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Tired of waiting. Mac Mini alternative?
- Thread starter trifona
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What are you using your computer for? The CPU/GPU in the 2017 iMac won’t be a bottleneck for most people, even in a few years.
Just add a SSD, and up the RAM yourself.
The 2019 iMac will either be
1) No significant update. Maybe HDR, which photo people will even turn off.
2) Significant update (T2 etc). This will 100% increase the price, just like Cook is increasing the ASP on every other Apple product.
So either small change, or big change with a higher price. Therefore I think the 2017 iMac is an extremely good buy at the moment, unless you’re one of the few individuals that NEED 6-8 cores.
Just add a SSD, and up the RAM yourself.
The 2019 iMac will either be
1) No significant update. Maybe HDR, which photo people will even turn off.
2) Significant update (T2 etc). This will 100% increase the price, just like Cook is increasing the ASP on every other Apple product.
So either small change, or big change with a higher price. Therefore I think the 2017 iMac is an extremely good buy at the moment, unless you’re one of the few individuals that NEED 6-8 cores.
I don't know much about problems users have experienced with the T2 chip. Has Apple addressed them effectively?
Either way I know what I'd prefer which is another iMac to be honest. I'd rather not wait but at the same time I have little reason not to so long as the iMac keeps humming along. The only inconvenience I'm dealing with right now is that Turbotax 2018 wont work on OS X El Capitan so it looks like I'll need to try H&R block's software this year.
I know I solicited some sarcasm with my post. I don't intend to wait forever but given I don't turn over personal computers very quickly (my last pc prior to the iMac I had for 7 years), I can afford to ride out the release schedule and pick and choose which machine projects to be the better option for me long term. I'm sure the 2017 machine is great, I just have a problem paying full price for a machine so long in the tooth when the next potential window for product updates is about to open again.
We do have a healthy collection of apple devices between iPhones, iPads, AppleTV, etc, and right now the old iMac is a dutiful servant as a home media & web browsing hub.
Either way I know what I'd prefer which is another iMac to be honest. I'd rather not wait but at the same time I have little reason not to so long as the iMac keeps humming along. The only inconvenience I'm dealing with right now is that Turbotax 2018 wont work on OS X El Capitan so it looks like I'll need to try H&R block's software this year.
I know I solicited some sarcasm with my post. I don't intend to wait forever but given I don't turn over personal computers very quickly (my last pc prior to the iMac I had for 7 years), I can afford to ride out the release schedule and pick and choose which machine projects to be the better option for me long term. I'm sure the 2017 machine is great, I just have a problem paying full price for a machine so long in the tooth when the next potential window for product updates is about to open again.
We do have a healthy collection of apple devices between iPhones, iPads, AppleTV, etc, and right now the old iMac is a dutiful servant as a home media & web browsing hub.
No, they haven't addressed it yet. It's still an issue, and it's starting to look like it might be hardware-related. No final verdict yet, though.
The problem with Apple is that this window never fully closes. Just ask the folks who've been waiting for a 2018 iMac because, you know, the potential window for product updates is bound to open real soon, right? Or those who have been waiting for a new Mac Mini in 2015. And then again in 2016. And again in 2017. And then had to wait until late 2018. At the other end of the spectrum there are those who bought the brand-spanking-new MacBook Pro in Late 2016 and were then steamrolled a mere five months later in March 2017 when Apple released a better, faster, and cooler 2017 model for the same price. The only product released at a periodic and regular frequency is the iPhone - you just know they're going to release a new one every year. The rest of their line-up could be upgraded tomorrow. Or four years from now. Or never again.
Nevertheless your approach is the best you can take. If you don't need a new iMac right now then wait it out. Best case scenario you end up with a machine better than the 2017 iMac for an identical or at least similar price. Worst case scenario the new iMac is going to be a much more expensive locked-down lemon, at which point you can still get a discounted 2017 model if you so desire.
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I am in the same boat as the thread starter with my early 2009 iMac 24" and today i pulled the trigger and ordered a Intel nuc Hades Canyon (Intel NUC8i7HVK) with 16Gb RAM + 512Gb Evo 970 Plus SSD for about the same price than the i5 8/256 Mac Mini is sold. I will try this now and perhaps buy Mini or Macbook in addition some time later.
Coming from someone who has two computers with T2 security chips, you either have a bad chip, or you don't. It's really not that complicated or different from having defective components elsewhere in the machine (CPU / GPU / RAM etc). My T2 co processor has not crashed either system since the release of Mojave.
I also suspect that some people over blame the T2 chip because kernel panics also include a memory snapshot of the T2 co-processor's "Bridge-OS" in the first segment of the kernel panic report. The T2 co-processor likely just caught a panic (like when my Razer peripherals were causing them) rather than causing it.
In all, don't be afraid of a T2 co-processor. It speeds up particular tasks and keeps you safe from local-attack vectors such as "thunder strike". Even a Mac for home use benefits from this protection. Imagine if you had a home break in, and a criminal had (what is commonly available) a thunderbolt USB that automatically bypasses your login information on your Mac. They could get access to everything on your Mac, and you wouldn't be the wiser. They could use it for identity theft and so on.
Just my 2c.
Well we have had ‘some’ rumours of a new imac launching this year, but nothing really concrete. Only you can make the decision, I mean if they only do a spec bump it’s better then buying a computer with tech that’s 2 years old inside it!
I disagree, get the mini and the separate monitor. Much easier to get a Mini repaired, though it's probably going to be the most reliable Mac Apple makes right now. You can buy a 24" monitor for $350 and the base Mini is less than $1000.
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It will be much faster.
