Advice on buying an iMac

[jlcst]

First of all sorry if this is an inappropriate question in this forum but I am guessing that there are lot of Mac users here and I would like some advise if possible please. I am so fed up with windows constantly updating and causing problems, that I am getting to the point  where I am seriously considering buying an iMac after spending ages sorting out my P.C today. Windows did yet another update last night came to boot up this morning and got the dreaded error message wasted hours  sorting it out I wont bother with the boring details. Just for the sake of clarity I am using windows 10. I have been using a P.C for many years and I have considered changing over to a Mac but I have always been a bit reluctant as I am not the worlds best when it comes to Technical stuff, at my age 67 I thought perhaps it’s just best to stick with what little I do know. All I mostly use a computer for is photography either editing looking on the internet to learn more on the subject via forums and YouTube that kind of thing so is it worth my while changing over, as I understand it Mac’s are supposed to be the best when it comes to photography and video editing, are they as good as the hype? What are the negatives if any? Do you have problems with the operating system? Will I need to consider forking out for new software if I buy One? I use Lightroom mostly now but still use Photoshop a little. For those of you that made the transition was it a big new learning curve? These may seem like obvious questions and I hope that you don’t think me foolish but it is a big decision and of course a great deal of money to spend so any advise on the subject will be most gratefully received.

Regards Jim 

[spacecadet]

Whatever the advantages I doubt you'd notice them in LR and PS, which are not very demanding.

If you can somehow get back to Win7, it's fine. Just enough improvement over XP to be worth the effort. So if you can roll back, do.

[Martyn]

Everybody has their own opinions and preferences as to which is preferable, Windows or Mac ! Three years ago, I bought my I.Mac and have never looked back…..I wouldn't even consider going back to Windows now. Yes, there can be some outlay for programmes that are free for Windows but not for Mac but that has not affected me as I don't need them….I think the only one I bought was Roxio Toast Pro for some video editing. Photoshop I have on subscription so that's not a problem. The way a Mac works is slightly different but is easy to get used to….best thing you could do is take a trip to a store and ask for a demo and see what you think yourself !

[jlcst]

Whatever the advantages I doubt you'd notice them in LR and PS, which are not very demanding.

If you can somehow get back to Win7, it's fine. Just enough improvement over XP to be worth the effort. So if you can roll back, do.

Thanks Mark I am not sure if it would work now after all this time but it is worth consideration 

[jlcst]

Everybody has their own opinions and preferences as to which is preferable, Windows or Mac ! Three years ago, I bought my I.Mac and have never looked back…..I wouldn't even consider going back to Windows now. Yes, there can be some outlay for programmes that are free for Windows but not for Mac but that has not affected me as I don't need them….I think the only one I bought was Roxio Toast Pro for some video editing. Photoshop I have on subscription so that's not a problem. The way a Mac works is slightly different but is easy to get used to….best thing you could do is take a trip to a store and ask for a demo and see what you think yourself !

Thank you for taking the time to reply Martyn I have thought about the trip to the store and will do that at some point but my main objective is to get honest points of views from imac users before hand so that I do not get swamped with the sales pitch blah blah 

Regards 

[spacecadet]

I suspect that in your case it's not a business decision. In mine, it would be and the answer would be no. The returns from stock do not justify any unnecessary expenditure.

[jlcst]

I suspect that in your case it's not a business decision. In mine, it would be and the answer would be no. The returns from stock do not justify any unnecessary expenditure.

That is a fair point Mark it is not a  business decision for me  but rather I am looking for ways to supplement my pension and what better way than to combine it with something that I enjoy doing however I most definitely do take on board the fact regarding returns from stock do not justify the expenditure and one well worth consideration thanks for that Mark

Regards 

[NYCat]

I wouldn't worry too much about the learning curve because there is so much help with that at the Apple stores. At least there is here in the USA. 

 

Paulette

[Armstrong]

I really like using a Mac. They are different to use but not that different. It's more about muscle memory and learning new terms for the same thing. One of the things I like about OSX is that it is actually much more powerful than people think. Even experienced Mac users can sometimes be surprised at what you can do with the native apps.

 

I find that OSX less obtrusive to the user experience than Windows. I don't miss the Windows update process, program installations. I don't spend anywhere the time I used to with Windows dealing with Virus or Malware scanners. Macs are not invulnerable to malware however this is orders of magnitude less than Windows. I still however use a Malware scanner on OSX.

