What a pathetic bunch of whiners on this thread (at least, on Page 1).
S.T.F.U.
I've been on this site and others long enough that if the same whiners were happy with an Apple update that I'd think Apple over extended themselves and that something must be wrong with the company.
lol. seriously, i like macs, but some of the poeple on this board are in need of some help, who buys a computer *just* because it looks good. hell i can find a pertty good looking dell now days, as good as an iMac? no, but good enough that people would ask where i got it (their all in one is a decent looking machine, not quite my style, but it looks nice)
there have been more than a few days that i question why i even come to these boards, because there are so many that bash on plastics and design, but when it comes down to it, thats not what a computer is about, i understanding wanting it to look good (as ive mentioned before, i feel the same way) but that should not be your main selling point.
also, no, the screens on the iMacs are NOT very good looking screens. you may think it looks good because of the whole package, but the quality is not as good as what you might get from a host of other monitors...
So it's not only me.
I was honestly wondering if I'm missing something just by reading all those people saying that iMac is such beautiful machine and such a joy to use just because it is so pleasing to one's eyes.
At the end of a day, there are machines like HP Touchsmart, good design, touch screen, all that jazz... but I would not get that one either just because it works with my sofa, if the price/performance value is not there.
ok this "windowz" thing is childish, you are childish, so much that im having a hard time believing that you are even a professional. further more, not all windows PC's are bare bones, just the ones they sell in bulk to companies.
with $1200 you can get a more powerful computer than any iMac.
CyberLink PowerDirector 7 Ultra $120, rated higher than ilife.
http://www.adobe.com/products/audition/ Adobe Audition 3, without a doubt the best audio editor you can buy, $350 (can be upgraded from an old version for $99, and you'll be able to upgrade later to newer versions for that same price)
you can actually do a lot of this stuff for free, like make photo albums win windows media center. anyway you'll notice with this software it all adds up to be about $570 still $430 cheaper than the iMac, and you get seriously professional applications, not the easy to use armature iLife (yes its brilliant for armatures, but for a serious professional? it just doesn't stack up, its a jack of all trades if you will)
plus, you dont have to get MS office or Apple iWork, so you save money (on a PC you can get open office, which is what i use, which is just about as good as the MS office stuff, and 100% freeware)
there is a reason to complain right now. im not saying *you* or anyone should go out and get a windows PC, but i am saying your claims are pure BS. your ignorant about windows, and use that to justify the high expense of a iMac.
So why do you come to boards like these and complain about Mac computers when you're such a window(s) (sorry do offend your considerable maturity) fan? Go use Windows computers and be happy! For the rest of us we would rather buy a mac and not worry about any of the other stuff.
Oh and I either have or have used all the software that you mentioned and it doesn't come close to the integration and functionality of iLife and iWork. And what lay-person or inexperienced amateur will be able to use the professional or semi-professional software you mention? iLife is so easy to use, so intuitive, so polished, why use an inferior substitue just to save a buck?
I'm not ignorant about windows, my extensive experience with windows has formed my opinion. last year I used my sister-in-laws windows laptop, in only 1/2 hour on the web it got hack so bad with malware that the HD had to be erased completely. Guess what my sister-in-law bought last week...a macbook.
Why come here and tout the benefits of windows? You just don't make any sense.
Better than the one on the 20'', but certainly not great! Coming from a photography professional, I find it hard to believe that you consider iMac displays as anything but average.
I'm also wondering about iLife (and pro photography). Is iLife really good for anything over creative home use? I'd expect most/all pro photographers would do Aperture, Lightroom, Photoshop...?
Not sure what all the fuss is about, now if you were like me and just bought your first mac 3 weeks ago, the 20 inch with 2.66 cpu, and now the 24 inch is available, well you might well feel like committing sepaku.
as for the price difference, if I am not mistaken, the european prices usually include sales tax, which in europe can get pretty high, I lived in norway and the sales tax was 24% on everything, even food. I guess that is how they pay for their "free" health care. In the US, sales tax is not included in the price so the fellow who was saying 18% difference was too much may be a bit mistaken. US sales tax typically ranges from 5 to 8% depending on the state you reside in.
I can say that after 3 weeks with my new mac, I will probably not buy another windows machine again. when you add up the total cost of everything, I dont think you can get a pc that comes close, because you are still stuck with windows.
last week I decided to upgrade my mac from 2 to 4 gigs of ram. I had my 6 month old windows vista pc next to my mac. I clicked restart on my pc and shutdown on the mac at the same time,
I had the mac's ram changed and booted back up before the windows vista machine was finished restarting. I figure I will save 2 hours a year on boot time alone. ;-)
Tough times and I think Apple is sticking to what work for them in the past, basic spec upgrades. They want customers that wants upgrades but not necessarily a brand new product.
