£1000 budget for new computer. Should I get a new iMac ?

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£1000 budget for new computer. Should I get a new iMac ?

64 posts & 37 voices | Started 1 year ago by sputnik | Latest reply from pjbarton

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sputnik - Member

My old Toshiba Satellite is on its way out and I have £1000 to spend on a new computer. The new iMac caught my eye. I want to start doing web designing in my spare time so a computer that will be ideal for this is needed. Will I be better off buying a PC rather than a Mac or won't it matter?
Link to iMac here: http://www.apple.com/imac/specs.html
For £969 I can get the basic 21" model with 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4gig DDR3 ram , 500gig harddrive and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory3.

For just under £1000 I could get a Dell StudioXPS 8100 - Intel Core i7 Processor 860 (2.80GHz, 8MB)
Graphics Card - Single 1GB Nvidia GeForce GTS 240
6 gig Ram and 2 Terrabite harddrive.
24" Dell screen.

If one looks at the figures the Dell obviously has a lot more going for it, but will it be overkill?
Like I mentioned earlier, I want to start doing wed design, so which one would be best suited for it.

Posted 1 year ago #
soma_rich - Member

I would get the dell and if you really want a Mac put a dual boot on Hackintosh it.

Posted 1 year ago #
clubber - Member

Graphic design - probably a mac, as much as anything becasue it's the industry standard.

Though make sure your wardrobe is properly prepared - polonecks and frameless glasses and ensure that you have the correct facial hair.

Posted 1 year ago #
Jamie - Member

They will both be fine for web-design. Same toolset is available on each.

Posted 1 year ago #
The Fopster - Member

I went over to dark side (iMac) a few years ago and have never looked back. It just works. Always. Compared to a PC the user experience is light years ahead, though you have to accept some compromises in terms of software availability etc. Nothing in life is perfect.

Posted 1 year ago #
tails - Member

The mac screen will be alot better than any cheap dell LCD but the dell spec is very good as you can see. Either will work.

Posted 1 year ago #
carbon337 - Member

has to be an imac -1 year of solid use so far for me - no spyware, malware, trojns etc - no crashes, blue screens it all just works!

Dont worry about spec differences either as the mac doesnt need as much spec to run

Posted 1 year ago #
wl - Member

Last month I bought exactly the iMac you mention, and it's amazing. I'm not remotely into IT and I'm no designer (I'm actually a freelance copywriter) but the iMac is my main tool for work, and it's seriously improved my efficiency as well as the pleasure I get from doing my day-to-day job. I paid for 'applecare' to extend the warranty and support for a further 2 years. My other half works in a school, so I got an educational discount on the whole bundle, saving £100 overall.

Posted 1 year ago #
retro83 - Member

I would get the dell and if you really want a Mac put a dual boot on Hackintosh it.

Yeah, you can do that but worrying about whether every system update is going to prevent it booting and niggles like sleep not working etc subtracts from the appeal.

Get the iMac! They're nicer to use and hence more productive.

Posted 1 year ago #
sputnik - Member

Yup, the Mac screen is a LED backlit 1080HD screen, so will be very nice.
As far as the extra grunt that the Dell has, not sceptical about Quad core and all that, but I am of the school of 'how many more blades does a razor need???'

I really like the idea of getting the iMac, and won't be able to spend that much money on a computer again for a very long time, hence my 'what other options' thinking to avoid buyers remorse.

Posted 1 year ago #
Smuzzy - Member

YHM

Posted 1 year ago #
grumm - Member

The new iMacs are beautiful - the screen is amazing. You won't be disappointed.

Posted 1 year ago #
mrmo - Member

having seen comments about setting up php, apache etc on Windows, it is a breeze on a mac. Everything is included out of the box. Not saying you should host a website on your mac but would allow you the chance to learn some of the server scripting should that be your thing.

Posted 1 year ago #
vrapan - Member

When you say a very long time how long do you mean? The biggest problem of the iMac is that it is not upgradable like your standard PC box. I am all for the Mac but if you are thinking that a very long time is longer than 3-4 years then a PC might make a tad more sense.

All you can essentially upgrade on the iMac is the Hard Drive and the memory. Both very important but sometimes it is not enough.

Having said that Macs are simply brilliant. Let alone that if you absolutely need to Apple provides all the tools for you to install Windows as a second operating system hassle free.

And for the guy that mentioned the Hackintosh, I have one but I wouldn't ever consider it as my main machine or use it as such. The smallest thing that goes wrong might have a detrimental effect on your OS. I have it to play around cause I am a geek, my work is done on a Macbook Pro.

Posted 1 year ago #
Leku - Member

if you buy from John Lewis you get a free 2 year warranty...

John Lewis

Picking up the new 27" iMac this afternoon....

Posted 1 year ago #
Bream - Member

Made the switch and bought the new imac 3 weeks ago, fed up of windows/PC related niggles forced my change, very impressive so far, apart from the cost all good, just works.

