The M4 iMac is a beautiful computer that feels more and more like it fell out of a universe where laptops never took off.
You can see it, can’t you? In a world without laptops, the iMac would be the ultimate computer. Instead of a box and a screen with a tangled mess of wires everywhere, everything you need is right there, crammed into a slim aluminum chassis. Display, processor, speakers, webcam, microphone and all ports: all built-in. It is restrained. Very cute. That’s fast enough for most people. iMacs will be in every library, dorm room, cubicle, computer lab, and living room. People would drag them to coffee shops.
Now imagine going to that universe and showing them a MacBook Pro. People may choose to do this.
The M4 iMac is a beautiful object and a very good computer. design is three years oldBut it’s still stunning, especially from behind. It’s still the only Mac to come in actual colors, and this year they’re even cheerier. a little faster than it last yearthe base model has more RAM and comes with the same new webcam and anti-glare screen options as the M4 MacBook Pro.
But other than that, it’s the same machine as the 2023 machine, and basically the same machine as the 2021 machine. I feel calmer and more productive walking into the office and seeing a vast expanse of blue instead of a rat’s nest of cables sticking out of my regular monitor. In those rare cases, the most important thing about a computer is how its back looks, and the iMac asks you to give up too much in exchange.
The M4 iMac starts at $1,299 and features an 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU M4 chip, 16GB of memory, and a 256 GB SSD. As usual, the starting configuration seems to exist only to encourage you to spend more money. Only two of the base model’s four USB-C ports are Thunderbolt ports, it only supports one external display instead of two, the Ethernet port costs extra, and the included Magic Keyboard doesn’t have TouchID. All of these issues disappear if you spend the extra $200 and buy the next tier, which also lets you upgrade to a 10-core CPU. If you’re buying yourself an iMac, the $1,499 model is really where to start.
My review unit came with a 10-core CPU and GPU, 24GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, $200 anti-glare nanotexture coating, and a full-size Magic Keyboard for $2,329. That’s more than you’d spend on an iMac.
The thing about all-in-one computers is that all of these things have to be worth the money. If you have to start plugging in a bunch of stuff to compensate for what’s built in, maybe buy something else. (This is what the industry calls “foreshadowing.”) And the iMac is mainly, most Nail it.
This 10-core processor is the same chip found in the base M4 Mac Mini or MacBook Pro, and in day-to-day use, the iMac feels fast. Even the 8-core base model should last at least five years or more thanks to 16GB of starting RAM. My work machine is a four-year-old M1 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM, and I have no complaints about its speed for daily work. (Port selection and the fact that I can only use one external monitor, yes.) Apple Silicon has some advantages. You have to give it to them.
The iMac’s speakers are as good as ever, and the microphone and noise cancellation are advanced enough that I never had to plug in headphones for a video call. The 12MP Center Stage camera is a significant upgrade over last year’s model, and it’s much better than the similar ultrawide camera in the Surface Pro 11, which was preset for a zoomed-in view of your entire surroundings. It keeps me centered on the screen better than a gimbal mount Insta360 link A webcam that I often use. Unlike the Insta360, it doesn’t randomly decide to point at my lap or bookshelf instead of my face, nor does it refuse to turn on because it’s not getting enough power from the USB hub behind the monitor.
iMac comes with a color-matched Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad. A lot of people love the Magic Keyboard, and I’m happy for them. Regardless, if I were sitting at a desk, I would use a keyboard with better key travel and ergonomics rather than one that feels like tapping on a pizza box.
But even if I use a different keyboard, I have to have the Magic Keyboard within arm’s reach so I can use TouchID. TouchID is great, it’s frustrating that Apple puts it on the keyboard instead of the power button, and it’s even more frustrating that you have to upgrade from the base model to get it.
The Magic Trackpad is great, though. No complaints.
I don’t like that there are only four ports (not including the headphone jack) and they’re all USB-C. It looks really nice until you have to transfer images from an SD card or plug in a USB-A adapter, and then you’re back in dongletown. I’ve lived in dongletown for a long time, but I don’t like it as much as I did in 2015.
