PC or MAC

i hadve posted the same topic in "Beginners" thread for i am not very bright when it comes to computers.

Whats is it with MAC that they are more costly?
What are the pros n cons of getting one?

I have asked a guy in london drugs and wasnt very helpful, he was just like its like a difference beetween driving a car or a motorcycle. I think to myself ooh so im gonna b super cool when i get a MAC. Anyhow i played with one of the pro MAC, he was right, i had no idea how to open the windows explorer. Well "duh" there he was showing me the safari, which i thought was pretty bizzare. So at some point he was about right, like know how to drive a car, but not a motorcycle... Thought i share with you guys who are experience on MAC's.

There always b a starting point at something....

Thx Jonh

I'm curious about this too - I've been looking at a new computer for running CS5 and my choices are a 27 inch IMac or a HP PC - same Core I7 processor, both have 8 gb of memory, GPU is different (Apple uses ATI, I can get the HP with Nvidia), terrabyte disk. The IMac has better resolution 2560x1440, the HP 27 inch monitor is 1920x1080, and I don't know if this matters or not.
It must be the software, given Apple is using off the shelf HW these days.

This thread will no doubt turn into an argument....

Some of the mac/pc debate is personal preference. Some just don't get mac and vice-versa.

Personally, I came from being a PC user and didn't get mac for a LONG time. This was over ten years ago.

My personal experience and needs have led me to mac, and I will NEVER buy another pc unless I really really have to.

Why?

Well, about 8 years ago I bought what was a hot HP desktop computer. It replaced my earlier mid-level pc. Primary use was photo editing. They both crashed a LOT. I finally bought a small 'underpowered' mac laptop. It ran laps around a machine that was more powerful and more expensive. I still own it today and it works... The PC is dead long ago and literally shot to a million pieces.

For me, the macs are built better. More stable and require less effort (or zero effort) to keep running properly. I've completely stopped needing a monthly PC tech. To me, that alone is worth the 'added' expense of a mac.

Others will agree and some will adamantly disagree. But macs are simply better suited for photo/graphic editing. PC's are still the tool of choice for those unlucky enough to need to work on spreadsheets, work for government agencies, etc...

I've never met anyone that went mac and regretted it. I feel they are worth every penny you spend on them because they actually work....
--

http://www.courtlevephoto.com
http://www.courtlevephotography.com

I can give you my opinion, in the end you have to decide for yourself obviously.

My background: I'm a System/Software Architect for a medium sized development shop. I've been writing Windows software since the earliest versions of Windows. I've been a system builder, tinkerer for a very long time. At one time, I could build at least 2 or 3 middle to high end pc's out of spare parts I had on hand. I've also always loved operating systems of all kinds. Windows, Linux, Unix, OS/2, etc. etc.

I bought a mac just to see how I'd feel about it. I was tired of working on systems. Fixing things. Tired of blue screens. Tired of configuring systems, figuring out drivers, etc. I just wanted my computer to work. So; for me, the mac did turn out to be exactly that. I've bought a total of three and it's my only system for home use. I use Parallels for Windows 7.

So, what do I like about it?

1) It's Unix under the hood. I like that. All of the Unix goodies are there.

2) Really stable. Solid as a rock. My Macs just don't crash (at least for me, but I am pretty particular about how I maintain my machines). I think I've had 2 crashes of the operating system since I started using macs (I bought my first one when Windows Vista was still in beta).

3) Better performance on the same hardware (in my opinion). At least for graphics and photography work. The built in multi-tasking dispatcher, memory management and file system are just smoking fast. On my Mac Pro, Bibble Pro can process a Canon 7D (18 MP) RAW file with sharpening and noise reduction in about 1 second.

4) Multi-tasking. I've processed large batches of RAW files, had Parallels running with Windows 7 (using 4GB of ram and 2 processors in a virtual machine) and played a 3D first person shooter at 100 frames per second. My Windows 7 work PC is better than XP or Vista, but it quite often stumbles when trying to do more than one thing at a time.

5) Resale value. I don't think I've ever resold a PC. They just got cannibalized for parts. My 2 year old Mac Pro I sold for about 65% of the cost of the latest model when I upgraded. After that, I didn't worry so much about the "Apple Tax".

As for getting used to OS X. Yeah, it's different. But, it makes more sense once you learn a few basic things. Also, once you learn those few basics you see that it's more consistent than Windows. Remember that you didn't know anything about Windows Explorer or Internet Explorer at one time.

Anyway, just my two cents.

D

JonhC5 said:

i hadve posted the same topic in "Beginners" thread for i am not very bright when it comes to computers.

Whats is it with MAC that they are more costly?
What are the pros n cons of getting one?

