It has been six months now since I got my Apple iMac and I have never regretted buying it.
Perhaps it is the combination of the more powerful hardware compared to my old slow Dell along with the more efficient Mac OS, but it seems that I can get more done faster on the Mac. Straight from the outset when booting up the Mac, I can start working on it in 30 seconds whereas on the old Dell, I had to wait over 2 minutes for the system to boot and be operational. Similar effect with powering down. It does not seem like much to be concern about but it was those sort of aggravations that made me want to switch to the Mac.
It has taken some time to get comfortable with the different operating system. Certain habits I have picked up in the Windows world have no counterpart with the Mac OS; whenever I am editing a document on the Mac, I continually use CTRl-End to get to the end of the line. That keystroke combination does not exist on Mac programs. Still, I do not mind giving up those little things for what I received in return.
Everything about the OS seems so intutive. When I think about doing something in whatever program, I try it and it works. No guessing, no cryptic series of steps to do something. A simple click or keystroke and it works. Having said that, though, I find many things sort of hidden from the user but when I discover them, it uncovers some powerful functionality. For example, using the Option+Shift+4 key combination gives me a cursor to snag parts of the screen to save as an image. In Windows, you could use Alt+Prt Scrn to get the whole screen or buy a program that allows what the Mac gives you for free.
The Preview application is a wonder of a program that allows me to see any file, text document or image. It is quick and powerful. No more separate photo viewing programs. It even allows basic photo editing.
Another great thing about the Mac is the integration of the applications with each other particularly with the Apple branded applications. Using iMovie to make videos, I found it could add in photos from iPhoto or Aperture, music from iTunes or Garage Band. Now this sort of coupling of applications with the OS was considered to be bad when Microsoft did it but I do not think Microsoft ever made it as easy and effective as Apple has done with its products.
Still, I had to make some compromises. Giving up all of the software I accumulated over the years, meant losing some nice games and utilities. Indeed, losing access to games is probably the most significant loss as most game developers only develop for Windows or consoles; the Mac world is still relatively small compared to the rest of the computer world in number of homes using the system.
Using the Mac has been a great learning experience and one that I am continually learning every day to become more productive and creative as well.
Nope, no regrets at all.
With all of the going ons in my life, one thing that has been put on the back burner has been my oft-discussed move to the new iMac computers. As a priority in my life, it has been downgraded quite a bit. But like many other things in life, sometimes waiting for something may prove more advantageous than rushing in.
This week the iMac received a bit of an upgrade with faster CPUs and more default RAM for the same price pints as before. Apple also released a new top-end version of the iMac, a 24″ monitor version with a 3.06 GHz CPU and a NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS graphics card making it more a gamer’s machine than anything else.
Considering that the desktop line received a major overhaul last summer, it is premature to expect any significant upgrades for the iMac. This year, it is the MacBooks that will get the overhauls as we have seen first with the Air version.
The Leopard version of the Mac OS will be getting a new update in the very near future and may get another one yet by the time I get to buying the iMac. So far I am still comfortable with my decision to switch but holding back for a bit looks like a prudent decision if not a totally voluntary one.
The new 20-inch 2.66 GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US), includes:
- 20-inch widescreen LCD display
- 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a 1066 MHz front-side bus
- 2GB of 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 4GB
- 320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm
- a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
- ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB GDDR3 memory
- built-in iSight video camera
- built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR
- mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately)
- built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
- the Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and infrared Apple Remote.
I have been musing of late on upgrading my computer and I wonder it is time for a radical break with the past.
I have a Dell PC that is five years ago and while it is still quite functional, it is severely lagging in several areas like memory and processor speed that impede what I primarily use the computer these days which is photograph processing and storage. Secondary uses are simple document creation like Word documents and some web work mostly with maintaining this blog but those uses do not near tax the system as trying to edit several large images in a row.
From time to time I have been fixated on what I call my Dream Machine of the moment but eventually the need will pass and I will try to make do with what I have. The machine has been upgraded in a few areas: better graphic card, more hard drive space but eventually, if I need more performance out of my machine, I will need to upgrade. The question is what machine do I upgrade to?
As usual, I looked at the Dell machines and for a change of pace HP boxes as well. I go to the customizer screens, pick my options and usually get a machine that is nearly the top performance machine generally for $1400. But every time I did one of this custom jobs, I do not feel very enthused about the machine.
This past year has been the year of Apple. With the successful launch of the iPhone and updates of its iPod lines, people have been giving Apple quite a bit of attention. It is more than just computers but computers remain the central focus of its business. As such, Apple also rolled out an updated line of computers and releasing today an update to its OS, nicknamed Leopard, which features significant improvements to the software.
Now my buddy Jerry uses a MacBook computer at work and I must admit, whenever I see it in action, I am quite impressed. While much of it is eye candy, what makes it a viable alternative to Windows Vista OS is that it is much more logically capable for the individual user than a Windows Machine. You want to look for something and two clicks there it is. Things are where you think they should be unlike Windows and its emphasis on file hierarchy.
I like the fact that such tools as the Dock and Finder greatly improve productivity.
One knock against moving to iMacs from Window machines is that for so long, Macs tend to be somewhat underpowered compared to the top of the line PC machines. With the migration to the Intel processors, Macs have essentially caught up in that regard and you will find Macs of all sorts with comparable technology in RAM, Hard Drive space and Graphic capability.
The second knock against Macs are the smaller number of applications available for the Macs as compared to Window machines. Most software developers can not afford to port their software to Macs. But there is a way around it now. With the move to Intel, Macs can run Windows applications in one of two ways: Boot Camp which allows the user to choose which OS to boot up in or Parallels, a software package that allows the user to run Window apps natively in concert with Mac OS. I have seen Parallels in action through Jerry’s machine and it seems to work just fine and it is compatible with Windows XP or Vista. So if I need to run an application that is written only for Windows, I can start Parallels within the Mac and all will be fine.
I like the compactness of the iMac. The all in one machine where all of the components are incorporated into the monitor. Few cables, easier transportability, less noise and heat are quite attractive features. The white case does certainly stand out in its environment.
The machine I am looking at, the 20″ monitor version, runs at $1500 which is comparable to PCs I have configured in my custom jobs online. I certainly makes me think but as the Leopard OS is only just released, as with all software, it is good to wait awhile to allow the inevitable bug fixes and patches are sent out though as Apple keeps a tight rein on its computer components, there is less likelihood of incompatible hardware and software problems as there are for Window PCs.
It may be months before I make decision on my computer upgrade but there is a good chance that an iMac may be in my future.