Is this iMac worth it/a good entry into Macs?

If you are looking at used macs, this looks nice. If your budget is at the 1k range , apple is selling a new 21" mac, or also go on their refurb store or go on macmall.

VanHammersley said:

I've been looking for a jumping off point into getting a Mac (been on a PC forever), and found a system that "looks" like a good deal. I wanted to find out..

1. if this system was priced well,
2. is it worth buying an older system like this
3. Would an iMac like this work for my needs (below)?

I'm basically looking to use the Mac to do web design/dev (Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, etc), maybe some occasional simple video editing, and recording music/demos (mostly tracking drums/V-Drums using midi).

I was also looking at some Mac Mini's, but haven't dug too far into research yet...

Here's the iMac system...listed at $550

iMac "Core i3" 3.06 (mid-2010)

• Screen: 21.5-Inch
• HD: 1TB
• RAM: 4GB
• OS: Comes with disks (OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard)). Seller has Yosemite installed currently, but was going to wipe it and reinstall 10.6
• Condition: light scratches/dents on case. Screen in perfect condition. No dead spots/discoloration.
• Keyboard/Mouse: Not included

Any input / recommendations / information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks! Van

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Price seems a bit steep for an underpowered system.

The 1TB HDD is pretty slow as well, and 4GB isn't going to cut it these days.

I'd suggest a refurb iMac with at least a Fusion Drive.

yjchua95 said:

Price seems a bit steep for an underpowered system.

The 1TB HDD is pretty slow as well, and 4GB isn't going to cut it these days.

I'd suggest a refurb iMac with at least a Fusion Drive.

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This. A refurb late 2012 or late 2013 iMac with Fusion Drive or SSD would be a lot better performer.

VanHammersley said:

I've been looking for a jumping off point into getting a Mac (been on a PC forever), and found a system that "looks" like a good deal. I wanted to find out..

1. if this system was priced well,
2. is it worth buying an older system like this
3. Would an iMac like this work for my needs (below)?

I'm basically looking to use the Mac to do web design/dev (Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, etc), maybe some occasional simple video editing, and recording music/demos (mostly tracking drums/V-Drums using midi).

I was also looking at some Mac Mini's, but haven't dug too far into research yet...

Here's the iMac system...listed at $550

iMac "Core i3" 3.06 (mid-2010)

• Screen: 21.5-Inch
• HD: 1TB
• RAM: 4GB
• OS: Comes with disks (OS 10.6 (Snow Leopard)). Seller has Yosemite installed currently, but was going to wipe it and reinstall 10.6
• Condition: light scratches/dents on case. Screen in perfect condition. No dead spots/discoloration.
• Keyboard/Mouse: Not included

Any input / recommendations / information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks! Van

Click to expand...

That should be a pretty good system for the money, although I'd try to negotiate since it doesn't come with a keyboard and mouse and is on the more expensive end of the range many would suggest for that machine. It's older, but certainly can give you a few years of use - we actually shuffled some iMacs around at work and I just set up a lab of the Late-2009 21.5" iMacs for light media work and basic productivity. They have a 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo processor, so it's similar. If anything, I'd upgrade the RAM to at least 8 (although 4 is certainly usable, especially with a newer OS that supports memory compression). Other than that, these machines are pretty capable for their age and I don't think it would feel "painful" for your tasks.

If it were me, I'd save a bit more and try to get a 2011 version, as it adds a Thunderbolt port. This will give you some extra expansion options in the future, notably USB 3.

As others have said, the biggest lag would be your hard drive, but it is a desktop-sized drive in these machines and should run at 7200rpm (so it's not as bad as on the MacBooks). You could always replace the optical drive or hard drive with an SSD.

VanHammersley said:

Thanks all for the input. I haven't pulled the trigger yet, and am taking all your comments into consideration. I'm going to do a bit more research/see what else is out there...don't want to make a hasty purchase and then regret it.

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The i3 powered iMac was an especially stripped down model for the education market. I'd look around for an i5 or better if your budget allows.

OP:

The system you listed above is ok @ $550, but nothing special.
I would recommend OS 10.8.5 "Mountain Lion" for an OS -- more modern than 10.6 but without the HDD-related slowdowns you're likely to see with either 10.9 or 10.10.

You can use any keyboard or mouse that you wish -- in fact, as a near-30-year Mac user, I recommend that you DO NOT use either an Apple keyboard or pointing device. You are likely to discover that they are more "for show" than "for go".

BUT....
Some other considerations....

What's your budget?

You must realize that the Mac above doesn't have USB3, I'm not sure if it has thunderbolt, either (others will correct me if I'm wrong on the last point).

That means speeds will definitely be limited, insofar as connecting external drives is concerned.

You do have firewire800 available, but its speed has paled in comparison to USB3 and thunderbolt.

IF you can afford more, I would suggest that you "buy more" to begin with.
For graphics-intensive apps, I would think you'd want the 27" display. NOTHING can compare to all that screen real estate.

