New to iMacs/Apple

[Angel634]

So I am looking to get a used/like new iMac..but I am not sure what to get as a model, my budge limited is $600-750..and I am waiting to use it for Adobe CS5/6 for the spaces and possibility movie creating also..please help me ? thanks

[cirus]

Originally Posted by Angel634

So I am looking to get a used/like new iMac..but I am not sure what to get as a model, my budge limited is $600-750..and I am waiting to use it for Adobe CS5/6 for the spaces and possibility movie creating also..please help me ? thanks

If you are going to be using adobe CS5/6 a lot and time is important to you (for more than casual use) I would recommend a pc. A $750 PC will run circles around any imac for $750.
Most $750 imacs are going to be core 2 duo, which will get killed in heavy applications by a i5 ivy with more RAM (more than twice the speed).

If you are set on a mac they try to get one with a core i3 instead of a core 2 duo (Here are some benchmarks [http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/143?vs=55] Notice that the i3 is quite a bit faster in the encoding (3ds max)). RAM is always needed (for CS5/6 at least 4 GB).

Other than that its pretty much be careful who you buy it from, etc.

[Angel634]

Originally Posted by cirus

If you are going to be using adobe CS5/6 a lot and time is important to you (for more than casual use) I would recommend a pc. A $750 PC will run circles around any imac for $750.
Most $750 imacs are going to be core 2 duo, which will get killed in heavy applications by a i5 ivy with more RAM (more than twice the speed).

If you are set on a mac they try to get one with a core i3 instead of a core 2 duo (Here are some benchmarks [http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/143?vs=55] Notice that the i3 is quite a bit faster in the encoding (3ds max)). RAM is always needed (for CS5/6 at least 4 GB).

Other than that its pretty much be careful who you buy it from, etc.

My classes are base on a iMac 24' and im using a core i3 laptop hp

bestbuy has a clearance 27inch thunderbolt that i am really thinking about but im really leaning toward the core i5 and buy it new:/?