Upgrade help sought - Combo or SuperDrive?

[Minderbinder]

Hello chaps

To paraphrase the Pet Shop Boys, I've been faced with a choice at a difficult age...

Do I buy a refurb iMac (17" screen, 800 MHz processor, SuperDrive) for £1200, or do I buy a brand new Combo (15" screen, 800 MHz processor, CD-RW, DVD-ROM) for £999?

The reason for my indecision is that I understand you can't get AppleCare on refurb product.

Any advice?

[ftaok]

Originally posted by Minderbinder
Hello chaps

To paraphrase the Pet Shop Boys, I've been faced with a choice at a difficult age...

Do I buy a refurb iMac (17" screen, 800 MHz processor, SuperDrive) for £1200, or do I buy a brand new Combo (15" screen, 800 MHz processor, CD-RW, DVD-ROM) for £999?

The reason for my indecision is that I understand you can't get AppleCare on refurb product.

Any advice? That's a no-brainer. Get the 17".

For only 1200 pounds more, you're getting:

1. bigger screen
2. GeForce4MX (instead of GeForce2MX)
3. SuperDrive (instead of Combo)

I don't know about the UK, but in the US, re-furb products are eligible for AppleCare (I think as long as it's an Apple re-furb).

[yzedf]

I have to agree.

17" all the way.

[gotohamish]

Originally posted by Minderbinder
Hello chaps

To paraphrase the Pet Shop Boys, I've been faced with a choice at a difficult age...

Do I buy a refurb iMac (17" screen, 800 MHz processor, SuperDrive) for £1200, or do I buy a brand new Combo (15" screen, 800 MHz processor, CD-RW, DVD-ROM) for £999?

The reason for my indecision is that I understand you can't get AppleCare on refurb product.

Any advice?

Yeah, go get the 17" - the screen is AWESOME compared to the 15".

I'm in the UK and am waiting for my Dual 1.42 at a fantastic £1,650. This is going to be a LONG "4-6 Weeks"!!!!!

[gotohamish]

Originally posted by gotohamish


Yeah, go get the 17" - the screen is AWESOME compared to the 15".

I'm in the UK and am waiting for my Dual 1.42 at a fantastic £1,650. This is going to be a LONG "4-6 Weeks"!!!!!

That's INCLUDING VAT as well! Sorry to boast, I'm excited!

[Minderbinder]

Thanks for the advice.

As a journalist, I'm wondering how much I'll actually need the more powerful graphics engine of the 17" model. I mainly work in MS Word, and although the 17" screen would be handy as it would enable me to have two documents open at one time, I'm not sure it's worth the extra outlay.

Thanks again for the advice you've given me so far.

[primalman]

Originally posted by Minderbinder
Hello chaps

To paraphrase the Pet Shop Boys, I've been faced with a choice at a difficult age...

Do I buy a refurb iMac (17" screen, 800 MHz processor, SuperDrive) for £1200, or do I buy a brand new Combo (15" screen, 800 MHz processor, CD-RW, DVD-ROM) for £999?

The reason for my indecision is that I understand you can't get AppleCare on refurb product.

Any advice?

You can get AppleCare [APP] on refurb products. Are you buying it from Apple? You can select the APP at the same time. I have bought one refurb product for work, and I bought the APP for it. Oh, and get the 17". Simply for the extra screen real estate. Check your Apple retailer or VAR for APP options.

[Minderbinder]

Primal

Thanks for the post. To answer your question, I'm not buying the machine direct from Apple - I'm buying it through an authorised reseller...

[altair]

You have to get the 17", if for no other reason than the screen. Who cares about whether you *will* need it, my brother has a 17" imac, the same model you are looking at, and every time I see it, I dread going back to the work of "square" screens. Urghh. I can't even look at a 15 inch screen without cringing.

However I have a Powerbook now, so I am back in the world of the widescreen.

Widescreens rule.


~altair

[primalman]

Originally posted by Minderbinder
Primal

Thanks for the post. To answer your question, I'm not buying the machine direct from Apple - I'm buying it through an authorised reseller...

I think that if you are buying from a VAR or other authorized reseller, you should be able to get the APP as long as it was Apple who did the refurb of the iMac. I would ask. You could also ask Apple. Call the AppleCare line as listed on the Apple support web page, or email them. I think you can do it. IMHO the APP is way worth it. Especially on things like laptops and the iMac, delicate moving parts.

[Bear]

Originally posted by Minderbinder
Hello chaps

To paraphrase the Pet Shop Boys, I've been faced with a choice at a difficult age...

Do I buy a refurb iMac (17" screen, 800 MHz processor, SuperDrive) for �1200, or do I buy a brand new Combo (15" screen, 800 MHz processor, CD-RW, DVD-ROM) for �999?

The reason for my indecision is that I understand you can't get AppleCare on refurb product.

Any advice?
You can definatly get Applecare on a refurb, if it was refurbished by Apple. If someone else refurbishes it, then they're responsible for whatever warrenty they might offer.

[rainman::|:|]

you may not need the higher processor now, but what about 4 years from now... hardware requirements really skyrocket... get the fastest processor you can afford, you'll be able to use it longer. god knows that little paperclip **** in office is just going to get more taxing on the processor...

:)

pnw

[benixau]

mate, i saw a 15" FP imac when they came out - way cool

saw a 1" FP imac when they came out - looked ugly on paper: brilliant in real life

then i went and used a 15" again. the 17" has a smaller pixel pitch - more pixels - more screen space - higher resolution - less ghosting.

get it if you can afford it. otherwise cry and save up.