updated 21 April 2022
Have you ever wondered why a Mac machine cannot be used as a dedicated gaming machine? And why is Windows OS the preferred gaming machine? Even though you can say that these computers are all-purpose, some machines have advantages and disadvantages as productivity or gaming machines.
Don't get me wrong, light games or browser-based games can be played well on a Mac. I tested the 4k iMac playing the online Counter Strike, pure browser-based, and it was doing well, much like a 1080p gaming PC build.
Also, I have a separate review of iMac:
https://github.com/jdevstatic/imac-review
Also, more of monitor display reviews:
https://github.com/jdevstatic/display-resolution-review
As we all know, a Mac machine is the choice as a productivity machine. It has the UI simplicity and the best display on the screen, true tone and retina. It scales well when you project a Mac machine on a very large UHD screen.
Windows on the other hand is good in 1080p but the scaling is not that good compared to Mac. Even just for 1080p external monitors, the way things were scaled would not be proportional.
Macs graphics are good but not that much for gaming while Windows, on the other hand, almost all graphics specs are provided by manufacturers because it is the preferred machine for gaming.
We all know graphics and resolution are two different things. Graphics card is dedicated for the graphics to be accelerated so that, say, a 4k 3D drawing can be displayed almost without delay. Whereas resolution is just the pixels per inch on the screen. Without a dedicated graphics card or none at all, it will be the processor that will process the graphics so that it can be displayed on the screen. This will also be different when it is 4k or 1080p, as 4k is more compact than 1080p and that puts pressure on the processor.
This is also where the two machines vary sharply.
Mac's advantage is that it is based on UNIX, the original machine for software developers whereas Windows originated from DOS, which was not a UNIX-based OS.
So, Mac is most of the time the preferred machine for developers because the terminal commands are really important for them. Plus, for those who really want to install Linux, a Mac machine will be the better option than a Windows machine.
For gaming, the native terminals are negligible.
There are so many confusing articles about the Retina display. So let's take a look at this.
Don't you know that depending on the given distance, any resolution can be retina display? Even a 1080p can be retina if you view it far enough!
Here is a very good calculator for that:
https://www.designcompaniesranked.com/resources/is-this-retina/
Well, Apple just emphasized the term and they called it Retina Display. Even in the past, good smartphones were naturally retina for a good viewing experience, especially that we view them close to our eyes.
One downside of having a very high resolution for a certain size is that it will make things smaller for a big monitor (because of the size, you view it far enough to see the entire screen) and those who don't have a normal vision will find it problematic.
So for a normal computer viewing distance, 1080p is a good starting point for a 27" computer monitor although it's not retina at a normal viewing distance but our eyes can relax. A 32" 4k monitor will make things bigger compared to a 21" 4k monitor, so our eyes can relax too.
In gaming, a 24" 1080p is the optimal one, so that you have a good view at normal viewing distance at the same time maximizing the refresh rate so that there is almost no delay when you press a certain command, particularly, say, for First Person Shooter games like Counter Strike. 1080p will not demand much processor compared to a 4k of the same size.
With the advent of Solid State Drive, it's becoming the default of new laptops and desktops, even in gaming. The performance is really great compared to the hard disk. Even the new 24" iMac release is using SSD.
Now, how much storage? As for me, for productivity, I don't demand much, as most of my apps are browser-based, even the TinkerCAD is pure browser-based. It only means I don't need much SSD, as this is just for program files of the computer. So around 250 SSD is enough for your system and program files unless you want to locally install heavy programs. My company-issued iMac that I have been using, I have never consumed more than 1GB storage. Everything is on the cloud so that anywhere as long as there is an Internet connection, I can access them with any computer.
Hard disk on the other hand will still remain as for external backup. Say, you have tons of videos downloaded and several files, store that on a hard disk. Don't waste the SSD, it's really that expensive.
Again, as I'm using more and more browser-based apps, it's demanding more memory. We all know that a certain page can actually consume more than 500MB of memory, just like an online CAD application or online Counter Strike.
So, at least 8GB memory or to be sure you will not be running out of memory in the future, get 16GB. It's additional pay but it's worth it in the long run. You don't need to close every application from time to time just to free your memory. Think of it just like your physical table, the more space you have, the more stuff you can put on it.
With the advent of pure browser-based games, like the online Counter Strike, Mac machines are really great for that.
For solid gaming, Windows is still the champion because it is supported by the manufacturers and community.
For productivity, I still prefer Mac.
And also for game developers out there, hoping that you can develop pure browser-based games so that it can be played on any machine. As for me, I don't want games that can only be played on one platform, so that from time to time I'm using a different machine, I can play without any local installation.