Should I upgrade to new 27'' iMac?

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53x12 said:

Any thoughts? My current iMac does everything we can ask for. So it isn't like I need to upgrade.

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Then don't

bryanescuela said:

Then don't

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What he said.

Would you upgrade your car that is running perfect and in great shape?
I think of it like buying a new car every year or so... why if the old one is doing everything you need.

I'd hold off and wait for the next update after this one and ask the question "Is my current computer still doing everything I need?"

53x12 said:

I am trying to decide if I should upgrade to the new 27'' iMac that is coming out. I am currently on a late 2009 27'' iMac with the 2.8 GHz i7 with 8GB RAM and 2TB HDD. Everything on it is working flawlessly and we love the computer. Haven't had any issues with it. It is fast and does what we need it to do.

I was thinking of possibly selling it as the newly designed iMac is coming out. Our current iMac still has AppleCare for another 4 months so I figured I could sell it with that still being valid. While I won't recoup everything back, it should give a good start for providing much of the funds for a new 27'' iMac.

The big draw for me is the upgraded Nivida GPU coming from what I have now. That would be a big upgrade as well as the new i7 Ivy Bridge CPU. Everything else seems to be a wash except for a lighter design and changing from a 2TB drive to a 1TB drive.

Not sure how much I would get for my current iMac but if I upgrade the RAM to 16GB I was thinking maybe ~$1500-1600 depending what software I leave on it. After shipping and fees, that will probably leave me with ~$1450-1500. I get an educational discount, so I assume I could get the 27in i7 for ~$2100 + tax. So in all the difference would be $800. That doesn't seem bad at all, especially if I can get 2012 technology.


Any thoughts? My current iMac does everything we can ask for. So it isn't like I need to upgrade.

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I have the same i7 iMac with smaller hard drive. I'm upgrading cause I choose to upgrade.

53x12 said:

I am trying to decide if I should upgrade to the new 27'' iMac that is coming out. I am currently on a late 2009 27'' iMac with the 2.8 GHz i7 with 8GB RAM and 2TB HDD. Everything on it is working flawlessly and we love the computer. Haven't had any issues with it. It is fast and does what we need it to do.

I was thinking of possibly selling it as the newly designed iMac is coming out. Our current iMac still has AppleCare for another 4 months so I figured I could sell it with that still being valid. While I won't recoup everything back, it should give a good start for providing much of the funds for a new 27'' iMac.

The big draw for me is the upgraded Nivida GPU coming from what I have now. That would be a big upgrade as well as the new i7 Ivy Bridge CPU. Everything else seems to be a wash except for a lighter design and changing from a 2TB drive to a 1TB drive.

Not sure how much I would get for my current iMac but if I upgrade the RAM to 16GB I was thinking maybe ~$1500-1600 depending what software I leave on it. After shipping and fees, that will probably leave me with ~$1450-1500. I get an educational discount, so I assume I could get the 27in i7 for ~$2100 + tax. So in all the difference would be $800. That doesn't seem bad at all, especially if I can get 2012 technology.


Any thoughts? My current iMac does everything we can ask for. So it isn't like I need to upgrade.

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I'd spend the money on something else or hold out for round 2.

I have an iMac with similar configuration and AppleCare is ending soon too. Planning to sell it to get some money back and buy the new one. I usually change mine every 2-3 years so this is just in time for an upgrade.

Here's my advice..

- if you are financially capable (no debt, no other liabilities or people to support), and you will think about the new design everyday to the point that it affects how you function in your life, definitely upgrade.

- here's a formula to help you make the a financial decision:
[(New iMac price now) - (expected selling price at year n)] / n
[(Current old iMac selling price now) - (expected selling price at year n)] / n

What this is trying to do is planning for your expected holding period and forecast your cost per year. If the expected incremental cost of the owning the new iMac is palatable compare to keeping the old iMac, then go ahead and upgrade. If the incremental cost is something that may not be financially sound for you, hold off on the upgrade.



Other considerations:
- do you really need the upgrade? eg. do you do anything that's graphic or cpu intensive that you can benefit from the new machine? Or do you just do the basic stuff like surfing, music, movie etc?
- you got Applecare so you may be risk adverse... are you going to be okay when your machine go belly up after your warranty expired? (eg. you won't be selling for as much if your machine breaks down or the cost of repair may increase the cost to the point that you are not financially comfortable?)


Cheers!

53x12 said:

Not sure how much I would get for my current iMac but if I upgrade the RAM to 16GB I was thinking maybe ~$1500-1600 depending what software I leave on it.

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1500-1600 dollars for a three year old computer!?!? Wow! If you can get that for a computer that is basically out of applecare then go for it.

What type of software would you be leaving on the machine? And what happens if the computer need a fresh install of the OS? Would you reinstall those programs for the user?

I can't believe people would pay that much for a 3 year old machine when they can get a refurb from apple like this for $1650. You can also purchase 3 year applecare with this machine.

Refurbished iMac 27-inch 3.1GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
Eligible for OS X Mountain Lion Up-to-Date Program

Originally released May 2011
27-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display
4GB memory
1TB hard drive
AMD Radeon HD 6970M graphics with 1GB memory


I'd sell your machine and upgrade.

