Need help choosing the right iMac options

[Mitchelino]

I currently own a pre-unibody 15" MacBook Pro, 2GB RAM, 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo. I love it to death, but I figure it's almost time to replace it with something that better suits my needs. I wont be buying an iMac until summer 2011 (I'm aware there will be hardware changes by then), but I would just like a rough idea if I'm on the right track to buying what I really need. So here's a bit about me and my needs:

• I'm a university student
• I write music as a side job/hobby
• These are the apps I use almost daily: Mail, Safari, iCal, iTunes, Pages, aMSN, Tweetie, GarageBand, Finale, RapidWeaver, iPhoto, Quicktime and Skype
• I might upgrade to Logic in the near future (to replace GarageBand)
• I multitask, so I run a lot of apps at once (mainly the ones listed above)
• I want lots of internal storage (I filled a 1TB external hard drive)

These are the options I'm looking at:

• iMac 27-inch
• 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 - Is it overkill for what I need? Would 2.66GHz be just as fast for me?
• 8GB RAM (4x2GB) - Is this enough for my needs? Will I notice any lag? (I notice a significant amount with 2GB)
• 2TB Serial ATA Drive - I like to avoid external hard drives, except for using Time Machine
• AppleCare? - Should I get it? Or save my money and hope for the best?

Thanks in advance for your help and opinions, they are appreciated!

 

[spinnerlys]

The i7 might be overkill for your needs, even with Logic. But if you have the money, get the best you ca afford.

Btw, using the internal HDD as scratch disk, be it for video or audio, is not really recommended, as the OS and the audio application need to access the same physical HDD, which puts a lot of stress onto the HDD. An external FW HDD might be best for use as audio scratch disk.

As the price for RAM will be lower in 2011 than it is now, get as much as you can. 8GB might be enough, but depending on the seriousness of your audio work, you might need more eventually.

And get Apple Care.