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

stonemann said:
Had a chance to try out the iMac 21.5 model with the ATI 4670 graphics card at the Regent's Street Apple Store this afternoon.
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I had the same pleasure, in the same store, last Thursday. It was a shame they didnt have any bottom spec 21.5" model on display.

Anyway, I was so impressed with the 1.5hr demo (with one of the guys in the blue t-shirts) that I placed an order for the 21.5" ATi model this Tues. Its currently en route from Shanghai of all places...but it hasn't moved location for around 30hrs..[according to the UPS tracking facility].. :confused:.

Can't wait.
 
cman-uk said:
I had the same pleasure, in the same store, last Thursday. It was a shame they didnt have any bottom spec 21.5" model on display.

Anyway, I was so impressed with the 1.5hr demo (with one of the guys in the blue t-shirts) that I placed an order for the 21.5" ATi model this Tues. Its currently en route from Shanghai of all places...but it hasn't moved location for around 30hrs..[according to the UPS tracking facility].. :confused:.

Can't wait.
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Good choice. I was amazed by the quality of the 21.5 inch machine. It was definitely the ATI graphics version with the 1TB drive despite the display card next to it advertising it as the lower spec version. The screen quality was stunning and much larger than I anticipated. Like I said, I actually preferred it to the 27 inch iMac beside it which just looked too big and clumsy somehow. I took to the 21.5 inch iMac straight away.

Store was packed as usual but managed around 30 mins on both machines and would have no hesitation in picking the 21.5 inch iMac.
 
rangers12 said:
I bought the base 21.5 machine and loaded everything on it this weekend. Absolutely love it, upgraded from a imac g5 1.9. The screen is gorgeous, photos look absolutely amazing on it. Very speedy for using iphoto, imovie and garageband. I haven't played a game on any of my macs since playing COD on my old g4 tower.

If you aren't planning on major gaming, this is a great rig. Just my .02:)
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Please, can you (or any 21.5 base model owner) tell me (checking it in System Profiler, under Serial ATA) the 500 GB hard drive model? I'd like to know if it's a Western Digital like 1 TB ones, or Hitachi like 2 TB ones, or other. Thank you ;)
 
stonemann said:
Good choice. I was amazed by the quality of the 21.5 inch machine. It was definitely the ATI graphics version with the 1TB drive despite the display card next to it advertising it as the lower spec version. The screen quality was stunning and much larger than I anticipated. Like I said, I actually preferred it to the 27 inch iMac beside it which just looked too big and clumsy somehow. I took to the 21.5 inch iMac straight away.

Store was packed as usual but managed around 30 mins on both machines and would have no hesitation in picking the 21.5 inch iMac.
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It was probably what they said it was. The 9400M G has superb video playback. Since it is one of the few cards on the market that has a dedicated video processor. Look it up, it competes very well in video processing with higher end cards. For graphics no. For video yes. I don't think you will see a difference in video play back or screen quality between the two.
 
OddHead said:
Please, can you (or any 21.5 base model owner) tell me (checking it in System Profiler, under Serial ATA) the 500 GB hard drive model? I'd like to know if it's a Western Digital like 1 TB ones, or Hitachi like 2 TB ones, or other. Thank you ;)
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Mine is a Hitachi.

I gave my 21.5 base mac to my father for his birthday because I thought I wanted a bigger drive. I have a total of 80GB used up for everything. I upgraded to the 21.5 ATI model for the 1TB drive. Seemed the computer ran hotter too. The back was always real warm.

As soon as I started using it the HD made a funny high noise pitch. Very low but noticeable. I went back to the Apple store. They heard it right away and the genius told me they were seeing alot of this type of problem.

I decided on the base model again with a upgraded E8000 3.33 series processor. My base model with the improved processor now runs faster than the 21.5 with the bigger hard drive and better graphic card. I looked it up and found out this to be the case.

Now no noise, faster computer. And I saved a 100 US and put it toward a 4GB memory upgrade. The graphic card is not as good but the 9400M G can play video as well as the 4670 and that is all I care about. The hard drive while smaller is silent. Together my imac runs cooler than the imac with the 1TB drive and the 4670. I don't really need the extra storage and if I do can always add it later via external drive.

http://www.macworld.com/article/143636/2009/11/imacs_late2009_benchmarks.html

Win Win. :D

PS does any one know if the 3.33 imac can handle 1333 Ram. And yes I looked it up.
 
keep this discussion going as I am still debating between the base model and the i5. problem is I am the sort of person who always finds ways of justifying the high end model

more pics please
 
The 21.5 inch iMac is a great value. Why? It's priced at $1199, and you're getting a lot for that.

