iMac Retina

[SpringfieldPhoto]

Re: iMac Retina

I have used both Mac and PC and quite frankly as someone who spent their working life in IT they both bore me to tears in equal measure. The choice for photographers comes down to personal preference, if you are a musician then Apple is the only way to go. I try to make the computing side a bit more interesting by building my own PC's. That, clearly, takes Apple out of the frame. As a previous contributor said, 'enjoy your new machine' and remember that it is more about the software than the platform you run it on.

[the black fox]

Re: iMac Retina

i would never go back to a p.c ,love the macs and so so fast for processing ,plus the screens are all the same so theres no problems with colour variations ,what i see on my mac is what i see on my i.pad and what i see on my i-phone

[paul linton]

Re: iMac Retina

I'm glad someone has bought an iMac Retina as it's on my wish list.

I think I'm done with PCs as the one I'm running is driving me mad, soooooooo slow ok for general stuff but processing images it's definitely struggling i did up the ram to its max and it's also a intel i5 processor so not too dated + all photo files are cleared from memory and stored onto external hard drive.

Though i do have similar thoughts as Garry, would it be just better to buy an updated PC for half the price?

Paul

[jim_chung]

Re: iMac Retina

I'm a very long time Apple user and my 27" I5 Quadcore is nearly a decade old and still working well. Apple does have issues with harddrive failures and I had to swap out the drive in that computer a couple of years ago and I've experienced the same in their Macbooks. I would also go with SSD in a Macbook to prevent that type of common failure.

[geejay]

Re: iMac Retina

I got my 27inch iMac through education discount (another ex-teacher) in Nov 2010. It is starting to struggle a little with external drives,backups etc. It was my first Mac and I intend to replace it with another Mac although I will research it fully. There were some faults on the hard drive of the series (not mine) but Apple contacted me a two or three years after purchase and a new HD was fitted. The 27 inch screen has been a problem however. Many owners of the 2010 27 inch screen have dust problems but Apple have always maintained there was no fault with the seal round the edge. Newer screens are made differently and don't have the problem and I would still recommend the iMac to anyone. My Mac Book has a SSD HD instead of the conventional motor drive and for speed that is the way to go.
Graham

[Redgrape]

Re: iMac Retina

If you are working for a college as a tutor you should be able to get the apple eduction discount. When I bought my first iMac I was teaching & so got a discount. For me being able to open up the box & literally just plug in & switch on was great with everything just simply working, they do come with keyboard & mouse so you are ready to go.

Sue

[Tigger]

Re: iMac Retina

thats a shame ... one of the few perks of working for yourself

[digiman]

Re: iMac Retina

I am no longer in business, and now work for a college. So, no more business expenses

[Tigger]

Re: iMac Retina

surly this is an business expense ? if so spend the company money ;o)

[digiman]

Re: iMac Retina

For my business as a cabinet maker, I always bought the best I could afford when it came to tools. That didn't always mean the most expensive either. I am the kind of person that does lots of research, and then a little more research, before buying anything. I want to make the most informed decision I can, and be aware of the possible downfalls of an item before committing to buying. It has served me well so far. That is why I started a thread on here asking for advice on buying a new computer. I know little about computers, but do know what I want from one, so, who better to ask than photogs!

[Tigger]

Re: iMac Retina

Agree, but, it depends on what is important. To me, my computer is part of my hobby. I don't rely on it for business in any form. So, price is important, and the biggest factor in my decision on what to buy

agree, when it comes to work you need to have a tool you can reply on

as to what to buy my rule has always been the fastest system I can afford as you know 6mths down the line you'll be wanting something quicker ;o) - are makes and brands a factor? I don't think so, its all similar stuff inside the box ;o)..

[digiman]

Re: iMac Retina

agree, but its not just about the price as the PC will always win that battle over Mac, but having used PCs for years I moved over to Macs and the system is much more stable and a lot faster - Reboots was something I used to do every morning, sometimes more often depending what was running, now I only reboot if I've had a download or update and currently due to work and load of stuff open I've not rebooted for couple of weeks, something I would never get away with on a PC

Agree, but, it depends on what is important. To me, my computer is part of my hobby. I don't rely on it for business in any form. So, price is important, and the biggest factor in my decision on what to buy

[Tigger]

Re: iMac Retina

To sum up, £349 over 6 years gives me say £5/month. Not a bad investment in my book.

agree, but its not just about the price as the PC will always win that battle over Mac, but having used PCs for years I moved over to Macs and the system is much more stable and a lot faster - Reboots was something I used to do every morning, sometimes more often depending what was running, now I only reboot if I've had a download or update and currently due to work and load of stuff open I've not rebooted for couple of weeks, something I would never get away with on a PC

[digiman]

Re: iMac Retina

really false economy long term ,a new i-mac will be up to standard out of the box ,apple usually update there systems once a year a new one will get you through 5 or 6 upgrades .with ease and without having to spend more money .you won't need a better screen as its built in ,you shouldn't (unless things change dramatically) have to worry about anti-virus software ,or upgrading your graphics or sound cards a year or so down the line .it gives you full access to i-tunes and its apps ,it integrates fully with a i-pad and i-phone .and basically all you need on your desktop is a screen ,19 ,21 or 27 inch a small wireless keyboard and a small wireless mouse
and quiet simply it JUST WORKS

I knew my post would get the "false economy" line To put things in perspective (from where I'm sitting) my current laptop (Acer 5336) is 6 years old, which, unless I am mistaken, makes it the same age as Andys (OP) iMac, which is now giving (all be it minor) trouble. Mine cost me £349. It has a 640gbHDD and 4gb of ram and a 15.6" screen. I have a second monitor, a 19" Acer, which cost me £119 more than 8 years ago. I have the usual peripherals which I would need to buy with any computer. I don't have an iPad, iPhone or iPod, so none of that bothers me (although my wife does have an iPod, and the PC doesn't blow up every time it is connected). I run AVG anti virus, which seems to have been perfectly satisfactory so far. I have run PSElements from day 1, and LR4 from the time I got my EOS500, about 3 years ago, with no problems. To say that I should pay £2000 to upgrade from this setup, plus buy a second screen, keyboard and mouse before I get anywhere near the system I have now, well, makes no sense whatsover to me. Yesm my machine is beginning to show it's age, but, I'd hazard a guess that it is more down to bad housekeeping on my part, slowing it down, rather than the fact that it is a "not worth the money PC".

To sum up, £349 over 6 years gives me say £5/month. Not a bad investment in my book.

[Cyberman]

Re: iMac Retina

Obviously there is an initial outlay for a Mac or iMac.
The benefit for me though was that the iMac I just replaced was physically the same as when I bought it and was handily running the latest operating system. I've been pleased as in the past my PC seemed to always need some form of upgrade to keep up with software.
But as I say, I appreciate there is an initial cost to bear.
Hopefully my me iMac week give as good service as the old one.