IMac purchase advice

I intend on buying an iMac 27" soon, probably as soon as Lion is available. I'm a 54 y/o guy. I use my desktop for all basic computer needs, for communication with my employer (bidding work schedules, keeping informed about the co., training,etc.), Internet, banking, tracking/controlling investments, tracking family budget and finances, email, some gaming (not a rampant. gamer;-), news feeds, Skyeping, some word processing, I teach an occasional class & give occasional lectures, (is iWork enough for this, I wonder?), distance learning (completing a graduate degree online), and I plan on expanding my hobby on photo and video editing, in particular, digitizing old family photos and old family videos, an creating memorable slideshows and music videos for me and my family and friends. I also have a first generation iPad, my wife an I have small iPods, and intend to each get an iPhone as soon as the refresh happens.
Can someone give me some advice on how to equip my iMac 27" so that I am not getting too little or too much? I would like to stay under $2,100 if possible.
Thanks in advance!

For your needs the i5 would be fine, while the i7 is great and state of the art speed for what you're doing there isn't any real need. I would also stay with the base graphics card too. The ONLY reason I can think of to upgrade the CPU & GPU is if you intend to do 3D graphics such as online gaming, CAD/CAM and/or 3D rendering. From what you have stated I didn't see that was how you intended to use the machine. The slowest part of the machine will be the hard disk however again for your needs you would have a very nice machine.
I would upgrade the RAM (OWC is a very good choice) to 12GB. I agree going with the base $1999 machine would provide the best bang for your buck. Also don't forget to factor in additional costs for:
1. Sales Tax
2. RAM cost
3. Time Machine backup EHD
4. AppleCare BTW: you can also buy this discounted from Amazon or LA Computer Co for less than Apple charges direct. This is optional but a wise investment.
Roger

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HT2674 I have an iMac purchased in May 2011. OSX Lion 10.7.3. I deleted backup file from the external hard drive. Now, the trash can will not empty some of the files deleted. File folder: "Core Services" contains a locked file: "boot.efi". It will not

I have an iMac purchased in May 2011. OSX Lion 10.7.3. I deleted backup file from the external hard drive which operates from Time Machine.
Now, the trash can will not empty some of the files deleted from the backup harddrive.
The trash contains-- File folder: "Core Services" which contains a locked file: "boot.efi".
It will not delete.
How do I get the trash can empty of these files?

Yes, the Old Master file has a folder for each year where I find all photos from that specific year. I am attaching a screen shot of the file.
In the meantime i have managed to download all photos (it did not download any video files though in mpg, avi, 3gp, m4v,mp4 and mov format) to a new iphoto library. Unfortunately the photos are quite mixed and often doubled up. I ma considering to purchase iphoto library which checks all duplicates in iphoto. this will save me a lot of time. What do you think?

I have an iMac purchased new about 5 years ago with OS 10.4.11. I would like to upgrade to Lion. I currently have a 2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 2 GB of ram. Can I upgrade to Lion, and what is the best way to do so?

I have an iMac purchased new about 5 years ago with OS 10.4.11. I would like to upgrade to Lion. I currently have a 2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 2 GB of ram. Can I upgrade to Lion, and what is the best way to do so?

From what I read here:
http://www.tuaw.com/2011/06/06/lion-...u-2-gb-of-ram/
s long as they already have Snow Leopard 10.6.8 installed in it.All a person needs to do with that type of iMac is to upgrade/max out their Ram. They claim that an Interl iMac with Core 2 Duo is all that is needed, as long as it has OS 10.6.8 installed. They say you don`t need the "Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, or Xeon processor"
But I wonder about the RAM speed, the iMac 2.33Ghz uses DDR2 SDRAM, which I believe is rated at 667Mhz. Lion maybe installed but it might be problems running smoothly or not?
Did some quick checking and the iMacs apple is selling this year use 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM.
The only thing to do is to make sure you have a good back-up, Install your RAM and install Snow Leo, then wait a couple of hours and install Lion.
Good Luck

HT2404 Can I upgrade from OS X 10.6.8 to OS Lion on an IMac purchased in 2006?

Can I upgrade from OS X 10.6.8 to OS Lion on an IMac purchased in 2006?

Look at general requirements
http://www.apple.com/macosx/specs.html
If it does not match you can't upgrade to Lion

HT201364 I tried to download OS X Mavericks v10.9.2 into my iMAC purchased on June 25, 2007 and upgraded to Snow Leopard OS X10.6.8 When I tried to download Mavericks OS X, the message came up that it cannot be installed in my computer. Why?

