[Technology] Moving from Windows desktop to Apple iMac?

[Fungus]

My trusty Windows PC from Chillblast is now eight years old, and feeling its age - especially when I run Adobe Lightroom. Windows 11 has already rejected it.

Avoiding the likes of PC World, I've been looking online at replacements with a good quality monitor, but end up paralysed with choices (like when I try to buy toothpaste in a supermarket) and high prices.

I always swore I'd never do this, but having also looked at the new Apple M1 24inch iMac, I'm seriously thinking of jumping ship and ditching Windows (as Mrs Oxy successfully did five years ago). I'm impressed by the quality, price and simple design.

Any good or bad experiences of making the transition? Anything I should be aware of? Limitations and opportunities? Compatibility issues? Software availability?

I have a huge number of FLAC music files I'll presumably have to convert to iTunes format, but photos and other data should be easily copied across for the appropriate apps.

I'll be keeping my Android phone and Windows laptop for now, but the cheapest iPad seems a reasonable bet to replace my crappy Kindle Fire tablet.

Oh, and the old PC will ascend to Linux heaven.

 

[Coldeanseagull]

My offspring went OSX a few years ago. The only limitation I've seen is the price, but I'm very cheap

 

[1066familyman]

Importing your FLAC files to i Tunes with the default AAC will lower the bit rate significantly, and you'll be into lossy territory over lossless. For you to have saved files as FLAC probably means you appreciate the jump in quality of lossless over lossy.

Seems you can import into i Tunes as WAV though, so no lowering of quality. But of course, WAV files are larger than FLAC, so you may run into space issues?

 

[Fungus]

Importing your FLAC files to i Tunes with the default AAC will lower the bit rate significantly, and you'll be into lossy territory over lossless. For you to have saved files as FLAC probably means you appreciate the jump in quality of lossless over lossy.

Seems you can import into i Tunes as WAV though, so no lowering of quality. But of course, WAV files are larger than FLAC, so you may run into space issues?

Hmm. How about FLAC to ALAC? I understand there are converters, and the sound quality is only slightly less? I have about 370gb of music, plus 1tb of photos (RAW format, of course!), so the music will probably sit on an external drive.

Yes, the increased quality is audible, even to an oldie like me! Modern speakers and headphones are amazing.

 

[Is it PotG?]

On the above, most music storage de nos jours is 24/96 or above Hi-Res flac. Alac is a poor relative, especially when reproducing the warm crackles of vinyl conversion.

 

[1066familyman]

Hmm. How about FLAC to ALAC? I understand there are converters, and the sound quality is only slightly less? I have about 370gb of music, plus 1tb of photos (RAW format, of course!), so the music will probably sit on an external drive.

Yes, the increased quality is audible, even to an oldie like me! Modern speakers and headphones are amazing.

ALAC. Oops, there's your answer. Ignore me

I confess I'm so anti Apple I'd forgotten they also have their own lossless codec. As you were

 

[Fungus]

On the above, most music storage de nos jours is 24/96 or above Hi-Res flac. Alac is a poor relative, especially when reproducing the warm crackles of vinyl conversion.

I still have some old vinyl to convert. I've been using Audacity and saving as FLAC, which I also used when ripping my CDs. Any suggestions?

 

[1066familyman]

On the above, most music storage de nos jours is 24/96 or above Hi-Res flac. Alac is a poor relative, especially when reproducing the warm crackles of vinyl conversion.

I personally struggle to tell the difference between most 16 bit and 24 bit files. I'll even admit that a really well recorded 320kbps MP3 can be just as good as some lossless recordings.

I really think the quality of the recording is the elephant in the room that always gets ignored when people want to discuss bit rates etc. I own some 24 bit 'hi res' files, but I'm absolutely not sold on this 'hi res' trend. I believe it to be largely about marketing to the next generation of trendies.

 

[Is it PotG?]

I still have some old vinyl to convert. I've been using Audacity and saving as FLAC, which I also used when ripping my CDs. Any suggestions?

Pure Vinyl is simple enough.

 

[Is it PotG?]

I personally struggle to tell the difference between most 16 bit and 24 bit files. I'll even admit that a really well recorded 320kbps MP3 can be just as good as some lossless recordings.

I really think the quality of the recording is the elephant in the room that always gets ignored when people want to discuss bit rates etc. I own some 24 bit 'hi res' files, but I'm absolutely not sold on this 'hi res' trend. I believe it to be largely about marketing to the next generation of trendies.

I tend to agree, but as a principle I like to store in the best resolution I can, then convert down if I put it on the phone for example.
Many home streamers can't cope with hi Res, so it's used mainly for the new fangled hi Res player/amps.
On the basis that 'you can't ski uphill', I prefer to store on big external HDDs then convert down depending on the hardware playing.
They'll thank me in 50 years time!

 

[Fungus]

I tend to agree, but as a principle I like to store in the best resolution I can, then convert down if I put it on the phone for example.
Many home streamers can't cope with hi Res, so it's used mainly for the new fangled hi Res player/amps.
On the basis that 'you can't ski uphill', I prefer to store on big external HDDs then convert down depending on the hardware playing.
They'll thank me in 50 years time!

That's my view too. I have FLAC on my phone, but export to MP3 for my car player, using MediaMonkey (which is Windows and Android only).

