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Buy now or wait?

James Godfrey

James Godfrey

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Oct 13, 2011
2,074
1,713
Hi all,

I am just wondering what your opinions are on waiting for the generation of iMac to purchase?

I want to get the 21.5 inch low end model at the moment, but there are rumours flying about suggesting TV integration, siri voice commands, touch screens etc...

What are the odds that Apple will do a complete refresh of the iMac?

I am not so bothered about spec upgrades etc.... I am more interested in new features....

Is it worth me waiting or buying now?

Thanks

James
 
If such upgrade happens (TV and Siri integration), although Apple seems to build a dedicated TV, it will not be before May 2012.

It is up to you to wait. Or you could just buy it now, and then sell your iMac for a small loss and buy the newer version.
 
If you need it now, go for it. If you can wait, just wait. A refresh is due fairly soon according to some rumors and to Apple's cycles.
 
ericrwalker said:
Since the world is going to end in 2012, I am buying everything I can as soon as I can. No telling what tomorrow will bring.
Click to expand...

I was going to wait for the 2020 refresh, but you've convinced me that your approach is better.
 
theSeb said:
I was going to wait for the 2020 refresh, but you've convinced me that your approach is better.
Click to expand...

Some humans will likely be alive in 2020 but electricity will likely be hard to find, and most people will be looking for weapons rather than computers. Best of luck to you.
 
I purchased my 17" white iMac in 2006. 3 months later they came out with the aluminum 21" iMAc with way better specs for around the same price. I will be waiting this time around for the next update (since there is one every year anyways). Like others say, if you NEED a computer than get one now, if not it will most likely be worth the wait.
 
I think I would wait. The IMAC seems to be about ready for some type of upgrade. Just look at the buyers guide on here and you will see it is listed as Do Not Buy at this time.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Well according to this article today Ivy Bridge is slated for a April 8 release and new iMacs likely drop in May. I am in the same boat the wait is killing me but this is my first ever Mac and I've waited this long......so looks like I'm going to wait.

It is killing me though.
 
I am in a similar boat...looking to buy a $1500+ iMac for a birthday gift in late Jan...really don't want to buy one and 60 days later a new one with much better specs (I can care less about new features like tv or siri or touchscreen or whatever...I just need raw power and a nice display) comes out. Not sure when/if iMac will ever get USB 3.0 but I would be extremely angry it if I bought in late Jan and the new model weeks later had USB 3.0.
 
ericinboston said:
I am in a similar boat...looking to buy a $1500+ iMac for a birthday gift in late Jan...really don't want to buy one and 60 days later a new one with much better specs (I can care less about new features like tv or siri or touchscreen or whatever...I just need raw power and a nice display) comes out. Not sure when/if iMac will ever get USB 3.0 but I would be extremely angry it if I bought in late Jan and the new model weeks later had USB 3.0.
Click to expand...

tell the birthday guy/girl that (s)he will have to have the imac as a late present, these things are always usually worth the wait ;) if this person doesnt mind waiting month or two :D but then again, it is also dependant on how much this birthday guy/girl wants it and whether this person is actually bothered on whether the imac is going to be outdated in a couple of months or not.

this should also help you out as well:
https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//

It's the macrumours buying guide for apple products, including the imac :apple: that should give you a rough idea on when the next imac will be released

hoped this help,
sam
 
bobright said:
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Well according to this article today Ivy Bridge is slated for a April 8 release and new iMacs likely drop in May. I am in the same boat the wait is killing me but this is my first ever Mac and I've waited this long......so looks like I'm going to wait.

It is killing me though.
Click to expand...
Hmmmm, interesting. 14 weeks Sunday then :)
 
James Godfrey said:
Hi all,

I am just wondering what your opinions are on waiting for the generation of iMac to purchase?

I want to get the 21.5 inch low end model at the moment, but there are rumours flying about suggesting TV integration, siri voice commands, touch screens etc...

What are the odds that Apple will do a complete refresh of the iMac?

I am not so bothered about spec upgrades etc.... I am more interested in new features....

Is it worth me waiting or buying now?

Thanks

James
Click to expand...

I know you I sold a few pieces of gear a mac mini I think. I used to talk on 123macmini with you or at least someone with the name. Wait it out at least until the new ones come in the early spring.
 
Hi all,

Thanks for all the replies, but after some long research I decided to just buy and hope for the best, what swayed me into buying was seeing here that Ivy Bridge isnt being released until April 2012.

I looked at it like this:

Sandy Bridge was released Jan 11'
(4 MONTHS GO BY)
iMac 2011 was released May 11' (with Sandy Bridge)

Ivy Bridge to be released April 12'

This indicates to me that Apple will most likely release the next iMac with Ivy Bridge sometime between May 12' and Aug 12' I cant see it being any sooner than that.

