EDIT: Didn't see what you actually use the iMac FOR until after I posted. Assuming that's true, then I can see needing a beefy machine. Though still not 100% sure if you'd notice a difference between 14GB and 16GB at that point depending on how many apps you have running at the same time.
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I have to say some of the responses are a little emotional, but their overall sentiment remains.
For starters, you're no going to notice any performance difference toggling between 14GB and 16GB of RAM. At all. Unless you're running it as a server at the same time as some real heavy autocad + photoshop stuff at the same time.
As for the CPU, an i5 of appropriate speed will definitely be better than a Core 2 Duo. Perhaps not incredibly noticable for things outside of gaming, but it will be faster.
So if you truly are noticing a reduction in performance then either you have a bottleneck
- Slower hard drive (or otherwise messed up hard drive)
- You store-bought RAM yourself, and put in slower RAM than the machine was designed for... or otherwise bad RAM.
OR You are running a process or app in the background on the newer one that the older one didn't. Like iTunes or something.
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Now,
if you want to propose that the 2011 iMac really isn't worth getting if you have a 2009 iMac then I won't argue. You're talking about a difference of 2 year's worth of tech since the 2011 iMac is still, well, from 2011.
Unless you need a high-end performance, if your average person's 2009 is still running I'd say skip the 2011 and wait for the 2012/2013 before even
considering an upgrade.
screwed up the Mac Pro refresh.
