iMac - would you change anything?

[Juxe]

I am very seriously considering buying a new iMac and I would like to know what everyone thinks of the internal hardware. After considering a MacBook Pro, I read a lot about how much people hate the GPUs in the MBP's.

Anyone feel the same about the hardware in iMacs? Is there any specific components not to get?

 

[BOSS10L]

Well, unless you're a hardcore FPS (First Person Shooter) gamer who needs resolutions jacked up to the max, I can't see why an iMac wouldn't fit many users' needs. I'm a homebrew PC guy from way back and it is a little unsettling that I cannot just pop out the video card and replace it, or the HDD, but in the end, the simplicity of use totally trumps the expandability issues.

I compute on my computer. I game on my game consoles. If I ever get that hot and heavy into online competitive gaming again, I'll build another XP gaming rig. Other than that, my iMac and MacBook are great.

Apple systems are stable for a reason, most notably tightly controlled hardware and software pipelines. Some may see it as a bit heavy-handed, but I (after many delusional PC years) see it as guaranteeing a great user experience and great interoperability.

YMMV.

 

[Juxe]

Thanks for the reply! I know that basically whichever apple product I choose I almost can't go wrong, but its just so hard to choose! One second the MBP is what I want, the next day I want an iMac. Apple should have a "choose for me" button when ordering computers from their website.

 

[SkiHound]

To me, the decision depends entirely on the importance of portability. If you will use the computer in different locations, get the MBP. If not, then I think the iMac is a better option. Unless you're playing first person shooters or heavy duty video editing you won't really notice differences in the gpus.

 

[BlackMax]

The iMac 24" 2.8 GHz w/ Nvidia 8800 GS I have fits all our needs and I am a gamer. It is primarily our family computer so everyone uses it. From email and web browsing to word processing and gaming, it has been able to meet all our needs.

Perhaps in the future when the Blu-Ray drive prices come down a Blu-Ray SuperDrive would be nice.

 

[Juxe]

I know that both the iMac and the MBP would be well equipt to handle what I would use it for. Portibility is something that would be nice, but it's not something I would use everyday. I quite a clutz, so going to a coffee shop with a nice new laptop is a no-no for me. I have a G5 iMac right now and absolutely love it. Err, lovED it. It has just joined the ranks of all the other mysterious randomly dying iMacs. I know it's fixable, but I was going to get a new computer soon anyways.

I'm really looking for lots of screen space, or as I once heard it: "real estate". 50% of the time I use the computer for everyday things, and the other 50% of the time I deal with very large photoshop files and video files, with the occassional game in there also. I also plan on getting Starcraft III and Diablo III when they come out.

I'm still undecided cause both computers can handle all of that.

 

[vestigo74]

I know that both the iMac and the MBP would be well equipt to handle what I would use it for. Portibility is something that would be nice, but it's not something I would use everyday. I quite a clutz, so going to a coffee shop with a nice new laptop is a no-no for me. I have a G5 iMac right now and absolutely love it. Err, lovED it. It has just joined the ranks of all the other mysterious randomly dying iMacs. I know it's fixable, but I was going to get a new computer soon anyways.

I'm really looking for lots of screen space, or as I once heard it: "real estate". 50% of the time I use the computer for everyday things, and the other 50% of the time I deal with very large photoshop files and video files, with the occassional game in there also. I also plan on getting Starcraft III and Diablo III when they come out.

I'm still undecided cause both computers can handle all of that.

Damn. I just finally stopped jonesing in anticipation of these two releases... now I'm sitting here twitching again.

 

[seenew]

My only complaints are minor. I purchased a white 20" Intel iMac in June of 2006 and recently upgraded to a new aluminum 24" model. I love it. The screen is ridiculously huge, and still the thing manages to be thinner than my old iMac.
Anyway, my complaint is that (as far as I know) you can't upgrade the internal HDD post-purchase. I bought mine as a refurb and didn't have the option to upgrade the HDD or RAM. I'd love to have 1TB in there instead of just 500GB. RAM, yes I wanted 4GB, but this only came with 2GB. I find it terribly inconvenient that they installed the 2GB as two 1GB sticks. This means for me to upgrade to 4GB, I have to buy two 2GB sticks instead of just a single additional 2GB stick. Why Apple? Why didn't you just stick a single 2GB stick in?

Also, something odd about the new iMacs is that they no longer hold the IR remote to the side like the old ones did using magnets. I just noticed this, and it bothers me a lot!

 

[Juxe]

RAM used to be a big problem for me too. I had to pay $400 just to upgrade the original 512MB ram to 2GB (which is the max for my model). I still wish I could go higher and I can't imagine living without 2GB+ RAM. I will definity be spending the extra $200 for 4GB ram when I buy a new mac. I'm also curious about the 1TB hard drive. It would be very very cool to have that much, but good god how will I ever fill it?