iMac time - help needed

DiddyDave

DiddyDave

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iMac time - looking for help guys n gals :)

I realise this is about computers but this is purely business related computers hence I thought this forum may be more appropriate as other business users will see it. So if you already use an iMac your comments will be appreciated, and you may be more likely to see it if thinking of changing for business use too - up to you Mods if it stays in this forum :shrug:


Thinking of swapping from pc to mac and looking at their spec I am lost !!! Do I need an i3, i5 or i7 processor ??? :shrug:

I think I'll get the 27" but all help with what spec we REALLY need as photographers would be appreciated - so I'm hoping you all won't just say "The most expensive one" :eek:

Also, is it worth getting the 8gb ram option rather than the standard 4gb ??? :shrug:

Is it worth getting the 1gb graphics option rather than the standard 512mb ??? :shrug:

Just running the usual CS5 and LR3 and basic MSOffice stuff - no gaming, no telly watching crap etc. - just looking for the right photographers work tool with the least expenditure - or as our Brides usually start off with... "I'm on a budget" :D

Cheers for any guidance :thumbs:

DD
 
Don't really know much about the imac as I use a macpro, but whatever you do have a look at the refurb store first. You can still put 3 years warranty on it.
Here is a good website for comparing specs http://www.barefeats.com/ although how it applies to the real world applications is questionable.

Oh and have deep deep pockets, Apple have a nice way of extracting money from you. They have just put an app store on your desktop in the latest update :)
 
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Hi Dave,

I have an imac24 which I purchased late in 2009, which is running CS4 master collection and has 4gb and runs very nicely indeed. I am not a computer techie nerd so can't really comment on the finer points, but I would expect most to advise to upgrade the ram if you can afford the extra.

I made the switch from PC and it has been a pleasure owning the system, only a few little niggles with the airport, but nothing major. Clients always comment on what a fantastic computer it is and sales from the viewing sessions have increased significantly since I made the switch.

I will probably upgrade again next year to the bigger system, I don't think I will ever go back to a pc but that is just me.

As Ed has said go into the Apple store with a blindfold on, I made the mistake of going into the Apple store and come out with imac and ipod touch's, so far I have resisted the ipad, so far anyway.

Good luck
 
Dave.

The specs, well I would generally go for the best (but only to what you can afford)
personally, I've worked with and on both high end systems, but prefer PC. (I do like mac, just would never pay double for what I can build for one)

if you can afford a higher end spec mac go for it.
your i7 chip will always be better, 4gb will do for now you could increase later if you wanted.

for me, reason I stay with PC is because I build them, use alot of programs and play games on it.

I know if I bought a quad core, 12gb Mac with good 10+ Terrabyte, 2GB graphics. it would cost a arm and a leg!

anyway, mac is perfect for your needs ;)
 
I use the basic aluminium macbook (about 18mths old) think it has 2gb ram. Is ok for LR and doing stuff like that, may go a little slow every now and again if I am trying to do too much. Also do basic editing in imovie too. Have CS5 but rarely use it, when I have done a couple of bits it has been ok.

The more RAM the better, although you can probably get Crucial memory and do it yourself and go from 4gb to 8gb for I guess £50. If you have a budget, get what you can afford, although the more you spend the better it will be - but remember the base one will work, it just may be a bit slower!
 
Hi Dave,

I have the iMac 24, which I purchased about 2 years ago now. I run CS5, LR2, and MS Office. It has been a revelation to me, none of the issues you get with even good quality PC's. I recently upgraded to the latest OS and iLife 11 which were all quite straight forward.

There are a few quirks, like you often have to drag stuff to the trash bin to delete it, and installing software is quite different, but you get used to it and I'm now considering getting a MBP as the wireless card on my Windows laptop has failed, and the battery only holds charge for about 20 minutes.

There are a couple of Mac gurus on here that can probably inform you about the best config of hardware, but even on my older iMac, I can often have 3 editing windows open in CS5, LR2 open and still don't see anything slowing down.

Hope that helps.