Also after research regarding rumours, looking at it logically:

SIRI wasnt on iPhone 4 because the A4 chip couldnt handle it..... but surely the current iMac could handle siri??? what excuse would apple use for it not to be in the current imac with just an update.

TOUCH SCREEN why invent such things as the Wireless Trackpad/Wireless keyboard if they wanted to make a touchscreen display? I find myself that my arm can ache just from using the iPad, so I dont think (like Jobs also thought) that touch screen technology will be introduced ever in the iMac.

My conclusion is that we are probably looking at a 5-8 month wait for the new iMac range, and even then I cant really see any design changed just a spec upgrade at the most. It wouldnt make sense for Apple to redesign a product which is still selling like crazy.

Also as others have pointed out they are more interested in their iPhone/iPad range at the moment as these are the biggest sellers.

What do you guys think???

James
 
Siri does not require much local processing power and has been proven to run on the iPhone 4. The reasons for it running on the 4s only have nothing to do with processing power.
 
theSeb said:
Siri does not require much local processing power and has been proven to run on the iPhone 4. The reasons for it running on the 4s only have nothing to do with processing power.
Click to expand...

Wasnt it stated somewere that Apple said that the A4 chip couldnt handle it but was proven wrong by a jailbreak of somekind?

It is partly believable when it comes to the iPhone but with the iMac I cant see them using that same excuse (we will know they are lying lol)
 
James Godfrey said:
Hi all,

Thanks for all the replies, but after some long research I decided to just buy and hope for the best, what swayed me into buying was seeing here that Ivy Bridge isnt being released until April 2012.

I looked at it like this:

Sandy Bridge was released Jan 11'
(4 MONTHS GO BY)
iMac 2011 was released May 11' (with Sandy Bridge)

Ivy Bridge to be released April 12'

This indicates to me that Apple will most likely release the next iMac with Ivy Bridge sometime between May 12' and Aug 12' I cant see it being any sooner than that.

Also after research regarding rumours, looking at it logically:

SIRI wasnt on iPhone 4 because the A4 chip couldnt handle it..... but surely the current iMac could handle siri??? what excuse would apple use for it not to be in the current imac with just an update.

TOUCH SCREEN why invent such things as the Wireless Trackpad/Wireless keyboard if they wanted to make a touchscreen display? I find myself that my arm can ache just from using the iPad, so I dont think (like Jobs also thought) that touch screen technology will be introduced ever in the iMac.

My conclusion is that we are probably looking at a 5-8 month wait for the new iMac range, and even then I cant really see any design changed just a spec upgrade at the most. It wouldnt make sense for Apple to redesign a product which is still selling like crazy.

Also as others have pointed out they are more interested in their iPhone/iPad range at the moment as these are the biggest sellers.

What do you guys think???

James
Click to expand...

iMac was released in may because of the iMac product cycle (average 270 days, buyers guide)

this time, ivy bridge is late (april instead of january, so we have an iMac update cycle of 320+ days) so either apple gets ivy bridge sooner, or release it without ivy bridge which is very unlikely, or just waits for ivy bridge but ill bet that then we'll see them released april 9th :) OEMs already have samples of ivy bridge

----------

well, this is interesting...

https://www.macrumors.com/2009/10/2...mac-models-with-21-5-and-27-inch-led-screens/

apple updated imacs with new design and new i cpus but the imacs featuring the i cpus werent shipped before november..
maybe we'll see the same thing this time, imacs released in march (according to buyers guide) with new features (not just spec jump) but not shipping till april

who knows...
 
ericinboston, the next revision will almost certainly have USB 3.0, as it will be integrated in intel's next motherboard for ivy bridge.

On the other hand, you'll probably be able to find a thunderbolt-usb3 adapter eventually, if not a thunderbolt accessory that makes economic sense.
 
comeon guys havent you learned anything about apple, they will never just dump a new technology into their next product right away. With ivy bridge coming out in april, there is no way it will make it into the next release which is around jan-feb according to the last 5 years of release cycle data.

The next release will most likely contain incremental upgrades(which is just fine) but no ivy.
 
if you need/want a new PC just buy a new mac, if you don't, don't. The next CPU, Ivy is only a "tick", according to intel's naming convention, so it will likely only feature a die-shrink. not a revelation like the change from c2d to nehalem.

so in short, just buy it.
 
James Godfrey said:
Wasnt it stated somewere that Apple said that the A4 chip couldnt handle it but was proven wrong by a jailbreak of somekind?

It is partly believable when it comes to the iPhone but with the iMac I cant see them using that same excuse (we will know they are lying lol)
Click to expand...

There has been no statement from apple around this. Only speculation and rumours.
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

Do you guys think they could change the base model to start somewhere around 24" or 27" and up?

If not and the screen size stays the same how does pricing work, would they start at the retail price of the current model that is out now? (based on past releases)
 
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