Skip to content
  • Categories
  • Recent
  • Tags
  • Popular
  • Users
  • Groups
Skins
  • Light
  • Cerulean
  • Cosmo
  • Flatly
  • Journal
  • Litera
  • Lumen
  • Lux
  • Materia
  • Minty
  • Morph
  • Pulse
  • Sandstone
  • Simplex
  • Sketchy
  • Spacelab
  • United
  • Yeti
  • Zephyr
  • Dark
  • Cyborg
  • Darkly
  • Quartz
  • Slate
  • Solar
  • Superhero
  • Vapor

  • Default (No Skin)
  • No Skin
Collapse

The New Coffee Room

  1. TNCR
  2. General Discussion
  3. Thinking about a new Mac...

Thinking about a new Mac...

Scheduled Pinned Locked Moved General Discussion
116 Posts 13 Posters 2.6k Views
  • Oldest to Newest
  • Newest to Oldest
  • Most Votes
Reply
  • Reply as topic
Log in to reply
This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
  • George KG George K

    @klaus said in Thinking about a new Mac...:

    I may buy a new iMac when it is released with a new ARM chip (not the current one; I want more than 16GB of RAM).

    I've seen videos of performance with only 8 gigs of RAM on a MacBook Air. For the stuff that I do, 8 is probably adequate, and 16 is overkill, considering the videos I've watched. But...

    Link to video

    The other thing is that rumors say that the new iteration of iMac will be a 24" model. I really, really don't want a smaller screen than I have now. That's a big deal for me with my aging eyes.

    KlausK Offline
    KlausK Offline
    Klaus
    wrote on last edited by
    #32

    @george-k said in Thinking about a new Mac...:

    The other thing is that rumors say that the new iteration of iMac will be a 24" model. I really, really don't want a smaller screen than I have now.

    True, I also want a 27". If they don't sell a 27" iMac anymore, I'll maybe go for a Mac Mini with external display.

    George KG 1 Reply Last reply
    • KlausK Klaus

      @george-k said in Thinking about a new Mac...:

      The other thing is that rumors say that the new iteration of iMac will be a 24" model. I really, really don't want a smaller screen than I have now.

      True, I also want a 27". If they don't sell a 27" iMac anymore, I'll maybe go for a Mac Mini with external display.

      George KG Offline
      George KG Offline
      George K
      wrote on last edited by George K
      #33

      @klaus I have to wonder what the thinking is behind the rumored 24" version. Monitors are getting bigger and bigger.

      Why would they do that?

      ETA: I assume that all I would have to do is hook it up with an HDMI cable, right?

      "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

      The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

      1 Reply Last reply
      • CopperC Offline
        CopperC Offline
        Copper
        wrote on last edited by
        #34

        https://ulxstore.com/collections/leather-desk-mats/products/black-leather-desk-mat?variant=49844519507

        You forgot the vegan leather desk mat.

        vegan leather

        That is a new one on me

        ![alt text](e8b221d3-3acb-4d37-a6c9-d2d03e050d3e-image.png image url)

        1 Reply Last reply
        • George KG George K

          @jon-nyc how big is that monitor you have?

          jon-nycJ Offline
          jon-nycJ Offline
          jon-nyc
          wrote on last edited by
          #35

          @george-k said in Thinking about a new Mac...:

          @jon-nyc how big is that monitor you have?

          24".

          https://www.apple.com/shop/product/HMUA2VC/A/lg-ultrafine-4k-display

          "You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from."
          -Cormac McCarthy

          1 Reply Last reply
          • jon-nycJ Offline
            jon-nycJ Offline
            jon-nyc
            wrote on last edited by
            #36

            Funny I decry the creeping screen sizes. I remember being disappointed when they phased out the 21" iMac and I had to buy a 24. Equally when they kept making phones bigger.

            Yeah its easier to read. But I have to carry my phone.

            I guess I could live with a 27" monitor. Just seems so extreme. I'm right here, sitting in front of it.

            "You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from."
            -Cormac McCarthy

            George KG 1 Reply Last reply
            • jon-nycJ jon-nyc

              Funny I decry the creeping screen sizes. I remember being disappointed when they phased out the 21" iMac and I had to buy a 24. Equally when they kept making phones bigger.

              Yeah its easier to read. But I have to carry my phone.

              I guess I could live with a 27" monitor. Just seems so extreme. I'm right here, sitting in front of it.

              George KG Offline
              George KG Offline
              George K
              wrote on last edited by
              #37

              @jon-nyc that monitor is pricey! The 27" runs even more, LOL.

              Perhaps I'll have to reconsider my analysis of "break-even."

              @mark what kind of monitor are you using? My needs are pretty simple, and my eyes are pretty shitty.

