Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
On Sep 26, 2010, at 5:45 PM, Jack Suggs wrote: If there was a Like button for all the above, I'd click it. I have no idea what you're referring to, since you didn't quote anything above. Josh -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
On Sep 26, 2010, at 1:23 PM, Steven wrote: I only used the term imaginary as a sort of insult to digital files. Yes, they may technically exist, but only in the same way that a song on the radio exists, not in an immediately available physical form (I can't very well remove my hard disk and play it in a CD player). This is a red herring, unless you actually plan to spin records yourself and drop a pine needle + styrofoam cup into the groove. In real life, you're using an electronic playing machine, and if it breaks, then your music too is imaginary until you fix or replace it, so you're no better off than with CDs. On the contrary: CDs are smaller, hold more content at higher resolution, can automatically seek to track boundaries (or arbitrary locations), can pause reliably, may contain additional non-audio content, are more durable, and can be losslessly copied, either disc-to-disc or via rip and burn (if you avoid lossy compression like MP3, of course). There is a big difference between analog and digital technologies. Both vinyl records and compact disc do use plastic circles with information stored on the surface, but analog information doesn't need to be decoded like digital does. The very minimum you need to play back a CD is a CD player, with complex mechanics and computer chips, while you can play a record with nothing more than a paper cone and a spinning surface that can be moved by hand. Sure, it won't sound nearly as good as playing the record on a stereo, but you can still retrieve the data with almost no technology whatsoever. This is because the scratches on the disc are an imprint of the actual sound wave, and while they may be recorded and read electrically (or in the case of some releases since the 1970s, even mastered digitally), the only real process that goes into recording and playing most records is electrical amplification and manipulation. With a CD or any other digital recording, you only get complex instructions on how to reproduce the file. Perhaps the simplest way to examine the differences would be to compare the most primitive versions of analog and digital recordings, player piano rolls and wax cylinders. The wax cylinder can reproduce the sound of a full orchestra with nothing more than a motor, lathe, needle, and horn, while the piano roll needs an actual piano and is incapable of performing other voices or even simple stylistic accents like volume and intensity. Both technologies have come a very long way, but there still remains the fact that an analog recording contains an imprint of an actual sound wave while digital recordings are instructions that tell the computer how to go about reconstructing the sound. Audio CD contents are data, not instructions. The data are just as much a waveform as are the scratches on a vinyl record or wax cylinder. By the way, have you actually *heard* a wax cylinder? Listen to this 1910 recording of the Major General's song by C. H. Workman, or the 1888 recording of Sir Arthur Sullivan addressing Thomas Edison. The song is enjoyable despite the heavy scratching distortion, but perhaps more as a historical record than for its entertainment value -- in the same way that you might place an ancient pot on display in a museum for viewers to appreciate, though you're not going to cook in it. The speech however, is barely discernible and considerably less pleasant to listen to. Maybe encoding the sound wave directly onto a physical medium is not the best way to go. Or maybe it just deteriorates over time, which would be another great reason to avoid it. http://www.metamage.com/savoyard/ Now rather than actually trying to compose a shot and take one good picture, people have become accustomed to pointing the camera in the general direction and clicking the shutter as many times as it takes before they accidentally get a good picture. Computer-assisted photography is related to but distinct from the issue of analog vs. digital storage. Storage can be another problem, because while physical photos do take up room, digital pictures take up a lot of storage as well, and a shoebox is quite a bit cheaper than a new hard drive. One hard drive (which I needed anyway to use the computer at all) is enough to store every photo I've ever taken at a resolution appropriate to the camera I used. One hard drive is smaller than many shoeboxes. In the end, most people switch to digital and never look back or care about the problems, but I want a physical master and total control of the picture, so I'm sticking with film until no one makes it anymore. I'd rather have the ability to make lossless backups of my photos than be stuck with having to guard the unique master copy. Josh -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
