Might buy a Mac [Archive]

Joe 90

14-04-2010, 03:06

Someone I know has said he's wanting to sell his old 20" iMac, with snow leopard (he's just bought a big one, like 27" or something) for £300

I don't know a whole lot about macs but recently been using Mac Pros at uni for video editing and visual effects and thats something I'll hopefully get involved in in future.

Now this things obviously fairly old (about 3 yrs) and only like 2ghz core 2 duo with 1gb ram. What do people think... is it worth it or am I better off waiting a while and buying one new once I've got a job & more of an idea if i'll actually get some use out of one professionally?

http://twitpic.com/1ffq3l

Streeteh

14-04-2010, 08:55

Sounds like a bit of a bargain to me, this also means you can get to know macs well on a budget and, if you like what you see, upgrade to a more powerful variant should you need to.

There'd be nothing worse than forking out ~£1k+ on a nice new imac and then finding you don't make as much use of it as you'd like. One such example would be a friend of mine who persuaded her father to buy her the top of the range imac @ £1.4k as soon as she finished uni, only to find it wasn't relevant to the employment she later found. It's now used as a big-fancy netbook, such a waste.

Joe 90

14-04-2010, 16:52

yeah I thought it sounded like a bit of a bargain.

My only concerns come from not being at all familiar with it, but at the same time that could be a good thing.

On the one hand, I assume that if I get one and become familiar with the OS like I am with windows that should prove useful when I come to look for a job.

On the other hand, I don't know a lot about the architecture or system as a whole so will I quickly out-grow the older model? I know you can upgrade the RAM which should help, but what about the HDD etc?

Oh and he said the mouse broke, so it only comes with the wireless keyboard... how much are apple mice?

Desmo

14-04-2010, 17:19

Yeah, you can upgrade them just like any other computer mainly. HDD etc are just the same. As for the mouse, depends on if you want a proper mac one. I use a bog standard USB Microsoft mouse.

Streeteh

14-04-2010, 20:21

snip

Mac hardware is near identical to PC hardware in most cases (pretty much all cases these days, i'm not sure about that older model in terms of CPU however). Ram and HDD should both be upgradable.

Macs also work with nearly all USB devices, much like a PC, you could just buy a microsoft/logitech mouse and it should just work.

In my eyes you've said why you should get it yourself:

"My only concerns come from not being at all familiar with it"

Wouldn't you prefer not being familiar with something that cost you £300, than something that cost you just under £1000 (minimum)? :)

Kitten

14-04-2010, 20:24

It's not that hard to familiarise yourself, not at all really, certainly not in terms of the OS. It's very intuitive and flows easily - the windows structures are very similar, and if you've used VISTA/7 then you'll have been using a lot of the Apple OS features anyway (albeit much later than they were introduced by Apple) I'd been using an old PC for a few years when I first used an ancient old apple. It was weird, but I'd definitely say that learning mac after windows pc is easier than vice versa because you already know what it can do. We only had a machine running DOS at home, no GUI, so the apple machine was the first experience I had of graphical interfaces!

Edit: Just read that you've already been using one. DOH!

Most annoying thing that'll get you alllllll the time is the @ symbol and " being swapped around if you have the mac/US keyboard.

Dymetrie

15-04-2010, 07:10

I'd say definitely go for it.

You'll get used to the OS and even though it's three years old it'll run very well (Mrs Dym's iBook is much older but performs remarkably well).

Hell, £300 for a 20" iMac!? If you don't want it then I'll have it!*

*subject to me actually having any money, which I don't, so an empty offer...

Desmo

15-04-2010, 07:20

It's better spec than the one I work on daily so you shouldn't have any problems.

Mark

15-04-2010, 10:47

Better spec than my Mac Mini too which is also fine.

Joe 90

15-04-2010, 17:01

Yesterday I had just about decided that I am a tech god so therefore could familiarise myself with OSX in no time should I ever need to and instead i'd be better off spending £300 getting absolutely smashed at the end of my degree next month, with some left over for stag do #1 in July.

but you guys have kept my original faith in this being a good idea!

Joe 90

17-04-2010, 04:40

OMG. I just paid for it. Will be collecting it Sunday evening. I'm horribly impatient but at least I have my dissertation & our varsity game to think about before hand!

Now - how do I 'learn' OSX. I like to know all the keyboard shortcuts etc

Dymetrie

17-04-2010, 07:11

Now - how do I 'learn' OSX. I like to know all the keyboard shortcuts etc

RTFM n00b :D

Seriously though, google it :)

Joe 90

17-04-2010, 09:11

Lol I don't do things by the book!!