I tried to download OS X Mavericks v 10.9.2 into my iMAC purchased on June 25, 2007 and upgraded to Snow Leopard 10.6.8 When I tried to download OS X Mavericks v 10.9.2 into my iMAC, the message came up that it cannot be installed in my computer. Why?

Because there is a flaw in the App Store that gives you an alert you can never ever get rid of telling you to download Mavericks, even though when you click it then tells you your machine is too (I have to say 'darn' here because Apple automatically astersiks out the first word I used that also begins with d and is four letters) old. So you have to live with that little "1 update available" alert, though in reality, you cannot install it. You can imagine that either it is a sinister plot to wear away at you to buy some new hardware, even though yours is working just fine, or that it is a programming error Apple just doesn't care enough about to correct.

I have an IMac purchased in 5/2009 and am currently running OS X Lion 10.7.5. Can I /Should I upgrade to OS X Mountain Lion?

I have an IMac purchased in 5/2009 and am currently running OS x Lion10.7.5. Can I / should I upgrade to OS X Mountian Lion ?

As some function of iCloud are only available in Mountain Lion, why not?
You can purchase Mountain Lion from the App Store - if you can run that:
http://www.apple.com/osx/specs/

All MacBook Pro, iMac purchase in 2012 bug! starting with mine and those of all in Fnac st Lazare (France), try to open the keychain you will see ...

All MacBook Pro, iMac purchase in 2012 bug! starting with mine and those of all in Fnac st Lazare (France), try to open the keychain you will see
I've tried to open keychain first from my macbook pro because of Safari and Chrome, they still dont work in wifi unless Firefox, then I went to a Fnac (like Best Buy) and I try to open the keychain in all the iMacs exposed and everytime the application froze , to the macbook air at the iMac all of them froze.

Hello Kavans,
Thank you for the details of the issue you are experiencing with your MacBook Pro. I recommend reviewing the following article for this issue:
Mac OS X: Why your Mac might not sleep or stay in sleep mode
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1776
Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.
Best,
Sheila M.

How can i use my iMac (purchased Dec2011 - Lion OX) as a monitor for my pc laptop? Iwould need a cable approx 1 meter in length.

How can i use my iMac (purchased Dec2011 - Lion OX) as a monitor for my pc laptop? Iwould need a cable approx 1 meter in length.

apple sell an minidisplayport to hdmi cable have have to use
so you have to subtract it's lengh from the cable to connect to if it
cable being approximately1meter in lengh
guide how you do it
http://macs.about.com/od/usingyourmac/qt/using-target-display-mode.htm

Best place to get pre-purchase advice from Microsoft? (UK)

Hi,
I'm trying to find a way to get in touch with an Azure Sales Representative to ask some specific questions about a project a client has asked us to work on for them.
I couldn't find any live chat or email options for pre-purchase advice, so if anybody could guide me in the right direction that would be great.
We have used Azure a number of times, but I'd like to ask some questions unique to this project, and directly to the sales team if possible.
If I have answered your question, please mark it as the correct answer. If I have provided helpful information, please mark it as so.

Hi,
This is technical forum, about this issue, I suggest you contact support directory, it's the best choice for you. Please contact support team by creating a support ticket at
http://www.windowsazure.com/en-us/support/contact/
Or if that doesn't work because you don't have an active subscription you will need to contact general customer support to have them create a support ticket for you
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/customer-service-phone-numbers?wa=wsignin1.0
Best Regards,
Jambor
We are trying to better understand customer views on social support experience, so your participation in this interview project would be greatly appreciated if you have time. Thanks for helping make community forums a great place.
Click
HERE to participate the survey.

IMac screen advice "Library/StartupItems/HP Trap Monitor" must be taken away beefore starting

iMac screen advice as log in objekt with message "Library/StartupItems/HP Trap Monitor", "Library/StartupItems/MV Service" and "Library/StartupItems/Mv Web Service" has not been started because it has wrong securety. This 3 mass'age has to be taken away every time I start my IMac and beefore it si possible to use my macine. I have several time tryed to remove the My HP Photosmart C7100 series printer setup but the advice is still there.

iMac screen advice as log in objekt with message "Library/StartupItems/HP Trap Monitor", "Library/StartupItems/MV Service" and "Library/StartupItems/Mv Web Service" has not been started because it has wrong securety. This 3 mass'age has to be taken away every time I start my IMac and beefore it si possible to use my macine. I have several time tryed to remove the My HP Photosmart C7100 series printer setup but the advice is still there.

