Convince me to spend $2,500 on something other than an iMac
- Thread starter SUP3RNOVA
- Start date
You could build a cluster with 100 Raspberry Pi's. If you want OS X I'd probably wait a little bit for the next refresh on displays to see if you could get something that was pretty cute.
Windows 8 is looking pretty good, a little more optimized than Win7, the only problem might be Metro.
If you want another Mac, you should probably just buy a new iMac or one of the new MBP's with (hopefully) a fancy screen and then an extra monitor or two.
I wouldn't recommend linux unless your idea of fun is tinkering (fixing bugs/errors and configuring software) with your computer on the weekend (actually all the time).
Windows 8 is looking pretty good, a little more optimized than Win7, the only problem might be Metro.
If you want another Mac, you should probably just buy a new iMac or one of the new MBP's with (hopefully) a fancy screen and then an extra monitor or two.
I wouldn't recommend linux unless your idea of fun is tinkering (fixing bugs/errors and configuring software) with your computer on the weekend (actually all the time).
Obviously ya'll haven't tried Linux Mint. LMDE is awesome.
I left Windows 7 for Mint 10 a year ago and switched to LMDE a month ago. Both have been nearly problem free. If something fucks up, it's because I deliberately went out of my way to cause it.
Most people who have issues with Linux are people who don't check their system configuration before loading it up. Mint handles configurations a lot better than Ubuntu, which handles a lot better than Debian. However, if you spent 5 minutes running a test prior to installing, it'll tell you what you need for compatibility on the Install CD.
so I attempted to convert an old machine into a hackintosh this weekend and it was a resounding failure. HOWEVER, I am not going to give up on such a project because I made the mistake of using what I had already rather than buying the exact parts to make a perfectly functional system. So this afternoon, I'm going to be ordering the parts for this: tonymacx86 Blog: Building a Sandy Bridge CustoMac: CustoMac Mini 2011
I already have the hard drive, dvd drive, the monitors, keyboard, mouse, etc. On 10.7.3 that machine will support dual monitors with the onboard graphics. It's a great little machine for basically nothing in Apple pricing world.
I found all the parts on amazon for a grand total of like $350 I think, and that's including a cheap usb wifi adapter (router is in living room so wired setup would be a bitch in my place).
Just something to think about, they have a few other more powerful builds listed but this one appeals to me for a variety of reasons: can try it for cheap, supports my monitors just fine over hdmi, has a small footprint so I can put it on my printer stand and have free space still.
I already have the hard drive, dvd drive, the monitors, keyboard, mouse, etc. On 10.7.3 that machine will support dual monitors with the onboard graphics. It's a great little machine for basically nothing in Apple pricing world.
I found all the parts on amazon for a grand total of like $350 I think, and that's including a cheap usb wifi adapter (router is in living room so wired setup would be a bitch in my place).
Just something to think about, they have a few other more powerful builds listed but this one appeals to me for a variety of reasons: can try it for cheap, supports my monitors just fine over hdmi, has a small footprint so I can put it on my printer stand and have free space still.
I agree with Bofu.
If you like OSX but don't want to get raped on the cost, go Hackintosh.
Anyone on this forum SHOULD be intelligent enough to get it all working.
Research hardware compatibility and build your own computer. I did it and I couldn't be happier.
I am running a quad-core i7 2600K @ 3.39ghz, 2 TB hard drive, 6x USB3 ports, Gigabit LAN card, Alfa AWUS036H Wifi card, 1gb. video card, 16gb of ram, and dual 23" Samsung LED screens hooked to HDMI @ 1920x1080.
Added on a Wacom Intuos graphics tablet with pen and mouse and an Apple slim keyboard, and logitech 5.1 surround system, and shit is boss.
I'm running Lion 10.7.3 and everything works brilliantly.
I spent about $2,400 for this whole setup by shopping around.
It took me a few days of tinkering to figure all the OSX shit out and get it all working correctly, and I'm sure you can cut that down quite a lot by making sure your hardware is compatible upfront.
If you like OSX but don't want to get raped on the cost, go Hackintosh.
Anyone on this forum SHOULD be intelligent enough to get it all working.
Research hardware compatibility and build your own computer. I did it and I couldn't be happier.
I am running a quad-core i7 2600K @ 3.39ghz, 2 TB hard drive, 6x USB3 ports, Gigabit LAN card, Alfa AWUS036H Wifi card, 1gb. video card, 16gb of ram, and dual 23" Samsung LED screens hooked to HDMI @ 1920x1080.
Added on a Wacom Intuos graphics tablet with pen and mouse and an Apple slim keyboard, and logitech 5.1 surround system, and shit is boss.
I'm running Lion 10.7.3 and everything works brilliantly.
I spent about $2,400 for this whole setup by shopping around.
It took me a few days of tinkering to figure all the OSX shit out and get it all working correctly, and I'm sure you can cut that down quite a lot by making sure your hardware is compatible upfront.
