Pla on getting a 21' iMac but need advice on what specs to get for web development.

[ecuanaso]

I'm doing some web develpment. I usually have up the command line, sublime text2 , xcode, email client, mamp, adobe illustrator and google chrome.
What specs should I get in iMac I should get?

Oh and i'm trying to keep it below 2,000 dollars

I need the size to have to fit more screens at a time...
i like having sublime up and chrome up. I would like to see them side by side with no problem.

 

[wlossw]

21 foot iMac is huge! It probably won't fit on your desk .

I just wanted to tell you to get the upgraded ram and an ssd. Especially if you are running virtual machines... It's non-trivial to add these after the fact.

I also suggest you checkout the refurb section of the Apple Store, you'll get the most bang for your buck and a full warranty.

 

[yjchua95]

I'm doing some web develpment. I usually have up the command line, sublime text2 , xcode, email client, mamp, adobe illustrator and google chrome.
What specs should I get in iMac I should get?

Oh and i'm trying to keep it below 2,000 dollars

Any quad core i5 iMac with an SSD will do you fine.

Try refurbs. They're damn good.

 

[ecuanaso]

21 foot iMac is huge! It probably won't fit on your desk .

I just wanted to tell you to get the upgraded ram and an ssd. Especially if you are running virtual machines... It's non-trivial to add these after the fact.

I also suggest you checkout the refurb section of the Apple Store, you'll get the most bang for your buck and a full warranty.

I need the screen size because I like having sublime text 2 up and google chrome up at the same time. I need more realestate to see what I'm doing and toggle back and forth.
I would like to buy it from the apple store. Do they sell refurbs at local apple stores?

 

[yjchua95]

I need the screen size because I like having sublime text 2 up and google chrome up at the same time. I need more realestate to see what I'm doing and toggle back and forth.
I would like to buy it from the apple store. Do they sell refurbs at local apple stores?

Then you'll probably need a 27" more.

Chrome really sucks on OS X.

Get a 27" with an SSD from anywhere.

 

[ecuanaso]

Then you'll probably need a 27" more.

Chrome really sucks on OS X.

Get a 27" with an SSD from anywhere.

Web dev world chrome is all that's used.

I hear what you're saying about the 27 inch but I would like to have the ability to take it places. The 21.5 seems like it can be more portable.

 

[yjchua95]

Web dev world chrome is all that's used.

I hear what you're saying about the 27 inch but I would like to have the ability to take it places. The 21.5 seems like it can be more portable.

Then just get the baseline 15" rMBP for portability.

A desktop isn't meant to be taken around.

 

[wlossw]

I need the screen size because I like having sublime text 2 up and google chrome up at the same time. I need more realestate to see what I'm doing and toggle back and forth.
I would like to buy it from the apple store. Do they sell refurbs at local apple stores?

Refurbs are online only...

 

[andy9l]

Web dev world chrome is all that's used.

I hear what you're saying about the 27 inch but I would like to have the ability to take it places. The 21.5 seems like it can be more portable.

The 27" iMac is a great machine for web development. We use them almost exclusively at work (a digital design/strategy agency), with the exception of some PCs.

The latest Safari is faster than Chrome, and offers very similar developer tools. I personally use it, after using Chrome exclusively for several years.

Do NOT buy your iMac from a local Apple store because it will come with a slow spinning hard drive from the late-90s. Buy it from the online store, and customise the hard drive option to an SSD. Please, please do not buy a spinning hard drive in 2015. The bottleneck is huge. If you really cannot afford the SSD, compromise with a Fusion drive, but nothing less.

Also, on the 27" you can easily install more RAM from third-parties without voiding any warranties, or even the need for a screwdriver. On the 21", you're stuck with what you get.

The base 27" iMac with a 256GB SSD is $1,999. That's your best option for your budget. Use Thunderbolt external storage if you really need it. If you really need the onboard storage, you can switch for a 1TB Fusion drive at no extra cost. The 1GB GPU would make me a bit nervous about longevity, though. You could always get the next 27" model with a 2GB GPU and 256GB SSD for $2,199 and just go easy on spending elsewhere for a couple of months...

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Then just get the baseline 15" rMBP for portability.

A desktop isn't meant to be taken around.

This is a good point.