iMac

[progman]

Okay, so I'm buying a new computer before too long. The new IMacs are really really catching my eye. Any opinions? Mac Vs. Pc. OS X vs. XP

Anything at all?

Thanks

[Cantacuzene]

Can? Worms? Opened?

[gear02]

A long time PC user, I used to hate Macs. However, I saw the new Titanium Powerbooks and I just drooled. Those things rock and are much better than PC laptops. I would live with OSX and have such a great computer. OSX isn't so bad either...

[ChrisMG187]

Well, give us some info. What are you gonna be using it for exactly? If you are gonna be gaming, you definately want a PC, as there are not really a whole lot of games out for the MAC platform. OS X is nice, and very user friendly, as is XP. I will say, though, that for the price of a Mac, you could get multiple PC's with the same specs.

[verve247]

The new imac rocks. I saw it inperson at the Macworld expo. Trust me, the advertisements don't do it justice. Moving the monitor (15 in. viewable) is very innovative, it swivels from the base by the lightest touch, yet stops in place one pressure is released. They're so much fun to play with.

I love OS X . It IS stable. Such a vast improvement from 9.2 The only buggy program i've found is Microsoft's Internet Explorer :rolleyes: And when I did have problems with OS X it was while hacking the dock with resedit. Thankfully i backed up the system folder. :)

I've used Win XP very little. Though when i did, the whole OS appeared to be a mess. There are too many nested folders that you can't access quickly and everything appears to be in a different place. My take was that it just didn't seem very user friendly. For OS X, everything i need is in system preferences or on the deck. And if i want to tweak the operating system i can just go to the terminal or play with their accompanying developer tools or even applescript. :cool:

Oh yeah, and you can run XP on the new imac with vpc 5. It was mentioned in this thread.

http://www.gotapex.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=37739&highlight=virtual

[spigidygak]

I saw and played around with the new imac the other day at compusa. . . its very nice. Like verve247 says, the monitor moves around easily but stays put. If you aren't planning on gaming, but doing regular junk i.e. internet, e-mail, word processing . . . go for the imac. The bonus is that if you're into any bit of graphics or audio/video work, that G4 cpu is very fast to work with compared to intel and amd chips. I personally can't wait 'till I have enough saved up for a G4 titanium. . . er maybe a G4 tower. . . haven't narrowed it down yet, but damn, gotta love them macs for non-gaming apps, hehe.

[ChrisMG187]

The main gripe i have, is when someone screws one up, it's harder than hell to fix.

[Speedfreak]

Um... what is the big deal with that monitor moving? Do you plan on growing some more? I don't get it. Why would something like a pneumatic monitor be so "revolutionary"? I am serious here. Please tell me why. Many, many simple minded people are going to go out and buy one without out caring what is inside, only wanting to have the "revolutionary" monitor that they can move up and down. This will be just like the old imacs where people bought them just because they matched their damn wallpaper. When did the way a computer looks become the most important priority when buying a computer. Oh, wait... that is just for Apple. :disa:

[verve247]

Originally posted by ChrisMG187
The main gripe i have, is when someone screws one up, it's harder than hell to fix.

well you just gotta know the tricks. My favorite is firewire disk mode. connect two computers with a firewire cable and you can boot up on one computer and access the other's harddrive. Rocks for file transferring or replacing a corrupted system folder.

Though when the hardware fails, you can be in some deep ****e. Last night my friend's monitor would go black whenever he booted up in OS X (old imac and this is a very weird problem). Imagine trying toaccess a computer and getting it to reboot in OS 9, blind! He actually traced my imac's monitor with paper in an attempt to find where to place the mouse to click!! Don't know if he ever got it to work. And yes i know, i know, i own a bubble imac, but imacs are great for college living- no one's gonna steal it :D ).

[eSDee]

Originally posted by verve247


well you just gotta know the tricks. My favorite is firewire disk mode. connect two computers with a firewire cable and you can boot up on one computer and access the other's harddrive. Rocks for file transferring or replacing a corrupted system folder.

