I Am Looking At Buying My First Apple Mac

[blacknok]

I am looking at buying an Apple iMac , but one of my concerns is

what may happen in the future if there should be a problem

with the iMac and it requires repairing / up grading Etc .

With my current Pc any problems I can take it to the local

IT Mall ( no Apple Dealer there ) and its sorted out.

If I lived in Bangkok I don't think this would be a possible

problem with the amount of Apple dealers around but .

as I live in The Korat Area ( Theres as far as I know only one

Apple dealer in Korat ) This dealer has only just opened , so the sorting

out any problems should be fine for the present time, but as with all

new business ventures what if this new Apple dealer in Korat

should close down, So just being a bit pessimistic and thinking a ahead

have any forum members had similar problems with finding / sorting out

servicing , upgrading and repairing issues with Apple Computers..?

or am I just under estimating the Reliability of Apple Products and may be

over reacting ..

I don't want this to turn into a PC ' V' Apple Mac thing , but your comments

and advice would be most welcome ...

[nidge]

I think reliability is much better with a mac than other computers. If there is now a dealer in Korat then you should not have any problems. I don't know the score with Desktop Macs but i read recently that many repairs to laptops can be done by yourself now without voiding the warranty.

There are plenty of sites online with step by step (including photos), procedures for replacing ram, hard drives etc.

Stop being so pessimistic, go buy your apple and enjoy

[nullx8]

nidge is right ...

caring a apple is very easy ...

and the machines maded ro RUN .. and not to display some nice blue backgrounded text-messages ;-)

i use macs since almost 10 years now ... and never go to a mac shop .. (exept to buy extra stuff)

my oldest machine is build 1989 and still speeding like road runner in the old days ;-)

[ThaidleHands]

You'll find you have far less hardware worries with Mac than with Windows machines from famous name manufacturers (not to mention something slapped together in Panthip Plaza). Driver issues are almost non-existant, save when trying to use obscure legacy hardware. With the OS and the hardware coming from the same folks, operability and reliability are much better. OS updates actually install and take effect on the first try. Networking couldn't be simpler. You'll be immune to most virus and malware. Smart people will want to be your friend; attractive people will want to sleep with you.

Welcome to Macintosh.

[motoyen]

Macs are generally very well built machines and it is rare that you might encounter a hardware problem. Apple takes great pride in boasting that they build the entire machine, "the whole banana" as Steve would say. So their commitment to hardware/software reliability/compatibility is high. I've been using Macs for over 10 years and I've never had to take any of my computers in for service. If you do encounter a problem with your Mac I would suggest first looking for help online. Apple has a huge (and fanatical) Mac user base so finding a solution to your problem should be easy. Google search for macnn, macfixit, Apple Support.

The other thing you mentioned is upgrading. Unlike PCs Macs are not as upgradable, with the exception of the towers. If you buy the iMac or any laptop the most you can upgrade is ram and hard drive. Both are easy to do and you can find instructions all over the net. If you buy the tower you have a lot more upgrade options available to you.

My suggestion would be to buy the most feature packed machine you can afford and not worry about upgrading it. Macs tend to hold their value better than PCs so you won't take such a loss when you sell it in a few years.

I would also suggest you buy an external back up drive. The iMac is not designed for a second internal driver and if you have to take it in for service it's a good idea to have your data backed up, and super easy to do with Time Machine.

Hope that helps.

[villagefarang]

Once you go Mac you never go back!

[A_Traveller]

Apple takes great pride in boasting that they build the entire machine ...

Hm.. except the components that they don't, such as the ATI video sub-system, which has had issues in the latest desktop system. So few companies build anything these days, at best they assemble them, and even there Apple does little of that. Though shrouded in secrecy, companies such as Quanta & Austek {both in Taiwan} are often the real fabricators. Note to the OP, this is not a criticism of the computers themselves, simply the rather curious view of the world some Apple enthusiasts take.

Regards

[nullx8]

thats why i still prefer Motorola (G-series) instead of Intels ...

seems like with this change Apple is become sooner or later same as M$ now ..

well i pray for its nay not happen ;-)

[nikster]

Apple machines used to be actually made in California - these things were indestructible. I have an Apple laptop from 1997 that's still working fine. Granted, it hasn't been used regularly for half a decade now but I fire it up occasionally and my brother used it for email until not too long ago. Running the venerable OS 9

These days they are made in China like anything else. They do have pretty good QA though, all things considered.

Apple recently topped a hardware reliability report by RESCUECOM

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/10/16/re...iability_audit/

It's significant because unlike most other sources, this one isn't invested in any hardware vendor, they just count customer service calls.

OS X Leopard was just released and it looks like it does have one or the other issue - looks like a release that happened too soon to me. But I am sure they'll patch it up in the coming months and after that it will be fine.

[Thanh-BKK]

Hello

Just to cool down the fanboys a little - i had no problems with my PC for the past 7 years, i always build my PC's myself so i know what's in them. Can't do that with a Mac. Had ONE system meltdown caused by a voltage spike (it fried the UPS and everything connected to it) and THAT would also have killed a Mac, if there was one connected.

