iMac or PC?

[pappy53]

Let me start out by saying that I am NOT trolling. I just need some honest answers to help me with a major purchase. I have always had a PC, and now it is time to get another desktop. I have been to Best Buy looking at the iMac, as an Apple store is too far away. I like what I have seen, and LOVE the display, but cost is a factor. I do normal stuff on a computer, such as e-mail, web surfing, some digital photography, no video. I need help to justify the cost, as a comparable iMac(spec-wise) will run about $800.00 more than a PC. I am getting an iPad3, and maybe the new iPhone, if it has a bigger screen. I know that these will sync with the iMac, and that is a big plus.
Can anyone chime in, maybe that have had both? TIA.

 

[Alli]

One of my justifications in buying a Mac 1.5 years ago was that people kept saying my iPhone (and iPad) would sync much better with it. Ummm...no. Syncs exactly the same. And you can't drag your photos out of the camera on a Mac like you can on a pc.

If you need to justify the extra money, and don't have a very specific reason for buying one, you probably should stick with the pc for a fraction of the cost..

 

[pappy53]

What would you buy next time?

 

[Fausty82]

I'm a Mac guy now for life. That said, there's a lot of the whole Mac/PC thing that comes down on the Mac side purely for aesthetic reasons. The iMacs are beautiful machines, and depending on your needs/wants, may seriously be overpriced compared to the basic Windows machines.

Alli is right, the Macs do sync nicely with the iOS device world - but quite frankly, and as she said, so do the Windows machines.

One of the major considerations for me was never having to touch Windows again. Seriously. I worked on and with that OS for the first 20 years of my personal computer life - watched it grow and painfully grew with it. And I don't say that to bait any of the Windows fans, but in all honesty, the Mac OS (OS X) simply runs and runs elegantly. Certainly there's a bit of a learning curve in terms of how stuff works, but mainly in where stuff get stored. The current version of OS X (Lion) has slight iOS leanings... and supposedly the new Mountain Lion (due sometime this month) takes that a bit further... but not significantly, as far as I've seen.

I have had several MacBook Pro laptops and nary that first issue. Seriously. I have a Mac Mini that I use to serve up my media to the Apple TVs and the Macs within my house.. and my wife now has an iMac (mid-2011 model), which we've been experiencing random lockups with. I believe that I have isolated the problem to memory - third party memory (both Corsair and Crucial) that I installed post-purchase - not necessarily "faulty" or bad memory because it works perfectly in my MacBook Pro, but is has caused issues with the iMac. And I only say that in the interest of full disclosure. Mac computers are machines, just like WIndows machines... and stuff does go wrong from time to time, regardless of which platform you choose.

Now, with all of that said, I will summarize this as follows:

I hated the glitches and gotchas of Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP and 7. Don't have an opinion on 8. I love OS X, Sure there are things that are different, and maybe difficult for some to grasp... but the main difference is the hardware. If you're comparing a 21" iMac decked out, you're going to be in the $1400-1600 range. If you buy a WIndows computer WITH COMPARABLE COMPONENTS, you're going to get a comparable machine. And the price difference will be minimal.

But if you are going to compare the iMac with it's quality components against the cheap, no-name components in a $499 desktop, there is no comparison - the price difference is well worth it from the stand point of reliability alone. Just be sure that when comparing hardware, that you are comparing apples to apples (no pun intended)... I hear constantly from many that Apple is overpriced... but not so much when you compare it to a Windows machine built with comparable parts. Clearly you are paying something for the Apple name - just as you would be with Sony, Lenovo and other well established top-shelf brands. But quality components are also thrown in for good measure.

You asked for opinions...that's where I come down on this subject.

 

[Hail Caesar]

Gone Mac and have never gone back.

 

[pappy53]

I'm a Mac guy now for life. That said, there's a lot of the whole Mac/PC thing that comes down on the Mac side purely for aesthetic reasons. The iMacs are beautiful machines, and depending on your needs/wants, may seriously be overpriced compared to the basic Windows machines.

Alli is right, the Macs do sync nicely with the iOS device world - but quite frankly, and as she said, so do the Windows machines.

