I'm like 90% done with macs, I still have an imac, but its been unplugged for a few months now. I have used that in the past to back up my family's iPhones, that's about it.
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Flip Flopping between macOS and Windows
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No iPhones here (except my wife's phone which does not count 
). I tried at least 3 times to live with an iphone but it never worked out, I simply cannot live with iOS.
I was completely Mac-less for around a year, and a happy camper in windows land I may say.
To be honest, I am not able to offer, even to myself, any kind of remotely rational explanation for buying this MacBook.
I do have and use another 3 laptops not counting the Surface Go (one at home, one for office related tasks and one backup).
Plus, I have 2 desktop computers, a HEDT based on AMD Threadripper 2950 and nVidia GTX 1080TI (my IT friends are telling me that they know no other lunatic lawyer using stuff like that in the office) and at home I have the Surface Studio 2.
Maybe I should visit a good psychiatrist ...
). I tried at least 3 times to live with an iphone but it never worked out, I simply cannot live with iOS.I was completely Mac-less for around a year, and a happy camper in windows land I may say.
To be honest, I am not able to offer, even to myself, any kind of remotely rational explanation for buying this MacBook.
I do have and use another 3 laptops not counting the Surface Go (one at home, one for office related tasks and one backup).
Plus, I have 2 desktop computers, a HEDT based on AMD Threadripper 2950 and nVidia GTX 1080TI (my IT friends are telling me that they know no other lunatic lawyer using stuff like that in the office) and at home I have the Surface Studio 2.
Maybe I should visit a good psychiatrist ...
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I find reading on Mac to be a lot more pleasant. Text rendering is just so nice. The apps have a refinement that you don't find elsewhere (some of them).
That said... getting work done? Windows. I got tired of running Parallels and built myself a $1300 AMD Ryzen 3600x screamer with 64GB of ram and 4TB of super fast SSD storage. Yeah, talk about getting work done. Editing massive Excel documents, dealing with hundreds of thousands of code files, ... and I can actually game.
There is a nice refinement to my MBP... if I may be so bold as to bring out a terrible car analogy. My MBP is a nice pricey car that looks good but my desktop is a C8 Corvette that I could drive daily and take to the track whenever I wanted.
iCloud's limitations just astound me. It's 2020... so OneDrive has my business there... though I still use iCloud for photos.
I grew up with Windows, used it for most of my life, work with it every day. So I may be a bit biased... but... Windows works well.
So I've settled for both and ... I spend most of my time in the C8 Corvette, especially now that I work at home.
That said... getting work done? Windows. I got tired of running Parallels and built myself a $1300 AMD Ryzen 3600x screamer with 64GB of ram and 4TB of super fast SSD storage. Yeah, talk about getting work done. Editing massive Excel documents, dealing with hundreds of thousands of code files, ... and I can actually game.
There is a nice refinement to my MBP... if I may be so bold as to bring out a terrible car analogy. My MBP is a nice pricey car that looks good but my desktop is a C8 Corvette that I could drive daily and take to the track whenever I wanted.
iCloud's limitations just astound me. It's 2020... so OneDrive has my business there... though I still use iCloud for photos.
I grew up with Windows, used it for most of my life, work with it every day. So I may be a bit biased... but... Windows works well.
So I've settled for both and ... I spend most of my time in the C8 Corvette, especially now that I work at home.
For what I do, I prefer windows text rendering in many cases. For instance, using Apple mail, the text on an email is just too small, its not an iMac issue or a MBP problem, no matter what mac the text is smaller then on windows. Likewise with Excel, I typically have to set the zoom rate for excel to be 150% and that's using 12pt fonts on my spreadsheets.
I don't disagree that text rendering on the mac can look nice, but given what I use its a struggle. Other apps like Gotomypc, is set up such a way that window controls and tabs take up so much usable space that it impacts my using it. That's not a problem on the windows side ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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I used to refuse to use anything but retina (hidpi) because of how good text and UI looked. However, I actually really like how sharp things look on a 1440p monitor in Windows.
I'm still struggling with my next move after the watercooled PC. The biggest issue I have is speccing a PC that doesn't play games, because naturally the gaming hardware is so damn sexy. I want to get a 34" ultrawide I'm just drawn to high refresh monitors too which are expensive for a decent one (£900+). Im not sure I can go back to 60hz but also can't stomach the price of the gaming ultrawides.
