Brand new Apple/iMac customer, have a few questions...

[Jubei]

Hey guys, new to Apple and new to the forums. I've been watching the evolution of Macs for a while now, and with these new iMacs I think I'm finally ready to take the plunge. I've had a custom Windows PC for ten years and I've also been neck-deep in Microsoft products for ten years and I'm finally done with it.

My main reason for "the switch" is to finally get back into something creative. I have had a Roland Juno-G keyboard for about a year now and I want to start playing with recording and engineering music. I plan on just using GarageBand for a bit then move on to Apple Logic or Pro Tools eventually.

My other love is gaming. I still enjoy a good FPS and want to make sure my next machine can handle today's graphics and is also ready for games coming out in the next couple of years. I plan on using the dual boot feature in order to play games on Windows. I have a Steam account and do most of my gaming through that service.

So with all that in mind, I'm wondering which configuration would be best for me. To be honest, the quad core is definitely out of my price range, and I don't quite feel the need for a 27' screen while I'm sitting at a computer. I would love some suggestions from you guys. Thanks.

 

[ReggaeFire]

You'll want to spring for $1500 model with the 4670, from what I've read it's not the world's greatest video card, but much better than a 9400m. You won't be playing the latest greatest at full rez with 200fps or anything, but it will be playable.

I don't see the 3.33ghz processor really being worth an extra $200 on that model, so the standard 3.06 should be fine.

Go with the base RAM and add your own with aftermarket later if needed, it's an easy upgrade that will save you lots of money.

 

[JLandis]

I think which ever one you pick you will be happy. For gaming and graphics one of the 21.5" has the ATI graphics card. Might be a better choice. As far as screen size, the best thing to do is go to an Apple Store and get a feel for both. The 27" is sure a nice size it might be worth the extra $200. That would be my pick.

 

[Jubei]

One more question. Since I will be gaming in Windows, I'm wondering which way to go for installation. Should I use Boot Camp, VMWare, or Parallels? Do any of these have a significant advantage/disadvantage for the kind of processing power required?

 

[ReggaeFire]

Since you'll be gaming I you will need use Boot camp, once you have it installed with bootcamp you can have your virtualization software (Parallels/Fusion/Virtual Box) use the Boot camp installation.

As for picking between the three above, Virtual Box is free, but not as full featured. I think Parallels/Fusion are very comparable (whenever a new version comes out of one it's slightly better than its competitor, then the other puts out a new version which is just a bit better, etc.). It comes down which you find a deal for. Really they're pretty much the same at this point.

 

[Lycanthrope]

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