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Are You Happy With Your Retina iMac?
- Thread starter AirCanada22
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Base model here, first Mac, I love it.
The clarity of the display is amazing and the resolution means I can have several documents open at once which helps work flow.
I use it for photo editing and am trialling various software packages. The software makes a big difference - while Lightroom 5 does not use the GPU, both Capture 1 and Aftershot pro 2 do and there is a big difference in speed of response.
I conclude that the "issues" are not so much with the iMac but the software, apparently Adobe have it on their radar according to the adobe Lightroom forums and I am hoping LR 6 addresses this.
Enjoy
edited to add my Mrs hates it because it shows every wrinkle and mark on her pictures lol
The clarity of the display is amazing and the resolution means I can have several documents open at once which helps work flow.
I use it for photo editing and am trialling various software packages. The software makes a big difference - while Lightroom 5 does not use the GPU, both Capture 1 and Aftershot pro 2 do and there is a big difference in speed of response.
I conclude that the "issues" are not so much with the iMac but the software, apparently Adobe have it on their radar according to the adobe Lightroom forums and I am hoping LR 6 addresses this.
Enjoy
edited to add my Mrs hates it because it shows every wrinkle and mark on her pictures lol
I am very happy with mine, no issues at all, no lag, no screen problems and seems to stay nice and quiet to me. as in all things time will tell, but so far very happy with mine.
Thanks guys. I'm going to pick up my base tomorrow. Only thing left to decide is between Trackpad & Magic Mouse.
I'm a little worried by the people reporting sluggishness in everyday things like scrolling through apps, but the consensus on the boards seems to be that it's likely due to Yosemite and software optimization issues. Fingers crossed
I'm a little worried by the people reporting sluggishness in everyday things like scrolling through apps, but the consensus on the boards seems to be that it's likely due to Yosemite and software optimization issues. Fingers crossed
Maxed out here. Superb bit of kit, and I've been building and selling computers since the 80s so am used to always having the latest. More performance would always be nicer, but the screen makes up for anything and the power is quite sufficient. The fans only come on for me when rendering or converting video, and they're hardly intrusive.
First Mac after moving from PC. Love the machine, it is great to look at, fast and coming from a PC - quiet. Fan only comes on when I play the only game I play - Civ 5 - and fan noise is much quieter than I am used to. Mostly though the iMac is silent for me.
I have i7, 3TB, 295, 16GB RAM. Hope to get 3 - 4 years out of it.
I have i7, 3TB, 295, 16GB RAM. Hope to get 3 - 4 years out of it.
Can y'all explain how the extra resolution comes into play? For instance, when you are browing on the internets, is that any different? When you are watching some video online or perhaps a trailer on itunes, any different? Is reading text different and perhaps makes your head ache less when using word or some other text based application? What about working on an image in photoshop - how is that different? Is there any negative with the higher resolution where things might look worse?
Are You Happy With Your Retina iMac?
It depends.
Not many websites are using high-resolution (2x resolution) imagery yet. Definitely mixed experiences. The Apple website, for example, looks fantastic. The average website, however, will be blurred. Websites are being optimised for retina, and have been since the iPhone 4 and more specifically the first rMBP. It will take time.
Text is always super sharp because it can be rendered at any size and retain its crispness. So yes, text looks extremely good.
Videos are the same, I believe, unless you're watching a 3K+ video. 4K video obviously looks very good.
Photoshop is great as it uses the true 5K resolution to display the image. Very sharp.
I think you need to use a rMBP or 5K iMac to understand how it works. It's hard to explain.
It depends.
Not many websites are using high-resolution (2x resolution) imagery yet. Definitely mixed experiences. The Apple website, for example, looks fantastic. The average website, however, will be blurred. Websites are being optimised for retina, and have been since the iPhone 4 and more specifically the first rMBP. It will take time.
Text is always super sharp because it can be rendered at any size and retain its crispness. So yes, text looks extremely good.
Videos are the same, I believe, unless you're watching a 3K+ video. 4K video obviously looks very good.
Photoshop is great as it uses the true 5K resolution to display the image. Very sharp.
I think you need to use a rMBP or 5K iMac to understand how it works. It's hard to explain.
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When I first got my rMBP back in 2012 I quickly got accustomed to upscaled images such as the button I just clicked. Things have improved since then, but there are still plenty of sites that aren't fully optimized for HiDPI displays.
You get used to having things upscaled on a HiDPI display. Upscaling doesn't even bother me anymore, when it's 1:1 it just looks nice and crisp.
Thanks guys. I'm going to pick up my base tomorrow. Only thing left to decide is between Trackpad & Magic Mouse.
