Should I Get An iMac?

I am thinking about getting an iMac 27". I will be using it for school, web browsing, and editing YouTube videos. I want it to last me for a few years. I this is what I will get on it: iMac 27" 3.4GHz Intel Core i7 34GB of Ram 768GB Flash Storage NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX 2GB GDDR5
Do you think that will be good for me. (Note: I will be editing with iMovie and Final Cut Pro)

Michel,
I've no doubt that's the case, but remember we only see the failures here so there's no way to know whether we see average, below- or above-average reports. Hard drives are not made by Apple nor arethe SuperDrives. They could well be the same ones installed in a Mac Pro. GPUs and CPUs don't come from Apple either. There's no reason why they would fail any more frequently than in laptops. And since these are all OEM components we'd need to know how the failure rates compare to other mfgr.'s of similar computers.
I have had three iMacs running for as long as 7 years without any problems. I also have a 2006 Mac Pro that's also still running, although not presently in use. I've had numerous laptops since 2006 that are also running trouble-free. So, I wouldn't trust what I've seen here as a quality indicator.
Oh, I guess I might add a couple of iPod Touches and iPads presently in use, none of which have fallen into the toilet.

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Should I Get an iMac, Macbook Pro, or iPad (3rd Generation))

I'm getting a new "computer" this summer, and I was wondering: Which Apple Device is right for me: iPad 3, iMac, or Macbook Pro? I realize WWDC is this summer (a day after I was planning on getting a Macbook Pro, June 10, which is my birthday) and Apple will be releasing/ unveiling their new products there. I realized that the iMac is more bang for your buck, but people are starting to lean towards portable devices, such as laptops over desktops, and tablets over laptops (mostly). I had planned to get a Macbook Pro (when the 2012 models come out) as of Sunday, April 22. But, as I realized that the prices for each are so different, considering their value, I realized this:
iMac:
"Land" - Locked
More Power for money (student discount)
Will last me longer (at least 2.5 years)
Macbook Pro:
Portable
Costs less (as of student discount)
iPad 3:
Even More Portable
Costs even Less.
Considering these, which do think I should get by the following:
Me:
Go upstate every once a month or so.
Going on vacation in the summer w/ family.
Do light gaming (Sims 3, Civ 5, Spore; not much)
Plan on bragging about being the only one in family w/ Mac (bring to relatives' houses to prove a point to my cousin that he's not the one w/ the coolest computer)
Lots of Word Processing (can use pages on iPad)
w/ iPad, I'll have more money to use on accessories (Step dad giving me $500 towards computer, I'll have $350 by June 10)
Mostly do web browsing.
Want to use in school (high school)
If I get an iPad, I can afford to upgrade it every year, but not the Macs
Will be reading lots of books next year (will be taking AP English)
Lots of notes next year (Doing Government in Social Studies next year)
Will use iTunes U if needed
Need something to fit in backpack if using in school.
Not sure if teacher will allow laptops/ tablets.
Mostly do my computing at home
So what do you think? Should I get an iMac, Macbook Pro, or an iPad 3? Thanks! Best answer gets 5 ***** for the long reading!

Wow, using computers in school. I remember when I went, teachers flipped out if you had as much as a cell phone
A couple things I would like to point out:
1.) WWDC /=/ product releases. While it is likely, no one knows for a fact what will happen at WWDC other than usual events. I would expect it, but don't jump the gun and say "a new Mac will be launched at WWDC", because they have been released before WWDC.
2.) The iPad is in a different tier than Mac, IMO. I believe iPads should be supplements to PC's, since if troubleshooting need occur, you must still have a PC to restore. (Mac is PC). So say if you suddenly go into Recovery mode, you will be stuck until you find a PC to restore to. One downfall of iOS devices, so for that reason, I will not recommend the iPad alone.
If you plan to do most of your computing at home, I would get the iMac. I am a college student, and plan on replacing my Macbook Pro (selling it) with an iMac if I can afford it. I agree with you on the "bang for your buck", but even then, iMac is still pricey. With $850, you're still shy $300 of the $1149 price w/education discount. If you want to upgrade your processor (which I would), that's even more $. Plus, software if you need it.
What exactly are you going to do with a Mac that you cannot do with a Windows PC (outside of just using the Mac OS)? The playing field is leveling out quite a bit. But, if you plan on developing of any sort, get a Mac.

