What do you think about this All in One PC?

[maflynn]

expect it to be full of bloatware

That's one of the frustrating things in the PC world. My SurfaceBook did not come with any bloatware, but my wife's AIO HP Pc did. It was simple enough to clean up and uninstall but I agree with your point. Being universally reviled I don't understand why PC makers still do this

 

[Rok73]

Why is this in a Mac subforum? Mods, please move it. Besides, I'd never ever buy a HP machine. Never.

 

[DevNull0]

I picked no, but that's because I'd never buy an AIO and I'd never buy another HP product.
[doublepost=1485733831][/doublepost]

That's one of the frustrating things in the PC world. My SurfaceBook did not come with any bloatware, but my wife's AIO HP Pc did. It was simple enough to clean up and uninstall but I agree with your point. Being universally reviled I don't understand why PC makers still do this

I don't understand why people buy computers full of bloatware, but as long as they do, the manufacturers will continue to sell them.

 

[maflynn]

I don't understand why people buy computers full of bloatware

Up until recently, if you wanted a windows machine you had little choice - short of building your own rig

 

[Keebler]

I cracked up a few times reading it. See, we too love Windows. My wife is a behavioral hospital administrator. So, when people go nuts because of the Windows registry issues then come to her!

In all seriousness. Here's the thing - I've had the Surface with Windows 10 for several months now. I use it everyday. Zero issues. None. Nothing. It's been basically - perfect. It's very odd to use the word "perfect" along with "Windows" but it's true. I love OS X and will not be giving it up anytime soon, but I also need and want Windows. First, I need it for work at times (and no, Booth Camp didn't work for me). Second, I love Xbox streaming and Steam. Plus at times I work with large spreadsheets that seem to work far more reliably on the Windows side (especially when Macros are involved). So, Windows 10 has been pretty good. I really like it.

By the way... I've had OS X since inception (Tiger, I believe was the first one) and I've had issues along the way. Do you remember the WiFi problems that span a better part of two or three generations? I do. It drove me up the wall. Yes, OS X is far more reliable historically but it has had many, many issues along the way. And today it seems both OSs are on par. At least that's been my experience (haven't used anything else on the Windows side since XP. I hear Vista was something of a devil's spawn).

Here's the setup by the way... The Envy comes with a gorgeous 4K display. It has HDMI in and allows itself to be used as a display and I'll be connecting my MacBook to it. Then push a button and I'm back to a dedicated Windows machine. I think this is going to work pretty well. Maybe... hopefully. LOL
[doublepost=1485579418][/doublepost]Something else just occurred to me. Many believe that the secret sauce behind Apple's success with OS X is the fact that the company controls the hardware and software. The argument is that Apple can better manage and integrate the software and avoid stability issues.

Maybe Surface is the same way. Maybe it's an exception and the fact that Microsoft makes both the OS and the hardware plays a role in how stable the system has been for me? Who knows... it's a thought.

lol All good. I'm definitely not saying no one should use Windows. I just can't put up with its inferiority. Maybe 10 would be different, but I'm so scarred that I won't give it a chance. lol

Regarding the surface - does that version have a registry? I bet if it doesn't, that's the reason why it's so smooth.

I have a guy coming to look at my PC in 2 days. Hopefully that will be the end of it - aside from Parallels for 1 program.
Finger crossed

 

[killr_b]

A 4GB GTX 960 would be a far better video card. It's really scalable. I wonder why they didn't use it? It's made for setups like this computer. But shouldn't be too bad unless you want to play games on Ultra settings at 60 fps.

 

[maflynn]

Regarding the surface - does that version have a registry? I bet if it doesn't, that's the reason why it's so smooth.

Windows still uses the registry, but to be honest, its gotten such a bad wrap that it doesn't deserve at this point. I've not needed to edit any registry settings in years for my home computers, and the servers and workstations I support at work are just as solid.

 

[Rok73]

Windows still uses the registry, but to be honest, its gotten such a bad wrap that it doesn't deserve at this point. I've not needed to edit any registry settings in years for my home computers, and the servers and workstations I support at work are just as solid.

I can report the opposite. Registry tweeks we're bread-and-butter for me on every Windows version since 98 as a power user. I was literally forced to mess with it.

Besides that, Windows 10 looks all bling-bling and stuff but under the hood it's the same freaking OS since the Stone Age. Maybe it's not as noticeable with today's powerful CPUs in combination with SSDs but Windows 10 WILL get slower over time like it always did. The more apps you install the more messed up it gets. I've managed to avoid a complete reinstallation for the time running it but you can't expect the grade of knowledge and experience that I have achieved over the years from average Joe.