Need Purchasing Advice MacBook Pro or iMac

I use two old G5 Power PC's at home and work (circa 2004 or 05 for both) and I am looking at strategies to replace them with newer hardware. I need advice from computer experts on what makes the most sense.
At the core, I am considering purchasing one of the following two machines:
*27" iMac: 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7*
*MacBook Pro: 2.66GHz Intel Core i7*
I will pair one of the above with the : G-Technology 4TB G-RAID Dual-Drive Storage.
Whatever I purchase, I will use the new Mac at home and/or work to edit HD video, develop websites, create presentations, etc.
Initially, I was thinking of using the MacBook Pro because it would provide me a powerful machine for home and work, and allow me to present away from the office using the same machine.
The alternative would be to stick with one of the G5's and replace the other with the iMac. I could then purchase a small regular MacBook or iPad for live presentations.
I also realize that the new Mac pro is not far away, but I don't know that I want to spend the extra money for that much machine.
So, the bottom line, I'm looking to produce a solution that:
• Improves the speed and performance for HD video editing (at home, work or both)
• Allows me to make presentations away from the office
• Is under $4k
• Is a reliable and convenient solution
My choices are:
a) iMac + small device (iPad or Macbook, new or used)
b) MacBook Pro
c) A better solution I haven't considered
What makes the most sense? What would you do and why?
THANK YOU in advance for any advice you might provide.
JJ

I would get a 17" Macbook Pro. It has an Expresscard/34 slot that will accept an eSata card. This will allow you to take full advantage of the G-Tech Raid O's speed for editing video.

Need advice on iMac purchase

Hello all,
Here I am, still sitting on my Late 2006 iMac that has ran flawlessly since I got it. I'm updated to 10.7, but as you all know that's as far as I'm going with the OS on this machine. I was going to pick up a new Mac earlier this year, but decided that I had better wait until the new ones were announced in October. Since the October release announcement and going back and forth, I've decided that the removal of the optical drive from the new units, at least for now, has steered me away from them. I'd also like to see how the super-thin design pans out in the long run. I'm not entirely confident in knowing that much hardware is seated so closely to the screen - seems like a bad idea. But, I'm not an engineer and the folks at Apple usually tend to be a little smarter than me at these things, so time will tell I suppose.
I've considered purchasing the Mid-2011 27" model from the refurbished end, but I've been reading some concerns about them. Yellowing screens, screens mysteriously going blank and some sort of dust collecting anomaly. Am I missing anything commonly complained about on these?? I think this computer is a better fit for me, but I'm curious to hear about others' experiences with refurbished products from Apple. They offer the same warranty as a new machine, but I'm guessing that many of these refurbished units are going to be returns from the before-mentioned issues. I'm wondering if they may have them panned out. I suppose there isn't much that can be done about dust collecting behind the screen, but the yellowing and screen going blank should be fixable issues without re-engineering (it would seem).
As you can likely tell from my 2006 iMac still being in use, I don't have a huge demand for resources, but I like to be up to date. Some light video compiling (family stuff), somewhat more intensive photography (Photoshop) and regular e-mail and web are basically the extent of my uses. Some gaming might occur on occassion, but I usually stick to my consoles for that.
Considering my concerns and uses, would the refurb May 2011 27" be a good move for me? Or shall I perhaps consider a Mac Mini with an external display instead? Mac Pro would be nice, but I'm not dropping that kind of cash for a computer at this time. I like the small footprint of the iMac. I can make do with a Mini. Hadn't considered it before now. Thanks in advance for any suggestions. I just like to run these types of questions by the community before I make a purchase. Points are usually raised that I hadn't previously considered.

The iMac is a very good all-purpose machine, and I purchase just about all of my Macs refurbushed. The reliability is at least as good as a new machine, with the same warranty.
About "yellowing screen." This is a relatively rare situation, and should be immediately detectable. Your only option would be to return the unit as defective; the replacement would, hopefully, remedy the problem. Reject any unit that doesn't look outstanding.
I also believe that it's best to wait a year until the super-thin iMacs roll out the kinks, but I'm not as bullish about using a Mini with an external monitor. A regular iMac will likely have a more balanced mix of features, which will be ideal with your modest needs. A refurb 2011 iMac is a good machine that's easy to like.
Honestly, I'm not familiar with the dust issue.

Purchase Advice for an iMac newbie

I have used a pc for years. I mostly surf the web and MSOffice programs, mostly Word and PowerPoint. I purchased an iPad and iPhone and now I want an iMac. I am thinking my best bet is to buy a refurbished 21.5 for $1019. I would like to hear the thoughts of the members on this forum. Is there a cheaper route that would give me a good apple computer? I am concerned about saving money in the short run, but costing in the long run. Most of the used iMacs are not cheap and there is little or no warranty. Am I missing something?
Thanks for your thoughts.

