I can't wait but is the iMac too old to buy

[bas-macfan]

Hello everyone,

I know, I am not the first to ask this but I really do not know what to do. I want to buy an iMac, but the iMac in stores now seems outdated to me. C2D procesoor.... (yes I do mean the 21,5 inch of $1199.-, that is all I can afford. The topline iMac is great but sooooo expensive) and not to mention the stone age GPU. I mean.... a notebook GPU?????

But how long do I have to wait for the new iMac. I hope with i3/i5 and a much better GPU....... Maybe 22 inch??

Who can give me some hope.... an answer.... when is the new iMac on earth???

Cheers!

Bas
Holland

[miles01110]

But how long do I have to wait for the new iMac. I hope with i3/i5 and a much better GPU....... Maybe 22 inch??

Nobody knows. An update could be in the offings around now, though- it's past the average.

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

[Dont Hurt Me]

I wouldnt pluck down $1200 on a a machine with a old 9400m gpu, thats kind of a joke in this price range. Macbook has a better gpu in the 320m. might as well wait for the bump, its coming but who know when. These old GPU's are APPLE achilles heel. Patience and lets hope Apple hasnt forgotten its computer division while chasing pods and pads.

[bas-macfan]

I wouldnt pluck down $1200 on a a machine with a old 9400m gpu, thats kind of a joke in this price range. Macbook has a better gpu in the 320m. might as well wait for the bump, its coming but who know when. These old GPU's are APPLE achilles heel. Patience and lets hope Apple hasnt forgotten its computer division while chasing pods and pads.

So true.....:mad:

[tsmithgolf2000]

I am in the same boat, I want to buy a new machine and it's probably going to be a 27" imac. I am thinking the upgrades, when they come, will be with the 21" models and only minor tweaks for the 27". But, who knows....

[Bodhi395]

I'm also looking to buy the low-end iMac. How bad is the current processor?

I think the only processor heavy task I will do with it is editing and encoding video. Will the current generation be sufficient for that, or should I wait until an update, which might not come until the fall?

[epicwelshman]

I am in the exact same boat as you guys. I'm looking at the midrange 21.5" to replace my GenA BlackBook, but I am concerned about the Core2Duo processor, especially when the MBP's are using i5 and i7s.

I can wait a little while, but not too much longer...

[TMRaven]

I highly doubt apple will change the core2duo in its baseline iMac come time for an update. Since they like implementing the same changes through their whole lineup, they'll most likely just put a 320m in the base iMac and offer some price reduction, while maybe offering the 3.33ghz variant as default. A decent upgrade. Also, just because the high-end wolfdales in the low end iMacs is an older cpu architecture from intel, doesn't mean it's a bad cpu-- still extremely powerful.

If you wait until an iMac upgrade, chances are you can save up enough money for a higher end iMac that has a dedicated card. Higher end 21.5" iMac will probably offer a clarkdale chip with lower end dedicated gpu like mobility 5650/mobility 5750.

The current top-of-the-line 27" inch iMac offers only a notebook gpu, but just because it's a notebook gpu doesn't mean it's a good gpu.

[MattG]

I too am in the same boat, however I'm looking to purchase the high-end 21.5". I've got a 4(?) year-old 1.8ghz CoreDuo that I'm looking to pass down to my parents, so I can get them off of Windows for good. I just can't bring myself to buy something from the current line of 21.5" iMacs, and the 27" is simply too big and too expensive for my needs.

Ideally I'd like to see Apple give them a more up to date processor (Clarkdale), but at this point I think whatever they release next, I'm just going to scoop one up, even if it's just a faster Core2Duo processor. It just seems silly for me to buy one now when an update is likely inevitable in the next few months.

[nj-mac-user]

The current top-of-the-line 27" inch iMac offers only a notebook gpu, but just because it's a notebook gpu doesn't mean it's a good gpu.

I think you meant to say "just because it's a notebook gpu doesn't mean it's not a good gpu."

I can attest the 4850 is a very capable gpu. Still extremely good despite its age. And chances are the next imac update will also have a mobility gpu if not an underclocked desktop gpu. There are reasons for this.

