Just ordered the iMac 27" Ultimate - will I regret it ?

[CHSeifert]

I just ordered the iMac Ultimate 27" - I thought about what I would really miss when the iMac 2011 comes out - Thunderbolt, Sandy bridge and a faster Graphics Card.


My iMac 27" Ultimate has:

2.93 i7 Quad Intel cpu
256 internal SSD
2 TB internal HDD
5750 Radeon GPU
8 GB DDR3 Ram

Since I now play games on my PS3, ordered the iMac 27" Ultimate with 256 GB SSD internal for OSx/Win7 and programs and an internal 2 TB for my pics, music and movies and also got the TimeCapsule 2TB and a Studio Design My Book 2 TB external for extra backup, I decided I probably won't miss the new features we will see in the 2011 iMac.

Of course I would have preferrred to get these extra goodies for free, but I decided I wanted the iMac 27" now more than in 2-3-4-5 months time.

I may regret my decision - but I doubt it based on my needs and the fact that I got the iMac 27" Ultimate

What do you say - will I regret it

 

[laserbeam273]

You will if the update comes out this month or next!

 

[alust2013]

I really doubt you will regret it, that's going to be a really powerful machine regardless of updates.

 

[willisbr]

I'm in your shoes as far as wants but a bit more patient. I'm waiting it out.

What's the point of having SSD addition with 2TB+ on board? I've never owned SSD and am wondering why people are adding these? Please advise. Thanks

 

[laserbeam273]

SSDs are super fast for read/write. Tested the time for a macbook air to restart at apple store, it took under 20 seconds I think. Top of the line MBP 15" took 35 seconds. And that speed also correlates to all usage where you're accessing your harddrive for info (gaming, loading/saving/copying files, complex programs that have a lot of commands, etc.)

Many people say it's by far the best upgrade you can do. Currently the iMac SSD prices are quite high, next update should make a significant improvement like they did on the MBPs.

 

[bo-waleed]

What do you say - will I regret it

maybe because you can't use thunderbolt in the future.

if you want thunderbolt you will have to buy a new imac.


also you may want to play some pc games with better GPU.

 

[themac23]

I returned the very same machine about a week ago. I am waiting for the new release because you never know what it will hold. I can live with my 15" Macbook Pro for a while. I am sure it will be worth the wait seeing as the dramatic upgrades to the Macbook Pro smoke any previous models.

 

[nasty devil]

Well it depends on what the new features are.

Your machine is great. I'll be receiving mine in 2 days, and I'm very happy I ordered. I ordered the i7 but with no SSD, 1tb HDD and 4 gigs of RAM.

It just depends on your usage and what the new features will be.

As for thunderbolt, I dont think you'll be using it a lot, if at all, in the near future. I guess devices that will be using will be expensive for a while.


Enjoy your purchase

 

[MythicFrost]

I wouldn't buy the SDDs from Apple. They aren't as good. Although, they are better than a hard drive, IIRC.

 

[Yebubbleman]

I just ordered the iMac Ultimate 27" - I thought about what I would really miss when the iMac 2011 comes out - Thunderbolt, Sandy bridge and a faster Graphics Card.


My iMac 27" Ultimate has:

2.93 i7 Quad Intel cpu
256 internal SSD
2 TB internal HDD
5750 Radeon GPU
8 GB DDR3 Ram

Since I now play games on my PS3, ordered the iMac 27" Ultimate with 256 GB SSD internal for OSx/Win7 and programs and an internal 2 TB for my pics, music and movies and also got the TimeCapsule 2TB and a Studio Design My Book 2 TB external for extra backup, I decided I probably won't miss the new features we will see in the 2011 iMac.

Of course I would have preferrred to get these extra goodies for free, but I decided I wanted the iMac 27" now more than in 2-3-4-5 months time.

I may regret my decision - but I doubt it based on my needs and the fact that I got the iMac 27" Ultimate

What do you say - will I regret it

I would've waited until the refresh which likely won't happen any later than May, but hey, your call.

I'm in your shoes as far as wants but a bit more patient. I'm waiting it out.

What's the point of having SSD addition with 2TB+ on board? I've never owned SSD and am wondering why people are adding these? Please advise. Thanks

The SSD with its dramatically faster read times has the OS on it, the hard drive with its faster write times has the data. What's not win about that?

