When To Buy an iMac? Updates 14th October?

[alex000it]

Hi, i am going to buy a new iMac, but I've heard that on October 14th there will be an update (that might be just for laptops...). In fact, the buyer's guide says:
Neutral - Mid product cycle
Last Release April 28, 2008
Days Since Update 146 (Avg = 211)

Should i buy it now or should i wait?

 

[Munitalp]

There wont be an update in October -- if anything perhaps a slight price drop. The reason there will be no update is because there is no physical hardware out to upgrade the current hardware with.

 

[Tallest Skil]

Luckily, if you had read the rules, you would know to search the forums for things like this.

We know nothing. If you have real work to do, buy it now.

If you don't need it, wait.

The reason there will be no update is because there is no physical hardware out to upgrade the current hardware with.

Except, oh... Montevina. And perhaps new GPUs and bigger HDDs, but who cares about those, right?

 

[zedsdead]

There are rumors of an iMac update, but it is supposed to happen later than the notebook refresh, so probably in November. The baseline specs of the iMac's can be bumped, but then there will be little BTO options in the iMac, which will be odd for Apple. They already had two generations with the same graphics card (although the 8800 was added as an option this time around). Are they really looking to do that a third time?

If nothing happens in Nov, it likely won't be until early Spring then.

As others have said, if you really don't need it, then wait and buy it the first day it is upgraded. The iMac is one of Apple's priorities, so you shouldn't be waiting too long (unlike the Mac Mini people who have been screwed badly - and likely won't see anything till Macworld).

 

[alex000it]

There wont be an update in October -- if anything perhaps a slight price drop. The reason there will be no update is because there is no physical hardware out to upgrade the current hardware with.

I thought something like:
2gb ram standard (or maybe 4gb) & 256 mb video card in the lower model and a 100 $ price drop.

 

[Munitalp]

Luckily, if you had read the rules, you would know to search the forums for things like this.

We know nothing. If you have real work to do, buy it now.

If you don't need it, wait.



Except, oh... Montevina. And perhaps new GPUs and bigger HDDs, but who cares about those, right?

Anything could happen, but its very doubtful.

http://www.appleinsider.com/article...to_have_something_special_under_the_hood.html

I really don't think they will add new GPU's when the current iMac cant even take full advantage of the 8800GS yet -- if anything maybe they would make it standard and get rid of the end of life cycle ATI they still have.

Hard Disk Drive -- sure, but you can already get 1TB.

The chances of them just doing a minor refresh right before a real update in January or early next year is just hard to believe.

 

[Munitalp]

I thought something like:
2gb ram standard (or maybe 4gb) & 256 mb video card in the lower model and a 100 $ price drop.

Maybe, I was just referring to a major update (new casing, new processor, etc, etc).

 

[Tallest Skil]

Hard Disk Drive -- sure, but you can already get 1TB.

Yeah... but there are already 1.5TB 3.5" drives on the market.

Didn't know that, did you?

 

[m1stake]

It makes sense for Apple to ditch the SR special and start using the bona fide Centrino 2 chipset and processors. If anything, I'd put my money on a silent update. "New processor that's almost the same speed and nothing else!" is not a very compelling announcement at an event.

 

[pruhawk]

Response to Sony

Now that Sony has announce a decent Windows all-in-one (see CNET comments below), I hope Apple is motivated to give us a nice up-grade early next year. Mac OS still keeps iMac in the lead.

Pruhawk


CNet: Sony Vaio JS190J Review

"Finally, a Windows-based all-in-one computer earns our admiration. We've seen new all-in-one PCs from Hewlett-Packard and Averatec this year, and Apple also refreshed its popular iMac. None of them deliver as much in the way of features and performance as Sony's new, $1,499 Vaio JS190J. A full-size desktop processor helps make the Vaio JS190J faster than comparable standard desktops (as well as the fastest all-in-one), and its combination of a 20-inch LCD and a Blu-ray drive deliver on the promise of the all-in-one desktop as a self-contained secondary home entertainment system. Throw in a refreshing lack of bloatware (yes, from Sony), and it becomes easy for us to recommend the Vaio JS190J to anyone looking for a powerful, midrange PC for work or for playing digital media."