current imac or wait? - Refresh Question first post

[K.E.P.]

First post here. I have been a mac follower since college and have had an imac (1gz G4 with 1 gig ram, 5 years old).

It has been such a great machine, but the 80 gig HD is finally almost full and it is slowing down.

I have decided to get another imac 20" 2.4ghz to replace it with 4 gig of ram. I will use it for just about everything (imovie, garage band, the net, ex).

I realize the newly styled imacs just came out a few months ago with what I read was pretty minor upgrades to actual hardware.

I may can wait until April or so before upgrading. What is the average refresh rates on imacs and should I try to wait for the next updated one to come out?

Thanks K.E.P.

 

[thesdx]

Well, the Buyer's Guide says the average is 185 days. It's been 170 so far. This could mean a minor speed boost is on the way. However, don't expect a massive overhaul or product redesign. Most of these updates are just incremental. If you're getting a 2.4ghz with 4GB of ram, I say get it now. It'll definetly be fast enough for you.

 

[andrewag]

Do you need a new computer in the next month? If it's not urgent it might be worth waiting for slightly increased specs (Apple Insider suggested 2.1Ghz low, 2.5Ghz high penryn processors).

It's not like the current iMac will go BAM! out of date as soon as a new one is released anyway.

 

[Chris204]

Buy it now like I just did. A little speed boost won't make any difference if you have 4GB of RAM. I say go for it!

 

[demarco]

sorry to hijack your thread but I am in the same boat as original poster. Except my fear is I keep hearing these stories of LCD screen problems, and freezing issues with the aluminum iMacs that I almost want to invest in the intel white iMacs.

Am I crazy? have they fixed this issue in the recent months? I had not heard of any of the new macs from Nov til now. I feel in the dark because of this and I've been trying to find some recent news.

 

[themoonisdown09]

sorry to hijack your thread but I am in the same boat as original poster. Except my fear is I keep hearing these stories of LCD screen problems, and freezing issues with the aluminum iMacs that I almost want to invest in the intel white iMacs.

Am I crazy? have they fixed this issue in the recent months? I had not heard of any of the new macs from Nov til now. I feel in the dark because of this and I've been trying to find some recent news.

I don't think there are any more freezing issues... these were fixed in a software update. As for the gradient issues, I don't think the majority of them have it, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. I got a 24" iMac on Monday and I've had no problems... I love it.

 

[Rychy]

I'm currently posting on an iMac with the gradient problem that's going back tomorrow.... it will be my third attempt to get one with a good screen.

Very frustrating.

 

[harcosparky]

sorry to hijack your thread but I am in the same boat as original poster. Except my fear is I keep hearing these stories of LCD screen problems, and freezing issues with the aluminum iMacs that I almost want to invest in the intel white iMacs.

Am I crazy? have they fixed this issue in the recent months? I had not heard of any of the new macs from Nov til now. I feel in the dark because of this and I've been trying to find some recent news.

I am using a new 24" iMac.

Not one screen issue noted.

My advice:

Buy now ....

If the screen issue is a concern, go to an Apple store to pick it up.
Make them unpack it and fire it up so you can test it before you leave.
That's how I did it. At least I know when I walked out the door there were no known problems.

 

[CalMin]

You know, all this talk of gradient issues is overblown in my opinion. Go to the Apple store and take a look for yourself. Almost all the screens have a slight gradient in the store. I have a keen eye for detail, but the ONLY reason I notice it is because I've read about it. I doubt it will change any time soon.

My point is that the gradient can be seen if you look for it, but unless you depend on your display for a living, you'll never notice it. I am a keen amateur photographer. I shoot with a Canon 40D and have a discerning eye for color and detail, and it just doesn't bother me on a daily basis. I'm not a graphics pro and if I was, I would be shopping for a Mac Pro and a Pro, color calibrated monitor.

Just look at one yourself if you can and decide. Online forums can really take minor issues and run with them. In some cases it's justified and holds manufacturers responsible, but in many cases it is not.

 

[Sped]

FWIW, I believe the next iMac update will coincide with the release of the Montevina platform. The most significant item included with it is hardware decoding for HD video. I expect this update to happen sometime between Apr-May; however, I agree with most folks on the board that today's iMac is quite fast.

 

[gazfocus]

FWIW, I believe the next iMac update will coincide with the release of the Montevina platform. The most significant item included with it is hardware decoding for HD video. I expect this update to happen sometime between Apr-May; however, I agree with most folks on the board that today's iMac is quite fast.

I don't see how this will happen between Apr-May because Montevina isn't scheduled to be released until May, then Apple need to get it into the Systems. It may be ready for WWDC in June, but more likely to keep with the August updates IMO.

 

[Leon Kowalski]

I don't see how this will happen between Apr-May because Montevina isn't scheduled to be released until May ...

Not sayin' it will happen, but that hasn't stopped Apple before;
IIRC, the Apple stores were selling the 2.8 MHz iMacs a week
or two before Intel "released" that CPU.

LK

 

[Ironduke]

ati have just released their new midrange

so the next update of the imac will probably have these as the 2400/2600 series are defunct, and were crap to boot

 

[radpanic]

I am in the same boat.

I want to purchase a new 20" 2.0 w/2gb of RAM. I know the average refresh time is only 15 days away but I haven't seen any significant rumors and I'm not very patient. To help my decision could you guys answer a couple of questoins for me?
Do the 20 inchers have the same screen problems as the 24s?
Have the heat issues been fixed?
How fast would my configuration run iMovie '08? I have a 2.0 core duo macbook with 1gb RAM but iMovie is almost unusable on it. I've got a lot of video I need to edit. That's why I want to get the new iMac.
Thanks!

