Why would anyone buy an iMac instead of a Windows desktop?

[bambooshots]

Just because I didn't want to do the research all the parts and wait for them to come in and then build it myself...

My computing these days are limited to email/schoolwork/occasional Diablo play. Maybe I'll finally get around to playing and finishing Half Life 2 now that I have an iMac instead of trying to play all those games on my MBA.

I do also like the all in one form factor. Much easier to manage.

At any rate, I worked hard for 100 hours of OT so I deserve it!

 

[robertojorge]

Heres my experience and my 2 or 3 cents - Sorry in advance if its long

Im a Full time Teacher and Motion Graphics Designer.

Been a Windows user all my life and i like Win 8

Last year by professional reasons had (wanted) to start working with Motion 5 to scale my portfolio. Software only available on Mac.

There i went got a Mac Mini Late 2012 2.3Ghz upgraded with 16GB Ram. Start to use it and in a few weeks feel in love with OSX and the integration with other devices.

I still use my win 8 PC as my main work machine but my Mac mini witch as served me well for 1 year is not giving me what i need as i develop more complex jobs (GPU limited) in M5.

So heres my dilemma at this moment:
- Need a machine with more powerfull GPU
- Having all peripherals triple monitor setup and a lot of peripherals logic would be nMP. Well to expensive and way overkill ATM for what i do.
- So im thinking seriously to replace completely my PC with iMac 27 Full Spec

Now, would i like to be able yo exchange parts as i do in my PC? Yes
Is it possible? No
Do i really need OSX? Oh Yes

So in a few months ill trigger the "Buy Button" and get my self a Imac (still waiting to see what comes out on the Mini side)

Heres a reason that 1 person needs a Imac instead of a Win 8 PC

OSX gives me the freedom to run any software that i need, even if only available for Win ill just install my Win 8 Licence on the Mac and there i Go.

Please dont suggest Hackintosh to me. Ive tried it and didnt liked it. Very insecure. I work with the machine, i cannot afford 1 day to troubleshoot why its not booting or why is freezing (im not against it but its not for me)

Another though:

Last month i offered my Wife a Imac 21.5 I5 2.7Ghz 8GB Ram 1TB HDD - 1350€ with 20% cashback that i used to buy her a iPad mini Retina for 100€
I also got extended warranty of 3yrs for 80€ so a total of 5 years warranty on this machine.

She has besides OSX
- iPhoto (Our favorite app ever to organize photos)
- iWork (Docs, spread sheets, keynote)
- iLife (iMovie, Garageband) - This she doesnt use it

But the point is. Its not only hardware that we have to count for when getting a Mac system its a lot about software and if you are going to be using it than you will see that the prices are not that far away when purchasing similar software for the Win machine.

Wow what a big post

By the way both sides have pros and cons as everything in life.

Design wise there's nothing comparable, its just beautiful.

 

[haylight]

Heres my experience and my 2 or 3 cents - Sorry in advance if its long

Im a Full time Teacher and Motion Graphics Designer.

Been a Windows user all my life and i like Win 8



So heres my dilemma at this moment:
- Need a machine with more powerfull GPU
- Having all peripherals triple monitor setup and a lot of peripherals logic would be nMP. Well to expensive and way overkill ATM for what i do.
- So im thinking seriously to replace completely my PC with iMac 27 Full Spec

Now, would i like to be able yo exchange parts as i do in my PC? Yes
Is it possible? No
Do i really need OSX? Oh Yes

So in a few months ill trigger the "Buy Button" and get my self a Imac (still waiting to see what comes out on the Mini side)

Heres a reason that 1 person needs a Imac instead of a Win 8 PC

OSX gives me the freedom to run any software that i need, even if only available for Win ill just install my Win 8 Licence on the Mac and there i Go.

Please dont suggest Hackintosh to me. Ive tried it and didnt liked it. Very insecure. I work with the machine, i cannot afford 1 day to troubleshoot why its not booting or why is freezing (im not against it but its not for me)

Another though:

Last month i offered my Wife a Imac 21.5 I5 2.7Ghz 8GB Ram 1TB HDD - 1350€ with 20% cashback that i used to buy her a iPad mini Retina for 100€
I also got extended warranty of 3yrs for 80€ so a total of 5 years warranty on this machine.

She has besides OSX
- iPhoto (Our favorite app ever to organize photos)
- iWork (Docs, spread sheets, keynote)
- iLife (iMovie, Garageband) - This she doesnt use it

But the point is. Its not only hardware that we have to count for when getting a Mac system its a lot about software and if you are going to be using it than you will see that the prices are not that far away when purchasing similar software for the Win machine.

Wow what a big post

By the way both sides have pros and cons as everything in life.

Design wise there's nothing comparable, its just beautiful.

So using OS X is basically like night and day to using windows 8.1 to you, you love stock Apple software, and prefer apple aesthetics? fair enough. For me the ability to swap parts in and out is absolutely massive. Thinking long-term, in 4 years I could swap just the RAM- adding 4gb here and there, just the CPU, maybe I need more memory but can only afford a 150gb SSD momentarily- no problem, I can add whatever whenever, whereas an iMac you're looking at shelling out another $1,500 at least for up to date equipment in that time period. EVGA also has an excellent "step-up" program for video cards where you pay only the difference between your current GPU and a newer GPU up to 80 days after purchase- this means I can basically play any modern game for years to come at a drastically reduced price that I couldn't normally afford. Although the mac software you mentioned is great, I still prefer the full functionality of Office 365 over the proprietary office suite that comes with Macs from a productivity standpoint, and I prefer to do everything in photoshop for pictures, and Fl Studio 11 pro edition is vastly superior to Garage band- you can find completely good Windows alternatives but Apple has always been better about very high quality free software. Many professionals as yourself use iMacs but from a software standpoint you can do just as good on Windows and have access to more programs worldwide. Hackintosh can be a pain, but I would say it can be just as functional/stable as Parallels for Mac if you take the time to properly tweak it. Basically if I were rich and could throw out limitless money for top of the line iMacs I probably would. For a no compromise solution that takes time, research, and more effort, I still see a Windows desktop being ideal for power users.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

Mac OS X also has a RETURN/Enter key integrated, which makes it easier
to break or even

paragraph a wall of text for easier readability.