 

My impression having used both systems is that Windows machines are good if you like tinkering with settings and optimising your system.

 

If you use an iOS device the integration with OSX is nice. For example the messaging system is integrated and you can switch between devices and continue the same conversation.

 

Whether you decide to stay PC or go to Mac my biggest piece of advice is make sure your machine has an SSD. I believe it's the single biggest thing you can currently do to improve your computing experience.

[John Walker]

I don't know why some people have lots of problems with Win 10 and updates etc and others have none.  I have 3 PCs all on Win 10 and fully updated. A fairly high spec tower, a medium spec tower and my wife's laptop.  Plus PCs owned by my sister and husband both on Win 10. To date there has not been one issue with any of these machines.

 

I don't doubt the problems you say you have jltst but it's odd how some PCs give problems and others don't.  I could understand it being a PC with very low spec giving a problem perhaps but one of my PCs only just scrapes through the minimum requirements for Win 10.  It happily runs Adobe Elements, Adobe Premiere and Office etc.  I hope you get your problems sorted out soon as i can guess how frustrating it must be for you.

 

John

[Allan Bell]

I used to be on XP and loved it. Then 7 came along and did not like it so back to XP then windows dropped support for XP. So considering the options I went for a 27" iMac with OS X 10.9.5 (Mavericks), 8GB memory and a 500GB SSD on board. This is just used for OS, programs and processing, all files being kept on external disc sets (mirrored).

 

There has been two OS upgrades since then (Yosemite and El Capitan) but I have stuck with Mavericks as it suits me. There were cases of problems with upgrades but I think most users on here have not experienced anything untoward. Apple are still supporting Mavericks with security updates etc.

 

I would not return to Windows.

 

Allan

[jlcst]

I wouldn't worry too much about the learning curve because there is so much help with that at the Apple stores. At least there is here in the USA. 

 

Paulette

Thank you for your reply Paulette it's most appreciated Love your wildlife images by the way they a lovely

Kind regards Jim

[fotoDogue]

As much as I love my Mac they're not without their own issues. Several months ago I was particularly unhappy with the newest system, El Capitan, and decided to downgrade to the previous system. It took a bit of work but I was able to do it. Macs also have regular system updates. I don't know how the number compares to Windows but I suspect it may happen even more often because most updates run through the Apple Store. I currently have about a half dozen software updates waiting to be installed.

 

If you decide to switch, I believe you can contact Adobe and transfer your license from Windows to the equivalent Mac version but you might want to double check before you take the plunge. People seem to love SSD but I find the internal 1tb drive on my Mac Mini, along with a couple of external drives is perfectly adequate.

 

If you're anywhere near an Apple Store I'd highly recommend paying them a visit and spending some time using a Mac before you make a decision. If you decide you prefer Mac over Windows it may be well worth the extra money spent.

 

fD

[Betty LaRue]

I made the switch 6 or so years ago and never looked back. When I first switched, I contacted Adobe and they supplied me with the Mac version of PS for under $10. Of course, you can never use the Windows version again or sell it. I'm on CC now.

I found the few softwares I had that didn't work I didn't need anymore.

I love my iMac. It handles everything I throw at it smoothly and with no crashes. That frustration is just a dim memory now.

[jlcst]

I really like using a Mac. They are different to use but not that different. It's more about muscle memory and learning new terms for the same thing. One of the things I like about OSX is that it is actually much more powerful than people think. Even experienced Mac users can sometimes be surprised at what you can do with the native apps.

 

I find that OSX less obtrusive to the user experience than Windows. I don't miss the Windows update process, program installations. I don't spend anywhere the time I used to with Windows dealing with Virus or Malware scanners. Macs are not invulnerable to malware however this is orders of magnitude less than Windows. I still however use a Malware scanner on OSX.

 

My impression having used both systems is that Windows machines are good if you like tinkering with settings and optimising your system.

 

If you use an iOS device the integration with OSX is nice. For example the messaging system is integrated and you can switch between devices and continue the same conversation.

 

Whether you decide to stay PC or go to Mac my biggest piece of advice is make sure your machine has an SSD. I believe it's the single biggest thing you can currently do to improve your computing experience.

