The Worst Time to Buy a Mac

[Shacklebolt]

Is it just me, or is now, March 2005, the worst possible time to buy a macintosh computer of any configuration (save, perhaps, the mini)? I only mention this because I've had my G4 Sawtooth (oh yeah, it's pretty bad) for the past 5 years, and I keep telling myself that I'm going to wait until something great came out. When the G5s came out, I was going to wait for the 980 generation, but it's STILL not here. Anyway, as one who's computer is rapidly crapping out, I'm still so frustrated that I don't feel comfortible buying any Apple computer right now.

The Powermacs - it's been almost 2 years since the introduction of the G5, and, with no rumors of the 3ghz that Steve promised by the summer of 2004. The current configurations are 9 months old. The iBooks are at the end of their cycle. The eMacs are way, way past the end of their cycle. The powerbooks - this is the end of the line for the Al-Books as we know them. Everyone expects G5/Dual-core models by the WWDC, and, as frustrated as I am with Apple's update speed, I think they can make it by then. I don't want to drop 2 grand on a powerbook now. And the iMacs also are near update.

I honestly can't see any reason to make a major investment in an Apple right now. And I love my Mac; but I can't in good conscience spend 2000 dollars on a computer when all of them are dated.

Anyone else feel the same way?

[kwajaln]

No. What exactly are you waiting for? People (like you) should buy when they can afford to, enjoy what they get, and not fret over what "could have been." Enjoy life, don't watch it pass you by. My 2 cents :)

[Shacklebolt]

I just want to buy something that's going to last. If I can get something newer that will last longer, then that's what I want the most.

[tersono]

No disrespect intended, but I just don't understand that attitude.

The best time to buy a Mac is when you need a new one. End of story.

Whatever you buy, it's going to be at least 4 years before it really starts showing its age. Personally, I tend to replace my primary box every two years; that's partly because I depend on it to make my living, but mainly because a two year-old Mac is still worth decent money when sold on eBay, so it doesn't cost too much to upgrade.

Whatever you buy and whenever you buy it, it's gonna be out of date a few months down the road anyhow ;) , so I'd quit worrying and buy something that will do what you need now.

[whocares]

March 3rd 2005, 5:36pm GMT, give or take a few seconds.


:eek: :eek: :p



I would consider the folowing 3 factors:
* your needs;
* your cashflow;
* your desires.

[Blue Velvet]

If you keep up with that philosophy, you'll never get a new Mac. The G5 2.5s are fast enough for most things -- next you'll be worrying about the Cells etc. It never ends...

But I also know exactly how you feel. I bought my dual 1.42 G4 about 6 weeks before the G5s came out but it does almost everything I need it to. It's got a superdrive & FW800, I've upped the RAM to 2gb and I'll put a USB2 pci card in it soon to keep it useful...


Just get the damned thing :)

You're wasting time & worry by using your old G4.

[wide]

Is it just me, or is now, March 2005, the worst possible time to buy a macintosh computer of any configuration (save, perhaps, the mini)? I only mention this because I've had my G4 Sawtooth (oh yeah, it's pretty bad) for the past 5 years, and I keep telling myself that I'm going to wait until something great came out. When the G5s came out, I was going to wait for the 980 generation, but it's STILL not here. Anyway, as one who's computer is rapidly crapping out, I'm still so frustrated that I don't feel comfortible buying any Apple computer right now.

The Powermacs - it's been almost 2 years since the introduction of the G5, and, with no rumors of the 3ghz that Steve promised by the summer of 2004. The current configurations are 9 months old. The iBooks are at the end of their cycle. The eMacs are way, way past the end of their cycle. The powerbooks - this is the end of the line for the Al-Books as we know them. Everyone expects G5/Dual-core models by the WWDC, and, as frustrated as I am with Apple's update speed, I think they can make it by then. I don't want to drop 2 grand on a powerbook now. And the iMacs also are near update.