Though when the hardware fails, you can be in some deep ****e. Last night my friend's monitor would go black whenever he booted up in OS X (old imac and this is a very weird problem). Imagine trying toaccess a computer and getting it to reboot in OS 9, blind! He actually traced my imac's monitor with paper in an attempt to find where to place the mouse to click!! Don't know if he ever got it to work. And yes i know, i know, i own a bubble imac, but imacs are great for college living- no one's gonna steal it :D ).

Just boot up with an OS CD and select the Startup disk that way. Firewire trick is way cool; I've used it twice in the last month to transfer data from a powerbook G3 HD to a new HD. It saves so much time.

As far as Imac's go, they're cool if you are not a power user. I used to hate them before because of all the mechanical failures that would result because of the monitor generating too much heat in the case. Now that the monitor is separate I can finally see it as a viable option.

[Hiro]

Originally posted by Cantacuzene
Can? Worms? Opened?

hah :heh:

[verve247]

Originally posted by Speedfreak
Um... what is the big deal with that monitor moving?

What's great is that it's an improvement from current standards. It makes life easier and more comfortable to the user. That's what apple does. They throw new things out in the market that haven't been tried or fully marketed before. Some catch on to become industry standards (usb, firewire, ipod...) and others just don't quite make it (icube). This is the main reason why i like apple.

Oh yeah and it's not just the monitor that makes the imac. It's the fact that they put an 800mhz G4 chip into such a tiny case and include a superdrive for under 2 grand. so :P

[Speedfreak]

Originally posted by verve247


What's great is that it's an improvement from current standards. It makes life easier and more comfortable to the user. That's what apple does. They throw new things out in the market that haven't been tried or fully marketed before. Some catch on to become industry standards (usb, firewire, ipod...) and others just don't quite make it (icube). This is the main reason why i like apple.

Oh yeah and it's not just the monitor that makes the imac. It's the fact that they put an 800mhz G4 chip into such a tiny case and include a superdrive for under 2 grand. so :P

Well, you didn't answer my question. I asked why is it so revolutionary to be able to move your monitor up and down? Most people would have no need for that. Who the hell would stand when they can sit in a chair?

As far as the hardware, most people I have heard that got the previous iMac say they got it to e-mail, browse the web, and becuase they like the color. 2 grand is too expensive for that.

[eSDee]

Hey Speedfreak something tells me you don't care for Imac's :heh: Well you are right, $1300 is a lot to pay for something that isn't so revolutionary. But one thing is it does save space, and with the G4 chip you can use it for digital video editing. Don't forget that Final Cut Pro kicks Premiere's butt bigtime so if you're into that, Imac's are a great little budget DV editing machine.

[Cantacuzene]

I think its a lot of money to spend on a computer that can't game. for 1300$ you build a computer with Athlon XP 1900+, gf3, 512 ,megs of ddr ram, 80 gb hdd etc. Granted you get a flat screen monitor with the imac but just compare the numbers.

Yes it does video editting better. So what? You a film major?

I won't admit it does photo editting better because the comp you could build at the same price is waaaaaaay faster.

If you like OSx and you absolutely have to have an imac there is nothing anyone can do to talk you out of it, but I prefer to have the most powerful computer I can get for my money, and for $1300 an Imac isnt it.

[aglio412]

if you plan on doing alot of multimedia stuff, get the iMac
if you plan on gaming get a PC

if you just want something to mess around with and you don't play video games or do multimedia work...pick either.

by the way OSX rocks...and in my opinion, XP is the worst OS i've ever used, used it for a month, formatted the partition in favor of 2kPro.

the only reason i wouldn't get an iMac is b/c the monitor is too small...G4 with a flat cinema display is in my future...distant future, that is

[Cantacuzene]

Originally posted by aglio412

by the way OSX rocks...and in my opinion, XP is the worst OS i've ever used, used it for a month, formatted the partition in favor of 2kPro.


I don't understand this. It isn't fundamentally different than any other windows os. Its more stable than 9x and better than 9x in every other way too. If you upgraded from 2k its your own fault for not reading enough to know that there is not enough difference to warrant the upgrade.

