iMac advice

[gman1975]

Wife is set on a 27 inch iMac. I know rumors are June 11th there should be an update to current model. My question is there are some decent deals on apple refurbs right now so 2 questions actually:
1. Buy refurb now or wait till June 11?
2. If I buy refurb which configuration is best bang for my buck?

From what I read the 2010 i7 2.93 for $1569 seems like a good deal of performance for the price but I don't really know. We do some photo editing, music and video down loading, play some older games nothing brand new, surf web, email etc. we don't do anything out of ordinary just regular family computer.

[Mark77]

I wouldn't expect much from this refresh cycle. Likely just a chipset swap to the Intel Panther Point and a CPU swap to Ivy Bridge. If you follow the benchmarks on the PC-based platforms, the differences performance-wise are actually quite minimal.

Because taking the iMacs apart to change things like hard drives, etc., is such a PITA, I'd be looking to wait until a model with SSD is available/cheap enough because I really wouldn't want to be dissassembling one to retrofit a SSD after-the-purchase.

[time space]

Even the bottom of the line i5 27" iMac refurb will work fine as the basic family computer you describe - @ around $1400 they are not that expensive considering how much just the screen goes for.

Optimally, if you can wait till the new update (http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#iMac) comes out, the refurbs might drop in price a bit more - also, if they decide to add ultra high res screens or any other goodies, you can decide if it's worth ponying up full fare ($300 more than the same refurb) for a new one.

[gman1975]

If an ssd is a must then 2010 i7 2.93 is $1999 and 2011 i7 3.4 is $2289 or again wait for newer model at $2500 plus. Where does that value lie?

[596722]

If an ssd is a must then 2010 i7 2.93 is $1999 and 2011 i7 3.4 is $2289 or again wait for newer model at $2500 plus. Where does that value lie?

the value lies where you don't buy a mac.

[Nikhilvoid]

the value lies where you don't buy a mac.

exactly.

the iMac is more furniture than computer.

Get the same Cinema Display screen from Korea for ~$320 all in and fix it to a great PC.

[gman1975]

Thanks but again wife says 100% Mac so with that advice?

[Nikhilvoid]

Thanks but again wife says 100% Mac so with that advice?

I would wait for the refresh since it is due soon.

Otherwise the i7s are both equally nice. The 2011 i7 will be a Sandy Bridge and thus quite a bit better. The 2011 will also have Thunderbolt, which is a really nice feature too.

Even so, with an iMac you are basically paying for the 27" screen and so the internals really do not matter with the exception of the SSD.

An i5 2011 iMac with an SSD would be the best value for your money.

[al3x89]

Thanks but again wife says 100% Mac so with that advice?

posted ont he wrong forum dude

most ppl on here is anti-apple simply because they live at home, don't go to school, don't got a job and are going nowhere in life.

go to macrumors.com and seek advice from there

i would personally buy a refurb for what you intend to do with it.

[Nikhilvoid]

most ppl on here is anti-apple simply because they live at home, don't go to school, don't got a job and are going nowhere in life.


seriously?

And someone's ability to go places is proved by his/her ability to buy a Mac?

Just how shallow are you?


Look at this: http://store.apple.com/ca/configure/MC814LL/A?

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/MX35470

Apple charges $210 for a 4GB DDR3-1333MHz RAM upgrade that costs $22.5 at retail prices??

Does it smell better and take care of your kids while you're out or something?

Grow up.

[596722]

posted ont he wrong forum dude

most ppl on here is anti-apple simply because they live at home, don't go to school, don't got a job and are going nowhere in life.

go to macrumors.com and seek advice from there

i would personally buy a refurb for what you intend to do with it.

All I see in the first sentence is blatant applefanboy rage along the lines of "you don't like what I like so you must be a failure at life". Macs are overpriced, osx isn't secure, doesn't have all programs many need (running windows programs through some software just defeats the entire point of having a mac), osx is highly locked down (and is just getting worse) and most importantly, they're poorly designed functionality wise. Its not just that apple's all-in-one desktops that are bad, all all-in-one desktops are bad, regardless of manufacturer, its just a poor design flaw no matter how you go about it. Macs are pretty much exclusively used by people who fall for apple's social marketing and hipsters. Going to a site like macrumors where it's just a bunch of apple sheep circlejerking won't help anyone except for those who are trying to justify overpaying for electronics by circlejerking with others. The most legitimate reason to own a mac is to make programs to sell to osx users.