4GB of memory (more memory than $1199 MacBook), quite a bit faster processor than what's available in base notebooks, nice size hard drive, and of course a really nice 21.5-inch screen.

Notebooks are really "in," these days, but in truth, for many, a great desktop experience can be had with an iMac.
 
*Always* get the base model

929406 said:
keep this discussion going as I am still debating between the base model and the i5. problem is I am the sort of person who always finds ways of justifying the high end model

more pics please
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They run much cooler -- heat is the enemy. They also run quieter, as the fans won't be spinning up as much.
As for the big hard drive -- don't get it from Apple, get a slow-spinning (= heat- and noise-saving) 1.5 or 2 GB (or SSD) yourself and toss it in, saving another couple hundred.

On average, these machines will last longer, not spew out heat like a radiator, and save you bucks on your electric bill, in addition to saving you hundreds at the time of purchase. Have you actually seen the test results? A second here, 2 seconds there. The higher models are a consumerist gimmick.
 
eXan said:
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
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Agree with you. I have been using a first generation iMac G5/1.8GHz, PPC for several years now. I use it for photo editing with PhotoShop, but I am not a professional photographer. The 21.1/3.33GHz Intel Mac will be just fine. I ordered it with the base RAM (4GB), and will be buying more RAM from Crucial. This iMac does come with a big hard drive (Seagate in mine), but that's a standard feature, and it's very quiet. I haven't noticed any problem with heat, and the fans are nice and quiet.
 
yes the base model is definitely good value but then you think for a little more you get this..... and then a little more you get this........

this is how Apple is positioning their products these days and its working
 
IMO I dont believe the high-end 21.5inch iMac is worth the extra money from the base model. In Australia, the base model retails at $1599AUD, the high-end 21.5inch retails at $1999 and the 27inch base retails at $2199. I was weighing it up and I just couldn't justify spending $400 extra for a better graphics card and 500GBs I probably wouldn't fill.
 
929406 said:
Incidently what do you think is better value the base model or one model up with ATI graphic card?
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The ATI just adds heat. Will make no difference for watching films or non-game and non-video-editing applications. Remember, these iMacs are essentially big laptops; they don't have the heat dispersion or anything like the interior volume of a desktop machine. Heat is a big enemy. In fact, I would even recommend underclocking these machines to 2.0 ghz for a very quiet experience.
 
I will go for the 21,5" inches to replace my old iMac G5(iSight) 20".

The advantage is the price and that you can still carry it by hand. I don't think you can do it easily with a 27".
The reason why we talk more about 27" on Mac forums is because they cause more problems than the 21,5". That's normal this wide screen thing is new. But myself I will go for the safest option. :D

I will purchase this EUR 1280 config (on which I get a discount) and cannot wait to receive it!

3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
8GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x2GB
500GB Serial ATA Drive
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
Apple Wireless Keyboard (British) and User's Guide (English)
8x double-layer SuperDrive
Apple Magic Mouse

I go for the EUR180 as this is the new feature with those processors and I think the perf are gonna be great. :p
 
aldorande said:
I will go for the 21,5" inches to replace my old iMac G5(iSight) 20".

The advantage is the price and that you can still carry it by hand. I don't think you can do it easily with a 27".
The reason why we talk more about 27" on Mac forums is because they cause more problems than the 21,5". That's normal this wide screen thing is new. But myself I will go for the safest option. :D

I will purchase this EUR 1280 config (on which I get a discount) and cannot wait to receive it!

3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
8GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x2GB
500GB Serial ATA Drive
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
Apple Wireless Keyboard (British) and User's Guide (English)
8x double-layer SuperDrive
Apple Magic Mouse

I go for the EUR180 as this is the new feature with those processors and I think the perf are gonna be great. :p
Click to expand...

Are you going to get the ram from Apple? If you're thinking that, don't. Why not do what I did and up grade the processor, it's the same price as upgrading the ram and buy the ram yourself for half the price.

You can always upgrade the ram but you cannot upgrade the processor after you buy it.

In a few months the new imac refresh will be coming out and we both might be sorry. But I have a imac to buy for a storage room I am converting into another office at my business. I just might take the one at the house and put that in there and buy the refreshed one for my house.