I have asked a guy in london drugs and wasnt very helpful, he was just like its like a difference beetween driving a car or a motorcycle. I think to myself ooh so im gonna b super cool when i get a MAC. Anyhow i played with one of the pro MAC, he was right, i had no idea how to open the windows explorer. Well "duh" there he was showing me the safari, which i thought was pretty bizzare. So at some point he was about right, like know how to drive a car, but not a motorcycle... Thought i share with you guys who are experience on MAC's.

There always b a starting point at something....

Thx Jonh

Click to expand...

rcower said:

The IMac has better resolution 2560x1440, the HP 27 inch monitor is 1920x1080, and I don't know if this matters or not.

Click to expand...

It matters the same as it would if you were only looking at PCs. When you have more resolution, you can have more Photoshop palettes open at once while not having to shrink or cover over the image, which saves a lot of opening and closing of palettes and windows. Personally I really like more resolution because of the flexibility. Keeping multiple images open. Being able to see windows of other apps side by side, like being able to see a chat or mail window while I'm working in Photoshop.

rcower said:

It must be the software, given Apple is using off the shelf HW these days.

Click to expand...

It's not really "either/or" it's both. For example, what Apple gets to do is integrate the hardware and software experience since they control both, as well as tuning a lot of little things like the fact that when you buy a Mac it doesn't have 100 stickers on it and 100 shortcuts on the desktop trying to sell you more stuff you don't need.

Now, whether all is worth paying extra for is personal preference. While I willingly pay more for Macs over and over again, I do not feel the same way about cars, and I wonder why so many people pay $40,000 for a huge new SUV when I love the nimble utility crossover I bought used for less than half that price. Those people are blowing way, way more additional cash than I do when I buy a Mac, and they usually aren't even writing it off as a business expense like I can...

What we know for sure is that Apple's selling more computers than ever, which means they're getting new users, who must logically be coming from Windows. We know that there are a lot of switchers out there who know all about Windows yet decided there was enough value in a Mac to pay more.

what owenleve and Don Daugherty said. I was a hardcore Windows guy from back in pre-history and over the years just got fed up with the crashes, freezes, BSOD's [Blue Screens of Death] and the final straw was "System Restore" that did NOT work....

Took a bit to get used to OS X [the Mac operating system] but I wouldn't go back if you paid me--yes, they're that good

I miss PC's about as much as I miss my ex-wife lol.

ROFL! The end result is the same. Seriously you need to try the Mac before you buy. I'm guessing you will love it but you never know. I currently am using Ubuntu, XP, Vista and Snow Leopard. Snow Leopard and Ubuntu are my faves.

JonhC5 said:

i hadve posted the same topic in "Beginners" thread for i am not very bright when it comes to computers.

Whats is it with MAC that they are more costly?
What are the pros n cons of getting one?

Click to expand...

the best part of mac is that osx is still more user friendly and faster then win7 with the same hardware, overall both are very similar, you can't g wrong with both.

I just bought a macbook pro and a fujitus laptop both are great, the big differnce of both are the 'control' and 'command' key

Good info - thanks. My background is I'm a former HW engineer that ended up doing software (microcode), worked on the P4 before retiring 11 years ago, educated in the Bay Area in math (undergrad) and EE (grad school - same school).

I've been using MS SW for a long time, prior to that BSD Unix and before that Tenex. After all these years of using MS SW, I assume all SW is crap and only look at the HW.
In the Macs/PC's - I see the same HW these days.

I'll have to take a look at Apple SW. Years ago I helped a neighbor with some networking problems on his Mac and under the GUI it sure looked BSD Unix. I always liked Unix.

rcower said:

The IMac has better resolution 2560x1440, the HP 27 inch monitor is 1920x1080, and I don't know if this matters or not.

Click to expand...

One more thing about that. I don't know what type of panel the HP is using. The iMac uses an IPS panel (best for photography), which by what people say, is a high-quality IPS monitor. Though the glossy finish is a dealbreaker for some.

One perspective on the iMac is that because of the IPS panel it uses, some say it's almost like you're paying for a $700 monitor with a cheap computer attached to it...

(I have a Mac Pro though, I needed all the slots)

rcower said:

I'll have to take a look at Apple SW. Years ago I helped a neighbor with some networking problems on his Mac and under the GUI it sure looked BSD Unix. I always liked Unix.

Click to expand...

I like that it's built on Unix software that was originally designed to be able to run servers reliably 24/7. Therefore I think nothing of running my Macs for two or more weeks at a stretch before thinking about rebooting.

And, yes, when you do something like type 127.0.0.1:631 into your Web browser, you get the Unix CUPS admin page for all your printers...

NickRecob said:

what owenleve and Don Daugherty said. I was a hardcore Windows guy from back in pre-history and over the years just got fed up with the crashes, freezes, BSOD's [Blue Screens of Death] and the final straw was "System Restore" that did NOT work....

