Okay this question might be asked a few times already - but I've got a special situation and I've got trouble to make a good decision.
First of all: atm I'm using my old PC as a hackintosh, to be bloody honest. I'm using it since a few months and got hooked (obviously). But - I want the real deal now. I'm also using an iPhone, I already bought several peripherals from Apple like the keyboard and the trackpad. All is missing is a real Mac, I just like to have the original, I like the design and I like it when everything fits together regarding function and design.
... but there are a few obstacles.
I've got an Acer 24" led backlight display which is quite good. And not only my PC is connected, my xbox360 is it too (it's got 2 HDMI ports). So - if I choose to buy an 21,5" iMac I wouldn't be able to connect the xbox. The Acer display is non-glare while the iMac has a glare display. So - I guess I should keep it and buy a Mac Mini?
Not so fast. The Mini is quite fascinating but it's got not so fascinating hardware. An older Intel CPU and an IGP - it's a good one but it's still an IGP. And if I would take it I would give it 4 Gigs of RAM and the 500 Gig HDD. I checked the price - unfortunately the Mac Mini is generally more expansive here in europe than in the U.S. You have to pay a hundred Euros more for the same Mini (besides 19% VAT). I'm not sure why Apple does this (one reason might be they think the Euro is going down the toilet the next year(s)) - but it makes the Mac Mini so expansive that it looks quite absurd to get one. A Mini with 4 GB RAM and 500 GB HDD would cost 989 EUR including VAT (= 1333 U.S. Dollar atm).
For me it looks very like that an 21,5" iMac would be a better deal. Better, newer CPU, better (dedicated) GPU, comes with an IPS LED backlight panel, comes with 4 GB RAM and 500 GB HDD without extra cost. It costs still over 100 EUR more as if I would buy it in the U.S. and would pay VAT here, but - at least I think I would get more for the buck.
But the display would be smaller and I wouldn't be able to connect the xbox. Okay, then I can't just switch fast for a little gaming session and need to connect it to my TV. My Acer display would become redundant ...
So - I hear someone calling "Get an 27" iMac with HDMI adapter, damnit!" ... but this thing is even more expansive and 27" is incredible HUGE. Every time I see an 27" iMac all I think is "way to big".
See?
I know the answer from PC guys already - stick with that what you have, there's no serious reason for buying a Mac. "It's this and that and Apple sucks by the way if I forget to mention this several times before. *wink*" I was a typical PC guy myself for a long time, I built my own machines over the last 15 years. But somehow ... I'm tired of it. I don't need some UBER machine anymore, I need a nice looking computer, a straight solution. Something that stops me thinking about all the freaking specs and just does the job. Perhaps I got some kind of allergy after these years, I hate looking at the primitive BIOS screen. Makes the PC looking like it's still in the digital stone age, there's still no elegance in the 21st century, the PC remains being a complex patchwork of hard- and software in all its "glory". And MacOS on my PC can't sleep or hibernate because of the fake EFI and the wrong hardware. For some reason I can't do firmware updates for the iPhone - it'll hang under MacOS.
Jeez, I sound like someone whose crying like a baby. All I want is to switch but somehow Apple is making this decision hard for guys like me these days. Why didn't get the 21,5" iMac the same in/out DisplayPort like the bigger one? Why cost the Macs around 130 Dollar more in europe?
I guess I'll chose the 21,5" iMac. The second one with a bit more capacity and power. If I compare this one straight with other All-In-PCs available in my country it looks like a good deal nevertheless. Sounds good? What do you think as real Macfans?
First of all: atm I'm using my old PC as a hackintosh, to be bloody honest. I'm using it since a few months and got hooked (obviously). But - I want the real deal now. I'm also using an iPhone, I already bought several peripherals from Apple like the keyboard and the trackpad. All is missing is a real Mac, I just like to have the original, I like the design and I like it when everything fits together regarding function and design.
... but there are a few obstacles.
I've got an Acer 24" led backlight display which is quite good. And not only my PC is connected, my xbox360 is it too (it's got 2 HDMI ports). So - if I choose to buy an 21,5" iMac I wouldn't be able to connect the xbox. The Acer display is non-glare while the iMac has a glare display. So - I guess I should keep it and buy a Mac Mini?
Not so fast. The Mini is quite fascinating but it's got not so fascinating hardware. An older Intel CPU and an IGP - it's a good one but it's still an IGP. And if I would take it I would give it 4 Gigs of RAM and the 500 Gig HDD. I checked the price - unfortunately the Mac Mini is generally more expansive here in europe than in the U.S. You have to pay a hundred Euros more for the same Mini (besides 19% VAT). I'm not sure why Apple does this (one reason might be they think the Euro is going down the toilet the next year(s)) - but it makes the Mac Mini so expansive that it looks quite absurd to get one. A Mini with 4 GB RAM and 500 GB HDD would cost 989 EUR including VAT (= 1333 U.S. Dollar atm).
For me it looks very like that an 21,5" iMac would be a better deal. Better, newer CPU, better (dedicated) GPU, comes with an IPS LED backlight panel, comes with 4 GB RAM and 500 GB HDD without extra cost. It costs still over 100 EUR more as if I would buy it in the U.S. and would pay VAT here, but - at least I think I would get more for the buck.
But the display would be smaller and I wouldn't be able to connect the xbox. Okay, then I can't just switch fast for a little gaming session and need to connect it to my TV. My Acer display would become redundant ...
So - I hear someone calling "Get an 27" iMac with HDMI adapter, damnit!" ... but this thing is even more expansive and 27" is incredible HUGE. Every time I see an 27" iMac all I think is "way to big".
See?
I know the answer from PC guys already - stick with that what you have, there's no serious reason for buying a Mac. "It's this and that and Apple sucks by the way if I forget to mention this several times before. *wink*" I was a typical PC guy myself for a long time, I built my own machines over the last 15 years. But somehow ... I'm tired of it. I don't need some UBER machine anymore, I need a nice looking computer, a straight solution. Something that stops me thinking about all the freaking specs and just does the job. Perhaps I got some kind of allergy after these years, I hate looking at the primitive BIOS screen. Makes the PC looking like it's still in the digital stone age, there's still no elegance in the 21st century, the PC remains being a complex patchwork of hard- and software in all its "glory". And MacOS on my PC can't sleep or hibernate because of the fake EFI and the wrong hardware. For some reason I can't do firmware updates for the iPhone - it'll hang under MacOS.
Jeez, I sound like someone whose crying like a baby. All I want is to switch but somehow Apple is making this decision hard for guys like me these days. Why didn't get the 21,5" iMac the same in/out DisplayPort like the bigger one? Why cost the Macs around 130 Dollar more in europe?
I guess I'll chose the 21,5" iMac. The second one with a bit more capacity and power. If I compare this one straight with other All-In-PCs available in my country it looks like a good deal nevertheless. Sounds good? What do you think as real Macfans?
