I've been wanting to own my own personal computer for quite a while now, and I recently inherited what I would consider a nice large clean desk so I have decided to get a desktop and if I end up needing to do stuff on the go that my smartphone can't handle then I will invest in a laptop later. But I've been saving for a mac and now I have more than enough to get myself a machine that will probably not ever be put to its full capacity by me in the near future. The 27 inch sounds so appealing to me because I will be watching movies in my room, and I will just have more space to browse and edit photos and videos etc. (I heard movies look pixelated on the 27 inch could someone explain that?) I'm thinking the 21.5 inch will would be fine but I have the money for the 27 inch. I like to buy quality equipment that will last me. I'm a sophomore in highschool, and if anyone wants to tell me I'm crazy for thinking about buying a computer as high end as the imac please keep it to yourself. I just want a machine that is excellent and will last me through highschool and later.
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Can't decide on a imac
- Thread starter mwfernandez80
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Not a issua of the display. It all depends what quality / resolution of files you are playing
Actually I am also wondering whether or not to get a new 27' fully loaded iMac. I seriously hesitate having had horrible problems with the cheap display of my 24' iMac that been replaced twice (the famous Mura Shadows) on top of that, the display seems burned on a white background. These effects are even worse if you smoke (I don't). Generally the iMac, while rather expensive, is a wonderful computer but considering the amount of people having problems with the quality of the display I am not sure it is really worth the price. Forums are full of such stories and it seems Apple never corrected the issues with the display since the first iMac was released. Such Mura Shadows tints tend to appear after 10-18 months of use also I have seen friends having such after just 3 months...worse, Apple isn't really taking clients seriously and just replace it so if you don't have an Apple shop near you it's a hassle, taking the Apple Care warranty extension pushes the final price high for toy that might not last more than 2 years maybe...
I just upgraded to an iMac myself and had a similar problem as you. So, here's what I decided on:
First off, the pixelation on the 27" is likely caused by the fact that the resolution os the screen is above 1080p so if you watch a movie above the standard for HD it will have to upscale which looks bad. The 21.5" is 1080p so it often looks perfect.
Secondly, you may have the money for the 27", I did too, but why not go performance over size? Sure, the 21.5" is significantly smaller but with the money you save on screen size you could improve the actual hardware. In my case I upgraded to a 2.8GHz i7 and bought 4 extra GB of RAM from macsales (since apple way overcharges)
What it really comes down to is would you rather have the extra 5.5" of screen or a machine that runs better. The cost of an upgraded high end 21.5" will be about the same as a stock low end 27" so the choice is yours. Personally I went with hardware over screen but that's just me.
First off, the pixelation on the 27" is likely caused by the fact that the resolution os the screen is above 1080p so if you watch a movie above the standard for HD it will have to upscale which looks bad. The 21.5" is 1080p so it often looks perfect.
Secondly, you may have the money for the 27", I did too, but why not go performance over size? Sure, the 21.5" is significantly smaller but with the money you save on screen size you could improve the actual hardware. In my case I upgraded to a 2.8GHz i7 and bought 4 extra GB of RAM from macsales (since apple way overcharges)
What it really comes down to is would you rather have the extra 5.5" of screen or a machine that runs better. The cost of an upgraded high end 21.5" will be about the same as a stock low end 27" so the choice is yours. Personally I went with hardware over screen but that's just me.
Upscaling isnt any problem! Downscaling, you lose details. Every videoplayer today can handle upscaling without problem = no "pixels" seen.
But he is saying that his needs dont require more than a base imac 27 and he wont fully utilize it so what would be the point upgrading a 21 inch if hes never even going to need that extra power?
The smaller display seems like a more frugal investment and the 27 inch sounds like overkill. As for movies looking "pixelated", consider Youtube which plays movies at 360 pixels all the way up to 1080p. The appearance of the movie has more to do with how it is encoded than with what display you are using. If you are watching Netflix or youtube, either iMac will suit you just as well. Have you considered a Mac Mini with an external display? The reason I mention this is you are thinking about the display resolution. A 1080p monitor can be had for $150 and the base Mac Mini only costs $599 (plus keyboard and mouse). So for under $1K you will have a decent machine and have the ability to upgrade to a larger monitor at a later date if you wish. If you buy the iMac, you can still add an external display if you want your setup to start to resemble one of those "world domination lairs" seen in so many Bond movies...
Or perhaps...
