In need of advice, iMac? Mini? which way to go?

Michael415 · Oct 18, 2007

Basically I could use some advice on what you think my best option would be.
I need to get a computer system that basically has a larger monitor. This system has a few requirements which leave my head spinning everytime.
I live in a flat, basically meaning no walls so less clutter the better.

Optimally the computer, or at least the monitor will mount on the wall w/a VESA arm so it can be pulled out and used, or be just left like a large picture when not doing computer things.

I initially thought the 20 iMac would be a perfect fit, except two issues, one it can't be wall mounted, and two the screen looks terrible compared to the 24 inch iMac or the cinema screen I use at work =(

The computer won't be used for intense graphics or games. Basically it will be used for interent access, emails and a few Oracle pieces of software which can be moderately taxing.

Initially my thought was iMac but am concerned a bit that the 24 inches is well big, as well as glossy. The 20 inch version is out of the running for sure, its just too much of a quality drop for viewing. Then I was thinking perhaps a mini with a 20 inch cinema screen would do the trick but I have concerns about it being slow and limited hard drive space. The third option I thought of was getting a MBP and the cinema screen combo just like I use at work but thats quickley driving the price way up...

Open to suggestions and thanks for the input.

bryphotoguy · Oct 18, 2007

I believe the 20" Cinema LCD and 20" iMac have the same resolution. I would suspect they use the same panel and such for both pieces. Unless you mean a drop in quality with the 20" iMac because the processors are slower?
Personally, I don't mind the glossy screen. If you need to wall mount it, does the cinema screen mount? I would assume it doesn't either but I haven't ever looked at the back of a cinema screen.
You could always get the mini and one of those companion HD's. I think LaCie has a 500GB version which the mini sits right on top of. There are plenty of specific external HD's for the mini that compliment it well.
If you're willing to get a laptop and a MBP is too much $, why not a MB?
I had a iMac and I liked it. I needed something with expandability and the Mac Pro is really the only thing in the Apple line that offers that. I would think there is one computer that Apple sells that fits your needs BEST. Hope you figure it out.

Michael415 · Oct 18, 2007

bryphotoguy said:
I believe the 20" Cinema LCD and 20" iMac have the same resolution. I would suspect they use the same panel and such for both pieces. Unless you mean a drop in quality with the 20" iMac because the processors are slower?
Personally, I don't mind the glossy screen. If you need to wall mount it, does the cinema screen mount? I would assume it doesn't either but I haven't ever looked at the back of a cinema screen.
You could always get the mini and one of those companion HD's. I think LaCie has a 500GB version which the mini sits right on top of. There are plenty of specific external HD's for the mini that compliment it well.
If you're willing to get a laptop and a MBP is too much $, why not a MB?
I had a iMac and I liked it. I needed something with expandability and the Mac Pro is really the only thing in the Apple line that offers that. I would think there is one computer that Apple sells that fits your needs BEST. Hope you figure it out.

Thanks for the input, strangely enough I would be willing to bet lots of money the 20 inch cinema and the 20 inch imac are not the same screen, they look very different when side by side. You can actually mount the 20 inch cinema screen, they made all the cinema screens VESA compliant with an adapter.
Which would be a better performer a Macbook or a mini, or would there be any real difference?

MacHeadCase · Oct 18, 2007

I think the iMac will bring you a lot of pleasure over the years while the Mini might not age too well. The iMac has a dedicated video card, has sturdier specs, etc.

Here is something on wall mounting an iMac.

As for the screen, try and visit different Apple Stores if it is possible to make up your mind: it could be the settings on the monitor that were all wrong on the iMac you saw. Of course, if you meant you don't like the glossy screen on the Alu iMacs, maybe look into Apple's refurbished section for a deal on the previous iMac model. Keeping in mind, of course, the specs needed for wall mounting...

Hope this helps.

pnstps · Oct 18, 2007

I've got the 24" iMAC and love it....the glossy screen is not an issue at all IMO. The mini as people have said in here might not be your best option, its kind of like a ghetto MAC, haha, not cheap but not I guess "optimal" I guess the word i'm looking for is......you get what you pay for, if you're gonna do it, I say, do it right......dish out the $$$ and be happy and BIG. "24""

bryphotoguy · Oct 18, 2007

Well, I've also owned a 20" core duo iMac. It didn't have the glossy screen. The resolution was great. I wouldn't worry about that sort of thing.
Thanks for the heads up on the Vesa mount.
The mini and MacBook should perform exactly the same. I dislike the integrated video and wouldn't recommend either.

