iMac: Looking for GTP's user opinions

[Bram Turismo]

First my dad went from Windows to Mac with the Apple Mac Mini. Then my sister turned to the dark side by buying a Macbook Pro. Now I have to explain myself why I should stick to Windows when this laptop gets old.

I am a constructional engineering student. Currently I'm using my ASUS laptop to do any kind of work I need to do at home in Autocad or similar software. This ASUS has served me perfectly since I bought it (summer 2010).

What am I not happy with?
Two things; the resolution, and the materials. When working with photoshop, G-PROG or Autocad drawings quickly get large, and the max resolution this ASUS has is a 1366X768 resolution. Working with large projects on a screen this small irritates me to no extent. And then there's the bad, cheap-feeling materials. The entire thing is pure plastic, and with a little bit of strength one would nearly press the keyboard through the laptop.

So why an iMac? What am I looking for?
First I was considering a Mac Mini since they are so cheap, but of course it doesn't include anything; no screen, keyboard or mouse. The iMac is less than a Macbook Pro, and includes a wireless keyboard and the drop-dead gorgeous Magic Mouse. I have used this particular mouse before and absolutely loved it. Since everything is wireless the only cable one has with the iMac is the power cable. No cables = win.

I am not looking for an incredibly powerful system, since this system will not be used for any sort of gaming. This system will be used for Autocad and its module, Novapoint. Other software include Photoshop, concrete analyzing software such as G-PROG, iTunes, video players. In short I am looking for a simple system that has a nice design, is reliable, completes my tasks without any kind of problems, and is an all-round joy to use and/or browse with.

If you desperately want an iMac, why make a thread about it then?
I want to ask GTP's users about their experiences with the iMac. It would be ideal if there were any people who use their iMacs for similar purposes to mine to hear whether their iMacs fulfilled their expectations. If not I would be looking at something different.

 

[Solo]

Firstly check that these programmes you are using can be gotten on the OS X platform. If they can not then there is no point in you getting an iMac no matter how much you want one.

Maybe talk to Moglet, I know he uses an iMac and does a lot of graphics work on it.

I am a MBP user so I can tell you that the user interface and current OS X version is great and there is an update planned for the summer to Mountain Lion which will integrate a lot of the iOS features.

 

[SuperShouden]

I'm on a Macbook Pro right now, and I love it. I don't know anything about Autocad or photoshop, I know my Macbook's Max resolution is 1440 x 900.

If you want something small, the new Macbook Airs are mini-laptops and start at $1000.

I think my favorite thing about Macs is to upgrade to the next OS, it's $30 now. How cool is that? And $120 for iLife and iWorks combined, although, you can get iLife with the machine so $60 extra for Pages, Numbers and Keynote.

I also have less aggravating issues with Macs than PCs. In short, PCs are like a Ford Mustang and Macs are like a Ferrari 458 Italia.

 

[eSZee]

Yes, a 458 costs 10x as much a mustang and looks much prettier.

If you want an Apple computer, buy one that meets all/most of your needs and don't look back.

 

[SuperShouden]

Yes, a 458 costs 10x as much a mustang and looks much prettier.

Yup.

Although, in the long run, over the course of it's life a Mac will probably cost it's owner less than PC. Simply because with a PC, if you want to upgrade your OS and Office Suites, it's about $300, whereas with a Mac it's only $90. Granted, most everything else will cost about the same between Mac and PC, but if you're using Autocad and everything else, I would assume having up to date Operating systems and Excel-like programs would be an advantage, and with Mac, you can save money on both.

And, to be honest, I rather like the "Expensive hardware, cheap software" idea of Macs. PCs and Macs cost about the same price to make, and one way or another, they have to make up that cost. Microsoft does it by charging $150 for their new OS's and Office products. Apple does it by charging a true retail price of their hardware, and then not charging so much for everything else. I think that's a better trade. I'd rather pay a butt-load of money up front than pay all that money down the road.

 

[eSZee]

Why would I need to update my office suite?
If I need it for work, my employer will pay for it, if I need it for personal use, I can use the same version I bought 5 years ago.
I'm not one to yearn for the latest and greatest.

Bram, what is your budget?

 

[Bram Turismo]

There is no budget cap. However, my friend with whom I share a project is also using a Macbook pro. In all honesty I love OS X, and I'm getting a bit fed up with Windows. A 1440 resolution is also too small for large Autocad drawings which is why a Macbook Pro or Air is not an option. I'm not looking for mobility. Right now an iMac is a perfect solution for design, reliability, user-friendliness and processing my tasks.

