Foo - I'm thinking of replacing my PC with an iMac

Good idea?

I used a Mac way back when they were black and white, and in that little box. Now I'm thinking of replacing my current decktop with an iMac. Any thoughts?

Thanks

they look cool

I love my iMac Intel Core Duo...

writing this communication on a mac mini,
my family gave it to me for christmas a couple years ago,
was a little skeptical about it at first. have it sitting on a shelf
right next to my easy chair with a scrounged up flat panel display
and a laptop style keypad with integrated touch pad so that i don't
need a separate mouse. i can just sit in my recliner and surf away,
as i am doing right now. the apple works that comes with the system
is ok for light wordprocessing or spreadsheet. i've loaded mac office
which give me complete interchangability with pc office that i use
at work- so i can send a file home, work on it then send it back.
only caution is make sure your ISP will support the mac format,
some ISP don't work well is mac (peoplepc for example). based
upon my pretty fair experience with the mac mini, we got our
teenager an imac for his pc- it has been good for him also.

Personally, I'd replace it with a Mini, but in general, I dislike so-called desktops with a built-in monitor. It was fine back in the Mac Classic and SE/30 days, but now?

I've used a Mac way back when they were black and white, and in that little box. I started out with a Mac Plus myself.


Now I'm thinking of replacing my current decktop with an iMac. Any thoughts?Now that they've got Intel CPUs, I'm seriously thinking of that too. Apparently pre-Intel software runs OK on the new iMacs (http://www.apple.com/imac/), but more slowly that versions which have been upgraded to be Intel native. For the moment, I'm waiting until the next version of the Mac OS (Leopard, v10.5) comes pre-installed with iMacs (it's in Sneak Peek (http://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard/) now) and until Adobe releases more native apps (http://webserver.computoredge.com/editorial/2506/macprint.htm):


Adobe decided to go just as slow in releasing a version of its Creative Suite applications (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, et. al.) that supported the new Intel chips at native speeds.

Do it. Love my iBook.

Thanks guys! About the new OS, if you buy now can you get a free upgrade, or better to just wait for the new OS to come out?

I think the first Apple I used was an Apple IIe, we did some simple programing in HS - that was a long time ago...

Thanks guys! About the new OS, if you buy now can you get a free upgrade, or better to just wait for the new OS to come out?Interesting question. I looked around Apple's site, but didn't see anything about that. I've had such trouble upgrading Microshaft OS versions that I wasn't going to try it with a Mac, but it should be a much easier process.

The nice thing about switching to Macs now is that you can still run Windows, either inside of the Mac OS with Parallels or VMWare, or as a dual-boot with Boot Camp. So, while you're learning the new OS, you can still jump onto Windows in a pinch.

I personally don't have a Mac, but I'd love to have one. I run Ubuntu Linux and, when needed, use Windows in VMWare.

Upgrades are free until you hit the major releases, such as the pending 10.5. If your Mac ships with 10.4.9, you'll have to pay the upgrade freight to 10.5.
As far as upgrade problems, I've been running OS10 since beta, and never had an upgrade related major issue. Some little stuff from time to time, but mostly just logical transition issues.
iMacs really are fit anywhere, really functional machines. Check out the iLugger cases if you want the worlds heaviest portable. I've even carried my 17" aboard a plane with no problems.

Check out the iLugger cases if you want the worlds heaviest portable. I've even carried my 17" aboard a plane with no problems.Does that case have to go in the overhead bin?
<edit=Oh, my gosh! iLugger even has a case for the new 24" iMac!>

Does that case have to go in the overhead bin?
<edit=Oh, my gosh! iLugger even has a case for the new 24" iMac!>

If your on a Boeing, it'll slide angled under the seat. Embraer or similar kinda depends on how lenient your steward wants to be, as it will extend into your foot space a bit.
That's assuming your carrying a 17, if your trying a 24, you better buy it it's own seat.

Definitely wait for Leopard to come out if you can.

Hi All-

I run a Windows PC machine (work) side-by-side with a Macintosh machine (personal) and I have to give the nod to the Apple product. The overall build quality appears superior and the O/S is a piece-of-cake to learn.

~ Blue Jays ~

If you buy a MacBook, I'd seriously consider buying the AppleCare warranty. I normally don't advocate extended warranties on anything but laptops, but on laptops, parts are so specialized that if something breaks, its almost a foregone conclusion that the costs for repairs for anything but the hard disk will set you back almost as much as a new laptop.

yes. it's a good idea.

My iMac and i agree its a great idea

check out my name!

Good idea?

I used a Mac way back when they were black and white, and in that little box. Now I'm thinking of replacing my current decktop with an iMac. Any thoughts?

