Purchasing a computer.. Apple vs HP vs Sony

[Akire]

Hi there,

I am going to be purchasing a new desktop in the next week or so, and am having a hell of a time deciding which one to go with. I have it narrowed down between 4 or 5 computers. I will be doing my photography for this, but will also be doing just basic school assignment work and internet browsing. I have no desire for games or animation stuff.

I'm not looking for the traditional Apple vs. PC debate, I know the merits and disadvantages of both.. just looking for opinions about what would serve me the best for the longest time.

What would you pick and why? Thank you so much!!

Imac 24 inch 2.8GHz- the base setup for this one. http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/imac?mco=NzQ5MDg1

HP touchsmart IQ500t 22", 2.26GHz
http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/cto.do

Either one of these VAIO JS- 20.1"
https://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SYCompareProducts

Or this Sony LV series 24", 2.53GHz- this is the same price as the Imac (with student discount)
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665507564

My Boyfriend works at bestbuy, and can probably get the HP for around $1200.. all others are full price.

[toxic]

iMac if you like OSX or HP and do a clean install. Or, if you have photoshop or other expensive software for Windows already, just get the HP.

[AAzz44]

I just purchased that iMAC after working on PC's for years. Im very happy with it, I think it handles graphics better, is faster overall, and it seems Macs aren't replaced overnight with new PC's. (talking about models and processor speeds).

Good Luck.
Mike

[gromeo]

Just like Mike I made the switch about to years ago and could not be happier, I was going to get an Imac last week and the guy at the Mac store said there is a new one coming this month, new shell like the Macbooks and better graphics card.

[stevo8]

I switched a couple years ago and its highly unlikely Ill ever go back to a PC. IMO when spending that kind of cash theres more to consider then just the GHz number. A mac is like a exotic car, even if its not the fastest car on the road its still a better experience. A 24" Imac with 4gig of ram would be overkill for anything your talking about.

[dshankar]

Apple + Applecare = never fear anything wrong happening to your computer. Monitor breaks? Keyboard dented? WHATEVER? Replaced. Done. Deal. PEACE OF MIND.

Also, easy to use, very nice for power-users as well as new-users.

HP = VERY cheap and affordable. That's it. Parts will not last as long as the Apple, but MUCH MUCH MUCH better than Sony.

Sony = looks good out the outside, SH*T on the inside. Honestly, they break easily and don't have very good customer service.

Trust me, I know what I'm talking about ;)...........

This is NOT fanboy-ism. Do NOT start flaming Mac versus PC, or I will unsub from the thread...

[dryfire]

The hp and sony links don't work for me, but everything listed here is probably overkill for school work and minor image editing. Do you use any really slow image filters?

RAM may be an issue if you're dealing with a lot of large images at once. If you need to batch process a couple hundred photos quickly you'll start to care about CPU speed, otherwise I doubt you'll notice much in terms of responsiveness.

As for the quality difference between Sony and HP dshankar speaks of, I would wait to see some statistical quality data before believing it (even though I don't like sony). Anecdotal evidence is not terribly useful when millions of an item are produced.

If you don't mind having a computer that is difficult to upgrade, the iMAC and touchsmart are both nice computers. I've used a similar iMac for a few days and had no issues with it (I also use linux a lot). Note that if you choose a mac and type up a lot of equations your equations will not transfer to 2007.

Personally, I'd build my own.

[low note lee]

I use Macs and have never used a PC as a primary computer, so I'm biased, but I reckon they are brilliant machines. I have my 2.5 year old MacBook hooked up to a 24" display, and although its a tad on the slow side, it's still more than adequate for photoshopping 10MP RAW images.

If you are looking down the Apple path, I recommend you wait until the new models are released. They are due for a refresh, and updates should be announced any Tuesday now. Have a look at the MacRumors Buyer's Guide (http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#Desktop_Macs) for updates.

[TariQ.E]

go mac, u will never ever come back

I am using iMac 24" and the pictures looks more than great + the operating system is very stable and very fast especially if u editing many large files

[Akire]

thank you all so much for your opinions!

[low note lee]

thank you all so much for your opinions!

Which way are you going?

[MaxxuM]

If you still haven't decided, I vote for Mac too. HP's are pretty, but they use cheap parts and their customer service is hit & miss. Sony's are hit & miss as a whole. You get what you pay for and you don't pay much for either. Just don't buy a Mac or memory from Apple - buy from MacMall or Amazon - you'll save a good chuck of change. Also, look into Apple Aperture, it's a viable alternative to Lightroom and it's $100 less.

