Im wanting to look into buying my mom an iMac for Christmas this year, she has a pc which she always complains about and always talks about how much she wishes she had the money to go out and buy a mac. I am looking at a brand new one from Apple for $1200 with a 21.5" screen, but with her current computer she is sporting a 24" monitor. I want to buy her the 27" but its several hundred more, do you guys think itd be worth it? How does the screen resolution compare to one another? I just bought a 13" UBP and the screen resolution was the only real difference I saw between it and the 15" and im completely happy, I just dont know how happy shell be downgrading. My mac is more portable since its smaller then my last, but hers will always sit on a desk. I am just looking for opinions right now, we still have awhile until December 25th!
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iMac for christmas, opinions please!
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The 27 inch has double the amount of screen real estate than the 21.5 inch. If she likes doing multi-media and graphics work, she might enjoy the 27 inch. There are a lot of people who say they find the 27 inch too big, but personally I got used to it pretty fast.
Well it depends. You need to check the current resolution on her computer and then the iMac that you wanna get her. Also, it depends what she does on it. If she really puts her computer to work, then you might wanna get her a 27" but if she uses it casually like my mom, then 21.5" should be more than enough for her. I honestly don't think it's gonna feel like she's downgrading, because if she's having problems with her PC right now, a Mac will be a huge relief for her and she's not even gonna pay attention to the smaller screen size because 21.5" has a full HD 1080 resolution.
I just got a 27" iMac about a week ago and I am more than happy with it. It is a bit overwhelming when you set it up and sit in front of for the first couple of days, but I am used to it already and would not want anything smaller...ever!
So if you can come up with the extra dough I think she will be stoked with the 27".
So if you can come up with the extra dough I think she will be stoked with the 27".
I personally own a 27" and I work on a 24" at work, and the difference between the two is very noticeable, but I do not feel like I am drawing the short straw when using my 24" monitor. I think this can be also said for the difference between her current 24" setup and the 21.5" iMac you are looking into buying.
The 27" is a lot more expensive for more reasons than just screen size, you are getting a lot more power out of it as well. The problem is, she most likely does not need all that power.
That being said, I would purchase her the 21.5" and if she is not satisfied with screen size, you can always connect her 24" monitor to the iMac and set up mirror mode or even extended mode. Then she'd have something like a 32" screen!
The 27" is a lot more expensive for more reasons than just screen size, you are getting a lot more power out of it as well. The problem is, she most likely does not need all that power.
That being said, I would purchase her the 21.5" and if she is not satisfied with screen size, you can always connect her 24" monitor to the iMac and set up mirror mode or even extended mode. Then she'd have something like a 32" screen!
I did think about looking into a mini, but she has never been to impressed with them. When you look at a iMac, you think, "it is sleek and looks like it packs a punch", the mini is just, well, a powerful little box. The iMac has always been her favorite, and you cant really go wrong with and all-in-one machine. Ill look into the screen resolution shortly for a little more comparison, but as far as her workload goes, she doesnt do anything to overwhelming like video editing, the upgraded internals on the 27" really arent needed, im simply looking at the visual, it would be great if Apple had a 27" with the 21" hardware. Anyway, she is constantly on it, paperwork, emailing, browsing the web. Id like to say she is the average user, but when it comes to building cads and such, shes out of the 'average' picture. The 21" is probably what ill go with, it already has upgraded hardware compared to her current pc, but I am not 100% sure on the resolution.
...get her the 21.5" iMac and hook her old 24" monitor up to it also...
I have a 20" iMac and a 20" monitor paired together (in my sig) and my wife is very happy with that combo!
I have a 20" iMac and a 20" monitor paired together (in my sig) and my wife is very happy with that combo!
...my 20's are very close, check the newer iMac and see if you can scale it the same...
One word; Refurbished.
I bought a 27 inch i7 after the 2010 models were announced and saved $500. It comes with the exact same warranty as new, the same ability to buy three years of applecare, and it's probably been checked out more carefully than a new one. I have a 13 inch MBP that I bought refurbished, and it's great. In both cases they looked brand new when I got it. When I checked the serial number on my imac it didn't even say refurbished.
Here's a link to a base model 27 inch refurbished. You may want to consider it, or something like it. Great way to get a better model for you money!
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC510LL/A?mco=MTkwMzU2NDg
And if you don't mind a Core 2 duo, then here's a 27 inch model for $1270!
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FB952LL/A?mco=MTU3ODU5MzY
I bought a 27 inch i7 after the 2010 models were announced and saved $500. It comes with the exact same warranty as new, the same ability to buy three years of applecare, and it's probably been checked out more carefully than a new one. I have a 13 inch MBP that I bought refurbished, and it's great. In both cases they looked brand new when I got it. When I checked the serial number on my imac it didn't even say refurbished.
Here's a link to a base model 27 inch refurbished. You may want to consider it, or something like it. Great way to get a better model for you money!
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC510LL/A?mco=MTkwMzU2NDg
And if you don't mind a Core 2 duo, then here's a 27 inch model for $1270!
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FB952LL/A?mco=MTU3ODU5MzY