Popular Science had an amusing review in it's latest issue. They compare two digital hub computers ; an $1800 iMac and a $3400 Sony. They gave star rating to various capabilities of the two computers and tallied the points. The Sony got 42 points and the iMac got 40 points. Isn't it funny that a Sony that markets for $3400 only has a slight edge over the iMac?
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Amusing iMac Review
- Thread starter Durandal7
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Re: Amusing iMac Review
I'll by 2 Popular Science points for $1600! Pretty strange. Is the review online anywhere? I might have to go to a magazine shop and look it up.
I'll by 2 Popular Science points for $1600! Pretty strange. Is the review online anywhere? I might have to go to a magazine shop and look it up.
haha
i just find it hard to believe it's better/easier to make a video (edit) on the pc...
although i'd HOPE it would be given the price difference.
for all that price difference you could buy some speakers and make up the difference in "listening to music" quality and probably several other tiny add ons that'd swing things totally to imac's favor..
though, my parents just got one and my brother was setting it up for them and os x crashed several times, very badly... i think it has at least 256 ram so just running x with nothing else too big shouldn't have caused that... hmm
i just find it hard to believe it's better/easier to make a video (edit) on the pc...
although i'd HOPE it would be given the price difference.
for all that price difference you could buy some speakers and make up the difference in "listening to music" quality and probably several other tiny add ons that'd swing things totally to imac's favor..
though, my parents just got one and my brother was setting it up for them and os x crashed several times, very badly... i think it has at least 256 ram so just running x with nothing else too big shouldn't have caused that... hmm
I can see their rating on Touching up Photos but on Organizing Photos?? I thought iPhoto would have an edge against the Sony. Maybe Sony is an advertiser and they thought it would be embarassing if the iMac beat it. I'd like to see a G4 tower go up against that Sony.
Weird
As others have said, I'm really surprised that Apple didn't win out in the video editing and photo organization. Most other publications have ranked the tools Apple provides as more useful/capable.
Also, listening to music?!?!?!?! What the heck? iTunes couldn't get any easier. Plus with the EQ added, most people have no complaints with it at all. Maybe they judged the sound quality of the system??
I'm also a little surprised about watching movies. I'd guess this is because Real isn't available or something. It can't be for ease of playing a video...
1. double-click video
2. hit play
Even browser integration is there.
I'm mean, its easier than following the instructions on the back of a pack of Pop Tarts. Toasters are tricky
Matthew
As others have said, I'm really surprised that Apple didn't win out in the video editing and photo organization. Most other publications have ranked the tools Apple provides as more useful/capable.
Also, listening to music?!?!?!?! What the heck? iTunes couldn't get any easier. Plus with the EQ added, most people have no complaints with it at all. Maybe they judged the sound quality of the system??
I'm also a little surprised about watching movies. I'd guess this is because Real isn't available or something. It can't be for ease of playing a video...
1. double-click video
2. hit play
Even browser integration is there.
I'm mean, its easier than following the instructions on the back of a pack of Pop Tarts. Toasters are tricky
Matthew
Who cares?
It's Popular Science magazine...
You know, the same magazine that old timers like me used to read after our father's were finished with them where every other issues' cover showed a "flying car - coming soon!" or "buy the amazing saucer house" and had ads in the back enticing no-life morons to join "The Rosecrutions" and to send for plans to "build your own personal hovercraft using your gas powered lawnmower."
I'm surprised that any of the geeks that run that thin rag even knew Macs existed.
Dust bin. Rant complete.
It's Popular Science magazine...
You know, the same magazine that old timers like me used to read after our father's were finished with them where every other issues' cover showed a "flying car - coming soon!" or "buy the amazing saucer house" and had ads in the back enticing no-life morons to join "The Rosecrutions" and to send for plans to "build your own personal hovercraft using your gas powered lawnmower."
I'm surprised that any of the geeks that run that thin rag even knew Macs existed.
