Computer Decisions + Holiday Season

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Well, it's the time of year that people are looking for presents for the Holidays, and my family is no exception. I have a group of younger cousins who have very high hopes for Christmas this year.



One of my cousins (he's 10) is only asking for an iMac. He visits every weekend and sees that the only computers I have are Macs. At home, his older brothers each have an HP PC, but they do not let him or his younger brother use them at all. (They are always online playing Everquest).



Any way, my aunt has squirreled away quite a bit of money this year and has told me that she is looking to buy an iMac for him.



She has been holding off until the new Apple Store opens up here in Salem, New Hampshire instead of getting it in Peabody, Massachusetts because of the 5% MA sales tax. Sales tax does not exist in NH.



She wants me to advise her on which iMac she should get for him. I think that the 500 MHz G3 w/ CDROM is plenty of computing power for him, and its also the cheapest out there at $799. On the other hand, she also wants to get something that will last, and a new iMac coming out a week later isn't going to make her happy. <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />



So the question is this: Should she get the new iMac for him so its sitting under the tree for Christmas, or should she hold off and explain to him that a brand new iMac is coming out the following week and she will order it when it comes out.



He's 10 years old, and I think not having anything big to open will be a disappointment to him, but then again, if there is a new flat panel G4 iMac coming out, he'd much prefer that.



I already know that my other cousins are getting an XBox and a Game Cube, so this would probably hold him out for another week, but I'm not sure what to do.



A 500 MHz iMac for Christmas or a new iMac within 2 weeks? <img src="confused.gif" border="0">
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 22
    scottibscottib Posts: 381member
    Tough call.



    Hypothetically, what if a new iMac isn't announced @ MWSF? Yikes!



    My two bits: from the AppleStore purchase an Apple GiftCard (or whatever it's called) for x amount. Wrap that up in a big box, and give it to him.



    Once the crestfallen look is gone from his face, explain to him that he has a choice: he can travel to the AppleStore the next day to purhase an iMac; or, he can wait until 01/08/02 and see what happens--then purchase whatever (perhaps the same iMac @ a reduced price).



    He's ten; an age that I believe he can handle his own decision--and its aftermath (though I would strongly encourage him to wait ).



    Good luck!
  • Reply 2 of 22
    fran441fran441 Posts: 3,715member
    That's a good idea. That way, he can pick out what he want. Plus, he has $255 to add to his purchase!!!
  • Reply 3 of 22
    I would suggest placing the Gift Card on top of a few boxes of software.



    He will have something tangible as a present, plus the promise of much more to come.
  • Reply 4 of 22
    fran441fran441 Posts: 3,715member
    I like the idea of a gift card, because I can add to that as well. Plus he's going to get some games with it like Risk, Unreal Tournament, Diablo II, and Starcraft.
  • Reply 5 of 22
    g-newsg-news Posts: 1,107member
    Just make sure you buy a Mac that will last for another year minimum. Buying the minimum solution may not be the best thing to do there. 3D games are very demanding already and promise to get even more demanding in the very near future.



    Just my 2c,



    G-news
  • Reply 6 of 22
    fran441fran441 Posts: 3,715member
    A 500 MHz iMac seems to be plenty for all of the games he would run. I have one myself and with only 64 MB RAM, I can still run games very well.



    I do want him to get a machine that will last, though, and if a flat panel iMac w/G4 hit the scene, and I told them to get him a current iMac now, I would feel very badly.



    Plus, even if the new iMacs come out and he doesn't like them, he can pick up an 'older' iMac at the store at a discount.
  • Reply 7 of 22
    gordygordy Posts: 1,004member
    It appears that your cousin looks to you to gague how cool his computer is. We all know that a 500-700MHz iMac will take a 10 year old through Middle School easily, so the only issue is how it will be perceived by you. Tell him it's cool and he'll be fine.



    As far as the pie-in-the-sky iMac that always seems to be right around the corner, I wouldn't think about it too much. Even if something new was announced in January, it wouldn't be in stores until February, and would cost more than $799.
  • Reply 8 of 22
    fran441fran441 Posts: 3,715member
    Still, I like the idea that he can go to the store and pick it out when he wants to. That way, if he wants to get something more than the current 500 MHz G3 iMac, he can.



