I’m in need of a new computer. I know this because my powerbook needs to be rebuilt (I have a sick hard disk right now, which leads to sporadic crashes or the spinning beach ball of death), my old Redhat 9 base-station is too noisy for the flat we’re in here in Glasgow, and it’s well a over three years since I’ve bought a new computer: Reason enough for a hardware refresh, I’m sure the geeks reading this will agree.
So, what are the options? For some time now, I’ve been an apple fiend. Love them to bits. They’ve got everything I need: Unix under the hood, gloriously easy-to-use user interface, delightful to look at and use, and reasonably priced to-boot. However, I’m also a Linux systems administrator, and like the idea of having an always-on webserver to host various pictures, content and so on. This is where the mini-ITX comes in.
The idea here is to take laptop-technology, but put it in a small box that can be left in the corner doing very little indeed. I’m particularly taken by the ITX-W3 from ITX-Warehouse. It’ll do everything I want, but be quiet enough (and low-powered enough) to leave switched on in a cupboard and serve out content and services I’ve got in mind.
Problem is, even at £500, it’s a chunk of money for a computer I can’t do very much with. My laptop needs to be rebuilt, but it’s fundamentally sound. A new hard-disk perhaps and some more memory (OS X 10.3 seems slower as the upgrades keep coming) would get it back to working order. I’d also need a screen, and at £250, you’re up to £750 for a computer.
Which brings me to iBook price range. Now I like the iMac a lot. I love the G5 workstations too, but the G5 is a big beast, in need of a display as well, and not really suited to sitting in our flat. They’re a lot of money. Best part of £2k before you know it. So, iBook or iMac? Well, iBooks are laptops. I have one, and fancy a base station device for serving content, streaming music and so on.
Which brings me to the conclusion that an iMac is the best way to go. They’re aesthetically pleasing, very quiet, low-profile, have a decent flat-screen display, and last. So, whilst I was very tempted to pick one up in John Lewis today, I resisted the temptation. Good job too, as Apple have stopped shipping them directly, as they run their stock down. The new iMac - due next month - is rumoured to be a G5 based system, which is the best of both worlds.
So, watch this space. I’ve money to spend on a new computer, and it’s likely to be the new iMac G5 when it comes out next month. I just hope Apple get their stock sorted out (not something they’re good at really), so when I do order it, it arrives suitably quickly to repay me for my unusual patience here…. I’m still tempted by the mini-ITX mind… 
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