I've gone Windows...

[MindsEye]

Order a custom pc from Maingear.com

Thanks but i'm in the UK. I was looking at custom build sites like Mesh, you can order an absolute beast for about 1k on the sites i saw. I bit the bullet yesterday on the XPS 8500, i saw an outlet deal that was too good to be true.

Intel Core i7-3770, 16GB Ram, 3TB + 256GB SDD, BD-RE, AMD Radeon HD 7870 and Win7 Pro for £966. Saved over £200 and got a machine with a better configuration than the model i was looking at.

This should last me quite some time and i may buy a Mac mini in the next year or two to compliment and satisfy any OSX needs i may have. Hopefully before support ends for Win 7, Microsoft has woken up and gives us an OS suitable for desktop computing. I despise LaunchPad and its one of the worst features in OSX but atleast apple doesn't force it on you(yet).

 

[MacMilligan]

Eh, I have all OS's working for me right now. I have a hackintosh with an i5 3570k for work, 2012 MacBook Pro for portability, Win 7 2500k + Nvidia 680 GTX watercooled for games, and an i3 2100 on a supermicro board equipped with Solaris for my server.

You use what gets the job done. I never understood "brand loyalty."

 

[iMcLovin]

I completely understands all if you whom are going away from Mac. I just hope there's many enough to make an impact. hopefully over time it showS apple that they can't completely ignore desktop and pro users - the ripple effect will matter.

 

[MindsEye]

Eh, I have all OS's working for me right now. I have a hackintosh with an i5 3570k for work, 2012 MacBook Pro for portability, Win 7 2500k + Nvidia 680 GTX watercooled for games, and an i3 2100 on a supermicro board equipped with Solaris for my server.

You use what gets the job done. I never understood "brand loyalty."

Same here unless my work requires it, i have no issue using any OS variety is the slice of life. I just shake my head in the direction that both Apple and Microsoft are heading with there operating systems. Despite some of the nice features Windows 8 has to offer like the new Task Manager, Copy/Paste, inbuilt client side Hyper-V support and of course Windows to Go which could be very useful and time saving in an enterprise environment, its all overshadowed by the fluff that's at the forefront of this new OS.

Its clear who Apple and Microsoft are now targeting. They want the crowd who worries more about angry birds, twitter and facebook updates than productivity as they are easier to lock them down & gouge with their digital stores and over priced cloud solutions.

Money is always the main motivator behind everything but i don't think its ever been so transparent with the way the industry is heading with its latest OS offerings. Its not innovative to take phone/tablet features and GUI and bung them on a desktop then say "look, the future". Its just laziness and tantamount to the lack ideas to truly evolve the desktop experience.

I completely understands all if you whom are going away from Mac. I just hope there's many enough to make an impact. hopefully over time it showS apple that they can't completely ignore desktop and pro users - the ripple effect will matter.

I honestly doubt they'll care too much they already killed xserve. Who's to say if product line doesn't stay economically viable to them it wont go the same way.

 

[Tec972]

I totally agree with OP. It has been a long time since I have been WOWed by apple. Each successive release of an iPhone or iPad or Macbook I am more and more unimpressd with their marginal spec bumps or the skimping of certain things here and there to maintain their already ridiculous profit margins.

Wow here's a revelation, you are already the richest company in the world i think its safe to say you can trim back some of that margin in every product and give a little more back to the customers who put you on top.

I mean really in this day and age $100 premium for jumping up 16GB in an iphone. (Yes, Yes, don't even start with a business lecture on me...)Come on. I understand business, profits, marketing and their pricing tiers and pricing structures but hey, could they just gouge people a little less?

But the biggest problem I have is absolutely their product refresh time!!! Wow, now i have an iphone 5 's biggest and greatest iphone yet and its still smaller than almost every new phone in that price range. Apple keeps shattering sales records on every release of the iphone and they think that says something. Well the truth of the matter is their refresh time is a year - year and a half. Nearly everyone will be eligible for upgrade within that products life span of it being the latest iphone of course they are gonna sell like crazy! Plus new customers from old phones and people who realize they don't like androids or their problems.

Sorry, but the new iphone should really be a little wider, but i know why they didn't do it so I don't need a lecture.

Need a mac pro or new imac? Whenever we have time to stop counting our billions from iOS maybe we can make some time for you dirtbags to come up with something more innovative than a hardware spec bump which we aren't even responsible for!! (Intel, ATI, Nvidia, Samsung etc...)

 

[Swordylove]

I would've gone the same route if I knew how to build/configure my own PC.

 

[Mike in Kansas]

I totally agree with OP. It has been a long time since I have been WOWed by apple. Each successive release of an iPhone or iPad or Macbook I am more and more unimpressd with their marginal spec bumps or the skimping of certain things here and there to maintain their already ridiculous profit margins.