Click to expand...

Well, Macs also have all that: forever spinning beach ball, kernel panics.... Wait, I was wrong, Macs don't have analog for system restore at all

By the way, I prefer Mac, however I really don't like when people are blowing Windows issues out of proportion. Yes, they sometimes crashes, however Macs do that also. Mac OS X is rock stable, but Windows 7 is too. Days of constant Windows crashes are over. Pre-history Windows and current Windows are two very different things...

--
Edvinas

JonhC5 said:

Whats is it with MAC that they are more costly?

Click to expand...

Have you heard about an Apple tax?

JonhC5 said:

What are the pros n cons of getting one?

Click to expand...

Pros:

• extremely nice looking computer
• better build quality than typical PC
• out of the box it's much better prepared for typical home usage

Cons:

• price
• limited hardware choices
• you'll have to learn new OS.

--
Edvinas

Edvinas said:

By the way, I prefer Mac, however I really don't like when people are blowing Windows issues out of proportion.

Click to expand...

Edvinas is right (wow, did I just type that? lol!).

But people are not intentionally blowing it all out of proportion. Many people switched years ago when windows really was that steam POS that would steal as much of your keyboard time as you were insane enough to let it.

So they are simply recounting their experiences from before they switched, and they may well be out of touch with how improved new windows is. After all, when you have something that works great for you, you just stick with it right?

-Najinsky

rcower said:

The IMac has better resolution 2560x1440, the HP 27 inch monitor is 1920x1080, and I don't know if this matters or not.

Click to expand...

It does. Both the resolution and the display technology affect the value of the monitor.

Two displays that seem similar to the one in the 27-inch iMac are the Dell Ultrasharp U2711, and the 27-inch Apple LED Cinema Display. They both have the iMac's high resolution, use IPS panels, and go for $1,000 (the Dell used to list for $1,200).

So a big part of the price of that 27-inch iMac is effectively going for the monitor. There is probably also some premium for the all-in-one form factor.

I work pretty extensively with all of the new and old Microsoft software. Windows 7 is; without a doubt, the best version that there has ever been. The most stable desktop operating system they've made. Sadly, it still clings to some of the bastions of the old windows in a big way that allow for errant programs to more easily crash the operating system than a unix based system like OS X.

As for system restore, I'll keep my time machine thanks. I've seen the damage that system restore can do.

Don

Edvinas said:

NickRecob said:

what owenleve and Don Daugherty said. I was a hardcore Windows guy from back in pre-history and over the years just got fed up with the crashes, freezes, BSOD's [Blue Screens of Death] and the final straw was "System Restore" that did NOT work....

Click to expand...

Well, Macs also have all that: forever spinning beach ball, kernel panics.... Wait, I was wrong, Macs don't have analog for system restore at all

By the way, I prefer Mac, however I really don't like when people are blowing Windows issues out of proportion. Yes, they sometimes crashes, however Macs do that also. Mac OS X is rock stable, but Windows 7 is too. Days of constant Windows crashes are over. Pre-history Windows and current Windows are two very different things...

--
Edvinas

Click to expand...

In my area of the world, Macs enjoy a really good resale value. That helped me put the "Apple Tax" in perspective. I've spent about the same amount on Macs over the course of ownership as I have in the past with PC's and those were PC's I built myself. The cost is higher when buying a pre-built PC (like Alienware). The main difference for me is that I just use the Macs whereas I was constantly working on or tinkering with the PC's. I think that's the other side of the "hardware choices" sword too. Over the many years of building PC's (including as a field service tech building and installing hundreds a year), you get some hardware combinations that are less stable than others.

D

Edvinas said:

JonhC5 said:

Whats is it with MAC that they are more costly?

Click to expand...

Have you heard about an Apple tax?

Edvinas said:

What are the pros n cons of getting one?

Click to expand...

Pros:

• extremely nice looking computer
• better build quality than typical PC
• out of the box it's much better prepared for typical home usage

Cons:

• price
• limited hardware choices
• you'll have to learn new OS.

--
Edvinas

Click to expand...

Thanks. I didn't know the Imac "monitor" was IPS. The HP system has a HP 2710m on it, I don't have a clue what it is (I've tried to find out, but haven't hit paydirt yet).

Don Daugherty said:

In my area of the world, Macs enjoy a really good resale value.

Click to expand...

Agreed. Good resale value goes into "Pros" section

--
Edvinas

You have to ask yourself, why do people switch platforms? and why does it seem to be only one way traffic?

I am becoming increasingly "locked in" to several software packages that were written for Mac, and some of which are not available on PC - packs like Aperture, Rapidwriter, Scrivener, Evernote, iCal, