iMac versus PC – the results may surprise you
We compare the cost of an all-in-one iMac to a do-it-yourself PC
We compare the cost of an all-in-one iMac to a do-it-yourself PC
-
Join the MyBroadband community
South Africa’s biggest forum. Discuss, discover, and connect with thousands of members.
-
Question of the Day: Will you be subscribing to the new Disney+ R49 streaming package?
Apple iMac versus PC – the results may surprise you
- Thread starter rpm
- Start date
Hehehehehe... someone isn't gonna like this title!HavocXphere
Honorary Master
Not really...
Also, in before bwana comments.
Jola
Honorary Master
Nothing surprising there!
Dolby
Honorary Master
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2005
- Messages
- 39,236
- Reaction score
- 6,204
I did the same exercise with the 12.5k iMac and the equivalent PC - and they were fairly close too. Btw, one thing which will add a *little* more to the PC is dual radio Wifi N and Bluetooth
Although the iMac will have a Thunderbolt, it lacks USB3 which is actually the standard. Speed claims by Apple are slightly off too, as real world speeds are seconds apart. The PC is probably more flexible with 10 or more USB ports too
Although the iMac will have a Thunderbolt, it lacks USB3 which is actually the standard. Speed claims by Apple are slightly off too, as real world speeds are seconds apart. The PC is probably more flexible with 10 or more USB ports too
...and wait for the out of warranty repair costs for the iMac... or the upgrade options after purchase. Ouch. PC wins in this department.
Dolby
Honorary Master
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2005
- Messages
- 39,236
- Reaction score
- 6,204
+1
And the thought of being without a PC for a month if anything goes wrong (even in warranty) is kinda frightening. Oh - and before I get flamed for for pointing out Thundebolt isnt that amazing, here's the article http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/reviews/how-fast-is-apples-thunderbolt
There are so many reasons why a direct comparison like this is completely and utterly pointless.
The most important reason however is that a PC is built based on requirements whereas a Mac is generic package.
Now you try to compare two generic packages, if that were the goal then throw all the flexibility of choosing components out the window.
More importantly build quality on my PCs easily match those of Apple Mac. However I buy very specific components that takes more research than these sloppy builds (eg. Gigabyte Odin, seriously?). All my builds have a high level of customisation, I drill here, remove stuff there, components that seem not to fit I make fit because it looks better, has lower noise & heat, etc. Not everyone wants to do that or likes working with their hands. To them I can see why Mac seems so much better, quality wise.
It is like trying to compare a stock car with a formula 1 car. Really no point. One is made with a specific purpose the other as an all rounder.
The most important reason however is that a PC is built based on requirements whereas a Mac is generic package.
Now you try to compare two generic packages, if that were the goal then throw all the flexibility of choosing components out the window.
More importantly build quality on my PCs easily match those of Apple Mac. However I buy very specific components that takes more research than these sloppy builds (eg. Gigabyte Odin, seriously?). All my builds have a high level of customisation, I drill here, remove stuff there, components that seem not to fit I make fit because it looks better, has lower noise & heat, etc. Not everyone wants to do that or likes working with their hands. To them I can see why Mac seems so much better, quality wise.
It is like trying to compare a stock car with a formula 1 car. Really no point. One is made with a specific purpose the other as an all rounder.
No comment.Not really...
Also, in before bwana comments.
I'm sure I said it all before anyway. http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/201867-iMac-vs-PC-which-gives-the-best-value-for-money
Maybe a comparison between all-in-one PCs with the same / similar specs to the iMacs would have been more relevant.
If I remember correctly the iMacs are surprisingly competitive.
EDIT: Some PC all-in-one links...
HP Compaq 8200 Elite AiO Intel Core i7-2600s 23" FHD - R13,073.52
ASUS® ET2410INTS Core i5 2.5Ghz 23.6" All in One PC - R11,759.10
And the iMac prices :
Maybe the PCs begin to look attractive again ??
If I remember correctly the iMacs are surprisingly competitive.
EDIT: Some PC all-in-one links...
HP Compaq 8200 Elite AiO Intel Core i7-2600s 23" FHD - R13,073.52
ASUS® ET2410INTS Core i5 2.5Ghz 23.6" All in One PC - R11,759.10
And the iMac prices :
Maybe the PCs begin to look attractive again ??
