quote from some article comparing olde iMacs to new iMacs. I show this to highlight the fact that the iMacs are using Intel's latest and greatest chipset. Pupator already touched on the cpu differences. Make sure you take that into account in any price/performance comparison.
to illustrate this further, refer back to my first post with the 2.4Ghz iMac and the 2.6Ghz Dell XPS
The Dell uses the Bearlake chipset and E6750 processor which utilize a 1333Mhz FSB compared to the Santa Rosa chipset and T7700 processor at 800Mhz on the iMac.
Both systems utilize DDR2 memory at 667Mhz
The dell comes out a bit ahead in terms of processor, the Mac comes out ahead in the Display department.
The processor and displays were the only differences between these otherwise identical systems, and even they aren't that big of a deal. So when comparing apples to apples the price difference can go a few hundred dollars either way depending on your preferences.
I'd love to add my voice to the discussion at this point, but you all are doing such a good job and my wide-angle lens just got here.
As Andy used to say (either here or at, uh, that other place): "In the end, it's all about the pictures, right?"
Now I'm going to "shoot wide."
(P.S. - Cause I can't resist - If the Dell system is similar enough and still a few hundred cheaper, how much better do you think I can come out building my own? The way I buy parts for building, I would speculate $600 cheaper AND be assured of getting exactly the kind of quality parts I desire. I think you have to admit that one, maybe inconsequential for you, setback of Macs is not being able to build your own.) But really, I'm going to take pictures now!
(P.S. - Cause I can't resist - If the Dell system is similar enough and still a few hundred cheaper, how much better do you think I can come out building my own? The way I buy parts for building, I would speculate $600 cheaper AND be assured of getting exactly the kind of quality parts I desire. I think you have to admit that one, maybe inconsequential for you, setback of Macs is not being able to build your own.)
Can't compete on the build-your own, unless you add in the true cost of your time. But it would be silly, in any case, to expect an Apple built product to compare off the shelf with a Pupator built product.
I only left PC's last week for the first time since 2000 i think. I used to have a couple of amigas before that but ..well.
Last week i picked up a 24" iMac 2.4 duo core,256 vid & 2 gig ram,cordless keyboard/mouse. Im well aware cordless is avail on PC So & i wont debate whats best for others however i will mention the differences for me.
PC...cords bloody everywhere. The cat gets caught up in them chasing gekkos...i need a torch and to get under the desk to move anything & it looks like the control room for the acrylic film kapton dacron net separators on the shuttle behind the PC.
Mac...i have one power cord & thats it. I unplug & pick up the monitor up & go for a walk around the house with it & just need to find a power outlet.
Startup..PC , i hit the start button & go make a coffee. I get back & the annoying virus updates are now starting to really shit me off with their repetitive threats of the world tipping on its axis if i dont run scanners immediately.
Startup..Mac , I hit the start button & its on & ready to go before ive left the room. Thats it...its sitting there operating. A few seconds.
Monitor..i really cant compare as my old monitor is a 21" Sony CRT whereas my new Mac one is like looking at one of those 2am euro movies, you know you should go to bed but your hypnotitized. Its just the most magnificent thing ive ever seen. The sharpness & colour depth is amazing.
Getting about....i know my PC backwards with general getting around & the mac is certainly different but not as much as i expected. The way Leopard displays my photo files is very nice with the mouse button control left & right.
Noise..the mac is (as far as i can hear) totally silent. I cannot hear its 3 fans. My duo core PC however has fan noise that i cant stand. Ive tried several diff AMD & Intel processors but there is no comparisson here.
I initially didnt like the one click mouse & last night doctorIT came over & showed me its just a check button to have the mac mouse with the same double click as the PC. The mac screen also has built in speakers which are well hidden & the sound is great.
The mac is simply a funky machine, no two ways about it. I have a friend whom is an admin for a large IT company whom is my PC trouble shooter...im often on the phone to him with my PC issues & yesterday i sent a photo of my new mac to him. His response. "Well you know that i can no longer offer you tech support now that you have moved away from a PC, not that you will be needing it anyway"
You need to get a Firewire drive and start using Time Machine. Do NOT run that Mac without a backup. Your drive will fail. My wife's drive died after 2 months. Lucky we had a back up. Plus, Time Machine is so friggin' drop dead easy. Drives are cheap. USB 2.0 is fine, too, if those are easier/cheaper to get by you.