I honestly can't see any reason to make a major investment in an Apple right now. And I love my Mac; but I can't in good conscience spend 2000 dollars on a computer when all of them are dated.

Anyone else feel the same way?

I always feel that way when I buy a computer...I should always wait, wait, wait unti something new comes out. Same with iPods. And everything else, pretty much.

I would wait until a revised PowerBook, iMac, or PowerMac comes out, and I would buy that machine. I don't think the wait will be very long, especially for the desktops.

In the meantime, if you back up all of your important (and necessary) files and clean install panther on your hard disk (and then download all of the files), you will probably find your current computer a lot more responsive and fun to use.

[ldburroughs]

This seems to be the only argument for going PC. I've continually updated my system for a little bit here and there and it is currently top of the line. You can easily sway mobos and cpus for a small fraction of the cost of a new machine when the time is right. Macs don't seem to offer as much flexibility in this area. I guess that's the trade off for style and sophistication. What Macs lack in this area they make up for in the area of user interface and OSX. What good is my superfast 64-bit system if I can't fully utilize it?

Buy it when you need it. It will give you use far longer than any PC based system which is why they are so easy to upgrade. Mac has found a good balance of form and function in its product line.

[pianodude123]

If you keep up with that philosophy, you'll never get a new Mac. The G5 2.5s are fast enough for most things -- next you'll be worrying about the Cells etc. It never ends...

But I also know exactly how you feel. I bought my dual 1.42 G4 about 6 weeks before the G5s came out but it does almost everything I need it to. It's got a superdrive & FW800, I've upped the RAM to 2gb and I'll put a USB2 pci card in it soon to keep it useful...



Ouch, I know how you feel...i think the reason he is doing this is because he/she wants to have the best. It is a bad disease. I have caught it, try to find a vaccine or it will cost you lots of money. But i am also waiting for the next gen of the dual g5 to come out.

[Demon Hunter]

No disrespect intended, but I just don't understand that attitude.

The best time to buy a Mac is when you need a new one. End of story.


While that is true, what about the times before large overhauls, like when the G3 was being phased out?

[wdlove]

It is best to always buy what you need when you have a need. I also know that it give a very sick feeling to purchase a new Mac and then have one come out just after. Following the rumors on this forum can help to eliminate the problem for the most part. Looking at the "Buyer's Guide" is also is of great assistance. Lately I've fallen into the waiting game.

[Nickygoat]

It is best to always buy what you need when you have a need. I also know that it give a very sick feeling to purchase a new Mac and then have one come out just after. Following the rumors on this forum can help to eliminate the problem for the most part. Looking at the "Buyer's Guide" is also is of great assistance. Lately I've fallen into the waiting game.
I fell into the waiting game too - waited ages for my PM - MWSF, WWDC - all the rumours were 3GHz, 980FX etc. Finally bit the bullet just after WWDC last year and was so happy. I kicked myself for not doing it earlier but I know I'll feel like c*** when the new ones are released. Just do it and be happy with your purchase. And avoid this site for 3 months after you buy :D

[illustratorDavi]

Has the Macrumors buyers guide been threatened with legal action or something?

They used to have DON'T BUY - updates soon next to the powermac now it just says buy only if you need to buy.

David

[dornoforpyros]

dude....just by the damned machine!
Even if Steve Jobs comes out and announces a quadrupal processor 3ghz G5 tommoro and you go buy that with 8gigs of ram 1 year from now there will be something better.

[Beck446]

I totally agree with the original poster. You should buy when you need, of course, but he can hold out a little longer. The PMs are absolutely a terrible deal for the money right now and will be updated (have to be) soon, not just in terms of processor, but in all components. With Macs, there are great deals and not so great deals depending on timing. A buyer should want to get the most for his money.

I can't help but think that most of you are conflicted, at least subconsciously, because you have a newer machine. For those of us who are waiting to buy and are using older machines, nothing here (except the Mini and some iPod models) represent a good deal for the money.

