Agreed. The Apple kit will hold it's value more as well so I can sell it on for a decent price when I upgrade
I so DON'T miss windows
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Agreed. The Apple kit will hold it's value more as well so I can sell it on for a decent price when I upgrade
I so DON'T miss windows
First of all Aiden I gotta say I love your posts!
A mini-tower using Core i7 will require fans for high-cpu load intensive tasks, something Apple has been intensely going against; the use of multiple fans or liquid cooling. The space saved in the Mac Pro from the old PowerMac G5 is amazing and I for one am thankful that they've been able to acheive this. However, a new mini-tower as a seperate product from the Mac Pro shouldn't be required.
They just need to make a Mac Pro in a slightly smaller or shorter case really.
I wouldn't go so far as this. People who buy iMac's - the only real all-in one (most others are pathetic for components just to beat Apple's iMac price point) - is for great performance per dollar! The do game, they do create great digital work, edit movies (consumer created content) and use it as a central hub of their digital life. I'd say 128MB video ram is a limited system but with 256/512MB its going beyond what most would use in a single monitor IF the graphics chip is very modern and capable of 30fps 1080p decoding & encoding of content.
Quad-core cpu knowledge is indeed beyond the average pc user. We're not quite fully into the post-Jobs era however there have been good changes lately small but good:
Flash Lite coming to iPhone
Better video chips on MacBooks & MBP's
Faster Refurbs and slightly better refurb pricing
More web browser choice on the iPhone.
so we'll see.
A mini-tower using Core i7 will require fans for high-cpu load intensive tasks, something Apple has been intensely going against; the use of multiple fans or liquid cooling. The space saved in the Mac Pro from the old PowerMac G5 is amazing and I for one am thankful that they've been able to acheive this. However, a new mini-tower as a seperate product from the Mac Pro shouldn't be required.
They just need to make a Mac Pro in a slightly smaller or shorter case really.
I wouldn't go so far as this. People who buy iMac's - the only real all-in one (most others are pathetic for components just to beat Apple's iMac price point) - is for great performance per dollar! The do game, they do create great digital work, edit movies (consumer created content) and use it as a central hub of their digital life. I'd say 128MB video ram is a limited system but with 256/512MB its going beyond what most would use in a single monitor IF the graphics chip is very modern and capable of 30fps 1080p decoding & encoding of content.
Quad-core cpu knowledge is indeed beyond the average pc user. We're not quite fully into the post-Jobs era however there have been good changes lately small but good:
Flash Lite coming to iPhone
Better video chips on MacBooks & MBP's
Faster Refurbs and slightly better refurb pricing
More web browser choice on the iPhone.
so we'll see.
pc user for years
See, this is all well and good. I get paid over $50/hour as an aerospace engineer. Which means that the eight hours that I spent a month ago downloading programs, installing them, and running them to remove viruses on my last PC made my iMac look a lot better, as far as prices go. If you add on the cost of that time to the PC's price--approximately $400-- I bought the iMac as a refurb for $1399--pretty similar prices, assuming that you don't factor in ease of use, pleasantness, cords, etc. And who's to say that spyware or viruses won't infect the computer again?
Heh...AND that's assuming that my time is really only worth $50/hour--my time off from work is the entire reason that I work, so I consider my private time to be a lot more valuable.
I used to build my own PCs to save money. I don't have to do that any more. I wouldn't do that ever again. I don't even like upgrading, although it's gotten easier of late--I remember one time that I spent 4 hours manipulating dip switches on an oem HDD trying to set it to master to enable a second drive in the system because the computer didn't come with an HDD manual. Ugh. Contrast that to the Mac. I bought an external HDD to use with Time Machine. I was worried, I'd only had a Mac for 2 days--I would have to learn how to mount the drive, format it, find the right place to turn on the Time Machine...
...I plugged it in, and a window popped open. It said, "You just plugged in a hard drive. Would you like to use it with Time Machine?" I clicked yes, and the machine formatted the drive, mounted it, and started a backup. I haven't worried about a RAID setup and configuration since then.
