Macintosh desktop computers

Macintosh desktop computers

Apple makes only one conventional, fully-upgradeable desktop computer: the Apple Mac Pro (starting at *est. $2,800 without monitor). The Mac Pro is marketed as a professional computer. It is the only Macintosh with a tower form factor. Thus, unlike the iMac (see below), it is easily upgradeable.

Apple revised the Mac Pro last summer. It is outfitted with two 2.8 GHz Intel quad-core processors, 2 GB of RAM, a 320 GB 7200 RPM hard drive, an ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT video card with 256 MB of RAM and a 16X DVD double-layer burner. Apple offers many upgrade options at the time of purchase. You can choose faster processors, up to 32 GB of RAM, higher-capacity hard drives, additional hard drives, a RAID card and a higher-end video card. These upgrades are very expensive and can raise the total price to more than $20,000. However, if you buy the same parts from aftermarket vendors and install upgrades yourself, it is radically cheaper. Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard is the only software included.

Apple only includes 90 days of free tech support and a one-year limited warranty for parts and labor on the Mac Pro, although an upgrade to a long AppleCare Protection Plan warranty is available (*est. $250 for three years). If you buy an Apple monitor, it is also covered under that AppleCare Protection Plan. A 20-inch Apple Cinema Display (*est. $600) is the cheapest Apple monitor. The company also makes 23-inch and 30-inch monitors. Other manufacturers make Macintosh-compatible monitors, but many of those monitors lose some functionality under the Mac OS (see our report on LCD monitors).

The previous generation Mac Pro desktop received many very favorable reviews, but the current version is only reviewed by Macworld. As is its wont, Macworld compares the two generations of Mac Pro. The previous generation Mac Pro (*est. $2,300) is discontinued and no longer available directly from Apple, but we found several national dealers with inventory. According to Macworld, it is the better deal if you can still get one. The old Mac Pro ships with a pair of dual-core CPUs. Although Macworld measured little performance difference between models, that is common when comparing dual- and quad-core processors. The benefits of the extra cores, if any, will be realized in the future, assuming the operating system and the software you use is optimized to take advantage of the parallel processing capabilities.

While Macworld questions the value of the current Mac Pro, British computer magazine PC Pro says of the previous generation model, "Beautifully engineered and constructed, the Mac Pro is also the fastest PC we've ever seen by some margin." That high praise is accompanied by an equally high price tag. PC Pro reviewed it with 4 GB of RAM and four hard drives. The ₤4,178 price translates to well over $8,000. CNet.com also gives the Mac Pro a very favorable review, but that report dates to August 2006, and CNet editors give higher ratings to half a dozen Windows-based PCs. While most CNet readers are happy with their Mac Pros, we found some negative comments regarding tech support and customer service.

As the reviews and prices indicate, the Mac Pro is a unique product. For demanding software that runs better on a Macintosh, it is the only choice. Otherwise it is a very good, but very expensive computer.

The iMac desktops are Apple’s mainstream consumer line. The all-in-one iMacs have an unpainted anodized aluminum chassis with a glossy glass-covered display. The iMac line consists of four base models: 20-inch, 2.0 GHz (starting at *est. $1,200); 20-inch, 2.4 GHz (starting at *est. $1,500); 24-inch, 2.4 GHz (starting at *est. $1,800) and 24-inch, 2.8 GHz (starting at *est. $2,300).

The inch-thick iMac chassis includes an integrated widescreen monitor, a DVD burner, a webcam, a microphone and speakers. The entire unit sits on a pedestal and looks like a thickish monitor. The slim design necessitates the same compromises manufacturers must make with laptops. For instance, the iMacs use laptop CPUs, which are not as fast as desktop CPUs. The iMac uses Intel's Santa Rosa (Centrino Duo) technology (see above). All iMacs are bundled with multimedia software.

The bottom three iMac desktops come with just 1 GB of RAM, but the computer has an open memory slot. This is an improvement from earlier iMacs since it means you can add more RAM later. The top model includes 2 GB of RAM. Hard drive sizes range from 250 to 500 GB, with the middle models coming with 320 GB hard drives. All models have ATI video cards with 128 to 256 MB of RAM. A keyboard and a mouse are included.