Thanks

It likely still had a tv out card. My old apple IIc had a tv out card in colour. Games kicked ass :)

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m291/bmitchell4/linux.jpg

I don't like Macs, not as much software available. that's my only beef

I don't like Macs, not as much software available. that's my only beef
Did you see this prior post?
The nice thing about switching to Macs now is that you can still run Windows, either inside of the Mac OS with Parallels or VMWare, or as a dual-boot with Boot Camp.

if your running windows on a mac it defeats the purpose of the MAC itself

Windows is sometimes necessary. The goal (for some of us) is to run it as little as possible.

I'll stick to my windows for desktops and linux for servers .. no use for a mac .. those are a graphic designers toy.

I don't like Macs, not as much software available. that's my only beef

Depends on what software you want to run, and if an "equivalent solution" is good enough for you.

Office/Productivity? NeoOffice.

Web Surfing? Firefox, Camino, Safari, Opera.

E-Mail? Mail2.app (default mail app), Thunderbird, etc.

Diagrams and flowcharts? Omnigraffle for the win!

Audio editing? Audacity.

Video player with tons of codecs/plugins? VideoLan VLC

I could go on and on...

So, unless you absolutely positively must run some exact version of some software that's windows only, a Mac will work just fine. Personally, I don't do anything directly work related from my personal computer equipment. If my company wants me to work when I'm away, I don't feel that use of my personal computer should be required.

After all, if "Company resources are not to be used for personal task or entertainment" then it should stand to reason that "Personal or entertainment resources should not be used for company tasks"

A lot of the programs I listed will interact just fine with their "Brand name" equivalents, though. NeoOffice/OpenOffice will work fine with MS Office, and I am pretty sure Omnigraffle will open Visio docs.

Games on a PC are much better. And, if you do any programming/coding, you're better off working on a PC or within Linux (usually on a PC or in VMWare).

Games on a PC are much better. And, if you do any programming/coding, you're better off working on a PC or within Linux (usually on a PC or in VMWare).

Games I can understand, although only because hardware wise, a PC/Windows has more flexibility and upgradeability.

Programming?! That's all I do! And being based on code that's similar to FreeBSD (OSX is running Darwin under the hood, which is a fusion of NeXT and FreeBSD, basically), it's every bit as good as Linux for development. Plus, it's got better Java implementation than any OS I've seen except for Solaris.

I do shell, PHP, C, and perl on OS X. While we're at it, I also do a lot of database administration and network troubleshooting with OS X. OS X is simply the friendliest UNIX distribution known to mankind. I'd take it over ubuntu any day for a desktop. Of course, I'd take OpenBSD for servers over anything else.

Edit:

I forgot, for windows users, .NET and visual studio stuff are the only IDE's and languages in the universe. Can't help you there. Windows is good for WINDOWS programming. :lol:

I'll stick to my windows for desktops and linux for servers .. no use for a mac .. those are a graphic designers toy.

+1

its a boutique system, my mom loves hers. I use them occasionally when I have to but then I waste a bunch of time remapping hotkeys and such.

Almost every day and almost all day long I do creative stuff on computers and have for the last 12 years. When I started out freelancing the cost difference was significant so I knuckled through in the PC/Win world and learning how the rest of the world uses computers has served me well. Ironically many of my compatriots on the Mac side have folded in the last few years and I can't help but reason that some of that is because of the high cost of upgrading as often as it needs to be done these days.

In the long run its all about applications, if it supports the software you need and you can afford it, buy it. Thats the only reason to buy any computer. But its just pathetic when someone has to use a mac because anything else hurts their brain :rolleyes:

+1
But its just pathetic when someone has to use a mac because anything else hurts their brain :rolleyes:

Jeez...you really know how to hurt a guy...
<slinks away, disliking himself just a little more than he did 1 minute ago>

Linucks for desktops, servers, and dead badgers!


But its just pathetic when someone has to use a mac because anything else hurts their brain :rolleyes:

It's almost as pathetic as a freelancer who has to knuckle through the PC/Win world because of the cost difference. :p

I am a hardcore PC user. I grew up with them from way back when and went through it all. At one point I realized that the PC turned into an appliance for me and I was spending too much time fiddling with the appliance than actually using it.

We would never stand to have to fiddle with our TVs or kitchen appliances the way many have to deal with their Windows machines. That's when I decided to take the plunge and get a Mac for our family PC and don't regret it one bit. I still work under Windows and UNIX but I will very likely get a Mac Book Pro when Leopard comes out (10.5).

Using the argument that a Mac is dumbed down is short-sighted. There's a point were all things get simpler because they should. No one turns a hand-crank to start their car anymore, and no general user boots into a DOS prompt anymore.

