IMac or PC??

[fraggalrock]

My desk top finally packed it in and since I use it more than my laptop it was time for a replacement.I like a big screen and work station so another laptop is out of the question.Im not a gamer but I am into photography.So I would like to hear from both Mac and PC people about what they like and don't like about their choices?

[Athomedad]

I've never had a virus on my Mac. My PC was always getting some annoying little hi-jacker. LOVE the dual processor on the Mac

[Grete_J]

I've only been a mac user & have minimal bad things to say about Apple. Since the iMac has been out for over 10 years, it's safe to say they've gotten past the crappy 3 generations it takes for them to work out kinks. The screen/resolution is better than any PC. I just retired my G5 iMac & bought the MBP.... & am now looking at getting another iMac

Alternatively, you can opt for the Mac Mini & get one of their display's. The Mini's pack alot of punch in a tiny box.

[AWW]

my opinion:

If your moving files, hacking things, and doing all the stuff you really shouldn't be doing, then get a PC. I find it wayyy easier.

If, however, you want ease of use on your day to day functions, MAC is the way to go.

[davefrombc]

I'm prejudiced .. I like PCs.. Macs are good , but way overpriced for what you get, and although there is a lot of pay software that is ported to both Macs and PCs, you'll find there is a vast array of excellent free and low cost shareware available for PCs that just isn't there for Macs.
Macs have been relatively free of exploits simply because they had such a small percentage of the user numbers it wasn't worth it for the scammers to target them . That has been changing and now some smug Mac owners have been finding out to their dismay they are also vulnerable. As long as you have a good anti-virus program, kept up to date, and practice some sensible precautions opening e-mail attachments and links, you are as safe on a pc as on a Mac.
Value for price , you'll find PCs offer considerably more than Macs.
Previous versions of Mac operating systems were often more stable than Windows ones were, but you'll find that has pretty much leveled off, starting with XP and now Windows 7 is every bit as stable as a Mac, and offers considerably more versatility in compatible accessories and programs.
Virtually all PCs now have at least a dual core processor, except for some of the most basic offerings.. Macs now use the same processors as PCs and can run both Mac OS and Windows, but to dual boot both you need to buy Windows 7 to install in the dual boot .
No thanks . . I'll stick to my straight Windows computers and pass on Macs offerings .

[Arcteryx]

Mac still wins when I'm asked by folks who only use a computer for simple day-to-day "stuff". If you have any kind of skills though, I'd point you towards a Win7 machine.

I don't find photography to be demanding of a PC. I run dual monitors on 2 cheap cards, stuffed it full of RAM, and just made sure I had at least 2 hard drives - one which is a dedicated swap drive just for Photoshop. The expensive part is the gear that will outlast your next 2 or 3 computers anyways - a monitor calibration device, a Wacom tablet and an IPS or I-IPS display to ensure viewing colour accuracy.

At least where photography is concerned, PCs win.

[Pamela]

I bought my Mac just over 5 years ago. Since then I've only spent $180 on maintenance & software updates. I've also bought 1 new keyboard & 1 new mouse (which I think is pretty good considering that my kids sometimes use my Mac). My Mac has never had a virus.

One little pet peeve that I have with my Mac is with iPhoto. I have 4565 photos in my library. For some reason the thumbnail images of about 120 of my oldest photos are covered by other photos (even some that I've deleted). The old photos are still there, but you can't see the photo until you actually open it. It's a pain if I'm looking for a certain photo because I have to go through them one by one.

Even with this minor iPhoto issue, I'd still recommend a Mac. They are expensive, but they last a long time.

[neven]

I should also mention that i use a pc and have been virus free for several years. Why? because i use my PC responsibly and don't use pirated software. Its a bit misleading to say because something has been virus free that it must be better. its about user habits. Even Cell phones get virus's now if you do stupid things with it. If you have a kid who downloads music, video and other various illegal torrents, you will get infected, maybe not all the time, but it will happen. Teenage boys, even if they dont use pirated stuff, you'll get virus's from free porn sites.

I stick to PC because i can get a vast array of hardware and make me a very decent PC for cheap. With multimedia PCs, often times macs are said to be better able to handle the load, but what people don't think is the cost you put into them, if that were translated into PC components, you will be out performing the mac for sure.

While there is a handful of common software titles ported to mac, the majority of games are made in direct3d (windows) with very limited support for openGL (multi platform). You'll find yourself playing a crippled game or not being able to load at all

[Scherb]

Mac is too expensive. I'm a PC Cheers

[tony1928]

I think if you need it for business/work and other enterprise level connectivity, stay away from Mac. At work, we found things work OK on Mac but a lot of times, it's just not quite right. If you are just using it at home and doing your own thing, then I don't really have a preference for either. Mind you, I think all Mac's dual boot anyways, but if you need dual booting, then there's no real point in getting a Mac in the first place. All my designer friends love Mac's but I've only had limited exposure myself. At work, IT reports to me and a few people have gone to Macbook Air's much to our dismay (as its tough to support multiple platforms). Mainly though, I think its for the cool factor....and you pay substantially more for that coolness. Sounds like it probably wouldn't be a bad choice for you though given your needs.