One last advice on new imac please!

[djstrike]

Dear Mac users,

I need one last advice so that I can decide how I´m going to spend my money on my first Imac.

I´ve read a lot on this forum, went to a few apple stores to get advice searched the internet etc. I´ve spend a lot of time to investigate what I want/need for my needs!

I´ve dicideded to go for the base model: 21" imac.
My question is: Do I need one (or both) of the following options:
1) 16 Gb instead of 8 Gb (I know I can´t upgrade afterwards)
2) Fusion Drive

My needs:
Internet/mail/microsoft office (for these needs I know the base model is sufficient-even an 2011 imac would be sufficient), Photoshop of Photo´s and Imovie (render home videos and convert them to DVD).
For these last 2 needs I think I need more ram (especially for imovie).

I want my Imac to last at least 5 years (also to be able to use to new software in the future). For that reason I´m thinking about the fusion.

For the price of the extra memory and the fusion I´can purchase an I Pad, which I don´t have at this moment, so we´re talking about serious money.

I´am not planning to buy a new I Mac every 3 years (otherwise I would go for the complete base model).

Can you give me some advice?

 

[MacAlien]

Dear Mac users,

I need one last advice so that I can decide how I´m going to spend my money on my first Imac.

I´ve read a lot on this forum, went to a few apple stores to get advice searched the internet etc. I´ve spend a lot of time to investigate what I want/need for my needs!

I´ve dicideded to go for the base model: 21" imac.
My question is: Do I need one (or both) of the following options:
1) 16 Gb instead of 8 Gb (I know I can´t upgrade afterwards)
2) Fusion Drive

My needs:
Internet/mail/microsoft office (for these needs I know the base model is sufficient-even an 2011 imac would be sufficient), Photoshop of Photo´s and Imovie (render home videos and convert them to DVD).
For these last 2 needs I think I need more ram (especially for imovie).

I want my Imac to last at least 5 years (also to be able to use to new software in the future). For that reason I´m thinking about the fusion.

For the price of the extra memory and the fusion I´can purchase an I Pad, which I don´t have at this moment, so we´re talking about serious money.

I´am not planning to buy a new I Mac every 3 years (otherwise I would go for the complete base model).

Can you give me some advice?

Fusion Drive is supposedly worth it. The only real reason to get 16GB of RAM would be if you like, actually need it. Most things today won't need more than 8GB so YMMV.

 

[zedsdead]

8 gbs of RAM sounds like enough for the next few years....by 4 or 5 though, the 16 may come in more use if you keep the video editing up.

Fusion drive is a no brainer...it makes everyday takes significantly faster.

 

[Nismo73]

I've ordered a base 21 w/ fusion...How future proof will it be??? *shrugs*
I'll be doing the same with it that you are, but I know from using my 13" Air from work that SSD is definitely worth it, so that's why when the base became available with the fusion, I decided to go for it. I could have spent a little more for the high end 21, but my late 2010 Air is still fast as the first day I got it for normal browsing, light photo/video editing and the like. So, if that core 2 duo and nvidia 320 has made it very well to early 2013, I'm pretty sure a quad core i5, 640 graphics and 8gb is going to do well for a number of years.

If I was doing heavy video editing and gaming, I would have just dropped the cash on a 27" 680 machine.

 

[djstrike]

thanks for the advice so far!

Does someone has tested real live the difference between the 21,5 inch imac with fusion and 16 gb and the one wiith 8gb and fusion?

 

[Bear]

thanks for the advice so far!

Does someone has tested real live the difference between the 21,5 inch imac with fusion and 16 gb and the one wiith 8gb and fusion?

The problem is that what one person perceives as fine performance is not as good to other people. If you can afford both 16GB and the Fusion drive, taht would be the best bet for the system having a longer useful lifetime for you.

 

[forty2j]

Note that, while a little difficult and not warranty-friendly, it is in fact possible to upgrade the 21" RAM aftermarket.

 

[jawn12]

Note that, while a little difficult and not warranty-friendly, it is in fact possible to upgrade the 21" RAM aftermarket.

Oh? Would you be able to explain how? Cheers.

 

[forty2j]

Oh? Would you be able to explain how? Cheers.

Just check out the iFixit teardown. You need to take most of the system apart, but once you get there it's standard RAM.