iMac setup makes for a neat-and-tidy workstation

When I came across today’s M4 iMac setup on the interwebs, I realized how rarely they come up in Cult of Mac‘s setups coverage. Out of 616 articles I’ve written about setups to date — over more than 4 years — this is only the 11th one to feature an iMac (plus a few others from before I took over the setups beat). And that small number doesn’t come from any hatred of iMacs on my part. It’s just that users seem to flaunt them much less on social media than other hardware. And they’re not top sellers for Apple.

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M4 iMac setup also includes M2 iPad Pro, M2 MacBook Air and AirPods Max

All-in-one dream machine

2024 M4 iMac

4.0

Colorful and capable, Apple’s refreshed all-in-one desktop computer is fun and functional.

Pros:

• Latest M4 chip for great performance
• Seven color options, with color-matched accessories
• 24-inch 4.5K display looks great

In a post entitled “Simple setup,” Redditor Upstairs-Variation83 (“UV”) showed off their M4 iMac setup. Along with Apple’s modular, all-in-one desktop computer, it includes M2 iPad Pro, M2 MacBook Air and AirPods Max. It’s a neat and tidy Apple-centric setup. Non-Apple additions include Logitech for Creators Blue Yeti microphone on a Blue Yeti boom arm plus a Behringer U-Phoria UM2 audio interface.

As I said above, I don’t see tons of iMac setups. The number of setups article I’ve written about people replacing iMacs may outnumber the posts about iMac setups. Perhaps iMac’s rarity comes in part because Apple desktops made up just 14% of Mac sales in 2024, while MacBooks took a whopping 86%, according to CIRP. MacBooks stand at an 80% level over the past 5 years, although desktop purchasing spiked a bit in 2022 (29%) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Almost went with a Mac mini and a big external display

At any rate, commenters seemed impressed with UV’s setup. In response to one saying they “lean toward an iMac [and] iPad Pro setup instead of a big ultra wide and a [Mac] mini,” UV said they very nearly went with a mini and a large external display instead of an iMac.

“I came so close to getting a Mac Mini M4 and buying my own screen because (depending on the monitor) it’d be cheaper,” UV said. “I actually had a 49-inch AOC ultra wide I used for gaming and working, but it got cracked during the move. The base Mac mini M4 has +2 GPU cores, too, so I was torn but I don’t regret going for the iMac one bit.”

And they listed reasons why the all-in-one desktop suits them. Their previous machine was an Intel-based iMac, too.

“Having an iMac means built-in display 4k, camera, 6 speakers and a microphone with just one cord connecting them all,” they said. “Makes the desk look so much cleaner and cuts down on cable management. Unless you absolutely need the screen real estate I’d go with an iPad Pro and iMac too. Take the iMac anywhere and with the Apple ecosystem if you set your iPad next to the iMac you can use the included mouse and keyboard on both devices so you won’t even need extra peripherals. It’s nice!”

M4 iMac features

• The M4 chip powers the colorful all-in-one desktop computer, so it can handle running Apple Intelligence features.
• The 24-inch, 4.5K Retina display features 500 nits of brightness and supports up to 1 billion colors.
• Compact and thin design comes in seven colors.
• Comes equipped with a 12MP Center Stage camera, three studio-quality mics and six speakers with Spatial Audio.
• Plays well with other Apple devices. You can view and control what’s on your iPhone from your Mac with iPhone Mirroring, copy and paste from iPhone to iMac, send texts with Messages and answer FaceTime calls on iMac.
• iMac features up to four Thunderbolt 4 ports, expanding accessory options and enabling fast data transfers. Connect up to two external 6K displays. Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.6 provide reliable connectivity.

10 iMac setups on Cult of Mac (in other words, most of them):

Shop these items now:

All-in-one dream machine

2024 M4 iMac

4.0

Colorful and capable, Apple’s refreshed all-in-one desktop computer is fun and functional.

Pros:

• Latest M4 chip for great performance
• Seven color options, with color-matched accessories
• 24-inch 4.5K display looks great

Computers:

Audio:

If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to [email protected] (iPhone pics usually work fine). 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, challenges and plans for new additions.