I had it all sussed. I was going to lead a completely iPadPro lifestyle. I researched the apps I absolutely needed. They were either already ported to the iPadPro, the developers were planning to, or I found a suitable substitute.

Then reality barged in.

First, there’s the hardware. I was torn between either the 11” or 12.9”. Either way, I have always bought refurbished as I trust them more, they cost less, and you get the same warranty as if it were new.

(Let me explain as to why I trust them more. If you purchase new, it could be unit 5,628 to come down the line that day. If it’s refurbished, it could have been sent back for some sort of failure but it equally could have been returned for something as minor as a scratch on the screen or body, or the recipient simply didn’t want it. Grandma didn’t know they preferred Windows.

Either way, to refurbish it, a tech had to sit with it one-on-one and bring it back to spec. So you’re getting a Mac that received personal attention for several hundred less plus the same warranty. Sounds like a winner to me!)

But then Apple released what will most likely be the last Intel iMac. If you buy the base 3.3GHz model with 8GB RAM and install minimally another 16GB on your own bringing the total to 24GB of RAM, there’s the base storage of a 512GB SSD, get the $100 10Gb Ethernet (I likely won’t use it but it will help the resale value), and I already have a Magic Trackpad and Keyboard 2 so I can sell the accompanying ones, I will have a powerful, future-proof machine with a 5K 27” screen for roughly $2k!

Then human nature kicks in. Do I roll the dice and see if one of the first ARM machines is an iMac? After all, the 21” received no love this year and there are those rumored 24”, iPad looking iMacs to wonder about. Small bezels with a gorgeous form factor. And do I chance owning a first gen computer?

Second, even though I did find my main software or suitable substitutes, there are still several that would drive a stake in my heart to leave behind. I know of replacements that would suffice but I’ve used some of these apps for a decade or more. They’re my old chums!

Now if I buy the 27” Intel iMac, there’s no shame. Great bang for the buck.

But how hard would I kick myself if they did release a 24” redesigned iMac at the end of this year or the beginning of next? Again, it would be bleeding edge and I’d be part of R&D, but still. Aaaaaargh!

Looking back while proof reading this article, I realize that I have totally drifted away from my initial concept, an all iPadPro workflow. OK, so far no FCPX but LumaFushion is making inroads. And they did an ARM demo of FCPX working on an ARM chip at WWDC.

For audio work, Cubasis is on the scene. I can still use Ulysses, my favorite writing tool.

Granted I loose a gorgeous screen and a host of I/O ports. But I save (even after purchasing hubs and such) several hundred dollars. Plus I gain mobility.

Honestly, as I read this, I find that agonizing over this during these times is embarrassingly petty and pitiful. I’m wrestling over which computer to buy while there’s a pandemic raging, people loosing their houses and jobs, and many don’t know where their next meal will be coming from.

Maybe I need to buy a set of priorities, instead.

©2020 Frank Petrie