I also don’t like that the stand doesn’t have height adjustment, and that you can’t change it to a more ergonomic option without buying a completely different computer. apples for sale iMac version with VESA mountbut it doesn’t come with a stand at all, and most height-adjustable VESA mounts aren’t as pretty as the iMac. this Studio display There’s a height-adjustable stand option, so we know Apple able Make a product that you want to put out into the world. It’s just that it hasn’t been done here yet. But whatever. I have the hardcover book. It doesn’t matter.
Now let’s talk about the display, which is why you buy an iMac and why most people shouldn’t. The 23.5-inch, 4480 × 2520 LED-backlit panel is beautiful. It has a wide color gamut, an optional nano-textured surface that’s great for preventing glare in bright rooms, and it complies with True Tone display rules. I like how the screen brightness and color temperature change depending on the light in the room. Nowadays I take it for granted that this is a feature on mobile phones. My regular monitor can’t do this, but I’m glad my iMac can do this.
(Side note on the nano-textured screen: It does a great job of blocking glare from windows during the day, which allows me to keep the blinds open so I don’t feel like I’m living in a cave. But my spouse, too, does a great job throughout the day I looked at the computer at night and said it had a grainy texture and my eyes hurt.
The only reason to buy an iMac is for the ambiance
It’s just that the screen is a bit small. I’m used to working on a 27-inch or 32-inch 4K monitor with multiple applications open at the same time. Although the iMac has a higher resolution, physical The size of the screen meant I couldn’t fit it in without scaling everything down to the point where I’d have to hunt for a pair of reading glasses. It’s still stuck at 60Hz, the brightness can only reach a maximum of 500 nits, and it doesn’t support HDR.
even That It’s not an iMac problem. The problem is that the monitor only works with one computer, is integral to that computer, and that computer starts at $1,299. If you want a bigger screen or a faster screen or an OLED screen or HDR or a screen that works any other computer Or if you want a more powerful computer, a more portable computer, or a cheaper computer, then the iMac isn’t for you.
Chances are, monitors felt cramped and outdated long before the rest of the computer came along. Or the opposite: you’ll have a monitor that you’re still happy with, but can only be used with a computer that you don’t like. Because we live in a world full of excellence mini computer and MacBook Proand a robust selection of monitors no Always locked into a computer, the only real reason to buy an iMac is for the atmosphere.
If you want an Apple desktop computer, you can buy a Mac Mini with the same specs as an iMac and still have $1,000 left over for a monitor, webcam, speakers, keyboard, and mouse, even if you don’t have anything None of those things already exist.
If you want flexibility, you can buy a MacBook Pro with the same specs as an iMac and have a machine with all-day battery life; a great display, speakers, microphone, webcam, keyboard, and trackpad; and More ports – and still have enough money to buy a monitor to plug it into.
Of course, it looks worse from behind, but who’s looking from behind?
Back in the iMac’s heyday — the late 1990s and early 2000s — the laptops weighed 5 pounds or more and could last for hours on a charge. A smartphone is not a thing. Tablets are not a thing in the first place. Most families with computers at home have a shared desktop – or, if you’re lucky, two. That’s where the iMac comes from. But this is not our situation.
In this universe of late 2024, we’re spoiled by computers. My kids use iPads or school-issued Chromebooks. My spouse has a work laptop and a tablet. I have a 32-inch monitor with a bunch of peripherals plugged into it, and I use it to switch between a Windows desktop and a few laptops (including my M1 Air). Of course, we all have cell phones. Even if I were to set up a home computer – I’d already thought about it! — I don’t see any situation where I would choose an all-in-one computer instead of buying a monitor and computer separately.
The problem with the iMac is that it wasn’t designed for this world. Most people deserve something else, and most people do. This only really makes sense if you’re purchasing a computer for use at your reception desk, lobby area, or anywhere you want to project a calm, sophisticated, uncluttered aesthetic. In this case, the cheapest model will be fine. Hopefully you don’t need to insert too many things or you’ll ruin the mood.
For the rest of us, it makes more sense to buy a Mac Mini or laptop and a separate monitor. Clean your desk every once in a while.
Photography: Nathan Edwards/The Verge
