I really want an iMac, but is it the right time?

[PatriotInvasion]

Actually....and I'll repeat myself once again seeing as you have a hard time comprehending.....I never suggested one product to you. I was conversing with someone else about what they owned and what another was looking to buy.

Your first response to me was "I would buy an external display and hook the rMBP up to it. You can buy a pretty good IPS display for less than $200 these days." Perhaps you didn't specifically mention AOC or ASUS, but you might as well have given that those are the brands in that price range and you then showed what you meant by that comment in further posts with another user.

Apple currently does NOT offer a product that will fully suit your needs. You have a hard on for "retina", but only if it has an Apple logo on the front.

The iMac in it's current form suits my needs, hence my interest in it. Again, in my OP, I clearly express concern about just how soon a 4K model may be coming...which will be a better product...and thus desirable. Oh the horror of such a concept.

You started this thread asking for advice but crap on the rational folks that respond.

Crapped on no one. Only politely said that for the sake of this discussion I am only considering Apple branded products...which sent you into a hissy fit.

There is no "growing transition" for 4k desktop displays. There are a bunch of people who are continually trying to predict new tech. That's it. You are waiting for someone that isn't going to come for some time.

So the 4K displays released by Dell in 24", 28", and 32" configurations in the past 30 days along with others from ASUS and Sharp don't exist as part of a growing transition to higher PPI displays in sizes similar to the iMac? Hmm, ok.

Now nitpick my response and ignore all the good advice and only respond with the stuff you think you can argue about. You've done it numerous times now so why stop now?

Ha. Like you didn't do the exact same thing this entire thread? Being the loudest guy in the room doesn't make you right. You've been counter punched too many times and just got knocked out. See ya bye.

 

[PatriotInvasion]

Just an FYI, but my "cheap monitor" rates off the charts by pretty much every major computer magazine and has an IPS display for about 100 bucks less than comparably equipped models from Dell and other brands. It pays to shop around.

I do think the stand is less than ideal, hence the discussion between myself and another poster, but the display quality is stellar. I was able to set up a dual display workstation using a loaded Mini for under $1400 which is tough to beat.

Fair enough. Glad it worked out to your satisfaction. Just not for me. Meant no offense to you. Was primarily going at accountfor...whatever his name is for skewing my words and just generally being overly chapped about someone only considering an Apple purchase on a site about Apple products.

 

[Mcdevidr]

I faced a similar dilemma in that apple really didn't make what I wanted. I was thinking about a Mac Mini and Thunderbolt Display but could not see paying that much for the old monitor. In the end I just settled on the base 21.5 the ppi is similar to the 27. Yes you can see some pixels but only if looking for them. The iMac screen is far superior to the screen on a 23 inch samsung I have which is led that I can spot the pixels on from a mile away. I know there are other displays out there which I could have ran the mini on but I like the apple aesthetic and don't mind paying for it so I'm in the same boat as you there.

I'm selling this machine as soon as a high density one comes out or if the new model offers something intriguing. Best of luck finding something that works for you.

 

[fig]

Fair enough. Glad it worked out to your satisfaction. Just not for me. Meant no offense to you. Was primarily going at accountfor...whatever his name is for skewing my words and just generally being overly chapped about someone only considering an Apple purchase on a site about Apple products.

To each their own, although I think it's a bit silly for anyone to get worked up over message board posts when we're all generally trying to help each other out. Don't think anyone's really intending offense here.

And for the record, I looked at a lot of other options and considered a Thunderbolt Display pretty seriously but couldn't justify the price. My cheap display actually works with the Apple look much better than more expensive ones do.

I also don't think 4k is much more than hype right now, people might make the transition eventually but not nearly as fast as some manufacturers would like you to believe.

 

[accountforit]

I faced a similar dilemma in that apple really didn't make what I wanted. I was thinking about a Mac Mini and Thunderbolt Display but could not see paying that much for the old monitor. In the end I just settled on the base 21.5 the ppi is similar to the 27. Yes you can see some pixels but only if looking for them. The iMac screen is far superior to the screen on a 23 inch samsung I have which is led that I can spot the pixels on from a mile away. .

I assume the Samsung screen you have does not have an IPS display, but the iMac does. A lot of Samsung monitors still use TN panels. I owned a 21.5 iMac for three years and the screen was nice. Yet, not any better than a lot of other monitors on the market. Also, the iMac has a slightly higher pixel density than the 23" Samsung because it's smaller.

