6 ms·

I still miss the 27" iMacs. They were such a great form factor.

bearjaws 2y ago
27" is really the best screen size for productivity. Easily can find 1440p or 4k 27" monitors to pair, and they have come down a lot in price.
- tshaddox 2y ago
  The 5K screen was the killer feature of the 27” iMac.
- thibaut_barrere 2y ago
  So far the screens I've tested are more tiring to my eyes (I work both on a M1 13" with external screens, and on a legacy 27" iMac). What are the best 27" screens for coding comfort that work well with Macs these days?
  - Joeri 2y ago
    I haven’t tried it myself but if you really want that 5K 27 inch form factor samsung’s viewfinity s9 is exactly that. Or apple’s studio display ofcourse.
  - porphyra 2y ago
    Apart from the Samsung Viewfinity that another commenter mentioned, there's also the LG Ultrafine 5K and the Huawei Mateview. The MateView is nicer than other 4K monitors because it has a taller aspect ratio of 3840 x 2560 so the extra 400 pixels of vertical space is nice for productivity work, although of course this is still fewer total pixels than a 5K display.
    - sroussey 2y ago
      LG Ultrafine 5K Has burn-in issues. :/
      - jq-r 2y ago
        I bought mine like 2 years ago and it's been rock solid. IIRC they had some revisions over the years. And being rock solid: that's a bit of a lie because the monitor is wobbly as hell. So I've propped it with two supports on each side. Apart from that, the picture is the nicest I ever had from a monitor, and I had a lot of good ones. Text is super sharp and has acres of pixels. Compared to 4K monitor I can have both a terminal client and a browser side by side all looking nice. Can't fit that on 4K unfortunately.
        sroussey 2y ago
        I have three… one is ok, one has a weird rainbow across the top center for 1.5in, and one has terrible burn in after just a few minutes.
        jq-r 2y ago
        Yeah that sucks. We definitely need more 5K monitors. And oh what I would give for high refresh rate ones too.
- tkuraku 2y ago
  I think this 43" screen is amazing for coding. Lots of vertical and horizontal space! https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-ultrasharp-43-4k-usb-c-hub-monitor-u4323qe/apd/210-bfpo/monitors-monitor-accessories https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-ultrasharp-43-4k-usb-c-...
  - porphyra 2y ago
    If only it had higher pixel density. If there was a 43" 6K or even 8K screen I'd buy it in a heartbeat. But with only 4K I have to use all sorts of weird tricks with raster fonts to make the text in my terminals sharp. Also, too bad all the TV makers stopped making 8K screens in 55" and below.
- bloopernova 2y ago
  It really is, 4K 27" monitors that can do >=120Hz are perfect for me personally. I just wish that the base macbook pro models supported 3 external screens without resorting to a software-based video-over-usb DisplaySync (not DisplayPort) connection.
- vehemenz 2y ago
  I tend to agree but more because the market has settled on it. One thing about screen size is that it's easier to achieve an effective screen size with a smaller screen (by moving it slightly forward) than it is to do the reverse. So a 24" screen will work in more environments, e.g., smaller desks, than a 27" will. A dual screen setup with two 24's will require less neck movement. Of course, the market has also decided that decent aspect ratios aren't worth doing either. If there were 3:2, 4:3, or 5:4 options—more versatile for productivity—we'd probably settle on something between 21" and 24".
minimaxir 2y ago
Now that my 27" iMac from 2020 is starting to get old and Apple will likely deprecate support for all Intel Macs soon, I really wish there was an easy way to use it as an external monitor for a MacBook. Every implementation of streaming to an iMac is hacky at best.
- pier25 2y ago
  Yeah those 5K panels are fantastic. When I switched to a MBP M2 I got an Asus ProArt 32'' 4K and really like it. Comes precalibrated out of the box.
  - da02 2y ago
    Were you able to see a difference between the 5k panel and the ProArt?
    - pier25 2y ago
      Not in terms of colors but the 5K panel (I assume from LG) was more uniform in the blacks and suffered from almost no IPS glow. Not a big deal. The Asus is great for the price paid. Obviously big difference in DPI too, but 4K still looks great at 32''. For reference, I'm using the PA329CV. I don't know if all ProArt monitors use the same quality of panel.
- peppers-ghost 2y ago
  There's not a super easy way to do it but if you're willing to take it apart there's driver boards available on Aliexpress that convert 5k imacs into HDMI/DP monitors.
- bsimpson 2y ago
  I looked into this briefly when they announced that the iMac Pro is the oldest device that still gets the newest software. It's logically two displays crammed together, which apparently makes Linux support difficult. Someone posted on HN a link to a Chinese company whose sole purpose seems to be making boards that let you drive an iMac Pro display with a traditional display cable. It's left as an exercise to the reader how mad your company would be if you tried that on your corp device.
thibaut_barrere 2y ago
Typing this from a 27" iMac. I do love my 13" M1, but I would love to upgrade the 27" too...
fourfour3 2y ago
I've got one of the LG Ultrafine 5K monitors paired with a modern M1 Max macbook and it's a nice combination. Expensive, but I adore the pixel density considering I spend all day staring at text :) I'd be seriously tempted by an iMac if it had M4 Pro + a 27" 5K display. I just don't feel it's likely as they'll probably see it as cannibalising Mac Studio + Studio Display sales.
- bsimpson 2y ago
  The Studio Display is priced as if it's an iMac. It's insane that we've had retina displays for over a decade, and Apple still seems to be more-or-less the only game in town for a 5k 27" display.
  - andrewmcwatters 2y ago
    I will never purchase the Studio Display on principle. It's an idiot product.
    - thecopy 2y ago
      For what its worth, I am extremely satisfied with my Studio Display. The 5K resolution makes 2x pixel perfect scaling look great, built in webcam which fantatic for meetings, good speakers, and charges the MacBook Pro with the same cable, and acts as an USB-C hub.
      - fourfour3 2y ago
        It's a similar niche to the LG Ultrafine before it. That also had a webcam, tolerable speakers, 85W PD over the thunderbolt 3 port, and 4 USB-C ports. If I didn't already have the LG Ultrafine, I would have bought one of the studio displays.
        msisk6 2y ago
        I have both; I got the LG when they first came out and the Studio display last year during a good sale on Amazon. The panels seem the same but everything on the Apple one is better, as you would expect. But lately my LG is starting to have issues with ghosting and color shifts around the edges. It's still ok to use (I'm typing this on it) but I guess it's nearing the end of it's useful life.
alberth 2y ago
Apple would rather you buy a Studio Display. If a 27" iMac did exist, it makes the comparison to the Studio Display now a bit odd - because they'd both cost roughly the same price but one has a computer and one doesn't.