Take the "there is no budget cap" a bit lightly, though. An iMac Pro is out of the question. Too large and expensive for the performance it gives in return.

I have checked with Autodesk and clients for Mac are available.

 

[F1GTR]

The 27" iMac has a screen res of 2560x1440, and it's a good screen. Once you apply a student discount to the base 27" it'll be priced the same as a PC similarly specced with a 27" external as well. My parents have one (used my discount as I chose it for them), and it's probably the first computer they've had that doesn't require me to constantly fix things for them.

 

[Bram Turismo]

Exactly.

A 27" might be overkill. The 21,5" has a 1980-wide resolution and is just about perfect.

I'm just trying to find the catch why the 21,5" iMac, that includes a wireless keyboard and mouse, is a good deal cheaper than a 13" MacBook. If there is one.

 

[eSZee]

Smaller and more portable = more desirable = more money.

 

[NissanSkylineN1]

Macs also have a higher resale value. I think that OSX is honestly something that emphasizes on user Friendliness, while having less programs available for it. However, Macs do not have the customizability that PCs do, and also will tend to have less computing power. Macs also run hot... VERY hot.

 

[Moglet]

As Soloracer said, I've got an iMac and do a fair bit of editing and design work on it and my screen runs at 1680x1050. It's absolutely perfect for what I use it for but I'm getting a bit tired of it playing up on me at the minute. The 'sleep' function just wakes it up over and over after turning it off and being forced to use iTunes can be horrible sometimes.

That said, anyone who uses it comments on how clear, bright and detailed the screen is. My girlfriend has a nice Alienware laptop and a decent monitor for gaming and even she prefers how the iMac screen looks.

I'd just go get one if I were you, you won't regret it at all. Having everything built into the screen is a life saver at times too.

 

[Joey D]

To overcome compatibility issues I recommend running boot camp if you get an iMac. I have it on my MacBook Pro and it's really nice being able to switch into Windows to run the stuff I need to for my IT classes. You can also install Parallels which allows for fast swapping between OS's, I use a similar when I'm in class so I can flip over to Win7 when I need to without a restart.

 

[CMvan46]

Ok huge warning going out to you that the Mac version of AutoCAD is am awful port from the Windows version, well so I'm told.

My girlfriend is in school for architectural and building engineering technology student which is a lot of work with AutoCAD and she was interested in looking at Macs but he asked her instructor about that program on Macs and she said she would no matter what go with a Windows computer until they improve the Mac version a whole lot. Apparently there are tons of bugs and choppyness with the Mac version which would no doubt make it incredibly hard to use.

I'd go PC if I were you.

 

[AOS-]

I use parallels instead of bootcamp because of the nuisance of restarting the computer to switch platforms when using the latter. But I wouldn't use bootcamp for bigger programs like CAD.

The magic mouse while it looks beautiful, is incredibly (I find) unergonomic. I'm not the kind of people who like big mice, nor do I have big hands, but the sides of the mouse is so narrow it's difficult and uncomfortable to track with. The 2 plastic feet on the bottom scrap the work surface like a run-down grater too.

 

[bevo]

I have 3 macs. An older 2006 imac, a 2008 macbook and a new 17 inch macbook pro. I don't like any of them. The wife likes them because they are super easy to navigate on and pretty to look at. I would much rather use my windows pc I use for gaming. It was half the price of the new macbook she got, and it blows it away in every way, shape, and form.

I actually loved our first imac, until I got to use a PC that wasn't bought at walmart, and was made with high end hardware.

Don't waste your money on a mac. Build yourself a nice windows PC and watch it blow away the performance of any mac money can buy.

Keep in mind I have 3 macs, and just spent 3k on the best macbook you can buy for my wife, and will not recommend them to anyone, except kids, old people, or anyone who has never used a computer before. I really have no idea how they justify the price of macs, given the low tech they put in them.

Do yourself a favor and build your own computer, and buy a really nice monitor, for less then the imac will cost you.

Look at all the mac users telling you to run bootcamp for windows on your mac. Why not just buy a windows computer for half the price and with much better performance, and have windows? I can't think of one single program I need that only works on macs, but there are tons of them that just works on windows. Macs make no sense to me whatsoever. Keep in mind that as I type this, it's on a macbook.

