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The Dell XPS One - competition for iMac ??
- Thread starter Perfectionist
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I'm saying that it could be better with more, and surely it wouldn't hurt to put them on. My definition of fanboyism is someone who flames people for even *suggesting* an improvement, like you did back there, when that improvement really wouldn't take much to do anyway.
It's the whole "Rar! It's perfect! How DARE you even THINK of criticising it" attitude.
I'm guessing the XPS One doesn't have a desktop motherboard, yet they managed it with that?
And the iMac has "at least 4" usb ports plus 2 firewire, as well. Don't forget the iMac keyboard adds 2 powered USB 2 ports, and takes up one of the 3 on the back of the machine. So it's 5 ports total, or 4 if you count the keyboard as taking one. Be careful about calling people blind, when you yourself are failing to see something.......
Be careful about accusing someone of failing to see something, when you're wrong
The iMac keyboard does NOT add powered USB ports (they're unpowered) (source: My Freecom HDD, which flaps and gurns if you try to plug it into the keyboard)Thus with the wired keyboard (the wireless is ridiculously cramped) you actually have 2 powered USB ports left. Add a 2.5" external HDD for Time Machine, and that leaves 1. Ouch.
The Dell XPS one is comparable to Honda trying to create a Bentley.
Not to say that Honda is bad, or Dell for that matter. Just it can't be done well.
Not to say that Honda is bad, or Dell for that matter. Just it can't be done well.
I'm saying that it could be better with more, and surely it wouldn't hurt to put them on. My definition of fanboyism is someone who flames people for even *suggesting* an improvement, like you did back there, when that improvement really wouldn't take much to do anyway.
It's the whole "Rar! It's perfect! How DARE you even THINK of criticising it" attitude.
I'm guessing the XPS One doesn't have a desktop motherboard, yet they managed it with that?
Be careful about accusing someone of failing to see something, when you're wrong
Thus with the wired keyboard (the wireless is ridiculously cramped) you actually have 2 powered USB ports left. Add a 2.5" external HDD for Time Machine, and that leaves 1. Ouch.
Are you using it with an iMac? From Apple Web Site:
So it's still 5 ports for an iMac.
Yes. Brand new Aluminium 20".
I don't know what they're trying to claim, but there are two types of hub: self powered and bus powered. The keyboard, seeing as it doesn't have a PSU, is bus powered. Thus, it fails.
Also, I don't agree with the laptop argument.
a) It's not a laptop. It may use laptop components, for the lower power usage (less heat so they can cram all that power into a smaller space) but it's not like they dropped a laptop motherboard into it... it's a bespoke design. And just how hard would it be to put a couple more USB ports on it.
b) You don't carry it around. Real laptops, chances are you'll only ever use USB for a pendrive and that's about it, so actually 1 port would suffice. For a desktop machine though you're looking at a keyboard, mouse, printer, scanner, backup drive (with Leopard involved), USB pendrive... that's 6 right there, not forgetting anything else you might want to plug in temporarily in addition to the pendrive, like a camera.
The main reason I disagree is Apple's marketing for the iMac. The whole idea is supposed to be lack of clutter. Adding in a hub, its PSU and its data cable spoils that.
I am trying to claim that the iMac has 5 USB ports, if you count the 2 on the keyboard that comes with it. Those 2 ports on the keyboard work great for plugging in my iPod, camera, thumb drive and 100's of other things. They are powered, just the same as the 3 on the back.
You seem quite intent on skipping over those facts. Why don't you admit that you forgot about them, or failed to count them? Rather than spreading FUD?
Media card reader and TV tuner as well (bring it up to spec with the Dell). Not to mention that the two keyboard ports have a very low profile and many thumb drives and other "direct plug" accessories just won't fit.
More ports would be good. And the low profile of the 2 on the KB make them less useful. (although the 1 GB thumbdrive I got cheap on a black friday sale fits just fine). I don't see why Apple doesn't just put 6 on the back too.
Which would bring the total to a nice 8.
Well it would actually be 6 with the added bonus of two more if you happen to use that keyboard, afterall you don't get the extra ports if you order it with the wireless keyboard or use a totally different keyboard altogether.
A wireless KB would open 1 up on the back, so you are actually only losing 1 then. But yes, the wireless KB loses you 1, and a non-Apple KB loses you 2.
The reason that brings me to Mac is OS X, and great integration between different hardware components.
I am quite sick with Windows and integration issues on PCs. You keep getting annoying problems that you can't diagnose or spent a load of time doing it. They are always caused by something out of your imagination.
At the speed of technology advances, anyone that launches a product later will gain upper hand in terms of hardware specs. I won't get a hard-on with that.
As far as an iMac is concerned, it serves my need --> stability.
Hardware wise, I am happy with 3 USB ports as I have a 7-port USB hub (still not use yet).
The 7port hub was needed when I was using a PC. You need to connect all those peripherals to it, like webcam.
With the Mac, since they are all build in, I don't even need a hub now. All I have are 2 USB cables, one to iPod, one is a USB extender for me to easily connect my camera or thumbdrive when I need it.
Honestly, while the specs of the Dell made me drool, I can get away from having ghostly images of Windows crashing due to incompatible drivers, and windows slowing down due to too much 3rd party drivers that don't work well together.
You see my point with a mac, I hope.
Bunker, you make a good point - since you don't need ports for things like web cams or a mic, there is the potential for needing less USB ports since those things are built in. Between things like that, and offering 2 on the KB, it is probably Apple's rationale for only building 3 into the back.
Still, it would be nice to have 6 on the back. People who don't have an Apple KB, and would use USB hubs for things besides web cams and mics get the shaft with just 3 on the back.
