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bo-waleed

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Oct 15, 2009
609
21
i keep hearing in these forums about ''i hope my imac is good for 4 years' ''your imac will last 3-4 years''


why is that ?
 
i keep hearing in these forums about ''i hope my imac is good for 4 years' ''your imac will last 3-4 years''


why is that ?

Because when you spend a lot of dough on a machine, you want it to not be obsolete in 1 year.

It's not like iMacs break down in 3-4 years. I've got a 2003 G4 doing fine (and sever have older iMacs that run well). However, with increasing demands on computers, peopl want to know they can count on their iMacs. My 2003 iMac can run all the programs I bought on it for the first 5 years. It bogs down with surfing Flash heavy sites or today's high def online video (neither existed in 2003). My iMac G5 was bought 1 year before the Intel change and cannot run SL. A 2011 model iMac will serve a buyer well for MANY years. Will there be faster/more amazing iMacs in 3-4 years? Sure. However most users will stilll be doing fine with a 2011 iMac in 2015.
 
No idea because as soon as the next model comes out, you know they are going to purchase that one too. I think it makes it easier to justify $2000 for a top of the line model if you convince yourself that you will be using it for 4 years (even though you'll likely buy the next refresh). :D
 
Most people don't even use the power of these macs to the fullest, but with todays society some seem to think they need the latest and greatest each to there own though. I have a late 2009 imac same design as now but c2d 306 processor works great with photoshop,adobe indesign etc i can not justify buying a new one now even with the new processors and i will not, i will purchase when a new design hits the shelfs and if i need it at that time most likely second faze of redesign, at least then i would see a major improvement from my current mac an have a new design as well. Do not see the point why people upgrading every refresh.

Even top end photographers don't or film makers, yet ordinary people feel the need to. Do whats best for you and if your imac is still working after 4 years and you don't want to upgrade don't, remember the longer you keep your mac the better performance boost you will get and see when you purchase later on.
 
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No idea because as soon as the next model comes out, you know they are going to purchase that one too. I think it makes it easier to justify $2000 for a top of the line model if you convince yourself that you will be using it for 4 years (even though you'll likely buy the next refresh). :D

I dont think many people are like that honestly. Theres alway people that want top of the line everything. I've used each mac I've ever owned for 4-6 years straight and never had any issues with any of them. Most people I know that are mac people do similar. I'm about to pull the trigger on a new i7 imac and I know i'll be using it for a long long time.
 
Most people don't even use the power of these macs to the fullest, but with todays society some seem to think they need the latest and greatest each to there own though. I have a late 2009 imac same design as now but c2d 306 processor works great with photoshop,adobe indesign etc i can not justify buying a new one now even with the new processors and i will not, i will purchase when a new design hits the shelfs and if i need it at that time most likely second faze of redesign, at least then i would see a major improvement from my current mac. Do not see the point why people upgrade every refresh.

Even top end photographers don't or film makers, yet ordinary people feel the need to. Do whats best for you and if your imac is still working after 4 years and you don't want to upgrade don't, remember the longer you keep your mac the better performance boost you will get and see when you purchase later on.

Most people don't actually upgrade almost every year. Those who do sell it for a good value and buy the new technology for a very minimum price diff. Some people do need the processing power etc..,. but anyways there are always people who wants to be the greatest in owning tech and they do. They have the money to upgrade so they do. They are the best judge to analyze whether they waste it or use it.
 
Don't believe everything you read on forums!

I8P'CS is quite right. Comments similar to the one you quote are usually by people who have read comments from "collectors" who insist on having the "latest" of everything and appear to use their computers either as a status symbol or a toy!

Remember that iMacs, being electronic equipment, are really no different from most other computers and even though it's unlikely, can break break down. AppleCare is always a good investment. Purchased towards the end of the machine's first year, this will extend Apple's Warranty for a further two years and cover the cost of any repairs should the necessity arise.
 
Most people don't actually upgrade almost every year. Those who do sell it for a good value and buy the new technology for a very minimum price diff. Some people do need the processing power etc..,. but anyways there are always people who wants to be the greatest in owning tech and they do. They have the money to upgrade so they do. They are the best judge to analyze whether they waste it or use it.

According to this forum most do. Also to me why buy and sell every year ridiculous imo, Major companies and professional don't, it's just peoples need to have the latest and greatest have you seen solderknowsbest unboxing one of these new imacs?? No cos he has an i7 already and will most probably upgrade on a new design again mo. Each to their own but i will not be an apple sheep or fiend. No disrespect intended. I have money but no way will i throw it to apple yearly. More important things in life. Have a good day.
 
P.s and i do "Love imacs" but will only buy when i need it. As of now i'm fine and so is my ego. :) I have nothing to prove to my family or friends.:p
 
i keep hearing in these forums about ''i hope my imac is good for 4 years' ''your imac will last 3-4 years''

why is that ?

Since most computers still have mechanical hard drives, hard drives typically have a three year warranty. Now they do last longer then they did 10 years ago, the older they get, the more probability that the hard drive will fail. I just replaced a four year old Winbloz system with this 2011 iMac and the Win system was starting to have issues with the hard drive. Since I wanted a Mac, I decided to make the change. So frankly it is not the Mac, but that something mechanical in the computer may fail after a period.

Second, with many (not all) after four years, technology has changed enough that people starting looking to replace their system. Not because it has failed, but because they want the new stuff.

JMHO

Duffy
 
I have a first edition Aluminum iMac that came out in Aug 2007. So it is almost 4 years old. It was the high end 2.8 Ghz Extreme 24". I plan on selling it to a family member who needs a new computer when Lion is released and getting one of these new ones, and will go with a base 27" 2.7 i5. My current machine will serve my family member well for several years, but does have some bottlenecks when I use it because I demand more from my machine. But it still operates iPhoto, iTunes, Mail, Safari, Quicken, iWork, even CrossOver for WinOffice and Handbrake and MTR quite well. It has gone through every OS release and is running 10.6.7 Snow Leopard. I could probably get another 1-2 years out of it myself comfortably, except that someone is going to take it off my hands. And I do get slowdowns when I try to run too much at once.
 
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