My late 2012 iMac 27" computer died so I needed a replacement ASAP. I could not find an all in one direct replacement for the 27" screen so I worried about the 23.5" screen of the iMac 24. With double the res of the old iMac it's crisp and clear and does the same job no worries. My old iMac had 16G of DRAM so I worried the 8G of the iMac 24 wouldn't cut it. No worries, it's fine. The new iMac main memory is solid state and with the M1 silicon it's fast enough. I had substituted an external SSD for the original internal HDD and that make a huge difference to the speed of the old machine. The new iMac is roughly 50 to 100% faster still. There are three versions of the iMac with differences in the amount of main memory and external ports. The cheapest has only 256G of ... MoreMy late 2012 iMac 27" computer died so I needed a replacement ASAP. I could not find an all in one direct replacement for the 27" screen so I worried about the 23.5" screen of the iMac 24. With double the res of the old iMac it's crisp and clear and does the same job no worries. My old iMac had 16G of DRAM so I worried the 8G of the iMac 24 wouldn't cut it. No worries, it's fine. The new iMac main memory is solid state and with the M1 silicon it's fast enough. I had substituted an external SSD for the original internal HDD and that make a huge difference to the speed of the old machine. The new iMac is roughly 50 to 100% faster still. There are three versions of the iMac with differences in the amount of main memory and external ports. The cheapest has only 256G of main memory. I reckoned that would not be enough so I bought the top iMac 24 with 512G memory and four external ports. After software installation (Mac OS plus apps) I had about 45% of main memory available. The new iMac has the usual Apple minimal approach to external sockets (USB A/3 x 2 & USB 4 x2). If you have much legacy stuff this can be a problem but with AirDrop this isn't a biggy. I love the skinny case. Mine is stylish blue - green (not lime green like the salesman said it would be). The power supply is a compact external adaptor that sits on the floor out sight. The keyboard that came with the iMac is a*se, not magic. No delete key - what? Silly little up and down arrow keys - what? Fortunately I could retain my old full key board with numeric keypad and delete key and run it through a USB A to USB C adapter. No magic, just good design. The new keyboards sole function is the fingerprint detector that saves typing my high strength (too long) password. The new mouse is just like the old one except for the built-in rechargeable battery instead of replaceable batteries. To recharge it you must charge like an iPhone but on its back so you can't use it when it's being recharged - brilliant. I suspect it was designed by the same designers who designed the keyboard. Anyway after running my purchase for a few weeks and allowing for a few quirks I'm very happy with it. It's the best available all-in-one computer. It's almost thoroughly well engineered. Hopefully it'll still be running in ten years.

2021 iMac M1 Processor

Just as others before, I purchased this iMac due to my late 2013 model becoming slower both at startup and in general use. Initially I wasn't too keen with the 'new colour options' but as choice was limited I decided on the model in green and it actually it fits in well with the glass desk on which it sits. The first noticeable difference is the overall weight - this model is much lighter than my original device. Setup is quite straightforward and startup speed is very impressive. No issues transferring files/photos etc. Connections on the rear for attaching peripheral devices are less than my previous model but for me not too much of an issue as my printer and camera are able to connect wirelessly. Keyboard and mouse are charged via cable so no need to worry about ... MoreJust as others before, I purchased this iMac due to my late 2013 model becoming slower both at startup and in general use. Initially I wasn't too keen with the 'new colour options' but as choice was limited I decided on the model in green and it actually it fits in well with the glass desk on which it sits. The first noticeable difference is the overall weight - this model is much lighter than my original device. Setup is quite straightforward and startup speed is very impressive. No issues transferring files/photos etc. Connections on the rear for attaching peripheral devices are less than my previous model but for me not too much of an issue as my printer and camera are able to connect wirelessly. Keyboard and mouse are charged via cable so no need to worry about batteries running out of power. All the functions/apps work well and the display is superb. As I was able to trade in my old model the cost was a little less than advertised but for the overall quality of the product I am happy with my choice. As I also have iPhone and iPad from the same manufacturer all my technology works seamlessly. Excellent service as usual from JLP where I purchase all my technology requirements. All in all, delighted with my purchase - a quality product from a premium manufacturer.