On Sep 26, 2010, at 2:23 PM, Tina K. wrote: The issue I have with digital files is that regardless of the media you store them on, be it a HDD or flash drive, both of which are subject to magnetic damage; or writable optical media, which seem to degrade simply by existing; they are subject to deterioration over time. A bit gets flipped here and there eventually resulting in discernible damage to the file. Enough bits get flipped and the file becomes useless. It's too bad MO (magneto-optical) drives didn't take off. Unfortunately, Zip and Jaz were more popular in the US. But regardless of medium, the solution is to keep multiple copies. In nine years of computing I've had several files, mostly text and image files, that have mysteriously become unreadable. Given time it's likely that I will encounter a video file that has become corrupt and is no longer usable. If I originally purchased the data on a pressed, not burned, optical disk I can make another copy. If I purchased the data as a download then I have to hope that the vendor will let me re-download it. However I don't trust the vendors to do what I consider to be the right thing and pass on a perceived opportunity to make additional profit. As well you shouldn't. I suggest avoiding all forms of DRM (that haven't been cracked) to whatever extent possible. That is why I prefer pressed CDs and DVDs. Yes they are subject to damage but they don't spontaneously degrade, at least they shouldn't in my lifetime. I originally avoided the iTunes store due to DRM. After that ceased to be an issue, I realized I'd rather pay extra for full CD quality. Sorry Steve (Jobs), I think you are wrong. For many, it will be good enough. Josh -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
I'd rather have the ability to make lossless backups of my photos They likely come out of the camera lossy (jpg). -- Malcolm 800MHz 17 flat panel iMac running Leopard (1GB RAM, 500GB HD) -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
Store them as PNG (.png). Lossless On 27/09/10 10:43 AM, Malcolm O'Brien wrote: I'd rather have the ability to make lossless backups of my photos They likely come out of the camera lossy (jpg). -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
On 2010/09/26 19:11, Matt Rhinesmith wrote: Flash drives aren't susceptible to magnetic damage... While that may be correct, they are subject to spontaneous catastrophic failure which in the end is even worse. Factory pressed optical disks don't spontaneously fail. Tina -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
Store them as PNG (.png). Lossless Your camera will do that? What's the brand? -- Malcolm 800MHz 17 flat panel iMac running Leopard (1GB RAM, 500GB HD) -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
On Sep 27, 2010, at 7:43 AM, Malcolm O'Brien wrote: I'd rather have the ability to make lossless backups of my photos They likely come out of the camera lossy (jpg). That only happens once. There's no *generational* loss as with analog copies. Josh -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
I don't have a digital camera... I meant once you download onto your computer, save them as png in Preview or Photoshop, or whatever. PNG retains pixel info, and have also replaced GIF format On 27/09/10 11:11 AM, Malcolm O'Brien wrote: Store them as PNG (.png). Lossless Your camera will do that? What's the brand? -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
I've always understood that jpegs continually lose pixels every time you save them. On 27/09/10 11:13 AM, Joshua Juran wrote: On Sep 27, 2010, at 7:43 AM, Malcolm O'Brien wrote: I'd rather have the ability to make lossless backups of my photos They likely come out of the camera lossy (jpg). That only happens once. There's no *generational* loss as with analog copies. Josh -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
Any *real* camera will save images as RAW... :) No loss of anything there. If you save JPG's with no compression, you don't loose virtually no pixel data. My camera saves uncompressed JPG's, and when I save them from Photoshop, I save them at maximum quality, which is basically uncompressed. -Elliott I've always understood that jpegs continually lose pixels every time you save them. I'd rather have the ability to make lossless backups of my photos They likely come out of the camera lossy (jpg). That only happens once. There's no *generational* loss as with analog copies. -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
On 2010/09/25 21:24, Steven wrote: eventually Blu-Ray will eclipse DVD just like DVD eclipsed VHS I would tend to agree with that statement but Steve Jobs thinks that it will be online sales and rentals that will become the new standard. Tina -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
On Sep 26, 2010, at 1:23 AM, Tina K. wrote: On 2010/09/25 21:24, Steven wrote: eventually Blu-Ray will eclipse DVD just like DVD eclipsed VHS I would tend to agree with that statement but Steve Jobs thinks that it will be online sales and rentals that will become the new standard. Tina -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
On Sep 26, 12:02 am, Midnight rider coolmar...@gmail.com wrote: Also, don't go through with USB. USB IS SLOW. it lags even on USB 3.0. To save time, get firewire to make sure the speeds are good. I made this mistake by buying a USB powered external DVD drive to install leopard on my Power Mac G4 sawtooth, and installation took 5-6 hours, but IDK because the intro video woke me up. I know that most of you think that the G4 sawtooth is slow, but in reality even for the G4 sawtooth 5 hours is VERY slow. at most my G4 sawtooth takes about the same amount of time as any other macs would take to install leopard, even the intel machines which was 1.5 hours. I later got that blu ray drive (which is now in my iMac) and i tested it and it only took 1.5 hours to install leopard. I agree that USB is slower than Firewire, but the lag you experienced with the Sawtooth was due to the fact that it had USB 1.1 ports, not USB 2.0. I have two external DVD writers, one USB and one Firewire, and cannot honestly tell the difference in terms of speed --if anything, the USB is faster, just because the drive itself is faster. The Intel iMac we're talking about has USB 2.0 ports, so he won't have that issue. External USB DVD devices are cheaper and easier to get than Firewire ones, too. Just my 2 cents. F -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
