How often do you upgrade your iMac and how do you afford to upgrade so often?

[iMaccore2]

I bought cheap windows boxes for a long time. After two years, they because useless and I was forced to upgrade. In 2007, I bought a base alu iMac. I have had it for around 3.5 years now, and I'm stretching this one to see how low I can get the $/Years used ratio. My goal is to use this until I graduate in two years and then upgrade to either an iMac or an MBP. People still use iMac G3's as everyday machines, which really points to apple computers longevity.
Peace

 

[aggri1]

I always bought second-hand Apples (since the old LCII), up until last year when I got my first new one, an iMac. Generally I never had a machine that was less than three years old; I'd been using a 2003 MDD G4 up until last year, a G4 Yikes before that.

That's how I managed it, financially.

 

[Overniven]

Sadly, I wish I could upgrade every year like a lot of people are able to do. My first Apple was a unenhanced IIe bought in 1986 bought with my own money on consignment I replaced it later with an Apple IIgs with a Transwarp GS.

In 1998 I bought my first Mac ,a refurbished Powerbook G3 "Wallstreet". I replaced it in 2002 with a TiBook 867 that held me until 2006 when I picked up the first Intel iMac which remains my main machine 5.5 years later. I am definitely in the market for a new one.

I paid for the first refurbished unit on credit with an Apple Loan...(MBNA is/was a horrible bank). The next two units were bought on credit card and fully paid with a check when the bill came.

Waiting to see what the next iMac/Mac mini refresh looks like then trying to decide if I should just get a 13" MacBook Pro..I really love the form factor

I'd really like to see a Mac not-so-mini (the mythical headless iMac), but with a nice discrete graphics chip and a non-laptop hard drive. (SSD's are here, but not quite at a great price..getting closer).

 

[Kendo]

My plan is to keep my MBP and MBA for 2 years.

I buy new MBA & iPad in 2012, new MBP in 2013 and so forth.

This way I will sell when there is still one year left of the Apple Care - and hopefully get a better price.

I am really liking this idea. I am going to pay for my 2011 iMac in full with money I received from this year's and last year's tax returns. Upgrading every 2 years seems like the sweet spot since I can save for two years while having a relatively current iMac.

For one thing, you don't have to deal with the hassle of migrating every year. Second, you won't notice tremendous speed gains in everyday use upgrading every year but will probably start to notice some slowdown by the second year. And third, having that last year of AppleCare is the thing that will push people to buy your used iMac over another seller.

 

[AnthonyCM]

If I'm comfortable with my current finances, I have the following self-imposed guidlines:

iPhone: Upgrade every two years (currently have a 3GS, waiting for the iPhone 5)

MBP: Every three years (was going to get one this last upgrade, but netbook crashed, so got a MBA 13" instead. This might be my new MBP upgrade, as I don't need the power).

iMac: Every five years. 2012 should be my next upgrade.

iPad: Every 2-3 years. Have 1st gen. We'll see when I get a new one.

Mini: Using as a HTPC. Upgrade as needed. Have late '09 model now. Will see if/when it is worth upgrading as a HTPC.

All older computers that I no longer have use for go to my nephew/niece, not a landfill.

 

[mrzeigler]

I average a new computer about every 7 years.

Performa 6400 in 1996.
G4 iMac in 2003
New iMac when the line refreshes this summer.

I don't push my machines to extremes, but I always try to max out the hardware specs when I buy so they age gracefully.

The Performa really struggled at the end. The G4 still works well enough for run-of-the-mill stuff (browsing, word processing, spreadsheets) except when I push it with PS. Really, the biggest problem with it is frustration cause by bloated iTunes.

My wife's employer-provided MacBook and our iPod Touch help me not feel so antiquated.

I can afford to upgrade "so often" because, well, it ain't so often.

 

[krazzix]

I just checked the dates i bought mac's and i seem to get a new one every 4 years, but my late 2006 MBP i'm now using 4,5 years and i'm currently waiting for the new iMac refresh.

I only buy a new one when i can't play the games i wanna play anymore and when i feel it's getting slow.

I earn a moderate salary, but i actually save on other things to buy macs

 

[kfscoll]

I am really liking this idea. I am going to pay for my 2011 iMac in full with money I received from this year's and last year's tax returns. Upgrading every 2 years seems like the sweet spot since I can save for two years while having a relatively current iMac.

