iMac

[Pete]

Need a new computer.
Mine suffered a catastrophic crash.
Looking at the iMac.
Pros? Cons?

Thanks!

[0002S]

I've owned the last 3 gens of the iMac

Pros:
OSX is a great operating system with limited crashes and viruses (I've never had either occur in 8 years of owning iMacs)
Easy to set up and very limited compatibility issues
Works well with almost any 3rd party main hardware
All major business software is supported
Time Machine is a great feature

CONS:
Expensive compared to comparable Windows machine
Not a great gaming machine
I had 1 HD failure in 8 years and 1 Power supply failure in 8 years. (both were fixed under warranty and I had backup)


I'd recommend them. New gen 27" has had some issues so I'd google it to see if they are fixed

[Pete]

Thanks Shawn. The latest crash (all my PC's have eventually crashed) has me giving the Mac's a hard look. I like what I see. Thanks for your input.

[mariogolbee]

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=26039
Recent thread.

I have a 24" imac and the only problem I've had is a HD crash also. I also had everything backed up through the wireless Time Capsule and when I got my mac back (only 3 days after the crash) everything worked fine again. This was all covered under Apple Care so I paid nothing further out of pocket. The day I called with my problem I was able to choose where to bring it in to and got an appointment the same day. It's treated me well and far better than any of my old PC's.

[GreekGodX]

http://www.cigarasylum.com/vb/showthread.php?t=26039
Recent thread.



That thread makes me proud :r

[mariogolbee]

Christos, I wanted to mention this to you also so I'm glad you have seen it here. When I brought it in to the Apple Store they were pretty sure the HD was the problem but they thought it might possibly be the logic board so they just ordered both in case. It was a good, painless experience.

[GreekGodX]

That's reassuring to hear Mario :tu I'm sold on an apple. Just waiting for them to put a quad core in the macbooks.

[mariogolbee]

That's reassuring to hear Mario :tu I'm sold on an apple. Just waiting for them to put a quad core in the macbooks.

Good!:tu I'm sure you've checked all of your options thoroughly. Is there an option currently for a quad core? I know that the pro desktop can take something like up to 16 cores.

[mariogolbee]

Oops! The Mav Pro can get 2xquad core. Thought it was 16, oh well.

[King James]

I have a 20'' iMac that is now a generation old with the release of the new ones. I really like mine. The screens on this generation have had a bunch of problems, but I think that has been fixed (may want to check on that)

If you have never used a Mac the transition may take a little time, but it really isn't that difficult as Macs are pretty intuitive and user friendly. They are great as far as automatically finding networks, printers, bluetooth peripherals, etc. They do not have the guts for hardcore gaming, but can still run windows well with bootcamp.

[mmblz]

Con: can't change the screen later on if you decide you want a bigger/different one. But as long as you know what you want...

Re: Windows - no need to bother with bootcamp, just get VMWare Fusion.

[DrDubzz]

I'm mister anti-macbooks because I feel they're outrageously overpriced for what you get

that said, the iMacs are a pretty damn good deal for the money (until you add a ton of stuff) all things considered. I want one later this year as my office computer

[pennjones]

On a similar note, does anyone know anything about the mac mini? I'm sort of in the same predicament, only my pc hasn't crashed (yet), it's just really old. I would use the mini just for internet browsing, the occasional text document, and storing temproary files as I have an external hd for permanent stuff. Don't mean to thread jack, just curious since it was the same type of subject.

[MadAl]

Running one here at home and one at work. No issue so far (4 years in at home, 3 at work), got one for my Mom, no issues there either. Both of mine are 24", home is 667 ghz, one at work is a gen newer. Would obviously recommend!

[MadAl]

The mini is great, may have expandability issues like the iMac, but those I know who are running them are happy

[pennjones]

Not really looking to expand, just something to last and not have viruses and such. Oh, also I'll be frequently burning dvds

[eber]

i have been using a macbook for the past 2 years almost and my family has had a 24" imac for about three years and they have not had any issues with it. personally I like having a laptop but if I was going to get a desktop it would be an imac for sure. I say go for it :tu

[MadAl]

Not really looking to expand, just something to last and not have viruses and such. Oh, also I'll be frequently burning dvds

(knocking on wood) no viruses, exposed occasionally to some Word worms from infected Word docs. I burn CDs and DVDs pretty regularly too.

