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

[iMcLovin]

Where're you based in?

I'm currently based in Melbourne, Australia and the P85 Model S that I drive cost almost A$140k (I bought it in Adelaide because I have family there, and drove it to Melbourne. Besides, it's quite a fair bit cheaper in SA than it is in VIC).

The lack (or absence) of Superchargers makes it somewhat a bit inconvenient though, but once the Superchargers are up and running, I'll be living off free electricity on my baby.

So I guess Teslas cost about the same here as other countries then. Other cars on though, because of pollution cost about the double of average price. So in that sence Tesla is a very good financial choice, because it has a lot less taxes here. I live in Oslo Norway.

 

[matrix07]

Why would a 1998 notebook sell 13 years later for more than 1 USD anyway?
I sold my 2004 iBook for 50 € in 2011 or 2012 and it was okay, since it is an old machine, though still capable of running basic tasks slowly.

lol. You caught me. Big typo.

Corrected it. Thanks.

 

[simsaladimbamba]

lol. You caught me. Big typo.

Corrected it. Thanks.

Ahhh, I suspected that. But then again, I have seen a music teacher of some sorts still using a G3 PowerBook in 2008, thus it might have been possible.

My positive experiences with non-Apple hardware are me selling a one year old Acer notebook, I don't know its model and such anymore, it was in 2004, for 500 or so € while it wouldn't have costed more than 900 € when buying it.
I also sold my Samsung X30 notebook, the THINNEST 14" notebook back then, but still a piece of crap, for 300 € less than what I bought it for 9 months earlier.
It paid for a the best notebook I ever had, that 50 € iBook.

That was a sturdy mothersuckler. Plenty of falls, water, half a litre or so and other things and it just looked at it and asked: Is that all?

Yeah, gotta get dressed now. Big evaluation coming up. Who to pick noses with.

 

[roadbloc]

Back in the PowerPC days, I was presented with this choice (iMac vs Windows Desktop) and went for the iMac. A brilliant choice since I'm still using that iMac over a decade later.

Nowadays I wouldn't do the same. The Wintel world has improved massively and the Apple worlds has remained somewhat stagnant. The hardware in Macs isn't anywhere near as good as it used to be and for the price I feel it is a complete rip off. Windows 7/8 are super stable and OS X gets worse with every release. Not to mention that Windows has a much longer support lifecycle than OS X and support/compatibility for older apps.

So yeah, in todays age, I choose the Windows Desktop. It's cheaper and better.

 

[joema2]

....I have upgraded multiple times, upgrading drivers is a breeze, as long as you do your research and find the right parts everything works beautifully together. Every part on my PC is from a different manufacturer, and it works great together...EVGA is a phenomenal GPU manufacturer and has incredible customer support for instance.

You got lucky. I have built many PCs, and troubleshooting systems integration problems is common. My last motherboard was EVGA. Their support is insignificant next to Apple. I can talk to Apple 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week, and they will escalate the issue to an actual engineer if needed. With EVGA you can post on a forum or email them and hope for a response.

If you have lots of time to play around with building computers as a hobby, that's OK. I have done that, and it has a certain satisfaction. In recent years I have actual production work to do, and I don't have time (nor can I risk) the debugging and poor support that often accompanies a self-built PC.

An iMac does not directly compete with a tower PC, whether self-assembled or OEM manufactured. It competes with similar AIO designs like the Dell XPS 27. At least there you have a mass-manufactured PC with available upgraded support. Unfortunately it's not dramatically cheaper or faster than a similar iMac.

From a software standpoint, both Windows 8.1 and Mac OS X have pros and cons. Major app suites such as Adobe Premiere Pro and Microsoft Office are available natively on both. There are dumb things in Windows and dumb things in Mac OS X -- neither one is perfect. On good hardware they are both very reliable. It's not a desktop issue, but on the server Windows is tested to and capable of much higher loads than Mac OS X. It can support many thousands of concurrent users at thousands of transactions per second: http://www.tpc.org/tpce/results/tpce_perf_results.asp

 

[gbkrip]

I'd be more interested in building a hackintosh. Mac OS is just too nice for productivity to give up. I also would challenge some of your components that you listed. For example, I doubt the cheap SSD you've chosen performs as well as the SSDs in the latest apple computers.

 

[haylight]

I'd be more interested in building a hackintosh. Mac OS is just too nice for productivity to give up. I also would challenge some of your components that you listed. For example, I doubt the cheap SSD you've chosen performs as well as the SSDs in the latest apple computers.

