iMac vs desktop

[Rson]

Originally Posted by Tom

I thought Apple had a proprietary logic board. Is that wrong?

Intel chipset, Intel board. depending on the MAC. Logic board is the same as Motherboard. The PC standards are the same.

[Tom]

Originally Posted by Rson

Intel chipset, Intel board. depending on the MAC. Logic board is the same as Motherboard. The PC standards are the same.

Could I go onto NewEgg or something and buy the exact same logic board or mother board that is in an iMac, MBP or Mac Pro?

[tukaniray]

..... yup ....

A buddy of mine has created "Hackin-tosh" ... as we call it. A frankenstein Mac. Pretty much build the specs your self and load up MacOS on to the hard drive ... and voila.

I haven't tried it myself, but my buddy's computer is definitely holding up with FCP and CS5 running just fine and strong.

I will note though, that you have to build the board and components to the specs that the software recognizes almost to the T. Shouldn't be too hard since Intel has products all over the place.

-Ray-

[groovyone]

There was an HP netbook I remember that was often hackintoshed.

[alwoodruff]

Originally Posted by contributor_M

Even though I've built these machines, I always ensure that I purchase the official OS. Regardless, do what you want man. Really. We are all adults.

Take issue with it if you want. That's fine. I've commented more than I should have in this thread already.

I'm the one who started this thread. I truly appreciate your comments as well as everyone else. Thank you all! As the starter of the thread I feel the responsibility to jump in and say something. I feel the person you're responding to was respectful in sharing his concerns and deserves the same in response. Thank you again for all your feedback!

[bhamm]

Hi there. I only read the first and last page of this thread, so forgive me if I'm covering something previously mentioned.

The 2 primary arguments for going with a Mac Pro (tower) would be the need for multiple hard drives, or for having slots available for things like really high end video/sound cards. If you don't need those two features, an iMac will suit you just fine. Really. Current iMac models have 4 RAM slots and can accept up to 16GB.

Also, Apple has an oft overlooked "Special Deals" section on their site. It's on the Store page, all the way down on the left.

Refurbished iMac - Apple Store (U.S.)

You can save a couple hundred dollars (or more) on a refurb unit. They come with the same 1 year warranty as new models, and are eligible for Apple Care. Be sure to consider a refurb, if you're still deciding. You can get a prior model "mid level" iMac for the same price as an "entry level" current model, and can end up with more Video RAM and a larger HD.

Hope this helps.

[tperry]

Probably the main difference with an iMac and a regular windows desktop is that the display on the apple product is just vivid, not to take anything away from desktops though. When you compare them side by side it just wins it, this is considering the relative standard for a computer, considering price and hardware compatibility.

The next is its optimization as they are made to run whatever image processing stuff flawlessly. Though you lose out on customization because what you get is what you are going to stick with until it breaks down.

[Rson]

Originally Posted by tperry

Probably the main difference with an iMac and a regular windows desktop is that the display on the apple product is just vivid, not to take anything away from desktops though. When you compare them side by side it just wins it, this is considering the relative standard for a computer, considering price and hardware compatibility.

The next is its optimization as they are made to run whatever image processing stuff flawlessly. Though you lose out on customization because what you get is what you are going to stick with until it breaks down.

LG has the display contract. They make the display parts.

Here is the secret:

1: Mac OSX is based off Unix. Very secure
2: They only write the code for specific devices and chipsets. Windows has drivers for ever device under the sun, Mac supports a handful.
3: The market share belongs to windows, thus the majority of viruses are written for them too. Once OSX gets a lions's share, they will have just as much malware and viruses.

Hacking Competition Leaves Android and Windows Phone 7 Devices Undefeated | Gadget Lab | Wired.com

[lfmerrell]

Many of the Mac laptops boot "Headless" You could get one of those laptops (check with the geniuses) and use the monitor and keyboard you already have. Sort of a two-fer. A daughter has an iBook with a dead screen after an Oops moment. We boot it and use an external monitor and keyboard. Thrifty yes, cheap absolutely.
Just an alternative thought. Other option would be a MacMini.