I see a LOT of people coming through here with macs. And it's almost always a terrible issue that results from them not being made well. One indication that macs are going downhill fast is the fact that a $2,700 Imac has the same hard drive type of a $300 Dell (though obviously not the same size due to the price difference). It's kind of expected to get a low end hard drive with a low end PC. But with a mac costing close to three grand? Nada.
Let me explain something here. One of the main reasons people like macs more isn't only their looks, but also because their software is so radically different than Windows. And I don't mean the way it looks. I'm talking deeper than that.
Windows runs on literally hundreds of thousands of devices including desktops, laptops, phones, and even kiosks like Red Box. Whereas when Apple makes an OS it goes on like what.......5 or 6 different devices? Because of this, Apple's software is VERY specifically tailored to the hardware. But you can do the exact same thing to a PC. It just doesn't come from the factory like that. I can make a computer worth $200 boot in under 30 seconds and make most programs start so fast you'll miss 'em if you blink. That's what's called tweaks. Tweaks are modifying your software to better suit your hardware. My simple invoicing computer that's worth about $180 is faster than ANY mac or PC. It's even faster than the $2,100 computer that was listed by the OP. Not for gaming of course, but I'm talking about normal everyday tasks.
There's also the issue of garbage software. When you get a PC from an OEM manufacturer like Dell or HP, it's LOADED with garbage. Not just the trial programs and junk, but also a ton of hidden stuff you can't see. I once spent nearly 60 hours trying to clean up a BRAND NEW Dell that just came out of the box and I still couldn't get all the crap out of it. The only way to fix this is to wipe it out with the original Microsoft disk. Most people have never really run Windows. Not the real Windows anyway. They've run the crap infested garbage the OEM's have fed them.
When Microsoft releases a new OS (Windows 7 for example), the OEM manufacturers like Dell call them up and purchase say a million licenses and the source code to Windows. Now what do they do with the source code? They have their programmers sit down and inject tons of garbage into it. Then they seal it up and install it on all their hard drives before they load them into their PC's. THIS is why you can't fix an OEM OS version. It's like trying to take out the flour after you bake the cake. It can't be done. The only thing you can do is throw the cake away and make a new one.
The comparison between PC's and Macs is TOTALLY unfair under these circumstances. When Windows is working PROPERLY without all the trash and tweaked to better suit your hardware, it will kick any mac's ass. It will remain stable for MUCH longer too. I haven't formatted out my invoicing computer in like 5 years now. If it had the original Dell crap software on there, I would have had to format it within probably 6-8 months.
What you need to do is find a technician that knows all this stuff and can do all this for you. It doesn't cost much. My rates for doing this is a flat rate of $105 (not including data backup or diagnostics if needed). Keep all your shit on an external hard drive and take it in to a qualified technician and it won't cost you much. And you'll get such an amazing system at the end. Computers can EASILY last 8 years if you properly maintain the software and start with a good foundation (meaning an original Microsoft OS with tweaks to support your hardware).
When you go from an absolute garbage software like the crap infested Dell modified Windows to a mac which doesn't have any of that crap, it's like night and day. But compare both Windows and Mac OS both working PROPERLY and Windows wins every time.
