NSR: Thinking of getting an iMac

[pugbuddy]

I'm set to buy a new computer (my current one is 8 years old) and I'm pretty settled on an iMac (27 inch/Quad-Core). But for the money, I'd like to be able to watch TV and play DVDs on it. The latter issue is covered (elgato EyeTV Hybrid) but I'm still unsure how to play DVDs on it. I'm going by the Apple store at lunch to check.

Any thoughts on Macs from the computer geek community-at-large? I've seen and heard nothing bad about the new ones and am looking forward to getting one!

[malakai]

You play DVDs as in any DVD player. Insert it in the tray for that (sideways) and you view it.

[Dr. Rock]

I have two iMacs (one I even disassembled and put a new hard drive in. WOW that was interesting, breaking magnetic seals anyone?) anyways I digress, yah, just pop in a dvd and presto whammo full screen dvd viewing pleasure. They cost a lot but I love them.

[HowHH]

Funny. Not so long ago I was just about all set to buy a new MacBook Pro. I ended up buying a scooter instead. Not totally sure how that happened, but I sure am happy with the decision

[illnoise]

Been a Mac user for 25 years, it'll take some getting used to.

People say they're maybe kinda 'dumbed down' compared to a PC but I use windows a little and I think Windows tries so hard to include instructions all over the place, and wizards and installers, where on the Mac stuff is way more intuitive, but maybe a little harder to sort out problems when they come up (which is rare, but they do).

I'm not a big mac fanboy or anything, though the original iPod was a dream come true for me. They're just great tools that I use every day and they never cease to amaze me. Now that macs run on Unix on an Intel chip, they're not really so wildly different from a Windows machine, other than just having a way cleaner, more intuitive interface. Converting files and databases and mail and such is rarely a problem, especially since you have the web as a standardized format between the two.

We've taken some informal polls here and on other scooter groups I'm on, Scooterists are way more likely to use Macs than the general population, so there's a precedent, ha.

Bryan

[Kaos]

Been a Mac user for 25 years, it'll take some getting used to.

People say they're maybe kinda 'dumbed down' compared to a PC but I use windows a little and I think Windows tries so hard to include instructions all over the place, and wizards and installers, where on the Mac stuff is way more intuitive, but maybe a little harder to sort out problems when they come up (which is rare, but they do).

I'm not a big mac fanboy or anything, though the original iPod was a dream come true for me. They're just great tools that I use every day and they never cease to amaze me. Now that macs run on Unix on an Intel chip, they're not really so wildly different from a Windows machine, other than just having a way cleaner, more intuitive interface. Converting files and databases and mail and such is rarely a problem, especially since you have the web as a standardized format between the two.

We've taken some informal polls here and on other scooter groups I'm on, Scooterists are way more likely to use Macs than the general population, so there's a precedent, ha.

Bryan

Yeah, but if I remember right, the poll was mac/windows. It completely missed the fact that most scooter pilots run Linux, right?

[HowHH]

Yeah, but if I remember right, the poll was mac/windows. It completely missed the fact that most scooter pilots run Linux, right?

+1

[gt1000]

I've been using PCs and Macs pretty much equally over the past 10 years or so. Our campus is PC only but we started buying Macs in my office for video post-production and digitizing of special collections. I'm not a Mac evangelist but, over these years, I've gradually come to the conclusion that the Mac does a better job than a PC of being a home computer, at least for me.

I use a home computer mainly for all things internet, organizing and editing digital images, music and archiving of personal documents. The Mac OS makes my life simpler with fewer clicks and fewer 3rd party interfaces needed, but I freely admit it's not the same for everyone. I also have no issues whatsoever when it comes to opening common PC files like Word, Powerpoint or Excel. Finally, the reliability is an important factor and my experience with Macs has been far better than my experience with Dell, Gateway and other PC brands.

For what you're describing the Mac will do fine but so will most PCs. It's a tool and I'm a big fan of analyzing the job before choosing the correct tool.

[TVB]

My main desktop is an iMac, and I had a MacBook Air before it was stolen (I'm lusting after the new 11"MBAir). My file/web/mail servers run Linux. At work I use Windows, and my drawing tablet runs Windows. For the record I have [counts on fingers, toes, etc] 24 years of experience with Windows, 18 with Macs, and 12 with Linux. All good tools for the jobs they do.

