iMac - I'm in iLove

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I had a look at the iMac tonight for the first time, what a seriously impressive bit of kit. I was chatting to the in store Mac rep and he was showing me what it could do, and as for that 24" screen....:love:

I think I'll have to take a serious look at it in the coming months and make the switch from Windows. This is a question for the Mac users out there, is it more stable than the Windows OS? That is one of my biggest bugbears with Windows.

I'd also be interested in any other opinions you might have about the iMac, in particular what sort of spec should I go for - the 2.4GHz with 1GB of memory or the 2.8ghZ with 2GB? Will the lower spec machine be sufficient for my photo editing needs? The machine won't be used for gaming or anything like that.

Finally, please don't let this descend into another PC vs. Mac bunfight, they do get a bit tiresome!

:D
 
Once you go mac... :p

go for the higher CPU lower gb ram, it's cheaper and you can pick up another gig of ram for your mac from a third party (like I did for my MBP) for hella cheaper.
 
Colin - I bought the lowest spec iMac and it outstrips the Vaio & HP lappies by a country mile. Only used for photo work (no games etc) so it's blisteringly quick! You won't regret it; interfaces are different of course & it may be worth spending a few quid having an expert round to talk you through the OS. Once you're used to it there'll be no going back.
 
I converted and won't be going back either. It is not that Mac never forces loads of updates - they do - but I find myself telling people; "it just works". Wish I could say the same for the Vista lappy I bought at the same time.

A small amount of relearning required but worth the effort imo.

:thumbs:
 
A bit of a dumb question maybe, but what about all the programs we have that are on windows. For example CS2. Sorry if its a stupid question. I have absolutely no experience with Mac, but have been tempted a few times.
I like the sound of it.
Regards
Kev.
 
Basically, Windows software won't run on a mac. You can get a mac to run windows, but I wouldnt bother unless there is no mac version available.
You may find you'll need to buy your software again, for Mac, depending on the licenses.
 
what about all the programs we have that are on windows. For example CS2
Click to expand...

I've heard that CS2 on the mac is a bit slow as it was never written for OSX but sort of bodged over.

CS3 or even plain old CS are both fine though.

As for stabilty, I've been on Macs for about four and half years now. I could count the number of times I've had one crash on one hand..... even if I only had three fingers. ;)
 
Get 2GB ram. Check the apple price and check the 3rd party price. The difference isn't what it used to be. If you go for the lower spec machine, ask the Apple shop to fit the upgrade. On my last imac they price matched with crucial. Which is where I bought the extra memory on an earlier imac.

WARNING: This is a one-way switch. If you move to mac, you won't be going back ;)
 
Colin

I bought an iMac 20" 2ghz 1gb ram in Aug 07, which looks quite big at home, I added an extra 2gb ram from Crucial at half the cost of Apple. I find I am using it more than the windoz Viao, and it did not seem hard to cross over (still some to learn) iPhoto has a basic editing package built in although I have CS3 which works well for my level. I'm sure Pete Carr and others can tell you what may be better, but for me I'm happy that I took the plunge. The guys in the Apple shop are very helpful, and as has been said you can book for lessons from them if needed.

Jim M
 
Like Colin I am seriously tempted by a Mac ... :D ... only in my case it is the MacBook Air ... ;)

Before I take the plunge a simple question that I am seriously hoping won't deter me ... :suspect: ...

For work I have to use the full range of MS Office Products, including MS Project ... :shrug:

As I understand it I would have no option other than to operate the Mac with Windows so the question is ... is it safe to assume the MacBook can cope with the MS Office suite effectively through the Windows operating software ... :thinking: ... or will there be issues you may have experienced ... :suspect:

Thanx in advance for your knowledgeable input guys ... ;)




:p
 
My problem with the air would be the non replaceable battery, with the relatively short lifespan of a lithium battery it would make an expensive door wedge.
 
I run both MS Office 2004 for Mac (soon to be upgraded to the just released 2008) AND MS Office 2007 under XP running under Parallels on the same Mac.

About the only thing I don't run is MS Project (left that behind years ago, thankfully) so I can't comment on that but I don't see why not. I don't think it is included in the mac version of Office.
 
