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IMac 27 Retina 5K or HP Envy 32 All in One ?


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Hi there, I need a new Desktop Computer.

Currently I work on a HP Pavilion with Windows 8.1, (not ideal I know) and of course the poor Computer designed to work well for typing letters and a little googling, is crashing down each time I start drawing. Working with the Vectors is fine.

So things are getting urgent and I mainly work with Affinity Designer, a Wacom tablet (cintiq 16), Publisher and Photo (Children’s Books).  Also a little bit with Clip Studio Paint.

I hesitate between the new HP Envy 32 all in one and the IMac 27 5K retina. Their price is more or less similar. But what I would like to know is:

1)      Are the Affinity Programs working better on an IMac?

2)      Are the Affinity Programs working similar on Windows 10 pro, and an IMac?

3)      Has anyone had the chance to work on both, the HP and the IMac? Some feedback would be great.

What attracts me more by the HP Envy 32 is the blue light filter for my tired eyes and the media display by bang and olufsen as I always work with classical music.

I know that does not sound very substantial, but little things like that can seduce me…

So I would appreciate a feedback from someone who has the experience with both, not only in theory but also in practice. All I need is a good Machine who works well with all three Affinity Programs. 

With thanks in advance, cheers

Giuliano

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My Win10-PC (HP Pavillon, i7, 16GB) and my MacBook Pro 15“ (i7, 32GB, VEGA20 GPU) are 5 years apart, so no direct comparison possible.

Personally I prefer the Mac. I use it with a large 32“ BenQ color calibrated monitor, working with AP is brilliant and very responsive. With the Mac AP makes use of Apples Metal graphic engine, using all GPU power available to support the processing of the images and effects like live filters.  I would rather not like to have a blue light shield applied on the monitor, because it will probably influence the color setting of the monitor.

The killer argument pro Mac for me is that I can switch between the Mac and AP on my iPad Pro seamlessly via iCloud. This integration is not possible with a Windows computer, at least not in the fully integrated way it works between Apple devices.

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For me Affinity Suite works best on Mac (iMac27-5K i7 late 2017)...

Happy amateur that playing around with the Affinity Suite - really love typograhics, photographing, colors & forms, AND, Synthesizers!

Macbook Pro 16” M1 2021, iPad Pro 12.9” M1 2021, iPad Pro 10.5” A10X 2017, iMac 27” 5K/i7 late 2015…

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Welcome to the Serif Affinity forums, Giuliano.

One other consideration, just to make sure you know: If you switch from Windows to Mac you will have to purchase the Affinity applications again. Your current license covers use of the applications only on Windows, and cannot be transferred to a Mac system. Of course, in comparison with the price of a new computer, that's a relatively small amount of money, but it might matter to you.

-- Walt
Designer, Photo, and Publisher V1 and V2 at latest retail and beta releases
PC:
    Desktop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 64GB memory, AMD Ryzen 9 5900 12-Core @ 3.00 GHz, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 

    Laptop:  Windows 11 Pro, version 23H2, 32GB memory, Intel Core i7-10750H @ 2.60GHz, Intel UHD Graphics Comet Lake GT2 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU.
iPad:  iPad Pro M1, 12.9": iPadOS 17.4.1, Apple Pencil 2, Magic Keyboard 
Mac:  2023 M2 MacBook Air 15", 16GB memory, macOS Sonoma 14.4.1

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iMac 27" 5K Base Model VERSUS HP ENVY All-in-One i7 model

Ready? FIGHT!!!

PROCESSOR
3.7GHz 6-core 9th-gen i5 VS  i7-9700KF @ 3.60GHz
10929 points VS 14669 points Passmark benchmark

ENVY WINS. Obviously. An i5 cannot hold a candle to an i7 class CPU.

 

GPU VIDEO
Radeon Pro 580X with 8GB of GDDR5 memory VS NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2060 6 GB GDDR6 & Intel® UHD Graphics 630 integrated
7753 points VS 15000 points Passmark benchmark

The current-gen RTX 2060 is more than twice as fast for 3d work and gaming and can be used for CUDA and OpenCL accelerated applications (video editing, 3d rendering). The 580X supports Metal and OpenCL, but is a last-gen GPU.

For gaming on a 4K or 5K screen, the 580x is entirely insufficient. You would need to update the GPU to a VEGA to achieve acceptable gaming performance on an iMac (or lower the resolution to 1080p).