On Sep 26, 12:44 am, Joshua Juran jju...@gmail.com wrote: The only problem is the iMac is running Tiger, for which VLC (at least) has dropped support. Perhaps it's time to install a newer OS X. [2] [2] I hesitate to say 'upgrade', since I consider differently code- named OS X versions to be separate and incompatible products. Hence 'newer'. Excellent point. Cameron argued very effectively that Tiger was the last Mac OS that was a good, finely tuned blend of the old and the new. I personally find myself using mostly Leopard and Snow Leopard (and unfiltered OS 9, but that's a different story), but I agree: they are not necessarily better per se (except for one or two new killer features), just optimized for Intel hardware. Which brings me to a completely different idea. Optimization for a specific set of hardware --isn't that the whole point of (any) Mac OS? F -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
While that is true, and USB has a higher peak speed (480mbps vs 400mbps for FireWire 400), FireWire sustains much higher speeds than USB 2.0, which varies, so it is better for video editing and other speed and large storage related tasks (like, I presume, Blu-Ray). I only buy FireWire hard drives even though I could probably get along fine without it, because I just prefer FireWire and I occasionally work with Final Cut. Although that is getting harder to do as even Apple is trying to move away from FireWire 400 and Macs are basically the only computers that use FireWire hard drives. Steven On Sep 26, 2010, at 12:08 PM, Ashgrove wrote: External USB DVD devices are cheaper and easier to get than Firewire ones, too. Just my 2 cents. F -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
On Sep 26, 2010, at 1:23 AM, Tina K. wrote: I would tend to agree with that statement but Steve Jobs thinks that it will be online sales and rentals that will become the new standard. Tina That really annoys me, since I don't consider digital files to be actual things, just imaginary concepts. Sure I can listen to them, but in reality they are just magnetic states on a disc which, when read by a computer, give instructions on how to synthesize the music in question. I buy most of my music on vinyl, where I get a disc with an actual sound wave encoded on it, or reel to reel tape, where I get a magnetic wave that is an electronic implementation of the original sound wave (I don't even use digital cameras because there is no master negative, just a digital copy). Even on Compact Disc you get a much denser and more accurate synthesis on a physical medium. But I put up with digital music because it is so convenient. I can't go around with a record player, and even when the new Crosley Revolution comes out I won't be able to use it everywhere I can use an iPod, so I do have a large iTunes library, but when I get home I always listen to records and tapes. Movies are a different story entirely. All I need to do to listen to an MP3 anywhere is put on headphones. Sure, some may complain that you can't play MP3s on a home stereo, but quite frankly I don't want to play MP3s on my hi-fi because then I could hear how bad they really are. With digital movies, on the other hand, the only way I can watch them on anything other than my computer is to use my video goggles (MyVu), and since I wear glasses I don't like to use those anywhere except planes and a few other situations where I wouldn't want to hold up an iPod for a long time. There is no way to watch them on a TV short of pulling it out from the wall and plugging cables in, and even to watch them on another computer you need to somehow transfer the file first. And even if you do have a fully wired house with a high speed home network and an TV, there is the problem of quality. Just like with MP3, there is a reason that an HD movie on iTunes is about 1-2gb while a Blu-Ray can be up to 50gb. While most people never notice the low quality of MP3 because of the cheap iPod headphones or constant background noise when listening to music, video compression is much more apparent, especially with fast moving action scenes. Add to this outrageous prices comparable to infinitely superior physical copies, and it is easy to see that Steve Jobs' dream of killing physical media with low quality downloads is certainly not going to happen any time soon. The key to success on the iTunes store was low price point; while complete albums don't cost much less than actual CDs, most people only buy the CD for one or two hit songs, and in that case 99¢ is a much better price than $15. Now when you can pay $10 for a standard definition video or $15 for a DVD (complete with special features and a digital copy) that you can own, play on any TV or computer, and even sell later, it is not nearly as enticing to buy online. And considering that Blu-Ray hasn't really managed to make a dent outside of home theaters, in which case the people watching demand the highest quality possible and don't even consider downloads to be a real option, Apple really doesn't have any reason to believe that they will be able to singlehandedly kill the optical disc. And Apple's current stance would be yet another reason to get an external BD-ROM drive, since even the high end computer two years down the line might not have a Blu-Ray drive. I can understand, however, how some people will want instant gratification and won't care about quality or convenience. This is all coming from someone who insist on LaserDisc for standard definition (same resolution as DVD, but with uncompressed analog video), and 16mm for high definition (much higher resolution for good prints, no possibility of compression, and pure unmatched color in the case of Kodachrome and Technicolor, although I do have to put up with low fidelity monophonic sound) even though they are much harder to find and in the case of 16mm several times more expensive than even Blu-Ray (which is why the only feature I have on 16mm is a silent print of Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times), so I'm certainly not the average person when it comes to video preferences. From what I have seen and heard, though, most people at least seem to agree with me on digital downloads being inferior and much less convenient. Wow, that sure turned into a rant. By the way, sorry about that blank message I sent to the list. I accidentally hit send before I wrote anything. Steven -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
