On Sep 30, 2011, at 12:07 PM, Adrian Goldman wrote:
> I would disagree about the disk issue. That's not the failure mode we have seen in the iMacs. Fwiw. Anyway, if it were to fail you could just attach an external disk and continue merrily along - macs will boot from external FireWire (and I assume thunderbolt?) disks.
Yes, but I treasure my desktop and USB/Firewire port space ;)
My point is that replacing anything (video card, logic board, display card, drive) within an iMac is difficult. If the OP (like me) plans on keeping your computer for more than 5-7 years, then he/she might want to get something where replacing the hardware is easy.
I still have several fully functional dual processor PowerPC G5 from 2004 that work wonderfully for general desktop use. And it will still run most (CCP4/Phenix/Coot) crystallographic software.
>
> We are putting money where my mouth is. Our last five purchases have been i7 iMacs. It seems like quite a nice amount of oomph for the money.
Core i7? Then your macs are still quite young (i7's were introduced in 2010).
I'm talking a core 2 duo mac from 2007 (the iSight G5). Time will tell if the drives in 2010 were any better than then drives from 2007. I doubt it though.
F
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Francis E. Reyes M.Sc.
215 UCB
University of Colorado at Boulder
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