which mac is for me

gmoniey said:

Hi,

I am considering switching from a PC to a mac, but I am completely unfamilier with the architecture behind each model, so I dont know what to get. My primary purpose for the machine will be software development, I don't really have any plan (or desire) to perform any type of video editing, or use the machine as a media center.

I am also leaning more towards a desktop rather than laptop. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I guess it pretty much comes down to iBook vs. PowerBook and iMac vs. PowerMac.

Thanks!

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deus_ex_machina said:

What kind of software development? How much computing power you need and budget will help you better figure what you'll need.

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gmoniey said:

For now it will primarily be application and web development with a java backend (i.e. i will be using tomcat). and maybe a little c/c++

As far as comuting power, thats difficult to predict, I wont be performing any memory intensive calculations, but when it comes to development, i generally have a lot of windows open, and switch between them, so i would imagine that i would need a machine that can handle several large processes (i.e. IDE, browser, iTunes (gotta get into the coding mood somehow), ftp, etc)

my main attraction to mac is that it is very "user friendly" for lack of a better word, but still maintains its unix ties, thus getting the best of both worlds. I hate that I can't use simple unix commands like grep on windows (unless I had an emulator like cygwin).

As for money, this is probably the hardest question to answer, but i know it plays an integral role in my decision. But for now, lets try to ignore this one, and assume that money was not an issue.

At first glance, it seems like the powermac is what i would need, but then as i look deeper, it seems like a bit of overkill. it seems like it would be a great machine for someone who does a lot of video editing, or gaming, niether of which i do.

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Berman said:

do you already have a nice, large screen or not? if you don't already have a nice flat panel, maybe you want something like a 20" imac. if you DO have a nice screen, a lower end powermac will probably do.

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gmoniey said:

As for the size, a 19" LCD is more than enough for me, resolution is key though. I am very used to 1600x1200 (i know, thats pretty tiny), but it would be difficult for me to switch from that.

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jn4jenny said:

Ah, well this narrows the field considerably. Here's the max resolution on the models you're looking at:

12" and 14" iBook: 1024 x 768

12" Powerbook: 1024 x 768, but will support up to 2048 x 1536 on an external display

15" Powerbook: 1440 x 960, but will support up to 2048 x 1536 on an external display

17" Powerbook: 1680 x 1050, but will support up to 2048 x 1536 on an external display

17" iMac: 1440 x 900

20" iMac: 1680 x 1040

PowerMac: Support for digital resolutions up to 1920 by 1200 pixels; dual-link DVI ports support up to 2560 by 1600 pixels

So if you want to stay at your current screen resolution, that means one of these options:

1. Powerbook with external display
2. PowerMac G5
3. "Settle" for 1680 x 1040, which opens up the possibility for a 20" iMac or a 17" Powerbook.

Obviously, if you already own this 1600 x 1200 LCD screen and it's Mac compatible, then your costs go way down.

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Meyvn said:

Here's my recommendations:
If you own the screen already, keep it and purchase an older PowerMac G5 model, either refurbished from Apple (enabling you to purchase AppleCare if you so desire) or anywhere else you choose, for that matter. In this case I would also recommend 2 GB RAM, MAYBE 3, but I doubt you'll need that much.

If you do not own a screen, I would recommend purchasing the PREVIOUS revision (2.0 GHz 20") iMac, and putting in 2GB RAM. The reasons I would not recommend the current revision are as follows:

A. RAM. There is 512 MB of onboard, and only one expansion slot. This means you can put up to 2.5 GB, but the 2GB stick will cost you over half the price of the computer, which is ridiculous. The older models have 2 DIMMS that can hold up to 1GB each, and save you an enormous amount of money in that area.

B. You said yourself you didn't want a media center computer, and that's what the newest iMac is. Obviously, you don't have to use it for that, but the built-in iSight and Frontrow (and small performance increase) by no means makes up for the major price difference and extremely difficult upgradeability (the new iMacs are no longer even wall mountable). You'll save a LOT of money and lose very little as a result, bottom line.

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Meyvn said:

Here's my recommendations:
If you own the screen already, keep it and purchase an older PowerMac G5 model, either refurbished from Apple (enabling you to purchase AppleCare if you so desire) or anywhere else you choose, for that matter. In this case I would also recommend 2 GB RAM, MAYBE 3, but I doubt you'll need that much.

If you do not own a screen, I would recommend purchasing the PREVIOUS revision (2.0 GHz 20") iMac, and putting in 2GB RAM. The reasons I would not recommend the current revision are as follows:

A. RAM. There is 512 MB of onboard, and only one expansion slot. This means you can put up to 2.5 GB, but the 2GB stick will cost you over half the price of the computer, which is ridiculous. The older models have 2 DIMMS that can hold up to 1GB each, and save you an enormous amount of money in that area.

B. You said yourself you didn't want a media center computer, and that's what the newest iMac is. Obviously, you don't have to use it for that, but the built-in iSight and Frontrow (and small performance increase) by no means makes up for the major price difference and extremely difficult upgradeability (the new iMacs are no longer even wall mountable). You'll save a LOT of money and lose very little as a result, bottom line.

Click to expand...