Comparable PC to imac i7 specs?

[roderick]

This and the comments made me laugh!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igavIDIUf0s

[Sambo110]

People need to get over their anti Mac idiocy. Mac's aren't expensive, especially not the new iMac's, they are really good value. And people who say Mac's suck usually do so for no real reason. So annoying.

[roguepink]

The debate is not about hardware or quality or style. THIS IS RELIGION. Once you cross that threshold, it all becomes a waste of effort. Ironic how the height of technology has brought us down to the level of the zealot. I suggest we go on about our lives and screw what anyone else thinks.

[kramerica2]

People need to get over their anti Mac idiocy. Mac's aren't expensive, especially not the new iMac's, they are really good value. And people who say Mac's suck usually do so for no real reason. So annoying.

That's not true, and statements like that make all the anti-mac rats come out of their holes...
All branded computers are expensive, and Macs are amongst the most expensive branded computer if you simply compare hardware specs. You can custom build a PC with the same specs as any mac for a much cheaper price, and you'll get all the custom build advantages (upgradeability, customization, cheap and easy repairs, etc..). You won't get any of the Mac advantages, and that's why people buy a Mac, its not the hardware price, its everything else. So ease down with the price argument, you're gonna lose every discussion.

[Sambo110]

That's not true, and statements like that make all the anti-mac rats come out of their holes...
All branded computers are expensive, and Macs are amongst the most expensive branded computer if you simply compare hardware specs. You can custom build a PC with the same specs as any mac for a much cheaper price, and you'll get all the custom build advantages (upgradeability, customization, cheap and easy repairs, etc..). You won't get any of the Mac advantages, and that's why people buy a Mac, its not the hardware price, its everything else. So ease down with the price argument, you're gonna lose every discussion.

Well I don't know about US prices, but in Australia, the screen alone is worth $1500 and it is worse quality then the iMac's one. Then all the other parts in the iMac equal around the extra price, for the i5.

[alent1234]

That's not true, and statements like that make all the anti-mac rats come out of their holes...
All branded computers are expensive, and Macs are amongst the most expensive branded computer if you simply compare hardware specs. You can custom build a PC with the same specs as any mac for a much cheaper price, and you'll get all the custom build advantages (upgradeability, customization, cheap and easy repairs, etc..). You won't get any of the Mac advantages, and that's why people buy a Mac, its not the hardware price, its everything else. So ease down with the price argument, you're gonna lose every discussion.

i've been building since the late 1990's. once the refresh comes mac's will be price competative again. and even now a Mac Mini for $1000 including tax and applecare is as good a value as a custom build. i just added all the parts up a few days ago

[kramerica2]

Well I don't know about US prices, but in Australia, the screen alone is worth $1500 and it is worse quality then the iMac's one. Then all the other parts in the iMac equal around the extra price, for the i5.

In Austarlia, the Dell U2711 costs 1200$. The C2D imac costs 2200$, the i5 imac costs 2600$. A similar C2D PC will cost much less than 1000$, and an i5 PC much less than 1400$...

But it doesn't matter. Like I said, nobody buys a Mac for the price, leave that argument.

[thejadedmonkey]

i've been building since the late 1990's. once the refresh comes mac's will be price competative again. and even now a Mac Mini for $1000 including tax and applecare is as good a value as a custom build. i just added all the parts up a few days ago

How is that possible? About 2 weeks ago I build a computer for a friend using last generation technology for about $430, including a mouse, monitor, and keyboard. Without all that, it would have been just under $300.... $400 if I wanted to add 6gb of RAM, something the current mini can't even handle.

[alent1234]

In Austarlia, the Dell U2711 costs 1200$. The C2D imac costs 2200$, the i5 imac costs 2600$. A similar C2D PC will cost much less than 1000$, and an i5 PC much less than 1400$...

But it doesn't matter. Like I said, nobody buys a Mac for the price, leave that argument.

not when you factor in the price of the monitor. try to price out an LED backlit IPS monitor on the internet. it's not $200 for a 23" screen.

http://www.bing.com/shopping/LaCie-320-LCD-Monitor/search?q=lcd%20ips%20monitor&p1=[CommerceService%20scenario%3d%22o%22%20docid%3d%22277ECBACD1BC784C8228%22]&wf=Commerce&FORM=ENCA0

$1000 for a 20" screen

[kramerica2]

i've been building since the late 1990's. once the refresh comes mac's will be price competative again. and even now a Mac Mini for $1000 including tax and applecare is as good a value as a custom build. i just added all the parts up a few days ago

Ah? A custom build PC better speced than the high end Mac mini:

Mobo + CPU - 169$ (E6500 2.93Ghz - faster than the mobile processor of the mini)
Vid. card - 25$ (9500GT)
4GB RAM - 75$
Case + PSU - 50$
DVD-RW - 20$
Shipping - 15-20$
Total - ~380$
Tax (if required) - 38$ max
Total after tax - 418$

Faster, more powerful hardware, less than half of the price...