For one thing, you don't have to deal with the hassle of migrating every year. Second, you won't notice tremendous speed gains in everyday use upgrading every year but will probably start to notice some slowdown by the second year. And third, having that last year of AppleCare is the thing that will push people to buy your used iMac over another seller.

Why do you find that it's a hassle to migrate? I use Migration Assistant or Time Machine when I get a new computer and it couldn't be more painless.

 

[tpavur]

Why do you find that it's a hassle to migrate? I use Migration Assistant or Time Machine when I get a new computer and it couldn't be more painless.

I really need to look into this, when I get my Mac Pro and switch from my first mac, th iMac... is it as simple as pluging it in and connecting it to my time machine back up from the iMac? it migrates all the files but leave the drivers alone? as in when I fire up the mac pro after migrating with time machine everything will look as it did on the iMac? any other steps involved to make sure everything works right?

 

[aliensporebomb]

Sigh

Five years minimum typically - it's not that I wouldn't want to get the latest and greatest every few years it's just not practical unless it explodes.

For instance, my G5 2.5 blew up last summer in the wake of a power transformer explosion in my neighborhood more or less forcing me to upgrade, I was going to wait for Sandy Bridge (and thunderbolt) but honestly had no choice.

My old G4/400 with 10.4 on it is still downstairs and still boots but it doesn't get used much.

 

[ngenerator]

It also doesn't hurt that I am currently single. No wife/kids to spend money on

Best money-saving tip, EVER!

 

[kfscoll]

I really need to look into this, when I get my Mac Pro and switch from my first mac, th iMac... is it as simple as pluging it in and connecting it to my time machine back up from the iMac? it migrates all the files but leave the drivers alone? as in when I fire up the mac pro after migrating with time machine everything will look as it did on the iMac? any other steps involved to make sure everything works right?

Yep, that's exactly what will happen, and other than having to re-enter a few passwords/activation codes for some of your software (since it's all now on new hardware) that's all you'd have to do.

Please tell me you're waiting until the Sandy Bridge processors make their way into the Mac Pro before you buy one! Otherwise, unless you have a multi-processor system or a six-core Westmere chip in your Mac Pro, the SB iMac should handily outperform the current first-gen Core-based Mac Pro. And even if you have a multi-processor or six-core Mac Pro, I'd expect that it would only outperform a SB iMac on highly multi-threaded apps.

 

[Kendo]

Gonna give this a healthy bump for all the new 2011 iMac owners.

 

[macchiato2009]

Before this turns into a thread full of "I'm a lawyer and I make $100,000 a year" type of posts, I want to clarify that I am not asking what you do for a living. In the same way that 95% of the strangers you come across every day are not trust fund babies, I would imagine that the majority of the users here are just like me. I make a moderate amount of income where I am not living paycheck to paycheck and can afford a few luxuries (HDTV, Xbox 360, iPhone, iPad), but cannot purchase an iMac every refresh and cannot afford to be unemployed for more than 6 months.

I often see members who have the latest and greatest iMacs and MacBook Pros in their signatures. For example in one thread, I saw a user with a 17" MacBook Pro, 27" Apple Cinema Display, and a 13" MacBook Air. In another thread, I saw a user clinging onto an iMac G3 waiting for the 2011 iMac refresh. I plan on purchasing a base 27" iMac as soon as the refresh hits and hope to use it for a good 5 years.

Which brings me to 2 questions:

1) How often do you upgrade your iMac or MacBook Pro? I'd like to limit this to the computers as the iPad and iPhone are significantly easier to keep up with the current models.

2) How do you finance it? Do you purchase it on credit and make monthly payments? Do you sell your current model and use that money towards the latest refresh? Are Apple products your main vice so you will sacrifice money elsewhere (such as dining out, traveling during vacations, shopping for clothes)? Are your parents rich and buy you what you please? No shame in that by the way. We strive to work hard and gain wealth so we can afford more luxuries to ourselves and our loved ones.

