Buying a iMac

[XplorerMac]

Hey guys I'm new to the mac forums, and to as well. That's why I'm here. I want to know if it is a good time to buy an iMac, more specifically I like the 24' flat panel 2.4 GHz version. Do you guys think it will be due for an upgrade any time soon, like in the next six months or so? My cousin says so. Will apple ever incorporate a Blu Ray Player maybe, or 2g of ram stock?
I am fed up with windows, that's why I'm switching to mac. I need a reliable computer for college, not this Gateway I'm on now.

Please Fill Me in on This.
Thanks.

 

[IEatApples]

Do you guys think it will be due for an upgrade any time soon, like in the next six months or so?

Yes, without a doubt!

 

[SaSaSushi]

Yes, without a doubt!

Yeah, but that's a no-brainer because sometimes it is ONLY 6 months between revisions.

I just hope Apple finally replaces my fault LCD panel on mine when I send it back again for the second time on Saturday.

I am revising my former advice and I have to say that if I were in the market for an iMac now I would probably hold off until the next revision and grin and bear whatever I was using until then.

 

[ebd.i.am]

what are the expected / estimated revision gonna be to the imac?

 

[Pees330]

The iMacs are due for an update in the coming months. They will most likely update the chipset, maybe upgrade the standard ram configuration, and a video card update is a possibility. A Blu-ray player is unlikely to be in the next iMacs that come out. They'll first show up in the Mac Pros if anything else.

If you're going to be getting this for use for next fall I would say wait for the next update until you buy. If you really need one right now, go for it because they are still fine machines.

 

[Hawkeye411]

Plus, if your a student, apple always offers a promotion to students in the summer. Last summer I got a discount, free printer and a free iPod.
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[CorkBOY]

Do IT

Buy it Man

I waited and waited and waited and was going to wait some more but just went for it after MacWorld as the way i looked @ it. If its a machine u really want and u are happy with the spec that is on it @ present which u should be then why wait for tiny changes that wont make a huge difference to your Mac Experience. I love mine and it is a great addition to my Mac Family

 

[fivepoint]

Hey guys I'm new to the mac forums, and to as well. That's why I'm here. I want to know if it is a good time to buy an iMac, more specifically I like the 24' flat panel 2.4 GHz version. Do you guys think it will be due for an upgrade any time soon, like in the next six months or so? My cousin says so.
Thanks.

He is probably right. If you can wait for up to 3 months... I would say do so. It could come in 3 days, or like I said, 3 months. I had to buy because I needed one. However, the update will likely just be a minor issue... 5% boost in CPU performance and possibly a faster graphics card for gaming. If gaming is not an issue for you, I would probably recommend buying now regardless because not much else will change from this model to the next.

Will apple ever incorporate a Blu Ray Player maybe, or 2g of ram stock?

Blu-Ray will come to the Mac Pros first. I would not look for Blu-Ray in an iMac within the next 3-5 months... In regards to RAM... RAM is very cheap right now, but NOT from Apple. I have 4GB of RAM in my new iMac and only paid $100 for it from www.crucial.com. The same RAM would have been over $700 from Apple. It is easy to install and everything. Everyone who buys an iMac should go this route.

I am fed up with windows, that's why I'm switching to mac. I need a reliable computer for college, not this Gateway I'm on now.

Very very good choice. Take it from a guy who uses both operating systems every day. Mac OS X Leopard is FAR ABOVE AND BEYOND anything Microsoft has to offer. You will work faster, get more done, and if you're anything like me will enjoy iLife so much that you really feel bad for anyone that doesn't get a chance to use those apps.

Good luck. I hope you love your new iMac! I do!

 

[DesignerOnMac]

Hey guys I'm new to the mac forums, and to as well. That's why I'm here. I want to know if it is a good time to buy an iMac, more specifically I like the 24' flat panel 2.4 GHz version. Do you guys think it will be due for an upgrade any time soon, like in the next six months or so? My cousin says so. Will apple ever incorporate a Blu Ray Player maybe, or 2g of ram stock?
I am fed up with windows, that's why I'm switching to mac. I need a reliable computer for college, not this Gateway I'm on now.

Please Fill Me in on This.
Thanks.