You need to get a Firewire drive and start using Time Machine. Do NOT run that Mac without a backup. Your drive will fail. My wife's drive died after 2 months. Lucky we had a back up. Plus, Time Machine is so friggin' drop dead easy. Drives are cheap. USB 2.0 is fine, too, if those are easier/cheaper to get by you.
Mate i leant looong ago to never ever ever have anything on a computer that you are not prepared to lose in an instant at any given moment. If i have photos that i wish to keep in RAW i store them on a DVD (yes guys i know that they fail also).
The rest i can simply load again. I would often reformat my PC HD's & reload EVERYTHING to rid it of clutter. I dont rely on a computer to store anything i seriuosly need. I turned my PC on one morning & then the stove. The sudden inductive load on the elec cct (all i could put it down to) fried it on the spot at the very instant i turned on the stove. I will talk to doc about showing me how to do it next week to give you peace of mind if nothing else.
Mate i leant looong ago to never ever ever have anything on a computer that you are not prepared to lose in an instant at any given moment. If i have photos that i wish to keep in RAW i store them on a DVD (yes guys i know that they fail also).
The rest i can simply load again. I would often reformat my PC HD's & reload EVERYTHING to rid it of clutter. I dont rely on a computer to store anything i seriuosly need. I turned my PC on one morning & then the stove. The sudden inductive load on the elec cct (all i could put it down to) fried it on the spot at the very instant i turned on the stove. I will talk to doc about showing me how to do it next week to give you peace of mind if nothing else.
Plug the drive in. When it asks you if you want to use it for backup, say yes. Done. Easy as that.
And thanks for being concerned with my peace of mind!
to illustrate this further, refer back to my first post with the 2.4Ghz iMac and the 2.6Ghz Dell XPS
The Dell uses the Bearlake chipset and E6750 processor which utilize a 1333Mhz FSB compared to the Santa Rosa chipset and T7700 processor at 800Mhz on the iMac.
Both systems utilize DDR2 memory at 667Mhz
The dell comes out a bit ahead in terms of processor, the Mac comes out ahead in the Display department.
The processor and displays were the only differences between these otherwise identical systems, and even they aren't that big of a deal. So when comparing apples to apples the price difference can go a few hundred dollars either way depending on your preferences.
Just did a HP d4995t spec'd the same as the Dell except w/a 24" monitor. No idea on the quality. $1,859.
So if you're keeping track at home:
HP: $1,859
iMac: $1,949
Dell: $2,276
I would do Gateway as well, but they seem to only be selling Quad core desktops now
Just did a HP d4995t spec'd the same as the Dell except w/a 24" monitor. No idea on the quality. $1,859.
So if you're keeping track at home:
HP: $1,859
iMac: $1,949
Dell: $2,276
I would do Gateway as well, but they seem to only be selling Quad core desktops now
Gateway $960 + 549 (for the newest version) for the 24" monitor = $1509
• Intel® Core™2 Quad Q6600 Quad Core Processor with VT
• Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium
• 3072MB DDR2 Memory
• 500GB 7200 RPM SATA II Hard Drive
• 18x DVD±R/RW Multiformat Dual Layer Optical Drive featuring Labelflash™ technology
• High-Performance 15-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
• Gateway® Portable Media Drive Bay
Extremetech gives a big thumbs up to this monitor as well.
Gateway $960 + 549 (for the newest version) for the 24" monitor = $1509
• Intel® Core™2 Quad Q6600 Quad Core Processor with VT
• Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium
• 3072MB DDR2 Memory
• 500GB 7200 RPM SATA II Hard Drive
• 18x DVD±R/RW Multiformat Dual Layer Optical Drive featuring Labelflash™ technology
• High-Performance 15-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
• Gateway® Portable Media Drive Bay
Extremetech gives a big thumbs up to this monitor as well.
heh, got nuthin for that.
does make you curious if DELL & HP are just that much overpriced or if Gateway is cutting corners somewhere.
I was looking at used Apple's today (as I've said, I'd like to have one around for troubleshooting, etc.).
Here are the two I've been offered - what do you guys think?
1) Like New 9.9/10 Condition High Spec
14.1" iBook G4 1.42Ghz
1GB RAM/120 GB/DVD-RW(SuperDrive)
Integrated Bluetooth & Airport Extreme
Preload OS X TIGER v10.4
iSight Camera Included
$375
2) G4 933 QS
1GB of ram
2 320 gig hard drives
dvdrw pro
OSX Leopard
$450
I was looking at used Apple's today (as I've said, I'd like to have one around for troubleshooting, etc.).
