Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Calling All Longterm iMac Users- advice please

S

skina

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 15, 2014
5
0
I waited all the way through the winter of 2013-14 until now to buy a new iMAC on the expectations that a new generation was about to be born. Now I learn that any new iMAC awaits the new chip development that has been stalled until at least 2015. What to do?

I have a 2006 iMAC. It works great and has some features that match my other devices - such as external hard drives, modem etc., —that the newer iMACS have dropped. So I can hang on. But on the other hand, I am ready to replace the 2006 iMAC with a larger screen model and more RAM etc.

My question to long term MAC users is, is it worth waiting for what is scheduled to appear next year? WIll the advantages of a faster chip be all that is in store if I wait or are there other "improvements" that are likely to accompany a 2015 new generation iMAC? I ask this because, having a 2006 iMAC, I am not familiar with the advances that have been made since then - except to know that some features no longer exist such as firewire ports and CD ROM drives. It will help also if you can tell me if I can obtain adapters or additional equipment that will facilitate the use of CD ROm dscs and firewire external drives.
 
you can get external CD/DVD readers that work fine. I have a MBPr, and use a thunderbolt to Firewire and it works fine. I have a number of firewire disks that I use for backup via SuperDuper. Nary a problem with the MBPr adapter. The next iMac isn't likely to be a huge jump, not nearly as much as going from a 2006 iMac to a 2014 iMac. Current iMacs are lovely machines that are quite fast. I'm holding off..I have a 2008 iMac 24" plus a MBPr and the combo is fine for now.
 
skina said:
I waited all the way through the winter of 2013-14 until now to buy a new iMAC on the expectations that a new generation was about to be born. Now I learn that any new iMAC awaits the new chip development that has been stalled until at least 2015. What to do?

I have a 2006 iMAC. It works great and has some features that match my other devices - such as external hard drives, modem etc., —that the newer iMACS have dropped. So I can hang on. But on the other hand, I am ready to replace the 2006 iMAC with a larger screen model and more RAM etc.

My question to long term MAC users is, is it worth waiting for what is scheduled to appear next year? WIll the advantages of a faster chip be all that is in store if I wait or are there other "improvements" that are likely to accompany a 2015 new generation iMAC? I ask this because, having a 2006 iMAC, I am not familiar with the advances that have been made since then - except to know that some features no longer exist such as firewire ports and CD ROM drives. It will help also if you can tell me if I can obtain adapters or additional equipment that will facilitate the use of CD ROm dscs and firewire external drives.
Click to expand...

When you build your iMac online (or buy from a store) you can get a Firewire adapter, and external DVD drive (although I wouldn't buy Apple's dvd drive - you can get much cheaper ones which do the same job).

Honestly, I wouldn't wait. The current machines are great.
 
skina said:
My question to long term MAC users is, is it worth waiting for what is scheduled to appear next year?
Click to expand...

One way to consider things - If you buy now and use it, will it help you and is it worth doing for speed, better production in any way? If so, waiting is silly.
There is always a next model with a little more something - think cars - same ol, but drive the antique if that's your thing. Nothing wrong with it.

Good Luck
 
I would not get the Apple DVD drive, unless aesthetics matter to you and you intend to keep it out a lot. Instead, spring for a blu-ray burner.

Comes in handy for data backups (25GB discs are now less than $1 and 50GB discs maybe $2-$3 if you look on eBay) which gives you good permanent backups.

You can also potentially back up Blu-ray movies but I am not sure what I'm allowed to stay about that here.

An external blu-ray burner is about $90, so basically $10 more than the Apple drive and you get that blu-ray reading and writing functionality that makes the drive so much more useful than the Apple one. Worth it!

(Here is the blu-ray burner I allude to, which also looks pretty good BTW! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151272)
 
On one hand: If you've waited this long, you can wait a little longer.

On the other: A new CPU will be a fairly small incremental improvement over the CPU's available in the current iMac. Even big CPU improvements don't make a huge difference in day-to-day tasks. I wouldn't wait for that. Either way it will be a huge difference compared to your current machine.

The #1 thing I'd be worrying about is getting an SSD or fusion drive. That makes a dramatic difference. And you can get that now.

Personally, I suspect the next iMac improvement that will make a big difference isn't related to performance. I think at some point soon -- maybe the next iMac, maybe later -- they'll release ones with retina displays that will bring the clarity we've gotten used to on mobile devices to the desktop (well, maybe not quite that sharp, but a nice improvement over what we have now.)

That's what I'm waiting for (though my iMac is a 2009 and I added an SSD myself, so I have a lot more breathing room than you do.)

I really don't think you can make a wrong decision here as long as you get an SSD or fusion drive. It's only a question of how soon you want the new computer. Enjoy!

Edit: one more thing: consider not getting an external optical drive with your new iMac and see how much you miss it. I bought the Apple one when my wife got her MBA and hardly ever used it. (Unless you *know* you'll need on, e.g. you play to backup DVD's and Bluray dics.)
 
