Anandtech Decides if I buy an iMac

[rikadik]

Here's the deal...

I'm about to pull the trigger on a 24" 2.8GHz iMac, but I've been holding off for updates for over a month now, and they haven't materialised. I am now getting bored of waiting but am going to give it until next weekend. I've thought... even if they update it with LED screen, Core i7, Nvidia Graphics, a week after I buy mine, I'm still going to have a fantastic machine. I'll be using it for music production.

Do I buy or not buy? It's up to you! I also promise pictures of my studio setup once it arrives (for anyone who is interested!).

 

[Megatomic]

I voted yes!

 

[imported_madMike]

Sorry, I meant to pick the second option.

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#iMac

It looks like new iMacs will be around the corner. It's been 271 days since the last update and the average is 211.

 

[Kmax82]

I voted for #2. While I definitely am in favor of the Hackintosh solutions.. I don't think the iMacs are that bad of a price for the look and specs... however, they have to be right around the corner to upgrades. I don't think that they'll be doing Core i7 until this Fall though. If they come out sooner, I'll be ready to pownce!

 

[rikadik]

Originally posted by: Megatomic
I voted yes!

Me too

 

[rikadik]

Originally posted by: Kmax82
I voted for #2. While I definitely am in favor of the Hackintosh solutions.. I don't think the iMacs are that bad of a price for the look and specs... however, they have to be right around the corner to upgrades. I don't think that they'll be doing Core i7 until this Fall though. If they come out sooner, I'll be ready to pownce!

I have considered Hackintosh for a long time (and am posting from my MSI Wind running OSX ) but decided I want the reliability, support and simplicity of a real Mac. Pricewise, my little brother is at university whcih means I can bag his 15% education discount. I can also buy Logic Studio 8 for £115 as opposed to £300.

Updates do seem to be so close, and I think the fact they did the quiet update of the white MacBook suggests they may well do the same for the iMac. It's just that the waiting game is horrible. I want to be making my tunes now! But I really would like to buy at the beginning of the product cycle, this always represents the best value for money when buying Apple.

 

[Megatomic]

Don't assume that updates are around the corner. The same train of thought prompted people to believe that the mac mini was going to get refreshed at Macworld this month. If the iMac suits your purposes now just buy it. It's no different that the PC world, there is always something new right around the corner. If you wait for the next thing, you'll be forever waiting and never buying.

 

[sjwaste]

If the refresh comes soon and its underwhelming, it should at least put some of the current models sold as refurbs at a little bit lower price point.

Or you could compromise, buy it now, but buy a refurb. I just got a refurb Macbook and its in perfect condition.

 

[TheStu]

Originally posted by: sjwaste
If the refresh comes soon and its underwhelming, it should at least put some of the current models sold as refurbs at a little bit lower price point.

Or you could compromise, buy it now, but buy a refurb. I just got a refurb Macbook and its in perfect condition.

Sjwaste may have the best idea at this point. As others have said, updates will always be right around the corner, so don't play that game, instead choose the system that they sell, right now, that best suits your needs. Then, see if you can get it refurbed.

The biggest catch on the refurb is that I am fairly certain that they do not qualify for student discount, so you might want to do a quick price comparison.

 

[Dacalo]

Well, if you don't NEED it now, why short change yourself? The upgrades are inevitable, if you have waited this long, you can wait a couple more weeks. You will be glad you did, trust me.

 

[rikadik]

Haha the plot thickens!

I think the education discount will be better than the refurb discount (just from experience), but the education purchase comes with a 3 year standard warranty (vs 1 year on consumer purchases) so I'm pretty sold on that.

And ok, I don't NEED it now, but i REALLY WANT it now!

 

[Megatomic]

Regarding the refurb path, I bought my macbook refurbed too. It was in perfect shape when I received it, definitely a good buy.

 

[sjwaste]

Originally posted by: TheStu

Originally posted by: sjwaste
If the refresh comes soon and its underwhelming, it should at least put some of the current models sold as refurbs at a little bit lower price point.

Or you could compromise, buy it now, but buy a refurb. I just got a refurb Macbook and its in perfect condition.

