My PC is dead, so I'm buying a Mac. Questions within...

kotatsukotatsu
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
My PC died on me yesterday, it's completely dead, won't power up at all. So I'm thinking of switching. I already have a MacBook but it's really my wife's machine, so while I have some Mac experience I'm still basically a PC guy.



I have a few questions in advance of the purchase though, which hopefully you helpful sorts will be able to answer:



- If I stick my PC's 750gb SATA internal drive in an external USB/eSATA enclosure, will I be able to plug this into my new Mac and read the contents? It's formatted to NTFS.



- Can I buy a custom spec iMac from an Apple store? The Apple.com delivery time goes from 24 hours to 5 weeks as soon as I customise a machine. I'd want the ATI graphics card option in the machine, not the default NVidia one.



- Which is better for 3D and video work - VM Ware or Parallels? Running Vista obviously, and apps like Mudbox, Zbrush, Maya, and video conversion/transcoding applications.



Thanks all.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 5
    splinemodelsplinemodel Posts: 7,311member
    1. You can rescue NTFS by installing MacFUSE and the NTFS driver. Any case will do as long as the interface plugs into the iMac. In most cases USB is lousy for HDs, though.



    2. If you want it now, you'll probably have to get Nvidia. If the wait is 5 weeks, it probably means ATI is not fulfilling orders in a timely manner. It has nothing to do with service time. My friends at Nvidia tell me that they kick the tar out of ATI, but I image they are biased.



    3. Bootcamp may be your best option if you feel you must run PC. That said, VMWare has much better USB support, so it's probably required if you want to plug in your USB keys.



    The absolute best option is just to call up the developers of your 3D apps and tell them to send you the mac version ... that is, if the disc itself didn't have both installers. Most of these companies are small and more often than not you can get in touch with people who matter. IIRC, Maya and ZBrush have mac versions. I don't know Mudbox: never heard of it. I'm old timey: FormZ and ElectricImage ... two long-time stalwarts of 3D on the mac!
  • Reply 2 of 5
    kotatsukotatsu Posts: 1,010member
    Thanks. I must admit I was kind of hoping the Mac would just read NTFS without extra software.



    As for the Nvidia vs ATI thing, what is the performance difference between the two cards Apple offer on the highest end iMac? If memory serves my PC (RIP) had a GeForce 7800 GTS (or GTX? I forget) in it.



    Mudbox by the way is 3D sculpting software. It's similar to zbrush, but is by Autodesk (makers of Maya and 3D Studio Max).
  • Reply 3 of 5
    futurepastnowfuturepastnow Posts: 1,772member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kotatsu View Post


    As for the Nvidia vs ATI thing, what is the performance difference between the two cards Apple offer on the highest end iMac? If memory serves my PC (RIP) had a GeForce 7800 GTS (or GTX? I forget) in it.



    The performance difference between a Geforce GT130 and a Radeon 4850 would be like night and day for modern games at 1920x1200.
  • Reply 4 of 5
    kingofsomewherehotkingofsomewherehot Posts: 4,180member
    You CAN custom spec an iMac at an Apple Store... but they don't do anything "upgrades" there... they just order it from Apple and you come pick it up when it gets there... So you'd still have the 5 week wait ... maybe it would be a little less if stores get priority shipments, but I doubt it. Personally, I like that doorstep delivery
  • Reply 5 of 5
    nvidia2008nvidia2008 Posts: 9,262member
    As far as possible go ATI with the video card. That RV770 chip is pretty darn impressive and its 55nm as well... RV770 = that which is used in Radeon 4830, 4850, 4870. Even the 4830 wipes the floor with GT120/GT130 etc. which are rebranded Nvidia 9800s/9600s or even less.



    Nvidia 2008, ATI 2009.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by kotatsu View Post


    My PC died on me yesterday, it's completely dead, won't power up at all. So I'm thinking of switching. I already have a MacBook but it's really my wife's machine, so while I have some Mac experience I'm still basically a PC guy.



    I have a few questions in advance of the purchase though, which hopefully you helpful sorts will be able to answer:



    - If I stick my PC's 750gb SATA internal drive in an external USB/eSATA enclosure, will I be able to plug this into my new Mac and read the contents? It's formatted to NTFS.



    - Can I buy a custom spec iMac from an Apple store? The Apple.com delivery time goes from 24 hours to 5 weeks as soon as I customise a machine. I'd want the ATI graphics card option in the machine, not the default NVidia one.



    - Which is better for 3D and video work - VM Ware or Parallels? Running Vista obviously, and apps like Mudbox, Zbrush, Maya, and video conversion/transcoding applications.



    Thanks all.



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