Going to buy a new iMac.

[Mystic]

Next month or whenever the new iMacs come out and the new Mountain Lion Mac OS X comes out I am going to replace my 6 year old iMac with a new one. I had been thinking about just using Windows but the tidal wave of malware on the internet has changed my mind. I will continue to use both Windows and Mac OS X. They told me at the Mac store I could get about $400.00 for my old iMac.

It is hard to say what will happen in the future and perhaps someday there will be as much malware for Macs as for Windows computers. But right now it is safer using a Mac on the internet. Plus on the new iMac I can use Aperture which I can get for about 79 bucks.

Of course you can also run Windows 7 in Booth Camp or using software on the Mac. But I will just keep using my Windows desktop.

I also do not like the look of the new Windows 8. I will probably just keep using Windows 7. Windows 8 may be great for tablets or whatever but it looks like kind of a loser to me. Unless I am 100% sure Windows 8 is better I will not switch. And I don't like that things are being removed from Windows like DVD play. DVD use is not historical by any means and not every computer will be a tablet or phone or portable.

I have not been very fond of Apple for the past several years but recently Microsoft has been making some strange decisions. It is far too early to declare the desktop computer dead. Heck, even Apple upgraded the MacPro and apparently is going to keep the MacPro in the lineup at least a little bit longer.

If the MacPros were not so expensive I would buy one of those and run Windows 7 in Boot Camp on it. You simply can't replace the software and hardware compatiblity of Windows. But judging from Windows 8 Mac OS X may be a better choice today.

 

[JHZR2]

$400 for a 6 year old imac? Wonder what value a 6 year old PC holds.

Of course the other group will be on here calling you a fanboi who couldnt possibly be a power user or have the wonder of the other side...

LOL.

Good luck with your purchase.

 

[Lead Shoes]

Simple solution, buy a 700 dollar laptop that has better hardware than the 2500 dollar Macpro, make it into a hackintosh by putting Mac OSX on it, then take the $1500+ you save and buy oil

.

 

[andrewg]

Originally Posted By: Mystic
Next month or whenever the new iMacs come out and the new Mountain Lion Mac OS X comes out I am going to replace my 6 year old iMac with a new one. I had been thinking about just using Windows but the tidal wave of malware on the internet has changed my mind. I will continue to use both Windows and Mac OS X. They told me at the Mac store I could get about $400.00 for my old iMac.

It is hard to say what will happen in the future and perhaps someday there will be as much malware for Macs as for Windows computers. But right now it is safer using a Mac on the internet. Plus on the new iMac I can use Aperture which I can get for about 79 bucks.

Of course you can also run Windows 7 in Booth Camp or using software on the Mac. But I will just keep using my Windows desktop.

I also do not like the look of the new Windows 8. I will probably just keep using Windows 7. Windows 8 may be great for tablets or whatever but it looks like kind of a loser to me. Unless I am 100% sure Windows 8 is better I will not switch. And I don't like that things are being removed from Windows like DVD play. DVD use is not historical by any means and not every computer will be a tablet or phone or portable.

I have not been very fond of Apple for the past several years but recently Microsoft has been making some strange decisions. It is far too early to declare the desktop computer dead. Heck, even Apple upgraded the MacPro and apparently is going to keep the MacPro in the lineup at least a little bit longer.

If the MacPros were not so expensive I would buy one of those and run Windows 7 in Boot Camp on it. You simply can't replace the software and hardware compatiblity of Windows. But judging from Windows 8 Mac OS X may be a better choice today.


From what little I've read online, the new system will be out in late July or so. Does this mean that the new iMacs will be loaded with this OS at the same time? I am strongly considering getting an iMac because of the simplicity and much less chance of infection. After using Windows PC's all these years I've done with them. Every friend that has switched to Mac has said they will never go back.

 

[PandaBear]

Quote:
They told me at the Mac store I could get about $400.00 for my old iMac.


Do not believe what a salesman tell you unless you verify the number on your own.

There are both good and bad things on Windows and OSX, one thing I do not recommend is to buy a Mac just to run Windows. At least the keyboard layout on the MacBook ruins it for me, and the battery life is lost when doing so.

