Mac or pc desktop...AHHH!!!!!

id still like clarification on a point made earlier... that the mac screen isnt very good for photo veiewing... if someone in the know could clear that up... it would make this decision more straitforward...
 
fallen_mathi said:
id still like clarification on a point made earlier... that the mac screen isnt very good for photo veiewing... if someone in the know could clear that up... it would make this decision more straitforward...
Click to expand...

I have in front of me a 24 inch imac screen and a 22 inch samsung screen, both of which show photos beautifully so i wouldn't pay much attention to that claim
 
in which case... im still leaning towards the mac... il give it a couple more days of thinking first ***... as the PC does still have some good points in its favour...
 
The 27" iMac screens are beautiful. I popped into a local independant retailer and looked at some of my photos on one. It was just superb. Dell have a monitor which has the same panel (Dell U2711) which is also supposed to be very good but its about £900! It would last longer than the iMac as you can use it with PCs after this one but my god it shows up what a bargain the iMacs actually are!

One word of warning, most people get good 27" iMacs but there has been some problem with yellow tinting in some screens. If you get one you can send it back to try and get one without. Then again dell have not had the best of luck with some of their monitors recently (the 2410 springs to mind!).
 
menthel said:
The 27" iMac screens are beautiful. I popped into a local independant retailer and looked at some of my photos on one. It was just superb. Dell have a monitor which has the same panel (Dell U2711) which is also supposed to be very good but its about £900! It would last longer than the iMac as you can use it with PCs after this one but my god it shows up what a bargain the iMacs actually are!

One word of warning, most people get good 27" iMacs but there has been some problem with yellow tinting in some screens. If you get one you can send it back to try and get one without. Then again dell have not had the best of luck with some of their monitors recently (the 2410 springs to mind!).
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yep... and its that screen thats leaning me towards the mac... i was shocked when i saw the price of the equivilent dell...
 
As a recent convert to the iMac, I have to say that switching from a PC to a Mac has been a revelation! I used to be a *massive* fan of PCs (I used to edit PC magazines for a living!) but the Mac OS is just so much more polished and logical than Windows XP/Vista/7 could ever hope to be. Windows 7 is undoubtedly a massive step forward for Microsoft after the abysmal failing that was Vista (I personally leap-frogged it from XP to W7) but it still trails OSX in terms of useability and polish imho.

Windows is a good operating system if you're the sort of person that doesn't mind getting their hands dirty under the hood occasionally. Unfortunately my days of being a 'fan boy' happy to tinker under the hood are long gone - I just want a computer that is reliable and just does what it says on the tin. And for me, that's a Mac. That said, Photoshop and Lightroom don't really feel that much different on either platform - the Mac just makes them feel that little bit more polished.

For the record, I own a 27" i7 iMac and also a Dell Vostro Windows 7 laptop (soon to be replaced by a Mac Book Pro, I suspect). And yes - before anyone points it out - the i7 iMac did cost an arm and a leg. That's one advantage that PCs clearly have over the Mac...
 
Bardo said:
As a recent convert to the iMac, I have to say that switching from a PC to a Mac has been a revelation! I used to be a *massive* fan of PCs (I used to edit PC magazines for a living!) but the Mac OS is just so much more polished and logical than Windows XP/Vista/7 could ever hope to be. Windows 7 is undoubtedly a massive step forward for Microsoft after the abysmal failing that was Vista (I personally leap-frogged it from XP to W7) but it still trails OSX in terms of useability and polish imho.

Windows is a good operating system if you're the sort of person that doesn't mind getting their hands dirty under the hood occasionally. Unfortunately my days of being a 'fan boy' happy to tinker under the hood are long gone - I just want a computer that is reliable and just does what it says on the tin. And for me, that's a Mac. That said, Photoshop and Lightroom don't really feel that much different on either platform - the Mac just makes them feel that little bit more polished.

For the record, I own a 27" i7 iMac and also a Dell Vostro Windows 7 laptop (soon to be replaced by a Mac Book Pro, I suspect). And yes - before anyone points it out - the i7 iMac did cost an arm and a leg. That's one advantage that PCs clearly have over the Mac...
Click to expand...