Dust bin. Rant complete.
Re: Who cares?
I suppose so Its not like its in an a time or something
Who reads that crap anyway
Originally posted by voicegy
It's Popular Science magazine...
You know, the same magazine that old timers like me used to read after our father's were finished with them where every other issues' cover showed a "flying car - coming soon!" or "buy the amazing saucer house" and had ads in the back enticing no-life morons to join "The Rosecrutions" and to send for plans to "build your own personal hovercraft using your gas powered lawnmower."
I'm surprised that any of the geeks that run that thin rag even knew Macs existed.
Dust bin. Rant complete.
I suppose so Its not like its in an a time or something
Who reads that crap anyway
Well.......their website says it all.
There are so many flash Dell and P4 adds that the page keeps going blank.
Not to mention that their site conveniently does not include that article...though it does show it amongst the things in the current issue.
There are so many flash Dell and P4 adds that the page keeps going blank.
Not to mention that their site conveniently does not include that article...though it does show it amongst the things in the current issue.
Watching movies
On place I still think PC's have an advantage is the ease and cost of getting digital multitrack audio for movies into a receiver. Not that the iMac can't, but the there is a lack of consumer level audio adaptors for the Mac that can do this right now. Anyone know of one that works via firewire that I could use on a new TiBook? I would love to get a digital audio out on one once the new machines come out and I upgrade!
On place I still think PC's have an advantage is the ease and cost of getting digital multitrack audio for movies into a receiver. Not that the iMac can't, but the there is a lack of consumer level audio adaptors for the Mac that can do this right now. Anyone know of one that works via firewire that I could use on a new TiBook? I would love to get a digital audio out on one once the new machines come out and I upgrade!
You guys are judging something you don't even know. Let me explain.
When you're saying, "the iMac should have been netter at photo organization or home editing", what do you mean ? Better than what ? Have you actually researched to find what software was included on this Sony computer ? What's the point of saying iPhoto does a better job if you don't even know what it competes against ? Not all Windows software is bad, so why can't you seem to think that maybe, the Sony comes with useful ones? Not only that, but have you actually tried Sony software (and 3rd party software included)? to be honest, I haven't. But that's why I'm not going to say that it sucks or that it's not as good as Apple's.
Also, you do not question anything when the iMac is judged by the author of the article better than the Sony, but you comment on almost every good grades awarded to the Sony. Funny, isn't it?
Anyway... I did the research and came out with intersesting info.
On Sony site I found not the computer they're talking about, but one called MXS20. Must be the new one, since it is the same price as the MSX10.
As in any Sony computer, you get a bunch of Sony software, for picture and video management, and this one also includes Photoshop Elements, which may explain why it was well rated when it comes to photo management and touching up. That and the memorystick slot which makes it simple to use sony cameras.
For the audio part, Sony includes a MD recorder, a FM receiver, and a set of "two-way wood-enclosed" speaker. I wouldn't be surprised if they sounded better than the iMac's Harman Kardon. And it also has S/P DIF inputs/outputs.
As for video editing, included is Premiere LE, which provides more functionnalities than iMovie which, on the other hand, is more simple. I guess the number of points you give this category depends on what you think is more important. Also, the Sony also supports TV input and analog input, which makes it even more like a digital hub than the iMac. You can actually turn it to a digital VCR and record TV shows on a DVD.
Oh, and when it comes to watching a video, I just wanted to point out that any PC work as Taft decribed it : double click, and hit play. Actually not, it starts automatically. And browser integration is there, too.
As for the specs (keep in mind that the one that's on Sony site is not the one discussed in the article), it's a P4 2 Ghz, 512 Mb DDR Ram, 120 GB HD. Not bad.
Finally, I'd say we don't know much about the article, except for the results. No word on how they were tested... And it is, IMHO, not enough to draw conclusions such as 1600 $ (btw, 1500 $ now) will only get you two points... that would not take into account MD recorder etc...
