Fully-customizable and highly responsive visuals for live and recorded audio & MIDI. Download the free Demo now for Mac or PC. Magic is a unique desktop application that gives you an intuitive, modular interface to create interactive animation and video effects for concerts, clubs, theater, movies, parties, art installations, advertising, education, research, relaxation, and anything else you can imagine. Mar 25, 2020 The Mac lineup isn't all about MacBooks. There are also excellent desktop models! Our favorite desktop solution for 2020 is the iMac 5K, which is packed full of terrific features at a reasonable price. There are other desktop Macs worth considering depending on your needs. May 15, 2020 If you want an app that is build for Mac and brings a fluid mind-mapping experience, MindNode is the one for you. It has a beautiful UI and works buttery smooth. If you are just starting out, MindNode will help you learn the basics of the mind mapping technique without in your face instructions.
BestMac DesktopiMore2020
The Mac lineup isn't all about MacBooks. There are also excellent desktop models! Our favorite desktop solution for 2020 is the iMac 5K, which is packed full of terrific features at a reasonable price. There are other desktop Macs worth considering depending on your needs.
Best Overall: iMac 5K
Featuring an aluminum and glass enclosure with a five millimeter-thin profile, the iMac 5K ships with a matching Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2. For 5K, Apple offers an excellent lineup of three 27-inch iMac versions, starting with the entry-level model that includes a 3.0GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor with a Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz, 8GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory, Radeon Pro 570X with 4GB of GDDR5 memory, and 1TB Fusion Drive storage.
For more money, you can increase your RAM, processor, and storage.
The latest 5K iMac was released in March 2019 and at least doubles the performance over the previous models. As part of the upgrade, the all-in-one computer also delivers up to 50 percent faster graphics performance, which is perfect for pros with graphics-intensive workloads.
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Best OveralliMac 5K
Look at that display!
Forget 4K, when you can have 5K. Great internals and a robust display in one package.
Source: iMore
The iMac 4K is only available with a 21.5-inch display, which is something to consider before making a purchase. The least expensive model offers a 3.6GHz quad-core 8th-generation Intel Core i3 processor with 8GB 2400MHz DDR4 memory, configurable up to 32GB, 1TB hard drive, and Radeon Pro 555X with 2GB of GDDR5 memory. The more expensive version includes a 3.0GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor and other extras.
Like other Macs, the iMac 4K ships with macOS Catalina, which includes an all-new Music app alongside apps for Apple TV and Podcasts. The update is also the first to include Mac Catalyst, which allows developers to move iPad apps to Mac with ease.
When looking at the 21.5-inch iMac lineup, avoid the least expensive model. It's the one without 4K. Like the 5K iMac, the iMac 4K was last updated in March 2019, which means a hardware update could arrive soon.
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Best Entry LeveliMac 4K
Budget choice
You get Apple's impressive 4K Retina display on this iMac model. Inside you'll find less expensive parts than the 5K option.
Source: iMore
The latest Mac mini arrived in March 2020, two years after the previous version. The least expensive model offers a 3.6GHz quad-core 8th-generation Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory, Intel UHD Graphics 630, and 256GB PCIe-based SSD storage.
If you're looking at a Mac mini, you are already aware that you need to add a monitor, keyboard, and mouse. In that situation, we recommend upgrading the memory from the minimum. Ideally, you should start with the more expensive version, if only because you'll get more storage too.
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Best for HobbylistsMac mini
Look, no monitor!
Mac minis are a great solution if you already have a terrific monitor and other accessories. Otherwise, stick with iMac.
Source: iMore
First introduced in late 2017, the iMac Pro includes an 8-, 10-, 14-, or 18-core Intel Xeon processor, 27-inch (diagonal) Retina 5K display, AMD Vega graphics, up to 256GB ECC memory, and 10 Gigabit Ethernet. In other words, this is one powerful machine!
Geared towards highly professional creatives, the iMac Pro can easily cost you five figures, depending on your configuration. Only buy this model if you need the expanded resources, like the color black, and a no-brainer, have a budget to support the purchase.
