What is possible on the i7 in various configs?(wow, 20 safari windows, mail, etc...)

[nafai23]

I am a PC user and a long time mac fan. I have had a few mac pros but I have found that when I use/abuse them like my high pcs they do not hold up as well. This was a few years ago.

I am getting the new i7 no matter what because it has the best screen on the planet and I cannot resist the candy.

I went to the apple store and opened 5-6 programs and 20-30 safari windows on the duo w/ 4 gigs and while it worked fairly well expose and spaces were sluggish and it started to get sluggish system wide after 10 mins or so.

Right now on my pc I have about 15-20 firefox, 10 chrome, steam, wow windowed at 1920x1080(2560 desktop) at 60fps 8x AA (I have a 5870 and I know the imac card might not handle this and that's ok) and there is really no slow down.

If I have 20 or so safari windows, 4-5 programs including PS etc, wow in windowed mode etc what will the i7 with 8 gigs or ram run like compared to my experience at the apple store on the duo with 4?
Will expose still be a slideshow? If so what is the limiting factor in getting something like this smooth.

I know it is a bit silly but just curious about how the i7 does when you push it or I get lazy and leave 30 things running.

 

[ntrigue]

I am a PC user and a long time mac fan. I have had a few mac pros but I have found that when I use/abuse them like my high pcs they do not hold up as well. This was a few years ago.

I am getting the new i7 no matter what because it has the best screen on the planet and I cannot resist the candy.

I went to the apple store and opened 5-6 programs and 20-30 safari windows on the duo w/ 4 gigs and while it worked fairly well expose and spaces were sluggish and it started to get sluggish system wide after 10 mins or so.

Right now on my pc I have about 15-20 firefox, 10 chrome, steam, wow windowed at 1920x1080(2560 desktop) at 60fps 8x AA (I have a 5870 and I know the imac card might not handle this and that's ok) and there is really no slow down.

If I have 20 or so safari windows, 4-5 programs including PS etc, wow in windowed mode etc what will the i7 with 8 gigs or ram run like compared to my experience at the apple store on the duo with 4?
Will expose still be a slideshow? If so what is the limiting factor in getting something like this smooth.

I know it is a bit silly but just curious about how the i7 does when you push it or I get lazy and leave 30 things running.

We'll wait to hear from an actual owner. However, I would say 8GB RAM would immediately have improved the C2D Expose performance. That coupled with a better GPU and 40% faster CPU should be a no-brainer.

 

[meirvin]

How do you read 15 webpages at one time?

 

[JimAtLaw]

I am getting the new i7 no matter what because it has the best screen on the planet and I cannot resist the candy.

Actually, the display is beautiful (assuming the slight yellowing at the bottom doesn't bother you), but hardly the best on the planet. Take a look at an HP Dreamcolor or other pro calibrated display if that's what you're really looking for.

 

[53x12]

Actually, the display is beautiful (assuming the slight yellowing at the bottom doesn't bother you), but hardly the best on the planet. Take a look at an HP Dreamcolor or other pro calibrated display if that's what you're really looking for.

Meh, HP Deamcolor is overrated imho. FYI, not evey iMac has the issue with the yellowing at the bottom of the screen.

 

[unamused]

having more apps open at once is more of a memory issue then processor.

now if you had multiple apps that were open AND running calculations, conversions, etc... that would be taxing the memory AND cpu

 

[nafai23]

My wife who is one of the most casual computer users I know has 10-12 safari windows open, adobe acrobat, and MS office open usually at all times.

While I knew someone here would make this comment it still surprises me that an OS GUI based around multitasking and hardware based on generous screen sizes still has followers that have never thought to open 15-20 of there favorite web sites and expose between them while doing some image editing or gaming.

It is my favorite thing about the macs compared to the PC I have. Easy of work flow in a multitasking environment and looking great doing it.

How do you read 15 webpages at one time?

 

[Scarlet Fever]

Actually, the display is beautiful (assuming the slight yellowing at the bottom doesn't bother you), but hardly the best on the planet. Take a look at an HP Dreamcolor or other pro calibrated display if that's what you're really looking for.

Considering the base 21.5" iMac has the same panel technology as the 24" ACD (LED IPS panel), has a computer in it and only costs US$300 more, I'd say you'll be hard pressed to find a comparable display at that price point.

For consumers, the displays used in the iMacs are phenomenal. I reckon if they were matte displays, even pro photographers would like them.

 

[Goldie009]

Personally, I would never have 15 web pages open at the same time. I usually have 4 open at a time - in tabs in firefox. Msn will be open as well but again 5 or 6 windows would be tabbed into one window. Mail and Ical are generally always on too but not with windows open unless I am using them.

I usually use spaces rather than expose to move about - chat's in one window and internet in another. If I am watching a movie as well then it will be on a second display, with all the windows gathered into one space - then I will use expose.

All this runs perfectly well on a 13 inch macbook - I cannot WAIT to see the difference on the i7 when it arrives.... Hopefully before end of next week.

 

[nafai23]

Regarding displays I am aware of the high end options from NEC and HP, I just meant the whole package and being glossy that I happen to enjoy.

As far as 15 windows at a time, I know I should not and there are more efficient ways to do things but my point is with the PC I have built over there years I have gotten used to running them as I please. Many programs and windows open and switching between them.

I have found in the past that when I have given the mac a try it simply does not let you do this as well.

There have been OS updates since I last owned a mac and the i7 is fast and ram is cheaper these days.

So I am going to keep 15-20 webpages open because I have been doing that for years. My question is can this machine keep up with my PC while giving all the benefits of the mac OS and matching in speed.

In the past this has not been the case to my disappointment.

Personally, I would never have 15 web pages open at the same time. I usually have 4 open at a time - in tabs in firefox. Msn will be open as well but again 5 or 6 windows would be tabbed into one window. Mail and Ical are generally always on too but not with windows open unless I am using them.

I usually use spaces rather than expose to move about - chat's in one window and internet in another. If I am watching a movie as well then it will be on a second display, with all the windows gathered into one space - then I will use expose.

All this runs perfectly well on a 13 inch macbook - I cannot WAIT to see the difference on the i7 when it arrives.... Hopefully before end of next week.

 

[zerohp]

As long as you don't have 5 browser windows showing flash animations you're probably fine. That's the downside of Mac (and Linux) browsing right now. Flash sucks.

 

[nafai23]

Flash is not so hot on firefox in Win7 either

As long as you don't have 5 browser windows showing flash animations you're probably fine. That's the downside of Mac (and Linux) browsing right now. Flash sucks.

 

[splitpea]

How do you read 15 webpages at one time?

Easily. When troubleshooting a programming problem (or more likely a Macports installation / configuration problem), I'll frequently have a half dozen browser windows open with different trains of research and up to a dozen tabs in each, not counting the two minimized windows with pages and references for the project I was working on before running into the problem.

Man, I don't know how people survived before tabbed browsing. FWIW, having all these windows open doesn't cause any sort of slowdown on my machine (in Camino on an older G5 with 4GB RAM) unless for some reason they're blogspot archives with like 200MB of text and 3 dozen giant photos improperly downscaled.

Er, where was I?

Anyway, adding more RAM should help avoid sluggishness, and if you use some form of adblick / flashblock, that helps a whole lot with the number of webpages you can have open at once without bogging down your computer.