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21.5" owners, do you wish you'd bought the 27"

Hermes Monster

Hermes Monster

macrumors 65816
Original poster
May 4, 2010
1,204
552
UK
Hola

I'm hoping to buy a my first iMac this week, likely to be the base 21.5 - it suits my needs and is about the right price for my budget...so I keep telling myself..

however after seeing it next to a 27" in the store, it seemed a tad small and seeing I can get a refurb'd 27" for not much more, I'm having second thoughts!

so to my question, if you bought the 21.5" model, do you think it's big enough or do you wish you'd taken the plunge and got the bigger screen?!

By the way it will be used for daily web browsing/ general use and some part time web development, design work
 
I didn't have much choice after 3 22.5" iMacs with crappy screens - got the 27" and am glad I did.

When you have them side by side, you really realize that the 27" is twice the machine, for not too much more money.

Go for the refurb, would be my advice.

-iamthinking
 
It all depends on what you want and were you want it. In my exemple, the 27" would be too big for my room. The 21.5" fits just perfect.
 
Not at all. Before the purchase, I was concerned about the 21.5" iMac being too small. However, you have to remember that if you look at the screen standing up it looks small, but if you sit down and look at the screen at an angle you usually have when sitting in front of the screen, it looks bigger. Moreover, the 27" mammoth would have taken too much space from my table (which is a big wooden dining table that I use as a desk).

A few other things... Some 27" owners have reported headaches and pain in their eyes when they use their iMacs. I suspect one reason for this could be the extra small font that it has because of the ultra high resolution. You might get used to this but I don't think it's never a good sign when you actually ache when using a device -- even if it's just an initial problem.

Thoughts about the 21.5"... For me the screen size is perfect. It's big enough to multitask but small enough to not take too much space. After all, one of the points of buying an iMac instead of, say Mac Pro or a PC-tower, is that you save space.
 
My previous Win XP system was 19" LCD. My work laptop is a 14" (with external 23" screen at my office). My home laptop is 17". With this in mind (and tight desk with upper hutch opening), I got the iMac 21.5". And, its size is good - compared to what I'm used to. If Mac OS x offered "large size" icons and "large size" menus at a "global setting" level (like Win xx systems), I would have seriously looked at the iMac 27". It would have been tight but I would have made the iMac 27" fit on my desk. Yes. 27" would have been nice but the lack of increasing the size of many applications menus would have created "too small" of text (on the higher DPI of the 27" model).

My desk area: http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w251/Spike99-Pictures/New iMac system/After-4.jpg

Good luck - on which ever physical size you pick.

.
 
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A 27" wouldn't have fit on our kitchen desk. Even so when you look at th 21" when its not sitting next to a 27" it is a very nice size screen tha more than meets our family's needs
 
Spike88 said:
My previous Win XP system was 19" LCD. My work laptop is a 14" (with external 23" screen at my office). My home laptop is 17". With this in mind (and tight desk with upper hutch opening), I got the iMac 21.5". And, its size is good - compared to what I'm used to. If Mac OS x offered "large size" icons and "large size" menus at a "global setting" level (like Win xx systems), I would have seriously looked at the iMac 27". It would have been tight but I would have made the iMac 27" fit on my desk. Yes. 27" would have been nice but the lack of increasing the size of many applications menus would have created "too small" of text (on the higher DPI of the 27" model).

My desk area: http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w251/Spike99-Pictures/New iMac system/After-4.jpg

Good luck - on which ever physical size you pick.

.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback, I probably will get the 21.5 but seeing all that screen on the 27 makes me very tempted.

Also I see you went for the wired keyboard, that's another thing I've had a hard time deciding! No doubt the wireless is nice looking and tidy but I think I would miss the number pad... And also resent constantly buying batteries - I think the rechargeable ones should come with it!
 
The new 21.5" iMac is my first "proper" Apple computer, and very happy with it. Didn't need the extra power of the 27" iMacs, and the screen size is about right - a little larger than necessary, to be honest. Sitting where i do, with my head ~ 2ft (60cm) from the screen, the 27" would be too big.

David
 
Hermes Monster said:
Thanks for the feedback, I probably will get the 21.5 but seeing all that screen on the 27 makes me very tempted.

Also I see you went for the wired keyboard, that's another thing I've had a hard time deciding! No doubt the wireless is nice looking and tidy but I think I would miss the number pad... And also resent constantly buying batteries - I think the rechargeable ones should come with it!
Click to expand...

I'm also in the same situation, getting a 21.5 but not sure what keyboard to get, any recommendations?
 
I have a 24" at the moment. When I look at them in person the 27 always seems way too big. If I was replacing my 24 I'd go for the 21.5
 
Nope, I really couldn't afford the 27", and the 21.5" was perfect for my needs.
I can always add a bigger screen on later, and my specs are the same as the base 27".

I would have got the i5 if it wasn't BTO though. I like getting my products in store.
 
Hermes Monster said:
Hola

I'm hoping to buy a my first iMac this week, likely to be the base 21.5 - it suits my needs and is about the right price for my budget...so I keep telling myself..

however after seeing it next to a 27" in the store, it seemed a tad small and seeing I can get a refurb'd 27" for not much more, I'm having second thoughts!

so to my question, if you bought the 21.5" model, do you think it's big enough or do you wish you'd taken the plunge and got the bigger screen?!

By the way it will be used for daily web browsing/ general use and some part time web development, design work
Click to expand...


