I know similar topics getting beaten down like a dead horse, but I've been debating for about a month and I NEEDED advice.
My PC is basically dead from the TDSS virus and I'm using it as an excuse to switch over to Mac. Here are my needs and here are the options I've been looking at. Of course budget is a concern, so I'm trying not to go crazy.
I do plan on doing some video editing and graphics work (FCP, Premiere, After Effects and maybe Flash). None of this would be too system-intensive, nor would it be a full-time post-production machine, but I do need reliable performance and, to a degree, some element of "future proofing" so my computer doesn't become irrelevant in 2 years. I am not a gamer, but aside from the part-time editing and graphics, I'd be using it for typical word processing, movie watching, and internet surfing. I want my computer to last a good 4-6 years.
I'm considering refurbished:
-21.5" Core 2 Duo iMac with a 4GB RAM, 1TB HD, ATI Radeon HD 4670 w/ 256ram ($1299)
-27" i5 quad-core, 4GB RAM, 1TB HD, ATI Radeon 4850 w/ 512ram ($1699)
I'm not sure if I should wait for the new iMac line (though I hear it could either be touchscreen or i5/i7 chipsets), or would Core 2 Duo hold its own for 4-6 years, even with it kind of being phased out?
What are everyone's thoughts? At some point, I would likely try to upgrade to 8GB of RAM, but just want to get acclimated to system first.
Thanks so much to everyone responding. Sorry for the long post.
My PC is basically dead from the TDSS virus and I'm using it as an excuse to switch over to Mac. Here are my needs and here are the options I've been looking at. Of course budget is a concern, so I'm trying not to go crazy.
I do plan on doing some video editing and graphics work (FCP, Premiere, After Effects and maybe Flash). None of this would be too system-intensive, nor would it be a full-time post-production machine, but I do need reliable performance and, to a degree, some element of "future proofing" so my computer doesn't become irrelevant in 2 years. I am not a gamer, but aside from the part-time editing and graphics, I'd be using it for typical word processing, movie watching, and internet surfing. I want my computer to last a good 4-6 years.
I'm considering refurbished:
-21.5" Core 2 Duo iMac with a 4GB RAM, 1TB HD, ATI Radeon HD 4670 w/ 256ram ($1299)
-27" i5 quad-core, 4GB RAM, 1TB HD, ATI Radeon 4850 w/ 512ram ($1699)
I'm not sure if I should wait for the new iMac line (though I hear it could either be touchscreen or i5/i7 chipsets), or would Core 2 Duo hold its own for 4-6 years, even with it kind of being phased out?
What are everyone's thoughts? At some point, I would likely try to upgrade to 8GB of RAM, but just want to get acclimated to system first.
Thanks so much to everyone responding. Sorry for the long post.
