audreyh1
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Numbers does a pretty good job of importing Excel files. Otherwise Excel is available for the MacOS.
iMac 21 inch
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explanade
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I use Numbers for mostly personal finance, tracking my spending.
It was from one of the templates which comes with the software so I adapted it.
There are sites with other Numbers templates.
Of course there are a ton more for Excel, which is more geared towards enterprise than consumer use.
But people who used Excel a lot at work may be more partial to it.
Sunset
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You can download LibreOffice for free and test your excel spreadsheets on your current computer right now.
https://www.libreoffice.org/
It runs on all the common Operating systems. So no matter what computer you end up getting, this might save you some $$
Very nice!
I agree that with the internal SSD the 8 GB RAM will be fine. It also looks like you have the upgraded video "card". This will help longer term as video becomes more common and bandwidth increases, but from website hosts and your home internet connection. I've found that even just surfing the web, video can become more of an issue than CPU speed.
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Yeah! That’s what we paid, so worth it!
Microsoft has Office 365 for $69 a year.
Before I left Megacorp I got an Office license for $10 under the Home Use Program (HUP). Something that may be available if you are still working.
I use LibreOffice, which isn't as good as Excel, but for retirement purposes it is fine.
Before I left Megacorp I got an Office license for $10 under the Home Use Program (HUP). Something that may be available if you are still working.
I use LibreOffice, which isn't as good as Excel, but for retirement purposes it is fine.
nash031
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Eh, Numbers isn't as good as Excel, and there are compatibility issues if you've already got a lot of .xls stuff.
ziggy29
Moderator Emeritus
I've mostly been a Mac guy since 1996. I did build a Windows PC for gaming in February, but I much prefer to use the Mac. A few months ago I added an external SSD to my nearly five-year-old Mac Mini and it really flies again. I also added an external GPU (new feature with High Sierra even though this model doesn't officially support it) and this old Mac is actually a decent gaming machine again since it doesn't use the crappy old integrated GPU any more.
It seems like I have issues with my PC every few days. Now I'm very technical and I can usually fix them quickly, but I almost never have to do that with my Macs.
That said, I don't do iPhone. Way too expensive.
It seems like I have issues with my PC every few days. Now I'm very technical and I can usually fix them quickly, but I almost never have to do that with my Macs.
That said, I don't do iPhone. Way too expensive.
target2019
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Funny how one's personal experiences affect these PC/Mac/Linux threads. In my past, I've used all three extensively, ranked in time like: 1) Windows, 2) Mac, 3) Linux. I really have no problem troubleshooting these systems. When it comes to recommendations, it seems that most users recommend what they are using, just purchased, and so on.
I try to add perspective to what people ask me, whether they have a broken-down Mac, or cantankerous PC.
First, when you buy new, it is almost always a 10x boost to your computing experience. The components and OS in a new box are light years ahead of your ancient clunker.
Second, if you are buying in the immediate term, and have no ties to the past, it's simply a matter of setting a budget range, and go off to the stores, forums, etc. Buy the experience you want, and don't look back.
Third, take a look at your inventory of apps and docs. Think about how you want to make use of the new system. If you depend on an app daily, and it isn't available on the next system, how will you adjust? On the old system you have there are many documents that may be critical. They probably open, and you can print or email the docs when it counts.
I see no distinction between the OS's mentioned, and would have no problem adjusting, converting, migrating, etc. I wouldn't expect anyone to be swayed by my recent experiences with iMacs (problematic, but it makes me money), or Windows 10 (best experience ever).
I try to add perspective to what people ask me, whether they have a broken-down Mac, or cantankerous PC.
First, when you buy new, it is almost always a 10x boost to your computing experience. The components and OS in a new box are light years ahead of your ancient clunker.
Second, if you are buying in the immediate term, and have no ties to the past, it's simply a matter of setting a budget range, and go off to the stores, forums, etc. Buy the experience you want, and don't look back.
Third, take a look at your inventory of apps and docs. Think about how you want to make use of the new system. If you depend on an app daily, and it isn't available on the next system, how will you adjust? On the old system you have there are many documents that may be critical. They probably open, and you can print or email the docs when it counts.
I see no distinction between the OS's mentioned, and would have no problem adjusting, converting, migrating, etc. I wouldn't expect anyone to be swayed by my recent experiences with iMacs (problematic, but it makes me money), or Windows 10 (best experience ever).
photoguy
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I've been thinking about doing this for my wife's iMac. Did you use a USB3 case or TB? and how fast was the SSD.
Re the original post. I'm very happy with my 5k iMac. Main reason I've been on mac's is that it gives me unix plus all my photography programs. Trackpad with gestures is far superior (at least for me) to any trackpad I've used on a windows laptop. Before I picked my imac up (I have the most recent update), I was considering building a hackintosh but when I priced one out + the 5k monitor I decided against it.
Lsbcal
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
If you were buying today, would it be an iMac or a Windows 10 machine? Assume that costs are roughly equal (although Apple has always seemed costly to me).
Another question: When one buys a Win 10 machine it is often full of unwanted apps that are intro offers. I'm not into cleaning such stuff up. Can one get a Dell machine (for example) maybe as a business machine without all that consumer crap? Does buying Apple avoid the crap?
mpeirce
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MacOS High Sierra includes the following apps from Apple:
iTunes, App Store, iBooks, Safari, Maps, Spotlight, Calendar, Contacts, Notes, Mail, Messages, FaceTime, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Photos, iMovie, and GarageBand.