One more thing I will add is that 2 out of my 3 macs have broken. My first macbook had to be sent back twice for the DVD drive not working, and currently I have to either tilt my screen forward or backward to get the screen to work. If you try and use it in the sweet spot where everything looks good the screen goes black. My imac also had to be taken in for an HDD failure recently and data recovery. Apple wouldn't fix that, so I had to spend 400$ to get my data back and have a new HDD put in it. The imac also has had DVD player problems. My new macbook is only about 2 months old, but no problems with it so far.

From my experience with 3 macs, the only good thing I have to say, and it is a big plus, is that I have never had a virus, or any other program that has hindered the usage of the computer.

 

[Azuremen]

From a workstation perspective, I've never been a big fan of the iMacs. Not so much because of OS X, where my only real qualm is how windows are handled at times and perhaps the mouse acceleration curve, but because I prefer having two smaller displays to work on rather than one large one. Always found it easier to have documents I am referencing, design goals, etc on one screen while the work environment is open on the other.

The other consideration is programs for design (my experience with Solid Works) prefer OpenGL capable cards, and thus dedicated workstation graphics cards over standard GPU setups. Not sure what options would be with Apple and how the iMac is put together.

I do know, as a fact, you could build a more capable desktop workstation with a very tidy package for much less than an iMac. For the base iMac, it is $1200 USD and you are not getting an IPS monitor. Which doesn't sound like a huge deal but once you see the color difference and viewing angle first hand, it is night and day. A pair of the 21.5 inch Dell e-IPS displays can be had for under $500 now, and $700 into the rest of the system would be impressive. But yes, cables are more of a hassle, you'd have at least 5 - 2 for each display and then a power cable for the box. Wireless keyboards are offered in an array of options that would keep that tidy though.

It really comes down to how much do you value tucking a few cables away versus having considerably more performance with superior displays. The mobile chipset being used in the iMac 21.5" isn't really going to do much when it comes to heavy rendering either.

Though I find this kind of amusing, as I recall recommending a MacBook Pro back when you laptop shopping for the exact reasons you are complaining about on your Asus.

 

[Sprite]

Ok my 2c's

I've been an iMac user since sometime in 2002, and yes it's the same iMac I bought all that time ago, with the exception of a RAM upgrade and move from Tiger to leopard its had no other changes. I love my iMac it's been a trooper especially for image editing and sound production.

I've had no major issues with anything hardware or software and my next computer purchase will be another Mac of some type. I have never used boot camp and to be honest I would never go back to Windows for the simple fact it breaks too easy. Don't get me wrong I was a Windows and PC user all the way through Uni but within the time had my PC (self built) I had so many issues with Windows and nearly lost my final years work including my Dissretation, I'm glad I had backups.

Autocad as far as I was aware are also moving to OSX if they haven't already. And others have mentioned there is boot camp or parallels. I'm sure what ever you buy you will be happy, and the grass always seems greener on the other side.

 

[NissanSkylineN1]

That said, anyone who uses it comments on how clear, bright and detailed the screen is.

..which leads to eye strains/ fatigue.

 

[Casio]

It really comes down to how much do you value tucking a few cables away versus having considerably more performance with superior displays. The mobile chipset being used in the iMac 21.5" isn't really going to do much when it comes to heavy rendering either.

This is why a real men get a Mac Pro.

I'm experienced in this ****. If you're doing CAD work (And want a Mac) you need a Mac Pro, if you're just doing basic photoshopping, web browsing, general use, etc, you'll be fine with an iMac.

 

[tlowr4]

Ah, good to see I'm not the only one that loves a Mac around here.

Yeah. I've got a 13" MacBook Pro (got it just after all the MacBooks went Pro in early-mid 2009), it's been bashed, dropped, kicked, stood on, watered...everything you can think of, and it still runs strong. Just a few dents and scratches.

Nothing better than a MacBook Pro (I recommend the 15", better CPU and graphics chip). She gets toasty, but if you can put up with that, there's nothing better.

 

[AOS-]

..which leads to eye strains/ fatigue.

I don't get how people can work with the brightness setting so high. Mine is on the lowest possible, unless I really can't read what's on the screen due to glare and bright rooms.

 

[NissanSkylineN1]

This is why a real men get a Mac Pro.

