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Is ANYBODY planning to buy a base 21.5 iMac ???

S

sushiman

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 8, 2007
62
0
Kumamoto , Japan
Understandably , most of the excitement is centered around the 27" with quad core ...I'm not a techie . In fact , I'm one of the " basic user " crowd , who up until now has used Windows exclusively .

I'm ready to pull the trigger on a base iMac , but would like to hear more opinions on it .

I have not ruled out a PC , but like countless other PC users am tired of messing with Windows - if it is to my advantage to do so .

I would love to hear from any and all re: the basic iMac computer - + and - .

I am a computer dum dum , so cut me some slack and be gracious .

Best regards from an American in Japan . :)
 
Hi sushi man. We live 4 hours apart from each other (in korea here ^^)

Ehm, for me I'm not the average computer dude. When I buy something, I buy it with w/e I need OR full options simply because then, I would not complain later on about how I should've done that / I shouldn't have done.

With that being said, I would go for the maxed out 27 inch one :rolleyes:

But with your base iMac, it really depends on what you use it for.

I assume you are an english teacher in japan so i think a laptop would better suit you?
 
monoxera said:
Hi sushi man. We live 4 hours apart from each other (in korea here ^^)

Ehm, for me I'm not the average computer dude. When I buy something, I buy it with w/e I need OR full options simply because then, I would not complain later on about how I should've done that / I shouldn't have done.

With that being said, I would go for the maxed out 27 inch one :rolleyes:

But with your base iMac, it really depends on what you use it for.

I assume you are an english teacher in japan so i think a laptop would better suit you?
Click to expand...

Your assumption that I am an English teacher is correct .

The school provides PC laptops for the entire faculty so I'm covered there . The iMac would be for home use . While I could swing a 27 ; it's really more than I need . The 21.5 would suit my needs , but so would a comparable PC with similar specs .

There have been few posts re : the 21.5 iMac . Everybody is talking about the high end 27" model , hence my initial post .
 
Well for home use...

Hmmm 20.1 inch would do just great for you.
I mean, you're not a professional photographer/3d engineer.

Then go for the 20.1 but keep in mind about maxing out the options (but not the CPU and not the RAM directly from Apple)
 
I've purchased the 21.5" base model (unboxing here). I also have the mid 2009 Macbook Pro (again base model).

Chose to go with the base one because it serves my needs perfectly. Don't use intensive apps like other professionals do - whom I presume require the 27" for their needs/wants. Unless your a pro, and your using intensive apps like Final Cut and Photoshop etc - I wouldn't go near a 27" iMac.

The Macbook Pro which I have (2.26) is more than enough than I need. My entire Masters thesis was done on it :D. All my videos on Youtube are made through it without an issue.
 
I've been using this base model 2007 iMac for 8 months and it does everything I need from it and I consider myself a "power user". Sure, it could have been a bit faster with graphics, but still definitely usable even for Aperture work.

I don't think the current base model would be any worse ;) You'll be fine
 
2 New iMac's

I just bought 2, they are for business and our POS software is XP only, but if you compare the specs on these new machines to what is available you will see they are a great value.
 
The Samurai said:
I've purchased the 21.5" base model (unboxing here). I also have the mid 2009 Macbook Pro (again base model).

Chose to go with the base one because it serves my needs perfectly. Don't use intensive apps like other professionals do - whom I presume require the 27" for their needs/wants. Unless your a pro, and your using intensive apps like Final Cut and Photoshop etc - I wouldn't go near a 27" iMac.

The Macbook Pro which I have (2.26) is more than enough than I need. My entire Masters thesis was done on it :D. All my videos on Youtube are made through it without an issue.
Click to expand...


Just watched your unboxing video , and have subscribed , looking forward to your review . Cheers - John
 
base 21.5 is a crappy machine... simply because of the 9400M !

this is very insulting to have such a low-end chipset for the new imac
 
macchiato2009 said:
base 21.5 is a crappy machine... simply because of the 9400M !

this is very insulting to have such a low-end chipset for the new imac
Click to expand...

agree. I wouldn't get the base under any circumstances. I got the mid 21.5. 1TB HDD is great, and the graphics are not integrated. 3.06 C2D will take anything you through at it. Just think about it like this: You are getting a computer that is better than EVERY Apple MacBook Pro, and people do a lot of editing video and photos on those, so the 21.5 would be awesome.
 
dwd3885 said:
agree. I wouldn't get the base under any circumstances. I got the mid 21.5. 1TB HDD is great, and the graphics are not integrated. 3.06 C2D will take anything you through at it. Just think about it like this: You are getting a computer that is better than EVERY Apple MacBook Pro, and people do a lot of editing video and photos on those, so the 21.5 would be awesome.
Click to expand...

Can one not easily replace the graphics card - it doesn't say its integrated like the previous versions said 'intel integrated'.

As far as the hard drive goes, I haven't gone past 250 gigs on my primary drive. Got a few externals lying about as backup. The 500 gigs is going to be a mission to fill up. Again, more than enough for my needs. The 3.06 is amazing to have, definetly a plus.

To say that the base iMac is 'crap' is bizzare. I'm not being biased in anyway since i've got it myself now - but its harsh to say that the graphics are crappy when they aren't. Admittedly, the next ranges in the iMac have better graphics card and are aimed at different consumers. If I didn't have a Macbook Pro - I would probably look at getting the one with the ATI.