Posted 1 year ago #
porterclough - Member

I've got a MacBook and a Sony laptop running Vista, similar speed Intel 2 core processor in each. The Mac is way quicker in actual use, the Vista machine spends half its time running anti-virus and downloading endless Windows and Flash updates, etc.

There's plenty of Mac software for what you want to do, and in fact it comes with some fairly good software to get you started.

Posted 1 year ago #
glenp - Member

No contest. iMac a very pleasant experience. On top of the benefits already mentioned (esp screen quality) they are virtually silent. Worth the money for that on its own.

Put it this way, how many people go back to PCs?

Posted 1 year ago #
Pook - Member

The Fopster - Member

I went over to dark side (iMac) a few years ago and have never looked back. It just works. Always. Compared to a PC the user experience is light years ahead, though you have to accept some compromises in terms of software availability etc. Nothing in life is perfect.

We've just got a new imac and it's been riddled with problems. If you take the headphones out of the jack it doesn't kick the speakers in, and sometimes randomly crashes. Apparently this is a common problem and there don't appear to be any fixes for it yet as it's so new.

Shame as otherwise it's a nice computer.

Posted 1 year ago #
glenp - Member

So its riddled with A problem? Sounds like an annoying thing for sure, but that isn't multiple problems.

Posted 1 year ago #
Wozza - Member

Switched back from Mac to Windows 7 and it was like going from Vista to Mac all over again.

I did look at upgrading my mac but I just couldn't justify the frankly disproportionate hardware cost over the ability to use Mac OS when Win 7 is pretty much the same if not better than Mac OS when all things are considered.

I have a Studio laptop and the build quality is significantly better than the Dell budget range.

Get the Dell and Hakintosh it up for when you need Mac specific stuff, you'll have more money left over to upgrade it later as the parts costs fall, which doesn't happen with Mac stuff.

Posted 1 year ago #
Pook - Member

glenp - Member

So its riddled with A problem? Sounds like an annoying thing for sure, but that isn't multiple problems.

There are more that I can't be arsed going into, and then things that are just a bit annoying. But that's the main one. Which is damn annoying when you're a video editor. we've got autosave running every 2 minutes to cover our backs now. Crazy.

Posted 1 year ago #
glenp - Member

Fair enough - does sound bad. Very different to my iMac experience.

Posted 1 year ago #
mrmo - Member

We've just got a new imac and it's been riddled with problems. If you take the headphones out of the jack it doesn't kick the speakers in, and sometimes randomly crashes. Apparently this is a common problem and there don't appear to be any fixes for it yet as it's so new.

the only problem i have had in 10 years was upgrading from Leopard to Snow Leopard, it was very flakey, crashing all the time, wouldn't run flash. Formatted the hard drive and reinstalled Snow Leopard and it has been fine since. i am guessing something i had installed at some point was conflicting but no way of being certain. always worth a shot.

Posted 1 year ago #
molgrips - Member

I'm a PC man myself. Mac is definitely nicer but is way more expensive, and you can't get half the software.

You can easily avoid trojans and spyware etc if you're not a total numpty, and Windows 7 is quite nice.

However I would NOT NOT NOT EVER go Dell. Pepole I know have had tons of problems with their laptops; they were installing all kinds of crap and spy ware on their systems a few years ago too.

I'd call someone like Aria or Overclockers and ask them to spec a system for what you want out of real branded components.. for example you might find (as I have done) that whilst something like a Dell has this CPU and this graphics card, the motherboard (which is never mentioned in the specs) is a piece of junk and has say a rubbish hard drive controller on it, and your system will run like a two legged dog.

Posted 1 year ago #
grumm - Member

you can't get half the software.

What software is that then?

Posted 1 year ago #
tragically1969 - Member

molgrips

....they were installing all kinds of crap and spy ware on their systems a few years ago too

Yeah right, Spyware FFS !!

Posted 1 year ago #
grumm - Member

Dunno about spyware but my GF's Dell came with all sorts of rubbish preinstalled on it. You can't even easily reinstall the OS and start again because it's all included on their startup disks - and you need the special drivers to make the screen work etc

Posted 1 year ago #
tragically1969 - Member

All PC's from major manufacturers come with their feature set preinstalled, just uninstall them, it not hard.

Posted 1 year ago #
Wozza - Member

I'd call someone like Aria or Overclockers and ask them to spec a system for what you want out of real branded components..

For the love of god don't do that and then compare it to a Mac or a decent Dell.

You'll end up with the PC equivalent of this...

It's a racecar innit!

However I would NOT NOT NOT EVER go Dell. Pepole I know have had tons of problems with their laptops; they were installing all kinds of crap and spy ware on their systems a few years ago too.

This is only true of the Inspiron/Dimension systems which you've priced yourself above.

Posted 1 year ago #
M6TTF - Member

worth looking on the refurb store on the apple site too - still come with the usual one year warranty and usually 25% cheaper

Posted 1 year ago #
epicyclo - Member

Do you want to do work with your computer? - get a Mac

Do you want to work on your computer? - get a PC

(Not quite as clearcut as that these days)

Posted 1 year ago #
molgrips - Member

For the love of god don't do that and then compare it to a Mac or a decent Dell.

