We’ve now received several reviews of the new iMacs. They all agree the new M1 24” iMac is about as speedy as the rest of the M1 Macs, which is no surprise. I’ve been working on and rendering a lot more 4K video lately, and the M1 makes that look easy.

The reviews instead focus on the design elements of the blade-thin iMac. They’re mixed on that point. John Gruber concludes it’s an iconic design that will stand the test of time. Jason Snell calls it charismatic and fun. Marques Brownlee isn’t sold on it.

I think perhaps they’re all right. It is charismatic, iconic, and fun. It’s also not for everyone. I think they look pretty great, given the port and RAM limitations that come with the M1. I’d have probably made the iMac a bit thicker so you could get the computer-y parts behind the screen rather than in the chin, but then again, I’m not in the market for the low-end iMac. So they wouldn’t have got my money regardless.

Also, these things will look beautiful in people’s homes and workplaces and all of the non-geeks in my life think they are perfect without any consideration of things like RAM and ports. I expect Apple will be selling a lot of the colorful new iMacs.

A few points that stand out to me now that these iMacs are shipping:

It seems like the colors in person are different than the colors on Apple’s website. If you’re thinking about buying one but unsure about the color, I’d recommend a trip to the Apple Store starting May 21.
I’m relieved to hear from all reviewers that the internal speakers sound good. I didn’t think that was possible with a computer that is literally thinner than an Apple Watch.
Is it just me or is there an upside to an external power supply? So often, the power supply is the first point of failure in a computer. It would be nice to be able to replace it without opening up the computer.