Apple revamped its entire desktop lineup today introducing updates to the iMac, Mac mini and Mac Pro. Each new update is awesome. More speed, more RAM, more/faster ports, faster video, bigger, better, faster! Probably Apple’s best and fastest line up of desktops ever.
They also updated both the AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule wireless base station and backup devices with simultaneous dual band support (2.4GHz and 5GHz). This means that you would no longer have to setup two wireless networks to optimize for 802.11n and 802.11 b/g traffic.
This is all great news and normally my credit card would have already been out and orders placed, but the problem is that times are uncertain. This is making me hesitant to upgrade. Unfortunately that is one of the major problems with our economy right now. People that have the money to buy things are holding off buying things. This in effect is going to slow the recovery even further.
My normal buying cycle for a Mac Pro tower is every other release. I’m now 3 releases back. I’ve been making due with the Mac Pro I have. Although Apple is certainly providing more bang for the buck with better specs at the same prices, that’s not enough to move me at the moment. I didn’t upgrade last year, because I had other priorities. This year I’m just afraid to spend the money! I could always use faster rendering times, but I can also continue to make do with what I have. Should I take the plunge and help get this economy moving again or hold off?
Was hoping for Core i7 iMacs, not Core 2 duos. Might consider Mac Pro now instead, but was willing to spend today for the i7 iMac.
iMac pricing should have been lowered more since not i7 based. Will probably wait until March 24th “event” to see what develops.
I understand what you are saying about the economy…it has everyone on edge and saving what they can during this uncertain times. I am one of them…I have been trying to save what I can each month and put it away in another bank account other than my main account, just in case, I do get laid off then I can use it if I need to. If I survive without getting laid off then it will be used to pay down what I can and be in better shape financially going forward.
The only thing I am contemplating purchasing is a new camera upgrade from Nikon D80 to D90 in which I save some seperate money on my own for…even this might be delayed for a bit.
Uncertain times brings along alot of uncertainty emotionally, physically and financially. Best to keep in tact financially then the rest of it will take care of itself when the economy recovers.
The economy thing is certainly a viscous cycle. Everyone is holding there extra money that they would normally spend on services that we the creative media types would provide. In turn, we don’t have the extra money that we would then spend on our much needed upgrades. If I don’t have the usual clients coming in, can I still justify upgrading a computer, camera, or software? How do you make those judgment calls?
Maybe learning to hold off buying is an overdue recalibration of our immediate-gratification and luxury-driven, society. Could we even re-learn the age old lesson that a person should be judged on their moral character rather than on materialist measures of status (defined by wealth and the ability to spend ostentatiously)?
P.S. Which is not to rain on Apple’s parade: Apple provides excellent tools, and these upgraded Macs look to be a very good value. It’s just that maybe it’s reasonable to consider when one really "needs" to upgrade, rather than just wanting to have the latest and greatest gadget.
Can’t live in fear and ya gotta live. In the mean time I am gonna enjoy my toys…….
Besides, I could create tons of jobs if only everyone stopped going by what everyone else is saying…..
Look at Syl Arena,he just got two new contracts….
Live………….
Enjoy,
Big C
This is quite the double edged sword, so if I may I’d like to offer another view point. Sure the economy is bad and unstable. I work in the media and we report on layoffs and the nose diving stock market daily. I understand being fearful, but this is no reason to convert your money to gold bricks and sit on them in your front yard with shotgun in hand. I kid. However if those of us still lucky enough to have disposable income save it then we do ourselves and the out of work individuals a disservice. When we save our money we’re not stimulating the economy, the economy continues to get worse, and companies will be forced to cut back further. (It could be one of our jobs next) While I’m not saying go out and overextend yourself to buy a mac, nor am I saying that we shouldn’t spend wisely and make cutbacks when needed. All I’m saying is if we all save and no one spends then how can our economy get any better. And if you’re going to dump money into the economy then a mac upgrade is a great way to do it. I would be all over this, but I just bought a MacBook two weeks ago.
If you have only 3 back I’d say your fine—if you still want one, Apple has a great deal now with 1 year 0% financing—not bad, even if your scared and have the money (like myself), you can have a year to ponder if you should pay it off—or get motivated to work more this year and pay it off 🙂
Napp members can get that dual quad core for $3099 instead of $3299 too—not bad.
I can’t believe that they still didn’t change the box design—so unlike Apple, it’s like they just don’t know what to do with it so they just keep putting faster chips in it, which is fine, that’s what it’s all about—but come on Apple, your customers are kinda snobby and we all like your product design. All I know is I have the first G5 dual 2.0 computer and I need one bad!!!! 🙁
—Alan
My brain is following your post, but this of course after I picked up a Canon 5D (original) 2 weeks ago. My wife’s Dell is our last remaining XP machine, so the new $600 Mac Mini is awfully enticing. However, she’s still happy so I guess we hold off.
I do like the new dual-band routers. I’ve been holding onto my white mushroom Airport Extreme 11g just because the iPod and Wii are 11g devices. I do know the MBP and AppleTV would be happier on 11n.
I bought an iMac G5 about an hour after the Apple Store came back online several years ago, and after having the logic board fail post-applecare I’m a bit hesitant to buy another All-In-One. The monitor was great, but the electronics gave out (or get old/slow, etc.). MacMini + 24″ Cinema would be an awesome machine; I just wish the MacMini had the same iMac specs on the inside.
I’ve been thinking about getting a Mac Pro, which would free up my macbook pro for when I actually leave the house. I was looking forward to these upgrades, but then I saw that they didn’t make a redesign. Sorry, I’ll wait until this is really the latest and greatest. This isn’t ‘shiny or new’, which is a shallow thing to say, but getting a Mac Pro isn’t an urgent situation at the moment.
I made the purchase, but went with the previous 24″ imac refurb. It’s a hair slower, but the price drop to under $1200 and it still has the Firewire 400 port made it an easy decision for me. I’ll be replacing my dual 1.25 ghz powermac g4. Almost 7 years old.