Should I get an iMac with all the problems about?

So, as my birthday is coming up I decided to get an iMac, however on Wednesday I read on Gizmodo about the yellow screen debacle, so after doing some research on the matter I'm not sure what to get any more.
I decided (Before I read this on Giz) to get a 21.5" iMac.
So I have a few questions about it.
1: Does the 21.5" iMac's screen flicker and blackout like the 27", it's very hard to find info about it as it seems it only affects 27", but is that because it doesn't effect 21.5" or because not many people bought the 21.5" iMac
2: Just how bad is this 'yellowing', I've looked at various photos of it and can hardly see any problem, does anyone have a really bad screen with the bottom of the screen being strongly yellow tinted?
3: Should I just skip all these problems and get a Macbook?
Please help me decide!

You have done your research on the new iMacs so you already know the answers to your questions. It's difficult to come to a consensus though because some report problems and some report they have no problems. It's your birthday... in my honest opinion, go for it.
Post back when you have your machine as to your findings on your machine. That's the one that matters.
Sorry if I am sounding a little tired of this but many people have asked the same question and many have provided the same answers. If you are very conservative you might want to wait and see, but if you don't want to postpone your birthday, go ahead; your iMac may be fine and if not, Apple will make it right. Do buy AppleCare.

Don't have an aircard- do have netgear n wireless router -unit is an imac g5-power mac 8,1-cpu g5 3.0-proc 1.8-mem 1.5-os 10.4.11 don't have which one should I get for imac g5 -power mac 8,1-cpu g5 3.0- proc 1.8-mem 1.5-os 10.4.11

don't have an airport card- do have netgear n wireless router -unit is an imac g5-power mac 8,1-cpu g5 3.0-proc 1.8-mem 1.5-os 10.4.11 what airport card should I get ?

Look HERE to find the appropriate airport card - you can use an Airport Extreme card.
And here to buy one.

Should I get an iMac or a MacBook Pro

I am wondering wether or not i should get an iMac or a MacBook Pro at this time? I am a gamer, but not a hardcore one. I will occasionally play cod. Also, i will use my computer to watch movies and videos. I don't know what to get. I am deciding between something more portable or something more immersive.

The benchmarks on the best iMac desktop is not that much better then the 17" MBP laptop according to most sources: c.10400 (MBP) vs. c.11600 (iMac)+.
Get the laptop, then get an Apple 27" screen to go with it. Get the best of both worlds.
Costs more but that's life to get more options, hey ;-)
I have the same setup, and works for me.
(...oh and BTW, if you buy the MBP together with certain other Apple products (eg. screen, time capsule, et al), and purchase the advisable Applecare for the laptop; they all get covered under the laptop policy so you don't have to buy Applecare for each one individually! Which I think is a nice policy on Apple's part — though obviously they get you to buy more stuff at the same time [i.e. also a clever marketing technique] ;-)
Hope helps.
(+ source: MacTracker app [get it it's good!].)

Should I get the imac 2012 or MacBook Pro retina

I can't choose between the imac 2012 or the MacBook Pro retina display. i have an iPad to take with me on the go. I am a photographer. I do lots of photo editing. I'm also a student. If you could help what would be great. What do you have? What would you get? What's best for editing photos? Remember I have an iPad, so I'm really looking for the best computer. Thanks