Wow here's a revelation, you are already the richest company in the world i think its safe to say you can trim back some of that margin in every product and give a little more back to the customers who put you on top.

I mean really in this day and age $100 premium for jumping up 16GB in an iphone. (Yes, Yes, don't even start with a business lecture on me...)Come on. I understand business, profits, marketing and their pricing tiers and pricing structures but hey, could they just gouge people a little less?

But the biggest problem I have is absolutely their product refresh time!!! Wow, now i have an iphone 5 's biggest and greatest iphone yet and its still smaller than almost every new phone in that price range. Apple keeps shattering sales records on every release of the iphone and they think that says something. Well the truth of the matter is their refresh time is a year - year and a half. Nearly everyone will be eligible for upgrade within that products life span of it being the latest iphone of course they are gonna sell like crazy! Plus new customers from old phones and people who realize they don't like androids or their problems.

Sorry, but the new iphone should really be a little wider, but i know why they didn't do it so I don't need a lecture.

Need a mac pro or new imac? Whenever we have time to stop counting our billions from iOS maybe we can make some time for you dirtbags to come up with something more innovative than a hardware spec bump which we aren't even responsible for!! (Intel, ATI, Nvidia, Samsung etc...)

Can you cite other brands who make established products in the tech industry (phones, computers, tablets, portable music players, GPS units, etc. etc. etc.) where their annual update is "revolutionary"? Or even an every-other year update? What is the most recent "innovation" that wowed you - from any supplier? I'm very interested in what you think is innovative, and who is doing it if Apple isn't. Provide links to cite your sources as well so we know you're not just making stuff up.

 

[odnarbssagib]

Can you cite other brands who make established products in the tech industry (phones, computers, tablets, portable music players, GPS units, etc. etc. etc.) where their annual update is "revolutionary"? Or even an every-other year update? What is the most recent "innovation" that wowed you - from any supplier? I'm very interested in what you think is innovative, and who is doing it if Apple isn't. Provide links to cite your sources as well so we know you're not just making stuff up.

When was their most recent revolutionary desktop? Seeing as how they haven't made one in over a year, I think they've failed your test there. I think people would concede that Apple makes good toys. The point here, though, is that Apple has stiff-armed their professional users.

 

[DisMyMac]

It feels like the mid-to-late 90s again.... Macs could be #1, but Apple doesn't care.

 

[xVeinx]

Honestly, there is something to be said for having more up-to-date hardware. On the other hand, it's been suggested that the reason for the iMacs not being out yet is manufacturing issues, not because they haven't been designed. I'm not sure what can be done about that apart from taking the time to work it out. Having done the build-your-own windows boxes for 15 years, the $4000 gaming machine (that I won luckily ), etc, I find the ride was fun. Windows has its good and bad, as does linux and Mac OS X. I'm finding that I'm many times more productive on a Mac at this point and appreciate the attention to detail and stability of the hardware and software. At the the ripe old age of 30, maybe I'm an old fogey now, but I'm more apt to want my machine to run and not upgrade my hardware every so often for the sake of curiosity. Good luck with your windows box! I hope it does what you need it to well. For me, I'll stick with the hardware I've come to appreciate in the last 9 months. It's simplified my life a great deal.

 

[davidcmc]

At the the ripe old age of 30, maybe I'm an old fogey now, but I'm more apt to want my machine to run and not upgrade my hardware every so often for the sake of curiosity. Good luck with your windows box! I hope it does what you need it to well. For me, I'll stick with the hardware I've come to appreciate in the last 9 months. It's simplified my life a great deal.

It's all about "needs".

You don't need a performance driven computer.

In my case, I've built a gaming PC last year (i5 2400 3.1GHz + 4GB RAM + Radeon 6970 + OCZ Vertex Turbo [it's an old model, but serves me perfectly] + Antec PSU) and don't really anything more powerful now.
Why? Because I only play World of Warcraft, since I've lost interest in all other games. My current setup runs it perfectly with Ultra/High graphic settings.
This computer serves my gaming, working, studying and general entertainment needs.

The same applies to everyone. They buy a computer and don't feel like switching it for another one more powerful, simply because the current (old) model serves everything that they need.

However, there's a problem on the current iMacs situation.
If you want to build/buy a PC with old hardware, it'll surely cost you less than a PC with current hardware.
But, the current iMac uses obsolete hardware and costs the same as current hardware computers.

This is why people is angry.
They don't want a mobile (MBP, MBA, RMBP etc.) solution, but they don't want to pay the absurd price of a Mac Pro, so they look for the intermediate of that, which is called "iMac".
The current iMac simply sucks for current computers standards. It's an outdated machine that costs like an updated machine. No sense.