Programming?! That's all I do! And being based on code that's similar to FreeBSD (OSX is running Darwin under the hood, which is a fusion of NeXT and FreeBSD, basically), it's every bit as good as Linux for development. Plus, it's got better Java implementation than any OS I've seen except for Solaris.

I do shell, PHP, C, and perl on OS X. While we're at it, I also do a lot of database administration and network troubleshooting with OS X. OS X is simply the friendliest UNIX distribution known to mankind. I'd take it over ubuntu any day for a desktop. Of course, I'd take OpenBSD for servers over anything else.

Edit:

I forgot, for windows users, .NET and visual studio stuff are the only IDE's and languages in the universe. Can't help you there. Windows is good for WINDOWS programming. :lol:

On all these grounds, the PC can handle just about every programming language, including those you mentioned on OS X. While you can't reliably run OS X on a PC yet, that day will come soon, I gather...

It's almost as pathetic as a freelancer who has to knuckle through the PC/Win world because of the cost difference. :p

awww, I'm crushed

Mac > PC = Campy > Shimano ??? ;)

Real programmers use cards! :rolleyes:

I have a mini and a pc. The mac gets turned on a lot more often than the pc.

I've been using my Mac for a little over a year and I love it. Before using my iBook I was a PC user for about 10 years. Honestly, I don't think I would go back to using a PC. IMO I would say "GO FOR IT!" You will not regret it.

Using the argument that a Mac is dumbed down is short-sighted. There's a point were all things get simpler because they should. No one turns a hand-crank to start their car anymore, and no general user boots into a DOS prompt anymore.

You are right. and honestly, my comments are directed to general users. Being in a support role for visiting tourists you quickly realize macs break (sorry people they stall, stop, can't get ips and suck too) The difference, usually, between a mac users and a pc user is knowledge. A pc user will have at least tried general troubleshooting, Mac users because their computers don't crap out as often, are left in limbo. Thats the only time I knock mac users. Heck 90% of mac users don't even know how to refresh their ip.

That said, real power users, can power use either and everything. Its not the os's fault that most people don't know how to use it :)



We would never stand to have to fiddle with our TVs or kitchen appliances the way many have to deal with their Windows machines. That's when I decided to take the plunge and get a Mac for our family PC and don't regret it one bit. I still work under Windows and UNIX but I will very likely get a Mac Book Pro when Leopard comes out (10.5).


Maybe its my job, but I still see the pc as more than an appliance (likely because I would have a whole lot of pc's to fullfill all my needs if I couldn't manipulate it at any level). If that is its only purpose, than yes, a mac would likely be a superior machine. Heck I want to buy one for my gf, its perfect for those people who want to sit down and have their computer just work, and do those little things they need.

awww, I'm crushed

http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/images/thumb/7/70/Heavenlycat.jpg/800px-Heavenlycat.jpg

I'm OS agnostic (and make fun all of them.) If you like Macs, buy Macs. Computers are a tool, so buy what gets YOUR job done, and don't just go by someone else's fanboism (and this applies to all platforms.)

For example, Active Directory for me is easy to manage for home use, although OpenLDAP is just as good. Same with my Linux box running sendmail on a dyndns.com domain, that I can access via pop, imap, or even just ssh into the Linux box and fire up mutt.

I also have been pondering a Mac... as always, an XServe is a machine I promised myself for a graduation present. However, I'm not really buying it because its a Mac, but more of a high-end UNIX server, similar to a decent RS/6000 or an UltraSPARC IV machine. Yes, $25k is a lot for a machine that sits there in a rack, however Apple is pretty competitive with the other players out there for low-end servers [1].

[1]: IBM used to have a machine that had 66 PCI slots, and its price tag was more than some GNPs of some small nations. However, you get what you pay for, and if you have the cash, you get some truly amazing engineering. I've had the IBM SE come by to replace parts without having to place a service ticket because the machine automatically notified about drives in the RAID array giving prefailure warnings.

Once you finish thinking of replacing your PC with a Mac and do it, you'll wonder why you thought so long about it.

Once you finish thinking of replacing your PC with a Mac and do it, you'll wonder why you thought so long about it.
so true.

I'm OS agnostic (and make fun all of them.) If you like Macs, buy Macs. Computers are a tool, so buy what gets YOUR job done, and don't just go by someone else's fanboism (and this applies to all platforms.)

For example, Active Directory for me is easy to manage for home use, although OpenLDAP is just as good. Same with my Linux box running sendmail on a dyndns.com domain, that I can access via pop, imap, or even just ssh into the Linux box and fire up mutt.