On Sep 26, 2:19 pm, Steven macintosh.awes...@gmail.com wrote: While that is true, and USB has a higher peak speed (480mbps vs 400mbps for FireWire 400), FireWire sustains much higher speeds than USB 2.0, which varies, so it is better for video editing and other speed and large storage related tasks (like, I presume, Blu-Ray). I only buy FireWire hard drives even though I could probably get along fine without it, because I just prefer FireWire and I occasionally work with Final Cut. Although that is getting harder to do as even Apple is trying to move away from FireWire 400 and Macs are basically the only computers that use FireWire hard drives. Well, that was a very specific piece of advice. I personally favor Firewire for all the abovementioned reasons, and when the first generation metal Macbook came out I went for an older white MB instead because no FW transfer speeds and no target disk mode was a dealbreaker for me. (FW800 rocks, by the way.) However, for a regular DVD player or DVD writer, USB 2.0 is simply good enough. F -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
On Sep 26, 2010, at 2:22 PM, Bruce Johnson wrote: They may be not immediately tangible, but you can, with the aid of an electron microscope, visualize a file on a hard disk platter; digital files are a physical manifestation of phenomena on the hard drive platter. I only used the term imaginary as a sort of insult to digital files. Yes, they may technically exist, but only in the same way that a song on the radio exists, not in an immediately available physical form (I can't very well remove my hard disk and play it in a CD player). Wow, that's an impressive display of cognitive dissonance. In reality a vinyl record is just a piece of plastic with some scratches on it that your record player decodes into sounds, just as a computer decodes a MP3 file. With tapes it's even more like digital because you're literally flipping bits of iron oxide in the tape. True it's an analog encoding rather than a digital one, but it's still a non-aural, lossy encoding of a sound. Try as you might, without the aid of a decoding device, a vinyl record, a reel-to-reel tape or a CD loaded with MP3 files equally make no sound whatsoever. There is a big difference between analog and digital technologies. Both vinyl records and compact disc do use plastic circles with information stored on the surface, but analog information doesn't need to be decoded like digital does. The very minimum you need to play back a CD is a CD player, with complex mechanics and computer chips, while you can play a record with nothing more than a paper cone and a spinning surface that can be moved by hand. Sure, it won't sound nearly as good as playing the record on a stereo, but you can still retrieve the data with almost no technology whatsoever. This is because the scratches on the disc are an imprint of the actual sound wave, and while they may be recorded and read electrically (or in the case of some releases since the 1970s, even mastered digitally), the only real process that goes into recording and playing most records is electrical amplification and manipulation. With a CD or any other digital recording, you only get complex instructions on how to reproduce the file. Perhaps the simplest way to examine the differences would be to compare the most primitive versions of analog and digital recordings, player piano rolls and wax cylinders. The wax cylinder can reproduce the sound of a full orchestra with nothing more than a motor, lathe, needle, and horn, while the piano roll needs an actual piano and is incapable of performing other voices or even simple stylistic accents like volume and intensity. Both technologies have come a very long way, but there still remains the fact that an analog recording contains an imprint of an actual sound wave while digital recordings are instructions that tell the computer how to go about reconstructing the sound. In reality the advent of digital photography has ushered in a true golden age of photography...you get feedback *instantly* on whether your photo was properly framed, exposed, focussed, etc...that instant feedback, coupled with the virtual zero cost of digital photos has let people get the amount of practice they needed to become better photographers. While that may be true in theory, the reality is very different. Rather than help them learn how to properly compose a shot by giving them feedback, digital cameras actually severely limit the abilities of the average user. Now rather than actually trying to compose a shot and take one good picture, people have become accustomed to pointing the camera in the general direction and clicking the shutter as many times as it takes before they accidentally get a good picture. While people used to come back from vacation with a few rolls of well composed pictures, now they have several thousand pictures that they will need to sift through to find a handful of good ones. This is of course generalizing, as there were many people in the time before digital who never bothered to learn how to take a good picture and there are many today who do use the advantages you mentioned, but overall knowledge about how to properly use a camera have fallen drastically. Even some professionals who use high end DSLRs don't have any idea what ƒ-stop and shutter speed mean, because the camera does all the work for them. Storage can be another problem, because while physical photos do take up room, digital pictures take up a lot of storage as well, and a shoebox is quite a bit cheaper than a new hard drive. In the end, most people switch to digital and never look back or care about the problems, but I want a physical master and total control of the picture, so I'm sticking with film until no one makes it anymore. Steven -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