STeve
 
Thanks guys - enormous help from your experience of using them

I had considered having a pc built, but having no idea what to ask for isn't good and I certainly wouldn't want to try to do so myself. I also have an iPad now (ace) so a mac makes a bit more sense for that too

A pal has suggest his i3 Mac is super fast, but that the i5 may well be a better upgrade than 8gb ram as 4gb is probably enough, then above have suggested its easy enough to add more ram later too

All useful info - but who are the Mac gurus on TP ??? :thinking:

:)

DD
 
Get the 27" with i5 and 8gb. You don't need the uprated gfx card. Should fly for you tbh!
 
I would never pay Apple to increase the RAM - they'll charge you 2-2.5x the price of some decent Crucial RAM which is a 2 minute job to install.

Personally I'd go for the processor and graphics upgrade now simply because I know I'll want it later and cannot do it myself on a Mac

I'd also always take the 27" over the 24/21.5" whichever they are offering at the moment
 
Get the machine that you can afford.
You wont need mega processing power but an i7 will last you longer than a core2duo.

Take a look at the apple refurb store also, they have imac on there with around 10-17% discount. They look like new and still have a full 1 year warranty that you can still extend to 3 years!

I agree with the comment about the RAM, apple charge a massive amount to upgrade it, just buy 2 x 4GB sticks and put it in yourself.

Screen size is purely dependent on how you want to work, I had the 27" and didnt like it. I felt that I was too close to a big screen. So i returned it an brought a 2nd hand 24" which is perfect for me.
 
I just swapped from PC to mac, having bought imac 27" i7 with 8Gb ram. this thing just eats up image processing like nothing else. Also, I have bootcamp running so I can boot into win7 when I need specific PC software too. Best of both worlds.

Also, from a business point of view the cost of ownership of a mac is a lot less.

If you buy a top of the range PC for say £1500 in 2 years it will be worth absolutely nothing second hand.

An imac will still be worth good money in 2 years time second hand, which easily outweighs the initial cost increase over a PC. I see old macs being bought and sold everyday by my friend who runs a support company.
 
Cheers guys :thumbs:

I did think the 27" would be cool but I sit in front of a 24" and after 18 months it still seems huge from 2ft away, so I too am wondering about the 24" instead :thinking:

Still, I'm a bloke so the 27" is the more likely purchase :lol:

DD
 
jamesoliverstone said:
I just swapped from PC to mac, having bought imac 27" i7 with 8Gb ram. this thing just eats up image processing like nothing else. Also, I have bootcamp running so I can boot into win7 when I need specific PC software too. Best of both worlds.

Also, from a business point of view the cost of ownership of a mac is a lot less.

If you buy a top of the range PC for say £1500 in 2 years it will be worth absolutely nothing second hand.

An imac will still be worth good money in 2 years time second hand, which easily outweighs the initial cost increase over a PC. I see old macs being bought and sold everyday by my friend who runs a support company.
Click to expand...

Interesting comment on resale value - I hadn't thought of that :)

Knowing pcs are 'worthless' I usually give them to my dad who loves his upgrades :lol:

Just to be clear - MS Office on a Mac is happy to run older docs from a PC right? Even MS aren't that stupid - or are they??? :suspect::suspect::suspect:

DD
 
now now, lets not turn this into a windows/osx thread we all know what happens to those :p

agreed with the comment above about memory, never buy it from apple. if you do buy it from apple remember to buy the optional lube.. ;)

how are you with glossy screens also if thats a deciding factor?
 
neil_g said:
now now, lets not turn this into a windows/osx thread we all know what happens to those :p

agreed with the comment above about memory, never buy it from apple. if you do buy it from apple remember to buy the optional lube.. ;)

how are you with glossy screens also if thats a deciding factor?
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Okies - so where do I buy the extra 4gb from if I get it with just 4gb initially ??? :shrug:

And I do all my editing in a darkened room for consistency so there is nothing to reflect onto even a shiny screen - should be 'safe' enough ??? :shrug:

DD
 
DiddyDave said:
Okies - so where do I buy the extra 4gb from if I get it with just 4gb initially ??? :shrug:

And I do all my editing in a darkened room for consistency so there is nothing to reflect onto even a shiny screen - should be 'safe' enough ??? :shrug:

DD
Click to expand...

most people buy their mac memory from Crucial :)

darkened room might help, personally they give me headaches whatever light so its something you may want to try out? plus theres a whole separate debate as to whether glossy gives good colour representation, as most image processing professionals all use matte. so thats something else you may want to research.
 
