iMac: buy now or wait?
September 6, 2014 2:55 AM Subscribe
My trusty macbook is beginning to show its age and so I am considering upgrading to an iMac. Should I just go out and get one now, or should I wait for the next upgrade?
I realize you can spend your entire life waiting for the next hardware upgrade, since the future is always greener, however how likely is it that the next version of the iMac will make a significant difference to my user experience?
I am looking at getting the top of the range 27" model, and it will mainly be used for iWork, Lightroom, occasional small-scale home video editing in iMovie, and it will be the base for my iTunes library. In addition, my daughter will want to play Minecraft on it (something my current macbook struggles with at times), however it won't really be a games machine beyond this.
The iMovie and Minecraft usage are where I would expect the newer hardware to have a significant impact, however how well does the current version fair with these?
The rumours say that the next generation is imminent, implying significantly improved graphics/processing power, plus it will presumably have Yosemite pre-installed. Is this sufficiently desirable to make me postpone the purchase for a couple of months? Or is the current release more than good enough to handle everything I plan to throw at it (in my modest way)?
What do you think?
(BTW, in case the topic comes up, I am not interested in getting a PC - been there, done that, got many t-shirts - and I also recognize that a Mac is seen as an expensive option, which does not concern me)
I realize you can spend your entire life waiting for the next hardware upgrade, since the future is always greener, however how likely is it that the next version of the iMac will make a significant difference to my user experience?
I am looking at getting the top of the range 27" model, and it will mainly be used for iWork, Lightroom, occasional small-scale home video editing in iMovie, and it will be the base for my iTunes library. In addition, my daughter will want to play Minecraft on it (something my current macbook struggles with at times), however it won't really be a games machine beyond this.
The iMovie and Minecraft usage are where I would expect the newer hardware to have a significant impact, however how well does the current version fair with these?
The rumours say that the next generation is imminent, implying significantly improved graphics/processing power, plus it will presumably have Yosemite pre-installed. Is this sufficiently desirable to make me postpone the purchase for a couple of months? Or is the current release more than good enough to handle everything I plan to throw at it (in my modest way)?
What do you think?
(BTW, in case the topic comes up, I am not interested in getting a PC - been there, done that, got many t-shirts - and I also recognize that a Mac is seen as an expensive option, which does not concern me)
Some rumours (including blob's recommended MacRumors) say the next iMacs are not so imminent, unless your definition of imminent is early 2015. Since you're looking at the 27 I'd say go for it. If you'd said the littler one I'd have suggested waiting cause those don't strike me as good bang for the buck any time.
posted by raena at 7:13 AM on September 6, 2014
posted by raena at 7:13 AM on September 6, 2014
I'd say that we are at least a quarter away from new Intel desktop chips coming out, and probably farther away from a substantial GPU refresh. So you are probably quite safe to go for it.
That said, there's a big Apple event on the 9th - Tuesday. I don't expect the Mac to feature at this event, so if it's going to be a hassle, don't worry about it. But it's Tuesday, and there's enough smoke swirling around the event that a surprise wouldn't be out of the question...
posted by wotsac at 7:28 AM on September 6, 2014
That said, there's a big Apple event on the 9th - Tuesday. I don't expect the Mac to feature at this event, so if it's going to be a hassle, don't worry about it. But it's Tuesday, and there's enough smoke swirling around the event that a surprise wouldn't be out of the question...
posted by wotsac at 7:28 AM on September 6, 2014
Best answer: I think at the very least you need to wait until Yosemite is released. Apple will likely have another event in October where they release Yosemite and may upgrade Mac hardware.
I would also start considering how important a retina iMac is to you. If your Macbook is just starting to show its age, you might want to wait a year (or potentially more) to get the inevitable retina iMac. Dell just announced a 27" monitor that has a ppi that would be considered retina by apple. So I would bet that Apple isn't too far behind them.
Lastly, think about whether a desktop is where you want to head. You could consider getting a new Macbook (after Yosemite is released!) and get that Dell display I just mentioned, which would mimic an iMac setup. You'll definitely spend more, but you'll always have that convenience of portability.
Here's a link to the article about the Dell monitor: http://www.macrumors.com/2014/09/05/dell-5k-display/
posted by jModug at 7:58 AM on September 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
I would also start considering how important a retina iMac is to you. If your Macbook is just starting to show its age, you might want to wait a year (or potentially more) to get the inevitable retina iMac. Dell just announced a 27" monitor that has a ppi that would be considered retina by apple. So I would bet that Apple isn't too far behind them.
Lastly, think about whether a desktop is where you want to head. You could consider getting a new Macbook (after Yosemite is released!) and get that Dell display I just mentioned, which would mimic an iMac setup. You'll definitely spend more, but you'll always have that convenience of portability.
Here's a link to the article about the Dell monitor: http://www.macrumors.com/2014/09/05/dell-5k-display/
posted by jModug at 7:58 AM on September 6, 2014 [2 favorites]
If you do choose to buy an 27" iMac, don't forget the ones available refurbished from Apple. You still get the 1-year warranty and the stuff looks and feels like it's new.
I've also used the refurbs as a barometer to glean when new models will be coming out. Normally refurbs are around 12-15% off but when you see them jump to the 20-25% range, that's usually an indicator there's a refresh coming and those particular models are not long for this world.
posted by JoeZydeco at 9:15 AM on September 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
I've also used the refurbs as a barometer to glean when new models will be coming out. Normally refurbs are around 12-15% off but when you see them jump to the 20-25% range, that's usually an indicator there's a refresh coming and those particular models are not long for this world.
posted by JoeZydeco at 9:15 AM on September 6, 2014 [1 favorite]
Yup, get a refurb. Can't go wrong.
posted by SpecialSpaghettiBowl at 12:39 PM on September 6, 2014
posted by SpecialSpaghettiBowl at 12:39 PM on September 6, 2014
« Older Considering marriage in a loving relationship but... | Going to work for an ex-boss? Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by blob at 5:05 AM on September 6, 2014 [1 favorite]