There are some similarities between buying a scooter and buying a Mac: both are a little different from the mainstream, and in the case of Genuine they're both well-designed and well-made. So it wouldn't surprise me that someone who prefers one would also prefer the other. Of course people buy scooters for various reasons, so that's not going to be universal.

By the way, I worked part-time at the Apple Store when I was between jobs a couple years ago, so if you have questions about 'em....

[iMoses]

... but I'm still unsure how to play DVDs on it...

Pop the DVD in... and it will play on its own. In full screen mode.

[ericalm]

Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaasssse not another Mac/PC/whatever OS debate…

I love the 27" iMac and think that despite constant criticisms of Macs being overpriced, it's a heck of a value for what you get. I currently use a MacBook Pro most of the time but use a slightly older and smaller iMac at the office.

I've been trying to figure a way to get a 27" iMac for home and not have to lug the MBP around everywhere I go, especially since I mostly use it for web and email when out and about. I'd get (uh, will get) an iPad, but I still need to use Photoshop and InDesign on the laptop occasionally. Oh, hey, new MacBook Air! Hmm…

[VoodooKitty]

I'm set to buy a new computer (my current one is 8 years old)

8 YEARS!!!

[jasondavis48108]

Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaasssse not another Mac/PC/whatever OS debate…

lets get ready to rumble! I really want to see a UFC sactioned match between bill gates and steve jobs, I think Bill could take'em steves just a geek style pretty boy, I think Bill's a tough nerd, well... he's tough on the inside

I used to think I wanted a mac until I bought one for my photographer wife. I've never had a single piece of technology be such a source of frustration and I had a Linux network in my basement back in the day. If I have to see one more bouncing icon I swore I'd shoot the damn thing I will say that they are very aethetically pleasing and my wife seems to like hers well enough although she has had problems with the case getting hairline cracks at the front and around the battery. Seems like art folk tend to like them a lot. I myself am a recovering Linux user open source is a double edged sword my friends and it will cut cha deep. I tried for months to get a ethernet card installed and finally tore down the entire netword in a total fit

now I'm a pc

[TVB]

lets get ready to rumble! I really want to see a UFC sactioned match between bill gates and steve jobs, I think Bill could take'em steves just a geek style pretty boy, I think Bill's a tough nerd, well... he's tough on the inside

Considering that Bill still has his original pancreas and liver, and probably outweighs Steve by 50% now, I think he'd be the easy favorite in that match.

[craho]

I had IBM laptops for 10 years and got a 13inch MacBook pro about 8 months ago and I have never missed my IBMs. My work paid for it so cost was much less a factor for me.
I mostly do basic stuff, internet, word processing, basic photo stuff but after the short learning curve, I really like it. It does everything well and is a very sturdy machine. I probably will never 'go back' but I am very much an end user, Im not doing networks or servers or anything like that. My $.02.

[mhardgrove]

Pugbuddy, what are you going to use the Imac for? I had my mind set on a Imac last year, but found out that I didn't need all the power and ended up getting a Mac Mini. I can do everything I need to do on the Mini, and where it's hooked to my TV it's an instant media center. If you need to do heavy graphic design or need tons of processor speed then I would definately recommend the Imac. If you are going to surf the web, watch TV and listen to Music and don't mind your computer being attached to your flatscreen TV that may be an option to consider.

[Syd]

FreeDOS!

[bigcanoe]

I am shopping for an iMac too, good choice! I already have an iPhone and iPad so i* seems a good plan

[KABarash]

Sorry, but I recommend not buying ANYTHING Apple!!
While my daughter was deployed to Iraq she took her iPod with her, as did/do most of our kids there. When it needed warentee repair, Apple said the warentee was void because she took it out of the country and they don't support the war in Iraq.........

[Hwarang]

Sorry, but I recommend not buying ANYTHING Apple!!
While my daughter was deployed to Iraq she took her iPod with her, as did/do most of our kids there. When it needed warentee repair, Apple said the warentee was void because she took it out of the country and they don't support the war in Iraq.........

Apple told you they don't support the war? Come on, at least try to make it believable next time.

[KABarash]

Sorry, but I recommend not buying ANYTHING Apple!!
While my daughter was deployed to Iraq she took her iPod with her, as did/do most of our kids there. When it needed warentee repair, Apple said the warentee was void because she took it out of the country and they don't support the war in Iraq.........

