Audio from iMac

[ledge]

I suggest that you at least look at PCs before you get a Mac. They're miles ahead in terms of value and there aren't really any good reasons to get a Mac, in my opinion.

ill agree here... i could never have a mac as a main rig at home.. the PC is just too flexible not to have.... i do have a macbook pro, but thats a secondary computer mainly for travel.

[luftkopf]

... Snip Mac PC debate...

Also, the adapter you mentioned, is that just a female TOSLINK to male 3.5mm Optical adaptor ? And yes I also have a few USB devices already so that's why I was wondering about the optical output. Not sure if it's true, but I'm sure I read somewhere that sound quality through optical is generally better than USB - or maybe that was just the particular device they were testing.

That is correct. It is just a simple female TOSLINK to male 3.5mm optical adaptor.

I can't comment as to the comparison of USB and optical from personal experience, however, I can say that optical out sounds a lot better than the analogue out does to the home theatre.

[luftkopf]

I suggest that you at least look at PCs before you get a Mac. They're miles ahead in terms of value and there aren't really any good reasons to get a Mac, in my opinion.

ill agree here... i could never have a mac as a main rig at home.. the PC is just too flexible not to have.... i do have a macbook pro, but thats a secondary computer mainly for travel.

It all comes down to personal preference. I can't stand a PC as my main machine. My PC can go months at a time without being powered up. I do everything on my Macs. Both systems have their advantages.

[matt_d_19]

It all comes down to personal preference.

I don't really agree. They both do the same thing in a similar way, at the end of the day.

I can't stand a PC as my main machine. My PC can go months at a time without being powered up. I do everything on my Macs. Both systems have their advantages.

I don't care either way. I guess I slightly prefer PCs, so the fact that they're priced reasonably (and very well in comparison to Macs) makes it a no-brainer for me and many others.

[grev]

hahaha funny seeing you guys' replies considering Apple, since I have a few Macbook Pros myself and since 2008 with the unibody aluminium Macbook, it has optical digital out already so it's actually pretty good, I'm using my 2008 unibody for optical digital out to DACs etc.

[GougMan]

Thanks again for all the replies.

I think I now understand the whole thing about the Mac with optical digital output. I also found that Jaycar (and a few other places) sell optical Toslink -> 3.5mm cables in varying lengths.

I've had the discussion of Mac v PC more times than I care to remember and there are pros and cons for each, so I will now consider all my options and look around a bit more.

[Felix]

It all comes down to personal preference.

I don't really agree. They both do the same thing in a similar way, at the end of the day.

But.. isn't that why it's personal preference?

[matt_d_19]

But.. isn't that why it's personal preference?

Sure, if it's your preference to pay ridiculous amounts for an Apple logo.

Both products are too similar in what they do to pay so much more for 'preference'.

[Drubbing]

But.. isn't that why it's personal preference?

Sure, if it's your preference to pay ridiculous amounts for an Apple logo.

Both products are too similar in what they do to pay so much more for 'preference'.

I don't agree. I've had my iMac for 4 years and it still hasn't missed a beat or require an upgrade in RAM, or a virus cleanup. I can't say that about any PC I've had. 3 year shelf life max on all of them before they started playing silly buggers.

Malware, spyware, viruses all slugged it, despite AV software running all the time, and performing regular scans.While I know enough to de-frag them and keep them 'tidy', I can't be frigged to keep doing that. My computer isn't a hobby.

My missus knows nothing about computers, and tbh, she wanted a Mac for the aesthetics, but even she's impressed that it's never needed to go in for a service, and that it's still running as well as the day we bought it. When our PCs started to struggle, the downtime cost her a lot of time and money. Our Mac's paid for itself easily on that criteria alone.

[grahamnp]

Sure, if it's your preference to pay ridiculous amounts for an Apple logo.

Both products are too similar in what they do to pay so much more for 'preference'.

No they are not similar, Macs run OSX. I cannot speak for everybody but that is the difference I paid for. I used to think about how the software shouldn't cost more but I've been using Macs for over 3 years now and I don't care anymore, the experience is worth it for me. Obviously, it is not for everyone and much of it is down to personal preference as has been pointed out already so you don't have to act like we've all made a lousy choice.

Software aside, you won't be able to find a computer that matches a Mac spec for spec and beats it on price. I have a 15" MBP so I'll use that as an example. You won't be able to find a machine that has equivalent specs, size, weight, battery life and quality.

[matt_d_19]

I don't agree. I've had my iMac for 4 years and it still hasn't missed a beat or require an upgrade in RAM, or a virus cleanup. I can't say that about any PC I've had. 3 year shelf life max on all of them before they started playing silly buggers.

Malware, spyware, viruses all slugged it, despite AV software running all the time, and performing regular scans.While I know enough to de-frag them and keep them 'tidy', I can't be frigged to keep doing that. My computer isn't a hobby.