But again, it doesn't matter, you don't buy a mini for the price or for the hardware..

[kramerica2]

not when you factor in the price of the monitor. try to price out an LED backlit IPS monitor on the internet. it's not $200 for a 23" screen.

http://www.bing.com/shopping/LaCie-320-LCD-Monitor/search?q=lcd%20ips%20monitor&p1=[CommerceService%20scenario%3d%22o%22%20docid%3d%22277ECBACD1BC784C8228%22]&wf=Commerce&FORM=ENCA0

$1000 for a 20" screen

The U2711 is 27", IPS, amazing screen. 1100$.

The Apple screen isn't of Lacie's or Eizo's quality. It's Dell's quality, and they're great!

[Sambo110]

The U2711 is 27", IPS, amazing screen. 1100$.

The Apple screen isn't of Lacie's or Eizo's quality. It's Dell's quality, and they're great!

But it has a horrible backlight, the iMac screen is still better.

[Hellhammer]

Plus another 1000$ for the 27" Dell display to make it an "iMac". Also, power consumption is a lot higher in that PC so it'll become more expensive all the time.

Only very few % of people need much from their computer. Reading emails won't be any faster no matter do you have 2GHz C2D or dual 3.6GHz i7s

[alent1234]

The U2711 is 27", IPS, amazing screen. 1100$.

The Apple screen isn't of Lacie's or Eizo's quality. It's Dell's quality, and they're great!


does Lacie make their LCD panels? last i read LCD's were made by AU Optronics, Sharp, LG and Samsung. maybe one or two other companies.

doesn't really matter which brand you buy, it's who made the LCD panel and which generation LCD technology it is

if you read on the details of the iMac, the power supplies are 87% efficient. a PC power supply like that will run you close to $150 if you build your own PC

[kramerica2]

Come on.. we're talking electric bills now?

You can try and convince yourself and others that buying a Mac is good for your wallet, but don't be surprised if "PC people" would think you're a blind mac fanboy when you do that.

Buy a Mac, enjoy it, that's what you spend your money for. You don't need any financial excuse.....

[alent1234]

a friend built his PC with one of them super duper graphics cards with a fan that sounds like a jet engine. he said the next month his electric bill went up by $30

[lilo777]

But it has a horrible backlight, the iMac screen is still better.

Why do you think so? Here is what Anandtech (http://www.anandtech.com/displays/showdoc.aspx?i=3725)had o say about this issue:
"For one, Apple uses LED backlighting whereas the U2711 sticks with CCFL technology. But isn't CCFL worse? That depends on what you're after; the iMac 27 offers a 72% color gamut while the U2711 has a 102% color gamut (based on the CIE 1931 standard). Using RGB LEDs, it would be possible to get a similarly high color gamut, but our experience with RGB LEDs to date is that they cost more and consume more power than regular LEDs, so we can understand Dell's interest in sticking with the "older" technology. (We've only seen RGB LEDs in a few laptops so far, and as one example it's a $175 upgrade on the Dell Studio XPS 16 compared to a regular white LED display.)"

[akm3]

That's not true, and statements like that make all the anti-mac rats come out of their holes...
All branded computers are expensive, and Macs are amongst the most expensive branded computer if you simply compare hardware specs. You can custom build a PC with the same specs as any mac for a much cheaper price, and you'll get all the custom build advantages (upgradeability, customization, cheap and easy repairs, etc..). You won't get any of the Mac advantages, and that's why people buy a Mac, its not the hardware price, its everything else. So ease down with the price argument, you're gonna lose every discussion.

"hardware specs" are what irritate me. People are constantly only comparing the "hardware specs" that interest them.