As most people argue, new specs aren't impressive for the dollar. Apple's main selling point is still their OS. Although if they are not careful and continues to play it safe... Windows 7 might hand them a good smack down when full version is released. I hope S. Jobs is planning something to counter while he is resting.
First off your need to list things off is an indication of you teckyness. I use windows computers at work all day long, I am a professional graphic designer but my employer does not supply Macs mostly because the I.T. department is incompetent and incapable of supporting macs. So actually I use windows computes more than Macs, so guess what you?re wrong on that point.
Many times my employer asks me to produce video work, I have to do this work at home on my Mac because my windows based Dell computer at work comes with absolutely no software for video editing (or for photo editing and organization, or for DVD burning, or for...etc) and my IT department refuses to supply any. So no, I don?t use a Mac because the software is pretty. I use my Mac because it gets the job done, out of the box, unlike my Dell at work, and that?s the point I?m making! Out of the Box, Macs are more useful and easier to use. To equip a windowz computer with all that a mac can do in terms of software will cost several hundred dollars, if not more than a thousand, thus offsetting the extra cost of a Mac.
Macs are more suited for creative people, yes, that is not pretentious. Go into any news paper, graphic design house, high end art professionals all use Macs. That?s reality!
No I?m not afraid of PCs, I use them more than Macs actually and I hate them because of my experience with them, not because I?m misinformed.
I don't get you. Your employer can get software like Pinnacle Studio for less than $100, I think. It is home video editing package, but decent features. There are many others for the same money. so you're saying your employer wants videos but is not willing to shed a few bucks for a software? What happens if you refuse to work at home?
What software do you use at work as a professional graphics designer, anyway? Did your employer purchase any graphic design software for you..?
Also DVD burning wise... I honestly have never ever seen PC with DVD burner and no burning software. Honestly! At least NERO Express or Essentials... so..?
So why do you come to boards like these and complain about Mac computers when you're such a window(s) (sorry do offend your considerable maturity) fan? Go use Windows computers and be happy! For the rest of us we would rather buy a mac and not worry about any of the other stuff.
Oh and I either have or have used all the software that you mentioned and it doesn't come close to the integration and functionality of iLife and iWork. And what lay-person or inexperienced amateur will be able to use the professional or semi-professional software you mention? iLife is so easy to use, so intuitive, so polished, why use an inferior substitue just to save a buck?
I'm not ignorant about windows, my extensive experience with windows has formed my opinion. last year I used my sister-in-laws windows laptop, in only 1/2 hour on the web it got hack so bad with malware that the HD had to be erased completely. Guess what my sister-in-law bought last week...a macbook.
Why come here and tout the benefits of windows? You just don't make any sense.
LOL wow. ok. wow.
now i know you aren't serious. 1/2 hour? my current PC is 3 years old, it has blue screened one time (when i had an HP printer plugged in at the same time as my iPhone, go figure, turns out it was a problem with windows 64 bit and the iPhone, a problem on apples side) anyway, i have never once had it reformatted(thats what they call deleting the entire hard drive) and it still runs just fine. i have had a PC as long as i have had a Mac and because i offer my experience i am a windows drone?
iLife is not nearly as deep as the software i posted, to pretend it is just kind of sad. same with calling it more "polished". however easier to use? ilife is. obviously, this is why it is used by armatures, its easy to use, not too complex.
again, i like Macs, just because i also like Windows for certain things, does not mean that i dont like like Macs. so cut out the immature babble.
it makes sense to say that windows is fine (even if most of use prefer to use OSX) when Apple is starting to ask for over double the cash for a comparative computer. when that is the case, then you need to contemplate getting a PC to save some money...
Well said! I work as an editor of magazines in Europe and, on any given day at work, I am running Quark and Photoshop (downloading and processing large photo files) and at the same time have all the usual applications open (Microsoft Office for Mac), numerous websites, my email client etc, and have open access to my company's FTP site...
... I use an iMac that is about two years old and the speed is, well, speedy. I'd love to know what apps people on this forum are running that they find the new hardware too slow for their daily use!
Edit: And regarding bang for buck, I have never had a problem paying more for:
a) A rock-solid machine that hardly ever fooks up on me
b) The best operating system I've come across
c) A desktop computer (and my new MacBook) that is beautiful to look at and thus a joy to use each day
Nice post, many of the whine-train skipped over it to complain more over nothing.
