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I'd like to say that white 24"ers had very uneven lighting. The edges of the screen were considerably darker than the center. This was on all 6 iMacs I've seen.

Alum 24", on the other hand, is a very good screen. If it wasn't glossy a LOT of people would have prefered it over white one.

As for glossiness, I dont think its a problem. Even when monitor is facing a window its not that bad and if it doesnt, the glossy is awesome.

Not to mention you get a considerably faster computer with more HD space for basically the same price.

And I prefer new design vs old one.

So my vote is alum.
No such problem with my white iMac, its screen is gorgeous!
 
No such problem with my white iMac, its screen is gorgeous!

Probably, which is nice.

But still, you could try making the screen show a single solid color, then when its dark take a picture of it with longer exposure.

Dont do it if you dont want to/dont care of course :D
 
hmm, I can see why you are uncertain. For me, i always liked the white imacs, they were imo much better looking than the aluminium models, however, I had a 20" imac which i sent back after a couple of days because i noticed that its screen was really uneven. For me therefore, the screen was pivotal, and so if the likelihood of getting a bad screen is much higher for the white ones, then id probably get the aluminium version. For your info, heres a photo of the uneven screen on the imac i returned.


ps. is this what your imacs looked like eXan?
 

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hmm, I can see why you are uncertain. For me, i always liked the white imacs, they were imo much better looking than the aluminium models, however, I had a 20" imac which i sent back after a couple of days because i noticed that its screen was really uneven. For me therefore, the screen was pivotal, and so if the likelihood of getting a bad screen is much higher for the white ones, then id probably get the aluminium version. For your info, heres a photo of the uneven screen on the imac i returned.


ps. is this what your imacs looked like eXan?

No, it looked similar to this:

BTW, I wasn't buying those iMacs... I was just working in a local computer store that sold Macs along with a ton of regular computer stuff... ;)
 

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Thanks everyone. There has been a lot of useful information in this thread.

Has anyone noticed the speed difference in day-to-day use, or is going with a faster one just a good idea for "future-proofing"?

Thanks - Greg
 
Thanks everyone. There has been a lot of useful information in this thread.

Has anyone noticed the speed difference in day-to-day use, or is going with a faster one just a good idea for "future-proofing"?

Thanks - Greg

I dont understand your concerns.

You said that the new iMac is 60$ more expensive to you. And for those 60$ you get:

-A faster processor (2.4 ghz with 800 MB FSB vs 2.16 GHZ with 667 MHz FSB)
-A slightly faster video card that supports more graphics features
-70 GB more HD space
-New, and IMO, better design, along with the new very nice keyboard.

The screen of 24" Al iMac is a very good screen, the difference is minimal between old one and this one. You can calibrate it for even better results.

What are you concerned about :confused: Every point above is worth the extra 60$ on its own to me
 
I got the white mac (new, not refurb or used) instead of the alu, because:


- Cheaper: Mine was more expensive than the base Alu 20", but I didn't want a 20" screen (especially after hearing that they are terrible in quality). The price I paid for the white 24" was a good deal cheaper than the entry 24" alu (let's just say more than $60 difference!)

- Matte screen: I prefer it

- Lots of 'issues' reported with the Alu's: They seemed to have died down a bit recently, though I haven't been really following. I just didn't want to worry about potential freezing/gradient/condensation problems.

- Styling, I consider it a wash. I do like the Alu idea, it's just that the combination with the black I'm not 100% fond of. And the new plastic black backs (which I've seen oooh'd and ahhh'd here on more than one occasion :confused:) even remind me of PC's. *shudder* I think it's also more inconsistant on the whole too, once you factor in the white mighty mouse and the white keys on the keyboard. Heck, the new keyboard looks more at home with a white mac than the alu.

imacjz7.jpg



Happy shopping. I'm fairly sure you'll love either Mac.
 
I sold my white 24"/2.16/2GB/250GB imac to a friend which got me a cheap upgrade to my current machine, 24"/2.8/2GB/500GB.. I gotta say I preferred the (perfect and beautiful) matte screen on the white imac much more that the (uneven and 1 annoying bad pixel) glossy screen on my alum.. Although I do enjoy the speed of the 2.8 and the larger hdd, overall I preferred the white imac as a whole package over the alum.. I had no problem with the styling on the white imac, nor do I have a problem with the styling of the alum.. Styling is pretty much at the bottom of my list when it comes to hardware.. Function is foremost..

It would have been curious to see which would have been the more popular model if the white imac got the same processor etc. updates as the alum.. :rolleyes:

PS. I can't believe nobody mentioned the lack of magnetic remote holder on the side of the white imac!! I was very disappointed to find this was missing when I upgraded.. Since I got my new imac I have no idea where my remote is.. :confused: :D
 
I got the white mac (new, not refurb or used) instead of the alu, because:


- Cheaper: Mine was more expensive than the base Alu 20", but I didn't want a 20" screen (especially after hearing that they are terrible in quality). The price I paid for the white 24" was a good deal cheaper than the entry 24" alu (let's just say more than $60 difference!)

- Matte screen: I prefer it

- Lots of 'issues' reported with the Alu's: They seemed to have died down a bit recently, though I haven't been really following. I just didn't want to worry about potential freezing/gradient/condensation problems.

