Seriously considering imac 2017 but I need some help

[AVEGA]

My current Mac is a mini from 2006 ( 1.83 ghz 4 gig ram / 320 hard drive) .

I really like everything Apple showed off recently with the newest iMac . I was considering MacBook Pro with Touch Bar but I worry about buying lots of dongles , and the maxed out cost is outrageous for me. I also think that the touch bar is interesting but might be a gimmick and not used well . I don't need portability since my iPhone works perfectly and I often use that for everything. I want a computer that can Last me another 10 years .

I have a 6S+ and GoPro camera that can take 4K video so I am definitely interested in 27 in display.

I already have a 21 in acer 1080 display for my mini so I wonder if I could connect and have dual screens. Is dual screening possible with a monitor that doesn't have USB C but dvi ?

This computer will be the new "family computer" which will be shared by my wife and I. So having different profiles is a must and we both have an extensive purchases music library from iTunes . My wife and I also love taking pictures and videos so Space is a big deal . So how big hard drive should I buy ?

I like to do video editing For my website and personal use . How much ram should I get ? 64 seems excessive, but 8 seems barley worth while . Is 32 good enough to last a while ? My favorite editor is iMovie HD is that going to work on the new iMac or is limited to older machines?

My experience upgrading my Mac mini left me burnt out . It's too much hassle , very difficult and I rather just spend more now than upgrade later and the tear down reports make it scary for me . What's a good set up for processor performance? Should I max that out

Now what would be the best way to move my stuff from my mini/ and my wife and I's iPhone to the new iMac ? I have an 1TB external hard drive, should I transfer it all , or should I just transfer specific files and start fresh ? My wife has some old iTunes files on her XP Laptop is that going to be a problem for Mac to use ? I don't want to loose files but I don't know what the best way to upgrade and move computers .

Is the old Mac mini still useful or after wiping it clean would be considered trash ? Can it be recycled?

I have a Bluetooth keyboard so I don't need the Apple one , or is special or something? I have a wireless Bluetooth mouse too but I heard new macs come with magical mice thsf have gestures and such . I don't know.

I have two cats who love to play near the computer will the cats knock over the iMac or is stable and secure?

Is the newest Mac OS going to be a massive shock to me since I'm used to lion. I probably can't buy it for several months so should I just wait for 2018 model or is that not likely?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[trsblader]

So how big hard drive should I buy ?

How much space do you currently use and how long did it take you to use that much space? Someone who takes 10 years for 100gb of files (such as myself) could probably get away with 256 and could definitely get a 512gb drive and probably never fill half of it. On the other hand, someone who goes through hundreds of GB's of files per year is going to want multiple TB's of storage and will probably be looking at additional external storage on top of whatever internal choice they make. That's not something that anyone else can give you a definitive answer on because your needs are different than everyone else's.

I like to do video editing For my website and personal use . How much ram should I get ? 64 seems excessive, but 8 seems barley worth while . Is 32 good enough to last a while ? My favorite editor is iMovie HD is that going to work on the new iMac or is limited to older machines?

iMovie is available for new Macs still and 32gb will be more than enough. Buy 2x8gb sticks and add it to the 8 you already have in the machine for 24 total and you'll likely barely use half of it. The processor you choose is going to be a bigger factor when editing movies than the amount of ram you use. I personally have 16 and have never run out of ram once, including when I have Windows open inside parallels. My processor on the other hand I can max out quite easily.

What's a good set up for processor performance? Should I max that out

Most will say max out CPU if you can afford it. By only doing a little bit of video editing it doesn't really sound like you need the best of the best. Any of the mid or high-end options will be fine.

Now what would be the best way to move my stuff from my mini/ and my wife and I's iPhone to the new iMac ? I have an 1TB external hard drive, should I transfer it all , or should I just transfer specific files and start fresh ? My wife has some old iTunes files on her XP Laptop is that going to be a problem for Mac to use ? I don't want to loose files but I don't know what the best way to upgrade and move computers .

I personally move what I actually want. Why spend the time moving junk I'll never use again? Back it all up on an external, and only move what you actually plan to use would be my idea. If you need something else later, just grab it from your backup.

Is the old Mac mini still useful or after wiping it clean would be considered trash ? Can it be recycled?

