DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

My desktop machine (Win10, originally Win7 2015) is starting to show signs of age and I am considering replacing it. My wife of 4 years is a mac user and I have been a windows guy since about 1990. I have no problems with windows but I see some advantages of a uniform platform in the house. When I had an android phone, text messages between my phone and her iPhone sometimes took 24 hours to get through. My email works on my iPhone and my desktop but they are separate. The spam definitions on the desktop do not extend to the iPhone, while hers are common to both her iPhone and her Macbook Air. Not a really big deal but it means I get a lot of spam on my iPhone.

So I started to look at Macs. First I looked at the Apple website and saw a few things, but no pricing. I looked at the website of the Micro Center, whom I have dealt with for many years, and they had what looked to me to be a limited selection, most of which were all-in-one machines. I'm used to modular, with lots of third party options.

My current rig is a quad core I7, 24 GB ram, 1TByte C drive, 2 TByte J drive, a 3TByte R drive (used for local Crashplan) the tower has 7 USB connectors, most of which are used for one thing or another (e.g. three external hard drives, a dongle that drives the keyboard and a trackball, a tablet (which I need to use more). I have two monitors working on it, and if I get a real desk to put it on, I will have three.

I have not really done a lot of research but what I've done hasn't shown me anything that looks like what I have now when it comes to Apple stuff. Windows stuff I would have no problem building something similar.

So since there are a lot of dedicated Apple guys out there and since I'm really unknowledgeable when it comes to Apple, I'm open to suggestions as to Apple machines. The problem is not urgent, the system is still working, but it occasionally requires reboots, and they report problems restarting. Shortcutting the startup checking gets me to something that works. I am not committed to getting into Apple, but my wife would like it (and you all know how important that could be).

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I switched to using a 27" iMac a few years ago. It was set up solely to do photographic, and photographic related, work. I wouldn't consider using a Windoze machine for photography again.
--Bob

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

How many USB ports? How many internal disks and what size? How many monitors can I hook up to it? How much memory can I stuff into it?

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I should also note that I have a printer that is on the network. It does not have AirPrint installed. It worked fine for everyone until the last update of my wife's Macbook, at which time it would not print. She spent about 3 hours on the phone with Apple techs and they were unable to suggest anything. Online suggestions did not work. The printer works from her iPhone but not from the Macbook. I don't want problems like that.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

I have 4USB ports. However, I have 3 G-Tech harddrives running through a USB hub into one of them. I have one internal 1 TB SATA HD. The one I'm using can have up to 16GB of memory. I'm running with 12. Yes, I can run two monitors. The second monitor uses a Firewire port and translates the information through a Firewire to VGA adapter.

Now, as to how much memory the newer iMacs have, I have no idea. I'm not one who looks at new equipment unless I'm in the market to purchase something. You'll have to look that one up or decide how much when you order one.
--Bob

Curmudgeon Loc: SE Arizona

Both are good platforms but there are other issues involved in changing. There will be a learning curve on the new platform and your work flow will slow down initially. How about software compatibility? LR and PS will be alright as long as you subscribe but what about your other programs will they allow you to change platforms for free or will you have to purchase new products?

At my age I will stick with my Windows platform just because I am comfortable with it. JMHO of course. Good luck in your journey.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

As far as peripherals like printers go, I'm not the one to ask. My ancient HP Officejet G85 does well and it is networked.
--Bob

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

If you go the Mac route, my first question would be are all my current applications supported on the Mac platform? My second question would be am I willing to spend 4K$? An I-9 base IMac with 32GB memory and a 1 TB SSD is $3599. Add to that your 2nd monitor and whatever external drive capacity you need.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

Thanks. It gives me a point to start looking.

The only platform problems I know about are that I have to give up Irfanview, which I use a lot, and my old old pascal compiler (from the’90s). I have started porting my utility routines (some dating back to the’60s in Fortran) to Python, but I’m still a novice there.

Floyd Loc: Misplaced Texan in Florence, Alabama

Check out Apple's refurbished iMac, Mac Books, etc. as you can save a few bucks and have the save warranty as new. I have about worn out my second refurbished iMac and got it set up exactly as I wanted. Seems like I saved about $375. On the Apple site,go to the bottom of the page. Under the Apple Store you will find refrbished & clearance.

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

A couple apps will give me trouble (above) but I already have monitors. I don’t like spending money but if it keeps the wife happy........

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I’m more interested in getting the specifications I want than maybe 10% savings, although as a retired farmer, saving money is always important.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

iMac's operating system is BSD Unix.
Here's something that might interest you. - https://www.freepascal.org/down/i386/macosx-canada.html
Here's another you might like - https://gcc.gnu.org/wiki/GFortranBinaries

I wrote a stitching program some years back. I was elated when I found that iMacs will compile C code.
--Bob

stonecherub Loc: Tucson, AZ

The Windows/Mac problem is philosophical, no solution can exist.

Back in the old days (1970s-80s) when the world was being created, Steve Jobs had a vision of computing as it should be. His computer was a tool, like a hammer, its function was to do a job like write a letter (drive a nail). As the carpenter need not obsess over the beauty of his tools as his wall goes up, the Mac user just wrote her words and selected a font she liked to print them with.

IBM, on the other hand, was a company of engineers, and engineers appreciate tools for what they are. That hammer IS beautiful, even if I cannot reliably hit a nail with it, much less drive that nail home with the one or two blows needed to actually finish a house. The IBM/Microsoft/Windows operating system was open for the user to appreciate (and play with) whereas the Mac OS was closed. (Don't you worry your pretty little head about what goes on inside, we'll take care of you).

The end result was two competing systems that cooperated only when forced. Windows is open and everything is interchangeable, Mac is closed and everything is proprietary. Truth be known, I would have been better off with a Mac (considering how much time I wasted trumping around with the OS), but I simply couldn't afford it at the time. Intel/Microsoft/Windows was much, much cheaper in those days and remains so.

If you decide to switch to Mac, you will have to replace what you currently own with their stuff. It will work really, really well but it will be proprietary. If you can afford it, good on 'ya. The end result is image quality, after all.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

That is a good description. Windows is an open system, and the world, except for Apple, is headed in that direction, hence the demise of the one-time Unix “big guns”, such as Sun, DG, DEC, etc. after the world went to Linux. Apple is almost the last remaining hold-out for closed systems. The advantage to Apple is simplicity of use (especially for the non computer literate), and the seamless compatibility and content sharing with other Apple devices such as IPhones and IPads. They are also well constructed and very stylish, but that comes at the expense of repairability/access and cooling. The downsides are cost (typically 1.5-2x) for equivalent Windows performance, lack of upgradability, and typically a generation behind PCs in performance. They are preferred by graphic artists, content creators and many photographers. Windows is preferred by almost everyone else and most businesses, which comprises 80-90% of end-user computing platforms.

There are some myths about Macs which include: they are more reliable and use better components (they use the same components as PCs), they are immune to viruses, malware and hacking (they are not - there are less Apple viruses because there are less Macs as a target). They have better graphics/displays (depends on the display you purchase for your PC). They are a better long-term investment (you can keep a computer as long as you’re willing to put up with ancient performance while the SW applications progress and require more and more performance).