I wouldn't buy the SDDs from Apple. They aren't as good. Although, they are better than a hard drive, IIRC.

Try installing the SSD into the small extra 2.5" drive cavity that they have for 27" iMacs that have both. It's not easy...

 

[iZero]

You won't regret it. People go a bit insane with the updated models sometimes. It's one thing if you know for a fact that they will be out in a month or two. Which in this case is true. The new iMacs were only delayed as far as I know because of Sandy Bridge issues, but I could be remembering wrong. At any rate, rumors aren't good enough. They are quite often very wrong. Just look at the changes people just "knew" the MacBook Pro was going to get. Though the iMac is due for a refresh very soon, no one knows when that will be, or what exactly will be part of it. If the machine you bought can handle what you need and want it to do, and you love it, then you made the right choice!! The extra features the new iMac will possibly have, could be extreme, could be minimal. Nobody knows. Thunderbolt and Sandy Bridge are about the only two main things anyone knows for certain. Thunderbolt, won't even be useable for quite some time. There isn't even a device made to use it yet, as far as I know, and when they come out, like all new tech, they will be wildly expensive and probably cost prohibitive to use. By the time they are affordable and a few good brands are out another iMac refresh will probably happen, and who knows, by then Thunderbolt may have flopped, it may have taken off, no one knows. Apple took a gamble on a new and unproven technology, and hopefully it takes off!

Point is, waiting is a fool's errand save for if you know for a fact a refresh is weeks or a month or two away. Unless there is something you are dying to have. No one ever knows the features that will be part of them, or when they come. After you wait for one for a few months, guess what? The next one is on the way, and so on. If you bought a model you like and can use, there's no reason to be unhappy with your purchase Sounds like you got quite a machine, and it will last you for quite some time!! Enjoy it!!

 

[Yebubbleman]

You won't regret it. People go a bit insane with the updated models sometimes. It's one thing if you know for a fact that they will be out in a month or two. Which in this case is true. The new iMacs were only delayed as far as I know because of Sandy Bridge issues, but I could be remembering wrong. At any rate, rumors aren't good enough. They are quite often very wrong. Just look at the changes people just "knew" the MacBook Pro was going to get. Though the iMac is due for a refresh very soon, no one knows when that will be, or what exactly will be part of it. If the machine you bought can handle what you need and want it to do, and you love it, then you made the right choice!! The extra features the new iMac will possibly have, could be extreme, could be minimal. Nobody knows. Thunderbolt and Sandy Bridge are about the only two main things anyone knows for certain. Thunderbolt, won't even be useable for quite some time. There isn't even a device made to use it yet, as far as I know, and when they come out, like all new tech, they will be wildly expensive and probably cost prohibitive to use. By the time they are affordable and a few good brands are out another iMac refresh will probably happen, and who knows, by then Thunderbolt may have flopped, it may have taken off, no one knows.

Point is, waiting is a fool's errand save for if you know for a fact a refresh is weeks or a month or two away. Unless there is something you are dying to have. No one ever knows the features that will be part of them, or when they come. After you wait for one for a few months, guess what? The next one is on the way, and so on. If you bought a model you like and can use, there's no reason to be unhappy with your purchase Sounds like you got quite a machine, and it will last you for quite some time!! Enjoy it!!

For one, the notion that Thunderbolt won't be on future iMacs is pretty freaking silly. I'm sorry. Yes, it's a new connection, yes, Apple has exclusivity on it for this calendar year, but it's a port that you can hook up to six things to in addition to the usual miniDisplayPort monitor. It might not be USB popular, but with a technology like that, it's pretty unlikely that it'll flop between now and the upcoming iMac refresh.

On that note, might I point out that if one buys the top of the line 27" iMac two days after announcement and two days before discontinuation, it'll cost the exact same price. And on either day, it'll still be a current model (i.e. it will not yet begin the 4-6 year process of getting old to the point of not being able to run most common software or whatever the current release of the OS is at the time). Therefore, you maximize your investment by buying it earlier in the release cycle rather than later. I wouldn't buy it until reviews come out and manufacturing issues either come to light or are fixed, but then I would try not to buy it any later; at that point, you can be sure that you bought it at the right time and have a decent amount of time where the machine is still current (again, that's free time added to the longevity of the machine's usefulness).

