I agree with you, Jason. The retail version is by far the better value, though some students (and their parents) may be on a tight budget and that extra two C notes might make the difference between getting a Mac or getting a second rate HP all in one.
As for the wisdom of getting a student a desktop rather than a laptop or even an iPad/keyboard combo I would posit that there are indeed a few majors that the muscle and screen of the iMac would swing the pendulum toward that purchase. Graphic arts of nearly any kind might be a venue for the desktop. Engineering and perhaps others would also benefit from the extra muscle and screen of the desktop.
That said I am sitting in front of a very nice AOC 22" monitor hooked up to my aging, but still sexy, black MacBook. Along with my Magic Trackpad and BT keyboard my BMB simply sits closed behind the monitor, ready at a moment's notice to fly across the country with me.
I guess the bottom line is that choice is nearly always a good thing.
Good review.
Apple quietly launched a lower-price 21-inch iMac on its Apple Store for Higher Education — seemingly in time to capture some of the lucrative back-to-school market. My question: Does anyone still buy desktop computers for students going to college?
The new iMac configuration has its own knowledgebase article, but is listed as “education only” so it’s not available on the regular Apple Store. Faculty and students from qualifying higher-education institutions can purchase the new iMac for $999. Here are the specs:
- 3.1GHz Intel Core i3 Dual-Core
- 2GB RAM
- 250GB Hard Drive
- AMD Radeon HD 6750 with 256 MB
The new educational iMac is $200 cheaper than the retail 21-inch iMac which ships with better specs:
- 2.5GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
- 4GB RAM
- 500GB hard drive
- AMD Radeon HD 6750M with 512MB
So, for $200 more you get a faster CPU, faster clock speed, double the RAM, double the HDD, and double the video RAM. I don’t know about you, but I’m thinking that the retail model is a much better deal.
Update: Seth Weintruab notes that the same iMac configuration with 4GB and 500GB can be had for only $929 refurbished. This is the best deal of all, but if you’re in the market you may want to hurry up though, some refurbs tend to sell out quickly.