Depends on what you would use it for. If it still boots and runs, seems it would be useful for something. Email, spare bedroom, plex server, quick use when someone else is on the other machine, etc. If you really don't need it you could sell it on Craigslist or (and not suggested) try to trade it in at whatever store you buy the new machine from.

I have a Bluetooth keyboard so I don't need the Apple one , or is special or something? I have a wireless Bluetooth mouse too but I heard new macs come with magical mice thsf have gestures and such . I don't know.

Since both come with your computer at no additional charge, why not try them out and make a decision then? I personally love the keyboard and mouse, but it's not for everyone. Won't know if you like it until you try it, and if you hate it I'm sure you can sell it quite easily.

I have two cats who love to play near the computer will the cats knock over the iMac or is stable and secure?

It's fairly secure, but I've never had a fat cat decide to take it on 1-on-1. You know your cats best, but I wouldn't gamble with an expensive machine. If I'm not in the computer room, that door is closed so the cats can't get in there. I've definitely had cats that would headbutt anything and everything and weren't the lightest things around and I wouldn't have let them have a go at my iMac.

Is the newest Mac OS going to be a massive shock to me since I'm used to lion. I probably can't buy it for several months so should I just wait for 2018 model or is that not likely?

It still functions similarly, just has a few bells and whistles you aren't used to. In 2018 it won't be any less of a shock, and probably would be a bigger shock since they'll continue adding to it. You can always visit a Best Buy, Apple Store, or any number of other stores and do a quick test drive (you can test drive the keyboard and mouse then too) but I wouldn't let this trip you up from upgrading. Like I said, they'll keep adding features so eventually you'll have to dive in.

Hope it helps.

 

[AVEGA]

How much space do you currently use and how long did it take you to use that much space? Someone who takes 10 years for 100gb of files (such as myself) could probably get away with 256 and could definitely get a 512gb drive and probably never fill half of it. On the other hand, someone who goes through hundreds of GB's of files per year is going to want multiple TB's of storage and will probably be looking at additional external storage on top of whatever internal choice they make. That's not something that anyone else can give you a definitive answer on because your needs are different than everyone else's.



iMovie is available for new Macs still and 32gb will be more than enough. Buy 2x8gb sticks and add it to the 8 you already have in the machine for 24 total and you'll likely barely use half of it. The processor you choose is going to be a bigger factor when editing movies than the amount of ram you use. I personally have 16 and have never run out of ram once, including when I have Windows open inside parallels. My processor on the other hand I can max out quite easily.



Most will say max out CPU if you can afford it. By only doing a little bit of video editing it doesn't really sound like you need the best of the best. Any of the mid or high-end options will be fine.



I personally move what I actually want. Why spend the time moving junk I'll never use again? Back it all up on an external, and only move what you actually plan to use would be my idea. If you need something else later, just grab it from your backup.



Depends on what you would use it for. If it still boots and runs, seems it would be useful for something. Email, spare bedroom, plex server, quick use when someone else is on the other machine, etc. If you really don't need it you could sell it on Craigslist or (and not suggested) try to trade it in at whatever store you buy the new machine from.



Since both come with your computer at no additional charge, why not try them out and make a decision then? I personally love the keyboard and mouse, but it's not for everyone. Won't know if you like it until you try it, and if you hate it I'm sure you can sell it quite easily.



It's fairly secure, but I've never had a fat cat decide to take it on 1-on-1. You know your cats best, but I wouldn't gamble with an expensive machine. If I'm not in the computer room, that door is closed so the cats can't get in there. I've definitely had cats that would headbutt anything and everything and weren't the lightest things around and I wouldn't have let them have a go at my iMac.


It still functions similarly, just has a few bells and whistles you aren't used to. In 2018 it won't be any less of a shock, and probably would be a bigger shock since they'll continue adding to it. You can always visit a Best Buy, Apple Store, or any number of other stores and do a quick test drive (you can test drive the keyboard and mouse then too) but I wouldn't let this trip you up from upgrading. Like I said, they'll keep adding features so eventually you'll have to dive in.

Hope it helps.

Yes it does thanks !

I'm thinking 27 inch is better for size !
So to be safe 3TB so we don't have to worry about space .
I can upgrade ram later so 8 standard is fine .
I'm still not sure about processor the numbers don't seem THAT MUCH BETTER .
3.5 I 5 vs 4.2 i7 is that .7 really $200 better I don't know . Any help with that ?