I've had my 20" iMac G5 since March 2006.... :love:

Intel Core Duo, 2 GHz, 1GB RAM.... and it's PERFECT :D

So quick, such brilliant colours, so easy to use and it just looks bloomin' amazing! :D

OK, they're more expensive, as PC prices have gone silly-cheap recently... but my GOD i wouldn't ever go back to a PC! :D
 
Colin

I asked this question a couple of weeks ago after seeing the imac,

Since then i have been down to the Apple shop at Exeter and had a play with a 2.4ghz 24" with 1gb ram and am well impressed.

I am just waiting to sort my pennies out and i will be ordering one as above :)

they are cheaper at Amazon at the moment with free deliv

the 4gig upgrade of ram is £400 to £500 from Apple and only £66 from crucial :shrug:

If you have Capture NX it is both windows and Mac (according to my disc altho i havent tried it yet) and all the adobe software is available in mac format
 
2blue4u said:
I run both MS Office 2004 for Mac (soon to be upgraded to the just released 2008) AND MS Office 2007 under XP running under Parallels on the same Mac.

About the only thing I don't run is MS Project (left that behind years ago, thankfully) so I can't comment on that but I don't see why not. I don't think it is included in the mac version of Office.
Click to expand...

Thanx Blue ... :thumbs: ... that's very helpful and also good to know ... ;) ... I may be able to get away with the MS Project issue and just use it for viewing through the presentation software of either the Mac or Office ... :shrug:





:p
 
I got my first iMac on Monday and I am loving it. Went for the 24" 2.4GHz model but bumped it up 2GB. I've never disliked Windows but I definitely prefer OX. Still waiting for my copy of CS3 to arrive, can't wait to see what the mac can do with it.
 
dazzajl said:
I've heard that CS2 on the mac is a bit slow as it was never written for OSX but sort of bodged over.

CS3 or even plain old CS are both fine though.

As for stabilty, I've been on Macs for about four and half years now. I could count the number of times I've had one crash on one hand..... even if I only had three fingers. ;)
Click to expand...

When Apple moved to Intel processors they included code (I believe it is called Rosetta) which enabled the Intel Macs to run software written for PowerPC Macs (G3, G4 and G5 etc).

You will find most modern programs for the Mac will be listed as being 'Universal', this means that they will run natively on Intel and PowerPC Macs, and don't need to use Rosetta.

Photoshop CS2 is a PowerPC only program, which means that Rosetta is used, which can slow it down, especially when doing more complex work.

Hope this helps.
 
Deffinately go for 2GB of RAM. I don't think there will be a great deal of difference between the 2.4 or the 2.8 processor for what you want to do.

Is it more stable than Windows, hmmmm ... more stable than Vista for sure, but xp ... hmmm I dunno. It def feels slicker. But it still can be an arse when things go wrong.
 
Colin, I made from PC to mac about 6 months ago now. My PC kept getting slower, and then just getting stuck. I moved to iMac and have no problems. It starts up quicker, closes down quicker. I did have a problem with Aperture to begin with. If I imported 200 ish files, it would just get stuck. I'd switch of, the switch back on and problem sorted. Thats something you couldn't do so easily with a PC. All my word files work with microsoft office, even my files from lotus (yes a long time ago) work once converted. I never upgraded to vista on PC, i think I was still on XP.

I have a 2.4GHz with 2GB ram 20'' iMac, and extremely pleased with it. For me the 24'' screen would just be too big. But that is personal preference.
 
Hi Colin

Just done the same as you are contemplating I went for the 2.4 with 2gig of ram that I installed myself.

I am running the following software on it

Aperture
Lightroom
CS3
Mac Office

I think I have had it for about 6 week and I am so chuffed with it... I had been contemplating the change over for over a year before I took the plunge.. This included many trips to the Apple store where I camped out playing with the various machines for hours on end.

I even ended up taking in usb disk with images on to go through my workflow with aperture and CS3 with member of staff.

Will not be going back... I have had no issues with aperture whilst importing I imported my entire Library in one day approx 14 k of images.

PC is now under TV as a download machine and media centre hardly gets any use Just love the imac.

Regards

Nigel.
 
