Should I wait or go ahead?

[Gemmy]

I begin my first year of college next month and I'll be majoring in Graphic Design. I'm still debating on whether I want a Refurbished Macbook Pro 17" or the 21.5" iMac. Either will do but the portability of the MBP is what is making me want it more than the iMac. I don't really like having to sit at a desk all day and I would to take my MBP with me from time to time. My budget is about $2000 and no more than that as the rest of my money is going towards books, fees and other supplies I'm going to need. I've also heard a new iMac may be coming out soon which has me a little frustrated because I have to have my new mac before school starts.

My question is which would be better for me? Should I go ahead and buy the current iMac, wait for the new one, or go for the MBP? I've heard the iMac has more power and it's better because it has a larger screen. I'm a little leery about buying a refurbished 17" MBP as I don't want to spend all my money on a laptop that'll crap out on me within 4 years. I'll be primarily using my mac for drawing, painting, and editing images in Adobe Photoshop CS6 Extended but I'll also be installing Adobe Web and Design Premium CS6. I'll also be using it to create, design and code websites. Other uses include surfing the web, watching movies and videos, and chatting.

 

[Johnf1285]

I would say wait until Wednesday, as there is a probability that a refreshed iMac will release alongside Moutain Lion. After that, if there is no iMac and I was in your situation, I would strongly consider a MacBook Pro so you have something for college.

However, if an iMac releases this summer before you start school, working in CS6 at 1920x1080 on a 21.5" at a desk will be nice (I work in cs6 all day at my job in Internet marketing - seo and web design - wish I did it on an iMac though).

 

[ijohn.8.80]

If there's not a release tomorrow, have a look at refurbished 27" iMacs on the Mac Store. The bigger screen is very handy for exactly what you'll be using it for.

 

[G51989]

Wait, the current iMac is hopelessly out of date.

I say that because most OEMs like Dell, HP, Gateway, Falon, Sager, or any of the larger ones, update machines constantly as it comes onto the Market, Apple just keeps making the same dusty old boxes as long as they feel like, without updates or prices drops.

 

[dast1g]

Was going to buy my first mac this week but don't think I will if the iMac is not updated. I need a new computer for college and I have the money but I know it won't last until October

 

[eddjedi]

Wait, the current iMac is hopelessly out of date.

Really? My 2009 i7 iMac has a faster processor than the new rMBPs. The newer models also have Thunderbolt. Saying a 2011 iMac is 'hopelessly out of date' is ridiculous. If you were talking about the Mac Pro I'd agree, but saying the current iMac is now obsolete purely because loads of people on here are kidding themselves that a retina iMac with new form factor is coming out this week is quite frankly stupid. Judge a computer on its current hardware, not what it could have or could look like.

Any Mac you can buy right now, arguably apart from the Mac Pro, will be perfectly suitable for what you want to do, and be supported for a good few years to come.

 

[jollino]

Any Mac you can buy right now, arguably apart from the Mac Pro, will be perfectly suitable for what you want to do, and be supported for a good few years to come.

You have a point, but I frankly just can't get myself to buy a 2011 machine at the same price it had when it came out in 2011. I might go for a refurb (€979 vs. €1158 "new" for the base iMac) but considering that it'll have to last at least 3 or 4 years, USB3 would be nice. Granted, the $400 TB-USB3 adapter will cost less and less as time goes by, but still…

 

[eddjedi]

You have a point, but I frankly just can't get myself to buy a 2011 machine at the same price it had when it came out in 2011.

Agreed, I never buy anything brand new. I bought my iMac second hand for 60% of the retail price when it was 11 months old. But not everyone like me is happy pulling something apart trying to fix it if it goes wrong, so some people prefer to buy brand new for peace of mind.

Unfortunately if you like Apple products, that is just the nature of the beast. They never have given release dates, and they never will. 99% of posts on Mac Rumors are pure speculation with little or no evidence. So if you need a Mac now, just buy one. Don't believe all the hype on here about the new iMac with 3D screen coming out tomorrow (by the way, I made that up.)

 

[Jenja]

Really? My 2009 i7 iMac has a faster processor than the new rMBPs. The newer models also have Thunderbolt. Saying a 2011 iMac is 'hopelessly out of date' is ridiculous. If you were talking about the Mac Pro I'd agree, but saying the current iMac is now obsolete purely because loads of people on here are kidding themselves that a retina iMac with new form factor is coming out this week is quite frankly stupid. Judge a computer on its current hardware, not what it could have or could look like.

Any Mac you can buy right now, arguably apart from the Mac Pro, will be perfectly suitable for what you want to do, and be supported for a good few years to come.