Only if you get the blue lights and clear sided case and crap. They do actually do normal components too, you know.

All PC's from major manufacturers come with their feature set preinstalled, just uninstall them, it not hard.

It can be... Oh yes... And if you don't have the full Windows disc and only the stupid system restore.....

This is only true of the Inspiron/Dimension systems which you've priced yourself above.

Sure about that? I'd not trust Dell unless every component was named, and even then I'd need to be convinced it wasn't a cut-down OEM special part a la Specialized.

Yeah right, Spyware FFS !!

The spyware thing was about something called My Way which was an annoying piece of 'useful' pre-installed junk that bugged the hell out of people:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/15/dell_my_way_controversy/

On the Dell we had (and my Dad too) the junk installed was excessive, intrusive and resource hungry. I'd certainly call it malware.

If you call a component vendor and have them help you spec, you'll get quality supported kit and a plain Windows 7 disk which I guarantee will run faster more easily than a Dell of equivalent spec.

Posted 1 year ago #
llama - Member

I want to start doing web designing in my spare time so a computer that will be ideal for this is needed.

What exactly is this then?

If you want to make a nice looking functional web site a PC for £500 will do the job quite happily. No need to spend more than that unless you are thinking about hosting it yourself. Web site design is hardly resource hungry.

If you want to do 'graphic design' then get a MAC. Graphic designers explode if they use a PC. Fact.

Posted 1 year ago #
matthewlhome - Member

i went to a new imac just before christmas. originally wanted a macbook pro but the spec on the imacs is so much better and we didnt really need a laptop.

I would say stretch the extra £150 for the 27" one though. If you get the small one and then see the bigger one you will be so disappointed

I hate to sound like a fanboy, but everything we have done on it is soooo much more simple than on a pc. The iMovie and iPhoto software are excellent, and the screen is fantastic.

I should perhaps have gone for the 2TB hard drive upgrade though, as HD video is filling it up very fast!

edit: if you can get one through the educational discount scheme it will save you a good few £.

Posted 1 year ago #
delusional - Member

I went over to dark side (iMac) a few years ago and have never looked back. It just works. Always. Compared to a PC the user experience is light years ahead, though you have to accept some compromises in terms of software availability etc. Nothing in life is perfect.

A PC does not have an intrinsic user experience as it is just hardware, which incidentally is basically the same as the hardware in a Mac these days. You CAN compare the software, and in this case I suspect you mean to compare MacOS and Windows. Other operating systems are available.

In regards to the OP, if you're not that tech savvy (and can stomach the extra cost) I would recommend the Mac. You get a decently secure OS, which is bundled with your hardware so much less likely to have problems, and you don't have to do much work to keep it working.

If you think you are a bit more tech savvy, or fancy learning a little more, try chucking a linux of some kind on your current machine. You may find it gives it a new lease of life, and flavours like Ubuntu are very, very easy to use these days. If you like it you can always spec up a custom computer of some kind to run it on.

Posted 1 year ago #
MrSmith - Member

Which is damn annoying when you're a video editor. we've got autosave running every 2 minutes to cover our backs now. Crazy.

if you are a video editor then why are you using an i-mac?

a mac pro with better graphics card, fast scratch disk and another disk with chrono-sync running would be a more sensible solution for paid work.
not to mention a monitor with a larger colour gamut and faster response time.

Posted 1 year ago #
molgrips - Member

If you want to make a nice looking functional web site a PC for £500 will do the job quite happily

+1. Spend the rest on some Magura Thors.

Posted 1 year ago #
SaxonRider - Member

Go for the Mac.

I use both PC and Mac, and have both in my house, so can not be accused of outright bigotry. But I also drive Volvos (with the Mac sticker in the window), shop at Ikea, wear turtlenecks, and have wire-framed specs.

So my bias is clear.

Posted 1 year ago #
Bikingcatastrophe - Member

A decently secure OS? Mac? Hardly. The Mac OS is not the most secure OS around and is arguably less secure than Windows. The main reason it seems to be more secure is the fact that the Mac OS has not really been the target of hackers as the installed base is not really that big, or hasn't been. It is getting bigger now so don't be surprised if there is a rise in the incidents of Macs being hacked or the target of malware. There is a lot of tosh spoken on this and other sites about how wonderful and sparkly Macs are and how crap Windows is although, to be fair, Vista was a bit of an abomination. A lot of people like to hate MS and seem to construe that because we hate MS everything they do must be crap. Intelligent thinking there chaps. Very bright. And because Apple is cool and sexy looking everything they do is brilliant and perfect. It's not. There are some fundamental differences between them in that Windows is not written for a specific set of hardware that is controlled by MS. Apple on the other hand manufacture their kit and can therefore tune the OS to that hardware.

Ultimately it will come down to how you want to spend your money and what represents good value to you. If you like the Mac and want to spend more omney on it (comparable to a PC) then go ahead and do it. If you think it is a bit steep then go for a PC. But don't get sucked into the hype that by buying a Mac you are buying a more secure machine.

Posted 1 year ago #

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