Should I buy a 2008 iMac?

For a almost 8 year old machine this is way too much money. You should look at an Apple Refurbished machine. Then you can buy a machine this is up-to-date, has the same warranty as new, is virtually identical to a new machine and can add AppleCare to it and save you hundreds of dollars. If you are not familiar with this option, navigate to:

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac

If you don't see what you want, check back frequently they sell quickly and the web page can change by the hour.

I agree with rkaufmann87 wholeheartedly, that's too much money for too little iMac. The use you have planned for it will bring that iMac to it's knees it short order. You need at least an i5 processor and the ability to add lots of ram. Apple factory refurbished is your best bet if you're on a tight budget.

I still say get the refurb, if you have okay credit then Apple has a finance plan that is pretty reasonable. If you have your heart set on the 2008, $200 bucks if it's working perfectly.

You can't put Applecare on any machine unless it is brand new or refurbished from Apple. I will add a third opinion: paying this much for a 7 year old computer is not recommended. Even if you get it for half that, it will not do what you need it for. And, you can only have a maximum of 4 (per Apple) or 6 GB (per OWC) RAM which will barely run the OS, email, and some online surfing with any of the newer OS versions.

I'd recommend at least an i5 - i7 is better for graphic design and animation - and at least 12 - 16 GB of RAM minimum.

babowa wrote:

You can't put Applecare on any machine unless it is brand new or refurbished from Apple. I will add a third opinion: paying this much for a 7 year old computer is not recommended. Even if you get it for half that, it will not do what you need it for. And, you can only have a maximum of 4 (per Apple) or 6 GB (per OWC) RAM which will barely run the OS, email, and some online surfing with any of the newer OS versions.

I'd recommend at least an i5 - i7 is better for graphic design and animation - and at least 12 - 16 GB of RAM minimum.

+1

I completely understand your issues of not being able to afford a new or refurb Mac.

I couldn't afford a new Mac ,spec'd out as I needed myself, a couple of years ago, and bought used from a reputable Mac reseller and got two iMacs for a little more than the price for just one.

AND, just for the record, the refurb store section of the Apple website doesn't offer THAT big a discount. Maybe 15% or so, at the most, on Macs (I have seen seen 20% on Apple iDevices, though, that's pretty good).

I kinda disagree with what everyone is saying about what your friend wanting $500 for that iMac being too high.

All the regular users here know that Macs keep their value much longer than PCs.

My best friend just sold his 2008, 24 inch screen iMac on eBay for over $800! in pristine condition with a brand new install hard drive that he did , himself.

But anyhow...

My colleagues are right about the 2007/2008 iMac models not being powerful enough and not being able to hold enough RAM to be able to run newer versions of OS X well.

They are 7-8 year old Macs that you'll only find yourself struggling with if you decide to run the newer OS X versions and much newer software.

However, if your goal is still to find a relatively cheap, but good condition used Mac, I would stick to looking at later late 2009 models and newer as these Mac models can, usually, take a minimum of 16 GBs of RAM and many up to 32 GBs. Also, look to those later Mac models with i5 and i7 Intel CPUs.

Forget about the lower i3 dual core (core2duo) Intel CPU Mac models.

For doing video work, a minimum of an i5 CPU will be much better and you still have the needed graphics power for doing regular graphics work.

If you can, try and buy a used Mac from a local, but reputable computer/Mac reseller or from a reputable online Mac reseller.

Their prices maybe higher for used models, but a reputable reseller will look over their used Macs, and some offer better warranties on their used Apple products and computers than just 30 days from the time of sale.

IF, you must look to eBay, caveat emptor (buyer beware).

Make sure the seller has a good reputation for selling legitimate and good quality used electronic/computer items and spend some time and communicate with that eBay seller about the Mac that he/she is selling on eBay.

Get all of the info and facts that you can about a Mac selling on eBay.

There are just too many scam artists on eBay selling illegal, defective or problematic Macs of Apple devices online.

Good Luck to you!i

A 2008 iMac with 4GB is worth no more than $300 unless it has a newly upgraded hard drive. Running 10.8 and with only 4GB there’s no way you could reasonably run up to date graphics or animation software. (I believe it can be upgraded to a max of 6GB.)

If you cannot afford an Apple refurb then be very careful about used. There are good deals to be had on eBay and Craig’s List but there’s enough junk floating around that I wouldn’t trust it. I’d look to a local reseller or online reseller of used Macs who will offer at least a 90 day guarantee. If you have any independent resellers, check them out. Many, like the store I work for part time, accept well treated machines as trade-ins and resell them at minimal to reasonable mark-ups. My boss looks at these used computers as a ‘gateway’ computer to an eventual new sale.