Talk me into buying a new Apple computer...

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

...and then tell me which one I should get. Please.

― Ned Trifle II, Saturday, 21 April 2007 20:15 (eighteen years ago)

Get:

a. A Macbook if you are new to Mac and on a budget,
b. A Macbook Pro if you can afford it and need mobility, or
c. A Mac Pro if you want more horsiepower in a desktop.

Do not get: Mac Mini or iMac.

If you have no patience to learn ways of computing that differ slightly from Windows, stick with a PC. If you expect a Mac to be perfect and immune from the problems that all computers have, stick with a PC. If you mind spending a little more on computer stuff, stick with a PC.

― libcrypt, Saturday, 21 April 2007 21:05 (eighteen years ago)

By the way, you might be a lifelong Mac user, but because you said, "Apple computer", the odds are that you're a PC user now.

― libcrypt, Saturday, 21 April 2007 21:07 (eighteen years ago)

get an unused Mac Plus, 1 meg of ram, multifinder.

― dan selzer, Saturday, 21 April 2007 21:50 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.allaboutapple.com/museo/pictures/donazioni/performa_5200.jpg

― Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved, Saturday, 21 April 2007 21:57 (eighteen years ago)

c. A Mac Pro if you want more horsiepower in a desktop.

Do not get: Mac Mini or iMac.

Eh... try to configure a mac pro to match a tricked out imac and the imac looks like a really good deal.

Also, maybe wait http://mactactic.com/

― JW, Saturday, 21 April 2007 22:12 (eighteen years ago)

A Mac Pro will always have twice as many cores as an iMac - presumably more relevant in the coming years. Better top-end graphics card available (at a price).
some upgradeability.
more HD space available cheap (internal SATA still comes out to less than half the cost for external FW/USB)

That said, I never would have bought a Mac Pro without the student discount, which knocked it down by about $800 altogether.

― milo z, Sunday, 22 April 2007 00:48 (eighteen years ago)

libcrypt OTM. With an iMac you're paying a premium for laptop components and form, without the portability. The mini just seems either useless or expensive depending on your needs. If it's all Internets+word processing, $500-600 is a lot.

― milo z, Sunday, 22 April 2007 00:52 (eighteen years ago)

i got a macbook today! it is shiny and nice. buy one.

― bell_labs, Sunday, 22 April 2007 01:23 (eighteen years ago)

I can't wait for my next Mac. This G4 has been great, but I'm looking forward to the Mac Pro of Total Annihilation, plus upgrading to CS3. Probably early '08.

― Rock Hardy, Sunday, 22 April 2007 01:57 (eighteen years ago)

Things you can easily upgrade in or near a Mac Pro:

1. CPUs
2. Memory (8 slots)
3. Additional disk (2 slots)
4. Add-in cards
5. Graphics card
6. Attached display
7. DVD writer
8. ???

Things you can upgrade in an iMac:

1. Memory (2 slots)
2. Single Included Disk, if you want to risk overheating the machine and feel like prying it apart.
3. DVD writer, same

The upgrade issue is important only if you buy a new computer more infrequently than 3 years apart, in my opinion. If you keep them for longer, upgradability is very nice. If you plan to sell the Mac in 3 years, then an iMac may be a good choice.

It's worth noting that the Mac Pro (or G5, even) is the only reasonable choice for folks who do music on their Macs. Sound processing is one of the most demanding things to do with a computer, so you really need that horsepower, and it's not unlikely that an add-in card will be on the grocery list at some point. My 2x1.8GHz G5 (3G) easily outperforms my Mac Pro dual core 2GHz (2G) on just about any task at any time, for instance.

― libcrypt, Sunday, 22 April 2007 07:21 (eighteen years ago)

Can't tell you, ned, unless I know what you need it to do.

― Ed, Sunday, 22 April 2007 07:29 (eighteen years ago)

I miss the talking moose

― Rich Smörgasbord, Sunday, 22 April 2007 09:23 (eighteen years ago)

Ned, I've got a student card and could get one for you with a 15% discount and you could pay me.
(I do know Ned in real life. I'm not offering random ILX-ers Mac deals).

