How Futureproof are iMac's?

asimmd

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HI All

I was,like many others waiting for the new iMac to be announced yesterday,sadly this did not happen.

My question is,

In the PC world,it seems to be Software that drives technology,needing a bigger and better spec machine to run the latest software.

Would someone comment on what it is that drives the Mac world?

I only want the iMac to run Logic Pro 9,so I reckon an older Mac would do,but for how long?

Thanks

Alan
 
If you look at the spec required for Logic Pro 9 -

2GB of RAM (4GB recommended).
Display with 1280-by-768 resolution or higher.
OS X v10.6.8 or later.
Minimum 6GB of disk space. (19GB of optional content available via in-app download).

You could be forgiven for thinking that you could get away with any Intel based machine but this is not the case. If you take 4Gb memory needed to run the software comfortably it rules out all intel machines before August 2007 or Model no : A1224. IMHO the answer to what age of machine you should be looking at is the fact that OS X v10.6.8 is required. This is the update to Snow Leopard that is required before upgrading to Lion so this points to any late Core 2 Duo(higher spec 2009 models) and any iCore machine.

So what drives the Mac World ? IMHO it is the hardware primarily. Apple then move the software second ensuring it will work.
 
I've got a 2010 27" iMac that uses the first-generation i3 processor and it's still running just fine for everything I need and I see no reason to change it any time soon. The most stressful things I use it for are Handbrake encoding and Photoshop and sure, more modern hardware is quicker (I have a 15" i7 MBP as well so can compare) but it's hardly night and day.

Mac's are no different in terms of what drives progression, but the entire computing world - including mobiles - has way more capacity than we need. It's why people get so excited over benchmarks IMO, as in reality differences between one generation and the next are getting smaller and smaller for all but the most hardcore of uses.

So my advice would be to buy the best you can afford, look to the second-hand market where possible and don't stress yourself out over hardware spec's too much. Don't go tooooo old, but looking at current vs last generation won't cause you a problem.
 
Many thanks for the replies,I was thinking of getting the £999 21.5 basic iMac,but my current
PC has a 24" monitor so I don't know if I will be able to get on with the 21.5.

I think the basic iMac can be upgraded to 4Gig ram and I think this is the only upgrade I will need to do.

I would like the 27" £1399 model,but that may be overkill for what I want it for.

Alan
 
Just a couple of thoughts -

What monitor do you have and what connections does it have on it ?
Have you considered using the current monitor for both PC and Mac ?
If so it might be worth looking at a Mac mini for your reqs rather than an imac.
 
Don't discount second hand. For the price of a new 21" model, you could probably find a second hand 27" version in the For Sale section of this forum. Throw in AppleCare on top and you've covered.
 
Current PC monitor is a 24" Dell,and only has a connection that comes from a graphics card,not comparible with Apple stuff,so I am told.

I was considering refurbished,buying an iMac second hand is a bit daunting when I don't know anything about them.

Alan
 
Thanks for the tip n the Mac Mini.

I am quite taken with it and I am reading everything I can to see
if I could get on with it.

The only Mac thing I have is my iPad,never had an IMac,so I am a bit of a newby
where this sort of stuff is concerned.

PC stuff is al I know.

Alan
 
Im running logic pro9 on my macbook pro13",late 2011,with 8gb ram,it runs no problems.
I only use midi instruments though,i know theres a few people on here that use macs and logic,in the musicians forums on here,one person Duncfunk,helped me out no end,with my pc/mac transition,and from cubase5,pc,to logic mac.
Logic on a mac,is alot easier,freindly,to use than Cubase5 on PC,(IMHO).

I think as Logic is made for a mac,alot more thought has gone into it,to make it work well,and nicely,it just feels a bit more polished.
whereas,a pc,has to be more for a wider spectrum of different setups to be taken into account,therefore a few more compromises.....thats how i see it anyway.
 
I had the same dilemma as you 18 months ago but decided to go for it and bought a late 2010 3.06Ghz i3 21.5'' iMac. I've never regretted it for one moment since unpacking it and it's run every bit of software perfectly that I've ever used. It's been bulletproof since purchase unlike the numerous PC's I've owned over the last couple of decades, its also so quiet and looks beautiful in our kitchen. I'd never go back to PC's now and wouldn't hesitate to purchase another iMac but I'm hoping I can get another 3-4 years out of this one.:thumbsup:
 
asimmd said:
Many thanks for the replies,I was thinking of getting the £999 21.5 basic iMac,but my current
PC has a 24" monitor so I don't know if I will be able to get on with the 21.5.

I think the basic iMac can be upgraded to 4Gig ram and I think this is the only upgrade I will need to do.

I would like the 27" £1399 model,but that may be overkill for what I want it for.

Alan

Just a quick mention, I bought the base model iMac last year, and upgraded the RAM myself from 4 to 8 gig. Apple were charging extortionate prices for the upgrade at checkout (over £100 IIRC).

I purchased 2 x 2 gig RAM sticks off the forums for £16! Very easy to fit, lots of vids on YouTube.

I'm sure there is another thread in here somewhere recommending Crucial for cheap memory.

Like I said, just thought I'd mention it if you are looking for the cheapest option.
 
How future proof is an iMac....

Until the next one arrives on the market and you can't afford the upgrade.

However, with a Mac Mini...

...when the next iteration appears in due course you only have to replace the CPU rather than the monitor at the same time.

Moreover, you have greater flexibility in changing the monitor to something better with the Mac Mini without having to sacrifice the whole computer.

I still have my 2005 Apple Cinema Display, but have gone through three Mac Mini's - and considering buying my fourth - without having to change the monitor (which has minimised costs significantly).
 

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