Computer Decidion: Dell Dimension 8400 or a iMac G5/eMac with Virtual PC 7?

Haruka

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    Computer Decidion: a Microsoft Windows PoweredPC or a iMac G5/eMac with Virtual PC 7?

    I am working for a new Computer for Christmas, but which one I should choose?

    I mostly use my computer for webmastering, posting at PC, and Art Design and the computer tends to slow down, and sometimes freezes.

    and it's not going to be a dell...

    HP Media Center PC
    Clock Speed 3200 MHz

    Processor type Pentium 4

    Processor manufacturer Intel
    RAM
    RAM installed 512 MB
    Storage Hard Drive
    Hard drive size 200 GB
    CD / DVD Drive: DVD-RW
    OS Provided
    OS provided Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition

    -----------
    Apple iMac G5
    Processor: PowerPC G5 1.6 GHz
    RAM installed: 514 MB DDR SDRAM
    Cache size - type: 512 KB L2 cache
    Hard drive: 80 GB Standard
    2nd hard drive: None
    CD / DVD drive: CD-RW / DVD-ROM combo IDE
    2nd CD / DVD drive: None
    Monitor type - technology - form factor: LCD display TFT active matrix
    Diagonal size (inches): 17
    Viewable screen size: 17
    Video RAM installed: 64
    Graphics processor: NVidia GeForce FX 5200 Ultra
    Audio output: Integrated Sound card
    Built-in devices: Antenna,Stereo speakers
    OS provided: Apple MacOS X 10.3 CD-ROM
    ----------
    Apple eMac
    Processor: Motorola PowerPC G4 1.25 GHz
    RAM installed: 512 MB
    Cache size - type: 256 KB
    Hard drive: 80 GB
    CD / DVD drive: CD-RW / DVD-R
    Monitor type - technology - form factor: Display
    Diagonal size (inches): 17
    Viewable screen size: 16
    Video RAM installed: 32
    Graphics processor: ATI RADEON 7500
    Weight: 50
    OS provided: Apple MacOS X 10.2 / MacOS 9
     
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    I'm not a Mac fan, but if you want the computer for design then I'd say get the G5, because that's very powerful and Macs are great for design. Just make sure you can get the programs you want for your web design on Mac (if you use Dreamweaver you'll be right to go).
     
    I don't think there's much of a difference of what you get. The reason graphic designers used Apple computers because some years ago, Adobe only had Photoshop on Macs. Now, Adobe made it dual platform so Photoshop now works with Windows. So there isn't much of a differnce. But I would chose the Apple iMac G5 because I heard that you can get money off them later on if you don't have even the tiniest scratch, or any thing else that wasn't there before.
     
    For what you do with the computer you could probably get by with a RAM boost since your current one is fine otherwise. If you insist on getting a new one though…you do not need an extra 160 gigs to do that stuff. And I'm pretty sure you're not a notorious downloader either. o_O;

    Never used a Mac, can't say but those Macs are probably going to be a lot more pricey for less bang.
     
    I think you could do alot better to build it yourself, if that's the type of money you have to spend on a PC.
    A nice 915P based board like the Gigabyte 8GPNXP Duo, loaded up with a a GB or two of low latency DDR, maybe some Corsair TwinX XMS4000 Pro if you can afford it.
    Pair up a Pentium 4 LGA775 CPU at around the 3.4Ghz mark, with a Vanilla ATi Radeon x800, and you'll be fine in the performance stakes.
    As far as storage, LG make, and always have made, quality DVD Burners, which when combined with a sizable RAID array (Two 250GB drives in RAID0 will cover not only storage, but provide awesome speed), should ensure you won't run out of space *too* soon. Audio is covered by the Azalia Audio Standard, proving 96bit 7.1 Channel sound, so get yourself a semi decent set of speakers from Logitech and you'll be in Audiophile Heaven.
    As far as periphirals, such as case, keyboard, mouse and monitor are concerned - well that's up to your own personal preference.
     
    I don't have any knowledge of making my own computer, nor my parents do, and I am always conserned about spyware...

    and I don't scan for spyware, because my pc is too slow... and also security holes. >_>
     
    Spyware checkers—or the common ones anyways—don't take long to check even on slow computers. Which from what you've told me, yours isn't. If you're not comfortable building one that's fine, but you should at least patch and check for spyware semi-regularly. And I'm not quite sure how that would affect building it.