My missus knows nothing about computers, and tbh, she wanted a Mac for the aesthetics, but even she's impressed that it's never needed to go in for a service, and that it's still running as well as the day we bought it. When our PCs started to struggle, the downtime cost her a lot of time and money. Our Mac's paid for itself easily on that criteria alone.

My older PC lappy laster over four years, I don't remember ever having to service it or anything.

No they are not similar, Macs run OSX. I cannot speak for everybody but that is the difference I paid for. I used to think about how the software shouldn't cost more but I've been using Macs for over 3 years now and I don't care anymore, the experience is worth it for me. Obviously, it is not for everyone and much of it is down to personal preference as has been pointed out already so you don't have to act like we've all made a lousy choice.

I really don't see why anyone would prefer a Mac enough to justify the difference in price. We all know that PCs are much better value for money performers and there's no way you can argue against it.

Software aside, you won't be able to find a computer that matches a Mac spec for spec and beats it on price. I have a 15" MBP so I'll use that as an example. You won't be able to find a machine that has equivalent specs, size, weight, battery life and quality.

PCs that match the performace (I'm not saying 'specs' because I know you will argue and say "specs don't matter with Macs, they perform better than PCs with the same specs") of a Mac usually (almost always) cost significantly less. They often exceed the performance of Macs for lot less money.

Also, I don't understand why small screen size is such an advantage. It can be convienitent, yes, but not better.

[grahamnp]

I really don't see why anyone would prefer a Mac enough to justify the difference in price. We all know that PCs are much better value for money performers and there's no way you can argue against it.

How can you put a price on preference? I would prefer a GTX580 to a GTX570 as would many other people but somebody could just as easily come along and say that the difference wasn't justified. A BMW does largely the same things as a Honda, is the price difference not justified? You may not be willing to pay the difference but don't claim that the extra money is is being spent on nothing. It isn't just about benchmarks, the Macs offer a different experience and for some, it is better. When I was using Windows as my primary machine I used to be running anti malware apps and reformatting and installing Windows all the time because it would just bog down and slow over time. I use Windows 7 for gaming and it is much improved but it still suffers from the same fundamental problems. You can't measure these things in dollars and cents or some kind of performance test but you cannot say that they do not matter.

It's also not just about reliability, I find OSX to be far superior to use and you cannot tell me that I am perceiving it wrong or that I don't prefer it enough. I could easily reverse things and say that I don't see why anyone could prefer the cost savings of other manufacturers to justify putting up with all the various problems.

PCs that match the performace (I'm not saying 'specs' because I know you will argue and say "specs don't matter with Macs, they perform better than PCs with the same specs") of a Mac usually (almost always) cost significantly less. They often exceed the performance of Macs for lot less money.

Also, I don't understand why small screen size is such an advantage. It can be convienitent, yes, but not better.

I am not going to argue that specs don't matter. They do matter, they just aren't the be all and end all of determining factors when it comes to the computing experience. I don't see you naming any specific models like I challenged earlier. You can say that Apple's chosen areas of emphasis are not important but you cannot discount them just because they aren't important to you because they might be important to somebody else. If they weren't important, nobody would buy them, the brand factor only goes so far. Again, can you find a laptop with near identical specs, features, quality and a lower price?

Look at the recent barrage of ultrabooks. If you've been following their progress, you will know that the manufacturers are struggling to compete with the MacBook Air while offering a price advantage. As of yet, none of the reviews I've seen have found any of those that are cheaper to be superior to the MacBook Air.

I don't understand what you are saying about screen size. Smaller computers are better if nothing is sacrificed and convenient == better if all other things are equal. However, I never claimed that a smaller screen was better and I don't see anybody else claiming so either. Personally, I will take the largest screen I can afford.

-------

I am not claiming Macs are better than their counterparts but there are genuine reasons for paying extra to own one. You might not find to be appealing to you but don't tell me they shouldn't be appealing to me either.

[Marcus]

EVERYONE LOVES MAC VS PC ARGUMENTS

The winner is clearly Star Trek. Overall as a whole it's a better package, Star Wars when you get down to it just falls apart on the whole ESPECIALLY after Lucas went back and fucked with everything.

If we're talking original Star Trek vs original Star Wars... well, c'mon they're BOTH awesome, and as George Takei has been promoting lately - they have a common enemy: the Twilight series and associated fans.


This message brought to you by Gutter Mouth management, kindly telling you to shut the fuck up with the Mac vs PC argument because BOTH sides are what I would call "losers".
Ps: Have a good 'straya day.

[Drubbing]

Shatner's contained overacting trumps Luke's phallic laser sabre erections every time.

The Mac Vs PC is a little worn and tired. I'm no techno fanboi, nor shallow aestheticist - which is where the lines seem to be drawn on this thing.

I prefer Mac based on the complete lack of grief it's given me, which allows us to run a business without hassles. Whatever premium they're charging for that I'm more than happy with.

[Marcus]

PERSONAL PREFERENCE? WTF!
BANNED