iMac 20' - Buy now or wait?
I want to switch to an Apple from my PC for all the goodness, but I can't quite decide if I want to wait a few months or not. I'd love one of those 20' with 2GB RAM but I have no idea about the product cycles and if there's new models soon. I do know that you'll probably end up never buying one if you always wait for the next model but I'd really not like to buy one now and then see them getting upgraded CPUs and GPUs and half their price next month 
Thanks!
Thanks!
Comments
I want to switch to an Apple from my PC for all the goodness, but I can't quite decide if I want to wait a few months or not. I'd love one of those 20' with 2GB RAM but I have no idea about the product cycles and if there's new models soon. I do know that you'll probably end up never buying one if you always wait for the next model but I'd really not like to buy one now and then see them getting upgraded CPUs and GPUs and half their price next month
They don't usually drop that much in price. You tend to get upgraded hardware and the price point stays the same. I reckon that the iMac will see an upgrade to the new faster system buses with faster Ram. I'm not sure about faster CPUs in the iMacs. Core 2 Duo seems to be pretty strong and a good price.
I could see the Mac Pros and Minis getting the biggest upgrades. The Minis still don't have Core 2 Duo and hopefully we'll see an improvement on the GMA.
The iMac is a good machine and no firm rumors of an update soon so I see no reason against buying one now. The last iMac update was the move from core Duo to Core 2 Duo and someone I know bought the old one a week before the update and he really didn't mind.
The only thing would be is if they redesign it this time round.
Furthermore, some say Leopard will be out by the end of next month; so you'd get that thrown in for free.
The product cycle is about 6 months, the last update was in September. What you make of that is up to you.
Thanks, I will probably wait until April then.
Wait--no offence to december, but what he said is way less certain than it sounded:
1. Santa Rosa probably won't be out till May (http://www.macrumors.com/2007/02/25/...king-for-may/), and even then, it's not certain that iMacs will incorporate it right away (Core 2 Duo, which was almost just dropping in a new processor and keeping everything else pretty much the same, took about 1.3 months after it was released)
2. Leopard might very well come in April, May, or June--all that's been said is that it will be released "Spring 2007," and it's quite likely that it'll come at the end of it
So, I personally would still wait for the next iMac, which I think will be a pretty significant upgrade, but don't think it is sure to come by April, or on Santa Rosa, or with Leopard (so you don't end up waiting longer than you expected, or disappointed). Either way, the iMacs out now are great, and the upcoming ones will probably be great too, so you can't go too wrong.
Okay, let me rephrase, I will wait for the next hardware upgrade then. Software I can just buy and install, that should be fine.
Yeah, I figured. I wanted to leave it on the record, too, as there seem to be plenty of newbies wondering about this around here. Cheers.
You are right. That did indeed sound as if it were certain to happen, and I apologize. I had rephrased that sentence several times, and somehow the caveat got lost.
I said around April, because I was fairly certain that there *will* be an update around that month, ie. +/- one month.
Your post was perfectly justified, and I haven't taken offense at all.
DoctorRobert,
You are right. That did indeed sound as if it were certain to happen, and I apologize. I had rephrased that sentence several times, and somehow the caveat got lost.
I said around April, because I was fairly certain that there *will* be an update around that month, ie. +/- one month.
Your post was perfectly justified, and I haven't taken offense at all.
Glad to have such civil discussion, mein Freund
I asked one of the guys at the Apple Store today and he didn't know.
However, one would think that there's no way they would stick with the GeForce 7 line for brand new machines...
Any word/speculation on GPU's in the new iMacs? Like orban, I am itching to make the switch to a Mac but am A) waiting for Leopard and
I asked one of the guys at the Apple Store today and he didn't know.
However, one would think that there's no way they would stick with the GeForce 7 line for brand new machines...
Assuming they stick with nvidia then i think its likely they will
apple always seem to underwhelm big time when upgrading hardware. I think the absolute best you could hope for would be the low end ge force 8800 chipset with 340mb video memory in the 24 inch model.
However, i would guess that the 17 inch and 20 inch imacs will get the chip thats currently in the 24 inch model now, and the 24 inch model will get a new chip, id say either ATI 1900 or geforce 7900
I asked one of the guys at the Apple Store today and he didn't know.
Of course he did not know. Those people generally can tell you much less from what you find in internet resources like this one here. Even if they knew, they are not allowed to speculate openly with clients.
As to the next iMac GPU, there are certainly hopes for an update but it is difficult to say what. Apple usually disappoints in the graphics sector, especially in the consumer lines, but sometimes there are pleasant surprises (see option for the 7600GT).
Of course he did not know. Those people generally can tell you much less from what you find in internet resources like this one here. Even if they knew, they are not allowed to speculate openly with clients.
As to the next iMac GPU, there are certainly hopes for an update but it is difficult to say what. Apple usually disappoints in the graphics sector, especially in the consumer lines, but sometimes there are pleasant surprises (see option for the 7600GT).
The 7600GT is a nice card, but it's outdated by today's standards. At the very least, I hope Apple releases the 7600GT as stock and a 7950GT as the "upgrade."
The 7600GT is a nice card, but it's outdated by today's standards. At the very least, I hope Apple releases the 7600GT as stock and a 7950GT as the "upgrade."
"Outdated" is perhaps a little bit strong, but it certainly needs update. I think that in the next iMac iteration, we will see the 7600GT in the standard configuration for the 24" model at least. If the BTO option will be the 7950GT or something else, this remains to be seen.
Think of it as a car, if you have a car that you bought this year, and next year a newer car comes out, does that mean your old car is obsolete? No it does not, you used the previous car for a good amount of time before you even knew about the other car.
I say buy now, and in a few years buy again.