- Styling, I consider it a wash. I do like the Alu idea, it's just that the combination with the black I'm not 100% fond of. And the new plastic black backs (which I've seen oooh'd and ahhh'd here on more than one occasion :confused:) even remind me of PC's. *shudder* I think it's also more inconsistant on the whole too, once you factor in the white mighty mouse and the white keys on the keyboard. Heck, the new keyboard looks more at home with a white mac than the alu.

imacjz7.jpg



Happy shopping. I'm fairly sure you'll love either Mac.

Good morning.

I'm having the same dilema myself. Trying to decide between a 24" NEW White iMac (with only the 128 meg video card) or the new 24" base model aluminum. The price difference is about four hundred. I would max either out on memory. Please help me decide. I'd like to order one and get it before the new year (yeah.. i'm gonna pay for overnight shipping). I will basically be using in for word processing, video (dvd conversion) internet, photo editing (not extensive - red eye reduction, etc.) and will run Parallels with XP. Any inupt will be appreciated.

Thanks.
 
Good morning.

I'm having the same dilema myself. Trying to decide between a 24" NEW White iMac (with only the 128 meg video card) or the new 24" base model aluminum. The price difference is about four hundred. I would max either out on memory. Please help me decide. I'd like to order one and get it before the new year (yeah.. i'm gonna pay for overnight shipping). I will basically be using in for word processing, video (dvd conversion) internet, photo editing (not extensive - red eye reduction, etc.) and will run Parallels with XP. Any inupt will be appreciated.

Thanks.

Get the white. I owned a 20" Core Duo and it's the best desktop I've used so far. The Core 2 Duo 24" came out about a week outside my exchange window! I can only imagine how great it is :(
 
the only time the glare is an an issue is if you are sitting with large windows behind you. Going to a store doesn't sell it very well as the stores are usually so bright. Ive got a 20inch alu and its brilliant...have not once noticed any noticable glare that its taken away from what im doing.


Alu all the way.

All my mates have whites and they all want my alu. They were all surprised how glare or reflection isnt an issue at all.


Apple arent stupid
 
Must be something about this time of year but I just was going to start a thread with the same question.

Specifically I'm trying to choose between a 24", 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 1GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM, 250GB SATA, DVD-R/CD-RW Super Drive 8x, 10/100/1000 BASE-T Enet, Built-in AirPort Extreme, Bluetooth 2.0, Built-in iSight, OS X 10.5 Leopard from MacMall for $1399 after rebate versus the Refurbished iMac 24-inch 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo for $1549.

As see it I can save $150 with the following differences:

- New vs. Refurbished
- 250 GB vs 320 GB
- 2.16GHz vs 2.4GHz
- Matt vs Gloss screen
- White vs Aluminum

Is that all of the differences? From reading the thread above it seems there are some differences in the video card and keyboard.

Also has anybody had any experiences with MacMall and their rebates?
 
The new keyboard is $50. It is by far better than the old white keyboard and that alone is a huge plus to me for the Aluminum. If I didn't already have a MacPro, I would get the newer machine. Glossy screen and all.
 
The design of the new iMac's are gorgeous, but it really all comes down to this: do you like glossy screens or matte screens? The new Alu iMac's have some huge advantages (faster processor, larger HD, slightly better video, much better keyboard) but the older iMac's have some advantages (cleaner design, magnetic remote holder). If I were you, make of list of what you like and don't like about both iMac's, and see which has the longer negative list. That should help a little bit. If I had the money, it would be a no brainer: Alu iMac.
 
I dont understand your concerns.

You said that the new iMac is 60$ more expensive to you. And for those 60$ you get:

-A faster processor (2.4 ghz with 800 MB FSB vs 2.16 GHZ with 667 MHz FSB)
-A slightly faster video card that supports more graphics features
-70 GB more HD space
-New, and IMO, better design, along with the new very nice keyboard.

The screen of 24" Al iMac is a very good screen, the difference is minimal between old one and this one. You can calibrate it for even better results.

What are you concerned about :confused: Every point above is worth the extra 60$ on its own to me

The Radeon HD 2600 in the 24" alum iMacs is simply inferior to the GeForce 7600GT available BTO in the 24" white iMacs. Even if the OP might not do much gaming, this may still affect his decision because he stated that he wanted his iMac to last 3 to 5 years, and the faster video card in the iMac could make a difference by then for more than just gaming. In the end, however, I think that design is going to be the most important down the road. If you like white, get the white. If you prefer the aluminum design, go for it. Both models are close enough in peformance as to not make too great a difference, and you an always upgrade your processor later if you want to.
 
The Radeon HD 2600 in the 24" alum iMacs is simply inferior to the GeForce 7600GT available BTO in the 24" white iMacs. Even if the OP might not do much gaming, this may still affect his decision because he stated that he wanted his iMac to last 3 to 5 years, and the faster video card in the iMac could make a difference by then for more than just gaming. In the end, however, I think that design is going to be the most important down the road. If you like white, get the white. If you prefer the aluminum design, go for it. Both models are close enough in peformance as to not make too great a difference, and you an always upgrade your processor later if you want to.

Yes, I know that 7600 >>>>> R2600.

But I was talking about default configurations of the computers. I dont think you can find a new iMac with 7600... At least its very hard.
 
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