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iMac or a Windows PC?

A

AGX

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 12, 2014
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3
Hi,

actually i have an iMac, but i'm evaluating to switch back to Windows... what do you suggest.

I started to use Mac 7 years ago, and now i think that it's a very very good platform with a very high reliability... but the cost?

The cost are very high and sadly i'm evaluation if there is solution to switch back to windows.

But the question is:

- actually i see that a Widnows PC of the same price of a Mac can be very very powerful and with a more powerful hardware... but what do you suggest? Do you suggest to continue with mac and don't watch only hardware specs?

Thanks
 
If you are looking to get an all-in-one Windows machine than the iMac is the better choice since you don't get any better hardware with the AIO Windows machine.
If you are willing to buy a regular tower PC and a monitor, then you will get better speced hardware for less money than an iMac.
 
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Maybe I just misread it or misunderstand you - but , if the cost is too high. Eh, what cost? You said you already own the iMac?
 
xmichaelp said:
Windows is garbage. Stick with Mac.
Click to expand...

While I prefer OS X myself, I use Windows 10 on my work laptop and it is very solid - a huge improvement over previous versions. For the first time in a long time I would not be unhappy if I used it at home.
 
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I also like Windows 10 a lot, but for a nice simple family home computer I believe the iMac (either size) is the best thing out there. You do pay for it, but never forget they last and last, and even when you are done with them they still have value.
 
I have an iMac but i'm evaluating if upgrade it, sometime it is sow, and i'm evaluating if turn back to windows with 10 or stay into Apple world.

With the same $$$ with a Windows Machine I can buy very high end hardware, but i'm evaluating if windows can be a solution for a mac user. I admit that in the last year i don't watch hardware spec, but only that my mac work very well... the same i think that with windows is impossible. (Only good hardware can move a windows machine)
 
Windows 10 is without a doubt the best OS that Microsoft has come out with yet, but it is still Windows and has many of the same problems. The biggest one is the lack of a decent software suite that you can use out of the box: the mail application is still horrible, the calendar application isn't much better, there is no word processor without having to pay, there is no messaging system etc etc. Now some of these you could get from Open Source, but a lot you would have to pay for, and you have the hassle of finding and installing them.

By contrast, a Mac comes with a very useful range of software preinstalled, which in many ways makes up for the extra cost. As you probably know, you can do a variety of useful work on a Mac within minutes of powering it up.

Apple and Microsoft take very different approaches when it comes to hardware: Microsoft don't care about making things efficient; Windows 10, although better is still bloated, and NEEDS powerful hardware to work properly on, and give a good user experience (this hasn't stopped manufacturers from producing lows spec computers where the experience is terrible). Compare that to Mac OS X, which is far more optimised, and doesn't need high spec hardware to run well.

The danger here is in thinking that better specs is going to mean a more powerful computer that you can do more with, when in most situations what really makes a computer powerful is the OS and software.
 
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The only time you need the "power" is gaming. I use both Windows and OSX machines at both top specs. Do I really need top specs? only Win machine, yes I do as I game heavily, do I need all that power on my OSX machine? I have no idea as it just does the job,browsing, email, etc. I have spent way more than my iMac value on my Win machine. I could have bought an Macbook Air on what I spent on my GPU alone lol
 
bhilibb said:
Agree to this.

We all know we can get better specs buying a Windows machine. You don't buy a Mac because of the hardware.
Click to expand...

I have been using OSX since MS put Vista out (the last straw). However, I do run Win 7 in a virtual machine as it has a couple of applications I cannot get on the Mac side.

OSX isn't more optimized, but a simpler operating system that actually does far less than Windows 7 and 10. This can be a very good thing but also as stated it is "less than." I still remain an OSX fan but some of the thoughts in this thread make me scratch my head.

OSX office suite - completely lackluster. It is good if you don't really need a suite. If you do need one, chances are you'll find the MS counterpart Office to be vastly superior. I happen to like OSX suite for unimportant things or personal things. When I do writing that goes to clients and businesses you can be sure it is done with MS Word and spreadsheets done with Excel etc.

Outlook vs OSX mail - I use OSX mail and find it quite usable and friendly sans the things I miss from Outlook. I consider the latter a more featured mail program.

