I am looking to replace my aging Windows XP desktop that I built in 2005. The PC includes a 22" LCD bought in 2007 and an AMD Athlon64-2800+ CPU with 2GB of RAM. I am contemplating a switch to a Mac from PC/Windows. What Mac should I purchase and use for the next 5 years?
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from PC to Mac . . . .
- Thread starter riviera74
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Welcome to Macrumors.
Your question is too broad. What are you going to be using this new computer for?
Your question is too broad. What are you going to be using this new computer for?
I will be using it for iTunes, web browsing, email, writing documents, listening to music and watching videos. . . . things like that. I might get into photo or video editing one day.
The reason I ask is rather simple. In several cases, my current PC is either too slow or runs into errors that are increasingly annoying after all these years. Upgrading is almost impossible unless I replace the whole PC at this point.
The reason I ask is rather simple. In several cases, my current PC is either too slow or runs into errors that are increasingly annoying after all these years. Upgrading is almost impossible unless I replace the whole PC at this point.
I would buy as nice of a machine that your budget can justify. Don't overlook Apple refurbs either since they are like new with the same warranty.
The reason I suggest that is because if you are anything like me you'll utilize any extra horsepower the computer has. I bought an iMac with the same needs as you now I find myself doing things I never would have seen myself doing and wish it was more powerful.
The reason I suggest that is because if you are anything like me you'll utilize any extra horsepower the computer has. I bought an iMac with the same needs as you now I find myself doing things I never would have seen myself doing and wish it was more powerful.
Any Mac will do that.
Pick the form factor you want (desktop/portable), then pick the screen size you want and how much storage you require.
If you're just wanting to dip your toes into the mac ecosystem for minimal outlay, consider a Mac Mini, and use your existing PC monitor, mouse and keyboard to see if you like the OS.
Best advice right here. Only thing I should mention is if it doesn't work out, at least you know you Mac will retain its resell value fairly well.
If I may, I would go a bit further suggesting a Mac Mini late 2012 (refurb). You would then have a lot of options for improvement if needed, and a good cost/benefit value.
I just checked apple.com and there are NO refurbished Mac Mini models for sale. There are a lot of 2013 and 2014 iMacs available. Currently, I am NOT looking for a notebook at this time.
How savvy are you with repairs and tinkering?
I would say get a Mac Pro from 2008-2012 off of craigslist or Ebay.
Set a limit of 500 for a 4 core and 800 for an 8 core.
Then you can use your old peripherals and also have plenty of upgrade room (literally and figuratively.)
You can set up a drive/partition with your Win XP on it if you so desire. (The number of hoops to jump through depends on the age of the Mac Pro.)
The only thing you will probably never have with this route is Thunderbolt. Unless you already have one Apples TB Displays, I do not think it will matter.
If that seems dramatic, I would 3rd the Mac Mini option. You can find a Core i5 one for ~500.
I would say get a Mac Pro from 2008-2012 off of craigslist or Ebay.
Set a limit of 500 for a 4 core and 800 for an 8 core.
Then you can use your old peripherals and also have plenty of upgrade room (literally and figuratively.)
You can set up a drive/partition with your Win XP on it if you so desire. (The number of hoops to jump through depends on the age of the Mac Pro.)
The only thing you will probably never have with this route is Thunderbolt. Unless you already have one Apples TB Displays, I do not think it will matter.
If that seems dramatic, I would 3rd the Mac Mini option. You can find a Core i5 one for ~500.
I was a full blown Windows person who could not see the point of paying the premium for a Mac. Then Microsoft brought out Windows 8 and I needed a new computer and could not see with that OS.
I started off with a 2012 mac mini that I got refurb about a year ago just before they replaced the line. I now have an iMac 27".
riviera74... you need to define a few things better for yourself.
1. is there any applications that you currently use on your windows machine that you must have on your mac? These are specific programs for example: Corel Video Studio is a windows only application. If you need to run this on your new mac then you will need to use additional software or setup to get it to run.
2. is there specific other hardware such as printers that you want to get to work with your computer.. (driver issues) Also you said you have a monitor. But depending on what sort of connector that monitor has, you may need a special adaptor to get it to work. (ie VGA to hdmi converter... or DVI to HDMI)
3. space requirements. You have a monitor that attached to your old pc. It might be able to attach to the new mac. But you can if your monitor works, connect it to an iMac so you have two displays.