[pilot1226]

Every time I see another "when's the new iMac" thread I want to /wrists.

As stated dozens of times on the forum, we don't know when the next update is coming. In terms of an average lifecycle, we could expect it anytime, as we're past the average.

The C2D chip is extremely old, if you "have" to buy because you can't wait, I would suggest the i5 core or the i7 core. The only thing that "arguably" makes people angry about the iMac is the graphics card, which turns 24 months old at the end of the month.

If you're a typical user that plays a game here and there, does some video or photo stuff, and uses their computer mostly for the internet, word processing/spreadsheets, and e-mail, then by all means the i5 will be fine for you for years to come.

[TMRaven]

I think you meant to say "just because it's a notebook gpu doesn't mean it's not a good gpu."



Yes. :)

[Yamcha]

I would wait, Apple should have updated the processors ages ago, I mean its a little over 4years old.. =/ but I guess thats Apple for you..

Better to wait for the newer iMacs.. the 9400M on the 21.5" is horrible :rolleyes:.. And the updates should be around the corner, its past the average update time..

[TMRaven]

My friend just recently talked to me, and he wants to replace his 3 year old dell laptop with the lowest end alienware laptop (costs 800usd?) that has an intel celeron processor with 1.3ghz clock speed, and up "upgradeable" core2duo clocked at around 1.6ghz. :D

But on the flip side, it sports a 335m.

[Bodhi395]

If you're a typical user that plays a game here and there, does some video or photo stuff, and uses their computer mostly for the internet, word processing/spreadsheets, and e-mail, then by all means the i5 will be fine for you for years to come.

How about the C2D processor if I'm that typical user, will it be all right for say 2 or 3 more years?

[nj-mac-user]

How about the C2D processor if I'm that typical user, will it be all right for say 2 or 3 more years?

You'd probably need to be more concerned with the gpu than the cpu with the low end imac. The 3.06 C2D is still very very good, but its the 9400M integrated gpu that will hinder you from accomplishing certain things such as some gaming and video editing. Save a little more and at least go for the high end 21.5 if you needed to since it at least has a decent dedicated gpu.

[jb609jb]

The previous poster asked is the Core Duo good enough for 2-3 more years. I plan on buying the 21.5 base model this week and I am looking for it too last me about 5 years. Is there a reason anyone outside of people who play games on their Mac's to feel like they are going to have a Mac that won't last?

[nj-mac-user]

It really really depends on exactly what you'd be using your computer for or might be using it for in the future to determine how long it will last you. For web browsing, word processors, listening to music, etc. even a pentium 4 would suffice your needs.

[TMRaven]

A high end core2duo will last you at least 3 more years, if not way more, for simple tasks like web browsing and multimedia asides video encoding, and provide great multitasking capabilities with them.

I remember I was using the iMacs at my university's new media lab for a web project (2.66ghz core2duos) and I had quite a bit or photoshop windows open, firefox windows open and dreamweaver windows open. I was beginning to fear the cpu would tank out, but it was still holding up great.

To be quite frank, I got this lynnfield iMac, and I havn't really encountered any need for the cpu itself. It's a nice thing to have and gives an extremely large amount of leeway, but the only thing where it shows use is in video encoding.
Sure things will be coded for more cores down the line, but that won't provide much benefit for the basic usage things anyways. If what Apple thinks is true, and everybody eventually migrates away from Flash for HTML5, then core2duos will see even greater lifetime. As it stands, Flash is probably the most stressful cpu thing when you're doing everyday tasks.

People are right, you should be more worried about a better gpu than cpu. Get a discrete gpu at minimum-- especially since the way things are going, people are moving more towards gpu for their computing tasks. Apple has always been more focused on their cpus than gpus (releasing their computers around new cpu releases instead of gpu releases exemplifies this-- lynnfield iMacs) A lot of other computer companies get away with really old cpus in their computers.

[Bodhi395]

It really really depends on exactly what you'd be using your computer for or might be using it for in the future to determine how long it will last you. For web browsing, word processors, listening to music, etc. even a pentium 4 would suffice your needs.