Finally, I believe that macs last longer. So much so that I'm considering buying a Mac Pro when the upgrade comes out soon. I figure I'll need to replace that computer in 6-10 years, whereas I've replaced my PCs about once every 2.5 years for the last 20+ years. Hmmm....A $3,000 up front cost vs. an $800 one...but one that will likely have to be made 3-4 times...hmmm....that would be $2400-3200...plus all the time and effort to transfer files and get everything running properly...sounds like the $3k computer is a bargain, actually.
Yes, Aiden, Apples are more expensive up front. I SERIOUSLY doubt that they are more expensive for total cost of ownership.
Cheers,
-Purfled
The price of the entry Dell Core i7 mini-tower has been lowered to $899.
Starting Price $899
Ship Date: 2/5/2009
Components
- Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition SP1, 64-Bit
- Intel® Corei7-920 Processor(8MB L2 Cache, 2.66GHz)
- 1Yr Ltd Hardware Warranty, InHome Service after Remote Diagnosis
- 3GB DDR3 Tri-Channel SDRAM at 1066MHz - 3 DIMMs
- 500GB - 7200RPM, SATA 3.0Gb/s, 16MB Cache
- Single Drive: 16X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability
- ATI Radeon HD 3450 256MB
- Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
- Dell USB Consumer Multimedia Keyboard
- Dell Premium Laser Mouse
See, this is all well and good. I get paid over $50/hour as an aerospace engineer. Which means that the eight hours that I spent a month ago downloading programs, installing them, and running them to remove viruses on my last PC made my iMac look a lot better, as far as prices go. If you add on the cost of that time to the PC's price--approximately $400-- I bought the iMac as a refurb for $1399--pretty similar prices, assuming that you don't factor in ease of use, pleasantness, cords, etc. And who's to say that spyware or viruses won't infect the computer again?
Heh...AND that's assuming that my time is really only worth $50/hour--my time off from work is the entire reason that I work, so I consider my private time to be a lot more valuable.
I used to build my own PCs to save money. I don't have to do that any more. I wouldn't do that ever again. I don't even like upgrading, although it's gotten easier of late--I remember one time that I spent 4 hours manipulating dip switches on an oem HDD trying to set it to master to enable a second drive in the system because the computer didn't come with an HDD manual. Ugh. Contrast that to the Mac. I bought an external HDD to use with Time Machine. I was worried, I'd only had a Mac for 2 days--I would have to learn how to mount the drive, format it, find the right place to turn on the Time Machine...
...I plugged it in, and a window popped open. It said, "You just plugged in a hard drive. Would you like to use it with Time Machine?" I clicked yes, and the machine formatted the drive, mounted it, and started a backup. I haven't worried about a RAID setup and configuration since then.
Finally, I believe that macs last longer. So much so that I'm considering buying a Mac Pro when the upgrade comes out soon. I figure I'll need to replace that computer in 6-10 years, whereas I've replaced my PCs about once every 2.5 years for the last 20+ years. Hmmm....A $3,000 up front cost vs. an $800 one...but one that will likely have to be made 3-4 times...hmmm....that would be $2400-3200...plus all the time and effort to transfer files and get everything running properly...sounds like the $3k computer is a bargain, actually.
Yes, Aiden, Apples are more expensive up front. I SERIOUSLY doubt that they are more expensive for total cost of ownership.
Cheers,
-Purfled
Amazing! Macs make external hard drives easier to install than internal ones!
JK, but seriously, next time you start trying to remove spyware, call a professional - it will cost you a lot less than $400 and certainly a lot less than 8 hours
In your face! BAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The gap is closing very fast on you fan boys, at this point all you guys have is OS X thats it!
Dell XPS ONE
Redefine Your Desktop.
Experience the all in one with the stunning XPSTM One 20 and XPS One 24 all-in-one computer.
* PC, HDTV, DVD player with remote control
* Fast Intel® Dual- and Quad-Core processors
* Unique, elegant design featuring 20" and 24" HD screens
* Single cord design, integrated WiFi and TV tuner, wireless keyboard and mouse included
Attachments
Luckily my installation of Common Sense 2009 Professional Edition is more then enough to keep both my Mac and Windows machine clean of anything nasty.