Apple told you they don't support the war? Come on, at least try to make it believable next time.

Gods HONEST TRUTH

[malakai]

I have an 27" iMac and it's fast, reliable and has all the capabilities to be used in a work or home environment as part of any LAN. I can read and use any of the documents created on a PC... etc, etc Hands down wins over any PC when it starts! After all Windows has been trying to emulate the Apple interface for years.

If you still cannot adjust to a Mac, well... that means you can't; you are a left brain person. Then you just Install windows in the Intel Based iMac and you have two computers in one for the times you feel deprived of the ol'windows interface. It cannot be better, 2 computer systems in one!

Most Mac newbies pretend to know how to operate a new system without reading or doing their homework. Do they expect the machine to tell them? If you read the install instructions for anything in the help you can quickly learn and apply those concepts. AAnd you will be delighted.

Since I first bought a Quadra (Apple, 1993?) I have never touched a Windows machine -- other than to fix problems in my friends' boxes. I have two Windows crashed PC's stored away in my garage which i will soon dust off for experiemnting, like using them in my home LAN as a document servers.

This said, everyone is entitled to select whatever suits their personality, and THAT is what is best for THEM. enjoy

[Rippinyarn]

Sorry, but I recommend not buying ANYTHING Apple!!
While my daughter was deployed to Iraq she took her iPod with her, as did/do most of our kids there. When it needed warentee repair, Apple said the warentee was void because she took it out of the country and they don't support the war in Iraq.........

Apple told you they don't support the war? Come on, at least try to make it believable next time.

Gods HONEST TRUTH

What others have done is ship the device back and then you go into the Apple store for the warranty work. Sure it's a pain, but at least you get the work done. Just say that it was a gift from the overseas person when they were back in the U.S. As long as they registered it when it was purchased, you'll be fine.

[illnoise]

Gods HONEST TRUTH

In the P.J. Harvey sense or the P.Z. Meyers sense?

[PeterC]

It was pretty much the formula in the ad biz, PCs were for suits and number crunchers; Macs were for creatives. I went from a 1929 Underwood manual typewriter to an Apple IIc in the early '80s, and to a Mac in 1992. I've had Macs ever since and have been quite happy with them. My wife, on the other hand, is a left-brained type, and is quite satisfied with her PC.

[ericalm]

Apple told you they don't support the war? Come on, at least try to make it believable next time.

Gods HONEST TRUTH

What others have done is ship the device back and then you go into the Apple store for the warranty work. Sure it's a pain, but at least you get the work done. Just say that it was a gift from the overseas person when they were back in the U.S. As long as they registered it when it was purchased, you'll be fine.

When you say, "Apple said…", do you mean an employee on the phone or support person or some kind of official policy statement?

[jfrost2]

I own several Macs and PCs in my house and have been using both OSX and Windows for my whole life. I still stick with windows as my main operating system of choice.

I guess I'm a bit biased since I am a hard core PC gamer and need windows to play games. From a graphics design stand point, I see no difference between the two. Nearly all of the software today that is made for designers to use works on both windows and macs.

I will say one thing though, the battery life, build quality, and design of apple's products are amazing. Price wise and hardware wise, I have to say it's pretty poor. I could easily build a very high end PC for the price of a 13" macbook pro.

[ericalm]

[ericalm]

(razzafrazzagrumblefudjit…)

Okay. Think of all of the scooter out there which, on paper, have the same specs as the Buddy. 50 2T or 125 or 150cc 4T, front disc, rear drum, 10" wheels or similar, and so on and so on. I could even build one with the same specs.

Yet none of these scooters is a Buddy. They don't look like Buddys, they don't ride like Buddys, they don't behave like Buddys. They don't trigger anything inside you that made you pick them instead of a Buddy. You got the Buddy.

It's the soul of the machine. It's the spirit and personality inside it. It's the thoughtfulness of the design, the aesthetics, the ergonomics, the je ne sais quois, the thing that makes it more than what it appears to be on paper and that appeals to you in a primal, emotional and sometimes impractical way. It's everything that it is aside from the raw specs.

Scooterists should understand this.

And just as a Buddy will appeal to some and not others, so for the Mac.

[PeterC]

(razzafrazzagrumblefudjit…)

Okay. Think of all of the scooter out there which, on paper, have the same specs as the Buddy. 50 2T or 125 or 150cc 4T, front disc, rear drum, 10" wheels or similar, and so on and so on. I could even build one with the same specs.

