xda-developers: How much space will the iMac with M1 take up on my desk?

Saturday, May 22, 2021

How much space will the iMac with M1 take up on my desk?

If you’ve been patiently waiting for Apple’s new M1-powered 24-inch iMac, the time has finally come. Of course, before you pull the trigger on your order, you’re probably going to want to figure out how it’s going to fit into your office and if you have space for the 24-inch iMac on your desk.

First of all, the base of the 24-inch iMac is 5.8 x 5.8 inches. That’s the least amount of space that it can take on your desk, assuming that you have absolutely no other room. Keep in mind that the screen is 21.5 inches wide, so you’re going to need room for that too.

You’ll also want to take into account that the whole thing is 18.1 inches tall, although that seems to be based on some proprietary angle that Apple has the display tilted at. If you’re looking for a certain kind of setting, that’s probably something to be aware of, but maybe make sure you have a solid 19 inches of clearance.

But mostly, as far as making space on your desk, the product is 5.8 (compared to eight inches on the 27-inch iMac) inches back to front, and 21.5 inches side to side. Now, let’s talk about peripherals.

Inside of the box, there’s either a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID or a Magic Keyboard, and there’s a Magic Mouse. The mouse is an easy one, since it’s 4.47 x 2.25 inches, and frankly, you already know how much space a mousepad takes on your desk.

The Magic Keyboard is 10.98 x 4.52 inches. It doesn’t take up any more space than your average keyboard would. In fact, it probably takes up even less space because there’s no number pad attached to the side.

Here are some other things to consider. Ask yourself if you plan on using Sidecar. If you do, then you need space for an iPad Pro or similar iPad. Being that the 24-inch iMac only has USB Type-C ports, you also would want room for a Thunderbolt dock. However, that could sit in the space next to the base and underneath the display.

Ultimately, it’s a pretty compact and minimal product. With a base that’s under six inches on both sides, anything next to it just has to clear the distance between your desk and the monitor. And like we just said, the keyboard is pretty small too.

The bottom line is that if you’ve got a computer on your desk now, you can assume that you’ll have space for the 24-inch iMac.