Imacs

[swfcdan]

just wondering if we had any apple mac users on here. Thinking of getting one of the new imacs, but having never had one before just wondered what LOClubbers thought of them.

one of the apple 'genius' gave me a demo on one last weekend at the local apple store and i was blown away by the machine.

i mainly use my computer from media purposes, photos, music etc and the macs really seem geared up for this. really like the features of iLife 08. im aware that macs arnt great for gaming but i dont game on my PC, got a 360 for that.

another thing thats pursuading me to get one is i use vista at work and hate the bloody thing!

just wonderd what your thoughts were, any pros and cons etc from personal use.

the genuis in the mac shop said they have a new OS out in october and he advised me that if i didnt need a machine urgently, then to wait for that to save some cash, my only worry is, is it likely to have the same problems as vista due to being a new OS.

cheers

Dan

[Gord]

Aido is a big fan/user :D

[Tyger]

Don't even think just buy it.

For most people on this forum a Mac would be by FAR the best machine for them - but people don't bother researching.

Don't wait either. The Current OS - Tiger offers anything Vista does already - the new OS Leopard will push Macs even further.

It only costs about 80 quid to upgrade the OS, and if you have any fears about small bugs in the new OS then wait, you don't HAVE to buy it. All software will run on the current OS anyway.

Buy your new iMac and enjoy years of a virus-free elegant computer experience Windows users can only dream of.

Any questions you have - fire away or PM me.

[el_gencer]

I've been running a mac mini for 2yrs now and dont miss windows at all. I've started messing around with video on it and the stuff you get bundled with it does the job nicely. The new aluminum imacs look sweet and are nicely spec'd. Also unlike windows you dont need to keep updating the hardware to keep up with software. Get 2gig of ram in it and you'll be flying. The new o/s leopard looks to be the best os-x yet, i'm gonna buy it when its released. Luckily apple os updates dont cost the earth or confuse the heck of out of you like microsoft.

[swfcdan]

cheers for the responses guys, just what i wanted to hear. having seen the demo in store and what not i cant really see (for me personally) what advantages a PC would give me, especially when i fully expext it to break lol.

the macs are a bit more pricey, but damn cool!

im thinking of getting the higher spec'd 20" version. will 1gig of ram suffice or o i really need to be upgrading to 2?

[el_gencer]

1gb ram is kinda standard these days, 2gb makes the whole system run really smoothly. Especially if you are going to be doing any video, the more ram the better.

[WylieCoyote]

Not a Mac user, but when my Windows computer goes to the big computer shop in the sky I will be. Just waiting for an excuse to buy one. Hmm, that sledge hammer looks interesting, maybe I'll just......................

[Tyger]

Don't buy your RAM from apple, get it at www.crucial.com and save a lot. It is EASY to install yourself - just one screw, and you can put the money you save towards the Leopard OS upgrade :)

[Bazza]

i have both pc and mac

what do i prefer...........about 80% of the time the Mac :)

mini mac using 1gb was using 512mb up till about 2 months ago, works fine but 2gb will allways be better

[swfcdan]

Don't buy your RAM from Apple, get it at and save a lot. It is EASY to install yourself - just one screw, and you can put the money you save towards the Leopard OS upgrade :)

yeh i read you could do it yourself? is it really as simple as 'plug and play' or is there other technical stuff involved?

[jamesholden]

I've been using macs for a few years now, and there great, I managed to convert my dad, and two friends, one of which said he hated macs, until he started using mine!

I would say just go for it, the new intel ones run Windows aswell for the very occasional time that you might need to use it so to me it's a win-win situation, perhaps a little bit dearer, but well worth it, go for it and enjoy!

[swfcdan]

all i hear is good stuff about them. definatly going to get one, jus waiting till i go back to uni so i can take advantage of the student discounts they offer accessing the apple site from inside a uni campus

the joys of studenthood

[Tyger]

A screwdriver is all you need.

Underneath the screen there is one small screw you undo, pop in the RAM and screw it up again. Bingo.

RAM is cheap these days. These babies can take up to 4GB. They come with 1x1GB and have 2 slots so if I were you I would buy 2GB and so you have 3GB in total. If you buy 2x2GB you have to throw the original 1GB away (or sell it).

OS X allows you to work with many apps simultaneously and is meant to be run 24/7. This allows you to leave all the apps that you need open all the time. To do this efficiently and to reduce hardrive access the more RAM you have the better. 3GB will do you proud.

