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Why does everyone keep trying convince me not to get an iMac?

N

neonjohn

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 24, 2014
16
0
I just purchased a new MBA with 8GB RAM, 512GB flash...didn't opt for the i7 though. Don't think I'll really need that.

Anyway, I'm still considering getting an iMac (the 27'' looks really nice) as well. I still haven't decided, but I would like to have the iMac for my desk to use for entertainment/work at home and then my MacBook for lying in bed watching something, working on the couch, use while traveling, school, etc. Probably I will do work and media viewing at my desk more than about the house, however I will need the MBA while traveling/on the train/at school/library/studying, etc. I don't see this as unreasonable, however I've gotten more responses of this being unreasonable than reasonable.

Perhaps I'm an unreasonable person. I spent $4,000 to build a gaming PC (which I sold and am replacing). I'm probably not known for moderation.

Naturally, I will do it if I so decide, but I have been chewing on this for awhile.

Certainly being on this forum and seeing people with a half-dozen + Apple products does not dissuade me particularly.

Tell me I'm not crazy! :)
 
I've either personally bought or recommended about a dozen iMac purchases over the years.

Not a single one has "broken" (and even if one had, they can be "repaired").

Everyone has been quite satisfied with their iMacs - some have already gone ahead and bought another iMac to remain technically current.

I have work laptops, personal laptops, and an 27" iMac with a 27" secondary screen.

Bottom line, you aren't nuts - horses for courses.
 
Why don't you simply buy a 27'' screen and connect the MBA to it?
 
Nothing wrong with iMacs that are purchased and work properly. Then again, since you are not worried about cost so much, maybe you want to consider a Mac Pro and a 3rd party 27-30" monitor (assuming ATI vs Nvidia is not an issue).

Having had iMacs in the past, I find for general use, they are just fine. However, given that I deal with graphics (photo related), the screens of the iMac were a bit of a drawback so I since went another route while remaining in the Apple family.

For me, other than Thunderbolt and the basic look/feel of OSX plus less likelihood of getting a virus, I find not advantage with going Apple vs other PCs. - The latter statement being purely subjective.
 
Why do other peoples' opinions have any influence on whether or not you buy an imac?

You are making the decision, not them.
 
alent1234 said:
if it breaks, you are screwed
Click to expand...

You are basically right. It's the reason I'd never buy an iMac again. I'll stick with the Mac Mini. At least you can easily upgrade the memory, hard drive, and clean the fan when necessary. Hopefully the new Mac Mini's aren't glued together like the current iMacs. That would be a real shame and a reason I'd give up on Apple
 
iMacs are just fine. People saying "You can't fix them you're screwed" have no idea what they're talking about.

You absolutely CAN fix them and so can Apple. If you're worried get the Apple Care and Apple fixes it instead of you.
 
alent1234 said:
if it breaks, you are screwed
Click to expand...

If it breaks under warranty, Apple fixes it.
If you buy AppleCare and it breaks in the first three years, Apple fixes it.

If it lasts for three years, there is no reason why it shouldn't last another three. If it breaks, you'll pay someone to fix it.

Now consider the possibility that it doesn't break...
 
For what you describe you wish to do on your computer, I'd go with an external display (perhaps a Thunderbolt Display).

The MBA should be powerful enough, with the added advantages of portability when you need it and all your files always being in sync. I think the iMac would just be a bit of a waste. Plus, makes the setup much easier (and cheaper) to upgrade in the future!
 
I used to do the whole separate laptop and desktop too, until I realized that most of the time my laptop sat there unused, and then when I did travel with it, had many "oh crap" moments when I found that a file I needed was on my desktop. Overall, it was a huge pain and a huge waste of money.

2 years ago I bought a retina MBP and now it's my one and only computer. At home, it's connected to an external display, keyboard and mouse, and when I'm on the road, I never have an "oh crap" moment.

Unless you have a damned good reason for having a laptop and desktop, I say stick with the laptop and get an external display. Best of both worlds.
 
I own a 2011 iMac and I do regret the purchase.

The mac needed to be serviced twice for the HDD issue. While it was under warranty, the problem was having to lug it to a store. That was a significant hassle. If anything else goes wrong with the machine I will have to find the box (which I decided to keep after having to take it back the first time) and go to some store.

I also dislike the lack of expandability. In order to expand the HDD I need to take it to a store to perform that task. Fortunately the 2011 iMac has RAM slots but the newer iMac may not have expandable memory.

In retrospect would have been better served getting a 27" Monitor and a MacMini that I can expand or replace more frequently.
 
I personally am not a fan of AIO computers. That may be because I have a 30" monitor that has really good color accuracy when calibrated that I use for photography and a gaming rig. If I had an iMac, I'd have two monitors sitting on my desk. So in the spirit of doing things that work for me, I bought a mini to connect to the 30" for my photo editing needs. It works well enough, but it's not as quick as an iMac is.

This doesn't mean I don't appreciate the iMac's design or think it's garbage. When I entered a film fest competition two years ago, our editor brought his 27" iMac which was very convenient. He brought that, a keyboard and a mouse.
 
Buy what you think you need, though I think a MBP with an external monitor may be a better option then owning several computers - but that's just me.
 