2011 will be the year I officially make the leap to OSX and I can't wait. After owning an iPhone 3GS for two years and an iPad for one, the hardware design and iOS are the reasons why I am blindly dropping $1700 on a new 27" iMac. Expose and Spaces have already tickled my fancy at the Apple Store and I can't wait to jump into OSX.

there are as many buyer's profiles as people in the world, no rules for that...

some people buy because they always want the latest machine
some people buy because they don't have money issues
others will be more careful on how they spend and will buy just what they need at the moment



don't worry so much about what people do or how often they buy


just ask yourself:

- how much you wanna spend now or over a period of time

- what you'll do with your machine


when people come to a store to get the latest machine while they can save money on an earlier generation to surf the web and use Word, it doesn't make sense

these past weeks, i've hearded a lot about people wanting thunderbolt, 8-core machines etc...

these people almost never use data backups, or if they have an external HD, they just get the cheapest USB they can get
they are afraid of getting a machine that will be obsolete while they have been just doing basic stuff with it for a while...

 

[Bear]

For me, it's been:

iPod: Upgrade when needed. At this point, I'm more likely to pay for a battery replacement for iPod Touch if it's in otherwise perfect working order than I am to buy a new model. The 3rd gen Touch is my third iPod overall and my second one (iPod Color) is still being used.

Laptop: Spend a little more and have it last for 4 or 5 years. If you have a desktop for your heavy lifting, then it doesn't matter if the laptop gets long in the tooth.

Desktop: 3 to 4 years depending on what my needs are and the condition of the machine. Again, spend extra to buy the high end and configure it with top graphics and CPU options. Memory is easy enough to add later.

A little bit extra spent up front on a system to make it last longer will lower the cost per year for a system. Budgeting wise, I make sure I can afford a replacement every 3 years in case there's a major repair needed after Applecare has run out.

Yes there's a desire to run the latest and greatest, but at what cost? And the annoyance of switching systems more often than is needed. ANd is it needed for what you are doing?

 

[Bear]

these past weeks, i've hearded a lot about people wanting thunderbolt, 8-core machines etc...

these people almost never use data backups, or if they have an external HD, they just get the cheapest USB they can get
they are afraid of getting a machine that will be obsolete while they have been just doing basic stuff with it for a while...

All too true, or as someone pointed out in another thread, they'll get a whole new system instead of just buying memory they need to fix their performance issue.

 

[Jazwire]

Started my Apple addiction in 2009 so...

2011- Imac Mine
2010 - Imac Wife/Kids
2009 - Imac (Gave to friends whom needed it & couldn't afford a nice computer.)

2011 - Macbook Pro Mine
2010 - MacBook Pro Wife
2009 - MacBook Pro (Giving to my Mom)

Ipad2 - Mine
Ipad - Wife/Kids

Iphone4 - Mine
Iphone 3GS - Wife
Iphone 3G - Ebayed

When 2012 models come out, I'll prob sell or give away the 2010 and move the others down the chain.

 

[coolspot18]

B "I'm a lawyer and I make $100,000 a year"

2) How do you finance it? Do you purchase it on credit and make monthly payments? Do you sell your current model and use that money towards the latest refresh?

No need to be a lawyer to make that much and more money.

But just start a savings fund - 50 - 100.00 per paycheque, in one year, you'll have $1300.00 - 2600.00 or more which is plenty for a new iMac each year

I do a ~4 year cycle. The time between each upgrade I purchase other hardware I need such as NAS drives, peripherals (printers, scanners, etc), UPSes, RAM, Hard Drives, network gear, etc.

 

[stroked]

Started my Apple addiction in 2009 so...

2011- Imac Mine
2010 - Imac Wife/Kids
2009 - Imac (Gave to friends whom needed it & couldn't afford a nice computer.)

2011 - Macbook Pro Mine
2010 - MacBook Pro Wife
2009 - MacBook Pro (Giving to my Mom)

Ipad2 - Mine
Ipad - Wife/Kids

Iphone4 - Mine
Iphone 3GS - Wife
Iphone 3G - Ebayed

When 2012 models come out, I'll prob sell or give away the 2010 and move the others down the chain.

Your wife doesn't rate anything new?

 

[mrfoof82]

1. I upgrade whenever I feel existing hardware is not allowing me to be productive, or there is some new feature which is of obvious and immediate value to me. I only picked up an MBP this year for going to clients. The iMac replaces a Mac Mini that does not allow me maximum productivity. For me, my average upgrade cycle is 3 years. It can be as short as a year, or as long as four.

