Im Planning to buy a 20" iMac

[ajo]

So I am planning to get myself a 20" iMac. I am tempted to max out all the specs but I havnt got nor do I earn a lot of money.

If I say what I will mostly be using it for can you guide me on which upgrades to go for.

I will mostly be using iPhoto, Garageband (with midi Keyboard and guitar), Photoshop, FrontRow (il be watching DVD's), iWeb and I hope to get the TV Freeview device as well.

Thanks for your help

ajo

 

[balamw]

If I say what I will mostly be using it for can you guide me on which upgrades to go for.

IMHO the only real performance upgrades on a 20" are the VRAM and RAM. You can always add other things like a wireless keyboard & mouse externally and later.

None of the things you plan to do seem particularly VRAM intensive, but this might be the only BTO thing to consider. Otherwise go for the base model and add as much RAM as you can from a reputable source like Crucial.com.

B

 

[ajo]

Im in the UK. Crucial.com seems to cost more than on the Apple website.

Also what happend about the iMacs staying the same price, not so true for us in the UK.

It will be a month or so before I get it so I have some time to work things out.

Also how easy is RAM on macs to fit?

 

[jsw]

Just one thing to consider: if you do not buy the stock model (i.e., if you add options), you cannot return it, so, if Apple announces the new 24" iMac for the same price 10 seconds after your order is past the point of cancellation, you have no options. That likely won't happen, but, if you buy stock, you have 10 days to change your mind.

It's a minor thing, but if you don't need something from Apple, maybe something to consider....

 

[ajo]

Is a bigger iMac likely in the near future? I would love a bigger screen, its gona be maybe 2 or 3 months untill I get one (although it could be sooner).

Maybe a bigger screen is just being greedy.

Is watching films good on a 20"?

Thanks again

ajo

 

[jsw]

Is a bigger iMac likely in the near future? I would love a bigger screen, its gona be maybe 2 or 3 months untill I get one (although it could be sooner).

Maybe a bigger screen is just being greedy.

Is watching films good on a 20"?

Thanks again

ajo

Oh, I doubt you'll see a bigger iMac - but you could just get the 17" and connect a big (up to 1920x1200 digital) monitor to it (same with the 20", obviously).

But I'd be surprised to see a larger iMac any time soon. Of course, I was surprised to see the 20" when it appeared in the previous G4 generation of them....

 

[powerbook911]

AJO,

For your needs, a stock system sounds fine. Just add memory, when you get it!