My five year old Sony Vaio desktop pc is showing signs of aging and giving hints that it's time to move-on to something newer/faster/better. I was raised on Macs, then "converted" to PC's in college 10 yrs ago during the internet boom and now after hearing all the negative reports about Windows Vista, I am strongly considering switching back to Macintosh. I feel that a Macintosh will be more trouble free, require less constant system updating, be less of a memory hog, have better resale value and won't go obsolete as quickly. I usually keep a desktop on average 4-5 yrs. I mainly use a desktop computer to surf the interet via cable modem, burn music cd's/dvd's and watch youtube clips. I often have 6 or more Internet Explorer windows open at once along with Windows media player and it's frustrating when the computer "hangs" or thinks to much. So I need a lot of ram. I'm not a techie and want something that's plug n play and will last a long time. I basically want to buy the machine and not have to do anything to it (except for buying an OS upgrade) for 4 yrs. I don't play video games, do graphics processing, or do anything with photos. My first hunch was to get an IMac, since it seemed like the sweet spot, but after spending a couple hours reading hundreds of posts about the faulty screens on the new aluminum 20" and 24" Imac and people not liking the glossy look, I'm reluctant to buy an Imac. I currently have a 17" Sony LCD which came with my VAIO that I'm very happy with. I'm not sure if it's glossy or matte but I do like it a lot. I live in AZ where the summer sun is bright and causes glare through the windows even with a tinted screen on the windows. A quality crisp high resolution screen that's easy on the eyes is a must, since I spend a lot of time on the computer each day and wear eyeglasses. I don't want to get eye strain. Would a 20" or 23" Apple Cinema monitor help me view multiple windows open at once more and be easier on the eyes (is bigger always better)? Are they glossy or matte? Would a Sony brand LCD work on a Mac? I've had great luck with Sony CRT and LCD monitors in the past as well as their trinitron televisions.
As to the desktop itself, I'm thinking a MacPro might be overkill for my needs and a MacMini too underpowered, whcih leaves me to the older white IMac's (since I assume they don't have LCD problems right?). I see a lot of G5's for sale in the classifieds but I'm kind of reluctant to buy an older style processor for fear the newer apps and os's might not support it or be optimized for it. Which Mac or setup would you all suggest? Thanks.
As to the desktop itself, I'm thinking a MacPro might be overkill for my needs and a MacMini too underpowered, whcih leaves me to the older white IMac's (since I assume they don't have LCD problems right?). I see a lot of G5's for sale in the classifieds but I'm kind of reluctant to buy an older style processor for fear the newer apps and os's might not support it or be optimized for it. Which Mac or setup would you all suggest? Thanks.