If you say it crashed or wasnt stable its prolly because of some weird hardware configuration you have. It takes MUCH longer to get a system running smoothly on 2k than it does on XP. You can resolve technical issues in one hour on xp, but 2k requires an incredible amount of more work.

[aglio412]

Originally posted by Cantacuzene



I don't understand this. It isn't fundamentally different than any other windows os. Its more stable than 9x and better than 9x in every other way too. If you upgraded from 2k its your own fault for not reading enough to know that there is not enough difference to warrant the upgrade.

If you say it crashed or wasnt stable its prolly because of some weird hardware configuration you have. It takes MUCH longer to get a system running smoothly on 2k than it does on XP. You can resolve technical issues in one hour on xp, but 2k requires an incredible amount of more work.

actually i didn't upgrade, i did a clean install. i made no reference to XP being better than any 9x flavor..i said it's the worst OS i've used. since i have little expereince with 9x, i was comparing it to NT, 2000, Linux, NetBSD and Solaris. and yes, i was fully aware that XP doesn't offer any great advantages over 2000 before i installed it, i wanted to check it out to see what all the unwarranted hype was about.

to be honest, i was impressed with how stable it was...it actually worked with my hardware a bit better than 2000. nonetheless, my roots are in NT, 2000 and i hated the fact that it was overly user friendly. why m$ft decided to make XP-Pro suitable for amateurs, i'll never know. NT and 2k offer way better accessibility to networking functions and are more suitable for the things i use my PC for (i'm not a gamer or a multimedia buff, i like linking things together and making them do interesting things).

for most people, i guess XP is a god send...requires very little tinkering or knowledge to do everyday tasks...however for someone like me who knows how to get deep into things and get dirty, XP was simply annoying.

[progman]

Well some of this has been very informative...the only non-typical application thing I might use my computer for would be for a home-studio setup. I'm not sure how the iMac stock soundcard is, however.

It also seems like the old iMac was sort of Apple's little cheap toy thing, but it doesn't seem (so far) that the new one will be that, but it will rather be a pretty honorable, quick machine.

I really wish macs weren't so expensive, because i'm really loving the dual 1ghz G4, but no way in hell can i afford it.

[aglio412]

Originally posted by progman
Well some of this has been very informative...the only non-typical application thing I might use my computer for would be for a home-studio setup. I'm not sure how the iMac stock soundcard is, however.

It also seems like the old iMac was sort of Apple's little cheap toy thing, but it doesn't seem (so far) that the new one will be that, but it will rather be a pretty honorable, quick machine.

I really wish macs weren't so expensive, because i'm really loving the dual 1ghz G4, but no way in hell can i afford it.

if that's the case...get a G3 or G4 tower. macs are notorious for being the mack daddy machines for home (and professional) studios, but the iMac may not be the best bet for a long term studio investment. if you want to be able to add midi cards or other items to an iMac, you're out of luck. although, i've seen a number of firewire and usb goodies for studios...i'd do some research on studio compnents and their interfaces (PCI, USB, firewire) and go from there.

this is a good place to start to see what's out there:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com

[progman]

also, concerning the imac and flat-panel monitors in general, the 15" is actually the VIEWABLE area, correct? Because the monitor i use now is 17" but only something like 16.1" viewable...so i guess there wouldn't be that big of a difference

[Cantacuzene]

Originally posted by progman
also, concerning the imac and flat-panel monitors in general, the 15" is actually the VIEWABLE area, correct? Because the monitor i use now is 17" but only something like 16.1" viewable...so i guess there wouldn't be that big of a difference

When it comes to LCD they usually dont differentiate between viewable actual.

[jase71]

It's being stuck with that 15" LCD that's the killer for me...

I've used 2K for a while, and Linux off and on over the last few years. I'd really like to take a crack at OSX.

But there's no way I'm going from a 19" at 1600x1200 to a
15" LCD at 1024x768. Way too restrictive.

And the higher end Macs that would let me use my 19" are just prohibitively priced..

If only Apple would port OSX (not just Darwin) over to x86, I'd
be content...

