iMac 27" should I or shouldn't I?

[Gareth]

I've always been a PC fan boy and have never touched anything else. But with the recent downturn (IMHO anyway) of the PC games industry I don't see much point in spending money on upgrading/building PCs anymore. I therefore don't see why I need a PC which I only use for music, video, photos and Internet as an iMac can do all that (probably better).

Having never used any of the Mac OS's before will I struggle? or will it be a breeze?

The only thing stopping me at the moment is the fact that my current PC is a good spec (Q6600, 4GB, 2.3 TB (mirrored), 768MB 8800GTX) and with 2 x 20" monitors takes up a lot of space which I'd have to do something with in order to fit an iMac in. (Probably go down to 1 screen tbh).

Question is should I or should I not go for it?

I'd go for the i7 version and leave everything else std spec.

Apple is £1797.00 but I can get it via work for £1688.48, a lot of dosh still but the 27" version is simply awesome.

Thoughts??

 

[David]

definitely throw down a few k on an imac, it'll be totally worth it. especially since you aren't gaming.

it'll look awesome and you can play all your music and videos on it to your hearts content.

 

[Revels]

It's superb.

To start with the change takes a bit to get used to but after a while it becomes second nature and you'll wonder why you didn't make the switch before.

It's a lot of money for the 27" but it's so worth it.

 

[Paul RN]

Yep ignore the yellow tint and you'll be fine! No seriously I think they have fixed that?!

I've heard they have fixed the flickering.

 

[Justin]

Get a student or teacher to order it for you and save some more.. Quite a bit more aswell.

Off topic, but is there a new MBP coming out soon? I'm ready to buy one but worry as soon as I do, there will be a new one

 

[Revels]

Yeah, in theory.

They were supposed to be early Jan. Then late Jan. Then early Feb. Now it's nearly March.

They'll be coming, but when exactly is anyones guess..

 

[Justin]

Ok, I'll probably hold off then.. Was in Apple today, the temptation is growing!

 

[BenWall]

How much is student discount?

I think the 27" is something else, it's like a new age of computing. The screen for photos and videos is fecking amazing. Resolution is mint too. Can play full 1080p video with plenty of spare space either side.

 

[Andy.]

Get a student or teacher to order it for you and save some more.. Quite a bit more aswell.

Off topic, but is there a new MBP coming out soon? I'm ready to buy one but worry as soon as I do, there will be a new one

I was checking the prices on the site and it was only a 10% discount as far as I could see. Is there a way to get more?

 

[The Boosh!]

Once you go Mac.

You don't go back.

Thanks an actual factual piece of information. And the 27" iMac is the s**t. I was messing with one in the apple store and its epic

 

[Darren85]

I went from PC to Mac a year ago, got the top of the range one back then, cost me close to £1500, 1 month later I sold it and got a PC, I couldn't get on with the OS, I have limited patients, but that's just me, I do look back and regret selling it as it was the nuts of a machine, guess me and OSX didn't get on too well, I'm more into gaming etc at the time so the PC suited in the end..

Keep with it, it will grow on you, I'll always be one to say Apple is light years ahead of Windows, but I'm a Microsoft boy at heart..

 

[howie p]

student discount:

27" 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo = 1294.85
27" 2.66GHz Intel Core i5 (QUAD CORE) = 1535.73

 

[Darren85]

Keep an eye on the refurbs too, thats how I got mine with about £400 off the price, The thing was spanking new! Apple refurbs = Brand new lol

 

[Gareth]

student discount:

27" 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo = 1294.85
27" 2.66GHz Intel Core i5 (QUAD CORE) = 1535.73

Exactly the same discount as I can get through my work.

 

[seb]

i'd love a 27'' mac. would be basically awesome.

 

[The Boosh!]

i'd love a 27'' mac. would be basically awesome.

Basically you are correct, however if you were to add a " furthermore " onto your statement - You would be inserting words such as Epic, astonishing, breath taking, impressive and overwhelming.

<3 mac btw.

 

[riz]

Is there something smaller than 27?

 

[badgerbite]

buy, its the shizzle

 

[Christopher]

My 27" iMac is due in a few weeks.

I'm really excited now... I just hope they've sorted them.

 

[Gareth]

what spec have you gone for? i5 or i7? 4GB?

 

[Feirny]

Is there something smaller than 27?

Yes Riz they do a 21.5" version too, equally as good.

 

[Gareth]

it's probably as good a 'machine' but the 27" dwarfs it and looks almost unreal.

 

[darrell257]

I bought the 27" iMac with the i5 and 4850 GPU with 8 Gig of ram and all i can say is its amazing, i dont have the yellow tint problem that some people have and Apple have sent 2 updates out for the flickering issue which has resolved the problem.

 

[Darren S]

I went from PC to Mac a year ago, got the top of the range one back then, cost me close to £1500, 1 month later I sold it and got a PC, I couldn't get on with the OS, I have limited patients, but that's just me, I do look back and regret selling it as it was the nuts of a machine, guess me and OSX didn't get on too well, I'm more into gaming etc at the time so the PC suited in the end..

Keep with it, it will grow on you, I'll always be one to say Apple is light years ahead of Windows, but I'm a Microsoft boy at heart..

Great post.

If you've ditched the PC for playing games, Gareth - then the Mac really is a good candidate. However, you strike me as a component/upgrade/tweak type of person - and the Mac most definitely isn't that sort of machine. What you see is what you get - and the few 'official' Apple hardware upgrades are mad expensive.

I've just got a new gfx card on the way for my 2006-bought PC and toying with the idea of maxing it out with a cheap quad-core CPU. I like that side of PCs - the fact that you can make and choose what you want with little rules in place. I find the Mac infuriating in telling you what's going on 'behind the scenes' - but that for the most part could be down to my novice level of experience with them, more than anything.