I for one ordered the top level iMac today, and I'm anxiously excited for it to arrive this week. I used to use macs back in the late 90s, but Apple canned the group I was working with, eWorld, and they started an internet company that I joined and made it a no Mac-zone. Many jobs later, I switched back to Mac a year ago with the early 08 MacBook Pro update, and I'm completely in love. I play World of Warcraft from time to time and I have been eyeing an iMac for a few months. My MBP sounds like a jet engine that is going to take off when I'm running WoW on it. Today's update left me no pause but to logon to apple.com and order one right away.
This update was perfect for me and I hope a lot of other people waiting to upgrade or switch fall in love with iMac as I have.
Not sure if anyone has time to answer some questions or if they just want to complain. i've been watching this site for a looong time in anticipation of changing my home desktop from a pc to an imac for the first time. been limping along for 6 months waiting for an update. yes i'm a bit disappointed there isn't more to it but i think it still has what i need. anyway, back to the questions- this is probably not the place but here goes anyway....
What is the deal with the $1000 for the upgrade in memory to 8 gb? Is there a way to do it cheaper? i see 4gb modules at ddr2 but not 3 for sale on different sites, so is it even possible to do it cheaper?
any thoughts on the upgrade on the graphics card for the high end model and which is truly better? is the RAdeon better than the nvidia gt 130? (yes i looked at the learn more graphics performance area). it seems to be obvious but can't hurt to ask....
So, there you have it... same old display technology... horrendous 20'' TN LCD with narrow viewing angles and brightness gradient and sort of average 24'' LCD with a few problems of its own as well... why on earth didn't they upgrade the displays to LED, like on every other recent Apple product?! It doesn't make any sense...
Definitely an upgrade to ignore... something better will come.
I am wondering if the 24" is the higher quality LCD - the IPS kind with true 'millions' and better color rendition, not dithered as in TN LCD, and without the yellow color-shifting that happens off-axis left and right in the TN.
I know there was considerable discussion of the LCD diffs in the original Alum iMacs between the TN in lowerend iMac and apparent IPS in higher end iMac.
Back then, my in-store checking showed lots of yellow cast just slightly off axis on the previous gen lowerend iMac.
(Guess I will have to get over to an Apple store sometime to check.)
Does anyone know if the LED type of display that Steve stated will eventually come to all Apple displays -and the iMac someday we presume...- is in the IPS 'better' category?
Not sure if anyone has time to answer some questions or if they just want to complain. i've been watching this site for a looong time in anticipation of changing my home desktop from a pc to an imac for the first time. been limping along for 6 months waiting for an update. yes i'm a bit disappointed there isn't more to it but i think it still has what i need. anyway, back to the questions- this is probably not the place but here goes anyway....
What is the deal with the $1000 for the upgrade in memory to 8 gb? Is there a way to do it cheaper? i see 4gb modules at ddr2 but not 3 for sale on different sites, so is it even possible to do it cheaper?
any thoughts on the upgrade on the graphics card for the high end model and which is truly better? is the RAdeon better than the nvidia gt 130? (yes i looked at the learn more graphics performance area). it seems to be obvious but can't hurt to ask....
yes you can do it for about $600. dont buy the the upgrade (besides, you probably dont need 8gb's yet anyway, so you can wait until prices go down even more)
cant help with the graphics cards, i stopped paying attention a year ago, too many levels, too many numbers :P
What is the deal with the $1000 for the upgrade in memory to 8 gb?
Any thoughts on the upgrade on the graphics card for the high end model and which is truly better?
1. Don't get 8GB of memory. You don't need it. 4GB is plenty for now. In a year or so, 8GB will be affordable (Meaning $200 instead of $700 at MacSales.com)
2. Don't fret about the graphics card. It is "good enough". Unless you are a gamer, then you should not even consider a Mac.
I understand what you are doing as I did it when I moved from Windows to Mac OS X in 2005. You are over-analyzing. "Don't worry, be happy."
Buy a new iMac and be happy. Which one? The most expensive you can afford. Be sure to buy additional memory and AppleCare from a 3rd-party.
1. Don't get 8GB of memory. You don't need it. 4GB is plenty for now. In a year or so, 8GB will be affordable (Meaning $200 instead of $700 at MacSales.com)
2. Don't fret about the graphics card. It is "good enough". Unless you are a gamer, then you should not even consider a Mac.
I understand what you are doing as I did it when I moved from Windows to Mac OS X in 2005. You are over-analyzing. "Don't worry, be happy."
