iMac 17: Should I take the plunge?
I am almost ready to buy my first Mac after more than a decade of being a PC user. No, I don?t hate windows (or MS or Bill Gates), and I don?t find it difficult to use. Anyway, the 17? iMac has definitely caught my eye. The problem is that it feels like an afterthought, nothing more than a stopgap machine. It was as if Steve Jobs was saying ?OK! OK! Now it has a bigger screen that the eMac so just shut up and buy it already!?
The iMac is crying out for a 1Gig processor that one can feel is just around the corner. And how much longer can the 100Mhz sys bus last? When these changes come along, what will that do to the resale value of the current iMac 17?
I would not mind buying the machine now if I thought I could get the legendary Apple resale value out of it six months down the road. But with such potential wholesale improvements practically within sight, how much of my initial investment will I be able to recoup? I am thinking that the new 17? iMac will drop significantly in value within the next three months. I have nothing more than a gut feeling to base this on.
I don?t want to be stuck with a stopgap unit, only to feel like a fool for buying it when the real update is released. Is this a valid concern? Can someone comment on the potential resale value in six months to a year? Does anyone else have the same concerns? Any and all responses are welcome.
[ 07-31-2002: Message edited by: Mac Voyer ]</p>
The iMac is crying out for a 1Gig processor that one can feel is just around the corner. And how much longer can the 100Mhz sys bus last? When these changes come along, what will that do to the resale value of the current iMac 17?
I would not mind buying the machine now if I thought I could get the legendary Apple resale value out of it six months down the road. But with such potential wholesale improvements practically within sight, how much of my initial investment will I be able to recoup? I am thinking that the new 17? iMac will drop significantly in value within the next three months. I have nothing more than a gut feeling to base this on.
I don?t want to be stuck with a stopgap unit, only to feel like a fool for buying it when the real update is released. Is this a valid concern? Can someone comment on the potential resale value in six months to a year? Does anyone else have the same concerns? Any and all responses are welcome.
[ 07-31-2002: Message edited by: Mac Voyer ]</p>
Comments
if all you're worried about is what might come out some time down the road, then you're never going to be ready.
if it'll do what you want, buy it. if it won't, wait.
-alcimedes
Having said that, I think its inevitable that new PowerMacs will be released soon, and the existing iMacs will be speed bumped to 1GHz with a 133MHz bus. Whether this will happen at the same time, or a bit later to coincide with the Christmas buying season, I don't know. If you already have a PC and don't actually need a Mac right now, I'd be tempted to wait.
[ 07-31-2002: Message edited by: RodUK ]</p>