We all saw the Apple Spring loaded event the other day. There was some cool stuff announced,
but I want to talk about the iMac in this video, and if it makes sense to buy it. Spoiler alert,
in my opinion, for a lot of people it's just not worth it.
Firstly, there are a couple of factors you need to think about. Starting with budget - is that
going to have an impact on your decision? Perhaps the iMac is stretching your budget
a little too much. If that's the case, stay tuned because I have a solution for you.
Secondly, are you willing to put in a little bit of effort to shop around and configure your own
custom M1 iMac alternative? Or are you just after a set and forget option like the iMac,
which is essentially a computer, screen, webcam, and stand all in one.
Thirdly, are you going to regret not having the M1 iMac specific features like the advanced webcam
that can track you during a call, directional microphone, or better quality internal speakers?
If you're not bothered by the price, need those specific features, or you just love iMacs,
the 2021 iMac will be a solid choice regardless, I'm not denying that.
It looks like a great piece of technology and I will be reviewing it extensively on
my channel soon. However, in my opinion it isn't worth the cost for most people,
and there are similar alternatives out there with the same performance. Hear me out for a second.
Traditionally, the standard iMac has always been a solid performer in the Apple Mac lineup.
More powerful than entry level models like the Mac Mini and MacBook Air,
but not quite as powerful as a moderately specced MacBook Pro for example. Let's face it,
up until recently the Mac Mini and MacBook Air were basically flattened
potatoes in a metal shell. They could barely run editing software let alone render a video.
Apple's new M1 chip completely changed this. At the moment, every single late
2020 to early 2021 Mac in Apple's lineup are all exactly as powerful as each other,
with some minor exceptions with the 7 core GPU models. The M1 MacBook Pro and M1 Mac
Mini have the exact same performance as I found in some testing last year.
Is the 2021 iMac any different in terms of raw power? No, it's exactly
the same. It uses the same chip. Apple also strangely decided to equip the base model
iMac with only a 7 core GPU instead of an 8 core. This means the $699 M1
Mac Mini is actually more powerful than the entry-level 2021 M1 iMac at $1299, unless of
course you upgrade to the 8 core model for $1499 - which $800 dollars more than the Mac Mini.
A lot of us were hoping the iMac refresh would get the more powerful M1X chip,
but for now at least, it's using the same M1 chip that all the other M1 Macs are using.
So this got me thinking, why don't I just build my
own equally powerful but cheaper iMac equivalent using separate components?
Starting with the computer, like I said previously, the M1 Mac Mini is a great deal, even
more so these days because it's usually on sale for $669. Yes, you don't get quite as many ports
(but only if you buy the more expensive 8 core GPU iMac), there's no webcam, and the internal
speaker sucks, but you might not even use any of those things on an iMac anyway. You can also
get a bracket that attaches to the back of your monitor to hide the Mac Mini away if you prefer.
Moving on to the screen - there are a ton of budget options out there. My choice would be
the LG 27UL500-W, which is a 27", 4K, HDR10 panel. It's about $350 dollars, possibly even
less if you can get it on sale. It won't be quite as nice as the iMac 4.5K retina screen,
but you probably won't even notice the difference. The more important factor to me personally is that
it's 27", not 24". A 24" screen is just too small for me, and at the moment the 24" iMac is the only
option. You can also use it with other devices such as your MacBook, or even games console
if you have one. I was happy to see that Apple offers the new iMac in a VESA compatible version,
so you'll be able to mount both the iMac or the LG monitor on monitor arms or stands if you'd prefer.
Moving on to keyboards - Apple wireless keyboards are notoriously overpriced. Sure, you get the
TouchID on the new iMac keyboard, but don't forget you have to buy the more expensive 8 core option,
because the TouchID function does not ship with the base model iMac.
My recommendation would be the MX Keys from Logitech. It's a great wireless keyboard,
very similar to Apple's own offering except cheaper at $98 dollars, it's more functional,
and just nicer to use. Yes, it does come with the Apple function buttons on the key caps.
That brings us to a grand total of $1100, almost $200 cheaper and more powerful than
the entry level 7 core GPU iMac. Or, $400 dollars cheaper than the equivalent in performance 8 core
GPU option iMac. If you want things like speakers and webcams, you have plenty of
room left in the budget to buy these. Or, you can use this saved money to upgrade the RAM to 16GB,
which will give you a huge performance boost depending on your workflow.
You also get a tonne more flexibility with this custom setup. Want to upgrade to an
M1X Mac Mini if it comes out this year? Just swap out the Mini. Need a larger screen or
a pro color accurate monitor for photo or video editing? Just swap the screen out.
Anyway, that's it from me for this video. I hope you enjoyed my take on this and if you have any
questions, please leave a comment down below but apart from that, I'll catch you in the next one.