And I expect that to change shortly.

Oh yeah, and it is important to note that the very worst time to buy a Mac is before a major overhaul (as opposed to a small bump). If the powerbooks are going to get a new processor, you can expect the value of all old powerbooks to drop a couple hundred that day (I would guess a good 20%). Same thing happened w/ powermacs when they updated to G5. A smart buyer who has no pressing needs should be able to use the information at his/her disposal (by reading macrumors and following this stuff for years) to make a great purchase.

[jbrjake]

Dear Apple:

Please refresh your PowerMacs.

Two thousand, eight hundred dollars are burning a hole in my pocket and I really want them to belong to you.

Thanks,
Jon.

PS: No need for dual cores or Cell co-processors or even PCI-E. I don't ask for much. But Bluetooth 2.0 and some more RAM would be kinda nifty :)

[zimtheinvader]

I think this sort of thing does not occur in regards to all computers, but only really in regards to Macs. For example, if I wanted a PC (still deciding) I would feel totally secure in buying an XPS2 laptop, despite the high cost and high-component quality similarities that could be made to Apples. Why? because the PC world isn't so rediculously tight-lipped, and I would be assured of having technology that was literally *just* innovated. (vs. the senescent G4.)
Also, they typically are highly predictable, put out preview models, and offer relative assurance that some manufactor will deliver the promised product by the deadline (except games of course! :rolleyes: )

Anyway, why I'm nervous to about replacing my G4 800 (to the point of being ready to go PC) is that I have been stuck with a piece of comparatively sub-par technology, namely a 256k L2 cache, for FAR too long. I mean, 512K is recommended for UNREAL, the original version. While PCs continue to advance linearly, Apple has wierd scemes like lowering or boosting the cache, fsb, ect. to purposefully cripple some NEWER machines simply to drive up the value of more costly ones...

On the other hand, if I had need of an ipod or mini, now would be a great time, and had I bought a month ago, my fears would have been validated. (In this sense, buying a PM= buying a minix1000!!)

[Mitthrawnuruodo]

There's a real simple solution:
* Get a Mac mini now, to replace the Sawtooth, and re-use screen, keyboard and mouse.
* Use this until the 980/G6/Cell/etc PowerMac you feel is good enough is inroduced (you'll know it when you see it).
* Replace the mini with a shiny new PowerMac.
* Do what you seem fit with the mini, maybe it can function as a media hub, or you can sell it, maybe give it to needy friends or relatives, make a lottery with it as main price or use it as a door stopper... endless possibilities... :)

[cubist]

Come on, almost nobody changes motherboards or CPUs in PCs anymore. It's just too time-consuming and difficult. How much is your time worth? Much quicker to just buy a new case & PS (cheap!), put the new mobo in it, move over anything worth moving over (not likely to be much of anything), and pass the old machine on to your kid sister. But that's not upgrading the PC, it's building a new one.

My sister has my old Sawtooth G4, too...

I'm hoping for a small speed-bump to the iBooks before I get one. As for the PowerMacs, this is an OK time to buy; I wouldn't expect a big upgrade. Another hint, you're likely to lose less value if you get the middle system rather than the low-end one. For example, the 1.8 single G5 will probably be discontinued when the next bump occurs, whereas a dual 2.0 will probably still be a current system. FTM, you might look around for a used dual 2.0.

[virividox]

if u think u need a new machine buy one!!!

[Mav451]

Hehe, you means websites like this?

http://freespace.virgin.net/m.warner/RoadmapQ205.htm

Yeah, the only real "waiting" for the PC-side is for the GPU lineups. If you bought a X800Pro just a few months ago, it woulda been a huge waste of money in comparison to the X800XL that was released in the next GPU refresh cycle.

X800Pro = $399 or so at launch.
X800XL = $299 (finally) and >> 16 pipelines (vs. 12 for the x800Pro).

