Apples Anyone?

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T42

T42

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Hello TE Forum.

I am still using an old 432 MHz Pentium with XP Pro. It has two 10GB drives, and 512 MB of RAM. I have a couple of USB Terabyte drives which I use for backing up files from this old PC and from a 5 year old Dell 2.4G laptop which I also have.

This old Windows based 432 is just about to choke to death as things require more and more computing power than I have. So, I am thinking about replacing it. I don't need a racehorse to show off, but I do want a good, solid workhorse that will not bog down and crawl under load.

Do any of you prefer Apple, and if so why? It looks like a system of good capability will cost considerably more than with a comparable Microsoft/Windows PC solution. I keep getting the impression that lots of folks "in the know" prefer Apple-McIntosh. I understand that its OS is a modern iteration of UNIX or LINUX. I have always had a soft spot for UNIX and its descendents.

I will be using the new PC for web access, photo processing (Photoshop, Lightroom, etc.), and light chores like word processing, etc. Other than image processing, no heavy duty graphics intensive stuff like real-time gaming or any such thing is expected. It will be used to watch some videos online.. stuff like from YouTube and the videos that are imbedded in news websites and such.

Is Apple a better way to go, or could one do better with another choice? What do you think?

Henry
 
it's a matter of choice.

If you are strongly considering buying,I would suggest to use it for a while and get a first hand experience,drive down to one of the apple stores and have a go at those macs :)

Some people after using macs,just cant go back to using windows,use them both and decide for yourself.

Also OS X is intuitive and is easy to learn.

All I can say is make an informed decision to make sure not to regret the decision you made.
 
If you want true UNIX-like experience, install Gentoo with FreeBSD kernel and hardened gentoo patches - this'll be the ultimate security workstation ever :ohyeah:

If you want something more "homely" and UNIX-like but not traditional UNIX consider a Linux based OS like Ubuntu 10.04 or Fedora 15. :D

But looking at your needs and your experience with Windows XP, you'll do pretty fine with getting a "normal" Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit based PC. ;)
 
are you willing to Officially Buy all the software you will need to use on a Mac? List out your requirements and check out the costs first.
 
i have decided to buy myself a mac after 3 laptops and 2 desktops

due to its ease and the awe and omph factor

I agree you pay extra for the brand name

its an i brand

but its personal choice

if you want a mac just take a hackintosh and try for some days

if in hurry checkout a mac in showrooms

its a expensive purchase so evaluate your options
 
iMac are simply too unreasonably expensive. Sure OS X is intuitive and look really good but so does Windows 7 and the premium just don't feel justified. I'd only suggest a Macbook -if at all- as the quality on those are legendary in comparison to competition.
 
i've been a windows user for the last 10 yrs..

i have also been using macbook pro for the last 6 months..

though many people find mac "friendly", i am just not able to get to to OSX..

i know it may sound weird but ever since i started using the mac i hardly do much on it(MS office is sh*t on mac)..

just check mails,youtube and browsing and occasional p2p..

one of the reasons is, am always afraid of the mac going kaput and the repair expenses are not all that cheap..

with a windows system, u can abuse it to no limits, download all the crap on the internet and clear it out in no time, this may be because of my familiarity with windows.

Also, if your planning to buy a lap, do know this, the Mac's overheat beyond the ability to handle, i just cannot watch a complete movie with mac kept on my laptop as it gets really hot to bear!

having said that, MAC also has its own advantages:

the multitouch trackpad is a gem to use, most of the things work out of the box and almost all popular softwares are also available for mac.

i am really considering going back to windows as i am just not able to adapt to the mac, but its entirely subjective.
 
If you are interested in image processing, much rather go for Windows 7. Mac graphics drivers are flaky, at best, not to mention iMacs have laptop graphics cards which are not known for drivers even on Windows laptops. iMacs are a good option for casual use. For any kind of serious heavy duty usage, get a proper desktop. Photoshop runs a good deal faster on Windows. Another thing - iMacs have AMD graphics while Photoshop is massively accelerated by CUDA. So by using Windows you have the option of going for a NVIDIA graphics card which is a must if you want to run Photoshop CS5+. Another huge problem I have with the OS is how window switching is a real chore if you are multitasking. I often have 20-30 windows running and Expose is completely useless. Alt-tab is very primitive, and the bloody thing doesn't have a proper taskbar or an Aero Peek! So I am forced to go through a now crowded dock and try to find a window. Windows is far more intuitive, in my opinion, for multitasking. Another big problem is that silly bar on the top which just won't disappear!! I don't know which era we live in that a software doesn't allow full-screen. To be fair, Lion is supposed to fix this, but really, there are some little things in OS X which are endlessly irritating and really should have been there 10 years ago. Oh, did I mention it doesn't have a proper Maximise? (Although other software can enable this) So try out Mac OS X for yourself before taking a decision. It is not for everyone.

