Mac soon, buying advice please :)

apeZ · 8 May 2009 at 17:29

Evening.

My PC seems to have pretty much died, and I have always been lured to the Mac side of things: I love the operating system, minimal look (putting the system and monitor in one is brilliant) and the fantastic screen quality. Plus I get the HE discount :cool:

so seeing as its my birthday in a few days and I have a bit of money lying around, I thought I'd get one.

Anyway, I need a bit of advice. I have quite a few questions.

Firstly. I am probably going for the iMac 24" , with 2.66ghz processor. I want a nice large screen so I can watch movies and such on it too. However, I'm not too sure whether I should go for the next model up...

The RAM and HDD is fine, but I'm dubious about the GPU. I don't expect to be playing all the latest games and stuff, but could anyone give a slight indication what to expect? Even though I am cutting down on gaming, it would be nice to play every now and again, but this 9400m... what can it do?

Is it any use with Steam or Steam games (L4d, CSS, TF2 etc) ?

If I opted for the next model up, is the GT120, I think, would I see any improvement? It sounds like a chip designed for graphic design and such though, and I can't justify the premium for going to a GT130 or 4850.

Secondly, will the 2.66ghz processor be adequate for day to day use? I will mainly be web browsing, streaming video, playing video (DVD as well as other formats) and using applications such as Word, iPhoto etc, sometimes even all at the same time. I don't particularly want to pay for the next model up, as the only difference is 300mhz or so and a different GPU, so need some advice on what to do here.

Another thing, which may be a bit of a silly question, but are any new models planned for the next month or two? As far as I know, the current iMacs are the 2009 models, and thus we shouldn't expect to see any new ones until 2010 - but I'm not sure. I know technology is always improving, but if there are new models a month away, I would rather hold out for a bit!

And finally, are there any essentials I should buy with the iMac? I heard that a new mouse is a better idea (and I didn't particularly like the Mighty Mouse when I used it in store), so do most USB mice work fine?

Sorry for all the questions, and I hope to join your... 'family' soon

Thanks.

apeZ · 8 May 2009 at 17:57

That means I have to spend £400 more.

24", 2.66ghz, 640GB hdd, 9400M = £1,055.70

24", 2.93ghz, 640GB hdd, HD4850, = £1,459.35

apeZ · 8 May 2009 at 18:29

I think I'll stick with the 2.66 / 9400M model. I'll fix my old PC up and keep it on standby for the occassional game.

Nah, not paranoid - anyway I'm sure I could return it if there was some 'big' new model announced at the WWDC.

Thanks for the help

Also, wired or wireless keyboard? I like the fact that the wired has USB ports (the wireless doesn't, does it?) but the wireless is also nice. Would I need to replace batteries often, assuming I spent about 6-8 hours using it each evening?

And the remote: gimmick or useful addition?

apeZ · 8 May 2009 at 21:56

Still considering which model to go for. Part of me wants to take the 2.93 / GT120 spec.

About this 'Snow Leopard' - does anyone have an ETA? Also, will it be a free upgrade for those who already have Leopard, or do we have to pay?

Would also like an answer on the wired/wireless keyboard thing!

apeZ · 8 May 2009 at 22:18

Thanks for the quick reply Feek!

I think I'm going to go for the wired keyboard with numpad; I'm used to keyboards like that. Plus the two USB ports should come in handy

£85 sounds reasonable for a new OS. I might hold out until June 8th to see what happens then, if I can. Would be nice to have the latest model, complete with Snow Leopard. Ah well, I'll see what happens.

apeZ · 9 May 2009 at 17:44

Took another trip to the Apple store earlier.. probably going to go for the 2.93 / GT120 model now... Heard some good and bad things about the GT120, but if I'm correct, it has about the same performance as an 8600GT? I have an 8600GT in my current PC, and it runs L4d, HL2, COD4, CSS, TF2 etc with ease. Hopefully that will be the same with the iMac, if not I'll just be happy that it handles video well.

The extra processor speed should come in handy, its only about 300mhz more, but every little counts and that should give it a bit more life.

Should be placing an order soon, anyone know how long the iMacs take to arrive from the UK online store?

apeZ · 10 May 2009 at 20:12

Feek said:
Logsi, you keep saying the 9400M is dire, junk, rubbish but it's the card I use 99% of the time on my MBP and I've not experienced a single problem with it and I even game with it! I know this is a bit OT but can you go into more detail about what you mean by that?

To be fair, the iMac has a bigger screen. From what I've heard it's an excellent card on the MB and MBPs, but it struggles (games wise) in the iMacs.

Still doing lots of research, most likely getting the 2.93/gt120, but not quite sure!

apeZ · 10 May 2009 at 23:12

I just hope the GT120 is up to general use, a bit of photo editing and light gaming.

Will be keeping my Windows rig nearby so that I can hop into a game that the Mac can't handle if I want. Should be ordering soon.

One other thing I'm a little confused about is the AppleCare Protection Plan:

AppleCare Protection Plan (APP)

Whether you’re new to the Mac or an experienced user, the AppleCare Protection Plan helps you get the most from your Mac. For up to three years from your computer's purchase date, you get access to Apple's award-winning telephone technical support for questions about Apple hardware, Mac OS, iLife, and iWork. And you get global repair coverage for your Mac — both parts and labour — through convenient service options.

When you purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan and your computer at the same time, you’ll be automatically registered in the plan.

....

AppleCare Protection Plan (APP)

* None
* Higher Education AppleCare Protection Plan for iMac - Auto-enroll [+ £43.70]

Obvious I'm buying with the HE discount; but I don't understand this 'auto-enroll' bit. Does that mean I get it for free?

If I want 3 years warranty, do I have to pay for the AppleCare Protection plan?

Thanks.

apeZ · 10 May 2009 at 23:58

Another thing that is confusing me, does the 24" iMac have the GT120 OR the GT120M (mobile version?). Everywhere I look online has conflicting reports, and considering their is quite a difference between a mobile gpu and its desktop counterpart, I'm quite interested to know the answer.

Apple store lists it as GT 120 with no mention of it being a 'mobile' version, but lots of people across various forums are claiming that the 2009 iMacs are using the mobile counterparts, rather than the desktop cards.

Help?

apeZ · 12 May 2009 at 18:09

apeZ said:
I just hope the GT120 is up to general use, a bit of photo editing and light gaming.

Will be keeping my Windows rig nearby so that I can hop into a game that the Mac can't handle if I want. Should be ordering soon.

One other thing I'm a little confused about is the AppleCare Protection Plan:

Obvious I'm buying with the HE discount; but I don't understand this 'auto-enroll' bit. Does that mean I get it for free?

If I want 3 years warranty, do I have to pay for the AppleCare Protection plan?

Thanks.

apeZ said:
Another thing that is confusing me, does the 24" iMac have the GT120 OR the GT120M (mobile version?). Everywhere I look online has conflicting reports, and considering their is quite a difference between a mobile gpu and its desktop counterpart, I'm quite interested to know the answer.

Apple store lists it as GT 120 with no mention of it being a 'mobile' version, but lots of people across various forums are claiming that the 2009 iMacs are using the mobile counterparts, rather than the desktop cards.

Help?

Any chance I can have some help with the above two questions?

Thanks.

apeZ · 12 May 2009 at 22:54

Feek said:
The HE store includes three years hardware only Applecare. For an extra fifty quid or so (depending on model) you can include telephone support into that Applecare coverage.

Thankyou