New Imac

[Ruffy]

I use Mac at work and Windows at home and now realise it boils down to how intelligent you are.
you are one of those folk who like clicking the "you've won an ipad button" or pop up you are going to be scammed whatever Operating system you use, if you continually click all the "hey sexy" "naked celebrity photo" type emails your ID will be stolen sooner or later even on a Mac.

Getting viruses/malware is not It is not about the computer it is about how intelligent the computer use is.

Really....that's a very bold statement !!!

I do neither nor does my wife or 8 year old daughter but I guess none of us in our household are intelligent enough to understand that.

How can you make them assumptions when you don't even know my family or I ?

Boils down to how intelligent you are.....**** !!!

 

[swiftflo]

Just this last Wednesday I got my new 27ins, 1Tb fusion HDD. I would not buy anything else, I have been using a 21.5ins with 16 Gb RAM,for the last 3.5 years, love them. When you first get a mac I think it is a very steep learning curve, but once you master them they are great.

By the way I haven't had time to upgrade my RAM from Crucial yet, but I find the new one runs PS quite well with only 8Gb RAM.

The only time mine is turned off is when we go on holiday or for updates.

 

[Ruffy]

I think I'm going to add 2x8gb to the already 8gb just to make sure

Thanks for all the advice peeps

 

[digitalfailure]

I think I'm going to add 2x8gb to the already 8gb just to make sure

Thanks for all the advice peeps

Mine runs happily enough with 24gb

 

[Marc]

Are CS6/LR4 so much more memory hungry than CS3/LR3? Reason I ask is that I use the latter on a 4 year old iMac with 4GB of RAM with no issues.

 

[neil_g]

Are CS6/LR4 so much more memory hungry than CS3/LR3? Reason I ask is that I use the latter on a 4 year old iMac with 4GB of RAM with no issues.

Cs3 was only 32 bit so potentially yes.

 

[cowasaki]

You pays your money and takes your choice, it's quite simple really. Hardware wise they are both so close that you can easily install either OS on either platform. The reality is that it's just a personal preference. Macs are less prone to malware but hardware and dodgy drivers but new drivers and new hardware come out for Windows much more frequently. I run both and pretty much everything is interchangeable.

 

[specialman]

Just this last Wednesday I got my new 27ins, 1Tb fusion HDD. I would not buy anything else, I have been using a 21.5ins with 16 Gb RAM,for the last 3.5 years, love them. When you first get a mac I think it is a very steep learning curve, but once you master them they are great.

By the way I haven't had time to upgrade my RAM from Crucial yet, but I find the new one runs PS quite well with only 8Gb RAM.

The only time mine is turned off is when we go on holiday or for updates.

I've just got a 27" with the Fusion drive at work... opted for the uprated video card (4GB I think) and maxxed it out to 32GB of RAM.... with After Effects it was a rather hefty £4,000 in total. A lot of money regardles of who you are.

But it works. Beautifully.

FCPX is still ever-so slightly temperamental but CS5 and LR4 work flawlessly, the screen is absolutely boss, it's unbelieveably quick and it has a very small footprint on my desk so I can create more mess

Plus, EVERYONE that comes into the office falls in love with it. The guy who sits next to me with some uninspiring Dell desktop has a perma-grump

 

[Pookeyhead]

I've just got a 27" with the Fusion drive at work... opted for the uprated video card (4GB I think) and maxxed it out to 32GB of RAM.... with After Effects it was a rather hefty £4,000 in total. A lot of money regardles of who you are.

But it works. Beautifully.

FOUR GRAND??? for an iMac? ****ing hell.. are they mental? 4K would build an unbelievable system, including full size Wacom tablets, Eizo ColorEdge screens... you name it..

LOL

Astounding.... I'm gob smacked. Well.. you gotta hand it to Apple. They market themselves well.

 

[boyfalldown]

FOUR GRAND??? for an iMac? ****ing hell.. are they mental? 4K would build an unbelievable system, including full size Wacom tablets, Eizo ColorEdge screens... you name it..

LOL

Astounding.... I'm gob smacked. Well.. you gotta hand it to Apple. They market themselves well.

in fairness that does include After Effects which is nothing to do with Apple and £800 of that. Still far from cheap for the system but thats a big lump of it.

 

[specialman]

FOUR GRAND??? for an iMac? ****ing hell.. are they mental? 4K would build an unbelievable system, including full size Wacom tablets, Eizo ColorEdge screens... you name it..