I've owned 5 iMacs since the desk lamp model. Ive added superdrives (before they were standard) and swapped and upgraded hard drives myself on all of them. I've added RAM to all of them... Just because the design isn't conventional doesn't mean it cant be upgraded and expanded. I know the latest smaller screen iMac have ram soldered but the 27" is still upgradeable. I've only had one instance where an iMac gave me trouble and Apple replaced the then 2 year old unit with a brand spanking new unit that was of current generation at the time. AppleCare is the greatest thing on earth. I think they are great systems. Anyone who tells you not to buy one is either jealous or just being a dick to see what kind of influence their idiotic opinion can have on your buying decision.

in relation to your situation. I bought a Macbook Air to compliment my iMac and for the most part it just sits there unused. My iPad can handle most non-desktop computing. Its usually only used if someone is using the iMac and someone else wants to get on the web. So perhaps a single macbook with external monitor might work for you. in the past the portables always lacked the power of the desktops though that simply isnt the case anymore.

In the end, do what makes you happy. if you want to geek out and compliment your macbook with an iMac, go for it. I love having macs in every room. People always make a comment but i dont give a f%&$, its my life and my money and i am responsible and pay all my bills so what i do with my extra $ is my business. no one else's . good luck to you and whatever you decide to do, do it because YOU want to
 
Mr. McMac said:
You are basically right. It's the reason I'd never buy an iMac again. I'll stick with the Mac Mini. At least you can easily upgrade the memory, hard drive, and clean the fan when necessary. Hopefully the new Mac Mini's aren't glued together like the current iMacs. That would be a real shame and a reason I'd give up on Apple
Click to expand...
iMacs are NOT "glued together". They're assembled with double-sided tape. They can be opened up and reassembled reasonably easily. Lots of people on this forum have done it and explained how. It's easier with Apple's purpose-made tools and pre-cut tape kits, but those aren't strictly required.
 
Do it!

I personally own an iPhone 5s, an iPad and a Macbook Air (not to mention my wife's phone and iPad). At my house i have an older model Mac Mini simply because it was cheaper than other options. However, my major work computer is a 27" iMac. It is a 2009 model and runs just as perfectly now as it did then. My plans are to upgrade to a SSD in the near future which I have overwhelmingly read makes the iMac even faster than it was originally. As for the information about it breaking, well it is five years old and not a single thing wrong with it. Also, the upgrades really are not that difficult just slightly more annoying because of having to remove the screen (not as bad as people think). Bottom line, buy the new 27" iMac with the best processor and SSD available and enjoy it for the next 6 or 7 years (then sell it for about half of what you payed and buy another one).
 
neonjohn said:
Tell me I'm not crazy! :)
Click to expand...

Its not crazy - provided you can afford it.

However, many of us have found that the advantages of having a laptop - even if it spends most of its life hooked to an external screen and keyboard - outweigh the advantages of having a desktop... and in the case of the iMac, the advantages are quite slim unless you go for the fully tricked-out 27".

I've spent too many late nights faffing around ensuring that everything I was going to need on a trip had been copied over to the laptop.

For me, the set up of a laptop on an elevator stand, external keyboard and large external display is perfect.

The only advantage of the iMac that really attracts me is that you can hang a second large display off it without having to shell out for a Thunderbolt display...
 
chrono1081 said:
iMacs are just fine. People saying "You can't fix them you're screwed" have no idea what they're talking about.

You absolutely CAN fix them and so can Apple. If you're worried get the Apple Care and Apple fixes it instead of you.
Click to expand...

Apple Care is not cheap, but definitely worth it if you go with the iMac. Unless you're a confident DIY kinda guy, getting in and out of the new iMacs is a right pain in the a***, (but, yes, technically, not impossible).

jimmirehman said:
isn't this the case with any major purchase...ever?
Click to expand...

Being a locked down AIO, any repair is not a quick one. Neither is an upgrade. Not impossible, but expensive in money and/or time and effort.
 
Laptop + external monitor is a really nice setup, but you would be unplugging a lot, and that would be a pain, so get the big iMac and enjoy.
 
macpluslaptop said:
Laptop + external monitor is a really nice setup, but you would be unplugging a lot, and that would be a pain.
Click to expand...

Seriously?

2 plugs - Magsafe and Thunderbolt - if you get a TB Display or a TB dock.

I have 4 plugs because I use wired ethernet and don't have a TB display/dock, but even that takes a few seconds.

The trick is to get a spare power supply (or use a TB display) so you don't have to retrieve the power adapter each time.

The real shame is that Apple haven't updated the TB display with USB3 and the new iMac style antiglare screen - currently its pretty awful value.
 
I had a 24" 3.06 imac with the Nvidia video card and loved it, unfortunately last year the Nvidia video card started causing the PC to freeze to the point I had to run full fans to try to keep it cool enough to work. The Imac is a great computer and is easy to use, but like others have said, later on if a hard drive corrupts or a video card dies it can be a huge pain to replace. In this case, to buy a Nvidia card that would work it is in excess of $400 so it wasn't worth it and I've since gone with a mac mini and a thunderbolt display to break up the components (and the mac mini is a bit more serviceable for hard drive, memory, but not much more).

At the end of the day, it is your choice and it depends if you plan to keep the computer a long time. If you are on a 2 year upgrade cycle, you don't have to worry about it, I tend to keep my hardware longer.
 
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