4. Are you trying to play games?
I had my doubts about converting to a mac. I will admit that I do have a windows laptop that has not turned on for the past 4 months. I just use the mac and have converted over to new mac software for the programs that I used before.
I started off with a 2012 mac mini that I got refurb about a year ago just before they replaced the line. I now have an iMac 27".
riviera74... you need to define a few things better for yourself.
1. is there any applications that you currently use on your windows machine that you must have on your mac? These are specific programs for example: Corel Video Studio is a windows only application. If you need to run this on your new mac then you will need to use additional software or setup to get it to run.
2. is there specific other hardware such as printers that you want to get to work with your computer.. (driver issues) Also you said you have a monitor. But depending on what sort of connector that monitor has, you may need a special adaptor to get it to work. (ie VGA to hdmi converter... or DVI to HDMI)
3. space requirements. You have a monitor that attached to your old pc. It might be able to attach to the new mac. But you can if your monitor works, connect it to an iMac so you have two displays.
4. Are you trying to play games?
I had my doubts about converting to a mac. I will admit that I do have a windows laptop that has not turned on for the past 4 months. I just use the mac and have converted over to new mac software for the programs that I used before.
iMac is a pretty good choice with the exception of the current base model. That particular model is basically a slowed down Mac Air laptop disguised as an iMac.
If you do decide to get an iMac I would definitely choose one with the Fusion Drive to provide a good experience with some future proofing.
However, as others have said, since you have a monitor etc. you could do worse than the Mini.
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in my opinion, the Mac Mini is a shoddy waste of money in it's current configuration. The 2012 version has some saving grace in the memory was upgradable and the base processor was half decent. The current 1.4Ghz intel cpu is just simply slow for the price that you are paying for it. Tag that along with 4gb of ram that you can't upgrade and you might as well flush your $500 down the toilet. Spring for the extra $200 and at least get the 2.6 with 8gb ram.
That all said. I would suggest that you simply wait until september. WHY. It is coming, the 21" most likely, 4K iMac.
I bought the 5K simply for the screen. It is GORGEOUS! Yes it was over 3K, but I spoilt myself. I know it's hard for many to pay that sort of money, but I simply love it.
I am guessing that the 4K iMac will be significantly cheeper and worth every penny for the screen. Get at least 8gb of memory and look into the fusion drive and you will be set for the next 5 years easily. I'd also recomend the apple care not really for the extra warranty, but the added advantage of being able to get Apple on the phone to help you every step and question you can imagine.
That all said. I would suggest that you simply wait until september. WHY. It is coming, the 21" most likely, 4K iMac.
I bought the 5K simply for the screen. It is GORGEOUS! Yes it was over 3K, but I spoilt myself. I know it's hard for many to pay that sort of money, but I simply love it.
I am guessing that the 4K iMac will be significantly cheeper and worth every penny for the screen. Get at least 8gb of memory and look into the fusion drive and you will be set for the next 5 years easily. I'd also recomend the apple care not really for the extra warranty, but the added advantage of being able to get Apple on the phone to help you every step and question you can imagine.
. The good news is if you Google "How do you XXXXX on a Mac?" the answer will come up pretty quickly. We switched a year ago and I love it.
[QUOTE="roadkill401, post: 21610907, member: 942409" It is coming, the 21" most likely, 4K iMac.[/QUOTE]
That's pure speculation.
That's pure speculation.
That's pure speculation.[/QUOTE]
Did you see the "most likely" part in his post?
I have been looking at the 27 inch iMac (refurbished) models with a Fusion drive (preferably 3TB) for a few months now. That is what I am aiming for, given budget constraints. I have NO software that I currently use that is Windows only and I currently do not play games at this time. (If I do, I can use Win 8.1 in a VM, or find a Mac alternative.)
While waiting for a 21 inch 4K iMac sounds nice, I would personally prefer the 27 inch iMac given that I already have a 22 inch monitor that I would sell once I replace it with a Mac.
