Need new computer ... Apple or not?

[neveronfriday]

Hi everyone,

I'm still a few months away from it, but I've started toying with the idea of maybe switching from an IBM-compatible system (God, does that term actually still exist) to a new Apple PC.

First of all: I would be spending quite a bit of cash on a Windows PC (very large screen, lots of top-notch hardware, etc.), so money is not the real issue.

I usually read a lot before I buy something this expensive, and I still will, but knowing that there are lots of Apple users on the forums here (and maybe some who have made the switch), I'd also like to get your/their opinion ...

The reason for a possible switch? I've spent more time fixing Windows stuff (I admit that I'm a bit of a freak there) than I have saved time using a PC, and I'm getting seriously tired of that.

Secondly, I want a more or less stable system for what I need to do (see below) and am not interested in games or the latest hi-tech stuff.

This is what I'd like to do in a FAST and comfortable manner:

I'd like to ...

- have a stable (meaning, technically stable) DSL Internet connection;

- design Internet pages (I need a good wysiwyg editor, just to design visually before I do the actual hard-coding by hand);

- do desktop publishing (Pagemaker or Quark) and text processing (Word or some such)

- do database work (on my PC that was Access)

- do graphic design with sth like Photoshop

- listen to music with GOOD QUALITY sound

- produce some MP3s and, more importantly, MPCs (different format)

- catalogue my media collection with some nifty software (that also allows me to create a "sessionography"

That's it.

Nothing else (although, that's quite a lot already).

So, my questions:

a) Would something like the new IMac be good enough (biggest screen, most memory, etc.)? Should I consider another Mac model?

b) What would I have to roughly calculate for software (ballpark figure) that actually does what it is supposed to do?

c) Would you recommend I do the switch (I'm especially interested in hearing from people who have done what I might do).

d) Are the apple screens good? I sometimes spend up to 16 hours in front of a screen (with breaks), so ...

Thanks for your input!

[neveronfriday]

Forgot:

What's the learning curve like?

[kh1958]

I got an imac two years ago, after always having a Windows computer. The imac is great; I will never willingly use a Windows computer again (I have no choice at work). The imac is extremely reliable; it's operating system is much simpler, more logical and intuitive than Windows. My imac is a thing of beauty; no Windows computer I've ever had has been more than an adequate machine. I recommend imacs to anyone who asks, and everyone who has listened to me has thanked me and felt the same as I do. (Of course, if you are into Photoshop, graphic design, art, and the like, you need an Apple for sure; and the G5 is the best for that use.)

Edited September 6, 2004 by kh1958

[Jim Alfredson]

If you want to do graphic design work, get a G5 with the fastest dual processors you can afford. Those machines are incredible.

[frank m]

I'd used PC's and larger machines at work for years before the popularity tidal wave hit. I've had the earliest home machines as wrll as a fairly sophistocated Dell with windows. I got my wife an iMac a few years ago because of its simplicity of use and was so impressed with it, I got me a more sophistocated Mac for my use at home--and never looked back. The Mac comes loaded with so much software you may not even need any more. However my wife needed a bigger data base but that was it. You might need something else for graphics, but that's beyoond my knowledge.

Best you get some personal advice on that score. For my needs, the spreadsheet and wordprocessor that comes with it is plenty. But you certainly need some consult onwhich Mac best suits your needs.

[BERIGAN]

deus62, have you used one, I mean played around with one at a friend's house, or at a store? I have friend who like all mac users seems to have taken a blood oath or something to convert all non-mac users...anywho, I hate the damn mac mouse, I can work much faster with a real mouse....there....I feel better...all the damn pro-mac posts were making me sick!

[neveronfriday]

Thanks so far, guys.

Some quick comments on the posts above, and some more questions:

a) Yes, I have played around with one, extensively. I liked what I saw and it was rather intuitive right from the start. Don't know if I could figure out the Apple stuff as much as I can the Windows stuff, but maybe I don't need to. And, I've used Windows PCs since, what, 95 or so, or even before, and I guess I would have to give a Mac such a thorough workout first.

b) I'm not so sure about the hardware requirments. Over the years, although I've had the odd softwareitis fit, I've started toning down my setup to only keep on the PC what I need. And that's what I listed above.

The largest image I ever had to handle (once only), was a 250 MB graphic file, usually I just work with hi-res pics to reduce them for web use.

All my text processing and DTP work is pretty average ... I don't need to produce any magazines, although I have in the past.

So, I guess a single processor G5 should do.

More questions:

a) How much memory do I need to be on the safe side? 1GB? Or is the Mac easier on the memory?

b) I would like to have a 20" screen. What is the Apple one like (23" would be too much of a good thing, I guess)? What I'd like to do is have two A4 pages next to each other when layouting, or a webpage and the corresponding code page open at the same time.

c) What kind of graphics card will do if I want to drive the monitor above at varying resolutions (I need to change resolutions frequently for webpage testing)?

Cheers!

Edited September 6, 2004 by deus62

[medjuck]

This URL

http://www.apple.com/imac/specs.html

gives the specs on the new iMac G5. I don't know what most of this means but it sounds like it might be what you're looking for.

[Christiern]

I bought my first Mac in 1984 and have had a slew of them since. The first Mac was rather limited, but I was attracted by the graphic interface (so was Bill Gates, obviously). I bought an early PC and soon learned how to hate it. Today, I do most of my computing on a G4 dual processor tower, but I also have a Mac cube, two early iMacs, an iBook (G3), and a couple of in-between beige guys.

