Macbook vs. iMac
 

I'm highly considering to get myself a new scrapping machine since my 6-year-old Macbook is now super duper slow with PS CS5.

For iMac owners, how long have you had it and has it ever needed any kind of maintenance since purchase? What I mean is, did you add more RAM after 3+ years down the road to speed the machine up, or upgraded a hardware inside it... things like that?

I asked this coz my Macbook's battery had to be replaced after 3-4 years since purchase, RAM & HDD upgraded after the same period...it's a great machine but I'm wondering if iMac requires less maintenance?

I'm sure you'll find someone who will tell you that their iMac still runs after 6 years with no upgrades, that doesn't mean it's a good idea. :D 3-4 years is pretty standard in my experience especially when you're using your computer a lot for high demand programs like Photoshop. Doesn't mean you can't go longer but eventually the hardware is going to wear out or it's going to become so slow it'll just be frustrating to use. That's just the nature of technology - it doesn't last forever.

I've had my iMac for about 2 years, and I haven't had to do anything. Besides graphics, I am a bit of a gamer as well, no issues at all. If I have to upgrade it a bit in a year or so, I'd be ok with it!

I'll have to agree with Nettio, that the most you can really expect is 3-4 years. That being said, I definitely prefer upgrading because my 5 year old Mac Mini can no longer keep up with over my 2 year PC suddenly crashing. After replacing 2 PCs in less than 5 years, we decided to go with the Mac Mini this time. The iMac and the MacBooks were tempting, but the Mini was the best choice for us economically. Edited to add: with the Mini, you pretty much have to decide what you want in terms of memory, etc., when you purchase.

Price wise you are going to get more out of an iMac (ram, storage, etc) than a Macbook but the portability and convenience of a macbook can be a plus.

I'm on year 4 of my latest imac and just ordered some RAM today to upgrade it. It's fine now just a little slow