I spent about $2300 on my current setup.
i7 2600K @ 4.4 GHz, H80 Water Cooler, 4 500GB drives (RAID5), 1 SSD 120GB, Radeon 6970, 8gb of ram, 2 Dell U2311H, 1 Dell E228
With that setup I have 3 monitors 2 running Full HD and one running almost Full HD.
We'll worth the money man. Get something with that much power and you'll be good. Unless you have a specific need for a laptop. But then again for the specs you see there you can get something pimp from Dell or other manufac.
i7 2600K @ 4.4 GHz, H80 Water Cooler, 4 500GB drives (RAID5), 1 SSD 120GB, Radeon 6970, 8gb of ram, 2 Dell U2311H, 1 Dell E228
With that setup I have 3 monitors 2 running Full HD and one running almost Full HD.
We'll worth the money man. Get something with that much power and you'll be good. Unless you have a specific need for a laptop. But then again for the specs you see there you can get something pimp from Dell or other manufac.
Touche and you're probably right in that aspect. Actually I was on vaca at the time when it broke my last straw so I didn't really have time to shop around or wait for something to get built so I decided to try my luck with a Mac.
I currently have a 27" iMac and like it a lot. I currently have a duel monitor setup, but I'm thinking about adding a 3rd monitor to it, because I have one sitting on my desk I'm not using.
If you're wanting to play Diablo 3 count out Linux unless you're wanting to duel boot Windows. One of the reasons I like OSX so much is I have the power of a *NIX OS with the ability to play the games I want without duel booting. I hate having to shut everything I'm doing down just to play a game, because even when I'm playing WoW I'll still do work. For example I'll get stuck on an issue so I'll fire up WoW and in the middle of playing the answer will hit me and I'll tab out to go crank out some code or test an idea. I can't do that if I'm running Linux, but I can with OSX or Windows. Yes, I know VMs and WINE exist and can "run" WoW, but it sucks complete ass.
Windows, Linux, OSX, or insert *NIX flavor here can all pretty much do the same thing, but they all do it different. Based on what you said it sounds like you've been using OSX for quite a while and are probably comfortable with a shell. If that's the case I wouldn't recommend Windows, because it will be a frustrating experience of GUI hell. I'd say either go the hackintosh route (it sounds like it's pretty decent now) or buy the iMac.
Several years ago I tried the hackintosh route and while it absolutely sucked ass it made me really like OSX. I'm pretty sure the scene has gotten better since 05 / 06 so I might try that route again in the future.
If you're wanting to play Diablo 3 count out Linux unless you're wanting to duel boot Windows. One of the reasons I like OSX so much is I have the power of a *NIX OS with the ability to play the games I want without duel booting. I hate having to shut everything I'm doing down just to play a game, because even when I'm playing WoW I'll still do work. For example I'll get stuck on an issue so I'll fire up WoW and in the middle of playing the answer will hit me and I'll tab out to go crank out some code or test an idea. I can't do that if I'm running Linux, but I can with OSX or Windows. Yes, I know VMs and WINE exist and can "run" WoW, but it sucks complete ass.
Windows, Linux, OSX, or insert *NIX flavor here can all pretty much do the same thing, but they all do it different. Based on what you said it sounds like you've been using OSX for quite a while and are probably comfortable with a shell. If that's the case I wouldn't recommend Windows, because it will be a frustrating experience of GUI hell. I'd say either go the hackintosh route (it sounds like it's pretty decent now) or buy the iMac.
Several years ago I tried the hackintosh route and while it absolutely sucked ass it made me really like OSX. I'm pretty sure the scene has gotten better since 05 / 06 so I might try that route again in the future.
Linux interfaces always look amateur-ish, no matter how much they try to pretty it up. They could do something completely innovative but instead they try to knock off OSX and Windows or it's something altogether cheesy like that stupid 3D cube shit.
For "web dev/design programs" >> iMac
For "shitload of Diablo 3" >> PC with Win 7
In my opinion, OSX helps me stay focus and produce stuff. The UI makes it a joy to keep using the system (we are human). While you get stuff done in Windows, you get distracted often with updates, pop-ups, noise, malware and other crap you end up loosing focus.
BTW, iMac 27" have a high a resolution that could make your eyes tired. Unless, there is a specific reason for the big ass screen and you can justify the need for iMac, I would go with 21".
I have a PC and a Mac by the way for different reasons.
For "shitload of Diablo 3" >> PC with Win 7
In my opinion, OSX helps me stay focus and produce stuff. The UI makes it a joy to keep using the system (we are human). While you get stuff done in Windows, you get distracted often with updates, pop-ups, noise, malware and other crap you end up loosing focus.
BTW, iMac 27" have a high a resolution that could make your eyes tired. Unless, there is a specific reason for the big ass screen and you can justify the need for iMac, I would go with 21".
I have a PC and a Mac by the way for different reasons.