              "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

              The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

              markM 1 Reply Last reply
              • jon-nycJ Offline
                jon-nycJ Offline
                jon-nyc
                wrote on last edited by
                #38

                I just bought a ViewSonic for the boy, I believe on Mark's or Xenon's suggestion.

                I got the 21" for him but their 27" is under $200 I believe.

                "You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from."
                -Cormac McCarthy

                1 Reply Last reply
                • AxtremusA Offline
                  AxtremusA Offline
                  Axtremus
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #39

                  It takes only 3~4 years for Apple to drop support for PowerPC from the time it launched its first Intel Mac. If you plan on keep using your Macs for more than, say, 5 years and plan to keep updating its OS, you pretty much need to go with the Apple silicon now for any new Mac you get. Good luck.

                  1 Reply Last reply
                  • George KG Offline
                    George KG Offline
                    George K
                    wrote on last edited by George K
                    #40

                    It looks like there's a significant difference between the 7-core GPU and the 8-core GPU in the MacBook Air.

                    About $250 difference.

                    For someone like me, whose needs are pretty basic, is it worth the premium in price?

                    Screen Shot 2020-12-26 at 8.06.00 PM.png

                    Note: The price difference doesn't account for the SSD storage difference.

                    "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                    The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                    Aqua LetiferA 1 Reply Last reply
                    • George KG Offline
                      George KG Offline
                      George K
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #41

                      Eh, never mind.

                      The difference is only $50 when you add the same SSD/

                      "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                      The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                      1 Reply Last reply
                      • George KG George K

                        @jon-nyc that monitor is pricey! The 27" runs even more, LOL.

                        Perhaps I'll have to reconsider my analysis of "break-even."

                        @mark what kind of monitor are you using? My needs are pretty simple, and my eyes are pretty shitty.

                        markM Offline
                        markM Offline
                        mark
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #42

                        @george-k said in Thinking about a new Mac...:

                        @jon-nyc that monitor is pricey! The 27" runs even more, LOL.

                        Perhaps I'll have to reconsider my analysis of "break-even."

                        @mark what kind of monitor are you using? My needs are pretty simple, and my eyes are pretty shitty.

                        LG 38WK95C-W 38" (Actual size 37.5") WQHD+ 3840 x 1600 HDMI, DisplayPort, USB FreeSync (AMD Adaptive Sync) Built-in Speakers Curved 21:9 UltraWide WQHD+ IPS Curved LED Monitor

                        https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16824025890?Item=9SIAC4ZA692767

                        jon-nycJ 1 Reply Last reply
                        • markM mark

                          @george-k said in Thinking about a new Mac...:

                          @jon-nyc that monitor is pricey! The 27" runs even more, LOL.

                          Perhaps I'll have to reconsider my analysis of "break-even."

                          @mark what kind of monitor are you using? My needs are pretty simple, and my eyes are pretty shitty.

                          LG 38WK95C-W 38" (Actual size 37.5") WQHD+ 3840 x 1600 HDMI, DisplayPort, USB FreeSync (AMD Adaptive Sync) Built-in Speakers Curved 21:9 UltraWide WQHD+ IPS Curved LED Monitor

                          https://www.newegg.com/p/N82E16824025890?Item=9SIAC4ZA692767

                          jon-nycJ Offline
                          jon-nycJ Offline
                          jon-nyc
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #43

                          @mark

                          I've been in movie theaters with smaller screens. lol

                          "You never know what worse luck your bad luck has saved you from."
                          -Cormac McCarthy

                          markM 1 Reply Last reply
                          • AxtremusA Offline
                            AxtremusA Offline
                            Axtremus
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #44

                            Apple M1 MacBook Pro vs. Dell XPS with 11th gen. Intel core i7:

                            Link to video

                            George KG 1 Reply Last reply
                            • AxtremusA Axtremus

                              Apple M1 MacBook Pro vs. Dell XPS with 11th gen. Intel core i7:

                              Link to video

                              George KG Offline
                              George KG Offline
                              George K
                              wrote on last edited by George K
                              #45

                              @axtremus thanks for linking that.

                              He has another video comparing the MacBook Air with the MacBook Pro (both M1). Very little difference other than screen brightness and better battery life in the Pro.

                              Link to video

                              "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                              The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                              AxtremusA 1 Reply Last reply
                              • George KG George K

                                @axtremus thanks for linking that.

                                He has another video comparing the MacBook Air with the MacBook Pro (both M1). Very little difference other than screen brightness and better battery life in the Pro.

                                Link to video

                                AxtremusA Offline
                                AxtremusA Offline
                                Axtremus
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #46

                                @george-k said in Thinking about a new Mac...:

                                He has another video comparing the MacBook Air with the MacBook Pro (both M1). Very little difference other than screen brightness and better battery life in the Pro.

                                Yeah, when comparing the Air and the Pro, the 'touch bar' and the added weight of the 'Pro' were deal breakers, so I went with the Air. And yes, after equalizing the options to the bigger SSD and 16GB RAM, I paid the $50 extra for the 8th GPU core.