 

[DesignerOnMac]

I want to purchase a new 20" 2.0 w/2gb of RAM. I know the average refresh time is only 15 days away but I haven't seen any significant rumors and I'm not very patient. To help my decision could you guys answer a couple of questoins for me?
Do the 20 inchers have the same screen problems as the 24s?
Have the heat issues been fixed?
How fast would my configuration run iMovie '08? I have a 2.0 core duo macbook with 1gb RAM but iMovie is almost unusable on it. I've got a lot of video I need to edit. That's why I want to get the new iMac.
Thanks!

1. 20" iMacs have a different screen technology than the 24".
As mentioned, screen problems have been over blown.

2. Who told you there would be a refresh in 15 days?

3. No heat issues with the iMac.

Can not help you with iMovie however.

 

[Rychy]

You know, all this talk of gradient issues is overblown in my opinion. Go to the Apple store and take a look for yourself. Almost all the screens have a slight gradient in the store. I have a keen eye for detail, but the ONLY reason I notice it is because I've read about it. I doubt it will change any time soon.

My point is that the gradient can be seen if you look for it, but unless you depend on your display for a living, you'll never notice it. I am a keen amateur photographer. I shoot with a Canon 40D and have a discerning eye for color and detail, and it just doesn't bother me on a daily basis. I'm not a graphics pro and if I was, I would be shopping for a Mac Pro and a Pro, color calibrated monitor.

Just look at one yourself if you can and decide. Online forums can really take minor issues and run with them. In some cases it's justified and holds manufacturers responsible, but in many cases it is not.

Yeah I'd like you to take a look at the two screens I've had and tell me that... it's like one side of the screen has been bleached. And the Mac Genius agreed.

 

[Ladybug]

Do the 20 inchers have the same screen problems as the 24s?
Have the heat issues been fixed?
How fast would my configuration run iMovie '08? I have a 2.0 core duo macbook with 1gb RAM but iMovie is almost unusable on it. I've got a lot of video I need to edit. That's why I want to get the new iMac.
Thanks!

The 20" could possibly have a gradient that runs from top to bottom, whereas some 24" models have gradients that run from left to right on the screen.

No heat issues with my 20" that I purchased 4 days ago.

I don't used iMovie so will refrain from comment.

I purchased a 20" model 4 days ago, upgraded it to 4 gigs of ram and I'm quite pleased with it. Testing the screen on a solid background, there is a slight gradient going top to bottom, but it's really very faint, and I personally can't see it during normal use. The 20" uses a cheaper LCD panel than the 24" models as I understand it. If you have any doubts you should probably go to a store and check out the models on display. I think you'll be quite pleased.

 

[demarco]

How fast would my configuration run iMovie '08? I have a 2.0 core duo macbook with 1gb RAM but iMovie is almost unusable on it. I've got a lot of video I need to edit. That's why I want to get the new iMac.
Thanks!

The reason you're probably having issues is the RAM. I used to use final cut pro on my powerbook g4 1.67 1.5gb ram working with 720p footage and it worked fine for me. Just max out the ram from crucial and your video editing problems should disappear.

 

[radpanic]

2. Who told you there would be a refresh in 15 days?

Oh, sorry, I just meant that the average refresh time is only 15 days away according to the Macrumors buyer's guide. Thanks for the input.

 

[radpanic]

The reason you're probably having issues is the RAM. I used to use final cut pro on my powerbook g4 1.67 1.5gb ram working with 720p footage and it worked fine for me. Just max out the ram from crucial and your video editing problems should disappear.

Ah ha! Thanks. I will be sure to max out the ram on my new iMac. Well, maybe not "max out" but I will add a 2gb stick from Crucial to the 1gb it comes with.
But, does final cut use the "scrubbing thumbnails" feature that iMovie 08 uses? That's where I'm getting all the lag. Even if I have no other programs running on the background. Waiting for the thumbnail preview to catch up with my mouse cursor is pretty much unbearable. Thanks again.

 

[siam]

harcosparky

If the screen issue is a concern, go to an Apple store to pick it up.
Make them unpack it and fire it up so you can test it before you leave.
That's how I did it. At least I know when I walked out the door there were no known problems.

sounds a good Idea, what did the store have to do in the way of setting up
accounts, and what did you check out on the Mac..?

Thanks

 

[Sped]

I don't see how this will happen between Apr-May because Montevina isn't scheduled to be released until May, then Apple need to get it into the Systems. It may be ready for WWDC in June, but more likely to keep with the August updates IMO.

I couldn't remember the exact Montevina release date, so May it is. But it won't take Apple any time to integrate it. In fact, I expect Apple already has pre-production samples to work with just like Dell and everybody else. It won't be WWDC. That's a pro event, and I doubt they'll wait till August.

 

[demarco]

Ah ha! Thanks. I will be sure to max out the ram on my new iMac. Well, maybe not "max out" but I will add a 2gb stick from Crucial to the 1gb it comes with.
But, does final cut use the "scrubbing thumbnails" feature that iMovie 08 uses? That's where I'm getting all the lag. Even if I have no other programs running on the background. Waiting for the thumbnail preview to catch up with my mouse cursor is pretty much unbearable. Thanks again.

I personally have never used iMovie oddly enough (used avid, FCP and premiere). I think the RAM should do the trick with scrubbing through your clips.