27" is really the best screen size for productivity. Easily can find 1440p or 4k 27" monitors to pair, and they have come down a lot in price.

tshaddox 2y ago
The 5K screen was the killer feature of the 27” iMac.
thibaut_barrere 2y ago
So far the screens I've tested are more tiring to my eyes (I work both on a M1 13" with external screens, and on a legacy 27" iMac). What are the best 27" screens for coding comfort that work well with Macs these days?
- Joeri 2y ago
  I haven’t tried it myself but if you really want that 5K 27 inch form factor samsung’s viewfinity s9 is exactly that. Or apple’s studio display ofcourse.
- porphyra 2y ago
  Apart from the Samsung Viewfinity that another commenter mentioned, there's also the LG Ultrafine 5K and the Huawei Mateview. The MateView is nicer than other 4K monitors because it has a taller aspect ratio of 3840 x 2560 so the extra 400 pixels of vertical space is nice for productivity work, although of course this is still fewer total pixels than a 5K display.
  - sroussey 2y ago
    LG Ultrafine 5K Has burn-in issues. :/
    - jq-r 2y ago
      I bought mine like 2 years ago and it's been rock solid. IIRC they had some revisions over the years. And being rock solid: that's a bit of a lie because the monitor is wobbly as hell. So I've propped it with two supports on each side. Apart from that, the picture is the nicest I ever had from a monitor, and I had a lot of good ones. Text is super sharp and has acres of pixels. Compared to 4K monitor I can have both a terminal client and a browser side by side all looking nice. Can't fit that on 4K unfortunately.
      - sroussey 2y ago
        I have three… one is ok, one has a weird rainbow across the top center for 1.5in, and one has terrible burn in after just a few minutes.
        jq-r 2y ago
        Yeah that sucks. We definitely need more 5K monitors. And oh what I would give for high refresh rate ones too.
tkuraku 2y ago
I think this 43" screen is amazing for coding. Lots of vertical and horizontal space! https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-ultrasharp-43-4k-usb-c-hub-monitor-u4323qe/apd/210-bfpo/monitors-monitor-accessories https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-ultrasharp-43-4k-usb-c-...
- porphyra 2y ago
  If only it had higher pixel density. If there was a 43" 6K or even 8K screen I'd buy it in a heartbeat. But with only 4K I have to use all sorts of weird tricks with raster fonts to make the text in my terminals sharp. Also, too bad all the TV makers stopped making 8K screens in 55" and below.
bloopernova 2y ago
It really is, 4K 27" monitors that can do >=120Hz are perfect for me personally. I just wish that the base macbook pro models supported 3 external screens without resorting to a software-based video-over-usb DisplaySync (not DisplayPort) connection.
vehemenz 2y ago
I tend to agree but more because the market has settled on it. One thing about screen size is that it's easier to achieve an effective screen size with a smaller screen (by moving it slightly forward) than it is to do the reverse. So a 24" screen will work in more environments, e.g., smaller desks, than a 27" will. A dual screen setup with two 24's will require less neck movement. Of course, the market has also decided that decent aspect ratios aren't worth doing either. If there were 3:2, 4:3, or 5:4 options—more versatile for productivity—we'd probably settle on something between 21" and 24".

