Looking to buy first Apple... Some direction?

[Droff]

I've owned PC's since the mid 90's and have started looking at Apples, the iMacs mainly. I purchased my last computer close to 6 or 7 years ago. I'm not much of a computer weenie so I know very little about specs and which processor is better than the other, if it isn't just a speed difference. I know what RAM does and I know a bigger HD is not a bad idea. I've thought about a MBP but typically, the computer sits in one spot and doesn't move. The all in one iMac will allow some movement in the house but not onto anyones lap...
Regardless;
- I don't play much in the way of games
- I like to mess with video editing, mainly just home videos of the family
- I do like to back up movies that I have and have started getting more Blu-Ray movies - problem with iMacs and BD's?
- What will i7 get me over i5 and what is this referring to?
- Quadcore?
- Recommendations on which iMac?

Thanks ...... and be gentle.

 

[Marty Macfly]

Welcome!

No Mac has a Blu-ray drive, and OS X doesn't support straight playback. There's a quite knowledgeable bunch here who've managed to get playback straight from disks with a combination of some software, however, and you can always rip the disks to your computer to have digital copies.

If you don't do heavy video editing, I'd say that an i5 would be fine for you, or even just a Core 2.

Go to a Best Buy or Apple Store and look at the differences between the 21.5" and the 27" to see which screen suits you best. Other than that, the choice is yours.

Have fun, and remember that for simple questions you can always use either our multitudinous Guides or MRoogle to search the forums before making a new thread.

 

[miles01110]

- I do like to back up movies that I have and have started getting more Blu-Ray movies - problem with iMacs and BD's?

You'll need an external BR drive.

- What will i7 get me over i5 and what is this referring to?

The i5 and i7 are different processors. For hobbyists like you seem to be, the difference is minimal.

- Recommendations on which iMac?

Budget?

 

[Hellhammer]

i7 is only 200$ more but in applications that support Hyper-Threading e.g. HandBrake, it runs circles around the i5. It's just so small extra so I would get it, you don't have to regret it later on then

 

[Droff]

Budget is between $1500 to $2K, kind of open but the lower the better. I do like the 27" size, I've seen it but not the 21.5".

Is there a certain time of year when Apple delivers their new models and the older models get a price cut?
How hard is it to get a hold of an external BD drive?

Thanks for the replies.

 

[Marty Macfly]

You can grab an external Blu-ray drive for, what, $100 now?

No specific times for updates on desktops, so check our Buyer's Guide and recent rumors for updates.

 

[zmttoxics]

Budget is between $1500 to $2K, kind of open but the lower the better. I do like the 27" size, I've seen it but not the 21.5".

Is there a certain time of year when Apple delivers their new models and the older models get a price cut?
How hard is it to get a hold of an external BD drive?

Thanks for the replies.

You have not seen the 21.5"? Its still a very nice screen.

First time mac, I would say Mac Mini. It's cheaper, and you can get any screen you want for it.

 

[Hellhammer]

Budget is between $1500 to $2K, kind of open but the lower the better. I do like the 27" size, I've seen it but not the 21.5".

Is there a certain time of year when Apple delivers their new models and the older models get a price cut?
How hard is it to get a hold of an external BD drive?

Thanks for the replies.

Get the quad core 27". i7 is only 1849$ off the refurb store http://store.apple.com/us/product/G0GF0LL/A?cid=AOS-US-AFF-FEED

Of course if you want to save, get the 21.5" or even Mac Mini

 

[AppleRules]

You really can't go wrong with Apple, any Mac is going to be better than any PC. Even the Mini is faster than the best PC because Snow leoperd is so efficient compared to winblows. The only reason people buy PC's is because they can't afford a Mac.

 

[talmy]

The 27" with the i7 is the way to go for video editing and transcoding. The larger screen is great for iMovie (or FinalCut if you go that route) and you'll want all the processor you can get for smooth interactivity and video processing.

Strongly agree with Hellhammer about saving money with a refurb i7 iMac.

 

[drewdle]

Yet more agreement from a performance perspective with the i7. Snow Leopard can take advantage of the hyperthreading using Grand Central Dispatch, giving you a theoretical eight cores worth of processing power, as hyperthreading will allow two threads per core.

I also read somewhere (nebulous information following) that the i7 equipped iMac was only 10% slower than a Mac Pro. All things considered that's pretty serious business for a desktop aimed at the general populace.

 

[Hellhammer]

I also read somewhere (nebulous information following) that the i7 equipped iMac was only 10% slower than a Mac Pro. All things considered that's pretty serious business for a desktop aimed at the general populace.

Actually, it's almost as fast as 2.93GHz Mac Pro, only 8-core Mac Pro is faster