I think it might be helpful if we saw the reasoning behind your next planned purchase of an Apple computer - useful for newbies or really anyone who is contemplating a purchase.
I'll go first. What I have: last PPC 1.33ghz 12" iBook. What I use it for: video editing, word processing, email & internet, foolin' with music software.
My iBook is surprisingly up to the tasks I have for it. It runs FCP 4.5 brilliantly (though I don't need to run Motion). I actually have no extreme need for another computer (I also have a 3 year old 15" Dull Inspiron 1100). With an external 21" monitor and several external HDD plus speakers, I'm doing fine.
WHAT: my next purchase - iMac
WHY: I don't need portability as much - simply because my iBook is enough, and will be so for at least 2-3 more years... on the road, I do word processing, a bit of work with photo editing, and that's it - for which the iBook is just fine... I don't do video editing on the road. Yet, an iMac would certainly make video editing a lot easier - Mac Pro would be overkill, or more accurately, I don't think the bang for the buck difference between the performance of an iMac FOR MY NEEDS is justified compared to a Mac Pro. Plus, my apartment has a premium on space - so, iMac it is... way powerful enough for my needs, way cheaper than a Mac Pro, more space-friendly + an extra monitor - GREAT for video editing - even better than a Mac Pro.
WHEN: definitely not this year. My more heavy video work won't ramp up until 2007 at the earliest and prolly 2008 more realistically. So, I'll buy an iMac sometime in the fall of 2007. By then, it will have Leopard, it will be enough time to actually have another point release to fix the first bugs in Leopard. The platform will be more powerful - maybe even Santa Rosa! And the platform will hopefully by then have the revision A bugs worked out, that's why I'm not buying it in the middle of 2007, but sometime in October or so. And by then probably FCS 6 will be out - just in time for my video work. Meanwhile, the iBook will be about 1 1/2 or 1.8 years old - still a fully viable portable solution - so I won't need a MB or MBP. By the time it is time to replace the iBook, the MB or MBP will be a very mature product on the Intel platform (I prolly won't by a portable until 2008 at the earliest).
How about you? How are you thinking? What's your reasoning for your choices? Let's hear
I'll go first. What I have: last PPC 1.33ghz 12" iBook. What I use it for: video editing, word processing, email & internet, foolin' with music software.
My iBook is surprisingly up to the tasks I have for it. It runs FCP 4.5 brilliantly (though I don't need to run Motion). I actually have no extreme need for another computer (I also have a 3 year old 15" Dull Inspiron 1100). With an external 21" monitor and several external HDD plus speakers, I'm doing fine.
WHAT: my next purchase - iMac
WHY: I don't need portability as much - simply because my iBook is enough, and will be so for at least 2-3 more years... on the road, I do word processing, a bit of work with photo editing, and that's it - for which the iBook is just fine... I don't do video editing on the road. Yet, an iMac would certainly make video editing a lot easier - Mac Pro would be overkill, or more accurately, I don't think the bang for the buck difference between the performance of an iMac FOR MY NEEDS is justified compared to a Mac Pro. Plus, my apartment has a premium on space - so, iMac it is... way powerful enough for my needs, way cheaper than a Mac Pro, more space-friendly + an extra monitor - GREAT for video editing - even better than a Mac Pro.
WHEN: definitely not this year. My more heavy video work won't ramp up until 2007 at the earliest and prolly 2008 more realistically. So, I'll buy an iMac sometime in the fall of 2007. By then, it will have Leopard, it will be enough time to actually have another point release to fix the first bugs in Leopard. The platform will be more powerful - maybe even Santa Rosa! And the platform will hopefully by then have the revision A bugs worked out, that's why I'm not buying it in the middle of 2007, but sometime in October or so. And by then probably FCS 6 will be out - just in time for my video work. Meanwhile, the iBook will be about 1 1/2 or 1.8 years old - still a fully viable portable solution - so I won't need a MB or MBP. By the time it is time to replace the iBook, the MB or MBP will be a very mature product on the Intel platform (I prolly won't by a portable until 2008 at the earliest).
How about you? How are you thinking? What's your reasoning for your choices? Let's hear