One of the major considerations for me was never having to touch Windows again. Seriously. I worked on and with that OS for the first 20 years of my personal computer life - watched it grow and painfully grew with it. And I don't say that to bait any of the Windows fans, but in all honesty, the Mac OS (OS X) simply runs and runs elegantly. Certainly there's a bit of a learning curve in terms of how stuff works, but mainly in where stuff get stored. The current version of OS X (Lion) has slight iOS leanings... and supposedly the new Mountain Lion (due sometime this month) takes that a bit further... but not significantly, as far as I've seen.

I have had several MacBook Pro laptops and nary that first issue. Seriously. I have a Mac Mini that I use to serve up my media to the Apple TVs and the Macs within my house.. and my wife now has an iMac (mid-2011 model), which we've been experiencing random lockups with. I believe that I have isolated the problem to memory - third party memory (both Corsair and Crucial) that I installed post-purchase - not necessarily "faulty" or bad memory because it works perfectly in my MacBook Pro, but is has caused issues with the iMac. And I only say that in the interest of full disclosure. Mac computers are machines, just like WIndows machines... and stuff does go wrong from time to time, regardless of which platform you choose.

Now, with all of that said, I will summarize this as follows:

I hated the glitches and gotchas of Windows 95, 98, 2000, XP and 7. Don't have an opinion on 8. I love OS X, Sure there are things that are different, and maybe difficult for some to grasp... but the main difference is the hardware. If you're comparing a 21" iMac decked out, you're going to be in the $1400-1600 range. If you buy a WIndows computer WITH COMPARABLE COMPONENTS, you're going to get a comparable machine. And the price difference will be minimal.

But if you are going to compare the iMac with it's quality components against the cheap, no-name components in a $499 desktop, there is no comparison - the price difference is well worth it from the stand point of reliability alone. Just be sure that when comparing hardware, that you are comparing apples to apples (no pun intended)... I hear constantly from many that Apple is overpriced... but not so much when you compare it to a Windows machine built with comparable parts. Clearly you are paying something for the Apple name - just as you would be with Sony, Lenovo and other well established top-shelf brands. But quality components are also thrown in for good measure.

You asked for opinions...that's where I come down on this subject.

Example: Hp Pavilion- i7 3rd generation 3.5ghz, 12GB DDR3, 2TB hard drive, 1GB AMD Radeon video card, blu-ray player, wireless-n, 27-inch HP LED monitor- total cost is $1199.00. If I spec a 27" iMac like this, the price won't even be in the ballpark. This is why I was asking if the iMac price was justifiable.

 

[Laura Knotek]

The disadvantage of the iMac is that it is basically built like a laptop. For example, the graphics card is soldered to the motherboard. Therefore, it cannot be replaced.

To me, a desktop is supposed to be user-upgradeable. Of the Macs, I would only consider a MacPro to be a true desktop computer. All-in-ones, whether Mac or PC, don't count as true desktops in my book.



Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express

 

[Fausty82]

The disadvantage of the iMac is that it is basically built like a laptop. For example, the graphics card is soldered to the motherboard. Therefore, it cannot be replaced.

To me, a desktop is supposed to be user-upgradeable. Of the Macs, I would only consider a MacPro to be a true desktop computer. All-in-ones, whether Mac or PC, don't count as true desktops in my book.



Sent from my Lumia 900 using Board Express

Actually, the video card is NOT soldered to the motherboard. My iMac is currently on the bench at the local Apple store waiting on a new video card to replace the faulty one installed in my computer.

Just doing my part to correct the mis-information that is being spread - either by ignorance or malice.

 

[Paradocks]

Actually, the video card is NOT soldered to the motherboard. My iMac is currently on the bench at the local Apple store waiting on a new video card to replace the faulty one installed in my computer.

Just doing my part to correct the mis-information that is being spread - either by ignorance or malice.

Is the video card in an iMac user replaceable, or do you need to take the whole machine in to an Apple store to have it done professionally?

Sent from somewhere

 

[Fausty82]

Is the video card in an iMac user replaceable, or do you need to take the whole machine in to an Apple store to have it done professionally?

Sent from somewhere

You do have to take it apart... but it is user replaceable, if you have the urge to dismantle your iMac - at least the mid-2011 21.5" model. Mind is still under warranty, so I let Apple do it...