1. The iMac was refreshed and was changed to Aluminum and glass this past August. Latest updates have been around a year. So I do not think anyone can tell you if the chipset is about to be updated, or a new video card will be added.

2. Apple has never offered 2GB's of RAM as standard. RAM is so cheap now, buy it yourself and install it. You only need a small phillips screwdriver to undo the screws on the bottom of the monitor.

3. I have the 24" iMac extreme and I love it. No issues whatsoever.

As mentioned, if your going to school in the fall, I would wait anyway. Get your education discount and perhaps a free printer and iPod.

Welcome to the Mac, you will be more than happy....

 

[fivepoint]

1. The iMac was refreshed and was changed to Aluminum and glass this past August. Latest updates have been around a year. So I do not think anyone can tell you if the chipset is about to be updated, or a new video card will be added.

I strongly disagree. This is not about a redesign of the iMac, we are talking about speed bumps. The next revision of iMacs will likely get the new Intel Penryn processors which were released 2 weeks ago at CES. This has been widely reported. However, Penryn does not offer a huge speed bump over the current processors. Maybe 5-10%. You are most likely correct about an updated graphics card coming... but that is only useful to gamers. It does not dramatically effect hardly anything else... even video editing (which is a processor/ram intensive task)

2. Apple has never offered 2GB's of RAM as standard. RAM is so cheap now, buy it yourself and install it. You only need a small phillips screwdriver to undo the screws on the bottom of the monitor.

This is not true. Both the Apple Mac Pros and the Apple Macbook Pro come standard with 2GB. I would not be suprised to see this in the future of iMacs. But honestly it is not a big deal... I would definitely pay the extra $50-$100 for RAM from Crucial or OWC.

3. I have the 24" iMac extreme and I love it. No issues whatsoever.

As mentioned, if your going to school in the fall, I would wait anyway. Get your education discount and perhaps a free printer and iPod.

Welcome to the Mac, you will be more than happy....

Agreed. If you don't need it until then, you might as well just wait. However, if you need it now... don't hesitate to buy. the current iMac is AMAZING and there is ALWAYS something newer/better coming around the next corner. Just buy what you need when you need it.

 

[ebd.i.am]

Which video card would the imac be most likely upgraded to? maybe HD2900 series??

 

[fivepoint]

Which video card would the imac be most likely upgraded to? maybe HD2900 series??

I don't think anyone has a good idea. Some thought they would be going to Nvidia next since ATI is owned by AMD. There isn't much information on this... and there are just so many possibilities.

But like I said... only important if you are a gamer for the most part.

 

[ebd.i.am]

I don't think anyone has a good idea. Some thought they would be going to Nvidia next since ATI is owned by AMD. There isn't much information on this... and there are just so many possibilities.

But like I said... only important if you are a gamer for the most part.

A upgrade to a faster gpu would give me a reason to wait then, hope its within the next few months

 

[notnek]

You might as well go ahead a buy it. If you don't need it for college until next semester, wait for the summer. However, if you need one sooner than later, any revisions won't be enough to make a huge, if noticable, difference.

 

[badcrc32]

Im redoing my office

My pc right now isnt great but its livable...Meaning it does what is needed. However, Im redoing my whole office in the next 6weeks...I could wait on the IMAC if something is coming out in 2 months or so.....

I strongly disagree. This is not about a redesign of the iMac, we are talking about speed bumps. The next revision of iMacs will likely get the new Intel Penryn processors which were released 2 weeks ago at CES. This has been widely reported. However, Penryn does not offer a huge speed bump over the current processors. Maybe 5-10%. You are most likely correct about an updated graphics card coming... but that is only useful to gamers. It does not dramatically effect hardly anything else... even video editing (which is a processor/ram intensive task)





This is not true. Both the Apple Mac Pros and the Apple Macbook Pro come standard with 2GB. I would not be suprised to see this in the future of iMacs. But honestly it is not a big deal... I would definitely pay the extra $50-$100 for RAM from Crucial or OWC.





Agreed. If you don't need it until then, you might as well just wait. However, if you need it now... don't hesitate to buy. the current iMac is AMAZING and there is ALWAYS something newer/better coming around the next corner. Just buy what you need when you need it.