iMac 2.4 vs 2.8

[Gemylon]

I'm very close to purchase one of this new iMac 'wonders'.
BUT...I cant decide which one will be the best for my work.

I'm a musician working a lot with ProTools LE,
and I also do a bit of design-work with Photoshop/Illustrator.
So I need it for music and graphics.

How much faster is really the 2.8 when It comes to real working,
and not just the testing reviews.
(I'm not too much into the tech. terminology, sorry...)

Will I be able to work with (many) more RTAS PlugIns in ProTools
If I get the 2.8, or will the be very little difference here ?

I guess some Photoshop PlugIns will render a bit faster yes,
but I can live with some waiting on this point.

I'm more concerned about the two iMacs will handle real-time processing in ProTools LE.

Any input highly appreciated.



G

 

[devman]

Performance numbers here.

http://www.appleinsider.com/article...imac_core_2_extreme_mac_mini_benchmarked.html

Enjoy!

 

[Southern]

I would say that if you use a machine for high end tasks, go for the best you can afford. Sure, the 2.8Ghz model is faster, but the 2.4Ghz is still pretty damn fast if you find you can't afford the top-end machine. At least if you buy a 2.4Ghz machine you might have some cash available for additional upgrades and accessories. Stick an extra stick of 1Gb RAM in and the new iMac will go vroom! If you get a non-apple upgrade it can't cost you more than about £35inc VAT+shipping from Crucial (check their website for other currencies). At least that is my plan.

 

[PieMac]

I was fretting over the same decision and finally decided to go with the 2.8-benchmarks are starting to come in and they look positive and worth the upgrade, IMHO. Besides, I will be running Aperture as well as Photoshop.

I decided to custom configure and order from the Apple online store to save some $. If you choose the 2.4 model and just upgrade to 2.8 it's only and additional $250.00 which totals out to be $2049.00 rather than nearly $2300.00. You can always add an external 7200 firewire drive if you need more than the standard 320 GB and I think everyone is aware how over priced Apple is on RAM. You can purchase and additional 1GB stick for around $50.00 from OWC (excellent RAM-have upgraded many times with them) or go all the way and get the 4GB upgrade kit for $269.00 (which is what I'll probably do).

Bottom line: you can always upgrade the RAM and HD yourself, but you're stuck with the processor.

Good luck on your decision!

 

[Gemylon]

Thanks for all answers.

These last two days have been too much back and forth,
and I'm glad I've finally made up my mind to go for the 2.8 Ghz.

I'm sure that will be a great one for my needs,
and by adding a 4 Gb RAM package from OWC,
I think this will be a top solution.
One thing though, the 2.8 only option is the 24",
and might be a bit big on the stage.
But I can learn to live with that...

BTW...
Nice to see the benchmark results ticking in,
and to understand I've made the right solution...


Cheers
G

BTW 2...
I've chosen the 2.8 'upgrade' path.
Using both firewire 800 and 400 External Disks along with an ACD 23 ".