Why buy a MAC... or why not?

Graphic designers use Mac's simply because graphic design schools teach with Macs. Same reason most professional chefs use Henckels or Wustoff knives, because the culinary schools teach with them. They are by no means superior to their high quality competitors. They're just better at marketing to schools.

99% of 3D graphics work is done on PC's.

TY all for the feedback. Good info Chosen.

Looks to me like there isn't a real compelling reason for me to go MAC. I basically use my laptop for word processing, contact management, spreadsheet, gaming, internet stuff and can access my work cpu while mobile.

Maybe if I was writing programs, graphics or other such things a MAC would be the way to go but from what I have heard here a PC is cheaper, will run games as well or better and there is probably no difference in my other needs.

So, a PC it is unless anyone has something compelling to share. Now what kind of PC?

I have been pleased with my Toshiba but for some reason think I will change... lol. I have a dell desktop that I love & was leaning that way. Would anyone who hasn't shared an opinion about what kind of laptop is best like to share?

Thanks Y'all.

Billy

What is your #1 thing? Cost? Gaming? Company Name?

For a good all around go to www.Tigerdirect.com and just look and see what you want. Most Laptops are about the same. Most info you want to know will be there. If cost is your think look at none name brands. If the name is the thing, Dell. If gaming is it Alienware, for Laptops not desktop.

You are better off buying a Commadore Amiga. I'll sell you one for cheap!

It's also the one of the greatest disadvantages. The death of the Mac clone was one of the greatest tragedies of Mac history, as it heralded the beginning of an era of exorbitantly priced hardware. Until Apple is willing to once again allow competition in the hardware market, the Mac will remain a niche computer. Even better, porting Mac OSX to X86 would open up millions of doors. Of course, the probability of that happening is approximately nil.

If you are an artist or a designer or do page layouts, graphics etc. you need a Mac. You will find that all the things that matter to you also matter to the Mac designers. Good design is its strongest point.

If you want to play "shootemup" games or like to drive fast and beat up virtual hookers then Windows is the choice for you. Making the PC simple enough for granny or junior to use is Mcrosofts main thing and if you are not a complete idiot you will probably find this frustrating.

Personally I used Windows and hated Macs (for their elitism), for many many years.
I remember being really excited when Windows 3.1 came out!

Windows XP however, finally converted me to a Mac user and I have never been happier.

The price and the fact that it is a "snob" market for the most part still disturbs me but Microsoft disturbs me more nowadays.

Wasnt that the worst product placement of all time?

Why do I need one for graphic design? I can (and do) run PS, Illustrator, Flash, Dreamweaver, and Quark on my PC. I've also used those programs on the Mac. I don't recall any particular burst of creativity resulting from the use of the Mac.

I think the Dell laptops on Stargate Atlantis are pretty bad product placements...

I have to say that my experience is the opposite.

I run SL on an 800MHz G4, which is below spec., so it lags of course. But i have found the lag has nothing much to do with the graphics goodies. I dont have them *all* turned on, but my experimentation with them on or off seems to make little no difference at all.

I find the lag is usually SL (script) based, or to do with bandwidth for me.

Now if someone could explain to me why I get paralysing lag at 2:00 AM in a North Continent SIM when i am the only person in it ....

Wow either you have really OLD information, or this is a total troll.

It is just not true at all and I have about 15 years of experience using both Windows and Mac, as each evolved.

1) Macs crash way way way way .. (you get the point) less than Windows, they always have.

2) The argument about who is fastest is pretty much neverending and pointless so i wont go there.

3) Mac interface is usually described as better even by windows users and always gets the highest ratings in blind taste tests.

Yup...this one goes on the Fridge.....

Huh? I'll put my graphics system up against any Mac you can toss out..I work faster, in higher resolutions, and with more compatability with other programs. And after I'm done with Maya, ADT 2006, and Photoshop; I can *gasp* pop in any game title made and run it...full blast (and if not, I CAN UPGRADE...cheaply). Oh, and "Simple enough for a Granny or junior"? Sorry, that's Mac's marketing scheme. Further, good design doesn't come from hardware or software...mac or pc.

First of all, Dianne, there's no need to insult me by calling me a liar and a troll over a simple difference of opinion. You like Mac, good for you. That doesn't mean I have to. The facts (that's right FACTS) I presented were simply accountings of my own experiences with both machines.

