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Shane1905

macrumors regular
Original poster
May 21, 2012
204
1
UK
This is not a question of if apple would even do it, but if apple choose to license its OS, would you still buy an iMac? If not, what would you go for?
 
This is not a question of if apple would even do it, but if apple choose to license its OS, would you still buy an iMac? If not, what would you go for?

I would buy an Apple display, Apple keyboard, Magic Trackpad, and build my own box.
 
This is not a question of if apple would even do it, but if apple choose to license its OS, would you still buy an iMac? If not, what would you go for?

Tough call, I love the looks of it, but at the same time the hardware pricing is bit steep, most likely I would build a hack though. This is coming from a current 2011 mini owner.
 
I'm not sure what I'd do, I want an all in one due to desk space and I like the form factor. There are a few nice all in ones out there spec wise, hard to decide if the great finish and looks of an iMac are worth the premium.
 
I would build my own without a doubt. iMacs are nice to look at, but they're a service nightmare if anything goes wrong out of warranty. I like being able to swap hard drives, clean my cooling fans, etc, etc..
 
If I didn't need OSX at all (and fed up waiting for the imac), I would definetely get the hp z1.
But not sure if its a magnesium casing or plastic :confused:
 
I would build my own without a doubt. iMacs are nice to look at, but they're a service nightmare if anything goes wrong out of warranty. I like being able to swap hard drives, clean my cooling fans, etc, etc..

That's a good point, be nice to upgrade my own parts easily. Are other all in ones just as much of a pain in the ass?
 
That's a good point, be nice to upgrade my own parts easily. Are other all in ones just as much of a pain in the ass?

I have idea. I haven't looked closely at other all in ones to be honest

I think building your own is the best way to go. I've been building my own PC's since the early 90's. So why not build my own MAC?
 
While I would prefer to not have to deal with fixing my computer anymore (I just don't have time to fix them anymore) and would rather drop it off at Apple if there is an issue... I hate their GPU choices and delays. I'd end up building my own strictly for my choice in GPU and nothing else.
 
Great question! Much as I love my MBP, my biggest draw to Mac is OSX... I'd probably select another set of riggings/hardware to trim cost in some places and add expense in others.... I'd like to be able to do minor repairs myself too... the best thing about a PC
 
As much as I love Mac desktops, I would have to say I would build my own machine... It probably (most certainly) would not be as well built as Apple can build them (I know all the problems with building PC's because I have done it many times) but I would rather take my chances than being forced to buy a laptop that I do not want or need...
 
This is not a question of if apple would even do it, but if apple choose to license its OS, would you still buy an iMac? If not, what would you go for?

As a former iMac user, the reason why I'm not a current iMac customer is that, unlike standard desktops, you can only upgrade the RAM on an iMac. On standard desktops, you can upgrade literally anything. As a Mac user, I switched from being an iMac user to being a MacBook Pro user because with the non-retina unibody design, I have easier access to any component than just about any laptop on the market provides. As a gamer, I switched from being an iMac user to being a PC tower user because I am literally hampered by nothing; iMac graphics are never bleeding edge; at best, it's comparable to a low-mid range video card. Plus, I can upgrade, change or do anything. Sure, there's boot camp, but any tower I build will smoke any iMac Apple builds at games.

So yeah, if they chose to license their OS, I'd go out tomorrow and build myself an OS X monster. Then next week, I'd start trying to build and sell them en masse. Apple's desktops are all stupid. It's a shame though, because OS X is fairly solid. At least their laptops are more or less solid.
 
So yeah, if they chose to license their OS, I'd go out tomorrow and build myself an OS X monster. Then next week, I'd start trying to build and sell them en masse. Apple's desktops are all stupid. It's a shame though, because OS X is fairly solid. At least their laptops are more or less solid.

Having said what I have said earlier... About building my own machine... You do understand that the major difference between Windows PC and a Mac is that a Mac is not built by any Dick, Tom or Harry in their bedroom? If it was, you would have just another system that would work averagely on some machines, and just terribly on all the rest.
As for gaming... I do agree, Macs are not built for that, not even the Mac Pros...
So, if you want a gaming machine... Build a PC.
 
...
So yeah, if they chose to license their OS, I'd go out tomorrow and build myself an OS X monster. Then next week, I'd start trying to build and sell them en masse. Apple's desktops are all stupid. It's a shame though, because OS X is fairly solid. At least their laptops are more or less solid.

The question is... who is going to support those masses of "OS X monsters" ? Apple sure as heck isn't... they haven't certified the hardware, so they won't support their software on it. So I hope you have masses of staff to support your computers when problems develop. Including software issues...
 
I'd probably use a Samsung Series 9 for laptop and would build a "monster" as a desktop, using my actual Apple Thunderbolt Display.
 
Laptops, I'll always buy Apple hardware. I like the looks and quality. Desktop, I'd build my own with high quality parts.
 
I'd still buy a macbook pro. I like the case, the trackpad, the keyboard and the screen.


desktop? I'd probably still buy an imac, but could be tempted to build a custom box myself (have done so many many times before when I was in the PC camp)

But for me, desktop hardware is dead. I'm not a hard core gamer any more, and the mbp runs the games I do play just fine.
 
Like most people here, I'd also build my own computer. The great and compact look of Macs are simply not worth the money I'd save putting it together myself.

While it's a fun thought that Apple may as well let us do that since they apparently don't care to do regular updates on desktops any more, I also think this thread perfectly demonstrates why they shouldn't give us the option.
 
I'd build my own. But we can already do this now "unofficially" and I haven't yet. So maybe I wouldn't haha.
 
Although I really enjoy building my own computers and have done so for many, many years, I also have found that home-built computers are difficult to sell, whereas Macs sell very well and provide a good return on the original investment (even old ones sell). If you consider the true end-to-end cost of a computer, the price of a Apple produced one can actually be cheaper than a build-your-own one, even if you don't include the consideration of your time to select, purchase, build, and test your project.


However ... if you want absolute top performance in each and every component in your computer ... build-your-own is really the only option!



-howard
 
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If Apple licensed OS X, I would start selling down parkas to Satan's minions. :D

I would too. That and give up any investment in Apple since they would essentially have to discontinue OSX - you can't beat MS at a game in their own playground...
 
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