Ordering new imac - what upgrades should i do

[Mac'nCheese]

Just curious if anyone had advice on buying the 27 inch quad core. I want this computer to last for another 5 years and I do the following: LOTS of videos/pictures of kids, some editing of videos, and watching videos on internet. I know its hard to see into the future but if anybody has any advice on if I should just get the exact model they have on store.apple.com or should I buy more ram, bigger hard drive, the better processor (i7). Also: I have an old, roundish airport and would need a new external hard drive for backups. Does anybody recommend a Time Capsule? they are pretty expensive and I would only get it if they are fantastic. i'm willing to use my old airport and could probably get a much cheaper h.d. for backups anywhere.

 

[ditzy]

My general advice with an iMac would be, to get the best processor and hard drive that you can afford at that moment, as these are not user upgradable. RAM can be upgraded later.

 

[DesignerOnMac]

Just curious if anyone had advice on buying the 27 inch quad core. I want this computer to last for another 5 years and I do the following: LOTS of videos/pictures of kids, some editing of videos, and watching videos on internet. I know its hard to see into the future but if anybody has any advice on if I should just get the exact model they have on store.apple.com or should I buy more ram, bigger hard drive, the better processor (i7). Also: I have an old, roundish airport and would need a new external hard drive for backups. Does anybody recommend a Time Capsule? they are pretty expensive and I would only get it if they are fantastic. i'm willing to use my old airport and could probably get a much cheaper h.d. for backups anywhere.

As mentioned, get the fastest processor and the larger HD. RAM is cheap right now, so I would buy more RAM and install it yourself. I'd check your old airport as it might not work properly as there has been a few upgrades. I'd probably try it first. Maybe a software or firmware update might work also.

There have been good and bad reports on the TIme Capsule. Look into Iomega external HDs. I have used them for a long time and am very happy with them.