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93MPH

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 19, 2008
48
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I will be buying a new iMac soon to replace my old 15" G4. I can't decide whether to get the 20" or 24". I am a little worried that getting a 24" would be too big for my room since I'm so used to my 15". Any 24" owners ever felt this way?
 
Not me but...

...the day my 24" iMac arrived, my girlfriend freaked out and said it was too big - had to go back. Then she used it, and loved it within about an hour.

Never looked back! :):):)
 
Everything will look bigger, better and you'll have a higher resolution. I don't think it'll be too big...just better.
 
I thought the same on my 2006 20" iMac

When I brought it home I thought it was huge. I almost returned it. I'm so glad I didn't. You'll get used to it.

PS--Your girlfriend probably just isn't used to large things.
 
I will be buying a new iMac soon to replace my old 15" G4. I can't decide whether to get the 20" or 24". I am a little worried that getting a 24" would be too big for my room since I'm so used to my 15". Any 24" owners ever felt this way?

I've been an owner of a 24" for 5 months now and I have loved it. I just picked up a 20" for my kids, as their PC recently died. I couldn't fit the 24" into the space we want to put it, so I went with the 20". I was afraid it would be too small after having the 24", but to be honest it is fine. Actually, the smaller screen fits better into my field of vision. However, I do a lot of photo and video editing, and the 24" comes in handy for that, as does its ability to have two full pages of a document open. But overall, I don't feel that the 20" is limiting even after working on a 24"; the 20" feels larger than I thought it would. Moving up from a 15" will be great!
 
Probably depends on the space you have, I think.

I have a small desk in a rather small office area in my apartment. I got the 20 inch because of my space considerations, and let me say - I'm glad I did! The 24 inch would have been way too big and would have made me feel boxed in and cramped if I had gotten it instead.

If space isn't an issue, consider what you'll be using it for. Lots of graphics? Pics, videos, movies, etc? If space is not something you have to take into account, and you expect to be doing a lot of graphics heavy work, a 24 inch might be better.
 
I use a 24" screen at work all day and then go home to my 20" iMac; I don't feel limited by the smaller screen. For my personal use, the 20" is more than adequate. I also have a fairly small desk at home and a 24" iMac would have looked awkward on it.
 
Not at all. Actually, I think it's the perfect size for a desktop. I went from using a 13" MacBook as my primary computer for 2 years to the 24" iMac. It did seem huge at first but once I got used to it I wouldn't have anything else. My sister has the 20" which is also great but once you use the larger screen it's hard to think of using anything else.
 
Go with the 24". It has a much better panel and you get used to it very quickly.

Here is a pic of my old G4 iMac next to the iMac 24" to compare the two.

imacs1.jpg
 
There's no such thing as a display that's too big unless it doesn't have the resolution to back it up (like a 720p HDTV for a monitor). Go with the 24", especially at $1499. Now if it's literally a situation where a 24" display won't fit, that's another issue. But I don't think anything is too big. After seeing some of my co-workers still using 15" monitors on Power Mac G3 systems running 8.x, get the good #%*t!
 
Definitely go 24", if you have any doubt (which you may have if you are asking on here) so... my 2 cents is go large. The simple fact of the matter is that the 24" screen is fantastic, bright and great for all uses. If money is an issue, space, or if you see a really good deal on a 20" then I have seen the 20" and they are still an outstanding screen and unit.

In truth I expect there are more people regretting not being able to get or deciding against a 24" than there are people who got a 24" and wished they had got a 20"

Any 20" 'errs reading and feeling sad you still have a great system. :cool:
 
I originally got a refurb 20" but had to return it due to being faulty.I then went to the apple store and compared both side by side and thought the extra money for the 24" was totally worth it! The 20" is still a good screen, but if money and space is not an issue, definitely go 24"! My 24" refurb is due to arrive on Monday :) I can't wait to use the bigger, brighter, sharper screen
 
I used to think 24" was major overkill for the majority of the buying public. I got a 20" last year, partly because of cost savings, partly because I didnt think 24" was necessary. But I just placed an order for a 24".

I came from a 4:3 19" lcd and I thought the 20" widescreen iMac was HUGE in comparison. The 24 vs the 20 is about the same striking difference. I really dont need a 24" screen for what I do, but with the 24" refurbs at $1199 I thought it was too good to pass up. I expect to be using this new 24" for 3+yrs.

I've gone for the 24". My current PC only has a 19". I'm hoping it's not too big!

You'll think it is at first, but after a while you wont notice.
 
Sorry if this is a dumb question.
The 24" would probably force your eyeballs to move more, now is that good or bad for your eyes if you use the computer all day?
 
Well, I had previously almost always had laptops between 15"-17". When I initially bought the 24" iMac, I must admit it seemed pretty overwhelming, but within a couple of days I had completely got used to it. Now, I'm very happy with the screen-size, and wonder why I didn't get one sooner.
 
I will be buying a new iMac soon to replace my old 15" G4. I can't decide whether to get the 20" or 24". I am a little worried that getting a 24" would be too big for my room since I'm so used to my 15". Any 24" owners ever felt this way?

You have to adjust and maybe set the monitor back some, that's all. If you sit too close to a 24" inch or a 30" inch, then you will find yourself moving your head too much and get serious neck strain. I have done that before.

I have a very small desk and used a 12" inch laptop, 15" inch LCD display, and a 17" inch LCD there. Anything bigger would require me to set the monitor back and a 24" inch at the current desk is just too big.

The key to avoiding neck strain is to have some peripheral vision beyond the screen when looking dead on. With little or no peripheral vision, then you will have to constantly move your head back and forth and over time, that hurts.
 
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