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I'm ready for the switch, but...

Masters

Masters

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 1, 2008
25
0
California
Ok, I have to tell you all that I'm still a virgin so I'm looking forward to owning my first Mac.

Let me just start out by saying I'm sorry because this topic has probably been beaten down to death. So here's my situation:

I'm going to wait to see if there is a Macbook update in June/July because I need a laptop for school. But I need a computer like yesterday for my home since I sold my PC.

I'm sitting pretty on $1,500 and I want to get the most out of it. So I'm going to buy an iMac. Just pondering whether or should get the 24" Refurb or the 20" Refurb and with the savings buy myself some RAM.

I love the big screen, but is it really necessary? I mean 20" is pretty big too. I used to have a 17 inch CRT. What do you guys think?

On a side note, is one able to use the iMac as a monitor to play games. (ie plugging it to an XBox 360?)
 
First ... congrats on the decision to make the switch!

Refurbs offer great value as they come with the same 1 year warranty that new models come with. I'm not sure if you're also implying that you are interested in a portable as well. If so, get the 20" iMac and use the savings towards a MacBook.
 
Why not buy a Macbook? You want to wait but won't, so you'll get an iMac? Your logic doesn't make sense to me. Don't do the 'wait for the best' thing, everything is evenutally outdated.

As for the iMac go for 24". Its worth it.
 
There is a rumor for an iMac refresh soon. Not sure if this will drive refurb prices down, but will likely make them more readily available. You can use the screen for gaming if you buy eyetv, or something similar with the hookups. The 24" iMacs have better screens than the 20", but the difference lies mainly in brightness, and off center viewing angles.

If you're using your home computer to do color accurate creative content, you may want to go with the 24". Also, the 24" has a higher video aspect ratio. Going from a 17" to either will be a nice jump. You can also connect an external monitor with the appropriate cable.

I know you are interested in a refurb, but if I were you, I'd try to hold off until the iMacs are refreshed, and see if the newer version is more to your liking. The price difference may be worth it. Good luck on your decision. :)
 
I have a 20" and I think that is big enough. Enjoy it. I have had mine for almost a year and a half and just love it. My husband buys open box stuff from Circuit City all the time without any problems whatsoever.
 
My apologies, perhaps I didn't make myself clear.

I'm going all out. I want a Mac at home as a desktop and a Mac on the go for college. Since I have my doubts that the iMac will get a face lift this year I don't mind getting an iMac now.

As for the Macbook, I'm definitely buying one, but that it might be best to wait a bit until this summer to take advantage of an upgrade/back to school sale.

So my real question is in regards to the 20" iMac with 4GB of RAM or the 24" iMac as is stock. My budget can only do one or the other. :(
 
Get the stock RAM and buy the extra RAM from Crucial for 1/4 of the price and fit it yourself.
 
Masters said:
I'm sitting pretty on $1,500 and I want to get the most out of it. So I'm going to buy an iMac. Just pondering whether or should get the 24" Refurb or the 20" Refurb and with the savings buy myself some RAM.

I love the big screen, but is it really necessary? I mean 20" is pretty big too. I used to have a 17 inch CRT. What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

If you buy the 24" and decide you need more RAM, you could always upgrade it anytime. But if you buy the 20" and decide you need more screen space... heheh not much you can do there. ;)

Masters said:
On a side note, is one able to use the iMac as a monitor to play games. (ie plugging it to an XBox 360?)
Click to expand...

No, I don't believe that's possible. iMacs have no video-in, only video-out.
 
GimmeSlack12 said:
Why not buy a Macbook? You want to wait but won't, so you'll get an iMac? Your logic doesn't make sense to me. Don't do the 'wait for the best' thing, everything is evenutally outdated.

As for the iMac go for 24". Its worth it.
Click to expand...

I agree with this poster. If what you really want is a MB, and you need a computer then don't wait, get it now. Who knows whether they'll be updated again this summer or not? They were just updated recently, so it's a good time to buy.