As for hardware, Apple has proven it can be quite successful with form over function. Apple might adopt a new communication feature (Thunderbolt) but it remains tepid when it comes to CPU and GPU and often 1-2 generation behind on some models. Can they be replaced? In general - NO. Many many PCs you can dive in and replace vital parts or add to them internally. We all know Apple, remains elegant at the expense of this option in general. However, you can certainly make a jungle of cords and cables on your desk if you want to add externally.

So am I bashing Apple? Well...not really, what it does it does well enough. Do I prefer the OS? Absolutely. What the PC has is the ability to far more (specs) for the price in general, more accessible for upgrades and replacements and a far larger set of applications are written for Windows than there are for Mac. Even software written for both often seem "less than" on the Mac (Quicken comes to mind) and so forth.

I'll remain with my Minis (older models as the new ones are anemic) and my rMBP and exactly the applications that I need (including virtual Win 7 to run the missing apps on the OSX side). Now that the Mac Mini Pro or Mac Pro is out of most people's reach costwise, I'll just hold out until the day I end up building another PC and groan as I use Windows.
 
Phoenixx said:
Apple and Microsoft take very different approaches when it comes to hardware: Microsoft don't care about making things efficient; Windows 10, although better is still bloated, and NEEDS powerful hardware to work properly on, and give a good user experience (this hasn't stopped manufacturers from producing lows spec computers where the experience is terrible). Compare that to Mac OS X, which is far more optimised, and doesn't need high spec hardware to run well.
Click to expand...

Now this isn't true at all. Windows system requirements haven't changed at all since Vista came out in 2007. MS has done nothing but streamline and make the OS more efficient in the years since.

These days, Windows runs better with less ram and less powerful hardware than OSX does. Though weirdly enough, OSX still has it beat by a good half mile on battery life.
 
Phoenixx said:
Apple and Microsoft take very different approaches when it comes to hardware: Microsoft don't care about making things efficient; Windows 10, although better is still bloated, and NEEDS powerful hardware to work properly on, and give a good user experience (this hasn't stopped manufacturers from producing lows spec computers where the experience is terrible). Compare that to Mac OS X, which is far more optimised, and doesn't need high spec hardware to run well.
Click to expand...

Not that I am trying to start an OS X vs Windows 10 war, but not everyone agrees with this. From an article on 9to5Mac about running Windows 10 on a Retina MacBook:

Here’s the real kicker: it’s fast. It’s smooth. It renders at 60FPS unless you have a lot going on. It’s unequivocally better than performance on OS X, further leading me to believe that Apple really needs to overhaul how animations are done. Even when I turn Transparency off in OS X, Mission Control isn’t completely smooth. Here, even after some Aero Glass transparency has been added in, everything is smooth. It’s remarkable, and it makes me believe in the 12-inch MacBook more than ever before.
Click to expand...
 
Renzatic said:
Now this isn't true at all. Windows system requirements haven't changed at all since Vista came out in 2007. MS has done nothing but streamline and make the OS more efficient in the years since.

These days, Windows runs better with less ram and less powerful hardware than OSX does. Though weirdly enough, OSX still has it beat by a good half mile on battery life.
Click to expand...
I agree. Good to know that I am not the only one who thought that statement wasn't true.
In my experience, Yosemite in a classic MBP with 4GB RAm and a spinner was a frustrating experience. Beachball fest most of the time.
W8.1 in a $200 POS Asus laptop with Intel Atom processor and 2GB RAM ran smoother than Yosemite on the MBP.
 
If it is mainly for work, iMac is the way to go. I've had my fair share of Windows system, Win 95 to Win7 and what I experienced is that you need to reformat your PC at an average of once a year. Yes, Macs aren't bulletproof when it comes to viruses but the probability of you being hit is lower than that of a Windows system.

There are a large number of people complaining about the price difference of a PC and a Mac. For some (like me), they just want a machine that works right out of the box without much configuration and bloatware. My late 2010 iMac still works like a charm and didn't experience a single reformat, only upgrading the OS to Mavericks from Snow Leopard. Time saved is already worth the price.

It is like buying a car, some will buy one without changing a thing about it, while others customise it to their liking.
 
I deal with Windows PCs all day at work and various problems........
For one thing, why the hey do we need to do 5, 10, sometimes 15 OS updates per week? Insanity.