Buy a new iMac and be happy. Which one? The most expensive you can afford. Be sure to buy additional memory and AppleCare from a 3rd-party.
Thanks for the replies..... I'm not a serious computer gamer (use ps3 for that) but i do occasionally play games like company of heroes online, and want to be able to do that and other games with at least basic graphics card requirement (still need to get a copy of xp i guess) so that is a bit of the issue. If it can play COD4 then though then it should be more than adequate for quite awhile. And it has to be better than my 5 year old Pentium4 dell with 512 mb of ram i've been limping along with waiting for an update.
i'm holding on the memory - thanks for the advice to you and ... smilingoat
btw if there is somewhere better to get basic questions answered about macs feel free to direct me there - haven't been on a mac much since graduated college in 1996.
He asked for comparable to the iMac. That means the Dell XPS One, not some tower+monitor.
Yes, tower+monitor is less. That is NOT the point. The honest comparison is all-in-one vs all-in-one.
If value for your money is the point, and I believe it is, then a tower+monitor is a fair comparison. It's not our fault that Apple refuses to make a tower or that PC manufacturers charge premium prices for their all-in-ones.
All-in-one computers have nice integration and fewer cables so they look nicer when they're turned off. In every other way they are inferior to a separate computer + monitor.
Even if all-in-ones were as powerful as towers, which they're not, the tower + monitor would still be a better deal because you can upgrade the storage in the tower without paying a technician to dismantle your all-in-one and you can replace the tower when it gets outdated without having to buy a new display. Apple knows this and it's one of major reasons they don't sell towers. They know people would replace the computer every 4 years and buy their display from someone else. Instead they sell an iMac that they know isn't going to last any serious customer more than 3 years. Faster obsolescence = more profit.
Actually I take it back about the all-in-one looking better. Because it can only take one hard drive that's impossible for the average consumer to upgrade herself, the all-in-one must have at least one external hard drive cluttering the desk or connected to your wireless network where its performance is severely crippled. This secondary storage also removes any energy efficiency benefits of having an all-in-one.
Anyone choosing an all-in-one is choosing to spend more than they need to. I think it's foolish, but it's your choice.
People on these boards keep complaining that a dell or other windowz computers are so much cheaper than a Mac and I?m sick of it, because if you use your mac as intended, to easily create photos, albums, videos, websites, music... it?s actually cheaper than a windowz system, and that?s what Apple understands. I would hate to try and configure a windowz computer to do what a mac does out of the box because quite frankly there is no windowz equivalent to OSX and iLife. If you?re not using you mac for those 2 things you are missing the point of a mac, like using a race car to plow a field.
Thanks for taking the words right outa my ...uh... keyboard.
On another thread a couple of months ago, I mentioned how I helped move one of my client's group of secretaries to iMacs. I followed up with a post, how enthusiastic and motivated they were to come to work. My client's, and inherently my productivity, has increased roughly 50%(!), to the point that we haven't even missed the 2 people that jumped ship to our competitor at the beginning of the year (not because of Macs).
They'll be rehiring 2 new people, and be giving them new iMacs. At this point, and due to our productivity, they could recover their investment in less than half a year, even if the iMac was twice as expensive! So is it the specs of the machine? No. It's the OS and the iLife suite... plus a few utility aps. Uptime + Productivity + Easy... and FUN... to use = Happy employees and money in the bank = Mac OS X.
And by all means... you may call ME a FanBoy with results like that!
Privately, I'm purchasing today 3 MacMinis: for a girlfriend, my accountant, and myself as an entertainment center. The accountant keeps his beaten-to-a-pulp LogiTech though. I wouldn't dare suggest a delicate Apple KB.... without a 10-key. Although just as a joke... could be funny
PS: a BT Apple KB with TrackPad would have been absolutely fantastic. Gawd how I HATE Apple (sarcasm... but isn't it a rule that you have to use "HATE" somewhere in every post at AI or you'll get kicked of the boards?)
THe prices in NZ are unfortuantely being influenced by teh exchange rate issues. We appear to win slightly in our favour.
The 20" iMac comes out at 2499$ retail, and using the latest currency exchange off my ipod plus adding tax, comes out at $2712
The last entry level position for the iMac (2.4/20") was around 1899, so its a fairly significant increase.
THe old mini was ~950 for the 1,83ghz intro model. The new intro model using hte exchange rate should be around 1355, but the actual price is $1398
I suspect Apple are going to struggle in the current market mainly becuase their competition is not always US based and having to rely on the US:NZD exchange rate. The other prices may be rising, but not always at hte same rate as Apple.
