Is this a good deal?

[JSK_14]

Hey there, this is my first post! Sorry it is so long and if i haven't assigned it in the correct area. I just wanted to ask you guys whether you think this is a good deal for this year's imac. I've never had an imac before but I've been wanting one for a while as I heard they are really good and they look amazing! I want to keep it at 21.5 inches rather than a 27 inch one because (although this sounds crazy) I just about have room for this size let alone a bigger one in my room. Also was wondering how long do you reckon this imac will last and would it be easy to upgrade in the future. FYI, it will be used for regular work like writing documents, email, browsing and the general computer use stuff rather than heavy video editing and stuff. Also also (sorry about this) I would upgrade to ssd but the price for that is too much for me just in case anyone suggests that. The details for it are below. Thank you!!

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS

3.4 GHz Intel Core i5 Quad-Core
8GB of DDR4 RAM | 1TB Fusion Drive
21.5" 4096 x 2304 IPS Retina 4K Display
AMD Radeon Pro 560 Graphics Card (4GB)
UHS-II SDXC Card Reader
Thunderbolt 3 | USB 3.0 Type-A
802.11ac Wi-Fi | Bluetooth 4.2
1 x Gigabit Ethernet Port
Magic Keyboard & Magic Mouse 2 Included
macOS Sierra

All for $1399 (a.k.a £1055 (I'm from the UK))
Is that worth it?

 

[honestone]

First, what exact iMac model is it? The year the model was manufactured would help a lot.

Secondly, is this a used or refurbished machine?

Third, be aware that sometimes Fusion drives can be troublesome with a new version of a Mac OS. That is the case right now for High Sierra, OS 10.13.

 

[JSK_14]

It's from 2017 and it's brand new

 

[honestone]

Thanks for the information. For now, that price of $1399 US is "good". Here it is on the "US Version" of Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Apple-Retina-Display-MNE02LL-Version/dp/B072JW4Z9S

The reason I say "For now" is that Black Friday, in the US, is not too far away, and I suspect this model will be on sale. The other concern is that the "HDD part" of the Fusion Drive spins at only 5400 rpm. But maybe that speed is OK for you. For me, I would much prefer to have a "pure" SSD inside the machine.

From this:

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/iMac+I...K+Display+(2017)+Hard+Drive+Replacement/92700

it would not be easy to replace the HDD "part" of the Fusion Drive on your own. So, what you need to do to try and keep this iMac, with the slow 5400 rpm drive, running smoothly and somewhat "quickly" are:

1. Perform disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs, from a software perspective, on a frequent basis. You actually can do a good amount of disk cleanup on your own, and there are some excellent products available (both free and commercial) to help with those tasks. Two I would recommend are Onyx. It is free, and available from here:

https://www.titanium-software.fr/en/onyx.html

Note that there is specific version of Onyx for each Mac OS.

The other one is TechTool Pro:

https://www.micromat.com/products/techtool-pro

2. For the HDD "piece" of the Fusion Drive, I would recommend frequent file and volume optimization (don't do it on the "SSD" part of the Fusion Drive). While it's been stated that the Mac OS takes care of this, I do not believe it. Fortunately, if your purchase TechTool Pro, it contains routines for doing exactly those two very helpful tasks.

IN any event, if you buy this iMac, congratulations! Just keep it "lean, mean, and clean", an dit should last you quite a while. And of course don't forget frequent backups to an external device. That is such a critical, mandatory, and important task!

 

[JSK_14]

Hi there, thanks so much for the response. Sorry I didn't respond any sooner but I think I'm gonna take your advice and wait till Black Friday/Cyber Monday for any better deals. I appreciate the time and effort you put into this response. Thanks so much!!