Nope you're right on target, for your needs any iMac would more than do the job. I would also recommend getting a refurbished machine. If you do it comes with the same warranty as a new one and you can also buy Apple Care to extend the warranty. When you buy used you assume risks, for someone not familiar with Macs unless you are fortunate and get a caring seller it's very easy to be taken. I would recommend spending some time going over the following sites, they will prepare you for your switch and also serve as good reference for a Mac newbie.
http://www.apple.com/support/switch101/
http://www.apple.com/support/mac101/
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2477
Roger

Strange restart screen happening and advice needed on new imac purchase

Well first thing first, i just sold my imac 20" CD for a refurbished 24" iMac C2D directly from apple. The first thing i noticed is screen during the restart process that i have never seen on the multiple macs that i have owned. It looks like terminal/ms-dos with a black screen and lines of white text that indicate what is going on in the restart process. it doesnt really affect anything, i just don't really like it showing up, i would rather have the grey apple with spinning marks under it. Is this a setting somewhere that i don't know about?
And for the second thing. Because of this black screen that happens during start up i noticed.....a green stuck pixel... I am pretty picky about my things and when i noticed this i started freaking out a little bit. I know that stuck pixels are very common in LCD's i just didnt really want one in mine. I tried massaging it and all of the programs out there that are supposed to "un stick" it with no luck. I know apple is not likely to replace a unit for a single stuck pixel but i was going to try my hardest to get it replaced until......i looked in the system information and noticed that i somehow got the upgraded gforce 7600 256mb video card. So my question is should i stop complaining and take the $125 video card upgrade for free or try and get my unit replaced for my stuck pixel. BTW, the stuck pixel is only viewable on black/really dark screens and it is located in the middle display, about 2 inches right. Thanks in advance

A very tough question to answer. I am a little picky also and a stuck pixel would drive me up a wall. But have you tried to reinstall the system to see if it fixes the weird startup. Weighing the video card against the pixel I would have to go with seeing if apple could fix or repair the screen without switching the machine. If it is still under warranty they will try to no end to repair it before they just send you out another unit.
So I guess my answer is to make them repair the system thus saving you your video card.

Yosemite installed on iMac purchased with Mavericks now takes 2 minutes to boot and give the login screen.

Downloaded and installed os x yosemite on iMac that was purchased originally with Mavericks. When power button is pressed I get start up audio tone and then the the black screen with the white apple symbol with the progression bar. The bar moves very slowly two about one third and then the mouse cursor appears and there it stalls for around two minutes. After the wait the login screen appears and it operates normally. This whole process before update would only take maybe 30 seconds.
If I try the web recovery process it will revert back to Mavericks any suggestions on what this might be. I do have an external Mac passport pro external drive that does have time machine enabled and has been there for months.
Thanks

After spending a number of hours with Apple Care personnel I was connected with a supervisor and finally got the iMac to boot up on every attempt and in a reasonable amount of time. Login screen now comes on in 30 to 40 seconds and computer is usable within a total time of 1 minute to 1minute 30 seconds.
Here was the process. Tried to download whole operating system with reinstall from utilities menu at power on and at 7 hours progress bar stalled at one third the way. Reason, time machine external hard drive was still connected during process. Disconnected all external connections except power and tried download again. This time whole operating system downloaded in 15 to 20 minutes. Yosemite installed and rebooted automatically and booted to login screen, signed in then to desktop, but boot took around five minutes. Shutdown and connected all peripherals, i.e.. ext. HD, DVD, printers and tried to start. iMac stalled at 2 minutes into progression bar with white apple symbol before login screen. Removed peripherals and tried again and still stalled and would not boot.
What was done to correct is as follows. Started iMac in Safe Mode, cleared all items in cache from Macintosh HD/Library folder and System /Library folder, system start up items, launch agents, and launch daemons contents cleared, removed printers in system preferences, ran disk utilities verify and repair of disk and disk permissions. Shutdown and removed power from iMac. With no peripherals system then booted normally. Reconnected peripherals while iMac was still on and added printers back to system preferences and all is well.
So it seems only reasonable that the downloading problem was hindered by the time machine external hard drive, to which an Apple rep. agreed and the extremely slow boot up or stalled boot up was caused by items in the start up and launch folders. I will state here that I was using my ISP's anti virus software for the Mac which was in the launch folders and most likely was causing the boot up problems.

IMac purchase advice

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