[Akire]

I've decided to go with the 24" imac, however I won't be able to get it for a little while due to financial circumstances. :( I need a job.

[MaxxuM]

I've decided to go with the 24" imac, however I won't be able to get it for a little while due to financial circumstances. :( I need a job.

Well, look at it this way - the new iMac/Mac Pro lineup is due out soon so you should wait anyway. Prices will drop a little on current models too :)

[neil_g]

do the iMacs still force you down the glossy screen route?

[stevo8]

Yep they sure do. For the iMac I don't see it as a deciding factor but for a MBP maybe. Although hopefully know that the 17" offers matte it will trickle down to the 15" as well. I would actually rather have the glossy in a iMac anyways, it looks amazing in person.

[neil_g]

thats a shame.. we got an iMac complete with glossy screen in a while back as a test box, we (IT) found it practically unusable from glare..

[wlescall]

For the OP:
Check the Apple Store on-line for a refurbished iMac. The 24" 2.8 GHz runs for $1549 when in stock. It is what I bought and was indistinguishable from new with the same warranty.

[MaxxuM]

do the iMacs still force you down the glossy screen route?

iMac, yes they do but since you are going to be indoors it isn't an issue plus you want as little ambient light in the room anyway for editing.

[MaxxuM]

thats a shame.. we got an iMac complete with glossy screen in a while back as a test box, we (IT) found it practically unusable from glare..

Really, that's surprising for indoors. We have over 900 Mac's with glossy screens and everyone (save the Windows lovers who refuse anything Apple) want to use them. The kids fight over using the Mac's vs the PC's. I use my MBP with glossy at work, on location (with screen shade) and at home and have never run into that bad of a problem. It really only gets bad if there are alot of blacks on the screen, but even then I can still use it fine.

Here is a trick I learned by accident. If you work a lot outdoors with laptops, buy a pair of polarized sunglasses. It's a little odd getting used to; turn your head sideways (like a dog) and the screen darkens turn it the other way and it gets brighter - yet, there are no reflections :D

[Akire]

For the OP:
Check the Apple Store on-line for a refurbished iMac. The 24" 2.8 GHz runs for $1549 when in stock. It is what I bought and was indistinguishable from new with the same warranty.

thanks! Being a student, I get a 10% discount anyways, but every little bit helps. I did some digging into my student loans, and I found out that I will be getting a pretty nice refund check since my tuition is lower than my loans.. I don't mind paying for my computer until I graduate, LOL. So, hopefully in the next month! I feel a bit silly having spent money on my camera equipment only to have it lie around, waiting for me to get a working computer...:rolleyes:

[Paul J McCain]

I always go with HP- very good value and very good design and durability. I bought an HP laptop for $1000 6 years ago, just sold it for $200, and bought a new one. I'll never have anything different. You won't find more value anywhere.

Then again, this is coming from someone who repairs laptops for friends, so I don't really care about the Apple warranty service, as I can just buy the part cheap online and replace it myself. But in the experience my family has had with Apple, their computers aren't very durable (hard drive broke, keyboards broke, etc) but they immediately just get a new one at the local apple store, which is nice. No having to deal with mailing your computer in like with other brands.

For me, Apples are just way too overpriced, when you can get an HP with twice as much memory and speed for the same price. But Sonys are WAY overpriced. They are horrible quality in my experience.

Since you say you're not going to do gaming or animation, why not save some money and go with something like this? It doesn't seem like you'd take advantage of the price of the touchscreen.
http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/desktops/m8500f_series/rts/4/computer_store/KT334AA%2523ABA

Let's look at sidebyside with the Apple for this one:
HP v. Apple
Memory: 5 GB v. 2 GB (THIS is important for editing photos)
Processor: 2.2 quad core v. 2.8 duo core
Hard Drive: 750 GB v. 320 GB

Also, the HP comes with useful things like a card reader, more USB ports, etc.
And you can buy a nice 24" screen for it and the cost would still be much less than the Apple:
http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/display/display/1/storefronts/GM712AA%2523ABA

I don't know. It's just that with that comparison, I wouldn't want to spend $500 more on the Apple when the HP is going to perform just as well, if not better than the Apple counterpart.

[Akire]

hmmm... interesting proposition.

What about that HP monitor, vs this Dell monitor? So cool how you can swivel them, Lord knows I shoot a ton of vertical pics.