 

[cynics]

Yes it does thanks !

I'm thinking 27 inch is better for size !
So to be safe 3TB so we don't have to worry about space .
I can upgrade ram later so 8 standard is fine .
I'm still not sure about processor the numbers don't seem THAT MUCH BETTER .
3.5 I 5 vs 4.2 i7 is that .7 really $200 better I don't know . Any help with that ?

Honestly I think you'll be fine with any CPU. However not only does the i7 offer a clock speed bump it also offers hyper threading. Certain programs and task can leverage hyper threading to basically make the CPU cores more effective at processing data via more intelligently scheduling task. Single threaded task will still see the benefits of the high clock rate of the i7.

Video editing and 3d rendering are things that can benefit from hyper threading.

But again I wouldn't break the bank unless you plan on doing some very heavy editing of those 4k videos you mentioned.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Yes it does thanks !

I'm thinking 27 inch is better for size !
So to be safe 3TB so we don't have to worry about space .
I can upgrade ram later so 8 standard is fine .
I'm still not sure about processor the numbers don't seem THAT MUCH BETTER .
3.5 I 5 vs 4.2 i7 is that .7 really $200 better I don't know . Any help with that ?

Save your money and forget about the i7. Either the 3.5 or 3.8 GHz will be more than enough for your needs. I suggest upgrading the RAM yourself. It is very easy to install on the 27" model. I just got 32 GB of Corsair Vengeance for $234.00 after tax From Amazon.

 

[snowtrooper1966]

If it's within budget, I say go for the 4.2GHz processor. It's my opinion that to have too much is better than not enough, it's also not easily upgraded.

I came from a late 2012 Mac Mini and setup the 27" as new. Wanted a clean slate, knowing there were many unused and superfluous old files.
With iCloud you can bring over bookmarks, contacts, notes, music and photos without restoring from a backup.
Start fresh, after 11 years there is bound to be crap you don't need on the new desktop.

Our old mini had a 1.12TB Fusion Drive that served us well, and was only 1/2 full.
Our budget allowed 1TB SSD upgrade, and we added 4TB external for large photo/ burned music library backup, as well as acting as redundant backup and new archival file, freeing up internal SSD for boot/daily work.

 

[RUQRU]

Whatever processor you decide, the key thing is get an SSD not a spinning drive. The speed of an SSD is magnitudes greater than the Fusion drive. Plus it is far less likely to fail.

 

[AVEGA]

So you guys suggest smaller SSD over larger fusion drive ?

 

[jlseattle]

Yes, hands down. Speed compromises on the fusion drive aren't worth the loss. SSD is 3-4 times faster.

 

[mihai.ile]

So you guys suggest smaller SSD over larger fusion drive ?

This is a never ending story about fusion drive vs SSD only.
I got the 2TB fusion drive and it failed the second day I received it. I had to send it back to get a replacement from apple.
The thing is, despite what everyone says about hard drives failing, on mine it was the SSD that failed in such a way that it was not even detected by the iMac. Only the hard drive was still functioning.

If you are comfortable with having a external storage always connected to the iMac, you could have a small usb3/c enclosure for a traditional SSD if you choose to go for a smaller ssd only, but it really depends on your usage as one poster suggested to check how much you are actually using and how much time you took to produce/store all that data.
2TB fusion was already included in my iMac configuration base price and it contains a fast 128gb ssd plus the 2TB hard drive. How I use it is I have all my data except the photography files (around 250gb) which are stored in an external ssd I had (on the laptop I upgraded from to the iMac) which is always connected with a usb3 external enclosure. To me the iMac was already pretty expensive so the workaround fits me perfectly and I can't really complain about the fusion drive except the SSD failure.

The replacement works perfect by the way.
While I agree to some above that you may not really need the i7 cpu TODAY (for personal use, even if you wait some seconds/minutes more when video editing it may not matter much) if you say you intend to use it for maybe next 10 years then I would say that what i7 has to offer may age a lot better in the long run. This is the option I did for me and got the i7, I do not plan to change the iMac every other year.

