What he said. I could have never waited for my iMac. I'm happy I got mine when I did which I'm figuring is about halfway through the pattern.
Don't wait.
I posted this in another thread but I think it is pretty relevant to your comment about not waiting and a misunderstanding why we are so interested in IB.
I think the main point people need to realize for those of us waiting for iMacs is that the processor is actually a minor factor. However, Apple will not be releasing new iMacs without a new processor so it's arrival is highly anticipated.
For the vast majority of users, the current Sandy Bridge processors are more than enough power, that is true, but there are a number of issues holding people back from buying such as:
- Outdated SATA technology
- Lower cost and/or higher speed and/or more storage options for SSDs
- Upgraded GPUs
- USB 3.0
- Bluetooth 4.0
On top of these factors, there are few other important things to consider:
First, as the developer preview of Mountain Lion highlights, as the years go on, OSs will continue to leave older machines behind. Those buying iMacs today will have full year less with their machines being compatible than those waiting a few more months (essentially adding a year to the life of the upgrade path for their new machine). I.E. (with hypothetical years) an iMac bought today will be unsupported by the OS in 2016 while if you wait a mater of a few months, the 2012 iMac will not lose support until 2017. (Waiting a few months to gain a year of support).
Second, an iMac today will cost significantly less than that same iMac bought in a few months. If those of us who don't want/need the new features wait a few months, we can save hundreds of dollars off of new and refurbished 2011 models. Waiting makes financial sense.
Finally, the iMac for many of us will be a long term machine. While 6Gbps vs. 3Gbps SATA and USB 2.0 vs. 3.0 and an AMD 6970M vs. 6990M are not HUGE differences today, they may play more of a role in 5 years.
As always, if you need a computer now, buy now, but, if you can wait until a refresh, I think your patience will pay off in the long run.