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What is your opinion on iMacs

G

GTAmissions1

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jul 20, 2013
12
0
I was talking to a friend of mine who does graphic design and he wants an iMac, but keeps complaining that he wants the bells and whistles, but hates the price of how much iMacs cost.

I talked to multiple people who own iMacs and they say it is well worth the cost and not necessary to upgrade the components unless really needed.

What do you iMac users think about iMacs and how much they cost.

For me, this is why I would take an iMac over a Windows PC any day: Higher specs, better build quality, no useless junk, good software and support and only one number to call for assistance.

I think it is well worth the price considering how they are built, what is under the hood and how reliable they are compared to other computers. I don't think I will be going back to a Windows PC ever unless I really need to.
 
Add a decent, accurate IPS display to a similarly specced Windows box and the price gap becomes pretty slim. Upgradeability is likely the only real benefit, although the resale value on Macs does mitigate that a fair bit.

Ultimately it's up to your friend, but if he's a decent designer a good display should be his first priority regardless of OS.
 
I think the best thing your friend could do, would be to start a thread, and point out exactly what things he will be wanting to do on an iMac. He would get heaps of help with recommended specs etc to go for :)

I got my first iMac (well first Mac) back in January of this year, prior to this I was a Windows user for 10 years. Main reasons I wanted to move to Mac was that I was fed up with Windows been problematic. Sick of having to do a fresh install a couple of times a year to keep things running smoothly. My iMac is has smooth and as fast now, as the day I got it. Also Mac OS is more secure in general than Windows.

I had used Windows 8 on a friends computer and hated it, and thought that if this is what Windows has come to then it's time to move away from it.

Like you, I find the software is better on Mac. I also find Mac to be less troublesome than Windows. I find Mac just runs and doesn't require any user maintenance like Windows does, basically with Mac, you can spend the time using the thing, rather than performing user maintenance like I needed to on Windows. The build quality and the design of the Mac are additional advantages too.

Also with a Mac, you can have the best of both worlds as you can install Windows onto it, either through the included Boot Camp software or from Parallels Desktop and other similar software. I rarely use Windows on our iMac (perhaps once every couple of months), my other half uses it more for her card making CD roms which only run on Windows.

When you are comparing an iMac to a Windows PC, you have to reckon in that with an iMac you are getting a 21.5 or 27 inch monitor too. And the quality of the screen on the iMac is superb. I've used and seen a lot of monitors during my 10 years of using Windows computers, and none have matched the overall quality of the screen on my late 2012 iMac.

Your comment "I don't think I will be going back to a Windows PC" is a comment I have heard from every Mac user I know and I too wouldn't want to go back to a Windows PC. I knew a couple of weeks after receiving my iMac that I felt this way.
 
You pay more for apple products but they are worth more at resale.

They of course look fantastic

My apple computers are silent

After support is excellent

Once you use osx you realise how bad windows is, slow to operate and frustrating

I might pay more upfront for my MBA and imac but I will get more back when I sell. I get to enjoy the beautiful design, silent operation and osx in the meantime.

You might be able to build a faster computer with ips monitor but it will be ugh uglier and noisier and much more power hungry and worth hardly anything in a few years.

In a nutshell I bought it because apple make simple easy to use, good looking fast products.
 
bp1000 said:
You pay more for apple products but they are worth more at resale.

They of course look fantastic

My apple computers are silent

After support is excellent

Once you use osx you realise how bad windows is, slow to operate and frustrating

I might pay more upfront for my MBA and imac but I will get more back when I sell. I get to enjoy the beautiful design, silent operation and osx in the meantime.

You might be able to build a faster computer with ips monitor but it will be ugh uglier and noisier and much more power hungry and worth hardly anything in a few years.

In a nutshell I bought it because apple make simple easy to use, good looking fast products.
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Everything you said is correct!

PS: If someone believes the opposite, he/she can buy a "good" PC and "feel" smarter...:cool:
 
The other big advantage with iMac is that if you have an issue, you got to one place, Apple.

