I confess to being a totally useless article when it comes to all matters relating to computers. I am expecting to be back in the UK in a few days from now and I intend to make a a few purchases during the 14 day self isolation that Boris has imposed upon me.
The wife and I run an iPhone each and she has a 13" MacBook Pro which we have been sharing whilst in Spain. I also have a Windows 10 Desktop PC in the UK which is nearly 9 years old and must be ending the end of its life. I must admit I like the Apple operating system a lot more
I was thinking of replacing the Windows PC with another Apple on and the choice would be either a 15" MacBook Pro of an iMac with a nice 27" screen. I know one is portable and the other is desk bound but I would like to know which one gives you the bigger bang per buck when it comes to value for money and how do they compare performance wise.
The heavy 15" Mac will be left in the UK when we shoot off to Spain.
Without knowing what you intend to use the computer for it is hard to say how they will stack up. Let's assume you want to check email, social media, browse the web, play some music and videos, manage your accounts and tax, etc. Either will be more than capable. You'll get more for your money with an iMac, but at the cost of portability. The iMac give you more screen real estate which is nice if you are working on multiple documents.
The obvious question is what do you do on your Mac or your PC.
Considering you've been working comfortably on both, my advice would be to wait a little longer and consider the new iMac 24"
24 inches will be luxury compared to everything else you've been using.
I use the current model professionally with a 21.5 inches Retina screen, 16 GB RAM and a 1TB HD (mainly websites stuff) and I haven't been able to fault it.
I like it so much that I am considering getting myself a dedicated bag to transport it should I go to France with a chance of being caught in a lockdown, rather than take my MB Air
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Mainly moaning on an Internet forum... shouldn’t need too high a spec 😂Originally Posted by gerrudd
I rarely moan but I often get moaned about.
My usage is pretty basic and is mainly checking emails, doing social media, browsing the web, playing some music and running a few spreadsheets.
I fully accept the Apples are far to good for me but I want something decent and easy to use and the Apples fulfil that function.
So far the iMac seems to be coming out on top for which I thank the other contributors for their learned comments.
imacs have better performance in general and the 27" screen is much better
the smaller the space a pc`s guts is crammed into, the less powerful in general.
an imac is kinda inbetween a desktop and laptop because they still have less space than ideal
just my opinions, i dont claim to know all that much about the apple machines since i never owned one, i just build my own windows desktops
I just find Macs to be so much more reliable and 'they just work'.
Admittedly in recent years I haven't had to use a Windows machine so my comparison pop is limited.
Cheers..
Jase
Mick if you're using an 9 year old Windows desktop and it's still working for your needs just go and buy an iPad Pro 12.9 and pair it with a keyboard case if you want a real keyboard.
15/16" is a big jump in price from the 13" and isn't a good use of money for your needs. My father in law has a 15" MacBook Pro and uses it for online crosswords and Google. Terrible use of money but as he's old he was bullied into the bigger screen. I got it stupid cheap with about 50% discount when I worked at Apple and used staff discount on top of the end of line discount when the new one came out.
If you're desperate get the iMac but really an iPad Pro would do pretty much everything for you.
Sent from my Pixel 5 using Tapatalk
I'd not want to use a 12.9" screen long term for anything. They're fine for note-taking and travel/work etc but ergonomically a bigger screen would be far more comfiortable for all purposes.
If you don't need the portability get the bigger screen - your eyes will thank you.
Personally, in Mick's situation, I'd get a MacBook Air with a monitor and keyboard, and have the best of both worlds – table top PC most of the time, but able to grab and go if needed.
I've been working from an Air since March, doing intensive magazine design and production work, using Adobe CC all day and processing large files. It's been pretty much faultless.
Many thanks for the replies, all good and much appreciated.
What's your budget, first of all.
Second of all, if you're using it for web browsing, YouTube, and so on, get a high quality mouse, keyboard, and screen. That will make the difference to your computing experience, as these are the things your senses interact with. Vision and touch.
For mouse, keyboard, and screen in particular, these devices can last many years. So up front cost should not concern you over the life of the products.
So, recommendations:
Monitor
I highly recommend an IPS 4k monitor, at least 32".. People will save it's overkill. I say that they're wrong. It's no more overkill than the cars we drive or watches we wear. In this instance there are tangible benefits to larger screen and higher resolution.
For information: https://www.howtogeek.com/658701/tn-...el-technology/
IPS - a screen panel technology which has the best viewing angles out of your choices (IPS - In Plane Switching, TN - Twisted Newmatic, VA - Vertical Alignment).
LG 43UN700-B - This is a 43" that interestingly, this can be found for as low as £548.71.
BenQ PD3200U
- I've not used this, but it's pretty good by all accounts.
Mouse
Here is the top rated wired mouse, top rated wireless mouse, and the wireless version f.
Razer Viper - Watch this review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCOI9lwymhs
Logitech G Pro Wireless - Watch this review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeWRU92qMUQ
Razer Viper Ultimate Wireless - Watch this review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=How21lqrVmw
Scan.co.uk, Overclockers UK, and Currys PC World are your best places to buy.
Keyboard
It's now mechanical keyboard or nothing. You can't have a nice watch on your wrist, and subject your fingers to a rubbish typing experience. It's just not cricket.
Key brands are Ducky
Overclockers UK and Keyboard Company are pretty much your only choices here.
Good luck!
lol :)
I would suggest just buy a Rolex - and don't ever, ever sell it!
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