If you (or your wife) really, really wants it, for whatever crazy reason. Just buy it. No matter what a newer, probably better version is on the horizon, its a game you just can't ever win. As soon as that version comes out you'll regret not waiting and then the same thing will happen every other refresh.

[Mark77]

Yeah by the time you buy an i5 or i7, a 27" LCD, keyboard, video card, and operating system, there's not a lot of difference in price. We had a long thread here a few months back about how much it would cost to assemble an iMac 27"-like system from parts, and there was even evidence that the cost would be greater for a comparable PC.

ie: i7-2600 = $300, Win7 = $100, 27" LCD = $700 -- you're up to $1100, and you still don't have a motherboard, enclosure, RAM, etc. The "Apple Tax" is effectively zero.

[JAC]

Yeah by the time you buy an i5 or i7, a 27" LCD, keyboard, video card, and operating system, there's not a lot of difference in price. We had a long thread here a few months back about how much it would cost to assemble an iMac 27"-like system from parts, and there was even evidence that the cost would be greater for a comparable PC.

ie: i7-2600 = $300, Win7 = $100, 27" LCD = $700 -- you're up to $1100, and you still don't have a motherboard, enclosure, RAM, etc. The "Apple Tax" is effectively zero.

Are you shilling for Apple now?

27-inch: 2.7GHz
2.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
2560 x 1440 resolution
4GB (two 2GB) memory
1TB hard drive1
AMD Radeon HD 6770M with 512MB
$1,699.00

27-inch: 3.1GHz
3.1GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
2560 x 1440 resolution
4GB (two 2GB) memory
1TB hard drive1
AMD Radeon HD 6970M with 1GB
$1,999.00

I won't even bother pricing what happens when you upgrade to an i7, 8GB, and 2TB. It's truly laughable. The ONLY remarkable thing about an iMac is the monitor, and I can get one from Dell for $750 or less. Apple is a lifestyle choice, that's all.

[time space]

posted ont he wrong forum dude

most ppl on here is anti-apple simply because they live at home, don't go to school, don't got a job and are going nowhere in life.

True - but unfortunately it turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy as they immediately came out of the woodwork to threadcrap after you posted - here's a classic example of their impotent nonsense QFT:


All I see in the first sentence is blatant applefanboy rage along the lines of "you don't like what I like so you must be a failure at life". Macs are overpriced, osx isn't secure, doesn't have all programs many need (running windows programs through some software just defeats the entire point of having a mac), osx is highly locked down (and is just getting worse) and most importantly, they're poorly designed functionality wise. Its not just that apple's all-in-one desktops that are bad, all all-in-one desktops are bad, regardless of manufacturer, its just a poor design flaw no matter how you go about it. Macs are pretty much exclusively used by people who fall for apple's social marketing and hipsters. Going to a site like macrumors where it's just a bunch of apple sheep circlejerking won't help anyone except for those who are trying to justify overpaying for electronics by circlejerking with others. The most legitimate reason to own a mac is to make programs to sell to osx users.

If you (or your wife) really, really wants it, for whatever crazy reason. Just buy it. No matter what a newer, probably better version is on the horizon, its a game you just can't ever win. As soon as that version comes out you'll regret not waiting and then the same thing will happen every other refresh.

[stevelam]

absolutely hilarious when angry fake tech people go into these anti-apple tirades that no one really cares about.

first of all, noting the things you/your wife does on a computer, i highly doubt getting an SSD drive is really going to help you in any way and will just be an extra cost for slightly faster boot time.

in your case i think the best cost to performance ratio upgrade would be to upgrade to 8 gb of ram by yourself since it'll be cheaper, easy and you can't add ram from apple with a refurbished machine anyway. this will mainly help with the photo editing department and multi-tasking in general.

since no one knows whats coming in the refresh, its impossible to suggest which route you should take. that being said, theres absolutely no issue in getting a 2011 refurb right now. my gf just got a 2011 21.5 imac refurbished the other day and fits all of her needs just fine (general email/browsing/watching videos/downloading media/light photoshop work/indesign/etc etc).

i'm also in the market for possibly a new macbook pro or an imac but i'm waiting to see what the next refresh brings. notably a potential but unlikely retina display as well as an upgrade in gpu. then again i do heavy photoshop work and would like to play diablo 3 smoothly once in a while.

