Downside of new iMac-Education

[wallah]

I'm on the verge of buying a mac. Lusting after an iMac, but can't quite afford it. Was going for a mini before I saw the new education iMac (wife employed at a univ so I can get it). A couple of questions for experienced mac users:
- The only video I anticipate making is transferring home movies from miniDV camcorder to CD/DVD for posterity. Do I need a DVD burner for this, or do CDs have sufficient capacity for recording a miniDV tape or two? I'm trying to figure out if I need the superdrive for my purposes, or if a CD burner will be sufficient.
- What do I lose out on by not getting the remote control feature for the new e/iMac? Haven't used a mac for years and can't anticipate what I might need the remote for. Trying to figure out if getting a remoteless mac is a bad decision for basic home computer use.

I know graphics, hard drive and Bluetooth are lower or not included, but I'm mostly interested in the drive and remote questions.

- Can anyone speculate on when the next version of the mini or iMac will come out? I want to buy now, but can wait a few months if current versions will be cheaper after new editions are released.

Your insights welcome and appreciated!

[jbstingray]

The remote is not a necessity, you need it for Front Row (which is basically a media center interface) and you can also use it to change the volume and stuff. It is for sure an accessory you don't really need.

The hard drive is nothing permanent, a firewire or USB drive could be added very easily.

The video card in the high-end iMac is for gaming, if you don't do much of that, 128mb will suffice for iMovie and all general system tasks.

People are expecting a revision at the WWDC later this year, but I think they might put it off until Q1 of 2007.

Hope this helps!

[wallah]

Thanks, that's the kind of info I'm looking for. Any thoughts on a superdrive vs the combo drive? I guess I'm wondering how much camcorder footage you can actually put on a CD. If I can get 30-60 minutes of video onto a CD, then the Combo drive will work for me.

I haven't done much CD/DVD burning, so I don't have a clue.

[devo]

[Greentimbers]

The emac has the same graphics setup as the mini, Intel 950 integrated.


From Apple.ca

The 17-inch 1.83 GHz iMac, for a suggested education price of $999 (CAN), includes:

* 17-inch widescreen LCD display;
* 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo processor;
* 512MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 2GB;
* 24x Combo drive;
* Intel GMA 950 graphics;
* built-in iSight video camera;
* built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking;
* 80GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
* mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
* built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
* Mighty Mouse and Apple Keyboard.

Build-to-order options and accessories include up to 2GB DDR2 SDRAM, 160GB Serial ATA hard drive, iWork™ ’06 (pre-installed), Apple Remote and Apple USB Modem.

That is one of the reasons it is so much cheaper then the regular imac.
_________________


Folding on a Intel Mini

[devo]

[polvoronn]

one minidv tape is roughly 12gb when imported (60min). There would be a massive loss of quality if you compressed even one minidv to fit on to a cd. There's also the option of breaking up one tape into even portions to fit on to a cd, but you would have to burn multiple times to back up one minidv. I've personally never looked at an external dvd burner, but that may be something you'd want to consider if you end up purchasing an e/imac with minidv's in mind.

[wallah]

Thanks for the info folks. My first computer was a PowerBook 160, then when some parts broke, I inherited an IBM PII/133 box. Sure learned a lot about Windoze security! Got a few more bucks now and am ready rejoin the Mac universe.

Is there any real difference in speed between an external 16x DVD burner, vs Apple's 8x Superdrive?

[polvoronn]

[picaman]

[wallah]

Thank you, everyone, for your replies. As someone returning to the Mac universe after an extended absence, I really appreciate the help from this community. As one of my colleagues would say, "Good on ya!"