For some people, computers need to match the color of the curtains. My problem with iMacs and ALL
read that ALL
ALL ALL ALL
Golly-gee Dad, does all mean PC's too?
Yes it does son.

computers which are built:
  • So you cannot replace any parts on your own.
  • So when you replace one part you have to replace many (i.e. Want new RAM? It's soldered to the motherboard, you get to buy a new motherboard, video card, etc...)
  • In which the parts can ONLY be replaced by the manufacturer giving the public no right to choose and monopolizing the sub-market.
  • Machines which cannot even be repaired and must be replaced. (If we are not there already, we are getting close.)
As far as proof, how about the fact that iMacs are pretty close to un-modifiable, anything breaks and you have to ship it back to the company. No upgrades, no nothing. Lets do the math kids.

"iMacs are real cheap!"

Want a new monitor? you get to spend 1000 bucks+ and deal with a data transfer nightmare. I spend say 400 bucks and plug it in.
Want a new processor? you get to spend 1000 bucks+ and deal with a data transfer nightmare. I spend 600 bucks and plug it in.
Want a new ANYTHING? You get to spend 1000 bucks+ and deal with a data transfer nightmare. I'm going to spend a whole lot less and plug it in.

What if I never upgrade ever?
Than you: And you can "lose all respect" for me till the cows come home, it doesn't change the fact that I am, in my own mind, trying to offer counterpoint to what I feel could end up a dire and costly mistake for an undecided would-be computer owner. If you are going to buy a Mac, get a real one. If you are going to buy a PC, get a real one. If you want tech support nightmares, head aches and the joy of spending thousands of dollars on what is really second rate machinery only to do it all over again in 9 months, feel free to buy an all-in-one computer.

Modularization of technology was revolutionary and made our lives easier, now computer companies and yes, Apple in particular, are trying to shovel shit into a box, encase it in cute see-through plastic and sell it to you like its better than sex. It's a lie. If you want to buy the lie, make sure to get an extended service contract for the lie; Mac, PC or otherwise.

As far as an SGI being the best for graphics (which I implied), they are recognized as the worlds best graphics machines hands down and are made for that purpose specifically. They made SGI Indigo workstations that are now 4 years old, that are faster than any Mac or PC and still sell for 2000-4000 used. A New SGI O2 Graphics workstation (which looks a HELL of a lot cooler than an iMac) is going to run you upwards of $11,500. Its the industry standard of the elite, it runs IRIX. I feel it's safe to make some assumptions here.

And, for the last time. I do not like Macs. Compared to PC's, on a technical level, in my mind they are no better nor worse, as I said probably 4 or 5 times before.
I do not like Macs.
That is called an "opinion".
If you do not agree with having opinions, I have no idea what the hell to say to you.
If you just don't think that I should have opinions, I know exactly what to say to you, so let me know.


re:
eMachines are the work of SATAN.
(Unless you own one, at which point I respect your purchase, I also respect your future purchases of eMachines, iMac's or any modularized computer by any company running any operating system. I do not in any way wish to infer that you are bad, evil or satanic for owning such products nor do I wish to make you feel stupid for doing so. Led Zeppelin was a work of Satan too, I love them. -- The Mngmt.)



Re:Re:
A lot of what you say is true.
Components: All I have ever seen is clear power adapters to match the case, Zip drives and things like that. I was under the impression that Apple stopped letting other companies produce and sell hardware unregulated by Apple. I could be wrong.

Lame Proof: Again we get to make moJoe get even more in depth on the subject...
Most PC manufacturers suck ass. There are different levels of componentization, the best of which, in my humble humble opinion is buying the parts and building it yourself, or, having a small computer shop build it. You get warrenty on individual parts that way and can replace them withot voiding anything. Also, chances are nothing with be glued to your motherboard.

Slightly less appealing are factory built computers. There are numerous reasons why these are not as good to own. I already got into them a bit. if you want to know more, look it up. If you really really want me to write my 46 page Politically correct rant on why I think pre-made PC's suck, I can do that too but I think I was fairly clear on my stance on this already. The positive side to these are: They are easier to buy and require no thought what-so-ever to purchase. Set-up is identical to House made computers, so no help here.

