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Should I cancel my iMac G5 order?

G

germ79

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 1, 2005
24
0
Hello to all! I finally bit the bullet after getting tired of waiting for an update to the iMac and ordered a 20" on March 3rd. It's due to ship out today, but hasn't. I called and they said it will probably ship out today or tomorrow.

Should I cancel my order due to all of this iMac update rumoring? I CAN'T DECIDE!! My wife and I are having a baby in 3 weeks and I kind of wanted to get the Mac prior to our son's birth so I could fool around with the photo and video editing programs before he comes. However, I will feel silly to have boughten an iMac and have them be updated in 2 weeks!

What would you do?

Jeremy
 
Of all the people I've seen have 2nd thoughts about a recent order, your reason for needing the Mac ASAP is far and away the most compelling. Don't take the chance that you won't be prepared for the birth. Believe me, you'll have darn little time to become familiar with that software once the baby arrives. Let your order go through. First off, even if updates are announced tomorrow, the actual product availability might not fit into your rapidly dwindling window of opportunity. Secondly, it's not like your new Mac will suddenly be slower once new ones are released.
 
Thank you both for your replies. I have such a hard time feeling like I won't have the top of the line product; I'm really trying to get better about that. My wife thinks it is ridiculous and she is right!

You are both right as well. We bought a camcorder so we can take video of our new family and we are buying the iMac to do the editing. I want to get a little experience with the programs before the baby comes so that when he does come and I start taking video and photos like a mad man, I'll be able to "process" them quickly.

Thanks again for your help. I just needed a little reassurance!

Jeremy
 
Apple updates its line 2-3+ times a year, so unless you are willing to buy a machine that often, just go get the iMac and enjoy. ;)
 
Its a bad time to be buying a new iMac or Powermac. They both will be updated within a month or so. Kill the order and load up on tapes then next month get a new imac with a better graphics chip,a faster cpu,Tiger and a cheaper price. Then start your editing process.
 
Dude,
You can wait - the iMac doesn't take the pictures or the video - so it doesn't harm you to wait a few weeks to see if the rumors are true of the new version. Obviously you are using something now to download photo's and video - or maybe the baby was the justification for the purchase...and you feel that if the baby gets here first you won't get the OK...hmmm
 
Congratulations on the upcoming birth of a new baby. I think that your reason to go ahead and purchase now is a good one. Having time to work the the iMac prior to the birth will be invaluable. No definitive time table on when the next update will occur. Then there is also the possibility of delay in shipments. So now you can truly enjoy your iMac.
 
I understand your desire to get it ASAP due to more pressing engagements, but I'd urge you to wait until Tiger is announced (1st April if rumours are to be believed). An extra however much it's going to be is always nice to avoid. If previous form continues, if you order your iMac after Tiger has been announced, they'll send it to you for a nominal fee, so you'll have a little time pre-infant, and the extra cash in your pocket while still having the new OS.

iMac upgrades… maybe they're coming, maybe they're not, but the upgrade isn't going to be too dramatic most likely, merely a speedbump. For me that wouldn't be a deterrent though, but the new OS would be. Your call.

Best of luck. :)
 
Just tell your wife to hold it in another couple of weeks. I mean if she can do it for 9 months whats a couple more weeks you know!
 
I am in the same situation excecpt, I am order a ibook and I am not having a baby in the next couple of months, so do you guys think I should cancell my order?
 
I had the exact same issue last year this time!...... I had the new camera and camcorder....should I get the G4 iMac now or wait for the G5. If I would have waited my daughter would have been 4 months old and I would have missed out on about 500 photos and 3 hours of film.
Looking back, the G5 would definetely be nice but the G4 still does what I want it too (iLife, mail, Safari, M$ Office) and will continue to for the forseeable future.

My advice (from a new mac dad to a new mac dad)
1) Go with order and don't look back
2) As far as upgrades (iLife and Tiger) you get 1 out of 2. My thought is as a mac owner upgrades just come with the territory.
3) This might generate some rebuttle, but as a new dad I also highly recommend .Mac. People say its "too expensive", or " I can get the same thing cheaper with xxxx, yyyy, and zzzzz." But I think it is an absolute time saver because of its integration with OSX/iLife, and time equates to money as new dad. My thoughts on .Mac.....
a).Mac mail = zero spam to wade through daily
b)Backup is tightly integrated into OSX - you don't want to lose those new photos
c)If you have family as far away as I do, sharing photos and movies on homepage is simpler than making a five month old smile. :)
d)Virex is basically useless now but down the road.......
e)Having address book and bookmarks on line and synced with the home mac is nice as well.
4)Lastly "DO NOT GET AN EPSON C84 or CX5400 PRINTER"! Absolute JUNK. They work great for 1 year and then the nozzles clog! If you need proof check here www.fixyourownprinter.com/forums/inkjet/23702
:mad: :mad: :mad:

Well that's all I got, take it for what it is worth and enjoy your new baby. You've probably heard it a million times...."They grow up fast".... I didn't believe it but looking back over the last 9 months......WOW :)
 
I guess I'm one of the few people who would wait....

