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

[Midgetinabikini]

After 5 years I'm replacing my computers and cell phone (two computers) and I check the prices vs the currant iMac and MacMini modals. Where I live there a little difference between a PC and iMac, and PC will even cost more then MacMini.

For iMac, I couldn't find any PC, with the same hardware in the same form factor, and the form factor is important to me. For MacMini, not hard to find the same form factor, but wouldn't be as powerful and I'll have to sacrifice too much.

The other aspect (and others mentioned it) is the OS. I got nothing against Windows, I really don't. My Lenovo G580 works fine with Windows 8.1. The problem is that I can't work for long periods with Windows, I can't find myself in it and it's not comfortable to me although some of my apps works on both.

You can build a hackintosh, but support is very limited and it's not worth the time spent, for work computer, its too much wasted time on installation and upgrades.

 

[Oracle1729]

So you're basically saying as long as the case doesn't look enough like a Mac the power of my computer is irrelevant? You dismiss an intel core i7 4790k? What's the point of having a desktop computer then? Why not just hook a macbook retina pro up to a nice big display while also having a mobile computer that could suit all your needs?

This forum can be a strange place. Most of the people here are smart, rational, friendly, and helpful. It really is a great forum. But there's a small minority of have an almost religious fanaticism about Apple. Everything Apple does is perfect and correct and anything different is not just wrong but offensive.

There was actually a study done in 2011, http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/gaming.gadgets/05/19/apple.religion/ that some people's brains react to Apple the same way extremely religious people's brains react to their core religion.

So some people will twist and distort every external fact that interferes with their belief that Apple is divine and everything else is offensive. They will say the new iMac with a bottom end mobile CPU is obviously a superior desktop to your i7-4790k. Because Apple says so. It is the exact same phenomenon as people who defend their religion in the face of obvious contradictions and rationalize it in their own minds.

 

[CoMoMacUser]

My first PC was a Mac Plus. I switched to a Dell a year or so after Windows 95. I replaced that with a Dell XP machine in 2002. I bought a Gateway Vista laptop in 2007 and hated Vista so much that I bought an iMac in 2008 and then an MBA in 2012. I also have an iPad 1 and an Android phone.

But now that my main machine, the iMac, is fading, I'm considering the Dell XPS 27 All-in-One. I replaced the iPad 1 with a Lenovo Windows tablet, and the Windows aspect has been pretty good. The XPS is about $400 cheaper than a comparable iMac. The iMac has an edge in terms of bundling in Works, but adding Office to the XPS would cost me only about $3 more per month on top of the Exchange Online service I already have.

Malware doesn't concern me much because I never caught a virus on a Windows machine and because Security Essentials is free and doesn't incur the performance hit that third-party security software did on older machines.

Garage Band, iPhoto and most of the other software that ships with a Mac isn't important to me. Mail is okay, but I prefer Outlook.

My main concern with Windows is the sclerosis that crept in after about two years on all of my previous machines. The iMac didn't suffer that until Mavericks.

I like that the XPS can be used as a TV when the computer part gets too slow or breaks.

It won't be an easy decision.

 

[rrl]

I recently built something similar to the OP's specs:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=30749407

I love this thing. It's a beast. The Corsair Air 540 is the "coolest" case ever and the i7-4790K could easily last me a decade.

But Windows just phvking blows and it will never be my main OS. It has always just been a necessary evil.

 

[scaredpoet]

I recently built something similar to the OP's specs:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=30749407

I love this thing. It's a beast. The Corsair Air 540 is the "coolest" case ever and the i7-4790K could easily last me a decade.

But Windows just phvking blows and it will never be my main OS. It has always just been a necessary evil.

All non-Apple hardware that comes my way always ends up running Linux. That's how I solve that problem.

But, Linux has its issues too. Great OS, and understood by people in the server and infrastructure world. Just not accepted a mainstream desktop platform, no matter how you slice it. Accommodations and compromises are always required, both by the user and the people who interact with that user. So when MS Office documents come my way (and they do, often), or when Photoshop is needed, the Macs always get that work done.

 

[CoMoMacUser]

But Windows just phvking blows

How exactly?

