Well, my Sony PC blew up earlier today:( It gave me 7 good years…
I’m considering an iMac to replace it. I know I can get a really well spec’ed pc from HP or one of the other big name pc manufacturers for under $1000.00, but the iMac has my attention. For those of you running an iMac desktop do you feel it is worth the premium? For my purposes: internet, photos, videos (Flip share), and I do alot of lesson plans for firearms instruction for my PD. Let me know what you guys suggest.
I have a few buddies of mine who swear they would never consider another pc since they got their Mac.
This is a complex question. I run macs, and I am a visual artist, and I work with images on a daily basis. My computer is a power horse, but it is 5 years out of date. It is still running strong, and I am still capable of taking a 500 MB image edited in CS4 on my studio computer, and loading it on my home computer to do minor color adjustments, and size adjustments. It is slow, but it still makes its money.
My computer is a tool for my job, and on a forum that promotes the best tool for the money, I would say you should appreciate that extra money will help you out if you intend on pushing the tool to its limit.
But, that said, if you have no need for anything other then something to store low DPI photos, browse the web, and make power points, a PC will do you fine. Also my sisters husband is an engineer and he wont run a mac because despite recent advances with Rhino, he swears that having a PC is the best in regards to using any sort of CAD programs.
I have considered a mac several times over the years. The price differential is always what brings me back to the PC, as well as just basic familiarity with the PC. I’ll be interested to see the responses you get.
That is also a huge downside for me. As an Architect all the software I use with the exception of Sketchup is PC only. 3D Studio used to be available for MAC untill Autodesk [those bastards] bought it.
I have to be running a PC at work, even though some Arch firms run MAC and use ArchiCAD, which is the European version of REVIT which runs on MAC OS. At home I have a MacBook Pro and and looking to get the 27" (2)Quad Core iMac this summer. If I have to take work home with me, I can just boot into windows for the time being, but at all other times I can run MAC OS and not worry about anything. I have yet to be able to crash my MacBook Pro with PS CS3, Il CS3, Sketchup, and ArchiCAD all running at the same time.
If you have the money, I would go for the iMac. You do not have to go nuts and get the 27" dual quad core machine, you can get the 21.5" guy for $1200… I think its an awesome machine.
The MacBook Pro models combine great styling and design (and a backlit keyboard for those late night work sessions in your back yard) with phenomenal performance. They now run Windows XP either within OS X using Parallels or by dual boot using Boot Camp. These laptops provide a 3Gb maximum for RAM, but can be outfitted with 4Gb of RAM. The MacBook Pro uses the nVidia GeForce video cards.
Got a Mac?
New Mac desktops and notebooks that use the Intel processors are working very well with Parallels or Boot Camp. See this stuck thread: http://forums.augi.com/showthread.php?t=35939
Another good way to save some money is to look at the refurbished section of the Apple store online. You can save anywhere from $200 - $800 bucks on a machine and the only thing you don’t get is the nice shiny original box. I have purchased a few this way and they have always served me well.
For instance on there the base level iMac is $200 cheaper. It includes the same basic warranty and you can still buy the same Applecare protection plan for it. Now while i normally tell people to not get Extended warranties, you want to get Applecare.
I have had Machines fail bear the end of applecare over the years. Both times they have replaced the computers with the newest generation equivalent.
I have bought 3 computers, a few iPods and an iPhone off of the refurb site. It kicks ass.
When it came time to buy a laptop, it was right around when Windows 7 came out. I told myself I wasn’t going to let another Windows OS get by me the way Vista did. Since Apple uses Intel chips now, it’s easier to compare machines apples-to-apples(no pun intended) with the only real difference being the OS. When I specced a machine out the way I wanted, I didn’t see nearly as much of a cost difference as the anti-Mac crowd will have you believe. I ended up getting a Macbook Pro instead of a Windows machine. I run Windows XP on Boot Camp (I won’t pay for Parallels) without a hitch. It’s kinda funny to show someone my screen with a Windows logo when they see the Apple on the back.
I had some teething issues when I first switched from Windows to OSX, but after 5 years I’m glad I did it. I like OSX enough for it to be my default OS and I use Windows when I have to.
I think the Mac mini is very underrated as a general-purpose computer. All the joy of life without Windows at quite a reasonable price. Buying a separate non-Apple branded monitor will save you a lot of money.
The iMac is slick if you want everything in one package and have the cash. I don’t know anyone who owns one that regrets buying it.
After purchasing a mac book pro 3 years ago, I will be sticking with apple. I love the programs for the apple and how well they are integrated into the system. I love the imac’s. If you get a wireless keyboard and mouse, you will basically have 1 cord, how sweet is that
I got my mom a 20" Imac last year, wish I coulda gotten her the 24", but it wouldnt fit where it needed to go. No problems with it at all. That brings the total to 4 macs in my family, 3 macbooks and the one imac. Never had a hicup with any of them and they are all left on and run for weeks on end.
If you really have to run windows just run it under boot camp. I think windows runs better on the mac’s than almost any PC I have ever seen windows under, not sure why though.
Made the switch to Mac about 2 years ago and haven’t looked back since. We use ours for the standard: internet, movies, music, photos and it is great. A few things to learn in the switch but nothing to worry about. I don’t regret picking up a 27 inch iMac. I love it. Check out Mac Guides and My First Mac websites for info on common questions.
Put me in this camp. Since the mid-80s, I’ve owned a Compaq, IBM, HP and Dell PC. I’m not a computer guy, not a power user, used them primarily for word-processing, e-mail, internet, etc. (home computer crap). Every one of them was a PITA. Hardware, software, who cares. I just want the damn thing to run when I turn it on and every one of these eventually crashed and burned.
I bought an iMac a little over 4 years ago, it ran right out of the box and (knock on wood) has never so much as hiccuped. As far as I’m concerned, if I never touch another PC or look at Windows again that’s just fine by me.
The newer iMacs do have expandable RAM. I think what he was saying is that in 3 years any computer will be ‘obsolete’ to a certain degree, and if you get the Mac Mini, you can upgrade to a new computer without buying a new display.
It’s not that the machine slows down, it’s that new processors are faster. When you want to upgrade to newer hardware, you can’t just plug in your old monitor as it’s part of the old hardware.
The Mini is made for people who don’t want the all-in-one solution, but they don’t have the horsepower that the iMacs do. I like the Mini, I have two of them. But they’re very limited compared to the iMac in terms of processor speed, RAM and HD space.
iMacs can be upgraded to 8 or 16GB of RAM depending on model, and the hard drive is replaceable as well.