Why are you asking here for advice while you gave have the answer yourself?

Considering I bought my 2011 21.5" iMac with the same processor (different generation but same speed and model) for $1800 last year I highly doubt you could get $1500 for a 2009 model, even if it does have decent components. I would say you'd be more likely to get around $1000 tops unless you find a stupid buyer.

with that said, if you're iMac works perfectly fine I'd say keep it. Unless you're doing heavy graphic, video or audio work you won't find a big difference between it and a new one. If you're just using it for everyday browsing you have more than enough I'd say.

Ultimately it's your decision but I wouldn't say you really need the upgrade that bad.

I think you'll find that it will sell more in the $1,000 - $1,300 range. The extra ram is a plus, but on used computers doesn't add much to the overall price. The "used Apple premium" is not what it once was because there are more used models out there.

As another poster mentioned, if you're concerned about Applecare running out, then that may be a good reason to sell now and upgrade.

53x12 said:

I am trying to decide if I should upgrade to the new 27'' iMac that is coming out. I am currently on a late 2009 27'' iMac with the 2.8 GHz i7 with 8GB RAM and 2TB HDD. Everything on it is working flawlessly and we love the computer. Haven't had any issues with it. It is fast and does what we need it to do.

I was thinking of possibly selling it as the newly designed iMac is coming out. Our current iMac still has AppleCare for another 4 months so I figured I could sell it with that still being valid. While I won't recoup everything back, it should give a good start for providing much of the funds for a new 27'' iMac.

Any thoughts? My current iMac does everything we can ask for. So it isn't like I need to upgrade.

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There was a time when I would have said, keep your 2009 iMac and don't sweat the upgrade this cycle. Then we had to wait an extra ~8-11 months for the 2012 iMac (depending on how you want to count the typical refresh intervals). Patience was not a virtue this time. Jumping the gun and buying the 2011 iMac back in May of last year, when my 2009 unit was still reasonably current, would have been the smarter move, as it turns out. Never again.

Buy your 2012 iMac and resell the 2009 iMac as soon as you've transferred your stuff over. If you are ready for an upgrade for performance, don't wait unless it has been at least a year since the last refresh, and possibly don't wait even then unless it has been 18+ months. Don't get yourself stuck when you're on the cusp anyway.

Apple has telegraphed to us loud and clear that desktop upgrade cycles are slowing. Don't be like me, caught with an early 2009 iMac that wasn't-quite-enough to hold on until the end of the year... I had to retire it to light duty and buy a 2012 13" MBP to tide me over. Now I have to buy the 2012 iMac and resell the notebook. Extra hassle, extra step, and a loss of $99 for the extra MS Office 2011 key, since unlike iWork, you can't just have it on all your Macs through the MAS.

I'm buying right away because at this point there shouldn't be a single person left who expects a 2013 iMac to come out. We should look toward summer 2014 -- at the SOONEST -- for the first spec refresh to the redesigned 2012 iMac. This fits with CPU availability as well: Intel's Haswell is a power-consumption update mainly relevant to notebooks, so its successor would be the next desktop-pertinent CPU, and Apple is said to be considering ARM CPUs for Macs anyway, which would also push the refresh deeper into the future.

I'd be highly impressed to see it sell for that much. I mean, you could get a model that is two years newer, refurbished, and under warranty - all directly from the supplier for less!

I don't think Ram upgrades are really worth it; most people wouldn't use that much Ram and it's dirt cheap anyway - but then again, maybe most people aren't savvy enough to know that.

You should be looking at getting $1000-1200 for it, or else you will be disappointed.

AppleWarMachine said:

You should be looking at getting $1000-1200 for it, or else you will be disappointed.

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Agreed. I sold my 27 inch core I 7 2.8 1TB with 3 1/2 months apple care left and 8GB RAM for $1100 on Craigslist 3-4 weeks ago.

Easy sell. $1200 would be pushing it.

Since u have 2GB, you may get $1200-1300?

Remember eBay fees and shipping ain't cheap. So $1400 eBay selling may net you $1200-1250 after fees.

Don't get greedy. $100-150 in overall scheme of things for used almost 3 year old computer isn't much if you want to use funds to buy another iMac.

Two weeks ago....

I saw a machine like yours, albeit with no Apple Care and 4GB RAM going for $1700 in a city near to me.
But still, if the machine stills does the work for you, with no decrease in performance, why bother upgrading? Unless you need USB 3.0, or better Bluetooth, or Fusion drive or something like that.....

There are a lot of them in San Diego on Craigslist going for $1100-1500 bucks. Ebay looks a little more rewarding but then you have to pay fees and deal with shipping. I would say if you do ebay, just start the bid at $1 and see how high it goes for...

If you do Craigslist you don't have to deal with shipping and fees, but you'll get much less, depending on how many iMacs are available.

The bottom line people, don't be greedy. I had one guy trying to sell his iMac on Craigslist for $1700 bucks! It's the 2011 model, but you can get it refurb on Apple with a full 1 year warranty for $1400. I offered him $1500 because he had the RAM upgraded, and he refused my offer said "the ram is worth much more", so I just went with a Thunderbolt Display and a Mac Mini instead. LOL