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Monitors/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-6272

That would give me the extra room to buy photo editing software..

I wanted an all in one computer.. but I guess not for any super-important reason. Just aesthetics, portability..

[Paul J McCain]

Well, with a 2.2GHz quad core processor and 5 GB of memory, and 750GB hard drive, you're going to be able to do basically anything you want other than run very intensive games. It would be an all-in-one-except-gaming computer. And you could even still play games, just not graphic intensive games like GTA4 or something.

That's the nice thing, you can pick basically any monitor you want, and that Dell does look very nice, I love that simple design and I was playing with one the other day, it's really cool how you can swivel it easily.

Keep in mind though my suggestion is from a college student who is more interested in value per dollar than Apple v. Mac. Certainly if you want Mac OS, go with an Apple, lol.

[stevo8]

thats a shame.. we got an iMac complete with glossy screen in a while back as a test box, we (IT) found it practically unusable from glare..

you should try cleaning it or turning the brightness up then. I know several people with them and I have edited on them several times with absolutely no issues and they have no complaints about it either.

[Moppie]

Hi there,

I am going to be purchasing a new desktop in the next week or so, and am having a hell of a time deciding which one to go with. I have it narrowed down between 4 or 5 computers. I will be doing my photography for this, but will also be doing just basic school assignment work and internet browsing. I have no desire for games or animation stuff.

I'm not looking for the traditional Apple vs. PC debate, I know the merits and disadvantages of both.. just looking for opinions about what would serve me the best for the longest time.

What would you pick and why? Thank you so much!!

Imac 24 inch 2.8GHz- the base setup for this one. http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/imac?mco=NzQ5MDg1

HP touchsmart IQ500t 22", 2.26GHz
http://www.shopping.hp.com/webapp/shopping/cto.do

Either one of these VAIO JS- 20.1"
https://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SYCompareProducts

Or this Sony LV series 24", 2.53GHz- this is the same price as the Imac (with student discount)
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665507564

My Boyfriend works at bestbuy, and can probably get the HP for around $1200.. all others are full price.



Just how much photo editing are you going to be doing?

And is there any particular reason you want a consumer series computer, from a large name brand manufacturer?

As mass produced consumer level systems all of the above are going to do pretty much the same job.

But if you are into some more serious editing (batch conversions, lots of RAW processing etc) then you should look at learning a bit more about what goes into a modern PC and perhaps look at building your own Quad core, or specing one out, and getting it built for you.

[R_Metzel]

well, I know dell is not on the list...but I will add my 2 cents....

I used to run mac....can't afford to now, but I LOVED my mac.... I have been running dell for my last 3 computers and I have never had an issue with any of them. Recently upgraded from a dual core 2.8 GHz xp w/ 3 gb ram to a quad core 2.33 GHz vista x64 and 8 gb of ram. The difference is night and day!

My buddy stopped by today to check it out and he couldn't believe how fast it was. imported 3.4 gb of raw files into lightroom in 24 secs. Has 2 640 gb HD's, HD audio w/ a HDMI input.....all for $726.00 to my door. Is a dell refurb.....old case, all new parts, with same 1 year warranty as a "new" one. First thing I did was open up the case....not a spec of dust, lint, smoke, cat hair, etc... anywhere. All new parts.

Just some food for though.....

[grego]

If you are mainly going to use your computer for photos, and do anyting hardcore as moopie mentions, you probably should look into a more powerful computer.

Also, with a screen in one computer, you can't expand it the same ways you can if you had a monitor plus computer.

iMac, yes they do but since you are going to be indoors it isn't an issue plus you want as little ambient light in the room anyway for editing.

It still can be a pain indoors, depending on how the lights in your place are setup. So yes, it can still have an annoying reflection. I have a laptop that has a glossy screen and depending upon the room and how I angle the monitor it can catch lights.

[grego]

hmmm... interesting proposition.

What about that HP monitor, vs this Dell monitor? So cool how you can swivel them, Lord knows I shoot a ton of vertical pics.

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Monitors/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-6272

That would give me the extra room to buy photo editing software..

I wanted an all in one computer.. but I guess not for any super-important reason. Just aesthetics, portability..