I dont use iMac's but powermac G5's and have had 1 sytem freeze due to a hardware failure, apart from that no problems at all.

As others have said don't buy any extra ram from apple is too expensive, buy from crucial its very good stuff.

Someone asked about programs if you have adobe programs fill in a special form on their site and they will alow you one platform switch free of charge (you may have to pay for p+p for the discs), I also believe microsoft do a similar thing if you have office, As for lightroom I don't think you need to do that, you just you can just download the mac version.
 
I had a 24" Imac sent to me in November and I still haven't even switched it on. TNT delivered it to me by mistake and despite me contacting them and filling out a form it sits in it's box. Bit of a shock when I was expecting a VDU (yes, VDU) to turn up.

Anybody know what the limit is for handing it back over? They just never bother to contact me.
 
I use a Mac Pro at work and have a Macbook pro laptop at home.

What do you new iMac users think of the high gloss screen? I tried it in the Apple Store and all I could see was the people walking past behind me!
 
Veracocha said:
I had a 24" Imac sent to me in November and I still haven't even switched it on. TNT delivered it to me by mistake and despite me contacting them and filling out a form it sits in it's box. Bit of a shock when I was expecting a VDU (yes, VDU) to turn up.

Anybody know what the limit is for handing it back over? They just never bother to contact me.
Click to expand...


Did you sign for it ... :suspect:


If not I'd be happy to take it off you and resume 'negotiations' with TNT ...:naughty:



Did you receive your VDU in the end ... :shrug:





:p


 
I've only tried Mac OS X once, so I can' tell whether it's more stable, but if you install good device drivers on XP, it's rock solid.
It's been for me anyway, unless I tried some beta quality drivers and such. It may slow down if you install a lot of apps - and I mean a lot of them (30+). Not talking about small utilities.

Btw., some Apple users might not be aware of this, but a Mac is a PC. It's just the EFI and operating system that make it feel so different.

As for the non-mac PCs, non-mac PC doesn't equal Windows. Unless you desperately need Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office or something else to run natively, you have a few more choices there. Often for free and in quality that's absolutely sufficient for most users. Given they don't think everything has to work like Windows or an OS X :p
 
Hacker said:
I had a look at the iMac tonight for the first time, what a seriously impressive bit of kit. I was chatting to the in store Mac rep and he was showing me what it could do, and as for that 24" screen....:love:

I think I'll have to take a serious look at it in the coming months and make the switch from Windows. This is a question for the Mac users out there, is it more stable than the Windows OS? That is one of my biggest bugbears with Windows.

I'd also be interested in any other opinions you might have about the iMac, in particular what sort of spec should I go for - the 2.4GHz with 1GB of memory or the 2.8ghZ with 2GB? Will the lower spec machine be sufficient for my photo editing needs? The machine won't be used for gaming or anything like that.

Finally, please don't let this descend into another PC vs. Mac bunfight, they do get a bit tiresome!

:D
Click to expand...

Colin you'll have no problems with stability at all. I NEVER turn my MBP off, just close it to send it to sleep then open it when I want to use it. Takes seconds to be up and running again. I moved from windows/PC's about 4 years ago and have never looked back.

My advice on the memory would be to spec the machine with as little memory as possible from Apple, then buy crucial memory, 4GB if you can fit it, and the price will be the same as 2GB from Apple.

I use a 2.16GHz MBP for photo editing and it does the job, could be quicker so I'd say the 2.8 would be a good idea. Especially if you're using NX which I find so slow and clunky ( not that the PC version is better ).

Obviously you need to factor in software into your switch. MS Office is available on the Mac, and ironically is much more stable than the windows version :thinking: You'll need to go for CS3 over CS2 as CS2 is pretty slow as it's a PPC application and runs in emulation mode. Lightroom is OK, I find Aperture much better personally, but they still haven't updated it for the D3/D300 :(

I'd defiantly have no worries about recommending the switch though, I find I spend more of my time on the task in hand, and massive amounts less on maintaining the computer now.

Pete
 
Slapo said:
Btw., some Apple users might not be aware of this, but a Mac is a PC. It's just the EFI and operating system that make it feel so different.
Click to expand...

Well since PC stands for Personal Computer then yes it is... However since pretty much everyone in the world now uses the term PC to describe a box running Windows then it isn't.