I'm too looking forward to a refresh in the iMac line. I want to buy one, but I don't want to buy one of the current outdated ones.
It's just more logical to put the same money on a much more powerful PC than in that piece of outdated **** called iMac that Apple sells today.

 

[Bodrioski]

@topic starter

well played. Apple deserves people to go for a non-apple desktop.
His desktops are totally outdated and old and they are since alot.
+ they stay mute about updates and hope people spend 1168 euro or more for such an outdate device.
thieves.

 

[turtlez]

Back in April when I was hanging around on this current rumour, I was so psyched to get the next iMac without a thought of ever returning to PC since 2006.

I am desperately needing a new system and since it has been so long since waiting (april) and seeing this thread. omg, i think my Apple comfort feeling is leaving me.

So I am giving myself to the start of October, no longer. I will go windows after that.

 

[comatory]

Back in April when I was hanging around on this current rumour, I was so psyched to get the next iMac without a thought of ever returning to PC since 2006.

I am desperately needing a new system and since it has been so long since waiting (april) and seeing this thread. omg, i think my Apple comfort feeling is leaving me.

So I am giving myself to the start of October, no longer. I will go windows after that.

I get your frustration. But if you're going the windows way you should at least consider hackintosh (have OS X on secondary drive maybe).

I'd wait at least till the end of October, if November shows no solid rumors, then I'd be worried.

 

[Foggy]

If I didnt need Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop for work I'd be going buying a Linux box about now. I've got my Mac Pro in the office and my MBP which I love but I need another decent editing machine at home in the study. I've been putting off and waiting for the new iMac, ridiculously, because I want my new machine to have USB3. Getting a bit hacked off with the wait now.

No desire to return to Windows, although I am just about starting to consider it as an option as I'm starting to get concerned with where Apple is going with it's desktop line of machines at present.

 

[Puevlo]

Before anyone complains about this being here, I have been an iMac user for a long time now. The majority of my posts here on MR have been in the iMac section as well.

Yesterday I went ahead and ordered all the parts to build my own Windows desktop. I know, I should have at least waited until next month before I did, but I need something now and I was not going to be buying any of the current Macs. But while I have been checking this and other forums daily for bits of news on a *possible* refresh, it hit me. Why the hell am I revolving my life around a computer company? Especially one that doesn't seem to care enough about a loyal customers needs.

I am disappointed in the new iPhone, I am greatly disappointed in the new iOS update... and I could not be more disappointed in Apple's lack of respect for their non-mobile customers. Customers that have been using Macs for over 10 years. I also did not like Lion and think Mountain Lion is the worst version of OS X there is.

Combine all that with the fact that I just built a $1500 computer that will absolutely run circles in any configuration of a current iMac (and I am betting anything they are *possibly* about to release for that matter), and here we are.

I am not giving up on Apple completely. I will trial run this computer for a good half a year. If I really find it isn't for me, I can always sell the parts and return to the Mac fold... but for now, I just want to try something different.

Anyway, just my story of how Apple lost a potential iMac customer. I wholly expect the "cool story, bro"'s and the "good riddance" posts. But I just wanted to get it off my chest.

Congrats. Windows is a quality operating system.

 

[AlphaMF]

Tbh, I think the OP did the right choice. If you dont NEEED Mac OSX to run your software, then there is not much point in paying for overpriced hardware, and there is even less point when the overpriced hardware becomes 500 days old, and retains its original pricepoint.

I, sadly, don't have any options. There is no proper DICOM viewer out there that does what I need, so I'm forced to wait... in humilation.

I wish more people would leave Apple like this, to push them a bit harder into doing things better.

 

[colincarter]

Where did I ever write about display resolution?

The retina MBP has very fast CPU and GPU (which you will only find in gaming laptops), weights 2kg, IPS screen with up to 1920x1200 resolution and has a very decent battery duration. Add to this list the industy-best tochpad and a 6KRO keyboard (where most laptops are 3KRO or even less). Windows laptops with equivalent hardware are either heavier or slower. An equivalent Sager weights almost 4 kg with battery life being half of the rMBP. I have no idea how you can claim that Levovo et. have faster CPUs where rMBP offers basically the fastest currently commercially available consumer CPU (3820QM).

Besides, with double TB and very fast WiFi, the rMBP offers potentially the best/fastest expansion options than any other laptop I am aware of.

the retina macbook pro has a GPU barely fast enough to keep up with the huge demands placed on it, its a joke. Maybe the next generation will have a more suitable GPU but the current one does not.

 

[leman]

the retina macbook pro has a GPU barely fast enough to keep up with the huge demands placed on it, its a joke. Maybe the next generation will have a more suitable GPU but the current one does not.

I have no idea what are you talking about. My rMBP almost always runs on the integrated HD4000 - and even this "slow" card is fast enough for everything I do. And the rMBP GPU, according to benchmarks is reasonably close to gaming laptops like Asus G55VW.