Just because your processor is clocked at a higher speed don't make it faster. I actually looked up the scores for the 2.3 GHz rMBP processor and you Intel Core i7 850 processor, the rMBP has a score three times higher then your processor.

 

[jollino]

Agreed, I never buy anything brand new. I bought my iMac second hand for 60% of the retail price when it was 11 months old. But not everyone like me is happy pulling something apart trying to fix it if it goes wrong, so some people prefer to buy brand new for peace of mind.

I fix things as part of my job, but iMacs are something I wouldn't want to open. I actually wanted to replace my 2006 iMac's HDD a few years ago, but the procedure was fairly complex (though not complicated) and I eventually decided it wasn't worth the time it needed. Moreover, I currently don't have a laptop so I need something that just works. Granted, even new things can stop working for no apparent reason — I'm on my fourth iPhone 4, I kid you not — but second hand is a little bit too risky in my case. I'm actually fairly unsure about refurbs, given what happened with the iPhone: kernel panics due to faulty memory 8 months after buying it, went to the nearest Apple Store (200 km away) to get it replaced; after another 8 months the vibration motor stopped working reliably, I sent it back to Apple via AppleCare… and they sent me another one with faulty memory and it took three days of calls to convince them that they sent me a broken unit as they just didn't believe me, even though I sent them plenty of logs. In the end they locked _another_ €550 on my card for the second replacement. Knock on wood this one seems to be working fine, and while I rationally know that it was a spell of bad luck, I'd rather avoid dealing with stuff that may be more broken than freshly-built specimens.

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Unfortunately if you like Apple products, that is just the nature of the beast. They never have given release dates, and they never will. 99% of posts on Mac Rumors are pure speculation with little or no evidence. So if you need a Mac now, just buy one. Don't believe all the hype on here about the new iMac with 3D screen coming out tomorrow (by the way, I made that up.)

Oh, I only saw this part now (did you edit your post? I think it wasn't there when I started my previous reply). I know about that, but it's still a bit frustrating. At this point I'll wait, as upset as I am. I just hope that this machine lasts until then. Should it die sooner, well, refurb it is...

 

[theSeb]

Really? My 2009 i7 iMac has a faster processor than the new rMBPs. The newer models also have Thunderbolt.

No, it doesn't. Your iMac's processor is quite a lot slower than the 2012 MBP's CPU. I imagine you're basing your assumption on the clock speed? That's not how things work.

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Just because your processor is clocked at a higher speed don't make it faster. I actually looked up the scores for the 2.3 GHz rMBP processor and you Intel Core i7 850 processor, the rMBP has a score three times higher then your processor.

His processor is an i7 860. I am not sure which benchmarks you're looking at, but his processor is definitely not 3 three times slower than the 2.3 rMBP CPU.

It is slower, but not 3 times slower.

 

[eddjedi]

OK sure the updated i7's are more efficient, I was just pointing out that my 'hopelessly out of date' 3 year old iMac has a quad core i7 processor. So the processors in the 2011 iMacs, although not the latest, are plenty fast enough for all but the most intensive workers/geekbench show-offs.

 

[mixel]

If nothing is forthcoming over the next couple of days I'd get a refurb imac, with at least the 6770. Even the quad i5s are fast. Don't let people put you off with specs and speculation, you could be enjoying and using a great machine now. CS suite runs great on the 21.5" 2011 iMacs. Just make sure you have lots of RAM.

Unless you have some real necessity for USB3 I don't see the point in waiting. (Pending real clues of an imminent release)

 

[forty2j]

I'd still give it till July 31 for a kinda-simultaneous-with-ML refresh, but today's report suggesting end of Sept due to manufacturing issues looks pretty credible.

 

[G51989]

If nothing is forthcoming over the next couple of days I'd get a refurb imac, with at least the 6770. Even the quad i5s are fast. Don't let people put you off with specs and speculation, you could be enjoying and using a great machine now. CS suite runs great on the 21.5" 2011 iMacs. Just make sure you have lots of RAM.

Unless you have some real necessity for USB3 I don't see the point in waiting. (Pending real clues of an imminent release)

The point in waiting is that your paying new prices for old hardware. That's why waiting is a good thing, more bang for your buck.

 

[CappyAA]

If portability wasn't a factor at all, I'd definitely agree with those that suggest the iMac route. However, I can guarantee that you'll end up doing a lot of your work outside of your house/apartment when you're in college due to group meetings, doing work in class, not being home, etc. Most colleges will have computer labs to supplement your home computers. So I'd make that decision by figuring out if you'd be ok with limiting your work to either in your dorm or in a computer lab - or if you'll need to be more flexible where you work.

