Bowen’s gone Apple Macintosh!

A month or so ago I decided to buy an Apple Macintosh just because it’s something different and NOT Windows related. Over the years, I have gotten tired of Windows and all the problems associated with this operating system. It just doesn’t float my boat anymore. Windows XP for me was the best, and Vista is just a mix of XP and everything else Microsoft stole from other OS’s and it has some annoying pop-ups that prompt one for silly things. Boring!!!

I did my usual investigation into every possible Apple option and in the end decided to go for an iMac 20" because it’s basically a LCD screen with everything build into it (3xUSB ports, Bluetooth, Wireless, Network, DVD and a lovely 20" glass screen). Added extras are the wireless keyboard and wireless mouse, which makes the iMac experience even better because there is literally only 1 cable going into the back of the screen (and that is the power cable).

It is truely a clutter free experience.

My original concerns were that it only has 3 USB ports and that on my old PC I had at least 8 devices plugged into USB ports (USB DVDRW, camera, webcam, mouse, keyboard, printer USB Disk, phone etc), but in reality how often did i use all those devices simultaneously. Not very often to be honest. With the keyboard and mouse taken care of I still have three spare USB ports available. If push came to shove, I still have my windows laptop with ample USB ports so this worry soon disappeared.

As for future proofing it, I figured I would get a large Hard Disk (500GB), and I would get the maximum memory available (4GB), but shock turned into horror when I realised that Apple sell 4GB of RAM for a staggering £450 (extra)…. They must catch a lot of sucker!!!!
www.overclockers.co.uk sell the very same 4GB of RAM that the iMac uses for £76 (Yes, Apple.com - that is Seventy six pounds not £450).

Eight days later and all I can say is that the Mac is AWESOME! It just works brilliantly, it’s refreshingly different, flat out (even on 1GB of RAM it flies, although I have since upgraded to 4GB) and it’s lightening fast. It is fairly easy to use and is similar to Windows in many ways. It is user friendly. One would have to be really stupid if you couldn’t figure it. I haven’t had any pop-ups, or prompts etc. I am still trying to get my head around all the mounting of software, but it’s definitely better than installing software that gets installed in a hundred and one locations.

The 20" screen is more than big enough for what I plan to use it for (email, internet surfing, downloading, programming, watching videos, etc). It even came with a remote for the media experience. A very nice touch!

At first the most annoying thing was the keyboard because it doesn’t have some basic keys (e.g. DEL, INS, Page Up, Page Down, #, HOME, END)… but after learning the keyboard shortcuts (and there are many of them), it’s a pleasure to use. The keyboard is tiny, but the keys are really firm, well spaced out, and typing fast is is easy.

I hate the mighty mouse, it’s just crap, and I would not recommend it at all. I’ve a Logitech mouse with proper buttons on it, and if one is use to that type of mouse, then the mac mouse will never match it. (there goes 1 USB port - 2 remaining).

As for software, well there is no shortage of software, and if you think that Windows can do everything, then fear not, because I have matched all my software with Apple software and it works 100 times better and faster with less hassle. I have no intention of installing Windows on my Mac (pointless if I’m trying to get away from Windows), but it’s nice to know the option is there.

I would definitely recommend an Apple Macintosh (iMac 20"). Yes, they are slightly more expensive that a Windows PC, but then I guess you get what you pay for.

iMac or Mac Pro…?

So I had this crazy thought the other day. I want a Mac. I know it goes against everything I have ever said about them, but after seeing MAC OS X Leopard and some of it’s features, I just need to experience it.

Four days ago I installed Microsoft Vista on my PC and what a mistake that was? I thought having a Intel P4 2.53Ghz, 2GB RAM would be more than enough for it to run smoothly, how wrong I was? It’s dismal, keeps running out of memory and is slow, sluggish and disappointing. I was expecting major changes to XP, and to be fair there are some visual differences, but there isn’t anything new to learn. It’s all a bit disappointing.

So I have made up my mind I want a Mac, but now I see there are quite a few choices and judging by the Apple.com website, it all depends on how deep ones pockets are?

 

iMac						Mac Pro
£949						£1699
Pros					Cons	Pros					Cons
all-in-one					limited upgrade possibilities	multiple upgrade possibilities					Price
Leopard					limited USB2.0 ports (3)	Leopard
					Glossy Glass Screen	can use any monitor or LCD
					Viewing angle (160 degrees)

Above are the obvious pros and cons. Personally I have always had a desktop PC, one that I could open and add hardware when needed, so the Mac Pro definitely wins there.

Conclusion: Both systems are actually a major con when it comes to price, since I could easily build a non windows / non mac machine for a lot less money. But, I don’t have the time, or the energy to build a new system. I just want something I can take out the box, and it works, with little hassle. Everyone I know who has a mac says they last for a long time with little or no problems. That is what I want. Does that mean the iMac will be usable in the future (2 or 3 years from now). The biggest problem with today is that yesterday’s computer is already out of date (well maybe a little slower than that), so one doesn’t want a non future proof machine (iMac). It is clear the Mac Pro has many advantages over the long term.

What to buy?