The issue I have with digital files is that regardless of the media you store them on, be it a HDD or flash drive, both of which are subject to magnetic damage; or writable optical media, which seem to degrade simply by existing; they are subject to deterioration over time. A bit gets flipped here and there eventually resulting in discernible damage to the file. Enough bits get flipped and the file becomes useless. In nine years of computing I've had several files, mostly text and image files, that have mysteriously become unreadable. Given time it's likely that I will encounter a video file that has become corrupt and is no longer usable. If I originally purchased the data on a pressed, not burned, optical disk I can make another copy. If I purchased the data as a download then I have to hope that the vendor will let me re-download it. However I don't trust the vendors to do what I consider to be the right thing and pass on a perceived opportunity to make additional profit. That is why I prefer pressed CDs and DVDs. Yes they are subject to damage but they don't spontaneously degrade, at least they shouldn't in my lifetime. Sorry Steve (Jobs), I think you are wrong. Tina -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
On 10-09-26 12:19 PM, Steven wrote: because I just prefer FireWire and I occasionally work with Final Cut. i require FW's drives to capture studio audio recordings in real live time ( i'm not talking about making a CD copy in iTunes ) -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
Yes, but steve jobs seems to think everyone has capable Internet provision for streaming and quickly downloading movie files. It simply isn't the case. Then there are those who simply aren't satisfied having a non physical library. On a separate note, I am quite disapointed that my 27 quad core doesn't have a blu ray drive. I watched UP with my daughter the other day and the pixilation was horrific. I am thinking of getting one of those kanex xd boxes, but they are so expensive. Sent from my iPhone On 26 Sep 2010, at 07:23, Tina K. pengu...@gmx.com wrote: I would tend to agree with that statement but Steve Jobs thinks that it will be online sales and rentals that will become the new standard. Tina -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
On 9/26/10 1:23 AM, Tina K. wrote: On 2010/09/25 21:24, Steven wrote: eventually Blu-Ray will eclipse DVD just like DVD eclipsed VHS I would tend to agree with that statement but Steve Jobs thinks that it will be online sales and rentals that will become the new standard. Tina He may want that but he'll be missing part of the buying public. Those w/out bank accounts and credit cards can't buy online. -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
On Sep 26, 2010, at 3:23 PM, Tina K. wrote: The issue I have with digital files is that regardless of the media you store them on, be it a HDD or flash drive, both of which are subject to magnetic damage; Flash drives aren't susceptible to magnetic damage... Matt Rhinesmith Sent from my Power Mac G4 Power Mac G4 Digital Audio Persephone 733 MHz PPC 7450 (G4) CPU 1.25 GB RAM 30 GB WD IDE HDD + 36 GB Seagate SCSI 15,000 RPM HD in a RAID 0 60 GB IBM IDE HDD Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
Dear Penguirl: They no longer Burn CDs or DVD's on computer media for the home. It the old days, the original burners actually burned a small section of the CD/DVD and the mark was permanent. Either the section had a small hole burned in it or it didn't. Newer CD/DVD burners now make a mark in dye on the CD/DVD R, RW. The dye deteriorates after about three to five years so the CD/DVD then no longer has any information on it, things have become unreadable. If you can find an old burner, I mean from the 1990's or before, or buy a commercial grade burner, then the medium will actually be burned in actuality, and the image should be permanent. I have a couple of old burners and they actually do the job by burning the image into the disk. Even so, you have to watch for spelling and other mistakes that may creep in as the original gets older. Magnetic media is safer than newer CD/DVD media for securing the information you want to keep. Thumb Drives, also called Jump Drives and other magnetic media really hold onto the information a lot more permanently than the new CD/DVD technology. The only other thing you can do to insure your information is safely saved is to print it all up, and keep it in a fireproof safe. I would love to hear more on this subject, I want to hear about this subject. Thank you, sincerely, Virgil Fritz. _allnigh...@aol.com_ (mailto:allnigh...@aol.com) In a message dated 9/26/2010 5:23:57 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, pengu...@gmx.com writes: The issue I have with digital files is that regardless of the media you store them on, be it a HDD or flash drive, both of which are subject to magnetic damage; or writable optical media, which seem to degrade simply by existing; they are subject to deterioration over time. A bit gets flipped here and there eventually resulting in discernible damage to the file. Enough bits get flipped and the file becomes useless. In nine years of computing I've had several files, mostly text and image files, that have mysteriously become unreadable. Given time it's likely that I will encounter a video file that has become corrupt and is no longer usable. If I originally purchased the data on a pressed, not burned, optical disk I can make another copy. If I purchased the data as a download then I have to hope that the vendor will let me re-download it. However I don't trust the vendors to do what I consider to be the right thing and pass on a perceived opportunity to make additional profit. That is why I prefer pressed CDs and DVDs. Yes they are subject to damage but they don't spontaneously degrade, at least they shouldn't in my lifetime. Sorry Steve (Jobs), I think you are wrong. Tina -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