 

[mixel]

The point in waiting is that your paying new prices for old hardware. That's why waiting is a good thing, more bang for your buck.

I know. But that will always apply. Also why I mentioned refurb to knock a couple £hundreds off.

It doesn't sound like in the OPs usage scenario that they'd actually need any more "bang" however much the buck, so it's somewhat irrelevent anyway. If they need a mac they should get one.

I agree a laptop can be really valuable at uni though.

 

[angusmcfisher]

I'd go for the iMac and if you can afford it, use an iPad for at lectures. An app like AudioNote would be much more functional for the average student than using a Word Document, but it depends on whether you would need/like to have access to Photoshop et al whilst at uni.

 

[n0cus]

I begin my first year of college next month and I'll be majoring in Graphic Design. I'm still debating on whether I want a Refurbished Macbook Pro 17" or the 21.5" iMac. Either will do but the portability of the MBP is what is making me want it more than the iMac. I don't really like having to sit at a desk all day and I would to take my MBP with me from time to time. My budget is about $2000 and no more than that as the rest of my money is going towards books, fees and other supplies I'm going to need. I've also heard a new iMac may be coming out soon which has me a little frustrated because I have to have my new mac before school starts.

My question is which would be better for me? Should I go ahead and buy the current iMac, wait for the new one, or go for the MBP? I've heard the iMac has more power and it's better because it has a larger screen. I'm a little leery about buying a refurbished 17" MBP as I don't want to spend all my money on a laptop that'll crap out on me within 4 years. I'll be primarily using my mac for drawing, painting, and editing images in Adobe Photoshop CS6 Extended but I'll also be installing Adobe Web and Design Premium CS6. I'll also be using it to create, design and code websites. Other uses include surfing the web, watching movies and videos, and chatting.

What about a 15 inch regular MacBook Pro? It has new technology unlike the current iMac or any 17 inch MacBook Pro.

 

[davidgnomo]

If I were you I'd wait AT LEAST until Sep. 20 then I'd buy what stimulates me more at that moment, plus the "Back to school gift card" ...

 

[ggpike]

I would definitely do a MBP. Otherwise you're going to be reliant on whatever lab computers they have or working from home. When I was in design school I always worked on my MBP as all my files, settings, apps, etc I used were there. Other students struggled with only being able to work from home or depend on the school's computers. Like others here have said, there are going to be times you'll be doing group work in other locations outside your home or classroom. Not to mention when you go to the printers to get your projects printed off it really helps to be able to execute last minute changes or troubleshoot on the spot. (obviously you can email or FTP files, but I liked to get to know my printer). Not to mention the times you're going to want to get out of your house and school to work just to have a change of environment.

 

[Buffsteria]

What about a 15 inch regular MacBook Pro? It has new technology unlike the current iMac or any 17 inch MacBook Pro.

I have the same question.

 

[ijohn.8.80]

Wait, the current iMac is hopelessly out of date.

I say that because most OEMs like Dell, HP, Gateway, Falon, Sager, or any of the larger ones, update machines constantly as it comes onto the Market, Apple just keeps making the same dusty old boxes as long as they feel like, without updates or prices drops.

I happen to use my 2011 middle range iMac (see sig.) for the CS Suite, and it flies through the workload, whether it be flash work or photoshop. This is the usage that the OP posted about, not aeronautical engineering or something that should require a bank of processors.

 

[Gemmy]

What about a 15 inch regular MacBook Pro? It has new technology unlike the current iMac or any 17 inch MacBook Pro.

I have the same question.

The reason why I don't want the 15 inch Macbook Pro is because I'm taking graphic design. Ill be heavily using Adobe Photoshop CS6 Extended, Dreamweaver, and Adobe Flash. I draw, paint, sketch, and edit images a lot in photoshop and I've heard having a large screen is better for people who do graphic design. On top of that, I am on a budget so I won't be able to buy a Thunderbolt Display. Unless working on the 15" screen isn't so bad without the thunderbolt display like others say, I may just consider the 15" MBP but as of right now, I have my eyes set on the 21.5" Apple iMac.

 

[AppleDApp]

The reason why I don't want the 15 inch Macbook Pro is because I'm taking graphic design. Ill be heavily using Adobe Photoshop CS6 Extended, Dreamweaver, and Adobe Flash. I draw, paint, sketch, and edit images a lot in photoshop and I've heard having a large screen is better for people who do graphic design. On top of that, I am on a budget so I won't be able to buy a Thunderbolt Display. Unless working on the 15" screen isn't so bad without the thunderbolt display like others say, I may just consider the 15" MBP but as of right now, I have my eyes set on the 21.5" Apple iMac.

Why not get a macbook and a bigger display from Asus or something.