A STEP UP!

It's very early days with this new machine, but the new technology seems to work well. Everything is faster than the earlier model, and as a technophobe, it seems prepared to accommodate me! If you prefer a traditional keyboard however (as I do), it seems that not all are compatible! Neither my very recent non-mac keyboard or mouse will work with this Mac, and as yet, there isn't a driver make it happen - but (so far) that's the only hiccup I've encountered. Price-wise, if you use John Lewis, it's good value for money. Setting-up may be easy for some, but I had to call-in a boffin. It wasn't easy even for him, to get the printer and Mac to communicate with each other, and I was aware that he encountered other issues too; but I don't think that's a fault with this ... MoreIt's very early days with this new machine, but the new technology seems to work well. Everything is faster than the earlier model, and as a technophobe, it seems prepared to accommodate me! If you prefer a traditional keyboard however (as I do), it seems that not all are compatible! Neither my very recent non-mac keyboard or mouse will work with this Mac, and as yet, there isn't a driver make it happen - but (so far) that's the only hiccup I've encountered. Price-wise, if you use John Lewis, it's good value for money. Setting-up may be easy for some, but I had to call-in a boffin. It wasn't easy even for him, to get the printer and Mac to communicate with each other, and I was aware that he encountered other issues too; but I don't think that's a fault with this computer; rather the price we pay for constant advances and so-called improvements in technology! So far, I'm well pleased with this iMac! Being non-savvy with IT, I'm never too sure whether a problem is due to the computers operating system or the ancillary software. For example, when trying to exit an email, I'm finding that there isn't always a back arrow, and the only choice if the File menu is 'close window' - which keeps taking me out of Outlook completely. That didn't use to happen, but it may be (and I suspect it probably is) an issue with the non Apple software.

Be Careful - Big Disappointment

Be careful if you are replacing an older iMac. My old 2009 iMac had what we suspect was a video card failure. Up to then there were no issues other than we could not upgrade OS. This new Mac seems to be going backwards in many ways. The old iMac had 1 Tb hard drive and all the ports necessary. This new one required a separate docking station and there was no easy way to use fire-wire from old hard drive. Could not import Time Machine back-ups because the hard drive 256GB is so small! Luckily, we were able to get old iMac going enough to reduce to size so new iMac could handle. Only reason I bought the iMac was because of concerns over losing data from old Mac. If we had not got old Mac gone enough to reduce/transfer files not sure how this could have been done. Very ... MoreBe careful if you are replacing an older iMac. My old 2009 iMac had what we suspect was a video card failure. Up to then there were no issues other than we could not upgrade OS. This new Mac seems to be going backwards in many ways. The old iMac had 1 Tb hard drive and all the ports necessary. This new one required a separate docking station and there was no easy way to use fire-wire from old hard drive. Could not import Time Machine back-ups because the hard drive 256GB is so small! Luckily, we were able to get old iMac going enough to reduce to size so new iMac could handle. Only reason I bought the iMac was because of concerns over losing data from old Mac. If we had not got old Mac gone enough to reduce/transfer files not sure how this could have been done. Very disappointed with Apple. I am still struggling to create enough space to back-up iPhone! PC would have probably been a better lower cost choice. Boots up fast and nice machine but so was old iMac.

Does the job.