I'm sorry that you feel such a profound connection to your computer that you are offended by this, but I'm not sold on the Mac elitist hype. As a digital artist, I have to use what works best for me, and I stand by earlier comment that the Mac is relying on a reputation that is no longer deserved. PC's have come a long way since the days when Macs were superior. Mac's used to be the best, but that's just simply not the case anymore.

They don't crash "way way way way less than Windows". They crash just as much. I recently spent an entire year of my life in a lab with 25 Macs in it (G3's, G4's, and G5's), each of which crashed all the time. The only difference I was ever able to see was that the macs apologize when they crash, anouncing "I'm sorry, but an unknown error has occurred", and the PC's are somewhat less polite about it. That's all.

As for speed, I'll go back to my earlier example. My PC runs Photoshop and Illustrator faster and more stably than any Mac I've ever used. It happens all the time that I create an Illustrator document on the Mac, only to have to watch it slowly update one object at a time every time I make a change to it. I put it on my PC and changes happen instantly. Same with Photoshop. I open a large image on the Mac, go to apply a filter or smudge a large area, and I have to sit and wait while I watch the pixels move around, trying to update. I do the same thing on my PC and it's instant. I'd call these some pretty good examples of reasonably fast modern PC operating at a much faster pace than a top of the line Mac.

As for the interface being better, that's obviously a matter of opinion. Personally, I don't like their interface all that much. There's nothing wrong with it. It's just not my ideal. If you love it, great, but that doesn't mean it's "better". It's just what you happen to prefer.

So look, let's leave the insults behind, shall we? I've stated what my experiences have been with both machines, and I've explained my opinions based on those experiences. There's certainly nothing wrong with the Mac, but the fact is there is absolutely nothing I can't do on the PC that I can do on the Mac, my favorite applications (Photoshop, Illustrator, Maya) run better on my PC than on the Macs I've used, and the Mac costs more. Am I really supposed to keep quiet about all that just because you happen to be a Mac fan? Am I supposed to just suck it up and decide, "Oh sure, the Mac must be better," just because you say so? Come on. You must know I'm gonna go with my own experience over your insults, right?

Hmmm, looks like this is turning into a zealot war already

My background started with a PDP8E and has been through most incarnations of hardware and software of most flavours over the years. I now use a Mac exclusively simply because it suits my needs better than any other system.

1. Why is or isn't a MAC a better choice?

It depends what you're looking for from your computer.

The operating system is incredibly stable (Ive had two OS crashes since the release of OS X, and I'm a developer who expects crashes). However, not all applications are as stable as the OS (3-D graphics programs being a typical example - and SL of course . The apologetic message mentioned above is not from a system crash but from an application crashing, the difference being that you can just run the application again rather than having to reboot the system, something which seems to still be fairly common on Wintel boxes.

The user interface is years ahead of the competition though again, some programs (mainly PC ports) tend not to implement it well. All the big players (including MicroSoft) seem to manage it effectively though.

My own personal version of a benchmark does not worry about processor power, frame rates or the like, but on the time taken to complete a task. I find that the Mac generally lets me complete a given job quicker and with less stress than I can on a Wintel box (or a Linux box for that matter).

2. Does it matter that it will be a laptop, not a desktop?

In terms of raw power Mac laptops are presently lagging behind PC laptops (but see above). However, they do have a good reputation (relatively at least) for reliability and build quality and are used by many Linux users - so it's not just the OS or the hype which attracts people to them. Mac laptops do tend to be somewhat underpowered when it comes to graphics cards though.

3. Is there much of a cost difference given similar systems?

How similar? Mac laptops tend to be well specified and use high quality components. That said, you can probably still put together a PC laptop with similar performance and quality for slightly less. You could certainly put together a PC laptop with similar performance and features for much less, but you would be using inferior quality parts to do so. Or, you could put together a PC laptop without some of the features built in to the Mac for significantly less if you don't have any need for those features.

4. Is a MAC better, worse or no different in a game environment such as SL or WoW?

I haven't tried either program on a PC, or WoW on the Mac (incidentally they were released simultaneously for Mac and PC) so I can't comment directly. Generally though, the main difference between games on Mac and PC comes down to the implementation of OpenGL. The ethos between the two implementations differs considerably with the Mac integrating OpenGL throughout the system and the PC basically having it as a seperate entity. Each has its advantages. For gaming, the Pc way lets the developers optimize to a much greater extent for full screen graphics, which gives the PC a huge frame rate advantage over the Mac. Obviously for the majority of games, the PC is the way to go. However, run a game in a window and the PC takes a huge performance hit more often than not, while it makes little or no difference to the Mac.While Apple seem to be working hard on improving the speed of OpenGL I can't honestly see it catching up on PCs for gaming purposes for the forseeable future.

