Things made by Apple you can buy for 120 EUR:

• a pair of Apple AirPods 3
  
• a first-generation Apple Pencil
  
• a Smart Folio for an iPad and a 20W USB-C power brick
  

I 👏 bought 👏 a whole 👏 computer 👏

And I’m telling you, this is not even the best deal on the market.

Let me introduce you to a new member of my setup.

This is a 21.5-inch 2011 iMac.

• Quad Core 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5
  
• AMD Radeon HD 6750M
  
• 8 GB RAM (1333 MHz DDR3)
  
• 720 GB of storage
  

Mine got an SSD upgrade with the original HDD still inside.

The OS boots up quickly and even the heaviest apps are opening almost instantly. It doesn’t feel slow at all!

It also came with an almost new Apple Magic Mouse 2 and an older wired Magic Keyboard in a perfect condition.

To be clear, this is not an article about why you need one. You really don’t.
Unless you already know exactly why.

I got this specific model, released in this specific year for a reason.
But I will get to it in my next posts. No spoilers for now :)

“Why not a MacBook?”

I hear you!
MacBooks are actually cheaper, easier to find, and easier to transport and store.

There is one thing no one is talking about.

Every MacBook has a timer.
This timer is a battery.

The battery starts dying from the moment the device is made. Even faster if it sits unused.

• Best case scenario: MacBook is going to slow down the CPU (throttle) once the battery needs the service.
  
• Worst case scenario: battery turns into a spicy pillow, turning MacBook into a fire-hazard and possibly an e-waste.
  
  

iMac doesn’t have this problem. It just… Exists.
Plug and play even years later.

If I had to sum up the advantages of an iMac, it would be:

• no battery to degrade
  
• better thermal performance
  
• some builds on the market are insane. Check Kleinanzeigen/FB Marketplace in your area.
  
  

I bought this computer for a very specific reason, but I can already say, that it turned out to be more practical than I expected. Some experiences were eye-opening.

Next post is going to be a buyer’s guide, where I will break down which models of iMac are actually worth buying in 2026, and which you should avoid.