I would take as many photos and videos as you can, and order the next iMac--even if it takes another two months for upgrades. Just buys lots and lots of memory cards :) congrats
 
Well, I was all gung-ho on sticking with the order I have, but now they've pushed back my est. ship date from 3/15 to 3/21! Now that's pretty close to the first of April when the supposed updates are coming!

Do YOU think the iMac update is really going to happen at the beginning of April? If it is very likely, I feel like I might as well cancel my order and wait the extra 9 days to see if there will be an update. Geesh...this is to stressful!

Jeremy
 
germ79 said:
Well, I was all gung-ho on sticking with the order I have, but now they've pushed back my est. ship date from 3/15 to 3/21! Now that's pretty close to the first of April when the supposed updates are coming!

Do YOU think the iMac update is really going to happen at the beginning of April? If it is very likely, I feel like I might as well cancel my order and wait the extra 9 days to see if there will be an update. Geesh...this is to stressful!

Jeremy
Click to expand...

I would do this:

Stop the order. By April 15th, you'll most likely have a better, cheaper iMac with Tiger for free. Worst case, you have the same iMac that you ordered now - with Tiger on it for free. They do say that orders are "slowed down" or delayed just before a new product launch, so watch out.

Although I see the point of some posters that you should "buy your computer" and not look back (very good advice) - you alone can decide when you've reached the decision to buy. With the knowledge of what's probably around the corner, can you/your wife/child hold off 15/30 days? I agree with the posters that say the computer will not take the pictures nor the film. You can do the processing and editing after.

If you can, you haven't lost anything and you have lots to gain. New models often ship faster anyways.

Worst case - keep the order - and just say "no regrets". Tiger may cost you $129 and you shouldn't beat yourself up when the new models come out because you still will have a great computer.
 
Cancel it would be my advice.
for the first few weeks you won't have much time to mess around doing editing, sleep deprevation isnt very helpful when making decisions about which fade to use etc, unless of course you are a creative professionally- then its part of the process.
I took loads of photos and dv, but didnt get around to editing footage for a good six months.
Now if your baby gets Cholic, well thats another kettle of fish- probably be 8 months before you stumble bleary eyed into iMovie.

Have fun and enjoy.
 
If I understand you correctly, your main concern is learning the photo and video editing software so that you're prepared before the baby comes.

Since that's the case, I highly recommend you either buy the Missing Manuals regarding iLife '04 / iPhoto 4 / iMovie 4, or pre-order the iMovie HD & iDVD 5 and iPhoto 5 Missing Manuals.

iMovie HD's Magic iMovie feature will make editing super easy for you. Just deselect the automatic chapter markers option (set them manually or it'll be a new chapter for each and every shot), and put no transitions between your clips if you plan to trim your shots (this will save some time).

I agree with DHM..

I would recommend that you burn the still picture files to CDs in the meantime, and load up on miniDV tapes.
 
crap freakboy said:
Now if your baby gets Cholic, well thats another kettle of fish- probably be 8 months before you stumble bleary eyed into iMovie.

Have fun and enjoy.
Click to expand...

Don't tell him that. Both my daughters were hell for the first three months, but both suddenly became angels right on 12 weeks.

Of course, they are both still under 3 yr old, so I still have the hell of adolescence to look forward to.
 
Ok...I decided just to wait it out and try to get it before the baby arrives. NOW, however, they have pushed my est. ship date back again from 3/21 to 3/25!

So, I ordered my 20" iMac on March 3rd, and now they are saying it will hopefully ship out on March 25th. I really think I am going to cancel it now. If it does ship out on 3/25, that still wouldn't give me much time with it before the baby comes. I think I'd be better off canceling and ordering after the "update."

Anyone else in a situation like this?

Jeremy
 
As long as you are sure you can afford to stash away your savings
AND some unforetold emergency doesn't force you to divert those funds
for other priorities, you'll be fine.

Take tons of photos, buy stock in Huggies!!!!
Wait 4 months till the little one is eating solid food
and you'll have plenty of time to edit your collection
while escaping diaper duty. :D

By that time, you might be looking at twins.

Twin G5 dual cores, that is.

Then start saving for college which should be about $200,000 in 18 years
and another $40,000 for their first used car in 16 years.

My best friend just added up the entire cost of his daughters higher learning
including tuition, R&B, car, books, computers and mad money.
It was ONLY $88,000.

and another $20,000 for her wedding!


Kids are expensive!
 
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