5. Is most software compatible? (i.e. can you usually load external programs on a MAC?)

Most of the big software packages are available on both platforms - in fact quite a number of the big names nowadays started on the Mac platform. However, there are a huge number of applications that are both popular and only available on the Wintel platform, especially when it comes to games - and there the Mac simply cannot compete. OS X can import data from the majority of packages where it is applicable, and it's very simple to do in most cases, so if you're concerned about using your files, chances are it won't be a problem.

You can run Wintel packages on a Mac using Virtual PC or a similar product, but it's really only useful as an emergency measure due to speed issues, and definitely not useful for gaming.

There is also a huge and expanding library of quality free software for the Mac these days thanks to the fact that OS X is underpinned by a BSD subsystem, which makes it easy to port Un*x/Linux applications to the Mac/

6. I have a Toshiba Satellite Laptop right now, my 2nd, and have had good luck with them. If I don't go MAC what do you recommend as a good gaming laptop?

Gaming isn't really my thing so I haven't got a clue

Hope you, or someone else, find this useful and hope the zealots give us all a break

Aleks

Now now... play nice, or I'll sneak in and replace your Mac/Win machines with a nicely refurbished Commodore 64.

Running GEOS

I am truly sorry if I offended you. I pride myself on being polite most of the time.

The "Lies!" header was meant as a humourous addition.

If you want to agree that we have different experiences, then fine. But you keep putting your statements in the context of "FACTS" i.e.- undisputable truths. This is not good.

Your facts are indeed quite wrong as far as my experience would indicate. And your description of the "crashes" seem to show that what your experience is with is with OS-9 mostly. The error messages you mention do not occur on OS-X. That is comparing aples to oranges.

In any case, OS wars are dreary.
And i do not wish to participate in one.

Your so-called facts disturbed me is all. Perhaps if you phrased things in terms of "I think" or "I bleive" instead of "these are the facts"

I always avoid these type of deal-Lee-Ohs - like comparing which is better, blondes or brunettes. (ducking)

Can say OSX is an amazing ROCK SOLID operating system (Unix core) - it has crashed on me 1 time in over 3 years. I run Mac MS Office which crashes at least 4 times a week, and never has it caused a system crash.

Sorry Ardith,

I guess I wasn't as clear as I hoped.

I was trying to describe the choice in terms of "personalities" or "types" of people and the OS's that best suit them.

Of course you *can* do graphics on a PC.
It's just that in my experience, if you are an artist or designer type of person, then you would naturally gravitate to the Mac.

This is a generalisation of course, but that was my point.
There is lots of data out there on this position, it is not just an opinion from me.

It seemed like a good way to boil the discussion down into a simple formula.

This sentence makes no sense at all.

But please do not answer, I am not into OS "wars" and I think you have misinterpreted my remarks in any case. (see my response to the other followup)

I still have the monitor from my Commodore 64.
It makes an excellent video monitor still.

I just left a German Company on of the worlds largest company (in the top 5) you can guess what one. Point is our Graphic people were all Mac people. The company said Dell only and took there Mac away. They cried and yelled. Well when I left out of the 5 that I was personal friends 4 of them had upgraded at home to a PC and were happier with PC over Mac One was still a Mac guy but he even said maybe when he upgrades he would move to PC.

I do some hard core stuff on my XP and I have had Windows only crash once. I have NEVER had MS Office products crash. To each there own. I for one will never give Apple any of my money. There idea of no Upgrades over priced stuff is just to much for me to handle as a consumer.

I'll clarify (not really an answer):

Good graphic design does not come from a user's hardware or software...

Sorry, me engrish no is too good most time....

It is a fact that the experiences I've had are the experiences I've had. That is "undisputable truth". It is also fact that those experiences have led me to form certain opinions. Further, it is fact that when I presented those opinions here I stated that they were opinions. I'd suggest you read a little more carefully before you go lecturing people on their use of vocabulary.

Now, the original author of this thread asked for shared experience to help in making a purchasing decision. All evidence suggests that that decision has been made. Is there really a need to keep this going?