getting new computer Mac or PC

I am getting a new PC shortly and mostly I do some gaming.. Mostly COH and looking to play the new Star Wars MMO when it comes out. I play some strategy ganmes and thats about it. No shooters nothing like that.

I have a PC now but am wondering about Mac but know very little about them. I definitely want to be able to play GR on the Ultra Mode.

Thanks for any advice in advance.

Get a Mac. I have a PC but my wife has a Mac, I've played CoX on it a few times and it looks very 'purdy' and runs much smoother than on my PC.

If you're looking to play Star Wars: The Old Republic later on, get a PC. There may not be a Mac release.

1. What's your budget?
2. What do you want out of a computer?
3. You do know that if you get a Mac you can also have Windows, right?

If you get something, be sure to watch the specs. I personally don't recommend the Mac Minis - if you get a desktop get an iMac (if you needed a Mac Pro you would've known it already), or get a MacBook Pro. Also note - there are NO system requirements/recommendations for the upcoming Star Wars MMO, so honestly? Kinda hard to tell there. That's not coming out for a while, anyhow.

Likewise, we don't know exactly what will do how well with GR yet - too soon to tell.

One gripe - the iMacs and Minis cannot upgrade their video; only the Mac Pros can. So if you needed to upgrade that, then you're out of luck. I'd get the best that you can at the time of purchase if you did go that route (ditto for the laptops).

By the time GR comes out, there might be some upgrades done to the iMac and MacBook Pro specs, so then might be a better time to decide if you're factoring Ultra mode. Likewise, maybe we'll have more info on SW:TOR. You'll have to wait, but you can save money in the meantime, and when you do buy you'll get more power for your money.

Honestly - if you've already bought-in with Windows (ie, have a lot of software and such for it) I'd strongly recommend coming up with more reasons to switch to Mac OR make sure you buy a copy of Windows 7 along with the Mac.

And again, consider your budget and what you want out of a computer... it has to make sense for you. For instance, the only reason I haven't upgraded my old G4 (now collecting dust) is that Apple will not make a Mac that I want (consumer tower between $1,000 and $1,2000, and I have no interest in hackintoshing). The Mac Mini is too underpowered for my wants, I don't want an iMac, and the Mac Pro is such overkill its not even funny (ie, I'm not paying that much money on a computer I can't use as a tax deduction!). I don't want a laptop (PC, Mac or otherwise), so I, personally, am out of luck.

If you do get a Mac, it'll be a good machine that with a little TLC will last you for years to come. If you do get a PC, do your research first (regardless if you buy pre-made or make it yourself), give it a little TLC and it will last you for years to come.

Im probably looking to spend between 1600-1800. I have been looking at iMac's, Dell, Alienware, Gateway and Cyberpower ( only because thats what I have now )

There is something of a learning curve between PC's and Macs, so before you decide, stop by an Apple Store and play with one of the iMacs or Macbook Pros (you'll see why I mention those two in a sec) and see how you like the way it behaves and the interface. As nice as Macs are, sometimes what you know brings greater satisfaction than what you don't.

If you're looking for a change, though, here's what you'll gain:

- Reliability. The one thing goal Apple has managed to maintain due to strict control over both hardware and software is a homogenous architecture. Macs will generally behave as advertised (not including the occasional technical failure, which happens to all electronics). Windows generally needs more tinkering to get games running, at the very least requiring downloading updated video drivers and installing them. And that's not including that some generic or hand built PC's need hardware tinkering (which can get expensive) to get it to run a game.

- Redundancy. Boot Camp allows you to divide your hard drive, and install Windows alongside MacOS. One reboot can switch from one to the other, and Apple made a strong effort to provide Windows drivers that integrate Windows with the Mac hardware. This means if you're dissatisfied with a game's performance Mac side, you can "switch" to Windows quickly to play.

- Possibly Extreme Portability. The Macbook Pro is 1" thick and 7 lbs, and can keep up with most desktop PC's for gaming, either in MacOS or Windows via Boot Camp.


