Need Mac advice

[Nekhetyo]

Hello there.

I'm currently considering buying an iMac as my new computer. I play WoW for the most part and I like to watch alot of movies/tv-series on the web.

Now...

Is it worth it to spend the money for an apple product or should I go for a simmilar to better system with Windows? Any Apple/mac experts here who can give me confirmation on HOW the OS works compared to Windows. I don't have any chance of testing a Mac because I live fairly remote. So any help would be appreciated.

-Nekhet

[vesseblah]

Basic use is pretty much the same. Point, click and drag works just like with windows. Things are organized differently so getting used to it will take a while. Installing programs is easier on Mac than Windows, but selection is thinner. WoW works just as well on both, and Mac has the advantage of coming with built-in video capture that can capture the game clean without your UI even.

If you're watching stuff *on* the web, going with Windows is safer because of DRM shit. Not all players and plugins and video formats work with Mac, but if you're watching mostly pirated stuff, there's no real difference between the two.

With Mac you will pay some extra for the brand and nice looks, but also for stability of the whole system. The stability comes at the price of strictly limited options and some of those have extortion-level pricetags attached. If you're interested in doing semipro video or audio work with computer, Macs are great option because of the cheap quality software from Apple.

When picking a desktop for gaming and other casual use and you're already familiar with Windows I would not pick a Mac because of the drawbacks (mostly price/power ratio) unless looks are high priority or it goes for computer novices. For laptop Mac is whole lot more interesting choice because of the solid build and good battery life, and I would seriously consider one next time. Too bad Apple did retard move and gimped the cheapest laptop models in latest generation pretty badly, which moved the usable Mac laptops even farther into luxury items territory.

[Robyn]

Macs, In my honest opinion, are the best computers you can buy. They are reliable and safe from random viruses.
They play many games well and the graphics are amazing!

Go Apple, Think Different™


[baelon]

Now that Apples no longer use exclusive CPUs, the only thing different about them is that they use OSX vs. Windows / Linux / etc.

Whether that's worth the huge price markup (usually $1000+ vs. a comparable Windows prebuilt, or $1500+ vs. a DIY computer) is up to you. This is essentially the price you're paying for OSX.

If you think you're getting a better physical product, think again. The parts are the same brands / models as you'd find in any PC or could buy separately.

Apple is largely about image. They aren't very succeptible to viruses because virus writers target the ~95% of the market using Windows. If you serious about security, you would use Linux instead. On top of being better, it's free.

[Nixia]

I haven't really used a mac enough to state anything as "facts" but here's what I think.

Macs and PCs use the same hardware so the only thing you get is a different OS and different support. Mac OS X is more stable but at the cost of customization.

[Traezz]

Macs, In my honest opinion, are the best computers you can buy. They are reliable and safe from random viruses.
They play many games well and the graphics are amazing!

Go Apple, Think Different™


That's just your opinion.
A Windows PC would do just as well, if not better, due to the 'tweakability', a PC is just as reliable as a Mac if it isn't set up incorrectly.
PCs typically are better for gaming, in general. WoW is not worth mentioning if you are using it to say a computer is "Good" considering how outdated it's graphics are.

"Go Apple, Think Different"
Should be "Go Apple, Be Another Wannabe Hipster Sheeple"


All in all, go PC, and learn how to actually do your own maintance and actually be able to fix problems when they arise, if they arise.

[Baaadum]

/SNIP

This pretty much hit the nail on the head.

Macs have equal amount of gaming opportunities as PCs, except you have to drop, like, another $250 to install Windows 7 via BootCamp. I've only experienced macs from my friends, computers on campus, and the in-store ones. I've recently played on my friend's MacBook Pro, and I have to say it was a really great experience (trite, I know). I've always hated laptops. Hated. But now I find myself really wanting a MBP. Expose is great, and the magic mouse enhances it even further (it can be tweaked via 3rd party programs--widgets I believe they're called--making any finger stroke doing whatever). You can always buy a cheap-o simple two click mouse (avoid mighty mouse like the plague!) for gaming.

Also, the iMac is arguably Apple's most well priced product (emphasis on Apple, not the most well priced product in the market). The 27" inch screen itself costs $800-1100 IIRC, so you're paying 600-1000 for the rest of the hardware. Also, the iMac uses a laptop GPU, and, no, don't expect a desktop GPU anytime soon (though, it is worth saying that the GPU itself is very good: http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-ATI...0.13975.0.html), so there is a lot of bottle necking in the iMac's performance.

Any Apple/mac experts here who can give me confirmation on HOW the OS works compared to Windows. I don't have any chance of testing a Mac because I live fairly remote. So any help would be appreciated.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=OS+X+vs+windows+7

Literally took less than 10 seconds. Cnet, gizmodo, lifehacker are good sites to start at.

There are also videos that can be found at apple:

http://www.apple.com/findouthow/mac/

Those should answer a lot of your questions in terms of performance and ease of use.

All in all, go PC, and learn how to actually do your own maintance and actually be able to fix problems when they arise, if they arise.

I'm not really interested in arguing, but I just wanted to comment that not everyone has the patience, interest, nor time to sit down and learn a how to maintain a PC. Some enjoy it; personally, I do not.

Anyway, I hope whatever you choose works out