ENVY WINS. No question about this. Apple's offering is behind the times. Not only that, the Envy includes an integrated Intel video chip option as a fallback or if you want to save energy while typing a document.


DISPLAY
27" Retina 5K 5120x2880 500nits wide colour P3 VS 31.5" 4K IPS ZBD HDR 600 micro-edge WLED-backlit with anti-reflection edge-to-edge glass, 3840 x 2160 600 nits, 98% DCI-P3

Tough one. One the one hand the Envy screen boasts a larger screen and the highest contrast ratio for an all-in-one screen, but on the other the iMac 27" screen offers a higher resolution.

According to reviews, both have excellent screen quality, but the Envy beats the iMac screen with a stunning high 6000:1 contrast ratio compared to the iMac's 900:1. For a photographer this is actually quite important to have.

The Envy's screen offers 32% more physical screen space, 20% more brightness, and 5 times better contrast.

Based on my own experience I'd give Envy the winning hand here. You also have to understand that a higher resolution on a smaller screen size does not necessarily mean more screen space. And things will look smaller on that 27". From my own experience with the iMac 27"5K and non-retina 27" screens, obviously the 5K looks incredibly crisp. But I have worked with a large 32" 4K screen, and I loved that. It just felt better than a smaller 27" 5K iMac screen. To be fair, my eyes are not what they used to be, and a larger screen is just gentler on the eyes in general. For me a 4K 32" trumps a 27" 5K screen in terms of usability and ergonomics.

For 3d work and graphics work a slightly lower resolution may actually be a benefit to the overall performance, because less pixels have to be processed.

TIE. Personally I would go for the Envy here, but I am aware that the iMac 5K screen looks gorgeous too. If you are a person aged over 35-40, I would definitely go with the Envy, though.

Just a shame the Envy doesn't include a touch screen.

 

MEMORY
8GB VS 16GB

ENVY WINS. 8GB is unacceptable nowadays. 16GB is a minimum, in particular when doing graphics work.

If possible, go with 32GB for design work.

 

STORAGE
2TB Fusion Drive VS 512GB SSD & 1 TB 7200 HDD & 32 GB NVMe™ Intel® Optane™ Memory for storage acceleration

The Fusion Drive is a combo with a 128 SSD and traditional HDD. A full SSD is much faster, in particular for heavy duty graphics work. You do get more storage with the iMac, but its Fusion drive is generally perceived as its weakest component.

The Envy also offers that next-gen Optane storage acceleration built-in and together with the 512 SSD drive earns it its victory in this category. Besides, external storage is cheap.

ENVY WINS.

 

SOUND

Standard small speakers VS all-in-one audio solution Bang & Olufsen. From experience (working with iMacs throughout the years) the built-in sound quality on an iMac is reasonable.

For a built-in all-in-one audio option currently nothing on the market beats the Envy, though. All the Envy reviews rave about its sound quality. A solid win for the Envy!

ENVY WINS.


 
DESIGN
This is a rather personal preference, but arguably it can be stated that the current iMac's design looks somewhat tired. The large  thick black bezel isn't doing it any favours. It is still a great design, of course.

The Envy looks more current, and the thin bezel is quite nice. Arguably the HP Envy's square rectilinear design is more in line with modern design thinking.

TIE. Both look the part. It is mainly down to individual preferences.

 

CONNECTIVITY

iMac:
4xUSB 3.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, 1 headphone/microphone. 2xThunderbolt 3 (USB-C). All on the back side.
802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2
FaceTime HD camera integrated microphone
SDXC card slot
Video: 2xThunderbolt 3 (USB-C) support for DisplayPort

Envy:
Side: 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, 1 headphone/microphone
Rear: 1 Thunderbolt 3, 2xUSB 3.1 Gen 2, 1xUSB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C
Realtek Wi-Fi 5 (2x2) and Bluetooth® 5 Combo
HP Privacy 5MP IR Camera integrated microphone
Side: 3-in-1 memory card reader Expansion slots
2 M.2 (1 for SSD, 1 for WLAN)
Base: wireless charging pad
1 HDMI-out; 1 HDMI-in (video)

TIE.
It really depends on your requirements. It is nice that the Envy has a built-in memory card reader if you do Photography, and it provides some updated port version compared to the iMac 27.
The iMac has more Thunderbolt ports, though, and (it seems) allows for two external screens to be hooked up versus Envy's one. But you will have to spend extra $$ to get a displayport adapter. On the other hand the Envy sports a HDMI IN port, which means a console or other video source can be hooked up, and the display used to display that source.