If the iMac is what you really want, the go for the 24". Extra RAM for either is relatively cheap and can be gotten any time. Either way, good luck! ;) :D
 
One thing to consider is that the 20 inch iMacs have cheaper screens unable to show the full range of colors needed for quality photo editing or video color correction. Only the 24 inch iMacs have the better quality screens that are good for that type work.
 
I have the base 20" w/ 4GB RAM. I have had no issues with color, etc. Granted I don't do a ton of video editing, but have a lot of photos, etc. and they look great. The whole thing cost me $1350, new not refurb. If you can justify the extra $500 - $600 for the 24", and can afford it, go for it...
 
Masters,

I have a iMac 24" and a macbook pro...

First, if you think you'll want a bigger screen, I have to agree with others that you can't increase once you buy... the iMac is a WONDERFUL machine and I have had absolutely NO issues (except by my own doing).

Second, DEFINITELY buy your ram OUTSIDE of Apple. I upgraded my iMac to 4GB from 2GB for a very reasonable price (under 150 I think) (l http://www.newegg.com/. The same ram would cost over $300.

Finally, I also have to agree that if you need a macbook, buy it now... waiting until this summer... well, things are CONTSTANTLY being upgraded. I bought my macbook pro and 3 months later the new one came out. For me, the performance, the capabilities and hardware are enough and the difference between what MAY come out in the summer, honestly, isn't worth waiting for... but that's just me.

Either way, I made the switch a little over a year ago and have yet to have ANY issues. For example, in that time- I have NEVER had to reboot either computer nor has my son with his macbook.

Good luck man and let us know what you decide...!
 
I have had to break my old habit of shutting down my system each night. Since I've had the iMac I put it in sleep. I could do it with my old DELL, but it would still have memory issues, and run slow until I rebooted. That's not the issue with my Mac....
 
Masters said:
So my real question is in regards to the 20" iMac with 4GB of RAM or the 24" iMac as is stock. My budget can only do one or the other. :(
Click to expand...

I'm a switcher myself. If your experience is like mine, the only regret you will have about "teh switch" is not doing it sooner. Really, I ask myself all the time why I put up with my HP/XP crapbox for so long.

The _only_ reason to even _think_ about not getting the 24 is if you play games. Even with the upgraded video card any hope of playing a modern game is pretty much out the window unless you reduce resolution. So then you ended up paying for a larger screen that you don't really use (for that). Of course the catch-22 there is that the 20" has the right number of pixels to be "doable", but only comes with the low-end video card.

Other than that one issue, and it's likely not a major one because of the catch-22, I cannot recommend the large screen enough. You WILL use the space. If anything, you'll want even more.

Maury
 
Masters said:
My apologies, perhaps I didn't make myself clear.

I'm going all out. I want a Mac at home as a desktop and a Mac on the go for college. Since I have my doubts that the iMac will get a face lift this year I don't mind getting an iMac now.

As for the Macbook, I'm definitely buying one, but that it might be best to wait a bit until this summer to take advantage of an upgrade/back to school sale.

So my real question is in regards to the 20" iMac with 4GB of RAM or the 24" iMac as is stock. My budget can only do one or the other. :(
Click to expand...

If you're definitely getting a MacBook and also considering getting an iMac you have another alternative...

Get the MacBook, add on a 23" Apple Cinema Display, keyboard and mouse and now you have a complete "Desktop" system at home and portability for school.

I have multiple Apple "books" and my main one is a MBP using the setup I said above. While I work at home, I use it as a desktop system. Within one minute, I can disconnect it, throw it into my bag and become a "road warrior".

This is far cheaper than buying both a MacBook and an iMac.
 
nick9191 said:
Don't bother with the imac at the moment unless its a refurb, its seriously in need of updating.
Click to expand...

No, the iMac is due for an update not in serious need of one. It's 8 months old and hardly contains outdated hardware. When the pending update does come it will likely be nothing more than a speed bump with a Penryn processor, maybe different HD configuration and perhaps 2GB RAM by default. There won't be any major redesign in this next revision.

I love my 24" alumiMac and recommend it highly. ;)
 
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