The biggest issues facing would-be iMac Pro buyers is two-fold. First, the product hasn't been updated in three years, which makes a refresh likely. Second, with the Mac Pro (see below) now on the market, the choice isn't nearly as simple anymre.
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Best for Most ProsiMac Pro
The one for massive projects
Get your boss to buy you this one -- or get it yourself if you're the boss!
Source: iMore
No doubt, the Mac Pro (2019) is the best professional-graded computer Apple has ever created. Made in the United States, the Mac Pro has been designed for maximum performance, expansion, and configurability. It features Xeon processors, an Earth-shattering high-performance memory system, eight PCIe expansion slots, and graphics architecture that supports what Apple calls the world's most powerful graphics card. There's also the all-new Apple Afterburner accelerator card that lets you playback as many as three streams of 8K ProRes RAW video simultaneously.
On the downside, no doubt, is the price and the unproven aspect of the machine. The 2nd generation cylindrical Mac Pro (2013) was largely forgotten by Apple soon after its arrival. Will the new model go down the same path? Only time will tell.
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Most NicheMac Pro
It's a Pro Mac!
Get this Mac if you want everything and have the resources to build the best machine to suit your needs. Otherwise, stick with iMac as your desktop app.
Bottom line
For 2020, we recommend the iMac 5K as our favorite Mac desktop. The model includes lots of great features for everyone in your household and most professional buyers. The entry-level model includes a 3.0GHz 6-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor with a Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz, 8GB 2666MHz DDR4 memory, Radeon Pro 570X with 4GB of GDDR5 memory, and 1TB Fusion Drive storage. If you can, upgrade the memory to the maximum of 32GB and enjoy it!
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Bryan M. Wolfe is a dad who loves technology, especially anything new from Apple. Penn State (go Nittany Lions) graduate here, also a huge fan of the New England Patriots. Thanks for reading. @bryanmwolfe
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Buyers Guide
Get the most out of your iMac with these nifty accessories
Your all-in-one iMac is a feat of engineering, but unless you accessorize it properly, it’s just a big TV on your desk. You’ll need a kick-ass mouse, a great keyboard, some sweet speakers, and more.
Best Visuals Software Appraiser Mac Desktop SoftwareFully-customizable and highly responsive visuals for live and recorded audio & MIDI.Download the free Demo now for Mac or PC.
Magic is a unique desktop application that gives you an intuitive, modular interface to create interactive animation and video effects for concerts, clubs, theater, movies, parties, art installations, advertising, education, research, relaxation, and anything else you can imagine.
Magic: music visualizer, VJ software, live video mixer, music video creator, and much more.
Magic lets you design a variety of dynamic visuals from scratch, using many colorful and exciting effects:
Best Visuals Software Appraiser Mac Desktop Download
Magic compositions can be presented in full-screen mode for live performances, or exported to movie files for further editing or uploading to video sharing sites like YouTube and Vimeo.
Magic reacts instantly to live audio/MIDI/OSC input and audio/MIDI file playback.
Magic works well with all types of live audio, MIDI, and OSC (Open Sound Control) sources, including microphones, turntables, guitars, synthesizers, drum machines, multitrack audio editors, hardware controllers, lighting control systems, and more. Magic allows you to use multiple audio/MIDI/OSC inputs simultaneously, including support for multichannel audio devices — meaning that your visuals can react differently to every individual instrument or output from your DJ rig, rock band, jazz group, or classical ensemble. Magic also lets you import and play back audio and MIDI files so you can design scenes and videos for your favorite artists' tracks or your own unique pre-recorded songs.
Join the global community of Magic users — download now!
Magic is used throughout the world in major concert tours, nightclubs, sports stadiums, amusement parks, plays and musicals, casinos, planetariums, museums, event venues, film/video productions, art and music schools, houses of worship, spas and resorts, yoga/fitness classes, and an ever-growing number of home studios.
If you're a musician, composer, DJ, VJ, video editor, graphic designer, animator, or any other kind of multimedia content creator, we urge you to give Magic a try. Visit our features page for a comprehensive list of Magic's capabilities, or just download the free Demo for Windows or OSX/macOS, and start 'painting with sound' today!
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