 

PERIPHERALS & INPUT
Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2 VS HP USB Nightfall black wireless keyboard and mouse combo

ENVY WINS.
For three main reasons: the lack of a numeric numpad on the Magic keyboard, and the Magic Mouse and keyboard lack of ergonomic design.

The Nightfall keyboard can also hold a phone and tablet in its groove and offers two direct Bluetooth channels for pairing devices - which allows for typing responses on your smartphone or tablet using the keyboard. Or keep an eye out on your device's screen while working.

And the sound bar also works as a smartphone controlled bluetooth speaker. The wireless charging pad on the base is handy.

The Magic Keyboard is cramped and uncomfortable, with very short key travel.

The Magic Mouse 2 is the source of frustration for many Mac users in practice. Its recharging port is located on the bottom, meaning it cannot be used while it is charging. The precision is below par with its 1300 dpi (compared to current mice which go up to 10000 or above). The ergonomics are questionable and cause pain after using it for a longer time in many users.

The Envy's mouse is an unremarkable one. While it may not look as nice as the MM2, its ergonomics are indisputably better.

 

OPERATING SYSTEM

TIE. Both work equally well. It's a personal choice. The latest version of MacOSX no longer supports 32bit software.

 

OVERALL BUILD QUALITY
Brushed silver aluminum versus black plastic. While the Envy has a good build quality according to reviews, it can't compete with that solid metal cool-looking housing.

The Envy's rather awkward big power brick doesn't help either.

iMAC 27 WINS.

 

COST PERFORMANCE RATIO

HP ENVY All-in-One - 32-a0055 $2199.99
i7-9700, Nvidia RTX2060 8GB/intel graphics 630 / 512SSD, 1TB 7200HDD, 32GB Intel Optane Memory storage accelerator / 16GB RAM / 31.5" 4K screen

iMac 27" 5K $2299.00
i5-9600KF 9th gen, Radeon Pro 580X 8GB, 2TB Fusion Drive, 8GB RAM, 27" 5K screen

ENVY WINS.
Unsurprisingly, the cost/hardware/performance ratio for the iMac is rather poor compared to the Envy. Whether you like it or not, the Apple tax is a tad painful to bear here. The Envy's hardware architecture is more up-to-date, and in terms of sheer hardware performance offers a much more attractive package (with perhaps the exception of the screen depending on your preferences). The iMac 27"5K is screaming for a hardware update in comparison.

A similar somewhat higher performing CPU equipped iMac 27" with less storage would be:
i9-9900KF, Radeon Pro Vega 48 8GB, 512GB SSD, 16GB.

This configuration would cost $3449.00
On memory $100 could be saved by purchasing it from an external vendor instead of Apple.

But the graphics card would still be under-performing compared to the current-gen RTX2080, and this config misses 1TB of storage compared to the base Envy configuration.

On a side note, I noticed HP offers an instant $200 savings on this Envy config, and a free game bundle.


WINNER?
I will leave that up to you!

PS I heard rumors that the iMac is supposed to be updated this year? The iMac 2019 was released over a year ago.

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3 hours ago, Medical Officer Bones said:

iMac 27" 5K Base Model VERSUS HP ENVY All-in-One i7 model

Ready? FIGHT!!!

PROCESSOR
3.7GHz 6-core 9th-gen i5 VS  i7-9700KF @ 3.60GHz
10929 points VS 14669 points Passmark benchmark

ENVY WINS. Obviously. An i5 cannot hold a candle to an i7 class CPU.

 

GPU VIDEO
Radeon Pro 580X with 8GB of GDDR5 memory VS NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 2060 6 GB GDDR6 & Intel® UHD Graphics 630 integrated
7753 points VS 15000 points Passmark benchmark

The current-gen RTX 2060 is more than twice as fast for 3d work and gaming and can be used for CUDA and OpenCL accelerated applications (video editing, 3d rendering). The 580X supports Metal and OpenCL, but is a last-gen GPU.

For gaming on a 4K or 5K screen, the 580x is entirely insufficient. You would need to update the GPU to a VEGA to achieve acceptable gaming performance on an iMac (or lower the resolution to 1080p).

ENVY WINS. No question about this. Apple's offering is behind the times. Not only that, the Envy includes an integrated Intel video chip option as a fallback or if you want to save energy while typing a document.