Lastly, it doesn't really matter WHAT they add to the new iMacs, because they are almost always newer, faster and better than what they're replacing. So it goes. A fool's errand to wait? I'd have to strongly disagree, though if you have to have it now, then you have to have it now. Obviously, that extra (free) time with the machine before it becomes obsolete means nothing if the machine is badly needed NOW.

 

[100Teraflops]

I just ordered the iMac Ultimate 27" - I thought about what I would really miss when the iMac 2011 comes out - Thunderbolt, Sandy bridge and a faster Graphics Card.


My iMac 27" Ultimate has:

2.93 i7 Quad Intel cpu
256 internal SSD
2 TB internal HDD
5750 Radeon GPU
8 GB DDR3 Ram

Since I now play games on my PS3, ordered the iMac 27" Ultimate with 256 GB SSD internal for OSx/Win7 and programs and an internal 2 TB for my pics, music and movies and also got the TimeCapsule 2TB and a Studio Design My Book 2 TB external for extra backup, I decided I probably won't miss the new features we will see in the 2011 iMac.

Of course I would have preferrred to get these extra goodies for free, but I decided I wanted the iMac 27" now more than in 2-3-4-5 months time.

I may regret my decision - but I doubt it based on my needs and the fact that I got the iMac 27" Ultimate

What do you say - will I regret it

I am envious! I have a question for you. Are you happy? Because that is the only person who matters. Also, you have 14 days to test drive that beast of yours! Personally, I would not listen to the Joneses, as there is always something faster and more efficient around the corner. I am debating whether to purchase a machine similar to yours.

 

[iZero]

I have a question for you. Are you happy? Because that is the only person who matters. Also, you have 14 days to test drive that beast of yours! Personally, I would not listen to the Joneses, as there is always something faster and more efficient around the corner.

Exactly

 

[brachson]

well there are people that accept only THE BEST and according to your new machine you are one of them

Considering that fact you will regret right after new iMac will be raveled not earlier as currently you have the best

EDIT:
The fact you have created this topic proves you will - who spends 2k$ for new computer and makes thread about regretting? Turn it back - wait few more weeks and buy the best that will last for next 12-18 months

 

[Yebubbleman]

I am envious! I have a question for you. Are you happy? Because that is the only person who matters. Also, you have 14 days to test drive that beast of yours! Personally, I would not listen to the Joneses, as there is always something faster and more efficient around the corner. I am debating whether to purchase a machine similar to yours.

Exactly

Well, no, Apple has refresh cycles on their MacBooks, MacBook Pros, and iMacs lasting anywhere from 8-10 months, which isn't exactly "always around the corner". Mac Pros can be anywhere from a year to a year and three quarters, and Mac minis anywhere from the cycle time of the other Macs to the cycle time of the Mac Pro. It's pretty freakin' easy to predict when the next one is due, and if you can't follow it yourself, buyersguide.macrumors.com does it for you. Again, it's not about keeping up with the Joneses or maximizing the amount of time that you can spend gloating over the other person; it's about maximizing the amount of time that you own the machine before you can no longer run the software you need to on it. The time between the start and end of a refresh cycle is EXTRA TIME. And if you are spending that much money on a freakin' computer, it makes sense to get the most out of what you're paying for it!

Otherwise happiness is assured no matter when you get the damn thing, but that's besides my point. Get the most out of your money, unless you're the type that buys computers a lot.

 

[gbredneck]

Enjoy what you've bought

As has been mentioned several times, there's always something newer brighter, faster etc etc.

As long as you are happy with your decision who cares?

 

[iZero]

For one, the notion that Thunderbolt won't be on future iMacs is pretty freaking silly.

It's "pretty freaking silly" to bend one's words. Never said it wouldn't be on future iMacs or that I had that notion. Just the fact that it's thus far unproven, was what I was getting at, and there's no need to beat himself up about it if he likes what he bought. If I thought it would go the way of the Dodo, I wouldn't have just upgraded from my 2010 MBP to the 2011 soley for Thunderbolt and anticipation of it's success.

 

[mkitchen]

it's about maximizing the amount of time that you own the machine before you can no longer run the software you need to on it. The time between the start and end of a refresh cycle is EXTRA TIME.

This makes no sense. My old iMac G5 can still run Final Cut Express, so if I didn't have money to spend, I could still run the software I need to run even though it is 6 years old. It would just be very slow compared to a new machine.

