Would it be a bad idea to buy a 27" IMac now?

At this point, I'd say go for it. We'll not see anything until intel releases the boradwell chipset late in 2014

There's always a chance there will be new tech out there soon. But is there really anything that's gonna make it impossible to do your work? as opposed to giving you a case of pointless feature envy? Unlikely.

You are using, however, software that benefits from hardware updates. And you are thinking of buying a computer well known to be impervious to processor, graphics, and other upgrades. If this really concerns you need to get a hackintosh or a MP. Cuz even if you bought a newly designed iMac it will, inevitably, fall behind performance wise.

And not only that, but get an SSD. It's the best speed upgrade for much of any user's everyday work. Sure, you can add an external later, but if you need an all-in-one that is truly in-one then get at least a hybrid drive.

Rob

maflynn said:

At this point, I'd say go for it. We'll not see anything until intel releases the boradwell chipset late in 2014

Click to expand...

Yeah I agree. We're not where we were 15 years ago when we would get a massive hardware update every 6 months. Things have calmed down a lot recently in repsect to computer hardware. Mobile devices on the other hand, well those get updated very 6 months with massive improvements.

I wouldn't dwell on it so much, pull the trigger and buy what you want/need and don't look back. That machine you've spec'ed out will suit you just fine for at least 3 years.

I'm in the same boat as you. Looking to upgrade and I've been waiting for the next refresh.

What I was hoping for:
a) SSD or fusion standard in iMacs, or at least cheaper as an option
b) GPU refresh
c) minor CPU bump
d) retina would be gravy, but I'm not expecting that until 2015

With the introduction of the low-cost iMac without a refresh on the rest of the lineup, I expect no changes to the iMac line for at least 2-3 months.

If there is a change in after 2-3 months, I no longer expect SSD or fusion standard since the new model doesn't have it. I don't really expect more affordable SSD or fusion options since the new model is in-line on those options with the other models.

So best case, I think we see a minor iMac refresh on the rest of the lineup toward the end of summer or fall with a minor CPU bump and maybe new 800m GPUs. Likely no change on the storage front and no retina.

That said, the difference between the current models and the possible minor refresh models will be minimal. If you need an iMac now, then go ahead and get one.

If you can comfortably wait until late winter/early spring 2015, then you will likely get Broadwell CPUs plus the possibility of other improvements (GPU, better/cheaper storage, maybe retina). But that's a long way off for someone that needs a machine now.