 

[chrono1081]

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.

Where do you get that Mac OSX isn't open? Did you read those misinformed blogs again that think if it doesn't come from the Mac App store (which most of my software doesn't) you can't install it? Anyone can install whatever they want on a Mac.

Also have you ever used a Mac? It doesn't sound like it at all.

You're trying to compare hardware specs across operating systems and it doesn't work that way.

If your'e a gamer, which it sounds like you are, Mac isn't for you. If you want a workhorse that gets stuff done without problems, Mac is definitely for you.

I've supported Windows environments for 13 years professionally and even longer in general. I've gone from Windows 98 to Windows 8 and I still use Mac at home because for my needs it blows Windows out of the water.

 

[JHankwitz]

Most buyers simply have no interest in or time to hack together a computer. They want to buy something ready-made that just works without having to patch bits and pieces together.

I work on a PC 8 hours a day, and have an IT staff to keep it running. At home, I get to enjoy my iMacs, iPads, iPhones, Apple TV, Airports, Time Capsule, etc. without the hassle of trying to build something that works without IT staff support.

To each his own.

 

[rrl]

All non-Apple hardware that comes my way always ends up running Linux. That's how I solve that problem.

But, Linux has its issues too. Great OS, and understood by people in the server and infrastructure world. Just not accepted a mainstream desktop platform, no matter how you slice it. Accommodations and compromises are always required, both by the user and the people who interact with that user. So when MS Office documents come my way (and they do, often), or when Photoshop is needed, the Macs always get that work done.

The smoothest running machine in my house uses Kubuntu 12.04.1 LTS, and it has seven year old mediocre hardware. My Windows machines always get put out to pasture with Linux.

 

[tdale]

This forum can be a strange place. Most of the people here are smart, rational, friendly, and helpful. It really is a great forum. But there's a small minority of have an almost religious fanaticism about Apple. Everything Apple does is perfect and correct and anything different is not just wrong but offensive.

There was actually a study done in 2011, http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/gaming.gadgets/05/19/apple.religion/ that some people's brains react to Apple the same way extremely religious people's brains react to their core religion.

So some people will twist and distort every external fact that interferes with their belief that Apple is divine and everything else is offensive. They will say the new iMac with a bottom end mobile CPU is obviously a superior desktop to your i7-4790k. Because Apple says so. It is the exact same phenomenon as people who defend their religion in the face of obvious contradictions and rationalize it in their own minds.

The same applies to Windows users, some of them have the inbuilt hate Apple syndrome. So, these users also offer nothing to a discussion. Easy enough to filter both

 

[KiXeR]

Why would anyone buy an iMac instead of a Windows desktop?...well it spells REGEDIT. But main reason why to choose Apple is OSX, i like unix and it suits me better.

 

[joe-h2o]

So some people will twist and distort every external fact that interferes with their belief that Apple is divine and everything else is offensive. They will say the new iMac with a bottom end mobile CPU is obviously a superior desktop to your i7-4790k. Because Apple says so. It is the exact same phenomenon as people who defend their religion in the face of obvious contradictions and rationalize it in their own minds.

Who is saying that?

Please provide quotes.

Also, what is this "bottom end mobile CPU" you're talking about? Are you trying to equate the CPU used in the 21" iMac refresh with the rest of the CPUs used in the other iMac models (including the other 21" models), and then claiming that people are saying that it's superior to a 4790k?

Lots of disingenuous information here, kids.

Are you aware that the iMac has a BTO option for a 4771? Ah, who am I kidding, of course you're not aware. No one who knew that would post something so stupid.

 

[Ethosik]

What is with these ridiculous comparisons? Every other week it is comparisons that are not valid.

You can not....CAN NOT compare an all-in-one with a desktop.. You can not.....CAN NOT compare a pre-built system to a custom built system. Any....ANY company that build computers (Dell, HP, Lenovo) will charge more than what it would cost you to build it yourself.

So please people, stop these useless comparisons.

 

[Mike Richardson]

This reminds me of people who used to compare various custom-built or OEM built to order towers, with the 2006 - 2012 Mac Pros (the tower models that you can bludgeon people with).

