27" iMac advice
I'm looking to buy a new desktop, and I'm interested in the 27" iMac. However, given all of the current rumors, I'm afraid that I'll end up purchasing and end-of-life model when a major refresh is just around the corner. It there any sense of when (and what) the refresh might be? On one hand, a few lines of evidence from the 10.9.4 version strings to the recent website slip suggest that a mid-2014 iMac release may be imminent. On the other hand, Intel's Broadwell delays suggest that it may be some time before a refresh occurs. I know there's no insider information, but what's the general sentiment in the community? Is this an OK time to buy, or should one really wait (I can't really put it off for more than a month or so). I'd appreciate any advice!
Comments
Dear nomad
All I'd put my money on is that a new iMac will appear sometime between now and next June.
Your information is up to date as far as I know.
But there are a couple of things that give me hope for an updated iMac before January: iMac is a consumer product that was last updated last September, and Apple may want to refresh it somehow to make it a more attractive purchase for the holiday season; and secondly, Apple may get early access to some Broadwell chips, or Intel may release a speed-bumped Haswell part that Apple may employ.
Honestly You don't need advice rather you need to make a decision and live with it. You already have a good handle on the current reality, so grow a pair and make a decision.
Dear wizard
Go easy on our fellow Mac-wielding brother.
No one wants to part with $3K and not have the latest and greatest.
Kudos to him for having a firm grip on the current state of things we think we know.
Dear wizard
Go easy on our fellow Mac-wielding brother.
No one wants to part with $3K and not have the latest and greatest.
Kudos to him for having a firm grip on the current state of things we think we know.
It's only the "latest and greatest" for a brief shining moment.
If you are REALLY concerned about getting the best bang-for-the-buck, then a better bet might be to buy 1 model BEHIND the latest and greatest.
There will always be folks who will immediately sell off their current gear as soon as new stuff is released. That's been my macbook strategy when I converted my family (wife, 2 daughters and me) from DELL to Mac. One revision (or 2 in the case of my kids machines) netted me some massive value.
Now, having said that, i DID splurge for for loaded-up iMac 27". :-). I rationalized the spend with all my "imaginary" macbook savings :-)
The Cook reign has seen some weird times for iMac buyers.
First they introduced a thin iMac no-one could get their hands on for Christmas, and now it's clear they intended to bump to Broadwell for this Christmas and that (unless something drastically changes) seems to be out as well.
I think 4K is the real question here. Apple seems to be waiting on a screen that can do double duty (in the iMac and Thunderbolt monitor) to make the 4K jump. I have no idea if 4K prices this fall are down to what Apple expects.
If they are, I think it's a jump to 4K and updated Haswell chips (and TB2 etc.) in October.
If not, we may be looking at February-March for the jump that will include 4K and Broadwell, and a much smaller spec bump this October.
I'd counsel waiting, since a late August release could still technically make the "mid-2014" rumour true. But 'a month or so' does push you into mid-September, at which point you might take the extra fortnight to wait for October!
Which is exactly why I was not impressed at all with his questioning. If somebody posted not knowing the current state of the technology and possible delivery times, a calmer response updating the poster would be in order. Instead we get a post the reviews everything publicly known and then asks us to make a decision for him. That is BS if you ask me.
By the way I'd really would love to know when the new hardware will arrive. However I have the same info as everybody else and frankly am a bit perplexed with Apples foot dragging. So even for a Mac fan the rational view to take is: I don't know!
It still comes down to if you need buy, if you don't wait.
I'm waiting to pull the trigger on an iMac. When I buy a Mac, I tend to use it for a while and generally time my purchase to coincide with Apple's product cycles. It's been almost a year since the iMac had an update (not counting the low-end model) and nearly two since a major boost; it makes sense that the next rev will be significant.
"Need" is a funny concept when talking about a new computer. I suppose if my day-to-day production machine were dead in the water or unable to run critical software, then I'd legitimately need a new one. Otherwise, I'd have to say that I really want to have a new iMac, but also want to avoid the buyer's remorse that I know I'd have if a new model were to be released within a few months of my purchase.
Enough semantics. Just keep an eye on this:
http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#Mac
Well Wizard, I certainly appreciate your point:
However, I have to disagree that asking others in the community, even if I, myself am informed, is "asinine". Would it be better to go make a post to a public forum, completely ignorant of a situation about which it is trivial to inform myself?
I know the information concerning the possible refresh; what I wanted to get was the opinion of some informed members of the community. I certainly didn't intend to piss anyone off. I also understand, in part, where you're coming from --- why ask others with no knowledge beyond what I have, since their opinions won't be any more informed in terms of facts. Yet, an opinion is part fact, part experience, and part viewpoint, and I just wanted to see what people were thinking about this issue. Anyway, I appreciate your input and apologize for inadvertently pushing your button.
Dear wizard
Go easy on our fellow Mac-wielding brother.
No one wants to part with $3K and not have the latest and greatest.
Kudos to him for having a firm grip on the current state of things we think we know.
Funny thing is my late 2012 imac is still the best. It was the first model with the new look but I went all the way an got the top model with fusion drive and more importantly the best GPU (Nvidia GTS 680MX). The bottle neck on macs is either the I/O or the graphics.
For the OP:
I feel that this year the new imac should beat my setup, the Nvidia 870m should beat my GPU. So if you can wait its possible to get an upgrade from the 2012 models this year. If you can find a 2012 imac with the 680mx on refurbs at a good price go ahead get this. Dont buy brand new at this point.
I think 4K is the real question here. Apple seems to be waiting on a screen that can do double duty (in the iMac and Thunderbolt monitor) to make the 4K jump.
Screw 4K. They need to double the resolution.
I couldn't wait anymore. Bought an iMac 27" with 3 TB Fusion drive. My old PC was falling apart, so had to buy now. Was holding out hope that Apple would ship a Mac mini update with a 3 TB Fusion drive, but alas no.
So, maybe 5 years down the road, I can update to what I think Apple wants the iMac to be: a high DPI display, all SSD, no fan, and only about 0.5" thick.
So the usual advice applies. Buy now if you have to, other wise wait. Broadwell in of itself really won't improve the iMac much. Maybe 15% in CPU. A high DPI display in an iMac will need a hefty GPU that can fit inside the iMac, and the 1st version of a high DPI iMac may not have performant enough hardware to really make the system sing. The Broadwell GPU just won't be enough imo. So, there will be some not so great things with a first rev of a high DPI iMac.
You did the right thing. he machine will serve you well for years. Once the whole 4k thing has settled down, maybe upgrade, but the res on the 27 is high enough that it feels like retina... nearly impossible to see individual pixels.
Good Luck with your machine.Waiting for the MM will never come period.