Samsung SSDs are good quality, they also have software called "Samsung Magician" to optimize SSDs with modes of "Maximum Performance", "Maximum Capacity", or "Maximum reliability." I have mine set to "Maximum Performance" mode with over-provisioning set to 20 Gb or so to make it more efficient and reliable. I also updated my Gigabyte motherboard firmware which improved SSD performance, and there's a setting called "Turbo startup" on the BIOS where startup and shutdown are even faster.

Also, while the Nvidia 780m on iMacs is a competent graphics card, I'm concerned about prolonged gaming on an iMac or macbook pro retina 15 inch with a dedicated GPU in terms of temperature and internal thermals. I bought a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO Fan heat sink that connects to the motherboard and Intel CPU for $30- this thing is MASSIVE, it also significantly reduces temps when under high-loads or stressed at max details on demanding games. Smaller and more compressed parts are elegant, but I fear the heat generated in the box when gaming or performing stressful operations would reduce the lifespan of your computer's innards.

To the user regarding macbook quality, I agree- the only competitors I see right now in terms of manufacturing quality with a thin, light profile are perhaps the razorblade, upper-end Asus zenbook, or maybe the Surface Pro 3. I feel touchscreens on laptops are nice, especially on Windows 8.1, but not nice enough to dethrone Macbooks yet in terms of overall value.

 

[Nunt]

An iMac does not directly compete with a tower PC, whether self-assembled or OEM manufactured. It competes with similar AIO designs like the Dell XPS 27. At least there you have a mass-manufactured PC with available upgraded support. Unfortunately it's not dramatically cheaper or faster than a similar iMac.

This was my idea as well. The TS isn't really comparing iMac with a windows desktop. He is comparing an all-in-one pc with a tower pc.

So yeah, if you don't mind having a big tower next to your screen (the TS even seems to like the aesthethics) and you don't mind having the extra power cables floating around, then a tower PC may in many cases (for example gaming) be a more performing and much cheaper solution to the iMac.

However, my computer is placed in the living room in a very visible place. I want the pc to be as unobstrusive as possible while having a great design look. In my opinion (and this is just subjective tastes) a tower PC just wouldn't look good. So I need a pretty all in one pc.

I'm not really a hardcore fan of either windows or mac, I just want a solution that 1) looks good 2) has a decent descrete graphics card and 3) has a decent size SSD. Such an all-in-one pc simply doesn't exist for windows.

Take for example the Dell XPS27 AIO (2600USD):
i7 3,9ghz boost
gt 750m 2gb ddr
2tb HDD + 32gb SSD
27" touchscreen

Compare it with the high end imac (2550USD):
i7 3,9ghz boost
gtx 775m 2gb ddr
3TB fusion drive (incl 128gb SSD)
27" screen

So I like the mac better. The only thing that the Dell has got going for it, is the 27" touch screen which is probably the reason why the Dell is so expensive. But a touch screen desktop is not something I am waiting for.

I hope you enjoy your custom built windows pc, but you really can't compare it with the iMac. It would like saying: "The Dell XPS27 AIO is much more expensive and gives less hardware than the Alienware aurora gaming desktop." It's just two types of products. Maybe the premium for an AIO solution isn't worth the money for you. But it may be for others.

 

[haylight]

This was my idea as well. The TS isn't really comparing iMac with a windows desktop. He is comparing an all-in-one pc with a tower pc.

So yeah, if you don't mind having a big tower next to your screen (the TS even seems to like the aesthethics) and you don't mind having the extra power cables floating around, then a tower PC may in many cases (for example gaming) be a more performing and much cheaper solution to the iMac.

However, my computer is placed in the living room in a very visible place. I want the pc to be as unobstrusive as possible while having a great design look. In my opinion (and this is just subjective tastes) a tower PC just wouldn't look good. So I need a pretty all in one pc.

I'm not really a hardcore fan of either windows or mac, I just want a solution that 1) looks good 2) has a decent descrete graphics card and 3) has a decent size SSD. Such an all-in-one pc simply doesn't exist for windows.

Take for example the Dell XPS27 AIO (2600USD):
i7 3,9ghz boost
gt 750m 2gb ddr
2tb HDD + 32gb SSD
27" touchscreen

Compare it with the high end imac (2550USD):
i7 3,9ghz boost
gtx 775m 2gb ddr
3TB fusion drive (incl 128gb SSD)
27" screen

So I like the mac better. The only thing that the Dell has got going for it, is the 27" touch screen which is probably the reason why the Dell is so expensive. But a touch screen desktop is not something I am waiting for.