As for RAM I say definitely go for 8GB and upgrade later (what I did is buy another original apple 2x4gb (quite cheap) from users that were upgrading their iMacs for a total of 16gb memory)

 

[AVEGA]

Ok I'm leaning toward SSD 1TB.
8 gig ram .
And possibly 4.2 ghz

So I have a current Acer 1080p monitor that still works well . With 2017 iMac I can do multi screen so one 5K and one 1080p correct ?
What cable should I get for it ? It used DVi ?
Is dual screen mode iMac stress things out or will it work fine ?

 

[snowtrooper1966]

Ok I'm leaning toward SSD 1TB.
8 gig ram .
And possibly 4.2 ghz

So I have a current Acer 1080p monitor that still works well . With 2017 iMac I can do multi screen so one 5K and one 1080p correct ?
What cable should I get for it ? It used DVi ?
Is dual screen mode iMac stress things out or will it work fine ?

That's the config I got, you won't be disappointed, and can always add an external drive for large stores files and backup.
Also can easily expand the RAM much cheaper that direct from Apple.
I got 32GB (2x 16) from Crucial for 250, and now have 40GB RAM.

 

[Luxtrau]

I would go for the best i5 option and 1TB SSD. You can easily plug in external drives and 1TB should be enough to store your most important stuff.

 

[jlseattle]

Haha, reading your post, your cats give me anxiety. What I did (because I wanted good but not best) was go with:

3.8 i5 - don't need the i7 and this computer is fast
512 SSD - I would recommend the 1tb for your needs
8gb of RAM - upgrade after

I would go with two 16 gb ram sticks after you get the computer from Amazon. I haven't done this yet (it's on my todo list but so far 8gb has been good for me).

 

[Chancha]

DVI is like 2 gen away from what I/O iMac uses. It really depends if you want a dual monitor setup badly, it is useful for productivity, but sitting next to a 5K DCI-P3 display your old 1080 will just pale too much. You may have to do a 2-step conversion with a USB-C to HDMI/DP dongle from the iMac first, then a HDMI/DP to DVI dongle.

Another consideration is if you intend to keep the Mini, it can be a great headless server, for home theatre, offloaded to kids for homework what have you, but it would need its own monitor if you use it on another location than the iMac.

 

[robeddie]

Honestly I think you'll be fine with any CPU. However not only does the i7 offer a clock speed bump it also offers hyper threading. Certain programs and task can leverage hyper threading to basically make the CPU cores more effective at processing data via more intelligently scheduling task. Single threaded task will still see the benefits of the high clock rate of the i7.

Video editing and 3d rendering are things that can benefit from hyper threading.

But again I wouldn't break the bank unless you plan on doing some very heavy editing of those 4k videos you mentioned.

Hyperthreading gives you maybe a 20% speed bump, at the expense of a huge amount of heat.

Plus many programs
dont leverage HT.

Looking at these threads seems
like the majority with i7's have major fan noise issues.

Stick with a top end, non hyperthreading i5 .. thats my advice.

 

[cynics]

Hyperthreading gives you maybe a 20% speed bump, at the expense of a huge amount of heat.

Plus many programs
dont leverage HT.

Looking at these threads seems
like the majority with i7's have major fan noise issues.

Stick with a top end, non hyperthreading i5 .. thats my advice.

Well I did say "certain programs and task" and thats why I said they will be fine with any CPU. Heat output increase will be an unavoidable consequence from better utilization of the CPU due to hyper threading.

Since we are limited to Intel options with Mac the i5 is a good options. Although outside the Mac line up, specific builds (HTPC) and existing mobos the i5 doesn't make much sense to buy currently. This is what ultimately made me hold off on a 2017 iMac. Hoping Coffee Lake has a little better price to performance vs Ryzen with the i5 line.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Does Apple offer express shipping on BTO 2017 iMac?

 

[robeddie]

Does Apple offer express shipping on BTO 2017 iMac?

It doesn't appear so, at least that option does show up online. I would suggest calling apple sales and see if that's something they can offer 'over the phone'.

Obviously the big catch with what you're asking is that it's going to take a while before they even have your BTO system configured, so getting express shipping still won't guarantee you'll get it by a certain date.

 

[Apple_Robert]

It doesn't appear so, at least that option does show up online. I would suggest calling apple sales and see if that's something they can offer 'over the phone'.

