bit the bullet after long time of agonizing about updates

[eat me]

Just pulled the trigger on 27" i5. Took the refurb option, so it came out just £1 more expensive than the base 27" C2D, and 15% cheaper (£255) than the new i5.

I figured, even if the updates will come, I will probably be safeguarded in the knowing that I god i5 for the base price anyway. Sure, it's not in a shiny box, but I'm ok with that. Will get my iPhone 4 in a shiny box, once the white version will hit the floor. The only regret will probably be the graphics card, and that's a big one for any user like me (moving from a PC, no more gaming *sigh*), but I managed to persuade myself that it's good for me - more time to do some work.

Hopefully will arrive with no problems. :rolleyes:

[Mark-Mac-Attack]

Good choice; it's exactly what I have done.

:cool:

[Eduardo1971]

Enjoy your Mac-I too, will probably buy a refurbished iMac.:apple:

[Rudy69]

I just sold my Core 2 Duo 27" iMac and I'm most likely going to buy the refurb i7....just waiting to see the new update (which might bring the refurb price down a bit)

[Durious]

Just pulled the trigger on 27" i5. Took the refurb option, so it came out just £1 more expensive than the base 27" C2D, and 15% cheaper (£255) than the new i5.

I figured, even if the updates will come, I will probably be safeguarded in the knowing that I god i5 for the base price anyway. Sure, it's not in a shiny box, but I'm ok with that. Will get my iPhone 4 in a shiny box, once the white version will hit the floor. The only regret will probably be the graphics card, and that's a big one for any user like me (moving from a PC, no more gaming *sigh*), but I managed to persuade myself that it's good for me - more time to do some work.

Hopefully will arrive with no problems. :rolleyes:

hehe--- yeah I'm right there with ya. Waiting can be brutal for anything in life I did the same this morning! :)

[Gregintosh]

Don't despair. You could probably still run all your favorite and new games. Maybe not at amazing resolutions or framerates but they can still be playable and enjoyable.

Many games are now natively on Mac and you can always partition away 100 or 200 gigs for bootcamp to get the full Windows gaming experience for the rest.

[wkw]

I just sold my Core 2 Duo 27" iMac and I'm most likely going to buy the refurb i7....just waiting to see the new update (which might bring the refurb price down a bit)

refurb prices usually don't drop until the current models start showing up as refurbs. Might be a long wait

[leftywamumonkey]

hehe--- yeah I'm right there with ya. Waiting can be brutal for anything in life I did the same this morning! :)

NOOOO! Why Why! :'(

[Durious]

NOOOO! Why Why! :'(

hah-- well I've been waiting since Mid-April and it's nearing the release of StarCraft 2 (July 27th) and if a new model does come out due to "demand" I may not get it in time so it was sort of a "need" to order now and it will still meet my expectations just won't have as good of a resale value. Technically though I could have waited an additional week.

I won't have any huge regrets with it but now I'm locked in for 2 years with this model so hopefully it ages well! :)

[Fallenman]

I'm so jealous. I've committed myself to the wait and it's killing me.
But I'm also going to keep checking to see if you post how much you love it.

Why do I do this to myself?

[eat me]

Don't despair. You could probably still run all your favorite and new games. Maybe not at amazing resolutions or framerates but they can still be playable and enjoyable.

Many games are now natively on Mac and you can always partition away 100 or 200 gigs for bootcamp to get the full Windows gaming experience for the rest.

You think? I kind of figured with 2560x1440 resolution that poor old little ATI that's stuck in there will choke. I hope I'm wrong.

[eat me]

I'm so jealous. I've committed myself to the wait and it's killing me.
But I'm also going to keep checking to see if you post how much you love it.

Why do I do this to myself?

I'll try to report back as soon as I'll finish my transfer.

[Fallenman]

You think? I kind of figured with 2560x1440 resolution that poor old little ATI that's stuck in there will choke. I hope I'm wrong.

I'd be really interested to hear your experiences.

[Durious]

You think? I kind of figured with 2560x1440 resolution that poor old little ATI that's stuck in there will choke. I hope I'm wrong.

It'll run fine with a 1080P resolution on most games

[Rudy69]

refurb prices usually don't drop until the current models start showing up as refurbs. Might be a long wait

It's all good, I might just pull the trigger on a new high end iMac when they get updated (if they do it before the end of the free iPod promotion)

[Gregintosh]

You think? I kind of figured with 2560x1440 resolution that poor old little ATI that's stuck in there will choke. I hope I'm wrong.