I hope you enjoy your custom built windows pc, but you really can't compare it with the iMac. It would like saying: "The Dell XPS27 AIO is much more expensive and gives less hardware than the Alienware aurora gaming desktop." It's just two types of products. Maybe the premium for an AIO solution isn't worth the money for you. But it may be for others.

Fair enough. I'd prefer an iMac to a Windows pre-built AIO as well. I guess I hold Apple to a higher standard than other manufacturers, and would really like if iMacs had more customization options to compete with customs PCs. It's a disgrace to me that if you spend $1000+ on a desktop computer (not a mini), you should be able to at least swap out the GPU for a GTX version, barring some incredibly expensive external solution. If you don't game or are satisfied with the parts that come with your computer within the lifetime of the computer fine/great, but many of us would buy iMacs if they were more customizable at a competitive price-point unless you can shell out 10k for a mac pro.

 

[gbkrip]

Samsung SSDs are good quality, they also have software called "Samsung Magician" to optimize SSDs with modes of "Maximum Performance", "Maximum Capacity", or "Maximum reliability." I have mine set to "Maximum Performance" mode with over-provisioning set to 20 Gb or so to make it more efficient and reliable. I also updated my Gigabyte motherboard firmware which improved SSD performance, and there's a setting called "Turbo startup" on the BIOS where startup and shutdown are even faster.

Without offering concrete performance benchmark results, this all reads like fluff. All of those settings don't mean anything if the harddrive still reads/writes at slow speeds. Consider the competition.

Also, while the Nvidia 780m on iMacs is a competent graphics card, I'm concerned about prolonged gaming on an iMac or macbook pro retina 15 inch with a dedicated GPU in terms of temperature and internal thermals. I bought a Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO Fan heat sink that connects to the motherboard and Intel CPU for $30- this thing is MASSIVE, it also significantly reduces temps when under high-loads or stressed at max details on demanding games. Smaller and more compressed parts are elegant, but I fear the heat generated in the box when gaming or performing stressful operations would reduce the lifespan of your computer's innards.

This is an odd concern. The devices are designed to handle an expected level of use. If the internal testing revealed that the graphics cards failed after prolonged use at high temperatures, then the consumer device would ship with a different or throttled graphics card. Or the internal architecture would change. The point is, I don't understand the argument for getting bigger and better heatsinks if the existing Apple configuration does the job. This seems like a case of fixing something that isn't broken. Besides, you're more likely to want to upgrade the computer in favor of improved, more efficient components long before you would have to upgrade due to ware from high temperatures.

 

[joe-h2o]

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.

Does that machine run OS X?

If it doesn't then it's a non-starter.

 

[mcnallym]

I feel that Apple really needs to come out with a computer that is not an AIO and somewhat above a mini and below a Mac Pro. More and more people are coming over to Mac because of the marvelous invention of the iPhone and iPad. Me being one of them. I'm just waiting for the fall to see if anything new comes out. As a long time PC user, I too like to be able to switch out components and don't really like the idea of an AIO but I really want the MAC OS. Sooooooooooo I will get a mac regardless, but sure wish Apple would realize how many more people would come over to Mac and much faster if they came out with a more PC like desktop.
Just wishing, but would be nice.

Ah, yet another request for fabled xmac. A PC like tower with expansion slots and user servicable/replaceable parts. The nearest you will get to that I am afraid is the 2009-2012 Mac Pro on the 2nd hand market.

Apple make there computers for target audiences, either you are in there target audience or you aren't. The Custom PC builder's oddly enough aren't in there target audience.

Apple don't want to dominate the entire market, or be all things to all people. Instead they build for there market and are quite happy to have other people provide solutions to outside the target audience. Either the Apple System suits you or it doesn't.

Just look at the Mac Pro forum and look at the number of people on there on about the way the Mac Pro has gone.

 

[Intelligent]

text

Explain to me why windows is "the way to go". Makes no sense, windows is the worst operating system of all time. (Except for some old Oses)

 

[tdale]

Explain to me why windows is "the way to go". Makes no sense, windows is the worst operating system of all time. (Except for some old Oses)

LOL, not its not, that's Apple fan talk! I.e. filter it out

----------

Haylight

You like Apple, you like Macs, but you want them super upgradeable, its not going to happen.

