Converting to mac, little help please?

[xstex]

I'm buying one very soon, I have used them a lot in college so I don't need help about how to use them. I'm considering the new cheapest imac 21.5inch standard set up as this is the one I feel I can afford, I was wondering how long will this last me in terms of the specs being suitable over time. As I don't want to buy it and need a new one in 2 years.

 

[MacMini2009]

Well the 9400M in the base 21.5in is good for today's standards. If you have the money, I say get the next model 21.5in iMac with the ATI 4670. Also, you may even want to get the 3.33GHz upgrade as it may "future proof" the iMac. Although, many people here will tell you not to get the 3.33GHz upgrade.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

macs last forever. seriously, if it doesn't last at least 3 years it's a lemon. Mine's 2 years and still going strong. You'll enjoy the switch. I'll go sober up now.

P.S. have you thought about a macbook? The portability is pretty fun..!

 

[xstex]

Well the 9400M in the base 21.5in is good for today's standards. If you have the money, I say get the next model 21.5in iMac with the ATI 4670. Also, you may even want to get the 3.33GHz upgrade as it may "future proof" the iMac. Although, many people here will tell you not to get the 3.33GHz upgrade.

Thanks for the help, I was considering the one up also as its not much more, but just wondering why would some people tell me not to get the 3.33GHz?

 

[xstex]

macs last forever. seriously, if it doesn't last at least 3 years it's a lemon. Mine's 2 years and still going strong. You'll enjoy the switch. I'll go sober up now.

P.S. have you thought about a macbook? The portability is pretty fun..!

Ah okay thats good to hear. I have seriously considered a macbook but I checked out the latest one and thought it was a great price, but the screen size is far too small for what I need, plus the macbooks with bigger screens are too pricey for me when I could just get a desktop.

 

[psj]

macs last forever. seriously, if it doesn't last at least 3 years it's a lemon. Mine's 2 years and still going strong. You'll enjoy the switch. I'll go sober up now.

P.S. have you thought about a macbook? The portability is pretty fun..!

Well my Powerbook lasted just over 7 years. If you don't dive in DV or AVCHD editing, whatever you buy should last until you want a new one.

PPS a cheap lemon LCD will hook up easily on a macbook.

 

[MacMini2009]

Thanks for the help, I was considering the one up also as its not much more, but just wondering why would some people tell me not to get the 3.33GHz?

They would keep saying "it's not worth it." But in my opinion, if you have the money, it's worth it.

 

[ipodftw]

Yeah if you have money i see no reason why you shouldnt get it

 

[Winni]

macs last forever. seriously, if it doesn't last at least 3 years it's a lemon.

You mean like three years old PowerMacs like the Quad G5 that now cannot even update to the latest operating system release because Apple so conveniently dropped the support for that hardware?

 

[extrachrispy]

Thanks for the help, I was considering the one up also as its not much more, but just wondering why would some people tell me not to get the 3.33GHz?

Generally, the best bang for the buck is the 2nd tier model of whatever product you're considering. The cost-per-benefit goes up dramatically to get the top-shelf item.

As for longevity, we still have a late '06 2.16GHz core2duo 20" iMac at home, and it still works just fine for web surfing, email, watching video, etc. It won't do 1080p, and editing video will make it crawl, but it wasn't really pitched for that task.

So, in that light, I suspect a base model iMac will do just fine for you for several years. If you have the money, and it will further your enjoyment of the machine, sure, buy an upgraded version. It's not strictly necessary, though.