I do not buy the idea that OSX is safe just because it has less malware. I think as it gain market share it will be a bigger target for problems, as well as the same users who would make themselves vulnerable to security issues.

 

[rg200amp]

Originally Posted By: Brenden
Simple solution, buy a 700 dollar laptop that has better hardware than the 2500 dollar Macpro, make it into a hackintosh by putting Mac OSX on it, then take the $1500+ you save and buy oil

.


This entire post is full of fail.

1. A 700 dollar laptop, nor a 2500 dollar Mac book pro is not a iMac. The iMac has a much larger screen. Up to 27inchs.

2. It is against the law to install Apple OSX on other computers. Are you really recommending a forum member to break the law?

Simple solution?

More like a complete list of things that contribute nothing.

To the OP, best of luck with your purchase. I love my 27 inch iMac. I upped the ram to 12gb and plan on swapping out the HDD to a SSD.

 

[MrHorspwer]

Originally Posted By: rg200amp


2. It is against the law to install Apple OSX on other computers. Are you really recommending a forum member to break the law?



Apple is a pretty big corporation, but they're not lawmakers.

It is against the OSX user agreement to install on a non-Mac. That gives Apple the ability to suspend use of the product if you choose to use it in a manner not prescribed by Apple.

Installing OSX on a PC does not violate any laws. The police aren't going to come after you. Apple isn't going to take you to court. Heck, in the past, even Apple only tended to care about those who are actively trying to sell or distribute systems that have OSX pre-installed or are intended as an "OSX ready" machine. Individuals who violate the user agreement have largely been ignored.

 

[uc50ic4more]

Originally Posted By: MrHorspwer
Installing OSX on a PC does not violate any laws. The police aren't going to come after you. Apple isn't going to take you to court. Heck, in the past, even Apple only tended to care about those who are actively trying to sell or distribute systems that have OSX pre-installed or are intended as an "OSX ready" machine. Individuals who violate the user agreement have largely been ignored.


I remember the Psystar saga vividly: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psystar_Corporation

 

[Mystic]

I was kind of interested for a while about running Mac OS X on a cheap Windows computer but there are some issues. In addition, there was a company that sold an electronic component that made it possible to run Mac OS X on a Windows computer but people found out that there was something like ten bucks worth of electronics in that piece of equipment that sold for somewhere over 100 bucks (I can't remember the exact amount that it cost). So if it was legal and okay to copy that ten bucks worth of electronics you could run Mac OS X on a Windows computer for ten bucks. I don't want to get involved in all of that.

I have an unusual situation in my area. There is an independent Apple company that still exists (not owned by Apple) and they have always been willing to sell my old equipment. Of course Apple does sell refurnished computers but try having the average Apple Store sell your used equipment for you. It is surprising what a used Mac will go for. Most of the independent companies that sold Apple stuff in the past disappeared a long time ago. I would go to that independent store anyday rather than go to an Apple store. I think there is an Apple Store in that city now but I have never even seen it, much less gone into the store.

The best I have been able to determine (remember, Apple is extremely secretive) Mountain Lion will probably come out sometime in July. The 21 inch iMac is about $1200.00. The only software I will get is iWork and Aperture. I am interested in Aperture as maybe being even a cheap replacement for Photoshop. Overwise I will get a Photoshop CS6 upgrade.

 

[Lead Shoes]

Originally Posted By: rg200amp
Originally Posted By: Brenden
Simple solution, buy a 700 dollar laptop that has better hardware than the 2500 dollar Macpro, make it into a hackintosh by putting Mac OSX on it, then take the $1500+ you save and buy oil

.


This entire post is full of fail.

1. A 700 dollar laptop, nor a 2500 dollar Mac book pro is not a iMac. The iMac has a much larger screen. Up to 27inchs.

2. It is against the law to install Apple OSX on other computers. Are you really recommending a forum member to break the law?

Simple solution?

More like a complete list of things that contribute nothing.

To the OP, best of luck with your purchase. I love my 27 inch iMac. I upped the ram to 12gb and plan on swapping out the HDD to a SSD.



Oh boy, now I feel a fool, I thought he said Mac book LOL

Reading fail on my part

It's not illegal to install Mac OSX on something else, just against the user agreement.