Although you can run Windows on an Intel Mac, if you're really insane... :nuts:
 
Venomator said:


Did you sign for it ... :suspect:


If not I'd be happy to take it off you and resume 'negotiations' with TNT ...:naughty:



Did you receive your VDU in the end ... :shrug:



:p
Click to expand...


I did sign for it along with three other parcels that day and the consignment number was exactly as expected. I arranged the collection of a £90 VDU on that collection/consignment number. I never received the VDU so as far as they can see there is no problem but these things have a habit of coming back to haunt.

I filled in a delivery/dispute form straight away but they just don't care.

Another month and I feel I will have done everything possible to return it, after that I might just let it go.
 
My laptop pc needs upgrading so a mac is a possiblity
 
icecavern said:
Well since PC stands for Personal Computer then yes it is... However since pretty much everyone in the world now uses the term PC to describe a box running Windows then it isn't.
Click to expand...

I'd say it's people who know none other than Windows or Mac. Which sadly seems to be 90% of ordinary computer users out there.

icecavern said:
Although you can run Windows on an Intel Mac, if you're really insane... :nuts:
Click to expand...

Or you just dislike OS X ;)
 
Veracocha said:
Another month and I feel I will have done everything possible to return it, after that I might just let it go.
Click to expand...

May well be happy to strike a deal on it Veracocha ... :thinking: ... if you do decide to go that route ... ;)


Cheers ... ;)




:p
 
I used to use a Windows based Dell at my old work but since working in a design studio I've been using a 24inch iMac at work. I use it for all my programming work and web development and it's brilliant. The only problems have been happening recently but I think the machine is due for a reformatting or a defrag. Other than that one of the few Apple products that puts functionality before image.

I also replaced my Dell XPS with a 15inch MacBook Pro and love every minute of it. I can even play Counterstrike Source on it with Bootcamp installed and it doesn't even cough. The build quality on mac products is probably second to none.

There are still a few programs that I use on Windows that are not available on OSX yet. Also Leopard is fantastic.
 
Venomator said:
May well be happy to strike a deal on it Veracocha ... :thinking: ... if you do decide to go that route ... ;)
Click to expand...

You've beaten me to it again Rog! :bang:

The last time was a 105mm VR if memory serves me correctly.
 
I ordered my imac last week, got to wait a couple of weeks delivery. Went for the 2.8GHz model and ordered 4GB RAM from Crucial for £65 Delivered.

Do yourself a favour and buy the "Missing Manual for OS X Lepoard" it's a great book and will really help you if you are coming over from a Windows PC (Like me!!)

Can't wait to get it :)
 
Hacker said:
You've beaten me to it again Rog! :bang:

The last time was a 105mm VR if memory serves me correctly.
Click to expand...


:naughty: ... but you did pick up a cool deal on a second D200 about the time I was looking if I remember correctly ... :shrug: ... I'd say we are running neck & neck Colin ... :suspect:


I am not holding my breath on this one ... :thinking: ... at the moment ... ;)





:p
 
Veracocha said:
I had a 24" Imac sent to me in November and I still haven't even switched it on. TNT delivered it to me by mistake and despite me contacting them and filling out a form it sits in it's box. Bit of a shock when I was expecting a VDU (yes, VDU) to turn up.

Anybody know what the limit is for handing it back over? They just never bother to contact me.
Click to expand...


If I remember correctly, if you have notified the other party of the incorrect delivery, after 6 months it is yours to do with what you want.
I would have that confirmed, but that is how I remember the details.
 
I just switched from pc to a macbook pro...I love the thing, so much faster and smoother. As far as the interface is concerned, I'm still weening in a bit, but I think in general it's more intuitive...now if I can just learn the damn shortcut keys...
 
Geordi69 said:
If I remember correctly, if you have notified the other party of the incorrect delivery, after 6 months it is yours to do with what you want.
I would have that confirmed, but that is how I remember the details.
Click to expand...


OMG ... :eek: ... it will be out of date by then ... :suspect:



I am really happy to take it off you earlier / now ... :D ... and send it back if things come back to haunt us of course Veracocha ... :naughty:




:p
 
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