Considering my first Mac purchase

For the mini and 27" iMac, the ram is an easy DIY upgrade and is accessible. I'm not sure the upgrade is possible on the 21" iMac. If it is you would have to rip apart the machine which looks difficult from what I've read.

If you want a Mac with a graphics card, then you should get the iMac. The mini has the HD4000 integrated graphics, which intel says is capable of casual gaming. From what I've read from other forum members, that is probably a stretch, but I don't game or run high end visual media apps so it works great for my everyday usage.

I guess another difference is the mini uses laptop components. Not a huge deal, the mini has (2) 2.5" hard disk bays which you can upgrade yourself. I chose an SSD for mine. Also a spec'd out iMac can have a slightly faster processor, but I have found the mobile-based quad core i7 that comes in the mini to be great.

COrocket said:

For the mini and 27" iMac, the ram is an easy DIY upgrade and is accessible. I'm not sure the upgrade is possible on the 21" iMac. If it is you would have to rip apart the machine which looks difficult from what I've read.

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Unfortunately, the RAM is not replaceable at all on the latest 21.5” iMac

thehustleman said:

Always (well since they got Intel processors) thought Macs were the best type of pc over Windows, but suck with Windows due to the price.

Now I'm ready to make the switch, but what do I need to know?

My pc hasn't given me any trouble,I built it myself and it has 16gb of ram, quad core amd cpu, a decent video card for its time (I built it in January 2009) and still runs well, but I want the best.

I was looking at the pro mac, but that price point was too high.

Im now considering the iMac or Mac mini.

Would I be able to add ram if I buy a smaller installed amount like with my pc?


Any advantages to one or the other?

How do I run Windows on it for things I can't find on Mac?

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You can run windows either natively through bootcamp allowing you to dual boot windows/osx or through virtualisation using something like vmware fusion/parallels (or a free product like virtualbox).

Personally I would buy the fusion drive as the SSD will give a big speed increase over HD speeds while also giving you the storage capacity. Be aware that if you go for the 3TB fusion drive, due to issues with windows not being able to boot from a drive larger than 2.2TB you will have to wait for apple to provide a fix to install under bootcamp or follow one of the unofficial work arounds on these forums. (I am running windows 7 but it is installed on an external thunderbolt SSD drive that I boot from to do it).

Virtualisation products work on the 3TB fusion drive without problems but if you still want to game on windows 7/8 you will need to use bootcamp.

You should also go for the 27 i5/i7 with the 680mx card as it will give the most power and some future proofing. Also buy the standard minimum memory configuration (8GB) from apple and then buy memory from Crucial to add an extra 16 or replace the existing memory with 32gb. With the 27inch iMac you can add new memory by opening a flap on the back of the screen.

I would go the Mini route to be able to upgrade components and you can use your current monitor. Sell your current PC and use the proceeds to finance this purchase.

I was so hyped about the Mini but I decided against it because of the integrated video card. It's just not right. Even a GTM 650 would have been enough. Get the 27" iMac.

thehustleman said:

Oh why would anyone ever make a computer that you can't upgrade the ram in? That's stupid.

So I should target 27" iMac

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Because 90% of people that buy a computer never upgrade the RAM after the initial purchase. They are more likely to just upgrade the machine to a new model when the time comes. I have purchased 8 macs since I switched to the Mac over 10 years ago, and never upgraded the RAM after the initial purchase. My current Desktop in a first gen Mac Pro that still has the 4GB on RAM that I purchased at the same time I bought it in 2006. It is also worth pointing out the only thing that you can easy replace / upgrade in the iMac 27" is the memory.

Apple is very focused on what is does, it makes the best designed computers for its target market. People that like to tinker with the hardware is not part of its target market.

Yes I would go with the 27" iMac and go for one of the fusion drives, as it will make a dramatic difference to startup time and application load times.

Whatever you get include the Fusion drive. It's worth the money and will speed things up for you.

thehustleman said:

That's crazy.

But it costs you nothing to make it upgradeable, why purposely remove the feature?

Then want to change an arm and a leg for memory

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Because Apple wanted to make the 21" iMac as thin as possible, and to have user Upgradable RAM would have taken more space.

thehustleman said:

That's crazy.

But it costs you nothing to make it upgradeable, why purposely remove the feature?

Then want to change an arm and a leg for memory

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Get a desktop PC and be done with it.

mrsir2009 said:

Unfortunately, the RAM is not replaceable at all on the latest 21.5” iMac

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Your statement is completely false. Please stop spreading garbage info like this.

The memory CAN be replaced or upgraded. You have to open the case and some internal components to get to the memory, which is in SO-DIMM sockets on the back side of the main logic board. Apple classes this as "not user serviceable", but a number of users (on this forum and elsewhere) have done it.

This article from Apple
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5523
contains this quote:
"The memory DIMMs for iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012) computers are not user-accessible. Visit an Apple Retail Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider if you need to replace your iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2012) computer's DRAM."

Apple's recent iMac cases were closed by a combination of magnets and screws. The new cases are held together by double-sided adhesive tape -- NOT glue, and NOT welded as some commenters have incorrectly stated.

The tape can be removed and replaced as needed. Apple service people have some special tools and kits of replacement tape that's pre-cut and easy to apply. Other people have used makeshift tools like plastic guitar picks to open the taped joint.

The reality is that screws are ancient technology that have some serious drawbacks. Very small screws of the kind that would be needed to hold together these iMac cases aren't cheap (if they are of good quality), they are time-consuming to install and remove, and quite a few screws would be needed to securly hold these heavier, bonded-glass screen assemblies.

In contrast, modern adhesive tapes yield a stronger joint at a lower cost. The tape is inexpensive, can be pre-cut to the exact shapes needed, can be applied quickly in the factory or when a system is repaired, and is easy to remove IF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TOOL. It just happens that the right tool looks like a small rotary pizza cutter with a plastic blade, instead of a set of tiny screwdrivers.

Given that the vast majority of these systems are NEVER opened during their whole lifetime, I think Apple's engineers made a reasonable choice.

thehustleman said:

looks like i made my mind up

27" imac, 3.4ghz wish core intel i7, 8 gigs of ram (for starters, what's the max for this system?), 1tb fusion drive,

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32

thehustleman said:

Looks like I made my mind up

27" iMac, 3.4GHz wish core Intel i7, 8 gigs of ram (for starters, what's the max for this system?), 1tb fusion drive,

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Excellent choice. Enjoy!