You know, a custom milled aluminum unibody enclosure is a 'hardware spec' as well, but no one ever counts that one. Other things that go into the price, like 'english speaking, quick answering tech support' seems to be conveniently ignored. (I've gone through Dell tech support and it is sometimes good and sometimes bad. My experiences with Apple support have all left me saying 'Wow! I wish all companies were like this' - this is all anecdotal)

You can't just compare
CPU speed
RAM
Hard drive

and say you've compared all hardware specs.

[thleeal]

thats 30 seconds of my high wasted.

these people need to learn to speak english.

the argument boils down to this. if you dont think a mac is good value for money, or worth the investment, buy a PC.

i only care about the decisions people i love make, because I want their lives to be easier.

seriously guys, dont rise to these nobs. juts let em talk there ****, go home and use ur mac, knowing they will have to deal with the **** that made you switch.

T

[kramerica2]

a friend built his PC with one of them super duper graphics cards with a fan that sounds like a jet engine. he said the next month his electric bill went up by $30

1. You can't compare high end gaming PCs to the imac.

2. The 30$ increase isn't the PCs fault. A High-end PC with the best vid. card available would consume ~450W at 100% load. When using the PC surfing, ms office, etc..., you're down to ~150W. When idle, its even lower. At an extreme scenario, we're looking at 4000 KiloWatts hour a day. Depending on his provider, that translates to ~25-30 cents per day, or 7.5-10$ a month. Bear in mind that this is a very unusual scenario. Most PCs won't cost more than 2-3$ a month.

[donster28]

Wow! Right timing for this thread to open. I was actually looking for a similar thread that was posted not so long ago but couldn't find it.

See, I'm one of the frustrated i5 buyers who ended up not buying it at all. I went through 7 exchanges in store and all had some sort of LCD defects, coupled with dead pixel on the iSight. I finally decided to wait until the next revision.

In the meantime, I put together a gaming PC using the money I alloted for the iMac. I am PC gamer at heart and been building my systems since 2002. I became a MAC user in 2003 and I've bought 7 Macs since. I originally wanted the i5 for my video editing needs this year but I thought I can do away with my current 13" MBP for now.

At first I wanted to match the i7 iMac's processor, memory and the likes. But as I gathered all of the info, I noticed I can go more on specs without even going over the price of an iMac i7.

At the end, I built the gaming PC of my dreams without breaking the bank. All the games I put through it, including Direct X 11 games, run at or over 60 frames per second (a must for me) at a resolution of 1920 x 1080. I didn't know this is even possible until now (you can tell I haven't been PC gaming in a while).

In total, I spent CAD$1,900 and my rig includes:

CPU: Intel Core i7 920 (I think the i7 Imac is of a lower i7 model)
MEMORY: 6 GB, 1333MHz, 3-Channel
VIDEOCARD: Sapphire AMD Radeon 5850, 1 GIG RAM (Second only to the best card out there that will run Direct x 11 games-5870)
CASE: Antec 900 (awesome case with blue LEDs galore. Yes it's big but it's freakin' cool looking.)
KEYBOARD/MOUSE: Microsoft Sidewinder KB and Mouse (both with red LEDs)
OPTICAL DRIVE: LG Blu-ray/HD-DVD recorder
OS: Windows 7 (I actually like it you know)

Sorry for my boasting...hehehe, but I never felt good after my iMac frustrations. I'm still a Mac fan, but a gaming PC doesn't hurt to have on the side to console me for now. :)

[kramerica2]

"hardware specs" are what irritate me. People are constantly only comparing the "hardware specs" that interest them.

You know, a custom milled aluminum unibody enclosure is a 'hardware spec' as well, but no one ever counts that one. Other things that go into the price, like 'english speaking, quick answering tech support' seems to be conveniently ignored. (I've gone through Dell tech support and it is sometimes good and sometimes bad. My experiences with Apple support have all left me saying 'Wow! I wish all companies were like this' - this is all anecdotal)

You can't just compare
CPU speed
RAM
Hard drive

and say you've compared all hardware specs.

You're abseloutely right, and that's my point exactly. Some of the Mac buyers try to justify their purchase with the dry tech specs only. They can't.

[archipellago]

"hardware specs" are what irritate me. People are constantly only comparing the "hardware specs" that interest them.