This computer runs great like every other Mac I've had in 33 years, although Apple will never come clean when something just doesn't work, and I've seen a lot of it over the years. But this M1 Mac allows me to rise efficiently to the world of 4K and Lightroom with my thousands of photographs and videos, and with a slightly larger screen than my 2017 iMac. Security should be better, which in this mad, mad, mad, mad world, and getting madder, is a big plus. Thank god B&H exists to give me faith. Unfortunately, don't try to use your old Mac as a second monitor without a lot of trouble. Visually and aesthetically, being essentially a starving artist working in my bedroom, I was looking forward to the new green finish. But instead of the finish meeting the black screen ... MoreThis computer runs great like every other Mac I've had in 33 years, although Apple will never come clean when something just doesn't work, and I've seen a lot of it over the years. But this M1 Mac allows me to rise efficiently to the world of 4K and Lightroom with my thousands of photographs and videos, and with a slightly larger screen than my 2017 iMac. Security should be better, which in this mad, mad, mad, mad world, and getting madder, is a big plus. Thank god B&H exists to give me faith. Unfortunately, don't try to use your old Mac as a second monitor without a lot of trouble. Visually and aesthetically, being essentially a starving artist working in my bedroom, I was looking forward to the new green finish. But instead of the finish meeting the black screen when turned off, an ugly 1 white band runs around it. It may make the operational image clearer in some ways but it's ugly. One other flaw is the redesigned base from a flared shape to a square shape. Not only did they rid the computer of a beautiful shape but now the computer is less stable. With the dopey base and white stripe it looks pedestrian. But it does the job.

For Lightroom Users on a Tight Budget

I have only ever afforded two simple desktop iMacs: a 2005 PowerPC/G5 and a Late-2013 iMac, each for about 7 years. This 2021 iMac 24-inch (the intermediate model: 16-GB RAM and 1-TB storage) is naturally a huge improvement in screen detail and color!! Speed: Even as an amateur with 24-megapixel cameras and a subscription to Lightroom Classic, I have needed larger and faster RAM for several years; so, this significant expenditure has been nearly as necessary as an energy-efficient refrigerator/freezer. The speed improvement is as remarkable as expected -- for all software applications. To open Lightroom on the Late-2013 iMac took several minutes but on this M1 iMac, less than 10 or 15 seconds. Making some Lightroom adjustments on my i5 quad-core 2013 model had been ... MoreI have only ever afforded two simple desktop iMacs: a 2005 PowerPC/G5 and a Late-2013 iMac, each for about 7 years. This 2021 iMac 24-inch (the intermediate model: 16-GB RAM and 1-TB storage) is naturally a huge improvement in screen detail and color!! Speed: Even as an amateur with 24-megapixel cameras and a subscription to Lightroom Classic, I have needed larger and faster RAM for several years; so, this significant expenditure has been nearly as necessary as an energy-efficient refrigerator/freezer. The speed improvement is as remarkable as expected -- for all software applications. To open Lightroom on the Late-2013 iMac took several minutes but on this M1 iMac, less than 10 or 15 seconds. Making some Lightroom adjustments on my i5 quad-core 2013 model had been becoming nearly impossible over the past ~2 years, and certainly no other app could also be running at the same time, whereas now with this M1, subtle editing changes, for example, can be tried and viewed at 100% with a delay of only a fraction of a second. Detail and Color: It can be joyful to read text on screen because the letters are now so clearly shaped. Some photos that I have gazed at many, many times on the 2013 iMac now look crisper in detail and richer in color on the iMac 24. This is an obvious difference, but it needs to be experienced for oneself. I had doubted the quality of a particular Zeiss Batis lens, but on the new iMac my photos from it are as outstandingly beautiful as the multitude of other owners and reviewers -- who have had Retina or similar displays -- have claimed the Batis images should be. Now I wish, even more, that my viewership had better and larger screens. Data Migration: Rather than use Time Machine back-ups to move thousands of current and no-longer-used files, I decided to operate my new and old iMacs side-by-side during the transition days. I normally use several external drives rather than cloud services, and the type and amount of external storage you have is very important. For migrating my Lightroom-linked content (250 GB), I am grateful for a free PDF available at the Lightroom Queen's website; after studying the PDF, the moving of all Lightroom custom presets, preferences, and the catalog and photos resulted in no problems. I am using Ethernet to access the Internet. I bought an updated CAT6 shielded cable to go with this new iMac.

