I personally think the 20" iMac Core Duo is a REALLY compelling machine. I bought one, and I'm SUPER cheap. I've been a life-long (well, since about 5) Apple/Mac user, but this is actually the first Mac I've felt the need to buy. I've always had good second hand macs (I work in IT, and have nice bosses), but I'm still thrilled with the iMac, even after the pangs of shelling out $1699 of my hard earned money. By the way, get it through amazon.com, it ends up cheaper than getting it from Apple's Edu site. In fact, it was cheaper for me to buy from amazon than from Apple's developer site! The only (minor) limitation is that you can't get the 256MB of VRAM. But if you're not thinking about playing games, why would you need it? I have my 20" iMac setup with my Dell 2001FP and it's gorgeous, and running full res with "only" 128MB of VRAM. Also, someone mentioned that you can't upgrade the iMac beyond RAM & HD, but that's not totally true, the CPU is ZIF, and can (in theory) be upgraded to a faster Core Duo down the line. Basically, you're limited to one internal HD (unlimited external via FireWire and USB), one internal slot loading optical, two ram slots, and the x1600 (with however much vram). As a guy with a homebuilt (and significantly overclocked) AMD gaming rig, I know that the most common upgrades are HD, RAM, CPU, all of which you can do with iMac. And those are the ones you're likely to care about, since you've said you're not looking to game.
ok, one more thing, grab a 1GB stick of ram from newegg for about $109, and at some point if you want to go to 2GB, you can always buy another (for less $$ at that point), and sell the 512 to one of the millions of future iMac/MacBook, Mac Mini owners.
hope this is encouragement enough...seriously, I'm about the cheapest scot you'll ever meet, and I practically want to THANK Apple for letting me part with the $1699 (no tax, no shipping, and $150 rebate makes it $1549 bottom line).
Man I didn't know that you could upgrade your graphics cards to 256mb.. THAT'S AWESOME!!! and also a 500 mb hdd..! that's perfect for an iMac (definetly worth it) this machine could break the all time records if it comes out with a 23" display...
I personally don't like to upgrade a Mac or PC aside from RAM or getting a bigger HDD along the line.. maybe the graphics card.. but i'm not a fan of that.. why? well i think that when you buy for i.e. an iMac it's already suited for the work you need (i buy what i need.. for what i intend to use) that's my rule with computers.. I bought a all in one acer veriton ages ago, it was just for my secretary @ work and so far is the first computer that i bought thinking exactly what i need it for.. after more than 4 years it's alive and kicking.. Imagine an iMac! I mean this machine is built to last, if not defective my guess is that my new (already old) iMac G5 will serve it purpose for a very long time..
Sorry if I got off topic, but what I want to say is that i prefer to buy what i need in the present and not so much for the future, specially when my present can strech for so many years..
p.s. i'm replying to this message because I agree with your point too!
p.s. who doesn't wish for a PowerMac Quad with two 23" cinema displays!!!!
Welcome to the Mac club, Turbo, and welcome to these boards, which are never boring!
Sounds like you are a student going off to college soon (may be wrong here); I got my first Mac back in college in 1987 and have never considered the other side.
Go for the iMac Core Duo. Stay with Apple's apps for a while as other makers switch their software to binary, which will take place this year or early next (Adobe is just holding out because...).
- 1GB RAM will more than do
- stay with a small HD (lower heat and power drag)
- use USB external drives for backup (dirt cheap)
- for your word processing needs: Pages is great
- use Keynote to make animated review cards, transfer to your iPod
- wait until the next version comes out in summer (bug fixes and the like)
- don't fret if something replaces it the next day; this is normal and the diffrerence in performance is usually only minor anyway
My first Mac, a Mac Plus, ran without a single problem for almost 15 years (I only parted with it when I moved into a smaller residence - things are cramped here in Japan). My wife's iMac has been running daily for the past four years and is still going strong, so I expect you can tweak four years out if it. Personally, with the price of the iMac, it might be best to sell it and get a new one in two or three years. I have a staggered 3-year system for updating my desktop and notebook, but bend the rules sometimes depending on my needs and the abilities of the new machines.