Almost invariably, they would fail to select an equivalent processor (such as the Xeon W3530). Some OEMs at the time even offered the W3530 on some of their BTO machines, but you often had to buy a more expensive base model to get Xeon support. Instead, they would put some other quad core in a cheaper base. The ECC memory was often overlooked as well.

You have to compare iMacs to other AIOs, or it's not a useful comparison. The components are typically smaller and therefore more expensive.

 

[Acorn]

the 4.0 processor you listed is 340 dollars not 270. I pulled up more then 75 stores and it wasnt listed that cheap.

Regardless the comparison is not the same. Its not a all in one that ditches the ugly box.

 

[bradl]

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.

You spent too much. And yet you complain about an iMac costing too much.

Windows 7 Professional 64-bit: $80.
Bitfenix Prodigy Mini-ITX case, Arctic White: $70
Sapphire RadeonHD 6950 2GB PCIe video card: $250.
Intel Core i5-3570K CPU: $135.
8GB G.Skill DDR3 1866 memory (2 x 4GB): $30.
OCZ Vertex 4 128GB SSD: $80.
Gigabyte GA-Z77N-WIFI Mini-ITX motherboard: $80.
Lite-ON DVD burner: $12
Western digital 3TB 7200RPM SATA drive: $100.
Antec TruPower New Blue 750W PSU: $80
Total: $917.

And even more so, I already owned W7, the memory, the 3TB drive, the burner, the PSU, and the video card. That card can be unlocked to run at the speeds of a 6970. So that actually dropped me down to $400.

I only flightsim and am not into heavy gaming. But this box is a good solid rig, to last me at least the next 3 years, and can be used as a Hackintosh. Oh.. looks like the old Mac Pro as well. In this case, bigger =/= better, especially if I can get gaming power out of an ITX build.

But the problem with it is the same that even you have with your build: You're shackled to your desk. The last thing I want to do, especially with having kids as well, is to be shackled to a desk and chair away from them. And with the fact that my main day-to-day use machine was a Linux box (Slackware), I got tired of it. So I built a Mini Hackintosh for less than $400. From that, and getting back into OS X (I came from the System Software 6.x/7.x days), I realized Macs were the way to go.

Ditched my Linux box, and just ditched my Hackintosh. Bought a MBA, and use it as my main machine. Hook it up to my desktop monitor whenever I want, but never again will I need a Windows box for anything except for the simming I do. After 20 years of being in IT and tech, I'm tired of building my own rigs. So with the MBA, I'm not looking back. It isn't worth it for me anymore.

Bottom line, while it floats your boat, you overpaid for the rig you built.

BL.

 

[rrl]

the 4.0 processor you listed is 340 dollars not 270. I pulled up more then 75 stores and it wasnt listed that cheap.

Regardless the comparison is not the same. Its not a all in one that ditches the ugly box.

Yeah, the only way to get it down to that price is a package deal. I got $75 off by buying a motherboard/CPU combo.

 

[thehustleman]

the 4.0 processor you listed is 340 dollars not 270. I pulled up more then 75 stores and it wasnt listed that cheap.

Regardless the comparison is not the same. Its not a all in one that ditches the ugly box.

1. the box is up to you - pick a pretty one, problem solved.
2. you didn't pull up the right stores, I found it for 279.99 like almost immediately. I can believe it was 270, they usually drop prices ~10 bucks on a weekly basis.


But just in case you want to try to say I'm lying I'll include the link

Core i7 4790K

 

[Acorn]

1. the box is up to you - pick a pretty one, problem solved.
2. you didn't pull up the right stores, I found it for 279.99 like almost immediately. I can believe it was 270, they usually drop prices ~10 bucks on a weekly basis.


But just in case you want to try to say I'm lying I'll include the link

Core i7 4790K

That website lists that item for in store purchase only and not online ordering. not everyone lives next to a microcenter or in the usa even.

The prettiest box is the one I cant see and doesnt take up space anywhere nor do I ever have to move it.

 

[MacOG728893]

Why is this even a debate? If you want raw power, for the least amount of money, a custom-built PC is the only way to go.