If you tone it down to 1080p as someone said or 1280x720 or something, it will still look alright and playable (even if not as gorgeous as it otherwise would).

Just because the native resolution of the display, where it looks best, is 2560x1440 does not mean you have to play all your games at that resolution.

Also, you can always tone down any extra graphics options for special effects to improve the frame rate even at the high resolutions.

Like I said, all games will still look okay and be perfectly playable, you just may not be able to max out their settings or beauty. As long as you accept that you'll be good.

No worries and you certainly do not have to "give up" gaming if you really enjoy it.

[leftywamumonkey]

hah-- well I've been waiting since Mid-April and it's nearing the release of StarCraft 2 (July 27th) and if a new model does come out due to "demand" I may not get it in time so it was sort of a "need" to order now and it will still meet my expectations just won't have as good of a resale value. Technically though I could have waited an additional week.

I won't have any huge regrets with it but now I'm locked in for 2 years with this model so hopefully it ages well! :)

You could of waited just one more week, but I hope you have fun with your new iMac, don't forget that unboxing video :). As for me I'm saving my virginity for the new iMac unless it doesn't get updated this year.

[Kallel00]

Seriously, the 27 Imac is awesome because of its screen, and the i5/i7 processor can easily handle anything an hobbyist/prosumer will want to use (mainstream applications, photo applications, video applications).


For gaming you can either do bootcamp Windows 7, or even better, buy a moderm PC with top-end graphics card & use Imac for its screen while you're gaming.


Personally, I find myself switching between Mac & PC back and forth often, so Im toying with the idea of purchasing an affordable gaming PC.


No need to wait for a refresh really. Im glad I bought mine 4 months ago ;)

[Piggie]

I really really REALLY can never understand this

If iMacs and OSX are so great. why would anyone ever wish to switch into Windows Mode?

Why would Apple even allow it?

If Windows mode offers Mac users something the Mac (OSX) can't offer, then would it not be the natural thing to change/enhance OSX so it can offer the same?

It's like Admitting your product is not as good or can't do things your competitor can do.

Can't understand it.

[GGJstudios]

If iMacs and OSX are so great. why would anyone ever wish to switch into Windows Mode?
There are applications that some people need that don't have Mac versions. It's really not that hard to understand.

It's like Admitting your product is not as good or can't do things your competitor can do.
No, it's not. If there's no Mac version of an app that you need, running in Windows is the only option.

[Piggie]

There are applications that some people need that don't have Mac versions. It's really not that hard to understand.

No, it's not. If there's no Mac version of an app that you need, running in Windows is the only option.

I assume we are talking about small apps as the BIG MAJOR apps come in both versions.

To be honest, if Apple are worth Millions/Billions then why not pay the developer to create a mac version that runs under OSX so users don't have to load up windows?

[tonyGriggs]

I assume we are talking about small apps as the BIG MAJOR apps come in both versions.

I wouldn't call the Unreal Development Kit a small app.

And, unfortunately, there are several high-end 3D packages that, while they run on the Mac, can be more stable in Windows. In these cases it feels as though the developer ported the package as an afterthought.

--
tG

[GGJstudios]

I assume we are talking about small apps as the BIG MAJOR apps come in both versions.

To be honest, if Apple are worth Millions/Billions then why not pay the developer to create a mac version that runs under OSX so users don't have to load up windows?

Not just "small apps", but significant industry apps such as AutoCAD still have no Mac equivalent. There are many examples of industry-specific apps that only run on Windows.

[Btom]

I assume we are talking about small apps as the BIG MAJOR apps come in both versions.

To be honest, if Apple are worth Millions/Billions then why not pay the developer to create a mac version that runs under OSX so users don't have to load up windows?

Windows 7 seem quite decent, not too much complains. So maybe it is not such a disaster to run MS OS as it used to be?

Tom B.

[dudeofblokes]

I really really REALLY can never understand this

If iMacs and OSX are so great. why would anyone ever wish to switch into Windows Mode?

Why would Apple even allow it?

If Windows mode offers Mac users something the Mac (OSX) can't offer, then would it not be the natural thing to change/enhance OSX so it can offer the same?

It's like Admitting your product is not as good or can't do things your competitor can do.

Can't understand it.

quite simple really for peope that want to go mac but work alot on windows its gives them the best of both worlds, also encourages switchers who can use the machine for both and easily make the transition. also why use two machines to do the work of two when one mac can do both :D

[eat me]

Alright, so, after much of backuping and dragging the files between my old PC and new iMac, I'm back with reports!