Just to be clear for you and others, you can't upgrade the VRAM to 256MB, you can only CTO 256MB.
Quote:
Originally posted by Zenga
Man I didn't know that you could upgrade your graphics cards to 256mb.. THAT'S AWESOME!!! and also a 500 mb hdd..! that's perfect for an iMac (definetly worth it) this machine could break the all time records if it comes out with a 23" display...
I personally don't like to upgrade a Mac or PC aside from RAM or getting a bigger HDD along the line.. maybe the graphics card.. but i'm not a fan of that.. why? well i think that when you buy for i.e. an iMac it's already suited for the work you need (i buy what i need.. for what i intend to use) that's my rule with computers.. I bought a all in one acer veriton ages ago, it was just for my secretary @ work and so far is the first computer that i bought thinking exactly what i need it for.. after more than 4 years it's alive and kicking.. Imagine an iMac! I mean this machine is built to last, if not defective my guess is that my new (already old) iMac G5 will serve it purpose for a very long time..
Sorry if I got off topic, but what I want to say is that i prefer to buy what i need in the present and not so much for the future, specially when my present can strech for so many years..
p.s. i'm replying to this message because I agree with your point too!
p.s. who doesn't wish for a PowerMac Quad with two 23" cinema displays!!!!
Based on these articles since you can replace the processor (as long as intel continues to keep the same pin layouts, etc.) it should remain plenty fast by upgrading the processor. This upgrade puts it pretty close to the iMac core duo speed based on ititial test results.
The iMac sounds like the machine for you. The 20" model is a great buy when you consider everything that comes with it. The only real suggestion I have is...make sure you get everything you want now because it will be a while before you want to switch and it is difficult, if not impossible, to upgrade an iMac. I have a rev. A 17" G5 iMac and I love it.
I have one last question. I was going to try and wait until after the summer to make my purchase. I have since gotten Mac crazy and want it before then.
Most of my data will be easy to burn and transfer except my itunes. Is there anyway to keep my itunes library safe? Can I network both of them and transfew it that way?
Keeping this thread alive. I am selling my pc soon (clap) after today of just trying to get a small network going between my pc and laptop I am sick of windoze. I am going to use my ipod to store my data, the only stuff I really need to transfer is only around 10 gigs. I am either buying directly from apple or I just found one at best buy. Only good thing about the one from best buy is 12 months no interest, that way I could have it faster then if I just pay for it all at once. Only problem with one from best buy is I can't configure it.
Where is a good place to buy ram? And it is easy to install in the imac?
And since I can't upgrade the vid card to 256 mb vram will that really be a big deal for me? I don't currently do any editing, but I since I am moving to mac I have already started pricing video cameras. I would like to be able to get some memories on film and edit them as I wish. Especially for when I have children one day.
Only pro about getting it from best buy is I can get sooner. Or I could just wait about a month more and get it with no financing and upgraded to the 256 mb card.
I am interested in seeing what new product might hit the market in april, if a 23" imac came along that would be great. So, waiting for a month might not be a bad thing.
well with the basic assumption that there will be an april event, then i'd wait a few more weeks. what's the difference really (B/c then you just get to start waiting until whatever was annouced actually starts shipping )
the imac is a wicked computer (as people here have said).
oh, and if you put everything you want to transfer in one folder, the apple store will transfer the contents of that folder free of charge. i guess you could put it on your ipod too...BUT will you need to reconfigure it upon connection to your new Mac, or will you be able to use it to transfer data directly? find that out. if you can do it with the ipod, then no need to carry the old machine to the store.
there was something else i was going to reply to, but now i don't remember. oh well..not important.
I can wholeheartedly recommend either the 17" or 20" iMac.
As far as RAM, you can pick up a 1GB module for $114.99 from http://macsales.com -- and it's extremely easy to add it to the iMac yourself. It basically has a little drawer you can pull out and pop in the extra RAM.
As far as the video card, I do not see any point in upgrading -- 128MB of dedicated VRAM will be fine for virtually anything, and the minor increases you might see in certain games aren't worth the extra money, unless you're buying this as a gaming machine. It definitely won't make any difference to Photoshop or video editing.
