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Help me choose an iMac
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<blockquote data-quote="David Green" data-source="post: 1322865" data-attributes="member: 219006"><p>In a similar boat</p><p></p><p>Hi Giwer - Having spent well over a hundred hours pondering the same sort of questions as yourself, I understand your dilema. My main usage of an iMac will be for the purpose of video editing. Originally, I was going to get the top spec 27" but have hit upon a slight financial problem - I either wait an extra three months and pay £1700 or get the 21.5" now. </p><p></p><p>I'm not bothered about a few MHZ or only a 512gb hard drive. The screen estate can be sorted via a second monitor a few months down the line and external storage is cheap. But - and there is always a but with computers - I realised that none of the 21.5" iMac's come with anything more than a 512mb graphics card. They CANNOT be upgraded.</p><p></p><p>Now, I did further research on how quickly 2010 iMac's have fallen behind the game (when new software is developed) and found that the most commonly reported gripe is the meager 256mb graphics cards being left behind. Those owners of last year's shiny iMac's cannot use the latest Final Cut.</p><p></p><p>This wasn't the end of the world for me as surely I could purchase FC7? Further digging revealed that I couldn't - it has been discontinued by Apple! </p><p></p><p>The minimum requirement today for up to date editing suites is a 512mb graphics card. That leads me to think that next year a 1gb graphics card will be the 'bare minimum' for anybody wanting to video edit on an iMac. </p><p></p><p>Sure, there is no such thing as a future proof machine - but when last year's buyers cannot use this year's software then choosing an iMac (as opposed to more malleable machines) has to be done very carefully. I shall have to wait until February but at least I know that I will have an iMac that I can use for the purpose I want it for. Without researching extensively, I'd have been stuck with a machine that only just meets this year's minimum specs requirements for video editing and would most likely be left behind next year.</p><p></p><p>At least with the 27" i7 with a 1gb or 2gb graphics card I have confidence that it won't struggle during it's three year life cycle. By the time I come to sell it for a few hundred pounds, the 2015 iMac's will no doubt make it look like an abacus - as long as I can still use whatever semi professional editing software I purchase in February then I'll be happy.</p><p></p><p>Just as last year's iMac buyers are happily using FC7.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="David Green, post: 1322865, member: 219006"] In a similar boat Hi Giwer - Having spent well over a hundred hours pondering the same sort of questions as yourself, I understand your dilema. My main usage of an iMac will be for the purpose of video editing. Originally, I was going to get the top spec 27" but have hit upon a slight financial problem - I either wait an extra three months and pay £1700 or get the 21.5" now. I'm not bothered about a few MHZ or only a 512gb hard drive. The screen estate can be sorted via a second monitor a few months down the line and external storage is cheap. But - and there is always a but with computers - I realised that none of the 21.5" iMac's come with anything more than a 512mb graphics card. They CANNOT be upgraded. Now, I did further research on how quickly 2010 iMac's have fallen behind the game (when new software is developed) and found that the most commonly reported gripe is the meager 256mb graphics cards being left behind. Those owners of last year's shiny iMac's cannot use the latest Final Cut. This wasn't the end of the world for me as surely I could purchase FC7? Further digging revealed that I couldn't - it has been discontinued by Apple! The minimum requirement today for up to date editing suites is a 512mb graphics card. That leads me to think that next year a 1gb graphics card will be the 'bare minimum' for anybody wanting to video edit on an iMac. Sure, there is no such thing as a future proof machine - but when last year's buyers cannot use this year's software then choosing an iMac (as opposed to more malleable machines) has to be done very carefully. I shall have to wait until February but at least I know that I will have an iMac that I can use for the purpose I want it for. Without researching extensively, I'd have been stuck with a machine that only just meets this year's minimum specs requirements for video editing and would most likely be left behind next year. At least with the 27" i7 with a 1gb or 2gb graphics card I have confidence that it won't struggle during it's three year life cycle. By the time I come to sell it for a few hundred pounds, the 2015 iMac's will no doubt make it look like an abacus - as long as I can still use whatever semi professional editing software I purchase in February then I'll be happy. Just as last year's iMac buyers are happily using FC7. [/QUOTE]
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