 

[Dirtyharry50]

I'm no Apple hater, I own an ipad and am planning on getting a macbook air soon, but for desktop computers windows is still the way to go- so much so I don't understand why you would get an imac ? If you build your own computer you can customize every single part and swap one out if you want a newer video card or get more RAM or whatever;

-Windows 8.1 pro 64-bit (Windows 8.1 is just so open, and the flaws of Windows 8 are over-emphasized, I can install anything on it, no restrictions, and having a non-crippled Office 365 2013 version is great) If you absolutely can't stand Windows there's always Hackintosh. I got 8.1 pro $70 student version
-NZXT Phantom 410 case (massive but aesthetically pleasing and good airflow) $50 with rebate, has tons of USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, all display options you want
-Intel core i7 4790k processor (4.0 Ghz quad core) $270
-EVGA nvidia 770 Gtx GPU (Can run basically any modern game at 60 FPS 1080p) $320
-8 Gb hyperjaw RAM (Plan on upgrading to 16gb RAM when I can afford it) $70
-Seasonic 750 Watt EVO power supply (Runs beautifully quiet, can handle any editing, gaming, etc.) $100
-Samsung 250 GB SSD (Everything is blazing fast, windows startup is 3 seconds, programs open instantly) $110 on sale
-Gigabyte Z97 G1 Gaming Motherboard (Excellent overclocking options, gigabyte Bios is very intuitive, has a built in sound card and amp, good for sound quality and gaming capabilities) $140

That's $1130 for a PC that I DARE you to find an imac of equal quality/power at the same price
With the power of my Nvidia 770 GTX I also purchased an Asus 27" 1440p LED PLS display for $480, gaming is astonishingly good on this display. Maybe you could find an equivalent imac for $2,000+, but for desktops deciding on every single part, the experience of building your computer, the bang for the buck raw power, iMacs don't make sense.

Okay, so including the monitor it comes to $1,610. that would be a $390 savings over the 27" late-2013 iMac I own. However, the display you purchased does not equal a thousand dollar Apple display. The Apple tax is not that high I'm sure. In the case of both displays, both companies need to be making a profit. I doubt the maker of the display you purchased is a charity organization. I am glad you are happy with it but please don't try to convince me they are the same thing, that they are identical when they are not. It is not an apples to apples comparison, pardon the expression.

What else do I get with a Mac? The Apple ecosystem. My other Apple devices such as the Airport Express I used to stream iTunes to my stereo just work with my iMac and do so elegantly which is more than I can say for any other router I've ever used. Airport utility makes configuration a breeze. My iPhone syncs to my photos and music automatically when I charge it with my iMac although it can also do this wirelessly as well if desired. Again, it could not be simpler. It just works. My AppleTV and my stereo are able to play things I buy with iTunes on the computer which can also play the same content. Everything just works together like a dream. There really isn't any all one company ecosystem on the PC side of things although independent solutions exist, they don't exist in concert with one another so elegantly as they do in the Apple world at least not in my past experience which was as recent as a little over two years ago.

Here's something else I get with a Mac and it's a big one: AppleCare. For three years I get phone support for any hardware or OS X/Apple Apps question I might have and a full hardware warranty that includes on-site service. Currently this warranty can be purchased on Amazon.com for just $110.

Is Apple perfect? No, of course not which is why AppleCare is such an important benefit to buy into. After two years and some recurring issues with my mid-2011 iMac, Apple replaced my iMac with a brand new (and very nice upgrade) late-2013 iMac including FedEx overnight shipping of the old return and the new iMac at no cost to me. I had my new computer in four days. My entire experience with Apple personnel was nothing but positive. Nobody ever gave me any sort of hard time. They were all about making me happy and apologetic that I'd had problems.

Can you get that kind of service for $110. for a home built PC for three years? I don't think so. This is a very important value Apple customers do have access to beyond the one year warranty. By the way, when I got my replacement it included another free one year warranty and I am allowed to buy AppleCare again at any time during the year since I took delivery last month. They refunded about $50. on my old AppleCare since I was now getting a free warranty for a year. Actually they gave me some other options but the one I am detailing is the one I thought was best. So I will of course buy AppleCare again. Total cost = $220. to buy it twice minus $50. refund = $170. to own an iMac that is fully covered with on-site service and free phone support on the computer itself and the operating system for a total of what will now be 5 years. Beat that with a home built PC. Apple is a company that is willing to stand behind their products and my experience is certainly proof of that.

That's value. That's worth something to me over self-built.

Last but certainly not least is of course, OS X and all the great apps available for it. Try to get something as good as Time Machine for free with Windows 8.1. No can do. I imagine a decent backup solution for a Windows PC runs around one hundred bucks, maybe a little less. Apple offers value in the software they include as well. I do not need Microsoft Office personally. iWork apps are perfect for my needs. There's another expense I save on. Barebones Windows gives you no office apps. I don't know about Windows 8.1 but Windows 7 doesn't give you any noteworthy apps. Apple does. For me Garageband happens to be a nice plus for example. I'd have to shell out some money to try and find something similar in the Windows world.