One plus for the MBP is that it's portable, whereas the iMac is not. And if you need more screen space when working at home, you can always keep an external monitor in your studio.
Plus for the iMac is the 'built-in' larger screen, but there is no portability.
If you want a portable machine, get a MBP - you can't do the photo editing on the iPad that you would want while you can on the MBP.
If portability is not an issue, get the iMac.
Back in the G4 days, I had both a G4 tower and a PowerBook G4. Used the first at my desk and the latter around town and around the house. Now I have only a MBP and it's tethered to my desk 90% of the time since I bought an Apple Thunderbolt Display. But I like being able to take it out for a spin that 10% of the time when I'm away from my desk.
Portability and screen size would be the deciding factors for me. A 15" MBP almost demands a larger external monitor to use for photography, etc., while the unportable iMac has the larger screen already.
So decide if you need/want portability first and foremost and then make your decision.
Clinton

What replacement SSD should I get for iMac Model A1225

With a failed hard disk in my iMac, What is the best and most suitable replacement available.
Disk space isn't really a factor, >120GB will suffice, my primary concern is getting the right make/model to fit my imac.

geevesr wrote:
Thanks,
I have watched a couple of YouTube clips... How hard can it be, right!! ;o)
Extremely! It's best done by a AASP that does this type of service.

Should I get an iMac or a Mac Mini?

My iMac just completely broke down after having multiple issues with it and now I'm looking at getting a new Mac. I love the iMac, but I'm not gonna deny that it's pretty expensive. If I get one, I'll just go all the way and get the 27''. Otherwise, I was thinking about getting the Mac Mini and just getting a seperate monitor. I don't do any gaming or anything like that. I use my Mac for internet, movies, editing pictures, and that's pretty much it. My reasoning for getting the Mini is that because it's so cheap, I won't feel so bad about upgrading in a few years. With the iMac, it'll be hard to justify to my wife why I want to spend another $1,000+ in a few years. What do you think?

Top Mac Mini: $799
Apple mouse + keyboard: $118 ( not included with the mini )
Apple MacBook Air SuperDrive $79.00 ( No DVD/CD drive included with the mini)
24" LCD around $170
Mini display port to DVI adapter to connect LCD $34.00
Basic webcam around $40.00
Total for Mac Mini: $1240
Total for iMac 21": $1199 Including; keyboard, mouse, monitor, superdrive,webcam.
The iMac as a quad core i5 versus a dual core i5 in the Mini.
So in the end, the price is almost the same, but with the Mini you can replace the LCD for under $200 if it is dead in a few years.
Changing the LCD in a iMac will cost at least $500.00
You can also reuse the LCD bought with a Mac Mini with a other computer later on.
It's up to you!

What speakers should I get for iMac and video editing

Need a reasonably priced external speaker system to add to new iMac 27. Something close to $200. Or less is even better.
I shoot edit social, corporate events all non broadcast..
Thanks for the help and suggestions..

These would be my personal choice:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/H6251VC/A/bose-companion-20-multimedia-speaker -system?fnode=4f
Otherwise, have a look here and pick your favourite:
http://store.apple.com/us/mac/mac-accessories/audio-speakers#!

I want to move my music and photos to an external hard drive from my iMac. What external hard drive should I get?

I want to move my music and photos to an external hard drive from my iMac. What kind of hard drive should I get? Will it remove it from iMac and only be on external hard drive?

How to correctly move your media:
iTunes: How to move the library to an EHD
iPhoto: How to move the Library to an EHD
It is important that the External Hard Drive is formatted as Mac OS Extended (journaled).
And also make sure that all is working to your Satisfaction before Deleting anything Off your Mac.

Im getting a mac soon, and im deciding if i should get an imac or a macbook pro/air, i have an ipad though, so should i go with an imac because i need a real computer for school?

i need help deciding on whether an imac or a macbook, i have an ipad, but for school in need a computer, but i really dont need portability, but i like the portability, but i also like to sit down with a keyboard and a mouse in my hands, what should i do? assisstence is needed...

Have you been to an Apple Store? Because the decision really comes down to one of personal preference. It would be much easier to decide if you could experience your options in person.
I love the idea of being portable and when I can afford a MacBook I will get one. Yet right now in my life, portability is not crucial so I decided to go with an iMac. imo, the user experience is far better on an iMac compared to a MacBook, you just can't take it to Starbucks!
My iMac has become the single best, most amazing purchase I have made in my 35 years of roaming the planet, so unless portability is crucial I would recommend getting the iMac.

