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Mystique^

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 25, 2006
1
0
Hey all,

I'm looking at getting a new mac. I've owned (and sold) a mac mini, and still have my ibook G4. I'm that guy that Steve Jobs builds and markets these things for :) .. "I need something to deal with all the home movies I have of my two kids and all the digital pictures I take of everything. " .. while I go through my mp3s (on my FreeNAS box).

I have a Sony TRV720 and 50+ tapes left to dump and put to imovie/idvd. (I have so many b/c the XP box and Pinnacle Studio wasn't cutting it for what I was looking for.)

My question is that from all the reviews I can find.. the 24" w/ the Nvidia card isn't going to help me much with imovie and idvd right? Would the 256M upgrade for the 20" video even be worth it for what I'm doing?

For the cost, the 2G ram upgrade would be worth it; not sure the 2.3G cpu upgrade would.. I would try and find a small sata raid (external) which I think would be a much better gain than a CPU upgrade. Althought the 24" FW800 port w/ a raid would be better still..

I did see the iTV thing and would like to make that a part of my setup when it comes out. I do own a ton of DivX movies that I stream (from the FreeNAS box) to a laptop that I have attached to the TV via Svideo, I'm hoping to drop the laptop and somehow use the iMac to watch DivX/MPG movies on the TV.

But the main purpose of the iMac is for the Movies and for daily use computing. And I will be putting Dreamweaver/Fireworks on it and doing php/html work on the side.. as well as iTerm/Terminal with many terms open being ssh'd into the 'BSD boxes at work. (Small/Local ISP)

I hate to be dragging this out, but the wife said we can get the 24" if I want, but I just want to make sure that I don't overspend or get something I don't need.. I know no one ever says "My computer is too fast.. " but christmas is coming for the kids.. (earlier for me :) ) and I just don't want to feel guilty later ..

the 24" w/ the AppleCare and 2.1GHz and 2G ram is about 2400
the 20" w/ the AppleCare and 2.1GHz and 2G ram is about 1900

:p $500..

So is the $500 really worth it for the 24" screen and all that it gives you?

TIA
 

wchong

macrumors 6502
Sep 18, 2006
364
0
Miami, Fl
trust me, it is worth it.

i was debating that months ago as well. but the 20 just didn't "look and feel" right.
 

ReanimationLP

macrumors 68030
Jan 8, 2005
2,782
33
On the moon.
Yes, its well worth it as the 24" is also 1080p.

As well as the video card is much more powerful, which is good because on the 20", they're not replaceable, but on the 24", they are. The video card does help offloading some of video processing work, hence, why its called a video card.
 

Zwhaler

macrumors 604
Jun 10, 2006
7,267
1,965
I am on a 20" right now and the 24" just seemed too big to me. I literally had to twist my neck when I wanted to look from the left to the right side of the screen. In the store, the 20" looked small, but at home it is still very big.
If you were to get the 24" you definately wouldn't need the video card upgrade. My nearly fully loaded iMac cost just under two grand with deucation discount. Look at this:

20" 2.33Ghz 2GB RAM 256MB X1600 and Wireless Keyboard and Mouse (trust me you want that) Costs 2059, which is 59 more dollars than the absolutely stock 24", which comes with half the ram, slower processor, and the wired keyboard and mouse.
I personally go for speed over size because the 24" is simply too big for me and for my needs. It seems to me like you wouldn't need the 24", but if you just have to have it then I say go for it.

Another problem with the 24" is higher potential for dead pixels. I have none on my 20. Just do some serious comparing and decide what is best for your needs. Mine is perfect for me, and honestly I am glad I didn't go for the larger screen. Hope that helps.
 

mongoos150

macrumors 6502a
Sep 20, 2005
839
0
You'll definitely appreciate the extra screen real estate. You do NOT however need the CPU upgrade - it's a very marginal bump for a big price tag... you'd be better off spending the cash on ram. I almost always discourage CPU speed increases unless they're big because it's so hard to get actual measurable speed gains.
 

ctsport1234

macrumors regular
Mar 15, 2005
236
0
I've tried both and ordered the 20'' iMac, but did so because I also want to buy a macbook. If $ was not a major concern I would have went for the 24''. The extra productivity (for multitaskers and the like) you get with the extra real estate easily justifies its cost imo. The upgradable GC is another reason I would get the 24.
 

astewart

macrumors member
Sep 12, 2006
97
0
Charlottetown
ctsport said:
I've tried both and ordered the 20'' iMac, but did so because I also want to buy a macbook. If $ was not a major concern I would have went for the 24''. The extra productivity (for multitaskers and the like) you get with the extra real estate easily justifies its cost imo. The upgradable GC is another reason I would get the 24.

I agree with Zwhaler, if your not a gamer then go with the 20" iMac. Seriously, if you do not need the real estate the 20" Screen will be big enough...Well, it is for me :)
 

iKwick7

macrumors 65816
Dec 29, 2004
1,084
32
The Wood of Spots, NJ
I went with the 24" and don't regret it at all. I am not a gamer (although I do fire up some Civilization 4 once in awhile). I find the extra screen real estate to be tremendously worth it- I LOVE that I never do anything in fullscreen anymore. I was worries it would be uncomfortable and too big, but I was pleasantly wrong. I love this thing!
 

dmw007

macrumors G4
May 26, 2005
10,635
0
Working for MI-6
The 20" iMac would be fine for your stated needs Mystique^, but if you think that you want the extra screen space, then go with the 24" iMac. :)
 

wchong

macrumors 6502
Sep 18, 2006
364
0
Miami, Fl
i forgot the meaning of minimizing with the 24" :D

i think it's also b/c i have it hooked up to my other 23" LCD TV monitor :D
 

Paul S

macrumors regular
Oct 17, 2006
169
5
If you were only going to use it for daily computer duties (email, word processing, etc), I would've said just to go with a 20". I have a 20" and it's great for what I do. I couldn't justify the 30% extra that I would've had to spend for the 24".

