Here come the new M1 iMacs [Setups]

By

A pretty blue M1 iMac makes a great first impression.
A pretty blue M1 iMac makes a great first impression.
Photo: 17parkc@Reddit

It’s Christmas in May, June and July. Many people are taking delivery on the colorful new M1 iMacs. Others are jealously awaiting delivery while drooling over photographic evidence on social media of others’ recent shipments.

And computer setups everywhere are being refreshed with the dazzling new all-in-one machines (see Cult of Mac’s M1 iMac review roundup). Redditor 17parkc is just one example, sporting a brand-spanking-new blue iMac. They even posted a video showing off the upgrade.

This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.

17parkc runs a spare setup. On a large desk mat, the iMac sits with a Magic Keyboard and a Magic Mouse 2, plus a much-coveted old-school iPod and a Porsche 911 model race car that commenters seem to like even more.

And opposite the iPod is a tiny toy G3 iMac that got some oohs and aahs, but we couldn’t find that exact one for sale. See our product links below for an alternative.

New M1 iMacs spark admiration, criticism

But 17parkc’s setup, like several other early Reddit posts boasting new M1 iMacs, brought on a flurry of opinions. Most were deliriously positive, but not all.

Apple bringing back colorful hardware – seven choices in the case of the iMac – seems to be almost unanimously popular, if Reddit comments are any gauge. Yellow appears to be a popular choice among those still waiting for their machines. The other colors are silver, purple, orange, blue, green and pink.

And not just the colors – the white bezels are a hit, at least with some folks.

“White bezels have grown on me so much. Really brings back the feeling of those first chunky white iMacs. This is such a refreshing move from Apple. Blue is a great choice too,” one admiring commenter wrote.

“I feel the same way about the bezels,” 17parkc replied. “The design as a whole just sparks a sense of whimsy that has been missing in the world of silver and grey aluminum for some time. Color is back!”

Another commenter speculated that someone will make switchable color faceplates for iMac displays because it’s hard to choose one color.

Colors may be a hit, but sizes don’t always fit

It’s already evident that some people are waiting for more choices in display size before investing in a new M1 iMac, though.

While 17parkc finds his 24-inch display perfect – in the past, 21 inches seemed small and 27 inches cramped on the desk – other folks expressed hope for larger options coming out at some point.

Commenters on gilbytx’s post asking who’s waiting for M1 iMacs hoped for rumored upcoming 30-inch or 32-inch sizes.

Some folks miss the logo on the ‘chin’

Over on onlinecollegereddit’s post with side-by-side photos of old and new iMacs, commenters were more critical in some ways.

“I love the new design but still think it needs an Apple logo on the chin. Just my opinion,” one commenter wrote. Several people agreed, while others defended Apple’s choice to have a logo only on the back of the machine.

Other folks said the new iMacs look “toy-like” and “like toys for kids.” And again, rebuttals flew.

More ports, please

While the thinness of the new iMacs got rave reviews, the number of ports piqued some commenters’ ire. Some would like to see an SD slot for memory cards, an HDMI port and more Thunderbolt ports, to name a few examples.

That said, the early M1 iMac setups popping up on Reddit and other social media sites are looking quite positive, indeed.

Shop these items now:

If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to info+setups@cultofmac.com. Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches or challenges.

Newsletters

Daily round-ups or a weekly refresher, straight from Cult of Mac to your inbox.

  • The Weekender

    The week's best Apple news, reviews and how-tos from Cult of Mac, every Saturday morning. Our readers say: "Thank you guys for always posting cool stuff" -- Vaughn Nevins. "Very informative" -- Kenly Xavier.