CPU/Mobo releases? Its not as big a deal, unless its a completely new socket, and even then, the architecture hasn't changed significantly in the last 2 years.

[macOSX-tastic]

i bought my iPod 3G ***1 DAY*** before the 4G's came out. i was literally kicking myself. but i got over it, and i still love my 3G and really make sure it has it's mirror polished finish.

i bought my vaio FS after buying a powerbook, and then a mac mini.....i realised that if you wait for the latest and greatest, you will be waiting forever.....the big day will never come.....

i say bite the bullet and buy the thing!

tastic

[AmigoMac]

The worst day to buy a mac is when you don't need it ... period.
The best day is when you're serious enough to accept what you get for what you paid and enjoy...

[djbahdow01]

I just want to buy something that's going to last. If I can get something newer that will last longer, then that's what I want the most.

Hate to say it but you have a 400mHz Sawtooth which i bet still runs everything pretty well. Granted I have a TOL D2.5 G5 but at school we were using the Sawtooth till this semester and it was doing everything well. Even running at OS 9.2. And only 256 RAM and such. Your Sawtooth has lasted 5 years and I know my D2.5 will lasty at least 4 years with all the upgrades I can put in it. Anything that Apple makes will last a pretty long time. I waited for about a year till i ordered mine because I was watching macrumors and seeing they were going to update, "this week," or "this week" The D2.5 is a great machine and I know it still has the upgrade potential.

[madrobby]

Like it was said before, get it now if you really need it.

That said, if you can hold out a few more months, you'll likely get much more value for your money than now (with the current models around a very long time).

[tech4all]

Has the Macrumors buyers guide been threatened with legal action or something?

They used to have DON'T BUY - updates soon next to the powermac now it just says buy only if you need to buy.

David

Doubt it,

Disclaimer: This page is based on rumors and speculation and we provide no guarantee to its accuracy. We take no responsibility for purchase decisions made based on this information.

[vtprinz]

Has the Macrumors buyers guide been threatened with legal action or something?

They used to have DON'T BUY - updates soon next to the powermac now it just says buy only if you need to buy.

David

I think they changed it because no one has any clue when they'll be updated and how long it will be before they're available once they are updated. Since they're already 3 months behind the average update cycle with no viable rumors to suggest that will change, it didn't make a lot of sense to keep telling people updates were imminent and not to buy. For all we (and macrumors, for that matter) know, it could be june before the PMs see an update (but I really hope that doesn't happen, I've already been waiting for months!)

[Trout74]

Well I was waiting for the iMac to be updated, and today I cracked!

I went to the apple store nad bought a 1.42 Mini, and then stopped on the way home and bought 512Meg's of RAM and now I have officialy switched!

Just getting it all set up and migrating my addresses and then getting ready to migrate my photes and videos and files, should be an ardjuous task but im actually looking forward to it!

Going to pop in the 512Meg RAM tonight after i spend some time reading about it.

Go Get a Mac, I am sooo excited right now I can hardly contain myself!

trout

[zimtheinvader]

Yes, but the problem with only buying a new mac when you need it is that they last forever. My poor modded G4 is still plugging along for most school-related things just fine, probably will for another 2-6 years...so when does it become"too old" or out-dated enough to merit being replaced? When a hdd dies (happend,) when it stalls w/ safari (happens) when it freezes w/ daw apps...?
Here step in the theorists with the "buy it as soon as you have the cash!!"
Personally though I'd rather buy something more timeless like a guitar, books, car (relatively timeless... though a mac might well last as long... :p )

personally I vote the worst time to buy is after the quality/efficiency of one's work has already declined as a result of using an out-dated machine; truly slow/problematic computers are a serious waste of time!! That will be the day I finally decide to plunk down the cash, no matter what updates are rumored...

