I have been anxiously awaiting an iMac upgrade. It’s finally happened — and with some much-needed speed boosts — but I’ll probably pass on the upgrade. Here’s why….
I’m disappointed that there’s no 32-inch version, as had been rumored. I wasn’t expecting any major design changes, but renown Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had predicted an update with “significant display-performance upgrades.” I felt he was right and that we’d get a TrueTone display.
I’m also a bit confused why the new iMac doesn’t get the T2 security chip. The new MacBook Air and Mac mini released late last year added it.
I was also hoping for some iMac Pro features such as better speakers and an enhanced FaceTime camera. The iMac Pro also has the first ever 1080p FaceTime camera to come on a Mac, compared to the 720p camera on the 5K iMac. It also has four microphones, compared to only one on the 5K iMac.
And — really, Apple? — new iMacs only come with 8GB of memory standard. A 16GB upgrade, which should be the base line, will cost you $200, while 32GB will set up back $600. That’s twice what you can buy memory for from company’s such as OWC.
What’s more, I was sure that the new iMacs would come in solid state drive editions only. Nope. The Fusion Drive is still the default. Replacing it with a 512GB SSD will cost you another $100.
Finally, why isn’t the new iMac offered in space gray? Silver remains the only choice.
I really wanted a 2019 iMac that I couldn’t resist. But this upgrade I can resist. Think I’ll wait and see if Mr. Kuo’s prediction of 16-inch MacBook Pros and 32-inch, 8K displays coming this fall is correct.
If he’s right, that combo will tempt me more than the new iMac.
