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Which iMac should I buy?

W

warehou5e

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 4, 2004
3
0
I'm a first time mac buyer.. Looking to purchase an imac for my living room,
is there a huge difference in the 17 - 20 Inch screen to warrant the 400$ price increase?

Should I buy the

Refurb 20" G5 - 1299$

Or

Educational Discounts..
(Intel)
17 - Inch - 1199$
20 - Inch - 1599$

thanks for any input..

Brian
 
I personally think the 20" iMac is worth the price difference because I am used to larger displays. But if you do not really need the new Intel chip or the new speed. I would buy the refurb 20" G5 because it is still a great system.
 
mad jew said:
I half regret going for the 17 inch screen. Those 20 inch iMacs are amazing. :eek:
Click to expand...

OP: What do you want to do with the computer, besides have it in your living room? :) The few major things people have been pointing out is that there is no ETA on Intel binary MS Office (which seems to run pretty well in Rosetta) or Photoshop (which doesn't do as well). The long term value of the Core Duo ones is probably higher, although the 20" iMacs seem to hold value fairly well, regardless of generation. But these all three sound like nice computers.

I very minorly regret it. I like the 17" a lot (I bought a used one here on MR). But I also really wanted the 20" originally. And it is very, very nice. If you have your heart set on 20" and the compromise in terms of speed and/or long term value is okay, get the refurb! :)
 
If it helps, I was in a similar situation last week. Weighing all the options, I went with a new 20" intel iMac. Everything that's been mentioned on here are pretty much the reasons why. Larger screen, will still work well in the future, etc. Not to say to G5 won't, but we all know that intel is here to stay, so might as well go with it.

It should be here by Thursday!
 
thanks for all the feedback, i'm going to go witht he Intel iMac.. now, i just need to figure out if it's going to be the 20 or 17.. anyone know of any reviews with the screens next to each other?
 
Go for the Intel macs, they will most likely last you longer into the future. As for the screen and specs I'm not saying anything else than be sure to get some additional RAM.
 
warehou5e said:
thanks for all the feedback, i'm going to go witht he Intel iMac.. now, i just need to figure out if it's going to be the 20 or 17.. anyone know of any reviews with the screens next to each other?
Click to expand...

There's nothing quite like seeing them side by side in person. Go to an Apple Store and check them out - I think you'll quickly see that the 20'' is the way to go! ;)
 
I didn't want an All in One Computer. I like my cinema display, and I want the option to get the 23-inch cinema display in the future.

So what did I do? I bought the 17-inch iMac and saved $400. I use it as a tower basically. I can't even see the iMac's own display very well, from where I sit.

Always an option. Just buy it as a tower.
 
I agree that it's important to see the computers in person to really appreciate the differences in screen real estate.
However, also remember that depending on what you're going to use it for, the 17" still may be plenty.
I was in the same dilemma about a year-and-a-half ago, and ended up getting a 17" b/c I felt it would satisy my requirements while saving some $.
I have never felt limited by the screen size & I'm able to work on different documents/applications simultaneously without difficulty.
Would the 20" offer me more? Sure, but I had to weight it against the cost.
In my mind, it's analagous to shopping for a wide-screen TV and seeing the difference between a 50", 55" and 60" in the stores. While you're standing there, you'll think that the 50" is just 'small' in comparison, but it still may be big enough for your needs.
Of course, if money is no object, then by all means, go for the 20"!

Congrats on deciding on the intel iMac - I think you'll be REALLY happy!
 
I find for myself that the 20" display kind of blinds me. That's why the 17" is my option. It's still a big screen, right? :cool:
 
MacTT said:
I find for myself that the 20" display kind of blinds me. That's why the 17" is my option. It's still a big screen, right? :cool:
Click to expand...
Remember these are WIDESCREENS. They are closer to a 16:9 aspect ratio so they may not appear to be as big as a 4:3 screen. The $400 difference is well worth it considering you get:
1. bigger screen
2. faster processor
3. bigger harddrive
4. high screen resolution (1440x900 on 17", 1680x1050 on 20")
 
I bought a 20" 2.1GHz G5 with isight a few weeks ago.

Got it "refreshed" in store Apple Easton for $1199.

If you've got a store around you.. I'd go over and ask in person if they have any refreshed machines.
 
cr2sh said:
I bought a 20" 2.1GHz G5 with isight a few weeks ago.

Got it "refreshed" in store Apple Easton for $1199.

If you've got a store around you.. I'd go over and ask in person if they have any refreshed machines.
Click to expand...

Not sure if this all apple store but the one near me in Lyndhurst has a sale of discontinued, returned, or old display models every last last weekend of every month.
 
Buy the 20" G5. The new Intel macs are likely to have bugs and glitches in it. The specs are also slightly better and is generally a better machine. I have tested both the Intel and the PowerPC imacs and the powerpc ones are a tad better at everyday use.
 
ieani said:
Not sure if this all apple store but the one near me in Lyndhurst has a sale of discontinued, returned, or old display models every last last weekend of every month.
Click to expand...

I think this is actually a "bring 'em out front so everyone can see 'em" sale... if you ask anytime of the month, they'll tell you what you they have and sell it to you.

Worth a shot.. I asked and bought mine on the 18th of Feb.
 
cr2sh said:
I think this is actually a "bring 'em out front so everyone can see 'em" sale... if you ask anytime of the month, they'll tell you what you they have and sell it to you.

Worth a shot.. I asked and bought mine on the 18th of Feb.
Click to expand...

Not here. A few days after powerbooks were end of lifed I went in to see what kind of a deal i could get on one and he said Id have to come back the last weekend of the month for the sale. I agree, its still worht a try though. Different stores with different management.
 
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