Some of this too just comes down to personal preference. I like OS X a lot. I do not like Windows much at all. I love the aesthetic design of my iMac. It is a thing of beauty and it is whisper quiet. Even when I am gaming it is pretty quiet compared to the PC I used to play games on that sounded like a multi-prop plane closeup. Speaking of games, there is no shortage of high quality entertainment for Macs now. I love Blizzard's games, especially World of Warcraft which keeps me busy. On top of that Feral and Aspyr port many great titles to Mac. Other major publishers and many indies come to Mac. In all, there are over a thousand games to choose from for Mac on Steam. And for everything else, there is my Playstation so no need for a Windows box.

I bothered to write all of that to illustrate why someone might prefer a Mac, even a gamer versus a home built PC which is cheaper but to some extent you do get what you pay for as is usual. I'd agree Apple charges a premium for their products but they can because of how nice they are. Look at how well the company is doing. Premium computing does cost more and it is worth it in my opinion. I get a lot of value with Apple products that goes well beyond the simple comparisons I often see between PC gaming rigs and iMacs.

 

[robertojorge]

I think i made it clear i love and use both.

But professionally i need OSX. I dont use parallels, i would use Boot camp, i just dont need because i own a Win 8 Machine

Win 8 - AE, Photoshop, Premier, C4D
Mac Mini - Motion 5, FCPX

So i use the best of both worlds at least in my opinion. Now if i have to make a decision on getting only 1 i will have to go Mac.

Until now from a business point of view the mini as secondary machine worked great on a small investment with a big income return, but having 1 mid-high WIN and 1 mid-high OSX is not financial smart

Thats why im serioulsly considering Imac.

I do not play any games, i work, i make money trough my computer, It is just a tool.

I do respect all that you have said about your preferences, but on the last post i answered your question.

Which was: " Why would anyone buy an iMac instead of a Windows desktop?"

Those were the reasons that explains that on this side of this monitor one guy will buy if necessary an iMac instead of a Win 8 machine.

Just a little background:
- Im 34 years old
- My first machine was a spectrum 128k +2 folowed by amiga 500 then 600
- First PC was a Intel 133Mhz Win 95
- Worked with all versions of windows till now (hated millenium, hated vista, pretty much liked all others and i do love win 8)

So when i make a decision or when i give an opinion i use the experience that ive had all over the years.

Its not as simple as it seems.

Hope you can take something positive about my words.

Suggestion: Get the mac-book air that you said you were going to get, use it and maybe then you may have a different approach on this "discussion"

 

[Dirtyharry50]

I guess I am realizing iMacs are very valuable to people with little computer experience, for kids, older people, loaded people or those who don't want or need laptops and need a functional computer for basic uses.

Don't take this the wrong way but that just made me smile and imagine you to be a rather young person.

That generalization is simply wrong. The iMac appeals to all sorts of people for their own unique purposes and reasons. For example, I have been using personal computers since before IBM PC-XT. I forget the model name of my first one now but you had to connect a cassette tape deck to it and this is how it stored and read data. The way I made it do anything besides run a few programs I bought for it was to program them in BASIC.

In the years to follow, I fell in love with computers and computing in general, got a degree in computer science and became a senior software engineer. I've built and fixed more computers and software issues than I can remember. I like to joke sometimes that I have never met a computer I cannot fix nor a software problem I cannot at least identify.

Okay, so if at 55 you want to consider me an old guy that an iMac would be suited to because presumably older folks have modest computing needs, little technical knowledge, etc. by all means go ahead. The truth is this older guy appreciates elegant hardware and software design very much. He likes stuff that just works. He likes not having to build it or fix it. He loves it in fact. None of this makes him an inept dummy who is incapable of pursuing less desirable alternatives however, such as a home built computer running Windows. I'd run Linux before I ran Windows. Fortunately thanks to Apple, I don't need to.

 

[haylight]

Okay, so including the monitor it comes to $1,610. that would be a $390 savings over the 27" late-2013 iMac I own. However, the display you purchased does not equal a thousand dollar Apple display. The Apple tax is not that high I'm sure. In the case of both displays, both companies need to be making a profit. I doubt the maker of the display you purchased is a charity organization. I am glad you are happy with it but please don't try to convince me they are the same thing, that they are identical when they are not. It is not an apples to apples comparison, pardon the expression.

What else do I get with a Mac? The Apple ecosystem. My other Apple devices such as the Airport Express I used to stream iTunes to my stereo just work with my iMac and do so elegantly which is more than I can say for any other router I've ever used. Airport utility makes configuration a breeze. My iPhone syncs to my photos and music automatically when I charge it with my iMac although it can also do this wirelessly as well if desired. Again, it could not be simpler. It just works. My AppleTV and my stereo are able to play things I buy with iTunes on the computer which can also play the same content. Everything just works together like a dream. There really isn't any all one company ecosystem on the PC side of things although independent solutions exist, they don't exist in concert with one another so elegantly as they do in the Apple world at least not in my past experience which was as recent as a little over two years ago.

Here's something else I get with a Mac and it's a big one: AppleCare. For three years I get phone support for any hardware or OS X/Apple Apps question I might have and a full hardware warranty that includes on-site service. Currently this warranty can be purchased on Amazon.com for just $110.

Is Apple perfect? No, of course not which is why AppleCare is such an important benefit to buy into. After two years and some recurring issues with my mid-2011 iMac, Apple replaced my iMac with a brand new (and very nice upgrade) late-2013 iMac including FedEx overnight shipping of the old return and the new iMac at no cost to me. I had my new computer in four days. My entire experience with Apple personnel was nothing but positive. Nobody ever gave me any sort of hard time. They were all about making me happy and apologetic that I'd had problems.