I'm still struggling with my next move after the watercooled PC. The biggest issue I have is speccing a PC that doesn't play games, because naturally the gaming hardware is so damn sexy. I want to get a 34" ultrawide I'm just drawn to high refresh monitors too which are expensive for a decent one (£900+). Im not sure I can go back to 60hz but also can't stomach the price of the gaming ultrawides.
OK so for the monitor I've put a pre-order in on the Iiyama G-Master GB3461WQSU-B1, it looks to be a decent package for under 400GBP. Most places are bumping the prices already closer to 500 as well.
It ticks all the boxes from a spec perspective, just need to cross fingers that the QC is good, otherwise it will be returned.
www.overclockers.co.uk
It ticks all the boxes from a spec perspective, just need to cross fingers that the QC is good, otherwise it will be returned.
Iiyama G-Master GB3461WQSU-B1 34" 3440x1440 IPS 144hz 1ms HDR Freesync Ultrawide Gaming Monitor
G-Master GB3461WQSU-B1 34" 21:9 Ultra Wide IPS 144hz, 3440x1440, 1ms , HDR, HDMI, Display Port, USB Hub Height Adjustable, Freesync Premium
I bought a monitor that looks exactly the same as the iMac display!! I’m so surprised. I’ve had an iMac for 12 years and bought a custom PC. I bought a monitor and the text looked so bad. I wanted a monitor with high ppi to have crisp text, and I bought the Planar IX2790. It’s amazing!! The text is so crisp and clear on windows. I feel like I’m running Windows on bootcamp.
I’m currently trying to install MacOS and I have an AMD cpu. Let’s see how that goes.
I’m currently trying to install MacOS and I have an AMD cpu. Let’s see how that goes.
OK so for the monitor I've put a pre-order in on the Iiyama G-Master GB3461WQSU-B1, it looks to be a decent package for under 400GBP. Most places are bumping the prices already closer to 500 as well.
It ticks all the boxes from a spec perspective, just need to cross fingers that the QC is good, otherwise it will be returned.
Iiyama G-Master GB3461WQSU-B1 34" 3440x1440 IPS 144hz 1ms HDR Freesync Ultrawide Gaming Monitor
G-Master GB3461WQSU-B1 34" 21:9 Ultra Wide IPS 144hz, 3440x1440, 1ms , HDR, HDMI, Display Port, USB Hub Height Adjustable, Freesync Premium
Great find - too bad that seems to be an EU-only model.
I never thought one could find one like that!! Hope it works out for you!
It's dispatched so should be here tomorrow now. There is a chance that the panel or QC are not up to scratch in which case back to the drawing board.
Unfortunately it seems Apple no longer make a model that suits me - a laptop with a large screen, but no need for tons of power. I could of course pay out for a 16" Pro, and I go back and forth on this, but it just seems such a terrible waste of money when I could otherwise get an Air or one of the cheaper 13" pros and get on fine. Considering you're talking at least £1,000 extra for the 16" over an Air or base Pro, that's the difference between getting a Mac and a new iPad or iPhone or just getting a Mac that's going to be utilised to maybe 10% of its potential.
This is really driving me towards a Windows alternative, though I think I would prefer to keep a toe in the Mac pond. At the moment I'm thinking of consolidating virtually all of my home use onto a 17" XPS (replacing old gaming laptop, Mac Home use/ phone backup machine, heavier browsing needs) plus a casual browsing iPad, and clearing my MBP out to just be a work machine until it becomes totally unusable, at which point I'll see what is on offer as far as replacing that goes.
There's no fun in the idea of new Macs, for me, at the moment. Just a lot of frustration with how limited the lineup's options are. Maybe Apple will fix this with new models to come this year or next, but it's been like this for a long time now and it seems intentional more than transitory. The new models look good if you want a 13" thin and light, or a powerful but sleek 16" workstation, but any other wants or needs are simply uncatered to.
This is really driving me towards a Windows alternative, though I think I would prefer to keep a toe in the Mac pond. At the moment I'm thinking of consolidating virtually all of my home use onto a 17" XPS (replacing old gaming laptop, Mac Home use/ phone backup machine, heavier browsing needs) plus a casual browsing iPad, and clearing my MBP out to just be a work machine until it becomes totally unusable, at which point I'll see what is on offer as far as replacing that goes.
There's no fun in the idea of new Macs, for me, at the moment. Just a lot of frustration with how limited the lineup's options are. Maybe Apple will fix this with new models to come this year or next, but it's been like this for a long time now and it seems intentional more than transitory. The new models look good if you want a 13" thin and light, or a powerful but sleek 16" workstation, but any other wants or needs are simply uncatered to.
