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Time Limit 4 Buying new Mac. What 2 Do?

A

AllegraGeller99

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 21, 2006
5
0
Kalifornia
Hi everyone!

I won some money in the form of a gift card, and I'm going to use it to buy a new Mac. The dilemna is that the card expires March 2007, so I only have a year to buy and decide!

I currently have a 5 year old iMac G3 (the dalmation generation), and am looking to replace it with a new iMac. I would love to get the new Intel Mac, since it is the most current hardware & best option for my price range, but I'm looking for any suggestions that might help me decide! Would you go with the Intel or try for the iMac G5 while it can stil be found? Does anyone know about a second generation Intel Mac being released within my year limit?

Help! Lol, and thanks in advance! ;)
 
AllegraGeller99 said:
The dilemna is that the card expires March 2007, so I only have a year to buy and decide!
Click to expand...

I think you may be incorrectly using the term "dilemna" here, having a whole year to decide? That's pretty damn cushy IMO.

But yes, just get an iMac dual-core, enless you have some specific software needs that can only be met with PowerPC(aka photoshop) then there's no reason not to get the latest.
 
G5's are gone from the apple store, you could still probably pick them up at a local retailer though. I'd just get the intel though...sooooooo fast.

again, not really a dilemma, you've got loads of time:)
 
Yes, I'm just a spaz! :p I was worried because I keep hearing people say that one should just wait until CS3 comes out (which could be anywhere from this fall to 2007 I hear), or until an "improved" Intel is released (don't know anything about that ???). So I guess that freaked me out.

I do use Photoshop and all the rest, but I'll be upgrading from my G3 iMac, which runs slow anyway compared to the G5 tower I use at work. So if the Intel is at least equal or better in speed, I'll go with that.
 
First of all, congratulations! What a great prize!

The real question then is, how urgently do you need the computer?
If you look at the Buyer's Guide, since July 2002, the iMac has never gone longer than 9 months without an update.
I think it's safe to assume that pattern will be repeated, so that an updated Intel iMac will be available prior to March 2007.
If you have reason to need the computer more urgently, by all means, go ahead and purchase the current Intel iMac.

Good luck!
 
The iMac is due a change to a slimmer form factor. This is beacuse the Intel chip doesn't run as hot as the G5, so doesn't require as many fans etc.

In addition there will no doubt be a transition to 64 bit dual core this fall.

In addition all UBs will probably not be out until the end of the year (if then).

Also it will probably be in late 2006 or early 2007 that VPC will be compiled for Intel. Windows comapability will only become a non-hacked reality late this year, IMO.

For all these reasons I think waiting till 2007 is best. At least wait for MacWorld 2007. I currently have the iMac G5. If the 2007 iMac update is good enough, then I will sell my current machine and buy the new one.
 
It's difficult enough to hold off on a new Mac purchase when you are paying hard-earned cash for it, but if you are essentially getting it for free it must be almost impossible.

Good luck on that one mate :D

Anyway, forget the G5, even if you can find one. Sure, as it stands right now it is better at running non-Universal Binary apps such as Photoshop than the Intel chip, but it is old technology and once the UB apps start rolling in it will be on the way out even faster.

Clearly you know how fast (G5 tower) and slow (G3 iMac) Photoshop can be run, and the chances are the Intel iMac using emulation (Rosetta) would fall somewhere between the two.

If you can live with that and really can't wait, then what the hell, go get yourself a spanking new iMac. It's not like it's costing you anything.

However, if there is a form factor change due soon and you don't *really* need a new Mac right now, then you have plenty of time on your hands to see how things pan out over the next 12 months.

May be a good idea to spend that time on a desert island or up a tall tree though, as I can imagine that gift card could be burning a hole in your pocket. :)

Great dilemma to have.
 
:D You guys rock! Thanks so much for all the helpful advice! I had planned on getting the new iMac to use for school and my increasing freelance design work, and then give my old G3 to my dad, since he's the one who really, really needs a computer and can't afford one. If it wasn't for this miracle of a gift card I probably wouldn't be able to afford a new one for awhile either! I will be using the card for some other things (secluded island does sound nice!), but a new iMac & probably some new peripherals are definitely my top priority. Now I'm interested to see if they develop a new form and next level Intel before the year is up!

:) :) :) Thanks again for all the helpful advice & info!
 
AllegraGeller99 said:
Hi everyone!

I won some money in the form of a gift card, and I'm going to use it to buy a new Mac. The dilemna is that the card expires March 2007, so I only have a year to buy and decide!

I currently have a 5 year old iMac G3 (the dalmation generation), and am looking to replace it with a new iMac. I would love to get the new Intel Mac, since it is the most current hardware & best option for my price range, but I'm looking for any suggestions that might help me decide! Would you go with the Intel or try for the iMac G5 while it can stil be found? Does anyone know about a second generation Intel Mac being released within my year limit?

Help! Lol, and thanks in advance! ;)
Click to expand...

Well how much is the card for? You can always sell the card probably get close to 90% of value for it.
 
Acehigh said:
Well how much is the card for? You can always sell the card probably get close to 90% of value for it.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's another option.

Also, if you buy something small with it, does it extend the date?
 
don't worry about running photoshop on an intel iMac.

Photoshop 7 is faster on my macbook pro than on
my iMac G4, so you will still be seeing an improvement
right away, and then more improvement later on.
 
It's an American Express gift card and has a specific expiration. I won it in a radio contest, and it's for 3K. Because it's a large sum, I had to fill out a lot of legal jargon, get something notarized, and they made the card out in my name. So it's basically just like a credit card I don't have to pay back. :)
 
AllegraGeller99 said:
It's an American Express gift card and has a specific expiration. I won it in a radio contest, and it's for 3K. Because it's a large sum, I had to fill out a lot of legal jargon, get something notarized, and they made the card out in my name. So it's basically just like a credit card I don't have to pay back. :)
Click to expand...

sweet.... with 3k you can get something now and still have money left over. I guess wait till April 1 and see if Jobs annouces something new.
 
AllegraGeller99 said:
So it's basically just like a credit card I don't have to pay back. :)
Click to expand...

Take it to the bank and cash it out. If it's like a credit card, you can probably do that without paying penalty. Or you can use it to buy Apple stock and then cash it out when the computer you want ships.
 
I would hold out as long as you can. If your current mac is still getting the job done I would wait at least until the fall/winter transition to 64 bit processors.
 
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