New PC (Making Transition to MAC)

[nanobot]

So, unfortunately I am joining the Apple Bandwagon and preparing to make the transition to the Macintosh platform. I was curious what the opinions were on what would last me longer.

I am looking at the Mac Book Pro with the Retina Display (15") with the following:

2.8GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz

16GB 1600MHz DDR3L SDRAM

768GB Flash Storage

And then an iMac (27") with the following:

3.4GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz

32GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x8GB

768GB Flash Storage

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX 2GB GDDR5

In all the Mac users opinions out here, which would last me longer and be more relevant in the future? If I'm going to spend this kind of money I want something reliable and powerful.

Thanks,

EBrown

[TriRan]

Does it need to be portable? If not then I'd go with the iMac

[mudmanc4]

I agree with triran.

The MBP I purchased in 2007 is what I'm still running on today. 10.8.4 Outdated C2D 2.4 Ghz 4GB , runs like a champ 8-10+ hours a day constant, local repositories (git) , apache / SQL , homebrew,  layers of applications such as CS6 , coda, transmit, a few shells, safari and firefox ect .....  Now xcode slows it up, yet after a short time say 20 minutes xcode smooths out. Aside that one or less 'bounce' dock icon before application is running. And thats 6 years old well beaten up system.

 

These things can't be stopped, eventually it's inevitable , but what slows these things down is the storage, the hardware is amazing. You'll do extremely well with an SSD, at some point I may put one in this thing. Right now a 750 GB 7200rpm sata spindle.

 

So for the money with the hardware you'll be getting I give it ten years from purchase date until you are really ready to do something. Assuming there are no catestophic hardware failures, which no one can determin that timeframe. 

[Pgoodwin1]

The MacBook Pro can be upgraded more easily, giving you more performance down the road. The case comes apart with screws, where you have to split the iMac case with a little pizza cutter looking tool to break the adhesive. But as mentioned above, it really comes down to how you want to use it. With the laptop, it's portability and battery life may change the way you use the computer if you are currently not using a laptop. It's nice to be able to use the computer wherever you want.

Both are great machines. My prior iMac (2002 Flat Panel G4) gave me 8 good years with just a RAM upgrade after 4 years. and the only reason I replaced it was that the kids wanted to play online games, and after 8 years, the web-based game complexity got so high, that the iMac wasn't good enough for them. My wife's 2006 MacBook Pro is still soldiering on fine with only a RAM upgrade and a bigger and faster HDD at about the 6 year point.

Whichever you get, load it up with as much as you can afford.

[tommie gorman]

So, unfortunately I am joining the Apple Bandwagon and preparing to make the transition to the Macintosh platform. I was curious what the opinions were on what would last me longer.

I am looking at the Mac Book Pro with the Retina Display (15") with the following:

2.8GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.8GHz

16GB 1600MHz DDR3L SDRAM

768GB Flash Storage

And then an iMac (27") with the following:

3.4GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7, Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz

32GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 4x8GB

768GB Flash Storage

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX 2GB GDDR5

In all the Mac users opinions out here, which would last me longer and be more relevant in the future? If I'm going to spend this kind of money I want something reliable and powerful.

Thanks,

EBrown

 

Sorry to see you switch, so what caused it to happen?

[mudmanc4]

Give it a time Tommie , I dare to bet with his intelligence it won't be long before he's singing something like ' my graces I'm so much more productive ' !  Just sayin' , rarely anyone does not soon see the astonishing differences. 

 

Especially if this reasoning is for a job or career related situation. 

[nanobot]

I've heard from a reliable source that I should wait a little while before buying a Mac, as the new ones are supposed to come out relatively soon.

Also, Tommie, I need something that will last forever. We have a really old Mac at work that still runs everything I need it to for work just fine, and it's several years old. My laptop is starting to wear out, so I think I will be going to Retina Mac Book Pro route.

Thanks,

EBrown

[tommie gorman]

Fully understandable.

 

And muddy your funny as always. But then I'd act the same way if I was so invested in apple in the first place.

 

Best of luck with it. Hope its all you expected it to be. And with the new windows 8 you may well be right. I hate it. So I am giving it to my kids and getting a referb with windows 7 on it. Be glad when it arrives. It will still run my old programs on it unlike windows 8.

 

Again good luck.