The iMac keyboard draws mixed reactions, but most reviewers express being pleasantly surprised. Performance, bundled software, aesthetics and an open RAM slot are the major virtues reviewers find of the iMac. However, we found several articles about issues with iMac displays, and numerous complaints in forums. Some say the problem is only with 20-inch iMacs, but others say 24-inch models are also affected. Not all users who describe a problem appear to have the same one, but many clearly do. The displays are brighter at the top than at the bottom, or they fade from bright to dull from top to bottom. Tom's Hardware is one of the websites that describes the problem in detail. Tom's Hardware and others accuse Apple of removing posts about the subject in its own forum.

The display is the major drawback to the iMac, though only Macworld mentions the problem we described above. MacUser’s Kenny Hemphill echoes most reviewers in explaining, "This glass version is very reflective. If you're in a room with fluorescent lighting or have a window behind your chair, you may be distracted by the reflection. In a home environment, where lighting tends to be softer, this may not be such a problem." Ars Technica's Eric Bangeman kept expecting the display to bother him, but says it didn’t. Aidan Malley of AppleInsider.com wrote the least favorable review of the iMac desktop. He believes anyone with a serious need for visual accuracy will not be satisfied with an iMac.

Malley is also unimpressed with the amount of RAM and the quality of the video card. He notes that neither is comparable with what you would get in most PCs. AppleInsider’s 3.5/5 rating and tepid recommendation are a unique minority. Benny Har-Even of TrustedReviews.com typifies the majority opinion in concluding, "I really wouldn't want to be one of those smug turtle neck people that think Macs are the second coming, but… for the vast majority of people this is really the only computer they'll need."

MacLife, PC Magazine, CNet.com and TrustedReviews.com select the 2.4 GHz 20-inch iMac as an Editor’s Choice, and MacUser adds it to its A List. Ars Technica also gives it a high rating. Bangeman reports, "For the most part, it outdid a MacBook Pro with an identical CPU and FSB [front-side bus] in my testing, and it was more than competitive with a Mac Pro." MacLife achieved similar test results. The iMac excels in media tests, but it isn't a good choice for gaming.

Several reviewers note that the iMac is comparably priced with Windows-based all-in-one desktops. PC Magazine notes that it’s faster than the HP TouchSmart IQ770 (*est. $1,500), but the HP model is not really comparable, as it’s marketed as a kitchen computer and has an HDTV tuner, TV recorder and touchscreen display.

Macworld’s Jonathan Seff is most infatuated with the 24-inch iMac, but acknowledges, "If you’re looking for a performance-for-the-price model, then the 2.4 GHz 20-inch iMac is the most well-rounded of the group. You can save $300 by opting for the 20-inch, 2 GHz model, but you’ll lose a little performance, hard drive space, and graphics power, and probably feel the need to replace your computer that much sooner."

The 24-inch iMac desktops have better monitors. The viewing angle is 178 degrees instead of 160 degrees, so you can sit at more of an angle and still see the monitor clearly. Seff says it makes a bigger difference than the significant increase in brightness. Other reviewers who prefer the 24-inch iMac cite the display quality as a major reason.

Mac mini

If you want a new Macintosh but can’t or don’t want to spend $1,200 or more, your only option is the Mac mini. Versions with 1.83 GHz (starting at *est. $600) and 2.0 GHz (starting at *est. $800) Core 2 Duo processors are available. The mini now ships with Leopard, the newest version of the Mac OS. Reviews pre-date the software upgrade; only Macworld and CNet review the mini since it received a hardware upgrade last summer. The mini consists of just a processor unit; it doesn't come with a keyboard, mouse or monitor.

The Macworld review is not very enlightening, and it concludes with the obvious buying guidance that the iMacs are better and more expensive. CNet frames the context as cheap, small PCs, and concludes that the mini is a poor value. Judging from comments by Mac enthusiasts and conversations with computer salespeople, that is the wrong context for most prospective mini buyers. People who are considering the mini are looking for a cheap Macintosh, and only a minority of them cares about the size or desires a small form factor.