Got my iMac the next day, delivery was super prompt and efficient, good on Apple.

The experience so far:

iMac

+ man, the 27" screen really is gorgeous. It takes up my whole table, where a 22" used to sit. I tell you, it's one thing checking it at Apple Store, and another when it sits on your table. In fact, the whole machine really is top notch design. And I am an aesthete, so it's a joy.

+ it's really quiet, you can barely hear it running most of the time

+ I love the keyboard. I love chiclet keyboards in general, but this one is really good.

+ I love that there are wifi, ir and bluetooth already in, and iSight, although horribly outdated in terms of resolution, is a nice thing to have

- the screen arrived without any yellowing, thank God, but I found one dead pixel stuck off-centre on the left. While initially I thought of returning, now I think I'll wait and see if I can live with it, as I understand i can return it at any moment while my AppleCare is active. I'm also not sure if they'll change it, if it's only 1 black dead pixel. And if they will, no guarantees it won't come with yellow circle :). Ahh, the iMac's vicious circle.

- there is a slight smudge on the base, it doesn't come off, but it's not really noticeable, and it's a refurb, so I expected some marks.

- as much as I love the keyboard, I really miss Home, End and Delete keys. Also, the cmd, the alt, the fn, the shift, the ctrl? I'm sure they could've thrown one of them away, the alt maybe.

- the mouse. As everyone in the PC world knows, Apple got it completely wrong on the mouse, and they are stupid and stubborn in their reluctance to learn from Windows. The trajectory and curve path of a mouse in OS X is rubbish. I've spent a bit of time finding some other driver and settled with MagicDriver. It's far from perfect, but at least you feel some control over what's going on with your pointer.

- sometimes the back start to vibrate from either fans or HDD, I'm not sure which, or what's causing it either, but it can be a bit worrying. When I lightly press my finger against the back, it disappears, but then when I take the finger off, comes back on. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I'm kind of thinking there might be something wrong with it.

OS X

+ it's super polished. I was expecting it having used the iPod Touch, and awaiting the white iPhone, but man, it is polished. I was worrying about not getting an alternative for ACDSee which I used on PC for viewing images, but Preview does same job better and prettier (apart from small thing - you cant right-click a folder and select "Preview" or something)

+ system settings are a breeze. Windows should learn.

+ the column view in Finder can very useful

+ Spotlight and Expose are fantastic, what a convenience!

+ installation of apps is a breeze too. There are no million different folders where programs keep their files all over the drive (at least, as I understand it, only Library and where you keep the apps) and there's no registry! There are some plist bits lying around, but that's ok compared to the mess you can get yourself on a Windows machine after some time of using and installing/uninstalling stuff. BTW, I really can't get over the fact of uninstalling apps on OS X. I always have the feeling that after I dragged the app to the thrash and deleted plists, there's still something there and I don't know what. Maybe this phobia will go away with time :).

+ Time Machine is brilliant. Got my STORY drive set up and it's quietly backing up on full-auto, no headache, and I've got myself covered just in case. Cool stuff.

- somehow Finder thinks that when I select to sort by "kind" it is acceptable to put files before folders. Annoys me a bit (I have a slight OCD). It should be folders first, everything else second, like in Windows when you sort by "type".

- drag and drop? Really? This struck me as outdated, that I have to use d-n-d for a lot of operations (maybe it'll annoy me less when I'll learn the shortcuts). I got used to deleting folders and files with "Delete", and CUTTING things, and pasting them somewhere else. I couldn't believe there's no CUT option in OS X, you guys are seriously missing out.

- despite all the polish, some OS elements seem really outdated graphic-wise. Like when I use Safari, these sad little grey bars and tabs on top, and some other things as well. Bring on OS XI.

- stupid bell chime when you start or restart your computer. I have to remember to mute the system every time.

***

Overall, there's still a lot to process and I've probably missed some things I wanted to tell you about, but maybe I'll add them later.

Cheers!

ps - do I regret not waiting? Hell no, the moment I've got it running properly, I've been loving it since. Perhaps when the new no-issues-screens with leaked touchpad and HD iSight and newer graphics will come out I'll be upset a bit, but I'm sure it won't last long :).

[dudeofblokes]

BTW, I really can't get over the fact of uninstalling apps on OS X. I always have the feeling that after I dragged the app to the thrash and deleted plists, there's still something there and I don't know what. Maybe this phobia will go away with time :).


there is a wonderful app out there called appzapper (probably more but i love the simplicity of this app) instead of dragging/sending an app to the trash you drag it into this app and it completely removes all traces of the app ever being there, hope this helps.