(iFixit.com has a step-by-step guide here... but it's 50 steps and not for the faint of heart.)

 

[rdubmu]

one of the things that you should really consider is if you have a iphone and ipad. Then I would go with a MAC. Icloud just works and syncs easily with your computer. The thing that really sucks when you are using different devices. I currently use a iMac, the new iPad, and a windows phone. I then use my 2009 lenovo laptop. I find it really annoying that icloud doesn't work with my windows phone (calendar and address sync) and then hotmail doesn't work with my iMac but does work with my ipad and if I had an iphone it would work. I wish I could seriously use iMail and iCal, and even hotmail doesn't work with outlook on the MAC (calendar and address sync like it does with Windows version).

I would either go all in or all out with either platform. I am gonna probably go one way or another in the next few years. I am still sour my Titan II can not be upgraded to WP8, so if Apple ever makes a larger screen phone I will most likely get an iphone, and my next laptop would a Mac.

 

[rich67]

I was a sworn PC guy for YEARS, Dell, Gateway, Compaq, EMachines, you name it, I had it all. Ran Linux Ubuntu on them also. Bought a Mac Mini a few years back at the same time I bought my iPhone. Will never go back to PC. The Mini is awesome for what I use it for, but a bit slow when I process HD video (GoPro footage) and slow when I work with RAW photo files. For this reason, I am looking at the iMac. The one I want can be had for $1500, and that comes with the 1TB drive and the i7 processor. Go to the Apple site and even check out the refurbs- they are just like buying new, and the price can vary by a couple hundred dollars.
As for Mac's syncing with iPhones, you have to use iPhoto and the Photostream. People looking to drag photos over are still living in the "olden days" of PC mentality, if you ask me. I can get my photos without having to connect with a USB cable, wirelessly, and the photos open right up in the application I use for basic editing. How easy is that? The days of connecting cables and hunting for the DCIM folder/camera/photos/view-thumbnail is over! Embrace the new technology. I also have jailbroken my iPhone, so I can use Cyberduck to transfer them by the "antiquated" method if I choose to do so.
Mac's do function differently from PC's, and that's where the learning curve takes over. I equate it to the difference between having an Android vs iOS. I can put whatever I want on my PC from whatever source, but I have to search a lot harder and pay for the stuff I want on m Mac. But, the positive side to this is the programs are a lot more controlled, and the chances of getting a virus from some shoddy EXE file are nil with the Macs. I haven't had a virus in 3 years, no noticeable slowdowns, no blue screens of death, no NOTHING that I experienced routinely with PC's. The only PC I own is a small netbook. It runs Win7, which is pretty decent. But it too has crashed and locked up- something I rarely encounter on my Mac.
As everyone who owns a Mac will tell you...it just plain WORKS. If you are like me, I run Apple TV, iPhone and the Mini. They all function seamlessly with each other, and work like brand new year after year. That's why you pay the bigger bucks- for excellent customer service with people who know what the hell they are doing, not outsourced third-world help. They provide contstant updates and keep the OS on the cutting edge, and upgrading and programs don't cost $400-$600 a pop like some PC software. I use Pixelmator and Gimp, both Photoshop like programs, and between the two they cost me $5. There's no contest.
I'd say if you are not sold on the iMac because of price, try the Mini first. You can get a well-equipped one used and spend around $500. Then just experience the functionality. If you're like me, you'll be sold and want the iMac. Or, you might hate it and go back to PC. But you definitely won't have any problems selling it if you do! I sold my old Mac Mini for $390...and I bought it on Ebay for $350...lol.

 

[Bias X]

I don't know how far you are delving into digital photography, but what you listed an IMac is overkill.

If you happen to delve into gaming as well, you will be severely limited with macs as well.

Unless your are going hardcore photography, music, or video editing, I'd stick with a desktop PC. Many more options as far as upgrading goes and its cheaper.

I'd recommend picking up a cheap desktop and picking up an MacBook Air if your set on at least having a Mac.

As far as OS goes, it's all opinion. I've had a Mac for 4 years and a PC as long as I can remember. Ive seen ups and down on both. Just go whatever you are comfortable with.

