Keep waiting or go iMac?

[dissolve]

Looking for a little reassurance here. I've been waiting for the new Mac Pro since more-or-less December (first: 'March isn't too far away' then: 'June is just around the corner). Getting a little tired of waiting so I'm evaluating my needs; well, my wants.

I would like a desktop for lots of Aperture use, some FCE, and building a video library of many DVDs. I know an iMac would meet my needs (although I did really want an SSD boot drive) but I can afford a Mac Pro and it would certainly be kept much longer. As many of you can attest, it is difficult to justify the current Pro unless absolutely needed. Right now, I'm looking at the refurb i5 for $1700. Any of you considering a current iMac as an alternative to waiting longer for the Pro? Is it a good option for what I've outlined?

As always, thank you for the help.

 

[strausd]

If you can wait, you should do so, at least til July 13th. For the past 3 months, Apple has updated 3 of their computers during the middle of the month and July is next. Also, if the new ones are more than you would need, you might have a better chance of finding a good deal on a 2009 model. I would suggest a MP over an iMac because of expandability.

 

[Deepshade]

Looking for a little reassurance here. I've been waiting for the new Mac Pro since more-or-less December (first: 'March isn't too far away' then: 'June is just around the corner). Getting a little tired of waiting so I'm evaluating my needs; well, my wants.

I would like a desktop for lots of Aperture use, some FCE, and building a video library of many DVDs. I know an iMac would meet my needs (although I did really want an SSD boot drive) but I can afford a Mac Pro and it would certainly be kept much longer. As many of you can attest, it is difficult to justify the current Pro unless absolutely needed. Right now, I'm looking at the refurb i5 for $1700. Any of you considering a current iMac as an alternative to waiting longer for the Pro? Is it a good option for what I've outlined?

As always, thank you for the help.

Don't want a vast glossy screen - don't want a C2D processor
Do want a decent video card, do want at least a quad core, Do need option to put in more drives, option for SSD later...etc

I think the iMac only hits one of those...so no
I don't think Id like to do a lot or work in Aperture with a glossy screen...so no again.

 

[Ravich]

If you're willing to pop open your iMac, you can add the SSD yourself. For building a video library, there's no reason a FW800 or even USB2 external drive wouldnt suffice.

Unless you really need multiple HDDs or PCI slots, I dont see why you would really need a Mac Pro. The iMac is a great deal. You get a powerful computer with a beautiful 27'' screen built in.

 

[Icaras]

I continue to ponder that same question every day myself. You know what makes this an even tougher choice?

The iMacs are also due for an update, and just like the Mac Pro, should be updated anytime between now and September (maybe as far as October for iMac.)

Obviously I feel like I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place, so I do the only thing I can at the moment, and that is to wait.

 

[wesk702]

the imacs are dope but man, i would kick myself it the pros came out right after my purchase. Don’t worry it’s gotta eventually get here.
hopefully the wait is worth it. they have a good history of often giving us something totally unexpected; maybe this update is one of those.

 

[ValSalva]

I'd wait. The iMac has a flawed screen. I sent mine back because of yellow tinting. I also wasn't happy with the high gloss combined with the higher number of pixels per inch - even if the screen backlighting was even and free from yellow tinting. The higher pixels per inch would have been OK with a matte screen.

An SSD for the boot drive is great. That alone is worth waiting for. Along with expandability a Mac Pro has it all over an iMac.

 

[bzollinger]

I've thought about this a bunch. I've even thought about buying a $1000 mini server to "hold" me over until the MPs are out.

I think that the iMac would suit you fine for quite awhile but like others have said the MP has so many more advantages.

Does anyone have any info on the resale value of an iMac i7 or i5? I'd be willing to buy one, use it for 3-12 months then sale it if I knew it wouldn't break the bank....

 

[dissolve]

All terrific points, thanks everyone. I can wait through July and keep hoping...man, I'd be upset if the Air got an update before the Pro. If August comes and no Pro, then it's getting close to September and a possible iMac update

I was just looking through the Buyer's Guide and saw very, very few July releases. Does Apple tend to avoid this month for any reason?

 

[Icaras]

I've thought about this a bunch. I've even thought about buying a $1000 mini server to "hold" me over until the MPs are out.

Yea I've been the same thing as well, but I will be going for the regular Mini if I decide to go that route. I may pull the trigger if in two weeks we don't see anything...

I was just looking through the Buyer's Guide and saw very, very few July releases. Does Apple tend to avoid this month for any reason?