[SuperCows]

posted ont he wrong forum dude

most ppl on here is anti-apple simply because they live at home, don't go to school, don't got a job and are going nowhere in life.

go to macrumors.com and seek advice from there

i would personally buy a refurb for what you intend to do with it.

Yes I live at home. What did you expect? The streets?

[redflag5050]

27-inch: 3.1GHz
3.1GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
2560 x 1440 resolution
4GB (two 2GB) memory
1TB hard drive1
AMD Radeon HD 6970M with 1GB
$1,999.00

I feel your pain. My wife insists on apple shiznit when it comes to a computer. Granted, in her case, she does graphic design and website work so the end justifies the means I guess. The above is what she bought and the total came to $1909 tax in. Bought from apple.ca refuerb. There was no way I was going to accept a ram upgrade from apple with their stupid prices. I bought 8 gigs of ram off of Amazon.ca for $60 and installed it easy.

[time space]

There was no way I was going to accept a ram upgrade from apple with their stupid prices.

Who was trying to force you to accept it? Why would anyone buy ram from Apple? It's easy to buy and just plugs in.

[cloakster]

Yeah by the time you buy an i5 or i7, a 27" LCD, keyboard, video card, and operating system, there's not a lot of difference in price. We had a long thread here a few months back about how much it would cost to assemble an iMac 27"-like system from parts, and there was even evidence that the cost would be greater for a comparable PC.

ie: i7-2600 = $300, Win7 = $100, 27" LCD = $700 -- you're up to $1100, and you still don't have a motherboard, enclosure, RAM, etc. The "Apple Tax" is effectively zero.

You mean an i5 2400 @ $190, right? Add $500 for everything else and you are at $1500. Not much savings, but you do get a better warranty and it is much easier to fix/upgrade parts. The real savings would come in when you drop the cpu to an i3 2120, drop the video card to something like a 6450 and drop the monitor to any TN panel 27" because for their use, that is all they would ever need. $1050 build is all he needs....maybe $1150 with a SSD.


@OP: A mac mini attached to any monitor should meet your needs, that would be a much cheaper option. If you do want to stick with an imac, a refurb definitely gives better value and Apple refurb is usually pretty good.

[time space]

The real savings would come in when you drop the cpu to an i3 2120, drop the video card to something like a 6450 and drop the monitor to any TN panel 27" because for their use, that is all they would ever need. $1050 build is all he needs.

That's a fair point.

Buy and assemble the components for a lesser (though still good for family use) Windows machine for $1050 - or buy a refurb iMac for $1400.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ijTvsVM35zw/TIf3TYlHc3I/AAAAAAAAAN0/96_6HbCyf3w/s1600/pcrep.jpghttp://store.storeimages.cdn-apple.com/2651/as-images.apple.com/is/image/AppleInc/step0-imac-gallery-image5?wid=553&hei=413&fmt=png-alpha&qlt=95

[Mark77]

You mean an i5 2400 @ $190, right? Add $500 for everything else and you are at $1500. Not much savings, but you do get a better warranty and it is much easier to fix/upgrade parts. The real savings would come in when you drop the cpu to an i3 2120, drop the video card to something like a 6450 and drop the monitor to any TN panel 27" because for their use, that is all they would ever need. $1050 build is all he needs....maybe $1150 with a SSD.

Sure...if you want to go down that line of logic, let's pull my old 286 out of the dumpster, install Wordperfect and Lotus 1-2-3 on it. After all, that's probably all he really needs.

If you're a starving student, sure, go save every last penny you can. But I was just pointing out that there really isn't a huge "Mac Tax", and the package of hardware that you get with an iMac is quite incredible. The only major issue I personally saw was mating a brand new CPU, with a mechanical hard drive.