LOL

Astounding.... I'm gob smacked. Well.. you gotta hand it to Apple. They market themselves well.

I know, I was amazed at the cost. But I just kept adding stuff To be fair, as said, £800+ was AE and wierdly, the IT guy at my place had Apple upgrade the RMA, so that was about 4-times the price it would have cost to get it from Crucial and fit it himself.

But it does look lovely

EDIT: here's where the money added up on top of the standard £1699 RRP...


£160 extra for 3.4ghz i&, turbo boosted up to 3.9ghz
£320 extra for 32GB RAM
£200 extra for 1TB Fusion drive
£120 extra for 2GB graphics card
£200 for two external 1TB drives

Then software on top

 

[Pookeyhead]

But it does look lovely

Surely it looks like every other 27" iMac?


Just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about here. Here's a break down of my system:

Corsair 650D case - £139
Asus Rampage IV Extreme Socket 2011 motherboard - £332
Intel 3960X Sandy Bridge-E processor (6 core, 12 threads) - £832
Corsair HX1050 PSU - £162
Corsair H100 Water cooling - £98
2x EVGA NVidia GTX670 - £553
16GB Mushkin Blackline Enhanced DDR3 2133MHz - £198
512GB Samsung 830 SSD - £338
2x 1.5TB WD Green HDD - £132
2x DVD-RW - £39

Total £2823

Now you're probably thinking.. no monitor or any other peripherals, but this is not just an image editing machine... it's a gaming machine. So for image editing... take off £553 for the 2x GTX670s... and replace with any old piece of crap... probably something like the obsolete GPU in the iMac. also, lose the Asus Rampage board, and replace with a more sensible X79 board and shave another £130. Also.. lose the 2133MHZ RAM for more sensible 1600 RAM and shave another £80. As you've lost the GPUs, you won't need the 1KW PSU either, so knock another £60 off

This brings the total to £2000.

That still leaves you £1200 for a monitor out of your £3200 budget. What you have is a 6 core, 12 thread system built around what is still the fastest desktop processor available... and then clocked to 4.7GHz (can't really OC a Mac can you ), and quad channel RAM bandwidth. It will decimate an iMac in anything you throw at it, ESPECIALLY video encoding, which is clearly what your iMac will be used for considering you have AE on it. To be honest, it would trounce it without being overclocked.

That change will get you a nice Dell U2713H, and a A4 sized Wacom Intuos tablet, and decent mechanical keyboard.... you'll still have a fair chunk of change still... even after that... probably enough to add another 16GB of RAM bringing your total to 32GB... or add a second screen.

I know which I'd rather be using.... and in my opinion... would actually look better

iMacs are pretty.. in a slight effeminate way .... but gimme a real computer any day.

Cheaper, faster, more flexible and upgradeable.

All entirely my opinion of course.... I just thought it was interesting to break down what you get in each scenario.

 

[cowasaki]

All entirely my opinion of course.... I just thought it was interesting to break down what you get in each scenario.

What a surprise it's all turned into a Windows computer versus Mac computer thread!

The reality is that most people want to buy a computer that just works which is why most people buy a computer not a collection of parts. He's not paying anyway, sounds like work is but they have a reliable, powerful computer system where all the parts work together and it updates itself etc etc etc.

Yes you can spend less to get something as powerful or the same and get something more powerful but is that necessarily better? A lot of people think not which is why Apple's market share is steadily rising.

I spent £700 and build a machine that runs 3x faster than my Mac Pro and is currently quadruple booting 4 different OSes inc you know which but the reality is that most people do not want to go down that path.

Also most people would find the iMac better looking than your computer but to you yours is better.

You pays your money and takes your choice.........Neither is better, just different.

 

[boyfalldown]

What Darren said. Personally I have neither the interest or time to research and build that machine. It's just preference.what works for you doesn't for me and vice versa

 

[Pookeyhead]

What a surprise it's all turned into a Windows computer versus Mac computer thread!
You pays your money and takes your choice.........Neither is better, just different.

All entirely my opinion of course.... I just thought it was interesting to break down what you get in each scenario.

 

[cowasaki]

David, I think it is quite reasonable to break down the alternative. I'm just giving my opinion on how these threads go. You are well pleased with your machine and so is he.....

