Should I replace iMac with "better" hackintosh?? HELP

I wouldn't do the trade, even if the specs seem faster.
A Hackintosh is always a bit finicky depending on the parts used. You don't know, if the Hackintosh is working properly and if you get the real and legal license to the Adobe Master Collection.

If you are really interested in a Hackintosh and feel, your current iMac is not cutting it:

tonymacx86 Blog - very good guides and quite good message board

InsanelyMac Forum

InsanelyMac Hardware Database

Hackintosh.com

OSx86 Project - "the undisputed leader in information regarding OS X on x86 hardware and Apple's Intel transition."
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Also I have never had a seller actually give me the serial numbers to the "included" software they hock. If you ever need to re-install or have any sort of problem, there goes your special included software. It comes with it. But it is not included. Most likely. Never buy someone else's Hackintosh. They could be complete fools. Build your own. You can get a nice one under 1000.00. Acer makes, by and large, terrible displays. Fast pixels on TN film panels. Not even a fair fight with an IPS based iMac screen. The iMac eats it for lunch.
Why do you think he wants to trade you? For a lesser deal? Nope. Lesser deal for you. Yup. I can see it if it is at least an overclocked i7-2600K and a GTX580 or something. Not a 150.00 GPU and 220.00 CPU.

 

So now the hackintosh cost is up to 500.00 for mobo, proc, and gpu. How much was your iMac?

 

I would never do the trade. His computer spec sounds nearly identical to my PC, and mine can run a Mac VM so obviously I can install Hackintosh on it.

I spent around $500 for my computer (not including my monitor) and I'm looking to sell it once 2012 iMac is released.

The iMac uses an awesome monitor, the Acer monitor you mentioned is probably cheap ($150 value) and it doesn't even come CLOSE.

If you're gonna trade you might as well trade 1400 dollars for 700 of his dollars because that's what you're doing.

 

Wirelessly posted (Opera/9.80 (iPhone; Opera Mini/6.5.2.26801/26.1374; U; en) Presto/2.8.119 Version/10.54)

This deal is definitely not a really fair deal for you. The Hackintosh isn't much of an upgrade from the iMac. Slightly better CPU but less ram. The only big upgrade would be the gpu. And still it isn't even a high end gpu. Secondly the screen will be much inferior to your iMacs screen. Finally since it's a hackintosh it will be quite unstable and you'll have a hell of a trouble very time you want to upgrade your OS. Overall this Hackintosh is hardly worth half the price of your iMac and if you think it's specs are nice you'd be better of selling your iMac and making it yourself. You'll save some money that way.

 

Wirelessly posted (Opera/9.80 (iPhone; Opera Mini/6.5.2.26801/26.1374; U; en) Presto/2.8.119 Version/10.54)

This deal is definitely not a really fair deal for you. The Hackintosh isn't much of an upgrade from the iMac. Slightly better CPU but less ram. The only big upgrade would be the gpu. And still it isn't even a high end gpu. Secondly the screen will be much inferior to your iMacs screen. Finally since it's a hackintosh it will be quite unstable and you'll have a hell of a trouble very time you want to upgrade your OS. Overall this Hackintosh is hardly worth half the price of your iMac and if you think it's specs are nice you'd be better of selling your iMac and making it yourself. You'll save some money that way.

 

I dont think you should do it. Just for the simple fact that keeping up a hackintosh can be quite difficult. Especially if the hardware is not one of the better supported brands or models.

Plus there alwase seems to be at least 1 feature that doesnt work with hackintoshs. "being wireless, bluetooth, hdmi output, ect", and while the hardware may appear to be better the differance is usually gapped by the fact the hackintosh is bogged down by all the patches, tweeks, and hacks to the software to trick it into reconizing the hardware.

 

I'm siding with the majority, DON'T TRADE!

Like most have mentioned if you're looking for RAW power, sell your iMac and diy.

If not, keep it and save up and buy a better iMac.

 

LOL why would he want to trade you a better machine for yours? Did you even stop and think about it? Oh you really want to trade your ferrari for my hyundai? As homer simpson would say "What could possibly go wrong?"

And btw i'm being sarcastic, if you make the trade you are trading a much better machine for his pile of garbage. Even if he knows exactly what he is doing he still doesn't have the r&d money apple put into your machine. Apple spends billions of dollars making their products better than their competitors, and its that reason you bought their product. Why would you throw it down the toilet just for a few specs that seem like they might be better. Does your mac not do what you want it to? I just bought mine last week and i wouldn't trade mine for a pile of gold.

 

I,ve built a Hackintosh and it was less expensive and faster that the "equivalent" MAC. However it was prone to being finicky - needing more maintenance that I was willing to put into it for a "mission critical " system.

OK for the casual computer user/enthusiast, but again not for critical use.

My opinion, for what its worth.

 

They probably pirated all the software as well.

 

For me a hackintosh defeats the very purpose of having a mac: a reliable machine that just works.

If you have to put up with stability issues and complicated upgrade processes, then it's not a mac anymore.

 

In my mind, there really is no such thing as a "better" hackintosh....

Faster? Maybe, but "better" not at all....

I've built a couple of hackintosh's just for *****s and giggles, and any time there was an update, I would have to spend hours trying to research out to get everything to work right again. Thank god I wasn't doing any real work with it!

 

Don't, just don't....

I owned a Dell Mini 9, one of the "easiest" laptops to make into a hackintosh....

The biggest issue was every single point release (10.5.4 to 10.5.5 for example) would break the computer, at least for a few weeks until someone figured out how to get it working again and distributed the fixes to the hackintosh community. It was extremely frustrating.

At the end of the day, it was useable, but it was no where near the quality of an official mac.

 

No! And i i mean no!

No. No, seriously it is a deal that is in his favor highly. Think about it, he has made a computer out off different parts/brands and has a cheap monitor plus most likely a hacked copy of Adobe.

You have a brand new Imac with the real osx so will not run into nearly as many hithches as his. Your monitor is much better. If you REALLY need the Adobe pay for it yourself or get it via other manners . So in conclusion save yourself the money and keep your mac. If you really want a hackintosh sell your imac and with the money build your own pc from scratch.

Sorry if a bit jumbly send from my phone.