Kingston.com sells what has been (in my experiences) high-quality RAM. Oh, and you said you were a student--if that means college student, you could get a discount from apple.com. Even if not, isn't Amazon.com offering some $125 or something off a new Intel iMac?
WOW o WOW. Went to my nearest apply store today (only 45 min away). Been planning this trip all week, I had to see the imac in person and actually play around with OS X to see if it was what I truly wanted. OMG I had such a good time. I played with the imac for around 45 mins. I kept looking behind me to make sure no one was wanting to play on it and wanting me to move lol. It has to be one of the greatest machines I have ever played around on. Everything makes so much more sense on a mac, I taught myself a lot of things in 45 mins. If I didn't know how to do something I just typed it in spotlight, and from there I figured it out. What a great OS. Talked to a couple very helpful employees who were more then happy to show me some tips. I wanted to take it home then. I feel like I am back home to my ancient computer now. There has been a mac fan inside me all of my life just trying to bust out. I am putting my pc on Ebay tonight. Going to make sure I get my mac soon.
What is a good video editing software for a newb? I think having a mac will let me explore other creative interests and video has always been one. I am not ready to spend 600+ on video editing software. I just want something good to learn on. After a few months I am going to pick up a nice video camera.
Glad you enjoyed the store! My nearest store is 1.5 hours by high speed train, and is a mini store.
If you are just starting out with video, use iMovie and iDVD which come with your Mac in iLife. You can do pretty impressive things with them. For now, invest in a camera. 3CCDs are great; HD is great but not many to choose from. Sony just released a new HD cam tho I:m not sure if it's available in the US yet. Price is OK. HD will help you print better photos from the video frames.
For iMovie, there are any plug-ins. I recommendSLICK by GEETHREE . Pick and choose and you can make really impressive stuff.
imovie is a really great application. i've worked in professional media for many years and i have to say that imovie, for all its limitations, is incredibly powerful. most often than not the limitation is the user and their skills than the application. i've cut together some pretty cool stuff with imovie with speed changes, multiple audio tracks, quick cuts and effects. it's really quite great.
here's a video i cut together of rose bowl highlights on imovie (i'm a university of texas alum). ** the song has profanity if that's an issue **
imovie is a really great application. i've worked in professional media for many years and i have to say that imovie, for all its limitations, is incredibly powerful. most often than not the limitation is the user and their skills than the application. i've cut together some pretty cool stuff with imovie with speed changes, multiple audio tracks, quick cuts and effects. it's really quite great.
here's a video i cut together of rose bowl highlights on imovie (i'm a university of texas alum). ** the song has profanity if that's an issue **
Also, Final Cut Express is a great buy, and although a little more daunting than iMovie, is extremely consistent and easy to use once you know the basics.
I am not considering the mac mini at all. As of right now the imac is all I have my eye on. I am thinking about waiting until mid-summer. I am hoping a wireless mighty mouse comes out by then.
Aren't we alll.... that will be my cheap hardware purchase to tide me over til I buy a new computer with 10.5 at the end of the year.
Oh, and don't forget to get student discount if you can. Here in the UK I can get 8% off computers ordering online, or 14% if I do it over the phone or go University to order (they must check IP addresses or something)
Comments
Originally posted by concentricity
I personally think the 20" iMac Core Duo is a REALLY compelling machine. I bought one, and I'm SUPER cheap. I've been a life-long (well, since about 5) Apple/Mac user, but this is actually the first Mac I've felt the need to buy. I've always had good second hand macs (I work in IT, and have nice bosses), but I'm still thrilled with the iMac, even after the pangs of shelling out $1699 of my hard earned money. By the way, get it through amazon.com, it ends up cheaper than getting it from Apple's Edu site. In fact, it was cheaper for me to buy from amazon than from Apple's developer site! The only (minor) limitation is that you can't get the 256MB of VRAM. But if you're not thinking about playing games, why would you need it? I have my 20" iMac setup with my Dell 2001FP and it's gorgeous, and running full res with "only" 128MB of VRAM. Also, someone mentioned that you can't upgrade the iMac beyond RAM & HD, but that's not totally true, the CPU is ZIF, and can (in theory) be upgraded to a faster Core Duo down the line. Basically, you're limited to one internal HD (unlimited external via FireWire and USB), one internal slot loading optical, two ram slots, and the x1600 (with however much vram). As a guy with a homebuilt (and significantly overclocked) AMD gaming rig, I know that the most common upgrades are HD, RAM, CPU, all of which you can do with iMac. And those are the ones you're likely to care about, since you've said you're not looking to game.