Here are the two I've been offered - what do you guys think?
1) Like New 9.9/10 Condition High Spec
14.1" iBook G4 1.42Ghz
1GB RAM/120 GB/DVD-RW(SuperDrive)
Integrated Bluetooth & Airport Extreme
Preload OS X TIGER v10.4
iSight Camera Included
$375
2) G4 933 QS
1GB of ram
2 320 gig hard drives
dvdrw pro
OSX Leopard
$450
What do you think of either?
I would steer clear of the G4s if I could, they're too far behind the curve. Although I think both will run Leopard (800mhz is minimum, I think?)
I'm no fan of the MacMini, but you can get a refurb right now for $650. That's as good as new, same warranty as new, and it's an Intel Core Duo (not Core 2 Duo). It's probably out of the range of your "I'm curious" budget, but it's not that much more, either.
Macs hold their value, and maybe these machines you're listing are still worth that, but I'd be interested to see if you could get a more current machine for the same price? I dunno. Of the two I would lean towards the iBook, even though it's not a pro machine, it's small, faster processor, etc.
Been standing by reading this, and for some reason, no one wants to post the performance results the OP asked for. All anyone wants to do it discuss how pretty their computers are
OK so, even though I am no longer in the elite PC club, here is how my perfectly serviceable, but indeed slow, AMD Athlon 2900+, 1GB, ATI 128MB Windows XP machine performs:
Fred Miranda test: 1min, 27 sec.
Retouch Pro Test: 3min 16 sec (8 bit) [edit: 3:34 16 bit]
Yep thats right over 5x longer than the machine the OP posted about. Kinda puts it into perspective doesnt it? Bet you guys are all arguing about seconds btw your machines...but who knows? Haven't seen any actual performance numbers!
So do your pretty new Macs and PCs actually perform, or do you just look at them all day . Come on...post your times!!!
I haven't read every post in this thread, but I've read quite a few.
I used PC's at home for many years, starting with a Tandy running DOS.
Until the internet came along, with all the viruses that can affect a Windows machine, I was very happy with my PC's.
A couple of years ago, I just ended up spending way to much time running protection programs instead of using the computer for what I wanted to use it for.
So to add to Andy's remarks, I rather spend the time using the computer, not making sure some dick is screwing it up.
I'll give you a spot where the PC really outshines an Imac, Adding a 2nd hard drive, and I'm not talking about adding a slow a$$ USB drive.
I have a jam packed 250 gig drive in my Imac with a 500 USB drive. The USB drive is very slow compared to the internal drive.
I've never looked inside a Imac, but I'm guessing there's no place for a second drive.
How tough is it to install a larger drive into an Imac?
I miss all the games and freeware stuff that I could run on my windows machine also. Nothing like having a bad day at work, go home and kill a few hundred aliens.
If the specs are the same for both machines, the performance should be at least close.
The larger point is that benchmark tests measure... benchmark tasks. How applicable those tasks are to your personal workflow is, at a minimum, debatable.
I recently changed from a PC to a Mac Pro quad core with 30" cinema display and a 23" Cinema display as a second monitor. I bought it as a base system and bought compatible memory from Crucial (Apples RAM prices are ridiculous, and AFAIK it is basically Crucial RAM anyway!) I also bought some Western Digital 24/7 Enterprise drives seperately rather than pay Apples prices.
This is for video editing. But I also do web design and my photography using it too.
Anyhoo, I came from being a long time PC user (by reluctance since the PC market killed the Atari ST etc). While my own current PC ran very well, I needed the Mac with Final Cut Pro for more industry compatibility.
So far I have been extremely happy. I have had to source a number of programs that are the equivilent to what I had on the PC, some Opensource, and others commercial (such as Panics Transmit FTP program), but I absolutely love OS X. It runs like a dream and is very intuitive.
I must say that i found it odd when another poster said that he could never find his files on a Mac. I find it completely the opposite. The Mac programs don't spread DLL files all over the place, and there is no registry to clog up. The documents folder is always there in the Finder, and in the save files dialogue in all programs. It is far easie to find your around than with the nonsensical arrangement that Windows uses.
My father still has a PC Laptop, and he, along with my mother, constantly get into a mess with all the cryptic error messages and questions that arise from virus killers, printers not working etc. His files are all over the place, and don't even get me started when it comes to networking with Windows based machines! I seem to be acting as his 24/7 tech support guy!
