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Looking to buy an iMac. First time mac user.

N

NobuoSakagouchi

macrumors newbie
Original poster
May 10, 2010
4
0
Currently I own a quad core PC I built back in 2007. I'm thinking about buying a Mac for school since I'm an art student and everyone recommends I get one. I have also had issues with my tablet working on windows 7. I've gone into the registry and tried to remove all the stupid windows tablet drivers but I can't get it to function 100% and it can be very frustrating when I'm trying to work.

So... enter iMac. I've been looking at the 27-inch model on the apple store. I feel that buying a core 2 duo at this point would be a bad idea. I've also had a quad core for the past 2+ years. That being said... I'm a student and don't have money to burn. I'm looking at the 27-inch i5 since the large screen would be a dream to work on. I plan on using the mac mainly for Adobe Photoshop/Painter/Premier and Autodesk Maya.

Is it worth it for me to upgrade to an i7? I don't think any of those programs currently use hyperthreading, but I could be wrong.

Also, right now I use my monitor to play my Playstation 3. Since I'll be reformatting my PC and giving it to my father (since his is really old) along with the monitor I won't be able to use my Playstation. I hear you can't connect HDMI to iMacs. Is there a way around this?

I'm not in an immediate rush to buy one but I need it before September. Is this a good time to buy one or should I wait for a possible price drop/revision? Buyer's guide says "Buy only if you need it - Approaching the end of a cycle". Should I wait a few months or what?

Any info/suggestions are most appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
The driver frustrations you were having is something you WON'T miss after switching, I sure don't :p

Since you're coming over from a Quad-Core, you would notice a big of "stick" in the interface and performance if you went with the Core 2 Duo. With the i5, it will simply FLY! Even coming from whatever you're used to, MacOS X is far more resource-efficient. OS X will perform better on any hardware than Windows, as it's a UNIX system.

Go with the i5. It's good for your wallet and will last..and last...and last.

Also, yes, you can use the iMac 27" as a monitor. I'd never have a TV again if I had one of those babies, the display is mesmerizing.

Adapter
 
Yes, the only video-input method with the iMacs (only the 27 inch models) is the Mini-DisplayPort. So you would need the appropriate HDMI-to-MDP adapter. Not all adapters will work, so PLEASE check for compatibility.

Also, the iMac is wall-mountable. Again, check to make sure your model is supported and what it's capable of.
 
I'm actually looking at the refurbished Apple store and i7 iMacs are slightly less than brand new i5's.

Is there a downside to buying one refurbished? I'm not one of those people who HAS to have something brand new. If it works i'm happy and it says 1-year warranty like the new ones.
 
It carries the same warranty as Apple's new products, so no, they are good as new.

Good deal.
 
cryer said:
Just so you know, I bought a refurb iMac and am now having problems:

- slight yellow tinge problems
- two dead pixels
- dented stand
- no detection of airport card

27" i7
Click to expand...

Bring it back. It's obviously defective.

Just FYI, I bought my refurbished iMac 4 years ago, and it's been running 24/7 since then, no problems yet!
 
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