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Rant time - want mid range desktop

J

jrichie

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 4, 2003
113
0
Aus
I am getting more and more frustrated by Apples pro line up.

As I run a small business, and I can't afford a macpro at the moment but need a decent desktop.

The power would be great but I don't really need it, however don't want an imac due to my investment in several cinema displays.

What the hell does Apple think I do............ the more I look at the Dell site, the more I am tempted!

OSX is great, but so is Windows 7!!

The only Apple solution I can think of is a macbook pro, hooked up to the monitors, but I did want a desktop with options to change the video card etc.

What do you guys think of this - surely there are loads of people in the same situation.............
 
Searched much? Reason I ask is that your wishes are the wishes of many and the likelihood of this ever happening is slim. Sure, I'll eat my words later, but for now, they're slim.

MacMini or iMac for you ... What is it that you do that makes you think you need to change your graphics card?
 
jrichie said:
I am getting more and more frustrated by Apples pro line up.

As I run a small business, and I can't afford a macpro at the moment but need a decent desktop.

The power would be great but I don't really need it, however don't want an imac due to my investment in several cinema displays.

What the hell does Apple think I do............ the more I look at the Dell site, the more I am tempted!

OSX is great, but so is Windows 7!!

The only Apple solution I can think of is a macbook pro, hooked up to the monitors, but I did want a desktop with options to change the video card etc.

What do you guys think of this - surely there are loads of people in the same situation.............
Click to expand...

Perhaps you can pick up a previous-generation Mac Pro and save some cash, depending on what type of Cinema Displays you have.
 
jrichie said:
I am getting more and more frustrated by Apples pro line up.

As I run a small business, and I can't afford a macpro at the moment but need a decent desktop.

The power would be great but I don't really need it, however don't want an imac due to my investment in several cinema displays.

What the hell does Apple think I do............ the more I look at the Dell site, the more I am tempted!

OSX is great, but so is Windows 7!!

The only Apple solution I can think of is a macbook pro, hooked up to the monitors, but I did want a desktop with options to change the video card etc.

What do you guys think of this - surely there are loads of people in the same situation.............
Click to expand...

Well then you don't long to wait and you will be in hog heaven with Windows 7 on your desktop Dell.
 
hitekalex said:
Just build it. Hackintoshes are very easy these days, including native Leopard installs.
Click to expand...

A hackintosh might be OK for personal use, but I wouldn't recommend using one in a business environment. Too ragged edge to depend on. That and you are violating the OS X license agreement: businesses tend to have a dim view of such things (and get punished harder when they get busted).
 
the i7 920 2.66 is $280 and it is in ZERO apple products...

just a miniATX sized thing with room for 2-3 drives and a video card and call it a day... wtf...
 
The Mac Mini supports two displays maybe this will work for you? Depends what line of work your in.
 
the mini and the iMac use laptop CPUs, buses, ram and so forth

the mini uses a notebook hard drive

the mini is nice, but can't keep up with a quad core or hyperthreading quad core

Where is the $1250 i7 desktop?
 
snouter said:
the mini and the iMac use laptop CPUs, buses, ram and so forth

the mini uses a notebook hard drive

the mini is nice, but can't keep up with a quad core or hyperthreading quad core

Where is the $1250 i7 desktop?
Click to expand...

This is true. But if you don't need that speed then the cheaper dual core systems are still good. If your only using it for office, safari and those types of programs.
 
What people want and what Apple offers are often wildly disparate.

If Apple offered what people want, I wouldn't be using a 5 year old 12" PowerBook for my laptop.
 
Just hackintosh it. Probably the easiest way of doing it. EULA's aren't legally binding and it's a shrinkwrap warranty, so don't let people shove you around on the forums here.
 
Cassie said:
A last gen G5 or first gen Pro might be a good idea.
Click to expand...
+1. This is basically the answer to the problem. You don't need and can't afford a brand new Mac Pro, so just get an older one thats used. Simple. I'm still holding onto one stand of hope that 10.6 will have a PPC version so I can sell my MBP and buy a quad core G5. I too would love to get a tower, but can't afford a new Pro.
 
Hrududu said:
I'm still holding onto one stand of hope that 10.6 will have a PPC version so I can sell my MBP and buy a quad core G5.
Click to expand...

That's like holding on to hope that the Maple Leafs will win the 2009 Stanley Cup. It's clearly not going to happen, since they're not in the finals.

PowerPC is dead, and good riddance.
 
ChemiosMurphy said:
Just hackintosh it. Probably the easiest way of doing it.
Click to expand...