                                George KG 1 Reply Last reply
                                • AxtremusA Axtremus

                                  @george-k said in Thinking about a new Mac...:

                                  He has another video comparing the MacBook Air with the MacBook Pro (both M1). Very little difference other than screen brightness and better battery life in the Pro.

                                  Yeah, when comparing the Air and the Pro, the 'touch bar' and the added weight of the 'Pro' were deal breakers, so I went with the Air. And yes, after equalizing the options to the bigger SSD and 16GB RAM, I paid the $50 extra for the 8th GPU core.

                                  George KG Offline
                                  George KG Offline
                                  George K
                                  wrote on last edited by George K
                                  #47

                                  @axtremus do you have yours hooked up in a fashion similar to what @jon-nyc did?

                                  External monitor, stand, etc.

                                  Or do you just use it as a notebook?

                                  Looking at the prices of monitors, a 27" monitor with the same specifications as the iMac is quite pricey.

                                  "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                                  The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                                  AxtremusA KlausK 2 Replies Last reply
                                  • AxtremusA Offline
                                    AxtremusA Offline
                                    Axtremus
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #48

                                    @George-K, my MacBook Air is for portability.
                                    I have other Macs (mini and Pro) that are “hooked up”.

                                    1 Reply Last reply
                                    • George KG George K

                                      @axtremus do you have yours hooked up in a fashion similar to what @jon-nyc did?

                                      External monitor, stand, etc.

                                      Or do you just use it as a notebook?

                                      Looking at the prices of monitors, a 27" monitor with the same specifications as the iMac is quite pricey.

                                      AxtremusA Offline
                                      AxtremusA Offline
                                      Axtremus
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #49

                                      @george-k said in Thinking about a new Mac...:

                                      Looking at the prices of monitors, a 27" monitor with the same specifications as the iMac is quite pricey.

                                      Indeed. But their are no good alternatives. Once spoiled by the Retina display, it’s hard to use anything else. If I really have to have the Apple CPU and a large display, and I want to balance cost, quality, and time to gratification, then I’d most likely just wait another year for an M1 iMac. :man-shrugging:

                                      Without having to read any rumor sites, I think it’s quite safe to count on Apple to release iMacs and 4-port MacBook Pros with its own silicon in 2021. (Less sure about the iMac Pro and the Mac Pro. Apple might wait for another generational jump with even better multi-core/multi-CPU support before putting its own silicon into the Pro desktops/workstations.)

                                      1 Reply Last reply
                                      • George KG George K

                                        @axtremus do you have yours hooked up in a fashion similar to what @jon-nyc did?

                                        External monitor, stand, etc.

                                        Or do you just use it as a notebook?

                                        Looking at the prices of monitors, a 27" monitor with the same specifications as the iMac is quite pricey.

                                        KlausK Offline
                                        KlausK Offline
                                        Klaus
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #50

                                        @george-k said in Thinking about a new Mac...:

                                        Looking at the prices of monitors, a 27" monitor with the same specifications as the iMac is quite pricey.

                                        Which specifications are you looking for, specifically?

                                        Monitors with 4K resolution aren't expensive. 5K is a bit more unusual, but I don't think the difference between 4K and 5K is significant.

                                        George KG markM 2 Replies Last reply
                                        • KlausK Klaus

                                          @george-k said in Thinking about a new Mac...:

                                          Looking at the prices of monitors, a 27" monitor with the same specifications as the iMac is quite pricey.

                                          Which specifications are you looking for, specifically?

                                          Monitors with 4K resolution aren't expensive. 5K is a bit more unusual, but I don't think the difference between 4K and 5K is significant.

                                          George KG Offline
                                          George KG Offline
                                          George K
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #51

                                          @klaus not looking for so much as looking at.

                                          The iMac display is

                                          *27-inch (diagonal)
                                          *5120‑by‑2880 resolution with support for one billion colors
                                          *500 nits brightness
                                          *Wide color (P3)
                                          *True Tone technology
                                          *Configurable with nano-texture glass

                                          The cheapest comparable LG is $950.

                                          Screen Shot 2020-12-28 at 9.16.55 AM.png

                                          "Now look here, you Baltic gas passer... " - Mik, 6/14/08

                                          The saying, "Lite is just one damn thing after another," is a gross understatement. The damn things overlap.

                                          1 Reply Last reply
                                          Reply
                                          • Reply as topic
                                          Log in to reply
                                          • Oldest to Newest
                                          • Newest to Oldest
                                          • Most Votes


                                          • Login

                                          • Don't have an account? Register

                                          • Login or register to search.
                                          • First post
                                            Last post
                                          0
                                          • Categories
                                          • Recent
                                          • Tags
                                          • Popular
                                          • Users
                                          • Groups