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Thinking about buying current iMac!!!

C

cujoca

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 24, 2006
205
0
I am thinking about buying an iMac for school(i'm in high school). I'm torn between waiting until spring time for the new updates or buying one now.
If I were to buy one now, which setup would you recommend. I liek to game and watch movies on my computer and surf the web all the normal stuff pretty much. I have a pretty good deal because my dad has agreed to pay half the bill.

For sure i want 20"
I'm not sure if i want to go to 2.33 or 2gb of ram or both
What do you recommend?
Thanks.
 
Should I wait until the next update (does anyone have any clue when it might be) or buy one now?
 
I'd say buy now. I'm also a teen, and pretty much in the same situation as you. From what I've heard, you should buy now. I need Christmas money to help pay, and at that point I'll wait a week or two for MWSF but I'm not waiting for Leopard (unless its at MWSF) or Santa Rosa.

To sum it up, by now. :) And definitely get 2GB of RAM before you upgrade the processor.
 
I want something powerful enough to handle the new Leopard operating system.
 
How much gaming - if you're more interested in the rest, only 1 Gig ram should be sufficient. Don't bother waiting for an update, it will be ages, and then you might as well wait for the next update and so on...
 
They were just updated, but it. Get more RAM, but you can always upgrade that later. You can upgrade the CPU (kinda), but it's hard and would void your warranty. Buy a refurb if price is an issue, or be prepared to wait at least another 3-7 months.
 
I do a little bit of gaming... you know some CS and Halo mostly. Which do you think is needed more RAM upgrade or CPU upgrade.
 
Is it highly likely they will release Leopard at MWSF? What else do you think is a possible release at MWSF?
 
From memory, it's in January.

And as for new products, your guess is as good as mine. As for playing Halo/CS...RAM. Ram. Ram.
 
Do you think its that worth it to upgrade the CPU from 2.16 to 2.33? When exactly in January is MWSF? (beginning, middle or end of the month)
 
1) No, unless you're urinating money and don't want a Mac Pro.
2) No real idea. You'd have to ask someone more in the know.
 
cujoca said:
Do you think its that worth it to upgrade the CPU from 2.16 to 2.33? When exactly in January is MWSF? (beginning, middle or end of the month)
Click to expand...

Are you not paying attention? You keep asking the same question.

Make sure you have a good amount of RAM and if you are serious about gaming, the best vid card you can get. Worry about the processor LAST...there will be a performance increase between the two, yes...HOWEVER very slight. If you have the extra money, sure...if not, 2.16 is just fine and will last a LONG time.
 
cujoca said:
Do you think its that worth it to upgrade the CPU from 2.16 to 2.33? When exactly in January is MWSF? (beginning, middle or end of the month)
Click to expand...

the 2.33 isn't much faster than the 2.16, and i personally don't think its worth the money they charge for it.

Buyers Guide says there are 133 days (around 4 months) to go before the average update time has come, which means we are looking at a March release for an updated iMac.
 
Another important question regarding the keyboard and mouse (i've never owned a Mac before!). How long rougly is the cord for the keyboard and mouse, because my setup would put the keyboard on one of those slide out trays, same with the mouse.
 
The iMac 20" 2.16GHz 250GB HD, 2GB RAM and 256MB VRAM and AppleCare along with your primary applications and games.

You'll want to leave yourself enough left over for a good back-up external drive
like the WD My Book Pro.
 
cujoca said:
Another important question regarding the keyboard and mouse (i've never owned a Mac before!). How long rougly is the cord for the keyboard and mouse, because my setup would put the keyboard on one of those slide out trays, same with the mouse.
Click to expand...
Does Anyone Know???
 
I just want to make sure I have enough cord length to get around behind the desk and onto the sliding tray.
 
Macworld: http://www.macworldexpo.com/live/20/

Applecare I would consider optional for a desktop. In any case, you can buy it anytime within the first year if $$ is an issue.

RAM: get as much as you can afford.
SPEED: get what you need/afford. The fact is you probably won't notice much of a difference between them.

Re: when to buy...unless you know something is immenient, buy when you need it. In tech as in life, something is always around the corner up ahead.
 
I say buy now, no need to wait. Also, if you're worried about the cord, just get a wireless keyboard and mouse. The upgrade isn't expensive.

Good luck with your decision and purchase.
 
I have the 24", 2.16, 2GB ram, and I must say I'm astonished how fast it is compared to my last computer, a Mac mini 1.42 ppc. My Big App is Photoshop, and even though it's Old Code, it's fast as hell. I can't imagine how fast it'll be once Universal.
What I'm trying to say is, buy now, if you can/want. If you're a game nut, get the hefty video card. (tip: don't be a game nut, life-waster) I'd recommend at least 2GB ram regardless. Even in moderate use, OS X likes to stretch it's legs, as it were.
 
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