Do I Still Need an iMac?
A referendum on the desktop computer
Do you remember your first computer? If you’re of the right age, chances are good that your first computer was a desktop machine rather than a laptop.
For me, it was an old HP Pavilion. It was a boring looking beige tower that was accompanied by an equally boring looking beige monitor. The monitor did have removable rectangular speakers that attached to the sides which gave it a bit of character.
A Desktop from a young age
But from a young age, I was accustomed to having a desktop computer. A computer that would live in the same place day in and day out. It was a comforting, reliable thought. You never had to ask yourself where you left your computer, it was always right there! And in the early days of personal computing, the room in which the computer lived ended up being referred to as the “computer room”. Crazy right?
I know, I know, I sound like an old dinosaur talking about the good ol’ days of boring computers. Laptops have been the dominant computer form factor now for quite some time. And I’ve had plenty of them. The ability to take your computing needs with you wherever you go is hugely valuable. This is especially true for a guy like me who usually opts for al fresco computing.
And since moving on from that old HP tower, I’ve usually had my laptops docked in some sort of desktop configuration. It still felt like a novelty when I had a laptop connected to an external monitor in college. I’d constantly get the question, “hey, why do you have two computers?” Eventually, the cost of a good external flat screen monitor came down enough where most laptop users had one.
It wasn’t until I was living on my own in a tiny studio apartment in San Francisco that I felt compelled to by another desktop computer. My old laptop was coming to the end of its days, and I wanted a powerful system that I could rely on at home. I was captivated by one model in particular. It was the iMac.
The iMac
There may be no more iconic line of personal computers than the iMac. They’ve had many different iterations ranging from childlike and colorful to space-age and utilitarian. But no matter how they looked, they still delivered on the same promise. It’s an all-in-one computer built around Apple’s amazingly intuitive operating system. And this appealed to me.
I had been using Windows machines for most of my life to that point. There always seemed to be some piece of software that I relied on that wasn’t compatible with Mac OS. I finally just decided it was time for a change. My Sony Vaio laptop was still lightweight and functional enough to take with me when I needed it, but having a Mac as my home base computer just made sense.
It also helped that I found a virtually brand new iMac for sale just down the street at a moving sale. Note that you are likely to get the best deal on a desktop computer when the person selling it has to suddenly move across the country and can’t be bothered to pack it. Here’s another friendly reminder. If you’re selling a computer on Craigslist or in-person at a moving sale (or anywhere at all) please be sure to actually wipe all of your data off the machine! Maybe that’s its own story for another day, I digress.
The iMac became the hub of my digital life. It was a huge upgrade to everything I was previously doing on my home computer. And it really re-affirmed that love for a stable, reliable desktop computer in my life. It was a shiny silver 20” all-in-one machine that was as aesthetically pleasing as it was functional. Especially in a tiny apartment, it became a key piece of decor. You couldn’t miss it. It was really the opposite of the old beige tower that I grew up using.
It served me well for many years. And as my wife and I moved into a new place, I felt like it was time to upgrade. I sold the trusty 20” iMac to an older fellow who jumped at the opportunity to buy his first Mac. Don’t worry, I did wipe all of my data from it first. Let’s hope that old iMac is still booting up somewhere out there.
I wanted a newer iMac to keep that desktop tradition alive. I upgraded to a 27” model that made the old 20” version look like a toddler’s play thing. It had all the same elements that I loved about the old version. And it was faster and had a larger screen. What more could I ask for?
As I write this, I can see my 27” iMac in the corner of the room. It’s still chugging along but not without its issues. The diagnostics tell us that it likely won’t be running at its peak much longer. It will likely require some new components that just aren’t worth the cost. Yep, I think it’s time to send it off to greener pastures. Maybe that’s another senior citizen looking for a hugely discounted Mac or maybe it’s just sending it back to Apple for recycling.
But all this preamble leads me to the crux of this article. Do I need another desktop? Should I buy another iMac? Will a laptop suffice? Are the halcyon days of desktop computing reserved for gamers and video editors? These are two things that I don’t do very much at all. Does the average writer, tech hobbyist, internet surfer, consumer actually need a computer that lives in one place all the time? Hell, do people even need laptop computers as much anymore? With the ability to do most things on our phones and tablets, it’s a viable question to ask ourselves.
Apple’s newest iMacs look ok, but they don’t have the same vibe of the older silver models. And they don’t feature the latest components either. They just don’t seem like the nerdy option, they maybe lean toward the aesthetic side too much. Aesthetics at the compromise of performance isn’t something I really want to consider.
It seems like people are bullish on the new Mac Minis instead. It’s a tiny desktop that can essentially hide behind a monitor. You’re pretty much recreating the idea behind the iMac even if it doesn’t look quite as pretty. But these are the things I’m weighing in my head these days. What is the most sensible way forward? Am I ok with this being the end of my days as a desktop computer user? Should I skip all of Apple’s options altogether and try my look with a Windows machine? Does it seem silly to buy a computer that doesn’t offer a touch screen?
Could my days as a desktop computer user finally be numbered?
Who else out there still has a desktop machine? What makes you stick with it?
Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next week!
P.S. - Hey, it’s a new year! Could you use some help reviewing what worked for you last year and what could be better for 2023? Need some help building positive habits or ditching negative ones? Iterating on a new business idea and need some guidance? Or maybe you just want to say hello and pick my brain for a bit, that’s fine too! If you’d like to chat, feel free to book some time with me here!