Its been about 3 weeks since I got my new iMac for my graphic design business. I purchased the 27" iMac with 3.4 GHz, Intel Core i5, 16 GB of ram (installed) and 1 TB SSD.
I wanted to share my insight for those who are still shopping.
I love it!!!!
First I have to say that the 27" is a perfect size for me. I love the extra space for my palettes when I design. The screen quality is perfect. No yellowing, or defects. The image looks beautiful, even though I have a retina on my iPad, I still love the quality of this resolution. Colors are great, everything looks sharp.
I went with the SSD not because I was worried about performance of the Fusion, I received a lot of encouraging feedback on the forum, but I know I was making a long term investment 5-6 years and I wanted the newest technology and wanted to leave the spinning drive. I also have a huge iPhoto collection and wanted to ensure that it would always be running on the SSD. It was a tough decision that I am happy with.
I noticed that the speaker quality was better than my previous mac (24" early 2008), I appreciated that!
The iMac of course is beautiful, set up was easy and Apple Care support was awesome, so thankful for them and all their assistance.
I chose not to use the migration assistance software, I read some concerning stories about it being difficult, so I used my external HD and manually brought over my iPhoto, iTunes, user files and then installed the applications. I consulted Apple Care for guidance every step of the way. Everything went smoother than I thought it would. Especially the iPhoto.
The only problem I had was with the FontExplorer software I purchased after setting up my new computer. It was very disappointing. It was not working with the Adobe software I was using (CS6). The customer support for this software is email only and they were taking a week to respond to simple emails. I eventually had to drop the software and switch to Suitcase Fusion 5 which worked like a charm on the first attempt. I wasted about 2 weeks of headaches over FontExplorer, I seriously regret that purchase.
I am using the WD My Passport 3.0 USB external hard drive (2 TB) for Time machine backup and have a second hard drive for backing up current files (just in case). I also back up online with Backblaze in case there is a fire or my equipment is stolen. (I know I am a little over the top with back ups, but I can sleep at night)
I love the wireless mouse, it is super cool and love scrolling on it. It has worked flawlessly so far. The keyboard is great too, so much so we bought a new wireless mouse and keyboard for the old computer for my husband to use.
Delivery was extra special. We placed the order online on a Friday and was expecting it to arrive the following Friday. But it arrived early on Tuesday! I was so surprised and excited!
Everything is running smooth and super fast. Ive been able to speed up my workflow and enjoy every second in front of my new iMac.
Happy 100%
Thanks to all of you who helped me in my decision through this forum.