Which iMac to buy?

[Raghav]

I was thinking of getting a desktop at home as I was replacing my 5 year old Powerbook G4. This is in addition to a Macbook, which I also use and no need of having 2 notebooks. Previously I did not have space to keep the iMac so was using 2 laptops.

I went to check out the 21.5" and 27" models. I selected the base model for 64900 on which I am getting 2k off. Now if mac users recall b4 these models there were 3 models of 24" also. The dealer has offered me the base 24" model for 70k and middle 24" model for 80k.

Do they offer anything better than the new model and is it worth looking at them? The prices on the old model can be negotiated. What attracted me was the bigger screen size and storage.

Raghav

Old Models: iMac (Early 2009) - Technical Specifications
New Models: iMac (21.5 and 27-inch, Late 2009) - Technical Specifications

 

[stevieboy]

any progress raghav? did you decide on one? wouldn't the latest models offer the newer OS and more updates to the software and features?

regards

 

[Asit]

Definitely. Agree with Stevie. In addition the newer ones will have more recent processors and better graphics cards. The newer ones also have decent built-in amplifiers (as far as I know), not sure about older ones. These days and age, it perhaps is not prudent to buy a year old configuration when it comes to computers of any kind. I know it is a general statement and there may be exceptions, but this case does not seem to fit the bill as an exception.

 

[Raghav]

The 2 generations were launched 8 months apart from each other and had 4 models in the line--up. In the new models I am only looking at the base iMac and from the old line-up the iMac is the higher model. This is why I end up getting more HDD, larger screen, better graphics performance etc.. Where I will tend to lose will be processor, no wireless keyboard & mouse and other design elements.

Since Apple is slow to introduce iCore processors the differnece in processor is insignificant. Both use the same family of processors. I am now thinking whether it is worth waiting for iMacs to launch with iCore processors.

 

[stevieboy]

hi raghav,

the new imac has snow leopard, the earlier one leopard. now you need to figure out what all the new OS has versus the greater screen size and hdd.. which one appeals better to you? overall i'd vote for the new OS. hdd can always add on and at that size, a few inches here there will not really matter. also are the new screens LED versus the old screens which are LCD?

regards

 

[Raghav]

AFAIK when you buy an old machine, the OS you get is always the latest. Even if it is not the dealer will upgrade it for free with official copy. The LED vc LCD is making sense. Plus the wireless keyboard and mouse. 24" vs 21.5" is actually a 25% bigger screen. does not sound like that.

However, my main concern is that is it worth waiting for new iMacs with Intel iCore as Core 2 Duo is now discontinued as a series. I would have waited but my Powerbook G4 is on life support. I have removed all music, photos, videos etc. from it and transferred it to the Macbook 13". I am only using the G4 for browsing and MS office and rest all stuff like multimedia, games, downloading, graphics is on Macbook. Still the G4 is slow. If I open word excel and safari, it starts gasping.

Most probably I will have to buy the iMac soon. Also I have bought a Dell Mini 10v and hope to get Mac OS X running on it over the weekend.

Raghav

hi raghav,

the new imac has snow leopard, the earlier one leopard. now you need to figure out what all the new OS has versus the greater screen size and hdd.. which one appeals better to you? overall i'd vote for the new OS. hdd can always add on and at that size, a few inches here there will not really matter. also are the new screens LED versus the old screens which are LCD?

regards