Switch to Mac?

[sn0wstorm]

Hey everyone!

First of all, please bear with my poor english, as I am from germany...

I am currently thinking of making the switch from PC to Mac. Ever since the first iMac's I really adored Apple Computers. But being more expensive then a PC I never really got me one. Now I have the chance to buy me a brandnew 24" iMac, and I wonder if it will really suit my needs.

The setup would be:

24" iMac Core 2 Duo 2.16 GHz
2 GB Ram
Nvidia 7600 GT 256MB
250 GB HDD
Wireless KB & Mouse

My current setup is a Dell Inspiron 9300 Notebook. I use it mostly for World of Warcraft, building websites, organizing photo's, iTunes and such...

My biggest concern right now is the dsplay/graphics card configuration. Will the 7600GT have enough power to run WoW in native resolution of 1900 x 1200? And not by turning down all details

If I pay 2,5k for a computer, I need to make sure it runs fine... I could go with a PC for that kind of cash, but I really love the Mac design and OSX...

Another question: Will Airport work with my Netgear W-Lan router? Or would I need to upgrade to an airport router? I guess it should work fine, I'm just not sure...

Thank you all in advance


Bernd

 

[stimpsonjcat]

If you read through this forum, loads of people say the iMac hums, crashes and is a little problematic - of course there are those that have no problems, but for 2.5k i'd want to be sure.

I too have been tempted to make the switch for my regular pc as i like the sound of leopard and visit this forum frequently to see if there is any word on a nicer iMac (im not a fan of the white pizza box) but every time i read something from some iMac owner that puts me off - such as the constant humming or sudden crashes.

My last experience was with a G5 - brand new out the box which crashed at least once a day for no reason and without warning, so as much as Mac dudes like to believe Macs don't crash, let me tell you from 4 solid years working on one they do, and they do it often.

 

[solvs]

If you have a Mac that crashes, something is wrong. My Mac rarely crashes, even when testing beta software. I've had some issues here and there, but it's far better than any PC I've ever owned or even used.

That setup would work fine with most of what you want to do. I don't play games on mine, maybe check the gaming forum here to see how it performs, but I imagine it will run better than what you currently have. Any router with 802.11b/g/n capabilities will work. If you need to configure anything, you can do it in a web browser just as you would any PC. I use FireFox, but others are happy with Safari.

There will be new models out in few months based on Santa Rosa though. Sometime after May or June. If you can wait that long, as I am, you will get better for your money, or be able to buy the old model cheaper. If you can't, the new models will just be slightly faster (RAM, FSB, GPU, CPU speed), and we have no idea when Apple will introduce them.

You can ask questions here any time, before or after your purchase (your English is fine BTW).

 

[amiga]

My girlfriend has a 24" iMac and she loves it! So do I. It make my 17" iMac G5 look teeny!!!! She's had no problems with it, it is a thing of beauty.

 

[superleccy]

If you read through this forum, loads of people say the iMac hums, crashes and is a little problematic - of course there are those that have no problems, but for 2.5k i'd want to be sure.

I too have been tempted to make the switch for my regular pc as i like the sound of leopard and visit this forum frequently to see if there is any word on a nicer iMac (im not a fan of the white pizza box) but every time i read something from some iMac owner that puts me off - such as the constant humming or sudden crashes.

My last experience was with a G5 - brand new out the box which crashed at least once a day for no reason and without warning, so as much as Mac dudes like to believe Macs don't crash, let me tell you from 4 solid years working on one they do, and they do it often.

Remember that this forum tends to distort the view of Mac reliability. As with any forum, people tend to post more when they've got problems. Any Mac that crashes "once a day for no reason" is definitely faulty and Apple should give you a replacement. I've had my iBook for over two and in that time it has only crashed three times, and each of those was due to a USB audio adaptor whose drivers I hadn't installed properly.

I'm not a WoW-head so I cannot help with your original question, but good luck!

SL

 

[sn0wstorm]

Thanks for the info, solvs...

I thought about waiting for Leopard and maybe the new iMacs, but then again you never know when that will happen

Upgrading the OS along the road is easy, and the hardware should be more then sufficient to my needs... I hope.

The one thing that makes me want to get it ASAP is that patience is not one of my virtues And that I will have less cables on my desk then with my Dell Notebook.

 

[eji]

Let me be the Ren to Stimpy's comments above.

I have an iMac G5. I recently had some power supply problems with it, and it was whisked off to a repair shop and taken care of courtesy of Apple. It was wonderfully trouble free for two years, and it's been trouble free since the repair. No, I'd never say that Macs don't crash, but to say they do it often suggests: a) a faulty computer that should be replaced or b) a really poorly maintained software environment. An agency where I freelance uses dozens of the new Core 2 Duo iMacs and they're wonderful machines: fast, stable, silent.

I'd recommend buying refurbished, if possible. The stock configuration for your 24" iMac is Eur 1.700,40 at the Apple Store Deutschland Second-Hand. Of course, there's no guarantee your preferred config will come in, but second-hand could save you a couple hundred euros. You might also want to wait for Leopard, although that could be up to three months away.

I don't know anything about gaming. Someone else will have to step in and answer your WoW questions. Or you could do a search. There are hundreds of similar "switcher" questions.