ok, one more thing, grab a 1GB stick of ram from newegg for about $109, and at some point if you want to go to 2GB, you can always buy another (for less $$ at that point), and sell the 512 to one of the millions of future iMac/MacBook, Mac Mini owners.
hope this is encouragement enough...seriously, I'm about the cheapest scot you'll ever meet, and I practically want to THANK Apple for letting me part with the $1699 (no tax, no shipping, and $150 rebate makes it $1549 bottom line).
Man I didn't know that you could upgrade your graphics cards to 256mb.. THAT'S AWESOME!!! and also a 500 mb hdd..! that's perfect for an iMac (definetly worth it) this machine could break the all time records if it comes out with a 23" display...
I personally don't like to upgrade a Mac or PC aside from RAM or getting a bigger HDD along the line.. maybe the graphics card.. but i'm not a fan of that.. why? well i think that when you buy for i.e. an iMac it's already suited for the work you need (i buy what i need.. for what i intend to use) that's my rule with computers.. I bought a all in one acer veriton ages ago, it was just for my secretary @ work and so far is the first computer that i bought thinking exactly what i need it for.. after more than 4 years it's alive and kicking.. Imagine an iMac! I mean this machine is built to last, if not defective my guess is that my new (already old) iMac G5 will serve it purpose for a very long time..
Sorry if I got off topic, but what I want to say is that i prefer to buy what i need in the present and not so much for the future, specially when my present can strech for so many years..
p.s. i'm replying to this message because I agree with your point too!
p.s. who doesn't wish for a PowerMac Quad with two 23" cinema displays!!!!
Sounds like you are a student going off to college soon (may be wrong here); I got my first Mac back in college in 1987 and have never considered the other side.
Go for the iMac Core Duo. Stay with Apple's apps for a while as other makers switch their software to binary, which will take place this year or early next (Adobe is just holding out because...).
- 1GB RAM will more than do
- stay with a small HD (lower heat and power drag)
- use USB external drives for backup (dirt cheap)
- for your word processing needs: Pages is great
- use Keynote to make animated review cards, transfer to your iPod
- wait until the next version comes out in summer (bug fixes and the like)
- don't fret if something replaces it the next day; this is normal and the diffrerence in performance is usually only minor anyway
My first Mac, a Mac Plus, ran without a single problem for almost 15 years (I only parted with it when I moved into a smaller residence - things are cramped here in Japan). My wife's iMac has been running daily for the past four years and is still going strong, so I expect you can tweak four years out if it. Personally, with the price of the iMac, it might be best to sell it and get a new one in two or three years. I have a staggered 3-year system for updating my desktop and notebook, but bend the rules sometimes depending on my needs and the abilities of the new machines.
Edit: OF COURSE buy AppleCare just in case.
Originally posted by Zenga
Man I didn't know that you could upgrade your graphics cards to 256mb.. THAT'S AWESOME!!! and also a 500 mb hdd..! that's perfect for an iMac (definetly worth it) this machine could break the all time records if it comes out with a 23" display...
I personally don't like to upgrade a Mac or PC aside from RAM or getting a bigger HDD along the line.. maybe the graphics card.. but i'm not a fan of that.. why? well i think that when you buy for i.e. an iMac it's already suited for the work you need (i buy what i need.. for what i intend to use) that's my rule with computers.. I bought a all in one acer veriton ages ago, it was just for my secretary @ work and so far is the first computer that i bought thinking exactly what i need it for.. after more than 4 years it's alive and kicking.. Imagine an iMac! I mean this machine is built to last, if not defective my guess is that my new (already old) iMac G5 will serve it purpose for a very long time..