 

[Ruffy]

Guys, lets not forget what this thread was about...I have made my mind up on a mac

 

[Chappers]

Guys, lets not forget what this thread was about...I have made my mind up on a mac

ENJOY

 

[Ruffy]

ENJOY

Thank you, looking forward to a new experience

 

[PJ S]

.....<Typical anti-Mac belittling purchase decision rhetoric>....

What makes you think Specialman (or his employers) give a flying frig as to how YOU choose to spend YOUR money?
What a prize "pookeyhead" indeed for having the temerity to intimate YOUR setup was the way in which they should have spent their money.
Given that it's their tax write-off, not yours, it only concerns them and the Inland Revenue as to the value (real and/or perceived) - your opinion is completely irrelevant, especially after the fact.

I suppose the next step is for you to disapprove of what the MD decided to lease car-wise?
No doubt you'd have gone for something different, which was the way it should have been done.

Such infcekingcredulous pomposity, if ever I've seen.

 

[PJ S]

What a surprise it's all turned into a Windows computer versus Mac computer thread!

Don't be so naive - the clue is in the thread's title.
Some people just can't help themselves from trotting out the same lame, and old excuses for buying anything but that which has an Apple logo emblazoned upon it.

God forbid anyone should have a preference for something other than the almighty Windows flavoured Pot noodles!

 

[Pookeyhead]

I suppose the next step is for you to disapprove of what the MD decided to lease car-wise?

Probably, especially if that shows equal lack of imagination (Merc, BMW or Audi.... black or Silver).

 

[cowasaki]

Don't be so naive - the clue is in the thread's title.
Some people just can't help themselves from trotting out the same lame, and old excuses for buying anything but that which has an Apple logo emblazoned upon it.

God forbid anyone should have a preference for something other than the almighty Windows flavoured Pot noodles!

You are sailing close to the wind with your comments. Wind them in. By posting in a public forum The OP is inviting public comment. Your comments are not necessary. If you haven't got anything to actually add to the debate then don't say anything at all.

 

[neil_g]

Such infcekingcredulous pomposity, if ever I've seen.

Oh the ironing.

 

[PJ S]

Oh the ironing.

Thanks for the reminder, that'll get done this evening.

 

[boyfalldown]

Surely it looks like every other 27" iMac?


Just to give you an idea of what I'm talking about here. Here's a break down of my system:

Corsair 650D case - £139
Asus Rampage IV Extreme Socket 2011 motherboard - £332
Intel 3960X Sandy Bridge-E processor (6 core, 12 threads) - £832
Corsair HX1050 PSU - £162
Corsair H100 Water cooling - £98
2x EVGA NVidia GTX670 - £553
16GB Mushkin Blackline Enhanced DDR3 2133MHz - £198
512GB Samsung 830 SSD - £338
2x 1.5TB WD Green HDD - £132
2x DVD-RW - £39

Total £2823

Now you're probably thinking.. no monitor or any other peripherals, but this is not just an image editing machine... it's a gaming machine. So for image editing... take off £553 for the 2x GTX670s... and replace with any old piece of crap... probably something like the obsolete GPU in the iMac. also, lose the Asus Rampage board, and replace with a more sensible X79 board and shave another £130. Also.. lose the 2133MHZ RAM for more sensible 1600 RAM and shave another £80. As you've lost the GPUs, you won't need the 1KW PSU either, so knock another £60 off

This brings the total to £2000.

That still leaves you £1200 for a monitor out of your £3200 budget. What you have is a 6 core, 12 thread system built around what is still the fastest desktop processor available... and then clocked to 4.7GHz (can't really OC a Mac can you ), and quad channel RAM bandwidth. It will decimate an iMac in anything you throw at it, ESPECIALLY video encoding, which is clearly what your iMac will be used for considering you have AE on it. To be honest, it would trounce it without being overclocked.

That change will get you a nice Dell U2713H, and a A4 sized Wacom Intuos tablet, and decent mechanical keyboard.... you'll still have a fair chunk of change still... even after that... probably enough to add another 16GB of RAM bringing your total to 32GB... or add a second screen.

I know which I'd rather be using.... and in my opinion... would actually look better

iMacs are pretty.. in a slight effeminate way .... but gimme a real computer any day.

Cheaper, faster, more flexible and upgradeable.

All entirely my opinion of course.... I just thought it was interesting to break down what you get in each scenario.

All that effort so you can wear pink armour while you're playing quake and annoying teenage boys online.

mmmmmmmm...........any physcologists care to comment :nuts:

 

[PJ S]

You are sailing close to the wind with your comments. Wind them in. By posting in a public forum The OP is inviting public comment. Your comments are not necessary. If you haven't got anything to actually add to the debate then don't say anything at all.