Thank you for your insightful reply Michael that has given me great food for thought you are right about the virus checker a right pain I pay for Norton just to help me feel safe but Norton can be a bit of a hog with my system usage at times and its a yearly subscription that I would like to do with out As  mentioned before I am no technical wizard so the less tinkering the happy I will be 

Kind Regards Jim

[Ed Rooney]

67 eh? So this is a youth-related problem? 

 

I began with Windows, switched to Macs when I took a part-time (retirement) job at a magazine. Macs are what's used in the major magazine publishing companies.

 

It was not a major problem switching. "Disadvantages?" There's one you already know -- price. You might consider a Mac mini. I've owned two and they were terrific. I have an iMac now. When I got this iMac it was crashing at first. I took it to the Apple store, and they replace the HD. Problem solved.

 

As fD points out, any computer can have a problem. I've owned Windows PCs and Macs: I think Macs are better. 

 

Edo

[Armstrong]

 

 

Thank you for your insightful reply Michael that has given me great food for thought you are right about the virus checker a right pain I pay for Norton just to help me feel safe but Norton can be a bit of a hog with my system usage at times and its a yearly subscription that I would like to do with out As  mentioned before I am no technical wizard so the less tinkering the happy I will be 

Kind Regards Jim

You're welcome Jim. If you do stay on Windows I'd ditch the Norton subscription and switch to one of the free virus scanners. From what I remember the free ones came out ahead of Norton in tests. I certainly used a free one (and also an anti malware scanner) without any ill effects.

[jlcst]

I don't know why some people have lots of problems with Win 10 and updates etc and others have none.  I have 3 PCs all on Win 10 and fully updated. A fairly high spec tower, a medium spec tower and my wife's laptop.  Plus PCs owned by my sister and husband both on Win 10. To date there has not been one issue with any of these machines.

 

I don't doubt the problems you say you have jltst but it's odd how some PCs give problems and others don't.  I could understand it being a PC with very low spec giving a problem perhaps but one of my PCs only just scrapes through the minimum requirements for Win 10.  It happily runs Adobe Elements, Adobe Premiere and Office etc.  I hope you get your problems sorted out soon as i can guess how frustrating it must be for you.

 

John

Thank you John I am sure that many users get by with out problems as you say what I have at the moment is a bog standard dell  so I need to think about an upgrade anyway Some people probably love win 10 but I have to say for me I am disenchanted it's just getting under my skin or maybe it's just that I have had a very bad day with my computer today 

Kind Regards Jim

[jlcst]

67 eh? So this is a youth-related problem? 

 

I began with Windows, switched to Macs when I took a part-time (retirement) job at a magazine. Macs are what's used in the major magazine publishing companies.

 

It was not a major problem switching. "Disadvantages?" There's one you already know -- price. You might consider a Mac mini. I've owned two and they were terrific. I have an iMac now. When I got this iMac it was crashing at first. I took it to the Apple store, and they replace the HD. Problem solved.

 

As fD points out, any computer can have a problem. I've owned Windows PCs and Macs: I think Macs are better. 

 

Edo

Thank You Edo 

 

I love the youth- related crack  yes your right I am just having a teenage tantrum and throwing my toys out of the pram or PC in this case. And your right the price is a scary prospect but I will have to upgrade sooner rather than later so it's been great getting some insight Thanks for taking the time to reply 

Kind Regards Jim

[jlcst]

 

 

 

Thank you for your insightful reply Michael that has given me great food for thought you are right about the virus checker a right pain I pay for Norton just to help me feel safe but Norton can be a bit of a hog with my system usage at times and its a yearly subscription that I would like to do with out As  mentioned before I am no technical wizard so the less tinkering the happy I will be 

Kind Regards Jim

You're welcome Jim. If you do stay on Windows I'd ditch the Norton subscription and switch to one of the free virus scanners. From what I remember the free ones came out ahead of Norton in tests. I certainly used a free one (and also an anti malware scanner) without any ill effects.