A little more? The refurbished 27" cost $500 more and brand new your looking at $700+ more. Also the 21.5" screen is huge if your sitting in front of it. Finally I would NEVER spend 2K on a imac for that I would get a Mac Pro which runs circles around this machine for roughly the same price ( 2k+)
 
tears2040 said:
A little more? The refurbished 27" cost $500 more and brand new your looking at $700+ more. Also the 21.5" screen is huge if your sitting in front of it. Finally I would NEVER spend 2K on a imac for that I would get a Mac Pro which runs circles around this machine for roughly the same price ( 2k+)
Click to expand...

A refurbished 27" iMac is $340 more then a 21.5", Hard to get a MacPro for $2,000...and you would need to add a $1,000 monitor

As on today:
Refurbished iMac 27-inch 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo = $1,269
Refurbished iMac 21.5-inch 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo = $929
 
sn0wman72 said:
A refurbished 27" iMac is $340 more then a 21.5", Hard to get a MacPro for $2,000...and you would need to add a $1,000 monitor

As on today:
Refurbished iMac 27-inch 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo = $1,269
Refurbished iMac 21.5-inch 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo = $929
Click to expand...

We are thinking different'


21.5" ( New ) iMac i3 $1199

27" ( Refurb ) iMac i7 $1699



The i3 as we all know is simply a better processor than core duos, the i5 & i7 are even better. But still the Xeon Nehalem in the Mac Pro is better than them all & the Westmere is King if my calculations are correct. Finally I would never pay $1K for the iMac display, my 24" Lcd monitor I have right next to it actually looks better and it only cost me $400


peace
 
tears2040 said:
A little more? The refurbished 27" cost $500 more and brand new your looking at $700+ more. Also the 21.5" screen is huge if your sitting in front of it. Finally I would NEVER spend 2K on a imac for that I would get a Mac Pro which runs circles around this machine for roughly the same price ( 2k+)
Click to expand...

that's in the USA, in the uk I can get get a (granted older model) core 2 duo 27" for £160 more, or the i5 for £260 more.

I wouldn't get a mac pro as I don't need all that power, and I prefer the all-in-one-ness of the iMac
 
Hermes Monster said:
that's in the USA, in the uk I can get get a (granted older model) core 2 duo 27" for £160 more, or the i5 for £260 more.

I wouldn't get a mac pro as I don't need all that power, and I prefer the all-in-one-ness of the iMac
Click to expand...

?

Must not be running any pro apps, because if you were you would understand how useful/powerful the newer Mac Pros are. Regardless for your options I would choose an i5 as it is a quad core processor vs the core duo which only has two. Even then do not base your decision on screen size as even the Base Model i3 is faster than a core duo 27".
 
Not at all. I added a second Dell 2210 screen (same panel as the 21.5) for about £130 giving me two superb screens instead of one.
 
CampDavid said:
Not at all. I added a second Dell 2210 screen (same panel as the 21.5) for about £130 giving me two superb screens instead of one.
Click to expand...

Cool beans, does the iMac have a HDMI? I have 19" SHARP HD LCD TV sat in my spare room, would I be able to utilise that in my setup?
 
Hermes Monster said:
By the way it will be used for daily web browsing/ general use and some part time web development, design work
Click to expand...

tears2040 said:
?

Must not be running any pro apps, because if you were you would understand how useful/powerful the newer Mac Pros are. Regardless for your options I would choose an i5 as it is a quad core processor vs the core duo which only has two. Even then do not base your decision on screen size as even the Base Model i3 is faster than a core duo 27".
Click to expand...

Nope, sure wont be :) but I agree, the i5 is much better, but the core 2 would probably suit my needs
 
Hermes Monster said:
Cool beans, does the iMac have a HDMI? I have 19" SHARP HD LCD TV sat in my spare room, would I be able to utilise that in my setup?
Click to expand...

It's got a mini display port. You need to convert it to something more relevant. I used a mini display to DVI and that seems to work very well.

Don't get me wrong, the 27" would be nice, however I don't need the extra hard disk and the processor increase is minimal compared to the base model. This means that, with educational discount, the price difference of £350 isn't really worth it.

I find the twin desktops are also much nicer to use than the single 27" while I can also run the Mac on one and plug my HP laptop in the other so I can use windows to RDP into work while leaving the apple free to run media, it's a nice setup.
 
CampDavid said:
It's got a mini display port. You need to convert it to something more relevant. I used a mini display to DVI and that seems to work very well.

Don't get me wrong, the 27" would be nice, however I don't need the extra hard disk and the processor increase is minimal compared to the base model. This means that, with educational discount, the price difference of £350 isn't really worth it.

I find the twin desktops are also much nicer to use than the single 27" while I can also run the Mac on one and plug my HP laptop in the other so I can use windows to RDP into work while leaving the apple free to run media, it's a nice setup.
Click to expand...

nice, just to clarify this - if I get the mini display to hdmi and plug it in to my second TV, would it create a second/extra desktop space, or is it just a mirror of the main iMac screen...if that makes sense?

p.s. found a nice connector on eBay for £5, by NEET
 
I couldn't stand the size of the 27inch, way too big for me. Clearly though, the bang for the buck is in the 27inch. But meh, I'll be happy with a 21.5 inch. Ordering soon! ^^
 
I went from a 20" White iMac to the 27". You can never have too many pixels. In fact I still have a 20" Dell monitor attached on the side.

If you have desk space for the 27", get it.
 
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