Advice greatly appreciated: old vs new imac

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Dear All,

I'm a long time lurker and this is my first post.

I am from India, and like everyone else, have been waiting for the new Imac. The new Imacs are only expected in India in say February/March 2013.

The price of the old 21.5 '' base Imac is USD 1151 (for this model: MC309HN/A, specs: 2.5GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5, 4GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 512MB)

The expected price of the new base 21.5'' Imac is USD 1525

I only use my computer for basic needs, sometimes corel draw and Photoshop.

Would the old Imac be sufficient for my needs? Is the increase in price for the new model worth it?

I'm on a PC at the moment, been using this for 6 years with no issue (core 2 due, 4 gb ram, win7)....do you think the old one will be able to last the same time with no upgrades?

Is the screen in the new Imac much better than the old one?

Or I could even purchase an old base 27'' for USD 1630

Any help greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
 

Raz0rEdge

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For what you are doing right now on your PC, the current iMac is perfectly fine and allows you to upgrade memory if need be. The screen is essentially the same between the new iMacs, they are constructed differently, but the same resolution and all that..
 
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The only drawback with getting a Mac is that you will have to install windows as well in order to use Corel Draw
 
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Thanks for the prompt reply!

Is there a big difference in GPU?

This is going to be my first iMac and I'm a little worried about making the switch. I've been a Windows user since the 90's, so a little hesitant to make the switch. How long did it take you guys to get comfortable with Mac OS?

Apple Care for 2 years in India is for USD 100. Shall I opt for this?

Again, help is greatly appreciated!

Thanks from New Delhi!
 

Raz0rEdge

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It took me a few months to get comfortable with my Mac and be as productive as I was on my Linux machine prior to switching..but each person goes through it differently..it IS an entirely different OS with it's own quirks that you have to learn to use.

What makes the transition a LOT easier is to approach the whole thing with an open mind about what OS X does and how it does it as opposed to trying to make it do things the way Windows, Linux, what have you does things. You'll find yourself getting frustrated quickly with that approach..

By default Apple provides you with 1 year of Apple Care and you extend that for 2 more years before the first year expires. It's $169 in the US, so $100 is a great price at $50/year..you're spending a good chunk of money on the iMac, spending another $100 is a no brainer IMO...
 
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I think I will purchase the 2011 May Base 27'' and I will upgrade RAM and add a SSD (Will do it myself with the help of ifixit guides)

Would installing SSD drives void warranty? Can't I just remove the SSD drive before sending my Imac for repair (if it ever screws up)?

Thanks!
 

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