 

Thanks Michael ditching Norton may well be on the cards next time around should I stay with PC as the subscription fees are getting silly £39.99 last one It all adds up 

 

Kind Regards 

                        Jim

[Colin Woods]

I am firmly in the 'switched and never looked back' category. I bought my 27inch iMac a bit more than three years ago. It has not crashed once. It is still as fast as the day I opened the box. It just works. From switch on to opening photoshop is around 13 seconds. The learning curve is not that bad at all, and if you get stuck you just type 'how do I ...... on a mac' and you will have the answer in seconds. I am far from a fanboy though, there are a few things I don't like about the mac, mostly physical. Apple put form over function every time - the keyboard, while gorgeous, is nasty. The buttons are tiny and very close together and its not backlit. I bought a $20 PC keyboard from eBay and its much nicer (though uglier). Same for the external CD/DVD reader. Slim and gorgeous but so thin that its hard to take discs in and out, so I have it sat on a book. But as a computer its fab. Just take the leap, you will not be sorry. You will very quickly forget all these tricks and hacks needed to keep Windows wobbling along. They are expensive, but if you look at a website where you can have your PC built to your spec and you enter all the hardware that's in a mac, you will see that the price of a PC with Mac spec is pretty high. Sure, there are people who build their own mega PCs for not much outlay but I have no interest in building a computer so I compare what I can buy in a shop. The screen is lovely and easily having a second screen has changed my computing life. Pick up a cheapo screen and you will be laughing. Go for it.

[jlcst]

I made the switch 6 or so years ago and never looked back. When I first switched, I contacted Adobe and they supplied me with the Mac version of PS for under $10. Of course, you can never use the Windows version again or sell it. I'm on CC now.

I found the few softwares I had that didn't work I didn't need anymore.

I love my iMac. It handles everything I throw at it smoothly and with no crashes. That frustration is just a dim memory now.

Thank you Betty

frustration is just a dim memory   Mmmm that sounds lovely 

 

Kind regards 

                       Jim

[Colin Woods]

One other thing. If you do go for an iMac, don't pay Apple for the memory. They charge you a laughable sum for it. You can easily buy the memory you need and put it in yourself as the slots are easily accessible on the back of the machine. It takes about five minutes in total. If you buy a laptop you have to pay Apple's money for the memory as its not user accessible.

[jlcst]

I am firmly in the 'switched and never looked back' category. I bought my 27inch iMac a bit more than three years ago. It has not crashed once. It is still as fast as the day I opened the box. It just works. From switch on to opening photoshop is around 13 seconds. The learning curve is not that bad at all, and if you get stuck you just type 'how do I ...... on a mac' and you will have the answer in seconds. I am far from a fanboy though, there are a few things I don't like about the mac, mostly physical. Apple put form over function every time - the keyboard, while gorgeous, is nasty. The buttons are tiny and very close together and its not backlit. I bought a $20 PC keyboard from eBay and its much nicer (though uglier). Same for the external CD/DVD reader. Slim and gorgeous but so thin that its hard to take discs in and out, so I have it sat on a book. But as a computer its fab. Just take the leap, you will not be sorry. You will very quickly forget all these tricks and hacks needed to keep Windows wobbling along. They are expensive, but if you look at a website where you can have your PC built to your spec and you enter all the hardware that's in a mac, you will see that the price of a PC with Mac spec is pretty high. Sure, there are people who build their own mega PCs for not much outlay but I have no interest in building a computer so I compare what I can buy in a shop. The screen is lovely and easily having a second screen has changed my computing life. Pick up a cheapo screen and you will be laughing. Go for it.

Thank you Colin

Nice to hear the negative as well as the positive it's helpful I take your point re cost of building a PC with similar specs  As for those people who build their own mega PCs I take my hat off to them However for me its a bit like my car I know how to get in switch the engine on and drive after that   not a clue thank you for all the helpful information Colin I am most grateful for you taking the time to reply.

 

Kind Regards 

                    Jim

 

[fotoDogue]

One other thing. If you do go for an iMac, don't pay Apple for the memory. They charge you a laughable sum for it. You can easily buy the memory you need and put it in yourself as the slots are easily accessible on the back of the machine. It takes about five minutes in total. If you buy a laptop you have to pay Apple's money for the memory as its not user accessible.

 

Not all Macs are user upgradeable. The 27 inch iMac is, via a slot in the back,  but the 21 inch can only be done by Apple or a repair service. Upgrading my Mac Mini was like opening a tupperware container and pushing the chips into place, but I've read the newer Mac Minis have soldered chips.