Current 27" iMac vs New One Coming Out??

[Mac2004]

Okay I have a major dilemma......

My sister needs a new iMac computer and needs one very soon. She would like to get a new 27 inch iMac in the next 2 weeks or so. What should we do???? Should we wait until the new iMac comes out or should we purchase one right now that is currentl available at the Apple store? What does everyone recommend? Buy vs wait? I noticed that the iMac hasn't been updated for 400 days so that's why I am asking.

Is the new iMac going to be a lot different than the current one from what people have read? She mostly needs a fast computer for email, internet, word processing, design, and using Adobe PhotoShop for her photo business.

Also, when she does get an Apple iMac how much memory should she get these days and how big of hard drive for all her high resiltion photos? Are there currently any discoounts being offered on the current iMac models? If so, where?

Please help us make this decision.

 

[Moonjumper]

I think it will be a few months before there is a new iMac, so mights as well get in now if she needs one in the next couple of weeks.

RAM is still upgradeable on the iMac. I suggest buying the standard 8GB version, and adding 16GB in the 2 empty slots for a total of 24GB, which should be plenty. Much cheaper to add your own. Pairs of RAM slots need to match, not all 4.

PhotoShop can fill up storage fast. It might be better to go with external drives for storing all but the current work. Go for an SSD in the iMac configuration. Your main external drive could be SSD also (not quite as fast as internal, but fine for all but the most pressing work), with HDDs for cheaper longer term storage.

 

[Mac2004]

Which iMac model should we get if we go through Apple? I see they offer several hard drive options built into the iMac (flash, fusion, ATA regular hard drive, etc.).

Who makes the best RAM for an iMac and where should I purchase it for the best price?

I think it will be a few months before there is a new iMac, so mights as well get in now if she needs one in the next couple of weeks. If we go the 2TB option that should last her a long time correct?



RAM is still upgradeable on the iMac. I suggest buying the standard 8GB version, and adding 16GB in the 2 empty slots for a total of 24GB, which should be plenty. Much cheaper to add your own. Pairs of RAM slots need to match, not all 4.

PhotoShop can fill up storage fast. It might be better to go with external drives for storing all but the current work. Go for an SSD in the iMac configuration. Your main external drive could be SSD also (not quite as fast as internal, but fine for all but the most pressing work), with HDDs for cheaper longer term storage.

 

[Trusteft]

Which iMac model should we get if we go through Apple? I see they offer several hard drive options built into the iMac (flash, fusion, ATA regular hard drive, etc.).

Who makes the best RAM for an iMac and where should I purchase it for the best price?

Fusion drives (ie hybrid ssdHDD drives) are for me to avoid. They are fine for small files, but through anything more heavy and they struggle. I know they have devoted fans, I don't know why.

To figure out how much space you need, ask your sister. She used to have a computer before this new one, right? How much space does she need?

 

[Mac2004]

Thanks. I have been telling her to hold off on a new iMac but when no new ones were introduced at the last public event I'm not sure if we should hold out for another few weeks or not. You would think they would have released new iMacs by now. It's only been 400 days since the last update!! Lol. As far as memory goes I think I will tell her 8GB and then update a little later. Not sure.

 

[Trusteft]

Thanks. I have been telling her to hold off on a new iMac but when no new ones were introduced at the last public event I'm not sure if we should hold out for another few weeks or not. You would think they would have released new iMacs by now. It's only been 400 days since the last update!! Lol. As far as memory goes I think I will tell her 8GB and then update a little later. Not sure.

Why don't you just ask her the size of her projects?

 

[maflynn]

She would like to get a new 27 inch iMac in the next 2 weeks or so.

Apple is not going to be coming out with a refresh within the next 2 weeks, so I say get one now

 

[Moonjumper]

Which iMac model should we get if we go through Apple? I see they offer several hard drive options built into the iMac (flash, fusion, ATA regular hard drive, etc.).

Who makes the best RAM for an iMac and where should I purchase it for the best price?

As I said, I would go for an SSD in the iMac.

 

[bent00]

I like a 512Ggb SSD size. Doesn't have the giant price tag of the current 1TB SSD's but is big enough to hold all of your apps & a good chunk of data. Your (sister's) large Photoshop and other large working files can sit on an external drive, USB3 probably. There's a 2015 27" quad core i5 retina 5k with 512Gb SSD on refurb for $2020 ($300 under new). It's got 8Gb of memory, but it's easy to add more in the 27" iMacs. No guarantees it will be there in 5 minutes, but they come & go.

 

[Mac2004]

When you say SSD is that the basic ATA hard drive or the flash one? I don't know a lot about hard drives. LOL I thought an SSD hard drive was a lot more expensive. If I go the SSD route how big should it be if she is going to use her computer for storing photos she takes?

As far as the Funion drive goes, some people love it and some people hate it.

As I said, I would go for an SSD in the iMac.

 

[Moonjumper]

When you say SSD is that the basic ATA hard drive or the flash one? I don't know a lot about hard drives. LOL I thought an SSD hard drive was a lot more expensive. If I go the SSD route how big should it be if she is going to use her computer for storing photos she takes?

As far as the Funion drive goes, some people love it and some people hate it.

The ATA is a traditional spinning hard drive. SSD is a solid state drive, a fast form of flash. An SSD makes a massive difference to the performance of a computer. The price might seem high, but an iMac is not good value without one.

I would get a 500GB SSD if I was buying an iMac now, but that is for my needs. Extensive use of Photoshop is different to my needs, so I could only guess for your sister. It might be better to get an external SSD to expand storage, and save money with a smaller internal SSD (Samsung T3 drives are tiny (therefore portable, and save on desk space), and much cheaper per GB than an internal drive).

 

[Samuelsan2001]

Thanks. I have been telling her to hold off on a new iMac but when no new ones were introduced at the last public event I'm not sure if we should hold out for another few weeks or not. You would think they would have released new iMacs by now. It's only been 400 days since the last update!! Lol. As far as memory goes I think I will tell her 8GB and then update a little later. Not sure.P

There is nothing to release they are on skylake processors and there are no new processors until next year!!

Fusion drives are great unless she is constantly moving more than 20gb of files around.