It comes down simply to whether you can wait or not. I cannot wait and so I'm buying a refurbed 27" i7. In fact, I'm planning on buying the 2009 2.8 i7 for budgetary reasons and I'm not worried about it all cause I cannot wait longer and it will still be blazing fast compared to my Macbook Unibody 2.0GhZ Core2Duo.

I know the new sandy bridges will be faster, but in the end since I cannot spend more than $1600 and cannot wait, how many seconds faster they render will be moot cause the i7 2.8 will still be rendering lights out faster than my Macbook and that's all I'll be thinking about.

 

[MythicFrost]

Try installing the SSD into the small extra 2.5" drive cavity that they have for 27" iMacs that have both. It's not easy...

Oh, I have no doubt it's difficult. However, it's a lot to pay for an SSD that isn't too much better than a hard drive (from what I remember).

 

[-LikesMac-]

Yes you will

YOU WILL REGRET IT!

Return it quick!

But seriously, don't you want Sandy Bridge CPU, 6xxx series GPU, Thunderbolt, and...yea?

 

[100Teraflops]

Well, no, Apple has refresh cycles on their MacBooks, MacBook Pros, and iMacs lasting anywhere from 8-10 months, which isn't exactly "always around the corner". Mac Pros can be anywhere from a year to a year and three quarters, and Mac minis anywhere from the cycle time of the other Macs to the cycle time of the Mac Pro. It's pretty freakin' easy to predict when the next one is due, and if you can't follow it yourself, buyersguide.macrumors.com does it for you. Again, it's not about keeping up with the Joneses or maximizing the amount of time that you can spend gloating over the other person; it's about maximizing the amount of time that you own the machine before you can no longer run the software you need to on it. The time between the start and end of a refresh cycle is EXTRA TIME. And if you are spending that much money on a freakin' computer, it makes sense to get the most out of what you're paying for it!



Otherwise happiness is assured no matter when you get the damn thing, but that's besides my point. Get the most out of your money, unless you're the type that buys computers a lot.

This is your opinion. I like choice!

 

[CHSeifert]

Well I'm going to chicken out and will cancel my order on Monday and wait for the new iMac 27" Ultimate.

Will instead order the MacBook Pro 15 Ultimate :

2.2 Ghz
256 GB SSD
8 GB ram
6750 Radeon
2 TB TimeCapsule
Airport express
Monster cable connector

Hope I can live with this laptop until the iMac is released, because I just sold my homebuild monster PC system......

So only have my iPad and my iPhone as backup until the iMac is released.
----
Vh/Regards
Claus - TapaTalk on my Ip4

 

[DarkVinda]

This is so very true - i have the base 21.5" core i3 3.06 4gb ram and 500gb hard drive.

i've upgraded the ram to 8gb and i have a external usb 500gb hard drive and a 1tb nas western digital mybook direct into the mac via cat5 cable

i love it

i use logic studio, wow and handbrake oh and itunes but i dont regret my purchase at all...

play with it - but there's always gonna be the next best thing - check over on the macbook pro's people are already wondering whats going to be on the next ones...

that is a beast of a machine...and will last many years...


Vinda

I am envious! I have a question for you. Are you happy? Because that is the only person who matters. Also, you have 14 days to test drive that beast of yours! Personally, I would not listen to the Joneses, as there is always something faster and more efficient around the corner. I am debating whether to purchase a machine similar to yours.

 

[CHSeifert]

I still have until Monday morning to decide and trust me guys, I'm contemplating one thing one moment and another thing the other moment....... I'm at work currently and sit in front of the PC on Apple store trying to decide what to get and what not to get

I will finance the next Mac I buy (36 months loan), wheter it's the iMac 27" Ultimate or the MacBook pro 15 Ultimate - they will roughtly cost the same, give or take $3-$400

I need some kind of laptop for University - but it's mostly note taking (Law and Philosophy) so I pretty much think a wireless bluetooth keyboard, a new iPad 2 and a nice Cinema case from Pielframa ( www.pielframa.com ) will do the trick for me, when I'm out of the house

So I'm thinking of just getting the iMac 27 Ultimate NOW, then sell it when the new imac is released in 3-4-5 months time and just accept the loss

I need new Mac gear pretty soon

I figure if I buy the iMac 27" and pay the $3,500 it costs and then hope I can sell it for $2,500 in 5-6 months time. Is this a realistic price with Apple care included ?