I'll admit that you have crossed from hobbyist into appliance territory when it comes to your computers though.
Okay I'm a designer who makes $30/hr (does it really matter?) and I love Macs or I wouldn't own one but this whole "OH NO PC'S HAVE VIRUSES!" has got to stop.
You can avoid them with three easy steps:
A) Have a firewall between you and your modem/internet connection. Preferably a hardware firewall enabled router or some 3rd party software.
B) Don't click on random flashing pop-ups and
C) Tell that pop up to install something
If you follow all three rules you should be virus free for the rest of eternity. Honestly I've built 3 computers over the last several years and never had a virus of any kind. If you violate any of those above rules I guess you deserve what you get.
Why I hope today
Super Bowl Sunday? Not too likely.
or later this week!
I expect they'll probably have a media event for it, which would rule out anything in the coming week.
Those types of advantages are why I'm still despite all the annoying B.S. Apple puts you through these days. Still hands down the most useful operating system on the planet. The desktop accessory its running on might not just work anymore, but the operating system is still the high class product Apple was known for.
Uh, that's far more than enough. I have to work with and on Windows, and nothing would make me switch to using one for my PC.
Oh, yeah. That thing is hideous, too.
Well the only reason a lot of us macs anymore is because of the OS but the lasting longer/viruses etc is all subjective. If you buy low-end garbage then no it won't last you 6+ years but I've never had a PC die on me before 5 years were up.
Does it really matter? take away OS X and you guys would fall flat on your faces!
Don't know about you but I am a grown man not looking to impress my teenage friends with the way my computer looks on the outside. I guess if you are a teenage girl trying to match the decor in room then yeah your right Mac's are pretty.
There are some pretty impressive wish lists for the new iMac, but there's definitely a feature missing. I'd like to see some cupholders on the new iMac. It's unacceptable that they've gone this long with any cupholders.
What's with all of the Dell advertising? Cheaper doesn't mean better, you can get a Kia for less than a Toyota, it doesn't mean you're going to get more out of a Kia.
What's with all of the Dell advertising? Cheaper doesn't mean better, you can get a Kia for less than a Toyota, it doesn't mean you're going to get more out of a Kia.
I don't think the current crop will last forever like old school Macs. The fine line Apple now walks on cooling to get its products ultra thin takes its toll on hardware.
And higher cost means better? aside from the OS can you list each item inside a Mac that is not made by the same little Asian children that put every computer on this planet together.
The only difference is the OS and the premium that you pay for it. Oh yes the pretty aluminum cases instead of metal or plastic. There is no such thing as little Apple elph's that only put together Apple machines.
This worries me as well. The old G5 was hot but good god the new Aluminium hardware is even hotter.
You had me until you had to bring up the car analogy. I own a Hyundai thank you.
That is like saying Take away the ice cream and all you have left is the cone. The main draw of buying a mac is OS X.
What? So the person who told me they were put together by umpa lumpas was lieing!!!
It is a good point you make jokes aside.
Actually some users today are finding that the OS really doesn't matter if you are just checking email and chatting many folks have turned away from conventional computers all together and are now using netbooks and smart phones as there primary means of communication.
And all this time I've been under the impression that Apple put some effort into combining components that would work well together. Based on my experience with Apple, over many years now, I've found that the overall quality is substantially better than buying the cheapest computer you can find.
Even then, in nearly 5 years, my iMac has gone through 4 power supplies and 3 optical drives. But it's always working, so that's understandable.
You'd may be surprised to know that different car companies use the same suppliers as well, but design and how the components are made to work together make a big difference.
This worries me as well. The old G5 was hot but good god the new Aluminium hardware is even hotter.
You had me until you had to bring up the car analogy. I own a Hyundai thank you.
Sorry, I was going to use Lada, but I'm not sure how many people know what a Lada is. The quality of Kias have improved vastly over the years, the perception of Kia hasn't quite caught up yet though.