Well I guess considering the introduction of the first iPhone, the months of June/July have typically been iPhone season so that would be my guess for the dearth of Mac updates during the month of July, at least for the last 3 years.

 

[bzollinger]

Yea I've been the same thing as well, but I will be going for the regular Mini if I decide to go that route. I may pull the trigger if in two weeks we don't see anything...

I thought about the low end mini, but the 5400RPM drive is a killer for me.

That one spec, will make a significant difference between the regular mini and the server mini....

 

[Cavepainter]

Im asking myself the exact same question. The best answer would normally be to buy a used Mac Pro, but they're WAY too much for what they should be online. Some well-known websites are trying to sell EARLY 2.66 models that are FOUR YEARS OLD for upwards of 1850 bucks. Ridiculous.

If you decide to go the imac route, which is getting more appealing every day the new Pro doesnt show, I would strongly recommend spending the extra 200 bucks and get the i7, its around 30% faster. It will retain that amount in resale value when you do get rid of it, and will help it sell much faster.

Only reason I haven't already bought the i7 27" is I'm more than a bit spooked by alot of the negative feedback on quality issues with the imac screen. Some folks have really had lots of problems. I use my setup alot for freelance work in the evenings, after a busy day job, so I simply don't have time to go thru the hassle of setting up everything and then having to replace the machine right away if it has a problem.

I have a coworker here that uses the same software I do for anim and EFX and he is kind of laughing about the fact that I keep diligently waiting for the Pro. He's had the top of the line imac for a couple months now and he absolutely loves how fast it is. Photoshop launches in like 4 seconds.

For what you need, you'll be more than happy with an i7 (if you get a good one, of course). I keep thinking if I break down and buy one myself, I may not wanna sell that big screen in a couple months, just to blow another 500 bucks for a Pro......

 

[deconstruct60]

I was just looking through the Buyer's Guide and saw very, very few July releases. Does Apple tend to avoid this month for any reason?

The buyers guide trends don't really reflect the change Apple made by dropped out of fixed in stone release events. Having to drop 1-3 products every January Macworld skewed when products could be delivered for no other reason than Macworld was in January. Ditto for tying products to WWDC, there is no good rationale for that other than they happen to line up on dates.

It doesn't make sense for Apple to pack its product releases into 1 or 2 quarters. They have enough products now that it would make more sense to float them out across many different months. That involves simpler logistics and much easier to get right (or handle problems if glitches ).

If Apple has to wait for parts ( October for desktop core updates , April for graphics updates , July for lower 3600 updates ) then that would make more sense than picking out a low number of fixed months in the year to do a big dog-and-pony show.

 

[Icaras]

I thought about the low end mini, but the 5400RPM drive is a killer for me.

That one spec, will make a significant difference between the regular mini and the server mini....

Ouch, you're right. That just made the server all that more appealing to me.

So I guess this would be about $1100 if you included the external super drive as well...

 

[bzollinger]

Ouch, you're right. That just made the server all that more appealing to me.

So I guess this would be about $1100 if you included the external super drive as well...

Yep, or you could just grab a dvd-rw drive and slap it in a housing that costs $30-40. That's what I've got. It's a DVD burner (not DL), and it stays stored away until its needed which isn't everyday.

 

[bzollinger]

So the consenses is to wait for the new MP.

Today out of curiosity, I stopped by the local Mac store during lunch and took the iMac and the mini for a little spin.

I didn't bring any video or large .tiff files with me so it's really hard to compare in my case, but the little mini seemed pretty dang snappy!

Then I checked out the 27" iMac, boy is that screen impressive! I'm not a fan of the high gloss, but it looked nice! Anyway I launched and quit all the programs I could find and it was cookin'. It was really putting my G5 to shame, no surprise there. Then I looked at the system specs and it wasn't even the i5 or i7! It was the freakin' 3.06GHz C2D!

Anyway, I'm still in the waiting game, but as the summer comes to a close and if the new MPs aren't out, then I'll probably snag up an iMac, use it for awhile, then sell it when the MPs do come out.

So if you're on the fence, don't take an iMac out for a test run, you might end up buying it....

 

[hakuryuu]

I bought the external superdrive for my Mac Mini Server for about $40 from ebay. It has been about perfect so I would say go that route as the retail price is stupid.

 

[dissolve]

So the consenses is to wait for the new MP.

Today out of curiosity, I stopped by the local Mac store during lunch and took the iMac and the mini for a little spin.

I didn't bring any video or large .tiff files with me so it's really hard to compare in my case, but the little mini seemed pretty dang snappy!

