21.5 or 27 inch iMac?

Serban said:

no, i just ask some people who already get their 27"2013 imacs and no problems found on any of the 8 pieces

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As far as I know, 27'' LG IPS Monitor remains the same. Do you think QC in China became more "serious"? I hope so....

Let's see after a couple of months when the sample of "new" 27'' iMacs becomes larger (Also, keep in mind, many customers don't report actual monitor problems because in the beginning, they are mostly astonished by iMac capabilities).

PS: As I said, "replacing iMacs under warranty" is not a "happy game"...an expensive computer with high technology components shouldn't have problems with the monitor quality.

maflynn said:

You could, though I think the GPU in the iMac is superior, and the fact that the iMac has now been refreshed with the Haswell chipset is another advantage. I see the logic though behind this option and I too am considering this.

I currently have an Mini and its a great computer but there's something to be said about getting the iMac

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I think the "something" is that it looks freaking awesome! In all seriousness, the reason that I'm lurking on this thread is that I currently have a 2011 13" MBP, which I occasionally hook up to a 21.5" Dell IPS monitor. For me, this is just "not quite right", and I've toyed with the idea of getting a Mac Mini for the spare room, to be permanently hooked up to the monitor. This is especially attractive given that I only purchased the monitor 12 months ago, and it's not really worth much resale wise.

The above all seems sensible (I even have the magic mouse and wireless keyboard, so I'm all set), until I see the 21.5" iMac and imagine it on my desk. Then I get a little bit excited inside!

Saying that, the Mini seems to hold it's value, so I'm tempted to get a Mini on the Haswell refresh, then sell it in a year or so, and get an iMac on the next refresh, once the monitor has had a bit of a chance to depreciate. Might even decide to keep the Mini actually, as they're such versatile machines.

ioannis2005gr said:

As far as I know, 27'' LG IPS Monitor remains the same. Do you think QC in China became more "serious"? I hope so....

Let's see after a couple of months when the sample of "new" 27'' iMacs becomes larger (Also, keep in mind, many customers don't report actual monitor problems because in the beginning, they are mostly astonished by iMac capabilities).

PS: As I said, "replacing iMacs under warranty" is not a "happy game"...an expensive computer with high technology components shouldn't have problems with the monitor quality.

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For my iMac the QA is made in Ireland so i hope there will be no problems

Serban said:

The 27" is a better and more future proof computer.

the cpu is better (2.7 vs 3.2) the ram is better because you can add more when you have money/or you need to, the dGPU is better Iris Pro vs 755M, and the HDD is better 5400rpm vs 7200rpm, and more space on your desktop. Yes it is big for the first day or week but after that you will think that you made the right call.

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That's because Apple have taken a backwards step with the 21.5" iMac since the mid-2011 models. Mine is a 21.5" model with upgradable RAM, discrete graphics and a 7200rpm drive. It still flies and to date I've never managed to make the CPU break sweat. My only regret was not getting the larger HDD.

This latest iteration is only a minor upgrade bump. I think the reason being that there's not currently much on the market tech wise which Apple can add to the iMac that takes it much further, hence we just have this slight evolution of the brand.

The 27" inch I originally purchased was still to big after 14 days and was never going to be the right choice for me. Not everyone wants or needs such a large in your face screen. If you had given me such advice I would have been unhappy to this day.

boombox15 said:

To be clear, I don't want this to be my home theater. I just want the best iMac that is best for my needs. The late 2012 21.5 inch iMac that I have now is great, but I just can't decide if I need something larger.

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You could always do what I did i.e. purchase one online and if it's not for you then return it after giving it a try out. I swopped mine for the 21.5" model.

Serban said:

For my iMac the QA is made in Ireland so i hope there will be no problems

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Where has it been assembled? In Ireland? LG panel is checked and accepted before the assembly. This happens in China (as far as I know). I am not sure what happens in Ireland (do they bless them in Ireland before they sell them? I really don't know...). I wish the best for your iMac.

typo (sorry)

Go for the 27. You'll enjoy and appreciate the extra space a lot more than a processor bump or some additional storage space.

