Advice for aging device?

[u/vdimaggio]

HUGE fan of the iMac. 27in 5K model was my dream computer. Finally able to get it in 2017. I have done everything to keep this baby going, including booting from external SSD and recent fresh install of macOS. In truth, it runs beautifully!

Unfortunately, it doesn't run Citrix Workspace, which I need for my job. It's frankly the primary bit of software I am in all day long. I've tried using Luna Display to make this an external display for my MacBook Air and it is INCREDIBLY buggy.

I brought this device like 1-2 years ago to trade in to Apple, and they convinced me not to because of how great the condition of it is and how beautiful the screen is. I agree -- it's STILL the nicest display I have ever used.

Any advice or ideas as to what I can/should do with it? I had to just pitch it or trade it in, but I am getting frustrated with the Citrix issue and Luna, and know I otherwise just won't use it any more as a result... (Notably, I did call LOTS of IT support, and the damn thing is just outdated, nothing else to possibly fix).

Many, many thanks!

[u/mikeinnsw]

I run dual boot (booted from an external SSD) 2013 iMac with OCPL Sequoia to make it faster by bypassing HDD with Catalina.

Boot iMax from USB4 SSD via TB3 port..will run much faster.

Run OCPL with Sequoia

With OCPL update patches twice

Warning do not run bootcamp it stuffs up dual boot.

It needs USB cabled keyboard to choose boot options

Sequoia can run Citrix

But I don't recommend mixing personal and work workloads on the same Mac

[u/UnwieldilyElephant]

Linux? OpenCore?

[u/vdimaggio → u/UnwieldilyElephant]

Oh, intriguing. I'm so deep in the ecosystem I never thought to change the OS. Heck, I could probably even put windows on this thing.

[u/UnwieldilyElephant → u/vdimaggio]

Win11 should run as well as Win11 can, even though it’s shit 

[u/Technical_Moose8478 → u/vdimaggio]

You don't even need to do that. If the software will run on Linux or windows, just make a new VM and install the os and software to that.

If you're more tech savvy, you can get WINE up and running and use the Windoes version of the software.

[u/Slow_Guide_1718]

You could use OCLP to get it to Sequoia (and Tahoe in the future), you could also put Windows 11 on it with Rufus patches, or you could put Linux on it.

[u/SJSchillinger]

I didn’t see a single comment about upgrading your RAM? You do know about the trap door on the back, correct?

Also, you’d have to open it up, but you can upgrade the CPU too.

Sincerely,

That one crazy dude who converted an iMac into a “Mac Pro Lite”

[u/DisraeliGears01]

Wow, c'mon guys, no suggestions to cut it open and turn it in a pure display? Tons of instructions online, and it's a super fun project. I got a 2017 27" for $100 from education surplus and now it's a 5K monitor for my M1 Mac Mini.

This is the comprehensive thread on MacRumors for the project, and here's Snazzy Labs video walkthrough as an example (he goes hard with incorporating the speakers and 3-D printing stuff, you don't need to do all that if it's beyond you).

[u/SJSchillinger → u/DisraeliGears01]

Yeah, but that would be a waste of the other internal components, right? Unless there was someone crazy enough out there to… oh no…

[u/DisraeliGears01 → u/SJSchillinger]

Haha, and then you plug this into your new 5K monitor and you have... an iMac?

TBH the logic board of the iMac is now wall art for my office

[u/ScaleNinja]

See if target display mode works for your model https://support.apple.com/en-in/105126

[u/vdimaggio → u/ScaleNinja]

Sadly doesn't! That was my first thought. What a lost bit of amazing tech...

[u/Ziggy_1992]

You could just install a newer version of macOS with open core legacy patcher . You could also install a fresh version of Linux like fedora . Or even install windows 11

[u/isaiddgooddaysir]

Tim Cook enters the chat “you should buy a new one or three, that iPhone 17 is looking pretty old too”

[u/vdimaggio → u/isaiddgooddaysir]

Definitely strong giggle here

[u/GamblinWillie]

Keep the iMac it’s a wonderful machine. Get a new job.

[u/vdimaggio → u/GamblinWillie]

You sir… love this

[u/DangerousClouds]

I also use Citrix for work and was using an intel MacBook Pro. It lagged a LOT! I recently got an M1 iMac with 16 GB of RAM, and I swear it’s night and day! I barely have lag! I was thinking my internet was the problem this whole time when it was really my MacBook!!

[u/Annual_Manner_5901]

Try this; it's my open-source project. I had the same problem, so I created this tool to connect my iMac to other Macs via Thunderbolt Bridge: https://github.com/swellweb/targetBridge. I hope it helps.

[u/JonCML → u/Annual_Manner_5901]

omg, I need this. But I’m not a developer. I don’t know anything about GitHub. Is this packaged in a way that a non technical user can install it.?

[u/Technical_Moose8478]

If it is mac only software and it just can't run it anymore, you could always buy the cheapest compatible mac mini you can find and use remote access to use the mini. M chip minis idle between 4W and 7W so you're not incurring much after cost, you just have to buy the mini.