Do you not fancy opening it up and fixing this steven? I'd love too myself. Though, you may not share my need to open things, lol Sent from my iPhone On 25 Sep 2010, at 01:36, Steven macintosh.awes...@gmail.com wrote: I have this exact model (except mine only has 1gb of RAM), and it works great. The only problem I have had with it is that the slot loading CD drive became misaligned, causing the disc to jam against the inside of the case unless I guide it out with an index card. Judging by the reactions of the people at the Genius Bar, however, I don't think this is a very common problem. Steven -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
Kevin, This is the first generation Core 2 Duo iMac. I have the 17 model. They are great machines. They are prone to display/video card problems, which apparently has been silently acknowledged by Apple, since mine broke last year and was repaired for free by them (that was before I got it but the previous owner gave me the paperwork). That said, it's anyway a great machine, it's at a great price, and chances are it'll never give you a headache. So I'd say go for it. Felix -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
my friend has an i7 iMac, and they look about as good as those core 2 duo imacs that came out before. Well anyways, go for it! It's a nice machine, and it'll last you years. -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
I love opening things that I know I can put back together easily (though I think that's how I broke the floppy drive on my PowerBook 145b), but I use this iMac as my main workhorse, and will probably do so for at least another year, so I can't really risk anything going wrong. The most I have ever done to a computer that I rely on daily is opening up the display housing on my iBook G4 in order to put one of those transparencies to make the glowing Apple logo look like the old rainbow logo (and that's just about the easiest mod possible on an iBook G4). Besides, as far as I can tell the white plastic iMacs were built just like iPods, and I mangled the case of my third generation iPod pretty bad when I tried to replace the hard drive. Being the technology nerd that I am, I have a 9 CRT television on my desk that relays everything from my main TV, so I don't actually need the DVD drive for playing DVDs (which is 90% of what I would use it for), so when I do need to use the drive it isn't too much of a hassle to use the index card trick (before I had my current TV setup, though, it would drive me crazy, so much so that I bought a $20 DVD player from Target to play through my TV tuner in order to avoid the constant eject problems). Steven On Sep 25, 2010, at 3:36 AM, Jay Smith wrote: Do you not fancy opening it up and fixing this steven? I'd love too myself. Though, you may not share my need to open things, lol Sent from my iPhone -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
Sorry, so Santa rose is the code name? For the current iMacs? -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
Yes, I messed up a couple of iPods myself. They were broken anyway. Unreliable, 12 month shelf life things anyway. I am a computer engineer myself, so i delight in dismantling things, especially apple products, well, when their warranty has has run out at least Sent from my iPhone On 25 Sep 2010, at 20:07, Steven macintosh.awes...@gmail.com wrote: I love opening things that I know I can put back together easily (though I think that's how I broke the floppy drive on my PowerBook 145b), but I use this iMac as my main workhorse, and will probably do so for at least another year, so I can't really risk anything going wrong. The most I have ever done to a computer that I rely on daily is opening up the display housing on my iBook G4 in order to put one of those transparencies to make the glowing Apple logo look like the old rainbow logo (and that's just about the easiest mod possible on an iBook G4). Besides, as far as I can tell the white plastic iMacs were built just like iPods, and I mangled the case of my third generation iPod pretty bad when I tried to replace the hard drive. Being the technology nerd that I am, I have a 9 CRT television on my desk that relays everything from my main TV, so I don't actually need the DVD drive for playing DVDs (which is 90% of what I would use it for), so when I do need to use the drive it isn't too much of a hassle to use the index card trick (before I had my current TV setup, though, it would drive me crazy, so much so that I bought a $20 DVD player from Target to play through my TV tuner in order to avoid the constant eject problems). Steven -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