Clearly, I am sold on the Mac. As for learning curve, a survey taken a few years back showed that many companies who use Macs do so because, although the machines were more expensive, they spent less money training their staff to use them.

A few years back, I used to help people get started on a Mac and found that it was much easier to teach people who had no previous experience with a computer--former PC users tended to want to make everything more complicated than it was!

Although there is, as yet, no upgrade to the graphic card in the new iMac, I'm sure it will come, but it looks as if that machine will meet your needs. If you must run Access, you can do so through Virtual PC, which enables the Mac to become a Windows machine, but there are excellent data base programs for the Mac, my favorite is Filemaker Pro.

Of course you can also get Microsoft's Office for the Mac, as well as Quark. I believe PageMaker is being discontinued, but Adobe InDesign is even better, IMO.

The new iMac will be available with a 20" screen, so that should not pose a problem.

[kh1958]

deus62, have you used one, I mean played around with one at a friend's house, or at a store? I have friend who like all mac users seems to have taken a blood oath or something to convert all non-mac users...anywho, I hate the damn mac mouse, I can work much faster with a real mouse....there....I feel better...all the damn pro-mac posts were making me sick!

I hate the crappy Windows mouse, which is designed for righthanded people, forcing a lefthanded person to have to figure out how to reverse the buttons. As usual, the single button mac mouse is highly effective and simpler to use. (My mac-expert friend looked at me in justified puzzlement when I first got my imac and asked how to change it from right to lefthanded.)

[7/4]

deus62, have you used one, I mean played around with one at a friend's house, or at a store? I have friend who like all mac users seems to have taken a blood oath or something to convert all non-mac users...anywho, I hate the damn mac mouse, I can work much faster with a real mouse....there....I feel better...all the damn pro-mac posts were making me sick!  

I hate the crappy Windows mouse, which is designed for righthanded people, forcing a lefthanded person to have to figure out how to reverse the buttons. As usual, the single button mac mouse is highly effective and simpler to use. (My mac-expert friend looked at me in justified puzzlement when I first got my imac and asked how to change it from right to lefthanded.)

And why wouldn't you go into Control Pannel -> Mouse and switch the buttons?

[frank m]

And if you really hate the mouse, and I did, you can get one at CompUSA (or other similar store) to fit your taste for a few bucks.

[jazzbo]

I have an imac at home, and use PCs at work.

Each have their advantages and disadvantages.

I really enjoy the imac, it may be partly because I do FUN stuff on the imac like make covers for cdrs, surf the net, write a few things, etc. AND NOT WORK STUFF. The imac seems more relaxing. . . but again, it may be because I'm not WORKING AT WORK with it.

My wife uses Macs at work and at home, and if we were to buy an additional machine at home, or replace this one. . . it would be a Mac, she probably wouldn't consider a PC and she would win the election over choices. . . she has more votes than I do.

[neveronfriday]

Although there is, as yet, no upgrade to the graphic card in the new iMac, I'm sure it will come, but it looks as if that machine will meet your needs.

Yeah, sure does, doesn't it.

I'm seriously considering it, also because I'm sick and tired of running the PC/Windows update game.

I know what I need and want to do, and this machine looks like it can do it for me.

Cheers!

[kh1958]

deus62, have you used one, I mean played around with one at a friend's house, or at a store? I have friend who like all mac users seems to have taken a blood oath or something to convert all non-mac users...anywho, I hate the damn mac mouse, I can work much faster with a real mouse....there....I feel better...all the damn pro-mac posts were making me sick!  

I hate the crappy Windows mouse, which is designed for righthanded people, forcing a lefthanded person to have to figure out how to reverse the buttons. As usual, the single button mac mouse is highly effective and simpler to use. (My mac-expert friend looked at me in justified puzzlement when I first got my imac and asked how to change it from right to lefthanded.)

And why wouldn't you go into Control Pannel -> Mouse and switch the buttons?

You must be a Window user and/or righthanded. The point is that the Apple single click mouse performs, in simpler fashion, all the functions I need, so that there is no need to reverse the buttons.

[Christiern]

The mouse that came with the original iMac was horrible. Called the hockey puck, it was round and ball-driven. The current Macs have a far better mouse, although I wish they had added a scroll wheel. Still, these things are inexpensive, and any USB mouse will work as well on the Mac as on a PC.

[J Larsen]

It sounds to me like an iMac would serve you well. I expect a new line of iMac laptops by the end of the year. Normally the old line drops in price around the time the new line comes out, so that may be a good way to go. You can always connect a larger screen if you want.

I love the new(-ish) Apple cinema displays. The 17" model is good, but the 20" and 23" have greater dpi and are really amazing. You really have to see them in person. I don't know what your budget is, but the displays are damned expensive.

FWIW, I use Macs, PCs and workstations regularly. PCs are perfectly fine for most users. I do prefer Macs, though. I love that they are built on UNIX instead of DOS. I love that I can open a terminal window and essentially have a workstation. I love that computers running OSX virtually never crash or freeze. I also love the processing power of the higher-end models. However, I understand that many of these things are unimportant to most users, and that the benefits don't justify the extra cost for a lot of people.