Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Isn't the 20" iMac Just Too Big?

S

sigamy

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 7, 2003
1,403
194
NJ USA
I'd like to get a 20" G5 iMac but I just can't get over how big the thing is. I've played with the 20" and 17" and in this design the 17" iMac just looks right, the 20" looks strangely huge.

If I do unload my 17" G4 iMac I'd like to upgrade to a 20" screen, but I'm not sure if I like the 20" G5 iMac.

Can anyone convice me that the 20" looks good?
 
lol
I actually think the 17" are too small but I am using a 19" monitor right now. Plus I think the iMac screens are 16:9 aspect ratio whereas my 19" is a 4:3 so it kinda makes them look even smaller.
 
Actually i thought the same thing, then I saw one in person....those 20 inch models are just beautiful. I would recommend a 20 inch over a 17 inch any day..I have a 17 inch...but i wish that i had spent the extra $$$ to get the 20 inch.
 
The 17 inch to me looks like its disproportioned (if thats a word) for some reason the 20 inch looks perfect to me. Also the 20 inch gives you the 250 GB HD which is a plus.
 
Another Factor...

The 20" panel is significantly better than the 17", IMHO. I have the older 20" stand-alone display and it kicks the 17"s ass.
 
Thanks, guys. If I go forward with the upgrade I'm sure I'll get the 20".

ps--These are nice problems to have, eh?
 
The 20" and 17" are appropriatly sized... I think the 30" is pretty big though... :rolleyes:

Also, I would reccomend the 17" with a screen spanning hack or a 20" regular.
 
dotdotdot said:
The 20" and 17" are appropriatly sized... I think the 30" is pretty big though... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

30"???

Did I miss the release of the 30" iMac?
I knew I should have checked MR last tuesday.
 
sigamy said:
Thanks, guys. If I go forward with the upgrade I'm sure I'll get the 20".

ps--These are nice problems to have, eh?
Click to expand...

Dude! Talk about problems, when I first got my 20" stand-alone ACD, the internet was too small to fit my screen! No matter how big I made the browser window, its content wouldn't expand with it. Maybe others woulda guessed that, but I never had that "problem" before, so I wasn't aware!! O what a feeling!
 
Too big? I ordered a 20" last week and have never seen one in person. I never thought of the notion that it would be too big. This should be interesting anyway. The way I look at it is it can't look any worse than my PC tower and 17" CRT with a snake's nest of wires.
 
I've got used to the size of my 20" iMac G5, but it still draws a "wow" from somebody seeing it for the first time. Best of both worlds. :)
 
i found the 20" was a bit *too* big. i guess it depends on where you have it. i have it in my bedroom, so 20" is kinda imposing.

if you have it in an office or something, then 20 is cool. anywhere else and i think it'll just look too big..it's your choice!
 
The 20" is great. Back in the days and pricing of the 20" iMac G4 I would never have bought one. They were way to expensive. With the iMac G5, and now with the revB even more so, they are now great value. The 20" looks far more in proportion than the 17" IMO. Get one, you won't regret it.
 
I think there is a 23" iMac on the horizon to take advantage of HD. I think it would be destined to come out in the next rev or the one after to take advantage of Apple's shift to HD especially if they put a digital tuner finally into a Mac...
 
Traveling iMac?

crap freakboy said:
that sort of talk started WWII. :)
Click to expand...

First off, that's the best laugh I've had in ages. Thanks!

I have a 17". If you're planning on your iMac being a traveling companion, that's pretty much as big as you want to go. If it's going to stay in one spot, though, you should be OK with the 20".

The one and only area where I really regret not getting the 20" is with iMovie. For whatever reason, iMovie still has the 4:3 ratio for its minimum pixel requirements. In order to reach the vertical minimum (because we're widescreen and have less vertical room to play with), you have to go to the highest resolution - which is tough for us old fogies whose eye sight can't handle that. Then, of course, you have to deal with cleaning up your desktop icons when you switch back. :(
 
You get used to the size of the 20" pretty quickly. It's nice to have the space though.

I'm hoping the next time I update my iMac it comes with 23".

I've already replaced the smaller TV I had with my iMac. If they ever get to 55" I can replace both.
 
My math teacher, John Montroll, is an eminent origami designer. He was using a 17 inch G4 iMac. He bought a 17 inch iMac G5. I told him how I was considering buying a 20-inch iMac but he said, in his funny way of articulating things, that "the 17 inches fills up your scope. You don't need the 20-inches, its too much, unless you have a lot of money to spare". He works with vector stuff in Freehand to design his origami.

So if you're mainly working with big images, then it makes sense to get the 20-inches, but if its only a hobby, then, like he said, the 17 inch model really does fill up your scope.

Calih
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back