Windows 8 or new iMac?

[LagunaSol]

The iMac is the most enjoyable computer I've ever owned, and I've owned a lot of Macs and home-built PCs.

I bought my first iMac in 2006, my second in 2009, and will be buying a new 27" model as soon as they're available. After I bought my first iMac in 2006, a niece picked up a half-dozen of them at a university bookstore clearance. 3 went to family members, 3 went to friends. All are still running.

iMacs are quiet, reliable, take up little space, and are easy to transport if you ever need to. Really a great computer.

As for Windows...meh. I've been using Windows since 3.1 and only use it now if necessary (via Parallels on my iMac). It's true that Win 7 is a big improvement over previous versions, but it's still clunky compared to OS X.

I've seen very few positive reviews of Windows 8. I will be steering clear of that "upgrade."

[Tri-stan]

Thanks for all of the comments guys you has been really helpful!

I have decided that I will buy an iMac if I can sell my current computer for a decent price. Its is only a few months old and has only been used for basic tasks so far so it hasn't been punished quite yet. I should be able to recuperate most of the money I spent on it right? It is currently set up a custom workstation, silent high quality components, sound proofing, lian li pc case and the specs below. I don't know if people have been able to sell new pcs well on ebay as there is not a big market or specific category to sell pc's in as if it would be for a specific product. People build and sell for a profit right so I can't see why I can't recuperate most of the money.

As for the decision I have mainly chosen an iMac because of osx. I just think it is a much more slick and pleasing os to use compared to windows, just a shame it is so much more expensive for what you are buying. My other reason is because of the high quality components in a sleek package with an amazing screen so it ticks most of the boxes here. But there are only three different options for desktop users which is quite limiting. Some more downsides are lack of upgradability, serviceability and life expectancy. If a windows machine had the same quality components as an iMac the mac would fail first as it runs hotter so will fail sooner.

So basically if I am able to sell all of my current pc and stuff for a decent price iMac it is. If not the decision is made for me and I will use win7.

Originally Posted by lixuelai

Lol the OP is obviously set on an iMac. Just buy the iMac. You will probably kick yourself 3 years down the road for buying it, but then you only live once...

It is down to price now, I was open to both before.

Originally Posted by cirus

I dont know about the new imacs but here is a review of the 2011 27 inch.
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4340/2...-review-2011/7
The dell u2711 is also in the comparison its very similar to the 27 inch imac.

Any professional monitor (the really expensive ones) are going to be much better than the imac monitor.

Note: Im not talking about the upcoming models, just the current ones.

They may be better at presenting accurate colors but the apple screens are far more pleasing to the eye, which in the end of the day will mean a more enjoyable user experience. For most professional monitors they are set up for there actual light conditions at hand, so a bright as a desktop surface during daylight hours. This is a totally different application so will pale for doing general tasks. Looking outside of iMac nothing is coming close to retina for pc users right now.

Originally Posted by Lankyman

I have one very old Laptop running Windows 3.1. one Pentium 4 that's now ten years old and one Dell Laptop running XP now 8 years old. All are more than serviceable though the Dell needs a new battery. I work with colleagues many of whom have Windows PC's between seven and ten years old and all have been faultless. Given the above it begs the question - what the hell do you do with your tech that it only lasts such a short time?

Lower life expectancy is to be expected but the iMac's are quite recyclable so just make sure you to take it to a recycling facility when it dies. Mine just has to last 3 years without fail until my masters ends. After then it will be a redundant machine and it will just be used as a tv or for low level pc work. If I was to keep using my current pc I would be less inclined to keep it in three years time. I would either sell it for very little or it would be put in a corner due it's cluttered appearance cables ect.

Really the iMac should be more like the mac mini. You should be able to open it and change parts. This could easily be done now as the new iMac contains so little part and it less complex. Apple just wants you to buy new like the iPhone's upgrade culture. This should not bleed through in to pc's as well. Disappointing Apple. What is the point of a more sustainable computer when it can't be designed to have a more sustainable service life.

[IGregory]

Originally Posted by Tri-stan

Thanks for all of the comments guys you has been really helpful!

If you are interested and have the time here's a video where Windows 8 is explained. I found it very informative.

[underblu]

From a design/hardware standpoint the HP Spectre One utilizes that Scandinavian Minimalism that Bang & Olufson and Apple utilize so effectively.
Finally a cool looking Windows machine

With that said the new iMacs look incredible and from what I've seen I would choose OSX 10 ML over Windows 8. Then again afaic Snow Leopard is the best OS ever

[Tri-stan]

Originally Posted by IGregory

If you are interested and have the time here's a video where Windows 8 is explained. I found it very informative.