Since you have posted in PC Buying Advice rather than Laptop, I assume you are interested in a desktop. The problem with Apple is they don't have a proper desktop lineup. iMacs are low voltage CPUs with laptop GPUs - EXTREMELY underpowered with an ABSOLUTE focus on looks and aesthetic and severe compromise on performance. This focus on looks also means it is monstrously overpriced on a price/performance level compared to proper desktops. Then the next thing is the workstation Mac Pro which starts at $2500 with a slow quad core Xeon CPU. There's nothing with Core i7 six-core CPUs, nothing with desktop graphics cards; there's no proper high end desktop.

In the end, it's up to you. If you are a casual user with money to spare and looking for a change, the iMac is a great option. For most others, think hard before buying one, it's not a bed of roses.
 
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apple is really overpriced. in that same price you can your on get a very high-end i7 pc or a good lappy which can serve you for atleast 7years+ since you are not into gaming.
 
T42 said:
Hello TE Forum.

I am still using an old 432 MHz Pentium with XP Pro. It has two 10GB drives, and 512 MB of RAM. I have a couple of USB Terabyte drives which I use for backing up files from this old PC and from a 5 year old Dell 2.4G laptop which I also have.

This old Windows based 432 is just about to choke to death as things require more and more computing power than I have. So, I am thinking about replacing it. I don't need a racehorse to show off, but I do want a good, solid workhorse that will not bog down and crawl under load.

Do any of you prefer Apple, and if so why? It looks like a system of good capability will cost considerably more than with a comparable Microsoft/Windows PC solution. I keep getting the impression that lots of folks "in the know" prefer Apple-McIntosh. I understand that its OS is a modern iteration of UNIX or LINUX. I have always had a soft spot for UNIX and its descendents.

I will be using the new PC for web access, photo processing (Photoshop, Lightroom, etc.), and light chores like word processing, etc. Other than image processing, no heavy duty graphics intensive stuff like real-time gaming or any such thing is expected. It will be used to watch some videos online.. stuff like from YouTube and the videos that are imbedded in news websites and such.

Is Apple a better way to go, or could one do better with another choice? What do you think?

Henry
Click to expand...
Can you mention your budget, since even the most entry level MAC's would be more than twice the price of decently powerful PC.

Also, if its just the OS you care about, you can try: Hackintosh
 
Thanks Guys.

Those are all great inputs, heartfelt and to the point. I really appreciate each of them.

@Axeman
...are you willing to Officially Buy all the software you will need to use on a Mac? List out your requirements and check out the costs first.
Click to expand...
Thanks, Axeman. I will make a point of considering the total cost of ownership, not just the purchase price of the equipment. Personally, I would never use software that I had not paid for, well ... unless it was some sort of freeware or free trial.

@salluks
I appreciate your direct, insightful point of view as one who is on both sides of the fence, so to speak. The computer I am thinking of replacing is a desktop unit. I am not much interested in owning another laptop.

@RD274
iMac are simply too unreasonably expensive. Sure OS X is intuitive and look really good but so does Windows 7 and the premium just don't feel justified.
Click to expand...
Yes, I can see they are costly. Is Windows 7 pretty stable? Can one spawn a DOS session from it? I remember that BSOD from Windows 95 that used to drive me crazy. XP Pro has been okay so far... very little of that locking up for no apparent reasons.

@kuduku
Thanks. I'll make a point to check it out carefully before plunking down the cash for such an expensive purchase. The input from you guys is very helpful in that already.

@MHG
If you want true UNIX-like experience, install Gentoo with FreeBSD kernel and hardened gentoo patches - this'll be the ultimate security workstation ever..
Click to expand...
Thanks for those leads. Are you thinking of doing this on a Windows 7 type machine running UNIX/LINUX? If so, can it run Windows and Windows programs as a child processes under UNIX?

@ Srirama
If you are strongly considering buying,I would suggest to use it for a while and get a first hand experience ... use them both and decide for yourself. Also OS X is intuitive and is easy to learn. All I can say is make an informed decision...
Click to expand...
Thanks. I have a feeling that if it is intuitive, then since I "speak UNIX" already, then it should make sense to me. Would you know if Mac OS-X will allow one to get at the UNIX command line prompt ($) if he wants to write shellscripts, or do file maintenance with UNIX utilities? I'm presently doing this with UNIX utilities I got from MKS Toolkit.

