At the beginning Apple's Virtual World Wide Developers Conference in June revealed great news about the future of the Mac. After years of rumors, the company finally confirmed plans to get rid of Intel processors in favor of its internal ARM-based chips. Apple he noted that the process would be gradual, taking about two years to transition the entire line.
It was a rare peek behind the curtain for the company, due to the fact that it had to prepare the developers before the transition, also releasing a limited ARM-based Mac mini version to help get the process started. This type of delivery time can be difficult to navigate. While he noted that the first ARM-based Macs will arrive later this year, Apple's road map still includes Intel systems, which he added will continue to support for "years to come".
Announced this week, the long-term update of iMac falls into the latter category. The system will be one of the last Macs to sport Intel silicon. Apple isn't saying how many more are still in the pipeline, but the desktop adopts the chip giant's tenth generation Comet Lake processors. The new device puts Apple in the somewhat complicated position of positioning new models as the biggest thing after sliced bread, while acknowledging that the biggest change in its category in about 10 years is coming.
We don't particularly know when ARM-based iMacs will arrive, of course. Various previous rumors have indicated an Intel model updated this year, with a new version with Apple silicon in 2021. Things are further complicated by the rumors surrounding the imminent arrival of a radically redesigned version all in one. For now, however, iMac maintains its familiar, iconic form factor.
Of course, the truth of the matter is that not everyone is able, willing or even interested in waiting for a mysterious update. It's a bit of a thing with consumer hardware. There is always an update coming along the way. At some point you have to bite the bullet, pull the trigger or whatever your chosen metaphor is. And this is indeed a powerful and capable machine. Furthermore, we do not update the current PC demand.
After a difficult first quarter due to supply problems, the demand for home laptops and desktops is increasing as many employees in the office have understood that remote work will become our reality for the foreseeable future. Keep in mind that Google has recently moved the office reopening date to next July and the company is definitely looking for the tech industry in general. If you will be working from home for a while, two things are essential: a nice office chair and a capable computer.
The first is a conversation for another day. The second, on the other hand, is more easily accomplished with an all-in-one device and all-in-one devices don't become much easier than iMac. Seriously, I installed the new 27-inch yesterday, and it's really the definition of Apple's promise to "just work", right down to the giant power button on the back. I will also quickly add that the version that Apple sent me as configured is much, much more than most employees will require.
The model has a 10 Core 3.6 GHz Intel Core i9, 32 GB of RAM, AMD Radeon Pro 5700 XT with 16 GB of memory, 1 TB of memory and structured nano glass. I just ticked all the corresponding boxes on the Apple website and found the system starting at $ 1,800 at a price of around $ 4,500, excluding the magic keyboard and trackpad. In fact, this is exactly the level of specifications that blurs the line between updated iMacs and iMac Pro.
Apple obviously wanted to emphasize the system's potential for creative professions. And, in fact, iMac has become an increasingly capable device in recent years, and with the current configuration on the system I'm using, it's easy to imagine that this ends up in some music studios and even independent films. The line saw a real expansion in the category of creative professionals when iMac Pro intervened to fill the absence left by the Mac Pro line then suspended.
The non-Pro iMac line is well positioned to attract bedroom musicians and filmmakers, an ever wider category at the age of COVID-19. Perhaps even more relevant, however, are the system's teleconferencing capabilities. It seems unlikely that COVID-19 has had a significant impact on a device that has probably been in the pipeline for some time, but fortunately the new model includes some features that will be welcome as Zoom conferences become an ever growing appointment in the day daily working life.
The biggest update here is the switch from the 720p to 1080p camera found on the iMac. As someone who played with his home audio / video setup during the pandemic as ProWellTech enters the brave new world of virtual tech conferences, it's something I have had a keen eye on. I suggested from the start of the pandemic that the next generation of laptops and desktops will finally become serious for microphones and webcams after years of letting smartphones lead the group.