You know, a custom milled aluminum unibody enclosure is a 'hardware spec' as well, but no one ever counts that one. Other things that go into the price, like 'english speaking, quick answering tech support' seems to be conveniently ignored. (I've gone through Dell tech support and it is sometimes good and sometimes bad. My experiences with Apple support have all left me saying 'Wow! I wish all companies were like this' - this is all anecdotal)

You can't just compare
CPU speed
RAM
Hard drive

and say you've compared all hardware specs.


you sound like a Jonny Ive groupie.!

a precision milled piece like the UB doesn't cost anywhere near what you think or what JI tries to make out.

not like its hand made!

stop drinking the kool aid and come back to the real world!

[archipellago]

Ah? A custom build PC better speced than the high end Mac mini:

Mobo + CPU - 169$ (E6500 2.93Ghz - faster than the mobile processor of the mini)
Vid. card - 25$ (9500GT)
4GB RAM - 75$
Case + PSU - 50$
DVD-RW - 20$
Shipping - 15-20$
Total - ~380$
Tax (if required) - 38$ max
Total after tax - 418$

Faster, more powerful hardware, less than half of the price...

But again, it doesn't matter, you don't buy a mini for the price or for the hardware..

and now that Win 7 is at least as good as Slow leopard.

why exactly DO people buy Macs?


Steve Jobs, the biggest con trick in tech history....

[Hellhammer]

Ah? A custom build PC better speced than the high end Mac mini:

Mobo + CPU - 169$ (E6500 2.93Ghz - faster than the mobile processor of the mini)
Vid. card - 25$ (9500GT)
4GB RAM - 75$
Case + PSU - 50$
DVD-RW - 20$
Shipping - 15-20$
Total - ~380$
Tax (if required) - 38$ max
Total after tax - 418$

Faster, more powerful hardware, less than half of the price...

But again, it doesn't matter, you don't buy a mini for the price or for the hardware..

You can't get a nice case + PSU for 50$, at least here in Finland. It's +50€ for case that you can look without your eyes bleeding. Don't forget OS either, Windows 7 Home Premium OEM is ~100$.

I built my grandparents a PC for 300€ (3GHz AMD, 4GB RAM, integrated GPU) + OS and it's very fast for their needs.

But again, most people won't see difference between 2GHz dual core AMD and 3.3GHz quad core Intel. And in the end, software sells hardware

[bobob]

and now that Win 7 is at least as good as Slow leopard.
Now that's a great typo!

[alent1234]

1. You can't compare high end gaming PCs to the imac.

2. The 30$ increase isn't the PCs fault. A High-end PC with the best vid. card available would consume ~450W at 100% load. When using the PC surfing, ms office, etc..., you're down to ~150W. When idle, its even lower. At an extreme scenario, we're looking at 4000 KiloWatts hour a day. Depending on his provider, that translates to ~25-30 cents per day, or 7.5-10$ a month. Bear in mind that this is a very unusual scenario. Most PCs won't cost more than 2-3$ a month.


cheapest computer at best buy now with 256MB in graphics memory is $899 for a Dell core i5. add the monitor and it's the price of an iMac. wait until the CPU refresh from apple to buy and it's same price or cheaper to buy a Mac and you don't have to deal with Best Buy

[alent1234]

Ah? A custom build PC better speced than the high end Mac mini:

Mobo + CPU - 169$ (E6500 2.93Ghz - faster than the mobile processor of the mini)
Vid. card - 25$ (9500GT)
4GB RAM - 75$
Case + PSU - 50$
DVD-RW - 20$
Shipping - 15-20$
Total - ~380$
Tax (if required) - 38$ max
Total after tax - 418$

Faster, more powerful hardware, less than half of the price...

But again, it doesn't matter, you don't buy a mini for the price or for the hardware..

add a hard drive, $100 for a Windows license and i want it to be as energy efficient as a Mac Mini. i hate paying electric bills. and it better be quieter than a Mini. the last AMD system i built my wife always complained because the fan was always on and making noise. and this CPU combo deal better include a motherboard with a DDR3 RAM chipset

and while you're at it i want it to have the software to organize photos, import my 6 year old camcorder tapes, make DVD's, make a movie from my 6 year old camcorder tapes and burn DVD's that can be played on any DVD player like any movie

[alent1234]

you sound like a Jonny Ive groupie.!

a precision milled piece like the UB doesn't cost anywhere near what you think or what JI tries to make out.

not like its hand made!

stop drinking the kool aid and come back to the real world!

but the videos on the apple site with that one VP talking, the one who sounds like he's on prozac about how cool the new MBP and how the they take this huge block of aluminum, and mill it into a small laptop shape are pretty cool

[Badger^2]

and now that Win 7 is at least as good as Slow leopard.

why exactly DO people buy Macs?