Besides intensive 3D games(like 1st person shooters), and professional level video editing, what would be some programs that the current low end iMac would not be suitable for either now or in the next 3 years?

[REM314]

The current iMac specs are pretty bad. You can get a much much better CPU and GPU in a PC these days for less money. Apple has lost my support for their desktops.

[pilot1226]

My personal experience and situation right now probably can sum it up for you...

I built my now defunct desktop in college in 2002. It had one of the brand new AMD Athlon64 chips featuring Socket 939 architecture. It was awesome when it came out and blew everyone else away. I managed to make a couple bucks doing it too, because word got around campus that I knew my way around a motherboard and before I knew it, a bunch of people were asking me to build them computers for a small fee :)

Fast forward to 2004. I bought my iBook G4 because I didn't want to lug the behemoth 1000 mi. each way to and from college for vacations (and I didn't trust the housekeeping/maintenance staff that would "visit" during extended vacations so I didn't want to leave it there).

At the time, the iBook was also awesome and blew away comparable laptops.

Fast forward again to the late 00's. Internet content had evolved so much in around (or less) than 5 years that I couldn't partake in it. While 5 years' worth of life on any type of high-technology equipment is admirable, I did get a bit disappointed because I was expecting a little bit more life out of it.

Same issue with the Desktop. Soon after I bought it, they changed to Socket 939 architecture and eventually AM2, and you then saw dual and quad cores launching. DDR2 and DDR3 appeared. PCIe popped up. SATA2 appeared. It just wasn't worth upgrading the desktop.

Even the Macs had a major fundamental change and moved to an Intel processor.

So, to summarize what I meant by all this:

Unless you have any idea what will be commonplace in terms of your internet browsing experience in 3 years from now, I would suggest you wait.

I am expecting to have more of a shift from traditional means (television, magazines, etc) into more of an internet push. Why watch the weather channel for 10 minutes to see your local forecast when you can crack a laptop or smartphone and get your information instantly?

Further, with the advent of HD a few years ago and how common 720p & 1080i are and how much they've come down in terms of cost, I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot more streaming content now for computers in HD.

Considering my graphics card in my iBook can barely load up the Facebook flash games, I would be weary about buying a lousy, old video card if you really want to get more than just a few "years" out of this thing.

[nj-mac-user]

The current iMac specs are pretty bad. You can get a much much better CPU and GPU in a PC these days for less money. Apple has lost my support for their desktops.

I know the concensus is that imacs are inferior to PC desktops in regards to price/performance, but you really can't view it that way. You need to compare imacs with other PC all-in-ones, which it dominates. The main benefit of the imac is its all-in-one body design, integrating a high end display with a computer into one sleek unit. There will be obvious spec sacrifices because of this (ie. use of mobility parts for a thinner form factor).

Sure you can get a bulky PC desktop with better specs and an expensive monitor to go with it as an alternative, but imac buyers go more after style and build quality not to mention Mac OS X ease of use.

[jb609jb]

So what I got from the last few posts are that base model iMacs are garbage? Does anyone have a counter argument? I have been waiting months and I was planning on buying after WWDC to see if they would refresh and now its time to buy. Is this a huge mistake?

[TMRaven]

Nah, the baseline iMacs are still very competent computers-- last upgrade was the first time apple used desktop grade cpus in their iMac lineup. But-- I would go so far as to say to not get the 9400m model, as it's integrated. However a 21 inch model with 4670 is very competent.


I'd also say iMacs are not falling behind comparable pcs in performance. The use of the lynnfields in the new 27 iMacs was a gigantic step forward. The mobility 4850 chip was also one of the top 3 fastest mobile chips apple could have put in the iMac at the time it was released. They will most definitely put another top 3 mobile chip or very good desktop chip in the next update.

If you go look around at other companies' sites, and look at their baseline tower pcs and laptops, you'll find garbage. A good chunk of them choose to just use the new i3s with only intel's integrated graphics in their baseline laptops. A good chunk of them are still using celerons in their baseline towers.

Sure you could argue that you could build your own custom pc for less and more performance, but that's always been the case-- not to mention that custom built pcs don't com loaded with a couple hundred dollar's worth of software like any other oem.