On Sep 25, 2010, at 10:34 AM, Ashgrove wrote: This is the first generation Core 2 Duo iMac. I have the 17 model. They are great machines. They are prone to display/video card problems, which apparently has been silently acknowledged by Apple, since mine broke last year and was repaired for free by them (that was before I got it but the previous owner gave me the paperwork). That said, it's anyway a great machine, it's at a great price, and chances are it'll never give you a headache. So I'd say go for it. I have a late 2006 24-inch iMac (white, Core 2 Duo). The graphics card was glitching, and I had it replaced under AppleCare. The new card exhibits similar glitches when Quartz is under heavy stress (so far, only when I hit trigger Exposé by accident). The hard drive died shortly after AppleCare ended, and the optical drive died some time after that. It seems Apple uses shoddy components to lower the up-front cost, while raising the total cost of ownership. Should I pay the Apple Store to replace the dead optical drive with the same model, pay a third party to install a better device, buy an external DVD drive (that doesn't require opening the iMac), or just punt the whole issue and watch films on my 15-inch MacBook Pro? Josh -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
You know,,, not all iPods are 12 month shelf life devices. I have had an iPod nano 3G since June 18, 2008 and it has been working fine for me ever since. I bought the 8GB model, black, and it has minimal amount of scratches. for sturdiness, get a 3G iPod nano. features, iPod touch. the screens on then crack so easily... -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
On Sep 25, 7:57 pm, Joshua Juran jju...@gmail.com wrote: Should I pay the Apple Store to replace the dead optical drive with the same model, pay a third party to install a better device, buy an external DVD drive (that doesn't require opening the iMac), or just punt the whole issue and watch films on my 15-inch MacBook Pro? Josh, I'd go with the external. USB DVD devices can be got for less than $40 these days, and that beats replacing the internal drive. The MBP? Of course! In bed, or on the sofa with your feet up... :-) -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
My third generation iPod was more like a 5 month shelf life, but that was mainly because I kept it in the pocket of a baggy coat and regularly (accidentally, of course) slammed it in the car door (which is in turn why I had to replace the hard drive). I learned my lesson, though, and three years later when I got my iPod Classic I treated it very well. I got it the day after the Classic was announced in September 2007, and more than three years later it hasn't given me a single problem (apart from a corrupt drive directory, which DiskWarrior easily fixed). If you treat an iPod like a Walkman, then sure it won't last very long, but as long as you treat it like a device that has complex computer parts, and (in the case of the iPod Classic), a hard disk drive, they can last for a very long time. Steven On Sep 25, 2010, at 8:06 PM, Midnight rider wrote: You know,,, not all iPods are 12 month shelf life devices. I have had an iPod nano 3G since June 18, 2008 and it has been working fine for me ever since. I bought the 8GB model, black, and it has minimal amount of scratches. for sturdiness, get a 3G iPod nano. features, iPod touch. the screens on then crack so easily... -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
I'm considering getting a Blu-Ray drive when I finally get fed up with my SuperDrive and can afford to do something about it. The cheapest route would of course be an external DVD drive, but when I took my PowerBook G4 in for some repairs they said that they charge a standard price for repairs regardless of parts, something like $250-300 (which was a big plus at the time since I needed to replace a logic board that can cost $500+ from third parties), and I have seen some BD-ROM/DVD-RW/CD-RW drives compatible with Mac for around that price. If I were going to pay that much anyways I would want increased functionality, and, being the cinephile I am, eventually I will need to start upgrading my collection of post-2000 DVDs to Blu-Ray (all films made before 2000 I only buy and watch on LaserDisc) and since I don't have an HDTV and don't plan on buying one in the near future the Mac would be the only way to watch HD. My reasoning is that although I don't have any problem with the video quality of DVD and I don't even have a TV that could make use of the increased definition, eventually Blu-Ray will eclipse DVD just like DVD eclipsed VHS, and it would be more cost effective to switch sooner and start buying movies on Blu-Ray so I have fewer DVDs to replace later on. But I'm not planning on doing that very soon, and for people who don't have a large number of videos and don't care about HD that solution wouldn't make much sense. Steven On Sep 25, 2010, at 6:57 PM, Joshua Juran wrote: Should I pay the Apple Store to replace the dead optical drive with the same model, pay a third party to install a better device, buy an external DVD drive (that doesn't require opening the iMac), or just punt the whole issue and watch films on my 15-inch MacBook Pro? Josh -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