[redflag5050]

Who was trying to force you to accept it? Why would anyone buy ram from Apple? It's easy to buy and just plugs in.

I guess you never saw the look of bewilderment on the face of an apple freak when you tell them you're buying a part for their apple computer but from outside sources!

[Anonymouse]

I bought Macs because they run on a unix-style code, the best OS ever designed. I recently had to find a couple of records in a flat file that was too big for my database program on the work Windoze laptop. I put it on a memory stick and used grep plus a couple of pipes on my MBP; had the records in seconds. I still use emacs to edit code when I get the chance.

I can run every Windoze program on my Mac, with the exception of some childish games that I haven't been interested in since I was 17. Practically speaking, that means Quicken for Windows, which is much better than the Mac version, plus some CAD software that is only written for Windoze. Both run seamlessly in a virtual machine.

I also bought Macs because I really wanted my hardware and my OS to come from the same vendor for integration reasons. I bought integrated systems, not an OS plus a collection of hardware from random vendors with all the compatibilty issues that entails. I will never recover the time I have spent updating drivers on my former Windoze boxes in the hope that it would cure my blue screens of death, but I can save myself from having to do that in the future.

I understand that some people are not sophisticated users and just want to go to Walmart and just get the cheapest Dell-type system they can. I fully recommend Windoze boxes to these people. But if you have reached a certain stage in life and a certain level of technical sophistication, Macs become very attractive.

[Nikhilvoid]

But if you have reached a certain stage in life and a certain level of technical sophistication, Macs become very attractive.

Yes and if and when you outgrow that phase of faked-maturity, you can return to something you can actually work and play on. Buying a Mac for the reason you describe here is only about falling to social/peer pressure and conforming to become what is more acceptable.

Everyone plays games in one way or another. Buying a PC to play video games when you are 30 does not magically make you into a 12 year old.



Only the right hot tub might.

[al3x89]

I guess you never saw the look of bewilderment on the face of an apple freak when you tell them you're buying a part for their apple computer but from outside sources!

really? now i know you're just talking out of your ***** and trying to act all cool on the internets.

if you visit one of the biggest Apple "fanboy" websites out there, macrumors, those people RECOMMEND NOT buying any upgrades through Apple. everyone and their parents knows it's a rip off. hell, even genius' have recommended it to people (seen it happen)

so i don't know where you're getting this assumption from. just stop posting.

[netusername]

I bought Macs because they run on a unix-style code, the best OS ever designed. I recently had to find a couple of records in a flat file that was too big for my database program on the work Windoze laptop. I put it on a memory stick and used grep plus a couple of pipes on my MBP; had the records in seconds. I still use emacs to edit code when I get the chance.

I can run every Windoze program on my Mac, with the exception of some childish games that I haven't been interested in since I was 17. Practically speaking, that means Quicken for Windows, which is much better than the Mac version, plus some CAD software that is only written for Windoze. Both run seamlessly in a virtual machine.

I also bought Macs because I really wanted my hardware and my OS to come from the same vendor for integration reasons. I bought integrated systems, not an OS plus a collection of hardware from random vendors with all the compatibilty issues that entails. I will never recover the time I have spent updating drivers on my former Windoze boxes in the hope that it would cure my blue screens of death, but I can save myself from having to do that in the future.

I understand that some people are not sophisticated users and just want to go to Walmart and just get the cheapest Dell-type system they can. I fully recommend Windoze boxes to these people. But if you have reached a certain stage in life and a certain level of technical sophistication, Macs become very attractive.

"Windoze" really? Is it 20 years ago? Let me guess, it's made by Micro$oft.

Yeah there are a number of different manufacturers that produce parts for apple products, just like with a 'windoze' box.

[cloakster]

Sure...if you want to go down that line of logic, let's pull my old 286 out of the dumpster, install Wordperfect and Lotus 1-2-3 on it. After all, that's probably all he really needs.

If you're a starving student, sure, go save every last penny you can. But I was just pointing out that there really isn't a huge "Mac Tax", and the package of hardware that you get with an iMac is quite incredible. The only major issue I personally saw was mating a brand new CPU, with a mechanical hard drive.

