Which iMac should iBuy?

I received a call from an old colleague. She and her husband were finally ready to plunk down a chunk of change on a new personal computer. In the past when they have come to me regarding thoughts of a new purchase, they have always asked… Should we go Mac or PC?

I have been a fan of PC’s for a looong time, since my dad bought me my first. However, while in college the Apple Macintosh was the #1 favorite for getting our papers in on time. The IBM PC crowd tended to be used only by those whose majors required the use of business tools.

Since then, my required tool for my day job has always been a PC. I grew accustomed to their quirks. I pulled them apart in attempt to repair their physical issues,. I stayed up late often troubleshooting the dreaded blue screen of death.

Like most relationships, I grew used to their flaws and accepted them as members of my family while at the same time bemoaning Apple lovers as misguided fan boys. I even derided the much loved iPod until a little over a year ago when I first decided to cross the tracks to the ‘wrong side’ and seek out the enemy.

Since then, I’ve grown to love all things Apple. While I still appreciate a good PC. Apple PC’s still take the cake. As I’ve mentioned in an earlier post:

1)Apple computers actually have a much less incidence of picking up viruses and malware just because there aren't as many Macs as there are PC's on the market.

2)While a fully loaded Mac may cost more than a Windows (or Linux) computer, there's a lot of bang for your buck. Mac computers come loaded to the hilt.

3)Dispelling the myth, documents produced or created on a PC (i.e. Office documents, adobe acrobat files, music) WILL work on a Mac. (My friend's purchase would include Microsoft Office for Apple.)

4)Apple provides up to 3 years of support (and the advantage of on-site service and the accessibility of an Apple-authorized technician at an Apple store or other locations.

5)In store classes for tutorials.

6)No upgrade nightmares.

7)Macs can even run Windows now!

So when people ask? I tell them. If you can afford it, buy a Mac. If you can’t, but a PC.

So then my esteemed former colleague and her husband decided that the day had come to take my advice and made a call.

Her: “Okay. We want an Apple.”
Me: “Great! Macbook?”
Her: “No. An iMac”
Me: “Great! 24inch?”
Her: “Uhhhh.”

Basically the conundrum had then become, which iMac to buy. As there are 4 models to choose from:

…which where I come in.

As usual, I scoured the web for my research:

From MacWorld:

'The new 20-inch iMacs show strong color and contrast shifts when viewed at an angle instead of straight on.'

'The new low-end iMac, a 2.4GHz 20-inch model, had a Speedmark score that was 26 points higher (13 percent faster) than the previous low-end model, a 2GHz 20-inch iMac. Also, the new 2.4GHz 20-inch iMac scored 9 points lower than the older midrange iMac, a 2.4GHz 20-inch model. But as we pointed out in our earlier Macworld Lab benchmark report of the new iMacs, the older 2.4GHz 20-inch iMac that we tested had a larger hard drive and a better graphics card than the new entry-level model, which explains the speed difference.'

'There’s a considerable performance gap between the new $1,499, 2.66GHz 20-inch iMac and the new $1,199, 2.4GHz 20-inch model. The 2.66GHz model’s Speedmark score was 24 points higher than the 2.4GHz model, a 10 percent difference. If you spend the extra money for the 2.66GHz model, you not only get a speed boost, but also more RAM (2GB versus 1GB), a bigger hard drive (320GB versus 250GB), and a better video card (256MB Radeon HD 2600 PRO versus a 128MB Radeon HD 2400 XT). The extra $300 is worth it.'

'The 2.66GHz 20-inch iMac offers a nice blend of price and performance; it’s a better value than the 2.4GHz iMac. The 2.8GHz iMac, in all its 24-inch glory, is a stunning machine and is bound to make an impression in your home or office.'

Unfortunately, the one major thing we didn’t like about the first-generation aluminum iMac—the poor viewing angle on the 20-inch screen—hasn’t changed for the better.'

From LowendMac:

'Comparing the 2.66 GHz and 2.4 GHz Penryn iMacs, we estimate 11% more processing power, not enough to justify the 24% price premium even taking into account the bigger hard drive (320 GB vs. 250 GB) and an extra gigabyte of RAM (about $40 on the open market). Bang for the buck, the new entry-level iMac wins. Spend part of your savings on a 4 GB memory upgrade ($80-100), and buy a larger hard drive only if you need it.'

From PrimateLabs:

'If you’re looking for the best value in terms of raw processing power, the best iMac to get is the base model. Even after upgrading the RAM in the base model it’s still more cost-effective than the mid-range 20-inch iMac.'

That said, this analysis only takes processor and memory performance into account. It doesn’t take into account the extra features you get with each model, like larger hard drives and better video cards. Personally, I’d recommend the 2.66 GHz 20-inch iMac; the extra hard drive space and video memory offset the slight disadvantage it has against the 2.4 GHz 20-inch iMac in terms of value.

A number of folks have pointed out that this comparison doesn’t take into account the differences in screens between the 20-inch and 24-inch iMacs; not only is the 24-inch iMac larger, but it also comes with a better display capable of showing more colors. This was something I thought about when I was writing this post, and I came to the conclusion that if you want larger or better screen, you’re going to get it. You’re not going to even consider the 20-inch iMac.'

From Cnet:

'Apple's smaller-scale iMac remains our favorite all-in-one. And while its looks, its ease of use, and its performance are all selling points, Windows PCs are starting to catch up (at least with the latter). A few components could also stand an update, but in general you'll find the 20-inch iMac a remarkable computer for its price.'

Well, I didn't believe that they were in the market for a 24inch (although I LOVE the size), so the consensus was that the 2.66GHz 20 inch iMac was the better deal for them. If they spent the extra money for the 2.66GHz model, not only would they get a speed boost, but also more RAM (2GB versus 1GB), a bigger hard drive (320GB versus 250GB), and a better video card (256MB Radeon HD 2600 PRO versus a 128MB Radeon HD 2400 XT). The extra $300 is worth it.' However, if they could indulge, the The 2.8GHz iMac, in all its 24-inch machine is a stunner!

After I shared the above, they agreed to go for the 20inch iMac 2.66GHz model.

A week later, I received a phone text message. It seems they had a change of heart.

Her: “ZOMG! The 24inch is FANTASTIC!”
Me: “Wait, you bought the 24?!”
Her: “Yes, ZOMG we love it!”
Me: “ZOMG!”
Her: “ZOMG!”