Purchasing advice: 20" iMac
Murbot, I hope you are listening!
I'm thinking of buying a 20" iMac, but I've recently had my fingers burnt when I bought a 1.8GHz G5, and Apple shit on me by releasing the dual version shortly thereafter.
I'm considering purchasing a 20" iMac for use at home. But I just know that Apple are going to release a G5 version, or a massively souped-up variation shortly after I take the plunge.
I'm getting a bit sick of Apple taking the piss, and I'm not sure if I want to buy another Apple machine ever again, quite frankly!
Does anyone know what's happening with the new 750 chips or whatever they're called? Can we expect to see a speed bump shortly?
I'm thinking of buying a 20" iMac, but I've recently had my fingers burnt when I bought a 1.8GHz G5, and Apple shit on me by releasing the dual version shortly thereafter.
I'm considering purchasing a 20" iMac for use at home. But I just know that Apple are going to release a G5 version, or a massively souped-up variation shortly after I take the plunge.
I'm getting a bit sick of Apple taking the piss, and I'm not sure if I want to buy another Apple machine ever again, quite frankly!
Does anyone know what's happening with the new 750 chips or whatever they're called? Can we expect to see a speed bump shortly?
Comments
EDIT - If you live downunder you should remove the 11 days from my equation.
And it's an expensive setup to have just sitting around being wasted. So I'm punting it on eBay, and thinking about buying myself an iMac which I suspect is more than powerful enough for what I have in mind.
Or I may just go for a Dell or something similar at home.
In your case, it was unfortunate that the Dual 1.8Ghz machines were realeased shortly after you bought your single, but that's no reason to shun Apple forever.
I recently bought a 1.25Ghz 15" Powerbook. I KNOW that Apple will probably bump the speed on them sooner than later, but I needed that specific computer at the time that I got it.
If a current 20" iMac with the processor it has will be plenty for anything you plan to do in the next few years (or however long you envision having it), then buy it. If Apple releases a G5 iMac shortly after that -- which I think is unlikely -- you still have a very nice machine.
If the thought of a G5 iMac being released soon after is too much for you to stomach, then wait and buy that instead.
Yeah, surprises and stuff certainly sneak through (I didn't see the dual 1.8 OR 20" iMac coming...OR the iBook G4, for that matter), but, on balance, tracking release dates, being aware of upcoming major shows/events, following - to a degree - the talk around RESPECTABLE rumor sites who have a decent track record for accuracy (ThinkSecret and AppleInsider) usually keeps you out of trouble.
Anyway, back to topic: something tells me that the iMac is just on the bubble of being tweaked, in some way. Large or small. I wouldn't buy an iMac in the next month, if you're truly concerned with "getting your fingers burned".
On the other hand, you've got a G5 who's value is going to take a hit when the updated G5s hit the streets, which adds to the painful decision making process. eBaying it now is probably a good idea, if you're worried about what kind of money you are going to get out of it. But I'm sure you don't want to go any entended period of time with no computer at home...
Decisions, decisions. Pain in the ass, eh?
Murbot is good. Murbot is wise.
That's like Apple quietly announcing a Dual 4GHz machine for the same price as the Dual 2GHz. I've never known any other manufacturer to speed bump their line to such an extent. For me, the Apple brand has gone from being one of the lowest depreciating brands to by far the highest. You have to ask yourself just how much you want to risk investing in Apple kit. And yes, it is an investment.
If I want to get rid of the machine on eBay, I'm going to have to price it lower than a boxed 1.6GHz machine, which has just been reduced to £1,399. Major ouch factor. I either take the hit now, or take an even bigger hit when the next wave of machines appears.
Of course, I did benefit from the dramatic price increase of the 23" Cinema Display - so I guess that's the flip-side!
I think I'll take your advice and hold off on the iMac for now. It would be strange for Apple to revise the iMac line so shortly after announcng the 20", but I wouldn't put it past them. The days of the six monthly updates seem to be long gone...
Originally posted by pscates
...but, on balance, tracking release dates, being aware of upcoming major shows/events, following - to a degree - the talk around RESPECTABLE rumor sites who have a decent track record for accuracy (ThinkSecret and AppleInsider) usually keeps you out of trouble.
i find macrumors.com to be really good to watch. they don't actually generate any rumors themselves; they only report on other sites' rumors, and try to cross-reference them with past accuracy. but the best part is that they keep track of the product refresh cycles, and give their best guess as to the next revision coming out for each model.
sure, it's common sense, but i like someone else keeping track of those dates rather than doing it myself. sure, a surprise will occasionally sneak through, but that's why it's a surprise.
Originally posted by Messiah
I think I'll take your advice and hold off on the iMac for now. It would be strange for Apple to revise the iMac line so shortly after announcng the 20", but I wouldn't put it past them. The days of the six monthly updates seem to be long gone...
I don't consider the addition of the 20-inch model to be a real revision of the line. If you ignore that model, a six- or seven-month feature revision should be coming this spring. (The last generation went seven months, after the interminable YEAR of the 700/800MHz line.)
All I've had is a stream of eBay enquires telling me how the setup isn't worth anything near what I am asking...
That's the last time I buy any Apple kit! What a waste of money...
Originally posted by Messiah
That's the last time I buy any Apple kit! What a waste of money...
Yeah, cuz you know, apple stuff doesnt hold its value as long as other companies...
Originally posted by The General
Yeah, cuz you know, apple stuff doesnt hold its value as long as other companies...
£1,849 computer that wouldn't fetch £1,249.
£1,699 display that wouldn't fetch £1,049.
£1,250 in three months? I'm glad you can afford to drop a minimum of £400 ($720) a month, because I can't.
I've just realised that I could have gone to the AppleStore each month, bought a 20" Cinema Display, and then thrown it out the window of my third floor apartment, and I would still be ahead by $40 a month.
Repeat x3 months.
This system has been such a good investment! I wish I'd bought two of them!
Sorry if that sounds bad, but give us a break, man!
What's wrong with just KEEPING them? You don't lose your shirt, and you have a way better display and computer than the iMac is.
If you bought it to use and enjoy it, just do that and nevermind with the iMac. If you bought it with plans to sell it, recoup all or most of your money, and get something else... you would have sold it in December like me.
Id just leave the G5 at home, as time passes it will age better, the iMac is already old.
If u must have an iMac... how about you look for second hand models, ask the sellers why they are selling them, and the ones that say that they want to upgrade to something more powerfull, you could make a deal with... though I doubt there will be many second hand 20" iMac sellers this early.
The problem was that the 20" iMac wasn't available when I was looking for a new computer. I already had the 23" screen, so my choice was G4, or G5. And there weren't many G4s around.
The current setup that I have was extremely expensive, and to be honest I don't push it hard enough to justify that expense.
I shouldn't have bought the G5. Kings new clothes and all that. That was my mistake. I was hoping to get rid of it, make a reasonable loss, buy an iMac, and with the cash in hand, fund a website to showcase my portfolio and some business stationery. That way my money would be working harder for me...
But you have to weigh up just how little cash in hand you are willing to settle for. Worst case scenario is a straight swap for an iMac. What's the point in that?
So yes, I have a dream computer and I should enjoy it. But I won't be making the same mistakes the next time around...
Thanks for all the replies guys... I know that deep down you all have my best interests at heart, and deep down I know that you guys are probably right about this. I'm just freaking out at the sums of money involved!