You are never going to get value with a Samsung product. They are the jack of all trades and the master at none.

 

[The Economist]

When the 13" rMBP was released in October 2012, I sold my mid-2010 27" iMac in exchange for the Retina screen and portability the rMBP provided. Since that time, I've added an iPad Air to the mix which is capable of handling my portable computing needs, so now I'm stuck with a small 13" screen to use at my desk. I want to go back to an iMac but worried now is not the right time for the following reasons. Interested in your thoughts on the 2 concerns holding me back.

1.) A 4K/Retina iMac is likely just around the corner (and I'll want it) so buying a Haswell iMac today is setting myself up for disappointment sooner rather than later

2.) After being in an all-Retina environment for the past year and a half, going back to a non-Retina iMac won't be worth the cost to get one despite the larger screen and added horsepower.

What would you do?

I could never go back to a 13-inch screen, retina or not. Buy your iMac of choice and when a new model is out, and if it's a 4k iMac, sell it and buy the latest model.

If Apple releases something extraordinary later this year you'll only be spending a couple hundred dollars for the new iMac. If they don't, then you will have enjoyed your machine for several months already.

 

[PatriotInvasion]

I could never go back to a 13-inch screen, retina or not. Buy your iMac of choice and when a new model is out, and if it's a 4k iMac, sell it and buy the latest model.

If Apple releases something extraordinary later this year you'll only be spending a couple hundred dollars for the new iMac. If they don't, then you will have enjoyed your machine for several months already.

We see eye to eye my friend. My 13" rMBP is on Craigslist at the moment. Going to see how much I can get for that before pulling the trigger. Thanks.

 

[iydkmigthtky]

IMO iMac will never get a 4K display screen, not at least before 2 years or so.

The mobile Graphic card is too weak to drive anything at 1440p.

Even with the GTX780/880/980, there isn't really enough juice to run apps at native resolution @ 60FPS with 4K displays.

Best bet would be Apple releasing 4K external monitors using TB2.

Other than that, you're wasting your hopes.

Cheers.

seriously? the gtx 780M can run extremely graphically demanding games at 1440p/60 fps. you really think it can't draw some lousy windows at 4k?

that said, i think 4k is kind of... ridiculous. except you're watching movies on a 60" tv.

 

[PatriotInvasion]

seriously? the gtx 780M can run extremely graphically demanding games at 1440p/60 fps. you really think it can't draw some lousy windows at 4k?

that said, i think 4k is kind of... ridiculous. except you're watching movies on a 60" tv.

4K to an iMac in the 21.5-27" range would be akin to going from non-Retina to Retina on iOS devices and MacBook Pros. The higher pixel density is much more pleasing to the eyes because you're not distracted by jagged text and foggy edges of images. I suppose from 8' away when watching a 55" TV, 4K vs 1080 isn't all that noticeable, but using a computer display of which I personally am never more than 1.5-3' away from would make a significant difference.

 

[IA64]

seriously? the gtx 780M can run extremely graphically demanding games at 1440p/60 fps. you really think it can't draw some lousy windows at 4k?

that said, i think 4k is kind of... ridiculous. except you're watching movies on a 60" tv.

... Where do I start.... Do you have a GTX780M ? I do have one with a 32GB of RAM and i7-4771 + SSD.

Battlefield Bad Company 2 ( 4 years ? old game ) : @ native resolution with High settings and HBAO ON ~ 45-65 FPS which is above average with a minimum of 23 FPS. GPU load is 100% and GPU Memory controller is ~ 45%

780M is just a desktop GTX660 or GTX580, somewhere in between.

 

[ioannis2005gr]

As far as I can understand, you can be satisfied with the "new" (Q1 2014?) Mac Mini (read rumors for specs) attached to a brand new 4K Monitor, am I correct?

 

[PatriotInvasion]

Deep breath. Ok, just purchased a BTO 27" iMac with the 256GB SSD. Was strongly considering the Fusion Drive, but that's a stop gap solution and I figured going pure SSD would be better for resale in the future, and of course I'll benefit from the speed (and silence) of the SSD right now. I have a 1TB LaCie Thunderbolt drive and a 1TB Time Capsule should storage become an issue.

I figure we're still a ways off from an affordable 4K iMac so should get years of enjoyment out of this one. Thanks all.