[adamjay]

its a great time to buy a mac. there will always be models in Apple's line that are approaching an update months away...
now is a great time to buy a powerbook, and i did. why? well, price cuts on 12"'s, ram increases, hd speed increases, scrolling trackpads, and i still don't think G5 PB's are going to happen any time before fall. Sonnet and Gigadesigns are able to push the G4 to 1.8ghz, so i'm sure apple will too in the powerbooks late this summer. G5 PB's probably wont show up till 2006, anything early will be a surprise to me.

and even though the iMac could use an update, its still an incredibly good deal. Refurbs are incredibly good deals too. 20" iMac for $1649???!! nows as good a time as any!

now last year when the iMac G4's were out of stock and there was no inkling of an iMac G5... and everything else was kinda old... now THAT was not the best time to buy. But today, you have alot of great choices. so bite the bullet and buy one, no matter what you get it will blow your sawtooth out of the water, and all you'd get if you waited till the next update is a 15% performance boost over current models - and thats a conservative guesstimate. So what are you waiting for?
at the worst you could get a mini to hold you over if you truley do want to wait to drop a large some of cash on a PowerMac.

[PhantomVI]

Yet another to chime in: Buy one when you need to.
I was running my 450 Sawtooth G4 until I hit a wall with Photoshop...Right around then the Dual 2.5 G5s were announced and I bit. Even if 3 Ghz G5s were announced tomorrow I wouldn't mind because right now I have the machine to do what I need it to do, and its a machine that will last me a good long while.

[sausages]

Shacklebolt, you're paranoid

you're complaining now about every product 'reaching the end of their life cycle'...but when there's a new generation of macs, you'll complain that you're waiting for 'rev b'

now is a good time to buy, because the current line up of macs have been refined so much!

the problem here more your mind set, rather than the product line up

just 'bite the bullet' and get a new machine.

[Chappers]

You obviously don't need the machine too much otherwise you would have bought one. I run a 17 inch iMac with salad bowl attachment, its 2.5 years old and I love it.
Sure a new G5 iMac would be great too but right now I don't need it.

We have loads of Macs at work and the G5's are great but do you need one.

I'm at work on an old G4 400 running macos9 - it won't play Halo but v.soon I'll upgrade it to Panther,it still won't play Halo , but it will have a better quality of life.

My new switcher pal is using a G3 iMac DV 400 with Panther - and always with a big smile on his face.

If it doesn't do what you want, get a new one.

[mac-er]

I honestly can't see any reason to make a major investment in an Apple right now. And I love my Mac; but I can't in good conscience spend 2000 dollars on a computer when all of them are dated.

Anyone else feel the same way?

I used to have this same feeling, but I realized I'll never have anything new. The second you buy a car, the model will be updated.

If you wait for 3 GHz, and but it....3.2Ghz will come out. So what is the point?

Bite the bullet, buy what you want..and enjoy it.

[GFLPraxis]

Is it just me, or is now, March 2005, the worst possible time to buy a macintosh computer of any configuration (save, perhaps, the mini)? I only mention this because I've had my G4 Sawtooth (oh yeah, it's pretty bad) for the past 5 years, and I keep telling myself that I'm going to wait until something great came out. When the G5s came out, I was going to wait for the 980 generation, but it's STILL not here. Anyway, as one who's computer is rapidly crapping out, I'm still so frustrated that I don't feel comfortible buying any Apple computer right now.

The Powermacs - it's been almost 2 years since the introduction of the G5, and, with no rumors of the 3ghz that Steve promised by the summer of 2004. The current configurations are 9 months old. The iBooks are at the end of their cycle. The eMacs are way, way past the end of their cycle. The powerbooks - this is the end of the line for the Al-Books as we know them. Everyone expects G5/Dual-core models by the WWDC, and, as frustrated as I am with Apple's update speed, I think they can make it by then. I don't want to drop 2 grand on a powerbook now. And the iMacs also are near update.

I honestly can't see any reason to make a major investment in an Apple right now. And I love my Mac; but I can't in good conscience spend 2000 dollars on a computer when all of them are dated.