When I get home I want a great experience with no issues.......I believe the iMac retina 27" will deliver much more so than any Windows machine. Also, it will integrate and play nicely with our iPads and iPhone.

IMHO, Apple is more about the fun & pleasant experience than any spec numbers.
 
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Fancuku said:
Up until W10, updates were released every second Tuesday of the month. There were no updates as you claim every week.
Click to expand...


Add in various MS Office updates and "important forced" security updates and your damn near doing them weekly.
Maybe seems worse when I support 50 engineering test systems but its ridiculous nonetheless.
 
phrehdd said:
I still remain an OSX fan but some of the thoughts in this thread make me scratch my head.
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong I really like my Win10 Bootcamp Partition. It runs smooth on my 5 year old basic MBP. But with programs like Final Cut Pro you really see the difference in the system. You can't compare FCP and Adobe Premiere for example.

I don't think Windows is bad, I really like using it. But I like the feeling of a Mac more. Thats why I said you don't buy a Mac because of the specs.
 
bhilibb said:
You don't buy a Mac because of the hardware.
Click to expand...
That really doesn't hold water. Are you saying we all are spending 2,000+ for the operating system?

I think Apple hardware has always been one of the major draws for people. I remember hearing folks wanting some higher quality Macs and their wonderful design over a beige box that you typically get from others.
 
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Does Virtual Box run smoothly on 27 inch iMac's? It is only just about useable on my 2013 Macbook Air. I like not having to restart as Virtual Box opens a window for Windows, so it is nice to be able to switch and move files between a shared folder. I am hoping it runs very smoothly on a top spec 27 inch.

I have read that gaming using Bootcamp is better and with the SSD the shut down and startup times are fairly painless. I miss the old version of Outlook for mail, so may give Windows 10 a full try with Bootcamp and then just stick with whichever OS is best for me. I suggest OP does the same, so you can benefit from the awesome screen. Of course an iMac will also have a better resale value too.
 
The OS is your choice, so not going to comment on the pros/cons .

I used to rate the iMac , still am using my 2009, though will not update to the current ones.

Reasons being

1. You have to spend lots upfront to get the top spec, which includes SSD in 2015
2. They are not user upgradable anymore, just opening it up is a nightmare
3. You would need to get AppleCare
4 if something goes wrong it's a whole motherboard replacement, very expansive, you need AppleCare, and there is no repair, they are disposable these days

things to consider. These choices were easier in the past where you got a given model with the right CPU/GPU config that was future proof and updated as needed. These days you have to pay premium up front , for me just gets too expansive.

A PC desktop, with the right components , will last you just as long if not much longer as you can upgrade parts.

As a machine / OS the iMac is a better "complete" package from my point of view, I just think they are too expansive now cause in 2015, you need at least 512gb ssd, and repair really worries me down the line, my 2009 has been repaired 3 times, if that happened to the 2015 outside warranty, you might as well buy a new machine.
 
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maflynn said:
That really doesn't hold water. Are you saying we all are spending 2,000+ for the operating system?
Click to expand...

If it's not the operating system and the design, where is the point in buying a Mac?

qualo said:
Does Virtual Box run smoothly on 27 inch iMac's?
Click to expand...

I had the preview of Win10 on my MBP mid 2010 and it was ok. So on a new iMac it should run even better. Since I have to work with Corel I need the more Ram and switched to Bootcamp.
 
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bhilibb said:
If it's not the operating system and the design, where is the point in buying a Mac?
Click to expand...
I can't speak for you, but for me, its the design, I love the look of the Macs, the quality of the computers. Back in the day, Macs lasted a lot longer then they do now. The look and feel of the integrated hardware and software.

I bought a solution that included the software, I paid a premium for that solution but I felt I got value in return. Now I'm not so sure.
 
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maflynn said:
I can't speak for you, but for me, its the design, I love the look of the Macs, the quality of the computers. Back in the day, Macs lasted a lot longer then they do now. The look and feel of the integrated hardware and software.

I bought a solution that included the software, I paid a premium for that solution but I felt I got value in return. Now I'm not so sure.
Click to expand...
But thats exactly what I was trying to say except the part where you are not sure :)

Im satisfied with what I get.
 
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