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I finally have the money for the iMac I've been lusting over.....

I

iMikeT

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Jul 8, 2006
2,304
1
California
But since I've waited this long to buy it (last updated in July '10), should I just go ahead and wait until Apple revs the iMac in a few months?

I'm thinking that Apple will probably update it some time between mid-March to late June. According to their past track record for revisions, this time frame would seem right for a what ever they release.

Also, what can be expected in the next iMac revision?

If I had to guess, Sandy Bridge CPUs. Probably use the same GPUs as the current version. Same form factor. Still no Blu-ray or USB 3. And my own personal bit of wishful thinking, a built-in SSD that's standard for the high-end iMac. Any other guesses?
 
iMikeT said:
But since I've waited this long to buy it (last updated in July '10), should I just go ahead and wait until Apple revs the iMac in a few months?

I'm thinking that Apple will probably update it some time between mid-March to late June. According to their past track record for revisions, this time frame would seem right for a what ever they release.

Also, what can be expected in the next iMac revision?

If I had to guess, Sandy Bridge CPUs. Probably use the same GPUs as the current version. Same form factor. Still no Blu-ray or USB 3. And my own personal bit of wishful thinking, a built-in SSD that's standard for the high-end iMac. Any other guesses?
Click to expand...

I would just buy what you want now. I don't think we know it'll only be a few months...could easily be 6 months or more away...and the new features may not be that big of a deal.
 
iMikeT said:
If I had to guess, Sandy Bridge CPUs. Probably use the same GPUs as the current version. Same form factor. Still no Blu-ray or USB 3. And my own personal bit of wishful thinking, a built-in SSD that's standard for the high-end iMac. Any other guesses?
Click to expand...

A new iMac should last for several years. Through most of that time you will not have the very latest model. It's just unavoidable. I wouldn't buy a new Mac a week before Apple makes a major announcement, or say the week before the Apple Developer's conference or so, but don't wait several months. Not worth it.

If Apple builds a new iMac with built-in SSD, it will be either much lower capacity than the current hard drive, or a lot lot more expensive, or both. Just compare the hard drives on a MBP and MacBook Air.
 
It is going to be months before an update, and it likely will just be a spec bump. No redesign for a while. I say get it now.
 
there are 2 things I would concider before buying it now:
1. After refresh prices for current models will drop a little (or you can buy from someone who will be refreshing to new one),
2. Yellow tint issue solved - many will tell you that problem does not exist anymore but it does and with a tittle of bad luck you can have 3-4 exchanges before you will have proper one.

I say wait.
 
bearcatrp said:
Sandy bridge should be the next upgrade. The power savings alone is worth the wait. If you need it now, go for it. If you can wait, wait.
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Yeah I'm thinking that Sandy Bridge is going to be the most significant upgrade in the next iMac. I don't necessarily need the iMac now but I would love to have it now. I can definitely wait until the next update, regardless of how long it may be. The way I see it, I have not been able to get the current offering of the iMac for the past (nearly) six months, so what's another three to six month wait at this point?
 
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I would wait. Since computers are not critical for me - in other words, my job does not depend on having the latest and greatest, I am always able to wait so long as the one I have works.

The way I look at it is of I'm going to drop a big chunk of change, I might as well get the best system I can. So I usually just wait till the next announcement then order. Did it most recently in '06 with the core 2 duo, and am starting to feel the itch again.
 
Maybe buy now and just sell it if the next version is a significant enough upgrade for you? You could also buy refurb now to save money since it shouldn't affect the resale value if you went that route.
 
jouster said:
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I would wait. Since computers are not critical for me - in other words, my job does not depend on having the latest and greatest, I am always able to wait so long as the one I have works.

The way I look at it is of I'm going to drop a big chunk of change, I might as well get the best system I can. So I usually just wait till the next announcement then order. Did it most recently in '06 with the core 2 duo, and am starting to feel the itch again.
Click to expand...


Good way to put it. I usually like to wait until Apple after announces a product before making a purchase decision. Buying something mid-cycle, which we're currently in, is only something I would do if I absolutely needed it. And the only way I'll make that purchase is if the Mac I'm currently using dies on me with no hope of repair.
 
JustSomeDude said:
Maybe buy now and just sell it if the next version is a significant enough upgrade for you? You could also buy refurb now to save money since it shouldn't affect the resale value if you went that route.
Click to expand...


To be honest, I was really hoping that Apple's current offering of the iMac (July '10) would have been a lot more significant of upgrade compared to the late '09 iMac. Instead we saw a very minor speed bump and a slightly better GPU. I'm pretty sure that the next iMac will incorporate Sandy Bridge, which is a significant upgrade to me. I'm not necessarily the kind of person who is just after the latest and greatest, because I know that only going for that will only leave me with nothing in the end.

For my purposes, which are heavy amounts of photo editing, managing my digital life, and managing my investments, yes a computer is very necessary. However, as a freelance photographer in this economic climate, work is not exactly just there for the taking like it once was. So the absolute NEED for the iMac now is not present. Like I have said, I will only need to get it if my current computer dies on me.

Going off on a little economic tangent.... I have to decide what is more important, the need to have a roof over my head/need to eat/need to get around vs. getting a computer now.