Sorry if I got off topic, but what I want to say is that i prefer to buy what i need in the present and not so much for the future, specially when my present can strech for so many years..
p.s. i'm replying to this message because I agree with your point too!
p.s. who doesn't wish for a PowerMac Quad with two 23" cinema displays!!!!
Originally posted by Zenga
but.. will it still be fast enough after 4 years?
Based on these articles since you can replace the processor (as long as intel continues to keep the same pin layouts, etc.) it should remain plenty fast by upgrading the processor. This upgrade puts it pretty close to the iMac core duo speed based on ititial test results.
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...ad.php?t=91459
http://www.maconintel.com/news.php?article=140
http://db.xbench.com/merge.xhtml?doc1=159752
Most of my data will be easy to burn and transfer except my itunes. Is there anyway to keep my itunes library safe? Can I network both of them and transfew it that way?
Just make sure it all transfers alright (by testing the music).
Where is a good place to buy ram? And it is easy to install in the imac?
And since I can't upgrade the vid card to 256 mb vram will that really be a big deal for me? I don't currently do any editing, but I since I am moving to mac I have already started pricing video cameras. I would like to be able to get some memories on film and edit them as I wish. Especially for when I have children one day.
Only pro about getting it from best buy is I can get sooner. Or I could just wait about a month more and get it with no financing and upgraded to the 256 mb card.
I am interested in seeing what new product might hit the market in april, if a 23" imac came along that would be great. So, waiting for a month might not be a bad thing.
the imac is a wicked computer (as people here have said).
oh, and if you put everything you want to transfer in one folder, the apple store will transfer the contents of that folder free of charge. i guess you could put it on your ipod too...BUT will you need to reconfigure it upon connection to your new Mac, or will you be able to use it to transfer data directly? find that out. if you can do it with the ipod, then no need to carry the old machine to the store.
there was something else i was going to reply to, but now i don't remember. oh well..not important.
As far as RAM, you can pick up a 1GB module for $114.99 from http://macsales.com -- and it's extremely easy to add it to the iMac yourself. It basically has a little drawer you can pull out and pop in the extra RAM.
As far as the video card, I do not see any point in upgrading -- 128MB of dedicated VRAM will be fine for virtually anything, and the minor increases you might see in certain games aren't worth the extra money, unless you're buying this as a gaming machine. It definitely won't make any difference to Photoshop or video editing.
In any case: enjoy your Mac!
Oh yea my advice: Switch, because quite simple Macs ARE better!
What is a good video editing software for a newb? I think having a mac will let me explore other creative interests and video has always been one. I am not ready to spend 600+ on video editing software. I just want something good to learn on. After a few months I am going to pick up a nice video camera.
If you are just starting out with video, use iMovie and iDVD which come with your Mac in iLife. You can do pretty impressive things with them. For now, invest in a camera. 3CCDs are great; HD is great but not many to choose from. Sony just released a new HD cam tho I:m not sure if it's available in the US yet. Price is OK. HD will help you print better photos from the video frames.
For iMovie, there are any plug-ins. I recommendSLICK by GEETHREE . Pick and choose and you can make really impressive stuff.
here's a video i cut together of rose bowl highlights on imovie (i'm a university of texas alum). ** the song has profanity if that's an issue **
Rose Bowl Video
Originally posted by admactanium
imovie is a really great application. i've worked in professional media for many years and i have to say that imovie, for all its limitations, is incredibly powerful. most often than not the limitation is the user and their skills than the application. i've cut together some pretty cool stuff with imovie with speed changes, multiple audio tracks, quick cuts and effects. it's really quite great.
here's a video i cut together of rose bowl highlights on imovie (i'm a university of texas alum). ** the song has profanity if that's an issue **
Rose Bowl Video
Wow nice vid. I like seeing Vince make USC look like a bunch of idiots. Imovie looks like it will be plenty for me.
Originally posted by turbo
I am not considering the mac mini at all. As of right now the imac is all I have my eye on. I am thinking about waiting until mid-summer. I am hoping a wireless mighty mouse comes out by then.
Aren't we alll.... that will be my cheap hardware purchase to tide me over til I buy a new computer with 10.5 at the end of the year.