The mind share may still be up there, especially with their actually advertising their products, a serious change, but then Dell are the only other computer company that appears to do TV adverts.
Comments
I gave up reading after Page 1.
What a pathetic bunch of whiners on this thread (at least, on Page 1).
S.T.F.U.
I've been on this site and others long enough that if the same whiners were happy with an Apple update that I'd think Apple over extended themselves and that something must be wrong with the company.
Do you sit on it?
lol. seriously, i like macs, but some of the poeple on this board are in need of some help, who buys a computer *just* because it looks good. hell i can find a pertty good looking dell now days, as good as an iMac? no, but good enough that people would ask where i got it (their all in one is a decent looking machine, not quite my style, but it looks nice)
there have been more than a few days that i question why i even come to these boards, because there are so many that bash on plastics and design, but when it comes down to it, thats not what a computer is about, i understanding wanting it to look good (as ive mentioned before, i feel the same way) but that should not be your main selling point.
also, no, the screens on the iMacs are NOT very good looking screens. you may think it looks good because of the whole package, but the quality is not as good as what you might get from a host of other monitors...
So it's not only me.
I was honestly wondering if I'm missing something just by reading all those people saying that iMac is such beautiful machine and such a joy to use just because it is so pleasing to one's eyes.
At the end of a day, there are machines like HP Touchsmart, good design, touch screen, all that jazz... but I would not get that one either just because it works with my sofa, if the price/performance value is not there.
ok this "windowz" thing is childish, you are childish, so much that im having a hard time believing that you are even a professional. further more, not all windows PC's are bare bones, just the ones they sell in bulk to companies.
with $1200 you can get a more powerful computer than any iMac.
you now have $1000 to spend on software.
http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshopelwin/ (adobe photoshop elements 7) $99 and its a more in depth program.
CyberLink PowerDirector 7 Ultra $120, rated higher than ilife.
http://www.adobe.com/products/audition/ Adobe Audition 3, without a doubt the best audio editor you can buy, $350 (can be upgraded from an old version for $99, and you'll be able to upgrade later to newer versions for that same price)
you can actually do a lot of this stuff for free, like make photo albums win windows media center. anyway you'll notice with this software it all adds up to be about $570 still $430 cheaper than the iMac, and you get seriously professional applications, not the easy to use armature iLife (yes its brilliant for armatures, but for a serious professional? it just doesn't stack up, its a jack of all trades if you will)
plus, you dont have to get MS office or Apple iWork, so you save money (on a PC you can get open office, which is what i use, which is just about as good as the MS office stuff, and 100% freeware)
there is a reason to complain right now. im not saying *you* or anyone should go out and get a windows PC, but i am saying your claims are pure BS. your ignorant about windows, and use that to justify the high expense of a iMac.
So why do you come to boards like these and complain about Mac computers when you're such a window(s) (sorry do offend your considerable maturity) fan? Go use Windows computers and be happy! For the rest of us we would rather buy a mac and not worry about any of the other stuff.
Oh and I either have or have used all the software that you mentioned and it doesn't come close to the integration and functionality of iLife and iWork. And what lay-person or inexperienced amateur will be able to use the professional or semi-professional software you mention? iLife is so easy to use, so intuitive, so polished, why use an inferior substitue just to save a buck?
I'm not ignorant about windows, my extensive experience with windows has formed my opinion. last year I used my sister-in-laws windows laptop, in only 1/2 hour on the web it got hack so bad with malware that the HD had to be erased completely. Guess what my sister-in-law bought last week...a macbook.
Why come here and tout the benefits of windows? You just don't make any sense.
Better than the one on the 20'', but certainly not great! Coming from a photography professional, I find it hard to believe that you consider iMac displays as anything but average.
I'm also wondering about iLife (and pro photography). Is iLife really good for anything over creative home use? I'd expect most/all pro photographers would do Aperture, Lightroom, Photoshop...?
as for the price difference, if I am not mistaken, the european prices usually include sales tax, which in europe can get pretty high, I lived in norway and the sales tax was 24% on everything, even food. I guess that is how they pay for their "free" health care. In the US, sales tax is not included in the price so the fellow who was saying 18% difference was too much may be a bit mistaken. US sales tax typically ranges from 5 to 8% depending on the state you reside in.
