I was just browsing through apple.com and took a look at the specs of the iMac. I would like to know how do we actually read a iMac Specs http://www.apple.com/imac/ Is a Mac 2.33GHz Intel Core 2 Duo better than a Windows 3.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo? How do I know which is the memory of the iMac? Can any experts enlighten me on this?

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There are few terms we should discuss when comparing Apples (no pun intended) and Oranges.

DDR2, SODIMM, Serial ATA, Intel, system BUS, etc are all standard terms these days to describe the hardware specification requirements. Since they are standard terms you can say that IMAC and PC are equal in specification wise.

But that's not how it is calculated in the practical world. It's all about the Operating System (OS). To draw an anology it's like having two identical racing cars with different fuels injected. One driver will perfer one type of fuel compare to the other driver. This is like the OS. How fast (as per calculation wise) depends on what each computer is calculating with which operating system. Going back to the fuel type: one fuel might be better in high temperature with heavier load while one type might be better in low temperature with straight-away.

It is all depended on how each manufacture designed the OS to function and simulate the pleasure when operating the machine.

But it doesn't stop there. You can have a regular stock car driven by a professional race car driver verses a high performance race car driven by a regular driver. Which do you think would handle the race track better?

The final usability comes from the actual user of a computer. A 10 year old can have the most expensive computer in the world that offers to take over the world, yet if he/she only plays computer games with it the machine is as only good as the game itself.

But the manufactures of computer hardware know the vanity in each of us. That's why they appear to our vanity by customizing, marketing and promoting certain key phrases to lure our hunger

 

 

 

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3.4ghz Intel Core 2 duo? at stock speeds, such a CPU does not exist. if you mean that its overclock, then thats a different story. i think the 3.4ghz you are talking about is in fact a Pentium D945. if that's the case, my bet is on the apple in speed. core 2 duos are superior in nearly every way when compared to its predecessor, pentium d. even then, if you are a designer or multimedia enthusiasts (as apples imacs/mac pros are generally steered towards), then the imac is of course the choice over a pc.

i could argue that a pc built at the expense of a imac would woop the imacs rear-end hands down, but lets not get dirty here. if you want to play games i'd go the pc. imacs, even with windows os installed on them are not meant for games. the video card provided (7300GT from what i remember) is very low-class in comparison to mainstream gamer cards such as the 7600GT, X1900 and 7900GT, not to mention nvidias spotlight series, 8800XXX.

again, the memory and other internals of imacs are inferior to that of pcs due to the lack of updating within their models. pcs are a lot more versatile in that they're far more compatible with the ever changing advancements in hardware technology.

either way, imacs are still brilliant machines. if you are a multimedia designer of any sort and want to take a serious leap into the industry; investing in an imac will pay off as they are a standard in this realm. i love using them, not to mention the fact that they look fantastic. if i had the money, i'd own both a mac and pc.

btw; i'm a multimedia designer, although i also game hard haha. thats why i still prefer a regular pc.

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You buy an Apple for the Macintosh OS. Especially now since your can compare apples and PC's. I've not switched to intel chips yet. I"m still running on all PPC machines because they are still out performing in A/V design the intel machines. Plus some of the applications I'm using aren't available in Universial format the last time I checked.

My main business is video editing and post-production. I'm still using FCP 4.5HD and Shake 4 & After Effects 7. I don't think AE is in universal yet. Although I haven't exactly checked in a while.

If your into gaming, get a standard Windows based PC. If your looking for a good all around computer that is easy to use and isn't virus bait...get the Mac. If you want to do home movie editing and DVD burning...get the Mac. If you are in to digital photography...get the Mac. If you are into web design...well take your pic, dreamweaver costs the same on both platforms.

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I am honestly sick of windows with all its flaws and things like that. I have been wanting to try a Mac OS for a very long time and now with the bootcamp feature, it makes it even better. I am not an avid gamer, I only play the occasional MMORPG; Silkroad, is it supported for a Mac? Even if it isn't, I would be able to run it smoothly when I use bootcamp right? I do a lot of graphics and I would love to go into video editing someday, but then again how do I compare the speeds of a Mac and a Windows system? What am I required to know and which component to take note of? Any help would be appreciated.

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Yes, it should run fine with boot camp. I bought my Dad a new Dual Core 2Ghz iMac for my Dad and testing out applications. Office works fine through rossetta, as does Photoshop (PPC version), but PS takes a tradmendous resource hit from rosetta. The dual core 2Ghz system isn't much faster than my 1Ghz G4 powerbook when rendering some PS filters.

So far Dad's only gotten a couple minutes on the Mac as I've been hogging all the time setting everything up. He installed Turbotax and it runs smoothly on the intel mac as does office so he's happy.

That's my update.

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