― ljubljana, Sunday, 22 April 2007 13:00 (eighteen years ago)

If you're not buying with a student discount, many of the other online retailers may have bundles that compete well with Apple

― JW, Sunday, 22 April 2007 14:03 (eighteen years ago)

in real life

Come on - this is real life!

By the way, you might be a lifelong Mac user, but because you said, "Apple computer", the odds are that you're a PC user now.

OK, as soon as I looked at the question and saw I wrote "Apple Computer" I thought why? Anyway turns out I am a lifelong Mac user, since about 1993 anyway and I currently have a six year old iMac and (thanks to Grimly) I have managed to keep it going pretty good up till now but it's really starting to creak, but it ain't got no DVD thingy, and the I need more space. I don't make music on it (but maybe I would) but I do have a lot of music/photos on it. My son like to play games on it. I'd like a bigger screen. Pretty basic stuff. I also would like it to last a few years. Is that too much to ask?

― Ned Trifle II, Sunday, 22 April 2007 14:22 (eighteen years ago)

get an imac then, that's all you need

― akm, Sunday, 22 April 2007 14:31 (eighteen years ago)

wait for updates dude

― JW, Sunday, 22 April 2007 14:53 (eighteen years ago)

thanks to Grimly

aw, man, you really are being way too kind here. but thank you.

i really do think an iMac is what you want here but jon's got a point: if you wait for updates, you'll be able to get the older stuff cheap :)

― grimly fiendish, Sunday, 22 April 2007 21:32 (eighteen years ago)

But...but...but...how long do I wait. Apple alwys seem to be updating - which is why I got left behind in the first place!

― Ned Trifle II, Sunday, 22 April 2007 23:13 (eighteen years ago)

I mean shouldn't I just buy the older stuff now? Im which case what older stuff, bearing in mind my iMac is 5/6 years old and the OS is 10.2.8.

― Ned Trifle II, Sunday, 22 April 2007 23:15 (eighteen years ago)

iMacs and Macbooks are due for an update any time now. Current models will get a markdown through the refurb section, or you'll get in at the very beginning of an upgrade cycle.

― milo z, Sunday, 22 April 2007 23:20 (eighteen years ago)

did you see the thing i linked?? WAIT

― JW, Monday, 23 April 2007 00:29 (eighteen years ago)

i have a new macbook pro and it is glorious.

― Maria, Monday, 23 April 2007 00:41 (eighteen years ago)

To be fair, mactactics et al have been saying all this year not to buy an iMac, cause a new one must be due. But it's all just based on average previous cycles and if you look at them, irregularities happen, so you might end up waiting for ages. And if it's only a processor bump, is it really worth the wait? The big thing for me at the moment is that wireless n standard has arrived. Not having enough bandwidth over wireless for beaming full screen around your house will be a big thing soon enough, so I'm tempted just to dive in now. I don't see anything huge round the corner when it comes to Macbooks, anyway.

― Alba, Monday, 23 April 2007 00:46 (eighteen years ago)

did you see the thing i linked?? WAIT

I did and thanks it looks like a great idea but to be honest it just made me confused!

― Ned Trifle II, Monday, 23 April 2007 08:37 (eighteen years ago)

maybe you shouldn't upgrade

― JW, Monday, 23 April 2007 12:10 (eighteen years ago)

On a vaguely related note, never mind all your repairing permissions and MacJanitor and so on - I've just made the main focus of my 2002 Mac's work (web browsing) go a hell of a lot faster by junking all the preferences and cookies files and starting afresh.

I originally switched to Opera because it was the snappiest OS X browser (lab tests I found on thw web confirmed this), but over time, it had really slowed down and man, half an hour getting turning the (horrible) defaults back to the way I used to have them was totally worth the hassle. Pages are loading so much faster and the spinning beach ball is nowhere to be seen.