Quite well aware of the format of a public forum Darren - been using them for the past 10 years!
My point, which you've glossed over or casually dismissed, is that a certain member decided his way of spending his money should have been the way in which another member's company did - completely overlooking a number of aspects which are patently obvious to all but the mangey dog in the street.

There was no point to be made behind the post - it was (and still is) completely irrelevant to the thread, both in the OP's case, and the semi-related comment proffered by Specialman.
You yourself even remarked how the thread had yet again been dragged into an all too common Apple vs Windows argufest, but yet you feel I need singled out for chastisement?

No worries, I get it - I'm not part of the clique here, so I'm not allowed to say anything disharmonious about those who are.
Message received and understood.

On that note, I'll bid you all adieu, and leave the thread to continue its inevitable downward spiral.

 

[Pookeyhead]

All that effort so you can wear pink armour while you're playing quake and annoying teenage boys online.

mmmmmmmm...........any physcologists care to comment :nuts:

Don't go into my mind.... scary place. I avoid going in there as much as I can

 

[MWHCVT]

Quite well aware of the format of a public forum Darren - been using them for the past 10 years!
My point, which you've glossed over or casually dismissed, is that a certain member decided his way of spending his money should have been the way in which another member's company did - completely overlooking a number of aspects which are patently obvious to all but the mangey dog in the street.

There was no point to be made behind the post - it was (and still is) completely irrelevant to the thread, both in the OP's case, and the semi-related comment proffered by Specialman.
You yourself even remarked how the thread had yet again been dragged into an all too common Apple vs Windows argufest, but yet you feel I need singled out for chastisement?

No worries, I get it - I'm not part of the clique here, so I'm not allowed to say anything disharmonious about those who are.
Message received and understood.

Your deluded if you really think that there are serious cliques on the forum, I've got some genuine friends that I've made via the forum we have a laugh on and off line still it's not a clique I think what your getting confused about here is the people that have joined this forum, and enjoy being here, getting involved and being part of a community...attending the odd meet, posting photos, offering critique generally getting involved and at the same time managing not to insult other members

 

[neil_g]

On that note, I'll bid you all adieu, and leave the thread to continue its inevitable downward spiral.

my guess it that once you leave it'll stop that downward trend.

 

[specialman]

Pookeyhead - is that a custom DIY build (i.e. built by your hands) or is it specced up and then put together by some computer seller?

A lot of that stuff you've named is way over my head - I like computers but I'm not au fait with actual components like the ones you've named. Water cooling sounds way too futuristic

I can do general DIY modding on macs - fitting RAM etc - and I've even rebuilt an old Pismo G3 Powerbook from parts I collected, but I prefer things straight out of the box and I feel comfortable knowing that with the macs I've bought over the years, that there are only so many to choose from and very little variation in parts (on the face of it). I'll also admit that I like good looking computers, which macs have always been.... 20th Anniversay Mac being and the Pismo G3 being just two. I'm real shallow like that

With PCs there seems to be a massive difference from machine-to-machine on the high street and even more so with custom-build that although probably all working the same, I can't get my head around.... that probably stems from the days when you had all sorts of processor and graphics card manufacturers when Apple just used Motorola PPC chips. I liked the familiarity of the old Powermacs and that lives with me today.

To be honest, that machine of yours might be powerful but it takes up a lot of space and IMO, isn't that pretty too look at.

TBH, this new machine is as rapid as anything. There are probably faster, cheaper alternatives but that's not the major concern. I know Mac OS, I can work it in my sleep, something I can't do with Windows. That's what matter to me a lot.

 

[Pookeyhead]

Pookeyhead - is that a custom DIY build (i.e. built by your hands) or is it specced up and then put together by some computer seller?

Mine was self built, but any decent PC retailer/Supplier... Like Scan, or Aria, or others that you will get recommended on here will be able to build a decent bespoke system with a robust warranty and after sales support.

but I prefer things straight out of the box and I feel comfortable knowing that with the macs I've bought over the years, that there are only so many to choose from and very little variation in parts (on the face of it). I'll also admit that I like good looking computers, which macs have always been....

Well, it sounds like Macs are the ideal choice for you then. I loathe computers that are just white goods... built to a common spec, but if that appeals to you, and you think they look good, then Macs would be the ideal choice for you.

