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wyzard · Dec 15, 2007, 08:35 PM

Good evening.

I'm looking to get an iMac very shortly. I will be using it mostly for internet, word processing, video editing and music.

I can get a new, in box white 24" iMac for $100 less than the cost of a new 20" high end aluminum (in US dollars). I want to get a 24" but was wondering... am I better off to get the new 24" low end aluminum or get a 24" white? Any input/thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks.

ghporter · Dec 15, 2007, 08:59 PM

I love my 2.4GHz 20" aluminum iMac. I have done video editing on it to a limited extent, my iTunes library (the database) resides on it, though the actual songs are on a network drive. I have had none of the storied problems you may have read about here, and am in fact using it right now. YMMV, but I doubt it. On the other hand, I do not game on this machine (though I do run Windows on it from time to time), so while video is fabulous for things like movies (I never knew what I was missing until I watched my first High Def trailer!), it may not be up to all of your demands. It seems to me that you have to break down the capabilities and limitations of each machine and decide what is most important to you in those terms.

mduell · Dec 15, 2007, 09:12 PM

White, especially given the price difference.
The aluminum upgrade is really marginal in terms of performance, and comes with its own set of headaches.

Macvoid · Dec 16, 2007, 02:50 AM

One major difference that may be important to you is the additional RAM. The White supports maximum 3GB, the AL supports 4GB. Also, the front bus speed is faster, 667MHz vs. 800MHz. I have the 24" 2.8 with 4GB RAM. I work on video/audio production and editing. It has exceeded my expectations. But, then again I came from 1GB of RAM.

Simon · Dec 16, 2007, 05:12 AM

Save some more money and get a 24" Al. The white iMac sounds like a good deal, but it's not very future-proof and compared to the Al it's not half as sexy IMHO.

andretan · Dec 16, 2007, 12:46 PM

You'll also be missing out on the FW800 port on the AL iMac...

It's not extremely useful, but its nice to have.

Just my thoughts. (I only have a Rev A Intel iMac but I see them new AL ones everyday.)

free lunch · Dec 16, 2007, 08:38 PM

I went for a refurb white iMac 24 from Apple because I cannot stand the glossy displays (plus it was a good $500 cheaper than a new Al iMac). But this is merely a personal preference.

I can see the future-proofing argument in favor of the Al, but frankly there will be little real-world difference that the improved bus speed and memory expansion option offer except in some special cases and situations.

Also, I use the FW800 port.

BTW, I find it is the most satisfying Mac (along with my 12" PB G4) I have ever owned.

wyzard · Dec 16, 2007, 08:58 PM

Hi free lunch.

So does the 24" white have a FW800 port? Getting conflicting information on that one.

Thanks.

mduell · Dec 16, 2007, 09:33 PM

Originally Posted by andretan

You'll also be missing out on the FW800 port on the AL iMac...

Originally Posted by wyzard

So does the 24" white have a FW800 port? Getting conflicting information on that one.

The final revision of the 24" white iMac did have a FW800 port. I'm not sure about other revisions and sizes.

irunat2am · Dec 16, 2007, 11:31 PM

I JUST got a refurbished white 24" 2.16ghz off the apple store, and ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! Most amazing thing I've ever owned. It DOES have FW800.

My big deciding factor was that I just absolutely hate glossy screens. The aluminums don't have SUPER bad reflection issues, but I still didn't like it.

I got the white 24" iMac, and 3 gigs of RAM for $1,480 total (RAM was from a different place).

You will absolutely love it. Huge discount. Huge screen. Huge happy face.

No matter which comp you decide on, you'll love it. Good luck with the purchase!

Simon · Dec 17, 2007, 06:32 AM

The 24" C2D iMac was the only white iMac to ever have a FW800 port. It's nice Apple put a FW800 on all new Al iMacs, but it's a shame they haven't brought FW800 to every Mac yet.

Veltliner · Dec 18, 2007, 01:03 AM

Originally Posted by wyzard

Good evening.

I'm looking to get an iMac very shortly. I will be using it mostly for internet, word processing, video editing and music.

I can get a new, in box white 24" iMac for $100 less than the cost of a new 20" high end aluminum (in US dollars). I want to get a 24" but was wondering... am I better off to get the new 24" low end aluminum or get a 24" white? Any input/thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks.

Depends on how important color accuracy is for you.

Even though many on this board do not agree, there is ample documentation, that the glossy screens cannot be color calibrated. This, and the reflections, make them useless for serious image work. That's why apple, I suppose, has done it, as the white 24" iMacs have eaten too much into the MacPro market.

The white 24" is a bargain at this time. It is a wonderful machine, and the display is gorgeous. Firewire 800 is great, if you do larger back-ups regularly, or transfer video files to an external hard drive.

I can't see the future proof argument making much sense. All computers get outdated, iMacs much faster than MacPros, no matter what body material. And as the performance of white and Al 24" is similar, why should an Al iMac be more future proof?

The 2,16 core 2 duo is a pretty up-to-date processor, and, as mduell has said, the performance gain of the AL 24" over the 24" white iMacs isn't that impressive.

I have the better video card in mine, the 7600GT, which is great.

True, I have a hum problem on my white 24" I haven't found the time to solve yet, but that can happen with any computer.

Only advantage of the AL iMac is the 4Gb Ram max advantage (white 24" max 3gb), and that doesn't kill the cat.

ghporter · Dec 18, 2007, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by Veltliner

Depends on how important color accuracy is for you.

Even though many on this board do not agree, there is ample documentation, that the glossy screens cannot be color calibrated. This, and the reflections, make them useless for serious image work. That's why apple, I suppose, has done it, as the white 24" iMacs have eaten too much into the MacPro market.