Michael415 · Oct 18, 2007

Thanks for the useful links and input and I think checking out another apple store is probably a good idea, maybe the 20" iMac I viewed was messed up. Side by side the 24 though it was a staggering difference to the point I couldn't imagine anyone going with the 20.

I am leaning toward the 24" over the mini combo simply because of simplicity and clean lines, the all in one package is really appealing as well as a better performance.

I am also assuming that the iMac will run faster than a MBP correct? Besides I already have one from work and not sure I want to pickup a second one since the work one is the one I use when I travel anyway.

lol, who knew it would be so challenging. Thanks for your patience too, I just want to make sure I do this right because I have heard with our company discount purchase plan returns are a major pain.

bryphotoguy · Oct 18, 2007

Yea, the 24" is stunning compared to the 20". Back when the 17" was sold, the 20" looked amazing.
Really, the main difference in speed of a MBP and an iMac is the HD speed. Otherwise, they are pretty equal.
If you can afford the 24", get it. It really sounds like the obvious choice is the iMac.

Michael415 · Oct 18, 2007

Thanks for the info on the MBP and iMac speeds.
The price isn't as big a concern really (course i want a good deal though) as it fitting correctly in the house (the 20 just fit the space better, less in your face). But if the quality is as big a difference as it appeared yesterday the 24 incher will work, might just repaint the wall to make it blend a bit more with the alum color, lol.

bryphotoguy · Oct 18, 2007

I am still lost when you say the quality is worse on a 20" model. Do you think it looks inferior because it's smaller? Was the screen pixelated?
Really there should be no difference except the screen size. The resolution is thusly affected but the dot pitch of the pixels should be similar. The apple specs do not specify dot pitch. The brightness is slightly higher with the 24" but the contrast is slightly higher on the 20".

bryphotoguy · Oct 18, 2007

I would guess the dot pitch on the 20" is a little smaller so the pixels are a little smaller and the image is sharper. The difference between the 20" and 24" would be so insignificant.
The only difference is you will have a bigger workspace because there are more pixels with the 24".

Michael415 · Oct 18, 2007

bryphotoguy said:
I am still lost when you say the quality is worse on a 20" model. Do you think it looks inferior because it's smaller? Was the screen pixelated?
Really there should be no difference except the screen size. The resolution is thusly affected but the dot pitch of the pixels should be similar. The apple specs do not specify dot pitch. The brightness is slightly higher with the 24" but the contrast is slightly higher on the 20".

When I say inferior I mean the washed out colors and reduced viewing angle. I messed around with the brightness on the 20" but it didn't help. When I would step to the sides of the iMacs the 24 remained accurate a bit longer, anglewise. The colors were considerably more saturated and had more depth when I was standing directly in front of the two. I did check the tilt to make sure they were the same or very close. Trust me, I messed around with the 20" and tried to make sure they were as similar as possible because I was shocked on the difference between the two. My comparison had nothing to do with the sizes of the screens, since I actually would prefer the size of the 20.

It is possible it was a bad screen they had on display for the 20", will find out later today.

dtravis7 · Oct 18, 2007

On your Mini Vs Macbook question, they are basically the same as both have the Integrated Intel GMA950 Video. As long as the other specs are the same, the performance would be the same performance wise, but since the Macbook is a Notebook, you have the option of taking it easily where ever you go.

bryphotoguy · Oct 18, 2007

According to Apple the maximum viewing angle for the 20" is 160 degrees compared to the 176 degree viewing angle of the 24".
There should be multiples of each computer on display. Make sure sure you compare two under the same lighting condition. I never really paid attention to their lighting but if a lamp is closer to one computer, this could throw off your observations.
Hope you find one you're happy with.

Michael415 · Oct 18, 2007

Well after spending way to long at the apple store today the 24" is the way to go for me. The 20" looked a bit better than previous but after doing some research I checked what others were calling homogeneity of color on the screen and found the 20"s all suffered a lack of it enough to steer me away. If you set the monitor to a solid dark gray wallpaper you will see what I mean. The color changes quite a bit from top to bottom when it should in theory be the same everywhere on the screen. Apparently apple are using TN lcd screens in the 20" while the 24” use IPS displays. Truthfully I am not sure what that means other than what my eyes show me.

