Upgrading: Mac or PC?

[Jonathan F/2]

Get the iMac. If you have a yearning for Windows you can always dual boot the iMac as a Windows machine. You can't do that the other way around!

 

[Clix Pix]

When I got my first Mac several years ago I took a look at iPhoto and decided it was not going to work for my purposes, so I just ignored and set up a system of my own. I ingest all images into a folder on the desktop before doing anything else. Then I cull them in Photo Mechanic, moving the good ones into Aperture for actual post-processing. When I'm finished processing, they go to a folder called "To Zenfolio" and these are the ones which I then upload to Zenfolio, Smugmug or pBase. There are times when I might want to play with an image in Photoshop instead of in Aperture, and that's easily done because again the originals are not locked into either iPhoto or Aperture from the get-go. I don't use NX so cannot answer to its functionality and performance on the Mac platform. I've been using Aperture since it was first released and really like it for the kind of photo post-processing that I do.

I'd go with the Mac, and as others have said, if you really need or want Windows, too, it's simply a matter of adding it to the new Mac!

 

[little big man]

If you are planning on getting a machine with lots of firepower (i7 processor/64 bit OS/lots of RAM) and you want hardware flexibility (adding multiple drives, RAIDing some drives together for performance) get a PC - your $ will go further and you could choose whatever monitor and case you like in the process.

If your main need is a larger, nicer monitor and you won't tinker with hardware much, then the iMac might be a better solution, especially if your work area will benefit from a smaller hardware "footprint".

Sean

Sean

 

[Gary Irwin]

I'd probably own an iMAC if the screen wasn't integrated with the computer thus forcing me to jettison both the computer and screen every few years. That's just too expensive ... Sorry Mr. Jobs, Nikon gets most of my money! :biggrin:

 

[Johnnymg]

I'll answer quickly before the usual suspects turn it into a flame war. I'm 67+ and dropped my PCs in 2006. The workflow change is exaggerated. If this old geezer can do it, it isn't as earth shaking as might be imagined. I greatly prefer the interface and lack of maintenance. I still have to use Windows (XP PRO) in VMware for work and find the windows interface and menu structure difficult to navigate now.

I use lightroom 2 and have basically given up using Photoshop. My MacPro works fine with 8 gb; I have the 30" monitor and find it especially useful for photography.

Moderator hat on...To those answering his request, remember our watchwords, civil respectful and OBJECTIVE discussions. He's asking a legitimate question and deserves factual straight-forward answers. Hat off.

+100

I think the "writing is on the wall" about where the future of OS's, integrated environments, and graphical applications is headed. If it's a graphical environment/aps you are interested in then the simple answer is to go with the Apple OS.

FWIW, I'm a nearly 3 decade user of MS products but have recently taken up the following mantra: NO MAS................ NO MAS when it comes to my home computer environment. That said, I'm still using MS based computers at my office and would expect MS to continue to dominate the enterprise environment for a long time.

cheers and good luck with whatever you get
JohnG

 

[Pa]

I'd probably own an iMAC if the screen wasn't integrated with the computer thus forcing me to jettison both the computer and screen every few years. That's just too expensive ... Sorry Mr. Jobs, Nikon gets most of my money! :biggrin:

That held me back until this latest model iMac came out. They now have a monitor port so that you can use the iMac monitor with another Mac. My idea is that when the processor on this machine becomes obsolete, I'l buy a Mac Pro or high-end MacBook and use this iMac as the monitor.

(Unless the new iMacs available then have significantly better monitorss - hard to imagine.)

 

[Growltiger]

I don't know how many of the Mac enthusiasts here have tried an up to date PC running Microsoft Windows 7. If your experiences date back a few years, I can tell you that things have changed a lot.

Microsoft made bad mistakes with Vista, but with Windows 7 they have a superb operating system. I'm running the 64 bit version and it has never crashed or done anything at all that it should not. The interface is much improved, it is a pleasure to use, and I've heard it said even better than a Mac! This may be because they have copied ideas from the Mac, but everyone copies everyone else nowadays.

Some of the people who complain of PCs at work, remember that often the problem lies with poor corporate infrastructure, badly set up and maintained servers etc. This has nothing to do with running a PC or a network of machines at home.

Macs are very beautifully designed, and I wish PC makers would learn that they could do the same and charge more. But for solid performance and good value for money, plus the flexibility of upgrading the system yourself when needed, a modern PC system really works well.

 

[Pa]

I don't know how many of the Mac enthusiasts here have tried an up to date PC running Microsoft Windows 7. If your experiences date back a few years, I can tell you that things have changed a lot.

I have a 12-month old Dell Studio laptop that came with Windows Vista. About a month ago I upgraded it to Windows 7. While I am pleased with the machine so far, I don't notice a tremendous improvement. Maybe time will tell. It does perform quite well and I have no complaints.

 

[eng45ine]

My four year old Gateway PC died two weeks ago, I have since replaced it with a 27-inch iMac. Initial impression.....I am totally blown away by the quality of this computer. Second impression.....I have alot to learn about regarding how best to get the best out of it.

 

[Ronald M]

I love my Macs. My son cleaned his Dell of Vista and installed more ram and Windows 7 64 bit.

He claims it runs as good as a Mac. The statement ceeds the target to better to Mac right there.

I will not get an integrated screen computer again, although my iMac 24 matt is fine so far. I would get a upgraded mini and good monitor or a Mac tower + Nec monitor.

If the wife needs certain programs, be sure they are available for Mac or you need to partition the HD for her.

Mac OS is superior for lots of reasons. Saw a thing yesterday the Japanese, S Koreans, & Chinese are developing an open source OS based on Linux because of the security problems with Microsoft. Put it in Google and you find it right away, least I did.

A note book for serious editing is out of the question. I do like mine for travel, but it does not screen calibrate as well.

All notebook keyboards suck. You know the solution.

You can always get a notebook and separate monitor keyboard & mouse.
Or just get a Wacom tablet. This might make everyone happy.

There are no problems here money can not solve.

 

[JustEd]

If I understood you correctly, you have photo software for both the MAC and PC. Am presuming your wife has just the PC version of her business software. A MAC can run Windows, you supply the operating system, but a PC can not run Apple's OSX. The new iMAC's have wireless keyboard and mouse, but the keyboard has no separate numeric keypad. However, you can get a wired version from apple that has the dedicated numeric keypad. Would suspect your wife might insist on that for number crunching.

I bought one of the first 27" LED models of the iMAC. The screen is gorgeous, repeat GORGEOUS!!! The 27" iMac has a native screen resolution of 2560 x 1440, that is higher than most separate monitors commonly used on PC's (except the Apple Cinema). For me it makes a great difference in photo editing and that was the deciding factor.

Sounds like you can make either a PC or MAC work in your situation, best of luck!