 

[AlliFlowers]

I used Windows for years. I bought a Mac because I need it for work. (You can't support Mac apps without having a Mac.) OS X (any iteration) is so much more complex and far less intuitive than Windows 7 (I won't mention my loathing for some prior versions).

Even after two years on a Mac, there are still times I want to throw it out the Window (no pun intended) because it just doesn't do what I want it to do easily. When I first got my Mac, people told me how much easier it would be to sync with my iPhone. Say what? It is exactly the same So there isn't even an advantage if you already own an iOS mobile device.

That being said, the physical build quality of an Apple Mac product is vastly superior to anything I've ever seen running Windows. You can't come close to the hardware, even building it yourself (something I no longer bother to do).

Every day I go back and forth between my Mac and my PC, knowing that I will not upgrade to Windows 8 - Microsoft is committing suicide there, but wishing I could have the best of both worlds.

 

[iMcLovin]

the retina macbook pro has a GPU barely fast enough to keep up with the huge demands placed on it, its a joke. Maybe the next generation will have a more suitable GPU but the current one does not.

Yes I have a friend who bought the maxed out rMBP. I tried diablo, which isn't the MOST gpu heavy game around. It supports retina, but you don't get 60fps while playing even that game. Turning the game to a smaller resolution will give you a better fps. So retina isn't even ok for a full spec rMBP. I sincerely don't want a retina iMac.

 

[JoeRito]

This is greatly exaggerated. If Windows 8 were all Metro apps and nothing more, you might have a point. But it's not. Other than the new Start screen (which is actually really nice once you get used to it), 8 is nothing more a tweaked up, streamlined extension of 7.

2 or 3 more clicks to get to the underpinings of windows 8 and away from Metro is not more user friendly to me... its annoying! Metro is fine on a tablet, it feels disconnected and out of place on a PC or workstation. This is why Mountain Lion is quickly gaining support from the power user community, even though we still prefer Snow Leopard or Win7 on the PC side....

 

[Renzatic]

And I think all the complaining is much ado over nothing. You've got two extra clicks you have to go through to get to the desktop now: that splash screen, and hitting the Desktop tile.

Are the extra steps unnecessary? A little bit. The splash before the user menu is a little superfluous on a desktop, and I wish added a way to jump straight to the desktop from there. Is it an absolute horror to deal with? Not really. It adds an extra .35 seconds to the login process.

Then there's the new Start screen itself. It's...really...honestly...a little better. Granted, I barely used the old Start menu for anything except type to search and shutting down my comp, so a big change there didn't hurt me much. Now that I've got more extra room to play with, I'm finding myself using Start a little more than I used to. For me, it's easier to navigate and group all my icons together in columns than it is having to lean on the old folders within folders within folders to get to the things I want.

I'm going to throw out this old picture yet again to show what I mean. Bam. I barely even have to do any searching to find exactly what I want. I can label the columns, and the individual shapes of them help guide me to exactly where I want to go. In my opinion, it works a helluva lot better.

Plus Windows 8 itself is the most streamlined and thin version of Windows to come out yet. Even on my older PC, I noticed a little bit of a speed boost, both while booting up and on the desktop. And it consumes a goodly bit less comp resources to do it's regular everyday things. For a power user, this aspect alone should be enough to get you all hot and bothered.

Now I'll admit it isn't perfect. Some things aren't nearly as discoverable as they should be (****ing shut down button), and it does feel kinda like a transitional release (which is ultimately what it is), but it's hardly the NEXT VISTA OMG MS GONNA DAH horror story some people make it out to be. It's a little different, sometimes a little goofy, but overall pretty damn solid.

 

[mslide]

I wholly expect the "cool story, bro"'s and the "good riddance" posts.

Not from me. You made the right choice. I did the same thing when Ivy Bridge was released and haven't regretted it. I really like Apple's portables (and the Apple TV) but their desktop products suck and have sucked for a long time. I wish they cared a little bit more about them and their users who want more than just a pretty case.

Windows isn't nearly as bad as a lot of people here make it out to be.

 

[leman]

Yes I have a friend who bought the maxed out rMBP. I tried diablo, which isn't the MOST gpu heavy game around. It supports retina, but you don't get 60fps while playing even that game. Turning the game to a smaller resolution will give you a better fps. So retina isn't even ok for a full spec rMBP. I sincerely don't want a retina iMac.

You are the reason why the word "resolution" should disappear from games. Expecting to play games on the native resolution is wishful thinking on the boundary of banal stupidity.

The rMBp will happily run Diablo 3 and other games at 1920x1200/1680x1050 resolution, as well as many Windows gaming laptops would, and yet, still deliver a superior image because of the IPS screen. I regularly play games on my rMBP and so far, I am very pleased with the performance.