I love when people say Macs don't get viruses, that is false, people just target PC's with malicious software because there are FAR more PC users than Mac users.

 

[Mystic]

And I just wanted to add that I have nothing against Microsoft. But I think Microsoft might be starting to make some bad decisions. I have some serious questions about Windows 8. And I have some serious issues if Microsoft removes DVD play from Windows. Of course you can always buy third party software or use freeware software but how could anybody think that the DVD is dead? That is retro thinking in my opinion. And look at USB 3. It has not even come close to realizing its full potential and Apple and others have come out with Thunderbolt, which is twice as fast! Someday there will be external hard drives using Thunderbolt technology. Looks like we might as well toss USB 3!

I have said repeatedly that it is all just technology. I will use whatever works for me. I am nobody's fanboy-Microsoft or Apple or anybody else. I will use what works for me. I can still remember my Dad liking Chevy trucks and me liking Fords. The best answer would have been-let us use whichever is the best.

If Microsoft really does make a big mistake with Windows 8 Apple is going to gain a lot of market share.

 

[Lead Shoes]

I heard through the grapevine from a MS programer that Windows 8 is going to be more tablet orientated and not much more than what windows 7 is besides a facelift. Take it for what its worth, but if that is true I see Apple taking a bigger presence in the computer world.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: Mystic
And I just wanted to add that I have nothing against Microsoft. But I think Microsoft might be starting to make some bad decisions. I have some serious questions about Windows 8. And I have some serious issues if Microsoft removes DVD play from Windows.


Yep, that's kind of silly. I'm not one to watch DVDs at the computer, but there certainly are people who do. Why annoy such people?

If it's an anti-piracy initiative, well, that boat's already sailed. Changing Windows is not going to slow down piracy whatsoever.

 

[Volvohead]

Tablets and other handhelds are the future of most households (and many businesses), so mobile OS development, and its integration to the possibly one remaining traditional computer (if any), will be the better litmus test for home deployments.

Whether MS can pull it off with W8 is anyone's guess. W7 is the best PC-OS they've ever developed, and shouldn't be ashamed next to Lion or M-Lion. But right now, Apple has the mobile OS market pretty much dialed in with iOS - and that's where the big action is going to happen. It's theirs to lose. That they're keeping up with OSX indicates they're aware of the continuing need for centralization/integration, and to keep their old core markets sustained. That M-Lion will run competently on an elderly relative's 2006 iMac (as Lion does now) speaks to that commitment. Notwithstanding the rumor that the next iPhone will have a new power plug, MS has never done as good a job of cross-platform and upgrade migration/integration.

I'm skeptical whether W8 will be able to do what the Mac iOS/OSX ecosystem currently does, or as well. Waiting for the service pack to fix core shortcomings is no longer exciting. As I get older, I like "easy" more than I used to. Life's too short.

Our next home system with be an iMac (with suitable mass data storage), to support the growing fleet of pads, mobiles and networked appliances/boxen cluttering the house. And I've been running, building, and fixing PCs (and their networks) for well over 20 years.

Institutional PC apps will continue to have their time and place. But that place isn't necessarily a PC anymore. If the mal-developers start targeting Macs more, remedies are available.

 

[rg200amp]

I see the issue plain as day.

Microsoft, for the past 20 years has been building software.

Apple, in the same amount of time, has been building a BRAND.

Technology is no longer on the side burner. Computer nerds are no longer the weird kids in class. It is main stream. Everyone is into tech gadgets now.

Apple has great products that look, feel, and work great. Their marketing is second to none in the tech world and in the consumer products world for that mater, and people want to buy there products.

Microsoft needs to lose CEO Steve Ballmer. He is physically holding the company back. He has zero foresight for market trends or where to innovate for the next big thing. Him talking about tech is like me talking about brain surgery.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

The best bang-for-the-buck in Apple land is the base 13" MacBook Pro laptop w/o any upgrades and the base 21" iMac the same. These can be had for a reasonable price.

From there, add your own RAM, hard drive upgrades, etc, far cheaper than paying for these in the initial purchase from Apple.

 

[Volvohead]

Originally Posted By: ToyotaNSaturn
From there, add your own RAM, hard drive upgrades, etc, far cheaper than paying for these in the initial purchase from Apple.