Can you get that kind of service for $110. for a home built PC for three years? I don't think so. This is a very important value Apple customers do have access to beyond the one year warranty. By the way, when I got my replacement it included another free one year warranty and I am allowed to buy AppleCare again at any time during the year since I took delivery last month. They refunded about $50. on my old AppleCare since I was now getting a free warranty for a year. Actually they gave me some other options but the one I am detailing is the one I thought was best. So I will of course buy AppleCare again. Total cost = $220. to buy it twice minus $50. refund = $170. to own an iMac that is fully covered with on-site service and free phone support on the computer itself and the operating system for a total of what will now be 5 years. Beat that with a home built PC. Apple is a company that is will to stand behind their products and my experience is certainly proof of that.

That's value. That's worth something to me over self-built.

Last but certainly not least is of course, OS X and all the great apps available for it. Try to get something as good as Time Machine for free with Windows 8.1. No can do. I imagine a decent backup solution for a Windows PC runs around one hundred bucks, maybe a little less. Apple offers value in the software they include as well. I do not need Microsoft Office personally. iWork apps are perfect for my needs. There's another expense I save on. Barebones Windows gives you no office apps. I don't know about Windows 8.1 but Windows 7 doesn't give you any noteworthy apps. Apple does. For me Garageband happens to be a nice plus for example. I'd have to shell out some money to try and find something similar in the Windows world.

Some of this too just comes down to personal preference. I like OS X a lot. I do not like Windows much at all. I love the aesthetic design of my iMac. It is a thing of beauty and it is whisper quiet. Even when I am gaming it is pretty quiet compared to the PC I used to play games on that sounded like a multi-prop plane closeup. Speaking of games, there is no shortage of high quality entertainment for Macs now. I love Blizzard's games, especially World of Warcraft which keeps me busy. On top of that Feral and Aspyr port many great titles to Mac. Other major publishers and many indies come to Mac. In all, there are over a thousand games to choose from for Mac on Steam. And for everything else, there is my Playstation so no need for a Windows box.

I bothered to write all of that to illustrate why someone might prefer a Mac, even a gamer versus a home built PC which is cheaper but to some extent you do get what you pay for as is usual. I'd agree Apple charges a premium for their products but they can because of how nice they are. Look at how well the company is doing. Premium computing does cost more and it is worth it in my opinion. I get a lot of value with Apple products that goes well beyond the simple comparisons I often see between PC gaming rigs and iMacs.

You're glossing over the specifics. The Apple Display is incredibly nice, but I think the Asus 27" PLS 1440p display is also a very good value, and unless you are a professional commercial photographer this monitor will suit the average consumer's needs very well. The specific things you glossed over:

1. Processor. A 4790k 4.0 Quad core ghz processor. An i7 quad-core 4 ghz processor for a power user is indispensable and a massive benefit from a cost and power standpoint. The new devil's canyon 4790k also uses a new thermal interface material that takes less power than lesser versions of intel processors and can overclock even higher to around 4.5 Ghz for extreme power user needs.
2. Being able to easily replace parts on a custom PC CANNOT be overstated.
3. GPU. Yes, the Mac can play alot of games, so can Windows. However, there is no way The Playstation 4 or Mac as compared to a dedicated mid to high end GPU can deliver the same aesthetic quality with high settings on a 1440p or retina apple cinema quality monitor. Gaming is just better on a custom built Windows/Linux/Hackintosh machine with a custom dedicated GPU because even the playstation 4 is using a mid-quality 3 year old graphics card and you'll have to pay alot more for an imac with an equivalent GPU.
4. Apps As I said previously Apple is much better about providing free high-quality software for basic uses, notice I said basic. As a student Office 365 simply offers better functionality than the ioffice suite, even if it isn't as pretty, especially with things exclusive to Windows like One Note 2013, Excel 2013, etc. Also if you're new to computers or an amateur the video and music editing software on Macs is absolutely phenomenal. For intermediate users as myself, I don't find as much value in them because if I had an iMac I would still be paying the same as Windows for photoshop, Fl Studio 11 producer edition, etc. For things like medical software and science programs, and the worldwide software ecosystem, Windows also simply has much more software compatible with it, and while Parallels is fine, it's not as good as running native Windows apps in Windows. Also, while the Windows store isn't very good, it's catching up and you CAN run mobile apps on a windows Desktop, while it's not all that great yet, I enjoy being able to read my magazines through a windows app and using flipboard on a windows app all on my desktop, you can't yet use ios apps on Macs in a useful capacity.

5. Warranty I've heard apple care is great, it also costs alot. My motherboard has a 3 year warranty, my graphics card has a 3 year warranty, even my asus monitor has a 3 year warranty. My graphics card was defective when I bought it, so I sent it back to EVGA and they sent me a brand new one, EVGA has phenomenal support. From what I have learned as long as you buy good parts from reputable manufacturers such as Intel, Evga, Samsung, Gigabyte, Seasonic etc. they all have great customer support

 

[brentsg]

People that buy an AIO don't want all that crap listed in the OP. It's like saying why don't people buying a notebook build their own desktop. They're two different things with some overlap.

In regard to your warranty issue, there's a big difference between a warranty and Applecare. With Applecare, you drop it off on the way to work and pick it up a few days later all good-to-go. With a warranty, you spend 3-4 weeks waiting for a refurb replacement for a critical part to arrive in the mail so you can do a DIY repair. You also get to figure out for yourself it it was the power supply that failed and broke your motherboard/RAM/videocard. Or wait, is it really the video card, or is the motherboard bad after all? Maybe go buy a replacement video card locally to swap it in. If that's not it then maybe return it to the store, etc.

