5typos.net
On the iMac 24in M1
The iMac 24in is my perfect monitor — if I squint a little. If you add the M1 computer hidden in its chin, you get my perfect computer… only not so much perfect than my current configuration.
iMac vs Dell
Last summer when I bought my beloved Dell PC2421DC 24in 1 monitor I accepted its non-retina QHD (2560x1440) resolution because the smaller screen size was less bad than other options. I seriously considered a few 4K monitors, but because of price and didn’t want to deal with scaling and performance hit2.
The new iMac M1 24in sent me down a what if? rabbit hole. If switched this MacBook Ait M1 + Dell 24in QHD come for a new iMac — how would my display situation look?
Monitor Size
| Monitor | height x width x length (in) |
|---|---|
| Dell PC2421DC | 14.02 x 21.17 x 1.68 |
| iMac 24in | 18.1 x 21.5 x 0.45 |
Mind you, the iMac chin is the computer, which requires we compare…
Viewing Area
| Monitor | Diagonal (in) | Display Area (in) |
|---|---|---|
| Dell PC2421DC | 23.8 | 20.75 x 11.67 |
| iMac 24in | 23.5 | 20.48 x 11.52 3 |
Here we see the panels are very close in size, so we can move on to the really important part:
Native Resolution
| Monitor | Native | Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Dell PC2421DC | 2560 x 1440 | 2560 x 1440 |
| iMac 24in | 4480 x 2520 | 2240 x 1260 |
So close! but, regardless of the quality of the display resolution (PPI) we’re sacrificing area. Unless…
Resolution Scaling
| Monitor | @100% | @150% |
|---|---|---|
| iMac 24in | 2240 x 1260 | 2520 x 1417.5 |
| iMac 21.5in | 2048 x 1152 | 2304 x 1296 |
With a little of the scaling I was so allergic before, we arrive at a a close to QHD equivalent resolution with better PPI. In my defense, it’s not quite the same because a 4.5K monitor has more pixels than a 4K monitor. Which means that the UI sizing is going to scale consistently, not having some assets in hi-DPI while others in standard resolutions.
Still, I’m going to wait for the Pro version of the iMac — mostly because of the Display. A 27in 5K iMac would have driving me mad with configuration anxiety on Apple’s website. Luckily, I’m currently my best Mac setup ever — which allows to be a bit responsible.
More here ../2020/2020-12-27 My 2020 Sofware and Hardware of the Year↩︎
My early 2020 Intel MacBook Air had enough difficulties driving its own display.↩︎
Estimated. I couldn’t find any measurements on Apple’s site, but using the Diagonal Measurement, the screen resolution and good old pythagoras, you can get an estimate.↩︎