And THAT statement is the difference between Win-PCers and Mac folk in a nutshell.

The typical Apple buyer is not going to do ANY of that. They will just want to unbox it, plug it in, and enjoy it. It is also why upgrading/repairing an iMac (other than OS and memory) is a major PITA compared to any PC (white box or even lappy). Apples are not designed for the HW enthusiasts or on heavily standardized components, but to very different objectives. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that - the stuff flat out works out of the box.

Seriously, the mainstream is past the DIY/you-put-it-together era of personal computing, especially now with the new portable/mobile device norm.

I have no intention of underspec'ing an iMac just so I can tear it down on delivery for HW upgrades. I'll just bite the bullet for the factory SSD.

 

[rg200amp]

Originally Posted By: Volvohead
Originally Posted By: ToyotaNSaturn
From there, add your own RAM, hard drive upgrades, etc, far cheaper than paying for these in the initial purchase from Apple.



And THAT statement is the difference between Win-PCers and Mac folk in a nutshell.

The typical Apple buyer is not going to do ANY of that. They will just want to unbox it, plug it in, and enjoy it. It is also why upgrading/repairing an iMac (other than OS and memory) is a major PITA compared to any PC (white box or even lappy). Apples are not designed for the HW enthusiasts or on heavily standardized components, but to very different objectives. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that - the stuff flat out works out of the box.

Seriously, the mainstream is past the DIY/you-put-it-together era of personal computing, especially now with the new portable/mobile device norm.

I have no intention of underspec'ing an iMac just so I can tear it down on delivery for HW upgrades. I'll just bite the bullet for the factory SSD.

Yep. I agree.

It's just like how some cars are easy to work on your self and some not so much. Just because the average at home oil changer may not be able to do a oil change on a Audi does not mean the Audi is a bad product. It also does not make that Audi automatically better. Just different strokes for different folkes.....

 

[Mystic]

Most Apple Computers nowadays are hard to work on except for the MacPro. Aside from adding Ram they can be really hard to take apart.

But even today some of the best computer builders are people building Windows gaming computers. They really know how to put them together. Apple has had silly problems like too much grease being put on. They don't make mistakes like that assembling Windows computers. I personally will not buy a Dell or some other brand of Windows computer. I have been using custom built Windows computers for a long time (not full blown gaming computers however). When it comes to Windows computers I would rather get parts from Newegg and have somebody who knows what they are doing build it. You wind up with a much better computer rather than tolerating the Dell junk.

I still say the desktop computer is not dead. Where I work there are hundreds of desktop computers and they will not be replaced by laptops anytime in the near future.

I personally prefer a desktop computer. An iMac is cheaper than a Macbook Pro and has a bigger screen, which makes a difference when you are working on photos. And when I go on trips the camera gear and clothes are enough for me to carry. A laptop computer would be kind of useless when I am shooting photos on a windy slope of a mountain.

Microsoft decided not to add Blu-Ray to their operating systems because it would have added about thirty bucks to the cost. Now they might drop DVD play. Exactly how silly is that? I remember all the problems we had at work. We had this machine that recorded lots of stuff but the computer we had to use with it was a Windows XP computer. The recordings mostly required DVDs but of course Windows XP would out of the box only support CD burning. Third party software was not allowed. It was silly. We could only record short parts of an incident. We were happy when that old Windows XP computer gave up the ghost and was replaced by a Windows 7 computer.

Go into any Wal-Mart and you still will see a lot of DVD movies. Anybody who thinks CDs and DVDs are historical needs to return to the real world. Eventually there will be some kind of new technology that will replace CDs and DVDs but it is not here yet.

If Microsoft wants to compete with Apple for the mobile computing market that is fine. But Apple has not given up on desktops yet. They are still building Mac minis and iMacs and MacPros. Somebody needs to tell the CEO of Microsoft that.

 

[PandaBear]

Even Mac Pro IMO is pretty hard to work on. Have you try putting a 2.5" SSD in there? The bracket won't fit the 2.5" to 3.5" adapter and you can't just dangle it out because it was not a cable but plug directly into the motherboard.

Upgrading your DVD to BlueRay with aftermarket drive? forget about it.