which thanks to Covid-19 and working from home have been greatly diminished, my clients now have policies after all of the supply chain issues to NEVER buy desktops again). Even if Apple makes this iMac Pro upgradable I don't see it taking off. The societal psyche is primarily focused on portability for the sake of convenience and increases in productive time frames. I think the device will likely soon find the axe and quite frankly while I'll be sad to see it go, I'll entirely understand why and completely agree with the decision. 

 

Note: I'm not an iMac hater, I have a 2009 iMac that I restored and it's the coolest machine I've ever had the privilege to work on. Desktop performance and upgradability all built into the convenient and easy package like a laptop. It's just with Apple's SOCs not being upgradable and portable devices catching up performance wise, these new iMacs are effectively the worst of both worlds now. Would love to hear your thoughts, also I attached photos of that iMac I'm discussing. Love that machine so much!  Also yes I just 3M'd the SSD, it's fine. 

 

 

 

Edited August 31, 2024 by AngelaHornung
Forgot to add the video link and had some grammatical errors

[danalog]

There's no real reason for AIOs to exist anymore. Have not seen modern AIOs kicking around much, and modern AIOs are usually a $400 Celeron system - versus iMacs, which are the price of a desktop with the downsides of a laptop (and a Mac). Don't get me wrong, I love a solid old AIO, but in the era of "thinner-than-ever", they aren't all that great. Not convenient enough for your average user (who wants a laptop), not powerful nor upgradable enough to satisfy the needs of desktop users, so they're stuck in limbo.

Best AIOs around are the early-'10s HP TouchSmart series - socketed desktop CPU, two SATA ports, a few mini PCIe slots, MXM graphics, very heavy from their thick metal chassis and quality glass screen. They run cool and near-silent and still are not all that thick. Shame it all went downhill.

[AngelaHornung]

8 minutes ago, da na said:

There's no real reason for AIOs to exist anymore. Have not seen modern AIOs kicking around much, and modern AIOs are usually a $400 Celeron system - versus iMacs, which are the price of a desktop with the downsides of a laptop (and a Mac). Don't get me wrong, I love a solid old AIO, but in the era of "thinner-than-ever", they aren't all that great. Not convenient enough for your average user (who wants a laptop), not powerful nor upgradable enough to satisfy the needs of desktop users, so they're stuck in limbo.

Best AIOs around are the early-'10s HP TouchSmart series - socketed desktop CPU, two SATA ports, a few mini PCIe slots, MXM graphics, very heavy from their thick metal chassis and quality glass screen. They run cool and near-silent and still are not all that thick. Shame it all went downhill.

You summed it up pretty well. They'll be remembered fondly and I'll press F to pay my respects but I'm not going out of my way to save them. Their time has come.  

[Commodus]

Still using my 2019-era 27-inch iMac, but going to switch to a laptop + monitor combo when I get the chance (hopefully with the M4 MacBook Pro launch in October). I need the portability!

 

I strongly suspect the rumored M4 Mac mini update will represent the future of Apple's home desktops. Tiny, more modular, the thing you tuck next to your monitor and almost forget about.