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New Entry Level 21.5-inch iMac

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Re: New Entry Level 21.5-inch iMac

#51
post #34
post #21

This has a 1920x1080 display. I fail to understand why someone would buy this over a Mac Mini and an external display: cheaper, more powerful, ability to change displays, only two more cables (power and data for the display). Anyone care to enlighten me?

Well, at this point in time, the Mac mini is pretty old tech. It was last updated in 2012 and has an Ivy Bridge CPU and Intel HD 4000 graphics and 802.11n. The iMac is the next gen, so it has a Haswell CPU, Intel HD 5000 graphics, and 802.11ac. Also, I think buying your own external display that is the same quality as the iMac one would be more expensive than people think... but then , most people don't need that goo…

The Haswell CPU in the iMac is still slower then the Ivy Bridge CPU in the Mac mini. The IPC boost from Ivy Bridge to Haswell isn't enough to make up the difference in clock rate. HD5000 is a decent upgrade though.

Re: New Entry Level 21.5-inch iMac

#52
post #46
post #13

>1.4 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost Speeds up to 2.7 GHz, Intel HD 5000 graphics, 8GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive. Eh.. I got similar specs in laptop form for about half the price on black Friday last year. I'd like to get something like this for a desktop but I'm afraid my Ubuntu might have some issues on the hardware. I'll wait until I find it slightly used for half the cost. On a side…

Considering that no one else makes a decent desktop or laptop anymore and hasn't for years, I'd say this is quite newsworthy.

Well this is just your opinion. IMHO, I think you are incorrect. I think you and people like you do more harm to the image of Apple than good and I think your post adds no value to this discussion.

Re: New Entry Level 21.5-inch iMac

#53
post #42
post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was going to say, I can get a really nice laptop at Costco with better specs for about 30-40% less and better specs all around, and a touch screen. In fact, I can get an all in one with much better specs for less. http://www.costco.com/.product.100115209.html?cm_sp=RichRele... Other than the crap specs, it's really hard to buy into the idea that this is "entry level" when it's selling at a mid-level price. This sho…

Geeks tend to forget that there is more to a computer than raw numbers. Design, noise, materials, software (try getting that inspiron with apps like garageband, imove, pages and numbers for less than $1099), support (walk into the apple store and someone's there to help) and general ecosystem (time machine, app store, UNIX foundation (no real viruses)).

You're right of course. Honestly, I wouldn't buy any of them myself (the iMac included). But getting a better user experience does count for something. I'm just lamenting that it looks like the return of the Apple tax, which was thankfully going away with things like the MBA and the rMBP which really were better than similarly priced offerings.

Re: New Entry Level 21.5-inch iMac

#54
post #20
post #5

Too bad Hackintoshes are illegal, could get a lot more hardware for that kind of money.

I have a hackintosh, and it's a nightmare. Even though I copied a "gold build" from "TonyMacx86" (the "hackintosh authority"), the machine freezes randomly every hour, sometimes a week. But it will freeze and I'll have to do a hard reset. Also, many of Apples services won't work with a hackintosh. iMessage and FaceTime, for example. To fix it, you'll need to call Apple and convince them to whitelist your fake generat…

This is one of the reasons why ponying up the extra money for a Mac system is a good deal, you get a box, you open the box, you press the on button and you're ready to go.

Re: New Entry Level 21.5-inch iMac

#55
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a hackintosh, and it's a nightmare. Even though I copied a "gold build" from "TonyMacx86" (the "hackintosh authority"), the machine freezes randomly every hour, sometimes a week. But it will freeze and I'll have to do a hard reset. Also, many of Apples services won't work with a hackintosh. iMessage and FaceTime, for example. To fix it, you'll need to call Apple and convince them to whitelist your fake generat…

This is one of the reasons why ponying up the extra money for a Mac system is a good deal, you get a box, you open the box, you press the on button and you're ready to go.

Indeed. I get a little depressed thinking about the hours I've wasted on the tonymac forums looking up solutions to the problems I've having and trying random things to see if it worked.

Time I could've spent much more productively.

