Mac vs. Mac

This past summer I reached that milestone every computer owner knows is coming, but hopes never arrives. My iMac stopped receiving OS updates. Yes, my trusty 2017 27’ iMac was perpetually frozen in time with Ventura as its operating system. Never again would I experience the exhilaration of discovering what new functionality Apple decided I couldn’t live without. Unless of course….

You guessed it. Buy a new computer.

Which is exactly what I did.

My older iMac was still functioning just fine. As a matter of fact, with a recent memory upgrade to 32gb it was still chugging along quite nicely. However, I now felt the clock was ticking and with already experiencing FOMO, it was time for an upgrade. Now the big question was, to what?

Firmly planted into the Apple ecosystem it was a quick and easy choice to eliminate any type of Windows computer. That left with deciding what type of Mac computer to get. Now, for my iPhone and iPad I don’t hesitate to get the Pro models. For those form factors, I need (ok, want) the added horsepower and functionality those devices provide. It’s a little different with a desktop computer however. I use it primarily for work functions meaning the standard suite of productivity apps, video calls, etc. For me, the question really came down to an iMac vs. Mac mini.

Normally, I wouldn’t have hesitated with simply going with another iMac. But the big issue for me was the smaller screen size. While just a 3 inch difference between my older model iMac and the current ones, I knew it would be noticeable. Having spent a significant portion of my corporate life with two 24 inch monitors, I valued screen real estate. And even though working on one monitor vs. two was never that big of a deal for me, every pixel matters with one less screen.

I like the iMac mini a lot. As a matter of fact, given I can pick my own monitor and select whatever size I want it was indeed the smarter choice. The thing is though…the positive of selecting my own monitor was also the negative. In order to go down that road I would have to 1) research which monitor I wanted and 2) figure out the cable management for yet another piece of hardware on an already smallish workspace. While neither of those two tasks would require a huge amount of effort, they did require just enough where I didn’t want to expend the needed energy to accomplish it. At the end of the day, I just couldn’t ignore the convenience of an all inclusive setup.

So here I sit in front of my silver, M3 chip iMac with 16 GB of memory and 512GB SSD hard drive and loving it. But I have to tell you…the screen is small. You will find plenty of articles and YouTube videos saying you get use to the smaller screen and hardly notice it. For me however, that is so not true. I notice it everyday. The only thing that makes it tolerable is my 12.9 inch iPad Pro which I use as a second monitor quite frequently. With Apple providing the ability to seamlessly use the iMac mouse and keyboard for both, it offers just enough relief where I don’t think my productivity is significantly compromised. It’s a little different, but not worse.

If Apple ever does release a larger 27, or dare I dream, 32 inch version I’ll be the first to buy it. Until then, I’m happy with my choice.