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mac or pc?

N

necrox

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 7, 2010
17
0
Hi,
I have a old iMac g5 and I love it, but I need faster computer.
Now I have about 750 dollars.
But cheapest mac in my contry cost 1200 dollars (mac mini)
Sou there is the problem:
Should I buy second hand mac or powerfull brand new pc?
Computer will be used for web develop., design, some games and ect.
I mean, whats bether, used macintosh or new pc?
 
necrox said:
Hi,
I have a old iMac g5 and I love it, but I need faster computer.
Now I have about 750 dollars.
But cheapest mac in my contry cost 1200 dollars (mac mini)
Sou there is the problem:
Should I buy second hand mac or powerfull brand new pc?
Computer will be used for web develop., design, some games and ect.
I mean, whats bether, used macintosh or new pc?
Click to expand...

If a new mac is not an option, I would go for a used or refurbished Mac. They should be fast enough for what you need (and you don't have to worry about viruses etc). Since you are already a Mac user, you can probably reuse most of your software and there is no learning curve.

but of course, you asked on a heavy mac leaning site - the answer might be different if you ask on a MS leaning site. After all, it is more personal preferences.
 
it depends greatly on what games you want to run, and how much you like osx or win7, since i got my macbook pro, i've been caught between loving the features of osx, but the java performance and general game performance isnt nearly as good as on windows 7. luckily bootcamp does the job well.. atleast thats my experience
 
0815 said:
If a new mac is not an option, I would go for a used or refurbished Mac. They should be fast enough for what you need (and you don't have to worry about viruses etc). Since you are already a Mac user, you can probably reuse most of your software and there is no learning curve.

but of course, you asked on a heavy mac leaning site - the answer might be different if you ask on a MS leaning site. After all, it is more personal preferences.
Click to expand...

Whats with all the people saying you dont need to deal with *Viruses*. Does every mac user think a PC user is an idiot and that all of them get viruses?
 
Ace134blue said:
Whats with all the people saying you dont need to deal with *Viruses*. Does every mac user think a PC user is an idiot and that all of them get viruses?
Click to expand...

People who switch, generally switch for a reason. The number 1 reason is because their windows PC didn't work due to viruses and malware. Since OS X doesn't have much malware written for it, it tends to run better. Said people falsely believe that OS X is better than Windows, simply do to the lack of malware for the OS, and become Apple fanatics.

In these people's world, PC = Virus; OS X = buttery smooth, and anyone who says otherwise is delusional.
 
I will play halo, counter strike source, call of duty 4. All games what I need, I wish that pc/mac run fast with garage band, photoshop and other software. And quick compile java.
I'm web developing and software programmer (Hoby) and working a lot of with linux, so if it's mac I need bootcamp.
I like mac os x, windows suck.
But I'm afraid about warranty.
I got offer today too. macbook 2.1 unibody. Sou there a question, will it run fast for me? And is there any problems with them?
 
Are you looking for desktop or laptop? If you work a lot with Linux, then you need Windows only for gaming. You would likely need it for Mac as well because most games are Windows only. You can get a lot more powerful PC for 750$ and as you said Linux will be your main OS, I don't see the point of paying more for a Mac if you don't use its speciality (i.e. OS X). You seem to want a decent amount of horsepower as well
 
Hellhammer said:
Are you looking for desktop or laptop? If you work a lot with Linux, then you need Windows only for gaming. You would likely need it for Mac as well because most games are Windows only. You can get a lot more powerful PC for 750$ and as you said Linux will be your main OS, I don't see the point of paying more for a Mac if you don't use its speciality (i.e. OS X). You seem to want a decent amount of horsepower as well
Click to expand...
Mac os x will be the main os, linux is second. Computer will be used as desktop. But apple laptops is cheaper then desktops, and later I could use external monitor. All games what I play works on mac.
 
The new mac mini is super fast, 320M gfx chip is incredibile but not made for high end gaming, but you can play today titles a good quality if you don't use a overkill resolution.

Mac mini is little, cheap, fast and cool. You get WifiN, FireWire800, SDXC too.

2GB RAM is not too much but you can find good cheap ddr3 modules or just upgrade in the future.

Also Mac is becoming a great game machine with lastest snow leopard and modern titles finally available for our platform.
 
Ok, long time windows-user, short time mac user:

Windows PCs are good for:
- Specific Development
- Gaming
- Better specifications/$
- Script-Monkeys (Sorry, don't know any other term. Someone who prefers to download a pre-made utility to do what they want, rather than accomplishing the same effect with a hand-written script/program)

Macs are better for:
- General Usage (Less crashes, easier config, etc.)
- General Development (As above, plus terminal, other utils)
- A more hassle-free environment (NOTE: more, not completely)


I picked up a 13-inch MBP in November, and, as a general computer, it's brilliant. That's not going to stop me rebuilding my previous PC for gaming, and more processor intensive applications.