And the addiction goes on, ...............and on..........damn you Apple. :mad:
 
Davieis said:
IMO I dont believe the high-end 21.5inch iMac is worth the extra money from the base model. In Australia, the base model retails at $1599AUD, the high-end 21.5inch retails at $1999 and the 27inch base retails at $2199. I was weighing it up and I just couldn't justify spending $400 extra for a better graphics card and 500GBs I probably wouldn't fill.
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$400 is alot for a better graphics card. Am leaning towards the base model as well but still may go top of the line. From my experience always either base or the best middle ground isn't where value is

Also for the poster wanting to buy ram from Apple, don't as the ram is easy to install and much cheaper from a third party
 
I went from a late 2006 20" iMac to the base model 21.5" iMac. Much faster and it does everything I need.

Over the weekend I edited a few HD video projects in both iMovie and Final Cut Express HD. Both performed flawlessly and rendering times were perfectly acceptable.

There is no doubt in my mind that the 21.5" iMac is a great value even for the above average user.
 
worth it?

Just checked the Hong Kong online store and it is an additional $180 usd each for both the CPU (from 3.06 to 3.33 ghz) and ram upgrade. Obviously the ram isn't worth that for an additional 2 sticks of 2gb DDR3 ram but is the CPU upgrade worth it?
 
iamthedudeman said:
The 9400M G has superb video playback. Since it is one of the few cards on the market that has a dedicated video processor. Look it up, it competes very well in video processing with higher end cards. For graphics no. For video yes. I don't think you will see a difference in video play back or screen quality between the two.
Click to expand...

Interesting point. In what kind of programs then would the ATI card offer an advantage? From the benchmarks are we only talking about games? Also, would you say that as a video-editing machine there is no benefit in upgrading from the base 21.5 inch machine with the nVidia card to the 21.5 incher with the ATI card?

Also, what is the make of the 1TB hard drive in the 21.5" iMac? Are there any issues similar to the alleged problems in the larger machines?
 
Your suspicion is right

929406 said:
Obviously the ram isn't worth that for an additional 2 sticks of 2gb DDR3 ram but is the CPU upgrade worth it?
Click to expand...

This CPU upgrade is nearly completely worthless, virtually imperceptible. It will just add more heat to the box.
 
Interesting thread....

I am not an iMac owner, but currently I am in the process of selling some of music equipment (I'm moving out of my parents house and into an apartment) to finance a new iMac and Logic Pro 9. I have NO intentions of playing games on the iMac and if I do any video editing it will be minimal at the most. So my question is: Is the ATI upgrade necessary for me? considering all I am going to be doing is surfing the net and using Logic?

I am interested in a refurbished 24in with 4gb of ram, as well as the new 21.5 because 4gb is standard on it.

Thanks!
 
Paul1983 said:
Interesting thread....

I am not an iMac owner, but currently I am in the process of selling some of music equipment (I'm moving out of my parents house and into an apartment) to finance a new iMac and Logic Pro 9. I have NO intentions of playing games on the iMac and if I do any video editing it will be minimal at the most. So my question is: Is the ATI upgrade necessary for me? considering all I am going to be doing is surfing the net and using Logic?

I am interested in a refurbished 24in with 4gb of ram, as well as the new 21.5 because 4gb is standard on it.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
No, the graphics upgrade will likely do very little for you.
It's possible that there will be a version of Logic that will eventually take advantage of the OpenCL extensions is OS X 10.6 that will allow some general computing functions to be done faster on the ATI chip rather than the CPU, but it's all speculation at this point.
 
xraydoc said:
No, the graphics upgrade will likely do very little for you.
It's possible that there will be a version of Logic that will eventually take advantage of the OpenCL extensions is OS X 10.6 that will allow some general computing functions to be done faster on the ATI chip rather than the CPU, but it's all speculation at this point.
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Awesome! Thanks man!

All I care is that i have enough ram.
 
yeah I still can't make up my mind.

I could get the upgraded Mac mini,
# 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
# 4GB memory
# 320GB hard drive1
# 8x double-layer SuperDrive
# NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics

but after I buy a cheap lcd, keyboard, mouse, web cam, etc...
I'm up there within $150 to upgrade to the basic 21.5" Imac.

The basic Mini is probably good enough for my needs but don't want to regret not going a step or two up later on.
 
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