Thinking of buying an iMac 27

[DR505]

I need a computer for doing photo editing duties. I am considering the iMac 27, late build, since it has such good reviews. A 1TB flash drive looks appealing. Anyone recommend this or an alternate?

I've used Apple before and liked them...I'm getting tired of the PC world.

 

[Lee in Quartzsite]

That's what I am using. I've had mine since March and it has been flawless. I have pretty much figured it out, but there are a few things still a mystery to me. It replaces my old Dell with Windows XP (which still works), but there is no comparison. It's like going from a VW to a Ferrari.

Somethings of course are different. I can't run some of my old Windows software, but my photo program is compatible. The MAC has a photo program, but I find my Canon software easier to use.

What's really neat is the whole computer is in the display. Just a wireless keyboard and a wireless Touchpad. The Touchpad can sometimes be a pain and I am considering getting their wireless mouse instead. You have a choice when purchasing the iMAC.

The screen and colors are awesome, and the 27 inches is as big as I'll ever need. I purchased 1 year of Apple One on One which is personal training at the Apple store. I heard they were going to discontinue that and replace it with something else. I went to the Apple store for 4 training sessions and that was a big help.

Good luck with your choice. Surprised there are more responses, it's a great computer.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Don't want to comment on Mac vs PC, that's sooo over-played since Apple stopped producing their own CPU's. I own both types since 1986. Get whatever you like.

Since you state that photo's are the main task, I would suggest you google search the problems Apples have had regarding their default handling of very large photo library's. There are endless tales of woe from professional photographers. Apple has often revised their photo software without successfully addressing this issue.

I use my own file structure, and keep my photos on a separate drive from the OS, and import them into the photo program for working on, and then file it back to the storage drive. This also means you need to take responsibility for backups. Good Luck.

Whatever you get, I suggest protecting it from power gremlins with an Uninterruptible Power Supply of the Pure Sine Wave variety. Cyber Power makes some good units.

 

[Aticus]

You might want to rethink that flash drive. I've seen reports that they're not as reliable as cracked up to be. A 1TB harddrive may be a better option. I ain't giving up my iMac even if it's old.

 

[Onomea]

My little brother is an amateur but polished photographer and he reports using Photoshop with an iMac contentedly.

 

[Sig_Lover]

I have been burned with the arrogance and incomptance of apple products to many times will never own another apple product lost 3 years of photos

 

[Cpo1944]

I have one too and I really like it, but I do not recommend the "Apple Aperture" photo editing.
Photoshop is much better. I am going to replace my Aperture soon because it just isn't quite good enough, and leaves me wanting more.

 

[bigwheelzip]

I have been burned with the arrogance and incomptance of apple products to many times will never own another apple product lost 3 years of photos

I feel your pain SL, and your experience carries over to all computer systems.

If anyone puts something on a computer that the want to keep, they need to verify backup, and keep a copy off-site. A program that simply states that it has done a back-up may not be grabbing everything.

And the current crop of automated cross-platform file management, puts all your eggs in someone else's basket. It is convenience with a hidden risk.

Partition all your valuable personal data away from your OS, and run backups whenever you don't want to lose something.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Might want to check out the Fusion drives. I believe Apple's 2TB fusion comes with 128gig flash which should be a ton more than is needed for photo editing... and is $700 less than Apple's 1TB flash.

As far as reliability of flash over a spinning drive mentioned earier... don't know and don't care, cuz anything worthy of worrying about losing is backed up on another drive or two anyway.

27in 5K Retina screen...

I purchased a 27in iMac several years ago. No regrets. The only issue to date has been.... drum roll please... Seagate spinning drive recall.

 

[chaparrito]

Apple never produced their own CPUs. That's a myth. They merely switched from IBM chips to Intel.
Buy the iMac. As a photographer you will love it. Make sure you get the Retina display, although it may be included with all of them now. Gorgeous.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Apple never produced their own CPUs. That's a myth. They merely switched from IBM chips to Intel.

Apple's PowerPC CPU's were absolutely their own design. They formed a consortium with IBM and Motorola, and both of those companies acted as Apple's foundry for CPU production.
There are myriad differences between the IBM x86 architecture and the Apple PowerPC RISC architecture. I had the opportunity to run identical engineering programs on the two architectures, side by side. The RISC machine blew away the x86 machine. So the move by Apple to x86 involved far more than "merely switching" to Intel.
Intel's production methodology is more efficient, prompting the switch. But in doing so, they lost the computing edge, and use the same CPU's as everyone else. They just try to cover it up with their operating system. So now, it really does not make any difference, because the foundations are the same.

 

[johngalt]

Apple's PowerPC CPU's were absolutely their own design. They formed a consortium with IBM and Motorola, and both of those companies acted as Apple's foundry for CPU production.
There are myriad differences between the IBM x86 architecture and the Apple PowerPC RISC architecture. I had the opportunity to run identical engineering programs on the two architectures, side by side. The RISC machine blew away the x86 machine. So the move by Apple to x86 involved far more than "merely switching" to Intel.
Intel's production methodology is more efficient, prompting the switch. But in doing so, they lost the computing edge, and use the same CPU's as everyone else. They just try to cover it up with their operating system. So now, it really does not make any difference, because the foundations are the same.

The PowerPC was derived from IBM's POWER architecture. Apple did have input on the decision, as did Motorola. Motorola was more interested in low power embedded applications. IBM couldn't/wouldn't produce a G5 that could be used in a laptop, so Apple switched. I was disappointed at the time, it was like Apple turned to the dark side.

Nowdays, I don't much care. It is the software that matters. Apple has device integration nearly perfect.

My biggest gripe with them is their fickle attitude toward abandoning technologies - DVD drives, FireWire. Also their insistence that everyone become dependent on the Internet for everything. You can't even get install DVDs any more and have to download it.

I don't see myself going back to windows though.

 

[DR505]

Well, I bought the iMac with a 4.0 GHz i7 CPU and a 3TB Fusion drive....delivers sometime today.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Well, I bought the iMac with a 4.0 GHz i7 CPU and a 3TB Fusion drive....delivers sometime today.

Cool Enjoy.

Good insurance is the Uninterruptible Power Supply.