DISPLAY
27" Retina 5K 5120x2880 500nits wide colour P3 VS 31.5" 4K IPS ZBD HDR 600 micro-edge WLED-backlit with anti-reflection edge-to-edge glass, 3840 x 2160 600 nits, 98% DCI-P3

Tough one. One the one hand the Envy screen boasts a larger screen and the highest contrast ratio for an all-in-one screen, but on the other the iMac 27" screen offers a higher resolution.

According to reviews, both have excellent screen quality, but the Envy beats the iMac screen with a stunning high 6000:1 contrast ratio compared to the iMac's 900:1. For a photographer this is actually quite important to have.

The Envy's screen offers 32% more physical screen space, 20% more brightness, and 5 times better contrast.

Based on my own experience I'd give Envy the winning hand here. You also have to understand that a higher resolution on a smaller screen size does not necessarily mean more screen space. And things will look smaller on that 27". From my own experience with the iMac 27"5K and non-retina 27" screens, obviously the 5K looks incredibly crisp. But I have worked with a large 32" 4K screen, and I loved that. It just felt better than a smaller 27" 5K iMac screen. To be fair, my eyes are not what they used to be, and a larger screen is just gentler on the eyes in general. For me a 4K 32" trumps a 27" 5K screen in terms of usability and ergonomics.

For 3d work and graphics work a slightly lower resolution may actually be a benefit to the overall performance, because less pixels have to be processed.

TIE. Personally I would go for the Envy here, but I am aware that the iMac 5K screen looks gorgeous too. If you are a person aged over 35-40, I would definitely go with the Envy, though.

Just a shame the Envy doesn't include a touch screen.

 

MEMORY
8GB VS 16GB

ENVY WINS. 8GB is unacceptable nowadays. 16GB is a minimum, in particular when doing graphics work.

If possible, go with 32GB for design work.

 

STORAGE
2TB Fusion Drive VS 512GB SSD & 1 TB 7200 HDD & 32 GB NVMe™ Intel® Optane™ Memory for storage acceleration

The Fusion Drive is a combo with a 128 SSD and traditional HDD. A full SSD is much faster, in particular for heavy duty graphics work. You do get more storage with the iMac, but its Fusion drive is generally perceived as its weakest component.

The Envy also offers that next-gen Optane storage acceleration built-in and together with the 512 SSD drive earns it its victory in this category. Besides, external storage is cheap.

ENVY WINS.

 

SOUND

Standard small speakers VS all-in-one audio solution Bang & Olufsen. From experience (working with iMacs throughout the years) the built-in sound quality on an iMac is reasonable.

For a built-in all-in-one audio option currently nothing on the market beats the Envy, though. All the Envy reviews rave about its sound quality. A solid win for the Envy!

ENVY WINS.


 
DESIGN
This is a rather personal preference, but arguably it can be stated that the current iMac's design looks somewhat tired. The large  thick black bezel isn't doing it any favours. It is still a great design, of course.

The Envy looks more current, and the thin bezel is quite nice. Arguably the HP Envy's square rectilinear design is more in line with modern design thinking.

TIE. Both look the part. It is mainly down to individual preferences.

 

CONNECTIVITY

iMac:
4xUSB 3.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet, 1 headphone/microphone. 2xThunderbolt 3 (USB-C). All on the back side.
802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2
FaceTime HD camera integrated microphone
SDXC card slot
Video: 2xThunderbolt 3 (USB-C) support for DisplayPort

Envy:
Side: 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A, 1 headphone/microphone
Rear: 1 Thunderbolt 3, 2xUSB 3.1 Gen 2, 1xUSB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C
Realtek Wi-Fi 5 (2x2) and Bluetooth® 5 Combo
HP Privacy 5MP IR Camera integrated microphone
Side: 3-in-1 memory card reader Expansion slots
2 M.2 (1 for SSD, 1 for WLAN)
Base: wireless charging pad
1 HDMI-out; 1 HDMI-in (video)

TIE.
It really depends on your requirements. It is nice that the Envy has a built-in memory card reader if you do Photography, and it provides some updated port version compared to the iMac 27.
The iMac has more Thunderbolt ports, though, and (it seems) allows for two external screens to be hooked up versus Envy's one. But you will have to spend extra $$ to get a displayport adapter. On the other hand the Envy sports a HDMI IN port, which means a console or other video source can be hooked up, and the display used to display that source.