Great deal right now. I just bought that 24 incher. It has a lot of inputs (2 DVI, HDMI, Display Port,etc.), a card reader, 2 usb ports. Being able to do vertical is cool. It's an S-PVA panel, and its pretty fast at 6 ms, so it can do games just fine, but also is high quality. This monitor is made by panel so you know its going to be nice. It has good color reproduction and does blacks well from all of the tests/reviews

Messy desk though:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v357/greg9683/MG4S0118_Desk500.jpg

[MaxxuM]

It still can be a pain indoors, depending on how the lights in your place are setup. So yes, it can still have an annoying reflection. I have a laptop that has a glossy screen and depending upon the room and how I angle the monitor it can catch lights.

Very true. There are two situations where glossy, for me, has been a pain. In really dim lighting conditions when the screen is straight on and there are a lot of dark's or black's on the screen. The second, is when there is direct sunlight hitting the screen. However, in both cases I just tilt the screen at a slightly different angle and continue working. I have yet to find a situation that renders my screen practically useless - yet (knocks on wood).

[grego]

Very true. There are two situations where glossy, for me, has been a pain. In really dim lighting conditions when the screen is straight on and there are a lot of dark's or black's on the screen. The second, is when there is direct sunlight hitting the screen. However, in both cases I just tilt the screen at a slightly different angle and continue working. I have yet to find a situation that renders my screen practically useless - yet (knocks on wood).

That's good. In college, it was a little more difficult.... but then I wasn't really photo editing. When I was (I probably should have been studying). :D

[neil_g]

Really, that's surprising for indoors. We have over 900 Mac's with glossy screens and everyone (save the Windows lovers who refuse anything Apple) want to use them. The kids fight over using the Mac's vs the PC's. I use my MBP with glossy at work, on location (with screen shade) and at home and have never run into that bad of a problem. It really only gets bad if there are alot of blacks on the screen, but even then I can still use it fine.

yeah, its the same on new HPs etc. i (personally) find glossy screens to be a distraction indoors and out. they give me a headache after a period of time.

you should try cleaning it or turning the brightness up then. I know several people with them and I have edited on them several times with absolutely no issues and they have no complaints about it either.

it was new out of the box. im sure other people have had no issues but personally id rather stick pins in my eyes than use a glossy screen :p

[stevo8]

yeah, its the same on new HPs etc. i (personally) find glossy screens to be a distraction indoors and out. they give me a headache after a period of time.



it was new out of the box. im sure other people have had no issues but personally id rather stick pins in my eyes than use a glossy screen :p

Yeah that sucks. You should get your eyes checked out.

[neil_g]

Yeah that sucks. You should get your eyes checked out.

lol cheers, i do wear glasses and i did try with and without.. :lol:

[stevo8]

That's a shame cause the glossy iMac screens are awesome.

[neil_g]

yeah okay can we stop with the bashing of my eyes now. i have glasses for occasional use (when i feel like i need them - quote my optician) normally in poor lighting. last time i checked glasses correct problems with sight. however didnt help in this case. the other 4 techies in the room (who dont wear glasses) concured with the fact that it was too glarey.

[MaxxuM]

yeah okay can we stop with the bashing of my eyes now. i have glasses for occasional use (when i feel like i need them - quote my optician) normally in poor lighting. last time i checked glasses correct problems with sight. however didnt help in this case. the other 4 techies in the room (who dont wear glasses) concured with the fact that it was too glarey.


Lol.. I wear glasses too - seeing impaired people unite! Anyway, I think what is trying to be is that he believes you're being a little over critical about the glare. After reading your posts I started moving my screen around with a dark image on the screen to see when I saw any reflections, then I walked outside with it in the afternoon sun. There were reflections, some pretty bad ones too - but there was always an angle that I just couldn't see any reflections. It was always from slightly above, maybe at a 30 degree angle with the screen leaning back about ten degrees - even with the bright light of the sun. Maybe you're sitting angle is just a really bad one, combined with how the lights in your office/room. In my office I have to point the viewing area almost straight up at the lights to see them on the screen. Try to sit higher maybe? I have a few labs with all Mac's (20-30 per room) and everyone seems to have their screen pointed slightly different depending how they sit. Hope that helps.