You won't necessarily have to use an AirPort router, though you would see some Apple-only benefits from doing so. Netgear's WLAN routers have worked well for some of my friends. I currently use the SpeedPort 701V from T-Online, and it works fine with my multiple Mac setup.

For building websites and organizing photos, you will find the 24" iMac a dream come true, I think. You have to be realistic... buying a Mac won't eradicate famine and war, and your computer won't suddenly start ironing your clothes and cooking you breakfast, and there may be some hiccups. There's even a chance you'll buy a lemon and you'll have to exchange it. Hardware problems are a possibility with any electrical equipment. But you'll likely be pleased with the switch. Most people are.

 

[Mr Skills]

The people in this thread seem to think WoW performs well. I imagine you'll want to get plenty of memory, though, and it's worth asking the people on that thread if they were using the standard graphics card etc.

 

[blad3z]

WoW

well..having an old iMac G5 and being playing WoW on it for some time..i can say that WoW works fine...actually better then fine. i have a HP media centre and i personally think my iMac runs it better...but then again thats just my opinion. i have 2GB ram on it and well...i think i kept the stock display. either way..it works fine. *shrugs* u shuldn have a problem with it. Just make sure u have a good internet connection

 

[Nym]

I own a 24" iMac and I've never had any problem with it, it doesn't hum, wireless works 100%, bootcamp works perfect and I own the stock model, not the beefed up you're looking to buy

It's a wonderful computer and I would recommend it to everyone.

Just keep one thing in mind, if you come to troubleshooting forums you're likely to find people with problems with their computers, just a reminder that most people are out there using their Mac's with no problem at all, don't be mistaken by that fact (I had the same doubt before buying the iMac, and now I can see it isn't true, it's just fear of wasting 2,5k, but you won't be wasting anything, eheheh ) Good Luck.

 

[Eric5h5]

My last experience was with a G5 - brand new out the box which crashed at least once a day for no reason and without warning, so as much as Mac dudes like to believe Macs don't crash, let me tell you from 4 solid years working on one they do, and they do it often.

Untrue. Sounds like you had bad RAM, which leads to that sort of thing. My G5, which does not have bad RAM, has rarely had programs crash in 2.5 years of very heavy use. The OS itself has never crashed, aside from a brief period when a faulty X800 firmware revision caused some kernel panics. They fixed that quickly though.

--Eric

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Untrue. Sounds like you had bad RAM, which leads to that sort of thing.

Agreed. My iMac G4 (bought in 2004) has been in constant use all day for almost three years, and it has crashed (had a kernel panic) exactly twice. Both times, I was doing things out of the ordinary that caused it.

More than one crash a year for a Mac under normal use suggests you have a faulty hardware component, most likely RAM.

 

[solvs]

I'm still amazed people live with that and do nothing about it. Even on a PC, that's not right. No modern computer should crash that much.

 

[wizwaz3]

Guten Tag!

In regards to your question, an iMac spec'd the way you want will handle a LOT of stuff. I have the 24" iMac in my siggy and I use it for video editing. I've heard that the 24"er displays non-native resolutions well, but as I don't play WoW, I don't know for sure. All I can go by is what I've heard. I hope this helps!

Auf Wiedersehen!

P.s. I would have tried more German, but I'm only in my first year. Your English is impressive, by the way.

 

[sn0wstorm]

Thank you all for your help & advice. I am really not concerned with crashes, as I have been a Windows User / Admin since Win 3.11

I was just browsing the "Post pics of you setup" thread, when I stumbled upon this pic:

Beauty.

That finally was the drop that sold me to a .

Hope to write soon from my iMac

P.S.: @ wizwaz3

German is much harder to learn then english IMHO... You got guts if you really want to learn it. Kudos!

You want to know where I learned 90% of my english? I watched my brothers Star Trek episodes in english. Helped me way more then any schoolbook.

 

[Cybergypsy]

I have been using macs for a while now 20 years, I went back to a PC as seems the last few macs I had had tooo many issues...no crashes, just issues....I bought this desktop because not fond of the current imac, will I buy another mac YES!I will buy a mac wen the imac is redesigned, I have had 4 macs in the last 6 months and they were returned......so for now i am happy, also loving the extras including touchscreen this PC hasVista is very smooth....

 

[sn0wstorm]

Just as a quick note:

Received my Mac yesterday...

24" Core 2 Duo 2.16 Ghz
2 GB Ram
250 GB HDD
7600 GT
Bluetooth Keyboard & Mouse


Loving it. No Dimming Hum, no Dead Pixels.

Thank you all for your advice and help!


Bernd

 

[skinnylegs]

Outstanding! I really hope you are enjoying your new Mac.

I switched about 6 months ago and I've never looked back. I have found the forums to be very helpful when I had questions.

There is *tons* of software out there which will further enhance your experience. Make sure and let us know if you have any questions.

 

[BilltheCat]

beautiful! I really do like my iMac over any pc. I think gypsy is nutz myself.

I've lived with the noisy PC's for years and thought that was just the price you have to pay. Nope! iMac is quiet as a church mouse.

They are styled beautifully also. I am thinking of going wireless for the keyboard and mouse. Mine sits on a glass table desk.

makes me want to paint the room to come up to imac standars!

Enjoy your new computer!