Very few computer users have a desire to upgrade parts every year. Of those that do, that are gamers, they wont be moving to a Mac to game on.

Your use case is very very small, Apple is not going to increase the cost of Macs to have them fully upgradeable, nor will they wish to see macs with problems" that are due to the users faulty upgrade work, or the card manufacturer not providing good drivers or fixing driver issues.

There is nothing to gain.

If you are a gamer, stay with the PC, upgrade as required, after all its just an expensive games machine. For all else, get the Mac that suits best, it wont be upgradeable, but it will have OSX and all that goes with it

 

[ixxx69]

Apple make there computers for target audiences, either you are in there target audience or you aren't...

This is a rather exclusive attitude. While I don't think Apple can be expected to have a computer model for every single niche, suggesting that Apple couldn't do a better job addressing a wider market is just elitist Apple fanboyism.

The amount of upgradeability versus just buying a new computer is a worthy topic in itself, but that they don't have essentially a headless iMac is a huge dilemma for a lot of folks, and I've known countless people over the years who would have considered switching to a Mac if they could have gotten a high-end CPU and GPU, sans display, without having to spend over $3K on a Mac Pro.

 

[tdale]

This is a rather exclusive attitude. While I don't think Apple can be expected to have a computer model for every single niche, suggesting that Apple couldn't do a better job addressing a wider market is just elitist Apple fanboyism.

The amount of upgradeability versus just buying a new computer is a worthy topic in itself, but that they don't have essentially a headless iMac is a huge dilemma for a lot of folks, and I've known countless people over the years who would have considered switching to a Mac if they could have gotten a high-end CPU and GPU, sans display, without having to spend over $3K on a Mac Pro.

No, thats quite incorrect. The target market that this thread is about is VERY small. Of this VERY small target market who want a fully upgradeable Mac, those that are gamers (probably a sizeable portion), they will NOT make a move from Windows to Mac for gaming if upgradeability was an option. So, this target market is even smaller.

There is no doubt the desire for those who want a PC like Mac, but that doesn't mean that the market is large.

 

[ixxx69]

The target market that this thread is about is VERY small. Of this VERY small target market who want a fully upgradeable Mac, those that are gamers (probably a sizeable portion), they will NOT make a move from Windows to Mac for gaming if upgradeability was an option. So, this target market is even smaller.

If we're exclusively referring to completely upgradeable gaming PCs, then yes, it's a very small target audience and Apple in the current market has little reason to address it. However, I was addressing a general attitude and argument that I see constantly from Apple fanboys, whether it's about Macs or iPhones or whatever Apple product being discussed.

Apple fanboys are fairly insular and generally don't have much perspective outside of their own usage.

 

[r0k]

Every so often I see one of these Windows vs OSX threads. I was one of those build it yourself guys. In fact I still have a PC chassis down in the basement with a removable HDD load perhaps with Linux (Slackware 2.something?).

For me it came down to what I could afford. I tolerated the PC mess as long as I felt a Mac wasn't worth it. And for me it was a huge mess. From 98, to Me to 2000 to XP to Windows Genuine to Antivirus to install one bit of software and it damages some other bit of software. Then there were all the problems the family had with printing and getting on the internet. My work machine is like that now. Windows 7 Enterprise. It's looking for an excuse to fail. To me the "Start Windows Normally?" screen is such a routine since I see it more than 3 times a week. I must admit, I can't honestly say it's Windows itself that's all fouled up. Our IT guys pile on such a huge amount of crapware I must admit the instability I experience is more corporate than MS related. But I digress. Once I convinced myself to "ante up" for Apple hardware (and software) I found it to be worth it to me.

I once treated computers as a hobby. Now I treat them as appliances. Does that make me a dumbed down user? No. It makes me a user that can get something done on short notice almost without fail. The same cannot be said for any Windows machine I have ever touched. There is a significant probability that something will be offline. Either the printer, the internet, some bit of software, some antivirus update, SOMETHING will stand between me and getting that bit of information I need right now.

Back when I did own Windows boxes, I must admit the ones I used worked smoothly most of the time. This is because I didn't insist on downloading and installing every bit of software I could think of. Even then I was beginning to become less of a hobbyist and more of a "data cook" where the computer is a stove and I don't care if the burner is controlled by Control Panel or by System Preferences as long as the thing is fast and as long as it always works. I've been a Linux user for years. I've had Linux boxes go 4 years or longer without rebooting. My Macs almost never reboot for anything other than OS updates. I do restart them every now and again if something seems amiss. I've found Mavericks to be less stable than Snow Leopard but nowhere near as unreliable as Windows. Meanwhile, as I mentioned above, my work-issued windows box needs a press-and-hold-the-power-switch-to-reboot more than 3 times a week.

I'm not saying this to claim that your home built windows box is doomed to instability. If you are anything like I was, keeping up with updates, not loading junkware, you will probably have a good experience. I am saying that a Mac can provide you a good experience with less user workload and less risk that something will quit working today that worked "only a few days ago".

I do prefer upgradable Macs but alas my 15 in late 2011 MBP will probably be my last upgradable Mac. From now on, I'll have to save money so I can throw money in Apple's face for more SSD and more RAM at time of purchase. I upgraded RAM and put SSD's in all my family Mac minis, MBPs and Macbooks but from now on it looks like that won't be an option. And no thanks, I won't be splurging on a Mac Pro just because it's the last upgradable Mac. Nor will I be bothering with Hackintosh. To me there is intrinsic value in having Apple take responsibility to make sure the OS and hardware work well together and as long as I can afford it, I'll be buying my gear from Apple.

 

[tdale]

If we're exclusively referring to completely upgradeable gaming PCs, then yes, it's a very small target audience and Apple in the current market has little reason to address it. However, I was addressing a general attitude and argument that I see constantly from Apple fanboys, whether it's about Macs or iPhones or whatever Apple product being discussed.

Apple fanboys are fairly insular and generally don't have much perspective outside of their own usage.

A), your assuming comments here that don't fit your opinion to be from fanboys

B), the market for a PC like Mac as the OP started this thread on is very small.

Or I guess I can assume that this post I am replying to is fanboy based? And what is this "general attitude and argument that I see constantly from Apple fanboys, whether it's about Macs or iPhones or whatever Apple product being discussed."

 

[bradkb]

Been in IT for over 20 years, and spent many of those troubleshooting windows and hardware failures.

I have built monster PCs, even had a full vmware server in the cellar. But with Windows 8, I tried it, horrible, absolutely terrible.

No way on earth would I ever consider going to 8. Same way at work.

So not used a mac since a G4, thought what the hell, bought a mac mini, and fell in love.

My PC lasted 4 more days. Have VMware fusion for anything not on mac (visio, project etc), all the rest, mac.

And when I can afford I will be buying an iMac as my main pc, then the mini will be hooked up to the tv.

Love the integration, my ipad, and iphone. It just works.

 

[tdale]

Every so often I see one of these Windows vs OSX threads. I was one of those build it yourself guys. In fact I still have a PC chassis down in the basement with a removable HDD load perhaps with Linux (Slackware 2.something?).

For me it came down to what I could afford. I tolerated the PC mess as long as I felt a Mac wasn't worth it. And for me it was a huge mess. From 98, to Me to 2000 to XP to Windows Genuine to Antivirus to install one bit of software and it damages some other bit of software. Then there were all the problems the family had with printing and getting on the internet. My work machine is like that now. Windows 7 Enterprise. It's looking for an excuse to fail. To me the "Start Windows Normally?" screen is such a routine since I see it more than 3 times a week. I must admit, I can't honestly say it's Windows itself that's all fouled up. Our IT guys pile on such a huge amount of crapware I must admit the instability I experience is more corporate than MS related. But I digress. Once I convinced myself to "ante up" for Apple hardware (and software) I found it to be worth it to me.

I once treated computers as a hobby. Now I treat them as appliances. Does that make me a dumbed down user? No. It makes me a user that can get something done on short notice almost without fail. The same cannot be said for any Windows machine I have ever touched. There is a significant probability that something will be offline. Either the printer, the internet, some bit of software, some antivirus update, SOMETHING will stand between me and getting that bit of information I need right now.

Back when I did own Windows boxes, I must admit the ones I used worked smoothly most of the time. This is because I didn't insist on downloading and installing every bit of software I could think of. Even then I was beginning to become less of a hobbyist and more of a "data cook" where the computer is a stove and I don't care if the burner is controlled by Control Panel or by System Preferences as long as the thing is fast and as long as it always works. I've been a Linux user for years. I've had Linux boxes go 4 years or longer without rebooting. My Macs almost never reboot for anything other than OS updates. I do restart them every now and again if something seems amiss. I've found Mavericks to be less stable than Snow Leopard but nowhere near as unreliable as Windows. Meanwhile, as I mentioned above, my work-issued windows box needs a press-and-hold-the-power-switch-to-reboot more than 3 times a week.

