ARR and Mac

[Altena]

I am torn between buying the latest 27' iMac vs the 15.4' Macbook pro. I already have the previous generation 27' iMac so if I buy the Macbook Pro, can I use the 27' iMac as my monitor?

Can anyone give me some advice? As the new generation macs don't come with a dvd drive, anyone knows how to install windows on it?

What gen iMac do you own? (what year?)

I am currently on a Win7/Mac OS hackintosh plugged into a late 2009 iMac and using it as my display.

These work with Target Display Mode on your iMac:
-Thunderbolt computer > miniDisplayPort display(these were on 2010 iMac's and earlier I believe)
-Thunderbolt computer > Thunderbolt display
-DisplayPort / mDisplayPort > mDisplayPort
-DVI computer > miniDisplayPort adapter (not the crappy ones from apple store) > miniDisplayPort Display

*edit*

Wow 3 pages of "PC vs. Mac" wars and no answer to the OP's question until now..
Get a grip guys. What is "better" solely depends on personal preference.

I like both, so I built a Hackintosh.

As for advice on what to get -
Personal preference but if you can afford the initial headache of setting up - build a hackintosh.
iMac's are basically laptops that sit on a desk. Most of their hardware is the "mobile" alternative (such as the GPU) and generally under perform when you are doing high end gaming & any multimedia editing.

The OS is fantastic as you know, but the hardware is unfortunately a little dated now (as they are beginning to go for "slim and sleek" over practicality.

I am currently running a 4.7Ghz i7, 16GB RAM, GTX 680 4GB on a hackintosh and will probably never go back. The closest thing Apple have to this sort of power are Mac Pro's and they are massively overpriced, and the hardware/chassis is fairly dated.

The one thing you cannot beat with a Mac is their displays - and you have that part already. If you don't need the portability, build a hackintosh, if you do then I guess your only real option is a Macbook (if you wish to run Mac OS).

*final edit*

On a side note, I will mention that the hard part is finding the compatible parts for a Hackintosh when setting one up. The actual install only took me a few hours, and wasn't difficult at all. Some components are easier to set up then others. If you want specific info about this let me know and I will help as best I can.

[kazaran]

Windows 8 can be installed on any mac, MS has all the needed drivers as well. You can get the FLash installable file from MS, or the low space one that will set the basics, and install to a mac system from the web based installer (has option for dual os book).

[Lady]

Buying a Mac is like buying a BMW, they might be really really nice, but very few people know how to fix them when they break.

[Altena]

Buying a Mac is like buying a BMW, they might be really really nice, but very few people know how to fix them when they break.

Problem is they are fairly unfixable in the newer macs as most of the hardware is fixed to the logic board. The parts aren't readily available if you are actually able to remove the broken part.

As far as software is concerned, I have had farrrrrr fewer issues with Mac OS then I have with Windows. Often the fix is extremely simple after a quick google search.

[Eekiki]

I'd rather spend a fraction of the money and get something that works better and wasn't built by slave labor.

But you want your fashion statement, so more power to you. Enjoy all your crashing.

[Altena]

I'd rather spend a fraction of the money and get something that works better and wasn't built by slave labor.

But you want your fashion statement, so more power to you. Enjoy all your crashing.

Just thought I would enlighten you on something-

The components that make up the computer you are typing on was built by "slave labour".

[Delsus]

Problem is they are fairly unfixable in the newer macs as most of the hardware is fixed to the logic board. The parts aren't readily available if you are actually able to remove the broken part.

As far as software is concerned, I have had farrrrrr fewer issues with Mac OS then I have with Windows. Often the fix is extremely simple after a quick google search.

That's where Linux has the best of both worlds, Linux and OSX are both based on Unix, so anything you can do on OSX you can do on any Linux distro, and you have the ability to replace hardware at will because it is installed on a PC. Mac is essentially a Linux distro made by Apple and that is why most (read most not all) people think it is the best OS.

[Altena]

That's where Linux has the best of both worlds, Linux and OSX are both based on Unix, so anything you can do on OSX you can do on any Linux distro, and you have the ability to replace hardware at will because it is installed on a PC. Mac is essentially a Linux distro made by Apple and that is why most (read most not all) people think it is the best OS.

I am not knocking Linux as I don't use it day to day, and I have heard great things about it for sure~

As far as I know though, Linux still has a lot of compatibility issues with both drivers and software, does it not? Truthfully I don't know enough about Linux to truly comment on it, and although I have heard good things about it - it does seem more like a "programmer's OS".

In saying that though, if you base your computer's build on Mac OS compatible hardware you can quad-boot Windows/Ubuntu/Linux/Mac OS if you really desperately want to.

[Pseudopsia]

That's where Linux has the best of both worlds, Linux and OSX are both based on Unix, so anything you can do on OSX you can do on any Linux distro, and you have the ability to replace hardware at will because it is installed on a PC. Mac is essentially a Linux distro made by Apple and that is why most (read most not all) people think it is the best OS.

Personally I would not buy a Mac because Apple doesn't have any hardware that comes close to the performance I'm looking for and I suggest hardcore gamers avoid them because the best graphics you can get is underpowered mobile graphics. I am impressed with the GTX 680MX option on the 27" iMac, however the price is $2200 for that system.

Mac OS X is setup to be simple; Linux and windows is not as friendly. Most mac users have no idea that it's FreeBSD working behind the scenes. I have no problem suggesting non gamers and non tech savvy people use a Mac.

[Altena]

Mac OS X is setup to be simple; Linux and windows is not as friendly. Most mac users have no idea that it's FreeBSD working in the behind the scenes. I have no problem suggesting non gamers and non tech savvy people use a Mac.

I completely agree with this. I recommended to my mum to get a MacBook Air, as it suited her needs. For a post-60 year old woman that has only ever used Windows, she absolutely loves it and it does exactly what she needs it for.

I also prefer to work in Mac OS when doing any form of multimedia as workflow is just so much better, and the applications I have available to me sh!t bricks over programs available on Windows.