PC to MAC?

[Emanded]

Has anyone had the experience of changing from PC to an iMAC?
I've never used a Mac but have seen many in action and really like the operation and graphics.
My Photoshop and Lightroom need updating and my pc is getting on a bit (like me!) so I'm not too concerned with the hardware/software change but I would just like to know - are they as good as they look?.

[PaulMontgomery]

Not specifically an i-mac, but it all went smoothly with no snags.

I did it many moons ago. I would not change back. I had no problem changing - a small learning curve, but Apple's operating systems are very intuitive. They come with useful free software out of the box. I'd go into an Apple shop and have a play and a chat to the people inside. If you have Adobe products you can contact them, tell them you are moving to a mac from a PC and for a small admin fee they will exchange - I think often for newer versions - certainly cheaper than buying from scratch. Also don't forget that if you have a family member or a friend is a student (primary school to university), you can borrow proof and purchase Adobe education versions (full versions, just cheaper).

My parents made the change a couple of years ago - both retired(ish) and both have managed fairly easily - though to be fair I still occasionally have to talk them through something on the phone or show them/take over their mac on iChat to show them how to do what they want to do.

Mr. Gates and co would really have to raise their game if I were to consider switching back to Microsoft running computers (apart from possibly the Courier (not technically a PC) - do a google search it is very very impressive). But as I have already said, go have a play. If you do get one, feel free to holler if your stuck on something.

[lifecapture]

Yes i changed three years back, but i still keep a windows pc for office work. As for the Imac its a good media hub that is what it was designed for, not really designed for serious photo editing. The screens aren't great as the light isn't even from corner to corner which is a problem if you are serious about colour profiles etc. The new glass shiny screens are pretty awful, i had the last of the lead based ones which i believe to be better. As for positives, photoshop wont boot you out, OSX is a rock stable platform, as for the transition it might feel strange at first but after a weekend of long use you will feel right at home.
If you go for the IMAC go for the bottom end version and upgrade the RAM yourself, its so easy and RAM is pretty cheap these days if you buy direct from crucial- as for the other specs in the more expensive machines, they look impressive on paper but the bottleneck in processing with be your hard drive, so peeing into the wind springs to mind, an increase in RAM is probably the only thing that will bring performance to an imac.
Dont buy an imac now, wait for the current product cycle to end, there might be a new line up for Christmas, id expect better graphics card higher bus speed and maybe a larger hard drive. If you do go for one now make sure it ships with OSX.6 i.e. snow leopard, some ship with OSX.5- leopard and a 60% discount voucher on the new OS which is superior aswell as freeing up GB's of space on your HD.
Not sure if i have painted an entirely positive picture of apple. I love my imac, and i would not edit photos on any other platform, i love the stability it brings, i love the simplicity of OSX i love all the free software in the mac community including photoshop plugins, i love the fact that virus's dont attack you, and i adore apple's aperture say what you will of lightroom i have tried it and frankly i hated its guts, but aperture is a true marvel and a bargain considering its price and the improvement it will bring to your workflow. I am not a mac fanboy there are serious weaknesses to an imac, its not perfect and i am tired of people saying they are, i just want to give you an honest view as i would hate for you to get your imac and be disappointed.

Best of luck with your purchase.

[lifecapture]

Originally Posted by happypaddler

I did it many moons ago. I would not change back. I had no problem changing - a small learning curve, but Apple's operating systems are very intuitive. They come with useful free software out of the box. I'd go into an Apple shop and have a play and a chat to the people inside. If you have Adobe products you can contact them, tell them you are moving to a mac from a PC and for a small admin fee they will exchange - I think often for newer versions - certainly cheaper than buying from scratch. Also don't forget that if you have a family member or a friend is a student (primary school to university), you can borrow proof and purchase Adobe education versions (full versions, just cheaper).

My parents made the change a couple of years ago - both retired(ish) and both have managed fairly easily - though to be fair I still occasionally have to talk them through something on the phone or show them/take over their mac on iChat to show them how to do what they want to do.