Again, how much are you willing to spend?
I would suggest at least the entry-level 27" iMac.
You can save by buying an Apple-refurbished model, which comes with the SAME 1-year warranty as you would get with a new one.

You can keep an eye on what's available in the Apple refurb market at refurbme.com.

chrfr said:

The i3 powered iMac was an especially stripped down model for the education market. I'd look around for an i5 or better if your budget allows.

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The early 2013 i3 was, but the mid 2010 was a low-end offer for consumers. That being said I would much rather have the 2013 i3 or better yet an i5.

Fishrrman said:

You must realize that the Mac above doesn't have USB3, I'm not sure if it has thunderbolt, either (others will correct me if I'm wrong on the last point).

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You are correct, none of the 2010s have Thunderbolt.

If you're on a budget and willing to open the computer and do some modifications I'd look into a used 2012 i7 Mac Mini. You can add in a SSD and your own RAM for very little cost.

If you could knock off $100-$150 that would be ideal. There are plenty of iMac 21.5 i5s (2011) that come up in my neck of woods quite often for $550. I'd suggest you just hang tight and keep looking.

I would like to second fathergII's recommendation above for a 2012 i7 Mac Mini.

Very nicely-equipped box at a decent price, if you are patient in finding one.

Actually, the 2014 Mini isn't all that bad, IF you get the mid-range model and add the fusion drive as an option. Its main drawback is that it doesn't have a 4-core CPU...

Photo

Which mac mini's are upgradeable? I want to buy my wife a new computer so she can do her photoshop/lightroom. Our budget is $1500. What system would you guys recommend for a photographer?

LaloG said:

Which mac mini's are upgradeable? I want to buy my wife a new computer so she can do her photoshop/lightroom. Our budget is $1500. What system would you guys recommend for a photographer?

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Considering a Retina iMac is out of your budget (a retina would definitely be the best choice for photography), a refurb late 2013 27".

Thanks!! I saw a 27" for $1500 at the refurbished apple store.

VanHammersley said:

As far as Mac Mini's go...would something like this be a worthy starting point?

Used Mac Mini "Core i5" 2.5 (Late 2012 - MD387LL/A)
- $611
- 500GB HD
- 4GB RAM
- User says it's "flawless", purchased brand new 5/28/2014

This fits my budget a bit better (like to stay under $650), and can easily up the RAM a bit.

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It's a worthy starting point, but you really should consider throwing in an SSD instead.

An SSD equipped system will boot up in around 12 seconds.

And see whether you can get your hands on a quad core i7 variant or not.

VanHammersley said:

I did see several i7s on eBay, but they are a bit out of my range (most in the 1K+ range). I'll definitely keep an eye out though/take all that into consideration.

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The quad core i7 Mac Mini is more capable than you think.

Some people even run server farms off these babies.

It's a good system for number crunching and running VMs.

LaloG wrote above:
[[ Our budget is $1500. What system would you guys recommend for a photographer? ]]

Get at least the midrange Mini -- much faster CPU (than entry model), 8gb of RAM, IRIS graphics.

I would definitely consider the fusion drive upgrade. Even the 1tb fusion option will use the PCI-e connector with a blade drive, which should yield read speeds over 700mbps.

Since your wife will be using PS/Lightroom, she might want to upgrade the RAM to 16gb. Apple -does- overcharge for the RAM, but if you think you'll need it, BUY it, because there's no option to upgrade "after the purchase".

I would recommend that you look at a vendor called "portableone.com". I bought my own Mini from them back in January of 2012. Good prices and good service.

This will bring you in "under budget", leaving $$$ left over for a display if you don't already have one.

I would recommend AGAINST buying Apple-branded keyboards or pointing devices, unless you have already used them and like them. "Third party" stuff works better, in my opinion....

VanHammersley said:

As far as Mac Mini's go...would something like this be a worthy starting point?

Used Mac Mini "Core i5" 2.5 (Late 2012 - MD387LL/A)
- $611
- 500GB HD
- 4GB RAM
- User says it's "flawless", purchased brand new 5/28/2014

This fits my budget a bit better (like to stay under $650), and can easily up the RAM a bit.

Click to expand...

It's high IMO. There probably is a lot of price gouging for 2012 Mac Minis now it seems. I would think $500 is more appropriate but I haven't been following the used market. I just purchased a refurb 2012 i7 from Apple a couple months ago for $589 and mine has a standard Apple warranty so I would think $611 for a used i5 is high.

The two biggest things you can do though are install an SSD and max out the RAM. You definitely dont want to cheap out on a old iMac like that when you could spend a little more on a Mini that will run circles around it.

Thanks for all your help. I'm going to see if a 2012 mini quad core refurb pops up on the apple store. Just to be clear, these are upgradeable? Is it easy to upgrade to an SSD and add more ram?

LaloG said:

Thanks for all your help. I'm going to see if a 2012 mini quad core refurb pops up on the apple store. Just to be clear, these are upgradeable? Is it easy to upgrade to an SSD and add more ram?

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The RAM is, the hard drive I'm not sure. Should be, considering that it uses standard SATA3 drives.