3 posts tagged “imac”
Well the iMac arrived 2 Tuesdays ago, and life hasn't been the same since. It is not often I can say this sort of thing but it is exactly as fun and exciting as I had hoped it would be (you know, for a computer). Contrary to the popular "Get a Mac" commercials from Apple, I didn't automatically sit down and create a Hollywood epic, nor record a Grammy Award winning album within seconds of pulling the thing out of the box, BUT it certainly has been very intuitive thus far, with a moderate amount of difficulty getting certain printers working (but that was more of a "networking with a WinXP PC" thing. And I've been lazy, and too busy playing with various iLife programs on the Mac).
So far, my greatest surprise has been how easy it was for the Mac to see my Windows machine (and it's various shared drives). That led to a networking revelation, and a major change to what Jenn can see on her WinXP laptop, from my downstairs computers. I have also been impressed with how integrated all the software that comes on the Mac is with each other (ie: pulling in iTunes tracks for a slideshow in iPhoto; allowing the use of GarageBand tracks as soundtrack for use in iMovie HD; etc). This is the exact type of "cross pollination" that I had always wished for in the Windows beasts, and never really got (autonomous programs, was the term I believe I used at one point. In sports terms, a group of players, rather than a team).
I did go back and switch my iPod to being a Mac iPod VS a Windows iPod (as I did with Jenn's too), because frankly,
Here's the most impressive thing of all: we ordered the iMac on a Friday. It was here, and ready for pickup 5 days later. Now I realize that I didn't order anything too outrageous (increased RAM to 2 GB, and upgraded the video card to the best available), but 5 DAYS! Wow! They told me that they guaranteed my having it by Jan 24th (which would have been 3 days ago, a full 8 days AFTER I actually got it). This would fall under the category of telling people something that you KNOW you can achieve, and then wowing them when you do it EVEN quicker. Much better than the alternative (which I believe I had with my WinXP system. No wonder those guys went out of business).
In short, I'm happy happy happy with my choice. Still to come, hopefully some original projects, more installation of software (Delicious Library and Parallels, you may be next), and if I can wean myself completely off the XP box, possibly switching my old box to Linux of some sort (or at least a dual boot system). In the meantime, a happy (moderately crazy) picture of the new owner, and his new friend.
I'm sure my wonderfully patient wife, Jenn, is sick of hearing me speak of this, so I will instead share it with the world.
As of Friday evening, I have taken my first steps into the world of Apple. Well, that is not technically true, as I've owned a 4th Generation iPod (40GB) for the last couple of years. But it will be the first time that I have ever purchased a computer that wasn't a Windows based machine. Naturally, with a ton of friends who are almost all Windows users, I'm asked "Why, Doc, would you want to spend a crazy amount of money, on a system that isn't compatible with ANY of the software you currently own? Why would you do that?".
Well I think that timing is the issue. For years, you could buy a Mac, and that's what you had. And you spent a heck of a lot of money on it. Granted, Apple Computers have always come with amazingly good software right out of the box (well in recent years anyway), something that Windows can't necessarily brag about, with the possible exception of Solitaire (and to a lesser extent, Minesweeper). Windows machines have always had a more modular intent. You want a new hard drive? Go out, buy a bigger hard drive, and bam! new drive space. A new cool game won't play with your current video card? Go get one that will work. Mac's (with the exception of the current Mac Pro's maybe) don't do this. They are a pain to do anything to, and you pretty well void the warranty if you try. On current iMac's, about the only upgrade you can make, would be to memory. So again, why do this, and why now?
Now I can put Windows on my Mac, and either run it natively through a program that Apple themselves promote called "Bootcamp". This allows me to essentially have a dual boot system, where I choose XP or OS X at bootup (let's be fair, I could also choose some form of Linux, if I wished as well). OR I can purchase a program called Parallels which allows me to run Windows in a window (ironic), from OS X. While this second choice is not 100% of the speed of a native Windows boot, it is apparently pretty darn close. Close enough to run most Windows functions anyway. Sure there are pluses and minuses to both ideas (and I'm not going to toss out my current Windows machine...though it may be a Linux/Windows dual boot before long), but the bottom line is I can run EITHER Operating System on a Mac. I can't run OS X on a Windows based machine. So if you want them both, there is really one choice.
Also, I find that more and more of what I do with a computer is either net surfing, email, word processing, digital music or digital photography oriented (though you wouldn't know it, based on the lack of photos on here. I'll work on that). There is also a plan in the near future to get into digital video. While the first 3 items can basically be done on any computer at this point, it's the last 2 (and the future endeavour) that really swayed me to a Mac. I want to be able to pull down video, alter photos, edit music, possibly create podcasts, or any mashups of those various applications, with style and ease. Frankly, my experience with Windows, in this regard has been just OK. Not great, not horrible. So the Mac, along with the iLife 06 suite which comes with the Mac, won a lot of points with me for those types of projects.
Lastly, the iMac specifically has always interested me. Of all the history of Apple Computers, only the iMac has interested me enough to want one. No tower. Just a big beautiful screen on my desk with a couple of wires coming out of it. No one can deny that an Apple computer LOOKS beautiful. It's a functional piece of art. And I can't wait to get it.
SO, the next posting I have on here, will likely be some documentation of my receiving the iMac. My thoughts, opinions, photos of setup, and general commentary. I expect I'll be a little bit giddy. Hopefully sooner rather than later (Apple claims before Jan 24th, but I'm hoping for next weekend.).