If you mess around with System Control you'll occasionally see a confirmation pop-up window or menu which will look exactly the same like it did 15 years ago except it's in higher resolution now.

This coming Friday my long PC era will finally come to an end because I am gonna sell my last rig and get rid of that baggage. I've made the complete swap to macOS & iOS only. I've started with the iPod nano 2G, had several iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs, MacBooks and I have to say that macOS - for my use case but also for my general feeling - is superior to Windows in every single way I can think of.

It's structured, it has a 'golden thread', it's extremely reliable, it stays fast, the list goes on and on.

 

[shaunp]

Does it run OS X? If not, then no.

Have a look at Surface Pro, Dell XPS, etc and you might change your mind. I prefer OS X, but my apps work just as well under Windows 10 and a I get a better choice of hardware. It's always worthwhile educating yourself....
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I can report the opposite. Registry tweeks we're bread-and-butter for me on every Windows version since 98 as a power user. I was literally forced to mess with it.

Besides that, Windows 10 looks all bling-bling and stuff but under the hood it's the same freaking OS since the Stone Age. Maybe it's not as noticeable with today's powerful CPUs in combination with SSDs but Windows 10 WILL get slower over time like it always did. The more apps you install the more messed up it gets. I've managed to avoid a complete reinstallation for the time running it but you can't expect the grade of knowledge and experience that I have achieved over the years from average Joe.

If you mess around with System Control you'll occasionally see a confirmation pop-up window or menu which will look exactly the same like it did 15 years ago except it's in higher resolution now.

This coming Friday my long PC era will finally come to an end because I am gonna sell my last rig and get rid of that baggage. I've made the complete swap to macOS & iOS only. I've started with the iPod nano 2G, had several iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs, MacBooks and I have to say that macOS - for my use case but also for my general feeling - is superior to Windows in every single way I can think of.

It's structured, it has a 'golden thread', it's extremely reliable, it stays fast, the list goes on and on.

I agree, MacOS is a much nicer place to be than Windows 10, but Apple simply don't have the hardware to support my workflow.

 

[Rok73]

I agree, MacOS is a much nicer place to be than Windows 10, but Apple simply don't have the hardware to support my workflow.

I do understand this. Unfortunately not every single software solution on PC is reproducable on a Mac.

 

[iMi]

Definitely didn't think about the long-term stability of Windows. It has been perfect for the past few months on the Surface Pro 4, so that's definitely a promising sign.

As for the specs, they look good on paper. I think most would agree. In terms of speed and performance, would this machine be compatible to the latest iMac? If so, base 27" model - would this be faster overall? How about the top-end i7 based iMac? How would this compare?

 

[Winterfibre]

I was always a linux person then since i bought a new msi laptop with a m.2 ssd i have used windows 10 and never looked back.
I also use a macbook pro and love the osx there both equally good.

 

[DevNull0]

Up until recently, if you wanted a windows machine you had little choice - short of building your own rig

The only pre-built computers I have ever bought have been macs. If what you say is true, Microsoft has royally screwed up for the past 20 years by allowing OEMs to give everyone a horrible windows experience.

I've always used a clean windows install on a computer I assembled myself, and XP and 7 were both fantastic OSes out of the box.

 

[Timothy Leo Crowley]

Windows is a virus. NO!

 

[iMi]

Windows is a virus. NO!

Care to share more info on exactly how you've reached this conclusion?

 

[Timothy Leo Crowley]

Care to share more info on exactly how you've reached this conclusion?

Of course, like all similar comments, this is simply my opinion. I base it on my usage. Yours may certainly differ.

Personally I have no interest at all in using a Windows based computer. I think they are horrible.

Thanks for asking.

 

[GoJames4]

We use both PC and Mac at home. My significant other is a big Windows fan. We don't have this particular model but have older HP machines. Good product, I would recommend it!

 

[maflynn]

We use both PC and Mac at home. My significant other is a big Windows fan. We don't have this particular model but have older HP machines. Good product, I would recommend it!

I have an HP AIO for my wife, an older touch screen model, and its been running like a champ for a few years now.

 

[zarathu]

The problem with these great PC's at reduced prices(compared to a Mac) is that they all have to run Windows. When you buy a Mac you are getting not just the hardware, but the software too, a whole integrated system. And if you really need it, you are also getting Windows(in any of three ways depending on how powerful you need windows). I have run Apple since 1977(yeah, Im old, and I've been here since 2003). I have also run many variations of Windows from 3.1 to 10, and also Linux Ubuntu 14.04.