I'm one of the dying breed. I'll stick with the PC as a platform through thick and thin - not through stubborness, but from the fact that it can simply do so much and is so flexible.

Having circa £1.7k for a new system, I wouldn't think twice about some high-end i7 based kit, rather than an iMac. But it's your money!

D.

 

[David]

what are you on about darren :/

with a mac, the more money you put into it the better it is.

if i were you OP, i'd put a minimum of 2k down on it. that way ANY video/audio track you want to play is going to be plain sailing. You'll also be able to go on the internet and do ms office stuff if you buy the office suite ontop of that. what else could you possibly want?

Don't think, just do it.

 

[Darren S]

We've a Macbook in the house already. That's more than enough, thanks.

D.

what are you on about darren :/

with a mac, the more money you put into it the better it is.

if i were you OP, i'd put a minimum of 2k down on it. that way ANY video/audio track you want to play is going to be plain sailing. You'll also be able to go on the internet and do ms office stuff if you buy the office suite ontop of that. what else could you possibly want?

Don't think, just do it.

 

[Gally]

That was my arguement the other day Darren, for the price of a 17" macbook imagine what kind of laptop you could buy for that.

We're talking top of the range laptop surely.

 

[Gareth]

what are you on about darren :/

with a mac, the more money you put into it the better it is.

if i were you OP, i'd put a minimum of 2k down on it. that way ANY video/audio track you want to play is going to be plain sailing. You'll also be able to go on the internet and do ms office stuff if you buy the office suite ontop of that. what else could you possibly want?

Don't think, just do it.

well I've decided if I go for it I'll go for i7 with 8GB, so the price just went up.

 

[BenWall]

That was my arguement the other day Darren, for the price of a 17" macbook imagine what kind of laptop you could buy for that.

We're talking top of the range laptop surely.

It would but the 17" macbook is also top of the range.

The glass track pad is work £1300 on its own.

 

[Darren S]

well I've decided if I go for it I'll go for i7 with 8GB, so the price just went up.

Lol! Why not just get a 2nd mortgage for it instead?

It would but the 17" macbook is also top of the range.

The glass track pad is work £1300 on its own.

Dare I say it - but I prefer the older model trackpad with the button across the bottom. Felt easier to use, somehow. I normally use an optical mouse with a laptop anyway.

D.

 

[Gareth]

the missus isn't amused, but that's never stopped me before

 

[sneeks]

Cheaper to buy the RAM yourself from Crucial than pay Apple's OTT upgrade cost.

 

[seb]

That was my arguement the other day Darren, for the price of a 17" macbook imagine what kind of laptop you could buy for that.

We're talking top of the range laptop surely.

but this is the thing i don't think you understand until you experience what a macbook is actually like.

it is a modern day masterpeice in design and engineering. you really need to use one to appreciate the class it oozes.

it is the top end of coffee top surfing. it can't be beaten for what it does.

i found it really hard to use at first having been using a windows based computer for 15 years. but it really does come quick. the pad is a marvel. it really is.

there will always be people who want different things, for example, windows and all that it entails for gaming.

if you are surfing the net, photos, music etc than the macbook is really the dogs bolloxs for all this.

it is clearly a luxury item for this purpose. but my god, it does it with such class.

i still LOL at you press the power button and seconds later it is on, connected the router and ready to rock and roll.

 

[Darren S]

but this is the thing i don't think you understand until you experience what a macbook is actually like.

it is a modern day masterpeice in design and engineering. you really need to use one to appreciate the class it oozes.

it is the top end of coffee top surfing. it can't be beaten for what it does.

i found it really hard to use at first having been using a windows based computer for 15 years. but it really does come quick. the pad is a marvel. it really is.

there will always be people who want different things, for example, windows and all that it entails for gaming.

if you are surfing the net, photos, music etc than the macbook is really the dogs bolloxs for all this.

it is clearly a luxury item for this purpose. but my god, it does it with such class.

i still LOL at you press the power button and seconds later it is on, connected the router and ready to rock and roll.

Yep, yep and yep. I can't deny that they are a great device - in particular for what you said above, seb. Funnily enough, Jain mentioned that she's well impressed at the bootup/shutdown times of her Macbook and comments on how long it takes her heap-o-sh1t HP laptop to do the same - lol!

D.

 

[Gareth]

the other thing is when it comes to resale (or if it comes to resale) the Macs hold their money much better. I'm pretty confident in saying (without sitting down and working it all out) that my current PC much have cost me £2000+ collectively in parts, how much do you reckon I could sell it for now? I reckon I'd be lucky to see 1/3 of that back.

 

[® Andy]

Personally I found the 27" simply too big ... great in an office environment for designers, but a wee bit too imposing for sensible home use. However, the 21.5" I bought by kids fits very nicely in the corner of one of their "den" room. It's awesome, but I was already a Mac convert being a dedicated MBP user myself so I knew what I was getting!

 

[sneeks]

For video editing and graphics work my MBP is fantastic.

 

[David]

you need i7 and 8g of ram for the music and videos, it's a must. buy it.

 

[Darren S]

Personally I found the 27" simply too big ... great in an office environment for designers, but a wee bit too imposing for sensible home use. However, the 21.5" I bought by kids fits very nicely in the corner of one of their "den" room. It's awesome, but I was already a Mac convert being a dedicated MBP user myself so I knew what I was getting!

They must be on some mega pocket-money around your place.

D.

 

[Christopher]

what spec have you gone for? i5 or i7? 4GB?

i7. 8GB. 500GB.

Monster.

My business machine though, so I could justify it.