Steve Jobs, the biggest con trick in tech history....

because Im smart and have plenty of money that I can spend anyway I like.

same reason I bought a BMW over a hyndai. a hyundai is "at least as good" as a BWM, right? they both get you there... but I would never buy one.

and what would I do with the thousands and thousands of dollars already invested in my mac software?

[LesQQmorePewPew]

That's not true, and statements like that make all the anti-mac rats come out of their holes...
All branded computers are expensive, and Macs are amongst the most expensive branded computer if you simply compare hardware specs. You can custom build a PC with the same specs as any mac for a much cheaper price, and you'll get all the custom build advantages (upgradeability, customization, cheap and easy repairs, etc..). You won't get any of the Mac advantages, and that's why people buy a Mac, its not the hardware price, its everything else. So ease down with the price argument, you're gonna lose every discussion.

wats the mac advantage. u never mentioned it

[archipellago]

because Im smart and have plenty of money that I can spend anyway I like.

same reason I bought a BMW over a hyndai. a hyundai is "at least as good" as a BWM, right? they both get you there... but I would never buy one.

and what would I do with the thousands and thousands of dollars already invested in my mac software?

nope not even a close comparison and you say you're smart!

A Mac is cheap computer parts in a shiny, different looking exterior box

A 'PC' is cheap computer parts in a non shiny standard box.

there is no 'real' difference.

A hyundai is cheaply made plastic korean rubbish.

A BMW is well made in the EU out of superior quality materials, it is faster, safer and of superior build quality.

What should you do with your expensive Mac software..??




Cry..? ;):p

[lilo777]

wats the mac advantage. u never mentioned it


It's Apple Care. Because when you have to replace eight 27" iMacs in a row (as some people had to) you'd better get fabulous customer service ;)

[lilo777]

because Im smart and have plenty of money that I can spend anyway I like.

same reason I bought a BMW over a hyndai. a hyundai is "at least as good" as a BWM, right? they both get you there... but I would never buy one.

and what would I do with the thousands and thousands of dollars already invested in my mac software?

This is very poor analogy. If anything, PCs (just like BMWs) have better performance than Macs and there is orders of magnitude more software for them. Macs on the other hand are (presumably) more reliable (just like Hyundais are) and pretty shiny as of late. So yes, you bought a Hyunai (in Mac) :D

[alent1234]

easier taking a Mac to the apple store and having someone see it. other way is to call Dell/HP. wait on hold for 4 hours. talk very slow so the person can understand you. spend 4 hours playing the script game. call back. beg for help again.

the dell community forums are hidden behind a login. i used mine to check them out as well as the iMac ones on Apple and Best Buy. Apple postings are mostly minor stuff. Dell/Best Buy is you guys suck because it takes you months to fix stuff even though my warranty says next day at home support. or in one case geek squad said a LCD problem was caused by dual booting two different versions of windows and wouldn't fix it

[MacHamster68]

apple imac i7 £1797 screen 27 inch
dell xps one core 2 quad £1799 screen 24 inch

now two pictures
http://macway.gr/images/products/imac-27in.jpg

http://hard.compulenta.ru/upload/iblock/611/xps_one.jpg




so now say again the imac is expensive for what you get

[devianter]

windows 7 = snow leopard ? :D:D
OMG
windows 7 is just a little more bugfree version of vista,but still the same ****.eat more microsoft ****ty products.
i could understand a mac vs LINUX-PC fight..but WINDOWS vs MAC OS X...oh please,leave me alone.wizzoz 7 fanboy lawl.

Btw.i bought a mac mini for my parents,put there plex and they are HAPPY now.coz its small,its silent and its pretty (hell yeah,they care about it too,they dun wanna have an ugly box under their Tv)
I'm not a calculator.I'm buying things and i enjoy using em.I prefer to pay 1 time and forget about it.Who cares if i can swap the motherboard or no.Omg i haven't ever done that before and i will never do that ..Never.It's just working,it's not givin me any problems and i'm just happy.
U guys continue to buy new graphic cards,replace your motherboards,reinstall 100 times your win7 and be happy if that means being happy for u.

[iamthedudeman]

Wow the trolls are out in full force.