    He has washed dishes in his parent's restaurant on many different occassions and has squireled away some money, so that might be the best idea for him.
  • Reply 9 of 22
    neomacneomac Posts: 145member
    You would be a flaming fool if you did not make him wait until MWSF to buy an iMac.



    There is no doubt that there will be revised iMacs. I'm not saying LCD iMacs, just revised iMacs.



    The iMacs were last revised in July. That's almost seven months old! You can bet the house there will be revised iMacs.



    Make him wait. It's only 2 1/2 weeks after Christmas. Otherwise, you're just throwing money away.



    IMHO.



    [ 12-03-2001: Message edited by: NeoMac ]</p>
  • Reply 10 of 22
    fran441fran441 Posts: 3,715member
    Alright. I'm going to approach my aunt with this strategy and hope it works. She might feel bad not having a present under the tree, but this makes more sense to me. Even if she gives him the gift card and he wants to buy it the next day, he can at least pick out the one he wants.



    If not, he can wait until MWSF and get one then.



    I think its a win-win situation.
  • Reply 11 of 22
    neomacneomac Posts: 145member
    Make him wait until MWSF, but buy him a toy or something for Christmas to placate him in the interim.



    Otherwise, you're going to feel pretty stupid buying a computer two weeks before a revision. It's an instant loss of value. One day it's $999 and two weeks later it's $500.



    It's your money, though.

  • Reply 12 of 22
    emaneman Posts: 7,204member
    I think the Gift Card idea is pretty good. It's much better than buying him an iMac a couple of weeks before MWSF and it gives him the choice of what he wants (like previously posted).
  • Reply 13 of 22
    Agreed on the gift card. Even if nothing introduced at MWSF is to his liking, you should see a price drop in the current models, so he can get a little more software with the extra $$.



    This is a little off topic, but I've decided to get a new desktop after MWSF, but would really like to make the purchase before the end of the year so I can get the deduction sooner. Is there anyway to place an order with Apple on, say, Dec. 30, and if something newer and better comes out at MWSF have my order changed? Does anyone have any experience with this?
  • Reply 14 of 22
    fran441fran441 Posts: 3,715member
    Well, my aunt went out an bought the iMac for him. I didn't know that she had purchased it when I started this thread.



    She got the midrange iMac on a big sale at Circuit City. She got the $150 discount and something to the tune of a 30% discount further. I don't think she could have got a better deal.



    On the other hand, I am going to take him to the Apple Store opening in Salem, NH this weekend to let him see what he's going to get (but doesn't know he's getting). That way, he can also get his first taste of the 'Mac Community' which will also show up, no doubt.



    I'm sure that the iMac is going to last for him and will be good for what he wants to do. He'll just be happy to have a computer that he can use.
  • Reply 15 of 22
    emaneman Posts: 7,204member
    Sounds like she got a great deal. In a way I think it's good that he's getting the iMac now because he'll have something that he really wanted sooner. Also, the current iMacs should be fine for a long time for what he'll be doing.
  • Reply 16 of 22
    fran441fran441 Posts: 3,715member
    Taking him to an Apple store should also be a very 'religious' experience. He's already bashing Windows PCs. I'm so proud.
  • Reply 17 of 22
    emaneman Posts: 7,204member
    [quote]Originally posted by Fran441:

    <strong>Taking him to an Apple store should also be a very 'religious' experience. He's already bashing Windows PCs. I'm so proud. </strong><hr></blockquote>



    Sounds like you've taught him well.
  • Reply 18 of 22
    matsumatsu Posts: 6,558member
    I assume he shows the appropriate veneration towards the great holy relics of Apple, especially the Newton.
  • Reply 19 of 22
    macaddictmacaddict Posts: 1,055member
    Oh no, we're gonna have another Newton freak on our hands! Ahh! Fran is taking on disciples! :eek:
  • Reply 20 of 22
    2 x 512 sticks of memory make great stocking stuffers....
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