Great speed, too much storage

This is my first MACBook. It is expensive and can not be upgraded after purchase - two big bummers. But it works flawlessly and has all the speed I was hoping for. I use it to create giant panoramas in Photoshop, starting with as many as 15 exposures. What took as much as 15 minutes to process now takes a few seconds. I have a lot of PSB files, gigantic. They save in less than a minute rather than 20. At home, I operate it clam shell style. I had no problem hooking the MACBook up to larger, calibrated screens, though I had to buy a boatload of converters. One way I could have saved money would have been to have purchased a much smaller solid state drive; maybe one TB. No solid state drive is big enough to hold all my photos. So, purchasing a conventional, ... MoreThis is my first MACBook. It is expensive and can not be upgraded after purchase - two big bummers. But it works flawlessly and has all the speed I was hoping for. I use it to create giant panoramas in Photoshop, starting with as many as 15 exposures. What took as much as 15 minutes to process now takes a few seconds. I have a lot of PSB files, gigantic. They save in less than a minute rather than 20. At home, I operate it clam shell style. I had no problem hooking the MACBook up to larger, calibrated screens, though I had to buy a boatload of converters. One way I could have saved money would have been to have purchased a much smaller solid state drive; maybe one TB. No solid state drive is big enough to hold all my photos. So, purchasing a conventional, inexpensive peripheral drive was necessary anyway. A harddrive that is configured for both PCs and MACS turned out to be the best way to go; though now I have about 3TB of unused solid state drive on the MACBook, a waste of money.

Many problem--no remedy from tech support

I have been a loyal apple customer for decades. The last two computers I bought from them, including this one have been problematic. For the M1 computer Pros CONS •opens faster that older computers •mouse is overly responsive and reacts •it's possible that some other things are faster oddly to slight touch when not problematic •tech support is not helpful and can waste (see notes) •Apple does not notify of defects •multiple problems with the mail program not Resolved (see notes) •problems with the screen jumping around in all sorts of documents--web pages, Word, PDFs... (see notes) I used to love Apple for its support and ease of use. This computer has not been good in either realm. 1st string support was never as good as 2nd level, but now 2nd level does not always ... MoreI have been a loyal apple customer for decades. The last two computers I bought from them, including this one have been problematic. For the M1 computer Pros CONS •opens faster that older computers •mouse is overly responsive and reacts •it's possible that some other things are faster oddly to slight touch when not problematic •tech support is not helpful and can waste (see notes) •Apple does not notify of defects •multiple problems with the mail program not Resolved (see notes) •problems with the screen jumping around in all sorts of documents--web pages, Word, PDFs... (see notes) I used to love Apple for its support and ease of use. This computer has not been good in either realm. 1st string support was never as good as 2nd level, but now 2nd level does not always help to resolve problems. I have had troubles with my new M1 iMac since I set it up. Have had to call multiple times, take it into the Genius bar, and call more times. Both genius bar and 2 or 3 upper-level support people said the problem needed to be sent to their engineers. One of them even had me make videos of the problems and said she had sent them to the engineers. She did not send them to the engineers and the next person said I had to do other things first. Multiple upper-level people had me do the same troubleshooting over and over to get to the next thing. They would set an appointment to call me back but never called. So, then you have to call in and start over with the next support person who often demands you do the same troubleshooting steps again. For more than 6 months I have worked for an hour or two with multiple tech support people with no correction of the problem. When they start telling me to buy things or to erase the whole computer and start over (re-setting up can take a whole lot of time and trouble), I give up. The page screen jumps around when online and in Word documents and in PDFs and all sorts of documents. The slide rails at the bottom and the side of the page move on their own. Even when I was careful not to touch the mouse other than on the sides, the page jumped around making it impossible to click on the location desired on a page or causing typing in the wrong place. I could click on the name of a document 4 to 10 times before it would actually act like I had done so, so that I could change the name or open the document. When I tried to put the computer to sleep it would sleep for a second and come back on. Often, it was non-responsive when I tried to put it to sleep again. After more than 6 or so months, the last tech support person who told me to erase my computer, also, told me to buy a plug-in mouse (in case their blue tooth mouse was the problem) to see if that helped. I took the plug -n mouse from my old iMac. It didn't help at first, but some of the jumping around has now stopped. By the way, they replaced the original mouse with another blue-tooth mouse—it didn't change anything. The mail program on this computer takes 5 to 15 minutes to send mail. No remedy. This was my last buy from Apple. Can anyone recommend a good phone to replace my iPhone?