The 24" had the slightest amount on the sides but my guess is with calibration it will disappear. Interestingly enough the only monitors i found not having this issue at all were the 20" cinema screen, and the huge 30". The latter being the most consistent. Now I just gotta figure out where to put it since I am a bit fearful hanging something that large on the wall, lol.
I was very tempted to go the 20" cinema screen connected to a MBP though and could see how this would be a viable option for others.

Thanks for all your input.

One last question is the 3yr warranty really worth it, are these iMacs prone to failure? Realistically I don't typically keep a computer more than a few years, I would say the max would be three, usually closer to 1.5 or 2 before the upgrade bug strikes.

MacHeadCase · Oct 18, 2007

Michael415 said:
*Snip*

One last question is the 3yr warranty really worth it, are these iMacs prone to failure? Realistically I don't typically keep a computer more than a few years, I would say the max would be three, usually closer to 1.5 or 2 before the upgrade bug strikes.

If you get Apple Care extended warranty, the resale value will be higher if you sell your Mac while the warranty is still under way.

And it really comes down to this: I have never had a Mac fail on me* but always got the extended warranty plan anyway just for my own peace of mind.

It depends on how you feel about it. There are Mac models that have gone through growing pains in their first generation, sometimes even in the second generation, like for instance the iMac G5.

______________________________

* Except an old grape G3 iMac (analog board) which I bought from a friend: had it still have its warranty, I could have got it fixed for free but the price asked for the repair was too high (400$CAN + labour + taxes) so I bought a brand new G4 iMac instead.

MACGIRL34 · Oct 19, 2007

Michael415 said:
Well after spending way to long at the apple store today the 24" is the way to go for me. The 20" looked a bit better than previous but after doing some research I checked what others were calling homogeneity of color on the screen and found the 20"s all suffered a lack of it enough to steer me away. If you set the monitor to a solid dark gray wallpaper you will see what I mean. The color changes quite a bit from top to bottom when it should in theory be the same everywhere on the screen. Apparently apple are using TN lcd screens in the 20" while the 24” use IPS displays. Truthfully I am not sure what that means other than what my eyes show me.

The 24" had the slightest amount on the sides but my guess is with calibration it will disappear. Interestingly enough the only monitors i found not having this issue at all were the 20" cinema screen, and the huge 30". The latter being the most consistent. Now I just gotta figure out where to put it since I am a bit fearful hanging something that large on the wall, lol.
I was very tempted to go the 20" cinema screen connected to a MBP though and could see how this would be a viable option for others.

Thanks for all your input.

One last question is the 3yr warranty really worth it, are these iMacs prone to failure? Realistically I don't typically keep a computer more than a few years, I would say the max would be three, usually closer to 1.5 or 2 before the upgrade bug strikes.

Personally I always buy the extended warranty mainly b/c of the cost of the Mac...I like to protect my expensive investments the best that I can...

Since I consider my Macs like a member of my family...LOL I want to see that they last forever...

bryphotoguy · Oct 19, 2007

I agree with MHC. One thing to note is the standard warranty provides one year parts and labor and 90 day phone support. With the extended warranty you get both parts for the 3 years.
Also, one thing to note is this: you do not have to purchase the warranty right away. You are able to purchase the extended warranty as long as the original year warranty is valid.

Michael415 · Oct 19, 2007

bryphotoguy said:
I agree with MHC. One thing to note is the standard warranty provides one year parts and labor and 90 day phone support. With the extended warranty you get both parts for the 3 years.
Also, one thing to note is this: you do not have to purchase the warranty right away. You are able to purchase the extended warranty as long as the original year warranty is valid.

Oh thats great to know, I think I will got that route seeing how I feel with it after some time has passed.

Thanks to all!

shadyboi · Oct 19, 2007

first you should totally wait till the leopard comes.
second you should really get a macbook instead of a mini,cuz u can carry
it around with you,if the graphics isnt really a concern to you..
i mean if u are willing to buy a cinema display with a mini,u really can buy a macbook instead of the combo with a cinema display...
but of course u can always have a mbp 15.4 inch..the best computer u can ever have

In need of advice, iMac? Mini? which way to go?

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