Anyone else feel the same way?

Well, the iMac will probably be updated soon, and the eMac is disappearing from stores, so we'll probably be seeing updates there.

No PowerMacs till June, methinks.

And PowerBooks *just* got updated. So you can buy those.

[jefhatfield]

No. What exactly are you waiting for? People (like you) should buy when they can afford to, enjoy what they get, and not fret over what "could have been." Enjoy life, don't watch it pass you by. My 2 cents :)

definitely get what you want now

because the computer world, pc side and apple inc, will always have something around the corner a month, or six, from now and it's all just relative and it's not worth trying to torture oneself over if you just missed the next greatest thing

apple got stuck with 500 mhz g4s for 18 months a few years back and it could happen again with g5s being under the 3 ghz mark

[benbondu]

I wouldn't say this is the worst time to buy a Mac, though there is such a thing. My first Mac purchase actually wasn't a Mac at all. It was a Power Computing clone that I bought RIGHT before Apple bought them out. It was a decent machine but the timing of it all meant I got virtually no support for my $2000 computer. Apple wasn't taking tech support issues for the clones and Power Computing couldn't have cared less if they resolved anyone's problems. They also said right after the buyout that PCC customers would not be getting free upgrades to OS8, then after I bought the upgrade Apple sent out a letter saying they would in fact honor the free upgrades. That was a bad time to buy a clone. It was also a bad time to buy a Mac since they were all overpriced and inferior in most ways to the clones. The G3s also came out a couple months later. (Huge price/performance leap)

Buying a B&W G3 a week before the G4s were released was a bad time to buy a Mac. (I knew someone who did that - He still liked his G3 but the G4 was a supercomputer for goodness sake) I didn't think G4 to G5 was as big a step for some reason. Maybe it was the OS9 bootability that kept the G4s alive for a while. It also could have been that the G4 was the best desktop computer design Apple has ever made. The G5 kind of had to take a step backward in some respects to deal with the cooling issue.

I don't really think there's a bad time to buy a PowerBook. You generally don't need as much power with a notebook computer, so it doesn't hurt as much if a spiffier one comes out next week. The prices generally stay the same. Having said that though, I held out a month for the 12" PB rev. B to come out and I'm glad I did. Something about an even 1 GHz just made it much more sexy.

The iBooks aren't going to move from G4s for a long while. (Even if they did, see above paragraph for why that wouldn't matter)

The next PowerMacs probably won't be a great leap from the current 2.5 GHz. 2.5 GHz DP is a lot of computer as it is. It's also not like the 2.0's have become obsolite.

The iMac already has a G5. Can't improve too much on that.

The eMac I'd probably hold off on. An affordable G5 with built-in CRT would be a beautiful thing. The current Mac Mini is a better value than the eMac I think. You can usually get a monitor and keyboard for very cheap.

This is my longest post ever. Still working on upgrading my status.

[Lacero]

The only worst time is not buying as soon as you need it. Because you'll be keeping your mac for 3-4 years, and in that time, macs will get upgraded about 5-8 times, losing out on one upgrade cycle is not the cataclysmic event you have in your head. You might lose out on $100-$200 in upgrades but over the life of your Mac, it is of little consequence. The ideal time to buy a Mac is about a month after initial introduction.

[jayb2000]

I have a G3 iMac that is still pluggin along. Until tiger comes out, I am not buying.
I figure by then (summer?) there may be an iMac bump/rev B. Then I will buy.

Not too sure what yours is used for, but if you have held out this long, then save the $129 on the Tiger upgrade and buy your computer in 3-4 months.

