The problem: As frequently as every 5-10 minutes (but not always), the hard disk will grind away for a good 5 seconds and slow down the rest of the computer. I haven't found a pattern in the frequency ...
I have a friend who is going to be getting his first Mac. I am trying to help him choose between a used Mid-2010 27" iMac that has a 2.93GHz Arrandale Core i7 and a 256GB SSD and a stock refurb ...