 

PERIPHERALS & INPUT
Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2 VS HP USB Nightfall black wireless keyboard and mouse combo

ENVY WINS.
For three main reasons: the lack of a numeric numpad on the Magic keyboard, and the Magic Mouse and keyboard lack of ergonomic design.

The Nightfall keyboard can also hold a phone and tablet in its groove and offers two direct Bluetooth channels for pairing devices - which allows for typing responses on your smartphone or tablet using the keyboard. Or keep an eye out on your device's screen while working.

And the sound bar also works as a smartphone controlled bluetooth speaker. The wireless charging pad on the base is handy.

The Magic Keyboard is cramped and uncomfortable, with very short key travel.

The Magic Mouse 2 is the source of frustration for many Mac users in practice. Its recharging port is located on the bottom, meaning it cannot be used while it is charging. The precision is below par with its 1300 dpi (compared to current mice which go up to 10000 or above). The ergonomics are questionable and cause pain after using it for a longer time in many users.

The Envy's mouse is an unremarkable one. While it may not look as nice as the MM2, its ergonomics are indisputably better.

 

OPERATING SYSTEM

TIE. Both work equally well. It's a personal choice. The latest version of MacOSX no longer supports 32bit software.

 

OVERALL BUILD QUALITY
Brushed silver aluminum versus black plastic. While the Envy has a good build quality according to reviews, it can't compete with that solid metal cool-looking housing.

The Envy's rather awkward big power brick doesn't help either.

iMAC 27 WINS.

 

COST PERFORMANCE RATIO

HP ENVY All-in-One - 32-a0055 $2199.99
i7-9700, Nvidia RTX2060 8GB/intel graphics 630 / 512SSD, 1TB 7200HDD, 32GB Intel Optane Memory storage accelerator / 16GB RAM / 31.5" 4K screen

iMac 27" 5K $2299.00
i5-9600KF 9th gen, Radeon Pro 580X 8GB, 2TB Fusion Drive, 8GB RAM, 27" 5K screen

ENVY WINS.
Unsurprisingly, the cost/hardware/performance ratio for the iMac is rather poor compared to the Envy. Whether you like it or not, the Apple tax is a tad painful to bear here. The Envy's hardware architecture is more up-to-date, and in terms of sheer hardware performance offers a much more attractive package (with perhaps the exception of the screen depending on your preferences). The iMac 27"5K is screaming for a hardware update in comparison.

A similar somewhat higher performing CPU equipped iMac 27" with less storage would be:
i9-9900KF, Radeon Pro Vega 48 8GB, 512GB SSD, 16GB.

This configuration would cost $3449.00
On memory $100 could be saved by purchasing it from an external vendor instead of Apple.

But the graphics card would still be under-performing compared to the current-gen RTX2080, and this config misses 1TB of storage compared to the base Envy configuration.

On a side note, I noticed HP offers an instant $200 savings on this Envy config, and a free game bundle.


WINNER?
I will leave that up to you!

PS I heard rumors that the iMac is supposed to be updated this year? The iMac 2019 was released over a year ago.

A Mac is running MacOS and a Windows computer is running Windows, so, you can’t compair the speed and performance based on hardware - a Mac ALWAYS runs more smooth on lighter hardware then Windows...

Just like cars, one car have 300 horsepower but weights 2000kg (windows) and the other has 200 horsepower and weight 1000kg - who do you think will feels more snappy?

MacOS and Mac computers is always superior to win ditto...

Happy amateur that playing around with the Affinity Suite - really love typograhics, photographing, colors & forms, AND, Synthesizers!

Macbook Pro 16” M1 2021, iPad Pro 12.9” M1 2021, iPad Pro 10.5” A10X 2017, iMac 27” 5K/i7 late 2015…

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Hi guys, thanks’ a million for the time you took, to narrow down my choice.

Your answers are very helpful indeed and you cannot imagine how helpful this is, in this jungle of information and technical specifications out there.

The conclusion so far:  the IMac works very well with Affinity, thanks blende21 and affinitymakesmesmile but I would have to buy the 3 Affinity licences again, thanks Walt.

And thanks to Medical Officer Bones, your answer definitely has  flesh on the bones…this is great, so cool

I will get through your answers carefully, once again, your arguments are very convincing  and soon I will make a choice.