[GeorgeN111]

You are in the same position as me i was looking at the base model 21.5" for quite a long time but then i decided that i would wait for the update and get a base model 27" iMac i hope that by doing this i will get more for my money and also that it will last me longer without having to upgrade in just a few years. If i was you i would just get the base model iMac when the update is released this means you will get more for your money and yes it should last a little longer because i have heard many people say on this forum that the components in the base model iMac 21" are quite old and really need an update such as the nvidea graphics card.

[REM314]

I know the concensus is that imacs are inferior to PC desktops in regards to price/performance, but you really can't view it that way. You need to compare imacs with other PC all-in-ones, which it dominates. The main benefit of the imac is its all-in-one body design, integrating a high end display with a computer into one sleek unit. There will be obvious spec sacrifices because of this (ie. use of mobility parts for a thinner form factor).

Sure you can get a bulky PC desktop with better specs and an expensive monitor to go with it as an alternative, but imac buyers go more after style and build quality not to mention Mac OS X ease of use.

I do love everything about the iMac except the GPU and CPU.

Change those and I would buy one in an instance. The main reason I want to stay with Apple is because of OSX but the hardware comes first.

[nj-mac-user]

Besides intensive 3D games(like 1st person shooters), and professional level video editing, what would be some programs that the current low end iMac would not be suitable for either now or in the next 3 years?

I can't really think of anything simple the 9400M wouldn't be able to do today, but who knows if iLife in the future will demand more of the gpu which the 9400M will likely not fare well in.

[jerryobr]

@REM314: If HW is ultra important to you, why are you even on the iMac forum? For your evident needs, you need a high-end desktop...either a Xeon powered PC or a Xeon powered MacPro.

[Bodhi395]

I can't really think of anything simple the 9400M wouldn't be able to do today, but who knows if iLife in the future will demand more of the gpu which the 9400M will likely not fare well in.

I guess its a slight risk that having the lower end gpu will make certain programs run slow in the future.

Right now I'm using an original Macbook, which is only running at 2 GHZ and has fairly low end graphics, and it still works pretty well, even running iMovie, GarageBand, Flash websites, etc....

I probably should spend the extra $300 on the better graphics card, but it still seems like something that I won't take advantage of given how I use the computer.

[REM314]

@REM314: If HW is ultra important to you, why are you even on the iMac forum? For your evident needs, you need a high-end desktop...either a Xeon powered PC or a Xeon powered MacPro.

The stuff im asking for isn't that great. A 1gb vRAM video card and quad core processor shouldn't have to be a pro market. Theres also no real reason to overpay for a Mac Pro anymore, they're outdated for their price. I like OSX, thats why I want to stick with Apple. Sadly I have to go back to windows in order to appreciate current hardware.

Also, HW should be important. People shouldn't buy desktop computers because they look fancy.

[TMRaven]

Oh you'll no doubt get either a mobility 5850/5870 or desktop 5750 with 1 gig of gddr5 ram next update.

[Robert Grant]

I'm in the same situation but I'm waiting for the 27". I would definitely wait.

[nj-mac-user]

I'm in the same situation but I'm waiting for the 27". I would definitely wait.

If you're going for the 27" you at least have an option for an i7. If indeed you're going for an i7, you may be dissappointed in the small spec bump that will happen for the amount of time you may be waiting if you really needed it now.

[driver.joe]

I've had my first iMac three years now and want to upgrade. When are we going to see blu ray and touch screen on iMac? Apple has forgotten about everything but iPhone & iPad. Hope there give us something new soon!!! :confused:

[Yamcha]

I can't really think of anything simple the 9400M wouldn't be able to do today, but who knows if iLife in the future will demand more of the gpu which the 9400M will likely not fare well in.


9400M is more then enough for normal everyday tasks, but its horrible for even the occasional game, even with bootcamp you cannot play any of the games that were recently released.. Things that do work on it with native resolution just to name a few are games like Halo, Diablo 2, Age of Empires 3.. But even games like Doom 3 or Quake 4 cannot be run on native resolution =/ so long story short, Apple needs to have a dedicated gfx on the entry level imacs.. the 9400M 256MB(SHARED) is not sufficient..