Get the machine that you can afford.
You wont need mega processing power but an i7 will last you longer than a core2duo.
Click to expand...

this.

My main machine is a late 2007 macbook pro with 4gb ram. Works fine for photoshop, lightroom and even final cut pro (though that can make it a wee bit hot), drives an external monitor.
 
The cost of memory from Apple isn't quite as horrendous as it used to be a couple years or so ago. However, if you buy from a store, especially an independent, they will usually respond to any request to price match crucial for any memory upgrade you request with your order.

If you DIY the memory upgrade then use Crucial.
 
jamesoliverstone said:
If you buy a top of the range PC for say £1500 in 2 years it will be worth absolutely nothing second hand.
Click to expand...
If you buy a top of the range PC for £1500 you're mad ;)

I must admit, I just recycle my PCs when I build new. I'm just thinking of building a top spec i7/12Gb (will be faster than the best iMac and will only cost me £600 as I'll just upgrade the innards of this PC ;)) and recycling my current dual core as a media player....
 
arad85 said:
If you buy a top of the range PC for £1500 you're mad ;)

I must admit, I just recycle my PCs when I build new. I'm just thinking of building a top spec i7/12Gb (will be faster than the best iMac and will only cost me £600 as I'll just upgrade the innards of this PC ;)) and recycling my current dual core as a media player....
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exactly.

some are saying the mac will not lose value. on the other hand the PC is infinately upgradable (okay eventually the only original component may be the case.. :D). which is probably why you see more macs for sale, there is a limit to how much you can upgrade.
 
neil_g said:
exactly.

some are saying the mac will not lose value. on the other hand the PC is infinately upgradable (okay eventually the only original component may be the case.. :D). which is probably why you see more macs for sale, there is a limit to how much you can upgrade.
Click to expand...

Macs are infinitely upgradable... you just buy another one :D
 
OK
I'm going to jump in here, since Macs are my forte :) never used a PC so my few years experience with Apple might help you. I just jumped over to the Apple Store and looked at the current specs of the iMac and I would suggest the specificatio listed below based on what you are intending to use it for.

Adobe CS
Lightroom
MS Office (do you really need that?)
Also take into the equation you will probably be running your Email and Internet apps all the time as I do (have them set to open on login)
iLife is a little suite of apps that comes with the Mac and you will probably utilise some if not all the apps.

More screen real estate is much better believe you me, especially running PS and LR, even utilising spaces is a godsend with a 27" Screen. If you have an Apple store near I would get along and actually see what you are getting, the Apple guys will show you exactly what the spec is and you can have a play as well.

I have suggested the 2 x 2 gig sticks, you can add another 2 sticks at a later date if you so wish. Although I must warn you that PS loves memory so if you are working on big RAW files then its going to eat into that 4 gig like there is no tomorrow.

Radeon 5750 with a gig of the faster ram than the stock Graphics card will also be better for graphic intensive apps

So here is what I suggest, if it was me this is what I would get.

i-Mac 27 inch
3.60GHz Intel Core i5
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x2GB
1TB Serial ATA Drive
ATI Radeon HD 5750 1GB GDDR5 SDRAM
8x double-layer SuperDrive
Apple Wireless Keyboard (British) & User's Guide (English)
Magic Mouse
 
I can help thinking that Apple seem to be asking a lot for what is not a particularly high spec computer. (Almost £1700 !)

The screen has a very good spec at 27" 2560x1440 IPS, but they only offer it with a gloss finish (no matte option) and there are competing screens like the Dell U2711 which offer the same spec for £690 including vat http://www.pcbuyit.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=1069. You could get/build a pretty decent base unit for £1000!
 
Apple's 27" iMac screen is lush. The glass screen is miles better than matt versions I've previoulsy had.

The i7 is marginally better than the i5. I doubt you'd notice the difference.

