iMac, MBPr, Mac Mini - What do you think?

[[)roi(]]

... I am extremely happy with my purchase. Should have done it years ago.

Got mine today from fnb and it is totally worth the wait!...

Congrats to both of you.

 

[alatheia]

I was peeved by the disrespect shown to customers at the "famous Apple store" and even wrote CEO Tim Cook to get Core Group to get their act straight. Then I stumbled upon Macway and now I am satisfied with the levels of expertise and them being more professional. I am also still undecided between iMac, MacMini and Mac Pro as I do not understand Mac OS X and its system requirements compared with Windows. My MBP 13" with i5 and 8GB RAM works well, but isn't suited to extensive graphic design jobs.

 

[[)roi(]]

I was peeved by the disrespect shown to customers at the "famous Apple store" and even wrote CEO Tim Cook to get Core Group to get their act straight. Then I stumbled upon Macway and now I am satisfied with the levels of expertise and them being more professional. I am also still undecided between iMac, MacMini and Mac Pro as I do not understand Mac OS X and its system requirements compared with Windows. My MBP 13" with i5 and 8GB RAM works well, but isn't suited to extensive graphic design jobs.

Could you clarify what "extensive graphic design jobs" entails (software & some examples of what you deem to be the most intensive processing operations, also some more detail on exactly where you believe your current MBP was sluggish)

The powerhouse Macs are certainly the top end iMac & Mac Pro, but whether you need one is really dependent on your use case.

MBAs, MBPr, Mac Minis are certainly not the first choice for any intensive graphic and /or rendering operations (3D, video editing , ...); but for most photo processing, photoshop, illustrator type work they're usually more than adequate.

Imo the resource bit doesn't differ between Windows and OS X; the choice of more RAM, more powerful GPU, CPU is really dependent on your use case; you certainly wouldn't benefit as much from loads of RAM for a use case of email, word processing vs. a use case of 3D rendering, photo retouching, ...
+ the same would apply for example re the choice of GPU / CPU, etc...

 

[bwana]

I was peeved by the disrespect shown to customers at the "famous Apple store" and even wrote CEO Tim Cook to get Core Group to get their act straight. Then I stumbled upon Macway and now I am satisfied with the levels of expertise and them being more professional. I am also still undecided between iMac, MacMini and Mac Pro as I do not understand Mac OS X and its system requirements compared with Windows. My MBP 13" with i5 and 8GB RAM works well, but isn't suited to extensive graphic design jobs.

I'm confused. You slate an unnamed "famous Apple store" and Core yet we don't have a single apple store here in SA.

 

[Cassady]

[edit]: My cynicism was not really in line with the Christmas spirit!

 

[Space_Chief]

I'm confused. You slate an unnamed "famous Apple store" and Core yet we don't have a single apple store here in SA.

Lay people generally think iStores = Apple Stores.

(Then again Apple has a contract with Core. Core is an authorised distributor for this region. If Core's behaviour tarnishes Apple's image, Apple should respond to customers' complaints.)

 

[SauRoNZA]

The powerhouse Macs are certainly the top end iMac & Mac Pro, but whether you need one is really dependent on your use case.

.

Uhm...iMacs have the same laptop hardware inside as the MacBooks.

But I agree though on finding out what's supposedly so graphics heavy that their MacBook was sluggish, because that's either a hardware problem or a PEBKAC.

Unless he is referring to the screen size being the problem, in which case there's an easy solution to that...

 

[[)roi(]]

Uhm...iMacs have the same laptop hardware inside as the MacBooks.

But I agree though on finding out what's supposedly so graphics heavy that their MacBook was sluggish, because that's either a hardware problem or a PEBKAC.

Unless he is referring to the screen size being the problem, in which case there's an easy solution to that...

Nope... Only 1 of the new MBPr has a non Intel GPU & in the case the iMac you definitely have greater choices: for example: 4GB Nvidia GPU, 32Gb RAM, ...

Agreed on the possibility for user error; btw the user openly stated they were not so informed re OSX

 

[[)roi(]]

Lay people generally think iStores = Apple Stores.

(Then again Apple has a contract with Core. Core is an authorised distributor for this region. If Core's behaviour tarnishes Apple's image, Apple should respond to customers' complaints.)

Agreed.

Apple is 100% to blame; they of course could change this, but similar to the past iTunes issues: we are just not a priority for them.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Nope... Only 1 of the new MBPr has a non Intel GPU & in the case the iMac you definitely have greater choices: for example: 4GB Nvidia GPU, 32Gb RAM, ...

Agreed on the possibility for user error; btw the user openly stated they were not so informed re OSX

Aah yes you make a good point since Iris arrived.

But we are in a rotation cycle and the iMac might do away with real graphics cards next year as well. Hopefully not.

Agreed.

Apple is 100% to blame; they of course could change this, but similar to the past iTunes issues: we are just not a priority for them.

I've recently changed my mind around simply dumping Apple Stores everywhere officially supported by Apple.

The risk is simply too big for them to alienate existing customers/clients because they would instantly kill if Core and independent businesses like Digicape would lose out even more than they currently do since the Mac Appstore's existence

Unless they incorporated / bought out Core and the smaller shops but I just don't see that happening.

 

[alatheia]

I'm confused. You slate an unnamed "famous Apple store" and Core yet we don't have a single apple store here in SA.

The one perceived by most to be an Apple store. And, as Apple itself seemingly do not care about its name in Africa, bashing the brand is OK until they learn to respect us and our precious Rands.

 

[[)roi(]]

Aah yes you make a good point since Iris arrived.

But we are in a rotation cycle and the iMac might do away with real graphics cards next year as well. Hopefully not.

Agreed re cycle -- I really dislike the shift to Intel GPUs; it's another reason I'll be hanging onto my MBP in the hope that sanity prevails.

I've recently changed my mind around simply dumping Apple Stores everywhere officially supported by Apple.

The risk is simply too big for them to alienate existing customers/clients because they would instantly kill if Core and independent businesses like Digicape would lose out even more than they currently do since the Mac Appstore's existence

Unless they incorporated / bought out Core and the smaller shops but I just don't see that happening.

I doubt they'd have any negative impact; Core's bad pricing and substandard service has certainly not helped their plight in Southern Africa, plus a local Apple will require everyone to up their game -- customers win.

 

[SauRoNZA]

The one perceived by most to be an Apple store. And, as Apple itself seemingly do not care about its name in Africa, bashing the brand is OK until they learn to respect us and our precious Rands.

Can you please just name names and stop the hocus pocus.

Everyone will perceive the shop they bought their product from to be the one you are referring to.