And plus, as other users have noticed when you open a stack with lots of folders/apps it lags even on that =/ with the 9400M

[coolguyalex]

Looking to buy my first Mac and I can tell you I don't like this waiting game. I want the high-end 21.5" and have the money ready to go but I don't want to get burned like so many people on this forum have before. It would be nice to know something; we haven't heard any info on the iMac's for a long time. My will power is quickly diminishing..

[ee4life]

This probably isn't going to help those who are trying to wait, but BestBuy has 20% Bing cashback right now and I got $400 back on the i5 iMac. I wanted the i7 originally and then decided to wait for the revision, but this is a great price (too good for me to pass up). Even though it is currently backordered, I got the Bing cashback notification e-mail. Works on all Macs, so even if you wanted a MBP or Mac Mini to tide you over until the new iMacs come out, you could buy now and sell later, possibly with little or no loss because of the legendary Mac resale value.

[pilot1226]

Bing cashback?

[ee4life]

Bing cashback?

It's part of Microsoft's seemingly futile attempts to steal search market share away from Google. Keywords in your search string trigger advertising links when using Bing that give you cashback on purchases made on the advertiser's site. For example, I typed "dyson" into the Bing search box and on the right sidebar a link promoting 20% off valid purchases at BestBuy popped up. It prompts you to specify an e-mail address for your cashback account and then you are taken to the website to make your purchases. You buy the product at advertised price and then get your cashback within 60 days. Once your waiting period has elapsed you can simply transfer it to your bank account. It was between the iMac and a Canon 5d Mk II for me, but I have a more immediate need for the computer than the camera.

The program is ending soon, but any cashback earned between now and the ending date is good for a year I believe.

[MacMojo1]

Refurb 27 i5

http://store.apple.com/us/product/FB953LL/A?mco=MTU3ODQ4Mjg

[mattnotis]

The current iMac specs are pretty bad. You can get a much much better CPU and GPU in a PC these days for less money. Apple has lost my support for their desktops.

The thing is, Apple probably doesn't care. Every higher-up at the company is probably getting a new private jet once the new iPhone hits later this month. I'd venture to say, stationary computers (I.E.-Anything not a Pad, Pod, Phone or Book) are at the bottom of Apple's priority list when it comes to marketing and development.

[Robert Grant]

If you're going for the 27" you at least have an option for an i7. If indeed you're going for an i7, you may be dissappointed in the small spec bump that will happen for the amount of time you may be waiting if you really needed it now.

I cant wait a month - I want the Gpu update more than anything really.

[vixducis]

I'm in the market for the i7 imac, but don't know whether I should wait until the new imacs come out (and then maybe miss the back to school action). Don't whether this 'slightly' better graphics card would be worth the free ipod touch.

[harveypooka]

So what I got from the last few posts are that base model iMacs are garbage? Does anyone have a counter argument? I have been waiting months and I was planning on buying after WWDC to see if they would refresh and now its time to buy. Is this a huge mistake?

The low spec 27" from Apple was nippy fast for everything apart from games. I didn't run any benchmarks, but for some weird reason it felt faster than my C2D Quadcore PC. Windows would load faster and apps were most responsive, maybe the DDR3 I don't know.

Because most Macs are updated infrequently it pays to wait a little bit. If you need it, get it. If you can wait, wait!

[iCole]

If you are a gamer, you're not going to get much out of the basic 21inch.
I have the basic 21,5 imac and i find it to be very fast. Booting and shutting down is very speedy, hardly any beach balls, movies run great, surfing is perfect, ... it's fast in general but it sucks at gaming.

But it's the ideal all-in-one: its thin, it doesn't use that much power, its very quiet, it runs cool, it never freezes or crashes, is ideal for things like voip and videocalling due to the build in stuff, has relatively good speakers for an all in one, ... It's really a great computer but it's just not suited for gaming. But you won't regret buying one.

I upgraded from a 2007 aluminium 20 inch iMac (with snow leopard btw) and it still did it's job albeit a bit slower but still very well. Ofcourse that one sucked even harder when it came to gaming :-)

edit : just remember that everything becomes obsolete in the end. It all depends on what you want to do with it.

