Thinking about a new Mac...
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@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 videoThe 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.
@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.
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@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.
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You forgot the vegan leather desk mat.
vegan leather
That is a new one on me

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@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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
Note: The price difference doesn't account for the SSD storage difference.
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@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
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@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
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Apple M1 MacBook Pro vs. Dell XPS with 11th gen. Intel core i7:
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Apple M1 MacBook Pro vs. Dell XPS with 11th gen. Intel core i7:
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@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@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.
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@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.
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@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.)
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@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.
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@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.