24" iMac High Def and should I wait?

[ajo]

Hello

I am still thinking of getting a iMac, and have waited for ages, now that the 24" is out I am even more tempted. Also now that I have a video camera I have much more of a need than I did before.

Can you tell me weather the screens are HD.

Also any advice on waiting. I can probably wait if its really really worth it untill early next year, but as I have never had a mac anything would be a bonus.

Are Apple likely to add blue-ray or HD DVD in the future?

Thanks

ajo

 

[steve_hill4]

Apple are in the Blu-Ray camp and so are more likely to add this, (which tempts me, but I might wait and buy an external drive later).

Anyway, the 24" is 1920x1200, so will cope with anything HD. We finally got our display model out yesterday, today's my day off, tomorrow I put as many 1080p trailers on it as possible.

Since I am probably buying mine, (now more likely 24", previously 20"), around March, I say wait. Santa Rosa will hopefully come onto them as a minimum, (800MHz FSB and that should improve overall speed). Also, I would like a higher memory graphics card, 256MB, as standard on the 24" along with a bigger hard drive for the same prie. Everything else should be fine as is now.

 

[Scarlet Fever]

According to the buyers guide, the C2D iMac has been out for little over a month, with an average turnover of around 6 months. That means we can expect an update around February next year.

If you can wait till then, it may be well worth it. That said, the current iMacs are brilliant machines, and you won't be disappointed in them.

As for Blu-Ray/HD-DVD, they will offer them, but likely as a BTO part, purely because of their cost. The technologies are both a while off being perfected and made mainstream, so i wouldn't worry about it now.

 

[orangezorki]

New generation drives are always slightly less reliable, slower, take longer to be made in slot loading form, and cost much, much more than the current standard. The C2D has more than enough power to decode any HD-DVD or BluRay disc, so an external drive might be a good option, if slightly less elegant. I wouldn't let that put me off getting one now.

David

 

[combatcolin]

Ther are currently 3 main levels of HD.

The big 24" Apple display resolution is bigger than even the top tier of HD.

As for drives, external USB 2 HD DVD/Blu-Ray drives will be out within 6 months.

 

[steve_hill4]

According to the buyers guide, the C2D iMac has been out for little over a month, with an average turnover of around 6 months. That means we can expect an update around February next year.

If you can wait till then, it may be well worth it. That said, the current iMacs are brilliant machines, and you won't be disappointed in them.

Perfect answer in my opinion. You can always wait for something better, but if you need it now, buy it now, if you can wait until February, (assuming 6 months), you will probably find a speed/spec bump with Santa Rosa being utilised.

As a thought though, wonder how much a 1GB stick of 800MHz RAM will be at the time. Hopefully they will switch to a single stick in the 24" model then too. This will make it a little cheaper to upgrade to 2GB, maybe even adding another slot and/or letting all slots take 2GB sticks.

 

[Mac-Addict]

Ugh great I wanted my iMac at christmas but now im tempted to wait for santa rosa or w.e its called.. stupid codenames.

 

[Tourist]

Ugh great I wanted my iMac at christmas but now im tempted to wait for santa rosa or w.e its called.. stupid codenames.

Plus as an added bonus reward you can probably get Leopard to boot!

Gotta say, having a open public roadmap from Intel gives us so much more concrete info to speculate on compared to the "when are we getting a G5 powerbook" from the "old times" TM

 

[freakonguitar]

If you have a decent need for it now, don't wait. Make up your mind soon enough and you really won't regret it so much as if you were to buy it four months from now and a new models comes out next month. I mean for my MacPro i bought, i could have waited, but for what? For me the specs were already good enough and it isn't gonna update for at least another 6 months. You will be very pleased with the screen on the imac for sure, if only i could afford a 24" for my macpro. The increase in the santa rosa will make a small difference, the only thing i see that would make a real difference is if they were to finally scrap the laptop processors and stick in a conroe the same $500 price as the 2.16 (a 2.66ghz core 2 duo conroe which has a faster front side bus and is faster )

 

[toomuchstereo]

If you wait for Santa Rosa, then everyone will say wait for the next big thing, the 24" iMac is a great machine......now if Fed Ex would just get mine here.

 

[wchong]

i was going to wait, but i couldn't. that's why i got one today! 2.16GHz, 2GB ram, 7600 GT, 250 GB HDD, 24"

 

[Flyinace2000]

The screen is great for HD. I use my CabelVision HD box to record MPEG2 directly to my iMac. Playback looks great and i am tempted to cancel the HD DVR from the cable company.

 

[wrxsti86]

I am curious can anyone told me does it showing the gamut of the Adobe RGB

which I might shoot in photo processing

 

[ezekielrage_99]

If you are really needing Blu Ray just buy an external burner.

 

[vniow]

The only concern I have about current machines and future HD formats is HDCP. Its still up in the air what you'll need in order to play it on a TV much less a computer and I'm unsure if you'll get the full experience on a machine with limited upgradeability like the iMac.

 

[ValentinoMoonsi]

cool thanks scarlet fever
i have been stressing on what kind of computer i should buy
5 months is to long to wait for a new imac

 

[Skilargo]

According to the buyers guide, the C2D iMac has been out for little over a month, with an average turnover of around 6 months. That means we can expect an update around February next year.

If you can wait till then, it may be well worth it.

Rewording what toomuchstereo pointed out, in March/April (around when the next machines would be available), the EXACT same comment from above could be made (and every 6-month increment after that).

My only hesitance now is whether they will offer free Leopard upgrades with a purchase in the next couple months (they've done that in the past, haven't they?)

 

[ricgnzlzcr]

I don't think I would buy the first generation of any computer with a new next generation drive. If I were you I'd buy now and then whenever bluray/hd dvd finally become popular, I'd pick up an external drive. Then again, I struggle when it comes to waiting.

 

[Jasonbot]

Great, just great! I finally give up aiting for new macbooks and now you guys say Santa Rosa is goanna rock my world, fortunately I haven't bough anything yet... I'm wondering if it's really worth the wait. I guess if I keep wiating I'll be waiting for the rest of my life

 

[jsw]

My only hesitance now is whether they will offer free Leopard upgrades with a purchase in the next couple months (they've done that in the past, haven't they?)

They won't offer that except for system purchased after Leopard is available or within 10 days of its availability or some such.

As noted above, there will always be newer and better systems coming - that's what computer vendors do. The HD capabilities of the 24" iMac make it a compelling purchase now, IMHO.

 

[Skilargo]

They won't offer that except for system purchased after Leopard is available or within 10 days of its availability or some such.

As noted above, there will always be newer and better systems coming - that's what computer vendors do. The HD capabilities of the 24" iMac make it a compelling purchase now, IMHO.

Thanx...not worth a hundred bucks for me to wait 5 months...guess I'm buying now.