[mudmanc4]

Yea Ebrown I caught the promo for the new mac pro - GEEZUS! Although I find this a bit jumpy, looks like some ionic air filtration system. 

http://www.apple.com/mac-pro/

 

None the less progress I suppose. And this likely means I'll be looking at those used boxes going up on ebay. Always wanted a mac pro. 

 

And yup tommie all invested for sure , I have stacks of hundreds of images and icons made on this machine in the past 5+ years. All bought and paid for. Hell they paid for the machine first year, second year bought Photoshop , this past year bought CS6 and handfuls of other applications. 

 

That and it still pays for the internet service, ext .. ect.. ext ... 

[nanobot]

Well I'm hoping the new Mac Book Pro's come out soon, as that is the model I will be going with. I need to throw Office for Mac on there, though I may wait and see if a new one comes out next year as I hear is rumored.

Thanks,

EBrown

[mudmanc4]

Skip 'MS-office' and use Libreoffice. It's all I use and or reccomend. Hell it's where ms-office and several others are derived from .

 

The MBP is a great machine , I love mine , even though it's getting grey hairs

Well I'm hoping the new Mac Book Pro's come out soon, as that is the model I will be going with. I need to throw Office for Mac on there, though I may wait and see if a new one comes out next year as I hear is rumored.

Thanks,
EBrown

[nanobot]

Well from what I have been reading the Mac Book Pro seems like the best choice for what I need. It seems like a pretty awesome device. I can't wait to see the new Retina Mac Book Pro.

Thanks,

EBrown

[xs1]

Sorry to hear your falling to the liberal side. As many problems as windows based PC's may have, ill never switch to the apple. with the addition of the new SSD drive and a good version of windows 7 ultimate, all is smooth sailings for then next 3-4 years. Fuck windows 8 BTW. Phail of the year. 

[nanobot]

Well I've been doing some research, and I may just get a more beefed up Windows Laptop instead, and install Hackintosh on it. This option seems to be quite a bit cheaper, and although it may not last as long, it should save me some money in the long run.

Thanks,

EBrown

[tommie gorman]

True, windows 8 the new vista.

Sorry to hear your falling to the liberal side. As many problems as windows based PC's may have, ill never switch to the apple. with the addition of the new SSD drive and a good version of windows 7 ultimate, all is smooth sailings for then next 3-4 years. Fuck windows 8 BTW. Phail of the year. 

[mudmanc4]

So mac users are now stamped liberal ? Lil' bit of a stretch with your mac hate there ?

 

Sad Elliott, but hey ya gotta do what ya gotta do. 

[xs1]

Easy there chief. Dont take any offence. 

So mac users are now stamped liberal ? Lil' bit of a stretch with your mac hate there ?

 

Sad Elliott, but hey ya gotta do what ya gotta do. 

 

[Sparticus]

If you don't travel much I would go with the iMac. Its large screen is great for movies and doing work, etc.. 

 

On the other hand you can't beat the Retina Display, not to mention the flash storage. Also you'd be able to tote this with you when you travel and such.

 

If it was me... i'd go with the MacBook Pro w/ Retina

[mudmanc4]

Nah - just never thought of a computer as a political tool, in the sense i read it.  

Easy there chief. Dont take any offence. 

 

Elliot, you'll do as you see fit for your needs I understand this. However personally , I would never rely on a hackintosh for work. This may be due to never successfully setting up one on any hardware I have here. 

 

I have every Apple distro on original disk since late PPC days here from previous machines, and just about every hacked distro I found when trying to get soothing pure and stable / permanently reliable. None of which I have been successful at getting something that didn't bite me in the tail at some point. 

[TriRan]

I had very good luck with a distro on an amd machine a good while back but because it wasn't Intel hardware I was limited in my software choices it was extremely stable while I used it I eventually had to stop due to it not supporting what I needed to do

[nanobot]

Well I am looking at a very large number of laptop options, I figure if I am going to buy a Windows laptop I should go with an i7, so that it doesn't get outdated any time soon.

Thanks,

EBrown

[xs1]

I agree, but for the money an i5 isn't a bad option. My xps has has an i5 in w. power boost & I've yet to strain that lil guy. Again that is depending on what your doing with it. i have the i7 in the desktop & the i5 in the lappy, seems to work well for me lol. Personally tho, if i had the choice i would go with an Asus laptop.