Blu ray drives aren't all that expensive if you know where to look. I picked up myself a sweet drive back in best buy for only $170, and it is made by HP: It has DVD reading/burning, CD Reading Burning up to 64x, DVD dual layer burning/reading, DVD quad layer reading/burning, Lightscribe laser engraving, and of course, Blu-Ray reading/burning. I burned a blu-ray disc for part of my backup volume (about 25GB out of my total 144.23GB backed up now.) and my iMac G4 took about 3.2 hours burning it. I decided to get one for my G5 iMac but put it through an external enclosure and through firewire and it only took 1 hour to burn a 25GB image. My iMac g4 takes 15-22 minutes average burning a 7GB image my G5 iMac only takes 10-13 minutes at most, 9 minutes was the shortest ever. Also, don't go through with USB. USB IS SLOW. it lags even on USB 3.0. To save time, get firewire to make sure the speeds are good. I made this mistake by buying a USB powered external DVD drive to install leopard on my Power Mac G4 sawtooth, and installation took 5-6 hours, but IDK because the intro video woke me up. I know that most of you think that the G4 sawtooth is slow, but in reality even for the G4 sawtooth 5 hours is VERY slow. at most my G4 sawtooth takes about the same amount of time as any other macs would take to install leopard, even the intel machines which was 1.5 hours. I later got that blu ray drive (which is now in my iMac) and i tested it and it only took 1.5 hours to install leopard. Basically, my advice: USB is good for transferring small things. Anything larger than 10-20Gb should be handled by firewire. This is just some advice from a person (me) who needs fast transfer speeds. I have an 80GB EIDE 10,000 RPM HDD in there (it cost me $179.99) and it has a transfer speed of about 37MB/s whenever i copy or move something onto the same thing or anything else in the system except for USB. -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
On Sep 25, 2010, at 8:24 PM, Steven wrote: I'm considering getting a Blu-Ray drive when I finally get fed up with my SuperDrive and can afford to do something about it. The cheapest route would of course be an external DVD drive, but when I took my PowerBook G4 in for some repairs they said that they charge a standard price for repairs regardless of parts, something like $250-300 (which was a big plus at the time since I needed to replace a logic board that can cost $500+ from third parties), and I have seen some BD-ROM/DVD-RW/CD-RW drives compatible with Mac for around that price. If I were going to pay that much anyways I would want increased functionality, and, being the cinephile I am, eventually I will need to start upgrading my collection of post-2000 DVDs to Blu- Ray (all films made before 2000 I only buy and watch on LaserDisc) and since I don't have an HDTV and don't plan on buying one in the near future the Mac would be the only way to watch HD. My reasoning is that although I don't have any problem with the video quality of DVD and I don't even have a TV that could make use of the increased definition, eventually Blu-Ray will eclipse DVD just like DVD eclipsed VHS, and it would be more cost effective to switch sooner and start buying movies on Blu-Ray so I have fewer DVDs to replace later on. But I'm not planning on doing that very soon, and for people who don't have a large number of videos and don't care about HD that solution wouldn't make much sense. Good idea. DVDs have noticeably chunky pixels on a 24-inch screen, which is just large enough (1920x1200) for Blu-ray's 1080p[1]. And external is a good idea so I can use it on any machine -- such as a new iMac, were I to buy one. The only problem is the iMac is running Tiger, for which VLC (at least) has dropped support. Perhaps it's time to install a newer OS X. [2] And yeah, I have no interest in buying a TV. Josh [1] Assuming a 16:9 aspect ratio, this means a width of 1920 pixels. [2] I hesitate to say 'upgrade', since I consider differently code- named OS X versions to be separate and incompatible products. Hence 'newer'. -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
I considering buying one of these model iMacs for my wife to use. She does, web surfing, email, iTunes and a little bit of iPhoto. I know that some of the iMacs around this era had a bulging/burst capacitor issue. Does anyone know if that was a problem with this version iMac? Are there any other gotchas about this model of the iMac? http://cgi.ebay.com/iMac-20-CORE-2-DUO-2-16-GHz-2-0-GB-250-GB-SUPER-DRIVE-/140457019941?pt=Apple_Desktopshash=item20b3e40a25#ht_1819wt_1139 Thanks, Kevin -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
I have this exact model (except mine only has 1gb of RAM), and it works great. The only problem I have had with it is that the slot loading CD drive became misaligned, causing the disc to jam against the inside of the case unless I guide it out with an index card. Judging by the reactions of the people at the Genius Bar, however, I don't think this is a very common problem. Steven On Sep 24, 2010, at 7:23 PM, Kevin wrote: I considering buying one of these model iMacs for my wife to use. She does, web surfing, email, iTunes and a little bit of iPhoto. I know that some of the iMacs around this era had a bulging/burst capacitor issue. Does anyone know if that was a problem with this version iMac? Are there any other gotchas about this model of the iMac? http://cgi.ebay.com/iMac-20-CORE-2-DUO-2-16-GHz-2-0-GB-250-GB-SUPER-DRIVE-/140457019941?pt=Apple_Desktopshash=item20b3e40a25#ht_1819wt_1139 Thanks, Kevin -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
Re: Wondering about issues with this particular iMac
On Sep 24, 2010, at 5:23 PM, Kevin wrote: I know that some of the iMacs around this era had a bulging/burst capacitor issue. Does anyone know if that was a problem with this version iMac? No, the Capacitors of Death were pretty much confined to the G5 iMacs; the Core 2 Duo iMacs are two generations later. This one is a good machine. -- Bruce Johnson University of Arizona College of Pharmacy Information Technology Group Institutions do not have opinions, merely customs -- You received this message because you are a member of the iMac Group, a group for those using Apple iMacs and eMacs. The list FAQ is at http://lowendmac.com/imac/list.shtml and our netiquette guide is at http://www.lowendmac.com/lists/netiquette.shtml To post to this group, send email to imaclist@googlegroups.com To leave this group, send email to imaclist+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/imaclist
