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why do you wait for the new iMac?

L

LaCobra

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 19, 2012
10
0
Hey y'all. First post here, been reading through the forums last few days.

A question I have for you guys and gals, who are awaiting the arrival of the new iMac, what is the main use for it? are you gamers? 3D designers?

My main use is illustrator cs5 and the rest of the adobe family but not as heavy as illustrator, will the wait even be worth it? I mean cs5 doesnt even take up that much ram, I think the most it takes is like 3 gigs.

I have lots of work to do and cannot wait till 2013 for a release. I will just be wasting time. If no sign of release around August. I will buy the current iMac 27".


so is the wait worth it for a Illustrator cs5 user who is not planning to upgrade to cs6 anytime soon?
 
I own a MBA 13" (personal) and another MBA 13" (work/not mine). I was originally just going to buy a TBD for at home (I have one at work and love it) and trade out my personal MBA for a 2012 version (both of the ones I have are 2011).

However, I'd like to be able to play some games at home on the TBD and the MBA isn't going to cut it. So I decided on an iMac 27" with the max GPU and just using my MBA in target disk mode to boot off of it on the iMac hardware. I get to keep all my files on the laptop but use the hardware of the iMac to run my games. Best of both worlds - just very pricey.

Bonus is that I can replace the junk desktop my girlfriend's kid uses with a much nicer computer.

I figure I'm not out anything waiting on the iMac, I can do all my work on my MBA and if I really desire a 27" display I can go into work after hours and use it for Xcode GUI work.

If I did not have a MBA, I would just buy the current iMac. I see no reason to wait if you need a PC (computer, I know how most view that term here) - especially for a minor update.

EDIT: Oh, and it lets me save more cash in the meantime. Saving more cash is always a plus in my book.
 
Gaming and replacement

I just sold my 2011 Macbok Pro 15, since gaming was turning it into a loud toaster. I have an early 2009 iMac, so I am not in any rush. I hope it is an NVidia chip, just because the Boot Camp gaming will be much better with the 680m.
 
I'm waiting on the new iMac for use with Adobe products like you, LaCobra. I use Premiere Pro and After Effects, primarily (Photoshop and Illustrator too, but not as much), and both of those apps rely on the GPU to accelerate effects/rendering. I could go with a Mac Pro for the ultimate in GPU card flexibility and rendering horsepower, but honestly, I don't think they're quite worth their asking price. I have a 2010 17" MBP now (with Nvidia 330M GPU), and I'm waiting to purchase my first iMac (a 27 incher). I like the iMac form factor, and since it is an "all in one," I plan on toting the computer around (I have a Gator GL-LCD-2224 case which should, based on the iMac dimensions, allow me to squeeze it inside), as I do occasional VJing and would love to use a powerful iMac for that.

So in answer to your question, "Why am I waiting for a new iMac" as opposed to just buying one now, here are my answers:

1. I will be getting the most powerful CPU/GUP the iMac has to offer in order to speed up my video render times, and I don't want to pay Ivy Bridge prices for Sandy Bridge components.
2. I'm really hoping for an Nvidia GPU option on the new iMac, as several After Effects CS6 and certain Premiere Pro CS6 effects require an Nvidia card.
3. I hand off a lot of video files on portable hard drives, and I'd love to be copying those files via USB 3.0 as opposed to pokey USB 2.0 and Firewire 800. I know that I could get a Thunderbolt to USB breakout box, but in that case I'm simply paying more money for something I should already have (see point number 1!).
4. Finally, I'm finicky about my technology, so if new iMac came out just weeks after I purchased a 2011 model, I'd definitely loose sleep of it!

-racher
 
I am waiting because I need to upgrade my '08mac pro. I had 6GB of ram (which wasn't enough) and just had 1 x 1gb module fail on me. Unfortunately they only work in pairs so I am down 2GB. I am constantly paging out over the smallest of tasks and RAM for my machine is very very expensive. I need a new graphics card and I want to use SSDs. I also am using a 21" 4:3 screen which I really dislike. I want to use a 27" screen.

Given the above it only makes sense to buy the imac 27". I would buy the current one right now it would be kick ass upgrade but with the next one lurking so close. It is so hard to buy it now and feel like crap in 2-3 weeks. I can hold on and use my current machine but it really annoys me to do so :p. Redesigned iMac or spec bump, I don't care. I just want a new machine :)

----------
racher said:
2. I'm really hoping for an Nvidia GPU option on the new iMac, as several After Effects CS6 and certain Premiere Pro CS6 effects require an Nvidia card.

