A $600 dollar iMac question... 21.5" or 27"

I'm bouncing back and forth trying to decide which one is more bang for my buck. I don't think I will be purchasing Photoshop or Lightroom but will use Apperture and other cheaper Photo editing software such as Pixelmator. I have been using Windows all my life and this would be my first time to break away.

I'm caught in the bigger is better mentality at the moment. I need some level headed advice ... if that's possible.

Thanks

27-inch iMac

3.4GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2GB GDDR5
Total cost = $2,299.00

or

21.5-inch iMac

2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
Total cost = $1,699.00

* Memories to be upgraded by me later.
** I haven't decided if I will take the AppleCare Protection Plan.

I use a 19in monitor at home, that's plenty big enough for me 2.8 GHz to 3.4GHz is an almost imperceptible change in speed for most things. The video card won't help much except games.

Personally, between those two, if you want to be practical go for the cheaper one.

I'd buy the parts and make a hackintosh, personally, if I wanted MacOS.

When editing bigger is always nice.
But, the iMAC has a port that permits adding a second monitor. That is even better.
I'd go with the smaller screen and then add a good second monitor for an even better environment.
And as Tim said, the processor difference is less important than the memory.

Thanks for both your input.

Sorry no hack. I want to completely jump in with both feet. Apple all the way this time.

The 21.5" one I'm sitting in front of now is huge. It basically allows you to look at 8x10 prints at real size...the 27" also chews up a ton of room on your desk.

Canajun wrote in post #13029246
Sorry no hack. I want to completely jump in with both feet. Apple all the way this time.

If gpu processing is important to you (Aperture, Final Cut X, Pixelmator) then the 27" will be substantially better. Adobe is also starting to use the gpu more and under OS X many apps are being written to use it for general computing tasks as well.

get the 21" and use the $600 for another LCD... a used 23" Apple Cinema HD Display would rock!

I've been shopping for a new monitor these past few months and also looked at some screens from a few years back, none bigger than 22 inch. Yet in the reviews they talk about how big this 22" screen is.

Now it seems 24" is too small and one needs at least 27". I say, it's just what you are used to. I have been using a 20" iMac for years and never felt the need to go bigger.

I'd get the 21.5" and maybe get a second screen for palettes. You could make that a crappy TN screen. Costs nothing and you could check how your stuff looks on the type of screen that most people use. And spend some money on more RAM, as 4 GB is not enough.

If your not doing video editing, get the i5 and 27", having that big 27" in front of you is nice. i7 has HT so it would be better for video editing.

Canajun wrote in post #13027247
.......

I'm caught in the bigger is better mentality at the moment. I need some level headed advice ... if that's possible.
........

Look, I'm a fiscally conservative guy. But, too me, this really is a "no brainer" if you have the money and space.

Let me ask you, do you see the advantage of having a resolution of 2560x1440 over 1920x1080?

Disregarding the difference in processor speed, the size of the screen allows for looking at images, in detail, side by side. It will speed up workflow and save time. If that is something you value then how much is it worth to you?

I can tell you personally I often put pictures full screen of a 27" to PP. I don't see why anyone would limit themselves to a 21" unless there were barriers to purchasing.

The only question I would have is if I should wait for new retina displays that will prob. be 2-4x higher resolution.

thanks a lot for the sound advice. It looks like the 21.5 is winning the battle. The price difference is not reasonable enough. I could put that money toward a good UWA instead. And as my nephew bluntly put it. Less talk more action, so I'm heading to the store tomorrow.

I went for the 27 and really enjoy the larger screen thus far.