Buy an iMac now - or wait on upgrades?

[ScottKuma]

Hi, all - this is my first post here, so please be gentle. ;)

I'm currently sitting on $1,200 in Best Buy gift certificates, hoarded from travel rewards for all of my work travels in the past couple of years. I know that I'm going to put the money towards my first mac - a shiny new 20" iMac! However, I'm also hearing/seeing all sorts of rumors of upcoming hardware upgrades to the iMac line.

My dilemma: do I jump now and end up purchasing end-of-cycle hardware, or should I wait and see if the upgrades happen?

Also: does anyone know how long Best Buy takes to upgrade their Apple items to the latest & greatest?

[Fahrenheit]

Firstly, welcome to AN.

I hate jumping on the wagon that Chucker would normally be on, but their are loads of threads about this. As usual, if you need an iMac, buy one, but if you can wait, just wait for 3 or 4 years, then there will be an amazing newer iMac, and if you wait 6 or 7 you might even get a new iMac2012. I'd probably wait a bit longer after that, as there will be some newer ones.

[psmith2.0]

I do believe we're right on the cusp of some upgrades: a) the new Intel stuff is out and finding its way into products, and b) it's been eight-plus months since the MWSF Intel iMac debut.

While many here will - and rightly so, to some degree - trot out the "if you need it now, but...if not, don't" chestnut, if I was in the market for a new Apple iMac, BUT I didn't absolutely need it tonight (or even next week or the one after), I'd have no problem waiting a bit, taking into account "a" and "b" above.

Besides, upgrades often go beyond simple processor bumps. Who knows...maybe the iMacs will get a price cut? Maybe faster optical drives? Or gigantic hard drive boosts? Or a snazzy new graphics card? Or all the above?

If iMacs had just come out 2-3 months ago, I'd say "buy now". But now? They're overdue for a refresh, and I'd rather have the newest, snazziest model (assuming I had the luxury of being able to wait a few weeks, if necessary...and I do).

I follow this stuff somewhat closely, and I tend not to buy at the tail-end of a cycle. I usually plan it out a bit, so it all works out well. I'm never "without", and I don't "deny" myself anything. But I'm not going to drop $1,800 at Apple on a Monday afternoon when the entire Mac community is buzzing about Tuesday updates (and a lot of other relevant factors, like "a" and "b" above, are in place as well).

I think Apple's upgrade cycles will be a bit more brisk, now that they're using this Intel stuff, than in the past...simply because Intel seems to be able to meet their goals and churn these things out (hell, they've been EARLY on some of them!). That was never the case with PPC...we'd go 9-12 months, and then only get a 100MHz bump...hardly exciting, nailbiting stuff.

;)

This is a good page to check every now and then, if only to see the numbers (how many days it's been since an upgrade, vs. the average upgrade cycle time):

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com

As you can see on their iMac portion, it's been 225 days since an update...with 183 being the average. To me, that screams "overdue"...and I wouldn't buy an iMac unless I truly, truly needed it. "Want" can be controlled...

:)

As for Best Buy (and when they get new Apple releases), I really don't know about that. Sorry.

:(

[ScottKuma]

@Fahrenheit:

Nice! :p

So I'll buy my iMac in 2057, then. It's settled. Thanks for the advice, I'll (obviously) spend my current money on a nice Hewlett Packard.

[ScottKuma]

This is a good page to check every now and then, if only to see the numbers (how many days it's been since an upgrade, vs. the average upgrade cycle time):

http://buyersguide.macrumors.com

As you can see on their iMac portion, it's been 225 days since an update...with 183 being the average. To me, that screams "overdue"...and I wouldn't buy an iMac unless I truly, truly needed it. "Want" can be controlled...

:)

As for Best Buy (and when they get new Apple releases), I really don't know about that. Sorry.

:(

Thanks for the GREAT info - it's controlling the "WANT" that is driving me right now. You've hit the nail on the head. I've WANTED a Mac since 1986...but my father was firmly in the PC camp, and took me with him. Now, with my daughter's school buying shiny new iMacs, I have my excuse to make the Switch.

You've convinced me, for sure, to wait it out. The GCs aren't going anywhere. Thanks!

[Matsu]

Core 2 Duo will soon replace Core Duo in many applications. It's faster and 64 bit, which while not a big deal, should set you up for years to come in terms of future software compatibility.

Also, I think his Steveness is aching to release an iMac HD. Display prices are low enough that a 23"/24" iMac is a entirely feasible. Likely to cost $2K, but man do you have a lot of coupons, might as well treat yourself.

I'd wait for it...

[psmith2.0]

I do believe there will indeed be a 23" iMac HD. They've already got the display size in use, and since they're really seem to be focusing on that whole TV, movie, entertainment, Front Row, iMovie HD, iDVD, etc. stuff, it just makes sense.

And "HD" feather in their cap. Something they can crow about and push.

Would definitely be a "premium" machine (probably $1,899 at least), but still.

What I'd love to see (if they could manage to do this): scoot the 17" down to $1,099, get the 20" iMac to $1,399 and then a 23" HD version for $1,699-$1,899. That would cover quite a few bases. The 17" would probably sell really well, as would the 20" at that price (only $100 higher than today's 17", for so much more screen and resolution!).

But seeing as how I know nothing about components, engineering, shipping, design, etc. costs and economics, I might just be whistling out of my butt and wishing for the impossible. I don't know... :D

But it's a nice thing to think about, those models at those prices...

But I bet we'll see a 23" HD iMac by the first half of 2007 (but probably much sooner, if they're going to do it...like, this fall, in time for Christmas?). To me, it just seems like a no-brainer in light of everything else they're doing, and their big grab onto HD the past year or two with many of their apps.

:)

iMac HD...has a certain ring to it, huh? It's buzzword compliant! :p

[Fahrenheit]

Okay, i agree that my first post came out a little harsh! All Im trying to get across is that if you need an iMac, yes get one, they are amazing machines as it is. If you want to wait a few weeks to see if there are Core2 upgrades feel free, but don't continually put back a purchase- theres always going to be something better.

Certainly dont feel that the current iMac Intel is not very fast, its amazing. I only bought one a few weeks ago.

[ScottKuma]

Just a real quick update -

Best Buy just went sold out on all iMacs.... I wonder if this is a prelude to a bump on Tuesday. Only time will tell, but I've got my Gift Cards a-ready!!

[soma]

I'm still 'controlling my want' here! Managed to get by without a mac for the time being, luckily. But I'm hoping in the next few weeks something is confirmed.
With speculation on a iMac HD - I would presume for editing video footage, for example, you could easily utilise the current iMac and purchase a seperate HD screen (not necessarily apple)? It's quite common to have 2 screens in film editing anyhow (for the timeline and full screen playback). I won't be waiting any longer than the end of September, certainly not sitting until 2007.

[PB PM]

This is the only site I've seen with the rumor of iMac HD, I'd take it with a big fat grain of salt... so in other words don't count on it, this year anyway.

[astewart]

Besides the speculation of the Processor upgrade, do you guys think the VRAM Chipset will be updated as in the Paris Expo?