Apple has a way of polarizing things that way. For me, with the KB extending 2 extra, and using a wireless mouse, I feel like I have plenty. For someone using a non-Apple KB, or lots of other USB needs, I can see how it would seem not.
Still, it would be nice to have 6 on the back. People who don't have an Apple KB, and would use USB hubs for things besides web cams and mics get the shaft with just 3 on the back.
Apple has a way of polarizing things that way. For me, with the KB extending 2 extra, and using a wireless mouse, I feel like I have plenty. For someone using a non-Apple KB, or lots of other USB needs, I can see how it would seem not.
How can one have an iMac and not have an Apple KB?
Ask xUKHCx. I was being open-minded and trying to see his point of view.
xUKHC said:
Perhaps I should clarify:
The iMac only has 3 *fully powered* USB ports.
Yes if you get the wired keyboard model, it takes up one of those and gives you 2 low-powered ones but I don't count that because they're low powered and not part of the machine.
I don't see how it's such a terrible crime to wish they'd put a couple more on the back, I guess because I'm raising a slight bit of dissent for one small thing that Apple does and so the rosy-tinted zealots jump on me like a pack of lions!
Guess what, Apple are not perfect. They're still very good, still good enough to use in place of a PC even, but not perfect.
The iMac only has 3 *fully powered* USB ports.
Yes if you get the wired keyboard model, it takes up one of those and gives you 2 low-powered ones but I don't count that because they're low powered and not part of the machine.
I don't see how it's such a terrible crime to wish they'd put a couple more on the back, I guess because I'm raising a slight bit of dissent for one small thing that Apple does and so the rosy-tinted zealots jump on me like a pack of lions!
Guess what, Apple are not perfect. They're still very good, still good enough to use in place of a PC even, but not perfect.
I'm so disappointed and mad right now. That Dell looks amazing, I so wish I had gotten that instead of this more powerful and better looking iMac that I love every bit of. And I could have gotten Vista included with that Dell dangit I got ripped off, stupid Apple.
And the iMac has "at least 4" usb ports plus 2 firewire, as well. Don't forget the iMac keyboard adds 2 powered USB 2 ports, and takes up one of the 3 on the back of the machine. So it's 5 ports total, or 4 if you count the keyboard as taking one. Be careful about calling people blind, when you yourself are failing to see something.......
I ordered my Imac with a wireless keyboard. I plugged in a 4 port powered hub right away, the fumbling around the back is too awkward. The wired keyboard acts like a hub. Like the hubs you find on LCD monitors. Both are peripherals. Do peripherals count in the total number of ports? No.
Of course they don't count in the total number of ports on the back. The only thing that counts there is flipping around the iMac and counting them. 1, 2, 3, it is easy to prove and impossible to dispute. Gee, it would be nice if Apple put 6 there, instead of 3 (I have said this at least 3 times now).
Since Apple ships the iMac with a KB by default that comes with 2 lower powered additional ports, or an optional wireless KB that frees up 1 port on the back (and drops the 2 on the KB), and includes a web cam and a Mic, thereby freeing up potentially the need for 2 USB ports, these are relevant facts to discuss as well. They are perhaps even more pertinent than the actual count on the back, because this effective count is what the user will experience.
What's so hard to understand about that, and why does one have to put up with so much grief for accurately, honestly pointing it out?
I haven't got a clue what you are talking about but all I know is I have yet to see a USB mic.... Actual, effective? I count 3, for crying out loud! What's good or bad about that?
So nothing I said made any sense, and the only thing you know is that you have never seen a USB Mic? MMM-kay. Did you notice the part where I count 3 ports too? It seems like that would have been something that made sense. Ahhh, yes, but the "fanboys" in here are the blind ones.
Edit: This is the one I have.
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So nothing I said made any sense, and the only thing you know is that you have never seen a USB Mic? MMM-kay. Did you notice the part where I count 3 ports too? It seems like that would have been something that made sense. Ahhh, yes, but the "fanboys" in here are the blind ones.
Edit: This is the one I have.
One last word before I'm out of this thread.Please read back your reply concerning the fact that the built-in mic in an iMac saves a USB port. A 'normal' mic doesn't take up such a port all to begin with. Goodbye.
P.S. Quick edit there, but not quick enough
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One last word before I'm out of this thread.Please read back your reply concerning the fact that the built-in mic in an iMac saves a USB port. A 'normal' mic doesn't take up such a port all to begin with. Goodbye.
P.S. Quick edit there, but not quick enough
For a computer without a built-in Mic, a USB Mic is a fairly common way of doing it. You could also claim that a USB port is not needed for a web cam, if you brought it in via firewire. That is why when I read back my reply concerning these points, I see the word "potential":
Czachorski said:
Again, why all the apparent frustration for accurate, honest discussion of these facts? These things seem pretty simple and obvious to me, and they bear pointing out in this thread.
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For those of you wondering what the above just said, and why, let me explain. I wrote that and alphabetized each word first by part of speech, then by words of that part of speech. So, adjective, adverb, noun, preposition, pronoun, and so forth. After all, if other people can butcher the English language with their crudity, then why can't I using a logic-based system?
a an any my other present right the Clearly, far However, not not probably simply won't and budget. case, closer Linux, love reasons running solution time. while at for for in since to to I I I me this iMac, Mac mini Windows, be be be buying it's run will would would.
I my the really never but loved iMac G4, cared AIO designs for that it. have have I've followed.
For those of you wondering what the above just said, and why, let me explain. I wrote that and alphabetized each word first by part of speech, then by words of that part of speech. So, adjective, adverb, noun, preposition, pronoun, and so forth. After all, if other people can butcher the English language with their crudity, then why can't I using a logic-based system?