Last edited:
WOW-THankyou

The post to which you have all replied is my first one on MacRumors and it is not disappointing. Thank you all so much. You have given me exactly the guidance and advice I have been wanting. When I get my new iMAC, I will toast all of you. I hope I can give equally good advice to someone else in the future. "What goes around comes around" is one of my life mottos!!
 
Ah the everlasting wait/buy conundrum. I look at it like this - you set your budget, you specify your use cases, and you buy. You could spend your whole life waiting for the next release and never buy anything. The only time I don't live by this philosophy is when there's a major change is technologies e.g. ISA to PCI.

I've just ordered an iMac because I do not have a desktop machine, and while I've had apple laptops for about 6 years, I've always had windows desktops. Hate Windows 8 so now I need a desktop, might as well go with apple as I've got iphone/ipad/MBA. I've got some big projects to do that would just be downright uncomfortable and fiddly on a laptop, so I need one now.
 
I'd buy now. I usually say that anyway, but I look at the iMac situation this way. The current models are SO capable for a consumer-grade device, and Apple's latest product refreshes have been so minor, that buying now (when you really need or want a new iMac) is a "can't lose" situation. Even if they make a significant refresh, how much better will it really be? No new ground-breaking designs are planned. The graphics card is pretty good now and I don't see a super high-end graphics card being included in the consumer iMac line. I anticipate an incremental update, not a "whoa" kind of thing. Buy now. :D
 
All I'm looking for in the next update is TB2, I would have bought the current imac if it had it.
 
Dreadnought said:
Wait at least till September, maybe a small update will appear, if not, het the current one or a refurbished 2012.
Click to expand...

Up until 2 days ago I would have agreed with you, but the Apple refurb store just added a 2013 iMac that is cheaper and faster than the best 2012 option. I personally wouldn't wait until September, considering they added a baseline model last month. If they had wanted to do a small update they probably would have done it then. I would recommend either getting the computer below or waiting until 2015.

I am not saying you should necessarily get the 2015 model though. Skylake (the actual 2015 intel processor) may be released in the same year as Broadwell, so it is hard to say right now. I can guarantee that computers will be better in 2015, but it is really up in the air at this point. We have no idea when the new iMac will come, and what will be inside of it. There have been a few rumors of the iMac getting a 4k display in 2015, but that is about all I have heard. The 2013 iMac is great, and will support all the new features in OSX Yosemite. Here is the model I would recommend.


http://store.apple.com/us/product/G0PG2LL/A/refurbished-27-inch-imac-35ghz-quad-core-Intel-Core-i7
 
mad3inch1na said:
Up until 2 days ago I would have agreed with you, but the Apple refurb store just added a 2013 iMac that is cheaper and faster than the best 2012 option.
Click to expand...

Interesting! Too bad I live in Holland, as my girlfriend wants to switch to the darkside :apple: :p

As for newbie Hugi, do you really have equipment that supports TB2? I always wonder if people are using things like this. For me it will probably take a couple of years, or at least I have bought another/newer iMac by then. Same with firewire, bought a scanner with firewire 400 only, can't use it anymore as my iMac has no firewire... Should have gone for the usb2 one... I want to use my equipment as long as I can and not get new ones because Apple changed the connector once again! :mad:
 
If you're finding the old one too slow then you will simply not believe the speed of the new one. I have a 2007 iMac and 2011 MacBook Air (with SSD of course) and the difference between the too is phenomenal. Your gap is even greater.
You can safely ignore clock speed. My 2007 machine was the top of the line first 24" aluminium model with the 2.8 GHz 'Extreme' core 2 duo and my Macbook Air is i5 clocked at 'only' 1.7 but it is the undisputed ruler in my home.
 
I would wait, especially when you have waited this long already. Broadwell should be a nice upgrade, and prehaps you'll get a retina display on top.
 
What disks do BluRay burners read

I receive advice last summer (2014) after I asked about whether I should wait til later in the year for a new edition of the iMAC. I am about to buy my 27" Retina iMAC, using the advice that several Forum readers gave me. :)

"Greg" sent me advice (see below) to not get the external Apple Superdrive and instead to get a blu ray burner..

I have DVDs that I want to be able to watch: i.e. moves and TV shows, as well as some software I want to install. I have triedd to find out but can't get a CLEAR message without a huge amount of tech info that I did not ask about. Perhaps someone will clarify for me - what kinds of discs do BluRay burners read? I thought they only read BluRay disks but the advice "Greg" sent to me makes me wonder if I am wrong. But then again, maybe he was assuming that I could start afresh only using BluRay discs.

Gregintosh said:
I would not get the Apple DVD drive, unless aesthetics matter to you and you intend to keep it out a lot. Instead, spring for a blu-ray burner.