[pilot1226]

I didn't run any benchmarks, but for some weird reason it felt faster than my C2D Quadcore PC.


The i5/i7 chip runs more efficiently than the C2D chip. It's kind of when AMD transitioned from the AthlonXP chip to the Athlon64 chip. They can get more work done per cycle.

You can take a peek at Geekbench benchmarks and see some benchmarked performance differences.

[Dagless]

We're in a similar situation. My dads iMac (2006) is on its way out, the DVD drive stopped working a year ago and he's fed up using an external one. He's also using 2 external drives when one, big 1tb drive would cover all his needs. The display is starting to get darker too. Bit by bit it's falling apart but the current iMac is... well it's certainly not worth the money.

Just waiting on that 330M (at least) and hopefully a better CPU.

If it totally packs in he'd just get a Dell or a homebuild and wave bye to Apple.

[Bodhi395]

If you are a gamer, you're not going to get much out of the basic 21inch.
I have the basic 21,5 imac and i find it to be very fast. Booting and shutting down is very speedy, hardly any beach balls, movies run great, surfing is perfect, ... it's fast in general but it sucks at gaming.

But it's the ideal all-in-one: its thin, it doesn't use that much power, its very quiet, it runs cool, it never freezes or crashes, is ideal for things like voip and videocalling due to the build in stuff, has relatively good speakers for an all in one, ... It's really a great computer but it's just not suited for gaming. But you won't regret buying one.

I upgraded from a 2007 aluminium 20 inch iMac (with snow leopard btw) and it still did it's job albeit a bit slower but still very well. Ofcourse that one sucked even harder when it came to gaming :-)

edit : just remember that everything becomes obsolete in the end. It all depends on what you want to do with it.

How does it work for the iLife apps like iMovie and GarageBand, fast?

[badonenow9]

OK, first off, let me get this out of the way: I know there have been a hundred threads associated with "should I wait to buy an iMac" or not; please feel free to berate me as much as you desire but what I REALLY need is some help.

I purchased an iMac (21.5", 3.3 GHZ, 9400m, 500 GB) on Tuesday, 08Jun10, as a gift for my father's birthday on 18Jun10. I waited to see if Apple would update the iMac but due to time constraints (his birthday) I pulled the trigger.

I am no computer expert, I switched to Apple a couple of months ago (MBP 2.66 GHZ) and I LOVE it! I use my MBP for work, word, excel, surf the net, pay bills, download photos and video from camera, etc. very lite stuff.

My father will be using his new iMac for web surfing, paying bills, sending emails, downloading photos from camera, etc., again, very lite stuff. He does like to play ONE game, Total Annihilation, which came out in 1923 or something super old. Other than that ONE game he doesn't play ANY other game nor does he want to, no first person shooter, or demanding games at all. It makes him motion sick to play those types of games, so TA only.

I couldn't decide if I should get the second tier iMac with the upgraded graphics card or not. I don't know much about computers but after researching it a bit, I concluded that if you aren't going to be playing games on the iMac the upgrade was a waste of money.

Now I'm second guessing my decision. Apparently, the graphics card does more than just play games (again, please feel to berate, "look a the noob!", and things like that). Anywho, the question is, will this iMac be obsolete in a few years due to the processor, or graphics card, or transmission, change the oil every 3 thousand miles and all that stuff.

So, will the above mentioned machine suffice for a few years for what my father needs it for?

PS: Dumbing down your answers would be greatly appreciated.

[Bodhi395]

OK, first off, let me get this out of the way: I know there have been a hundred threads associated with "should I wait to buy an iMac" or not; please feel free to berate me as much as you desire but what I REALLY need is some help.

I purchased an iMac (21.5", 3.3 GHZ, 9400m, 500 GB) on Tuesday, 08Jun10, as a gift for my father's birthday on 18Jun10. I waited to see if Apple would update the iMac but due to time constraints (his birthday) I pulled the trigger.