When you're saying, "the iMac should have been netter at photo organization or home editing", what do you mean ? Better than what ? Have you actually researched to find what software was included on this Sony computer ? What's the point of saying iPhoto does a better job if you don't even know what it competes against ? Not all Windows software is bad, so why can't you seem to think that maybe, the Sony comes with useful ones? Not only that, but have you actually tried Sony software (and 3rd party software included)? to be honest, I haven't. But that's why I'm not going to say that it sucks or that it's not as good as Apple's.
Also, you do not question anything when the iMac is judged by the author of the article better than the Sony, but you comment on almost every good grades awarded to the Sony. Funny, isn't it?
Anyway... I did the research and came out with intersesting info.
On Sony site I found not the computer they're talking about, but one called MXS20. Must be the new one, since it is the same price as the MSX10.
As in any Sony computer, you get a bunch of Sony software, for picture and video management, and this one also includes Photoshop Elements, which may explain why it was well rated when it comes to photo management and touching up. That and the memorystick slot which makes it simple to use sony cameras.
For the audio part, Sony includes a MD recorder, a FM receiver, and a set of "two-way wood-enclosed" speaker. I wouldn't be surprised if they sounded better than the iMac's Harman Kardon. And it also has S/P DIF inputs/outputs.
As for video editing, included is Premiere LE, which provides more functionnalities than iMovie which, on the other hand, is more simple. I guess the number of points you give this category depends on what you think is more important. Also, the Sony also supports TV input and analog input, which makes it even more like a digital hub than the iMac. You can actually turn it to a digital VCR and record TV shows on a DVD.
Oh, and when it comes to watching a video, I just wanted to point out that any PC work as Taft decribed it : double click, and hit play. Actually not, it starts automatically. And browser integration is there, too.
As for the specs (keep in mind that the one that's on Sony site is not the one discussed in the article), it's a P4 2 Ghz, 512 Mb DDR Ram, 120 GB HD. Not bad.
Finally, I'd say we don't know much about the article, except for the results. No word on how they were tested... And it is, IMHO, not enough to draw conclusions such as 1600 $ (btw, 1500 $ now) will only get you two points... that would not take into account MD recorder etc...
Originally posted by Bobd
Also, you do not question anything when the iMac is judged by the author of the article better than the Sony, but you comment on almost every good grades awarded to the Sony. Funny, isn't it?
How can this kind of pro-Mac behavior occur on this site? Crazy, I tells ya!!!
You're right, we don't question when the iMac got rated higher. But like you said, the results didn't give explanations. My comments were just my projections for how they judged, interlaced with my own opinions.
I think the one thing we forgot was that the Sony wasn't a consumer machine. Consequently it had a lot of software that doesn't normally come on consumer level machine. I mean Premier LE is close to a scaled down version of Final Cut Pro...much higher level than iMovie. And as I conjectured, the sound system on the Sony was much better. Thoughh I'm not sure if I'd consider a MD recorder that much of an asset
.But of course our opinion is a bit tainted. Your on a dang Mac site. You gotta admit we're better than some of the sites out there.
Matthew
Hey, give that machine MacOS X, and I'll forget every Mac out there... yeah, I love Apple like all of us, and I do think Macs are better... but if you're not a pro who needs the power of the G4, I don't think a G4 system for the same price could beat that Sony PC! Think about it: you don't need a stereo, no TV equipment; you got the a perfect digital hub! But as I already mentioned: that's no good with windows. I see why Apple will never develop OSX for PCs: they certainly wouldn't sell any hardware anymore. The Sony system is just great, but too expensive for me anyways. So I'll keep flirting with a new iMac 'til I got some money (being a student is not easy...)
If you didn't see it: http://www.sonystyle.com/vaio/mx/index.shtml
If you didn't see it: http://www.sonystyle.com/vaio/mx/index.shtml