― Alba, Monday, 23 April 2007 12:17 (eighteen years ago)

Disabling flash improves web performance a lot. Or using flash click to play

― JW, Monday, 23 April 2007 12:19 (eighteen years ago)

i wish i had gotten a laptop. :-(((((

― nathalie, Monday, 23 April 2007 12:21 (eighteen years ago)

I like having a laptop, but I always seem to need a usb hard disk hooked up :/

― JW, Monday, 23 April 2007 12:38 (eighteen years ago)

maybe you shouldn't upgrade

-- JW, Monday, 23 April 2007 12:10 (51 minutes ago

I know, you're right, I don't deserve it - I should have a barbie speak'n'spell or something. But iTunes won't let me buy stuff anymore and Apple keeps telling me off for not upgrading so I have to.

― Ned Trifle II, Monday, 23 April 2007 13:04 (eighteen years ago)

Disabling flash improves web performance a lot.

Do you mean even when you're browsing non-flash pages?

― Alba, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:19 (eighteen years ago)

Has anyone had any bad experiences with refurbs? Because I really want this.

― kenan, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:25 (eighteen years ago)

mine is a refurb and the only problem I had was getting them to deliver it. then the wrong install disks were enclosed. once it was up and running i've had exactly 0 go wrong. i can't recall when i bought it now...

― Alan, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:26 (eighteen years ago)

iMac btw

― Alan, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:26 (eighteen years ago)

I've had them recommended to me. They really hide the refurb store away on their site. I am tempted by some of the MacBook Pros on the UK site.

― Alba, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:28 (eighteen years ago)

iMac btw

Yeah, no way I need anything more powerful than that... the 24-incher is pretty decked our for an iMac.

― kenan, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:29 (eighteen years ago)

Esp this one

― Alba, Monday, 23 April 2007 14:29 (eighteen years ago)

You can create cartoons from photos on the new(er) Macs. I discovered this last night. I wasted an hour when I should have been writing about self-esteem in schools. Ned, your 9-year-old Nedlet would love this.

― ljubljana, Monday, 23 April 2007 19:39 (eighteen years ago)

two years pass...

Apologies if I'm bumping the wrong apple thread, but quick question - is now a good time to buy an iMac, or is there a specific time of year when you get better deals or newer models? Don't want to buy one and find a souped up version announced a month later.

― I am using your worlds, Sunday, 23 August 2009 17:29 (sixteen years ago)

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#iMac

Good resource for tracking Apple releases, they are neutral on the iMac. I would say it won't get an update this side of christmas as there is nothing that compelling from intel for them to put in to it. It may get a minor speed bump. If you are a student, buy it now as they'll throw in a free ipod, free being relative as you have to wait for a rebate which probably comes in the form of an alumnium model of steve jobs' pancreas.

― Mornington Crescent (Ed), Sunday, 23 August 2009 17:44 (sixteen years ago)

Cheers, I've bookmarked that link, exactly what I was looking for.

― I am using your worlds, Sunday, 23 August 2009 17:54 (sixteen years ago)

The free iPod offer ends sept 8; there's an Apple special announcement on Sep 9, so either Macs or iPods getting an update then.

― stet, Sunday, 23 August 2009 18:03 (sixteen years ago)

Also the Apple Apple beatles love fest. I predict september 9th will contain nothing more exciting than a beatles themed iPod with all the remasters on it.

― Mornington Crescent (Ed), Sunday, 23 August 2009 18:05 (sixteen years ago)

I just got an iMac and the 'free' iPod. Very happy with it.

― Super Cub, Sunday, 23 August 2009 18:47 (sixteen years ago)

Apple updates the iPod Touch every September, and the rumors have the latest ones getting a built-in camera (probably same as the iPhone) and probably the same faster processor as the new iPhone; you could always sell the iPod on eBay, though I think prices take a dive this time of year as loads of people have the same idea

― tony dayo (dyao), Monday, 24 August 2009 12:43 (sixteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.