Please help me to decide:confused:

[sofila]

Hallo everyone, 1st pardon me for any grammar error that will occur.
I have to buy a new mac and have to choose between

iMac 17" Core Duo 1,83Ghz (1709 euros)

MacMini Core Duo 1,66Ghz + Monitore Eizo S1910 (1209+600) 1809euros.

Both the machines will have 2GB RAM.
I will need to do all the "normal" things (internet, mail, iMovie editing, MP3 encoding) plus Photoshop editing for my DSLR cameras' images.
I don't need to use it for games, watching DVD's, play music.
iMac seems to be a better computer, a little bit faster and a better graphic card, but what about the display? Is it accurate enough for photo editing?
On the other side, I hope that an Eizo Monitor will last enough to let me change only the cpu when I need it to be replaced (and it's bigger too...).
Honestly I really don't know which one to prefer.

Any suggestions?

One of the things that make me worry about the iMac is that I would like it to last almost 4/5 years as I don't think that I will need something extra for this period.
I don't want to find myself in 2008/9 with a whole computer to be changed.
Thanks for your help

 

[student_trap]

Any suggestions?

One of the things that make me worry about the iMac is that I would like it to last almost 4/5 years as I don't think that I will need something extra for this period.
I don't want to find myself in 2008/9 with a whole computer to be changed.
Thanks for your help

Both the mini and imac will last, its just the ways macs are. If i was in your position though, i'd get the imac, its a hundred euros cheaper and has a dedicated graphics card. If you need a larger screen look towards the 20in version, its not that much more.

 

[eXan]

iMac's screen (especially in newer iMacs) is very good. Unless you need a bigger-that-20 inch display, go for the iMac. BTW you can add an extra display to it in extended desktop mode, so it can be 2 displays. Mini can drive only 1.

 

[sofila]

Browsing the Apple site I've found there is a big difference between 17 and 20 monitors (apart from the size ):

Brightness: 250 cd/m² (17" model); 280 cd/m² (20" model)
Contrast Ratio: 500:1 (17" model); 800:1 (20" model)
and View angle too.

And so I'm definitevely going to exclude the 17" iMac

 

[generik]

Eizo > ACD

Word

 

[sofila]

Eizo > ACD

Word

this can be interesting, but where do you read it?
http://www.eizo.com/products/lcd/s1910/spec.asp

 

[zami]

I was in the same situation as you and chose the mini. Having been the owner of a G3 iMac a few years ago I swore never to go down that road again. The frustration of a poor or outdated screen that you can do nothing about does ones head in and you are correct in saying that the 17" has an inferior screen.

Some of us want our own choice of screens, mouse and keyboard also, I was looking today at the standard Apple keyboard and frankly compared to the previous white Apple Pro Keyboard the quality is terrible.

Esthetically speaking the iMac is a bit of a white plastic lump as well.

 

[sofila]

My old G3 died in the same way, this is my worst fear.
To spend 2,200 euros and find myself with a dead monitor or something else and forced to throw away everything

 

[dmw007]

If you want a computer to last you as long as you have stated, you might want to go with the iMac Core Duo.

 

[sushi]

One of the things that make me worry about the iMac is that I would like it to last almost 4/5 years as I don't think that I will need something extra for this period.
I don't want to find myself in 2008/9 with a whole computer to be changed.
Thanks for your help

This day and age it is really hard to predict the future.

Just look at what was available 4/5 years ago. Who would have thought we would be going to Intel chips, the iMac would look as it does and there would be a Mac mini?

I would suggest getting what you need for right now.

In a couple of years, sell what you purchased and with the funds you saved on this purchase, you should be able to get a nice system then.

 

[zami]

My old G3 died in the same way, this is my worst fear.
To spend 2,200 euros and find myself with a dead monitor or something else and forced to throw away everything

Exactly, non ti fidare. Seriously there is nothing worse than having everything age all together before your eyes.

For example I am typing this on an old G4 PowerMac with a nice white keyboard and new Samsung 19" monitor. If anything goes it can be replaced easily and relatively cheaply.

BTW get one of those LaCie Mini FireWire drives to go under the Mini so as to have all the storage and back up you need (it is simple to put a very large 500GB 3.5" HD in one of these if you need to in future).

 

[gekko513]

Browsing the Apple site I've found there is a big difference between 17 and 20 monitors (apart from the size ):

Brightness: 250 cd/m² (17" model); 280 cd/m² (20" model)
Contrast Ratio: 500:1 (17" model); 800:1 (20" model)
and View angle too.

And so I'm definitevely going to exclude the 17" iMac

Yes, except I found one of shewhorn's posts the other day very interesting. High contrast and brightness isn't necessarily a good thing for photo work.

I voted negative. As a professional photographer I can tell you that this might be a backwards step if the monitor can not be calibrated to 110 cd/m^2 with some headroom below to spare. The recommended luminance for TFTs is 140 cd/m^2 but I don't know anyone actually doing that. My prints personally come out underexposed if my monitor is that bright. I calibrate to 110 cd/m^2 and most people I know calibrate to either 110 or 120 cd/m^2. Anything higher and you're going to sacrifice the monitor's ability to reproduce shadow and highlight detail.

 

[bah-bah'd]

Browsing the Apple site I've found there is a big difference between 17 and 20 monitors (apart from the size ):

Brightness: 250 cd/m² (17" model); 280 cd/m² (20" model)
Contrast Ratio: 500:1 (17" model); 800:1 (20" model)
and View angle too.

And so I'm definitevely going to exclude the 17" iMac

Is this true from models from the same revision? You did not accidently compare a rev-A 17" w/ a rev-c 20" did you?

 

[sofila]

Thanks to everyone for your ideas.
I think I'll go with the mini. It leaves me to own a better monitor and to eventually change the cpu with less disappointment

@bah-bah'd = i've copied those specs directly from apple macintel site (same rev.)

@gekko513 = shewhorn is probably right with the brightness, but it's the contrast ratio that lets you see details in shadows and lightened areas (for this reason I prefer to go with the Eizo)

@zami = you're right. It's a very disappointing thing to manage. (and eventually to explain to a wife )

@sushi= I'd prefer to look at my needs: internet browsing, mp3's, home movies, photo editing. I hope "they" won't change in the next few years. When I say "whole computer to be changed" I mean exactly the fear to find one hardware section (i.e. LCD panel) not working and be forced to change everything. I've known some former iMac owner (including me)very upset for this kind of problems.

 

[eXan]

If your built-in component goes down, Apple will replace it with the new one under warrany, right?

 

[sushi]

@sushi= I'd prefer to look at my needs: internet browsing, mp3's, home movies, photo editing. I hope "they" won't change in the next few years. When I say "whole computer to be changed" I mean exactly the fear to find one hardware section (i.e. LCD panel) not working and be forced to change everything. I've known some former iMac owner (including me)very upset for this kind of problems.

Understand your needs: Internet browsing, mp3's, home movies, photo editing. You don't need a lot of power to do these unless you want faster encoding of MP3s, or don't care to wait for iMovie or iDVD to do their thing.

Then again, in a year or two your needs may change.

As for the All-in-One issue with the iMac that is so true if one part goes bad. Then again, you can always get the bad component fixed.

If you asked me 10 years ago, I would definitely go towards the top end systems. Now I prefer to get the minimum that does the job and upgrade more often as my needs change.

Save a lot of money this way -- especially since technology changes so quickly.

BTW, I think that the Mini will be a good solution for you based on what you've said.