Yet none of these scooters is a Buddy. They don't look like Buddys, they don't ride like Buddys, they don't behave like Buddys. They don't trigger anything inside you that made you pick them instead of a Buddy. You got the Buddy.

It's the soul of the machine. It's the spirit and personality inside it. It's the thoughtfulness of the design, the aesthetics, the ergonomics, the je ne sais quois, the thing that makes it more than what it appears to be on paper and that appeals to you in a primal, emotional and sometimes impractical way. It's everything that it is aside from the raw specs.

Scooterists should understand this.

And just as a Buddy will appeal to some and not others, so for the Mac.

+1+

[TVB]

Apple said the warentee was void because she took it out of the country and they don't support the war in Iraq.........

Speaking here as a one-time Apple employee (so I had to know this stuff), but no longer an Apple employee (so I'm free to speak candidly): Whoever said that was not speaking truthfully on behalf of the company; that is not Apple policy.

There are warranty issues with repairs being done in a country other than the one where the device was purchased (same with Dell, HP, Sony, etc), but simply taking it out of the country does not void the warranty.

Apple Inc does not have a position on the war in Iraq, or any other military conflict. If any Apple representative said that it does, they were lying. A policy to void the warranties of those serving in any given conflict would not only be a stupid-as-hell business decision from a PR standpoint, it would probably be illegal under civil rights legislation protecting veterans, and consumer protection regulations.

I can't dispute whether you heard what you say. But I can confirm that it is not true.

[jasondavis48108]

(razzafrazzagrumblefudjit…)

Okay. Think of all of the scooter out there which, on paper, have the same specs as the Buddy. 50 2T or 125 or 150cc 4T, front disc, rear drum, 10" wheels or similar, and so on and so on. I could even build one with the same specs.

Yet none of these scooters is a Buddy. They don't look like Buddys, they don't ride like Buddys, they don't behave like Buddys. They don't trigger anything inside you that made you pick them instead of a Buddy. You got the Buddy.

It's the soul of the machine. It's the spirit and personality inside it. It's the thoughtfulness of the design, the aesthetics, the ergonomics, the je ne sais quois, the thing that makes it more than what it appears to be on paper and that appeals to you in a primal, emotional and sometimes impractical way. It's everything that it is aside from the raw specs.

Scooterists should understand this.

And just as a Buddy will appeal to some and not others, so for the Mac.

Now this I can agree with. Folks should buy what they wanna buy and not worry about what others think is better or best. My wife loves her Mac and her Ruckus, not because they are better than my Dell and my Buddy but becasue that's what she wanted. I think more folks need to not worry about what others think and just go with what stikes them.

[BlueMark]

... but what I really want to know is - how fast can you go at WOT?

[jasondavis48108]

... but what I really want to know is - how fast can you go at WOT?

what I really want to know is how do I overclock my scooter

[Cheshire]

Alrighty. I agree with 99% of what Eric said. The 1% I disagree with:

I researched the hell out of scooters before I got my Buddy 125. Same with my current computer (a pentium-based iMac). There are a few differences IMHO that made my decision in both cases.

Buddy: Better fuel efficiency, cost to maintain, quality of dealer, price. It had boiled down to either a Scarabeo or a Buddy. Of the dealers in the area, the Genuine/Triumph/Ducati dealer reminded me of my favorite bicycle shop: I wasn't just a sale. The Buddy was several hundred lower than it's competition and had 10-20 mpg improvement. That's what I was interested in.

Apple: Let me preface this with the documented fact that I am inherently anti-tech. (It's not a preference. I like technology, actually.) It's in the family: my grandfather couldn't wear wrist watches. When I used to have panic attacks, I shorted out electronics. It's been witnessed by numerous people...including a couple bosses (which is what saved me from getting fired twice.)
http://www.collectedcurios.com/sequentialart.php?s=435