Good find watched the whole thing and this is what I thought:

Windows 8 | Desktop | Laptop | Tablet | One device? I don't think so!

Windows 8 | Do more with less | Vision Microsoft Surface | For laptops/Tablets

Windows 7 | For Desktops

Windows 8 was never designed to be on a desktop or large screen pc. Originally I remember they were going to design something to be on multiple platforms which would react to being viewed at different sizes, different platforms. Must be too much for Microsoft to perfect in one fail swoop as iPhone did.

[Kev.LoveMac]

Originally Posted by Tri-stan

Good find watched the whole thing and this is what I thought:

Windows 8 | Desktop | Laptop | Tablet | One device? I don't think so!

Windows 8 | Do more with less | Vision Microsoft Surface | For laptops/Tablets

Windows 7 | For Desktops

Windows 8 was never designed to be on a desktop or large screen pc. Originally I remember they were going to design something to be on multiple platforms which would react to being viewed at different sizes, different platforms. Must be too much for Microsoft to perfect in one fail swoop as iPhone did.

For Mac, windows was and has been a ugly competitor who sometimes wears sporty clothes, trying to copy and imitate mac. But when users get along with it, windows takes off its clothes and emits notorious smells.

[Renzatic]

Originally Posted by Kev.LoveMac

For Mac, windows was and has been a ugly competitor who sometimes wears sporty clothes, trying to copy and imitate mac. But when users get along with it, windows takes off its clothes and emits notorious smells.

My opinion on the whole OSX/Windows debate is that, yeah, I'll admit, OSX is a little nicer looking and a bit more streamlined. It has a quite a few ease of use features that make using it that much nicer. But at the end of the day, I'm doing the exact same things on one I am on the other without any real noticeable differences.

Why people get emotionally invested in the OS wars is one of those things I...just...can't wrap my head around. I mean they're tools that do stuff. Why someone would feel the need to go out and lie about problems that don't exist just to demagogue for another damn OS (of all things) is beyond me, and something I find incredibly stupid.

I use Makita drills because DeWalt are a bunch of half assed copy cats who can't innnooovvvaaattteee. Also they kill and eat children.

[Switchback666]

Originally Posted by Kev.LoveMac

For Mac, windows was and has been a ugly competitor who sometimes wears sporty clothes, trying to copy and imitate mac. But when users get along with it, windows takes off its clothes and emits notorious smells.

Sure buddy sooooooo ugly.....

[kaelell]

surprised at all the hate against WIndows 8, I've been a happy mac user for 5-6 years but recently sold my imac waiting for a refresh, Installed Windows 8 on an older work laptop and I've been pleasantly surprised so far, its slick and the information feeds are great.

so I havnt used it extensively but what are the main gripes against it aside from the ui (which I like) ?

[Sacird]

Originally Posted by Switchback666

Sure buddy sooooooo ugly.....

Parts of it are a little ugly to be honest. I mean manilla folders, and that Seattle Seahawk color scheme for certain windows... yeah..... no one outside Seattle should find green/blue mix....whatever it is, pretty. Icons kind of look crappy at times and sub menus are meh.

Still say win7 looks good though not ugly.

Biggest issue with OSX on looks is the finder. All color removed from the sidebar is yuck.

Ubuntu looks nice actually, I like it's style pretty much all the way through from what I checked out.

[Kev.LoveMac]

Originally Posted by Renzatic

My opinion on the whole OSX/Windows debate is that, yeah, I'll admit, OSX is a little nicer looking and a bit more streamlined. It has a quite a few ease of use features that make using it that much nicer. But at the end of the day, I'm doing the exact same things on one I am on the other without any real noticeable differences.

Why people get emotionally invested in the OS wars is one of those things I...just...can't wrap my head around. I mean they're tools that do stuff. Why someone would feel the need to go out and lie about problems that don't exist just to demagogue for another damn OS (of all things) is beyond me, and something I find incredibly stupid.

I use Makita drills because DeWalt are a bunch of half assed copy cats who can't innnooovvvaaattteee. Also they kill and eat children.

What I mean "ugly" is not about the looking. It is the kernel. It is disgusting that how Windows handles everything behind the screen.

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Originally Posted by Sacird

Parts of it are a little ugly to be honest. I mean manilla folders, and that Seattle Seahawk color scheme for certain windows... yeah..... no one outside Seattle should find green/blue mix....whatever it is, pretty. Icons kind of look crappy at times and sub menus are meh.

Still say win7 looks good though not ugly.

Biggest issue with OSX on looks is the finder. All color removed from the sidebar is yuck.