Mr. Gates and co would really have to raise their game if I were to consider switching back to Microsoft running computers (apart from possibly the Courier (not technically a PC) - do a google search it is very very impressive). But as I have already said, go have a play. If you do get one, feel free to holler if your stuck on something.

Hey happypaddler,

good advice but not a true picture on adobe student products, they only give license to one computer which may suit your needs, but if say you have double platform set up its not good (i.e. windows and mac). Its a poor deal as far as i remember its been a while since i last looked at an adobe license i am on CS3, but if i recall adobe only gave one computer with its student pack, even microsoft give 2 licenses acknowledging the fact that people these days tend to have a home computer and a laptop. The full adobe product if i recall has 5 licenses, there really needs to be a middle ground, i could be wrong and if i am i stand corrected, like i said its been a while since i last checked, just thought i would throw this in there.

Originally Posted by lifecapture

Hey happypaddler,

good advice but not a true picture on adobe student products, they only give license to one computer which may suit your needs, but if say you have double platform set up its not good (i.e. windows and mac). Its a poor deal as far as i remember its been a while since i last looked at an adobe license i am on CS3, but if i recall adobe only gave one computer with its student pack, even microsoft give 2 licenses acknowledging the fact that people these days tend to have a home computer and a laptop. The full adobe product if i recall has 5 licenses, there really needs to be a middle ground, i could be wrong and if i am i stand corrected, like i said its been a while since i last checked, just thought i would throw this in there.

No idea about cross platform - I was not even aware that Adobe did a deal that allowed that - you will surly need two copies of the same software to do that? As for the Student version - I bought CS2 when it was the current carnation and saved myself well over a £100. The licence is the same as Apple's aperture and the non-student version of photoshop in that you can have it on both your laptop as well as your desktop. Adobe's only caveat is that you do not run both machines using the the same licensed photoshop at the same time (I.e. editing on both machines at exactly the same time - you can do something on your dsktop, clost Photoshop,, put the file on your MacBook and legaly run the same copy of Photoshop). I think when I contacted Adobe to check - they said the non-education only allowed 2 machines as well - unless you pay more! As said above - you get exactly the same software as the non-education version - its just cheaper!

The chaps at CNET in the US gave a fair outline of the PC v Mac debate on the show the Real Deal (178) http://cnettv.cnet.com/?tag=hdr;snav

It's over 30 mins long as a programme, but the relevant bit is only 5 - 10 mins.


EDIT: just tried this link and it takes you to the home page, you will have to search for the relevant podcast.

[Jimmymck]

I switched over to MAC just under 12 months ago, i purchased an iPhone and loved the way it worked. I then bought a MAC mini as i didn't want to spend to much, but within a week i was hooked and the mini was returned for a top of the line MacBook Pro 15". When i'm at home its plugged into a 22" external display giving fantastic dual screen function. You will not look back.

I wasn't looking for an upgrade at the time, in fact i had spent the best part of £2,800 on a new tower and laptop.

I have just put VMware Fusion 2 (new release is out) on which allows me to run other operating systems in OSX, i cannot praise this software enough as there was some software for the PC only now i can run it from one place +++++++

[stevewren]

Well I changed from a pc to a mac and wouldn't go back either.......I purchased Apples Aperture so as to keep in all in house so to speak. Now thats a learning curve. Now to my point....does anybody understand proof profiles and colour matching on Mac/aperture combination because Im having problems??? Help...

[KeithT]

The only piece of Apple I have is my ipod classic. It's a great piece of kit along with my Bose dock, good sound and well put together. I did fall in love with the Apple iMac 27-inch: 2.66GHz quad core computer, but it is the Leica of the computer world and whilst I have vivid dreams of owning the sexy Leica M9 with a couple of gorgeous Leica lenses, and processing the results on my iMac, both are quite unaffordable to me. Mac is the way to go if you can afford it.