Or, if you are desperate, get the $599 mini, then use it as a music/web/ftp server after you get a dual 3gig PowerMac :D

[zelmo]

I have to echo what many have already said - you'll make yourself crazy playing the waiting game. If you can be pretty sure there are upgrades right around the corner, and you can afford to wait a few weeks, then it makes sense to do so. Beyond that, you can easily get yourself to the point of not buying a computer for months waiting for the G5 PB, then waiting some more for rev B, and then the PowerMacs go dual core, and you just know they're working on a dual G5 PB, so why not wait for that? Meanwhile, 2 years go by and you still plug away on your Sawtooth.
I have an iMac G4 800 at home, and I'd love to upgrade to either a G5 iMac or a mini/23" Cinema Display combo, but I don't really need to. That iLamp does everything I need it to, and is still plenty quick enough for 95% of my computing needs. When it starts costing me time, I'll look in earnest to upgrade, and I won't torture myself with 2nd guessing for months on end before making a purchase.

buybuybuybuybuybuybuybuybuybuybuybuybuybuybuybuybuybuy :)

[FootFun]

My Advice: Buy a Mini to last you to the next Major upgrade.
Once you get your new fatty (Dual 3ghz G5 or whatever) Sell your mini or use it as a household media center.

[ddtlm]

zimtheinvader:

and I would be assured of having technology that was literally *just* innovated. (vs. the senescent G4.)
Ewww, bad use of "innovated", makes you sound like a manager or something. ;) Perhaps you meant "invented".

While PCs continue to advance linearly, Apple has wierd scemes like lowering or boosting the cache, fsb, ect. to purposefully cripple some NEWER machines simply to drive up the value of more costly ones...
Heh, don't you think "linear" is a bit generous? Anyway, manipulating FSB and cache sizes is a time-honoured method of marketing in the PC world too, witness Celerons and such. 90%+ the same thing as the high-end Pentium (or even Xeon) of their time, offered at a tiny fraction of the price. AMD offers all sorts of combinations of cache size, memory interface and clock speed in the Athlon and Athlon64 lines, and you can bet that 400mhz FSB Athlon didn't cost significantly more to make than the similar model with 333mhz FSB... but you'll pay more anyway. And consider what AMD does with the Opterons... the 1xx 2xx and 8xx series are identical except for deliberate crippling of the low end models. You probably pay twice the price to get one uncrippled.

So anyway, Apple has company.

cubist:

Come on, almost nobody changes motherboards or CPUs in PCs anymore. It's just too time-consuming and difficult.
Eh? If you think its difficult you haven't done it enough. I wish Apple made a new product line... ATX mobos! :)

[Mav451]

Eh? If you think its difficult you haven't done it enough. I wish Apple made a new product line... ATX mobos! :)

Haha I agree. You do it once, just ONCE, it is infinitely easier.

Scared of installing memory? Do it once (correctly obviously) and it is immensely less daunting the next time around. Installing a new PSU? Ah, now that's a whole other level for the novice.

Installing a CPU or mobo? Mobo installations inherently require a CPU installation as well, I can guarantee you the scariest part is ALWAYS the CPU installation. The IHS's on every chip, nowadays, has made this much simpler. Overheating protection/throttling (since '01 for P4's and '02 for AMD) has also kept bad CPU installations from destroying itself.

I have to say, building a PC these days has never been easier. Seriously.

[aranhamo]

Regardless of how easy it is to upgrade different components on your computer, most people never do. Both businesses and consumers typically buy whole systems to replace older machines. I think businesses probably do it this way because they want the warranty and support from Dell or whoever on their new machine. I know my company only buys whole systems for this reason. Consumers probably want the warranty, but they probably also are a lot like my mom who calls me up to ask which button she should click on for every window that pops on her screen.

I'm planning on buying an iMac, but I'm waiting for the next revision because it's been six months since the last change in the iMac so there probably will be an update any time now. I don't want to spend all that money on an iMac and then have a better, cheaper machine come out a week later. I'm not waiting for any specific feature though, like a 3GHz G5 or anything. Just whatever the iMac is after the next revision (which will hopefully come along soon). Meanwhile, my old Bondi Blue iMac is chugging along just fine.