I am no computer expert, I switched to Apple a couple of months ago (MBP 2.66 GHZ) and I LOVE it! I use my MBP for work, word, excel, surf the net, pay bills, download photos and video from camera, etc. very lite stuff.

My father will be using his new iMac for web surfing, paying bills, sending emails, downloading photos from camera, etc., again, very lite stuff. He does like to play ONE game, Total Annihilation, which came out in 1923 or something super old. Other than that ONE game he doesn't play ANY other game nor does he want to, no first person shooter, or demanding games at all. It makes him motion sick to play those types of games, so TA only.

I couldn't decide if I should get the second tier iMac with the upgraded graphics card or not. I don't know much about computers but after researching it a bit, I concluded that if you aren't going to be playing games on the iMac the upgrade was a waste of money.

Now I'm second guessing my decision. Apparently, the graphics card does more than just play games (again, please feel to berate, "look a the noob!", and things like that). Anywho, the question is, will this iMac be obsolete in a few years due to the processor, or graphics card, or transmission, change the oil every 3 thousand miles and all that stuff.

So, will the above mentioned machine suffice for a few years for what my father needs it for?

PS: Dumbing down your answers would be greatly appreciated.

The way I see how people are talking on this thread, the way your father uses the computer(web, email, bills, photos) there is absolutely no need for the higher end graphics card. I don't see any of those tasks needing a better processor or graphics card in the next 5 years.

Besides high level video, photo, music editing programs, and of course games, no one so far has really pointed out why someone would need a top of the line graphics card, or why the low end iMac would not let you do most things normal people use a computer for in the next few years.

[iCole]

How does it work for the iLife apps like iMovie and GarageBand, fast?

I don't use GarageBand but i have used iMovie on my 2007 iMac and it ran great. so it should run great as well on the 21,5. Don't forget that Apple really optimizes their software. I don't really have software that lags.

edit : oh yeah and you can add up to 16GB of ram

[TMRaven]

I can't be too sure of it, but I do know the newest iMovies feature real-time editing, and usually real-time editing is the work of a gpu.

[vixducis]

He does like to play ONE game, Total Annihilation, which came out in 1923 or something super old.

Holy **** man, total annihilation was THE game back in the days. Waisted a lot of hours on it... but back on topic: the base imac is what you need, no more no less

[Bodhi395]

Holy **** man, total annihilation was THE game back in the days. Waisted a lot of hours on it... but back on topic: the base imac is what you need, no more no less

Can you even run Total Annihilation on an Intel Mac with OS X?

[badonenow9]

ya know, I didn't think about it not playing on OSX.....

That Land and Air game seems kinda close (though nothing beats TA).... does anyone know if you can and how you would play Land and Air against someone else, i.e., player vs. player?

oh, and THANK YOU guys (girls?) for responding to my concerns over the new iMac being "old" before it even arrives!!!! :D

[vixducis]

Can you even run Total Annihilation on an Intel Mac with OS X?

You probably can run it in a virtual machine... or definitely in bootcamp.

[epicwelshman]

Alright, so after flipping back and forth, I pulled the trigger last night on a refurb 21.5", 3Gz, 4GB, ATI iMac, and I can't wait.

You can play the waiting game forever, and while it would be nice to have an i5 CPU, ******* it. I need a new Mac. My BlackBook can barely handle Aperture, which is what I NEED.

[henrikrox]

Enjoy it mate! :)

[RCGMac]

I just recently purchased the high-end iMac 21.5" and I love it. I bought it to purchase my quickly aging Macbook. My g/f plays Second Life on it and the 4650 GPU runs like a dream. On the MB with the old integrated GPU, Second Life lagged and the laptop with approach 80 C with the fans roaring. The iMac is the quietest computer I have ever used. Sure the CPU could be better, but for me the high-end iMac 21.5" is the best computer I have ever used.

[henrikrox]

And that's exactly how people should think. It only matters what YOU think of it, not a random forum member, or your neigboor or whoever.

If your happy with it, then you should be happy and give a F about whatever thinks of your purchase :)

[nickk2]

I'd get the entry level macbook pro instead.

Otherwise, put your $1200 aside and save up some money. By the time you have the $2000 needed for the high level iMac, a new model could be available :).