-racher
Click to expand...

yes, Nvidia we can only hope for!
 
Multi-purpose use, generally video editing, photo editing, and multimedia content creation. Also, because the 27" iMac supports an OS SSD plus a media HDD together, usage as a home media server. I've got an older iMac that's ready to be put out to pasture for light duty. It has served me well for years, but its media capacity is low, it encodes blu-rays very slowly, it edits video even more slowly, and doing all these things at the same time can grind it to a halt, even with maxed-out RAM.
 
I wait because I can.

As much as I'd love a newer iMac, my 24" is still doing fine (Aperture performance is acceptable w/ 8GB of RAM). I tried to use the iMac as my gaming machine, but I went back to a dedicated DIY Win7 box.
 
As above, I am waiting because I can. I want to upgrade, but I don't necessarily need to do it today.

My iMac 4,1 (white, core duo) is still working perfectly and other than not being able to run a few upgraded applications, there are no real show stoppers. That and I have a couple of Win7 laptops to take care of the stuff I cannot run on my iMac.

I want an upgraded video card over the current offerings, and I'll wait until the end of July before I decide what I am going to do.

If nothing by then, then I will probably just homebrew a PC with exactly what I want in it. I'd rather have an iMac, but I am not waiting until 2013 to do it. I am also considering a RMBP, but the more I think about it, the more I think about what kind of PC I can build with that amount of $$.

So, I like OS X and can wait, but I'm not so tied to it that I cannot build a PC and run BSD or Linux on it. If apple is going to lean towards portables in the future they will do it without me.
 
I mainly use my iMac for iOS programming. Because it is such an awesome machine, however, it rapidly eclipsed the 3 Windows PC's we have in the house as the main media/entertainment machine as well. I game, but mostly retrogaming. The iMac can run/emulate all the old stuff very well (with the ironic exception of old Mac software). The only new games I run are StarCraft II and a bunch of indie stuff from Steam and Humble Bundles.

Love the form (don't hate the chin!), just looking for an update to the internal components to today's technology, looking to upgrade to the 27" for more screen real estate (programming the "new iPad").
 
I'm waiting and will be using my new iMac for work and play. Mostly Photoshop CS3 which I have heard does work in the Beta version of Mountain Lion. Currently using a 2005 G5 PowerMac and the old girl is doing a good job by is past her prime.

That said I'll be holding on to her during the transition as some software no longer works with Intel Mac's. I've even made a 'retirement' desk for the G5 to sit on, freeing up my main desk for the iMac.

So yes I'm waiting for the update with Ivy Bridge and USB3 so it will last a little longer as I'll probably hold on to the iMac for up to 5 years.
 
3 a.m. rant (sorry)

I would actually be better off buying a 2011 iMac since I primarily write/produce and mix music, and a lot of the software I use (plugins mostly) still doesn't run in Lion even. So if the new iMacs come with Mountain Lion I'm screwed either way. Plus Lion sucks, it's not made for pro users and should have been called Mac OS Home Edition.

I can't even begin to imagine what a nightmare it would be to have Siri mucking things up while I'm trying to work. And I seriously hope that Apple will show some love for their existing customers some day and make a less user friendly and more pro user friendly alternative at least. Snow Leopard was great in many ways and really felt like another step in the right direction, but with Lion I fear the slow descent toward Mac iOS has begun.

So I wait partly because I want to know what's taking them so long this time.. And since I don't really need a post Lion iMac, even though the new hardware probably would "last longer", I might as well wait for the introduction of new models to push the prices of current models down a bit since they really are quite dated already.

But as I said it's just for home use, and I'm still secretly hoping for the Mac Pro to resurface in some weird new form. Hopefully with it's very own Pro OS!

"Dear Apple,
Bring the Macintosh back to life please!
It's what made you in the first place, remember?
No Macintosh = No Apple."
 
Im looking to use the new iMac for work and play. I do photo editing, minor video work, games, etc. Granted the current iMac would do just fine but like others I refuse to pay premium pricing for last years technology. When you purchase Apple your subjected to Apple's premium pricing scheme. They already get over on pricing but doesnt mean they have to get over on us with old technology.
 
I'm waiting purely from a value for money perspective.

I have a 4 year old Sony Vaio that was only £450 new, it serves a purpose, but is starting to crap out on me.

This will be my first mac, and I'm not a heavy user, I'll use it for internet, email, office & some light video encoding. I know a 2011 model will do me just fine, but I begrudge paying £1,000.00 for dated tech. I'd rather wait a few more weeks and pay the same amount for something more up-to-date.

