how to use imac as second monitor for macbook

How to use imac as second monitor for macbook for mac#
How to use imac as second monitor for macbook upgrade#

Setting aside hacks that let you sort of use an old iMac as a display-and they’re really not good enough!-once your iMac is done as a computer, the display is done too. The thing about the iMac is, it’s a computer and display in one. Buy the new display, attach the laptop, you’re done.īut if you don’t? Or if your laptop is old or underpowered? You’ll need to spend $2500 on the screen and then spend $1000 (for a “pro” Mac mini or a MacBook Air) or $2000+ (for a MacBook Pro) or… a lot more for a Mac Pro.Īt which point you may say to yourself, “Maybe an iMac isn’t such a bad idea.” $3000 out the door for an iMac Pro? Plus you’ve still got your current laptop? Not a bad deal, at least to start. For the sake of argument, let’s set this better-than-average iMac at $3000.

How to use imac as second monitor for macbook upgrade#

What will a new 27-inch iMac cost? Undoubtedly Apple will offer a base model at a low price to start the conversation, but most people will want to upgrade the storage, memory, and core count. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says the price will be about half that of Apple’s Pro Display XDR, so let’s call it $2500. Price tagsĪ new Apple external display isn’t going to be cheap. One reason some questions are perennials is because there’s no one right answer for everyone. For others, it will be fraught with indecision. For some people, the answer will be clear. But before that, I spent an awful long time with a MacBook Air as my primary Mac, attaching it to an external display at one or both ends of my commute. I’ve had an iMac has my primary computer a few times, including for the last seven-plus years.

I’ve been on both sides of this question. Which would you rather have-an iMac, or an external display attached to a separate Mac?

How to use imac as second monitor for macbook for mac#

With the increasing suspicion that Apple is readying a new, more affordable external display for Mac users comes the revival of a classic conundrum. This week on Upgrade we answered a question from a listener:Īssuming that the display quality of an Apple external display is the same as the upcoming iMac why would Jason pick the iMac over an external display + Mac Mini? It seems like having a more modular set up would be very beneficial in the early days of Apple Silicon #askupgrade That question again: iMac or external display?