New iMacG5 - buy now or wait? not MacTel related!

[damiebuckley]

We're about to (finally) put our poor old iMacG4 800mHz to rest in lieu of a new machine with more speed, bigger screen, you know the story...

We'd love to splash out on a dual 2.7 Powermac but with a business in its first year and given the value for performance currently offered we're looking at the 20" iMacG5(mainly for screen size - using inDesign, P'Shop etc).

We are however wary about buying now - not because of the Intel switch but mainly for fear of putting down the cash to have a 23" or 2.5/2.7Ghz version appear shortly after.

This happened with both our existing iMac 15" when the 17" was released about a month after we bought it and then my 17" PB - which gained a faster processor and dropped in price by approx. A$1000 about 3 months after I bought it.

Added to that, Steve's WWDC speech suggested they had new products still to come with the existing PPC line. Also, given the likely drop in sales volumes and gradual clearing of G5's prior to MacIntel - could bring on some discounting towards the end of the year...

We can afford to wait a while but would prefer to upgrade within the next few months.

So, do we buy or wait?

 

[thehuncamunca]

buy now, the iMacs were recently updated with significant upgrades (128mb graphics, standard wireless BT and AE, speed bump, dual layer DVD burner, 512mb ram standard)
i doubt the imacs will be updated soon and when they do get updated it will probably be just a minor speed boost

We're about to (finally) put our poor old iMacG4 800mHz to rest in lieu of a new machine with more speed, bigger screen, you know the story...

We'd love to splash out on a dual 2.7 Powermac but with a business in its first year and given the value for performance currently offered we're looking at the 20" iMacG5(mainly for screen size - using inDesign, P'Shop etc).

We are however wary about buying now - not because of the Intel switch but mainly for fear of putting down the cash to have a 23" or 2.5/2.7Ghz version appear shortly after.

This happened with both our existing iMac 15" when the 17" was released about a month after we bought it and then my 17" PB - which gained a faster processor and dropped in price by approx. A$1000 about 3 months after I bought it.

Added to that, Steve's WWDC speech suggested they had new products still to come with the existing PPC line. Also, given the likely drop in sales volumes and gradual clearing of G5's prior to MacIntel - could bring on some discounting towards the end of the year...

We can afford to wait a while but would prefer to upgrade within the next few months.

So, do we buy or wait?

 

[mad jew]

The current iMacs are a very good value buy at the moment in my opinion (ATM IMO ) so go and grab one. Don't worry about the future too much. Current spec machines will only ever go down in price, never up, so it's just part of the buying process to see your machine discounted later on.

I reckon you'd be very happy with an iMac right now so you may as well get it right now.

 

[wwooden]

I think the best thing to do is to check the Buyer's Guide here at macrumors. That will give a pretty good indication of how long it's been since they updated a particular computer and how soon until they do.

 

[Macky-Mac]

they were JUST updated around the beginning of May.....so less than 2 months ago........you could be waiting for a long time for the next update

 

[macbaseball]

There is no way that Apple would ever come out with a 23 inch iMac, or at least not for a few years. The thing would be too expensive for a consumer machine, and they aren't going to make a professional iMac. That just doesn't make sense.

 

[damiebuckley]

Thanks

Thanks Guy's, we're heading out to have a look at one this weekend.