Get Imac now or wait?

[staradder]

Hello,

Im new to the forums and im switching to mac to make some iphone and android apps.. I have tried development in the mac mini but it could not push out enough power to run photoshop without lagging (2010 model) therefore decided to sell it off and get an Imac.

However in the mac rumors website, they have said that it is reaching the end of its cycle. I have a few options. Im from singapore therefore my currency value is different

1)Wait until the next Imac (which i suspect may be coming only at june due to ivy delay)

2)get a 21.5 inch 2010 Imac for these specs for S$1500

> 3.6GHz Intel i5 Dual-Core processor, 4MB level 3 cache; supports Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost
> 21.5-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display
> 12GB RAM (2GB x 2 + 4GB x 2),
> 1TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA hard drive,
> 8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW),
> ATI Radeon HD 5670 graphics with 512MB memory,
> Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse,
> Built-in iSight camera.
> Mac OS 10.64/Snow Leopard
> Standard warranty till Jun 2012, applicable for AppleCare to those interested.

3)get a brand new 2.1.5 inch 2011 Imac for these specs for $1750
2.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
21.5-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display
4GB memory
1TB hard drive
8x SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
AMD Radeon HD 6770M graphics with 512MB memory

Built-in FaceTime HD camera

Advice please. Thank you!
3)GET

 

[DSzalay]

Hello Staradder,

I was going to post the same question! After suffering a fate worse than death (I had to sell my Mac and use a PC due to unemployment), I'm ready to purchase a iMac too. I also saw the comment on Mac Rumors about waiting.

But how long do we wait?

Come on Mac wonks! Any ideas on what will be updated in the iMac family?

 

[chscag]

Sorry our crystal balls are out of service right now. No one knows when Apple will update a line of their machines. However the iMac was updated last May and probably will not see another update until sometime in 2012.

 

[staradder]

Sorry our crystal balls are out of service right now.

Why now!@#?

So guys anyway im going to go ahead and get an Imac.. Well im pretty sure its more then sufficient for app development though right guys?

 

[zacster]

Buy the latest machine. The quad core i5 SandyBridge processors are faster than all but the fastest i7 processors of the prior generation. I don't know how well OSX takes advantage of the power and options, but just from a raw power standpoint they are faster. IvyBridge may not be that much faster as it is more of a manufacturing process change. Something about a Tick Tock lifecycle. One cycle improves the architecture, the other improves the manufacturing/form. I don't quite get the nuances myself.

 

[Mini_mi]

Get the 2011 IMac. I have it and its fine for most everything I've done on it

 

[dieselskid]

Take it for what it is (rumors) but they seem to be pretty good at predicting...

Mac Buyer's Guide: Know When to Buy Your Mac, iPod or iPhone

 

[Ghost Rider]

I've been waiting for the newest technology for the last 3 years. Seriously there will always be better computers if you wait but if you do you will never get a new computer.
The best time to buy is always now

 

[dieselskid]

Very true...

Before you have the computer in the trunk of your car from the store its obsolete, lol. (or any form on electronics for that matter )

 

[Scott Baret]

I agree 100% with the above poster.

You never know when the next update is going to come sometimes. Occasionally, it will come out of nowhere and sting the buyer.

Veteran Mac users will point to a model released in 1992 called the IIvx. A few months after its introduction, there was a newer, faster model on a next-generation chip released–which also was less expensive. Adopters of the IIvx suddenly had an outdated machine, yet most didn't see the new model coming. The IIvx wasn't exactly a cheap computer, and those who have been around the block a few times have probably been "IIvx-ed" a few times before.

However, some models get kept around for a year or more before the next speed bump or replacement. Additionally, the computer you buy today will probably be current for some time to come unless you know you're getting a low-end or soon-to-be-completely-outdated computer (like if you were buying a PPC-based Mac during the Intel transition).

My advice: go for the iMac. If you're going to wait, at least wait until Black Friday, as the Apple Stores had some decent markdowns for early birds last year.