Thanks from my heart

Giuliano

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3 hours ago, AffinityMakesMeSmile said:

A Mac is running MacOS and a Windows computer is running Windows, so, you can’t compair the speed and performance based on hardware - a Mac ALWAYS runs more smooth on lighter hardware then Windows...

Just like cars, one car have 300 horsepower but weights 2000kg (windows) and the other has 200 horsepower and weight 1000kg - who do you think will feels more snappy?

MacOS and Mac computers is always superior to win ditto...

I worked with Macs, Windows, and Linux computers all my life. It's an emotional over-simplification to state that Windows runs slower than a Mac or Linux on the same machine. For example, Windows is great for gaming and 3d work, while the video drivers on Macs generally aren't that great or optimized. Pure rendering tasks (such as video and 3d rendering) rely on hardware for speed. But optimized software can make a huge difference as well: eCycles (an optimized Windows-only version of Blender's Cycles) renders extremely fast on WIndows and a RTX Nvidia card. That option is not available on a Mac. And Metal is turning out to be less of a performance miracle than Mac proponents hoped for.

Affinity runs better on Mac computers - but other software does not, and runs better on Windows, or equally well. It is too simple to say that MacOS runs software smoother than Windows, or Linux, etc. Fact is that for certain jobs Macs aren't that great a choice (3d work or gaming for example). Fact is that the latest MacOSX is a bit of a train-wreck. Apple is working out the kinks, though.

And more powerful hardware does make a difference, even if one OS is more optimized than the other one. A CPU that runs twice as fast as another one will run any OS or task faster, even if it is less optimized to run on that hardware. The difference between Envy's i7 and an iMac's 27" 5K i5 CPU, together with a much more powerful video card and more RAM, as well as a 512GB SSD is going to make a painful difference for heavy duty graphics jobs - but perhaps less so in Affinity apps.

But you have to ask yourself the question whether you want to invest MORE money in yesterday's hardware rather than current up-to-date hardware. The iMac 27" 5K machine is not that convincing a product at this point in time. And if you would opt for a Windows desktop machine, the hardware difference would be even MUCH more pronounced and obvious.

That iMac is in dire need of a hardware update. Sweeping the obvious hardware advantages of a competing product aside at a far lower price by justifying that the OS supposedly runs more smoothly is clutching on a straw.

But I would agree that everyone has their own OS preference. If you cannot live with Windows, then the iMac is a fine machine.

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22 minutes ago, ashf said:

fyi new iMac is coming...

Yes, read about that today.

It is supposed to have a thin bezel, no fusion drive (good riddance) but SSD as a standard, and perhaps the new AMD graphics. Probably at least 16GB as standard too, and updated Intel chips.

If so, definitely worth the wait - next week at the WWDC we should learn more.

@Bugiardini I would wait a bit and see what is announced for the iMac lineup next week.

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BTW:

A Mac can also run Windows

If one component of an all-in-one fails, you cannot use one single component

The iMac screen can be used for another computer

A Mac is friendlier to the environment

A Mac is easier to use, people need less time for unproductive tasks, …

Which company is more sustainable, …

Apple will use his own CPUs and GPUs in future

Macs can be found in (design) museums ;-)

 

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There are signs in the market that the iMac will be replaced very soon:

Apple stores seem to sell no more „build to order“ iMacs, and availability of off-the-shelf-ones is said to be very low. Delivery date for the 27“ in the German Apple online store is currently set to early July, this would be 3 weeks. 21.5“ has a better availability.

So chances are a new iMac will not only be announced on the WWDC, but it will be available shortly after.

A strategy if on a budget  could be to buy the „old“ model from stock for a discount. This is a gamble, since stocks seem to be pretty low already.

 

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Thanks again and I admit, it gives me a little headache as I need to work well with Affinity and it seems, they work better on a Mac.

I have worked on a Mac Book Pro from 2010 and it never quite convinced me, it heated up like a stove while simply using Skype ……I also did not like that my Iphone got slower after an update and their re-indexing just in order to whip and speed me up to run right to the Apple store to get their new device.…so I have a little problem with this mentality, It’s like a friend who plays tricks on you and always asks you for money, after a while you get tired.

But I agree, the design of the IMac is sexy, attractive and it has certain technical advantages. And now we are in 2020 and like you say, a new Apple machine is coming out soon and things change, like people, sometimes for the good…  

On the other hand the Envy 32 is more generous with its technical components, but the Affinity Programs may freeze there too a little….I suppose…I guess...I imagine....I don't know...