[mrbojangles13]

check out refurbed computers. i just got a hp. it has 8 gigs of ram and 2 Intel Xeon 3.2 ghz processors, 2 x 160 hard drives for 630. so what i will have to add a harddrive later or get an external. i love it, its super fast. my friend just blew 900 on a dell today, and its about half the machine i have. deff look into refurb. as a poor college student money is an issue to me. and yeah sure if i had money for a mac laying around i would have gone that route but i need to worry about books this semester lol.. good luck

[mrbojangles13]

we have macs at school and im always having problems with glare. i sit infront of the computer next to the one i am working on so glare isnt an issue, helps but its a pain. i just got a matte screen. play it safe, go matte

[neil_g]

MaxxuM - speccies unite! lol. yeah no i understand that its going to depend on the lighting conditions etc. i was just pointing out what it was like in our particular office environment. what i wasnt expecting was for my eyes to be blamed, obviously as i wear glasses... ;)

[fotogrl_08]

Also looking for a laptop that is suited best for photographers. I am interested in the Mac.....just not sure I can afford that much. What about Dell? My desktop is a Dell and Ive been happy with it. Granted it is 4/5 years old and I have heard that service and quality have declined in recent years. Not sure if that is true or not ?? HP was also recommended to me; after reading the post looks like most are against HP. True??

[MaxxuM]

Also looking for a laptop that is suited best for photographers. I am interested in the Mac.....just not sure I can afford that much. What about Dell? My desktop is a Dell and Ive been happy with it. Granted it is 4/5 years old and I have heard that service and quality have declined in recent years. Not sure if that is true or not ?? HP was also recommended to me; after reading the post looks like most are against HP. True??

If you really want a Mac then save for one - OS X is either something you love to use or could do without. If it is the first then nothing else will satisfy you - so save. Otherwise, there are a thousand other brands/models, each fine on its own merits. If you are not going to play the latest and most intense games then there is no need to get the latest in video hardware, if you are not going to work on very large Photoshop files (more than a dozen layers with intensive filters) then you don't need copious amounts of memory (more than 4GB lets say) and if you are not going to process dozens or even hundreds of photos constantly then you don't need the latest and greatest CPU. If you are not going to be critical of color then you don't need a $500+ monitor either.

So, if the above is true then a Dell Studio (any one of them) are more than adequate. The Studio series is #1 at Consumer Reports for budget systems so you know it's fine. However, no other computer company comes close to beating Apple though. Apple has top consumer satisfaction, least reported breakdowns (best hardware) and best support all according to Consumer Reports (which are not Mac fans from what I hear).

I'm sure others will chime in with their particular brand, cpu and memory choices - but it all comes down to is Vista 64bit in a different wrapper. Good luck :)

[stevo8]

Also looking for a laptop that is suited best for photographers. I am interested in the Mac.....just not sure I can afford that much. What about Dell? My desktop is a Dell and Ive been happy with it. Granted it is 4/5 years old and I have heard that service and quality have declined in recent years. Not sure if that is true or not ?? HP was also recommended to me; after reading the post looks like most are against HP. True??

Well last quarter Apple and dell were the only two to increase customer satisfaction ratings. Apple by I believe 6+%(all time high for anyone) and Dell by 1%, everyone else was down. If you have been happy with a 4yr old dell then most likely something new and cheap would work just fine for you. Keep in mind though that you could always pick up a used MacBook with AppleCare still on it and extend that out for two years. If a mac is something that interests you it's a good way to switch for less$$$ and not worry about the usual used issues.

[fotogrl_08]

Thank You!!

[grego]

Also looking for a laptop that is suited best for photographers. I am interested in the Mac.....just not sure I can afford that much. What about Dell? My desktop is a Dell and Ive been happy with it. Granted it is 4/5 years old and I have heard that service and quality have declined in recent years. Not sure if that is true or not ?? HP was also recommended to me; after reading the post looks like most are against HP. True??

Dell is pretty good, if you decide to stick with windows. Either way, you will have to pay a little to get quality. Their studio series is looking pretty strong. It's a good balance between their XPS and lower Inspiron line. They are starting to put LED backlights (like Apple) which save power.

Either way you go, just make sure you don't skimp on the parts within the computer. Also remember to buy software for monitor calibration so you can get the most out of your computer.

[Akire]

Ok, I think I've decided on my setup. Just gotta wait for the dough to arrive. :)

What do you think?

Samsung 25.5" T260 monitor
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8910128&type=product&id=1213047092939#tabbed-customerreviews

Dell - Studio MT Desktop with Intel® Core™2 Quad Processor Q8200
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9016986&type=product&id=1218008593628

[Moppie]

Ok, I think I've decided on my setup. Just gotta wait for the dough to arrive. :)

What do you think?

Dell - Studio MT Desktop with Intel® Core™2 Quad Processor Q8200
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9016986&type=product&id=1218008593628



The dell looks pretty good, I have no idea about the monitor though :)