New iMac with M4 • Hacker News Board

Re: New iMac with M4

#961

Post by seec » Wed, Oct 30, 2024, 1:38 PM UTC

So basically it's the same thing but with M4 and more RAM at the baseline. I suppose Apple would like us to be gratefull for that. Yet since it comes with only 256Gb storage standard, the minimum viable model is just under 2k euros with still a paltry 512Gb storage. That just crazy.

Considering there are report of the first generation having problem with the display (most likely because of heat generation) it's even more problematic because you can't expect it to last that long. And since M4 output a lot more heat, how much this thing is going to throttle and how much faster it's going to create display problem ?

No large iMac of course, that would be too cost effective compared to the eggregeriously priced Studio Display. Not that you would want one with this terrible design.

It is really a testament of modern Apple : form over function, in the name of design.

Yet this design is really not good, dumb white bezel, external PSU, annoyingly placed ports (only USB4 anyway). Basically you need a USB4 dock and an external drive to make this worthwhile, completly rendering moot the point of an all-in-one. If you are going to having cable galore, why even bother with this form factor.

In the end this thing is mostly a showroom computer or a luxury information appliance. For someone who just want a simple information appliance the price doesn't make a lot of sense, you can get something that works at half the price, the display won't be as good but it really doesn't matter that much. The display has this resolution because Apple has chosen the eazy for resolution scaling in order for them to claim to be first and "perfect".

It really is a display of modern Apple: beautiful hardware but extremely impractical and absurd pricing. I guess they want to push for the Mini/Studio + studio display for workstation use cases but the pricing is just nuts.

Re: New iMac with M4

#962

Post by WorldWideWebb » Wed, Oct 30, 2024, 1:56 PM UTC

seec wrote: post #961

So basically it's the same thing but with M4 and more RAM at the baseline. I suppose Apple would like us to be gratefull for that. Yet since it comes with only 256Gb storage standard, the minimum viable model is just under 2k euros with still a paltry 512Gb storage. That just crazy. Considering there are report of the first generation having problem with the display (most likely because of heat generation) it's even…

I’m on a 2017 iMac 27” and the hardware issues aside, I’m also not upgrading yet because they got rid of decent screen sizes. Other than money/profit - why don’t they make a 27” anymore? Frustrating.

Re: New iMac with M4

#963

Post by seec » Wed, Oct 30, 2024, 2:44 PM UTC

bsimpson wrote: post #197

fourfour3 wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've got one of the LG Ultrafine 5K monitors paired with a modern M1 Max macbook and it's a nice combination. Expensive, but I adore the pixel density considering I spend all day staring at text :) I'd be seriously tempted by an iMac if it had M4 Pro + a 27" 5K display. I just don't feel it's likely as they'll probably see it as cannibalising Mac Studio + Studio Display sales.

The Studio Display is priced as if it's an iMac. It's insane that we've had retina displays for over a decade, and Apple still seems to be more-or-less the only game in town for a 5k 27" display.

The thing is, only Apple computers really need it, because of their technical choice on resolution scaling, where only x2 do not give you a blurry mess on macOS. 5K is nice but not necessary for other platforms, you can get a 4K display scaled to 150% and it's still a good pixel density with same workspace size as a 2560x1440 display.

Re: New iMac with M4

#964

Post by space_oddity » Wed, Oct 30, 2024, 2:49 PM UTC

yreg wrote: post #775

space_oddity wrote: post #491

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would be fantastic if Apple brought back that 27-inch or larger iMac for desktop users who don’t need a separate display

The 5k iMac used to be an incredible deal considering usual Apple pricing and the quality of the screen. I miss it.

Display was stunning!

Re: New iMac with M4

#965

Post by fouc » Wed, Oct 30, 2024, 3:35 PM UTC

wingworks wrote: post #517

WillPostForFood wrote: post #366

Right now, the Apple computer lineup is totally out of alignment for me. The iMac is too small and the laptops are too big. I'd like a minimum 27" display for the iMac, maybe 31". For a laptop, give me something more portable, like the old 2 pound, 12" MacBook.