Hmmm I haven’t decided yet.

Thanks guys

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44 minutes ago, Oval said:

A Mac is friendlier to the environment

Not really - it depends again. Components are soldered to the mainboard in iMacs and Mac book (Pros), they are not really self-serviceable, cannot easily be upgraded or repaired with newer components, must be mailed to Apple for repair,...

One of my WIndows machines is running for almost 13 years now. I replaced older components with newer ones, and replaced a hard drive. This could not be done with an iMac.  The classic MacPro is however a different story, of course. That was a great expandable and self-serviceable machine. A friend of mine still keeps his running very well.

Any computing device made relied on modern slavery and severe damage to the environment, unfortunately. No matter the brand. This regrettable situation has improved somewhat over the years, but it is still the case.

  

44 minutes ago, Oval said:

A Mac is easier to use, people need less time for unproductive tasks, …

It depends again. Usability research has indicated that Windows users are more productive and require less mouse clicks to accomplish ordinary tasks than their Mac counterparts.

Do not confuse perceived usability with actual usability and productivity. It depends on specific user and use cases. Also realize the difference between various type of users (root users, expert users, novice users, and so on) - a general statement like yours is a over-simplification, and really depends again on the type of user, their background and experience, and so on, and so forth.

Some things work arguably better on a Mac. Other things work arguably better on a Windows machine. Some things again better on a Linux machine. And this experience is also coloured by the type of user and their experience, needs and wants.

Heck, some things still work better on the old Amiga!

Nothing is ever black and white. It is too easy to fall into the trap of a polarized discussion. I understand that you prefer to work on a Mac. Others prefer to work on Windows, or Linux. I sometimes boot up my old Amiga system, and still like it better than either Mac or Windows 😜

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28 minutes ago, Bugiardini said:

So true, but to work well with the Affinity Designer, a Wacom tablet and Publisher, if you were in my shoes, you would go for the IMac right? 

If I were in your shoes, I would wait for the upcoming WWDC and see what Apple has on its sleeves. There may be an updated iMac 27" around the corner.

I really think the current iMac 27" i5 5K model is too "yesterday's tech", so to speak. Not a good deal in my personal opinion. If someone forced my hand, I would just spend an extra $1200 on the i7 model with the SSD and better video card. Thing is, though, for that money you could get a beast of a Windows desktop machine that would probably negate all the advantages of Affinity running more smoothly on Macs.

And just to bring things into perspective: my current Windows machine runs an old i7 from 10 years ago, and Publisher and Designer run fine on it. I load large documents in Publisher, and encountered few issues (mainly to do with the software itself, rather than performance problems). I also use large 27" monitors and work daily on my large Wacom Pro tablet. The CPU is slow compared to todays' offerings, but together with a fast dedicated modern graphics card and 48GB of memory it poses few problems in my work (although I do plan to upgrade sometime this year).

Both machines would run Affinity well. The much faster CPU, video hardware and modern architecture of the Envy would probably balance out performance issues of Affinity compared to the slower iMac. But I can't be certain, because I would have to see them in action. It is just a hunch that both machines would work equally well with Affinity Designer and Publisher. But again, I can't be sure - no-one here could unequivocally tell you this unless it is tested.

And Serif is working on getting the Windows versions to use full hardware acceleration too, so even if there is a discrepancy between the two OSes now, by next year this might not be the case anymore. Perhaps someone working with the 1.9 beta on both systems could chime in here? I'd be curious too.  

In my opinion I think it is best to see if you can test Affinity on an iMac 27" and a similar Windows machine before you make a decision. And also consider which other software you'd like to run on the machine. I cannot make that decision for you. And by next year the Windows version might have caught up. Or not.

PS addendum: right now Affinity on Mac is accelerated with Metal, and it performs clearly better than the WIndows version. Not making this any easier, am I?

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I am so grateful for your answer. I forgot that Serif is working on the Windows version and that at some point, it may catch up the discrepancy, eventually. You look things from very different perspectives, which I hadn’t considered before and this gives me plenty of new material and new angles, for a good reflection.

You definitely convinced me to wait until the WWDC 2020 announces their ground-breaking innovations. And then see from there.

Yes, it doesn’t make it any easier and you keep the stimulation going, so just in that precise moment, I am unable to decide, but I have learned a whole lot more and things are getting clearer, thanks to the shared experiences in this forum. I also will check to see if I can test Affinity on a new IMac 27 somewhere, there is nothing like a real-life experience….