4GB of memory will be OK. 8GB 'might' be better (if you can afford it and time is a precious commodity). Seem to recall memory needed to be paired. Upgrading to 8GB may require ditching the 4x2GB sticks. Increased RAM may be better than processor.

512MB graphics RAM is more than enough for photo processing.

Here's the kicker... Apple are currently selling Aperture at a knockdown price via the AppStore. From what I've read, it's as capable as LightRoom (have never used LR). Would suggest giving Adobe CS$$$ a wide berth until you really think you need it.

I know you started the thread by stating that you didn't want replies consisting of, "Buy what you can afford." But, I'm sorry to say, that's what it boils down to.

One thing is certain. Once you buy a Mac, you'll never go back! ;)

Good luck with making a very difficult decision. I'm off now to join the Nikon/Canon thread.
 
neil_g said:
there do seem to be a few threads about issues with the imac screens, i dont know if thats a particular generation/model affected.. something else to research.
Click to expand...

I've got a 27" iMac (1st gen). No noticeable problems.
 
I hve a 2 year old iMac 20" with 2.66 processor and 4gb ram. It runs LR3 and Aperture 3 fine aswell as CS4. Any of the new iMacs should run these fine too. Just get the most memory you can afford. www.MrMemory.co.uk are the cheapest at the moment for good quality ram. Crucial are good but watch their prices.

Allan
 
It's simple if you can afford it go with the 27 inch quad core i7 and also still in an SSD along with the standard hard drive the os runs from the SSD and it will be lightning quick :D welcome to the mac way the best way.
 
DD

have been running a 27"i5 iMac for just over a year. Upgraded to 8Gb memory. No problem with 1Dslll files in either Lightroom or Photoshop. i7 may be faster but the i5 is no slouch.

I store my image files on external FW800 Drives ( LaCie). This means if/when I change machines I just move the external drives. Plus you soon fill up the internal hard drive and will need external ones anyway . plus Firewire 800 is significantly faster than USB. Also using a FW400 CD writer, as it's faster than the internal one fitted to the iMac.

Watch out for Time Capsule as a back up option. Nice wireless hard drive but there do seem to be a number of people who have had it fail on them if you read the forums.

If in doubt as to 24" or 27" go to the Apple store and have a look at the two. The additional real estate on the 27" really makes it a no brainer.

Would opt for a wired keyboard rather than a wireless one as you get a couple of additional USB ports with the keyboard. They are easier to get at then the ones round the back of the iMac. Make the keyboard a purchase issue. I did and got it free, as well as the wireless one!!!!:)
 
I've just bought memory from Crucial this evening to upgrade my 15" MBP (mid 2009 model) to 8Gb. As Apple use 2 x 2Gb SODIMMS I am having to ditch these and buy 2 x 4Gb modules.

My upgrade cost a little under £79 but I believe the new i3/5/7 boards on the iMacs have 4 slots though making it cheaper.

I wouldn't pay Apple's memory costs and have had no warranty related issues when using third party RAM. In fact I had a previous MBP fail after 5 months and sent it for repair with 4Gb of Crucial memory. At they could not repair the laptop within 10 days they replaced in with a brand new unit (with 4Gb of RAM) and handed me back my Crucial memory to use or sell elsewhere.
 
Definitely check out the refurb store, and also go with the standard Apple Ram and then upgrade with crucial, so easy to do!

I got the i7 with 4GB ram and a 2TB HDD (paid for 1TB but got lucky) from refurb for the price of £1529! I spent £93 with crucial and now have a 12 GB beast.

Flies with whatever I throw at it.
 
Hi
If your buying a new iMac, all of them should run all the software. Like others have said it's all about your budget, I have the original intel iMac and I haven't found it unable to run any software that I need.
I have bought an eye-fi card for my camera's and that's cool for automatically transferring my photos to the computer.
I use my iPhone to geo tag my photos as well.
 
Did you take the plunge Dave?

Go for crucial RAM and slot it in yourself it's a 5 minute job and the 8gb will really make a difference, especially if you have multiple programs running.

I have the 24" and I used to think it was massive......but now I'd really like the 27" as you soon get used to having the space.

I've never regretted jumping from windows to the mac.
 
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