Imac Memory Question (and AppleCare Question)

[Mac2004]

I need help.....

I am buying a new Apple 20 inch Imac computer (2.6/320 hard drive) and I need to know if I should buy Best Buy's 2 year protection plan for $219 or AppleCare???

Also....

Do I get the standard 2 gigs of memory that already comes pre-installed on the Apple iMac or do I bump it up to 4 gigs of memory? All I use my computer for is internet, email, and IPhoto (lots of photos).

Please help ASAP....

[SnowLeopard2008]

You get 2GB of memory standard. Upgrade to 4GB if you want too, but for internet, email, and iPhoto, even a Mac Mini can do that nicely. I suggest AppleCare since their customer support is much better than Best Buys. With AppleCare, you can go into any retail location worldwide for repairs, replacements, etc. Best Buys cannot. AppleCare gives you a disc with tools to test your hardware and provide a deep analysis. And you can walk into any Apple Store for repairs, returns, replacements.

[Mac2004]

So what you are saying is 2 gigs of memory is very sufficient for general computer use and lots of photos and iPhoto?

[CalumC]

Originally Posted by Mac2004

So what you are saying is 2 gigs of memory is very sufficient for general computer use and lots of photos and iPhoto?

Very easily in fact, 2gb will bring photos up at a good speed, I doubt very much that if you did have the extra 2gb it would even be used by the mac. Youd have to be doing some serious multitasking with photoshop or something for that.

[Tomorrow]

2 Gb of RAM should be plenty for just about anything. You'll want to bump it up to 4 Gb if you plan on:

(1) Running multiple OS's at once via Fusion, Parallels, etc.
(2) Serious movie or music editing and mixing
(3) Running multiple memory-intensive apps at once
(4) Heavy-duty design software like AutoCAD, 3D Studio, etc.
(5) High-end 3D gaming

I've never seen a computer (Mac or PC) with 2 Gb of RAM get bogged down from email, web browsing, word processing, etc.