Re: New Entry Level 21.5-inch iMac

#56
post #21

This has a 1920x1080 display. I fail to understand why someone would buy this over a Mac Mini and an external display: cheaper, more powerful, ability to change displays, only two more cables (power and data for the display). Anyone care to enlighten me?

My grandpa wondered about $200 dungerees. Going into the Apple store and walking out with a box is an experience people will pay for. So is looking at one's desk and remembering that experience via gazing at an artifact or suggesting that experience in conversation.

There's more to it than that of course, just as with $200 pants - they're often nicer to wear rather than good enough. So long as they fit. But they aren't usually cut for all body shapes. It's ok to say 'Not for me' and move on by which I mean that assuming this is an alternative to a Mini has already ruled out all those people who don't consider Mini's in the first place.

Re: New Entry Level 21.5-inch iMac

#57
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have a hackintosh, and it's a nightmare. Even though I copied a "gold build" from "TonyMacx86" (the "hackintosh authority"), the machine freezes randomly every hour, sometimes a week. But it will freeze and I'll have to do a hard reset. Also, many of Apples services won't work with a hackintosh. iMessage and FaceTime, for example. To fix it, you'll need to call Apple and convince them to whitelist your fake generat…

This is one of the reasons why ponying up the extra money for a Mac system is a good deal, you get a box, you open the box, you press the on button and you're ready to go.

This is also a good reason to not use a Mac at all and instead use an OS that does not lock you into a single line of hardware.

Re: New Entry Level 21.5-inch iMac

#58
post #20
post #5

Too bad Hackintoshes are illegal, could get a lot more hardware for that kind of money.

I have a hackintosh, and it's a nightmare. Even though I copied a "gold build" from "TonyMacx86" (the "hackintosh authority"), the machine freezes randomly every hour, sometimes a week. But it will freeze and I'll have to do a hard reset. Also, many of Apples services won't work with a hackintosh. iMessage and FaceTime, for example. To fix it, you'll need to call Apple and convince them to whitelist your fake generat…

That's a shame. I built one for fun and it works perfectly. There were a couple of tweaks I had to make to get dual monitors working, the sound working, etc, but it didn't take longer than a few hours.

Re: New Entry Level 21.5-inch iMac

#59
post #17
post #5

Too bad Hackintoshes are illegal, could get a lot more hardware for that kind of money.

Calling something illegal is usually reserved for things that are in the criminal code. There is no law against running Mac OS X on non-Apple computers. No one will be going to jail. Nothing will happen. You don't even have to feel bad. Apple would have to sue in civil court and would have to prove damages. They would not be able to prove damages.

It would make more sense if you said "calling something a crime is...".

I disagree with this comment due to the level of colloquial discussion. Illegal is (colloquially) whatever you can't do because of the law. (Just about the only exception is a contract, which you might be forced to follow because of the law, but we don't view as part of the law in a colloquial sense.)

Regarding "nothing will happen, you don't even have to feel bad." That is a very narrow view and I disagree that this is the correct way to view all civil torts.

Indeed, the whole idea of a tort is that you have wronged someone. You are literally saying that you don't ever have to feel bad for wronging someone, because they would have to sue you and prove their case, even though an entire field of law has been enacted to give them the possibility of making them whole again.

On a very literal level, you are saying "you don't have to feel bad for wronging your neighbor." (Which is the definition of a tort.)

Look, I even argue for a new form of a tort (civil liability) here - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7910112

precisely because of how damaging it is to someone. The terms I use is that it shoudl "be illegal", and I compare it with libel and slander, which are both torts.

Basically, your view is no different from saying that you are innocent until you are proven guilty of a crime. Well, yes and no.

Re: New Entry Level 21.5-inch iMac

#60
post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The "x 1080" in the display dimensions make me sad. It's a shame this is becoming the norm on medium sized panels and not 1920x1200.

1080p is fine for 21". (Until they go retina). Mind you, the 27" has 1440p.

I think the extra 180 pixels of vertical resolution is what he's worried about. I am too, that little bit helps a lot, even with the dock hidden and off to the side of the screen.
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