A Studio Display for about $400???

I’ve always been a huge fan of the iMac, especially the 27-inch, flat-screen versions. I’ve owned several over the years.

They married a capable computer with a beautiful screen in a great all-in-one package.

Yes, they weighed a ton, and upgrading them was usually a royal pain in the a**.

Installing a bigger hard drive, for instance, involves removing the iMac’s glued-on screen, tediously dismantling half the internal components, and then trying to remember what fiddly screws go where when trying to put it all back together. It’s major surgery.

Nonetheless, I’ve managed to upgrade the internal storage of a couple of these iMacs.

The first went swimmingly. No problems at all.

It went so well, in fact, I got cocky on the second iMac I tried to upgrade. While impatiently trying to prize the screen off, I cracked the front glass.

The LCD panel was unaffected, but the crack is impossible not to see — and it prompted a barrage of frustrated swearing. I regret it to this day. (We still use this old iMac to store our family’s main digital photo library on its upgraded 6TB internal drive.)

So I’ve always been interested in reports of using these old machines as poor man’s Studio Displays.

Apple charges a breathtaking $1,600 for a Studio Display, and while it’s a beautiful monitor, it uses the exact same panel as the 27-inch iMac with Retina 5K display. First released in 2014, this is an Intel-powered machine that nobody wants these days. You can pick up used ones on eBay for between $200 and $500.

And, if you’re brave and handy enough, you can convert it into a high-end external display by swapping out the guts for a new display board, which costs about $190, along with a couple of other parts.

Having opened these machines myself, I can say it’s not too difficult, but it does require some patience and care. We break down the entire process here.

Also in today’s newsletter:

• I was also a fan of the MacBook Pro’s ill-fated Touch Bar, the long and skinny keyboard-mounted screen that Apple killed off before it really got started. If you feel the same, the Touch Bar has been resurrected as a stand-alone device. The early-bird Kickstarter campaign ends Thursday, so jump in now if you want to snag one at a discount.

• One of my New Year’s resolutions is to start journaling. I made the same resolution last year and I don’t think I even lasted a week. But this year Apple makes it easier than ever with its free Journal app. Start the new year WRITE!

• Bluetooth adapters that can send and receive are a must-have for any travel bag. We have a great one on sale for $46.

• No newsletter on New Year’s Day. We’ll be back in the new year! Happy New Year, everyone! 🎉🎉🍾🎇 

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

^{A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team}

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Today’s poll

Results from yesterday’s poll: Would you wear Apple smart glasses?

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