Ok trolls. Build me a PC with the same quality monitor that is in the 27 imac. Same quality. Not some cheap bull crap 27 inch monitor. The Dell comes closest and that is even not even as good and that costs $1100.00. Now add the rest, and please include the sleek all aluminum enclosure.

Oh wait. They don't sell those for PC's. How about just come close. So now you have a Dell 27 inch that costs $1100.00 and you now have 900 to work with. Let's see $200.00 for a quad-core i5, $110.00 for 4GB memory, GPU for $100.00, HD for $100.00, now add your fans, power supplies, speakers, software, enclosure, etc.

You get the picture. Add that all up. Now tell me that the Imac is overpriced.

Go ahead and build me a PC and list the specs and cost with the same customer service instead of Abib form India that reads off some pre-printed cue card.

Lets not forget the Virus protection that is required. How about adding that all in a sleek design all-in-one package? Oh wait, they don't make those with those specs.

Quite simply, what it really boils down to is that no matter how you look at it, you really can't build one, now can you?

Go ahead trolls. We will wait.

[chaosbunny]

The iMac and a good screen? Seriously? You can't even configure it to be matte. It could have the best panel in the world, behind its mirror glass it still sucks. Then there is flickering, yellow screens, dust & smears behind the glass (my 24" had three screens replaced since 2007 and I'll soon bring it in for a forth before Apple Care runs out). After almost three years with one of these glossy iMacs I know I will never buy one of Apples mirror screen products again, and I don't recommend them to anyone. Thank god you can have the bigger mbps with matte screens - I only hope it stays this way.

I'd love it if Apple would sell a machine with the iMacs specs but without its horrible screen.

Now since the Dell screen costs 1100,–, shouldn't there be a mini with an i5/i7 and a real gfx card for 900,–? Oh wait, it has a low clocked C2D and integrated gfx for that price...

I still love Apples laptops, but there simply is no Apple desktop for me. I'd like some performance without a mirror screen for under 3000,–, and of course I like their designs. But I know I won't get that from Apple anytime soon.

[MacHamster68]

The iMac and a good screen? Seriously? You can't even configure it to be matte. It could have the best panel in the world, behind its mirror glass it still sucks. Then there is flickering, yellow screens, dust & smears behind the glass (my 24" had three screens replaced since 2007 and I'll soon bring it in for a forth before Apple Care runs out). After almost three years with one of these glossy iMacs I know I will never buy one of Apples mirror screen products again, and I don't recommend them to anyone. Thank god you can have the bigger mbps with matte screens - I only hope it stays this way.

I'd love it if Apple would sell a machine with the iMacs specs but without its horrible screen.

Now since the Dell screen costs 1100,–, shouldn't there be a mini with an i5/i7 and a real gfx card for 900,–? Oh wait, it has a low clocked C2D and integrated gfx for that price...

I still love Apples laptops, but there simply is no Apple desktop for me. I'd like some performance without a mirror screen for under 3000,–, and of course I like their designs. But I know I won't get that from Apple anytime soon.

i agree i also do not get what i want from apple ,
i just want simple computing in a AIO design
screensize up to 17 " and a normal processor , , so in basics a normal tft with a mini on the back , as i dont want laptops on my desk they are portables and i dont need one , i would be happy if they would make th ipad a bit bigger and a bit faster processor and a bit better graphics for it with at least dedicated 64mb ram

[archipellago]

Wow the trolls are out in full force.

Ok trolls. Build me a PC with the same quality monitor that is in the 27 imac. Same quality. Not some cheap bull crap 27 inch monitor. The Dell comes closest and that is even not even as good and that costs $1100.00. Now add the rest, and please include the sleek all aluminum enclosure.

Oh wait. They don't sell those for PC's. How about just come close. So now you have a Dell 27 inch that costs $1100.00 and you now have 900 to work with. Let's see $200.00 for a quad-core i5, $110.00 for 4GB memory, GPU for $100.00, HD for $100.00, now add your fans, power supplies, speakers, software, enclosure, etc.

You get the picture. Add that all up. Now tell me that the Imac is overpriced.

Go ahead and build me a PC and list the specs and cost with the same customer service instead of Abib form India that reads off some pre-printed cue card.

Lets not forget the Virus protection that is required. How about adding that all in a sleek design all-in-one package? Oh wait, they don't make those with those specs.

Quite simply, what it really boils down to is that no matter how you look at it, you really can't build one, now can you?

Go ahead trolls. We will wait.


tried, but all the PC's I priced up had decent screens, nary a p!ss yellow one to be found, so I can't compare...sorry.