 

[anon(4698833)]

PC = Personal Computer

iMac = Personal Computer

iMac = PC

...just putting that out there. To be honest, for me, i will never go back to a Windows based system unless Microsoft really just wows me with features and an environment that draws me away from OSX. I won't hold my breath on that happening.

The factors you listed and your limitations on the purchase lead me to believe that you yourself would probably be just fine with a windows based PC within your budget (and that you would get more features with a windows based PC).

A Honda Civic can perform many (if not most) of the functions a BMW M3 can perform...which one is right for you is a personal choice, are you ready to spend more for something that costs more but provides benefits in areas the lesser car cannot (stock for stock)? That about sums up the situation here.

 

[Bias X]

PC = Personal Computer

iMac = Personal Computer

iMac = PC

...just putting that out there.

PC has always been loosely associated with Windows. Especially more so when Apple had its commercials "Hi, I'm a Mac" "and I'm a PC".

 

[gabi2012]

I was a sworn PC guy for YEARS, Dell, Gateway, Compaq, EMachines, you name it, I had it all. Ran Linux Ubuntu on them also. Bought a Mac Mini a few years back at the same time I bought my iPhone. Will never go back to PC. The Mini is awesome for what I use it for, but a bit slow when I process HD video (GoPro footage) and slow when I work with RAW photo files. For this reason, I am looking at the iMac. The one I want can be had for $1500, and that comes with the 1TB drive and the i7 processor. Go to the Apple site and even check out the refurbs- they are just like buying new, and the price can vary by a couple hundred dollars.
As for Mac's syncing with iPhones, you have to use iPhoto and the Photostream. People looking to drag photos over are still living in the "olden days" of PC mentality, if you ask me. I can get my photos without having to connect with a USB cable, wirelessly, and the photos open right up in the application I use for basic editing. How easy is that? The days of connecting cables and hunting for the DCIM folder/camera/photos/view-thumbnail is over! Embrace the new technology. I also have jailbroken my iPhone, so I can use Cyberduck to transfer them by the "antiquated" method if I choose to do so.
Mac's do function differently from PC's, and that's where the learning curve takes over. I equate it to the difference between having an Android vs iOS. I can put whatever I want on my PC from whatever source, but I have to search a lot harder and pay for the stuff I want on m Mac. But, the positive side to this is the programs are a lot more controlled, and the chances of getting a virus from some shoddy EXE file are nil with the Macs. I haven't had a virus in 3 years, no noticeable slowdowns, no blue screens of death, no NOTHING that I experienced routinely with PC's. The only PC I own is a small netbook. It runs Win7, which is pretty decent. But it too has crashed and locked up- something I rarely encounter on my Mac.
As everyone who owns a Mac will tell you...it just plain WORKS. If you are like me, I run Apple TV, iPhone and the Mini. They all function seamlessly with each other, and work like brand new year after year. That's why you pay the bigger bucks- for excellent customer service with people who know what the hell they are doing, not outsourced third-world help. They provide contstant updates and keep the OS on the cutting edge, and upgrading and programs don't cost $400-$600 a pop like some PC software. I use Pixelmator and Gimp, both Photoshop like programs, and between the two they cost me $5. There's no contest.
I'd say if you are not sold on the iMac because of price, try the Mini first. You can get a well-equipped one used and spend around $500. Then just experience the functionality. If you're like me, you'll be sold and want the iMac. Or, you might hate it and go back to PC. But you definitely won't have any problems selling it if you do! I sold my old Mac Mini for $390...and I bought it on Ebay for $350...lol.

Say no more and to those who can't afford iMac - buy one, spend time playing with it for few weeks and you will fall in love. As simple as that trust me..


Sent from myusing Tapatalk

 

[anon(4698833)]

PC has always been loosely associated with Windows. Especially more so when Apple had its commercials "Hi, I'm a Mac" "and I'm a PC".

This is true, i was just being an ass.

 

[Bias X]

This is true, i was just being an ass.

It's okay, we still love you.

 

[Moneymiike420]

Just picked up a 27" iMac first Mac computer and don't know why I waited so long to make the switch . Quick boot up,lightning fast,amazing top notch screen u can't go wrong with this of your looking for an all in one .