I also have been pondering a Mac... as always, an XServe is a machine I promised myself for a graduation present. However, I'm not really buying it because its a Mac, but more of a high-end UNIX server, similar to a decent RS/6000 or an UltraSPARC IV machine. Yes, $25k is a lot for a machine that sits there in a rack, however Apple is pretty competitive with the other players out there for low-end servers [1].

[1]: IBM used to have a machine that had 66 PCI slots, and its price tag was more than some GNPs of some small nations. However, you get what you pay for, and if you have the cash, you get some truly amazing engineering. I've had the IBM SE come by to replace parts without having to place a service ticket because the machine automatically notified about drives in the RAID array giving prefailure warnings.

Good stuff, mlts... we run a Dell data center and their support is pretty solid when supporting the higher-end equipment. I do think IBM is a couple of notches above, though.

After the umpteenth reinstall of WinXP, and after sitting back and surveying the hideous mess of wires and ugly crap that made up my Windoze system, I switched. I have an iMac.

I've never looked back.


Both have their advantages. When I switched to Mac it was very frustrating getting over the few advantages of the Microsoft GUI. But overall it was sheer bliss working with an OS that just works.

Mac is totally the way to go. Finally a computer that looks like it belongs in the living room. I am absolutely amazed that so many people still live with these hideous MS monstrosities.

And as for user interaction, every time I work on a Windows PC now I just want to scream at all the daft things that moronic company does.

Microsoft is *messy*, Mac is clean. That's the best way to sum it up.



Thanks guys! About the new OS, if you buy now can you get a free upgrade, or better to just wait for the new OS to come out?

I think the first Apple I used was an Apple IIe, we did some simple programing in HS - that was a long time ago...
aww man, I remember logo. That was so much fun.
Since a new OS is out soon, you might want to wait.


I don't like Macs, not as much software available. that's my only beef
Yeah, in the Mac world you have like 10 choices of applications to do something and maybe 5 will be good.

In the PC world you have like 100 choices of applications to do something and maybe 5 will be good :rolleyes:


But its just pathetic when someone has to use a mac because anything else hurts their brain :rolleyes:
So you also hand-turn the crank to start the engine of your car, huh?

That's the problem with people who work with PCs for their jobs, or are techie-minded - they seem to forget that you shouldn't have to work around your computer or think like a computer or contend with the myriad infuriating imbecilic flaws of Microsoft.

Macs are for normal people who just want to use a computer for normal stuff.
Microsoft is for programmers, gamers, geeks, the ignorant, and the aesthetically obtuse.

I work on a PC. It seems better for that. I feel I can work more efficiently with PC.
I live with my Mac. It seems better for that. I feel I can live more happily with Mac, I don't want to pull my hair out.

warning: if you switch your first few weeks may be quite frustrating. Mine were. It takes a while to 'deprogram' oneself from the Windows environment.

Once you finish thinking of replacing your PC with a Mac and do it, you'll wonder why you thought so long about it.
+1000

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m291/bmitchell4/linux.jpg
:roflmao:

Hmmm, what you folks are really doing is comparing Windoze vs. OSX.

Considering that desktop Macs use Intel motherboards and MacBooks are made by Asus, there's really no difference between a Mac and a PC anymore. The OSX86 project (http://wiki.osx86project.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page) has all the info on installing OSX on non-Apple hardware. I've been running dual-boot between Windoze and OSX for years:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e346/DannoXYZ/ComputerTech/DellOSX.jpg

Then I loaded the Parallels Workstation (http://www.parallels.com/) so that I could run OSX and Windows simultaneously without having to reboot. Also run Ubuntu LINUX at the same time. :)

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e346/DannoXYZ/ComputerTech/MacOSXubuntuWinXP2.jpg

I finally got sick of multiple operating systems, so I'm running OSX exclusively. With the use of the WINE (http://www.winehq.com) and DarWINE (http://darwine.opendarwin.org/) API layers, I can run Windows applications without having Windows loaded at all. :)

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e346/DannoXYZ/ComputerTech/MacOSX86wineCPUZ3s.jpg

Macs are for normal people who just want to use a computer for normal stuff.
Microsoft is for programmers, gamers, geeks, the ignorant, and the aesthetically obtuse.
.

Thats just awesome...:D I fit3 of those categories hahahaha

Another ubuntu user here. I'm finally to the point where the only thing I need Windows for is one game.

Meh, I've gone through 3 different Macs in the past 5 years, and now I'm going back to PC/Windows. I suppose they're good for some things, but, realistically, they're no better than an equivalent Windows based system regardless of what you're doing. This is coming from someone who's done graphic design, intensive video and audio editing, and 3d design. It's different, yes... definitely more user friendly on Mac. But no more powerful. And considering the troubles I've had with Mac hardware, and the lack of 3rd party support, I just don't think the (admittedly very nice) interface of OSX is worth it.