The Easy Mac

Well, I hope you all enjoyed part I. I had a lot of fun writing it. So this week, we are starting part II of the series with the iMac. The iMac is a great computer and serves a great purpose. And like the Macbook Pro, there are a variety of options to choose from when it comes to customizing your iMac. I will stick to the format I used in my first post of options for the Simple User, Semi Power User, Power User, and the Super Power User. I will preface this also by saying that I do not cover every single option that is out there. There are just too many to cover, but I try to cover what I believe the majority of people would look to buy in an iMac. So here goes. Hope you enjoy.

The Simple User

There is really one option for this user. This is the type of user that really wants a desktop more than a laptop. The nice part about a simple option for the iMac, is that compared to a Macbook Pro with the same specs, it is way cheaper to go with the iMac. The prices don’t even come close to be perfectly honest. Let me show you. Below I have the price for the base model of the iMac. Comes standard with a 3.06 GHz process, 4 GB of RAM, and a 500 GB hard drive. That is actually pretty dang good for the base model of the iMac. To be perfectly honest, your average user will be able to get away with this kind of model. You can hold a lot of “stuff” in this computer and it will run pretty fast. The base model costs $1199, which is a great price. Whereas if you were to compare that to a Macbook Pro, that I tried to get to come close as far as specs were concerned, you can’t really compare. The Macbook Pro I put here is a 13 inch, 2.66 GHz processor, with 4 GB of RAM and a 500 GB hard drive. The price for this, $1599. So you get the same amount of RAM and hard drive space and a faster processor as well as a 21 inch screen for $400 less. The only thing you are sacrificing is the portability. Ok, I am getting off my proverbial soap box and getting back to the task at hand. So there you have it, the option for the Simple User, when it comes to the iMac.

iMac

Beefed up Macbook Pro

The Semi Power User

For the iMac, there are many options for this user. I will highlight two of them. The first option is for those that want something a little faster than the Simple User. So I bumped up the RAM. The price for this came out to be $1399. The second option is for the user that wants a bigger hard drive than the Simple User. This one costs $1499. So basically it is $200 more to double the RAM and $300 more to double the hard drive. In my opinion unless you know you are going to be storing a lot of stuff on your computer, you are better off going with upgrading the RAM to make the computer faster. If you are going to spend the money to upgrade the hard drive, you are going to want to upgrade the RAM as well so that your computer can run at optimal speed. So that is why I say go for the RAM than the hard drive upgrade.

Option #1

Option #2

Power User

This user wants to use their iMac to its potential and get a lot of use out of it. I can see this type of user being someone who needs an iMac for business. This user also may deal a lot with media, maybe photographers, videographers, etc. What I did here was get two options that have similar specs, but the only difference is that one is a 21 inch screen versus a 27 inch screen. You get a 3.33 GHz processor, 8 GB of RAM and a 1 TB hard drive. This is really a power computer. It will be fast and hold a lot of stuff!!! Your first option, the 21 inch is $1899 and your second option the 27 inch is $2099. So you are basically paying $200 more for 6 inches of screen. And believe me, that 6 inches makes a heck of a difference. It is massive. My opinion, if you do a lot of photo editing and video editing, go with the 27 inch. If you are a movie buff and want your iMac to double as a small tv to watch movies on, then also definitely go with the 27 inch. Spending the extra $200 at this point is worth it, but if you all you need is a fast computer with lots of hard drive space, then save the $200 and go with the 21 inch.

Option #1 (21 inch)

Option #2 (27 inch)

Super Power User

Like my previous post, this is a very small group. You want the best and are willing to spend the money to get the best. I think the type of people that will be in this group are professional photographers, professional videographers, and professional media business people. You deal with media very intensely and want the best. The two options that are in this category are the top of the line when it comes to the iMac. The first option is a 27 inch, 2.66 GHz quad core processor, 16 GB of RAM, and a 2 TB hard drive. This will set you back $3249. Your second option is a 27 inch, 3.33 GHz core 2 processor, 16 GB of RAM and a 2 TB hard drive for $3299. The only major difference between these two is that option 1 uses a quad core processor and option 2 uses a core duo processor. Option 1 will be a little faster than option 2 because it is using a quad core versus a dual core processor. Regardless, which ever one you choose, it will put a dent in that wallet and it will be blazing fast!!

Option #1

Option #2

So there you have it. The iMac line is a great line. In my opinion it is one of the best desktops out there on the market. Not only that but there is no CPU to get in the way. I love the fact that everything is built into the screen. If you are looking for a Mac to call “home base”, go with the iMac, you can’t go wrong. The thing that I also love about the iMac is that because the screen is so gorgeous, it can double as a tv monitor, which is very nice to have.

Well, I hope this helps. Next week, the series continues with the Macbook Air. Hope you will stay tuned for that. Thank you again for reading. I appreciate it. Feel free to leave comments and any questions you may have in the comment section. As always feel free to follow me on Twitter @shaun_27