I can say that after 3 weeks with my new mac, I will probably not buy another windows machine again. when you add up the total cost of everything, I dont think you can get a pc that comes close, because you are still stuck with windows.
last week I decided to upgrade my mac from 2 to 4 gigs of ram. I had my 6 month old windows vista pc next to my mac. I clicked restart on my pc and shutdown on the mac at the same time,
I had the mac's ram changed and booted back up before the windows vista machine was finished restarting. I figure I will save 2 hours a year on boot time alone. ;-)
As most people argue, new specs aren't impressive for the dollar. Apple's main selling point is still their OS. Although if they are not careful and continues to play it safe... Windows 7 might hand them a good smack down when full version is released. I hope S. Jobs is planning something to counter while he is resting.
First off your need to list things off is an indication of you teckyness. I use windows computers at work all day long, I am a professional graphic designer but my employer does not supply Macs mostly because the I.T. department is incompetent and incapable of supporting macs. So actually I use windows computes more than Macs, so guess what you?re wrong on that point.
Many times my employer asks me to produce video work, I have to do this work at home on my Mac because my windows based Dell computer at work comes with absolutely no software for video editing (or for photo editing and organization, or for DVD burning, or for...etc) and my IT department refuses to supply any. So no, I don?t use a Mac because the software is pretty. I use my Mac because it gets the job done, out of the box, unlike my Dell at work, and that?s the point I?m making! Out of the Box, Macs are more useful and easier to use. To equip a windowz computer with all that a mac can do in terms of software will cost several hundred dollars, if not more than a thousand, thus offsetting the extra cost of a Mac.
Macs are more suited for creative people, yes, that is not pretentious. Go into any news paper, graphic design house, high end art professionals all use Macs. That?s reality!
No I?m not afraid of PCs, I use them more than Macs actually and I hate them because of my experience with them, not because I?m misinformed.
I don't get you. Your employer can get software like Pinnacle Studio for less than $100, I think. It is home video editing package, but decent features. There are many others for the same money. so you're saying your employer wants videos but is not willing to shed a few bucks for a software? What happens if you refuse to work at home?
What software do you use at work as a professional graphics designer, anyway? Did your employer purchase any graphic design software for you..?
Also DVD burning wise... I honestly have never ever seen PC with DVD burner and no burning software. Honestly! At least NERO Express or Essentials... so..?
No, I definitely don't get you, mate.
So why do you come to boards like these and complain about Mac computers when you're such a window(s) (sorry do offend your considerable maturity) fan? Go use Windows computers and be happy! For the rest of us we would rather buy a mac and not worry about any of the other stuff.
Oh and I either have or have used all the software that you mentioned and it doesn't come close to the integration and functionality of iLife and iWork. And what lay-person or inexperienced amateur will be able to use the professional or semi-professional software you mention? iLife is so easy to use, so intuitive, so polished, why use an inferior substitue just to save a buck?
I'm not ignorant about windows, my extensive experience with windows has formed my opinion. last year I used my sister-in-laws windows laptop, in only 1/2 hour on the web it got hack so bad with malware that the HD had to be erased completely. Guess what my sister-in-law bought last week...a macbook.
Why come here and tout the benefits of windows? You just don't make any sense.
LOL wow. ok. wow.
now i know you aren't serious. 1/2 hour? my current PC is 3 years old, it has blue screened one time (when i had an HP printer plugged in at the same time as my iPhone, go figure, turns out it was a problem with windows 64 bit and the iPhone, a problem on apples side) anyway, i have never once had it reformatted(thats what they call deleting the entire hard drive) and it still runs just fine. i have had a PC as long as i have had a Mac and because i offer my experience i am a windows drone?
iLife is not nearly as deep as the software i posted, to pretend it is just kind of sad. same with calling it more "polished". however easier to use? ilife is. obviously, this is why it is used by armatures, its easy to use, not too complex.
again, i like Macs, just because i also like Windows for certain things, does not mean that i dont like like Macs. so cut out the immature babble.
it makes sense to say that windows is fine (even if most of use prefer to use OSX) when Apple is starting to ask for over double the cash for a comparative computer. when that is the case, then you need to contemplate getting a PC to save some money...
Well said! I work as an editor of magazines in Europe and, on any given day at work, I am running Quark and Photoshop (downloading and processing large photo files) and at the same time have all the usual applications open (Microsoft Office for Mac), numerous websites, my email client etc, and have open access to my company's FTP site...
... I use an iMac that is about two years old and the speed is, well, speedy. I'd love to know what apps people on this forum are running that they find the new hardware too slow for their daily use!
Edit: And regarding bang for buck, I have never had a problem paying more for:
a) A rock-solid machine that hardly ever fooks up on me
b) The best operating system I've come across
c) A desktop computer (and my new MacBook) that is beautiful to look at and thus a joy to use each day
Nice post, many of the whine-train skipped over it to complain more over nothing.
