Apple at Costco

No, but they are very basic models. Personally I'd buy a custom configuration directly from Apple. If you decide to use Costco, whatever you do DO NOT buy a 21.5" model or you will be very disappointed in their performance. I would recommend that you purchase the following minimum configurations:

• 21.5" model, minimum of 16GB of RAM and the largest SSD you can afford.
• 27" model, base 8GB of RAM and upgrade the RAM to 16-32 GB using Crucial.com or Macsales.com RAM. Purchase the largest SSD you can afford.

On both models, avoid spinning hard drive models including Fusion drives.

8GB of RAM was good about 7-8 years ago when Mac OS was not as demanding. Now 8 GB is considered the absolute bare minimum so buying a 21.5" with 8GB is discouraged. As mentioned , the 27" models RAM can be upgraded however the 21.5" models CANNOT upgrade the RAM so this is why when considering a 21.5" get a minimum of 16 GB.

The reason for the SSD is simple, speed and reliability. The major bottleneck on all computers is using a traditional spinning HD, a SSD is solid state means no parts which translates into high reliability and less noise, so please strongly consider a SSD based Mac. Yes, they cost a bit more however long after the money is spent you will be pleased with your purchase and not thinking about how much it cost. I'm as cost conscious as the next guy but I also know the value of a SSD compared to a traditional HD.

They come off the same assembly line in China.

Kenneth wrote:

I spend an awful lot of time watching the spinning ball. I'm retired, so don't use it for what many younger people use theirs for. I don't watch movies on it. Question is, will 8 GB have me seeing the spinning ball less?

No. The spinning beach ball is due to the rotational hard drive, not a lack of RAM. That is why rkaufmann87 wisely recommends a solid state drive (SSD). Here are some launch time data to illustrate, taken from one of my Macs:

Base system as shipped:

4GB RAM and slow SATA 3GBps 5400rpm hard drive: Office and Photoshop Elements took 15-18 seconds to be ready to use.

First upgrade, doubling the RAM:

8GB RAM and slow SATA 3GBps 5400rpm hard drive: Office and Photoshop Elements took 15-18 seconds to be ready to use.

Second upgrade, inexpensive solid-state drive (SSD):

8GB RAM and fast SATA 6GBps SSD: Office and Photoshop Elements take under 4 seconds to be fully ready to use.

The factory SSD that Apple installs is rated much faster than the aftermarket model I used.

And remember, you cannot add RAM to a 21.5-inch iMac after purchase at home The case was not intended to be opened by end users; professional installation is practically mandatory. Labor alone would be about two hours and, in my market, labor is billed at abut US$75/hour. Basically you do not have an upgrade path from what you start with.

You can add RAM at home in the 27-inch iMac through a convenient trapdoor on the back of the case, but they have the same issue with opening the case. Itis very difficult to increase the size of the SSD after purchase, so buy what you think you will need in 2-3 years now.

Allan

also retired and lovin' it!

Were I forced to choose between RAM and an SSD, I'd much rather put up with 8GB RAM instead of the mech drives Apple is currently using. You can get a smaller factory SSD (IMHO, no smaller than 256GB though) and use an inexpensive USB external for storing things like photos that take up a lot of disk space.

Best of luck with your purchase.