I'm still considering getting a custom built PC instead of a mac as my £1,000.00 will got a lot further.
 
I have a faint hope that either this upcoming generation or the next one will sport a retina display. That would be super cool! Otherwise, I will use my current machine until it does.

I am also semi-considering in the future weening off of using an iMac and switching to the Air or a future 13 rMBP with a Cinema Display instead.

My needs, however, are not heavy. Other than Starcraft II, the next most intensive thing I run is MS Office, Safari, and Skype.

BTW, tip for those who are looking to buy in the US, the refurb store now has 27" iMacs (2010 model) for $1,269. Heck of a deal, if someone wants the bigger machine but normally can't afford the $1,699 price of entry and doesn't care about having the absolute latest and greatest (that machine is plenty fast/good for years to come anyway).
 
I want iMac because i paint and work on very photohop heavy files. the more juice i can get the better - but I want a machine that fits nice in my livingroom. files I work with often can be 5-6gb and the more responsive the machine is the better. thats why I like the imac. A maxed out one is sufficient enough for my needs - the next one probably even more so. And the faster it is the less I get annoyed. And if possible I wouldn´t mind having a machine that handles up-to-date games well.
Currently I have a early 2009 iMac. The iMac has been my reliable companion for nearly 3 years. I´m super happy with what I have gotten out of it. But, now I see that the performance jump has come so far since this that I would seriously notice. I probably should have bought the current iMac 6 months ago.

Now, I´ll keep waiting... :(

I hope most of all that the new iMac has usb3 and anti-glare screen. Ivy bridge is of course a obvious one. Retina and anything else is bonus.
 
As some have mentioned if you can wait do so, there's no reason you should pay top dollar for outdated technology.
 
3 reasons:
1) ivy bridge
2) USB 3
3) principle, to teach apple lesson that you can't ask for full money on 1 year technology. Even if the product have apple logo on it.
 
i should have known better with a...

Since my Late 2008 MacBook Pro was dying from multiple syndromes, like growing battery (thickness), random stops during typing, broken Superdrive, broken display glass, I kind of needed a new computer and I wanted an iMac.

So I decided to wait in January, Sitting on the money, believing the iMac will get a speed bump update soon. I waited till WWDC. Nothin' came to the iMac, as we all know. So I furiously bought my new entry level iMac.

And you know whats funny ?

I'm actually not scared of an update soon but I'm angry for all the month I already could have had a decent PC experience.

I should have believed some of you guys here on the forum, but I did not.

Anyway. I guess the iMac is getting an update soon... :D
 
Quite simple really, I tend to update only as and when required. My (now defunct) late '07 iMac is in its last year of the cycle for systems compatible with the new OS X.

Why buy a computer that's good for four years, when you can wait and get one that'll be good for five!
 
I learned my lesson when Apple suddenly stopped supporting early intel iMacs with OS updates — my 2006 iMac, which works fine, is stuck on Snow Leopard. Buying last year's Mac this year robs you of potential longevity.
 
MilksBrilliant said:
Quite simple really, I tend to update only as and when required. My (now defunct) late '07 iMac is in its last year of the cycle for systems compatible with the new OS X.

Why buy a computer that's good for four years, when you can wait and get one that'll be good for five!
Click to expand...

Not guaranteed it will last 4-5 years as applecare is only 3 years, after that its the luck of the draw, although macs last you never know after the 3 year period, thats why i change every 2/2 and a half years.

I always purchase applecare for my peace of mind and the person buying after my use gets a little too, would hate to be going on 4 years and the computer dies HD,logic board etc, so can't afford to take that risk, rather get some money back than nothing, is my way
 
Maybe I am lucky, but my 2006 iMac is still chugging along much like Seamaster above. Never had any issues with it, but it's getting a little long in the teeth.

So my experience is that macs last. If I was still using a PC, it would have been upgraded at least 4 or 5 times.
 
Because I expect usb3, a better graphics ability, and a standard basic ssd ... And the old iMac doesn't have them and is quite frankly not worth the price for old technology
Perhaps if apple took into account peoples ability to upgrade themselves it would be a good idea ... An awful lot of us use macs for the reliable os rather than because they are small and pretty ... They seem to have lost their way as far as that is concerned
 
I decided not to wait. Just upgraded my 20" 2009 iMac for the 27".

I only use it for Pphotoshop, Dreamweaver and Illustrator, and internet.
 
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