Last edited:
crysis
Expert Member
lets be honest, a Mac is more of a laptop without a battery than a desktop. It uses slower cpu's, mobile graphics cards, and it has a tiny form factor. For some, the size and look etc are what set it apart. But, as far as im concerned, a computer is a tool, not a fashion item. My clothes are my fashion. My character is my fashion. Maybe even my house or car. But for #### sakes, its not going to be my computer. The computer is used to make things, watch things, and read things. Not to look at. Im not willing to spend R4000 to have something that can ONLY look better. Screw that. Im not rich enough. And even if I was, there would always be the PC alternative which is has slightly better performance. Ill have that please
Last edited:
The iMacs maybe could be called laptops without batteries...
How about a comparison between a similar PC and the Mac Pro Quad Core ??
Anyone willing to do a similar spec pc ??
How about a comparison between a similar PC and the Mac Pro Quad Core ??
Anyone willing to do a similar spec pc ??
Frikkenator
Expert Member
Why all the love for the Thunderbolt port?! It really isn't all it's cracked up to be! All it means is more adapters which you have to pay for. USB is the standard and USB3.0 is lightning quick (see what I did there! )
)![[)roi(]](/forum/data/avatars/m/8/8711.jpg?1563828683){kind=avatar}
Still doesn't make me want a PC; main difference IMO is the OS (Windows does not equal OSX).
If you like Windows you'll of course go with options similar to these manual builds, but if you like OSX you pick something sleek from the Apple stable.
If you like Windows you'll of course go with options similar to these manual builds, but if you like OSX you pick something sleek from the Apple stable.
Neverwhere
Senior Member
Regarding OS - I just built a Hackintosh from a Q9550 rig, with 8gb of RAM and a decent GFX card. Actually the system triple boots Win7, OSX and Linux from a single HDD. I then forced myself to boot into OSX and use that for work until I got the feel for it (I'm looking to buy an ultrabook, and I'm forcing myself to use OSX to decide whether or not I should consider a Macbook Air)..
I do a lot of design and some web development, and OSX ain't that bad. It has some nice transitions and animations.. but at the end of the day it's pretty much the same (except no gaming). I had no trouble with video, it was rock-solid stable (so is Win7). No problems with sound either, all usb hardware like Logitech G35's and Logitech mouse worked fine.. so did external drives, and I access shares on my windows network fine too.
I don't like the way photoshop doesn't maximise - the windows you work in float around.. I dislike that behaviour with the browsers as well.. but it's not a deal breaker. Overall I'm considering the Macbook Air because I'll still be able to dual boot Win7, and I think OSX might be fun with the multitouch trackpad and the multiple desktops.. Also, even though it's a hackintosh.. It's never crashed, it's run everything I've thrown at it, and it's VERY smooth. Even while editing in Final Cut Pro X while photoshop is open and a few browsers on different desktops.. it still swipes between them silky smooth.. the OSX dashboard is nice too - I have some PHP reference widgets on there and a calculator, notes, calendar etc, and it's nice to be able to quickly get to them.
The bottom line is that for me OSX is different, but it doesn't have Win7 beat other than with some neat animations.. the dashboard is nice, but it's not amazing.
You can build yourself a hackintosh with a good GFX card on an i7 rig for waaaay less than a Mac Pro, and from my experience, and the rersearch/youtube vids I've looked up while learning how to set mine up - with a recent enough intel cpu, Hackintosh's are as stable as Apple built systems.
I do a lot of design and some web development, and OSX ain't that bad. It has some nice transitions and animations.. but at the end of the day it's pretty much the same (except no gaming). I had no trouble with video, it was rock-solid stable (so is Win7). No problems with sound either, all usb hardware like Logitech G35's and Logitech mouse worked fine.. so did external drives, and I access shares on my windows network fine too.
I don't like the way photoshop doesn't maximise - the windows you work in float around.. I dislike that behaviour with the browsers as well.. but it's not a deal breaker. Overall I'm considering the Macbook Air because I'll still be able to dual boot Win7, and I think OSX might be fun with the multitouch trackpad and the multiple desktops.. Also, even though it's a hackintosh.. It's never crashed, it's run everything I've thrown at it, and it's VERY smooth. Even while editing in Final Cut Pro X while photoshop is open and a few browsers on different desktops.. it still swipes between them silky smooth.. the OSX dashboard is nice too - I have some PHP reference widgets on there and a calculator, notes, calendar etc, and it's nice to be able to quickly get to them.
The bottom line is that for me OSX is different, but it doesn't have Win7 beat other than with some neat animations.. the dashboard is nice, but it's not amazing.
You can build yourself a hackintosh with a good GFX card on an i7 rig for waaaay less than a Mac Pro, and from my experience, and the rersearch/youtube vids I've looked up while learning how to set mine up - with a recent enough intel cpu, Hackintosh's are as stable as Apple built systems.
