I need some help. I'm a diehard PC user. If you asked me a few weeks ago if I would ever buy a Mac, I would have said no way...they are too expensive, they have different software...blah blah blah.

Well, now I'm on the fence and am practically falling over onto the Mac side. Is the grass greener on the Mac side? LOL

I just got back from Best Buy. I went there on my lunch hour just to play with the 20" iMac. We have a few Macs were I work full-time and I've been talking alot to one of the employees on my floor who has a Mac both here and at home.

So, some questions:

1) Is it difficult to open an iMac? I researched pricing on memory and would like to buy my own memory to install rather than ordering it with the iMac. (3gb of memory from Apple is $750. I get get 3gb of memory from another place for just over $300.)

2) Can you replace all the memory that comes with the 20" iMac? It comes with (2) 512 chips. Can both of those chips be replaced?

3) Are there only three slots for memory and is the limit 3gb?

4) Does the CD/DVD burner requires special disks? I don't mean CD-R vs. CD+R. I mean speacial as in Apple-only disks.

I think that is all for this round of questions. I'm sure I'll think of more later.

Thanks in advance!

Hey There!

Yes, the grass is greener for me! I switched about two months ago and I LOVE them!!!

1) It is sooo super easy!!! Just sit it in a soft chair or somewhere so you can reach the very bottom and it opens right up after two screws are loosened! I have three and have upgraded the memory in each one. (There is actually a diagram on the bottom of the stand to show you how)

2) Yes, you can remove, replace, switch, whatever you like with the stock chips.

3) There are actually only two slots in them. Yes, I do think the max is 3G BUT I only have 2G in all of mine and they rock! Especially converting RAW files...

4) You can use any disk you like. No specialty ones needed!

I can tell you that I NEVER thought I would make this kind of switch but after my assistant kept showing me how cool his personal macs were, I had to take the plunge!

RW

Thanks Rob! I'm not sure why I thought there were three slots for memory. Maybe I just assumed since the limit is 3gb. So, I assume it is okay to have (1) 1gb chip and (1) 2gb chip.

Yep. 3GB -- two slots. Same pairing not required. Installing RAM is considered something the user can do. Installing a hard drive, however, is a little more complicated and may void the warranty -- I'm not sure.

Thanks Adam. I love computers and consider myself to be a computer geek, but not when it comes to hardware. I'll leave the hard drive alone and will be getting some external drives down the road.

Hey Matt ... good to see you over here from FM.com

I have the 24" imac, with 2GB of RAM and it's pretty speedy converting 5D RAW's in lightroom or aperture. 3gb would be better, but the best price I've found for a 2gb stick is well over $500. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place? I was just looking at Crucial's stuff.

I'm glad that my PC just sits in the closet. I really do think the grass is greener on this side

Yay another switcher!! I can tell you the grass is truly greener, but beware once you own one mac you will want a bigger badder mac and upgrade often (that's what has happened to me) I have owned 7 macs in the last three years -

1 x 12" iBook
2 x 15" Powerbooks (one titanium one and one aluminum)
1 x 15" Macbook Pro <-currently still own
2 x 20" iMacs (one G5, one intel)
1 x Power Mac G5 with 23" Cinema Display <-currently still own

Yes I have a problem I know and yes Apple owns me

EXACTLY!!!! I started off with two 24" iMacs two months ago and immediately bought a 20" for my office manager's desk. Then, last week I bought a 14" MacBook and LOVE IT!!! I'm actually shooting tethered to it in the studio and utilizing the built in wireless to transmit the files to my HD's in the office for converting.

Come to think of it, I have never heard of anyone complaining or regretting making the big switch! Maybe I have selective hearing (as my wife says)....

RW

Hey...another FMer!!! Yee Haw! I'm getting addicted to OSP just as bad as I am to FM.

I thought that when I looked up pricing for RAM for the 20" iMac that the 2GB chip was just over $200. I saw that at Crucial. You had better look again...or maybe I should.

Yay!!! Do I get a prize for switching?

I don't have to worry about wanting bigger and better computers because after I get the iMac, I'm going to focus on my Canon L lens collection.