iMac this weekend or not?

[volntitan]

Hi folks...

Looking for some advice. This weekend is a tax-free weekend here in tennessee. We would like to get a 17" iMac for the house for my daughter to use when she is home from school. I have researched here and have seen varying opinions on when a new update is going to be released. If it is going to be in a month or 2, no problem waiting. But if it isn't until, say October, not sure we can wait that long. Also...Leopard coming out at some point...is it worth waiting on it to get a machine or should I just get the upgrade.

So bottom line, for a home use computer, do I wait and get the latest and greatest, OR do I just go ahead and take advantage of the tax free weekend here in TN so I don't have to pay the 9.25% tax (yep...9.25).

Thanks in advance for any insight....

 

[danny_w]

I just purchased a 17" iMac for my wife for general purpose use to replace an aging Win98 machine. We didn't have any immediate need for the machine, other than I was tired of maintaining Win98, but I decided there was no need to wait. Personally I never wait for "the next best thing" if the current model is a solid performer. Who knows, the update may have bugs that the current model doesn't have? And for a general purpose machine, the updates probably won't be a deal breaker anyway. I'm sure others will feel differently though.

 

[zero2dash]

Wait til WWDC to see if there's any announcements.

If you're concerned about tax, buy from Amazon where they don't charge sales tax (or shipping).

 

[danny_w]

Wait til WWDC to see if there's any announcements.

If you're concerned about tax, buy from Amazon where they don't charge sales tax (or shipping).

And they also offer a $75 rebate.

 

[volntitan]

Luckily, my wife works for the local school system, so we can get the education rate. She is just finally tired of the old pc/windows xp nonsense. When I told her we could have the reliability of the mac but still run the pc programs we need (bootcamp?), then she was sold. I was thinking of buying it locally so that we could have them install the bootcamp and do all the "techy" stuff.

I was going do wait for that conference, WWDC, but someone who is a Mac Head said that they would announce updates to consumer machines there.

Do you think the current iMacs would be considerably cheaper in a month or so?

 

[volntitan]

Here's another point to our puzzle...we are looking at a 17" because the 20+" will be too big for where we are going to put it. Looking at what the "insiders" are saying, they are going to phase out the 17". Has anyone heard that also? Maybe that will help us make the decision....

 

[zero2dash]

I was thinking of buying it locally so that we could have them install the bootcamp and do all the "techy" stuff.

I think you could install Bootcamp yourself, it's probably not that difficult.

I was going do wait for that conference, WWDC, but someone who is a Mac Head said that they would announce updates to consumer machines there.

No one knows what they'll unveil at WWDC. Could be lots of things (new machines/specs). Could be nothing (software/Leopard only).

Do you think the current iMacs would be considerably cheaper in a month or so?

No. They may bump specs up a little but I don't expect price drops because they've been around the same price point for so long now.

Here's another point to our puzzle...we are looking at a 17" because the 20+" will be too big for where we are going to put it. Looking at what the "insiders" are saying, they are going to phase out the 17". Has anyone heard that also? Maybe that will help us make the decision....

I doubt the 17" is going anywhere. The 17" is a perfect fit for people who want an AIO with more power than the Minis. IMO their models now (17/20/24) are different enough to keep all three around.

As for "the insiders scoop" again - who knows what they'll do at WWDC.

 

[volntitan]

This sucks. My brain says maybe wait a month. My gadget loving heart says get it asap. I need someone to make my mind up for me

 

[zero2dash]

This sucks. My brain says maybe wait a month. My gadget loving heart says get it asap. I need someone to make my mind up for me

I want a Mac so bad it's eating me up inside.
Originally I was all over the 24" iMac but have recently decided to get a 2.66 Mac Pro + 23" ACD. And I want it now.

Unfortunately 'mr. checking account' says "you've gotta wait" so...I [un-patiently] must wait.

 

[volntitan]

I have the opposite delimma. We will be getting our tax refund this weekend so we will have the money. My "fear" is we won't have the money anymore in a couple of months...you know how that is...

 

[zero2dash]

I have the opposite delimma. We will be getting our tax refund this weekend so we will have the money. My "fear" is we won't have the money anymore in a couple of months...you know how that is...

Yeah, I know what you mean.
If we wouldn't have had over $3k in medical bills when we got our tax return, we'd have the Mac Pro + 23" ACD already.

Try to set it aside...savings account if you can. Or have someone hide it.