Last edited:
Macs ARE PC's XD
As a graphic designer I'm forced to use a Mac (fairly new one) at work. Some times I'm stuck there wishing I was at home on my own rig because the Mac takes AGES to render print. I often find myself going to get lunch just to pass the time. Considering the software we use is also available for Win7, the Mac is nothing but a disadvantage when it comes to designing.
The Mac OS is nothing to write home about either. It has less features and finding a program to suit a very specific purpose is often either impossible, dodgy or just plan pricey. More often than not, the freeware for Win7 is better quality than the $300 products we're forced to buy at the office.
The only nice thing about the Mac is the form factor and looks. It makes for a great ornament, although I'm not sure how well the white will age. Not the best investment from that point of view. Rather get yourself a R20,000 painting.
The macs are for for education and normal mail checking or browsing. I suspect the people buying them are pc illiterate and go for the "safer" choice. I dont blame them - its a good buy if you dont expect to really anything but one or two functions.
What does annoy me is people who swear that Macs are far superior and have internals made of pure gold or something. These are the same people who at one stage knew nothing about computers and went with the mac because it was the safer option. Now they are experts.
As a graphic designer I'm forced to use a Mac (fairly new one) at work. Some times I'm stuck there wishing I was at home on my own rig because the Mac takes AGES to render print. I often find myself going to get lunch just to pass the time. Considering the software we use is also available for Win7, the Mac is nothing but a disadvantage when it comes to designing.
The Mac OS is nothing to write home about either. It has less features and finding a program to suit a very specific purpose is often either impossible, dodgy or just plan pricey. More often than not, the freeware for Win7 is better quality than the $300 products we're forced to buy at the office.
The only nice thing about the Mac is the form factor and looks. It makes for a great ornament, although I'm not sure how well the white will age. Not the best investment from that point of view. Rather get yourself a R20,000 painting.
The macs are for for education and normal mail checking or browsing. I suspect the people buying them are pc illiterate and go for the "safer" choice. I dont blame them - its a good buy if you dont expect to really anything but one or two functions.
What does annoy me is people who swear that Macs are far superior and have internals made of pure gold or something. These are the same people who at one stage knew nothing about computers and went with the mac because it was the safer option. Now they are experts.
Last edited:
I admire you building a hackintosh, the last time I built PC was around 1994... Since then I've never had the inclination to use anything but a Mac, clearly when OSX came about the package for me was sealed. I use Windows and Linux quite a bit but I relegated these to VMs using Parallels, suits my needs and they boot faster than most PCs.
The multitouch trackpad takes time to get used to, but once used to it, you'll should be happy with how it can simplify your workflow (don't be fooled into choosing anything but an Apple trackpad, the others are generally of poor quality).
The Apple Magic Mouse is not an equivalent btw, but still like any normal mouse it will offer better tracking control than you can achieve on the trackpad, for example: for games, you need a mouse, for the rest the trackpad IMO is better or adequate.
Photoshop's limitation is all Adobe's fault... Some of the tension between Apple and Adobe is down to the fact that even today, most of Adobe's apps are not properly developed to OSX standards (without too much details, they utilize old tech, and are not following Apple development guidelines, much of which has been standards since 1997).
With OSX ML, Apple so far in the betas has excluded some of the older frameworks, which means companies like Adobe should be forced to properly comply only with published Apple standards.
Windows vs OSX comparisons are IMO irrelevant, it really comes down to personal preference, mine happens to be OSX, others like Linux, nothing wrong there either.
Last edited:
Lol much of your comments about OSX are simply a reflection of your inadequacy with OSX and your level of comfort / preference for Windows. Hey if you like Windows, then surely that's what you should be using... same apps different OS (no price difference for same apps as far as I've seen).
Btw if you want to significantly improve your render times, then aside from the graphic hardware you need an SSD (OSX or Windows -- doesn't matter), also for interest sake what model of Mac do you have at work?.
eltherza
Expert Member
I don't see how this conclusion is drawn? I've never had troubles with my non-mac "home made" pcs.
iMac FTW
There is nothing that beats the form factor, reliability, functionality and performance of having an iMac on your desk
Repair costs and upgrades ? I have two iMacs, and neither have so much as burped, let alone a BSOD or need of repair. Upgrades ? I wanted to upgrade my RAM so I went down to my local Matrix Warehouse and paid a few hundred rands for my RAM - same as what any PC user would pay.