If they chose to use integrated Intel in the base ones, I would be there with you 100%. But in all fairness, thats a load of bull.
 
mac newbie

Been reading these threads with great interest, I am ( only ) ! requiring essentially to use the Net , currently ever used Windows PC's which have slowed to a crawl and got on my nerves with Windows upgrades and Errors.
Been waiting for this new IMAC to appear, I have never used an APPLE or know the operating system so...looking forward to pulling the trigger on the 21.5, it is going to be ample for my needs, that screen is a big draw for me.

Question though, is setup quite straightforward for a novice apple virgin like me or has never used Snow Leppard or is it Safari ? :apple::eek:
 
Hey Sneeze, setup on the mac is a dream compared to a Winmachine. It does take some getting used to, but on the apple site there are some great video tutorials that help.

Welcome to the world of the mac
 
hey

DDave said:
Hey Sneeze, setup on the mac is a dream compared to a Winmachine. It does take some getting used to, but on the apple site there are some great video tutorials that help.

Welcome to the world of the mac
Click to expand...

Thanks DDave, I was just watching a tutorial, gord its slowing down my little Dell Inspiron 1000...!

cheers Sushiman too :apple:
 
I'm using a ´09 iMac 20", base model. The only upgrade has been 4 Gb RAM from crucial, 2 Gb are really low end nowadays. It does everything I need, and fast.

Apart from gaming - and even so, the 9400m can cut it if you're not too demanding - I can't really see what can be done with a 4850 that you can't with a 9400m. Maybe OpenCL will change this, but if you don't do gaming, a 9400m will be just fine. And much much better than the terrible Intel integrated graphics.

About desktop "real estate" - I use multimonitor; I have a second 20" monitor, and that's more useful to me than a single, big monitor.

So I guess a 21.5" iMac, paired with another 21.5/22" 1920x1080 monitor would be more functional than the 27" one...
 
I bought a 20" base model in January for my wife and kids. You'll be fine w/the new base which is a full 2 updates ahead of what I've got. The only upgrade I've done is to boost the ram to 2gb w/some old notebook ram from my MBP - it's not even DD3 as the iMac originally comes with but works just fine!

The 9400m will be fine unless you plan on gaming frequently. For video, almost all software apps etc it's fine.

Coming from Windows you'll have your initial learning curve but once you're through that you'll be thrilled not to have to worry about anti-virus issues, drivers and the occasional BSOD - it'll be zippy no matter what.
 
srexy said:
I bought a 20" base model in January for my wife and kids. You'll be fine w/the new base which is a full 2 updates ahead of what I've got. The only upgrade I've done is to boost the ram to 2gb w/some old notebook ram from my MBP - it's not even DD3 as the iMac originally comes with but works just fine!

The 9400m will be fine unless you plan on gaming frequently. For video, almost all software apps etc it's fine.

Coming from Windows you'll have your initial learning curve but once you're through that you'll be thrilled not to have to worry about anti-virus issues, drivers and the occasional BSOD - it'll be zippy no matter what.
Click to expand...


I can't understand much of that but thanks anyway.
I think I will be thrilled...great forum btw,
 
I'm kind of in the same boat - I'm considering the 21.5: with the ATI graphics card, but for $200 more I can jump up to the 27" - although it would look obnoxious as all getout in my office.

Stopping by the Apple store today to give them the eyeball test. Right now I have a 20" cinema display, so the 21.5" might be good.
 
sneeze said:
Thanks DDave, I was just watching a tutorial, gord its slowing down my little Dell Inspiron 1000...!

cheers Sushiman too :apple:
Click to expand...

Cheers right back at ya sneeze . Like you , I use the computer for basic stuff like internet surfing , email , CD burning , video watching , etc...Sounds like the base iMac should more than suit our needs and will not be a challenge to set up . Thanks for posting .
 
I always thought the 24" was too big, so the 27" seems excessive but I would like to see it in person. It wouldn't even fit on my desk! (I currently use a 17" monitor).

I am planning on getting the base model when I save up the cash. It seems to be very powerful. I would actually prefer the specs of the 27", but with just a smaller screen. :D
 
sneeze said:
I think I will be thrilled...
Click to expand...

No doubt about it!

I switched to Mac two and a half years ago and it was like a breath of fresh air. I would never dream of buying another Windows computer now.

The base model will more than match your needs and will feel like you've got out of an ageing family hatchback and got into the latest Formula 1 Ferrari!

Or perhaps from a moped / scooter to this:

images-1.jpeg
 
My first Mac was the original Intel Core Duo 20" iMac. I replaced it with the mid-2007 24" iMac I'm currently using and while it initially seemed gigantic to me now it just seems normal sized. Looking at a 20" screen now, however, does seem quite small in comparison.

I will eventually replace this 24" once it's out of Applecare with a 27". I just don't think there's such a thing as "too big".

That said, it's not like a 21.5 is unusably tiny either. :p

Just saying that while a 27" might seem enormous at first it will eventually just seem average to you once you've used it a while. It also depends on what you plan to do with the machine. I watch a lot of movies on mine and have it hooked up to a 5.1 surround system.

In the end it's what's best for you that counts.
 
is it really worth upgrading to the ati graphics card? the base model one cant be that bad :/
 
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