I recently had a bad motherboard in a DIY PC and it took quite a bit of part swapping to determine exactly which component was bad. Meanwhile I was lucky to have redundant parts on hand for swapping. The last time I did a RMA, it was for a video card. MSI has great support, but it's still a multi-week process to get a refurb in hand. Ship it off, they test and determine whether it's bad (after a few days of waiting), then they UPS Ground a refurb part off to you. It's easily 3 weeks at minimum.

Let's also not discount churn in the market. BFG was absolutely amazing in their day, and they were the source of all my video cards. Whoops, they closed shop. No guarantee your manufacturer of choice will be around for support/RMA.

 

[robertojorge]

With all due respect Haylight, i think that you made a question but you dont want to hear the answers.

Several users now just given their opinion Why they chose/need/prefer Imac over an Win Machine.

When i make a question i hear answers and from that i learn and make my own decisions, and all i see is you trying to justify your preferences.

You dont need to justify you prefer this over that specially when the question was once again Why would anyone buy an iMac instead of a Windows desktop?

Instead try to understand what people are transferring to you. Their experiences and their choices. Thats it decisions. Gladly we can chose.

 

[haylight]

In regard to your warranty issue, there's a big difference between a warranty and Applecare. With Applecare, you drop it off on the way to work and pick it up a few days later all good-to-go.

I just went to the Apple store Applecare costs $169 on a new iMac. It would be great if it were free but that's still alot to pay-less so if you just want peace of mind and can't be bothered to fiddle with things. I don't mind waiting for new parts from manufacturers, in my experience it takes more effort and time like you said with custom parts, but reputable manufacturers such as MSI tend to always come through in the end- and I honestly get great satisfaction knowing just my GPU was defective, so that problem was gone and now I'm getting a new one. Shipping a shiny box back then having it work again is easy, but there is a keen satisfaction to knowing exactly what is wrong, having it fixed, then perhaps upgrading a specific part to suit your own needs vs. paying some big lump sum

 

[simsaladimbamba]

I just went to the Apple store Applecare costs $169 on a new iMac. It would be great if it were free but that's still alot to pay-less so if you just want peace of mind and can't be bothered to fiddle with things. I don't mind waiting for new parts from manufacturers, in my experience it takes more effort and time like you said with custom parts, but reputable manufacturers such as MSI tend to always come through in the end- and I honestly get great satisfaction knowing just my GPU was defective, so that problem was gone and now I'm getting a new one. Shipping a shiny box back then having it work again is easy, but there is a keen satisfaction to knowing exactly what is wrong, having it fixed, then perhaps upgrading a specific part to suit your own needs vs. paying some big lump sum

Read post #35 and maybe have a look at your RETURN key. Please.
Or do you not format your office documents for easier readability? You have already found the B tag,
now find the forum software independent RETURN key.

 

[haylight]

With all due respect Haylight, i think that you made a question but you dont want to hear the answers.

Several users now just given their opinion Why they chose/need/prefer Imac over an Win Machine.

When i make a question i hear answers and from that i learn and make my own decisions, and all i see is you trying to justify your preferences.

You dont need to justify you prefer this over that specially when the question was once again Why would anyone buy an iMac instead of a Windows desktop?

Instead try to understand what people are transferring to you. Their experiences and their choices. Thats it decisions. Gladly we can chose.

Yes, everyone is wrong, no one is right. I'm subjectively replying to individual opinions- generally that's what discussions are for.

 

[brentsg]

I just went to the Apple store Applecare costs $169 on a new iMac. It would be great if it were free but that's still alot to pay-less so if you just want peace of mind and can't be bothered to fiddle with things.

Right. I think that's a good indication that you don't understand the AIO market. I don't personally know anyone that's using an iMac and can be bothered to fiddle with things. The point that you're missing is that an AIO is an appliance. It's not something you buy on specs. It's not something you buy to fiddle with.

Also, many people won't have multiple machines and thus won't be ABLE to wait weeks for a replacement part. It's too valuable a tool for that.

 

[Dirtyharry50]

You're glossing over the specifics. The Apple Display is incredibly nice, but I think the Asus 27" PLS 1440p display is also a very good value, and unless you are a professional commercial photographer this monitor will suit the average consumer's needs very well. The specific things you glossed over:

1. Processor. A 4790k 4.0 Quad core ghz processor. An i7 quad-core 4 ghz processor for a power user is indispensable and a massive benefit from a cost and power standpoint. The new devil's canyon 4790k also uses a new thermal interface material that takes less power than lesser versions of intel processors and can overclock even higher to around 4.5 Ghz for extreme power user needs.
2. Being able to easily replace parts on a custom PC CANNOT be overstated.
3. GPU. Yes, the Mac can play alot of games, so can Windows. However, there is no way The Playstation 4 or Mac as compared to a dedicated mid to high end GPU can deliver the same aesthetic quality with high settings on a 1440p or retina apple cinema quality monitor. Gaming is just better on a custom built Windows/Linux/Hackintosh machine with a custom dedicated GPU because even the playstation 4 is using a mid-quality 3 year old graphics card and you'll have to pay alot more for an imac with an equivalent GPU.
4. Apps As I said previously Apple is much better about providing free high-quality software for basic uses, notice I said basic. As a student Office 365 simply offers better functionality than the ioffice suite, even if it isn't as pretty, especially with things exclusive to Windows like One Note 2013, Excel 2013, etc. Also if you're new to computers or an amateur the video and music editing software on Macs is absolutely phenomenal. For intermediate users as myself, I don't find as much value in them because if I had an iMac I would still be paying the same as Windows for photoshop, Fl Studio 11 producer edition, etc. For things like medical software and science programs, and the worldwide software ecosystem, Windows also simply has much more software compatible with it, and while Parallels is fine, it's not as good as running native Windows apps in Windows. Also, while the Windows store isn't very good, it's catching up and you CAN run mobile apps on a windows Desktop, while it's not all that great yet, I enjoy being able to read my magazines through a windows app and using flipboard on a windows app all on my desktop, you can't yet use ios apps on Macs in a useful capacity.

