New Computer, Suggestions/Opinions?

[Aeolius]

I would just rather not have to learn a whole new program to do the same thing I can already do.

Fair enough. Go with what you know. That's the very reason I stick with the Mac (I started with an Apple II+ back in 1979). Granted, I'm stuck on a WinXP machine at work (using CorelDRAW in a sign shop to make banners and signage with wide-format printers and vinyl cutter-plotters), but I have the same programs (MS Office, CorelDRAW Suite) at home as well.

btw, the Windows-only Paint Shop Pro runs for around $94. Adobe's cross-platform Elements (Photoshop LE) runs for around $87. You can always run WinXP or Linux under Mac OS X, you know, or use a UNIX command-line interface, as OS X is based on FreeBSD. Alas, the WinXP emulator (now distributed by Microsoft) apparently has trouble with some games.

I use a few programs that have no Windows-equivalents, as well, thanks to Apple; iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, and soon Garage Band (Apple's new music app coming out on Friday). Granted, iTunes is cross-platform. I even use Mail and Safari, Apple's e-mail app and browser, as they surpass other options, IMO.

At any rate, back to games. I admit I am not the best authority on the matter, as I don't enjoy "gun games" or those based solely on killing. There are exceptions, of course, such as dropping old ladies into the shark tanks in Zoo Tycoon.

 

[Tsyr]

I won't swear to this, but I suspect Photoshop LE is actually less useful overall than Paintshop... considering I rate Paintshop only a tiny step down from the real Photoshop...

 

[Aryoche]

Fair enough. Go with what you know. That's the very reason I stick with the Mac (I started with an Apple II+ back in 1979). Granted, I'm stuck on a WinXP machine at work (using CorelDRAW in a sign shop to make banners and signage with wide-format printers and vinyl cutter-plotters), but I have the same programs (MS Office, CorelDRAW Suite) at home as well.

btw, the Windows-only Paint Shop Pro runs for around $94. Adobe's cross-platform Elements (Photoshop LE) runs for around $87. You can always run WinXP or Linux under Mac OS X, you know, or use a UNIX command-line interface, as OS X is based on FreeBSD. Alas, the WinXP emulator (now distributed by Microsoft) apparently has trouble with some games.

I use a few programs that have no Windows-equivalents, as well, thanks to Apple; iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, and soon Garage Band (Apple's new music app coming out on Friday). Granted, iTunes is cross-platform. I even use Mail and Safari, Apple's e-mail app and browser, as they surpass other options, IMO.

At any rate, back to games. I admit I am not the best authority on the matter, as I don't enjoy "gun games" or those based solely on killing. There are exceptions, of course, such as dropping old ladies into the shark tanks in Zoo Tycoon.

Preach on! I made the switch to Mac, and haven't looked back! But I'm still stuck on a PC at work... thankfully I have a Powerbook I take back and forth that alleviates some ofthe headaches when I -really- need to get something done.

The problem with the Windows emulator is that it can't (yet!) directly interface with the hardware, such as the video card, though there are rumors floating around that that may be a problem in the past. Virtual PC 7.0 comes out mid-year, and is bundled with the latest Office version for Mac that's due to be released in the near future as well, so time will tell.

 

[andargor]

Intel D875PBZ i875 800mhz FSB 8x AGP motherboard (With USB 2.0)
RAIDMAX 8 bay aluminum case
420 watt power supply
P4 3.0 ghz processor (800 mhz FSB, HT ready)
1024 mb Corsair XMS Pro Series DDR-400 RAM (+ heat spreader)
Two serial ATA Seagate 120 gb 7200 rpm SATA-150 hard drives (8mb cache buffer each)
8x AGP NVidia GeForce FX 5950-Ultra 256mb graphics card.
Mitsumi 3.5 Floppy Drive
Bay-mounted 6-in-1 Flash Media Card Reader

Looks good, very similar to my config. I have the ASUS P4C800-E Deluxe however. Just a matter of taste, really. The D875PBZ is a good board as well.

I did go for the 2.8 Ghz, and a Radeon 9600 XT. But if you don't mind paying the extra few dollars, you configuration should last you a while.

Andargor