I've owned 4 PC's spanning Windows' existance from 3.0 to XP...and the longest I've gone without a crash is about 2 days. My average is 4 hours. I fry a major component about every year or two. (My poor laptop, RIP: the last PC I had.) Since I got my iMac 2 years ago, I can count on one hand the number of times it's crashed until last month, when the hard drive finally gave in to the inevitable (me and my anti-tech). Even then, I've stabilized it with exponentially less hassle than with a PC. Normally, once a component (usually hard drives) in my computers starts to go I have about a week before it's dead in the water. It's been several weeks since my iMac hard drive showed the tell-tale symptoms and it's still running strong. I killed a palm pilot in about 3 months. My iPod (2 years) and iTouch (6 months) seem immune to me so far. I'm more than happy with Apple.
Yes, it's a bit of an initial investment, but you make up for it in other areas. Take MS Office vs. iWork: I paid about $75 for iWork and the package that matches it with Office was about $400 at the time. Antivirus software is mandatory with a PC. Apple's MobileMe service is very competitively priced and has saved my butt several times. Not only that, but I don't have to redundantly enter info back and forth from my computer to my PDA like I did with Windows.

Those are my reasons for why I'm with Apple right now. My regrets with the iMac? I realized about a year after getting it I would probably have been better suited to get an MacBook. That's it.

[bigbropgo]

Cheshire,

Don't deny your destiny. You have mutant powers and need to learn how to use them. Unblock your Chi and harness you bioelectric power. Maybe you can shoot lightning.

[charlie55]

.....It's the soul of the machine. It's the spirit and personality inside it. It's the thoughtfulness of the design, the aesthetics, the ergonomics, the je ne sais quois, the thing that makes it more than what it appears to be on paper and that appeals to you in a primal, emotional and sometimes impractical way. It's everything that it is aside from the raw specs.

As it pertains to scooters, yes. Computers? Well, I've been slamming code for almost 35 years now, and suffice it to say that my level of enthusiasm for computers parallels that felt by a ditch-digger for his shovel.

[Stormswift]

...what I really want to know is how do I overclock my scooter

Seriously, I would not be able to justify the expense of buying apple unless I needed them for something specific. My other concern would be how well apple/Imac/ whatever would "play" with the rest of my home network. I've had a stable wireless network for the past 10 years which started with $9.00 Belkin router and Compaq Ipaq with a wifi card. From experience when something does not work you start tweaking things, patching things, getting new drivers.... I like computers on my network to play nice with each other , as in I use my old Ipaq to connect to either my laptop or my desktops to access some files. Some I cannot access because Pocket PC is a Microsoft software but it is not the same as full Windoz. So some things do not copy over the share (same goes for my smart phone and Ipaq). I would expect that there may be some compatibility issues between IMacs and Windows-based PC's.

[cleric3648]

As far as the Mac vs. Windows argument goes, another point to keep in mind is that Macs typically last much longer than their PC counterparts. Out of the myriad of computers I've had, both PC and Mac, none of the PC's lasted more than three years without considerable maintanence, upgrades, or even total rebuilds and reinstalls on a regular basis. Aside from a four year old HDD giving up the ghost in my iMac, the only issues with Mac have been PBKC ones.

If I can find it, I'll post a paper I wrote in grad school which shows the cost of ownership for a Mac over a 4 year period is quite lower than a PC when all of the variables, such as cost for anti-virus, security, and lost time waiting for the PC to catch up or reboot.

My recommendation, as someone who owns a startup computer repair business, would be to go with the Mac, especially for hardware purposes. Apple seems to hold their parts suppliers to higher QA standards. As far as OS goes, I recommend Mac for nearly everyone, unless your a hardcore gamer, or you know Linux.

[jasondavis48108]

thats funny, I have had my cheapy $700.00 dell desktop for well over 5 years now with no problems. My thinkpad laptops finally just got too out dated but they never had any hardware issues, and my Dell Latitude laptops have been the same way. I suppose some folks might have had bad experiences with certain companies but I think when it comes down to it it's really just personal prefrence. If you need to say apple makes a better quality computer to justify buying one then by all emans justify away. I think they are much more well designed from an aethetic point of view but I can't say they are higher quality. As I said in a previous post, my wifes macbook is cracking pretty badly after three years and I've never had that problem with an pc laptop I've owned.

[ericalm]

Don't deny your destiny. You have mutant powers and need to learn how to use them. Unblock your Chi and harness you bioelectric power. Maybe you can shoot lightning.

Training, training, training.

[Syd]

As I read through this thread the first thing I think is that I am so glad that you don't work where I am employed. :jumping up with upraised arms smiley:

[Dr. Rock]

So.......... How 'bout those Lakers? ..

