PC Computer choice (early 2013)

sevencrossing

a friend has network of 9 PCs, some on 98, some on XP one ,on Vista and he recently added two  on 7 and plans to add a Mac

with this system he manages to get at least 9 crashes a day

 

 

 

 

ben_v3

Im with @PB_PM. Mac all the way. I never get crashes. LR runs great on my 17" MacBook Pro with 8 GB RAM. I work at a large computer company and am forced to use Windows at work. I loathe it.

studio460

For the record, our WinXP SP2 PCs crashed all the time, and were often susceptible to malware and viruses. This was the primary reason we switched to all-OS X unibody iMacs back in 2008. Since then, crashes rarely occur, and viruses have been non-existent.

I actually dread returning to a Windows platform, but I think Windows8 is an appealing interface; however, the main incentive for me to return to a Windows box is for the CF card support.

As an aside, Apple dropped their ExpressCard/32 support for their 13" and 15" MacBook Pros after the early 2011 models were released, leaving only the "late 2011," full-sized 17" MacBook Pro (introduced Oct. 2011) as the final Apple product to sport an ExpressCard/32 slot. Unfortunately, neither is the ExpressCard/32 slot an acceptable solution, since the CF adapter sticks out of the laptop body considerably, and may as well just be considered another "external adapter," which may either be forgotten or left behind (the very problem I'm trying to eliminate with the ThinkPad's larger, ExpressCard/54 slot).

PB_PM

Yikes... I wasn't trying to turn this into a Mac vs PC thread... as @Tao was hoping to avoid.

jonnyapple

Rob, I have had a couple of personal apps crash on windows (executables compiled on LabVIEW), but you can right click a program in Vista (and maybe 7—I haven't had the need on my Windows 7 machine at work), go to properties, and click on the compatibility tab to run the program in compatibility mode. You can choose to run it as if on a previous version of windows all the way back to Win 95. I wonder if that would help your stability problems. I have had no problem with any well-supported software crashing in Vista using it for four years. 

Sweet machine, Tao. You'll be happy about the dual graphics cards, and not just for the multiple monitor capability. Newer versions of photoshop farm out some of the rendering workload to the GPU. This machine is total overkill right now, but like you said it's to last 5 years. 

I am also a (mostly) reformed builder. I bought my current machine in December 2008 and decided to buy a pre-configured Dell. I've been very happy with it. Mine was almost an order of magnitude less expensive than yours but I've had to do some upgrades over the years (Ram, graphics card, monitor, more ram, hard drives, BD burner). I'm thinking it will last me another 2 years barring major problems. Sometimes I browse newegg and think it would be fun to build a dream machine, though.

studio460

Yeah, the NewEgg "dream machine" bug bites me every six months or so, but I still may go for an off-the-shelf HP-Compaq, Lenovo, or Polywell business desktop this time around (I actually haven't built my own PC since the early 1990s). But that ASUS motherboard really caught my eye, and I would love to see how it runs with gobs of RAM, filled with an array of wicked-fast SSDs.

That said, I've stuffed up to 6GB of RAM into our four-year-old (soon-to-be-five) 3.06GHz CoreDuo iMacs (2008 iMacs "officially" only support 4GB, but you can run 6GB in single-channel mode), and they seem to run everything surprisingly well. I should probably just throw in the towel and buy a simple 13" MacBook Pro for $1,199, and be done with it (since it's mainly just for Internet browsing in the bedroom).

PB_PM

@jonnyapple Running the apps in WinXP compatibility mode is one of the things I tried, but it didn't make much difference. I'm guessing that the root cause of the issue is that I am running Windows 7 64bit, while all the apps were optimized for 32bit Windows. The software is all from mainline software companies, they just aren't updated anymore.

sohonyc

  Forget about PeeCee's guys, I would go for a Mac. Besides better performances and no viruses, color consistency all over the system and apps is definitely a plus.