5. Warranty I've heard apple care is great, it also costs alot. My motherboard has a 3 year warranty, my graphics card has a 3 year warranty, even my asus monitor has a 3 year warranty. My graphics card was defective when I bought it, so I sent it back to EVGA and they sent me a brand new one, EVGA has phenomenal support. From what I have learned as long as you buy good parts from reputable manufacturers such as Intel, Evga, Samsung, Gigabyte, Seasonic etc. they all have great customer support

I'm not glossing over anything. Those are your specifics. I was talking about mine. I recognize they are not the same but your original post does not come off as if you recognize that there might be any other view besides your own that is also valid.

Just so you won't feel glossed over, yes, that is a superior rig for PC gaming at least currently than an iMac. Does that mean an iMac doesn't make any sense as you asserted in your first post for everyone? No, it doesn't. I like to do this often. I will direct you now to visit the Steam Hardware Survey results and see for yourself what the typical Windows PC gamer is playing games with. Congratulations on having a better PC gaming rig than most of them. Are you happy yet? I hope so!

If I wanted a PC gaming rig that can run everything at 1440p ultra settings I'd have built an appropriate rig with a pair of Titans in SLI. I don't need that to have fun. Apparently you don't either as you've settled for less than I'd build if I was going for the best. Actually, I'd probably be lazy if money was no object and just have Falcon Northwest build it for me. Look them up for some machines to drool over if you don't know who they are.

Like many users, I want a single computer that does everything I want it to and for me personally, that is my iMac and I am completely satisfied with its performance. Games look great and run just fine on this machine. Once again, one does not need ultra everything to have fun. In fact, some will say real gamers don't care about graphics, they care about the games themselves such as classics, games like say, Baldur's Gate II just to name one.

What you are glossing over big time is how much it is all in the eye of the beholder and how much individuals are unique in both their needs and wants. In other words, the whole world isn't you is what I mean.

It's great you got a computer you are really happy with. I would not criticize that even though I wouldn't want that computer myself. Likewise, I think it is fair to call you out for coming to this forum just to proclaim to the Mac faithful that they are out to lunch for not seeing things the same way you do. That is basically what the last line of your first post indicated.

Sorry to be blunt. I don't dislike you or anything but I don't think you've been listening to the replies you've been getting from other people or me.

 

[mw360]

5. Warranty I've heard apple care is great, it also costs alot. My motherboard has a 3 year warranty, my graphics card has a 3 year warranty, even my asus monitor has a 3 year warranty. My graphics card was defective when I bought it, so I sent it back to EVGA and they sent me a brand new one, EVGA has phenomenal support. From what I have learned as long as you buy good parts from reputable manufacturers such as Intel, Evga, Samsung, Gigabyte, Seasonic etc. they all have great customer support

The great thing about AppleCare is that if your motherboard dies, they don't ask you to take out of the computer before they give you a new one.

One thing, that I hope has been pointed out to you already, but I must have missed it, is that for some people, their time is worth money. I could spend a day building a PC, using parts I bought the day before, using research that took probably a week of cumulative time over the previous few months. Or I could use that time to earn about a couple of thousand dollars for my business, or spend precious leisure time with friends or loved ones.

It takes about 20 minutes to choose an iMac from the very limited range. When the box arrives, you take out the computer, plug it in and you're ready to go.

I've built my own top specced PC in the past, and spent money and a large amount of time upgrading and tinkering to keep it current. The pleasure of those top clock speeds and optimum texture fill rates, were so short lived, that they might well have been pure placebo. I've grown out of thinking that those specs or those hardware upgrades provided any benefit whatsoever to my life.

 

[brentsg]

One thing, that I hope has been pointed out to you already, but I must have missed it, is that for some people, their time is worth money. I could spend a day building a PC, using parts I bought the day before, using research that took probably a week of cumulative time over the previous few months. Or I could use that time to earn about a couple of thousand dollars for my business, or spend precious leisure time with friends or loved ones.

That's a big distinction. Time is money for many people. I was a DIY PC enthusiast for many, many years. I stopped doing it for a very long time just for this reason. I put my time into other things. Recently I build 2 PCs mostly just for fun, and to use for dedicated gaming and a Steam box for HTPC. It was fun to do, and that was part of the point.

 

[theluggage]

I want my desktop to be universally compatible with all software,

I'd say a Mac beats Windows on the universality stakes:

1. It can run PC software through virtualization if necessary - and Parallels and VMWare do a pretty good job of integrating Windows applications with OS X. If you really need the full power of the hardware, there's BootCamp.

2. It can run Mac software - which Windows can't do, even with virtualisation.

3. OS X is Unix. Its a much better platform for compiling and running Unix/Linux software that messing about with CygWin on a PC. Add a package manager like MacPorts or Homebrew and you have most of the major Open Source Linux/BSD packages available.

and since I'm interested in medicine a great deal of PCR analysis/other professional software is just better on Windows

So you don't actually mean "universally compatible with all software" - you mean "universally compatible with all Windows software".

If you occasionally need Windows software on a Mac, for which there is no Mac version or alternative, Parallels/VMWare or BootCamp are the answers. Obviously, if you spend most of your time running specialist software that is only available for Windows, you are best off with a Windows PC. That's no reason to go trolling on a Mac site.

