Am considering buying a new one later this year and would be interested in any pros/cons from users. Perhaps a link to a forum? It seems that I would need an external Apple USB SuperDrive to install new software and play and burn both CDs and DVDs. Is this correct? Re timing of purchase - would it be worth waiting for Yosemite to come installed?
I'm often asked "when is the best time to buy" and I usually say just after Apple have launched a new model and John Lewis reduce the price of the outgoing one(s) they have in stock making them a bargain!
You would need an external optical drive if you wish to burn or play optical discs but it doesn't have to be Apple (although they do match rather well). It's becoming increasingly rare to find software that only comes on disc - most is downloaded.
Wait for Yosemite? I've just flipped a coin - would you like to call? ;-)
Mike's 'latest v. recent' is still the big option, but don't expect the superseded price offer to be that big. RAM and drive capacity may be a decider as processor speed hikes aren't that huge, although with the 'latest model' the cut-off for system upgrades may be longer.
Check the Apple DVD drive carefully, reports suggest it may only be useful with Apple's non-DVD models, whereas another manufacturers' models are 'universal' -- something to do with Apple's media copyright commitments.
Roy Rainford 