Ah... the old WinPC vs. Mac debate again. For the vast majority of people (>75%) a PC needs to be capable of browsing the internet, doing some office-stuff, and handling multimedia. If you look at the majority of hardware for WinPCs getting sold, then we're talking of exactly the type of hardware you'll find in the low-end iMacs, as this can handle all the tasks the majority needs it for. We're discussing this in a technic-forum, where only people hang around that don't belong to the mentioned vast majority of PC-users, so the image drawn here is as flawed as possible. When speaking for the majority, the majority is looking for a piece of hardware that works for some 5 years, and is as easy to use as possible. Windows and MacOS are equally easy to use imho, if you're only doing the basic tasks pictured above. So what it comes down to is design and price. A basic iMac 27" costs 1500 Euro, and if we build a Windows-system with the exact same hardware, then this happens.... Core 2 Duo E8400: 160 Euro basic P45-mainboard: 80 Euro 2x2 GB 1066 RAM: 100 Euro ATi HD 4670 256MB: 60 Euro 1TB 3.5" 5400 SATA: 60 Euro DVD/CD drive: 30 Euro Keyboard + Mouse: 50 Euro comparable 27" Monitor: 850 Euro (Dell U2711) ATX-Case incl 300W: 80 Euro Windows7Home: 130 Euro Result: 1600 Euro You can get it built some 200 Euro cheaper maybe, if you tweak the hardware, but basically we're looking at a tie, when it comes to price, so all that's left is design and the iMac just wins the design-race.
it has happened. new iMac, 27inch display, Mac Pro are on their site. but 27inch display and Mac Pro are "coming soon" for UK store page iMac UK store page is a bit of a fail at the moment.
Having spent £1500 both on an i7 desktop and on a MacBook I have to say I certainly wouldn't follow your example. The i7 trounces all of Apple's non-server-CPU products on a performance basis, and if you're doing heavy video editing and PS work (which I do occasionally on the i7) by my estimation it would take at least twice as long on the Mac...
Turns out I didn't have to wait that long after all! I think that I'll go for a refurb i5 though, or maybe the i3 with BTO GPU. Decisions!
It depends what you like. I'm not a huge fan of the iMac look, it sort of screams "look at me, I've got enough money to pay for someone else's sense of style!". I'd say Windows 7 is just as intuitive as well, but that's very subjective. I'm biased towards Windows because I've been using it so long, though I also use Ubuntu, which is pretty similar to OS X in many ways. I'm also not convinced a lot of the hardware Apple uses in its machines is up to the standard of the PC hardware available for a similar price. Aside from the questionable quality of Foxconn motherboards, how do you know the PSU they put in there is any better than the £25 unbranded junk you can get for a PC? I'd much rather have the Corsair PSU and RAM of my specced "comparable PC". The same goes for the gorgeous and expandable Lian Li case, and the silent CPU cooler, and the Asus motherboard... While we're on the subject, can you overclock a Mac? I'm guessing not as the cooling can't be brilliant with an all-in-one design. Of course, most people looking at buying an iMac probably have no idea what overclocking is... Also, you have to factor in how futureproof these machines are. A desktop PC can be upgraded and transformed into a new machine several times without having to pay for a new PSU, case or monitor, which all have much longer operating lifespans than other components. The all-in-one design is just a clever way to ensure an £800 monitor becomes obsolete much sooner than it otherwise would. I get why people love Macs, I really do. I can see the attraction to a sleek machine that requires minimal configuration, but they're not for me, and I suggest anyone who is thinking about buying one takes a few moments to consider whether they are just throwing money away on something pretty, or if they really feel the benefits of an Apple system outweigh the costs.
27inch i3 is more than enough. im thinking of getting one myself, mainly as a monitor and silent download/internet machine on the side. what i really like about the 27inch imac is that its price is unbelievable. £1,231.40 with student discount, essentially same price and similar resolution as a 30 inch, but with a computer if you need it.
That's pretty wrong tbh, you've overpriced the PC computer massively because the parts used in the iMac are old and are thus poor value for money. In the UK: i5-750: £150 H55 motherboard: £65 4GB ram: £85 GPU: £60 1TB 7200: £55 DVD: £15 Keyboard + Mouse: £50 Case + 400w PSU: £70 Windows 7 Home OEM: £70 I'm not going to use an ultra-expensive 27" screen because it's poor value for money. Dell Ultrasharp 24": £460 Total price: £1080 = €1300 Computer is much faster and much cheaper.
Yes you're right. I went for the i3 3.2 with 5750. £1519. This is the hard bit: Estimated Shipping: 4 business days Estimated Delivery: 10 Aug, 2010 - 11 Aug, 2010
Sorry Bakes, but I agree with jrs77 on this one, as much as I hate to admit it. My brother plans to get a new 27" Mac. I tried to talk him out of it and told him I could spec up a far better PC for the same money, but actually the same components (i5 750, 27" screen etc.) come out to at least equal in cost. It's a bit annoying that the 5750 can't be upgraded to at least a 5770 on the Macs however. Not only that but I don't have to worry about being called for constant tech support! And the parts used in the Macs are not 'old'.