    The main concern with building your own machine is you become the final support. If it crashes and you've tried everything, there's no higher power to call like Dell or Gateway or whatever. It's a pretty big responsibility and you've got to know what you're doing.

    As for monitors, my policy is "If it can't do 1600 x 1200 trash it"
    *wants that reso* Keyboards=simpler the better I hate hate hate ones with "F lock" So annoying. Burr. Mice however need side back/forward buttons for me to touch them, and I'm using Logitech's Mx500. 'tis quite nice, and has served me well over the near year I've had it.
     
    well, I am getting sick of windows every day... but I have to use it...

    I am aiming myself to get a mac instead of a pc, because I am already fustrated how much security holes is in windows, alot of spyware (and sometimes spyware scanners can't detect them all), and also, my applications freezes alot too... (mainly due to a lack of memory) and I rarely use 1600x1200. It's too small and the small print hurt my eyes...

    and DVD burners are expensive on the PC, I might need one because anime takes alot of room... X_X.....

    I guess I will get a mac, then. ^_^ =p
     
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    DVD burners for PC are actually really, really cheap now. Cheaper than CD burners were a few years back.

    Not that I have one, my computer's way too slow o_O
     
    Yes, but Windows has alot of security holes, and I have to pay for a virus scan to protect my machine..

    I'm making a switch and get a mac instead with virual pc 7

    and Macs are beautiful looking than pcs... >_>
     
    If that's a concern, yes, but you can get some REALLY cool-looking PCs. XD
     
    Windows don't fansinate me anymore... >_>..

    and they are expensive too....

    and also, everyone find macs more better and faster than a 2.0 GHz PC..

    =p... don't judge Macs by it's processors.... their processors speeds are different from PC speeds.
     
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    Macs have different processors and work differently, and yes, they are fast; however, when you're talking about expense, you do realise that Macs are much, much more expensive than PCs?
     
    Yes, I bought a Mac for 900 dollars a long time ago (it's expensive than the Desktop PC) but it's fast enough. =p...

    but I want a iMac because I don't want to use gates software (don't mention it has alot of holes, spyware, unreilablity, not stable, harder to use, and etc.)

    and also PC tends to go out to date very early than macs... and also...

    a 1.6 GHz iMac is a equivent to a 3.20 GHz Pentium 4
     
    According to Apple's tests anyway XD.

    I recommend having both kinds anyway, keep your old PC for testing purposes and that kind of thing, and for running stuff Macs don't like (even Virtual PCs can't handle some stuff).
     
    Apple are a bunch of liars. They throw about numbers about how much faster their CPU's are, but independant sources such as AtomicMPC prove them wrong time after time.
    I don't buy from a company that lies to it's consumer base.
     
    >_>.... but I am not going to use windows anymore, nor linux..

    It's too slow and unrealible... >_>...

    and linux is too complicated and it doesn't work with my programs that I need. *sighs*

    So, I am doing research before buying.... so I don't make the same mistake what I did with my current pc. ^_^.
     
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    If you need something with broad compatibility with programs, that's kind of Windows's curse and blessing right there. x_o; There's not much on a Mac you'd *need* over Windows, really. And if there was, you could always do PPC for the rare times you *needed* Mac software.

    Buuuut, your money, your decision. Personally I'd build a PC, cept they haven't gotten that much better since I got this one…wouldn't be worth it at all for what I do, IMO. And I think you could get by just upgrading a few parts in yours.
     
    I said again, I am not going to build a computer..... nor my parents... I am just going to buy one...

    and PearPC is very slow, I perfer a real Mac over a emulated one... I will figure out which one to buy, but it's not going to be a Dell... =p... ^_^...

    Also, my computer don't have any AGP slot so I cannot upgrade my graphics card, and I cannot replace my harddrive because it's irreplaceable.
     
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    1 thing, I don't play graphic entensive games.... =p....

    I only do webmaster stuff and also computer graphics, but no graphic entensive games....

    and I do suffer alot with windows... but I keep getting confused because this topic has some biased posts.... which making me confused....

    ~_~... I like macosx, it looks nice and runs great than windows xp, but I still have to use PCs, so I might get virtual pc..

    I still have time for more research on the best choice. ^_^
     
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