I'm the other way around, I have a custom built (by me) desktop with a lovely 24" Dell monitor, along with a late '07 Macbook.

To me, a PC is far more budget conscious than an iMac. Sure technology moves on, but can you really see monitors for example moving *that* far that you'd want a new one by the time a core i5/i7 became out of date? I doubt it. Unless by then we're all shooting 3D photos which I doubt :p

Regardless of whether monitors or any other component becomes out of date, the fact is that with Macs, when you need to buy a new one, you have to buy a new EVERYTHING.

This isn't very convenient in my opinion. Say, hypothetically, some revolutionary new port was coming out for computers in a couple of months (lets say USB666 for the sake of amusement xD) but you needed a new computer *now*. Well, if you bought your oh so pretty iMac right this second, where would you be when USB666 was released for PCs? Looks like you'd have to trade in your whole iMac for one with USB666 ports. And that's assuming that Apple had updated their line of products.

Now, on the other hand, what would a PC owner do? Why, buy a PCIe card with a few USB666 ports built in, job done.

I still don't buy the "iMacs are the best looking computer out there, hence to look professional you *must* have an iMac". Surely a photographer's work should speak for itself? Personally I wouldn't particularly want to work with someone who saw I didn't have an iMac and then decided that the lack of iMac meant I was no good. But then, that's just me, I take it you've all gathered I'm not particularly starry eyed for Apple products, I just happen to own a Macbook.
 
Boopop said:
I'm the other way around, I have a custom built (by me) desktop with a lovely 24" Dell monitor, along with a late '07 Macbook.

To me, a PC is far more budget conscious than an iMac. Sure technology moves on, but can you really see monitors for example moving *that* far that you'd want a new one by the time a core i5/i7 became out of date? I doubt it. Unless by then we're all shooting 3D photos which I doubt :p

Regardless of whether monitors or any other component becomes out of date, the fact is that with Macs, when you need to buy a new one, you have to buy a new EVERYTHING.

This isn't very convenient in my opinion. Say, hypothetically, some revolutionary new port was coming out for computers in a couple of months (lets say USB666 for the sake of amusement xD) but you needed a new computer *now*. Well, if you bought your oh so pretty iMac right this second, where would you be when USB666 was released for PCs? Looks like you'd have to trade in your whole iMac for one with USB666 ports. And that's assuming that Apple had updated their line of products.

Now, on the other hand, what would a PC owner do? Why, buy a PCIe card with a few USB666 ports built in, job done.

I still don't buy the "iMacs are the best looking computer out there, hence to look professional you *must* have an iMac". Surely a photographer's work should speak for itself? Personally I wouldn't particularly want to work with someone who saw I didn't have an iMac and then decided that the lack of iMac meant I was no good. But then, that's just me, I take it you've all gathered I'm not particularly starry eyed for Apple products, I just happen to own a Macbook.
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I think the part you missed out on was about resale value - the mac will keep more of it's resale value than the pc so should you need to rebuy everything you've can sell and get a larger chunk back
 
neil_g said:
are you saying macs can be hacked?

:p
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I direct you to this article. Granted the inquirer is known to be very anti Apple, but pay close attention to what the security researcher says :

"Mac OS X is like living in a farmhouse in the country with no locks, and Windows is living in a house with bars on the windows in the bad part of town,"
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That doesn't seem very complimentary to Apple's OS to me.
 
Gaz81 said:
Here is some info on LCD's

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TFT_LCD

i think the iMac screens are IPS, as well as this Dell monitor:

http://www.pcbuyit.co.uk/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=&products_id=327

So, your getting a 27" IPS LCD, thats a lot of monitor! (a good few hundred quick if you wanted just a monitor).

The cheaper monitors are TN, they are very fast (so things like games dont 'ghost') but they don't have the same colour depth as an IPS LCD.
Click to expand...

The monitor you quote is a 20" monitor and a good few years old now, too!
 
If it's going to used for editing photos that are going to make you money you need something that's not going to fail and has a decent monitor.

You could get a mac mini and decent monitor, or an imac or even PC... tis all personal choice I suppose.

