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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Desktops > Buy now? Buy later? What to do?

Buy now? Buy later? What to do?
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Burn
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Dec 14, 2001, 11:41 PM
 
Hello,

The opportunity has arrived for me to sell my current home G4 for a very reasonable price (to me of course) and as of 5pm today it is sold.

So, now I need a new home machine. There's so much to consider!
I am going to go around my local shops to see what deals they have.. find out what everyone has to say about MacWorld in January (I can wait until then, and for the month or two for a new machine to ship), but should I wait?

I have been a little out of the loop (I am a hoog macadvocate/hobbyist), but I work on a tit's out G4 system all day too, so I am not tooooo crazy about getting the newest thing either (although I do want a NEW machine).

I currently have a 17"ASD CRT as well.. so is it as simple as picking up a Radeon or some kickAZZ PCI card and hooking it all up? There is a program on right now that if I buy before Dec 31 you can get a 17" LCD for almost 1/2 price. SAWEET.

Any help or opinion would be appreciated, thank you

[ 12-14-2001: Message edited by: Burn ]
     
Fyre4ce
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Dec 14, 2001, 11:52 PM
 
Point 1) To me, at least, there is no sense in buying a machine now (unless you need one). With MWSF inside of a month, you're probably going to get your choice of quicksilvers at a discount, or new models. Either way, it pays to wait a few weeks.

Point 2) Personally, I'm still not into LCD displays. They're just too expensive. If you want a nice display I would suggest a flat CRT. $1000 will buy you the nicest one on the market. If desk space is scant, that's another issue.
Fyre4ce

Let it burn.
     
KidRed
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Dec 15, 2001, 12:10 AM
 
Silly question, it really is
All Your Signature Are Belong To Us!
     
Burn  (op)
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Dec 15, 2001, 12:10 PM
 
Ok, I figured MWSF would be worth the wait, but do you think Apple is anymore on top of their supply problems? I don't really know much more about that, other than what I see here.. are people just bitches? IS there a problem?

Rubbing hands together.. I do seem to remember that Apple would bring out the newer gear at the same (or very very near) current retail pricing, how cheap do you think a dual 800 will go after MWSF? hrrmmm

Fyre4ce: thank you for the monitor comment. I will be picking up a new monitor as well, I just needed one comment to sway me off LCD. CRT's are hoog, but they really are still the top. Dumb consideration of me really. I can see now why they're on sale, clearing channels for new machines.. must be something BIG!?

[ 12-15-2001: Message edited by: Burn ]
     
BobK
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Dec 15, 2001, 12:22 PM
 
Buy now, I just landed a 733 G4 at work. It is a great machine.
runs OSX fast.
It is rumored that the G5's will be out soon. They will be double the speed and I am sure will cost alot more. I don't think the speed will be noticeable- When I use my new machine I can't see how the apps or OS could run faster. There is currently no waiting.
I have the 15" lcd- did not like it at first, but it has really grown on me- bright crisp, my eyes don't seem to get burnt out at the end of a long day either....
Just my opion right now...
     
Tristrami
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Dec 15, 2001, 04:11 PM
 
Buy now. All of the incentives will be roughly equal to the relative discount that new machines at macworld will cause. It's not like they go 1/2 price or something

Also, if you want any BTO machine order immediately...there have been several reports of delays on non-off-the-rack G4 supplies.
     
<bozo the clown>
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Dec 15, 2001, 04:16 PM
 
It depends on what you're planning on getting. Usually the high end machine drop a lot, often down to half their preMacWorld price, whereas the lowend stuff usually only drops by a couple hundred bucks.
     
rhino_g3
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Dec 15, 2001, 10:39 PM
 
Won't the 800Mhz G4 be sold at the current price of the 733Mhz G4 after MacWorld? The 800Mhz will become the low end tower will it not?

rhino_g3
     
NeoMac
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Dec 15, 2001, 11:08 PM
 
Buy now and regret it later, is what I say.