Sjwaste may have the best idea at this point. As others have said, updates will always be right around the corner, so don't play that game, instead choose the system that they sell, right now, that best suits your needs. Then, see if you can get it refurbed.

The biggest catch on the refurb is that I am fairly certain that they do not qualify for student discount, so you might want to do a quick price comparison.

You don't get the student or employer discounts, but it still comes out cheaper.

My EPP discount is actually better than the Academic by about $20 on most items. Still doesn't come close to refurb prices on Macbooks (my only point of reference, really). Cost me $1099 refurbished vs about $1200 EPP price. Of course, your academic discount may be better than mine. And before anyone asks, its legit, I'm a law student in night school with a FT job, so I can definitely compare all 3 discounts.

 

[randomlinh]

eh, i wouldn't buy the refresh.. 1st gen i7's? no thanks. especially when crammed into the imac's.

 

[Megatomic]

randomlinh is right, first gen apple products have historically been problematic...

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: Megatomic
randomlinh is right, first gen apple products have historically been problematic...

I dunno, it's more just a guts bump than a whole new system. Same shell, just a new logic board & cpu/ram. Same HDD, DVD, Bluetooth, Wifi, etc. Shouldn't be too bad.

 

[alfa147x]

Originally posted by: Megatomic
Regarding the refurb path, I bought my macbook refurbed too. It was in perfect shape when I received it, definitely a good buy.

2nd that

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: Megatomic
randomlinh is right, first gen apple products have historically been problematic...

I dunno, it's more just a guts bump than a whole new system. Same shell, just a new logic board & cpu/ram. Same HDD, DVD, Bluetooth, Wifi, etc. Shouldn't be too bad.

heh, well, new mobo and cpu is a huge deal to me.

 

[mchammer187]

they don't replace the at least the processor/mobo every generation?

 

[rikadik]

I've compared all the current refurb deals to new Mac with the Higher Education discount and the discount is either cheaper or the difference is negligible on all of them, so buying new with HE discount is definitely the way forward. There's only two refurbs at the moment that work out cheaper. A brand new unibody base MacBook is £799.25, and the refurb is £799.00, so it'd only save 25 pence. At the other end of the spectrum a unibody 17" MacBook Pro (with all its new gadgetry) is £1,657.15, whereas a previous generation refurb is £1,629.00.

So I think HE discount is the way forward for me.

Edit: It's tied on whether I buy or wait now... very interesting!

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: mchammer187
they don't replace the at least the processor/mobo every generation?

every generation being what exactly? Some people consider speed bumps a next generation. But anyway, the difference from C2D -> i7 IMO is a relatively big jump. It's a "1st gen" product to me. Actually, now that I think about it, if we do go i7 in the imac, wouldn't we get a likely design refresh? eh, whatever, it's all speculation.

To the OP, the main point is, if you need it now, get it now. The waiting game never ends.

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: Megatomic
randomlinh is right, first gen apple products have historically been problematic...

I dunno, it's more just a guts bump than a whole new system. Same shell, just a new logic board & cpu/ram. Same HDD, DVD, Bluetooth, Wifi, etc. Shouldn't be too bad.

IMHO the new logic board worries me the most, not a new WiFi card or optical drive. I didn't even buy new PC motherboards until several BIOS updates had been released for it (back when I was a DIY PC guy).

 

[Stiganator]

..

 

[AstroManLuca]

Originally posted by: Megatomic
Don't assume that updates are around the corner. The same train of thought prompted people to believe that the mac mini was going to get refreshed at Macworld this month. If the iMac suits your purposes now just buy it. It's no different that the PC world, there is always something new right around the corner. If you wait for the next thing, you'll be forever waiting and never buying.

I disagree. In the PC world, there's always something new around the corner. If you wait whenever something new is coming up, you will never buy anything.

In the Mac world, Apple refreshes its computers at set intervals of 6-12 months (recently, closer to the 12-month side of things). They do not update their specs or price in between updates. If you buy at the end of a cycle, you're getting a bad deal, and essentially losing that many months of longevity from that computer.

 

[manly]

Wait for an update, it shouldn't be very far off.