The reason I always strenuously put an alternative viewpoint across in tehse threads, is to try and counter the idea that somehow Macs are a superior product, which of course is a myth. Essentially Macs these days are just PCs under the hood anyway (Intel CPUS, Foxconn motherboards, Same graphics architecture etc).

I get asked for advice a great deal and my usual answer a question:

"Do you like Computers, or what you can do with computers?"

If someone has no interest in the computer itself and just wants a box to perform a function, I recommend a Mac, because as you quite rightly say, they have that out of the box functionality.

If someone actually likes computers, likes to tinker, lift the hood and poke around... then I recommend a PC, simply because it is customisable, more tweakable, powerful and flexible.

The downside to PCs is they are easier to break. Not physically break, but it's easier to get yourself in a mess software /OS wise.

With PCs there seems to be a massive difference from machine-to-machine on the high street and even more so with custom-build that although probably all working the same,

That's why I like them. They're all different, and you can build exactly the right one for your needs (or et one specced). The downside to this is that there are some truly awful PCs around, and as most people's experience of PCs is that of a store bought piece of junk from PC World, or some piece of rubbish at work built by the cheapest contractor possible to the smallest possible budget, understandably, most people think PCs are junk.

They most certainly do NOT all work the same.

To be honest, that machine of yours might be powerful but it takes up a lot of space and IMO, isn't that pretty too look at.

All a matter of taste. It looks like it does because it's designed to perform, not designed to be pretty. It depends if you value performance over looks. I actually like the look of machines that are designed to perform. I actually think design led by performance is more attractive than the other way around.

It's a matter of taste, and a silly debate really. iMacs are pretty... but even Apple must appreciate the need for performance to lead design over aesthetic led design, or they'd not offer the Mac Pro as an alternative would they?

TBH, this new machine is as rapid as anything. There are probably faster, cheaper alternatives but that's not the major concern. I know Mac OS, I can work it in my sleep, something I can't do with Windows. That's what matter to me a lot.

Then you've got the right machine for you. Just a pity you had to pay so much more to get it.

 

[specialman]

Pookeyhead - re: Mac pro, not sure if they'll continue with that line, what with the consumer-oriented product lineup that Apple seem to be focussing on. Be a shame really.

Agreed though, it really is a silly debate.... I can remember when you could get Mac clones in the PPC days and there was real snobbery because it was a PM8500 or suchlike, just in a dull casing. Did the same job.

BTW, if it were my money and not work's then I wouldn't have this machine.... It's a lot of money, especially compared to done if the powerful used machined that just need a bit of extra RAM or a new HD.

 

[cowasaki]

There will be a new mac pro this year.

 

[neil_g]

There will be a new mac pro this year.

I really hope so.. :nuts:

 

[cowasaki]

I really hope so.. :nuts:

Lots of hits from macprox,1 where x is one higher than current machine all originating from California.
OSX10.8.2 had drivers for several latest gen graphics cards which are not currently options.
Apples CEO promised that there would be.

 

[Chappers]

WWDC next week so we may find out if a new mac Pro will be announced . Plus reports say Apple are investing in Texas, where, Foxconn have a facility Plus the MacPro is probably the smallest runner of the Mac Line ( well they haven't updated it for 4 years), so volumes will be relatively low, plus I believe the US is the largest market for the MacPro ( or was)

Will watch with ineterst

 

[surfg1mp]

I was in the market to buy a new pc last year. Was seriously thinking about getting the iMac. They are seriously beautiful to look at. But after having a play on one, dear god, the apple operating system sucks.

That was the deciding factor so bought a pc and loving it, runs Lightroom 4 and cs6 flawlessly.

 

[Azaboppa]

You're always gonna find die hard Windows and Apple fans so I suppose a lot of opinions don't matter, if you've got the money go for the mac if you could do with not spending that much then go for a top spec windows PC, however, Apple give great after care which you won't find at PC world if you do decide on a windows system.

 

[Pookeyhead]

You're always gonna find die hard Windows and Apple fans so I suppose a lot of opinions don't matter

I use both regularly. Nothing "die hard" about me. I'm just as happy in Mac OS as I am Windows. In fact I've customised my Windows install to have many OS-X features it doesn't come with.


For me it's over priced, less powerful hardware that's the deal breaker.

Apple give great after care which you won't find at PC world if you do decide on a windows system.

PC World isn't the only place to buy PCs you know. In fact... PC Word is the LAST place you should be going.