Obviously, PC hardware gives you more choice than Apple, especially if you 'build your own'. Most people don't do that. Nor do most people rely on having the absolute fastest CPU and GPU - todays 'middle of the road' chips are adequate for most mainstream uses... I assembled my own PCs for a long time, but it became increasingly obvious that, when it was time to upgrade, everything about them - CPU, GPU, motherboard, memory, hard drives - was out of date and you just ended up starting from scratch. Now, I only roll my own when I need something specialised (I've done a couple of HTPCs) - and they usually end up running Linux.

 

[G4DP]

For people who buy apple devices, it's not about the power behind the machine but the experience that comes with the machine. People who buy iMacs aren't interested in building their own machines. A) Either they simply don't want to or B) Time consuming/Hassle. You're also comparing an AIO (All in one) to a tower computer.

4 Reasons why people buy iMacs

1) Consumes less space
2) OS X
3) AppleCare (If your machine fails, you will have to diagnosis or replace any components yourself)
4) Built with premium materials

1 - True
2 - Not so much anymore
3 - AppleCare isn't free. You have to pay to get decent cover on an already expensive device.
4 - Complete and utter BS. Never was the case and never will be the case.

Have any of you ever considered that people take better care of Macs because they are so over priced? Therefore making them last longer, has deck all to do with what they are made of.

I never bothered to clean out any windows machine, but when you start laying down £1500 you are going to start taking more care.

 

[haylight]

Equivalent Imac cost

So I just built a relatively comparable iMac on the Apple store. Here's what I came up with.

Processor
Apple: 3.5 Ghz Quad-core intel i7 processor (Max)
Mine: 4.0 Ghz Quad-core intel i7 processor

Ram
Apple: 8 GB 1600 Mhz DDR3 SD Proprietary RAM
Mine: 8 Gb 1600 Mhz DDR3 G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series RAM

Memory
Apple: 256 GB Proprietary Flash Storage
Mine: 250 GB Samsung 840 Evo Flash Storage

Case
Apple: Proprietary
Mine: Phantom 410

Motherboard
Apple: Proprietary
Mine: Gigabyte Z97 G1 Gaming

Power Supply
Apple: Proprietary
Mine: Seasonic Evo 750 Watt

GPU
Apple: Nvidia Geforce Gtx 780M (GPU Boss score; higher the better): 7.2 (Max)
Mine: Nvidia Geforce 770 GtX (GPU Boss score: 8.2)

Peripherals
Apple: magic mouse and apple keyboard included (Cost is $122 normally but included free in the build)
Mine: None

Display
Apple: 27-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1440
Mine: 27-inch LED-backlight display with PLS technology; 2560x1440

Cost (No Apple care included)
Apple: 2,549- $122 (from included mouse/keyboard)= $2427-$60 (included iWork suite) - $100 (for quality of additional music/editing/photo software)= $2267
Mine: $1610

Conclusion: The difference in cost is $657. The Apple IPS display is probably better, but not hugely so, to the Asus PLS display. Also Apple is offering an additional 6GB of SSD over my 250 GB SSD, and Apple SSD is reportedly slightly faster. These SSD and screen differences would level out a bit in that my processor is 4 GHZ vs Apple's 3.5, and the 770 GTX is better than the 780M, but like the monitor comparison, not hugely so. Apple also has the benefit of form-factor, whereas mine is giant, however bigger is better for better internal thermals when gaming or so I have heard.

Final conclusion I apologize if I offended anyone here. Obviously this difference in cost is variable and the difference isn't that big when you consider the engineering that went into the more difficult compression on the Apple parts, the better Apple display, better Apple SSD, and premium you might pay for using OS X vs. Windows 8.1 as well as the superior free Apple software. The Apple also comes pre-built and I built mine, which obviously effects the cost. I'm happy with my build, and anyone who prefers their iMac is just fine by me.

 

[Rud3Bwoy]

just close this topic this is a mac forum what type of responses did you expect to hear posting this?obvious troll/bored

to each his own with there money

 

[Lunfai]

1 - True
2 - Not so much anymore
3 - AppleCare isn't free. You have to pay to get decent cover on an already expensive device.
4 - Complete and utter BS. Never was the case and never will be the case.

Have any of you ever considered that people take better care of Macs because they are so over priced? Therefore making them last longer, has deck all to do with what they are made of.

I never bothered to clean out any windows machine, but when you start laying down £1500 you are going to start taking more care.

2) Why not? People will obviously prefer to use OS X if they have other Apple devices.
3) AppleCare has free 1 year international warranty, it's difficult to find something with INTERNATIONAL warranty. It only costs money to extend the warranty to 3 years (additional 2 years).
4) Of course the machine is built with better materials. You can't compare aluminium with cheap plastic crap.

Just link me any PC with the same form factor (AIO) then an iMac with one year free international warranty and is built with comparable materials to the iMac. We can leave OS X because that would be impossible, but I guess it's impossible anyway.

You have to think that people on this forum are some-what tech-savvy. General consumers don't give a crap about building their own machines or what something that doesn't just work to their needs. It's time consuming for them. You will get varied answers on a forum, but you have to understand that there are people outside of this forum that are considered 'general consumers'.

 

[cheezeit]

So I just built a relatively comparable iMac on the Apple store. Here's what I came up with.

