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iMac noob here
- Thread starter Rscott016
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I also would agree iMac. Since you said MacBook (which is discontinued), I can only assume you mean Macbook Air or MacBook Pro. If you already have an iPad, you would want a robust main computer. A good Macbook Pro would work, but if the iPad serves all of your portability, than go for the iMac.
Definitely go i7 and SSD+HDD if you can afford it. Don't worry about RAM. Upgrade RAM from Crucial, much cheaper.
SSDs are still relatively expensive, so it's good to do a small SSD for OS X and applications, then the HDD can be for all of your data. That way you still get the fast bootup times, etc without having to spend a ton. To be honest, i'm not sure if the i7 is 27" only. I think so, but i'm not sure.
The i7 is available for both 21.5" and 27" models and allows for what is called "hyperthreading". This allows you to effectively utilize your processor's cores efficiently and very powerfully, for any pro apps that have might have multi-core processor support. So I really don't see the value of upgrading to an i7 unless your going to be doing a lot of audio or video production work. You'll see only marginal gains, if any, in day to day tasks with an i7 processor.
And Jeremy just answered the SSD+HDD question
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I intend to use the iMac to watch tv shows, movies, music, surf the web, keep up with forums, online shop, and that's about it. I think the i5 will be more than sufficient. (at least I hope so) Not to be off topic, but has anyone purchased AppleCare for the iMac? I am not sure if I want it or not...
I normally don't buy any kind of extended warranties but I definitely recommend AppleCare.
Apple products are great but things can go bad. One repair or replacement will have paid off having AppleCare. Plus they really treat you like gold. Not to say they don't if you don't buy it but you get a little extra service and they have more options in terms of replacement or repair with AppleCare.
Apple products are great but things can go bad. One repair or replacement will have paid off having AppleCare. Plus they really treat you like gold. Not to say they don't if you don't buy it but you get a little extra service and they have more options in terms of replacement or repair with AppleCare.
Then the i5 will be more than enough for your needs. You really won't see any added benefit of an i7 processor with the tasks that you are doing. I would use that $200 and put it towards the SSD BTO.
AppleCare is definitely peace of mind. If you intend to purchase the iMac on credit, you should also look into any built in purchase warranties you get with your credit card. I shop with my AMEX card and automatically get 2 years buyer protection warranty on computers and electronics for free as a benefit. For this reason, I personally don't purchase AppleCare. However, AppleCare will net you 3 years total warranty protection. If you plan on getting it, I have heard that you can find good deals on ebay. Also, just so you know, you're not obligated to purchase AppleCare on day 1. You have up to a full year to decide whether you want it or not.
From experience however, I had a logic board fry on my PowerMac G5 years ago. Luckily I had AppleCare, and it saved me like $900 in repair costs, so it has been helpful for me in the past. If you don't have credit card protection, then I would recommend it. AppleCare is also way better in quality of what standard extended warranties are from other brands.
Hope that helps.
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Like others have said, with what you're using it for, ignore what i said before about the i7.
My suggestion: get a cheapest refurb iMac (as long as its not Core 2 Duo) and that will fit your needs just fine. Apple Care is a very good thing to have because computers (just like any other device) are subject to random failures, and if you are the unlucky one to be affected by such failure, its a good thing to have a warranty.