From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hi. I just returned from the Apple store at my local mall and ask a sales person about an eternal drive. He pointed me to the end of the store where I saw numerous Lacie brand named hard drives. I can't recall the sizes, but they seemed impressive. OS X 10.4 is on sale there for $129 and the drives were running about $189 to start with.
How can I put this nicely? Um, the prices on hard drives (and OS X, for that matter) at the Apple Store are ... priced to make sure the store remains profitable. Ahem.
IOW, you can do this a LOT cheaper elsewhere. Love the Apple Stores, don't love some of the prices (though they often have REALLY good deals on the last weekend of the month ...).
I told one the sales folks that I wanted to buy a external drive and load on 10.4.
Sure this will work. Why not, as long as it's a Firewire external drive ... does your iMac have FW? If not, read on.
So, we're talking $329 dollars to bring this baby up to code, or another $400 to get an eMac, which on another occassion, a salesman at the same store said that he suspected that Apple was going to be quickly ceasing production of them.
Unlikely. The K-12 schools LOVE the eMac, as do seniors (who enjoy the larger resolutions), families with young children and people on low budgets who need G4 goodness. It's probably not Apple's (or Jobs') favourite model, but as long as it sells well Apple will continue to make it.
As for the age-old dilemma of whether or not you should buy a new machine, I'd have to say that in your case "it's time." Your machine is five years old. It has apparently served you well. If you'd put aside $100 a year since you got this thing, you'd have enough for an eMac already, and the eMac is just plain SUPERIOR in every measure ...
I assume you're on a tight budget, but there comes a point where throwing good money after bad to keep an old warhorse going is not cost-effective. To really "keep up" with modern technology, your iMac needs OS X, it needs a Firewire drive (for backup if nothing else), a larger/faster internal drive, a DVD player or burner, more RAM ... add all that up and the cost gets exorbitant.
The eMac is a thoroughly modern computer for cheap, includes OS X and all the modern plugs and skillz already in there. The Mac Mini is another option if you're willing to hunt around for a good deal on a nice LCD (and believe me, once you go LCD you'll never go back!) -- there are plenty of LCD bargains at places like Costco and online. Check dealmac.com for some ideas. You can even use your "old" keyboard and mouse from your iMac with a Mini. If your eyeballs are still in good shape, it's definitely something to consider.
Of course, I'd wait a couple of days for Apple's "Special Event" to see if any new models are going to get announced, but after that I'd take a trip down to the Apple Store or any indie Apple dealers or CompUSA stores you may have nearby and take a look at the new school machines. Also check Apple's "refurbished" section of their online store -- LOTS of good deals there. I've yet to buy a completely new machine -- I always get Apple refurbs and I've always been happy.
Cheers Chas -- The iMac List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | - Epson Stylus Color 580 Printers - new at $69 | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> iMac List info: <http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[email protected]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/imac-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> --------------------------------------------------------------- iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com ---------------------------------------------------------------
