Advice needed on education purchase for several imacs.

[urbanskywalker]

I recently signed on for a graphic design teaching position in a high school. Currently we have eight emacs (which we will keep), but this years budget allows for approximately $10,000 purchase of computers. The decision needs to be made now so that the school division will have them by September.

We will be using CS3, imovie, sketchup with an emphasis on photography and image manipulation. My question is how best to stretch the budget. Would it be wise to 1. buy the 17" imac for education, 2. refurbished 20" imacs of the new generation, or 3. just go all out for the new 20". The computers will be kept for at least 3 years

Thanks for the input.

 

[nando2323]

I would say refurb 20" since they are not that much different than the newer ones, and still carry the same warranty at a cheaper price.

But the way to look at it is, you have 10K to spend so that would be 8 brand new 20" imacs at the EPP price of $1127 ea with tax at 5% it would come out to $9466 for Massachusetts at least.

Now the refurbished you would get 10 at $949 ea (no EPP there) with the same 5% sales tax it would come out to $9964.50 so you would get 2 more computers for about $400 more. I would definitely get the refurbished if it were me you'll get more for your money. Also I would call apple and see if you can get them to give you an even deeper discount since you are buying bulk.

I did not include shipping since it's always free.

 

[sfroom]

When you say "2. refurbished iMacs of the new generation", do you mean the 2.0 Ghz aluminum iMacs with the 2400XT, or the 2.4 Ghz aluminum iMacs with the HD 2600 card?

I only ask, because if are considering the 2.0 Ghz Aluminum iMac ($949), I would recommend either the previous generation 2.16 Ghz ($949, faster), or the 2.4 Ghz w/ HD 2600 ($1099) as an alternative.

I believe that becuase of the superior quality of the screens, and the slightly faster processor, the previous generation white 20" imac represents the best value for you.

If you were considering "going all out" and getting new 20" iMacs, I would recommend getting the refurbished white 24" iMacs instead.

 

[urbanskywalker]

Thanks for the suggestions. I should mention I am in Canada, so the deals tend to be less dramatic. I noticed Apple still sells the 17" imac but with a combo drive and integrated graphics. The classroom is very small, so there may be some value in smaller screens. What do you think the lifespan of the older 17" imacs is today? Do you think the refurb 20" imac at 2.0ghz is still a better deal than the 17" new?

I am inclined to go for the 20" refurb assuming apple sells them to schools.

 

[Bad Paper]

You're burning money with that CS3. Use Aperture instead; it's widely regarded as superior for photography.

 

[sfroom]

Thanks for the suggestions. I should mention I am in Canada, so the deals tend to be less dramatic. I noticed Apple still sells the 17" imac but with a combo drive and integrated graphics. The classroom is very small, so there may be some value in smaller screens. What do you think the lifespan of the older 17" imacs is today? Do you think the refurb 20" imac at 2.0ghz is still a better deal than the 17" new?

I am inclined to go for the 20" refurb assuming apple sells them to schools.

Absolutley I think the 20" refurbished iMacs are a better deal than the 17" "new" ones.

However, I think that the refurbished previous generation 20" iMacs are the best deal of all. I'm also in Canada, so I'll use the Canadian prices:

Refurbished iMac 20-inch 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
20-inch glossy widescreen display
1GB memory
250GB hard drive
8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT with 128MB memory
Built-in iSight Camera
Price: $999.00

vs.

Refurbished iMac 20-inch 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo SuperDrive
20-inch widescreen display
1GB memory
250GB hard drive
8x SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
ATI Radeon X1600 with 128MB GDDR3 memory
Built-in iSight camera
Price: $999.00

For the same price you are getting a faster processor, arguably better (at least equivalent) video card, and a much better screen. The white iMacs use the same lcd panels as the 20" cinema displays, I've been told. The S-IPS panel in the white iMac has a higher viewing angle and more accurate colour than the 20" aluminum iMacs, which use cheaper TN panels.

Hope this helps!

 

[decksnap]

Is the refurb discount actually more than the edu discount? Or can you combine them?

You're burning money with that CS3. Use Aperture instead; it's widely regarded as superior for photography.

What?? Not for this purpose, no.

 

[gazfocus]

Is the refurb discount actually more than the edu discount? Or can you combine them?

They tend to work out about the same. You can't combine the educational prices with the refurb store...unfortunately

 

[marcre]

I would go into an Apple store and explain your situation. See what you can get new for all that money. They may even offer a business discount on several computers. If you don't have a store near you, I'd call the online store with the same questions.

 

[tuxtpenguin]

^^ Agreed. Call the Apple store and have them give you some options.

 

[Flyinace2000]

I third the motion to call apple. We are getting a killer deal on 50 laptops (2 free xserves). So call them up and see what they offer you to stay mac and not call dell. We also got 3 year lease with 0%. Also since you are a edu you don't pay tax (unless that is different in Canada).