And then the other end of the spectrum are all-in-one computers. I already went into them. Up-side is that they require no thought to purchase or set up. I am of the mind that we should eliminate the "magic smoke" from computer usage and that everyone learn to use them to a certain basic level. If you absolutly refuse to learn anything about what you just spent thousands of dollars on, thats your choice. If I own a car, I will know how to change my oil and tires at least. I'm just that sort of person. To me, and I am going out on a limb here, the limitations are not worth the money you save to make it a bit simpler for you.

SGI: All true. Nothing to do with which machines are better, but true. The reason I brought it up was due to the fact that it is what I hear most often from people who don't appear to know their ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to graphic design. If I had a cookie for every time I have heard the words "Macs are the worlds best computers for making graphics" I wouldn't be able to eat them all. SGI's are the best, they are also complete and utter overkill in most instances. Situationally, Macs can indeed be cheaper and equally effective. Why they are better than PC's has still not been explained to me.

"As far as proof, how about the fact that iMacs are pretty close to un-modifiable, anything breaks and you have to ship it back to the company."

Well, that's pretty lame proof. Most PC manufacturers require you to send their machines back to them or have it serviced by an authorized repairer when there's a problem, or risk voiding your warantee. Apple does the same thing. If you really want to get inside the box by yourself, you still can. The only major difference between an all-in-one and a regular PC components-wise is the monitor. Sending the computer in for repairs is a problem specific to all-in-one machines only if the monitor is broken. For any other part, the manufacturer would most likely want you to send your whole computer back to them anyway, if your computer was an all-in-one or not.

The iMac is designed for people with no previous computer experience. Seasoned Macintosh veterans such as myself buy Power Macs. Personally, iMacs are not for me, but I don't look down upon them. The iMac DV Special Edition especially is actually an excellent machine and more than enough to last a newbie for a while. It's also a good game machine, unlike the first generation of iMacs. As for being a "tech support nightmare", the iMac was specifically designed to be the exact opposite. The hallmark of the machine is its simplicity. The idea of the machine is that you'll never need to call tech support, because your 3 year-old could set it up blindfolded.

SGI is great for making Star Wars, but most small companies would rather buy a machine that can do graphics efficiently and doesn't cost them $12,000. As a graphics professional who has done graphics for companies such as DuPont, I can tell you that the vast majority of clients aren't looking for artwork that pushes the cutting edge. They just want you to make something cheaply in Freehand that looks great and keeps their art budget down. Macs are perfect for these kinds of jobs, and it's these jobs that dominate the graphic arts industry. Not everyone's trying to make Toy Story 2. I'm not knocking SGI, but it's a different tool for a different job.

Most Mac graphic artists use Power Macs, so I'm not sure how graphics got lumped into this node anyway.

Of course, you're free to your opinion, but you shouldn't base your opinion on inaccurate facts. And that's my $.02.

Here is my rant on the so-called "modularization" you speak of.

Lets look at the past 5 years of PC hardware and just how "upgradable" it truly all is. 5 years ago I purchased my favorite computer that I named "Banpei" after a robot that a female anime character built in a Manga (specifically, Skuld from Ah! My Goddess). This machine was the following:
From there, 3 more hard drives were added of various sizes and the original swapped out. Not to mention a PCI Monster 3D.

So what does all this have to do with modularity, upgradability and replacability? (is that even real english? ;) ) Simple. How much of that machine is truly replacable?

The CPU? Nope, Intel abandoned the Socket 7 platform for the Slot 1.

The RAM? Nope, SDRAM became the standard in the 430TX chipset (the last Socket 7) and everything after the 440LX was SDRAM.

The motherboard? Not really, the T2P4 was AT form factor, which also went out of the limelight.

The video card? Sure, as long as I make sure not to pick up an AGP card. In fact, while I'm talking about differing bus types, I should note that the ISA Sound Blaster isn't an option anymore. My latest motherboard has zero slots of that type.

And, in fact, most of the things I talk about above are going out the door right now anyway. SDRAM is becoming DDR. Slot One has already become Socket 370. ATX is going out so that Pentium 4's can get all the power they need.

My point is that computer technology is moving fast. Really really fast. An all-in-one machine is no more evil then a modular machine that will never get upgraded. After all, by the time things start to break or the owner of the computer thinks to themself "you know, this program runs really really slow, maybe I should upgrade", it's already too late.

After all, how many friends of yours have come to you, with machine specs not unlike the ones I listed above, asking what they can upgrade? And how pleased are they when they hear that they're basically better starting from scratch?

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