  Try calibrating one of those devilish machines and let me know.

Ciao

SoHoNYC

adamz

Just for fun's sake...a Mac with server and monitor...32 GBmemroy plus three hard drives...about $7100.  Same performance on a PC should be half.

if You use Mac Pro as a platform than yes it goes up so high. if You will reconfigure iMac for the same build Uou wouldn't pay more than $3000. You can have 3 hdd in iMac (no dvd) or 2 hdd + dvd. The 2011 version has upgradable cpu and gpu and canhold up to 32gb of ram (though pricey).

if You wanna go on budget, than macmini is a great option as it can be customised to 16gb ram, 2 hdd.

as for building Your own box. well, if You have time it's always a better option as You will end up with better components - MB as the main benefit.

ssd/hdd - well, You don't put files on ssd and os on hdd as this doesn't make sense. to get the juice from Your box, do opposite. put the os on ssd and files on hdd. hybrid hdd is ok - for laptop where You don't have place for 15k rpm hdd, or if You can't afford ssd.

studio460

Yes, for OS X fans, MacMinis are a great way to go, and this is still on my list of candidates for a new computer as well. They pack plenty of power (dual-core i5 for $599, or quad-core i7 for $799) in a very compact form factor, and both models support up to 16GB of 1600MHz DDR3 RAM (just don't order your RAM from Apple!). Plus, they've just been updated! The most-recent hardware release of the MacMini was October 23, 2012--very fresh!

adamz

studio - don't forget one can add magma external thunderbolt chasis and have as much gpu power as needed and the factor is so small You can literally glue it to back of Your screen.

EDIT:

the mac mini factor is small not the magma chassis

studio460

Didn't know about those, Adam--I'll have to check those out!

AMusingFool

I should probably just throw in the towel and buy a simple 13" MacBook Pro for $1,199, and be done with it (since it's mainly just for Internet browsing in the bedroom).

If that's all it's for, just get an iPad.  You won't regret it (especially when you save $700-ish .  Ours get a crazy amount of use, purely due to convenience.

studio460

The problem is, I have multiple uses in mind, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution:

1. Bedroom Internet browsing (tablet, laptop, or Mini/SFF with a very long monitor arm).

2. Mobile photo editing with ExpressCard/54-CF slot for direct CompactFlash ingest--only one product fits this requirement: Lenovo ThinkPad X230.

3. Many of my most-used apps require a standard OS (i.e., not iOS or RT) to run (e.g., Final Draft, Sony Vegas, Photo Mechanic, etc.), which puts tablets out of consideration.

4. Still need to decide between "just enough" power, or go-for-broke, quad-core i7, with 32GB/SSD kinda power.

So, number '3' pretty much rules out iPads, Windows Surface RT machines, and other Atom/ARM-powered tablets. For the bedroom, I'm considering a Polywell SFF (sort of the PC version of a MacMini), the HP Elite 8300 SFF, a MacMini, a MacBook Pro, or a Microsoft Surface Pro, or other touchscreen-enabled Windows8 laptop.

TaoTeJared

Like many have found - you are a two machine/device.  That is about where I'm at as well - light laptop (old one) and a major desktop.

A note on your Express Card - I was interested so I looked these up, I could not find one that was faster than 50mb/s download.  USB 3.0 external devices like the Lexar Dual Slot USB 3.0 Reader Professional LRW307URBNA is rated at 500mb/s.  Most reviews stated they were downloading a 8 gig cards in a little over 1 minute.  

studio460

Yes, the Lenovo "Cherry" is their most-recent, and "fastest" ExpressCard/54 adapter. It's rather old, and not too fast. I did look it up once, but I've forgotten its release date (it's from several years ago), and I/O specs (again, not too impressive, as I recall). But I didn't want to have any compatibility problems, so I was planning to opt for the Lenovo offering regardless. Good to know the other devices and their specs, however--thanks!

studio460

Yes, Tao, as I mentioned, I already have a 3.06GHz CoreDuo iMac in my home office as my main computer (conveniently wall-mounted on an optional Apple VESA mount), which surprisingly, still runs multiple Photoshop-scale apps with acceptable speed. I should simply replace my office iMac with a new Core i7 iMac, stuffed to the gills with RAM, and move the CoreDuo iMac into the bedroom . . .

studio460

Jeez . . . those new quad-core i7 iMacs are 'spensive!

