I've been going through the tortured decision-making process that's inevitable whenever I buy a new computer. My situation is a bit special as I don't have easy access to Apple products like most readers of this site. I live in Cairo, Egypt, where Macs are generally at least 20% more expensive than in the US. I have a friend coming from New York at the end of the month who is willing to bring me whatever I order. One consideration living in Egypt is that servicing the computer if something goes wrong is pretty difficult: there are no repair centers here, so it either needs to get sent to Dubai in the Gulf or to Europe if there are any needs for complex repairs. So I would prefer to get a machine that's pretty reliable and hasn't had publicized problems.
This is my problem with the iMac. Reading through this forum and others, I'm horrified at the number of people who have experienced "bulging capacitators", mid-plane assembly problems and other things that required sending the imac back for repair. I hesitated for a long time between choosing computers. I currently use an ibook G4 800Mhz with 640MB RAM that spends most of its time plugged in to a relatively cheap 17" Samsung monitor (SyncMaster 753DFX). It does most things fine, but is getting a bit slow. I tend to run a lot of apps at the same time, and from time to time one of them might be processor intensive, like PhotoShop or DVD-ripping software. Most importantly, as a journalist, I am paranoid about losing the computer which is my livelihood, so I'd like a second one (also to be able to keep it on all the time, which isn't good for the laptop, and to be able to use the laptop wirelessly in other rooms while still having a central file server available.)
Apple has a good deal at the moment on refurb iMac G5 1.8GHz/ 256MB/ 160GB/ SuperDrive/ 56K/ 20-inch ($1599), which I've been very tempted by. (Yes, I would increase the RAM separately to 1GB or so.) But after reading about the problems people have had, I am wondering whether I should wait for the update that might come in a couple of weeks. My friend in New York will be coming at the end of April, though, and I'm afraid the new one might not get to him in time. Also, I've read the next update is going to be relatively minor (bump to 2.0 Ghz.)
The alternative would be to get a 20" Apple Display (also on sale at $849) and get a maxed-out MacMini w/512MB RAM (PowerMac is too big to transport, so I am ruling it out). I was sorely tempted because of being able to upgrade the computer while keeping the stunning screen, but in the end thought the iMac gave me more bang for the buck and would be a good primary computer for up to three years. My only concern with the imac is that a) it probably wouldn't be under warranty in Egypt, and that it stupidly comes only in 120V which means running it through a transformer and risking that someone plugs it in 220V by mistake.)
I could also try to sell my iBook and get a 12" powerbook, which is quite sweet, and a mac mini and get a display later. Or get a display now and mac mini later.
I'd appreciate any thoughts on this, keeping in mind that I'd like a relatively risk-free computer (had to replace the logic board on my ibook after a few months, for instance, but luckily I was in Turkey which has much better Mac repair centers.) I think the key question is whether to wait for imac rev. b, and just pay the extra $300 or so that the Apple refurb deal would save me.
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