Alas, shopping for technology brings out the geek in me, and I feel the need to buy the newest, most up-to-date gadget. However, shopping for a Mac is boring. Apple needs a 24inch iMac. That's what I want.
There's a great selection of technology at your local Apple store, even if Apple insists on no longer branding its physical stores as stores. They're community gathering places.
My much beloved 2014 Mac Mini has begun its march towards being obsolete, while several iMacs around the office are starting to show their age after years of hard typing and mousing. The newer iMacs in the office from 2017 are far more popular with staff, and have mysteriously moved from one desk to another over the weekend from time to time, as certain people in the office seek the best machines.
As we report on by Microsoft and Apple, we have a number of Windows PCs around the office as well. Dell, HP, Lenovo, and Acer are a few of the brands I can see as I look across our workspace.
There's also a number of monitors attached to various laptops, mostly Dell and Samsung monitors, and an LG here and there.
Apple no longer sells its standalone display, having gone in to partnership with LG to produce the LG UltraFine display for Mac.
Apple keyboards randomly go on misbegotten adventures. We type a lot, and we all love Apple keyboards. I need to use the number pad, so I have a wired Apple keyboard with the numeric keypad. On my days off, it seems to go for a walk, and return a few days later. Someone borrows it while I'm away, then forgets to return it, One Microsoft Surface keyboard here is also very popular, but they're even more expensive than Apple's famously pricey set of keys.
Shopping for the perfect Apple desktop
Sigh. As my beloved Mac Mini knocks on death's door, it's time for a replacement. I went shopping at Apple. The stores are crammed full of Apple products, and accessories made by Apple and others. Some of the accessories are lust-worthy, some are necessary, and some are useful but far too expensive.
The computers are beautifully designed and have amazing software, but are expensive compared to their Windows-driven counterparts.
After using a Mac Mini with a 27" monitor for a number of years, I was immediately drawn to look at the new 27" iMacs. Wow. Awesome and expensive. The 21.5" iMac is just as awesome, and less expensive, but the size of the screen left me wanting the extra screen real estate of the 27".
Next, I browsed my way over to the Mac Pro. The cylindrical wonder-child of the Apple family, a powerhouse computer from 2013, that wowed everyone, and sold, um, about, well, no one knows, but I'm guessing about 5 units per store. In 2017, it still looks fantastic, and the internals are 4 years old but still very capable. Do I want to pay over AU$4800 for a 4 year old computer?
How about waiting for the new iMac Pro? The starting price of US$4000+ or AU$5700+ for an all-in-one computer with all the bells and.... oh, just the pricetag made me whistle.
While the new iMac Pro would be the perfect Apple desktop, it's not at the perfect price.
A 24inch iMac. That's what I want.
The solution to price versus features, would be the 24inch iMac. A product that Apple doesn't make. The 21.5" model is too small in screen size, and the 27" is far too expensive, considering that I only need a mid-spec machine with a big screen.
If Apple made a 24inch iMac, I'd buy it. Even if Apple replaced the 21.5" model with the 24" model, that'd be great. Sadly, it would cannibalise their sales of the 27" model (I want it, and so does everyone else). A 24" and a 27" with similar tech specs wouldn't be differentiated enough for others to play the game.
So... do I buy an underpowered and almost obsolete new Mac Mini? Do I spend extra a buy a 4 year old (new in the box at the Apple store) Mac Pro cylinder? I could connect both of these to my existing 27" monitor.
Alternatively, do I buy a 21.5" iMac and try to get used to the small screen, or swing for the 27" iMac that costs a fair bit more?
Otherwise, do I go for a similarly-specified Windows desktop or laptop, or a Microsoft Surface tablet, for less than the AU$2699 starting price of a 27" iMac, and use my existing 27" monitor?
Side note: Oh, look, the new HP Spectre 2017 in Ceramic White.
What about an Apple laptop?
Yes, I considered buying an Apple laptop to replace my Mac Mini desktop. I could plug it in to my existing 27' monitor. The trouble is, the Apple laptops are more expensive than the 21.5" iMac, so I may as well buy a 27" iMac if I'm going to spend that kind of money, and I don't really need the portability advantages of a laptop.
The final word...
Apple, make a 24inch iMac. I'd buy it, and so would everyone else.
Until next time,
Xavier Zymantas
XYZ Media Group