[Ross]

I'm looking for a new computer, and I've been tempted by the iMac, although I've been a PC user for many years. (Like many people, getting an iPod was the initial impetus for thinking about a Mac.)

The iMac looks excellent, is no doubt easy to use and well-supported. I understand that not all software is available for use with the iMac, but a large amount of software does appear to be available, and in any event I don't use many applications. My computer is used mainly for the internet/email, some office documents and spreadsheets, ripping CDs and MP3s for the iPod, and very few games. I'm not part of a LAN or other network where I would need to connect my computer to anything else.

Can anyone suggest any good reasons for not buying an iMac in these circumstances?

What is the sound card in the iMac like? How good is the iMac for things like ripping tracks from analog sources, since I plan to burn my LPs to CDs through the Mac?

 

[usc goose]

what kind of games do you play? as long as you're not too crazy about the latest lan party type stuff i think an imac would suit you just fine.

except you'll probably have to take some crap about using one if you let the word get out. not from me of course. but it's been known to happen

 

[lan]

the iMac costs more than some PCs and you'll have to buy your software again?

you dont' really "rip" tracks from LPs. that's really terminology for CDs. you'll want to get a good soundcard for the Mac which supports 24/96 recording. In all honesty, i'd use a PC because the P4 CPU is faster at such multimedia editing.

 

[the terabyte]

i wouldn't rate the internal sound on the imac much above or below your generic PC sound card, so if you were really doing some critical listening or recording from vinyl, you'd need an external sound device. that said, i'd never want anything other than a mac for my main computer and i think you'll love it once you get used to it.

 

[Edwood]

No.

 

[ch1nkster]

Apple, Dell, HP, Gateway, Sony, etc, etc all overprice the value of their computers. Go build your own comp and you'll save a ton of money + you have all the "technical support" you could ever want (in the MANY different comp forums on the net). I personally think that technical support is BS and you probably don't need it. Use google and look stuff up. You can pick out all the parts to your comp and a very nice M-Audio sound card to go along with your set up. A good place to start is:

www.hardforum.com
www.extremeoverclocking.com
www.motherboards.org

 

[the terabyte]

Quote:

Originally posted by ch1nkster Apple, Dell, HP, Gateway, Sony, etc, etc all overprice the value of their computers. Go build your own comp and you'll save a ton of money + you have all the "technical support" you could ever want (in the MANY different comp forums on the net). I personally think that technical support is BS and you probably don't need it. Use google and look stuff up. You can pick out all the parts to your comp and a very nice M-Audio sound card to go along with your set up. A good place to start is: www.hardforum.com www.extremeoverclocking.com www.motherboards.org

the selling point, to me, of macs is not the speed of the hardware or technical support, its the OS, overall user experience, and industrial design. if you aren't looking for either of those things, or want something thats actually fast and need to run a non-mac program, its understandable to go with an x86 machine running windows. personally, i keep a couple of each around as i find they all have things they're better than each other at, but i spend 99% of my time on my powerbook, ignoring my P4/radeon 9700/windows xp machine. your mileage may (and will) vary.

 

[fiddler]

Unfortunately, the iMac, as it stands right now, IS overpriced... If you have a good monitor that you can use at the moment, going with a G4 PowerMac would be IMHO be a more cost effective solution. For less money you can get a faster processor (particularly if you go for a dual proc G4's), expandability/upgradability (up to 2 gigs of RAM, iMac is limited to 1), and in a few years, you won't be stuck with an outdated machine with a still-alive-and-kicking beautiful LCD monitor that you can't use with any other computer.

Whoops, missed a slight detail, the iMac offers a superdrive (DVD burner) at the "mid-level", while the G4 tower is just a combo drive at that price.

Buying all your software all over again eh? You'll find that OS X comes with most of what you need. If you need powerful Office apps, then you'll have to buy MS Office X, but apart from that... the iApps have pretty much everything you could hope for.

Speaking of OS X. It rocks. Compared to Windows, it's most stable, much more secure, much more intuitive, and better looking (IMO) to boot.. As terabyte said, OS X is one of the primary reasons why people buy Macs.

