iMac purchase

D'Agger

So I'm looking to purchase an imac, this one being the front runner from a small bit of searching.

It's the cheapest 27" they have and I like the spec. Work in IT so I'm primarily looking to get to know the OS as I need to be able to support it. To that extent I'm wondering if anybody could inform me what the difference between this and the mac mini would be?

On a sidenote, as somebody who has never avidly followed Apple products being of Windows & Linux descent, does anybody know if I'd be better off waiting for January for sales or do Apple products ever go on sale, just staying forever high! :pac:

yoyo

Moved from Comp & Tech

Doodah7

You should have bought it last Friday in CompuB or in Harvey Norman on Monday as they were both offering 10% off. HN *might* do another sale in January but who knows?

D'Agger

Cheers for moving yoyo - wasn't sure to put it here initially or not

tallpaul unfortunately I didn't have my work bonus in the bank last Friday, only started looking this week really.

I'll be getting paid but I'll see if I can get an apple employee I know to get me a discount where possible. For now I was just looking to hear if the Mac mini might be better but tbqh - I think the imac with a 27" monitor is what I want at this stage

Banta

If you're just looking to gain some knowledge and being to support the OS from an IT support point of view, then I don't see why you'd need to get an iMac.

"if anybody could inform me what the difference between this and the mac mini would be?"

The answer to this is "about a grand!", as you're just looking to gain some knowledge on using the OS.

Like you, I was a Windows fella up until a year ago. Ended up being the "Go to IT guy" in the (then) new place of work. I'm on a Mac Pro, there's Mini's, iMac's and Macbook Pro's in the office - we're all on the same OS pretty much. Getting the knowledge for support just involved trial and error, reading forums, videos etc. You pick it up pretty quickly. So really, it's just gaining familiarity with the OS that you're after, so I'd just get a Mac Mini. That's my opinion on it anyway.

Now if everyone that you'll be supporting is using a 27" iMac, all the same model, year, OS and you'll be trying to repro the same issues across the board for specific software and the likes, then perhaps getting the iMac is worth it. But, if you'll just be supporting network connectivity and the likes and "can't get my mail" etc. etc., then all you need to do is know you're way around the OS - so, save yourself a few bob and just get the mini. That's my 2c on it based on my experience in the last year.

D'Agger

Cheers Banta - I want to know the OS, I also want to run a couple of VMs on it so spec would come into it on that regard.

I use my desktop quite alot and haven't upgraded since 2009 - so while I absolutely want to get to know the OS - this is also a desktop I'd be using regularly and would want to be getting some enjoyment out of - to that end I'm looking at the 27" monitor - although I know I could get a mini and purchase a cheaper monitor with an adapter....it's certainly worth thinking about.

Banta

That changes things a little then, if you want some power in it for VM's and the likes.

It's a shame they're not offering the quad-core i7 mini any more. Absolutely brilliant piece of kit. Might be a refurb'd one around some where. I'd recommend that and get yourself a good monitor, personally.

I'm not sure I can still justify spending that much money on an iMac, to be honest. BUT, there maybe someone else around here that can justify that cost for you. I just can't, really.

Greentree_uk

spent more on mine and I love it. bought a quad core i7, SSD, 16gb Ram and upgraded GPU, but I too like OP run VM's and it's sweet.

D'Agger

Banta wrote: »

That changes things a little then, if you want some power in it for VM's and the likes.

It's a shame they're not offering the quad-core i7 mini any more. Absolutely brilliant piece of kit. Might be a refurb'd one around some where. I'd recommend that and get yourself a good monitor, personally.

I'm not sure I can still justify spending that much money on an iMac, to be honest. BUT, there maybe someone else around here that can justify that cost for you. I just can't, really.

Well there's a chance I could get a macbook through work as it would benefit us supporting them. Then I'd have a macbook as a work laptop that could also run a W7 VM so then I'd purchase a normal desktop for home - I have dual monitors as is, so could connect the work laptop to one and have a personal desktop on the other monitor that'd be better spec and cheaper. At least there's a few options there.

Having been single and fairly career focused for the last while I suppose I can find it a bit easier to justify the price to myself :pac: