I want this iMac but I hate OSX

[Uncle Julian]

In general I dislike most Apple products. I've used them before, and my older brother works extensively in OSX and Ubuntu. I'm familiar with most OS products and I've just never enjoyed the "Mac" experience. I currently use Windows 8 on my desktop (that I keep at my parents) and I have a windows 8 phone. I was looking at getting a semi-portable desktop replacement for my apartment via Sager NP 9370 (Clevo P370EM) sli/crossfire with dual 680m's in it. Total is about $2500. (that's a ~2-inch thick laptop with 2 x graphics card, for those unfamiliar).

Now with these new iMacs you can get a single 680MX card which is pretty nice. For around the same price I think it's a good deal considering you get a bigger, nicer screen built in as well. I just don't ever want to have to use OSX. Is it possible to completely install windows 8 on the machine and not have to fiddle with bootcamp?

What kinds of problems does this pose...thunderbolt, their Fusion Drive technology (basically a Cache SSD drive...would rather a small complete SSD option, not their $1300 option).

If those things would work as intended with a complete Windows interface, I think I'd be very interested in this machine.


p.s. all my computers are used 90% for gaming...battlefield 3, skyrim, planet side 2, steam stuff, farcry...all those goodies

EDIT: I assume the standard i5 processor (3.2-3.6 GHz) in the iMac is better for games than the i7-3630QM in the laptop? If I'm correct, I'm trading multi-threading 2.5 GHz for regular quad core 3.2 GHz (or something? In which case the iMac would have a superior processor for my needs)

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

All hardware should run under Windows.

The fusion drive is simply an HDD with SSD caching built in, people have had the option of using them with Windows for donkey's years (they haven't been using them because they are pointless, just get a damn SSD for your boot drive and be done with it). Thunderbolt is Intel tech, and becoming more widespread on Z77 motherboards in particular.

However, I do not know if the motherboard BIOS will let you simply boot up a windows 7 or 8 disc and install that OS. I don't know the reason why you need to use bootcamp to install windows on a Mac, but presumably there is a reason or nobody would bother with it and be able to simply install Windows.

[Sweetleader]

What do you mean "fiddle with Bootcamp". All Bootcamp does is partitions the drive for the Windows install and gives you the appropriate drivers so Mac hardware will work on Windows. There isn't any fiddling.

[Helst0rm]

All hardware should run under Windows.

The fusion drive is simply an HDD with SSD caching built in, people have had the option of using them with Windows for donkey's years (they haven't been using them because they are pointless, just get a damn SSD for your boot drive and be done with it). Thunderbolt is Intel tech, and becoming more widespread on Z77 motherboards in particular.

However, I do not know if the motherboard BIOS will let you simply boot up a windows 7 or 8 disc and install that OS. I don't know the reason why you need to use bootcamp to install windows on a Mac, but presumably there is a reason or nobody would bother with it and be able to simply install Windows.

Bootcamp from the mac side doesn't really do much other than assist you in creating the partition for windows. It is required for the drivers on the windows side. The Mac OS side Bootcamp app now creates the drivers on a flash drive (if you prefer) since they no longer come with install media. You can make the MAC os partition as small as you like since you aren't planning on running it, but leave it intact as if you ever have technical issues with the computer the Apple techs will not assist in troubleshooting in the windows environment. You can download the bootcamp drivers from the apple site, but you would have to do it ahead of time, because the network devices may not function on windows to begin with. It is important to remember that Apple and MS work on the bootcamp drivers together, but they are written by MS, so Apple won't be able to help with anything on the windows side at all.

Also give it a second look from the wow perspective, I lol at how slow all my pc friends are at tabbing out to look at things when its just a CTRL+Right Arrow for me and CRTL+Left Arrow back. That is assuming you run the game in Windowed (Fullscreen) mode. Also capturing video is really simple too. Just a key press to start and stop recording o.O. Ignore the fan boy rant, the above info is solid.

[jmacphee9]

yea it will run completely on windows if you want, i doubt you could permanently wipe osx off though, and windows 8 isnt supported officially i have no clue how well it does or doesnt work.

[ati87]

What do you mean "fiddle with Bootcamp". All Bootcamp does is partitions the drive for the Windows install and gives you the appropriate drivers so Mac hardware will work on Windows. There isn't any fiddling.

Maybe the OP just doesn't want to bother with having to waste space for 2 operating systems and doesn't want to have duel boot.

To the OP
Your best bet is to go ask Apple salesperson directly or to just google it (just to be save). Personally not sure if it's even worth it buying the new Macs because you won't really notice the difference in how thin it is anyway. And judging by your game preference you might just want to avoid a Mac all together unless you want to upgrade to a new system every few years.

[Sweetleader]

Maybe the OP just doesn't want to bother with having to waste space for 2 operating systems and doesn't want to have duel boot.

To the OP
Your best bet is to go ask Apple salesperson directly or to just google it (just to be save). Personally not sure if it's even worth it buying the new Macs because you won't really notice the difference in how thin it is anyway. And judging by your game preference you might just want to avoid a Mac all together unless you want to upgrade to a new system every few years.

Entirely possible. I just started using OSX about 2 months ago and here is what I have learned that may prove use full.

1) If you don't like having to deal with dual booting, you can default your boot preference to either Windows or OSX.
2) Theoretically after you use Bootcamp to install Windows you could use the Restore function built into OSX and erase your OSX install. I have no idea if this will still allow you to use Windows.

In general if you aren't even going to use OSX I wouldn't even bother buying a Mac.

[Uncle Julian]

Doesn't the Cache SSD need to use software though? I had a SSD Cacheing laptop before and it used the DATA Plex software. With this I could also make sure it was working as intended. Alternatively, if I bought my own SSD and stuck it in the machine, then would I be able to install wondows 8 on that. What are the consequences of doing this and avoiding OSX all together?

I don't want to make purchases and soon say to myself "shit, this doesn't work as I had imagined..."

[Deleted]

I wouldn't recommend a iMac if you don't want to use it's OSX. I know that the screen, design and portability are explendid (i myself have 1 iMac and 1 MBP), but for playing... id rather buy a nice Windows. And i think that once you make your iMac, it's pretty hard to open it and change parts inside other than de ram.

So my question is, why buy a mac if you mostly don't like anything about it?

I used to play in my macs until i bought a PC for half the price and twice the power of a mac. So if you are going to use it for playing, buy a PC. If you would use for working (say something like graphic design, video edition...) and playing, i would say go ahead.

[Cyanotical]

you can use bootcamp to create a 7 iso with the mac drivers and thermal management already installed, then you can simple wipe the hard disk and full install windows

if you want SSD caching, put a momentusXT in it, i just bought a 750GB one for my sisters laptop, works flawlessly

edit, also, when you run windows as the standalone OS on a mac, you are basically getting a luxury PC, which at the end of the day, is what every mac is

[Noctua]

OP, just curious, why not build yourself a uATX system, or even mITX if you want to go semi portable?
It's not quite as portable as an All in one (you have to take a small tower as well as a monitor i guess), but it gives you pretty much full control over your build.

[Deleted]

someone here knows that mini-ATX watercooled i7-3770k bitfenix model including a gtx 680? (now that is portable power)
something allong those lines in a very tiny case and watercooling would be more worthwhile over an IMAC due to sheer screen surface. (21,5 or 27" still isn't easy to transport even if it is very thin)
also general rule of mac + gaming don't mix applies. (why get a laptop in desktop disguise, if you are still bound to object that isn't practical at all on the move?)