And in the interest of fairness, here's what you'll possibly give up:

- Access to cutting edge video cards. Mac support for brand-new-on-the-market cards tends to lag behind a few months. You won't be able to order that newly released card and have it work right away in Windows and Mac. And this only applies if you buy a Mac Pro - the Macbook Pro and iMac have no way of upgrading the video.

- Tinkering. Macs generally are less friendly if you want to periodically replace the motherboard, video, or processor to gain more performance - if you're a tinkerer. You can, however, upgrade RAM or the hard drive if you're careful - there are guides online.


Other things to note are that it's unknown what hardware/operating systems the Star Wars MMO will support, though Lucasarts has historically eventually (though after a delay) released Mac versions as well. The CoH for Mac client performs well, but it's unknown whether it will support Ultra natively at this time.

If you do look at the iMacs, look at the 27" model with the Radeon 4850, plus be sure to double check the forums here to see what issues you might run into, regardless if you're running OSX or Windows. Everything else on that model looks pretty good. I would say look at the quad core i5 model, but that's outside your specified budget by $200 (and that's without Applecare, which is $169). I'd recommend Applecare since the iMac is an all-in-one deal, and I don't think very much of it would be user-serviceable. Sadly, you'll probably have to up your budget a bit more to get an iMac with the 4850 and Applecare.

Now, when GR comes out? You will hopefully be able to get a more powerful iMac for the same price. Waiting always pays.

If you look at Dell and Alienware, keep in mind that Dell owns Alienware. You might want to compare the specs of the Studio XPS systems with the Alienware systems, and keep in mind you always drop in a newer video card later. But pay attention to the small details - the Alienware Aurora, for instance, lets you choose your case color (big whoop) and the power supply (which is a big deal!). The Studio XPS doesn't. I don't think Dell is doing custom power supplies anymore, but that would be one more thing to consider if you decided to upgrade your video card later on... "Can my PSU handle it?" Also, the Studio XPS won't do SLI or Crossfire, whereas the Alienware will.

I want to thank everyone for all the great responses. They have been a great help. If I wait a few more months I can get a better system so that is what I think I will do at the very least.

Can anyone name some good PC companies besides stuff like Dell ??

Possibly bizarre question: can the iMac be used as a monitor for another computer? Say Airhammer upgrades machines in a few years (new Mac, new PC, whatever) or wants/needs to hook a laptop or another computer up to a (larger) display - could he do that?

I personally hate most of the all-in-ones I used to see (I don't bother looking at them, generally) since I dislike the idea of them but also the lack of this functionality. With the screen the iMac has it would be a bit of shame if you couldn't... a gamer might outgrow the iMac's hardware if they're really aggressive, but they wouldn't outgrow the display nearly as quick (if at all).

heh... just thinking my boss's Apple Cinema Display at his house has never had any gaming love... maybe I can talk him into trying COH when he finally gets a Mac Pro to replace his G5...

Again I am thankful for all the advice it is very helpful. I was up late last night checking out stuff. I am looking at one of the 27 iMacs and Alienware for PC's. I loved the Falcon stuff but thats a lil above my budget and my gaming isnt THAT aggressive. Its mostly CoH, it will be the new Star Wars MMO and strategy games. I have an 360's for shooters and will get a PS3 for the holidays.

Generally good advice.

The one thing I tend to say when asked about it - for any purpose - is "Do you have any software that only runs on one?" Yes, you can reboot the mac thanks to boot camp into a Windows environment - but as someone who had done similar things for OS/2 (for instance,) I found it got to be more of an irritation after a while.

Some companies have both PC and Mac versions of their products - COH, obviously, and Blizzard's been known for it for almost their entire history (the original Warcraft, frankly, played better on a Mac.) "General use" (web browsing, email, word processing and the like) it doesn't really matter - go with personal preference. But if you're looking at gaming, research the games. I'd say "Prefer native." If the ones you're looking at will run on both, and/or the company has a track record of multiple platforms - it goes back to personal preference.

The computer, at the end of the day, is a tool. Pick whichever will get done what you want to get done in the best way possible, for as long as possible.

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