 

[Superphil]

Shush, but Once you’re into your fifties or even sooner, your hearing starts to deteriorate, high quality music reproduction is harder to tell the difference from less high quality versions.

It’s daft really, you can finally afford the best equipment, speakers, amp etc, but your ears can no longer fully appreciate them.

My uncle was a senior sound supervisor at Thames TV, he had the most outstanding home hifi setup, truly epic gear, but by his own admission, by the time he was fifty his work role became more administrative as his hearing became less atuned. His home listening continues to this day, largely on some amazing headphones, which were built for him at ridiculous cost, help him to appreciate the quality as best he can.

 

[Tony Towner's Fridge]

Apple products about 75% more expensive than Microsoft equivalents.
Apple produce far less likely to get virus infected as Microsoft equivalents.
Apple products last at least twice as long as Microsoft equivalents.



I have a MacBook Air that cost me £750 some 11 years ago and still is superb. All my kids have had various Dell.Fujitsu blah de blah Windows machines; most of which, even with good AVS, don't and haven't worked inside five years.

No brainer.


TNBA


TTF

 

[Fungus]

Shush, but Once you’re into your fifties or even sooner, your hearing starts to deteriorate, high quality music reproduction is harder to tell the difference from less high quality versions.

It’s daft really, you can finally afford the best equipment, speakers, amp etc, but your ears can no longer fully appreciate them.

My uncle was a senior sound supervisor at Thames TV, he had the most outstanding home hifi setup, truly epic gear, but by his own admission, by the time he was fifty his work role became more administrative as his hearing became less atuned. His home listening continues to this day, largely on some amazing headphones, which were built for him at ridiculous cost, help him to appreciate the quality as best he can.

All true of course! I'm 64 and have regular hearing tests at Boots - gradually dropping off, but not too much. All the more reason to have decent quality files, rather than lossy MP3s, though.

 

[Bozza]

I'm far from an expert on audio files, but you can play FLAC in iTunes with Fluke >>> https://fluke.en.uptodown.com/mac

But that's even if you need them in iTunes. Would you be doing that just to play them on the Mac itself?

Beyond that, not much to add. Mac's have exceptional build quality, very high residuals when the time comes to move on/upgrade and Apple's service is second to none. The M1 is ridiculously quick - I'm typing this on an M1 MacBook Pro.

If you know someone in education you can save a few quid at Edustore >>> https://www.theedustore.co.uk/mac/imac

 

[1066familyman]

I tend to agree, but as a principle I like to store in the best resolution I can, then convert down if I put it on the phone for example.
Many home streamers can't cope with hi Res, so it's used mainly for the new fangled hi Res player/amps.
On the basis that 'you can't ski uphill', I prefer to store on big external HDDs then convert down depending on the hardware playing.
They'll thank me in 50 years time!

Totally agree with you on storing in the best resolution possible, because you can't ski uphill. Perfect summing up.

I'm still not sold on 'hi res' though. At my age, I've reached my Nirvana in 16/44.1 already.

 

[Knocky's Nose]

Bear in mind that obsessing with the quality of music files is only really worth your time if you're listening on high quality speakers...

As for Macs, I've had them (iMac and Laptop) for around 15 years now. Always reliable, always virus free, and always worth money when I sell them no matter how old they get. They also look pretty cool - and I'm a design kinda person.

 

[Fungus]

I'm far from an expert on audio files, but you can play FLAC in iTunes with Fluke >>> https://fluke.en.uptodown.com/mac

But that's even if you need them in iTunes. Would you be doing that just to play them on the Mac itself?

Beyond that, not much to add. Mac's have exceptional build quality, very high residuals when the time comes to move on/upgrade and Apple's service is second to none. The M1 is ridiculously quick - I'm typing this on an M1 MacBook Pro.

If you know someone in education you can save a few quid at Edustore >>> https://www.theedustore.co.uk/mac/imac

Yeah, I'm sold on the hardware, just figuring out the software side. I'd be playing my music on the iMac, but also uploading it to Apple music for playing on our various Echos, and exporting to other devices.

 

[Fungus]

Bear in mind that obsessing with the quality of music files is only really worth your time if you're listening on high quality speakers...

As for Macs, I've had them (iMac and Laptop) for around 15 years now. Always reliable, always virus free, and always worth money when I sell them no matter how old they get. They also look pretty cool - and I'm a design kinda person.

Yes, this thread has got a bit stuck on music, so thanks for widening the conversation!

My wife loves her 27inch Mac, which she's now upgrading. Unfortunately I'm in the dog house, because I managed to crack the edge of her screen last year - so no trade-in value! It may be that I simply use her old one for a while, so I know what I'm doing before I buy. I was originally wondering about the new 27inch versions with the new processor, but gather they won't be around for a while yet?

 

[Bozza]

Yes, this thread has got a bit stuck on music, so thanks for widening the conversation!

My wife loves her 27inch Mac, which she's now upgrading. Unfortunately I'm in the dog house, because I managed to crack the edge of her screen last year - so no trade-in value! It may be that I simply use her old one for a while, so I know what I'm doing before I buy. I was originally wondering about the new 27inch versions with the new processor, but gather they won't be around for a while yet?

Rumours suggest the big iMac could be even bigger than 27". Regardless, you're right - unlikely to be before next year. Maybe March/April.