Reviews of the previous generation of Mac minis are lukewarm. Many said the iMac was a better value. The PC Magazine review from March 2007 is typical. Joel Santo Domingo determined that the price and functionality were not competitive with either iMacs or cheap PCs. However, if you already have a Macintosh-compatible monitor, that gap narrows considerably. Keep in mind, the mini does not come with a monitor, keyboard or mouse.

The biggest hardware improvement made to the minis last summer was a processor upgrade. Apple claims these processors are up to 39 percent faster than the previous generation Intel Core Duo processors. In Macworld’s tests, the new models were 19 percent and 24 percent faster. RAM has been upgraded to 1 GB. Macworld notes that the integrated video (which uses 64 MB of system RAM) in the cheaper model is still a limiting factor for multimedia or gaming. The more expensive model has 128 MB of dedicated video RAM.

The Mac mini is housed in a 2 X 6.5 X 6.5-inch case. It includes the computer hardware and a slot-loaded DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive ($600 version) or DVD burner ($800 version). It weighs about three pounds. The $800 version has a bigger hard drive (120 GB versus 80 GB) and double the on-chip shared L2 cache (4 MB vs. 2 MB). Otherwise, the units are identical. Both use unusually slow hard drives -- just 5,400 RPM. The minis are not upgradeable, but if you buy direct from Apple, you can upgrade the RAM and hard drive size at the time of purchase. You can also add an external analog modem for dial-up Internet service or faxing, a keyboard and a mouse. The three-year AppleCare Protection Plan is $150. Without it, tech support is free for just 90 days, and the limited warranty on the hardware is one year.

The case shares the same pearly white finish as the iPod. Ports include a DVI output for a digital monitor (Apple also includes a DVI-to-VGA adapter if you have an analog monitor), Ethernet (for broadband), a headphone jack, four USB 2.0 ports (you'll need two of them for the keyboard and mouse) and FireWire. Apple bundles most of the same software installed on iMacs, including the iLife multimedia suite.

As with the iMacs, the small form factor forces Apple to use laptop technology in the minis. User reviews at CNet.com and Amazon.com reflect a realistic level of satisfaction. Customers with reasonable expectations for a budget computer are happy. Those who don’t give the mini the top rating down-rate for the various things it can’t do. The mini probably makes the most sense for those who already own extra hardware to hook up to it.

Macintosh reliability

All Apple computers come with one-year parts and labor limited warranties. Apple only provides free tech support for 90 days (whereas the industry norm is one year). You can buy an upgraded warranty from Apple (or another retailer) that also extends tech support. Retailers are likely to have lower prices, and give you the added advantage of having two companies that may resolve your problems. A brick-and-mortar retailer may have an advantage with convenient and possibly quick in-store service. On the other hand, Apple’s tech support is extraordinarily good according to all surveys that we've seen. If you expect to need it, you may find it a worthwhile upgrade.

Several articles say that the Apple Stores will provide free tech support for anyone. The stores include what Apple calls a "Genius Bar." Apple says, "The Genius Bar is the place to go for advice, insight, and hands-on technical support for your Mac or iPod. Consultation at the Genius Bar works by reservation only." Apple currently operates 179 stores in 41 states. You can find a complete list on the Apple website.

Consumer Reports rails against extended warranties. The magazine makes an exception for Apple computers, but doesn’t provide much explanation of why, and the recommendation appears to contradict its own service and reliability survey. Apple computers are the most reliable computers and have the highest level of satisfaction, according to PC Magazine’s comprehensive survey. On the other hand, smaller surveys show that Macs are relatively unreliable. The Macworld survey reveals a higher rate of repairs than the PC Magazine survey does with PC brands. The Which? survey also shows the Macs are more unreliable than most PCs.

One clear advantage that Macs currently enjoy is relative immunity from malware. Virus writers and other evildoers generally want to infect as many computers as possible. For now, that means attacking the Windows platform. With PCs, many apparent hardware problems are actually infestations of malware. That happens much less with Macs.

 ... Continued (Macintosh vs. PC)