I for one ordered the top level iMac today, and I'm anxiously excited for it to arrive this week. I used to use macs back in the late 90s, but Apple canned the group I was working with, eWorld, and they started an internet company that I joined and made it a no Mac-zone. Many jobs later, I switched back to Mac a year ago with the early 08 MacBook Pro update, and I'm completely in love. I play World of Warcraft from time to time and I have been eyeing an iMac for a few months. My MBP sounds like a jet engine that is going to take off when I'm running WoW on it. Today's update left me no pause but to logon to apple.com and order one right away.
This update was perfect for me and I hope a lot of other people waiting to upgrade or switch fall in love with iMac as I have.
-K
What is the deal with the $1000 for the upgrade in memory to 8 gb? Is there a way to do it cheaper? i see 4gb modules at ddr2 but not 3 for sale on different sites, so is it even possible to do it cheaper?
any thoughts on the upgrade on the graphics card for the high end model and which is truly better? is the RAdeon better than the nvidia gt 130? (yes i looked at the learn more graphics performance area). it seems to be obvious but can't hurt to ask....
So, there you have it... same old display technology... horrendous 20'' TN LCD with narrow viewing angles and brightness gradient and sort of average 24'' LCD with a few problems of its own as well... why on earth didn't they upgrade the displays to LED, like on every other recent Apple product?! It doesn't make any sense...
Definitely an upgrade to ignore... something better will come.
I am wondering if the 24" is the higher quality LCD - the IPS kind with true 'millions' and better color rendition, not dithered as in TN LCD, and without the yellow color-shifting that happens off-axis left and right in the TN.
I know there was considerable discussion of the LCD diffs in the original Alum iMacs between the TN in lowerend iMac and apparent IPS in higher end iMac.
Back then, my in-store checking showed lots of yellow cast just slightly off axis on the previous gen lowerend iMac.
(Guess I will have to get over to an Apple store sometime to check.)
Does anyone know if the LED type of display that Steve stated will eventually come to all Apple displays -and the iMac someday we presume...- is in the IPS 'better' category?
It is overpriced and I am quoting Dell's REGULAR prices... places to hide the mid-tower.
He asked for comparable to the iMac. That means the Dell XPS One, not some tower+monitor.
Yes, tower+monitor is less. That is NOT the point. The honest comparison is all-in-one vs all-in-one.
Not sure if anyone has time to answer some questions or if they just want to complain. i've been watching this site for a looong time in anticipation of changing my home desktop from a pc to an imac for the first time. been limping along for 6 months waiting for an update. yes i'm a bit disappointed there isn't more to it but i think it still has what i need. anyway, back to the questions- this is probably not the place but here goes anyway....
What is the deal with the $1000 for the upgrade in memory to 8 gb? Is there a way to do it cheaper? i see 4gb modules at ddr2 but not 3 for sale on different sites, so is it even possible to do it cheaper?
any thoughts on the upgrade on the graphics card for the high end model and which is truly better? is the RAdeon better than the nvidia gt 130? (yes i looked at the learn more graphics performance area). it seems to be obvious but can't hurt to ask....
yes you can do it for about $600. dont buy the the upgrade (besides, you probably dont need 8gb's yet anyway, so you can wait until prices go down even more)
cant help with the graphics cards, i stopped paying attention a year ago, too many levels, too many numbers :P
What a pathetic bunch of whiners on this thread (at least, on Page 1).
No kidding.
What is the deal with the $1000 for the upgrade in memory to 8 gb?
Any thoughts on the upgrade on the graphics card for the high end model and which is truly better?
1. Don't get 8GB of memory. You don't need it. 4GB is plenty for now. In a year or so, 8GB will be affordable (Meaning $200 instead of $700 at MacSales.com)
2. Don't fret about the graphics card. It is "good enough". Unless you are a gamer, then you should not even consider a Mac.
I understand what you are doing as I did it when I moved from Windows to Mac OS X in 2005. You are over-analyzing. "Don't worry, be happy."
Buy a new iMac and be happy. Which one? The most expensive you can afford. Be sure to buy additional memory and AppleCare from a 3rd-party.
1. Don't get 8GB of memory. You don't need it. 4GB is plenty for now. In a year or so, 8GB will be affordable (Meaning $200 instead of $700 at MacSales.com)
2. Don't fret about the graphics card. It is "good enough". Unless you are a gamer, then you should not even consider a Mac.
I understand what you are doing as I did it when I moved from Windows to Mac OS X in 2005. You are over-analyzing. "Don't worry, be happy."