That's the conclusion I found after I went through most the Apple PC hardware. What they offer is what you get and if that doesn't fit what you're looking for then what do you do. Windows opens up options vastly and personally I've found Windows really good.
But to be fair, 'Windows' options are made up of many OEMs. So of course there will be more options.
But sometimes even with all those options combined, one can't find their desired device. For example, if MBP 16 didn't come with touch bar, I would purchase one.
I'm using X1E. But I want a larger screen with 16:10. I also want Thinkpad build quality, with all ports that my X1E has. Only one OEM comes close, and that is Dell with their XPS lineup. But they are using tb3 ports only, just like Apple.
So, of course there will be more options on 'Windows' side, since there are many OEMs. But if you look at each OEM like an individual, you will soon find out that a lot of them are really similar to Apple.
Of course, having multiple OEMs is one of PC strengths. And that's why I personally don't see myself coming back to Apple anytime soon, if ever.
Indeed, just go to Razer, and you have very little options or choices. My take on it, is the manufacturers need to maximize profit but not at the expense of support costs. Having fewer models means less overhead throughout their supply chain and support. They're selling to the masses, not the individual.
I'm personally not worked up, but such a move made me move up to a higher spec'd model then I was prepared, I wanted a faster screen from razer, but that was only on their top spec'd model. Life is about compromises, if you need or want a specific component or configuration, you may need to compromise on something else, like spending more money
OK so for the monitor I've put a pre-order in on the Iiyama G-Master GB3461WQSU-B1, it looks to be a decent package for under 400GBP. Most places are bumping the prices already closer to 500 as well.
It ticks all the boxes from a spec perspective, just need to cross fingers that the QC is good, otherwise it will be returned.
Iiyama G-Master GB3461WQSU-B1 34" 3440x1440 IPS 144hz 1ms HDR Freesync Ultrawide Gaming Monitor
G-Master GB3461WQSU-B1 34" 21:9 Ultra Wide IPS 144hz, 3440x1440, 1ms , HDR, HDMI, Display Port, USB Hub Height Adjustable, Freesync Premium
The monitor was looking like a lemon with most people reporting some issues. Those few who didn't have issues were happy, but I'm not buying into the monitor now. I decided to stump up the big money for:
LG 34GN850 34" 3440x1440 NANO IPS 160Hz 1ms FreeSync/G-Sync
Cost 970GBP, but I shouldn't have any issues and it's feature set is strong.
I've also now put together the PC, all ordered. I know I'll be getting one of the new GPUs when they come out towards the end of the year so I had to fight myself not to buy a 2080 super. Instead I've gone for a 5700XT at 360GBP including a game bundle I can sell for 25, so total cost 335. I will sell this when I switch GPU but it should allow me to play some games until then even though the resolution is more demanding.
Some of my thinking on how I arrived at this build:
- It needs to be quiet, so I went overkill on the cooler and got some decent fans.
- I was considering waiting for B550, but the motherboard I chose is really good. I don't see any benefit of waiting for B550 boards.
- No RGB, all black.
- The Meshify C is getting old but is a really solid case, and quite compact for ATX.
- PSU and GPU both have zero fan modes when not under load, should help with silence.
- The 3600x should perform very well for Lightroom edits and gaming.
- I already have a 1TB ssd which will be added to the system.
Overall this is a much more sensible build that is easier to maintain than my previous full custom loop. Should be quieter on idel as well.
Here is the full spec.
Black Box v1
pcpartpicker.com
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So I was in the same boat as most of you. I started off with Windows as a little kid, and then in 2008 I bought myself an iMac and then an iMac Pro last year. I was getting bored with it and the software I wanted required a Nvidia GPU.
I decided to go back to a PC after 12 years! I found a good deal on a custom built PC, but the case was big. Specs were amazing, and I had a Dell monitor. I ended up selling all that because of the huge size and test was so bad.i bought the Planar display and I swear it has to be the same as the iMac! It looks amazing!!! It does have a back light problem in one corner, and Planar sent me a new one and it arrived today! Haven’t been able to try because I don’t have a PC.
I found out that I wanted a small and quiet computer. Decided to build my own! I’ve never done it, so I’m nervous. I was torn between the NZXT H1 and the Ncase M1. The H1 is sold out everywhere and I found someone selling the M1 locally. I ordered all of the parts except for the motherboard. I want a X570 ITX to go with the a 3950x and 2080 Ti. That motherboard is out of stock EVERYWHERE! I need a computer ASAP.