I've built numerous custom PCs over the years. However, I can say that I've always been more satisfied with the iMacs I've owned. Regardless of whether they're worth the Apple tax that I paid for them, as a consumer, I'm more than satisfied and that's all that should matter.

Use what works best for you and makes you the most happy in the end, regardless if it's the most "logical" choice out there.

 

[GardnerGarrick]

That was quite true 15 years ago, but at this point I'm not sure there's any hint of it left. Apple has gotten out of the high end software business and design software companies like adobe and autodesk support both platforms (and autodesk at least seems to favor windows a bit if anything).

I actually think this is where Apple is making their biggest mistake, abandoning creators in favor of iToys users.

Ha! I see. Well I hope my son didn't know that, otherwise he may feel as though he got one over on me.

Thanks for the info, it is quite interesting that they would throw away their niche.

 

[lumencreative]

Just thought i'd throw in my 2 cents.

I work as a Website & Network Developer and I use a Windows 7 PC day in, day out at work. I hate the thing. My previous job was an IT Support Technician for a University. We supported hundreds (if not thousands) of Windows PC's on a daily basis and everyone in my team had Macs at home...why? Because when fixing Windows issues all day, you don't want to be doing it when you're at home as well.

The problem is, Custom Built Windows PC's have a high failure rate. Sometimes it's issues with Microsoft (My nans pc recently had an issue where Windows updates kept failing), sometimes it's issues with parts but most of the time it's because there are so many people trying to build their own computers who don't really know enough to troubleshoot issues. The likes of HP and Dell business machines are fairly robust but you pay a premium, just as you do with Apple machines.

I do believe Windows PC's have their place in business. For example, Microsoft Office for Mac is not (and I don't believe it ever will be) fully compatible with Office for PC. There are numerous documents that I work on at work and when I take them home to work with no my mac, I have to spend time re-applying formatting or adjusting margins in Excel, but even having said that, you just cannot beat the experience of sitting down in front of an iMac with its amazing screen.

I personally own a 2011 Quad Core i7 Macbook Pro, a Quad Core i7 Mac Mini and a custom built Core i5 Windows PC that I built a couple of years ago. If I am completely honest, the custom built PC never gets used and if I could, I would sell it. Truth is, it's not worth selling as I'd be lucky to get £200 for it.

 

[joema2]

....The problem is, Custom Built Windows PC's have a high failure rate...many people trying to build their own computers who don't really know enough to troubleshoot issues. The likes of HP and Dell business machines are fairly robust but you pay a premium, just as you do with Apple machines...

This is correct; even using "high quality" components does not solve the systems integration issue. It's one thing to lash together components which sort of work pretty well. It's another thing to have them work 100% under *comprehensive* high stress.

This is why both Apple and major PC OEMs have large in-house engineering resources to resolve these final integration issues -- even though they are using high quality components. To debug these problems they use sophisticated instruments like this Tektronix logic analyzer: http://www.tek.com/logic-analyzer/tla6400 I doubt many PC home builders are using things like this.

Many home PC builders may think "Why would I need to do that? My PC is perfectly stable." If it's that stable, *simultaneously* run Intel Burn Test, Furmark GPU stress, hard disk stress, network stress, and USB stress tests for 72 continuous hours.

 

[Ddoubledub]

I've been working in environments supporting both Macs AND Windows computers for years. Both are good.

Here are a few points:

Mac ultrabooks (Air) are nice but Windows manufacturers have comparable laptops for lower/similar prices.

If you're buying a desktop and care about how it looks, then i have to tell you, you're buying a computer for the wrong reason.

Since Windows 7 and 8.1, OSX is no longer the fastest operating system. OSX in my experience has more freezes and beach balls than both 7 and 8.1 put together.

Everything works with windows and can be fixed without reinstalling the entire OS.

OSX is the O- blood type of computers. Nothing works with it, but it's great at one thing. It's great at being simple.

Unfortunately Mac will NEVER win the pricing debate. It flat out is over priced. Even prebuilt machines by HP and Dell are significantly cheaper than apple

OSX has less errors, but windows at least tells you what the error is so it can be fixed.

 

[mono1980]

Here we go again... same post we've been answering forever.