SteveAbootman said:

Go for the 27. You'll enjoy and appreciate the extra space a lot more than a processor bump or some additional storage space.

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Space is correct, though often empty rather than extra.

boombox15 said:

To be clear, I don't want this to be my home theater. I just want the best iMac that is best for my needs. The late 2012 21.5 inch iMac that I have now is great, but I just can't decide if I need something larger.

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so let me get this right you want from late 2012 21.5" imac to buy 2013 21.5 imac??

why??

Lankyman said:

Space is correct, though often empty rather than extra.

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Unless you do photo/design work. There isn't an unused pixel on the screen. I can't wait for the extra space I'll get over my current 24"

I'd thoroughly recommend the 27". Personally, I find the 21.5" screen very pixelated, even though it's 1080p.

The extra screen real-estate also helps when multi-tasking.

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boombox15 said:

I have a question reguarding the fusion drive though, If I have like 850 photos to store, where are they stored?

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If you access some photos frequently, they will be stored on the SSD. If you don't, they go onto the HDD (this is the most likely eventuality.) Don't worry - the kernel-level software will sort out where your pictures are placed - and very efficiently.

I think the 27" is a much more appealing machine for prosumers and professionals, and also to gamers and perhaps HTPC enthusiasts, which is why you get so many people on this forum cheering for the 27". I bolded the word forum because we shouldn't forget that this is a place for many creatives and techies to gather and discuss, so it's natural to see so many recommendations for the larger screen.

However, for the everyday consumer that doesn't do more than just hobbyist photo or video editing? 21.5" should be plenty enough space and screen estate, especially at standard 1080p. For casual computing, you really can't go wrong with the 21.5", particularly the base model with its surprisingly well performing Iris Pro IGPU. I was just reading up on Anandtech's review and I'm very impressed with what Intel's done so far. No one should be afraid of integrated graphics after this. 2009 is no more. This really is next generation stuff.

But whatever iMac you get, lets not kid ourselves. Don't get a stock model, please. Pony up the $200 for an SSD upgrade (or Fusion drive) at the very least. Everything else is just secondary. It's the single greatest upgrade you can give yourself, on any model, and on any Mac. Period.

For me 27" is too big, I bought the new 21.5" with 256SSD and am very happy. And if 27" is possibly too big for you as well the better general specs wouldn't really help you. You may really be better off with a 21.5" and FD or SSD, especially as you say it wouldn't be in your 27" budget.

Oh, and I have no screen or fan or whatever issues on my new Mac.

ioannis2005gr said:

I'm only worrying about the bad quality control in China. Many 27'' iMacs were found to have defective LG monitor. Many customers in this site have complained and reported similar issues. I won't buy 27'' iMac because of those issues. I don't want to be another one "number" in their "statistics".....

what about you?

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What issues related to 27 iMac are you talking about?

ioannis2005gr said:

Where has it been assembled? In Ireland? LG panel is checked and accepted before the assembly. This happens in China (as far as I know). I am not sure what happens in Ireland (do they bless them in Ireland before they sell them? I really don't know...). I wish the best for your iMac.

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The LG panel come from China yes but in Ireland they are ansambled and test it.
like the macbook they never come with 0 cycles because they are tested before send to the customer. Even the cars are coming from the factory with around 10km

Serban said:

The LG panel come from China yes but in Ireland they are ansambled and test it.
like the macbook they never come with 0 cycles because they are tested before send to the customer. Even the cars are coming from the factory with around 10km

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I hope so!

Irish Priests must be very busy there blessing fresh assembled iMacs...

(I hope they "run" some miles around Holly Hill Estate checking all the details i.e. monitor quality, before they seal it in the box and export it to the US).

ventuss said:

What issues related to 27 iMac are you talking about?

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read this link:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1509571/


there are many others...

boombox15 said:

Well, just ordred the base $1299 21.5 inch iMac. I really think that the 27 inch screen would have been far too big. So I am glad with my choice. Also picked up an Airport Extreme for 802.11ac Wi-Fi!

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Nice choice, but no SSD upgrade?!

Sad face