Someone is selling the same exact computer with the parts that I bought. I’ll probably buy it and return all the parts that I bought.
I’m very happy with the monitor, and that’s what I mostly missed about the iMac. I also miss texting from the computer with the messages app. Whatsapp isn’t very known in the US, so that’s not an option.
I decided to go back to a PC after 12 years! I found a good deal on a custom built PC, but the case was big. Specs were amazing, and I had a Dell monitor. I ended up selling all that because of the huge size and test was so bad.i bought the Planar display and I swear it has to be the same as the iMac! It looks amazing!!! It does have a back light problem in one corner, and Planar sent me a new one and it arrived today! Haven’t been able to try because I don’t have a PC.
I found out that I wanted a small and quiet computer. Decided to build my own! I’ve never done it, so I’m nervous. I was torn between the NZXT H1 and the Ncase M1. The H1 is sold out everywhere and I found someone selling the M1 locally. I ordered all of the parts except for the motherboard. I want a X570 ITX to go with the a 3950x and 2080 Ti. That motherboard is out of stock EVERYWHERE! I need a computer ASAP.
Someone is selling the same exact computer with the parts that I bought. I’ll probably buy it and return all the parts that I bought.
I’m very happy with the monitor, and that’s what I mostly missed about the iMac. I also miss texting from the computer with the messages app. Whatsapp isn’t very known in the US, so that’s not an option.
So I was in the same boat as most of you. I started off with Windows as a little kid, and then in 2008 I bought myself an iMac and then an iMac Pro last year. I was getting bored with it and the software I wanted required a Nvidia GPU.
I decided to go back to a PC after 12 years! I found a good deal on a custom built PC, but the case was big. Specs were amazing, and I had a Dell monitor. I ended up selling all that because of the huge size and test was so bad.i bought the Planar display and I swear it has to be the same as the iMac! It looks amazing!!! It does have a back light problem in one corner, and Planar sent me a new one and it arrived today! Haven’t been able to try because I don’t have a PC.
I found out that I wanted a small and quiet computer. Decided to build my own! I’ve never done it, so I’m nervous. I was torn between the NZXT H1 and the Ncase M1. The H1 is sold out everywhere and I found someone selling the M1 locally. I ordered all of the parts except for the motherboard. I want a X570 ITX to go with the a 3950x and 2080 Ti. That motherboard is out of stock EVERYWHERE! I need a computer ASAP.
Someone is selling the same exact computer with the parts that I bought. I’ll probably buy it and return all the parts that I bought.
I’m very happy with the monitor, and that’s what I mostly missed about the iMac. I also miss texting from the computer with the messages app. Whatsapp isn’t very known in the US, so that’s not an option.
I use Jump Desktop to my MacBook Pro from my Windows PC. Isn’t completely great but at least I can iMessage my wife and work contacts. Copy and paste works for text.
Microsoft should just rebadge Skype or come up with a consumer messaging program that runs on iOS, Android, Windows and Mac. Have SMS, MMS, RCS, audio and video conferencing built in. Something that works like Apple messenger but built in Facetime and runs on all platforms with notifications on all devices. It would be a good killer app for Win10 and Win10X.
They also need some good basic apps like Photos, Maps, Preview, iMovie etc. Would make a lot of people switching over from Mac more comfortable with their decision.
They also need some good basic apps like Photos, Maps, Preview, iMovie etc. Would make a lot of people switching over from Mac more comfortable with their decision.
These basic apps are really missing in Win10. I know you can find some good 3rd party apps, but if MS made their own, they would be integrated into whole Windows experience, and it would be way better than any 3rd party developer could offer.
Something like Preview is really needed.
The monitor was looking like a lemon with most people reporting some issues. Those few who didn't have issues were happy, but I'm not buying into the monitor now. I decided to stump up the big money for:
LG 34GN850 34" 3440x1440 NANO IPS 160Hz 1ms FreeSync/G-Sync
Cost 970GBP, but I shouldn't have any issues and it's feature set is strong.
I've also now put together the PC, all ordered. I know I'll be getting one of the new GPUs when they come out towards the end of the year so I had to fight myself not to buy a 2080 super. Instead I've gone for a 5700XT at 360GBP including a game bundle I can sell for 25, so total cost 335. I will sell this when I switch GPU but it should allow me to play some games until then even though the resolution is more demanding.
Some of my thinking on how I arrived at this build:
- It needs to be quiet, so I went overkill on the cooler and got some decent fans.