Then I checked out the 27" iMac, boy is that screen impressive! I'm not a fan of the high gloss, but it looked nice! Anyway I launched and quit all the programs I could find and it was cookin'. It was really putting my G5 to shame, no surprise there. Then I looked at the system specs and it wasn't even the i5 or i7! It was the freakin' 3.06GHz C2D!

Anyway, I'm still in the waiting game, but as the summer comes to a close and if the new MPs aren't out, then I'll probably snag up an iMac, use it for awhile, then sell it when the MPs do come out.

So if you're on the fence, don't take an iMac out for a test run, you might end up buying it....

I've been doing something similar over the past few weeks. Gone to the Apple Store and tried out Aperture on their i7 and was certainly impressed. Adjustments were snappy all around, even the more intense ones that have bogged down the laptops I've owned. So, performance is certainly not the issue I'm struggling with...it's expandability. The problem is that the current MP's are certainly enough for what I want, but how can someone who doesn't need it for professional or business purposes justify buying over a year-old computer at the same price it debuted at?

 

[VirtualRain]

If I was in the market now I would wait. If waiting is not an option I would get a refurb Quad not an iMac. SSD's are too important now to performance. I can't go back.

 

[fearoftigers]

I was in the same position and decided to go for a fully loaded 27" imac, 16gb ram 2tb hard drive etc).

I had read all the horror stories, but thought all that was in the past.

Died (completley) after two weeks. I got my money back.

I want a computer that works for years without be having to re-install anything or take it for repair.

Sadly the 27" imac is just not a quality machine.

 

[bzollinger]

I've been doing something similar over the past few weeks. Gone to the Apple Store and tried out Aperture on their i7 and was certainly impressed. Adjustments were snappy all around, even the more intense ones that have bogged down the laptops I've owned. So, performance is certainly not the issue I'm struggling with...it's expandability. The problem is that the current MP's are certainly enough for what I want, but how can someone who doesn't need it for professional or business purposes justify buying over a year-old computer at the same price it debuted at?

Exactly! This is the IDENTICAL situation that I'm in. I need the expandability of a MP. But the iMac i7 would work until that expandibility is needed. But it's a hassle buying something now, getting it setup then going through the process of selling it, buying a new MP, and then getting that setup.

I'm thinking about a 2009 mac mini w/ maxed out RAM and an SSD that I can put in my MP when it comes out.....

What do you think? Low investment, parts that can carry over to a new MP, and something that can be repurposed (HTPC) or sold.

 

[bzollinger]

I was in the same position and decided to go for a fully loaded 27" imac, 16gb ram 2tb hard drive etc).

I had read all the horror stories, but thought all that was in the past.

Died (completley) after two weeks. I got my money back.

I want a computer that works for years without be having to re-install anything or take it for repair.

Sadly the 27" imac is just not a quality machine.

Sounds like you got a lemon! That's too bad, you didn't want to try another one?

 

[dissolve]

Exactly! This is the IDENTICAL situation that I'm in. I need the expandability of a MP. But the iMac i7 would work until that expandibility is needed. But it's a hassle buying something now, getting it setup then going through the process of selling it, buying a new MP, and then getting that setup.

I'm thinking about a 2009 mac mini w/ maxed out RAM and an SSD that I can put in my MP when it comes out.....

What do you think? Low investment, parts that can carry over to a new MP, and something that can be repurposed (HTPC) or sold.

That sounds like a very good solution. If I had the budget for that, I bet it's the route I would be going. I had thought of buying the iMac, keeping it throughout the release of 2010 and maybe 2011 MPs and then selling it for that current-generation Pro. But, as you mentioned, selling and setting up again is a hassle (and expensive with such a quick turnaround). I think I would need to keep whatever I buy next for at least 3 years to justify the expense...piece of cake as soon as the MP is updated

 

[Nostromo]

Don't want a vast glossy screen - don't want a C2D processor
Do want a decent video card, do want at least a quad core, Do need option to put in more drives, option for SSD later...etc

I think the iMac only hits one of those...so no
I don't think Id like to do a lot or work in Aperture with a glossy screen...so no again.

Four core would be the way to go.

But in regard to the screen, same here: no glossy.

 

[ValSalva]

Sounds like you got a lemon! That's too bad, you didn't want to try another one?

I returned mine too. There are just too many reports and stories here of people getting four and five iMacs and they still have problems. I think this version of the iMac is flawed. Hopefully the expected update this summer or early fall will really address the iMac problems.