I used to always buy MBP's, but the new gen are all those super thick and heavy models. I tried one and couldn't get used to the thickness or weight. At that point I may as well get a desktop. I ended up buying M2 new MBA (from intel MBP), screen size similar enough, thickness good, weight good. And M2 is fast enough for 99% of the things I do. I did max the RAM to 24GB and wish there was more sometimes, and would lo…

I don't know if you already know this, but speed of SSD is dependent on size of SSD and also by how much of the drive is empty. Once it's more than 50% full it starts slowing down. I created a separate partition to deliberately leave 30% of the drive unallocated.

Re: New iMac with M4

#966

Post by gigatexal » Wed, Oct 30, 2024, 5:37 PM UTC

a_wild_dandan wrote: post #247

gigatexal wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

M3 MAX here with 128GB ... and even that's not going to be enough one day. I bet the M4 Max goes to 256. Oh the envy I will have.

I'm so jazzed to comfortably run Llama 3 405b on my Mac with less quantization.

It only goes to 128 :/

Re: New iMac with M4

#967

Post by lobsterthief » Wed, Oct 30, 2024, 5:47 PM UTC

robotresearcher wrote: post #321

piinbinary wrote: post #11

It's frustrating how disposable these are designed to be edit: e.g. screen replacements cost nearly as much as the entire computer

I bet iMacs are some of the longest-average-lifetime computers out there. But I’m sad that the 27” models are obsolete computers and still-wonderful screens, and Apple removed the use-as-screen mode.

My father-in-law just replaced his daily iMac because _Chrome_ finally stopped providing security updates for part of his hardware architecture.

Re: New iMac with M4

#968

Post by fennecbutt » Wed, Oct 30, 2024, 6:01 PM UTC

duped wrote: post #925

mysteria wrote: post #598

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do regular users use more than 250GB or so of local storage? Large media collections are likely stored on a NAS or external HDDs and the local disk is more for the OS, apps, and scratch space. Nowadays many files are on the cloud as well. Developers, video editors, and other people who actually handle large amounts of data locally will likely purchase an upgrade. While they're Linux systems pretty much all my desktop…

This reads like Apple Stockholm syndrome. I haven't bought a device with less than 1TB storage in a decade. The users that you're talking about would be happy with a Chromebook or iPad, not a $1k+ machine that ostensibly is for "pro" work. In fact the last time I did it, it was an Apple device and I wouldn't buy one again. AAA video games will take 100GB of local storage. I'm not claiming Apple is good for gaming, bu…

To add on, my phone is 512 let alone what I want my laptop to be. Apple claims that their ssds are magically super fast as if they don't use the same technology all other high end ones do, it's just that Apple massively overcharges for them, no wonder they make so much profit.

If a user only needs 256g then fine, but it's just creating ewaste as if they sell it 2ndhand there's fewer people that will want it.

Re: New iMac with M4

#969

Post by fennecbutt » Wed, Oct 30, 2024, 6:04 PM UTC

slashdave wrote: post #379

dlevine wrote: post #348

I'm surprised they are still shipping these with 256GB of storage base. I had a Macbook with a ~500GB SSD in 2012 (I installed it), and a 500GB spinning disk in like 2008 (also user installed). A 500GB SSD can be had for <$50 these days, and a 1TB for <$100. Still plenty of profit for Apple, even if they bump up the base storage to 512GB and make 1TB a $200 upgrade...

These are not ordinary SSDs, which (via SATA) are dirt slow in comparison.

Stop repeating Apple's marketing BS that their SSDs are magically faster, especially since Apple do not manufacture them.

Look up and understand how the hardware works first before you shill Apple's stuff.

Re: New iMac with M4

#970

Post by fennecbutt » Wed, Oct 30, 2024, 6:11 PM UTC

rootusrootus wrote: post #548

mmaunder wrote: post #518

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Oh thank god. Not a day goes by when I'm not thanking the powers that be in Europe for pressuring Apple to add USB-C to iphone.

People say this as if Apple hadn't already been adding USB-C to their iOS devices for several years. There were pretty good reasons for holding off USB-C for the iPhone. It was likely to alienate a good number of customers. I doubt Europe had anything to do with the timing.

Oh, brainwashed or contrarian, it's anybody's guess.