[pugbuddy]

My apologies for not replying to everyone earlier. I've been so busy researching stuff and dealing with the parties for Halloween that I haven't been on the site for a bit!

I decided on buying the 27" iMac and my friend and I set it up today. So far so good. I'm enjoying learning how to use it and really like everything about it (hey, new toy!).

I considered the Mini but decided on a complete overhaul. It's taking the place of my home computer and TV (now conveniently located in the back room). Music is nice on it but I'll keep my stereo for now.

I will be adding Windows 7 and set it up so I can use it as required.

Being limited in my needs, this should last me for the next 10+ years.

[PeterC]

Great choice. You will enjoy it!

[bigbropgo]

Don't deny your destiny. You have mutant powers and need to learn how to use them. Unblock your Chi and harness you bioelectric power. Maybe you can shoot lightning.

Training, training, training.

That was perfect. Thanks for validating my geekness.

[fmaxwell]

I started using a Mac about two years ago. Prior to that I had been using Microsoft products since before they released MS-DOS (try Microsoft BASIC on Heathkits). I am an engineer and currently work in aerospace building and testing satellites. Prior to this job, I've held various development jobs, primarily in the embedded systems arena.

I have no regrets about switching to the Mac. I bought a Mini for $600 because I wanted to become more knowledgeable about Macs and to see if they were a viable alternative. My GF now owns the Mini, I own the 8-core Mac Pro that I bought when I decided to totally make the switch. I also own a Macbook (white) laptop.

Observations:

1. All computers are cheap now, including Macs. Adjusted for inflation, a 64KB IBM PC with a monochrome display and dual floppy discs cost much more than a fully loaded 27" iMac does now. How many people on here decided to buy $650 Chinese scooter because Genuine brand scooters cost more with the same size engines?

2. Mac Minis start at $700 and Macbooks start at $1000. iMacs start at $1200 and that includes a damned nice LCD display, keyboard, mouse -- everything.

3. The Mac OS is worlds better than Windows. That's because Mac threw away OS 9 and started fresh with OS X, basing it on a proven OS with a mature security model (Unix-like BSD). Microsoft, on the other hand, continues to load up their Windows OS with outdated ideas like the registry, shared (but unmanaged) DLLs, and installations that allow end-user applications to write files to system directories. Many of Microsoft's choices were made when big hard drives had less storage than today's smallest thumb drives, when processor speeds were measured in tens of megahertz, and where a loaded system had 8MB of RAM. In those days, it made sense to have multiple apps share a single DLL written to one system directory. It was reasonable to have a swap file that grew and shrank dynamically -- since people could not afford to dedicate a large amount of disk space permanently. It's a different world now and it's time for Microsoft to bite the bullet and release a modern OS -- not just continue to reskin the same old bloated OS.

4. You can run Windows on a Mac but you can't run OS X on a normal PC. That means that you have more software choices under the Mac, though I find the only thing I still use Windows for is a few games (Reversi, for example).

5. Macs are built to a much higher standard. You just don't find a mechanical quality of construction in PCs that rivals what you find in the systems Apple offers. I've built more systems than I can count, buying cases from some of the most respected suppliers in the industry -- and my Mac Pro just embarrasses them by comparison. And there's more to a PC than specs when it comes to the electronics. You can use cheap PC boards, cheap bypass caps and fewer of them, cheap power supplies, cheap fans and fewer of them, cheap RAM, etc. And you can build something that specs out as good as a Mac, iMac, or Mac Mini. But it won't be as reliable, stable, or long-lived.

6. Time Machine. Microsoft just has nothing like it.

7. RAID built into the consumer OS. You want to mirror drives for reliability or span them to create a larger volume? No problem under OS X. You don't need to rely on some flaky drivers from some Asian firm that sells chips.

8. Apple tries to make it easy for you to upgrade and move your apps and settings to a new system. Microsoft is so sure that you're trying to steal something, that they make it painfully difficult. I've put a new hard drive in my Mac Pro, reinstalled the OS, and it just asks whether I want to restore all of my applications, settings, and data from my Time Machine backup. Well yes, I do. Done.

9. Spaces and Expose. If you don't know what they are, find demos on Youtube.

Computers are tools of my profession so I don't skimp to save a few bucks. You don't see carpenters buying saws at the dollar store, professional cooks buying pots and pans from Walmart, or tailors buying sewing machines at Kmart.