Ubuntu looks nice actually, I like it's style pretty much all the way through from what I checked out.

The kernel of Linux and that of OS X are way more stable and way more clean than windows.

[Renzatic]

Originally Posted by Kev.LoveMac

What I mean "ugly" is not about the looking. It is the kernel. It is disgusting that how Windows handles everything behind the screen.

The kernel of Linux and that of OS X are way more stable and way more clean than windows.

What's so ugly about it? It handles everything perfectly fine.

[Switchback666]

Originally Posted by Sacird

Parts of it are a little ugly to be honest. I mean manilla folders, and that Seattle Seahawk color scheme for certain windows... yeah..... no one outside Seattle should find green/blue mix....whatever it is, pretty. Icons kind of look crappy at times and sub menus are meh.

Still say win7 looks good though not ugly.

Biggest issue with OSX on looks is the finder. All color removed from the sidebar is yuck.

Ubuntu looks nice actually, I like it's style pretty much all the way through from what I checked out.

I know what you mean mate i was just joking around BUT i consider these days (windows 7) performs better than osx, they are going waaaayy to eye candy cant get in my head way they replaced things like SL expose

Anyway thats just my opinion

[Sacird]

Originally Posted by Kev.LoveMac

The kernel of Linux and that of OS X are way more stable and way more clean than windows.

I am no expert on how those things work, and damn proud I am not) only so much nerd I can go. But I am sure Windows has a much more bloated kernel than Linux or OSX since they support legacy at times a shade too much to me. Either way if I had a project and was given OSX or Windows to do it on I would get it done exactly the same with more than likely minimal hiccups.

Originally Posted by Switchback666

I know what you mean mate i was just joking around BUT i consider these days (windows 7) performs better than osx, they are going waaaayy to eye candy cant get in my head way they replaced things like SL expose

Anyway thats just my opinion

I wasn't really calling you out or anything matey. Just used your post to say MS really should have prettied up a couple things within the OS over the years. Some of the looks are kind of meh. I feel OSX reached it pinnacle in the looks dept. at Leopard and since the Lion days it has gotten a tad worse. I would give the purty mouth to OSX still.

I might have to get use to those manilla folders and Seattle Seahawk colors though, for me and my preferences it's becoming hard to say no to the specs other devices have over Apple ones. I just look at what I could have got for 1200 (actually 1000 on a deal) for my MBP on the Windows side and I get mad jelly. Same thing with phones and tablets, my only justification for Apple stuff is that it looks pretty. LMFAO..

I will add in lack of malware to a degree I don't even really think of it, and it is relatively smooth in it's operation as well.

I never had issues with Windows so I dont hate it like some. Besides Windows ME, I still feel scarred on that one. Double frowny.

[LagunaSol]

Originally Posted by Kev.LoveMac

For Mac, windows was and has been a ugly competitor who sometimes wears sporty clothes, trying to copy and imitate mac. But when users get along with it, windows takes off its clothes and emits notorious smells.

LOL!

You might call Windows the equivalent of the big "reveal" scene in the movie The Crying Game.

[Renzatic]

Originally Posted by Sacird

I am no expert on how those things work, and damn proud I am not) only so much nerd I can go. But I am sure Windows has a much more bloated kernel than Linux or OSX since they support legacy at times a shade too much to me. Either way if I had a project and was given OSX or Windows to do it on I would get it done exactly the same with more than likely minimal hiccups.

Actually, legacy support would be the APIs layered on top of the kernel. The kernel itself is just the lowest level abstraction layer between the hardware in your computer, and software using it. It's incredibly tiny.

To give you an example of how tiny, MS has a version of Windows floating around behind the scenes called MinWin that had all legacy support taken out of it, only supporting the bare basics needed to get a windows environment up and running. It was only 25MB. The actual Windows kernel itself is only 2MB.

AND I? I AM A NEEERRRRDDD!

[intz2nu]

with regards to the OP it seems as if he maybe didn't build a well off Win machine to be having such problems he mentions in earlier posts. Because of a PC machine not being built properly you should not look and or think of Win being faulty in many ways, especially to say the least with regards to blue screens. Pretty much ALL Win folks haven't seen or had it for years. So honestly with regards to Win making you think of an iMac it is probably because of your not so well built Win machine as pre-built or BTO Win machines would most likely NEVER have the problems you are having with your custom built PC Box.

[Sacird]

Originally Posted by Renzatic

Actually, legacy support would be the APIs layered on top of the kernel. The kernel itself is just the lowest level abstraction layer between the hardware in your computer, and software using it. It's incredibly tiny.