BUT, since you said that you were going to watch movies on it, I'd opt for the bigger screen. Unless you were thinking of hooking up the iMac to an LCD or something, in which case, I'd get the 20" and use the extra $$ for upgrades (i.e. 500gb HD) :D
 

IlluminatedSage

macrumors 68000
Aug 1, 2000
1,565
343
Well, it really comes down to how much money you want to spend.

Also, with Hdtv editing capability the higher end 24" with graphics card could make for nicer home movies.

or also for making great pictures. you can do some great photography and use the 24" to deal with your iphoto or aperture work.

doesnt have to just be for games.
 

volk

macrumors member
Oct 2, 2006
56
0
Don't underestimate the value of a large and high quality screen. Fast processors and RAM are important, but your display is your actual interface to all that power. I always buy the nicest/biggest display I can afford at the time, and it pays off with greater productivity and those few extra pixels offer a quantum leap in how enjoyable your computing experience is.

You mentioned photos and video...you haven't experienced anything until you have put them on the 24" iMac. Working on video is an absolute joy, and full screen iPhoto editing is amazing. Plus, the 24" gives you HD video 1080i resolution for future video needs.

The 24" iMac might seem like a luxury expense, but it is worth every penny and will totally change the way you feel about computing.
 

Zwhaler

macrumors 604
Jun 10, 2006
7,267
1,965
Paul S said:
If you were only going to use it for daily computer duties (email, word processing, etc), I would've said just to go with a 20". I have a 20" and it's great for what I do. I couldn't justify the 30% extra that I would've had to spend for the 24".

BUT, since you said that you were going to watch movies on it, I'd opt for the bigger screen. Unless you were thinking of hooking up the iMac to an LCD or something, in which case, I'd get the 20" and use the extra $$ for upgrades (i.e. 500gb HD) :D

Wow, you must have high standards if you need a 20" to do word processing. Basically what I am trying to say is that the 24" is not needed unless you do work in applications that benefit from having a larger screen. Movies is one of those, but, correct me if I'm wrong, doesn't streching out video over a larger screen just make it pixelated? But anyway, unless you are doing pro work, the 24" is overkill. Some people like that, but remember, it is 500 extra dollars.
 

BrutX

macrumors newbie
Sep 17, 2006
10
0
pro apps aren't the only reason for a big screen. it's not only useful to have a big screen for one single application; it's useful for running multiple applications simultaneously. for example, if you're developing a web page, it is great to have your html editor and your web browser side by side rather than switching back and forth between them.

check out this apple-commissioned study. the results claim that 30" monitors make you more productive.

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9004022&intsrc=news_ts_head
 

Paul S

macrumors regular
Oct 17, 2006
169
5
Zwhaler said:
Wow, you must have high standards if you need a 20" to do word processing. Basically what I am trying to say is that the 24" is not needed unless you do work in applications that benefit from having a larger screen. Movies is one of those, but, correct me if I'm wrong, doesn't streching out video over a larger screen just make it pixelated? But anyway, unless you are doing pro work, the 24" is overkill. Some people like that, but remember, it is 500 extra dollars.

WTF? When did I say that you NEEDED 20" to do word processing? I was just saying for everyday use, a 20" is great. Even spreadsheets and word processing is good, since I can have 2-4 documents on the screen at the same time. The OP asked if he should get a 20" or a 24", and between the two, a 20" would suffice, if he were only going to use the computer for everyday stuff. He mentioned TV and movies, where size DOES matter, hence my recommendation for the 24".

And about the pixelation...by your theory, no one should get a 60" LCD TV, because it'll be too "pixelated." Yeah, if you're trying to watch a 500x300 clip from your digi cam full-screen on the 24" (or even the 17"), it'll look pixelated. But look at any DVD's or other quality videos on a 24" and a 20" and THEN tell me you would not rather have the 24".

If I had the extra cash, a 24" would be sitting on my desk instead of the 20". Do I NEED the 24"? No, but I don't go through my life only satisfying my NEEDS.
 

Zwhaler

macrumors 604
Jun 10, 2006
7,267
1,965
Sorry about that, I wrote that without thinking. I do realize that the 20 is good for everyday use, as well as the 24 being good for things other than pro apps. Because I didn't want to list every single thing the 24" is good for, I just listed one.
 

mongoos150

macrumors 6502a
Sep 20, 2005
839
0
Zwhaler said:
...Correct me if I'm wrong, doesn't streching out video over a larger screen just make it pixelated? But anyway, unless you are doing pro work, the 24" is overkill. Some people like that, but remember, it is 500 extra dollars.

Incorrect. When working in FCP or even iMovie, you're not stretching out the video window - you are opening multiple tool pallettes. It's extremely handy to have extra real estate to have these tool windows open - same as in Adobe Photoshop. Even if you're not using pro apps, being able to have multiple windows open at once is a blessing (say a browser window, a word document and some sticky notes). You're almost never stretching a single window to cover the screen - you're multitasking. Everyone benefits from multitasking. I'm not saying the 24" is for everyone, it certainly comes down to personal preference, but to say the 2 foot iMac is for pros only and to ascertain a large window means people will be stretching out their video (?!) is rather unintelligent :rolleyes:
 
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