[JE3146]

That's reassuring to hear Mario :tu I'm sold on an apple. Just waiting for them to put a quad core in the macbooks.

You might be waiting a while, and I see absolutely no benefit to quad core in a laptop.

Especially not for the price they'll want for it.

[neoflex]

Mac guy here and always have been a Mac guy but being a Graphic Designer my field tends to favor them. I have the 24" that is the last generation and have been very happy with it. Maybe this year I will upgrade to the 27" but that may have to wait as I just recently purchased a new MacBook Pro and right now my only reasoning for it is because the 27" screen would look bad ass so my reasoning is only superficial. Before the Imac I had a tower unit but when it came to upgrade I looked at the Imacs and figured, WTH. I knew that if I hated it that I could easily unload it to someone. The monitor is plenty big and I store most of my work on externals anyway so storage space is never an issue for me anyway and it provides everything else I could possibly need. Machine moves plenty fast for the work that I am doing. For example this morning I was working with a Photoshop file that was over 5gigs and although a little sluggish it was not painfully slow but I could use to max out my RAM which would have helped out a bit. They get a thumbs up from me.

[saggel]

Once you go Mac, you never go back. I love my macbook!!!

[macpappy]

What kind of hard core gaming is everyone saying the Mac can't handle? Which Mac?

I'm just curious because I use my MBPro and my G5 desktop for playing WOW and have never had any problems.

[kgoings]

Once you go Mac, you never go back. I love my macbook!!!

Not true! I went macbook pro, and dropped it like a bad habit after 6 months.

Honestly do we need another "Should I buy a Mac" thread? All the macmaniacs are gonna jump on the thread and tell you they are great, and help you justify a decision you have probably already made. :tf :tf :tf

Just go buy it.

[kgoings]

First thing: DON'T GET LINUX. Nothing wrong with it, but if you have to ask, the answer is always NO.

Now on to the fun stuff. Despite the obvious humor in the picture below, this is by far the most accurate way to describe things, and REALLY should guide your decision Christo. This post is a bit long because I tend to ramble, but I think you'll get the idea.

I'm not a hater of the fruit, I grew up on PCs and I worked in the photo & journalism industry for three years and used macs extensively during that time.

What I will tell you is this: It sounds like you should get a Mac. You would probably be pretty happy with Windows 7 (I won't discourage you), but it sounds like mac is the better way to go for you, based on the things that you have listed that you need the laptop for. You will pay a bit more than you should, BUT complaining about that is like complaining that you went to Saks Fifth Avenue and paid too much --> don't like it, shop elsewhere, you knew the price going in.

NOW that I've told you to get a mac and established that I'm not a hater.... I'll say that I will NEVER, EVER, under any circumstances, get a Mac for myself.

And here's where the fun begins.... to really evaluate the difference between a mac and a pc with as little bias as possible, you have to be honest with yourself, keep from being unnecessarily offended, and separate things out.

The analogy in the picture, if you can not be offended by it, is stunningly accurate. Ridding a motorcycle is not for everybody. If I asked a guy whether he was qualified and possessed the skills required to race a Ducati motorcycle at 150mph+, he would probably say no (although he sure as hell would want to!). This is not saying that he's stupid, its just saying that racing that thing requires a very specific skill set that many people do not have. Far too often in the mac versus pc debate, it becomes a matter of "well, you're just not smart enough to operate a PC". But this is not true. It has nothing to do with intelligence, so don't get offended!

It has everything to do with what YOU need and want, and whether you have the skills to do it. Racing a bike at 150mph is fun (for some)! BUT its NOT free! If you're not willing pay for regular maintenance on that bike, and get it tuned up and running properly, and put the time into learning how to ride it safely at 150mph, THEN you shouldn't own the bike!!!!

If you DON'T know how to ride a motorcycle or want to invest the time and money to keep it tuned at peak performance, and just want the damned thing to WORK every time you turn it on, then buy something that does what it's designed for. To switch to cars, I own and love my Jeep. I don't complain that's its slow, I relish that it has 4x4 and owns the road in the winter. If I wanted a fast zippy car, then I'd go buy a sports car, with the understanding that there was a trade-off in that I might have trouble the next time a snowplow came by.

OK, so I've said the same thing three or four different way and rambled on long enough... I think you get the idea. Two different products, two different uses & users, and a whole hell of a lot of people that can't understand that last bit without getting offended. I learned PC and learned it good. This required time, effort, and a few bruises & injuries along the way. As a result of that investment, I get to enjoy the performance of my 150mph supertuned (overclocked) Ducati, virus free and purring like a champ.

oh yeah, and :tpd:, don't get the memory upgrade from Apple, get it separate.

