I am hoping to get some of your feedback. My girlfriend's toshiba laptop died and she is seeking an iMac. The 21" $1299 version on the US site is the very top of her budget. Her laptop was under warrenty and she has like a $750 credit at Best Buy. She says she needs a lot of storage for her videos and photos (she's a fashion designer and singer/stage performer). She doesn't do heavy video/photo editing so I don't think there's a need for the upgraded GPU. And the 27" is way out of her budget. She really does not want an external drive so I could not talk her into a Macbook Air and she also likes the 21.5" screen vs a 13". Her idea is to get an iPad in about 6 months for her mobile solution. Anyway, I see on the buyer's guide that the 21.5 model has not been updated in a while. I know she does not care about that but I did want to check here and see what you guys think. Is there any reason to wait for an updated 21.5 model? Or any other direction I should look? She's dead set on Apple.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Thinking of purchasing an iMac 21.5"
- Thread starter servido
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Last updated in Sept. 2013, the 21" iMac has not even seen a price drop since then, so you're paying full price for a machine that hasn't been updated in 21 months.
That said, it's not a bad machine. The only real knock I have on it is that a 5400 rpm hard drive comes standard, which I think is unacceptable on a $1k+ desktop in 2015. I know you said the $1299 version is the top of her budget, but if she could somehow swing an upgrade to a fusion drive, I think she'd be much happier with the iMac in the long run.
I, too, am in the market for a 21" iMac, but since my current machine is running just fine, I'll be waiting for the next update (new CPUs and GPUs, hopefully fusion drive standard and 4k screen option). But if she needs one now, it's still a good computer.
That said, it's not a bad machine. The only real knock I have on it is that a 5400 rpm hard drive comes standard, which I think is unacceptable on a $1k+ desktop in 2015. I know you said the $1299 version is the top of her budget, but if she could somehow swing an upgrade to a fusion drive, I think she'd be much happier with the iMac in the long run.
I, too, am in the market for a 21" iMac, but since my current machine is running just fine, I'll be waiting for the next update (new CPUs and GPUs, hopefully fusion drive standard and 4k screen option). But if she needs one now, it's still a good computer.
Well if you get any 21.5" iMac, it'll be all well and good but only if it has a Fusion Drive. You will dearly regret any iMac that does not have at least a Fusion Drive upgrade.