Should I switch to Mac?

I'm looking into Macintosh machines (iMac, Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, Mac mini... basically anything from Apple), but I don't know anyone who actually uses one, so if any of you Mac owners could help me out with a purchase, I'd appreciate it.

I'm mostly eyeing the iMacs. MacBook models aren't really built for heavy gaming, and the Mac Pro is just way too expensive and overkill. These specs caught my eye:

• 2.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
• 21.5 " glossy LED display 16:9 (1920x1080)
• 4GB (2x 2GB) 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM
• 1TB hard disk
• 8x SuperDrive
(DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
• AMD Radeon HD 6770 m
with 512 MB GDDR5
• FaceTime HD camera
• 4 USB 2.0 ports
• 1 Thunderbolt port
• 1 FireWire 800
• 1 SDXC slot
• Stereo speakers, microphone
• optical audio in/out
• 10/100/1000BASE-T
• AirPort Extreme (802.11n)
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Wireless Apple Keyboard and Magic Mouse
PRICE: $4120

and this one:

• 3.1GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5
• 27" glossy LED display 16:9 (2560x1440)
• 4GB (2x 2GB) 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM
• 1TB hard disk
• 8x SuperDrive
(DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
• AMD Radeon HD 6970 m
with 1GB GDDR5
• FaceTime HD camera
• 4 USB 2.0 ports
• 2 Thunderbolt ports
• 1 FireWire 800
• 1 SDXC slot
• Stereo speakers, microphone
• optical audio in/out
• 10/100/1000BASE-T
• AirPort Extreme (802.11n)
• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Wireless Apple Keyboard and Magic Mouse
PRICE: $5396

(Got the info from Best Buy.)

Which one is actually worth the money? Thanks. 🙂

PS Please don't give me that "I wouldn't recommend it, but that's just my opinion" stuff, especially if you're a PC user. Experienced Mac users only. 🙂 (Hope I don't sound too intense.)

A few "minor" differences between these two models:

-The pricier one packs a processor that's about 20% faster (link1, link2)
-Screen size (which is glossy, by the way) and resolution
-Double the graphics memory on the more expensive model

Everything else (aside from the number of Thunderbolt ports) is identical

There's a 30% price gap here.

Comparing these to my own home Mac from 2007—the processor is technically much weaker and the graphics are slower too, though I did upgrade the RAM from the default 1 GB to 4 GB. Even so, it runs Mac OS X 10.7 Lion without breaking a sweat.

My advice? If you've truly made up your mind to buy a Mac, just grab the cheaper model.
You can check out the graphics card performance here, and keep in mind that the SDXC card format supports up to 2 TB of storage (enough to hold a decent amount of stuff).

If anything is unclear, just ask 🙂

Noah Sanchez39 said:-double the video memory on the more expensive model

It’s not just that, though—the HD 6970 m is way more powerful than the HD 6770 m...

Alright, thanks for the replies!

Noah Sanchez39, seriously? An old Mac with only 1GB of RAM? Those white ones that aren't even aluminum? Wow... 🙂

Anyway, here are my questions:
What’s actually the deal with the different OS X versions? Like, what’s the difference between Panther, Snow Leopard, Lion (I think I heard someone mention Leopard without the Snow too...)? It all sounds the same to me. People keep arguing about whether they'd rather use XP or 8. (In my case, it's XP. 8 seems just as bad as 7, except it has those widgets and a different log in, and now you supposedly need a Hotmail account... give me a break. I guess it starts up faster, but who knows since we've only seen betas...)

Thunderbolt. I read on the Apple site that it’s basically a mix of FireWire and USB, using FW speeds with USB capabilities... WTF? What is this "Thunderbolt" thing even for? What kind of gear uses it? My current old computer has about a 60GB HDD; the system takes up maybe 15%, while my other drive ("D:") has over 50% free space, and that whole drive holds everything I need—so I don't really see the point of these high-speed external HDDs. Neither does the Thunderbolt Display (I don't get why it's hyped so much; I assume colors will look fine if it's plugged in via HDMI and connected through Thunderbolt). And the refresh rate—which I guess is measured in Hz—isn't going to magically increase beyond the monitor's limit anyway. To me, the whole Thunderbolt Display thing and the port itself just seem kind of pointless.

crimsonstag84 mentioned that the HD 6970 m is way different from the other one (which I noticed because of the memory). Are both cards actually decent for heavier games (like The Sims 3 plus expansions, which basically require "The Sims 3 minimum configuration multiplied by 3")? Or should I wait until I get an iMac to try the even beefier ones?

What’s it like working on an iMac? If you compare Microsoft Office to whatever similar software comes with the iMac, which one is better? Or is Office for Mac highly recommended?

And about this Magic Mouse... okay, Noah Sanchez39, you have a Mighty Mouse (that's the wired one, right?)... but does anyone actually own a Magic Mouse? Looking at it, it seems... non-ergonomic... like you'd get blisters after long sessions... and I read it's harder to do those two-finger gestures... anyone actually use the MM? 🙂

Then there's the wireless keyboard... okay, which *second time in this post, Larry Johnson38?!*?! I mean, it's smaller than the one on my laptop! Where are the Insert, Home, End, Page Up/down, and Delete keys!? And even if I somehow change my mind and stick with this tiny keyboard, is there any chance it comes in an American layout? Like, are the symbols in the right order, or am I just guessing where things are? Or is it all just English, in which case I'll just buy an American keyboard myself.

Roughly how long do the batteries last on the MM and the wireless keyboard? (Assuming I turn them off every time I shut down the Mac.)

This might be a dumb question... how long does it take for an iMac to go into standby ( Sleep)? How fast does it wake up? How long for a fresh boot versus a full shutdown? (I don't know why, but I'm curious! 🙂 )

Oh, and... Boot Camp. Or the non-Boot Camp stuff... Okay, so if I hate OS X, can I install Windows XP (or okay, Windows 7... but let's call it "XP" here) over the OS X partition (like, a full format and then XP), so the iMac boots straight into XP? Second option: make a partition and install XP there, so I can pick XP from the boot screen? Third option, which is the same as the second but XP runs in a window alongside OS X?

If someone used to be on a PC and recently switched to OS X, would you recommend OS X or staying on the Windows platform?

Can I even run programs on OS X? (Totally stupid and unpolished question, I know.) I read somewhere that OS X has way fewer viruses than Windows. Or maybe none at all. So... usually viruses come in an *.exe format, so... does OS X just refuse to open *.exe apps entirely, or does it just block ones from the internet and send them over to Apple for investigation?
Does OS X even support games on CD? Like homemade CDs (games downloaded from the web and burned to a disc, complete with a crack—thanks, neighbor! ^^)? *Sorry if we aren't supposed to talk about that here.*
Or is everything supposed to be downloaded from the App Store (or whatever)
?
That’s pretty much it for now. 😁 I know you guys were probably expecting something quick and simple, but that's just how I roll... 🙂

Thanks for the help. 🙂

Give this a read regarding Thunderbolt, since it looks like you haven't quite grasped the situation yet: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4832/t...splay-review/1

Look, you really need to decide what you actually want out of a computer—if you're planning on gaming, just forget about the Macintosh entirely, and honestly, buying one just to install Windows on it is an even bigger waste of time.

Benjamin King2 said:Read this regarding Thunderbolt, since it looks like you're a bit lost on how this actually works: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4832/t...splay-review/1

Figure out what you actually need a computer for. If gaming is the goal, just forget about McDonald's, and buying one just to run Windows on it is even stupider.

+1

I think you’ve already gotten some pretty solid answers here. Honestly? If your main goal is gaming, just go out and buy yourself a decent PC instead.

@ Larry Johnson38

Let's go through this systematically:

1) we are talking about the first iMac with an aluminum chassis;

2) regarding the differences between OS X versions? I won't list them all; every new version of Mac OS X brought some changes, big or small, to the OS itself; there is more info written here, which should be plenty for a beginner;

3) are both cards good for heavier gaming? (like The Sims 3, which, by the way, has a Mac version too); in my previous post, I gave you a link to a site where you can check out the gaming performance of specific graphics cards, including these two; for The Sims 3, there aren't specific benchmarks, it just says "may run fluently," so it should play smoothly without stuttering or freezing; for actual user experiences, you're better off asking seasoned gamers;

4) how is it working on iMac computers? I think it's enough to say it's a "seamless integration of hardware and software"; everything works smoothly right from the start. You asked about MS Office? There is Microsoft Office for Mac 2011, but instead, I'd recommend trying Apple iWork, which includes apps for word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations; files created there export easily to the corresponding MS Office formats (DOC, XLS, PPT);

5) peripherals: although my iMac model comes with a wired Mighty Mouse and Apple Keyboard, I opted for the wireless (Bluetooth) versions; ergonomics, blisters? I wouldn't say I've had any in the last 4 years. I am thinking of picking up a Magic Mouse (regardless of the price) so I can try out those two-finger gestures; the keyboard is small and feels a bit cold (aluminum, after all), but all the keys are right where they should be; I even got our local characters (ñ, é, etc.), and I'm typing this on that very keyboard; the layout is !"#$%&'()=?*, under the last two symbols (question mark and asterisk) you'll find / and +;

6) how long do the batteries last on a wireless mouse and keyboard? About 3-4 months, without exaggeration; besides, the iMac is almost never turned off, unless there's a thunderstorm or lightning;