Buy a new iMac and be happy. Which one? The most expensive you can afford. Be sure to buy additional memory and AppleCare from a 3rd-party.
Thanks for the replies..... I'm not a serious computer gamer (use ps3 for that) but i do occasionally play games like company of heroes online, and want to be able to do that and other games with at least basic graphics card requirement (still need to get a copy of xp i guess) so that is a bit of the issue. If it can play COD4 then though then it should be more than adequate for quite awhile. And it has to be better than my 5 year old Pentium4 dell with 512 mb of ram i've been limping along with waiting for an update.
i'm holding on the memory - thanks for the advice to you and ... smilingoat
btw if there is somewhere better to get basic questions answered about macs feel free to direct me there - haven't been on a mac much since graduated college in 1996.
He asked for comparable to the iMac. That means the Dell XPS One, not some tower+monitor.
Yes, tower+monitor is less. That is NOT the point. The honest comparison is all-in-one vs all-in-one.
If value for your money is the point, and I believe it is, then a tower+monitor is a fair comparison. It's not our fault that Apple refuses to make a tower or that PC manufacturers charge premium prices for their all-in-ones.
All-in-one computers have nice integration and fewer cables so they look nicer when they're turned off. In every other way they are inferior to a separate computer + monitor.
Even if all-in-ones were as powerful as towers, which they're not, the tower + monitor would still be a better deal because you can upgrade the storage in the tower without paying a technician to dismantle your all-in-one and you can replace the tower when it gets outdated without having to buy a new display. Apple knows this and it's one of major reasons they don't sell towers. They know people would replace the computer every 4 years and buy their display from someone else. Instead they sell an iMac that they know isn't going to last any serious customer more than 3 years. Faster obsolescence = more profit.
Actually I take it back about the all-in-one looking better. Because it can only take one hard drive that's impossible for the average consumer to upgrade herself, the all-in-one must have at least one external hard drive cluttering the desk or connected to your wireless network where its performance is severely crippled. This secondary storage also removes any energy efficiency benefits of having an all-in-one.
Anyone choosing an all-in-one is choosing to spend more than they need to. I think it's foolish, but it's your choice.
People on these boards keep complaining that a dell or other windowz computers are so much cheaper than a Mac and I?m sick of it, because if you use your mac as intended, to easily create photos, albums, videos, websites, music... it?s actually cheaper than a windowz system, and that?s what Apple understands. I would hate to try and configure a windowz computer to do what a mac does out of the box because quite frankly there is no windowz equivalent to OSX and iLife. If you?re not using you mac for those 2 things you are missing the point of a mac, like using a race car to plow a field.
Thanks for taking the words right outa my ...uh... keyboard.
On another thread a couple of months ago, I mentioned how I helped move one of my client's group of secretaries to iMacs. I followed up with a post, how enthusiastic and motivated they were to come to work. My client's, and inherently my productivity, has increased roughly 50%(!), to the point that we haven't even missed the 2 people that jumped ship to our competitor at the beginning of the year (not because of Macs).
They'll be rehiring 2 new people, and be giving them new iMacs. At this point, and due to our productivity, they could recover their investment in less than half a year, even if the iMac was twice as expensive! So is it the specs of the machine? No. It's the OS and the iLife suite... plus a few utility aps. Uptime + Productivity + Easy... and FUN... to use = Happy employees and money in the bank = Mac OS X.
And by all means... you may call ME a FanBoy with results like that!
Privately, I'm purchasing today 3 MacMinis: for a girlfriend, my accountant, and myself as an entertainment center. The accountant keeps his beaten-to-a-pulp LogiTech though. I wouldn't dare suggest a delicate Apple KB.... without a 10-key. Although just as a joke... could be funny
PS: a BT Apple KB with TrackPad would have been absolutely fantastic. Gawd how I HATE Apple (sarcasm... but isn't it a rule that you have to use "HATE" somewhere in every post at AI or you'll get kicked of the boards?)
The 20" iMac comes out at 2499$ retail, and using the latest currency exchange off my ipod plus adding tax, comes out at $2712
The last entry level position for the iMac (2.4/20") was around 1899, so its a fairly significant increase.
THe old mini was ~950 for the 1,83ghz intro model. The new intro model using hte exchange rate should be around 1355, but the actual price is $1398
I suspect Apple are going to struggle in the current market mainly becuase their competition is not always US based and having to rely on the US:NZD exchange rate. The other prices may be rising, but not always at hte same rate as Apple.
The mind share may still be up there, especially with their actually advertising their products, a serious change, but then Dell are the only other computer company that appears to do TV adverts.