All of these apps are also available on iOS for iPhone and iPad.
All are full versions. If you want to remove them you can drag them to the Trash. No third party apps are included.
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You can get a clean ISO from Microsoft at:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO
This will de-crapify your OS. Make sure you have a MS account so it can activate itself automatically.
Ready
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Ahh, the old PC vs Mac question. That's been asked and debated for decades now. I suppose there is no definitive answer because it really depends on what you are looking to use the computer for.
If you already have an iPhone and/or iPad, you will find the integration with Mac very easy.
If you use a lot of Windows specific software, a Windows PC may be a better fit.
But the reality is that Mac's just cost more, so you are paying a premium for the Apple experience. I supported both Macs and PCs for many years, and was an MS-DOS and Windows user exclusively until 2012 when I got a MacBook Pro. Now that I've had it for 5+ years I could not go back to Windows. I rarely need to fix anything on my Mac. Windows alway seems to need some maintenance after something breaks when you install new software, drivers, etc. Since I was a computer engineer for many years, I always knew how to troubleshoot these Windows problems and keep my computer running properly. But now in retirement, I just don't want to spend my time tinkering with Windows issues.
Lsbcal
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Thanks ... but this is something I should not have to do as a new customer. We don't buy a car and then start throwing out stuff, why should we tolerate this in computers?
I think when I had a Dell computer purchased as a small business, the trash apps were not there or not as numerous. Maybe this is a way to get a clean Win 10 machine?
Good to know that the iMac takes care of the customer out-of-the-box experience.
Lsbcal
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I was an EE in my previous life. Now as a retiree, I feel the same. Plus I feel a few hundred dollars will be not such an issue. I bought an iPad recently at a good price point and it is great. Nowadays I am very sensitive to security issues and take them much more seriously then the average home user. Apple seems to lead in that category.
Right now I'm getting the VBA code out of a key Excel file which is fairly complex. Then I'll take this to an iMac and test that it can be brought up and needs few changes to port that file. I still think I'll have to use Excel on the iMac. Excel is familiar and will definitely run all my spreadsheet files. I have used Google sheets for simple files, but it is inadequate for complicated stuff.
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target2019
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Buy through Dell small business and there is less crap.
In the last 2 years we've purchased two new Dell desktops. I would still make the same decision for us today. 1) Box is expandable in several ways, 2) Long-term investment in Excel sheets (VBA, custom functions, etc.). Cost was a consideration, but I did not do 1-to-1 comparisons w/Apple.
We have iPhones, tablets, etc. There is really no obstacle to using Apple devices with a typical home network.
There’s not a big difference in price between Windows and Mac for equivalent systems. The difference is there are a lot more cheaper Windows systems available or systems that are subsidized by having crapware installed. Apple doesn’t compete in that market.
For a price comparison, take a look at a MS Surface vs a Macbook Pro.
The nice thing about Apple is that you also have a good set of applications installed by default. Microsoft has never done well in this area, even though they’ve tried over the years.
For a price comparison, take a look at a MS Surface vs a Macbook Pro.
The nice thing about Apple is that you also have a good set of applications installed by default. Microsoft has never done well in this area, even though they’ve tried over the years.
Microsoft has virtual machine images at:
https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/virtual-machines
These are time limited, but useful if you need to run a program and don't have Windows.
https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/virtual-machines
These are time limited, but useful if you need to run a program and don't have Windows.
ziggy29
Moderator Emeritus
I'm actually using an internal Samsung EVO 850 SSD, 500 GB. I was originally going to install it in my Mini, but I got cold feet about doing it as it's a rather complex thing in this model (and I've done a lot of HDD to SSD swaps).
So I got a cable that connects internal SATA to USB 3.0 and use it as an external boot drive to a USB 3.0 port on the Mini. I really don't lose much more than about 10% of the rated speed by using it externally, it's still 4-5x faster than my internal spinners, and that's a small enough price to pay that I'm willing to forego attempting major surgery inside the unit.
I've been benchmarking at around 440-450 MB per second, and the rated speed is (I believe) 520 MB which is probably a theoretical ideal anyway, something which few people see.
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ziggy29
Moderator Emeritus
I really wish I could do this with all those bloatware Google apps I don't use on my Android phone.
explanade
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Depending on your budget, I'd go to an Apple Store and look at the 27-inch model with the 5K screen.
I think a good quality display of that size might be around $1000 by itself.
Nice! Thanks for the detailed throughput data. Happy to see this that this works on USB 3, not just Thunderbolt. Was thinking about doing this for my friend and his 2014 Mac mini with the crappy stock HD. He was so disappointed that when he bought the Mini new, it was such a dog to boot and use, almost as slow as his ancient PC! The newer Mini's look tough to crack open and I didn't want to risk surgery on someone else's hardware, so looking to just plug in an external SSD into USB 3 (preferred for cheaper price) or Thunderbolt.
Talking about PC vs Mac, I did replace the HD in my friends ancient PC with an internal SSD. Just popped open the tower case, plugged in the SSD and cloned over his entire system. Now it runs like crazy, he can use all his old apps, and he's happy!
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