I am considering switching to an iMac. I am looking particularly at the 27" with a dual quad processor. You can see it at www.apple.com If you have any knowledge of this computer or any apple computer please give me your thoughts. Email addresses, contact information etc. will stay the same.
Thanks in advance for your feed back.
Jim
8 comments:
Hey Jim, Do you have a Mac store near you? Have you gotten to play around on the Mac? I only ask becausse they are different, they function different and you may have some learrning to do. I just recenty went to the Mac Super Store here in town checking out the Mac's because of some of teh things I do.
I was surprised to see you can use some MS programs on Mac's now. The iMac you are looking at is a very nice computer and depneding on the configuration, verry fast.
But do go and see it and experience it for yourself before just buying. The guys in the dedicated Mac stores are pretty knowledgeable.
Let me know what you find out.
This is Joe- My recommendation is to not buy the Mac. Just first consider what your going to be using the computer for- web browsing, word processing and things like that don't take a whole lot of power, it would be overkill. On top of that, Apple computers are way overpriced, your spending 2000 dollars on a computer that could be had for well under 1500. Have you tried a Mac yet? Could you deal with the different operating system? Are you prepared to find out that some of your favorite programs wont work?
The Mac commercials on TV look pretty convincing, promising a faster computer, a world with no viruses or error messages. But these commercials prey on the uninformed buyer. Macs can get errors, any computer can, its unavoidable. They have also been shown to be far less secure; Safari, the internet browser pre-installed on macs, came out with a new update not long ago and claiming to be one of the most secure browsers to date. That was until it was compromised in less than a minute by a man at a hacking competition.
So seriously reconsider the purchase. Macs are not computers, they simply rose in popularity among the teenage crowd and became a fashion statement more than anything else.
I'm with Joe...whenever I've had experience with Macs I've been so frustrated..of course i'm sure that's in part because i'm used to using MS windows operating systems..but I think sometimes its ok to have a monopoly..if that reason is that your product is simply better than anything else. Go Bill! lol
I wish my son Philip would actually contribute to the blog instead of just visiting and reading! BIG HINT PHILIP! He's a Gates basher big time. Prefers to learn and use somewhat obscure operating systems. I have no idea what his thoughts on Macs are. He's quite the nerd hottie. Joe, did you know nerd is now a compliment? There are even female nerd groupies. Having said all that, Jim, so how does it feel to have your nephew 40 years your junior hand you your lunch? Best laugh I've had in weeks!
Well Eileen I ask these questions for two reasons one to solicit useful information. Second to give all of you an opportunity to attempt getting me. Joe is young, as you point out, and he will learn with time the value of not handing lunch to his uncle Jim, a mortal sins in most eyes.
But I do appreciate the attempt and your recognition of said attempt.
I have decide to do my own research and buy an iMac and run tests side bye side with the P.C. Once all the data is in I will report the findings of my study which will include such finds as:
Is it pretty, Is the monitor big enough, is the magic mouse really magic and last but not least can I use the wireless keyboard from the bathroom.
Stay tuned for up coming events....
Nice testing criteria Jim! hahahhaha
I wish my mom wouldn't nudge so hard. I'm probably going to bruise. Oh, and I'm a better reader than I am a writer, hence my tendency to do the former rather than the latter. Okay, now on to the question at hand. First, I would take Jimmy's advice and visit a Mac Store. Play on a Mac for a while. I'm sure you'll come up with all sorts of questions while you're there and the friendly salesmen will be more than happy to help you. Second, comes the questions. What is the impetus for this purchase? Do you need a new computer or is this an indulgent purchase? Will you be using this for leisure or for work? Third, my comments. Purchasing either a new PC or a new Mac will require you to relearn a few things. The interface of Windows 7 has changed. You will have to learn how to interact with it. The interface of Max OS X is different from the Windows interface. You will have to learn how to interact with it. The OS X file system is different from that of Windows. You will be more familiar with a Windows system, so the move there would be easier. But, it may not be effortless. Of the software that you currently use, consider how crucial it is that you use that software. If it is critical software, you need to go to the manufacturer's website and see if it is available for OS X (and for Windows 7, for that matter -- although, if it is available for Windows Vista or XP, then it is safe to assume that a version would come out for Windows 7). If your critical, or even preferred, software is not available for OS X, then you need to search for comparable software that is available for OS X and make sure that it will do what you need it to. In all likelihood, comparable software can be found, you'll just have to learn how to use it. For the average user, the software you use is probably more important than the operating system on which it is running. That being said, if this is a work purchase and you have some proprietary software that you are running, then it is probably not available on OS X and you would need to go to the programmer and request a port to OS X, which means you (or your employer) will have to pay the programmer to port it. Another thing to consider is that the Mac of today is not the Mac of yesterday. It is essentially a PC running OS X -- the hardware is basically what you could get in a Dell or HP. That being said, Macs include a piece of software called Boot Camp that will allow you to have both Windows and OS X installed on that computer -- you simply choose which operating system you want to use each time you boot it up (you would have to purchase a copy of Windows to install on that computer, though). So, if you decide you don't like OS X, you don't have to use it -- though it does mean you spent a pretty penny for a Windows system. Macs fetch a higher price than comparable Windows-based systems. You are getting quality hardware and excellent customer service (based on conversations I have had with Mac users -- everyday users, not fanatics). Joe does make a few good points. You are overpaying by about $500 for a comparable system that runs Windows. If you are using the computer for basic stuff, like Joe mentions, then this (or almost any other new computer) is overkill. In which case, any new purchase, whether it be a Windows system or a Mac, would seem unnecessary. As for Joe's second paragraph, I will not rebut it -- you should pretty easily be able to read the bias in it. In the end, I think you could be happy (or unhappy) with either decision you make -- just do your research. Oh, and for the record, I am not a big time Gates basher -- I admire his philanthropic ventures, but do think his business dealings of the past are somewhat questionable. One final thing to consider: if you do purchase a Mac you will be the envy of all those fashionable teenagers if nothing else.
Longest post...ever.
Wow Philip Thanks for your input.
I guess the bottom line is I'll see how I like it. It's been ordered and paid for, just waiting for shipment. I'll share my frustration as I learn all of the oddities to their operating system.
I did order Adobe Photo Shop for Mac. That is the one piece of software I am most excited about using. I want to learn more about photography and am thinking about taking a course. Which means finding time to fit more into my schedule.
I will not miss the blue screen of death and all the little annoyances I have come to accept as norm with Windows, but we will see.
Anyway thanks for everyone's input and as Philip said if I don't like the mac operating system I can always load windows on the Mac and will have the realization that I just blew about $500 buck.
Another Laverty anomaly
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