My refurbished 2011 iMac just arrived a couple of days ago. This is my first Apple Desktop. I've been using a Core Duo MBP as my main machine since 2006, so this is a welcome upgrade.
When deciding on what to buy, I narrowed my choices down between a 2011 21.5 iMac with a Core i7 2.8 GHz processor for $1259 and the entry level 2012 Core i5 21.5 iMac. In the end I went with the refurbished 2011 model because of its greater repairability, upgradability and optical drive. I know digital media seems to be the wave of the future but I still enjoy watching DVD movies. After looking at iFixit's breakdown of the 2012 iMacs, they seem to be taking a step backwards in several areas (why a 5400 rpm laptop HD?).
The refurbished iMac came with a 2TB 7200 rpm hard drive and 8GB of memory. Both are more than what was advertised. Overall, I'm very happy. When I compare specs between the two, it seems like I'm really only missing out on USB 3.0 and a slightly better GPU. Was this a good purchase choice?
When deciding on what to buy, I narrowed my choices down between a 2011 21.5 iMac with a Core i7 2.8 GHz processor for $1259 and the entry level 2012 Core i5 21.5 iMac. In the end I went with the refurbished 2011 model because of its greater repairability, upgradability and optical drive. I know digital media seems to be the wave of the future but I still enjoy watching DVD movies. After looking at iFixit's breakdown of the 2012 iMacs, they seem to be taking a step backwards in several areas (why a 5400 rpm laptop HD?).
The refurbished iMac came with a 2TB 7200 rpm hard drive and 8GB of memory. Both are more than what was advertised. Overall, I'm very happy. When I compare specs between the two, it seems like I'm really only missing out on USB 3.0 and a slightly better GPU. Was this a good purchase choice?