@PhotostarSR
Macs(iMac) are extremely overpriced! Better get a PC....
Click to expand...
Yes, the price is scary alright. And I have torn into my ordinary PCs fearlessly when they broke over the years, replacing and upgrading whatever they needed. One concern I have is about security. Are Macs any less "under attack" by hackers than ordinary PCs?

Thanks again, Guys. I appreciate your help and your patience for a newcomer such as I am at TE.

Henry
 
hey! if you dont want a "racehorse to show off" you definitely dont need a MAC :D

get a PC...its a turbocharged mule...better than any racehorse if you twist its tail from time to time :D
 
Henry, I suppose an assembled PC with Windows 7 64bit is what you should be desiring, going by your requirements. Since you are based out of the US, you can get some solid deals online (Newegg, Amazon etc).

A Mac is definitely expensive for the same components, but the build quality and the OOTB features speak volumes about it. Maybe you should walk into an Apple store, experience a Mac and decide for yourself. :)
 
if ur going for a desktop, then also comes another problem,

Imac are clutter free, no wires no worries, easy to move around/clean and maintain, and the display is just amazing.

i have a desktop and pretty pimped out and trust me, the wires are a madness , especially if u have a good speaker system connected to it.

Wires inside the system can be managed, but the outside once are quite a pain.

Since this is an indian forum, we dont get the support that Apple gives in the USA as you are from there, so naturally the "service" in india is not something to cherish about.
 
@Sub
If you are interested in image processing, much rather go for Windows 7. Mac graphics drivers are flaky, at best, not to mention iMacs have laptop graphics cards which are not known for drivers even on Windows laptops. iMacs are a good option for casual use. For any kind of serious heavy duty usage, get a proper desktop. Photoshop runs a good deal faster on Windows. Another thing - iMacs have AMD graphics while Photoshop is massively accelerated by CUDA. So by using Windows you have the option of going for a NVIDIA graphics card which is a must if you want to run Photoshop CS5+. .... Since you have posted in PC Buying Advice rather than Laptop, I assume you are interested in a desktop. The problem with Apple is they don't have a proper desktop lineup.
Click to expand...
This is very critical information for my situation. Thank you for sharing it, Sub.

@karizma.r2008
Apple is really overpriced. in that same price you can your on get a very high-end i7 pc or a good lappy which can serve you for atleast 7years+ since you are not into gaming.
Click to expand...
Thank you. Points noted. That 7 year idea resonates. No lappy for me. It's looking more like an Intel/Windows desktop platform by the minute.

@boogeyman
Can you mention your budget, since even the most entry level MAC's would be more than twice the price of decently powerful PC. ... Also, if its just the OS you care about, you can try: Hackintosh
Click to expand...
I was willing to reach to about USD $2k total for Mac with monitor, but not much more. Now my thinking is shifting away from Mac after reading the various limitations and irritations of Mac which have been uncovered in this thread.

Thanks again to everyone who helped here.

Henry

:)
 
T42 said:
Yes, the price is scary alright. And I have torn into my ordinary PCs fearlessly when they broke over the years, replacing and upgrading whatever they needed. One concern I have is about security. Are Macs any less "under attack" by hackers than ordinary PCs?
Click to expand...
Yes, simply because it has a lower market share. Mac OS X is inherently one of the most vulnerable OS out there, and consistently falls first in the hacking competitions. So, if someone ever decided to breach your security, Mac OS X will be the easiest of targets. The concern is that with the growing popularity of Mac OS X, it can really become a mess in coming years.
 
T42 said:
@boogeyman

I was willing to reach to about USD $2k total for Mac with monitor, but not much more. Now my thinking is shifting away from Mac after reading the various limitations and irritations of Mac which have been uncovered in this thread.
Click to expand...
For that kinda money you can get a kick-ass PC on which you can do everything you listed in your OP (and then some ;)). Also, I'm pretty sure the other open flavors of linux that you can install on a PC would be much better compared to the closed architecture of MAC.

Also, OT, but would you care to post a pic of the
432 MHz Pentium with XP Pro. It has two 10GB drives, and 512 MB of RAM.
Click to expand...
in the Anti-Showoff thread? :D
 
@ Srirama

If you are strongly considering buying,I would suggest to use it for a while and get a first hand experience ... use them both and decide for yourself. Also OS X is intuitive and is easy to learn. All I can say is make an informed decision...

Thanks. I have a feeling that if it is intuitive, then since I "speak UNIX" already, then it should make sense to me. Would you know if Mac OS-X will allow one to get at the UNIX command line prompt ($) if he wants to write shellscripts, or do file maintenance with UNIX utilities? I'm presently doing this with UNIX utilities I got from MKS Toolkit.
Click to expand...

Yes, you right,all shell scripts can be written from the terminal application.Since Mac OS X is based on UNIX,you will have no problems regarding that. :)
 
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