Which Desktop Mac Should You Buy? (Summer 2022)

If you are looking to buy a new Mac soon, it can be confusing to decide which one is right for you and which options to get. See this guide to deciding between the Mac mini, iMac and Mac Studio.

Comments: 9 Responses to “Which Desktop Mac Should You Buy? (Summer 2022)”

    John Clark
    2 years ago

    Can I use my iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020) as an external screen for a Mac Studio M1Max?

    2 years ago

    John: Not as a pure display. But if you are still using your iMac for other things, you can always use AirPlay to use it as another display occasionally. If you are not using your iMac at all otherwise, it probably makes a lot more sense to sell it and get a regular display. The energy savings alone may make it worth it.

    Howard Brazee
    2 years ago

    I bought my M1 iMac when they came out. One consideration for me was to get the model with Two Thunderbolt / USB 4 ports and Two USB 3 ports. Another was to get the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad.

    At the time I ordered an external port that included two HDMI ports (which I needed for karaoke). That worked for a while until MacOS upgraded. Apparently this Mac doesn't support multiple HDMI. So I had to get another HDMI adaptor that supported DisplayLink software.

    Weber Baker
    2 years ago

    My wife has a 27” iMac that needs to be replaced (it will not take any MacOS updates). She likes the 27” screen as she is visually impaired, but all the the current desktops seem too much for what she does. The 24” iMac looks good except for screen size. I wonder if Apple ever intends to put out another 27” iMac.
    Or alternatively I need to figure out the best configuration that matched the 24” so I can get her a 27” monitor

    2 years ago

    Weber: I did a video on this: https://macmost.com/will-apple-come-out-with-a-new-larger-imac.html
    My advice is to have her look at the 24-inch iMac in an Apple Store first. It is easy to think of the old 21.5-inch iMac in your head, but the 24-inch is much larger and may be fine for her. Especially if she had an old 27-inch, as the new displays are much nicer to look at. Have her use it in the store for a bit before deciding.

    Steve Penner
    2 years ago

    I’m retired and my primary hobby is photography I already own a M1 Mac mini and wonder if you feel like the new Apple 5k monitor is overkill over a high quality calibrated monitor for my hobby?

    2 years ago

    Steve: Hard to say for an individual. The price is high for some, but not for others. The quality is excellent. Go to an Apple Store when you get a chance and see it for yourself first.

    Steve
    2 years ago

    Are there not other alternatives for a desktop Mac worth considering? What do you think about connecting a MacBook Air to a large monitor, possible a Studio Display?

    2 years ago

    Steve: Sure, you can do that if you like. That works if you need both a desktop and a laptop, but want to only get one Mac.

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