Obviously the big catch with what you're asking is that it's going to take a while before they even have your BTO system configured, so getting express shipping still won't guarantee you'll get it by a certain date.

I chatted with Apple online and there is no other option for faster shipping.

After using the 2TB FD for 6 days and reading some more posts on the forum about High Sierra etc., I decided to get the 1TB SSD model and return the FD model. Looks like I will have to return the FD model before the SSD model arrives, unless I get lucky and it arrives early.

Thanks for the reply.

Edited: Decided to bite the bullet and get the 1TB SSD after all. Glad I was able to cancel my 512 SSD order in time. Finally feel good with the ordered specs.

 

[cynics]

I chatted with Apple online and there is no other option for faster shipping.

After using the 2TB FD for 6 days and reading some more posts on the forum about High Sierra etc., I decided to get the 512SSD model and return the FD model. Looks like I will have to return the FD model before the SSD model arrives, unless I get lucky and it arrives early.

Thanks for the reply.

Apple uses next and second day shipping for most (all?) their products. However they can't guarantee a time/date because its BTO. Times could take considerable longer if they are literally building your Mac.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Apple uses next and second day shipping for most (all?) their products. However they can't guarantee a time/date because its BTO. Times could take considerable longer if they are literally building your Mac.

Thanks for the reply.

I thought about going with B&H Video to save the tax and get it faster, since they have the model in stock (according to website). However, I remembered their return policy is not as good as Apple's, and decided to stick with Apple.com. My iMac is slated for delivery between 9/6 - 9/8

 

[cynics]

Thanks for the reply.

I thought about going with B&H Video to save the tax and get it faster, since they have the model in stock (according to website). However, I remembered their return policy is not as good as Apple's, and decided to stick with Apple.com. My iMac is slated for delivery between 9/6 - 9/8

Ugh that will feel like an eternity! Lol

I hope you enjoy it. While I'm one of the few (apparently) that see relevance in the Fusion Drive having a pure SSD is always preferred. If you need additional storage I highly recommend any of the Samsung T(1,3,5) USB external SSDs. I have a T3 and T5 at work and can't tell a difference in performance between them.

I don't know if this is still an option with Apple (or feasible for you for future reference) but I've had Macs shipped to the Apple store in a neighboring state that is sales tax free. Its about a hour and half drive for me but I got a Mac, AirPort Extreme, and iPad on one order and saved myself around 200 dollars which paid for the AppleCare+ coverage on the Mac, lunch and the gas to get there. I'm a real miser though.

 

[robeddie]

Apple uses next and second day shipping for most (all?) their products. However they can't guarantee a time/date because its BTO. Times could take considerable longer if they are literally building your Mac.

Not sure about your detective work their chief. I ordered my 21.5 imac with 16gigs of ram. It was ordered thursday july 20, was shipped on Tuesday July 25th, and arrived on Tuesday, Aug. 1st ... exactly 1 WEEK later. That was in line with the quoted delivery estimates, so it's not like it got accidently delayed somehow either.
[doublepost=1503764265][/doublepost]

I chatted with Apple online and there is no other option for faster shipping.

After using the 2TB FD for 6 days and reading some more posts on the forum about High Sierra etc., I decided to get the 512SSD model and return the FD model. Looks like I will have to return the FD model before the SSD model arrives, unless I get lucky and it arrives early.

Thanks for the reply.

Good call, and totally agree that fusion drive is to be avoided. Even IF you're ok with the speed of thing, just knowing that a spinning drive is tucked inside my imac would bug me. Of any other piece of hardware inside that thing, a spinning HD is by far and away the most likely thing to fail.

I could just never get away from thinking there's a ticking time bomb inside my iMac.

 

[cynics]

Not sure about your detective work their chief. I ordered my 21.5 imac with 16gigs of ram. It was ordered thursday july 20, was shipped on Tuesday July 25th, and arrived on Tuesday, Aug. 1st ... exactly 1 WEEK later. That was in line with the quoted delivery estimates, so it's not like it got accidently delayed somehow either.

Apple.com

Well I did say "most". Looks like customized Macs don't get it. Personally I've never had anything take more than 2 days once shipped even on custom orders but perhaps I was lucky. Plus with my more recent orders going directly to the Apple Store they have a business shipping/receiving advantage.