Blighter

17-04-2010, 12:47

I'm like you with keyboard shortcuts... love 'em! and, imo, they are so much better and comprehensive on a mac (although 'print screen' requires a twister-like finger movement).

Best bet is to google the shortcuts, print them off, and keep them to hand! You'll soon pick them up :)

Joe 90

17-04-2010, 15:39

got a bit of an issue.

I haven't brought all my spare kit to uni this year so don't have a mouse! *its missing a mouse btw*

Whats general consensus on mac mice... a mighty mouse or just bog standard MS intelli explorer?

Burble

17-04-2010, 15:42

Personally I think all Apple mice are crap but each to their own.

Feek

17-04-2010, 15:42

Personally I think all Apple mice are crap but each to their own.

^^

Logitech MX518

Joe 90

17-04-2010, 15:49

I'll take a look on ebuyer then. I've always heard good things about Logitech mice

For the sake of tomorrow evening, if I connect my MS wireless kit from my PC will that work okay?

Burble

17-04-2010, 15:55

Aye, it'll work fine.

Joe 90

17-04-2010, 20:08

Ordered a Logitech MX900 off of eBay for £23

2nd class postage though :(
how long is 2nd class? Like 3-5 days?

Burble

17-04-2010, 21:12

2 business days minimum I think.

Joe 90

18-04-2010, 19:30

omg.

http://img704.yfrog.com/img704/5076/khjj.jpg

I own an actual mac. \o/

Kitten

18-04-2010, 20:31

Ahh and an FHM Calendar if I'm not mistaken ;)

Feek

18-04-2010, 20:57

Did you get into Firefox preferences OK?

Joe 90

19-04-2010, 11:18

Ahh and an FHM Calendar if I'm not mistaken ;)
lol yes!

Did you get into Firefox preferences OK?
when you tweeted me I was out celebrating a varsity win and my last game of football, but I'm sure you got my reply from this morning!

More importantly... bottom left is a ATCS 200... but is it a MX1 or an MX2!
indeed, its an ATCS 200 - old school, solid steel kinda beast!

Joe 90

19-04-2010, 22:02

I've noticed that things like IM clients default to the name of the guy I bought this off - where are the settings for names etc? I thought I'd set it all up with my name and details but iChat still hasn't picked up my name :(

Blighter

20-04-2010, 00:07

Joe 90

20-04-2010, 00:25

nope. I've been through the name stuff in accounts and sharing - havent found anything else anywhere yet :/

*edit*

think I might of found it - in the address book my name wasn't correct on my account. Hopefully thats it.

Feek

20-04-2010, 12:43

Ooo, if I'd bought it second handings I'd have done an OS reinstall.

Which is what I did with I got my Mac Pro - Even though he'd done an install, I did one anyway just so I was happy it was all blatted.

leowyatt

20-04-2010, 13:01

aye do a re-install, doesn't take too long and you have a completely fresh system :)

Matblack

20-04-2010, 13:08

One of my friends is poised to give me his old MacBook Pro, due to his wife giving birth this has been delayed however I will be visting soon under the guise of wanting to see him new born baby girl (joking) and hopefully he'll have it for me :). Needs a new battery apparently but thats hardly a showstopper.

MB

LeperousDust

20-04-2010, 15:28

Needs a new battery apparently but thats hardly a showstopper.

MB

Yeah just swap it out... Oh wait... ;D :p

Joe 90

20-04-2010, 18:00

I would of done a system reinstall but the guy I bought it off set things up for me.
Because of the issues with his name still knocking about I guess he didn't completely clean it out but he did install all the apps I wanted (including his licensed copy of coda!!) and setup my account etc so I have left it as it is.

Joe 90

11-05-2010, 22:17

Think I need some more RAM for this thing. Its got it's standard 1gb and tends to not be all that responsive when I've got lots of things running.

I've been looking around @ 2gb Corsair sticks for about £40 - am I correct in thinking that these intel macs will just take the standard laptop memory?

Burble

11-05-2010, 22:22

Not really, I've found Apple machines to be extremely fussy about memory timings.

Feek

11-05-2010, 22:26

Have a shufti at Crucial, you can put your exact Mac type in and it'll tell you what you need and the prices are sensible.

Joe 90

11-05-2010, 22:40

cheers guys. (I hate apple for putting the details right at the bottom!)

I've got a 2118 - iMac (20-inch Late 2006)

its currently got 2x 512mb 667mhz DDR2 sticks.