My first Mac was loaned to me from Apple, a Macbook Pro. It connected to the existing Windoze network straight away with no problems, and even printed over it. It was so easy I couldn't believe it. Here was a computer that used a completely different OS that netoworked better to Windows than another Windows computer!!
After that I was sold. The OS works in a similar way to my old Atari ST, which is a good thing! Programs can be deleted by dragging them to the trash can, and a simple Opensource program can make sure that what miniscule residue programs leave behind are also deleted. Minimal nag screens, and any program that needs to access the root level of the machine (ie the important bits) requires that you enter your password.
Another major thing I have noticed is the boot up time. The Mac is FAST! Unlike Windows, which when it reaches the desktop view still takes forever before you can do anything serious while it loads all the background programs, with the Mac once that desktop screen appears it is ready to use right away. No disc thrashing going on, and no unresponsiveness while it loads background stuff.
Defragging is also not an issue with Macs. Amazing but true. And that's coming from a video guy who needs to make sure all drives are running at the absolute best that they possibly can.
I'm not too happy about some of the reports I'm hearing about Leopard though. I have the disc, but won't be installing it until the issues are sorted out.
The great thing about a Mac though is that you can run OS X, Windows, and Linux, all on the same machine. And unlike anything to do with Microsoft, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to be able to set it up that way. It's a win win situation AFAIAC.
Lastly, this may not be of importance to many, but I think it adds to the user experience. Almost every program on the Mac is highly polished. from the way that the Widgets appear, to the way that Quicktime transistions between windowed mode and full screen, everything looks and feels great. Like someone actually cared what they were doing when they made the programs.
I do have some irritations with OS X, such as the way folders are always mixed with the files in the Finder (whereas Windows always seperates folders from files), but I believe this has been sorted out in Leopard. I also wish the Dock was as configurable as Object Dock on the PC.
But overall The Mac definitely has the edge for me. I know many professionals who are still using 5-6 year old machines. This is pretty much unheard of for the PC in processor intensive environments such as video editing. Yet it happens all the time with a Mac. So I think your investment lasts a lot longer with a Mac than with a PC.
I'll give you a spot where the PC really outshines an Imac, Adding a 2nd hard drive, and I'm not talking about adding a slow a$$ USB drive.
I have a jam packed 250 gig drive in my Imac with a 500 USB drive. The USB drive is very slow compared to the internal drive.
I've never looked inside a Imac, but I'm guessing there's no place for a second drive.
How tough is it to install a larger drive into an Imac?
It might be impossible, Apple had tried to make the iMac so thin there's probably no room for it. But there are a couple things wrong with the comparison. First, you aren't talking about adding a slow USB drive. But most Macs have FireWire 800 ports, which are well over twice as fast as USB 2.0. Second, you're talking about an iMac. In my Mac Pro, if you handed me a super-fast SATA drive, I could pop open the case, screw on the provided bracket, plug in the drive (no cables involved), and close up the case all in less than 60 seconds. I've got 3 drives in mine, and that means I still have one bay available.
A couple of years ago, I just ended up spending way to much time running protection programs instead of using the computer for what I wanted to use it for.
So to add to Andy's remarks, I rather spend the time using the computer, not making sure some dick is screwing it up.
What am I missing here? Are people saying Anti-virus software doesn't work for them? It's too much trouble?
I've had PCs at home for 10+ years now (Mac and PC at work) and have never been hit with a virus. Yes, have Norton on the old and new machines. And in fact, one thing I like about the new PC is it has the latest version of Norton, which, unlike the older version, runs in the background when doing scans, blocks and updates. The only way I know it's there is when I open it and see that, yep, it ran the scan and updated definitions. And the only reason I do that is that the older versions started and poped up on the screen. I'm not yet used to the new system.
Are PCs targeted more for viruses? Of course! PCs are something like 96% of the desktop market and 83% of the laptop market. But in my experience, a $30-40 a year subscription covers it. At least so far
Comments
to illustrate this further, refer back to my first post with the 2.4Ghz iMac and the 2.6Ghz Dell XPS
The Dell uses the Bearlake chipset and E6750 processor which utilize a 1333Mhz FSB compared to the Santa Rosa chipset and T7700 processor at 800Mhz on the iMac.