I'm not a fan of buying something now and having to get rid of it in a few months after something better comes out. Nor am I a fan of buying anything used, the same goes for how I prefer women but that is another story.... To be honest, it is also too much of a hassle for me to buy something now and hope that I can sell it when the upgrade comes out. Especially after painting my economic reality for you, I do not have the luxury to be able to rent equipment for a few months at the cost of 20%-40% of the MSRP.

Thanks for suggestion though.
 
sandy bridge got announced today. Ive been lusting after an i7 imac from the refurb store but I may wait and just buy a regular one when it gets the sandy bridge upgrade. their claiming video encoding will be 17x faster on sandy bridge. whether that will work on the mac I guess we'll wait and see but I dont NEED one right now my i7 hackintosh is still running ok so ill be waiting.
 
CrAkD said:
sandy bridge got announced today. Ive been lusting after an i7 imac from the refurb store but I may wait and just buy a regular one when it gets the sandy bridge upgrade. their claiming video encoding will be 17x faster on sandy bridge. whether that will work on the mac I guess we'll wait and see but I dont NEED one right now my i7 hackintosh is still running ok so ill be waiting.
Click to expand...


I just saw the announcement on the front page and I'm really excited to read this news. Hopefully the upgrade will come much sooner than I'm expecting. Now my question is will Apple go back to using the notebook version of Sandy Bridge in the iMac as they did with Core 2 or will they stick to using the desktop version?
 
that entirely depends on the power consumption difference between the desktop and laptop version , its all about being green in the iMac
 
MacHamster68 said:
that entirely depends on the power consumption difference between the desktop and laptop version , its all about being green in the iMac
Click to expand...


Green or not, would you really want to go back to the days when the iMac was a MBP on a stick? That's why I couldn't justify buying an iMac when it had the Core 2 and knowing that the guts of it were no more powerful than a MBP. And at the same time, I couldn't justify paying the premium for the MBP knowing that its stick version was going for as much as 40% less.

So yes I'll take my gas combustion engine over those battery cells any day. I expect my desktop computer to have some muscle behind it.
 
iMikeT said:
So yes I'll take my gas combustion engine over those battery cells any day. I expect my desktop computer to have some muscle behind it.
Click to expand...

LOL

Then get a PC.

Or even a hackintosh + Apple 27 inch display.
 
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SidBala said:
LOL

Then get a PC.
Click to expand...


I am getting a PC and it just so happens to be a Mac as well. ;)

Besides, I love running OS X too much and I don't feel like switching to Windows. And I'll save you the trouble of suggesting to hackintosh standard hardware to run OS X, I don't want to bother going through the hassle.


-Addendum-

You beat me to it but I'll leave it up as is.
 
with the GPU's apple is always balancing between power and going green
and between dedicated GPU and onboard GPU 's , a proper deskop GPU drains more power then the iMac's PSU can even handle
if you need a really powerful GPU you just have no choice other then going MacPro or Hackintosh ,
in the iMac you will only get a compromise, but that is normal because of the amount of power a desktop GPU drains and the amount of heat created by a proper desktop GPUand not to metion the size of a pci graphics card for which there is no space inside this thin case
 
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MacHamster68 said:
with the GPU's apple is always balancing between power and going green
and between dedicated GPU and onboard GPU 's , a proper deskop GPU drains more power then the iMac's PSU can even handle
if you need a really powerful GPU you just have no choice other then going MacPro or Hackintosh ,
in the iMac you will only get a compromise, but that is normal because of the amount of power a desktop GPU drains and the amount of heat created by a proper desktop GPUand not to metion the size of a pci graphics card for which there is no space inside this thin case
Click to expand...


I don't mind a compromise, especially when I'm on a budget. I'm willing to get the current iteration of the iMac with the desktop quad i7 and the notebook-class GPU. What I don't want to see is Apple being blatantly using the notebook Sandy Bridge in the iMac as they did with the Core 2 and the only thing differentiating it from the MBP is the form factor.

If money is not an issue, I wouldn't be posting in the iMac forum (please refer to my earlier posts about my current economic reality). And as far as going the hackintosh route, not interested. I want to have my cake and eat it too. :p
 
iMikeT said:
I want to have my cake and eat it too. :p
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lol, way to go... Wait a few months, enjoy the suspense as the cake cooks slowly and enjoy the thrill when it arrives with the topping you've been waiting for. SB has to be a deffo IMO.
Got me another 6 months of hard saving before my first iMac brings my dream into reality so watching developments with glee :rolleyes:
 
Macginger said:
lol, way to go... Wait a few months, enjoy the suspense as the cake cooks slowly and enjoy the thrill when it arrives with the topping you've been waiting for. SB has to be a deffo IMO.
Got me another 6 months of hard saving before my first iMac brings my dream into reality so watching developments with glee :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I'm with you. I've been wanting a 27" iMac since they came out, and I too can finally afford one. After waiting this long, I'm going to stand on the same principles that surround all of my other Apple gear. I will buy it when the new one is announced. It's really a solid way to future-proof your purchase just an inch or two more.
 
It can take from 6 months to an entire year. If I were you i'd buy it now.
 
I bought mine just before Christmas, am very happy with the purchase. If there is that big of an improvement in the next generation, then I will sell what I have and buy the newer one. Why wait, the current iMacs are great machines. It always comes down to "want" versus "need".
 
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