I don't know about "cannot" being accurate. It's harder, especially if you have to deal with reflections. In my location, my iMac has ZERO reflections, so adjusting the color has not been a problem. However, if there are reflections that you can't get away from, they make it harder-maybe much harder-to get a decent color calibration.

Originally Posted by Veltliner

The white 24" is a bargain at this time. It is a wonderful machine, and the display is gorgeous. Firewire 800 is great, if you do larger back-ups regularly, or transfer video files to an external hard drive.

I concur completely. Lovely machine.

Originally Posted by Veltliner

I can't see the future proof argument making much sense. All computers get outdated, iMacs much faster than MacPros, no matter what body material. And as the performance of white and Al 24" is similar, why should an Al iMac be more future proof?

Because it has newer components. That means (to me, anyway) that it will not become obsolescent as soon as the models it supplanted.

Originally Posted by Veltliner

Only advantage of the AL iMac is the 4Gb Ram max advantage (white 24" max 3gb), and that doesn't kill the cat.

Maybe not, but it does make things potentially much smoother.

For some reason a lot of people got extremely zealous about "their" iMac choice when the aluminum ones came out. I like the styling of the new one a bit better than the old one, and I have enjoyed the heck out of having it as my first Mac desktop machine. But my choice doesn't invalidate or attack other people's choices-in spite of the vigor and vitriol you see in the "curse you and your new iMac" bickering we've had here. Vetliner, you are absolutely correct: the White 24" iMac is a very good choice, but it has minuses to go with the pluses, just like the aluminum one does. Thanks for pointing out these factors with data and honesty instead of anger and innuendo.

Veltliner · Dec 18, 2007, 08:59 PM

ghporter, nobody attacks the alu imacs. They are great computers, but not for everybody. And a few differences to the white iMac makes that target group a little bit smaller than it was with the white iMac.

The OP wanted to know about the difference between a white and an alu iMac, and so I give him some clues.

The calibration issue is widely known. Nobody is throwing tomatoes (foul ones, unfit for iMac consumption) at the alu iMac. But for those that are depending on exact color, a glossy display is the wrong choice.

I'm sure you can get the reflection issue under control (on a viewing basis, but not for calibration).

But I still think it better for any kind of image work, to not have a pane of glass between me and the image. It's somehow more direct.

I like the white design better, you like the alu design better, that's fine.

After all, as long as there are no quarrels are simmering, it's perfectly alright and actually valuable to see the full range of opinions reflected in a particular thread.

Finally: to the OP: I bought the white 24" iMac for the reasons I mentioned, and not for the price drop. My next computer will, as the iMac line will probably stay glossy, a MacPro, but that's some time down the road, as I'm satisfied with the performance of the machine with its 3Gb RAM.

ghporter · Dec 18, 2007, 09:28 PM

In this thread, no, there isn't any "the aluminum iMac is trash", but if one were to search back to August, you'd see some seriously different kinds of "discussions" here. Many with a lot of "the aluminum iMac is trash" as their main thrust. That's what I'm covering with my statement above.

Please nobody take my reply to Vetliner as being "anti-White iMac"! I'm not at all. I just wanted to give some (not quite horribly overblown) commentary. Sorry if I came off otherwise. Finals. Christmas. FREAKIN' TELEMARKETERS FOR CHARITIES!!! You get the idea. Sorry.

Mojo · Dec 18, 2007, 11:59 PM

There is little appreciable difference hardware and performance-wise between the two iMac models. And 1GB of RAM more certainly isn't a big deal either... Both iMacs will become "obsolete" around the same time because there just isn't that large of a performance gap between the two models.

The major design change that will make a difference during daily use is the monitor screen. And having used both iMacs I am amazed at the claims by glossy iMac owners that the monitor really isn't all that reflective... On the contrary, it is very reflective, and the more light in the room the more reflective it becomes. And a reflective screen is a prime reason that computer users develop eye-strain that can lead to headaches.

I would not make a decision based on price alone... this is a piece of equipment that you could be using for years, so you better be sure that it suits you. I wouldn't buy either iMac model before you see them in person and decide for yourself which screen you prefer.

And regarding the $100 price difference... that doesn't seem like much of a deal to me. I've seen 24" white iMacs going for significantly less than that. On the other hand, maybe the price has gone up on remaining matte-screen iMacs due to the fact that they are becoming scarce and there are more than a few Mac users who cannot stomach the new glossy screens...

wyzard · Dec 19, 2007, 07:55 AM

Thanks for all the input.

The $100 price difference is betweet the 24" white and 20" "high end". There is actuall a $400 price difference between the 24" white and 24" "low end" aliminum.

Keep the comments coming. They've been extremely helpful.

Thanks again.

Mojo · 06:08 PM

Originally Posted by wyzard

The $100 price difference is betweet the 24" white and 20" "high end". There is actuall a $400 price difference between the 24" white and 24" "low end" aliminum.

Sorry I misread your post. That is a pretty good deal; Apple has been charging about that much for refurbs, and they tend to go fast.

If I remember correctly the new 20" iMacs use an inferior LCD than the previous generation 20" and 24" iMacs; the 24" aluminum iMac has an LCD that is comparable to the previous models. So if you are comparing the white 24" to a 20" aluminum that is another variable to consider.

BTW, if you decide to get the extended AppleCare warranty the best price I have found is at the L.A. Computer Company Web site; they tend to charge the educational discount rate, which is a substantial savings over the MSRP.

UPDATE: Apparently more than a few of the new iMacs have monitor problems that are causing a slew of posts on the official Apple forums and the Big Mac Is Not Happy:

Apple Censorship: This Time It's Displays

In fairness to Apple, there are other threads about the "gradient" issue on the Apple forums that have not been locked...

Apple - Support - Discussions - 24 inch iMac aluminum screen