When Do You Buy A New Computer?

I already know I sound like a complete Mac fanatic.  After using Apple products for over 20 years, what can I say? 

It might surprise you to know that I don't own a single Intel Chip machine. That's right, Ms. Machead has an iMac PowerPC G5 and an a Powerbook PowerPC G4.  For those of you who have no idea what that means, let me phrase it more simply.  I'm running an iMac that's more than 2 years old and a laptop that's closer to 4.

Here's the question.  When is it time to buy a new machine?  Some people change their cars every 3 years.  While one friend of mine has over 300,000 miles on his Plymouth.  What kind of transportation are you looking for?

In late April, Apple upgraded the specifications of its iMac line.  Apple is still configuring its entry-level 20"  iMac with 1G of memory, although it's now a speedier 2.4GHz.  The 24" machine starts with a 2.8 GHZ processor and 2 Gigs of improved memory. 

Readers may recall from our March post that Meryl experienced an unbacked up disaster with her underpowered G4. Lately, My G5's been very slow.  I considered doubling the memory and installing a new hard drive to pep up performance.  It's certainly a cost effective improvement.

That's the path I would've taken until this past week.  Now that Apple's upped the speed again I'm taking the plunge and moving forward.  Why?

Logically, I should  be replacing my PowerBook and not my iMac.  My PowerBook is no longer covered by AppleCare, (Apple's service contract which extends warranty from an initial period of one year to three years of coverage).   Which means should a problem arise, I could face a costly repair.  Plus the PowerBook has less than a Gigabyte of memory and  a slow processor.  So why am I hanging onto it?

Apple doesn't make a 12" computer anymore.  The PowerBook is encased in robust metal and it's probably my favorite all time laptop. It's a kind of collector's item in the Mac universe. Yes, it's maddeningly slow from time to time, but this is a second machine for me.

I think Apple will unveil something along the lines of the MacBook Air in the next few months at a lower price point.  The MacBook Air is a glorious looking machine, touted as the world's thinnest notebook. At a starting price of $1799, it's not only got high style, it has a high price with too little bang for the buck.

For the same price I'll be getting a 24" machine with more memory, processor speed, etc. I happen to prefer working at my desk with a desktop machine.  Currently my iMac sports a 20" screen,my previous one was 17" and the one before that 15", I think.  24" is huge.  Positively luxurious.

The  iMac I own  still has 6 months of AppleCare on it.  Therefore, I can sell this machine to someone and they get the benefit of warranty repair.  If I wait until the AppleCare runs out, my machine will have less resale appeal.

Someone else who totes their computer from location to location might prefer the stylish and ultra light Macbook Air.  This is a case where basic transportation comes in a fancy (and costly) package.

So when do you buy a new computer? 

1) Always consider an upgrade path.  Increasing your memory and hard drive can make an appreciable improvement.  In many instances you can be adding years of life to your machine.

2) Do you still have a warranty?  Just like with a car, the older the machine, the more chance of costly repair.

3)  How important is the new and nifty?  Don't jump on the bandwagon every time a new machine comes along.  Evaluate what you have, what you need and what you'll get.

Before closing,  I'd like to add a couple of points to Backing Up Is Hard To Do (March 25th).

One of the key advantages of Leopard, its built-in backup system, Time Machine, is further enhanced with Time Capsule.  Time Capsule is a wireless device which seamlessly backs up onto its hard drive all of your computers using Time Machine.  I've just ordered a 500G version which will be enough to back up both my new 320G iMac and my current 160G PowerBook.  After the transition, I'll report on the results.

My current external drive will be employed as a repository for those items that don't need to be stored in the primary drive, but that I don't want to trash.  Back-up, don't crack up!