Only two USB ports, no audio jack, tiny 240 gb SSD

A tiny 240 gb of storage, and two, yes, only two USB-C ports. They forgot to add an audio jack, they refused to add another USB type A port. This is a joke. This is an over priced fischer price toy for little kids. There is no way any adult can get any real work done on this. You have to get an external to actually have enough storage, and that will use up all of your available ports, so then you need a dock to expand your ports and have an audio jack, and let me guess, Apple will refuse to allow a non-Apple dock to work. All this will drastically reduce the minimalist look and defeats the purpose of their entire design philosophy. Apple is scamming people, again. There is no reason for this to cost even close to $1000. Beyond that setup was broken, because nothing ... MoreA tiny 240 gb of storage, and two, yes, only two USB-C ports. They forgot to add an audio jack, they refused to add another USB type A port. This is a joke. This is an over priced fischer price toy for little kids. There is no way any adult can get any real work done on this. You have to get an external to actually have enough storage, and that will use up all of your available ports, so then you need a dock to expand your ports and have an audio jack, and let me guess, Apple will refuse to allow a non-Apple dock to work. All this will drastically reduce the minimalist look and defeats the purpose of their entire design philosophy. Apple is scamming people, again. There is no reason for this to cost even close to $1000. Beyond that setup was broken, because nothing can work smoothly with an Apple product, you always have to trick these into working as they were designed to. We had to create a temporary offline account, just so we can update, all so we can actually sign in with an Apple ID. It's also slow. It launches programs slowly, it updates slowly, it hangs in the middle of animations. 8 gb of RAM probably isn't enough to run their bloated operating system, like older Apple products, Windows probably benchmarks higher on these than macOS does. The upsides are solid audio from those speakers, very rich bass. The screen looks nice, vibrant colors and bright. It looks nice on the desk, I like the way they skipped the big logo on the front. The included power cable is nice, and has a fabric around it. The power port itself is a nice small round design that reminds me of old PS/2 ports in the 90s, although this can insert at any rotation. Shame they glued this together instead of using screws or magnets, these are essentially designed to be thrown away as soon as they have a hardware problem. Don't want to be so negative but, this is kind of a joke in my opinion. My customer was scammed into buying this and now has to spend extra getting it to be what it was suppose to be in the first place.

The perfect desktop Mac

This iMac 24-inch replaced a late-2014 iMac 27-inch that we bought from B&H almost exactly seven years ago. My wife used that one to create digital art, and it was just time to get a faster machine to keep up with the software advances. The 24-inch screen has not been much of a sacrifice versus the 27-inch. One benefit is that the smaller screen requires less eye movement side to side, which significantly reduces eye fatigue. The pixel density is about the same as the larger 5k screen. No PC offers this quality of screen except Apple. The M1 is much, much faster with Corel Painter than the older machine (as one would expect). The sound system is very good. The only complaint is that Apple makes the worst keyboards. The Magic keyboard that comes with this iMac feels ... MoreThis iMac 24-inch replaced a late-2014 iMac 27-inch that we bought from B&H almost exactly seven years ago. My wife used that one to create digital art, and it was just time to get a faster machine to keep up with the software advances. The 24-inch screen has not been much of a sacrifice versus the 27-inch. One benefit is that the smaller screen requires less eye movement side to side, which significantly reduces eye fatigue. The pixel density is about the same as the larger 5k screen. No PC offers this quality of screen except Apple. The M1 is much, much faster with Corel Painter than the older machine (as one would expect). The sound system is very good. The only complaint is that Apple makes the worst keyboards. The Magic keyboard that comes with this iMac feels flimsy and junky. Instead, we plugged in a 9-year-old USB Apple keyboard, and it is much, much better. I would say that, if you buy an iMac, prepare to buy an aftermarket keyboard for about $100.