I've got some calls out though, I'll let you know.... :rolleyes:

[archipellago]

apple imac i7 £1797 screen 27 inch
dell xps one core 2 quad £1799 screen 24 inch

now two pictures
http://macway.gr/images/products/imac-27in.jpg

http://hard.compulenta.ru/upload/iblock/611/xps_one.jpg




so now say again the imac is expensive for what you get


lots of people, Mac users included don't want an AIO. Not needed and any problem with the screen (hello yellow!) means no machine for x weeks.

The lack of choice in the Mac range is not a virtue.

[Hellhammer]

lots of people, Mac users included don't want an AIO. Not needed and any problem with the screen (hello yellow!) means no machine for x weeks.

The lack of choice in the Mac range is not a virtue.

Welcome to the Apple world! No matter how much you complain, there won't be a mid-tower. If you want one, go ahead and buy a PC. Apple has never and never will offer same kinda line up as e.g. Dell does. They don't want to and they don't have to (at least as long as Steve is around).

Why people can't be happy that we finally got desktop CPUs? We could still be paying 2000$ for 3GHz C2D and 24" screen....

[macrumorsmo]

Edit: LOL, I posted in the wrong thread, do not know how I did that, so I will add to this thread just to be constructive as I do share some opinions here, with facts and figures to back up what I say and what was said.

Firstly, I want to start by saying that there has been a history of a having expensive computers due to the fact that Steve Jobs has an incredible attention to aesthetic details. This was the cause for NEXT going from joint hardware software to software only (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NeXT).

So there is defiantly a premium that mac users pay for this, regardless of what one says about hardware being modern or not, cheap, etc. This brings me to my second point nicely. If we look at the iMac strictly, which was what was addressed in the beginning, it is actually cheaper than other all-in-one (at least the decent ones from Dell and Lenovo) for what they offer (this is more true in the higher end). Take the Dell XPS One 24 (http://www1.euro.dell.com/uk/en/home/Desktops/desktop-xps-a2420/pd.aspx?refid=desktop-xps-a2420&s=dhs&cs=ukdhs1&~ck=mn) for example.

In Austarlia, the Dell U2711 costs 1200$. The C2D imac costs 2200$, the i5 imac costs 2600$. A similar C2D PC will cost much less than 1000$, and an i5 PC much less than 1400$...

But it doesn't matter. Like I said, nobody buys a Mac for the price, leave that argument.

I agree fully with kramerica, the U2711 was originally thought to have used the same panel as the iMac but may vary slightly (http://gizmodo.com/5468776/this-27+inch-dell-u2711-monitor-looks-eerily-familiar), nevertheless, it is a comparable and the price of the Dell 27" monitor indicate the higher end iMacs are good value for money (not the case before).

lots of people, Mac users included don't want an AIO. Not needed and any problem with the screen (hello yellow!) means no machine for x weeks.

The lack of choice in the Mac range is not a virtue.

I also agree with archipellago, that is were Apple is certainly lacking. However, as stated earlier, I do not think that it is within Apple's philosophy to go for it one day. I think Apple is focusing on premium, high quality and simple devices. It seems to work! (I am ignoring the iPad, since its lack of features is... bad, multitasking for example). What do you think of my iMac bellow, would you say that is acceptable?

I am not being biased here. To understand where I am coming from, at first I did not like mac. I though Windows XP was better than OS X Tiger and still do. However, since I wanted what was best, I found that OS X Leapord was better than Vista and the quality of the Macbook Pros where simplay fantastic. I joke you not, I was impressed when I closed the lid on the laptop and it went immediately to sleep (says a lot about PC laptops) and that was not one of the better features! Those little things are overlooked, but when you get them right, it makes for a very good product, even if there is only a modest hardware features.

I have tried a Dell all-in-one (an XPS one) so as to compare with an iMac. I do like the concept of all-in-one machines as they are more aesthetically appealing and are compact with less wires. However, the quality of the dell and specs where less than an iMac. I am glad I got an iMac.

Here are pictures of my first iMac i5 week 46 (the week full of yellowing) bought from the Apple store in London (Regent Street). I am satisfied as is and will probably ask for a replacement much later if I feel I can do considerably better.

I have been lurking on macrumours for a while reading people's issues and I wanted to return the favor by showing what I have. What do you think of this?

The picture was taken by a Nokia N95.