For web surfing, email and music/video downloading, there is no difference between the i3 2120 and a i5 2400. Same thing for the video card. Why spend money for something you will never see? My parents did that in their current desktop (Q6600, 4GB ram), they added a 4850 just in case....what a huge waste of money that was. 4 years later and they still haven't gotten close to stressing out that computer. All i need to do is add an SSD and performance wise it should last them another 3 years. They also have a 24" TN Dell monitor and they think it looks amazing...lol. I swear, only like 5% of the people i meet would ever notice the difference between your average TN monitor and a good IPS monitor.

Also, im typing right now on my old C2D laptop...I put a 500GB hybrid drive in it this past winter. Imo, for your basic use, it runs faster than any new iMac with only a regular mechanical HDD.

[redflag5050]

really? now i know you're just talking out of your ***** and trying to act all cool on the internets.

if you visit one of the biggest Apple "fanboy" websites out there, macrumors, those people RECOMMEND NOT buying any upgrades through Apple. everyone and their parents knows it's a rip off. hell, even genius' have recommended it to people (seen it happen)

so i don't know where you're getting this assumption from. just stop posting.

Boy you need to take your medications instead of telling me what to post or say. You don't like my comment? ignore it, I'm sure you're good at that. For what it's worth, why the hell do you think apple charges people up the ***** for their stuff? because they can and because the flock buys into it. What I said was out of experience and not out of something else. As for acting cool, I'll leave that for kids like you. I'm too mature to "act" cool.

[redflag5050]

really? now i know you're just talking out of your ***** and trying to act all cool on the internets.



Since you are such a nerd, geek and all around tech wonder boy, Please do let me know where the other internets are, I'd like to visit them too!

[time space]

As stevelam noted on the first page of this iMac specific thread...


absolutely hilarious when angry fake tech people go into these anti-apple tirades that no one really cares about.

[bembol]

Yeah by the time you buy an i5 or i7, a 27" LCD, keyboard, video card, and operating system, there's not a lot of difference in price. We had a long thread here a few months back about how much it would cost to assemble an iMac 27"-like system from parts, and there was even evidence that the cost would be greater for a comparable PC.

ie: i7-2600 = $300, Win7 = $100, 27" LCD = $700 -- you're up to $1100, and you still don't have a motherboard, enclosure, RAM, etc. The "Apple Tax" is effectively zero.

I posted the thread but at the end I couldn't spend that much on Windows even if it's a few Hundred Dollars cheaper the the 27" iMac I thought about buying. Thank God, I didn't because I got bored and bought a Samsung 14" UltraBook and so far I'm not happy.

I still have my 24" and waiting after June for the new line up.


I'm pretty much like OP what they use it for. Apple Store in Yorkdale Mall told me a BASIC i3 or even i5 is MORE than enough but most do get carried away with buying Top of the Line. At the end, they ALWAYS say focus on upgrading the RAM.

Just don't buy it from them, Canada Computers sells it for less and very easy to install.

[cloakster]

I posted the thread but at the end I couldn't spend that much on Windows even if it's a few Hundred Dollars cheaper the the 27" iMac I thought about buying. Thank God, I didn't because I got bored and bought a Samsung 14" UltraBook and so far I'm not happy.

I still have my 24" and waiting after June for the new line up.


I'm pretty much like OP what they use it for. Apple Store in Yorkdale Mall told me a BASIC i3 or even i5 is MORE than enough but most do get carried away with buying Top of the Line. At the end, they ALWAYS say focus on upgrading the RAM.

Just don't buy it from them, Canada Computers sells it for less and very easy to install.

4GB of ram is plenty.

[incalorieout]

I would highly consider a 13 or 15" macbook pro and purchase any good brand named external monitor. There's so much benefit to being able to taking the laptop with you on family trips and perhaps editing the pictures/videos during your vacation so you won't forget about them when you return. Also, the laptop can be moved around the house. If you're editing video, 4gb of ram on an i7 is great, i would go for 8gb of ram or more if you can and also consider a solid state drive, it makes a noticeable difference in speed.

Good luck!