 

[Wodgy]

If you haven't seen an iMac or OS X in person yet, I'd encourage you to go to a dealer and try them out. Both the hardware design and the OS are very impressive. I think you'll like them. There's also no real technical reason not to get a Mac these days, now that the operating system is a variant of Unix.

 

[marios_mar]

Quote:

Can anyone suggest any good reasons for not buying an iMac in these circumstances?

I would say dont buy one. These things make loud noise and unlike PCs there are not too many solutions to make more silently. If you use open cans then it might be a not so good solution. I bet an older machine can be had cheap used but I still wouldnt go for it if i needed it for music.

The software is a reason that will help your decision too.

Maybe a portable Mac would do the thing for you?

Or maybe a nice PC with a TFT display?

 

[Wodgy]

Quote:

Originally posted by marios_mar These things make loud noise

Huh? All the newer iMacs have no fan. They're perfectly quiet (except for the inevitable hard drive sounds). Their fanless, quiet design is one of the major reasons to consider one, IMHO.

 

[fiddler]

Quote:

Originally posted by Wodgy Huh? All the newer iMacs have no fan. They're perfectly quiet (except for the inevitable hard drive sounds). Their fanless, quiet design is one of the major reasons to consider one, IMHO.

No no... the new iMacs are NOT fanless, as far as I know. However, from what I have read, the iMac is supposed to be very quiet nonetheless.

 

[Demolition]

Fiddler is correct. There's a single fan situated above the hard drive carrier in the iMac that draws air up through the bottom and exhausts it to the rear at the back of the chassis. It's very quiet, almost noiseless. As mentioned by others, the hard drive is actually louder than the fan.

D.

 

[Todd R]

I have an iMac and love it

I use Windows at work, but at home it's the Mac. The 2 operating systems are closer than ever now that Microsoft has caught up with Windows XP

Some of the great things about the iMac IMO are:

The "i" programs, iTunes, iPhoto, iDVD. They work so well and are so smooth and easy to use. Windows users get a tase of it now that they've made iTunes for Windows.

Compact size:

I love the fact that the whole computer is contained in that small half globe below the monitor. No more cables everywhere.

OS X:

I was a little thrown by OS X at first because it was so different than anything I had ever used before (either from Apple or Windows).
After getting used to it, I have to say it's the best operating system I have ever used and it's very stable. I've never had it crash

Support:

As was mentioned before, The support from Apple is great. They pick up the phone right away and are very helpful. No more being left on hold for a half hour trying to get a question answered.

 

[Ross]

Thanks for the responses.

Quote:

Go build your own comp and you'll save a ton of money + you have all the "technical support" you could ever want (in the MANY different comp forums on the net).

The money is not the issue - I am happy to pay a bit more for a good product. And there is no way I could build my own computer - I have enough trouble switching mine on and off.

Quote:

the selling point, to me, of macs is not the speed of the hardware or technical support, its the OS, overall user experience, and industrial design.

Exactly. The Mac looks and feels good. My PCs feel "workmanlike" while the Mac looks and feels like a luxury product.

Quote:

Unfortunately, the iMac, as it stands right now, IS overpriced...

Yes, it is. However, I'm not a student - I'm a professional on a reasonable income, and I'm happy to pay a bit more for a premium product, which I think the Mac is.

Quote:

Speaking of OS X. It rocks. Compared to Windows, it's most stable, much more secure, much more intuitive, and better looking (IMO) to boot..

Again, you have hit the nail on the head.

Quote:

I would say dont buy one. These things make loud noise and unlike PCs there are not too many solutions to make more silently.

I currently use a (four year old) Compaq notebook - its fan runs 99% of the time, so I do don't think a Mac is going to be much louder. Anyway, I can put up with a little fan noise. As others have said, it's the operating system that is the main attraction - it just looks and feels so much better than the clunky Windows equivalent. Windows is so utilitarian (and yet fragile) it feels like a product of communist Russia in the 50s; Mac OS has a kind of pleasure of ownership that MS products never have.