I'm a little worried by the people reporting sluggishness in everyday things like scrolling through apps, but the consensus on the boards seems to be that it's likely due to Yosemite and software optimization issues. Fingers crossed
After using the trackpad so much on my MacBook Air, I can say that it's easily the absolute best thing about OS X. And that's coming from a 20-year Windows guy who has always hated Macs. All of the multi-touch gestures just make everything a breeze. I've tried using the "Magic Mouse" in store and I just can't stand it. I also bought a Windows 8.1 touch-screen laptop and couldn't stand that either, so I ended up returning it. I'm planning to get an iMac soon and I'm definitely getting the trackpad... I might also get the mouse for games, possibly, but we'll see. So far, the MacBook Air is the best laptop I've ever owned, and most of it is due to the trackpad.
I'm coming from a Macbook Air as well, with the exact same opinion you have. This 11-inch thing has held up well for me, and I will definitely continue to use it as a secondary machine, but it was time for a screen real estate bump.
My only concern about the Trackpad for the Retina iMac is cursor speed; I feel like with such a huge screen, most movements would be faster and more easily executed with a mouse. But then again, I have plenty of mice lying around, and like you I wouldn't want to give up on the gestures...
I ordered my retina iMac with the Trackpad thinking of compatibility with my MBP and found this a problem. One could say that the screen is too big to be easily controlled with the trackpad even though it is much bigger than that on the MBP. So I'm basically just using my old Magic Mouse and need to use the trackpad on another system.
Thanks-I did indeed do this, and actually the reboots came mostly before new RAM was added
Maybe I should pull the Apple-supplied RAM for a test....hmmmmm...although I haven't had one in about a week or so
Hi! I'm a girl who loves my iMac. This is my second one. The first one was in 2010, which I loved. The screen on the this one beautiful. I do light work. Nothing heavy. I just have multiple windows open helping me to work more efficient.
I find that the screen is a little warmer than I'm used to (slight yellow tint) but that's okay. In 4-5 years, I'll be upgrading anyway. I'm just going to enjoy it!
I find that the screen is a little warmer than I'm used to (slight yellow tint) but that's okay. In 4-5 years, I'll be upgrading anyway. I'm just going to enjoy it!
I'm really enjoying mine and just waiting for the eventual updates to fine-tune things. Coming from a 2008 20" and the upgrade is outstanding.
I haven't had any issues with mine thus far, but I haven't done too many intensive tasks yet. The display is jaw dropping though.
Absolutely loving my new iMac! The screen is no larger than my last monitor, but it SURE is purty and crisp! Text looks SOOOOOO nice on it. At times I feel like I actually need a magnifying glass to see even more detail on my 5K wallpapers things are so sharp.
You guys are making this hard for me. I've pretty much decided to replace our old PC desktop with an iMac to also run windows for select apps and the all important Sims. We have several MacBooks in the family too.
I had talked myself into a i7 iMac with a Fusion drive, upgraded graphics, and self installed memory upgrade (below Retina) but now I'll have to stop by the Apple store and see for myself the Retina difference.
I'd be tempted to upgrade the graphics card though and that changes the price point.
I had talked myself into a i7 iMac with a Fusion drive, upgraded graphics, and self installed memory upgrade (below Retina) but now I'll have to stop by the Apple store and see for myself the Retina difference.
I'd be tempted to upgrade the graphics card though and that changes the price point.
Thanks guys. I'm going to pick up my base tomorrow. Only thing left to decide is between Trackpad & Magic Mouse.
I'm a little worried by the people reporting sluggishness in everyday things like scrolling through apps, but the consensus on the boards seems to be that it's likely due to Yosemite and software optimization issues. Fingers crossed
I'd go for the magic mouse.
Have base model and not noticed any sluggishness etc even running photoshop and having 4 or 5 different windows open at the same time and it's quiet.
You will not be disappointed. I'd also suggest a purchase of Applecare which you can do within the first 12months of purchase.
Enjoy !
Tomorrow will be three weeks that I have had mine. Some of the performance issues are starting to get worked out with 10.10.2 beta 4. The only other annoying issue is that Dreamweaver 5.5 kept crashing on me. Other than these issues I am really happy with mine, and it has a i7 with the base video card and 1 TB Fusion drive.
I had my first real play with mine this morning. I received it yesterday and spent the day restoring stuff from my old iMac onto it.
So far I am quite happy. Dat Screen. wow. I need higher res wallpapers though.
It is a bit noisy when you get the cpu and gfx cranking, but no worse than some of the nutcase overclocked boxes I've had in the past.
I've found a little bit of instability when using chrome under certain circumstances, but seems to be a software issue.
Dat Screen.
So far I am quite happy. Dat Screen. wow. I need higher res wallpapers though.
It is a bit noisy when you get the cpu and gfx cranking, but no worse than some of the nutcase overclocked boxes I've had in the past.
I've found a little bit of instability when using chrome under certain circumstances, but seems to be a software issue.
Dat Screen.
Yes. Dat Screen.
I'd recommend against using Chrome. Stick with Safari - at least for now. It heats up the GPU far less, for one thing (even in things as simple as 1080p YouTube).