I will be ordering a 24" iMac in October when Leopard is out. I don't really NEED a new one but I WANT a new one so much that it effectively has become a NEED!!

I am looking fwd to swfcdan's first post from his iMac. I could pretty much write it for him as I have seen this awakening many times!

Windows users everywhere - follow swfcdan's lead and save yourselves from the pain!

EDIT: In fact here below is a cut/paste from another forum from a recent Switcher. This is happening the world over...

------------------------

A switcher's review of the new iMac

I started out "computing" back in the 80's with a PC clone that didn't even have a hard drive. It had two floppy drives. I just switched to apple from a PC that had a quad core extreme 2.67, 4GB of DC RAM, a GEForce 8800 ultra, a Lian Li aluminum case, two optical drives, two 10,000 rpm hard drives, a liquid c CPU cooler, and a 20" LCD monitor. My main uses of my PC were online banking and gaming - mostly Flight simulators of all genres and Links 2003, a golf simulator. I built all of my own systems for about the last 6 years now. I have fried many PC components, including motherboards, power supplies, RAM, video cards, etc. I always bought the best hardware. Just to give you some background on where I'm coming from. When MS released Windoze Vista, I had finally had enough .

I have had my new iMac for about 1 week.

Hardware

The first thing I noticed when my iMac arrived was how well packaged it was. The materials used were as good or better than any I've seen. Even the packing boxes are well designed and attractive. The attention to detail is amazing. For example, I noticed how flexible the power cord was. Not stiff like all the others I've owned. Not a big deal, but an indicator. If that level of detail has been put into the rest of the machine, I've made an excellent investment. The machine itself is nothing short of stunning. By far the best looking piece of equipment I've ever owned.

Setup was amazingly easy. Just pull it out of the box, set it on the desk, attach the power cord, the keyboard, plug the mouse into the keyboard, connect your peripherals and you are ready to go. I have an old HP Laserjet 6P printer, and 3 CH controllers. No problem - all recognised by OSX and all working. I suggest adding a powered USB hub if you have more peripherals. This machine is very quiet. A new experience for me, and a sign of quality. The keyboard is just awesome. Again, proof that funcionality does not mean ugly. It looks good and performs even better. The mouse is definitely difficult to get used to and is the only negative I've found so far, but it may just take more time to get used to. The hardware is perfect in my opinion.

Software

It is different. Different, but better. Everything works absolutely flawlessly. The result of the hardware being made by the same people who write the OS. The programs that are part of the OS are awesome. Safari is terrific. The OS is so flexible that you can set up your Mac any way you like. Just terrific. It is what Windows only wishes it could be. The screen is big, bright and gorgeous. Sleep mode actually works!

In short, if you are thinking about switching - do it! I was really apprehensive but all my fears and concerns have been melted away. get a Mac, you won't regret it.

---------------------------

[swfcdan]

I will be ordering a 24" iMac in October when Leopard is out. I don't really NEED a new one but I WANT a new one so much that it effectively has become a NEED!!

sums it up perfectly!

[Moffet]

Sorry to go slightly but why does everyone refer to Windows and a PC as the same thing, like the PC is Windows. There are alternative operating systems! I'm not saying you should go for one or saying it's better than a Mac or anything so don't jump all over me, I just get annoyed by that! Especially on TV adverts. Anyway...

Just a quick question for those in the know - can you run a Mac Mini on a KVM switch with a PC? Thinking about getting one to try out but don't want to have two keyboards and mice on the desk!

[Tyger]

Yes absolutely you can. That is what it does best!

[Johndcfc]

I've got a MacBook Pro and have nothing but praise for it.....

Very tempted to get a 24' imac, they look brilliant.

[Rikos]

When i saw the title of the topic i thought you where on about the hair removal cream

[Tyger]

Yes, well a huge number of Mac users are ex-PC users who have pulled all their hair out ALREADY due to prolonged exposure to Windows...!

[Adie]

I'm looking to buy a new lap top as hardly anything on mine works now, including internet problems etc. So might consider an apple bad boy then. I assume they do lap tops. Not seen many about. I mainly use it for music / films and browsing the web etc, plus downloading, so would want something that wont slow up and has enough memory to store loads of music and some films.

Any ideas?

[Tyger]

ANY Mac will do those things without breaking into a sweat.

http://www.apple.com/uk/hardware

Have a look around.

For most things you will want to know....

http://www.apple.com/getamac

Good luck.

PS For apple.com to work properly you will need Quicktime installed. If you have iTunes then you have Quicktime.