Which iMac

[twoquidtunes]

I think the mini will be an ok machine for you. Not great, but it will get the job done. the 20" iMac seems to be the best option for you. Although you might be spending a little more time saving than you would like to in the end it will be worth it.

Oh, and congrats in advance on the switch

I want a bit of future proofing so I think if I go over what might be ok now then I might get a couple more years out of it.
The 20" imac is looking like the one.

 

[slashjunior]

You should definitely get more than 2 years out of it.

I have had my existing Windows PC for 3 years and it still runs all todays apps well. I built it myself so I was able to use quality components and put a nice bit of RAM (1GB) and nice graphics card in, I am contemplating over whether to add another 1GB of RAM and a 500GB HDD in a few months.

The iMac should be able to get many years out of it and these primary components can be changed in the Mac.

 

[James]

My vote is for the 24" with as much ram as you can get. One sweet machine. The 20" is very nice, but the 24" just gives it that added bang. I know it's a bit much on the price, but in the long run it is worth it for graphics and such and you won't be wishing a year down the line that you had done it.

 

[twoquidtunes]

Just to update - we all got a year end bonus at work last week so I am picking up a 20" imac tomorrow.