Will anything make me as happy as my Late 2014 27" iMac has?

A good option (IMO) would be a new Mac Mini M2:

• Apple M2 with 8-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 16‑core Neural Engine
• 16GB unified memory
• 1TB SSD storage
• Gigabit Ethernet
• Two Thunderbolt 4 ports, HDMI port, two USB-A ports, headphone jack

for $1199

And an LG 32" 3rd party monitor with speaker:

• • LG 32UN500-W Monitor 32" UltraFine (3840 x 2160) Display, AMD FreeSync, DCI-P3 90% Color Gamut, HDR10, Built-in Speakers. 

for $300 at Amazon.

It won't have a built in camera but you can use an iPhone (if you have one) as one.

Welcome!

If you'd prefer to stick with a desktop setup, I'd recommend either a 24-inch iMac or a Mac mini with Studio Display.

With the iMac, for your stated usage, I'd recommend the model with 16GB or 24GB of memory and at least the same amount of storage that you currently have. iMac has a built-in 24-inch Retina 4.5K display with support for 1 billion colors.

With Mac mini, you can configure it with either M2 or M2 Pro, with the M2 Pro being a more capable chip than M2. With M2 Pro, you can also configure your Mac mini with up to 32GB of memory, with is more than the 24GB that M2 and M3 support. This setup gives you a powerful Mac with the same 27-inch screen size you like, plus, Studio Display is also 5K and can support up to 1 billion colors.

PS-what I don't like about my current Mac is the confusing Fusion Drive--I've been lost with file organization ever since I bought it, even moreso after the drive replacement and upgrade to Big Sur (2 desktop folders on my desktop?!). Probably moot as Fusion Drives aren't a thing. All I have to do is understand iCloud.

Fusion Drive operates as a single volume, just like any other Mac. It's possible your Fusion Drive isn't operating as it should, or after your drive was replaced, it was configured incorrectly. To check, share a screenshot of your Mac’s storage information. In the Finder, choose Go > Utilities, then double-click the Disk Utility icon. (Disk Utility is located in the /Applications/Utilities folder.) Alternatively, click Launchpad in the Dock, type Disk Utility in the search field, then click the Disk Utility icon. Once Disk Utility is open, take a screenshot of the information it automatically opens to, which will be your startup disk. Next, select View > Show All Devices in Disk Utility and select the non-indented disk entry—it’s at the top of the hierarchy. Then, take a screenshot of the newly selected entry. Upload all screenshots here. 

Cheers,

Jack

Essentially, you have 4 Mac "families" that would work just fine:

• iMac
• MacBook Air
• MacBook Pro
• Mac Mini
• Mac Studio (not counting this one, as you mentioned cost is a big factor)

There are pros and cons to each. Before getting too deep into the woods, you'll want to decide if you want to keep using a desktop Mac or change to a laptop. (Back in 2016, I made the switch from iMac to MacBook Pro, and haven't regretted it. In fact, several months ago I updated to a 15" MacBook Air).

The current iMac is available in the 24" display size only. There are rumors of a 32" model in the future, but nobody but Apple knows what's in the pipeline.

The Mac mini would require the purchase of a keyboard, mouse, and monitor, but is a good option otherwise.

The MacBook Pro model is nice, but pricier than the MacBook Air. Unlike the MacBook Air, however, the MBP can drive multiple external monitors, whereas the MBA supports only one external monitor.

For me, I went with the 15" MacBook Air w/16GB RAM and 2TB internal storage when I updated last year. (I've been a Mac user since 1984). Whatever Mac you end up going with, I can't recommend anything less than 16GB RAM and 500GB storage. If your Adobe Creative apps include video, then I'd recommend at least 24GB RAM (that's the max the MacBook Air supports....the MBP supports 128GB RAM).

Sometimes, the peripherals used make decisions easier, too. The MacBook Air, for example, has 2 Thunderbolt (USB C) ports, a MagSafe 3 charging port, and headphone jack. There are hubs available that can expand one Thunderbolt port into several different types of ports if that's an issue.

Anyway...just thought I'd throw my $0.02 worth out there.

MacMikeInOK wrote:

The MacBook Pro model is nice, but pricier than the MacBook Air. Unlike the MacBook Air, however, the MBP can drive multiple external monitors, whereas the MBA supports only one external monitor.

The MacBook Pros that are based on 'Pro' and 'Max' chips can drive two, sometimes more, monitors. There have been three generations of those, based on {M1/M2/M3} {Pro/Max} chips.

The

• 13" M1 MacBook Pro (discontinued)
• 13" M2 MacBook Pro (discontinued)
• 14" M3 MacBook Pro – using the base M3 chip, instead of a M3 Pro or M3 Max chip

all have the single-external-monitor limitation.

wyoberry wrote:

I'm still thoroughly enjoying my Late 2014 27" iMac with no trouble (replaced the drive a couple years ago). I am researching my next Apple computer (Mac fan since 1988!). I'm getting older, a few years from retirement, so I won't want to break the bank. I'm spoiled by my 5k monitor, still use Adobe Creative apps, no gaming. Would like decent storage for genealogy research images and videos. What do y'all suggest?

PS-what I don't like about my current Mac is the confusing Fusion Drive--I've been lost with file organization ever since I bought it, even moreso after the drive replacement and upgrade to Big Sur (2 desktop folders on my desktop?!). Probably moot as Fusion Drives aren't a thing. All I have to do is understand iCloud.

I wonder if the "2 desktop folders on [your] desktop" are related to this:

Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive - Apple Support

If so, the extra folder wouldn't have anything to do with the Fusion Drive.

I've not used that monitor but it was recommended by another Level 10 user. If yo have a Best Buy near by look at the various monitors they offer. Make sure they have built in speakers. You'll probably have to use your iPhone as a camera as most monitors don't include a camera.

Also Costco or Sam's Club will have monitors (if you're in the US).