No issues with Windows either, and i've been thru 2000, XP and now Vista. I know what a BSOD looks like but to actually see one i need to do some really nasty stuff, such as trying to run my ATI graphics with a Nvidia driver "Reliability" is no problem for me at least - but then again it's NOT a "brand name" machine but one i built MYSELF.

If i had the $$ i would probably get a Mac myself, but as long as i can build 4-5 PC's for the price of a single Mac it won't happen.

Best regards.....

Thanh

[DaffyDuck]

I'm a Mac guy, which should be clear from other posts of mine on the forum - that being said, yes, Macs *are* more reliable, and will generally run trouble-free for many, many years, *but*, it is possible to occasionally end up with a misbehaving Mac, which can be frustrating, if it happens.

The good news is, that the modern gamut of Mac (MacBooks, iMacs, Mac Pros) are extremely reliable, and I'm not familiar with any current issues of reliability on current hardware.

A couple of things to consider and be aware of:

- The 20" iMac's video is limited to 16-bit colors, while the 24-bit iMac handles the full 24-bit color palette. On average, you won't notice the difference (both can display far more colors than the human eye can distinguish), but a discerning eye, or application may require the better color quality. Just FYI.

- Be sure to load the machine with as much RAM as it can handle, which currently is 4gb for all machines, except for Mac mini (3gb). You do not need Apple brand RAM memory, as Macs take standard memory (DDR2, whatever speed the specific model requires) which you can buy as commodity items. RAM is easy to install for all Macs.

- Ditto with hard drive sizes, try to get the largest possible drive - though hard drives are easy to replace in MacBooks (takes 10 minutes), though a royal pain for MacBook Pros (3-4 hours, and very complex), and iMacs.

- Make sure you use the Mac in a well ventilated area, with moderate temperatures. This applies to any computers, as they don't like humidity, or too much heat. If you have a nice air conditioned office, your Mac will be happy.

- There's a plethora of good Mac support sites around (Google is your friend) to help with almost any issue.

- If hardware issues or potential problems are a concern, again, most serviceable items are industry standard peripherals -- CD-ROM drive, SATA hard drives, RAM, USB, etc.... a lot of repairs, if needed, can be performed yourself, should you have something break. Generally, my experience has been that the most usual failure happens with the hard drive failing, which are easy to replace.

- I would strongly suggest an external hard drive to use as an archive/backup device, and use it with Leopard's Time Machine. Go and get a drive with a FireWire interface, which is faster, but also has less of the contention issues that USB has.

This should get you started, and should give you some good information to help you make an educated decision.

Don't worry, you will love your Mac. Everybody does :-)

[gzu88bv]

OS X Leopard was just released and it looks like it does have one or the other issue - looks like a release that happened too soon to me. But I am sure they'll patch it up in the coming months and after that it will be fine.

This is the reason why I never buy the first release and always await a service pack.

[jonniebkk]

come on all you mac fanatics...macs have hardware and software problems just like any computer. granted, they may be fewer in number than a wintel machine but that is mainly a function that apple controls the hardware specs of the machines as they are the manufacturer (though, contrary to one post, they do not make the machines themselves...like any other OEM manufacturer they contract it out) and they make the OS for the machine and most of the main software packages. Therefore, they can test earlier and likely better for any hardware/software incompatibilities. therefore, macs can be more stable than wintel machines...at the expense of software and hardware choices, which are much vaster in the wintel universe.

if you don't believe me, just google words like "macs suck" or "apples suck" to find sites/blogs where people piss/moan about their macs just like wintel pc users do.

if you were "upcountry", i think that fact would militate in favor of buying a wintel pc rather than a mac for the reasons you state...ease of servicing if necessary.

Edited November 1, 2007 by jonniebkk

[billp]

#12 LOL Mac OSs don't have "service packs" but there are incremental upgrades to fix a few little bugs that crop up or improve some (usually non-core) functionality. All of these upgrades are free through the online Apple Software Update system. At one point it says "There's new software available for your computer. Do you want to install?" You click "Yes." The most you may then have to do is provide your log-in, and restart the machine. There is simply nothing to be gained by waiting for an upgraded version. I saw a demo of Leopard at my Mac shop and it is awesome.

[cdnvic]

OS X Leopard was just released and it looks like it does have one or the other issue - looks like a release that happened too soon to me. But I am sure they'll patch it up in the coming months and after that it will be fine.

This is the reason why I never buy the first release and always await a service pack.

Leopard is a service pack. You just have to pay for them with Macs.

Tiger (the previous edition of OS-X) is excellent and stable so waiting for Leopard to get it's kinks sorted won't hurt you. There aren't very many of them.

Edited November 1, 2007 by cdnvic

[billp]

Leopard is a major upgrade, not a "service pack." It provides numerous major new functionalities, not bug-fixes. I understand that Microsoft made you guys pay for Vista as well. Unlike Vista everybody gets the full version for one moderate price, and it's a polished operating system not a work in progress.

[cdnvic]

Whatever makes you feel better about it

[PadThaiGuy]

It appears you should avoid the Discovery Center, Paragon and Thong-Lor Apple Computer outlets.

They have a reputation for playing games, crap service, and sell used equipment as new.

http://www.mangosauce.com/your_letters/mac...apple_store.php

I shop at the Fortune Apple store. Very helpfull over there.