:r:r
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5WSiqTwxN8s/R-tIdNtrPCI/AAAAAAAAALc/UhQEMLxpZ_M/s1600/macvspc2.jpg

Great post

[macpappy]

Not true! I went macbook pro, and dropped it like a bad habit after 6 months.

Honestly do we need another "Should I buy a Mac" thread? All the macmaniacs are gonna jump on the thread and tell you they are great, and help you justify a decision you have probably already made. :tf :tf :tf

Just go buy it.

I'm a Mac user. Have been since 1986.
Mac's aren't the right computer for everyone.
Zealots are zealots and nothing anyone says is every going to change their minds. (Just look at the religious wars in the Middle East that have been going on for a few thousand years.)

So no, we don't need another "Should I buy a Mac" thread.
We need more "Should I buy that box of Pepins or that box of Padilla's" threads.

[Wanger]

I'm a Mac user. Have been since 1986.
Mac's aren't the right computer for everyone.
Zealots are zealots and nothing anyone says is every going to change their minds. (Just look at the religious wars in the Middle East that have been going on for a few thousand years.)

So no, we don't need another "Should I buy a Mac" thread.
We need more "Should I buy that box of Pepins or that box of Padilla's" threads.

I'll take the Pepins. :)

[macpappy]

I'll take the Pepins. :)

Yeah. That's what I leaning towards. I know they are more expensive and not as good for heavy game.... wait we're talking cigars or computers?:r

(BTW - sorry for your loss. Go Saints!)

[Skywalker]

The mini is great, may have expandability issues like the iMac, but those I know who are running them are happy

I have a Mini and love it! Doesn't take up room and I can add whatever I want to it!!! Screen size no problem... just add the one you want!!!:2

[Wanger]

Yeah. That's what I leaning towards. I know they are more expensive and not as good for heavy game.... wait we're talking cigars or computers?:r

(BTW - sorry for your loss. Go Saints!)

LOL

What loss? Was there a game or something? :p

[King James]

What kind of hard core gaming is everyone saying the Mac can't handle? Which Mac?

I'm just curious because I use my MBPro and my G5 desktop for playing WOW and have never had any problems.

I don't know that I would consider WOW that much of a graphically intensive game. If you try to play something like Crysis macs just don't have the video card to handle it

[macpappy]

I don't know that I would consider WOW that much of a graphically intensive game. If you try to play something like Crysis macs just don't have the video card to handle it

I probably still wouldn't have much of a problem because of how my macs are configured. When I work, I do graphic design so mine have been souped up some.

[King James]

I probably still wouldn't have much of a problem because of how my macs are configured. When I work, I do graphic design so mine have been souped up some.

maybe not, just Macs never got the reputation as gaming machines because most that game like to customize and build their own completely

[DrDubzz]

I have a question - can you get an imac and not use their wafe of a keyboard? I don't have midget hands so I was wondering, I like the mouse though

[AD720]

I have a question - can you get an imac and not use their wafe of a keyboard? I don't have midget hands so I was wondering, I like the mouse though

Any USB keyboard will work, at least the basic functions of it.

I have average sized hands and really like the new keyboard but maybe that's because its so similar to my macbook.

[King James]

I also love apple keyboards, both my wireless one on the imac and the macbook ones.... but it is all about personal preference, and like stated any should work..... USB and if you have a bluetooth one that should work too.

Maybe try one out at the store and see if you like the new ones?

[mariogolbee]

I don't know that I would consider WOW that much of a graphically intensive game. If you try to play something like Crysis macs just don't have the video card to handle it

Most PC's at the time Crysis came out couldn't even play Crysis well. My friend's Alienware crapped out on him around that time. He spent around $1500 on new guts for it and it still wouldn't play the game perfectly. Not a fair comparison.

I have a question - can you get an imac and not use their wafe of a keyboard? I don't have midget hands so I was wondering, I like the mouse though

I have huge hands being, 6'4 and all, and I have no problem with my basic Mac keyboard. In fact, I prefer it because I don't have to here so much of the clickety-click from the raised buttons that I here with regular keyboards. There are a variety of different styles of third party keyboards for the Mac. You can also try one of the older Mac keyboards if you like the raised buttons.