You know, not everyone is a geek whose greatest pleasure is to spend a whole weekend to get a machine up and running (yes it will take that long, maybe longer without any or not much experience in doing this), and to be ones own tech support all the time. Not everybody has the knowledge, the desire or the desire to get the knwoledge or the time to get the knowledge to do this. It may be easy for YOU but that doesn't mean it's easy for EVERYBODY, is that somehow understandable?
 
chaosbunny said:
You know, not everyone is a geek whose greatest pleasure is to spend a whole weekend to get a machine up and running (yes it will take that long, maybe longer without any or not much experience in doing this), and to be ones own tech support all the time. Not everybody has the knowledge, the desire or the desire to get the knwoledge or the time to get the knowledge to do this. It may be easy for YOU but that doesn't mean it's easy for EVERYBODY, is that somehow understandable?
Click to expand...

No reason to be snippy about it. And it will not take that long. I had my Dell mini 9 up in 2 hours. I'm a film major btw. Who knows, maybe the OP has knowledge of this. Just don't come off nasty with your "is that somehow understandable?
 
ChemiosMurphy said:
No reason to be snippy about it. And it will not take that long. I had my Dell mini 9 up in 2 hours. I'm a film major btw. Who knows, maybe the OP has knowledge of this. Just don't come off nasty with your "is that somehow understandable?
Click to expand...

I'm sorry, I simply don't like these kind of "just build your own system and hackintosh it like I did in 10 minutes it's SO easy" comments (exaggeration). If this wasn't your intention I apologize.

But again, what does that proof that YOU had YOUR Dell mini 9 up in 2 hours? Do you run a business on your Dell mini 9? Do you have any long term experience not only on one but on multiple machines? Do you have a link to any statistics to back that up? If not and you only have your own experience with your one Dell mini 9 then I doubt you can make a gereral statement like : "Just hackintosh it. Probably the easiest way of doing it."

Indeed, it seems like a hackintosh is not so easy for everyone:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/709757/
 
I used to build my own machines [pre-mac days] and am not scared of this, but that was when I was younger and had the time!!

So I need a mid-range desktop, and of course could buy an older macpro - problem is I can't find anything suitable for sale in NZ at the right price :)

Maybe I should have said before that I have a ali 2.4 macbook with 4gb ram in it at the mo........

It is not fast enough so there goes the mac mini.

As I said, I have 2 cinema displays already and don't want an imac [had one and sold it before it lost all value]

ok - I may be being picky but as others have said where is the i7? Surely Apple can see the gap in the lineup of a good desktop machine that is not a power monster like the Macpro! This is the machine I need - a decent speed desktop that can do my renders, small 3D models etc.

I guess the point for me is this - I need this computer now for my business, and can't find it in the Apple line up. No messing around with hackintosh or trying to find a second hand deal on an 08 Mac Pro.....
 
jrichie said:
I used to build my own machines [pre-mac days] and am not scared of this, but that was when I was younger and had the time!!

So I need a mid-range desktop, and of course could buy an older macpro - problem is I can't find anything suitable for sale in NZ at the right price :)

Maybe I should have said before that I have a ali 2.4 macbook with 4gb ram in it at the mo........

It is not fast enough so there goes the mac mini.

As I said, I have 2 cinema displays already and don't want an imac [had one and sold it before it lost all value]

ok - I may be being picky but as others have said where is the i7? Surely Apple can see the gap in the lineup of a good desktop machine that is not a power monster like the Macpro! This is the machine I need - a decent speed desktop that can do my renders, small 3D models etc.

I guess the point for me is this - I need this computer now for my business, and can't find it in the Apple line up. No messing around with hackintosh or trying to find a second hand deal on an 08 Mac Pro.....
Click to expand...

Then I'm afraid a Windows (maybe 7?) pc is your only chance to get such a machine. I can perfectly understand you, as you can see in my sig I have a 24" iMac + external display. It works rather good for the things I do (Adobe CS4 design suite + a little Cinema 4D). But given the option I would have bought that midrange screenless mac instead of the iMac in a heartbeat.
 
Hey Chaosbunny, you basically describe my old setup!

The thing about the imacs is I felt I was being ripped off a bit.... you get a monitor you don't want and will be guaranteed to be upgrading in a years time rather than upping the video card or adding more storage.

I don't want much - only a desktop more powerful than an imac, with pci slots and a couple of HD's.

As you say, I am leaning towards a windows 7 install on a mid range i7 Dell. It will be have to be hidden carefully under my desk so no-one sees, considerding I tell everyone to get a mac:rolleyes:
 
Also, the iMac is basically a laptop with a desktop drive, they do not have the power of the i7 or a Mac Pro.
 
snouter said:
the i7 920 2.66 is $280 and it is in ZERO apple products...
Click to expand...

Irrelevent really as the Xeon W5220 in the quad Mac Pro is the same but with ECC support.

snouter said:
the mini and the iMac use laptop CPUs, buses, ram and so forth

the mini uses a notebook hard drive

the mini is nice, but can't keep up with a quad core or hyperthreading quad core

Where is the $1250 i7 desktop?
Click to expand...

Marked up $1,250 and in a Mac Pro case? The market just doesn't interest Apple I'm affraid. I doubt it'll change now either.
 
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