Apple refreshed their iMacs last month, but one fine detail is that there are really two models: a two-port model that starts at $1,299, and a four-port model that starts at $1,499. (There is also a $1,699 base model, but that’s just a better-configured version of the four-port model.)
The differences of the two-port model are:
- It has two USB4/Thunderbolt 3 40 Gbps ports, but lacks two additional USB-C 10 Gbps ports
- If you want a Gigabit Ethernet port in the power brick, it’s $30 extra
- If you want Touch ID on the keyboard, it’s $50 extra
- It has one internal fan, rather than two (I’m not sure this really matters)
- The processor lacks one graphics core (I’m not sure this really matters)
- No 2 GB storage option
- not available in Yellow, Orange, or Purple
Still, if you’re not the type to attach things to the back of your iMac, and don’t need 2 TB of internal storage, the two-port model is very nearly as good as the four-port model, for $120-$150 less (because I’d certainly get the keyboard with Touch ID),