Since I'm not a Power gamer, or a heavy video renderer, it always comes back to the combined machine which is more productive and fun, and that always takes me to a Mac. I'm not as productive on Windows, and Linux(while functional) will never stay close enough to the mainstream to be fun, as well as not as productive.

I traded in my Linux machine after 2 years for a MBP 15 inch late 2013, which outside of the graphics, in Geek Bench 4 is almost the same as the newest.

Most of the arguments here pushing this or that faster Windows PC never seem to bring in the main reason why Apple users stay: the joy and sophistication of the Mac OS interface.

 

[theluggage]

The problem with these great PC's at reduced prices(compared to a Mac) is that they all have to run Windows... When you buy a Mac you are getting not just the hardware, but the software too, a whole integrated system.

True (although most could also run Linux) although that argument isn't as strong as it was back in the days when it was Mac OS vs. the old DOS-based versions of Windows. I used Windows as my main system for years, and its perfectly productive once your used to it. Heck, I'm unproductive when using someone else's Mac because they don't have it set up the way I like. Plus, people don't spend most of their time playing with Finder/Explorer - they run applications. If you spend your days pounding at FCPX or Pixelmator then you're probably going to be sticking with Mac. However, if you're using Adobe CS then it's just going to take a few days to mentally re-map your Command and Ctl keys... Increasingly, I'm finding that most of the applications I'm using are crossplatform... and if you're into cloud/browser-based Apps...

People I've talked with who use Windows 10 heavily are pretty happy with it, esp. when using clean installs on new hardware - most of the issues have been associated with upgrades and updates, and one reason those are problematic is part of the big Mac/PC compromise:

The choice of Mac hardware is very, very limited. That greatly reduces the diversity of hardware that Apple have to support & test, making upgrades a bit less of a crapshoot (not that Apple has a spotless record) but its bad luck if you want a combinatiion of features that Apple doesn't have to offer.

The 27" iMac is possibly the best-in-class (mainly because its the only true 5k all-in-one). The new 2016 MBPs may be best in class if you want a powerful ultrabook and don't have a load of existing peripherals with what Apple laughably calls "legacy" connectors - but the choice of PC hardware is far, far wider. Want a reasonably powerful headless desktop with good graphics? Hope you like 3-year-old CPUs and want a FCPX appliance like the Mac Pro. Serious gaming system? Ha ha. Mobile workstation with lots of power and built in storage? Nope. Cheap'n'cheerful sub-$500 "second laptop" that won't hurt too much if the kids wreck it or if it gets left on the train? Nope. Disagree with Apple about the usefulness of touch screens or 2-in-ones? Sorry, you're just wrong. Whereas there's a large choice of those in PC form and if those don't fit the bill there are PC builders who will let you choose the exact components you want, assuming you're not up to building your own (which isn't rocket science).

The new Dell XPS 27 looks like an interesting iMac competitor (at least in the UHD "4k" version) - its not cheap, just a shade less than the iMac for comparable specs, M485X graphics (c.f. M300X series in the iMac) good connectivity (2xTB3/USB-C, bunch of USB3, DisplayPort Ethernet, SD card) which could turn out to a be much more practical setup if the new iMac goes all-USBC, but the kicker is that the back comes off with a screwdriver & you have RAM slots, a standard M.2 SSD blade and 2 standard HD bays...

 

[maflynn]

Most of the arguments here pushing this or that faster Windows PC never seem to bring in the main reason why Apple users stay: the joy and sophistication of the Mac OS interface.

The issue I see is that experience has been stagnating with less updates that really mean anything, and on the flip side Windows has made some major strides.

I flip back and forth and find both operating systems to be excellent, stable and fairly fast. I've been looking at moving on to a 15" laptop and I've limited my search at "premium" machines (not 600 dollar i3 no name brands) and I find that I can get a on paper something that has better specs, and is upgradeable then the MBP and still be around 1,000 dollars cheaper. The Dell XPS is not perfect, and in some areas the MBP beats it out, such as screen, and SSD speed but overall is spending more then 1,000 dollars worth it when it does boil down to the OS user experience?

For my I'm having a hard time justifying the near 3 grand price tag for a laptop. Heck, the past few years I was having a hard time justifying the cost of a 2 grand laptop, never mind 3.