Processor
Apple: 3.5 Ghz Quad-core intel i7 processor (Max)
Mine: 4.0 Ghz Quad-core intel i7 processor

Ram
Apple: 8 GB 1600 Mhz DDR3 SD Proprietary RAM
Mine: 8 Gb 1600 Mhz DDR3 G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series RAM

Memory
Apple: 256 GB Proprietary Flash Storage
Mine: 250 GB Samsung 840 Evo Flash Storage

Case
Apple: Proprietary
Mine: Phantom 410

Motherboard
Apple: Proprietary
Mine: Gigabyte Z97 G1 Gaming

Power Supply
Apple: Proprietary
Mine: Seasonic Evo 750 Watt

GPU
Apple: Nvidia Geforce Gtx 780M (GPU Boss score; higher the better): 7.2 (Max)
Mine: Nvidia Geforce 770 GtX (GPU Boss score: 8.2)

Peripherals
Apple: magic mouse and apple keyboard included (Cost is $122 normally but included free in the build)
Mine: None

Display
Apple: 27-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2560-by-1440
Mine: 27-inch LED-backlight display with PLS technology; 2560x1440

Cost (No Apple care included)
Apple: 2,549- $122 (from included mouse/keyboard)= $2427-$60 (included iWork suite) - $100 (for quality of additional music/editing/photo software)= $2267
Mine: $1610

Conclusion: The difference in cost is $657. The Apple IPS display is probably better, but not hugely so, to the Asus PLS display. Also Apple is offering an additional 6GB of SSD over my 250 GB SSD, and Apple SSD is reportedly slightly faster. These SSD and screen differences would level out a bit in that my processor is 4 GHZ vs Apple's 3.5, and the 770 GTX is better than the 780M, but like the monitor comparison, not hugely so. Apple also has the benefit of form-factor, whereas mine is giant, however bigger is better for better internal thermals when gaming or so I have heard.

Final conclusion I apologize if I offended anyone here. Obviously this difference in cost is variable and the difference isn't that big when you consider the engineering that went into the more difficult compression on the Apple parts, the better Apple display, better Apple SSD, and premium you might pay for using OS X vs. Windows 8.1 as well as the superior free Apple software. The Apple also comes pre-built and I built mine, which obviously effects the cost. I'm happy with my build, and anyone who prefers their iMac is just fine by me.

Did you factor in Windows OS? So cost difference is only a few hundred and not $600+

Did you factor in future OS upgrades?

Did you factor in resell to upgrade?

Yes if you rebuild you can "upgrade the CPU" but after a second generation you need a new motherboard as well.

You are still comparing different products. I had a similar build that I chose to hackintosh and opted to go iMac because I needed OSX over gaming power. Good thing is, after one year I can sell my iMac to upgrade at a small loss versus what you are going to get when you try to sell your system to upgrade.

Bang for the buck id go PC build but I want an overall experience and I wouldn't go back to building / using windows for my daily tasks.

 

[haylight]

Did you factor in Windows OS? So cost difference is only a few hundred and not $600+

Did you factor in future OS upgrades?

Did you factor in resell to upgrade?

Yes if you rebuild you can "upgrade the CPU" but after a second generation you need a new motherboard as well.

You are still comparing different products. I had a similar build that I chose to hackintosh and opted to go iMac because I needed OSX over gaming power. Good thing is, after one year I can sell my iMac to upgrade at a small loss versus what you are going to get when you try to sell your system to upgrade.

Bang for the buck id go PC build but I want an overall experience and I wouldn't go back to building / using windows for my daily tasks.

1. Yes, I figured in the cost at $70 for Windows 8.1 Pro Student- it's already in the $1610 figure, the standard cost of Windows 8.1 pro is $169 (BAD DEAL)

2. No, but that would cancel itself out with build it yourself swapping ability and upgrade options on Custom build. My GPU can "step up" through EVGA, so I'm saving about $500 when I figure in the difference between the cost of my current GPU and eventual Nvidia 780 GTX step-up. Also, I (hope) my CPU/Motherboard will last even longer than 4 years. My SSD should last quite a while, and I've heard of Seasonic quality Power supply units lasting a long time. Ram isn't too bad to replace/upgrade, so while yours has good resale, I don't forsee the need to replace parts any time soon. (apart from GPU upgrade)

3. For daily tasks I'm planning on getting the Macbook retina air 12 inch when it comes out for the best of both worlds

 

[Eric-PTEK]

I use both on a daily basis.

First, Win 8.1 is rock solid and some of the other posts on here regarding it are entirely false.

The big value in the iMac used to be it was pretty cheap considering what you were getting. When 2560x1440 monitors were 1K the iMac was a steal, you got a great monitor and a computer for a few hundred bucks more.

As the price of high quality monitors continues to fall so does the value of the iMac. IMO right now the iMac is overpriced. $1700 is quite a bit considering mid level specs without an SSD.

We went to the Apple store today to move our home stuff back to Apple. We recently moved out of our home office into a regular office and so went our Windows PC's and Windows server.

I have a MB Pro Retina because we travel extensively for photography as a hobby. There is no Windows laptop on the market that has as high of a quality of screen, has the battery life, performance, and not to mention solid construction of a MB Pro.

Since we were going to remote into our business stuff at the office we decided to move back to Apple since our photo stuff is a lot of what we do and have no need for Windows apps at home.

The trip to the Apple store was a complete disappointment and annoying. The Mac Mini does not support 4K as I was informed by the people at the Apple store. Instead of helping us they asked why we needed 4K and what we were doing. First I own 4 4K monitors and honestly I do not need their opinion on why I need what.

So when I started to look at another avenue we got no where with them. The iMac will drive 4K but I do not want an iMac since I'm fairly confident that an iMac 4K is coming shortly. I already own the monitors and based on my years of experience in Lightroom and Aperture a Mac Mini would work fine for the light work my wife does in it.

They each have their advantages. If photography and travel were not so important, or there was a comparable Windows laptop to a MB Pro Retina I would not have them, but for what we want its the best platform.

For a lot of other things Windows is a far superior platform.