My life is over with Pc.....lol..but some questions....

cu3ed

cu3ed

cu3ed

Soldato
Joined
26 Jan 2006
Posts
12,425
Location
Belfast
Ive just seen the new 24" iMac....and well...think now is as good a time as any to change over.....but I have some questions...

What the sound output like on them? Any good? (obviously for producing music), I just need a straight Phono jack out to hook up to the amp.

I cant seem to find the software which allows you to boot to Windows, how does that work anyways?..obviously I want to use all my current software, wo will it accept it all?...does it look like the WOndows OS or does it just allow MS stuff to run on the Mac?.
Ive read some stuff into "paraells", which looks highly promising!..but can I REALLY run ANY Windos based programme from it?
Do I need a Copy (Xp/Vista?), to do this or is there a specific Version?


Anything else I should be aware of? (mostly gonna be used for Quark, Ps etc etc). Im learning InDesign now too, being realistic the Design world is worked around a Mac....plus they really do seem to work.

Do I have to take a special course so my head dissappears up my own ass cause I use a Mac? lol.

Have anyone used the new ultra thin keyboard.....is it okay to use?...looks cool but im think of function!

What software would you recommend with it, obviously looking for the Win bootup, , iLife looks pretty good (comes with) and iWorks, is this the Mac version of Office?...cause it looks nice!

Last but not least...I am...soon was a dedicated Pc user!...how long do you think it take to pick up the Mac way of doing things!?

Is Lepord on schedule to come out this year?.....might be buying when this come out.

Any help as usual, greatle appreciated!
 
For Windows, you have two real options.

BootCamp is the name of the program which allows you to install Windows XP/Vista onto your Mac hardware.

When you turn on your Mac and hold down the alt Key, you will then be asked which Operating system you want to boot into, Windows or OS X.

This method allows Windows to run like it would on a Windows laptop. It uses the hardware as best it can and all the drivers can be burnt onto disk using the BootCamp 'wizard'.

You are then hardware limited so whatever the PC requirements are for the program - compare them with the Mac of your choice to see if they'll run okay.

The alternative is Parallels as you've mentioned. This allows you to run Windows inside OS X and can use almost every Windows programme - I do however think it is limited to 2D programs - so games and what have you are obviously a no-no. No crying shame though as you have the Bootcamp option if you are relying on it.

Windows runs exactly like it would on a PC - obviously excluding the 2d limitations in Parallels.

The other option (that I wouldn't recommend) is a program called Crossover, which allows you to run your Windows applications in OS X - as if they were native on the Mac.

You will have to get a Windows disc and it is advisable to get Windows XP SP2 and above only - as anything older than this isn't supported. (May need to double-check that)

I haven't used any of the new keyboards although that will be my next Mac purchase. I don't use sound production so I'll pass on that.

As for the actual Mac experience - it can take a short while to learn the ins and outs, but no more difficult than Windows (imo). If anything I would say OS X is easier for the bog-standard basics.

Hope that helps.

Enjoy your Mac. :)
 
Running windows on a Mac is pretty good now thanks to Bootcamp, thats the dualboot application and it is essentially the same as running Windows on any other machine.

Paralells is a good option too if you only want to use the odd application and you don't mind the performance hit of the emulation, although this is a lot better on the new Intel Macs than it ever was running on a G4/G5.

I personally prefer using VM Ware Fusion, for the other reason that it can run prebuilt virtual machines, and it can also boot the Bootcamp partition under OS X, handy if you just want to load it up to run an app that doesnt need full hardware support.

As for sound output its OK, not the best in the world but certainly not unusable. If you're doing any serious work on it though I'd recomend getting somthing external just for flexibility. Also what software are you using, you should certainly look at giving Logic Pro a try (its excellent for programming/midi work), although I far prefer Pro Tools on but thats just the kind of work I'm doing.

The iLife set of apps are all great, and the latest version of iWorks that includes the spreadsheet app is also a great step up from previous versions. You can ofcourse just get a copy of Office for Mac if you prefer to stick with the M$ offering. For instance I prefer to use Entourage (equivilent of Outlook) just as its a bit better inegrated than the seperate Address Book/Mail/iCal but again, personal choice - I also find it works more reliably with Exchange servers.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Cheers people, its all looking good

Guess im just making sure I can carry my CS3 and Quark Etc over to the Mac, they cost som serious £ and I dont want to have to go buying them over again if ya can understand that.
Same goes for the music Software, which is the likes of Magix Samplitude etc...but im really likeing the though of doing it the Mac way of things.