Both systems utilize DDR2 memory at 667Mhz
The dell comes out a bit ahead in terms of processor, the Mac comes out ahead in the Display department.
The processor and displays were the only differences between these otherwise identical systems, and even they aren't that big of a deal. So when comparing apples to apples the price difference can go a few hundred dollars either way depending on your preferences.
As Andy used to say (either here or at, uh, that other place): "In the end, it's all about the pictures, right?"
Now I'm going to "shoot wide."
(P.S. - Cause I can't resist - If the Dell system is similar enough and still a few hundred cheaper, how much better do you think I can come out building my own? The way I buy parts for building, I would speculate $600 cheaper AND be assured of getting exactly the kind of quality parts I desire. I think you have to admit that one, maybe inconsequential for you, setback of Macs is not being able to build your own.) But really, I'm going to take pictures now!
Can't compete on the build-your own, unless you add in the true cost of your time. But it would be silly, in any case, to expect an Apple built product to compare off the shelf with a Pupator built product.
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
Website
Absolutely, but you'll have to admit that you couldn't build this
That "slowness" would be the P4 processor. Not only is it slower per core, it's only a single core.
Drop a dual core in and then the speed becomes nearly identical.
all you need to confirm this is to load bootcamp on your mac with Vista and then run the comparisons.
Gene
I suppose my real world 'performance' comparison was based on the Vista experience I'm having rather than generic PC.
Yep! Vista is the reason I would GLADLY pay more for a Mac!
Maybe in another 2 years after SP2 it might be all right. Just a shame that M$ is not making DX10 availble for Xp- at least not yet:D
Gene
Last week i picked up a 24" iMac 2.4 duo core,256 vid & 2 gig ram,cordless keyboard/mouse. Im well aware cordless is avail on PC So & i wont debate whats best for others however i will mention the differences for me.
PC...cords bloody everywhere. The cat gets caught up in them chasing gekkos...i need a torch and to get under the desk to move anything & it looks like the control room for the acrylic film kapton dacron net separators on the shuttle behind the PC.
Mac...i have one power cord & thats it. I unplug & pick up the monitor up & go for a walk around the house with it & just need to find a power outlet.
Startup..PC , i hit the start button & go make a coffee. I get back & the annoying virus updates are now starting to really shit me off with their repetitive threats of the world tipping on its axis if i dont run scanners immediately.
Startup..Mac , I hit the start button & its on & ready to go before ive left the room. Thats it...its sitting there operating. A few seconds.
Monitor..i really cant compare as my old monitor is a 21" Sony CRT whereas my new Mac one is like looking at one of those 2am euro movies, you know you should go to bed but your hypnotitized. Its just the most magnificent thing ive ever seen. The sharpness & colour depth is amazing.
Getting about....i know my PC backwards with general getting around & the mac is certainly different but not as much as i expected. The way Leopard displays my photo files is very nice with the mouse button control left & right.
Noise..the mac is (as far as i can hear) totally silent. I cannot hear its 3 fans. My duo core PC however has fan noise that i cant stand. Ive tried several diff AMD & Intel processors but there is no comparisson here.
I initially didnt like the one click mouse & last night doctorIT came over & showed me its just a check button to have the mac mouse with the same double click as the PC. The mac screen also has built in speakers which are well hidden & the sound is great.
The mac is simply a funky machine, no two ways about it. I have a friend whom is an admin for a large IT company whom is my PC trouble shooter...im often on the phone to him with my PC issues & yesterday i sent a photo of my new mac to him. His response. "Well you know that i can no longer offer you tech support now that you have moved away from a PC, not that you will be needing it anyway"
I am also looking at getting the Apple TV 160 GB.
You need to get a Firewire drive and start using Time Machine. Do NOT run that Mac without a backup. Your drive will fail. My wife's drive died after 2 months. Lucky we had a back up. Plus, Time Machine is so friggin' drop dead easy. Drives are cheap. USB 2.0 is fine, too, if those are easier/cheaper to get by you.
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
The rest i can simply load again. I would often reformat my PC HD's & reload EVERYTHING to rid it of clutter. I dont rely on a computer to store anything i seriuosly need. I turned my PC on one morning & then the stove. The sudden inductive load on the elec cct (all i could put it down to) fried it on the spot at the very instant i turned on the stove. I will talk to doc about showing me how to do it next week to give you peace of mind if nothing else.
Plug the drive in. When it asks you if you want to use it for backup, say yes. Done. Easy as that.
