Need a new desktop, help! Well, time is come for me to replace my desktop. Currently I have an iMac 27 inch 2014 that has served me well but no longer is functioning as it is supposed...

senior techie Loc: Boca Raton Fl

Well, time is come for me to replace my desktop. Currently I have an iMac 27 inch 2014 that has served me well but no longer is functioning as it is supposed to. My quandary is do I sacrifice size of screen and purchase a 24 inch M1 iMac or purchase another 27 inch iMac, not able to wait to see if the 27 will be upgraded to the M1 this year.

worldcycle Loc: Stateline, Nevada

No matter what you decide on (I’m a PC guy myself). I would go a La carte. Get a tower with the power and speed you need for post processing and a good monitor with balanced color, easy calibration and (personally) as big as your desk can possibly handle.

jaymatt Loc: Alexandria, Indiana

If you like your Mac, get another 27”. You will be disappointed with a pc.

WDN2 Loc: SF Bay Area

The real question is whether you want to wait for a larger-screen M1 iMac or go with the 24". Don't get another 27". Apple is quickly moving away from Intel CPUs and there are already features in the latest OS (Monterey) that don't work in Intel Macs. I would advise to go somewhere and see one of the 24" machines and decide whether the difference in screen size is that important. Hope this helps.

JohnR Loc: The Gates of Hell

senior techie wrote:

Well, time is come for me to replace my desktop. Currently I have an iMac 27 inch 2014 that has served me well but no longer is functioning as it is supposed to. My quandary is do I sacrifice size of screen and purchase a 24 inch M1 iMac or purchase another 27 inch iMac, not able to wait to see if the 27 will be upgraded to the M1 this year.

I have a 24" Cinema Display as a 2nd monitor next to my 27" Retina iMac. Also another 24" on a Mac Mini on another desk next door. I use the 24" mainly for text - internet etc and the 27" exclusively for photography. Yes I know the 24" screens are not Retina like the M1 24" but displaying the same photograph on each screen and looking at normal viewing distances I like the 27" far far more than the 24's. All 3 screens are calibrated for colour so there's little difference that way. If I had to cut back to just one computer it would definitely be the 27" iMac

willdenise Loc: Tennessee

This may sould crazy but look at an ipad 12 pro with m1 chip, or an mac book pro

willdenise Loc: Tennessee

This is true, I have a lenovo 15 inch amd 7 series chip, I got an ipad pro this year, go with Apple if you want to do photo editing

BebuLamar

worldcycle wrote:

No matter what you decide on (I’m a PC guy myself). I would go a La carte. Get a tower with the power and speed you need for post processing and a good monitor with balanced color, easy calibration and (personally) as big as your desk can possibly handle.

I think it's more difficult to go a la carte with Apple.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

jaymatt wrote:

If you like your Mac, get another 27”. You will be disappointed with a pc.

I think that’s an unfounded supposition. A modern PC would be so MUCH faster than her IMac, she’d likely be overjoyed. But having said that, it’s more likely rather than be disappointed, she’d have a learning curve changing OS which might be unwelcome, so my advice would be, that if it fits into her budget, I’d buy another 27” IMac.

As for waiting for the latest iteration of Apple’s M series CPU, the downside is that if Apple continues the tread, everything will be soldered in, and given that the OS and SW will be continually evolving, which will require evolving HW resources, better be prepared to spend that 3-4K$ again in the future, because you can’t upgrade anything in the machine from a HW perspective.

As for editing on a laptop, that’s a very poor idea. In fact, since I use 3 screens, I can’t imagine editing on a single screen, and I certainly wouldn’t go smaller than what I currently have - with ever increasing available resolutions, that’s a step in the wrong direction.

twosummers Loc: Melbourne Australia or Lincolnshire England

iMac with M1 processor and SSD every day of the week. No competition unless you're into gaming. Apple all the way

willdenise Loc: Tennessee

The old imac uses the intell chip , it is just as fast as a pc unless you over clock it

willdenise Loc: Tennessee

yep

Zeke4351 Loc: Kentucky

I just added 32 gb ram and SSD drive and it is super fast. My PC is about 10 years old and I put the upgrades in for less than 600.00 using Dell parts.

tcthome Loc: NJ

You could go with the 24" imac & add a second 27" photography display from someone like BenQ or get the imac mini & a BenQ monitor & be all set. I would guess you already have the Apple keyboard, mouse, etc. Or the Macbook pro & a monitor. Can the new Macbook pro or mini be hooked up to your existing monitor? I would ask apple.

foathog Loc: Greensboro, NC

senior techie wrote:

Well, time is come for me to replace my desktop. Currently I have an iMac 27 inch 2014 that has served me well but no longer is functioning as it is supposed to. My quandary is do I sacrifice size of screen and purchase a 24 inch M1 iMac or purchase another 27 inch iMac, not able to wait to see if the 27 will be upgraded to the M1 this year.

I'm in the same quandary. I have a 2009 that I managed to keep alive till now. But it's time is up. The 27" has the old Intel processor. And going from 27" to 24" just doesn't get it. What is Apple thinking? I'm disappointed.