If I could, I would get both machines, but life is made of choices and at some point, with what I have learned now, I will be able to make the right decision, with surely a combination of gut feeling and upgraded technical knowledge from the great Affinity Forum....but first, for sure, I will need to sleep on it….

Thanks a million times Doc

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Thanks Oval, I am thinking very green in everything I do in my daily life,....that is why, I often feel blue...but I don't think that I am so much greener if I  am going to  purchase a green Apple rather than a Pear, we still talk about manmade machines where profit making is number one, marketing and selling it with green arguments, number two....but I know what you mean and appreciate your comment, thanks really I appreciate 

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Well, i can't believe that Affinity Programs works more smoothly
on a Mac than on a PC. Mac OS may have some features that
are easier to get in grip with than on Windows.

Affinity Prgs are in my opion so lightweights Programs
and more streamlined compared to other Graphics Software
that i cant believe that you need a powerful computer to work
with them. Remember Affinity Programs work on Ipad Pro too.


I prefer Windows in the long run, because of these things.

- The cost of Hardware if you have to replace or want to change something.
- The range of Software that is avaible.
 

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Thanks 2ddpainter, well that is what most people say....that it works smoothly on Mac.... I am working on an old HP Pavilion with Windows 8.1 and when I go into the Personas to draw, everything is crashing down but I also know that my present Computer is not made for graphic design. That is why I need a new Machine.  I appreciate your comment and all comments here, as it really helped me to forge new ideas and  understanding. 

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Productivity is a very simple concept for me: If I like what I switch on in the morning, I am probably peak productive.

During my university days I had a Macintosh SE, with a b&w Microscreen, System 6, a Floppy disk drive and a small HDD, etc. I wrote my thesis on it, with the back-then concept of DTP. I would probably have killed for something like Affinity publisher !

After that my professional career took me for 30 years through the „care“ of IT departments that pushed their idea of a computer on me. Not bad stuff, but not my stuff indeed. Because it made things easier, I decided to run on Windows PCs at home as well.

Now I am not dependent on the IT services any more, I enjoy to ramp up my MacBook Pro every day. Don‘t look back, don‘t wait for your future to happen, just live THE DAY.

I would wait for the WWDC, because it is around the corner, just one week from today. And then I would decide based on the question „Does it spark joy ?“. If it does, output will follow.

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I don't know how old your HP pavilion is.

My PC is also allready a few years old and still perform very well.
With much bigger Software, like Corel Painter, Krita, Cinema 4D
to name a few and of course Affinity Designer and Photo.

Here some of my tech Specs:
PC with Window 8.1
CPU: Intel Xeon CPU E3-1230 V3, 4 Cores, 3.30 GHz
Ram: 8 GB
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770
HardDrive: Samsung SSD EVO 500 GB

If I bought a new PC these days, I'd take this

CPU: i dont know AMD or Intel
but minimum 6 Cores
but only because of 3D Renderings
Ram: more than 8 GB maybe 16 GB
Graphics: mid price Graphiccard
200.- to 300.- Euro
HardDrive: Samsung SSD EVO 1 Terabyte

With both of these configurations i have no Problems
to work with Affinity Programs.

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Hi, thanks for your inspiring messages

Slowly things unfold and my blurred vision gets clearer and clearer.

Thanks Blende21, I was impressed and even touched reading your story.  “Does it spark joy” will be my guiding light from now on, while searching for the right and for my needs adapted Instrument.

I will definitely wait for the WWDC and also check out again all options and variations exposed here. The possibilities are endless. The real-life experiences of this creative and inspiring group here really helped me to forge an opinion of what could suit me best.

Yes, 2ddpainter, I got the HP Pavilion 1 for more boringly and purely administrative purposes (Windows 8, Intel Core i5 CPU, 1.90 GHz). So when in the Affinity Designer I go to Personas and start to draw, the ventilation starts like a Boeing taking off to Paris and everything freezes and crashes down. But unfortunately I don’t land in Paris, but in front of the coffee machine, a little frustrated.

I will keep the Pavilion for what I bought it for, but I will definitely go and fetch a new Creative Engine that gives me satisfaction and with which I am in sync. I don’t care about brand and labels but I care very much about sparkling joy.

Thanks for all the helpful comments. Thanks to everyone.

 

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