7) how long does it take for the iMac to enter standby ( Sleep)? How long to wake up? And what about a fresh boot versus a full shutdown? Either just the screen or the entire iMac can go to sleep within 1 minute, and waking it takes just a few seconds; whether I'm restarting it (say, after a system update) or plugging it in, the whole system (the one I'm using to write this) boots up in about 30 seconds before I see the log in screen; I assume these newer models probably shave another second off that boot time;

8) if you think you won't like the Mac/Mac OS X combo and want to install Windows, you're in for a disappointment, Benjamin King2; there's no point in spending that money. That said, Boot Camp does allow you to install Windows on a separate partition; otherwise, you can install Windows and other operating systems using virtualization software (VMware Fusion, Parallels Desktop, VirtualBox); installing Windows directly via Mac OS X isn't possible (unless you're looking at a Hackintosh)

9) there are thousands of applications for the Mac platform for every conceivable purpose; they usually come in DMG (disk image) or ZIP formats. An EXE is not an executable on a Mac; it won't run, and nothing is being sent to any Apple headquarters. For home-made games burned onto a CD, the same rule applies. The Mac App Store is NOT the only source for Mac games; many titles are cross-platform, meaning they were written for both Mac and Windows. Viruses for Mac OS X don't exist—if you're curious, read this short discussion on the Apple forum

That's all from me for now 🙂

Alright, thanks. That makes way more sense now. 🙂

And NO, I'm not buying an iMac just for gaming. A PC handles that fine, which is what I was arguing about in that other thread. 😛

Noah Sanchez39, this helped a ton. Thanks. You're a real one (I guess I wouldn't have that much patience to write all that out myself)!

Fine. Guess I'm getting the iMac. (Just not right now—maybe late June. *starts humming some pop song*)

Later!

~Larry Johnson38

If you're already going to go all out on such an extravagance, my take is that you're much better off grabbing the pricier model—the one with a graphics card that’s more than twice as powerful and a significantly better monitor.

Why would anyone drop $1,800 or $2,500 on a Mac when you can get a PC for under $900 that does everything they do?......To me, that just looks like throwing money down the drain.....Sure, they have better operating systems, but who actually cares? I mean, who really obsesses over operating systems anyway?....Windows runs perfectly fine for what I need...

Better operating systems? What on earth are you even talking about?

Talking about throwing love away? That’s a choice you make before anything else. "De gustibus non est disputandum"

There is really only one Mac OS X, unlike the various versions of Windows OS that people are still dragging around today (XP, Vista, 7).

Bryan Taylor6 said:Why on earth would you drop $1,000 or even $1,500 on a Mac when you can grab a decent PC for maybe $500 or $600? To me, that just looks like throwing money straight into a bonfire! Sure, they have "better" operating systems, but who actually cares about that? I mean, seriously, who spends their life obsessing over OS specs? Windows works perfectly fine for what I need...

It’s simple. If I’m not someone who settles for just "fine," and if the machine is going to pay for itself in speed alone, why wouldn't I? 🙂

Who says you can't grab a killer PC for like $900?
For that kind of cash—I'd honestly build a rig that smokes a Mac any day of the week.

Nathan Jones98 said:whoever said you can't get a solid PC for $900?
for that kind of cash, I'd build a beast that puts a Mac to shame

Well then, go ahead! Build your beast with that money. And hey, just trust me when I say raw power is all about those gigahertz. I totally get what you mean by "putting a Mac to shame."

Believe me, there is a massive reason why professionals almost exclusively use Macs. It’s because they earn their living on machines that demand total stability and the ability to troubleshoot issues instantly... especially when you're staring down tight deadlines. But look, I am not getting back into that debate. We've chewed that bone to death already. If you really think you can build something better than the engineers at Apple—then go for it! Just leave the pros to work on their machines that have served them faithfully for years and that they value for good reason.

Honestly, I just can't wrap my head around people who don't get why workstation computers cost way more than some random rig slapped together at a local shop. Just look at the prices for workstations from Dell or HP... they're just as pricey as Macs.

So, Larry Johnson38 says he's planning to pull the trigger at the end of June. But honestly? You gotta think about the fact that we're right on the edge of those new iMacs dropping with the fresh Ivy Bridge processors... which means better graphics too. When you're dropping that kind of cash, I feel like it's worth just waiting a bit.
And then there's the whole debate about which specific setup ends up being the better deal anyway.

So why is he asking about specs now then? 😵

A lot can change in the hardware world in just six months.

Seriously, why are you deleting my post just because I used an emoji? It’s basically identical to post #16, or am I totally missing something here? 😁
The guy is out here acting like he can troubleshoot OS kernels while simultaneously confusing basic hardware with software support.
Plus, the OP is just assuming what everyone wants to use their PC for, when he literally said he's just using it for gaming.

Look, if you think his claims are total nonsense, just shut him down with some actual logic—a smiley face isn't exactly a winning argument. And for the record, I didn't delete your post. 😛