2. I pay cash. If I don't have it, I don't buy it. Sales of old hardware helps to put a large dent in the purchase price. These are planned purchases, so money is saved years prior to purchase. I have no debt (but a phenomenal credit score). I make few purchases overall. I'm fairly frugal, but I dont skimp on things that I use constantly in my day to day life. I use my computers professionally for 30% of my waking hours, so it's not an area I will compromise. Having a good paying job also helps.

 

[Drag'nGT]

I usually keep it until Apple Care ends and then sell it. You can still get a good price for a used iMac. It's not like you carry it around and it gets all scratched up. I'm holding on to my current iMac until all the new IOs are on them. I thought the 2011 didn't have the new sata until that update but there's no USB 3 until next year.

 

[Drag'nGT]

Started my Apple addiction in 2009 so...

2011- Imac Mine
2010 - Imac Wife/Kids
2009 - Imac (Gave to friends whom needed it & couldn't afford a nice computer.)

2011 - Macbook Pro Mine
2010 - MacBook Pro Wife
2009 - MacBook Pro (Giving to my Mom)

Ipad2 - Mine
Ipad - Wife/Kids

Iphone4 - Mine
Iphone 3GS - Wife
Iphone 3G - Ebayed

When 2012 models come out, I'll prob sell or give away the 2010 and move the others down the chain.

lol I'll pay the shipping on the giveaway if you don't mind passing it down to a fellow Mac head.

 

[s.hasan546]

Which brings me to 2 questions:

1) How often do you upgrade your iMac or MacBook Pro? I'd like to limit this to the computers as the iPad and iPhone are significantly easier to keep up with the current models.

2) How do you finance it? Do you purchase it on credit and make monthly payments? Do you sell your current model and use that money towards the latest refresh? Are Apple products your main vice so you will sacrifice money elsewhere (such as dining out, traveling during vacations, shopping for clothes)? Are your parents rich and buy you what you please? No shame in that by the way. We strive to work hard and gain wealth so we can afford more luxuries to ourselves and our loved ones.

2011 will be the year I officially make the leap to OSX and I can't wait. After owning an iPhone 3GS for two years and an iPad for one, the hardware design and iOS are the reasons why I am blindly dropping $1700 on a new 27" iMac. Expose and Spaces have already tickled my fancy at the Apple Store and I can't wait to jump into OSX.

1. I upgrade my MacBook pro every year, my pc gaming rig every other CPU generation (sandy bridge eyre now, will wait for ivy bridge-e for next upgrade, iPhone every year, I also get every new blackberry, and sometimes try new droids.

2. I always buy from best buy since they match apple's discounts + gives me tax free (business purchase), and 18 months no interest. I can pay for it all upfront but 0% interest is a no brainer. My best buy card is the only credit card that has a revolving balance. Everything else is used as a charge card. Anyways I sell the older model and buy the new one, or sum times give the older model to my parents if they want it.

That being said I don't spend an insane on clothes. I have a decent wardrobe with zegna, ferragamo; etc. However, that's more of a business necessity. My non work clothes are average stuff. I have started a watch collection that is a huge money pit lol. However, I love my collection and wouldn't trade it for anything.

Yes my parents r well off. However, I have my own business and am a partner with my father in his business. So I make a decent living. However most of my expenses r low. House paid for, no crazy cars. I reinvest a lot of my income. Remember there is a difference between being rich and wealthily. I know a lot of idiots that go out and buy a stupid $200k car when they start making some good money but it's not the brightest idea if u wanna get wealthy. I could drive a crazier car if I wanted & I will later on. But for now I drive a gti as a everyday car, s2000 on the weekend, and my h3 in the snow.

Also I agree with you on sharing luxuries with other people. My little cousins will get spoiled by me when they are a little older. I also give the family w.e they want at their request.

Also if it's a business need/want I'll update every month lol. I never cheap out especially when it comes to something for work.

 

[Thedutchjelle]

I'm a university student, using an iMac I bought in 2008 when I was still in High school.

Ever since 2008 I've had a job which is giving me a fairly decent income (for my age anyway). Theoretically I could afford a new iMac, but the high price of them tends to make me hesitant.

I'm not a big spender but university is being a big drain on my bankaccount. If I also buy a new iMac n, it might deplete faster than I can refill it and I don't want to have to loan money to pay for my study - that will come back to bite me later. So I resist the temptation of the Apple

 

[s.hasan546]

Also take into consideration that if you buy the refresh every year you don't have to buy AppleCare ( which I never do)