£799 iMac - any good?

Joined
Apr 11, 2008
Messages
27
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Can anyone tell me if the imac 20" version is any good for converting videos, stream media to the xbox 360 and pictures and broswering the net ie banking ebay my website.

as I been told that if i get the 2.4 24" or 2.8 24" I would not use the power of the machine and it would be a waste of money or is it still the rule bigger the better

I will be a complete new user to the imac and intel as I have always had a pc

Thx
 
Joined
Apr 20, 2006
Messages
2,255
Reaction score
47
Points
48
Your Mac's Specs
Al iMac 20" 2.4Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo
The 20" 2.0Ghz has 0.4Ghz less speed than the 24" or the more expensive 20", but you'll never ever notice it. It just means an hour's video encosing would be a couple of minutes faster for example, but that's about it. In everyday use there is no difference.

The lower end 20" also has a slower video card. Unless you play games, you won't notice any difference either.

All iMacs made in the last 5 or so years will be able to do the tasks you mention in their sleep.

Unless you want a massive screen, the 20" £799 iMac will be perfect for you.
 
Joined
Feb 5, 2008
Messages
25
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
WPG, MB
Your Mac's Specs
iMac Aluminum 24" 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 1Gig RAM; 500gb Time Capsule; 16gb iPod Touch
I am new to the Mac as well, we just got ours in February. My thoughts were go big or go home so we got the 24" iMac. Loving every minute of it. Yes I will never use all the power, but it doesn't hurt to have it there.

Also I wanted the 24" iMac because I researched the two before we purchased and found the 24" has a higher resolution monitor and better video card. Plus it's freakin' huge. :D

JD
 
OP
H
Joined
Apr 11, 2008
Messages
27
Reaction score
0
Points
1
OK so if i put up the intel 2.0 gig vs the pc version with the same spec which would be better at all the above even tho i been told to get the 20" £799 version as this will do the job i want to do but my gut feeling is to get the 24" 2.8 extream but if i spend £1400+ on the mac I could get a quad core pc ( no intenstion of purchaing a pc ) but which would be better were should I spend my money and not for getting i am a total new to the mac and had a pc for over 15 years etc and would like to move platform should i be thinking like a pc big is better?
 
Joined
Apr 20, 2006
Messages
2,255
Reaction score
47
Points
48
Your Mac's Specs
Al iMac 20" 2.4Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo
Bigger is sometimes better, but from a financial point of view it would make no sense going for the 2.8Ghz. You won't notice the extra speed - it's really for people into video editing or 3D rendering. Even then you'll only knock off a few minutes off intensive video encoding.

Macs don't suffer the same obsolesence as PCs. You can happily use OS X Leopard on a 867Mhz G4 Mac from 6 years ago.
 
Joined
Oct 15, 2007
Messages
51
Reaction score
1
Points
8
Your Mac's Specs
27" iMac 3.06GHz 4Gb RAM, 1Tb HDD; 16Gb iPhone (white); Aluminium MacBook, 2.4Ghz, 4Gb, 500 Gb HDD
looks like the 20" £799 then but i would like the "24 tft
You'll be fine - I have the 20" (2.4Ghz) and it's great - no problems at all with the screen. I did look at the 24" but it would have looked ridiculously large on my computer desk. Just my thoughts...
 
Joined
Apr 20, 2006
Messages
2,255
Reaction score
47
Points
48
Your Mac's Specs
Al iMac 20" 2.4Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo
Are you near an Apple store? You could go and look in person.
 
Joined
Jun 7, 2007
Messages
30
Reaction score
0
Points
6
why not just get the mac mini and get a 24' monitor.after all i dont think ur gonna need a dedicated card.
 
Joined
Apr 23, 2008
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Location
Sale, UK
Have you considered getting a refurb? I got a 24" 2.4GHz iMac 4 weeks ago from the Apple Store for £949 including delivery. Apart from the brown box it came in I couldn't tell that it was a refurb, everything looked brand new to me.
 
Joined
Mar 26, 2008
Messages
172
Reaction score
2
Points
18
Your Mac's Specs
macbook 2.2 ghz , ipod classic 80 gig and ipod nano 4 gig
im gonna go the refurb way why not??? save money for the same thing..
also better for the environment :)
 
Joined
Apr 16, 2008
Messages
36
Reaction score
0
Points
6
You'll be fine - I have the 20" (2.4Ghz) and it's great - no problems at all with the screen. I did look at the 24" but it would have looked ridiculously large on my computer desk. Just my thoughts...

Boy, I stewed over this for a couple of nights then I got my 20" home. It seems to have grown larger or something. It didn't look that big in the store. I live in a little place and it seems huge on my counter top.
 
OP
H
Joined
Apr 11, 2008
Messages
27
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Boy, I stewed over this for a couple of nights then I got my 20" home. It seems to have grown larger or something. It didn't look that big in the store. I live in a little place and it seems huge on my counter top.


Yep same here I thought th 20" was going to be small but decided to go with the 20" got it home and bang i said wow that`s a big monitor so glad i got it my imac 20"
 

J_K


Joined
Apr 20, 2008
Messages
176
Reaction score
4
Points
18
Location
Devon, UK
Your Mac's Specs
Macbook 1.83Mhz, added superdrive and 320gb HD
It looked small compared to the 24"..

I've got my macbook on my desk next to a 19"monitor and a 15" monitor and it looks tiny.

But when I'm away from my desk and just using the mac it's plenty big enough.
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top