minimaxir 2y ago

Now that my 27" iMac from 2020 is starting to get old and Apple will likely deprecate support for all Intel Macs soon, I really wish there was an easy way to use it as an external monitor for a MacBook. Every implementation of streaming to an iMac is hacky at best.

pier25 2y ago
Yeah those 5K panels are fantastic. When I switched to a MBP M2 I got an Asus ProArt 32'' 4K and really like it. Comes precalibrated out of the box.
- da02 2y ago
  Were you able to see a difference between the 5k panel and the ProArt?
  - pier25 2y ago
    Not in terms of colors but the 5K panel (I assume from LG) was more uniform in the blacks and suffered from almost no IPS glow. Not a big deal. The Asus is great for the price paid. Obviously big difference in DPI too, but 4K still looks great at 32''. For reference, I'm using the PA329CV. I don't know if all ProArt monitors use the same quality of panel.
peppers-ghost 2y ago
There's not a super easy way to do it but if you're willing to take it apart there's driver boards available on Aliexpress that convert 5k imacs into HDMI/DP monitors.
bsimpson 2y ago
I looked into this briefly when they announced that the iMac Pro is the oldest device that still gets the newest software. It's logically two displays crammed together, which apparently makes Linux support difficult. Someone posted on HN a link to a Chinese company whose sole purpose seems to be making boards that let you drive an iMac Pro display with a traditional display cable. It's left as an exercise to the reader how mad your company would be if you tried that on your corp device.

thibaut_barrere 2y ago

Typing this from a 27" iMac. I do love my 13" M1, but I would love to upgrade the 27" too...

fourfour3 2y ago

I've got one of the LG Ultrafine 5K monitors paired with a modern M1 Max macbook and it's a nice combination. Expensive, but I adore the pixel density considering I spend all day staring at text :) I'd be seriously tempted by an iMac if it had M4 Pro + a 27" 5K display. I just don't feel it's likely as they'll probably see it as cannibalising Mac Studio + Studio Display sales.

bsimpson 2y ago
The Studio Display is priced as if it's an iMac. It's insane that we've had retina displays for over a decade, and Apple still seems to be more-or-less the only game in town for a 5k 27" display.
- andrewmcwatters 2y ago
  I will never purchase the Studio Display on principle. It's an idiot product.
  - thecopy 2y ago
    For what its worth, I am extremely satisfied with my Studio Display. The 5K resolution makes 2x pixel perfect scaling look great, built in webcam which fantatic for meetings, good speakers, and charges the MacBook Pro with the same cable, and acts as an USB-C hub.
    - fourfour3 2y ago
      It's a similar niche to the LG Ultrafine before it. That also had a webcam, tolerable speakers, 85W PD over the thunderbolt 3 port, and 4 USB-C ports. If I didn't already have the LG Ultrafine, I would have bought one of the studio displays.
      - msisk6 2y ago
        I have both; I got the LG when they first came out and the Studio display last year during a good sale on Amazon. The panels seem the same but everything on the Apple one is better, as you would expect. But lately my LG is starting to have issues with ghosting and color shifts around the edges. It's still ok to use (I'm typing this on it) but I guess it's nearing the end of it's useful life.

alberth 2y ago

Apple would rather you buy a Studio Display. If a 27" iMac did exist, it makes the comparison to the Studio Display now a bit odd - because they'd both cost roughly the same price but one has a computer and one doesn't.