- I was considering waiting for B550, but the motherboard I chose is really good. I don't see any benefit of waiting for B550 boards.
- No RGB, all black.
- The Meshify C is getting old but is a really solid case, and quite compact for ATX.
- PSU and GPU both have zero fan modes when not under load, should help with silence.
- The 3600x should perform very well for Lightroom edits and gaming.
- I already have a 1TB ssd which will be added to the system.
Overall this is a much more sensible build that is easier to maintain than my previous full custom loop. Should be quieter on idel as well.
Here is the full spec.
Black Box v1
Unless you're going to be monster OCing that's way too many fans. Granted, after using a Mac desktop you might be accustomed to the noise under load but you could probably get away with two case fans if you're not overclocking.
At idle you can't hear the fans whether it's 2 or 6. Under load in games the GPU will kick out a lot of heat into the case and need a good supply of fresh air. Also noise isn't an issue under load, I'd rather have cool components when they are working hard.
Peripherals have reached endgame
Added a custom cable to the Hades 68 and swapped the mouse for the Razer Viper Ultimate wireless.
Really pleased!
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New setup is done.
The Kanto speakers have a new home, I wanted to move to an amp and passive speakers so I now have a Sabaj A3 amp/DAC and Q Acoustic 3010i setup, really good and they look stunning.
The monitor is an LG 4K (27UL650) because I spend most of the day looking at code/text/web/office.
Swapped the Razer Viper Ultimate for a Logitech G603, wanted something a little more palm and mega battery life.
I have plans for a new chair soon too.
New PC lives under the desk now.
3600x, B450 Tomahawk MAX, 16GB 3600 C16 RAM, Red Devil 5700XT, Meshify C and lots of Be Quiet! cooling.
I've been having a bit of a nightmare getting a decent monitor to pair with my desktop. I currently have 3 monitors at various stages of being returned. 165hz Lenovo gave me a headache, not sure why, so returned in cooling off period. Then decided to go with a 4K 27" but that had bad colour uniformity, one side of the screen was noticeably cooler. Lastly, the Pixio PX7 has a stuck green pixel.
It's getting tiring and I've lost all enjoyment and passion for this endeavour. During this process I have been trying to play a few games and it hasn't been enjoyable. I've started an Amazon return for the GPU and I've listed the rest of the PC forsale because I'm just fed up. I'm going to wait until WWDC and see if Apple gives me an option to come back.
I'm done with PC gaming, if I ever do decide to dip my toes into gaming again it will probably be a next gen console on my 55" LG C8 OLED.
It's getting tiring and I've lost all enjoyment and passion for this endeavour. During this process I have been trying to play a few games and it hasn't been enjoyable. I've started an Amazon return for the GPU and I've listed the rest of the PC forsale because I'm just fed up. I'm going to wait until WWDC and see if Apple gives me an option to come back.
I'm done with PC gaming, if I ever do decide to dip my toes into gaming again it will probably be a next gen console on my 55" LG C8 OLED.
I'm still on the fence to be honest. After I have calmed down a bit I do still currently prefer Windows, that I can say for sure. The hardware headaches of getting a machine just right is just putting a downer on the experience at the moment.
I have a couple choices I think.
1. Keep my PC and drop a cheaper GPU in e.g. 1660 Super with zero fan RPM mode. Then go for a Dell monitor and hope they have the QC nailed down. Still no plan to do gaming.
2. Continue with selling the PC and explore Windows laptops for my needs. I feel instantly hesitant with this option because it will likely bring the niggles and pains I found when buying OEM pre-built PCs. The VFM is also weaker vs a desktop but I am moving roles in the next 12 months which will see me working outside my home office.
3. See if the new iMac ticks the boxes.
I have a couple choices I think.
1. Keep my PC and drop a cheaper GPU in e.g. 1660 Super with zero fan RPM mode. Then go for a Dell monitor and hope they have the QC nailed down. Still no plan to do gaming.
2. Continue with selling the PC and explore Windows laptops for my needs. I feel instantly hesitant with this option because it will likely bring the niggles and pains I found when buying OEM pre-built PCs. The VFM is also weaker vs a desktop but I am moving roles in the next 12 months which will see me working outside my home office.
3. See if the new iMac ticks the boxes.
I would probably have agreed but now the future is firmly rooted in ARM I just can't, got to move to Windows fully now. Others will move to ARM eventually, Microsoft is already there but until it's mature it is not for me, not on desktop/laptop anyway.