iMAC Question

[Ed Vatza]

I am seriously considering a switch from my old PC-based set up to a new iMAC but I am not very MAC savvy. I have been considering a package like this from B&H (I have an Apple Store locally but can save tax ordering from B&H).

So it comes down to a 2.8 Gig Processor; 4GB RAM; 1 TB Hard Drive; ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB GDDR3 RAM Graphics Card and 24" monitor. How does that look for photo processing, etc.? ANd which graphics card would to the better job - the ATI Radeon mentioned above or the nVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS? ANy help would be appreciated. I want to do this right but I am on a budget.

Processor

2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo

Cache

L2: 6MB

Bus Speed

1066MHz

Memory

Slots: 2x SO-DIMM
Type: PC2-6400 800MHz DDR2 SDRAM SO-DIMM
Installed: 4GB (2x2GB)
Capacity: 4GB
Configuration: 512MB, 1GB, or 2GB SO-DIMMs

Display

Type: Glossy LCD
Size: 24" Widescreen
Native Resolution: 1920 x 1200
Brightness: 385cd/m²
Contrast Ratio: 750:1
Viewing Angle: 178° horizontal, 178° vertical

Graphics Display Card

ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB GDDR3 RAM

Storage and Expansion

Hard Drive

Bays: 1x
Installed: 1TB, 7200rpm
Type: Serial ATA

[allanrube]

I can answer parts of your inquiry:
Make sure you like a glossy screen - some people don't. Many Mac Book Pro users were very upset when the new laptops were only offered with gloss screens.
You may want to get more memory in the future.
I think the cheaper video card is just fine unless you are doing video or like to play games.

[John Chardine]

Can't go wrong with this Ed. The package seems to have more than enough resources to keep you happy for a few years and the iMac monitors are incomparable. Apple has shipped ATI and nVidia graphics cards in the past although lately they seem to have gone for nVidia for the new MacBooks and that is the higher-end card of the two. Not sure it would make a huge amount of difference for for processing still images, but maybe for gaming it would.

[John Chardine]

I can answer parts of your inquiry:
You may want to get more memory in the future.

Agree if you want to buy the new D3x!!!!!

[Alfred Forns]

Hi Ed The package looks good and won't go wrong with it !

Regarding the screen I happen to like the glossy screen. I have a 17inch laptop and had to request the glossy since it was not stocked. I Like the way images look but would suggest checking for yourself !!

[Amy DeStefanis]

In general, "Yes" to Mac, but - "NO" on the glossy screen! I made that mistake with a Dell laptop, and for photo processing it's horrible unless you are in a dark room! In anything but a dimly-lit room, you will look at that glossy screen and see the reflection of yourself and any bright window, lamp, etc in the background. It's very frustrating!

Now I have a Mac Book Pro - with a matte screen, and I love it.

I think for gaming and watching movies in a dim room, the souped-up glossy screen must be great. Keep in mind with a laptop, I move from room to room and different lighting conditions. If you have windows behind your desk, though, a glossy screen is going to be annoying....

Good luck - let us know what you decided.

Amy D.

[Don Kates]

Ed,
Our two studios did the switch from PC to MAC several years ago. We currently have 7 Macs between the 2 studios: 4 iMacs and 3 MacBook Pros. For the most part we're happy with the switch, but they are not as trouble free as I would have liked. Macs have their problems too, just not as many as a PC. My one regret has been the iMacs. they have performed relatively well, but they are nearly impossible to upgrade. In fact, our MacBook Pros are more flexible than the iMacs. For example, we recently bought an Apple 30" cinema monitor only to find out that it will only work on the MacBook Pros and NOT on the iMacs. the iMac video card does not support it (this may have changed since ours are 2 years old) - needs a different video card which cannot be installed in the iMac.

We're going to be adding 2 Mac Pros soon and in researching them, they are completely upgradeable. If i had it to do over again, I would have purchased the Mac Pros instead of the iMacs. My advice would be to find out if and to what extent the new iMacs are upgradeable and consider that as well in making your decision.

(BTW, as I've said before, get the extended warranty)

[Bill Jobes]

Ed,
I switched last December and am very happy with the results.

I agree on the MAC Pro platform ... you probably know that you can go to the Apple Store online and design your own system, while watching the price change as you go. It's a great way to work within a budget.

I originally had the 256 ATI graphics card, and upgraded quickly to the nVidia 512 MB version.

I got the 30 " Apple HD monitor, which is out of this world.

Enjoy the change; I think you'll be very pleased with the results.

[Ed Vatza]

Thank you for all your responses. Your thoughts and recommendations are much appreciated.

The biggest hurdle for me is making the switch from PC to MAC. Every time I get to the edge and am ready to make the leap, I back off. My daughter and son-in-law (works at Wharton School) are big computer geeks - both are also very much involved in virtual world applications among other things, my daughter designs virtual clothing for Second Life, etc. etc. They both swear by PCs and keep talking me away from the ledge. But I get closer with each approach and now really think I want to make the switch to MAC.

[Beth Goffe]

Ed, these days, operationally, the Mac and PC a so similar to each other, there isn't much of a difference. I switched to iMac in May and in my day to day usage, the main difference for me is the keyboard (Command key for Mac vs CTRL for PC). You do have to get used to that difference, and I still get confused sometimes because I use a PC at work, but, otherwise, they're very similar. If you can, go to a Mac store somewhere and use a machine so you can see the differences yourself. As for the screen, mine is glossy, and I do have issues with glare as well.

[Tony Whitehead]

Ed, the transition to Mac shouldn't be difficult. I moved to a MacBook Pro laptop in Feb and found it very easy to get up to speed. I agonised over the Mac Pro and iMac decision for months and have just recently gone with the 2.8 4Gb iMac you describe. I was using a 23 in Apple cinema display on my Vista machine and have attached to my iMac a for a dual display but was surprised to find that I much prefer the screen of the iMac for image editing. Firewire external drives add capacity and removable backup capability easily and the whole setup is almost silent.

[Maurice Allen]

I have the 24" iMac 2.4 running CS4 it is awesome!!! The cheapest thing to make it rock and roll is upgrade the RAM I bumped mine to 4gb of Crucial works perfectly.

[Joseph Martines]

Ed: In the event that you haven't made the switch yet, I say go ahead and do it! Wait until around January 15th after the San Francisco MacWorld is over and all the new announcements have been made.

Personally I use/have the iMac 24" with all the bells and whistles. I would suggest that you look into a Drobo ( www.drobo.com ) for a backup hard drive system if you take a lot of pictures.

The glossy screen is a personal thing. I have found no problem with it. Depending how deep you are into photography, I would have to agree on looking at the Mac Pro and get a good 30" monitor. The real estate makes a big difference. The ability to upgrade is also important.