To give you an example of how tiny, MS has a version of Windows floating around behind the scenes called MinWin that had all legacy support taken out of it, only supporting the bare basics needed to get a windows environment up and running. It was only 25MB. The actual Windows kernel itself is only 2MB.

AND I? I AM A NEEERRRRDDD!

You NERD!!!! GEEK!!!!

As I said I wasn't sure about the kernel so I avoided saying that was a fact. Interesting to know though, thanks for the info. Now you're making me moar nerd!

Little lost on the MinWin thing if it was the kernel or not, dont tell me though, I will be wearing a pocket protector if you do.

[Tri-stan]

Originally Posted by intz2nu

with regards to the OP it seems as if he maybe didn't build a well off Win machine to be having such problems he mentions in earlier posts. Because of a PC machine not being built properly you should not look and or think of Win being faulty in many ways, especially to say the least with regards to blue screens. Pretty much ALL Win folks haven't seen or had it for years. So honestly with regards to Win making you think of an iMac it is probably because of your not so well built Win machine as pre-built or BTO Win machines would most likely NEVER have the problems you are having with your custom built PC Box.

It was the OCZ ssd firmware that was at fault, since being updated to the most recent release all of the errors in event viewer have gone and the computer is stable. Buying new hardware you should not have to start messing around with its firmware after the system is built. It was annoying pinning down the route cause and took quite a few hours out of my life.

It is just all of the niggly bits in windows that I have began to hate, and the fact it has not changed much since win 95. It still has the same functions that it did from day one. I have moved on but windows has not. Windows 8 is not a solution for desktop pc's.

[Renzatic]

Originally Posted by Sacird

Little lost on the MinWin thing if it was the kernel or not, dont tell me though, I will be wearing a pocket protector if you do.

You're on a Mac messageboard, in a thread arguing about Windows vs. OSX. You might not realize it, but you. Are. A. NEEERRRDDDD!

Buy two pocket protectors and the Firefly boxset, it's time you accept your inner dungeonmaster. :P

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Originally Posted by Tri-stan

It is just all of the niggly bits in windows that I have began to hate, and the fact it has not changed much since win 95. It still has the same functions that it did from day one. I have moved on but windows has not. Windows 8 is not a solution for desktop pc's.

I hope you don't buy a Mac Pro and try to put a graphics card in it. You'll freak out when you have to flash the bios.

That isn't really a Windows issue so much as a hardware conflict that you've since resolved. That's the price you pay for a DIY computer. It sucks you had to go through with it, sure, but hell...it happens sometimes

[Sacird]

Originally Posted by Renzatic

You're on a Mac messageboard, in a thread arguing about Windows vs. OSX. You might not realize it, but you. Are. A. NEEERRRDDDD!

Buy two pocket protectors and the Firefly boxset, it's time you accept your inner dungeonmaster. :P[COLOR="#808080"]

LMFAO you crack me up man. I know I am a nerd it is actually accepted. I just tease on occasion with that terminology. We'll totally play D&D together, or go to brokeback mountain.... wait wrong one....

Serious note: I wonder why MS hasn't enabled a built in dictionary and spell/grammar checker like OSX yet? I do really dig the gesture (three finger tap) to look up a word on my macbook. Those little touches are nice to me.

[Renzatic]

Originally Posted by Sacird

or go to brokeback mountain...

...well...as long as I get a nice dinner out of it, and don't have to make eye contact...

[Mr. McMac]

Build your own PC with Windows 7. Much easier to repair if needed, parts are cheap, etc, etc. I've been building them for years. As a matter of fact, I've had more hardware problems with Macs than I've ever had with PC's.

[Sacird]

Originally Posted by Renzatic

...well...as long as I get a nice dinner out of it, and don't have to make eye contact...

No, nothing like that.

People dont do that anymore anyway, they are too busy checking their phones and tablets for updates and whatnot. I still suggest all the guys here do the south park thing and get in a big man pile in front of 1 infinite loop till we get machines and choice we have asked for. They may cave.

OP: I wouldn't rule out trying a build. Get it all from Amazon and after 3 weeks if you dont like it or if its sketchy just send it all back. Of course Windows isn't refundable, but could be worth a shot if you don't mind either OS. I got something sitting there currently for about $900 that is quite solid and I can add stuff to it as I go. Just debating currently if I want to step back into Windows world and leave Macland.

The XPS 8500 which is a fine machine currently is going for $700 with an i7 and mid range GPU. Also even saw an ultrasharp 2560x1440 for $650. With USB 3.0 an actual usable port unlike thunderbolt.

[Prawnstar69]

i would go for iMac, its the best and it lasts longer

im using an iMac for around 6 years now.. didnt get any problems