"Last time the French asked for more evidence, it rolled through France with a German flag." - David Letterman
     
<minorstrachan>
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Dec 16, 2001, 04:03 AM
 
Fire 4 ice,
what are you talking about LCD's are too expensive, You can get 2 of the 3 apple makes for $1000 or less ($600) for the 15 inch. As someone who has been looking very intently and very long at computer monitors ( I've been editing film and video on a computer for 5 years now) I will tell you that the LCDs are not only worth it for the money just for image improvement, but worth the cost of eyestrain you DON't get while looking at one. There are specs on the matter but I think the average LCD is 1/3 brighter than a CRT and with 2 or 3 times the contrast level. That is good news for your eyes and from the amount of posts you've got here I imagine you spend alot of time looking at a monitor. Buy an LCD you will thank yourself later. ; )

Minor Strachan
     
Burn  (op)
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Dec 16, 2001, 01:01 PM
 
One thing I am worried of is Apple's 1st generation technology.. most recently - the first G4 speed bump and the problems associated with the Yikes boards..

The current machines out right now are all tried and tested models. I wonder how drastic the changes will be at MWSF.. I suspect decent performance boosts, but not much more ??? I expect the 867 to be the base machine at the very least.. sounds more like it's worth the wait.

Minor Strachan : does the ghosting on LCD's not drive you insane? I have had several notebook computers (all Apple and the most disappointing things to me, that I still see today - altered images associated wth viewing angles, slighly less quality color (I work about 90% in print), dead pixels (one would send me overboard, waiting for 3 or 5 or whatever for replacement is not acceptale to me).. there are more.. but basically the technology needs a bit more tweaking before I will jump from th CRT's.
     
Burn  (op)
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Dec 16, 2001, 01:03 PM
 
dang Back button - apologies

[ 12-16-2001: Message edited by: Burn ]
     
<minorstrachan>
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Dec 16, 2001, 03:47 PM
 
Hey Burn,

Yea, you are right about the "dead Pixels" I didn't even know thast if you got five you could exchange. I have one and it is annoying. But I'm pretty sure that there is shareware that finds and nullifies them. I just haven't gone and gotten it yet. And I also agree the the first Gen.s weren't that hot. But I love the hells out of mines. I've got the 15in. "studio display" and again, it is a dream on the eyes. I came from two 21-inch sony CRTs and I get flash backs everytime I look into a CRT, its strange, but they are just ALOT darker. I would kill for a cinema dis. I've seen them in the apple store up close and personal, they are phenomenal. As far as mac world, there will be a new G4 (the apollo) and possibly, but not likely a G5. I'd definately wait to buy, if not only for the price break in existing equip.

Minor
     
Smokerz
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Dec 16, 2001, 10:15 PM
 
if your looking for a speed burst with OSX then buy later..if you are running OS9 buy now ..if the spped of OSX satisfies you currently then buy now...look for a deal...best pter currently for running OSX for speed is the DP800 and nothing else.
     
PipelineStall
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Dec 16, 2001, 10:45 PM
 
Precisely how is it possible for software to "nullify" dead pixels?

Dead pixels aren't caused by anything to do with software. EG: A bug where garbage data is written to the frame buffer, but only with an LCD display attached. Instead, they are physical defects in the display; be they malfunctioning transistors or whatever.

[ 12-16-2001: Message edited by: PipelineStall ]
     
JUnderwood
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Dec 16, 2001, 11:09 PM
 
maybe you are like me. I had a dual 450 that i wanted to sell before the price dropped way to much. so i added a cdrw to it. (leaving the dvd in it too) and ebayed it. I thought about powerbook but decided for a 867.
If you are upgrading, do it now before new desktop come out. if you wait you may not get much of anything for it.
     
Burn  (op)
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Dec 17, 2001, 10:10 PM
 
JUnderwood : thanx - I already sold my machine - I need advice on buying a new one

minorstrachan : good luck with that dead pixel/software solution (a dead pixel is a physical defect - software can't touch it

I guess I will probably be looking at a)a dual 800 machine after they're marked down huge (local store has one) or b)base or mid model new (announced at mwsf) machine. Probably a 20" Viewsonic addition soon after.

Thank you for your help guys.
     
   
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