I've just got an old G5 Powermac as I want to use ilife etc and use it as a file server, but I'll still be using my Latitude D830 laptop as well.
 
joescrivens said:
those specs dont look similar to me. the specs of the pc look higher.
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But add a 27" screen and decent case, that's around £900, which means you have £200-£300 to spend on equipment if the iMac is £1150, anyway... I presume the OP gets a student discount or something to get it for that price?



thats your opinion and you're entitled to it :)[/QUOTE]

True, but the OP mentioned no preference so we're not talking about an OS, so no need to discuss it...
 
ding76uk said:
Everything will be upgraded by the time you need to do a major upgrade. Most of things of today will be replaced by newer technology. You can tinker to keep it a bit faster, but not a major overhaul in 3-5 years will mean a whole new system, in which time there will be progress in screen technologies, so again that is a moot point.

In 3 years time both machines will not be economical to upgrade. The same amount of money would need to be spent (OK you could maybe recycle the case of the PC)

Tech moves too fast to think anything is future proof to any extent past a year these days.

Firewire 2, USB4, OLED screens as standard, new RAM speeds, New processors with 6 cores. At least some of those will happen in 5 years, and any motherbord bought today, woudl nto support them, making most of the upgrade argument pointless, IMHO obv.
Click to expand...


I disagree, I have a 6 year old PC that I have been upgrading gradually since I built it, however the Motherboard, processor, RAM and GFX card are the same (I've bought extra storage, changed the case because I didn't like the original but that's about it). When I decide to upgrade in a year or two i'll probably just buy a new motherboard, Processor and RAM, which will cost a couple of hundred and essentially have a brand new computer (Power supply, GFX and all the other bits and pieces are unlikely to be upgraded because they aren't needed).

However if the OP really wants a 27" screen the iMac at that price is quite possibly a better bet due to it being cheaper than the 27" option PC (unless you get some poor components) unless you want to up the budget a little.
 
fallen_mathi said:
id still like clarification on a point made earlier... that the mac screen isnt very good for photo veiewing... if someone in the know could clear that up... it would make this decision more straitforward...
Click to expand...

I don't know why that would be the case, it may be bettered by a few very expensive professional screens but it almost certainly runs with the big boys of the consumer market.

As I mentioned before the 27" iMac runs the same screen as the Dell 27" so both will be almost identical. I'm sure there have been a few complaints about pink(?) tinges to the iMacs screen though? But then I think there have been a few complaints about tinging on the Dell too.
 
neil_g said:
personally id say matte screens are better for editing. the glare and reflection off of glossy does my noodle in.
Click to expand...

Good point, forgot about that. If you have a window then maybe a matte screen is the best bet (AKA the seperate monitor).

Bardo said:
As a recent convert to the iMac, I have to say that switching from a PC to a Mac has been a revelation! I used to be a *massive* fan of PCs (I used to edit PC magazines for a living!) but the Mac OS is just so much more polished and logical than Windows XP/Vista/7 could ever hope to be. Windows 7 is undoubtedly a massive step forward for Microsoft after the abysmal failing that was Vista (I personally leap-frogged it from XP to W7) but it still trails OSX in terms of useability and polish imho.
Click to expand...

Sorry but got to pick up on this. You call Vista abysmal yet haven't used it properly? Then go on to say 7 is much better? 7 is just a reskin and fettle under the bonnet, it is essentially identical to Vista. :)
 
Gaz81 said:
In fact, heres a 27" IPS:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-041-DE&utm_source=froogle
Click to expand...

That uses the same panel as the iMac, so essentially the same screen with Dell written on it. :)

fallen_mathi said:
that monitor is one of the big things thats putting me off a pc... its the equivilent size/spec to the mac, yet... at that price, i couldnt then afford the pc to go with it :p
Click to expand...

And that's the problem, if you can get the 27" mac for £1150 then it's cheaper to get the mac than a similar PC.
 
Amp34 said:
True, but the OP mentioned no preference so we're not talking about an OS, so no need to discuss it...
Click to expand...

which was why i said if there is no pref on the os then he should pick the pc.
 
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