iMac 27. The right one for me?

Got my acceptance into Pharmacy School and I'm thinking about treating myself to a desktop computer. I already have a pretty good Thinkpad T400s (SSD, 8GB ram, etc.) So, I'm looking for a desktop and the iMac is sexy and I can't keep my eyes off it.

I heard that the SSD apple uses is significantly slower than the Samsung or Intel ones. Is this true? Should I purchased an iMac without the SSD? It will be my only entertainment source (TV/Computer).

Are there other options out there that ya would consider over the iMac if money wasn't a problem.

 

The iMac is a very capable all-in-one solution. I am not 100% sure about the SSD options that Apple includes in the iMac. However, I can tell you that they use SATAII SSDs for the MBP and MBA. I don't think it is that big of a deal, it just means that you aren't going to get the full potential of the SATAIII connector that are in those systems. In all honesty, I highly doubt you would notice any real world difference between a proper SATAII and SATAIII SSD.

One thing to keep in mind is that you essentially have to order the iMac with the storage options you want. Last time I checked, you couldn't upgrade the hard drive in an iMac as they require only certified storage options. I think you can still upgrade the RAM aftermarket though.

I don't think SSD is necessary on the iMac unless you are that impatient that you want OS X to boot in a ~10 seconds and you want programs to load in 1-3 seconds. Otherwise, since it sounds like this will mainly house your media, I think you would be fine with just getting an HDD equipped model. If you insist on getting SSD, I recommend going for the configuration that has SSD+HDD unless you want to use nothing but external storage for your media.

There are a few other all-in-one units from HP and Dell. HP has a touchscreen all-in-one with a 23" 3D display, Blu-ray player, 2TB hard drive, and a bunch of other add-ons for around the same price that Apple's 27" iMac starts. One thing to keep in mind is if you want/need OS X. That is pretty much the main reason to buy any Mac. Sure, Macs often look nice and have slim profiles but OS X is at the root of everything (the people who buy Macs solely for their looks and other aesthetics, i.e. the ones who put Windows on them as the main OS, are in the extreme minority). I don't think there is any point in buying a Mac if you are going to run Windows the majority of the time especially when there are other, equally (or even more) equipped units designed for running Windows.

 

The iMac is a desktop by any stretch of the imagination. It uses desktop processors, desktop hard drive, etc. Would I buy one? Nope. Too expensive and inflexible for my needs. I don't like the idea of packaging desktop components on the back of monitor. I like the fact that a separate monitor can be reused and replaced independently of the computer itself.


I'd advise anyone to go for the Mac Mini, the one Apple product I wouldn't have an qualms about buying at regular price. Plenty of connectivity options, you can upgrade RAM yourself, and it's based on notebook components. Basically, the Mac Mini is notebook without a display, battery or keyboard. It represents a unique value as a small form factor PC, regardless of Apple's typical premium pricing.

 

You can upgrade the RAM in an iMac yourself rather easily. Also, don't forget that the iMac actually uses mobile GPU's and not full fledged desktop models along with using notebook sized RAM. So it isn't 100% a full fledged "desktop" since it isn't using all desktop components. Hence the term "all-in-one." That in and of itself is more than enough to describe the iMac.

 

The IPS screen and it's resolution, the speakers, the form factor can't be found on any other AIO yet. That's a major draw for those who dual boot the iMac 27". It's certainly on my short list to do just that. At the office, there are a few running Windows 7 exclusively on it. Windows runs exceptionally well on the iMacs. No issues like that of running Windows on Macbooks.

I'm just glad Windows can be run on them. Otherwise, I'd have to go build an unsightly, watt happy, box. A box.

 

True, the amount of Windows issues are reduced with the iMac but they are still there and it doesn't provide the same experience as running OS X on a Mac (the OS they were designed to run). I still stand by what I said, I don't think people should buy Macs unless they plan on running OS X the majority of the time.

 

Good information guys. thanks for the input. I will most likely go with a refurbished one and upgrade the ram myself.

 

What are your thoughts on virtualizing Windows on a Mac? Seems like it would be the best of both worlds.

 

What issues are there with running Windows on Mac? I do plan to run Windows some time cause I have a few software that are only compatible with Windows.

 

Well, if you are going to run it on an iMac, there aren't many issues. The Windows drivers for the Magic Trackpad (which I highly recommend getting with the iMac, Apple throws it in for free) are pretty bad. In my experience, running Windows on a Mac just isn't as fast as running OS X. It is more than enough to get by and run Windows only software. MBP/MBA owners will encounter more issues when running Windows through bootcamp (only the GPU can run, not the IGP on the 15-17" models, reduced battery life, etc.).

That brings me to another point though. As previously pointed out right above your post, running a virtual machine is another viable option. Even my 13" MBA is powerful enough to run a Windows 7 Ultimate VM right on top of OS X. Essentially you start up the VM and you can run Windows from within OS X, no need to reboot your system. Windows performance is more sluggish when doing this (you have to split resources between OS X and Windows) but things should be fine unless you are rendering complex video. I run MATLAB all the time through Windows (due to using the xlsread and xlswrite functions that only work properly under Windows) and have a bunch of macros with 1000+ lines of code.

That type of performance is very comparable to me rebooting my system and using bootcamp. Not only that but the general drivers for Parallels 7 (mainly for the trackpad) are able to carry over a large portion of OS X functionality. It might be something that you want to look into. I picked up Parallels 7 for $40 from my campus bookstore and really enjoy it.

 

I also run Windows 7 in a VM on OS X and it works great. I would highly recommend that over using boot camp if you have to run some Windows applications.

 

Thanks kornchild, you have been very helpful . I better do more research and read up on virtual machine/parallel 7.

 

BTW. when does apple start doing the get ready for school discounts. Usually come with free printer or 10-20% off, right?

 

I believe their back to school program starts around June and ends in September. The timeframe might be a little different from year to year but that should give you a general idea. Normally it consists of Apple giving something free with certain Mac models (I think it was only the MBA, MBP, and iMac last year). 2011's promotion was rather dull as Apple was giving out $100 Mac App Store credit, nothing else. Previous years had them giving out iPods (8GB iPod touch models, the iPod nano before that, and the iPod mini before that) or even discounting higher end iPod models with the purchase of a Mac (though this one was spotty as I think it all depended on the store and how nice the manager was).

Printer promotions seems to always come and go with no real set timeframe and the back to school promotion is pretty much their biggest one (not to mention education discounts). Without an education discount, I have never seen Apple decrease the price of their Macs by 10-20%. The most I have come across is their black friday sale where they dropped some models by ~$50. You will get a higher discount through the education program. Just know that you need a valid student ID if you want to buy it in a physical Apple Store.

 

Another possibility is to check the refurbished section of the online Apple Store. There are usually some good deals and while I've never purchased a refurbished item from Apple, I've also never heard bad things about their refurbished items. Usually you can find the current generation, given that Apple didn't just refresh their lineup.

I also second kornchild's post about Apple's back to school program. Getting a free or discounted printer is always nice.

 

Is there a possibility that Apple will update the iMac with new features this summer? I might just wait till July and see what Apple does.

 

Eh... No one truly knows and anything that you hear now is speculation. Ivy Bridge will be coming out Q2 of this year so they may include that in the next iMac update. Other than that, I don't think they will add much to new iMacs. You are looking at about a 10-15% increase in performance with Ivy Bridge, that is something that you aren't going to notice on a day-to-day basis.

Unless you need the iMac now, I don't see any point in waiting though. Might as well wait just to see what their back to school promotion brings.