I'm experienced in this ****. If you're doing CAD work (And want a Mac) you need a Mac Pro, if you're just doing basic photoshopping, web browsing, general use, etc, you'll be fine with an iMac.

The reason why is because all other Macs are slow compared to their PC counterpart when considering price. I mean, would you pay $2.5K for a computer that has a 2 year old Server CPU, an ATI 5770, 3GB DDR3 memory and 1 TB HDD? Heck, my $700 PC is better than that.

I don't get how people can work with the brightness setting so high. Mine is on the lowest possible, unless I really can't read what's on the screen due to glare and bright rooms.

I agree with you. My Dell LED monitor has its brightness set to 0 and it still causes me eye fatigue after a few hours. I went to the Apple store the other day, and after working with a Mac for 15 minutes, my eyes started to hurt badly.

 

[Moglet]

..which leads to eye strains/ fatigue.

I use mine at full brightness for hours on end and so does my friend with the same model and my brother with his new MacBook and my entire uni was kitted out with them. No complaints from anyone, and they had students working on them for very long periods of time.

I went to the Apple store the other day, and after working with a Mac for 15 minutes, my eyes started to hurt badly.

15 minutes? Nothing should cause eye strain after just 15 minutes. You might want to get an optician to take a look into that.

 

[Casio]

The reason why is because all other Macs are slow compared to their PC counterpart when considering price. I mean, would you pay $2.5K for a computer that has a 2 year old Server CPU, an ATI 5770, 3GB DDR3 memory and 1 TB HDD? Heck, my $700 PC is better than that.

I wouldn't. But if I had a Mac orientated CAD workflow I might.

 

[NissanSkylineN1]

15 minutes? Nothing should cause eye strain after just 15 minutes. You might want to get an optician to take a look into that.

I usually work in a mildly lit environment at home, usually leave the desk lamp off, as it causes eye glare/ is annoying. So, when you're at the Mac store and a 27" iMac has its brightness at max, I'm sure there is some eye strain involved.

I wouldn't. But if I had a Mac orientated CAD workflow I might.

What is a Mac oriented CAD workflow exactly? What can a Mac do, especially in CAD and engineering, that a PC can't? Last time I checked, engineering calculations usually run in Command Prompt and use Windows applications such as Transformer, Word, arcGIS, and various other calculating programs that are Windows specific.

 

[Casio]

What is a Mac oriented CAD workflow exactly? What can a Mac do, especially in CAD and engineering, that a PC can't? Last time I checked, engineering calculations usually run in Command Prompt and use Windows applications such as Transformer, Word, arcGIS, and various other calculating programs that are Windows specific.

What I'm saying is you may work for a Mac based company, using Mac based infrastructure, and/or (most importantly) your personal PC preference is a Mac, then getting a decently spec'd Mac Pro may be a better option than a custom built PC.

These Mac vs PC "OMG MACS ARE SO EXPENSIVE FOR THE PERFORMACE YOU ARE SO DUMBB!!11! FANBOISS LOLZ1" posts are so stupid.

 

[NissanSkylineN1]

These Mac vs PC "OMG MACS ARE SO EXPENSIVE FOR THE PERFORMACE YOU ARE SO DUMBB!!11! FANBOISS LOLZ1" posts are so stupid.

I was legit being honest about the Mac workflow question though..... I've never heard of any engineering firm based on a Mac infrastructure.

And isn't is what this thread is mainly about, minus the fanboy part?

I am in no way biased against Macs. In fact, here's a screenshot of me typing this post from OSX 10.7.

 

[Joel]

I bought a desktop iMac in 2009, I'm a week or two away from having it for 3 years. It's been fantastic, literally no problems whatsoever, but keep in mind that I just web browse, light photoshop, play WoW, and that's about it. If I had a redo, I'd probably go with a macbook because I can take it with me, etc etc.

As for you, if what the guys here are saying about the autocad for mac being a bad port, just run boot camp and partition 50gb for Windows XP and do your autocad that way.

 

[Casio]

I was legit being honest about the Mac workflow question though..... I've never heard of any engineering firm based on a Mac infrastructure.

And isn't is what this thread is mainly about, minus the fanboy part?

The thread was, "I want to do some CAD/Rendering Work" and "I think to try a Mac" and "Is an iMac suitable for this?". My response is, if you want to a Mac experience, but really want to do semi professional CAD work/renderings, then a Mac Pro is much more suitable than a iMac.