While waiting for a 21 inch 4K iMac sounds nice, I would personally prefer the 27 inch iMac given that I already have a 22 inch monitor that I would sell once I replace it with a Mac.
Honestly mate buy whatever you wish your use case can be performed adequetely with an ipad so anything you buy will be absolutely fine, take a look at the refurb 5K if you really want to treat yourself they aren't that much more than the normal 27 inch.
OP:
If your investigations into Mac lead you towards the Mini, DO NOT consider any Mini unless it is "at least" the midrange model with a 1tb fusion drive.
The "entry level" (base) model is too slow to be workable for many folks, but the midrange with a fusion drive is a very competent performer. It should do everything you mentioned above with ease, and it should work with your existing monitor, mouse and keyboard (assuming the mouse and keyboard are USB).
If your investigations into Mac lead you towards the Mini, DO NOT consider any Mini unless it is "at least" the midrange model with a 1tb fusion drive.
The "entry level" (base) model is too slow to be workable for many folks, but the midrange with a fusion drive is a very competent performer. It should do everything you mentioned above with ease, and it should work with your existing monitor, mouse and keyboard (assuming the mouse and keyboard are USB).
Any Mac will do the first part well. Apple does not offer any low-end computers. If by "video editing" you mean something simple then any Mac can do that but complex projects with lots of footage can require some high-end hardware.
Even the Macbook "Air" will do what you need now. Then if you ever do get into making movies, spend the big $$ on the proper equipment.
That's some advice I'd recommend being careful at suggesting in future. The base Mac Mini has a 5400rpm HDD and a 1.4GHz mobile i5 processor, with 4GB of soldered RAM. It doesn't run well. The non-Retina MacBook Pro hasn't been updated since 2012. It doesn't run well. The 1.4GHz iMac isn't running too smoothly either.
OP, if you can afford it, go with something with Flash storage. That's any MacBook Air, or any Retina MacBook Pro. If you're looking for a desktop then go for Fusion drive at the minimum.
If you're simply looking to dip your heels into the ecosystem then it may be best to get a Mac Mini as others have suggested. However due to the RAM limitation and the slow hard-drive, you're really not going to get an experience synonymous with other high-end Apple computers.
If you're looking to get something that will last you 5+ years, an SSD is an absolute must-have.
I found the 27" iMac to be the best compromise for me in terms of price/performance: love the screen, and upgraded the RAM a year or so ago to 20GB. One of your original comments is wanting to keep it 5 years - my iMac is now 6 years old, and is running the latest OS version with no issues (it's a quad-core i5 CPU). Like others, I use VMware or Parallels to run the odd bits of Windows software I need - the extra RAM proved to be a big help in that regard, so I'd recommend getting a 16GB system initially. While I don't have a Fusion drive, I don't find I want it or need it. And I have several external hard drives for all the "stuff" I've accumulated.
And this is the 2nd iMac I bought refurb'd . . . there seem to be more of these available.
Hope this helps . . .
First, a 500$ Mac Mini IS a low end machine.
Second, WTF are you people doing that ANY Core i5 or above runs "poor"?
Other than controlling bloat in OSes, current CPUs are way more than 90% of the users need.
I think, even for 5 years, he would be overspending with some of what is being recommended.
Get a Mac Mini with user serviceable HD and RAM. Top it out in RAM (only since it is so cheap) and put an SSD in as OS/App drive with a 3-5 year warranty. Then the only thing to worry about is the single cooling fan. When that stops, that can be a cheap and easy fix. Use whatever KB, Mouse, display and audio you want. If you can find a good deal on an Apple 24 inch LED display, you can knock out 2 of those.
Second, WTF are you people doing that ANY Core i5 or above runs "poor"?
Other than controlling bloat in OSes, current CPUs are way more than 90% of the users need.
I think, even for 5 years, he would be overspending with some of what is being recommended.
Get a Mac Mini with user serviceable HD and RAM. Top it out in RAM (only since it is so cheap) and put an SSD in as OS/App drive with a 3-5 year warranty. Then the only thing to worry about is the single cooling fan. When that stops, that can be a cheap and easy fix. Use whatever KB, Mouse, display and audio you want. If you can find a good deal on an Apple 24 inch LED display, you can knock out 2 of those.
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