Comes in handy for data backups (25GB discs are now less than $1 and 50GB discs maybe $2-$3 if you look on eBay) which gives you good permanent backups.

You can also potentially back up Blu-ray movies but I am not sure what I'm allowed to stay about that here.

An external blu-ray burner is about $90, so basically $10 more than the Apple drive and you get that blu-ray reading and writing functionality that makes the drive so much more useful than the Apple one. Worth it!

(Here is the blu-ray burner I allude to, which also looks pretty good BTW! http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151272)
Click to expand...
 
skina said:
I have DVDs that I want to be able to watch: i.e. moves and TV shows, as well as some software I want to install. I have triedd to find out but can't get a CLEAR message without a huge amount of tech info that I did not ask about. Perhaps someone will clarify for me - what kinds of discs do BluRay burners read? I thought they only read BluRay disks but the advice "Greg" sent to me makes me wonder if I am wrong. But then again, maybe he was assuming that I could start afresh only using BluRay discs.
Click to expand...

BluRay burners will have both laser frequencies and can read and burn both high capacity BluRay disks as well as regular DVD and CD disks. Usually, when you look at the specs of the drive it will specify which formats can be used and what speed they will operate, along with single/dual layer capability.

You should be fine with any current BluRay burner drive.:)
 
skina said:
I receive advice last summer (2014) after I asked about whether I should wait til later in the year for a new edition of the iMAC. I am about to buy my 27" Retina iMAC, using the advice that several Forum readers gave me. :)

"Greg" sent me advice (see below) to not get the external Apple Superdrive and instead to get a blu ray burner..

I have DVDs that I want to be able to watch: i.e. moves and TV shows, as well as some software I want to install. I have triedd to find out but can't get a CLEAR message without a huge amount of tech info that I did not ask about. Perhaps someone will clarify for me - what kinds of discs do BluRay burners read? I thought they only read BluRay disks but the advice "Greg" sent to me makes me wonder if I am wrong. But then again, maybe he was assuming that I could start afresh only using BluRay discs.
Click to expand...

Im still on the forum! And Blu Ray burners will read and write pretty much every format including CD, DVD, and Blu Ray. It's the best all in one solution and I stand by my advice. :)
 
just purchase

Apple iMac 27 3.5GHz i7/16GB RAM/1TB Flash Drive/GTX 780M

better than the 2014 model

graphics card is much better
 
Confused about Fusion/Flashdrive advice

Thank you Greg for clarifying your blu ray burner advice, which i will follow.

Ilyasdesign37, I am now confused about something else. Yu recommend 1TB which i associate with the Fusion drive and also Flash Drive/GTX 780M . I thought that Fusion drives include a Flashdrive. So is that what you mean- the flashdrive that comes with the 1TB fusion or are yu suggesting something else?
 
skina said:
Thank you Greg for clarifying your blu ray burner advice, which i will follow.

Ilyasdesign37, I am now confused about something else. Yu recommend 1TB which i associate with the Fusion drive and also Flash Drive/GTX 780M . I thought that Fusion drives include a Flashdrive. So is that what you mean- the flashdrive that comes with the 1TB fusion or are yu suggesting something else?
Click to expand...

He's talking about 1TB of actual Flash, which is a high-end and pricey CTO option. How big is your current Mac's system volume?
 
1 TB Fusion vs 1TB Flash

Thank you Mateya, now I get it.

My current iMAC? It is a 2006 iMAC! So you don't need me to look up its volume because you know that it is WAY WAY less than 1TB fusion.In any event, I will be loading the new iMAC with the volume of my PowerBook Pro which has a 250 GIG capacity.

Having considered this now, I will go with Fusion- perhaps 3 TB because things are growing, unfortunately BUT my need for a costly 1TB Flash are not there. I would be self indulgent and caught up with technology way more than I am to make good use of it.
 
skina said:
Thank you Greg for clarifying your blu ray burner advice, which i will follow.

Ilyasdesign37, I am now confused about something else. Yu recommend 1TB which i associate with the Fusion drive and also Flash Drive/GTX 780M . I thought that Fusion drives include a Flashdrive. So is that what you mean- the flashdrive that comes with the 1TB fusion or are yu suggesting something else?
Click to expand...

Code: 
[url]http://gpuboss.com/gpus/Radeon-R9-M290X-vs-GeForce-GTX-780M[/url]

^^^^graphics card way better

1TB Flash

PCIe is an SSD, PCIe refers to the connection standard. Older SSD's used SATA connections, but the PCIe connection is newer and faster.

No moving parts at all.
 
If you have an iMac that old then it will not matter when you buy.

If you needed speed, a better display, peripheral compatibility, etc you would have purchased a new iMac by now.

So any incremental change in specs won't matter; it will ALL be very different from what you have.

It's like asking if you should buy the new Ferrari when you're still driving a Yugo (maybe I'm going too far...:rolleyes: ).
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back