With most "Build Your Own" PCs it's normally a quest... Motherboard issues go here, GFX issues go here, CPU issues go here, OS issues go here. And they'll normally blame the other!
 
Well, I guess Apple must be doing something right..I'm on my 4th max spec iMac 27" and have no complaints at all. Way back in the day when I was a Windows user, the constant fiddling with updates, drivers, the need for third party AV and AM packages drove me into the Apple camp where I have happily remained.

I'm not much of a gamer now, but I do fly X-Plane a lot...my next Imac will have the new CPU upgrade, but apart from that, I wouldn't really need to change anything. Yes, Windows PC's are WAY cheaper than Apple products, but they do retain more value in the secondhand market.
 
GTAmissions1 said:
...
What do you iMac users think about iMacs and how much they cost.
...
Click to expand...
Configure a Windows PC to have similar specs to either 27" iMac. Add a similar quality 27" display. Make sure you include the cost of Windows and the ongoing cost for antivirus software to the Windows PC.

You'll find the price difference is only $100 or so.
 
Bear said:
Configure a Windows PC to have similar specs to either 27" iMac. Add a similar quality 27" display. Make sure you include the cost of Windows and the ongoing cost for antivirus software to the Windows PC.

You'll find the price difference is only $100 or so.
Click to expand...

And that $100 would go on a quality pair of ear defenders to drown out the sound of the 3-4 fans.
 
Everyones needs are different and to me they are lacking. had they just kept them a bit thicker to have put a great DESKTOP video card in it, instead of a mobile graphics card, that is around the performance of 660 ti.

Games like Watch_Dogs next year have insanely high requirements as it always happens with a new console generation. forget playing at very high settings for long. before the end of 2014 it will be medium, and then low quality settings for demanding games released in 2015. thats how fast the pc tech space works.



The other thing, is the thinness. the price of a decently sized SSD is outragous. 1TB SSD gives great performance, but so expensive. otherwise you are boggered into a fusion drive. hard drives get slower after a while. with an all out SSD your computer will remain snappy as long as the CPU holds up. thats the problem with fusion drives. the more you download to drive, the greater the damage. it might contain flash storage but its still spinning plates. HDDs are the first things that usually die in a computer. its a terrible cost that you cant upgrade that.


those are my primary things.
 
What would you do if you want to preserve the computer but want another monitor. What if you want to keep the monitor but change the computer?

In general, it's a good looking and aesthetically pleasing device, it is convenient for everyday use and last, but not least, makes my guests ask 'where is the computer'? :)

There is dust entering the ventilation which gathers up behind the screen resulting in some gray areas on the screen. I should open my iMac up and clean the dust. This alone makes me want not to buy an iMac again.

Your friend should look it from all angles and points of view before spending some thousands of their hard earned cash. Read about the various iMac issues before deciding.
 
luffytubby said:
Everyones needs are different and to me they are lacking. had they just kept them a bit thicker to have put a great DESKTOP video card in it, instead of a mobile graphics card, that is around the performance of 660 ti.
Click to expand...

Nope. We covered this in another thread, but if you think the 2011 chassis could deal with a 220W stock GTX 770 then you're dreaming.
 
MrGimper said:
The other big advantage with iMac is that if you have an issue, you got to one place, Apple.

With most "Build Your Own" PCs it's normally a quest... Motherboard issues go here, GFX issues go here, CPU issues go here, OS issues go here. And they'll normally blame the other!
Click to expand...

They have the "blame the other company" game down to a science.

Not to mention some of the companies might simply go out of business.
 
...

They have served me very well (when I did not get duds) over the past 14 years and counting: 4 good ones vs. 3 duds (including 2 refurbs.)

The all-in-one factor is wonderful and terrible. So I have a like/hate relationship with them.

If I bought a new iMac now, I would jump to the 27" because it seems like a better machine to me. I am looking at other Mac options for my next machine. I need portability.
 
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