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Wow, This is such a bad time to buy a mac.

I

iWinnipegger

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 8, 2006
142
0
I just realised that this is such a bad time to buy a Mac. My parents are looking at buying a Desktop Mac. & My sister's looking at buy a notebook mac. But everything is about to be updated but we don't know when ugh. It also doesnt help that leopard is delayed and Vista just came out.

Should we buy an iMac now or wait?
 
there is many many mnay mnay thread about this on this forum, you can go take a look at them,, but what most people will tell you is, if you can wait wait until WWDC in june if you can t then don t.. and buy now...
 
It depends if you are hardcore about new stuff or are fine with what is out at the current time. If you think you will not be able to live without an update then wait. I say buy it if you want it there is always the new thing coming out if you waited for it everytime just because it was new you wouldn't buy anything.
 
True, there are upcoming changes the remainder of this year, but that is the nature of the rapidly evolving tech field. It is not as if something you might buy will dramatically be transformed into a useless heap of junk anytime soon after a current purchase. Hang in there until June and then there will hopefully be a clearer picture of what hardware updates will look like.
 
Buy a machine when you need the machine. If you don't need it til school starts in Sept, wait til then. If you could profitably use the machine between now and then, go ahead on it.

If you buy a machine now, it will continue to do exactly the same job you bought it for, regardless what new machines come along and when. Also, buying a mature model sometimes means fewer bugs and repairs than a brand new introduction.

Get used to the idea that computers are always about to be updated: every 6 months or so. You could perennially be in the position of worrying about the next new model, and the longer you wait, the more true it is that there's yet another new one coming. It's like the old Bill Cosby skit : "I hate lumps in my porridge. So I stir it looking for lumps. If I stir it long enough, I always find lumps."

The main things to guide purchase timing are:

I'm Going to school: wait until you qualify for student pricing

It's Within 3 weeks of a major Mac event like MacWorld San Francisco in January: If you can wait to see what is announced, then wait. Not necessarily for the new machines, but for the very short window of opportunity on clearance prices on the discontinued model.

I Have a project deadline: Get the machine now. The longer you wait, the more chance that a breakdown or a screwup in delivery will impact your project. I can't count the number of times people have called saying: "We start editing the movie on Tuesday and we need X" only to find that X is backordered for a week or two.

I have a working machine: You have more flexibility to wait

My current machine is (not good enough, broken) and I NEED to get work done: Buy now and don;t worry about new machines. The cost of not getting your work done is higher than the opportunity cost of not waiting. If you Really, really want to wait, then rent a machine and write off the expenst to maintaining your comfort level.
 
CanadaRAM said:
Also, buying a mature model sometimes means fewer bugs and repairs than a brand new introduction.
Click to expand...

Good point worthy of giving thoughtful consideration to. OS 10.4.9 seems to be quite stable and it raises the question of how many threads will there be about the assorted quirks and instabilities that may prove to be troublesome to those who buy computers in late fall with the new Leopard OS 10.5 preinstalled.
 
in my opinion, now is a great time to buy a mac.

Are the macs for sale now going to be obsolete piles of junk when the updates are released? NO, they are great computers now, so im not sure why thats a bad thing?

you will wait for the rest of your life to buy a new computer if you always want the next update....

get over it

most of the time its the same poeple saying this, who wait and wait......and wait, then buy the new machine on day one, only to moan about why they didnt wait for a rev.b
 
iWinnipegger said:
I just realised that this is such a bad time to buy a Mac. My parents are looking at buying a Desktop Mac. & My sister's looking at buy a notebook mac. But everything is about to be updated but we don't know when ugh. It also doesnt help that leopard is delayed and Vista just came out.

Should we buy an iMac now or wait?
Click to expand...

You should buy a PC with Vista right now. Then about a week later, when you've had enough of it, you can put it on eBay for half the original price and buy a Mac.
 
People will tell you buy now if you need now, or wait if you can wait. Personally, I have never and probably will never NEED a Mac. I wanted one, plain and simple. I weighed the options and bought one now instead of waiting. Do you notice how everyone on here who buys a Mac without waiting doesn't regret it? I don't either! I feel great with my Mac! Just buy it now. If you wait until Santa Rosa, then why not wait until Penryn, and if you wait til Penryn, why not wait til Montevina, and if you wait til Montevina, why not wait til........ you see what I'm getting at here? With each day that passes, we are becoming quicker and quicker with updating technology. If you look at the new Intel stuff on Wikipedia you can see they've got a schedule of listed updates for the next couple of years. No matter when you buy your Mac, it's only going to be "the best" for a few months before there is something better.

The current C2D machines are very stable and awesome. You won't regret it. Honestly, there is no "bad time" to buy a Mac! :)
 
what's the lifespan

If you replace/upgrade your computer every 1-2 years buy one today and enjoy it. If you replace/upgrade every 5-6 years try to hold out for a hardware upgrade. Software is less important since you'll buy a lot over 6 years anyway.

If your lifespan is 3-4 years then toss a coin. If you don't like the result, toss it again.
 
There is no point in waiting now, IMO. If you wait, and the computers get updated, you'll hear about new, better updates 'just around the corner' and then you will end up waiting longer. You can't keep up with technology. Just buy the Mac now. You will get enough use out of it that when the computers do get updated you won't be upset (I hope). I ended up waiting for 7 months to get a laptop that never came. Don't do the same thing!
 
Shotgun OS said:
There is no point in waiting now, IMO. If you wait, and the computers get updated, you'll hear about new, better updates 'just around the corner' and then you will end up waiting longer. You can't keep up with technology. Just buy the Mac now. You will get enough use out of it that when the computers do get updated you won't be upset (I hope). I ended up waiting for 7 months to get a laptop that never came. Don't do the same thing!
Click to expand...