And thanks for being concerned with my peace of mind!
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
So if you're keeping track at home:
HP: $1,859
iMac: $1,949
Dell: $2,276
I would do Gateway as well, but they seem to only be selling Quad core desktops now
Gateway $960 + 549 (for the newest version) for the 24" monitor = $1509
• Intel® Core™2 Quad Q6600 Quad Core Processor with VT
• Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium
• 3072MB DDR2 Memory
• 500GB 7200 RPM SATA II Hard Drive
• 18x DVD±R/RW Multiformat Dual Layer Optical Drive featuring Labelflash™ technology
• High-Performance 15-in-1 Digital Media Card Reader
• Gateway® Portable Media Drive Bay
Extremetech gives a big thumbs up to this monitor as well.
does make you curious if DELL & HP are just that much overpriced or if Gateway is cutting corners somewhere.
Here are the two I've been offered - what do you guys think?
1) Like New 9.9/10 Condition High Spec
14.1" iBook G4 1.42Ghz
1GB RAM/120 GB/DVD-RW(SuperDrive)
Integrated Bluetooth & Airport Extreme
Preload OS X TIGER v10.4
iSight Camera Included
$375
2) G4 933 QS
1GB of ram
2 320 gig hard drives
dvdrw pro
OSX Leopard
$450
What do you think of either?
I would steer clear of the G4s if I could, they're too far behind the curve. Although I think both will run Leopard (800mhz is minimum, I think?)
I'm no fan of the MacMini, but you can get a refurb right now for $650. That's as good as new, same warranty as new, and it's an Intel Core Duo (not Core 2 Duo). It's probably out of the range of your "I'm curious" budget, but it's not that much more, either.
Macs hold their value, and maybe these machines you're listing are still worth that, but I'd be interested to see if you could get a more current machine for the same price? I dunno. Of the two I would lean towards the iBook, even though it's not a pro machine, it's small, faster processor, etc.
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
17" iMac G4 1Ghz $225
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
Quote:
Looking to buy the best performing Vista laptop? PC World USA says 'Get a Mac'
OK so, even though I am no longer in the elite PC club, here is how my perfectly serviceable, but indeed slow, AMD Athlon 2900+, 1GB, ATI 128MB Windows XP machine performs:
Fred Miranda test: 1min, 27 sec.
Retouch Pro Test: 3min 16 sec (8 bit) [edit: 3:34 16 bit]
Yep thats right over 5x longer than the machine the OP posted about. Kinda puts it into perspective doesnt it? Bet you guys are all arguing about seconds btw your machines...but who knows? Haven't seen any actual performance numbers!
So do your pretty new Macs and PCs actually perform, or do you just look at them all day
I used PC's at home for many years, starting with a Tandy running DOS.
Until the internet came along, with all the viruses that can affect a Windows machine, I was very happy with my PC's.
A couple of years ago, I just ended up spending way to much time running protection programs instead of using the computer for what I wanted to use it for.
So to add to Andy's remarks, I rather spend the time using the computer, not making sure some dick is screwing it up.
I'll give you a spot where the PC really outshines an Imac, Adding a 2nd hard drive, and I'm not talking about adding a slow a$$ USB drive.
I have a jam packed 250 gig drive in my Imac with a 500 USB drive. The USB drive is very slow compared to the internal drive.
I've never looked inside a Imac, but I'm guessing there's no place for a second drive.
How tough is it to install a larger drive into an Imac?
I miss all the games and freeware stuff that I could run on my windows machine also. Nothing like having a bad day at work, go home and kill a few hundred aliens.
If the specs are the same for both machines, the performance should be at least close.
Basking in the shadows of yesterday's triumphs'.
Here.
The larger point is that benchmark tests measure... benchmark tasks. How applicable those tasks are to your personal workflow is, at a minimum, debatable.
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
On that particular machine it would void your warranty.
EDIT: Meaning, you need to have an Apple certified tech do the install.
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
USB is a poor cousin to FW800. Still not like having an internal, but better.
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
BTW ..i ran the new mac & got 15 seconds.
I recently changed from a PC to a Mac Pro quad core with 30" cinema display and a 23" Cinema display as a second monitor. I bought it as a base system and bought compatible memory from Crucial (Apples RAM prices are ridiculous, and AFAIK it is basically Crucial RAM anyway!) I also bought some Western Digital 24/7 Enterprise drives seperately rather than pay Apples prices.