I would say, that, if there's things on the Mac list that a Windows user wants, it's easier for them to get them than it is for a Mac user to adapt to things that a Windows machine is better for (e.g. it's easier to make a windows machine approximately stable than it is to get a Mac to play every game under the sun).



TL;DR: Mac is a complete package for an average user, Windows is an incomplete package with more add-ons. You make your decision.
 
You can get a Mac Pro Early 2007 for about 800$. It's going to be great for design apps like Photoshop and much faster than new Mac Mini.
But with this amount of money, I think getting a PC is a better idea.
 
Hm... Maby I didnt frite good. Question should be like that.
Should i buy used macbook 2.1 or brand new pc?
I mean, buyng pc I got warranty, on mac - NOT!
Sou I'm asking how good macbook 2.1 are? I mean is there a lot broken macbook? I mean logic boards, video chips and screen, are there was some bad versions?

I want mac, but I afraid that it can broke.
And there question, will mac run fast with my apps? I need speed.
 
necrox said:
Hm... Maby I didnt frite good. Question should be like that.
Should i buy used macbook 2.1 or brand new pc?
I mean, buyng pc I got warranty, on mac - NOT!
Sou I'm asking how good macbook 2.1 are? I mean is there a lot broken macbook? I mean logic boards, video chips and screen, are there was some bad versions?

I want mac, but I afraid that it can broke.
And there question, will mac run fast with my apps? I need speed.
Click to expand...

Hello necrox,

In my opinion, I wouldn't buy a second hand Mac. The thing is (although Macs do have a better resale value than PC's) that Macs get old as well. Almost every year some kind of Mac gets an update. Buying a 2007 MacBook isn't a good choice in my opinion. Hardware wise, a PC will get you faster hardware for less money, a Mac will get you relatively ''slower'' hardware for more money. Therefore, tuning a Mac will not be an option. So, let's say that you're a fanatic gamer and want to upgrade your grahpics card after some time of usage, this will not be possible. Also, if you're a fanatic gamer, a Mac isn't probably a good choice, due to the lack of games that are available for Mac OSX (you could however run Windows on a Mac, but why not by a faster PC in this case?). If you are up to editing and designing, a Mac will serve you better. It is more expensive, but my personal experience has learnt me that Mac OSX is so much faster and more stable than any version of Windows to date. That is exactly the reason why I wrote ''slower'' with quotes a few lines back. Hardware in a Mac might be slower than in a high-end PC, but don't forget that Windows is built totally different than OSX which is UNIX based. Macs use their graphics and speed memory way more efficient than a PC, which in the end will lead to a great performance of the Mac.

The thing is that you have to ask yourself some questions:

- What am I going to use my new system for? (Is it gaming, editing or something different?)
- Am I willing to upgrade hardware in the future?
- Do I really want to buy a second hand Mac? (Because you do know that you're about to buy a relatively ''old'' system, which might not be able to run todays standards)

If I were you, I would seriously think about these questions, then make a decision. If it's going to be a Mac, then I'd like to advise you NOT to buy a second hand one. Because Mac hardware can't be upgraded that easy (except for RAM) your system will get slow compared to the latest systems. So, bottom line (in my opinion): A Mac? Save a little longer and buy a new, fast system. A PC? Build your own system for far less money than a Mac and live with the advantages (price) and disadvantages (Windows) of your choice.
 
Keep saving a little longer ... you are only a couple hundred away from a decent Mac

If you buy a PC now with your money ... by next year, you will wish you had saved for the Mac :cool:
 
Southern Dad said:
I have both Windows and OS-X machines. I wouldn't buy another Windows machine. Why should I when both my Macs can run Windows?
Click to expand...

OSX handles gaming very poorly, and Mac's aren't very customizable as far as internal hardware. With a PC you can custom pick each and every internal, and honestly spend half the price on better hardware.

With that said, Mac has great support/warranty, and they do make very attractive and durable laptops/All in one's
 
Ace134blue said:
Whats with all the people saying you dont need to deal with *Viruses*. Does every mac user think a PC user is an idiot and that all of them get viruses?
Click to expand...

Actually most people do have viruses on their PC's they just aren't aware of it since they don't see anything strange and their AV doesn't pick anything up. Windows OS lets viruses hide extremely easily. One way is that the OS lets a file stay hidden from all view including command prompt even with all files set to show (including system files). A second is that Windows has the awful registry system.

I can't tell you how many times in my many many years or working in IT I'd plug in someones hard drive or thumb drive into a non-Windows OS and find virus files that are hidden to the Windows OS. Its most common on thumb drives where you find garbage like w32silly and that stupid oboma virus (yes its spelled that way).

So yes, Windows users usually all have some type of virus but everyone is under the illusion that antivirus prevents all that or "safe downloading and being smart online" prevents all that. Theories like that just go to show most people have no clue how viruses can spread.
 
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