Ordering a new imac, what should i get with it?

If i am ordering a new imac, what kind of things should i get with it if i'm going to have recording music as a main function? everything listed while going through the ordering process, i dont know what any of them really mean... can someone create some clarity please

I recently bought a iMac I got the 2.4 gig 20" with no extras. I picked up 4gigs of RAM for it and use a USB 2.0 hard drive for my projects. This thing is working better then I expected the processor doesn't even break a sweat using garageband. If you can hold off a few more weeks OS 10.5 (Leopard) should be here.

Should I get Fusion Drive or just plain Flash Storage on an iMac with 5K Retina Display?

I know fusion drive is good but I don't know if the OS is put on the SSD or the mechanical hard drive. I'm leaning towards the pure flash storage put I'm not sure. Which one should I get?

If you can afford it, get the SSD, but get either the 512 GB or 1 TB storage size, if your budget allows.

Brand new Mac customer-should I get Lion?

Hi everyone,
I'm writing because I'm looking for support. I just recently bought my first iMac (it was between this or a Mini) after having my 4th PC die on me in 10 years. While I already have the machine ordered I have been doing extensive research on what to expect with my purchase and one of the things I have been reading has been some compatability issues with Lion OS. After having gone through several Windows upgrades myself I am nervous to be jumping into a new format all together only to find that Apple is going through an update to their OS (perfect timing I suppose). That being said:
I apparently am eligible for the FREE upgrade to Lion with my iMac purchase. Should I get it or stay with Snow Leopard?
I have the newest iMac out there that is the base model but includes 4GB of RAM and AMD 6750M graphics card.
I'm also considering the newest generation Time Capsule (2TB). Will that work okay with Lion as well?
Also, last question, since I haven't received the Mac yet I want to make sure I got an okay model. I was trying to pick what appeared to be middle of the road between a Mac Mini and the iMac line. I'm not expecting to get it until tomorrow but am sure I can trade an unopened computer if that's best. Because I had a 23 inch monitor and keyboard/mouse with my former PC I had a hard time choosing.
Thanks for answering any or all of my questions. Sorry if this message has the new guy feel.

Almost certainly if you purchased your iMac directly from Apple it will come with Lion on it already so you won't need to upgrade.
Time Capsule will work fine with Lion.
If you bought directly from Apple you have 14 days to return the computer, so if you are not happy for any reason they will refund your money. At that point you can decide if you want a different model or not.
I'm sure your experience will be a good one so don't worry. Reading in these forums sometimes can jade a new user, however please remember these are technical help forums that people come to when they're having issues and are not representative of the general population.
Because you are a recent switcher I would STRONGLY recommend bookmarking and frequently referring to:
Switch 101
Mac 101
Find Out How Video tutorials
Lion Setup Assistant tips (use this for migrating data from MS Windows to your new iMac)

Can anyone help me get my iMac to reboot? I get a gray "curtain" over the start up screen saying I need to restart my computer but it won't restart. I just keep getting the same message every time.

Can anyone help me get my iMac to reboot? I get a gray "curtain" over the light gray start up screen with a message that I need to restart my computer and to hold the power button until it powers off and then press the power button again to restart. It just does this over and over again and won't restart.

Yeah, as necronym stated, it is a hardware issue and more than likely a RAM problem. Disconnect everything from the computer except keyboard and mouse and try again. If it still happens try removing one and/or swapping your RAM sticks over. Keep trying until you have eliminated all possible combinations. Just put a mark on one RAM stick so you know what have tried. If it still fails to boot properly you should probably replace your RAM, but that is no guarantee of success. Have a look at this link for more info on a Kernel Panic.
The X-Lab - http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/kernelpanics.html
Does the display look like this?

Should I Get An iMac?

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