I upgraded my system before our big September Disrupt event to include an external video camera and microphone. I acknowledge that both are probably excessive for most users. The photo above was taken with the iMac webcam. It is a clear blow and more than acceptable for teleconferencing needs. The system is equipped with a series of on-board sensors designed to improve the experience, including face detection for better shot framing and greater performance in low light conditions.
I'd like to see some future updates that add depth detection and a bokeh effect - preferably real, although something similar to portrait mode on the iPhone might also work. Something that has really been made known to many of us in recent months is that we don't necessarily want the world - or even colleagues - to peek out of houses at all times. In fact, depth of field is the number one reason why I chose to switch to the aforementioned external video camera.
https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/white-noise-1.m4a
The same can be said for the microphone. It is clear and perfectly suited to teleconferencing. Above is a clip of me reading the first sentences of White Noise (it's the first thing that jumped on my head, I don't know what to tell you). It doesn't matter the confusing speech (Bell's paralysis sucks, don't understand it), but the audio is perfectly suited for a Zoom call. In an attempt to attract creatives, the company notes that microphones, similar to the hardware found on the 16-inch MacBook, can be used for things like scratch voice. I'd say I do the makeup for most of the things we need day by day, but if you're going to say, record a podcast or a voice over job, I'd seriously consider an external mic.
The speakers also meet roughly the same needs. They are perfect for a conference call, audio playback and even watching random movies and listening to music. As a person who is slightly obsessed with listening to music, I would probably invest in some external speakers to pair with the desktop in a home setting, but computer audio is suitable for an office.
The display, on the other hand, is definitely surprising. It is a 5K (5120 x 2880) with 14.7 million pixels. It's a brilliant 500 nits, and pop colors. This is the first time that the company has brought True Tone technology to the iMac, using light sensors to adapt the screen to the most real colors. It's a nice addition and it all leads to a screen that opens up positively. At the end of a long day, I started shooting the iMac and using it to watch movies from my sofa.
The other big news here on the front of the screen is the Nano-texture glass introduced for the first time in the Pro Display XDR. I will quote Apple directly on that: "Unlike the typical matte finishes that have a coating added to the surface to diffuse the light, this industry-leading option is produced through an innovative process that affects the glass itself at the nanometer level." More simply (and less commercially), it is a method of reducing screen glare that affects tiny nano structures in the glass instead of simply adding a coating.
I have long felt that the Mac displays were too shiny for my taste and would happily switch to nano-texture for all my systems. The downside of the technology is that it appears to be prohibitively expensive. In the case of the 32-inch XDR, it adds $ 1,000 to the cost of the device. Here's another $ 500. Either way, it's probably going to be too expensive an addition for anyone who absolutely doesn't need an anti-glare system for work-related purposes.
There is a good selection of ports on the back of the device. Get four USB-A (full-size USB ports) and two Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C. I could have done with more of the latter in an attempt to further strengthen the future-proof system, but it's still a solid choice. There is also a Gigabit Ethernet port which can be upgraded to 10 GB, for those who need a rigid cable (another thing I found needed in this teleconferencing era).
All in all, there are some really nice updates here. And it was fascinating to watch the iMac switch to a truly capable machine. As configured with the unit that Apple sent, you should probably take the iMac Pro seriously, which starts at $ 500 more (I mean, you're already at $ 4,500, after all, so what's a few hundred more dollars) among friends). The update will offer you things like improved graphics, an improved thermal system, more power and more configuration options.
The big question mark open here is what the future of the iMac will be like and how long we will have to wait to see it. This is, of course, the perennial demand for hardware updates, but is exacerbated by knowledge of upcoming ARM-based systems and rumors surrounding a redesign. The iMac has and continues to be a good-looking machine, but it's hard to shake the feeling it could do with a redesign.
Both of these are probably still a bit down the road, however. And many people who are designing their remote workstations will find a lot to see with this easy-to-use all-in-one. It can be upgraded to show off some firepower and does double duty well as a workstation and entertainment machine - the latter is great for a strange guy like me who doesn't own a television.
The new iMac is now available starting at $ 1,799.