Buy a Mac now or wait for the new models?

sgtpepersgtpeper
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
Hey all,



First post so I am sorry if this is in the wrong location.



My girl friend is looking into getting her first mac. (I want one as well but can not afford one quite yet!). She basically only uses the computer for instant messaging, typing and internet browsing.



I was steering her toward the iMac 17". She will be using the computer in a limited space area.



However, I began reading about major upcoming changes to the line up?



The big question is: Is it worth it to buy an mac now, or should she hold out for one of the new ones? Will the prices on current ones then drop? Help?





Thanks in advance,

Jeff

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 8
    chuckerchucker Posts: 5,089member
    Wait at least until January 10.
  • Reply 2 of 8
    rageousrageous Posts: 2,170member
    if you need it now, get it now. just like anything else.



    if waiting a week is no harm, then you might as well do so. but keep in mind: even if a new product is announced that you'd be interested in, there's no guarantee they'll be on sale immediately. And if that's the case, you'll make yourself wait longer...
  • Reply 3 of 8
    placeboplacebo Posts: 5,767member
    I'd wait.
  • Reply 4 of 8
    rise aboverise above Posts: 71member
    she should just get a mac mini and find a nice 17" for like 300 and get mac keyboard and mouse. that will do fine. and plus with the update the g4 mini will go down in price to get them out. so to recap mini, keyboard, mouse, monitor. less then a grand. imac is more in redoing movies and higher standerd of photos. mini is for the average user.
  • Reply 5 of 8
    jbljbl Posts: 555member
    Definitely wait to see what is announced next week. I see the choice of PowerPC vs x86 as independent of that. For someone who was going to buy another computer in under three years I would say definitely go for the PowerPC. Chances are many applications will not run natively on x86 when it is first introduced and it will take a year or so to get the bugs out.
  • Reply 6 of 8
    trobertstroberts Posts: 702member
    I think you should wait until after January 10th and you watch Steve's keynote address. Ignoring any new/updated hardware and price drops, iLife comes free with the Mac so she might as well wait for iLife '06. Apple might even update the .mac service to take advantage of the new iLife suite. If you want to see an example of what you can do with iLife and a .mac account go to Steve Job's homepage.



    Typing was listed as one of the tasks she would use her computer for, but you did not mention if it had to be Word compatible. AppleWorks (a productivity suite) comes with every new Mac, but Apple is in the process of replacing it with iWork, which contains Pages, a combination word processor and desktop publishing (brochures, newsletters, etc.) that integrates with the iLife apps (iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie).



    You girlfriend might have used other computers for the most basic tasks, but when she gets her Mac I am willing to bet the creative side of her brain will kick in once she sees how good Apple apps are.



    Adium is a free instant messaging application for Mac OS X that can connect to AIM, MSN, Jabber, Yahoo, and more
  • Reply 7 of 8
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    Wait, and then see if the PPC iMacs are cheaper. I doubt this will be the case, and it's why I just bough a PPC iMac.



    It will be 2-3 years before there's a compelling reason to go with Intel. Right now, and until then, the vast majority of software for mac will still be PPC, and emulation is crap.
  • Reply 8 of 8
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Normally, I'd say just get it unless there is a compelling reason to wait a bit, such as being fairly sure there is an update coming soon. As MacWorld keynotes are often a place to announce major new or updated products, I call that a compelling reason to wait a few weeks.



    The iLife example is good, iLife is updated around late January of every year, it needs an update and I hope it is better this time.



    Another example, waiting until NAB for the updates in the pro product lines isn't a bad idea, the Final Cut products were updated at NAB 2005. You'd be waiting a few months though, I think it is an April show, if you need it now for a job, get it now and pay the upgrade cost if you need to upgrade.
Sign In or Register to comment.