This is for video editing. But I also do web design and my photography using it too.
Anyhoo, I came from being a long time PC user (by reluctance since the PC market killed the Atari ST etc). While my own current PC ran very well, I needed the Mac with Final Cut Pro for more industry compatibility.
So far I have been extremely happy. I have had to source a number of programs that are the equivilent to what I had on the PC, some Opensource, and others commercial (such as Panics Transmit FTP program), but I absolutely love OS X. It runs like a dream and is very intuitive.
I must say that i found it odd when another poster said that he could never find his files on a Mac. I find it completely the opposite. The Mac programs don't spread DLL files all over the place, and there is no registry to clog up. The documents folder is always there in the Finder, and in the save files dialogue in all programs. It is far easie to find your around than with the nonsensical arrangement that Windows uses.
My father still has a PC Laptop, and he, along with my mother, constantly get into a mess with all the cryptic error messages and questions that arise from virus killers, printers not working etc. His files are all over the place, and don't even get me started when it comes to networking with Windows based machines! I seem to be acting as his 24/7 tech support guy!
My first Mac was loaned to me from Apple, a Macbook Pro. It connected to the existing Windoze network straight away with no problems, and even printed over it. It was so easy I couldn't believe it. Here was a computer that used a completely different OS that netoworked better to Windows than another Windows computer!!
After that I was sold. The OS works in a similar way to my old Atari ST, which is a good thing! Programs can be deleted by dragging them to the trash can, and a simple Opensource program can make sure that what miniscule residue programs leave behind are also deleted. Minimal nag screens, and any program that needs to access the root level of the machine (ie the important bits) requires that you enter your password.
Another major thing I have noticed is the boot up time. The Mac is FAST! Unlike Windows, which when it reaches the desktop view still takes forever before you can do anything serious while it loads all the background programs, with the Mac once that desktop screen appears it is ready to use right away. No disc thrashing going on, and no unresponsiveness while it loads background stuff.
Defragging is also not an issue with Macs. Amazing but true. And that's coming from a video guy who needs to make sure all drives are running at the absolute best that they possibly can.
I'm not too happy about some of the reports I'm hearing about Leopard though. I have the disc, but won't be installing it until the issues are sorted out.
The great thing about a Mac though is that you can run OS X, Windows, and Linux, all on the same machine. And unlike anything to do with Microsoft, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to be able to set it up that way. It's a win win situation AFAIAC.
Lastly, this may not be of importance to many, but I think it adds to the user experience. Almost every program on the Mac is highly polished. from the way that the Widgets appear, to the way that Quicktime transistions between windowed mode and full screen, everything looks and feels great. Like someone actually cared what they were doing when they made the programs.
I do have some irritations with OS X, such as the way folders are always mixed with the files in the Finder (whereas Windows always seperates folders from files), but I believe this has been sorted out in Leopard. I also wish the Dock was as configurable as Object Dock on the PC.
But overall The Mac definitely has the edge for me. I know many professionals who are still using 5-6 year old machines. This is pretty much unheard of for the PC in processor intensive environments such as video editing. Yet it happens all the time with a Mac. So I think your investment lasts a lot longer with a Mac than with a PC.
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It might be impossible, Apple had tried to make the iMac so thin there's probably no room for it. But there are a couple things wrong with the comparison. First, you aren't talking about adding a slow USB drive. But most Macs have FireWire 800 ports, which are well over twice as fast as USB 2.0. Second, you're talking about an iMac. In my Mac Pro, if you handed me a super-fast SATA drive, I could pop open the case, screw on the provided bracket, plug in the drive (no cables involved), and close up the case all in less than 60 seconds. I've got 3 drives in mine, and that means I still have one bay available.
Dont know if this has been posted yet.
What am I missing here? Are people saying Anti-virus software doesn't work for them? It's too much trouble?
I've had PCs at home for 10+ years now (Mac and PC at work) and have never been hit with a virus. Yes, have Norton on the old and new machines. And in fact, one thing I like about the new PC is it has the latest version of Norton, which, unlike the older version, runs in the background when doing scans, blocks and updates. The only way I know it's there is when I open it and see that, yep, it ran the scan and updated definitions. And the only reason I do that is that the older versions started and poped up on the screen. I'm not yet used to the new system.
Are PCs targeted more for viruses? Of course! PCs are something like 96% of the desktop market and 83% of the laptop market. But in my experience, a $30-40 a year subscription covers it. At least so far
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