PB_PM

Do you really need the i7? I have last years mid range (2.7Ghz i5) and the only thing that even challenges it is video rendering.

studio460

It was actually a bit of a challenge to find the pricing information on the just-released, just-barely-shipping, "late 2012," quad-core i7 iMacs:

27" quad-core 3.2GHz i5 "up-rated" iMac: $1,999

Add quad-core 3.4GHz i7-3770 Ivy Bridge: add $200

Add GeForce GTX 680MX: add $150

Add 768GB: add $1,300

Total: $3,649

Edit: I think the 768GB drive is an SSD, not a Fusion Drive. In that case, you'd save much more by buying an after-market SSD.

SkintBrit

"Dell had a huge sale ($1,300 off on everything) and I couldn't pass up the deal."

So how much did you pay for that bad boy Tao?

$3,090 shipped!
 

Ay Caramba!  I hope that includes the four screens too?

No don't be silly Spraynpray........ As a Dell U2711 owner, I can vouch for their quality, but they don't come cheap. I think I paid around $1000 for mine on its own, and that was after doing a lot of searching! I think Teo has found himself one heck of a good deal.

studio460

No, PB_PM, I don't "need" anything! I figure, if I'm going to spend the money, I may as well get the best. However, it's true that more after-market RAM is a more economical way to improve overall performance.

studio460

After all this blah, blah, blah . . . I think had it right in the first place. The Lenovo ThinkPad X230 with its ExpressCard/54, CF-capable slot. With its quad-core, third-gen, true-mobile processor (the 'M'), the Core i7-3520M, it packs a lot of power. It was only $1,138 before Xmas. Now, it's shot up to $1,389. Duh. Had I bought this before Xmas, as I was planning, I would now be editing the images I just took a few minutes ago from the CF card that I just pulled from my D3s--in bed!

But, oddly, the product configuration options have changed--I just noticed something new: another display option is now being offered (at a $0.00 up-charge), which is now "Mini SSD-capable." Select this option, then below, you have an already-checked box indicating the inclusion of a "16GB mSATA solid-state cache drive." Interesting.

studio460

"Extra" mSATA SSD space in the ThinkPad X230:

Ahhh . . . for anyone still interested, I found the answer. If not opting for a WWAN board as an option on the Lenovo ThinkPad, the X230 has an "extra space" for an internal mSATA SSD (in addition to the 2.5", 7mm-high HDD drive bay). This space has always existed; however, Lenovo had not previously offered the option on self-configured (via their selling website) machines . . . until now. So, they include a small 16GB mSATA SSD as part of the package if the proper display selection is made. It's so small, it's only described as a "cache," which basically facilitates "RapidStart" booting of the OS.

A little digging revealed that much larger mSATA SSDs may be installed instead in this spot. However, the user is then responsible for cloning or imaging their OS/app package from their "tuned" HDD, using either Intel or Acronis disk imaging software. Not for the neophyte, but seems doable.

spraynpray

"Dell had a huge sale ($1,300 off on everything) and I couldn't pass up the deal."

So how much did you pay for that bad boy Tao?

$3,090 shipped!
 

Ay Caramba!  I hope that includes the four screens too?

No don't be silly Spraynpray........ As a Dell U2711 owner, I can vouch for their quality, but they don't come cheap. I think I paid around $1000 for mine on its own, and that was after doing a lot of searching! I think Teo has found himself one heck of a good deal.

Yous guys play with more expensive toys than I do!