Yes, and no. You shouldn't keep waiting for the next big thing, because as it comes out you'll hear about the next thing after that, etc etc ad infinitum. However, knowing when a model was upgraded and how often it gets updated will keep you from buying something the week or two before a new revision comes out. And it's never any fun to buy something and have better specs available at the same price a week later.
 
vincebio said:
in my opinion, now is a great time to buy a mac.

Are the macs for sale now going to be obsolete piles of junk when the updates are released? NO, they are great computers now, so im not sure why thats a bad thing?

you will wait for the rest of your life to buy a new computer if you always want the next update....

get over it

most of the time its the same poeple saying this, who wait and wait......and wait, then buy the new machine on day one, only to moan about why they didnt wait for a rev.b
Click to expand...

I'm always annoyed by the "get over it" attitude directed at people who have this question. It is arrogant in it's failure to consider the difficult economic states many of us face, as well as the considerable margin of value a well-timed Mac purchase can buy you.

If a Mac lasts us 3-5 years and costs us thousands, then that 6 or even 12 month margin of newer technology can increase the value of a purchase significantly. There are many of us for whom paying thousands for a new computer is a real stretch. Remember that musicians, students, and artists are drawn to Macs for very practical reasons, yet don't tend to have the kind of bankrolls required to "get over it" and ignore these margins.

Example - I waited to get my Lombard Powerbook G3. Had I purchased a Wallstreet, I wouldn't have had a laptop with USB for all the years it served me. USB ended up being absolutely invaluable to me in that time. It lasted me over 6 years and was able to run 10.3, which the Wallstreet couldn't by default.

Example - I waited for the G4 MDDs. Could have purchased a Quicksilver, but waited and ended up with a machine with a lot more balls. DDR RAM made it faster, a significantly quicker bus speed made it faster, and I've used all four hard drive bays for all these years, which is double the amount you'll find in the Quicksilver. Also, the updated ATA buses allowed for larger hard drives without adding a new expensive controller card. Had I "gotten over it" and purchased a Quicksilver, I doubt it would have served me as well for so long. It still serves me and when it's time to replace it, I'll make sure to time it well.

I'm a musician married to a kindergarten teacher. Not exactly a household brimming with money, but it is brimming with love and harmony in our family and for our occupations. But perhaps we should "get over it" and get unfulfilling jobs which bring in more money so we can stop perstering you with threads which aim to help us make the most of our money.
 
When your computer no longer meets the requirements for a new operating system coming out it is time to upgrade it. For example, my G3 iMac 500 MHz will probably not be able to use Leopard when it comes out. I have Tiger on it and it runs great. I can't use the new version of iLife, Toast, or use DVDs since it only has a CD RW drive. I've upgraded the HD to meet the demands of photos, music, and photoshop. I've upgraded the RAM to meet the demand of Tiger and various other programs. When it comes down to it, a machine should last you at least 5 years if it has the latest and greatest without any major weaknesses. Instead of getting a 128 MB VRAM chip you should get a 256 MB chip for example if you play games. The RAM can always be upgraded at any time but it should be upgraded if it is needed. Processor speed may also be a concern, but not much can be done with macs. The requirements are increasing as the years go by and in 5 years time processors will have augmented in speed and ability.

The point is that when you have limited funds to buy a computer, you have to weigh your needs vs. desires. You should get the best your money can buy that will last you as long as possible.
 
I was in your boat for at least 3 months, but now I'm free because I just bought a MBP. I was going to wait for the leopard and SR, but I realized that I can always upgrade to leopard later when it comes out. As for the SR, I figured that when Apple adops SR, I will surely hear that the new CPU is coming out and it would take a few weeks/months for Apple to adop it, whenver it does so, I will surely hear about something new and this could go on forever. So I thought that if I could be satified w/ the current MBP then it would be all right even if Apple came out w/ something new a few weeks later (hopefully not a few days though lol).
 
yadmonkey said:
I'm always annoyed by the "get over it" attitude directed at people who have this question. It is arrogant in it's failure to consider the difficult economic states many of us face, as well as the considerable margin of value a well-timed Mac purchase can buy you.
Click to expand...

Very true.
 
I would recommend waiting if you can survive on yoru current system. I am not suggested you wait forever but when a new Mac is available I would buy.

I am waiting for the new MBP, but am fine on my current system in the meantime. As others have said if you desparatly need a new system then buy one from the selection available.
 
I am currently in the process of selling my iMac G5 as it's just showing age a little when compared to my new MacBook. However, I also want to sell the MacBook ASAP because I have always had what I call 'white mac syndrome' which is that I have MBP envy. I love the look and class of the MBP.

Thus, I am going to put all my funds into a MBP after WWDC (upgrade or not) and enjoy a lightning fast laptop that is what I have wanted since I saw a Powerbook in 2002.

The machines that most people are buying now (mac wise) will last for 3 years really nicely.

Good luck in your choices.
 
i bought enough pcs, and in that market, most ppl understand that
you just buy what fits your need now, stop thinking about next generation, coz there isn't a clear cut of next generation, every brand just release new models like rabbit. you have 3 or 4 or 5 generations of computers in the market all at the same time!
Click to expand...

I think its a very practical and reasonable philosophy for mac buyers too.
 
I'm still getting plenty of use out of my G4. Unless you're in the market for a mini or absolutely have to have Leopard installed on your machine by the factory, there's really no reason to hold off a purchase.
 
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