Should have checked the stickies, thanks for that, reading through them now.

Though im getitng alittle worried about how the new glossy screens are showing too much reflection. :(
 
Just looking an thinking about it the 24" might be to big so am looking at the 20".

Does the 2.4 Intel still have the 4mb cache?

Also, as apple have some kind of other RAM which excuses the high price (ahem), can I just order the 1GB stick form here and drop it in ok (im aware that you can eaily unclip the back and install it)...or do I have to get 2X1GB pair of the Crucial?

Sorry about all the noob questions!:confused:
 
cu3ed said:
Just looking an thinking about it the 24" might be to big so am looking at the 20".

Does the 2.4 Intel still have the 4mb cache?
Click to expand...

Yep

cu3ed said:
Also, as apple have some kind of other RAM which excuses the high price (ahem), can I just order the 1GB stick form here and drop it in ok (im aware that you can eaily unclip the back and install it)...or do I have to get 2X1GB pair of the Crucial?
You need SO-DIMM DDR 2 for all the new Macs, you can get it from where ever you like.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Done dusted and thanks for your help people, deffo getting one now then....

tho ive came this far I might as well wait till Lepord arrives, sommin to look forward too!.

(can you believe im looking forward to getting rid of my HUGE Pc tower lol)

Thanks again.

Just to add I would have just gona and looked myself but there bugger all in the way of Mac retailers in or abotu Belfast.
 
cu3ed said:
Done dusted and thanks for your help people, deffo getting one now then....

tho ive came this far I might as well wait till Lepord arrives, sommin to look forward too!.

(can you believe im looking forward to getting rid of my HUGE Pc tower lol)

Thanks again.

Just to add I would have just gona and looked myself but there bugger all in the way of Mac retailers in or abotu Belfast.
Click to expand...

I sold my gaming rig to get a Mac and haven't looked back.

Well.. apart from I don't play the games anymore ;)

FYI: There is a Mac show in January that will announce new Intel chips, so waiting is not always the best option!

I say buy now, then upgrade to Leopard when it's stable
 
cu3ed said:
Done dusted and thanks for your help people, deffo getting one now then....

tho ive came this far I might as well wait till Lepord arrives, sommin to look forward too!.

(can you believe im looking forward to getting rid of my HUGE Pc tower lol)

Thanks again.

Just to add I would have just gona and looked myself but there bugger all in the way of Mac retailers in or abotu Belfast.
Click to expand...

edit sorry. didnt realise.
 
Last edited:
kvfb97, you might wanna edit those competitors out mate.

We, Overclockers UK (OcUK) are happy to provide the resources of these forums to responsible individuals without charge. They cost a substantial amount of money to maintain and use considerable amounts of bandwith which is paid for exclusively by us. As you know OcUK are in the computer hardware business and therefore the promotion of OcUK's competitors is forbidden. Examples of promotion are :-

* Posting links to competitors websites
* Posting links to reviews that promote competitors
* Quoting the names or contact details of competitors
* Offering to provide the names or contact details of competitors
* Hinting about product availability at competitors and their pricing
* Using the forums to notify a member of intent or actual supply of names or contact details of competitors
* Listing competitors names, URL's or e-mail addresses in signatures
* Listing competitors names, URL's or e-mail addresses in profile
* Posting links to or the mentioning of auction sites
* Disguising attempts to do any of the above

FAQ
Click to expand...
 
32Bit is the only offically supported version, I was running the Vista 64bit RC on my MBP and it was fine.

But you are right in saying that you would need a 64Bit OS to take advantage of the 4GB of ram.
 
kvfb97 said:
PC world has them i think, and currys.
Click to expand...

Cant go into them shops...I can "feel" the stupidity of the staff.

Besides anything with a screen of speakers I dont really judge in shop enviroment.
Theres bound to be too much reflection....will go in and see the difference in physical size between the 20 and the 24".......
 
I hate to be a pain in the butt Cu3ed but you shouldn't quote people when they accidentally mention competitors ;)

Might want to edit them out.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom