Planning to buy my first Apple/Mac Computer

[symphonix]

Hehe, Tim does a good job. Yeah I didn't mean to scare you or confuse you by saying that the iMac will run PhotoShop in emulation. The great thing about the Mac is that all of that is taken care of automatically, you won't even know that the software isn't running natively, and the Rosetta emulator will handle most work even faster than one of the pre-Intel Macs. But when Adobe release the Universal version of PhotoShop and you install that, you will notice that a lot of tasks - especially processor intensive tasks - will run faster than before.

If you really want to know more about the whole Rosetta emulation thing you can look at http://www.apple.com/rosetta/ - but like Tim said, its the best software you'll *never see* and you won't even have to think about it. Load up any Mac OS X program and it'll run without any user intervention.

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I also couldn't say with any confidence that anything new will be launched with WWDC in August. Sometimes they do launch new hardware at WWDC, sometimes they launch new software, often they release new versions of developers tools or beta releases of the next operating system. So don't hold your breath for August, I was merely saying that if you're not in a huge rush to buy right now and feel you need to get a better idea of what is going on, then WWDC in August would be of interest to you.

Apple has two big events every year. WWDC in August is mostly for Developers but it is where Apple talks about the future of its technologies and where they want to go next. The only thing confirmed for this year's WWDC is that they will be talking about Mac OS X 10.5's new features. The other big event is MacWorld, in January each year, and that is for all of us Mac fanatics.

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As for using an iMac with an external monitor, that is a big yes, but like Tim said the video output on Macs is DVI, while PCs use VGA. The adapter he pointed you to lets you plug in a VGA monitor to the DVI port on the iMac.

Everything else Tim told you sounds pretty spot on. Keep the questions coming though.

[speXedy]

Mac OS 10.5 is coming out? If i buy Tiger (.4) will I get a free upgrade? or will I have to buy 5 too? Also you said that macs have dvi .. well if I buy a mac monitor will i still have to buy a converter?

oh belive me i'll keep the questions coming! every hour i think of something to ask lol.

thanks for all the help mac experts! i really am thankfull

edit: also do you understand what he ment buy the bootcamp? that kind of confused me. I can run pc programs on os x? or ill have to install xp?

[symphonix]

Originally Posted by speXedy

Mac OS 10.5 is coming out?

Not right away. At WWDC we will see the first demonstration of new features and technologies to expect in 10.5. The actual release date isn't expected to be until late 2006 or early 2007, though.

[speXedy]

Ah okay, well that's good to know, if I get an iMac sometime this summer I won't be outdated for atleast a few months! hehe ... wow do you guys want to see something really sad? I was so bored tonight and thinking about macs so much I opened Photoshop and made this for my wallpaper for my PC to make me want to save money even more ...

(edited smaller for your viewing)


and also if anyone has any info on that bootcamp I still am confused about that.

[Rhisiart]

It's never a good time to buy a PC or a Mac these days, as the hardware and software get updated so frequently.

You could wait for the next Mac OS to be released (10.5). Each new OS costs around 100 bucks, so delaying your purchase of your first Mac could save you a little money. However, it could be anything from three to nine months before it is released.

I cannot agree more with others that the iMac is by far the best Mac hardware to start with. It's fun to discover how it works and it has most of what you need from a Mac. Of course if you want products like Microsoft Word you will have buy these separately, just as if you were buying a new IBM type PC.

A work colleague recently purchased an iMac having owned a variety of PCs over several years. He loves it, but it took him three months to get to know it well enough to start exploring new software and additions (Boot camp etc.).

I think this is the point here. Buy the iMac. Get to discover it, enjoy using a fantastic stable operating system, and then decide on additions and upgrades once you are fully acquainted with it.

(P.S. Go for 20" screen)

[andychrist]

Isn't Parallels Desktop a more flexible alternative to BootCamp? It works more like Virtual PC, allowing you to run OSX and Windows (or any other x86 OS) simultaneously, rather than having to boot back and forth between them.

I'd agree that the Intel iMac is the right choice for you, speXedy.

[speXedy]

What is Virtual PC? I really don't understand the consept behind any program like Bootcamp? can someone explain in detail? Thanks (sorry for such newbie question)

[Esquilinho]

as we're on the subject, I'd like to know something.

See, I convinced my co-worker to buy an iMac and I'm sort of "supporting" her with installs and stuff

What I'd like to know is: if I have a PPC app, do I just install it in a normal way on the Intel iMac and then rosetta will just take care of it or is there something else to it?