I'm not saying this to claim that your home built windows box is doomed to instability. If you are anything like I was, keeping up with updates, not loading junkware, you will probably have a good experience. I am saying that a Mac can provide you a good experience with less user workload and less risk that something will quit working today that worked "only a few days ago".

I do prefer upgradable Macs but alas my 15 in late 2011 MBP will probably be my last upgradable Mac. From now on, I'll have to save money so I can throw money in Apple's face for more SSD and more RAM at time of purchase. I upgraded RAM and put SSD's in all my family Mac minis, MBPs and Macbooks but from now on it looks like that won't be an option. And no thanks, I won't be splurging on a Mac Pro just because it's the last upgradable Mac. Nor will I be bothering with Hackintosh. To me there is intrinsic value in having Apple take responsibility to make sure the OS and hardware work well together and as long as I can afford it, I'll be buying my gear from Apple.

Good well rounded post. Like you, I have a long and generally happy Windows past, but I get much more from OSX, and the wider Apple ecosystem.

And ixxx69, are these more fanboy attitudes? Nup. Those of us who are well versed in Windows and who are also Mac users can offer a better roundup of pros and cons than Apple fanboys or Windows fanboys. And I do comment back on those that run down Windows.

 

[Intelligent]

LOL, not its not, that's Apple fan talk! I.e. filter it out

----------

Haylight

Macs are upgradeable! Well i say you should take a look at Mac Pro.

 

[tdale]

Macs are upgradeable! Well i say you should take a look at Mac Pro.

LOL.

First, tell the OP, he is the one wanting an upgradeable Mac.

Secondly, and AS YOU KNOW, buying a MP is not within the cost boundary of many buyers, more so a build your own PC as compared to a MP

Move along, nothing to see here!

 

[shoulin333]

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;

Agreed, I use to think the same thing. But then the day comes where work and family don't leave time for tinkering with a system or playing any games for that matter. When that time comes you really appreciate the simplicity of OSX and the iMac, or even MacPro for that matter. There is a point where spending more for better quality, simplicity, and clean looks is just plain worth it.


I lead a team of .Net/MSSQL developers and I only run windows inside a VM. It is so nice at the end of the day to pause the VM and return to the simplicity of OSX.

 

[Oracle1729]

The Wintel world has improved massively and the Apple worlds has remained somewhat stagnant. The hardware in Macs isn't anywhere near as good as it used to be and for the price I feel it is a complete rip off.

That's a good way to put it. I have a 2011 MBP, 16 gig of ram, 256 gig SSD and 1 TB HDD in the optibay. All self-installed upgrades.

If I bought Apple's latest new machine, I'd gain USB 3, longer battery life, and a retina screen. I'd lose ram, massive internal storage (0.25 inch thinner computer and a bag full of peripherals FTL), Ethernet (yes, I do use it a few times a month), and my user-replaceable battery. Even if Apple offered me a straight trade to their latest MBP, with 16 gig of ram, it would be a tough choice whether it's worth giving up my internal storage for those modest improvements. Since i'd have to pay over $1k on the trade, Apple is just a joke right now. If my mac died tomorrow, I would have a very tough choice between the old Ivy cMBP or the current Haswell. And I'd very strongly look at switching to a PC.

Meanwhile in windows-world, the change from a Sandy Bridge i7-2600k which was the latest when I bought this laptop to a Haswell i7-4790k, the closest current chip is huge. Since I bought my laptop, the windows side has taken two huge steps forward while Apple has been twiddling its thumbs on the sidelines.

----------

Agreed, I use to think the same thing. But then the day comes where work and family don't leave time for tinkering with a system or playing any games for that matter. When that time comes you really appreciate the simplicity of OSX and the iMac, or even MacPro for that matter.

You're very right. I used to be very much into customizing and tweaking my computer, and I am at the point where life and family has caught up and I just don't really care that much anymore exactly what components I get the way I used to.

But...I want a computer with an upper end desktop CPU, midrange desktop GPU, huge internal storage, and plenty of ram. Something I can use for heavy photo work and modest gaming. And my price limit is $2000. With Apple that's an impossible dream. With the rest of the industry, its under $1000.