[Jihforce]

I think macs are cool. been wanting one for some time now. But Apple is placing them WAY too high for my reach. I guess the only way I could possibly get one would be start my own company and purchase it so I can write it off as an expense. :P

[verve247]

sorry to take so long to answer your question. Only you were calling it revolutionary or actually why it isn't revolutionary. I just said it's innovative.

Innovation \In`no*va"tion\, n. [L. innovatio; cf. F.
innovation.]
1. The act of innovating; introduction of something new, in
customs, rites, etc. --Dryden.

2. A change effected by innovating; a change in customs;
something new, and contrary to established customs,
manners, or rites. --Bacon.

This really hasn't been done before. Hopefully you'll get the chance to see it inperson. The monitor can swivel 180 degrees. that means if someone is next to me, they don't have to stand over my shoulder to see what i'm doing, i can just swivel it for them. It would be ideal in schools or libraries where there are multiple users of varying heights. And imagine if your at a bank and the teller say, "our records show that blah, blah..." Well she would be able to swivel the monitor to show you instead of you having to take her word for it. just an example.

While the monitor on the new imac is nothing earth-shattering, i think it's a great improvement and a terrific space-saver; the monitor is above the "tower."

You just have to see it inperson. My friend who went along with me at first was disappointed that this "lamp" was the new thing from apple. Yet after 5 minutes of playing with the imac he was drooling like a st. bernard over the thing.

[eSDee]

Originally posted by jase71
It's being stuck with that 15" LCD that's the killer for me...

I've used 2K for a while, and Linux off and on over the last few years. I'd really like to take a crack at OSX.

But there's no way I'm going from a 19" at 1600x1200 to a
15" LCD at 1024x768. Way too restrictive.

And the higher end Macs that would let me use my 19" are just prohibitively priced..

If only Apple would port OSX (not just Darwin) over to x86, I'd
be content...

Jase with that kinda monitor, I would just buy a low end G4 tower for around $1100, and slap a coupla phat 512 memory sticks in it. There's no reason for the Imac in your case since you've already got the kick ass monitor.

[progman]

is anyone accessing this thread on a mac? if so, what kind and do you like it?

[jase71]

Originally posted by EsDeeLoco


Jase with that kinda monitor, I would just buy a low end G4 tower for around $1100, and slap a coupla phat 512 memory sticks in it. There's no reason for the Imac in your case since you've already got the kick ass monitor.

They come down in the $1100 range, huh?

Seems like last time I priced a tower, you couldn't really touch one for under $1700... I'll have to check 'em out again. Might be worth a look for $1100...

[LPMiller]

Originally posted by jase71


They come down in the $1100 range, huh?

Seems like last time I priced a tower, you couldn't really touch one for under $1700... I'll have to check 'em out again. Might be worth a look for $1100...

http://www.warehouse.com/kiosk/apple/default.asp

Apple Power Mac 733MHz G4 128MB RAM 40GB HD CD-RW

$1,294.00

Purchase a Power Mac and get a FREE* 256MB† RAM Upgrade Plus your a Free** Epson C40ux printer

[Cantacuzene]

Originally posted by LPMiller


http://www.warehouse.com/kiosk/apple/default.asp

Apple Power Mac 733MHz G4 128MB RAM 40GB HD CD-RW

$1,294.00

Purchase a Power Mac and get a FREE* 256MB† RAM Upgrade Plus your a Free** Epson C40ux printer


You can get an insanely better PC for that money. Maybe you are a 3d or movie editor, but if not I don't see a reason.

[jase71]

Originally posted by Cantacuzene



You can get an insanely better PC for that money. Maybe you are a 3d or movie editor, but if not I don't see a reason.

For the "toy" factor.

I really want to play with OSX. I have no great fascination with Apple hardware, but the new operating system intrigues me.

I just built my own AthlonXP system, which is more than adequate for anything I could possibly do with it... however, I can't install OSX on it. And since I can't, I'd be willing to buy a G4 system just for the ability to use OSX.

Now, whether my wife will LET me buy a G4 is an entirely different story. She'll see absolutely no difference between the fancy Athlon system I just built, and the one I want to buy...

So, as much as I'd like one, it's probably not going to happen unless I get an unexpected bonus at work or something...

But at least the price isn't out of the question anymore...