purchase imac i5?

[vtran]

Hey everyone,

So this will be my first mac ever. I've had a PC for about 6-7 years and its dying on me. For instance, it will turn off sometimes when I turn on my computer but hey thats another story. Anyways, I know this question is asked throughout the forum but I'm still undecided on whether or not to purchase it now or wait. I just don't want to regret buying it so early yet I don't want to risk not having a functional/reliable computer. Thanks!!

 

[MovieCutter]

Step 1: Purchase i5 iMac
Step 2: Enjoy

 

[dborja]

I have no regrets with my i5. It replaces a 24" iMac 2.8GHz C2D and the screen and performance are significantly better. Unless you absolutely need an i7 for raw processing power, you can use the money you save to buy an extra 4GB of RAM to get to 8GB and probably realize more performance increase than going to an i7.

You've probably seen reports here of screen problems but Apple's warranty and customer care are, at least, among the best in the industry. So, if you do receive a problematic iMac, it will be fixed.

Just my humble opinion...

 

[Badger^2]

Step 1: Purchase i5 iMac
Step 2: Enjoy

Couldnt have said it better myself.

$1870AR

http://www.macconnection.com/IPA/Shop/Product/Detail.htm?sku=10682076

 

[Travisimo]

have no regrets with my i5. It replaces a 24" iMac 2.8GHz C2D and the screen and performance are significantly better. Unless you absolutely need an i7 for raw processing power, you can use the money you save to buy an extra 4GB of RAM to get to 8GB and probably realize more performance increase than going to an i7.

You've probably seen reports here of screen problems but Apple's warranty and customer care are, at least, among the best in the industry. So, if you do receive a problematic iMac, it will be fixed.

Just my humble opinion...

That's exactly what I did... extra 4gb of ram seemed like a better choice than slightly more horsepower, especially since I'll be running virtualization software. Should be getting my i5 tomorrow (crossing fingers it is problem-free).

 

[vtran]

Thanks for the input everyone! I think I'll be on my way towards a new computer soon but do I really need an extra 4gb of ram? I don't know if I'm willing to spend another 200 dollars lol

Here are are the specs for my current PC:
AMD 64 X2 C2D 4200+ 2.21GHz
Mem:2GB RAM
HDD:120GB
At first I had a nvidia 6800 but then I had to switch it to a radeon x1950 pro because it died...
and to top it off a really old 15inch samsung!

I know once I make this upgrade I'll be amazed...

 

[sfmountainbiker]

Thanks for the input everyone! I think I'll be on my way towards a new computer soon but do I really need an extra 4gb of ram? I don't know if I'm willing to spend another 200 dollars lol

Here are are the specs for my current PC:
AMD 64 X2 C2D 4200+ 2.21GHz
Mem:2GB RAM
HDD:120GB
At first I had a nvidia 6800 but then I had to switch it to a radeon x1950 pro because it died...
and to top it off a really old 15inch samsung!

I know once I make this upgrade I'll be amazed...

Don't buy the ram through Apple, it's overpriced. I got 4GB of crucial ram off eBay for $83!

I love my i5 and don't regret the purchase, though I'm on a replacement with dead pixels that must also be exchanged. I'm waiting until the end of the extended return period to do so.

 

[dborja]

Thanks for the input everyone! I think I'll be on my way towards a new computer soon but do I really need an extra 4gb of ram? I don't know if I'm willing to spend another 200 dollars lol

Here are are the specs for my current PC:
AMD 64 X2 C2D 4200+ 2.21GHz
Mem:2GB RAM
HDD:120GB
At first I had a nvidia 6800 but then I had to switch it to a radeon x1950 pro because it died...
and to top it off a really old 15inch samsung!

I know once I make this upgrade I'll be amazed...

No, you don't need to expand the RAM but it's something you won't have to worry about when you do "heavy lifting" later. You can certainly wait a bit until the price of RAM drops a bit. But, as the previous poster said, don't buy additional RAM through Apple; you can get same or equivalent elsewhere and save at least 50%