[eat me]

^ brilliant, thanks!

[dexthageek]

You think? I kind of figured with 2560x1440 resolution that poor old little ATI that's stuck in there will choke. I hope I'm wrong.

You don't have to run your games at the iMac native resolution. I am running Steam games at 1920x1080 on my i7 and it runs everything flawlessly with high settings.

I also have bootcamp installed, my library of C&C games run flawlessly at native res :)

[eat me]

I know guys, it's just as soon as you're running games at resolution other than native they start to look like you play on a console, which in my book is no good.

Still, better this then nothing. Still have to decide whether I want to install W7 at all. I mean, all I' really waiting for is StarCraft II, Diablo III & Portal 2, and those should be available native. On the other hand I just know, as soon as Modern Warfare 2, Mafia 2 and similar blockbusters will hit the floor I will be anxious to install Windows.

[eat me]

Found another dead pixel and also discovered that I do have a slight yellow tinge towards the bottom.

Return or wait? :confused: Maybe I'll decide in a year, when the AppleCare is going to start to come to an end.

[Warbitrary]

- the mouse. As everyone in the PC world knows, Apple got it completely wrong on the mouse, and they are stupid and stubborn in their reluctance to learn from Windows. The trajectory and curve path of a mouse in OS X is rubbish. I've spent a bit of time finding some other driver and settled with MagicDriver. It's far from perfect, but at least you feel some control over what's going on with your pointer.

You are simply used to and/or prefer the Windows trajectory and curve path, but it doesn't make it rubbish. I like the OS X way!

+ installation of apps is a breeze too. There are no million different folders where programs keep their files all over the drive (at least, as I understand it, only Library and where you keep the apps) and there's no registry! There are some plist bits lying around, but that's ok compared to the mess you can get yourself on a Windows machine after some time of using and installing/uninstalling stuff. BTW, I really can't get over the fact of uninstalling apps on OS X. I always have the feeling that after I dragged the app to the thrash and deleted plists, there's still something there and I don't know what. Maybe this phobia will go away with time :).

The files left behing by most apps installed without installers can be:
Databases and misc files (i.e. save points in video games) in ~/Library/Application Support
Caches in ~/Library/Caches
Preferences in ~/Library/Preferences

All these files are absolutely harmless. I delete them because if I re-install the application later, I want it to start from scratch. Also, some caches and app support files can take significant hard drive space, but most are under 10MB.

- somehow Finder thinks that when I select to sort by "kind" it is acceptable to put files before folders. Annoys me a bit (I have a slight OCD). It should be folders first, everything else second, like in Windows when you sort by "type".

It sorts the Kind column by alphabetical order (Fi before Fo). I'm not saying it's the best way, but it's just the way it is.

- drag and drop? Really? This struck me as outdated, that I have to use d-n-d for a lot of operations (maybe it'll annoy me less when I'll learn the shortcuts). I got used to deleting folders and files with "Delete", and CUTTING things, and pasting them somewhere else. I couldn't believe there's no CUT option in OS X, you guys are seriously missing out.

Command-Backspace (⌫) to trash files with the keyboard. A little more elaborate than "Delete" but harder to hit by accident. :)

- despite all the polish, some OS elements seem really outdated graphic-wise. Like when I use Safari, these sad little grey bars and tabs on top, and some other things as well. Bring on OS XI.

Not sure what you are talking about, but I find Safari's gray gradient theme very polished. It certainly looks less cheesy than the old 2D brushed metal theme (http://i31.tinypic.com/fa7gis.jpg) :o .

- stupid bell chime when you start or restart your computer. I have to remember to mute the system every time.

Try Psst (http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/16780/psst) or StartupSound.prefpane (http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/16425/startupsound.prefpane).

[eat me]

Command-Backspace (⌫) to trash files with the keyboard. A little more elaborate than "Delete" but harder to hit by accident. :)



Not sure what you are talking about, but I find Safari's gray gradient theme very polished. It certainly looks less cheesy than the old 2D brushed metal theme (http://i31.tinypic.com/fa7gis.jpg) :o .


Try Psst (http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/16780/psst) or StartupSound.prefpane (http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/16425/startupsound.prefpane).

yep, discovered the cmd+backspace, was very happy :). These two programs that you've suggested didn't work, unfortunately. And yes, this polished grey somehow doesn't look too good. But it's not that crucial.