Bought 1st Mac (Mini), should I go iMac instead?

[Shabob2014]

Mac Mini ($1079CDN)(Hooked up to Dell Ultrasharp 24")
2.8GHz
8GB
256GB SSD PCIE

I've only had it 1 day but I'm feeling like maybe an iMac would be a better route?

iMac ($1599CDN)(Absolute max budget)
2.7GHz (But it's desktop class, so much faster)
8GB
256GB SSD SATA3 (Slower, but I think CPU more than makes up? Can't be THAT much slower?)


I'm thinking the Mini ($1079)
+ KB/Mouse ($150)
+ 21.5" IPS (~$200) =$1429

Only $170 difference between the Mini and the iMac. I'd be getting a Quad Core CPU that's significantly faster.

My uses are basic: iTunes, making invoices (MS Word), Dropbox, email, Safari etc


Thoughts? Comments? Do you think $170 is worth the jump? I've got 2 weeks to return the Mini.

Thanks all, and believe me I'm loving OS X so far!

 

[rkaufmann87]

Mac Mini ($1079CDN)(Hooked up to Dell Ultrasharp 24")
2.8GHz
8GB
256GB SSD PCIE

I've only had it 1 day but I'm feeling like maybe an iMac would be a better route?

iMac ($1599CDN)(Absolute max budget)
2.7GHz (But it's desktop class, so much faster)
8GB
256GB SSD SATA3 (Slower, but I think CPU more than makes up? Can't be THAT much slower?)


I'm thinking the Mini ($1079)
+ KB/Mouse ($150)
+ 21.5" IPS (~$200) =$1429

Only $170 difference between the Mini and the iMac. I'd be getting a Quad Core CPU that's significantly faster.

My uses are basic: iTunes, making invoices (MS Word), Dropbox, email, Safari etc


Thoughts? Comments? Do you think $170 is worth the jump? I've got 2 weeks to return the Mini.

Thanks all, and believe me I'm loving OS X so far!

For your needs either machine would be fine. The only plus I can see is if your care about how the machine looks, there is no doubt an iMac has got to be more esthetic than your MM setup.

 

[Roman2K~]

iMac ($1599CDN)(Absolute max budget)
2.7GHz (But it's desktop class, so much faster)
8GB
256GB SSD SATA3 (Slower, but I think CPU more than makes up? Can't be THAT much slower?)

The SSD in the iMac is a PCI-E blade as well, though only 2 lanes (max 700 MB/s), don't know about the Mac Mini.

I'd go with the iMac, you're getting well over $170 worth of additional hardware niceties (all-in-one cleanliness, superb quality throughout vs clunky plastic and cables).

 

[tonyunreal]

iMac will be better for the money, Mac mini will provide the portability and ability to switch displays. If you plan to use it as a desktop in the same place for years, iMac is definitely a good choice.

 

[lcseds]

I have a well spec'd 2012 mini on a Dell 2713 monitor. This monitor uses the same LCD as the iMac 27 (non retina of course). Yet, I keep staring at the iMac in the Apple store and marvel how much nicer it is. I think the glass contributes a lot to contrast. Not sure what it is, but I'm selling my $700 monitor and mini and making room for my retina iMac. I'm not going with separate pieces again until a retina thunderbolt display comes available and they do something significant with the mini.

 

[Shabob2014]

Thanks for the info so far. I'm still back and forth but had a few more questions.

Will the 4308U start to show it's age after 2-3 years more-so than the 4570R? Right now the machine is very quick for everything I do with it, but I'm keeping it for 3 years. I don't want it to turn into a snail after the next OS X release.

How glossy is the iMac screen? My Ultrasharp is matte which is VERY important to me. I won't be able to get to a store to see an iMac screen in detail until the weekend.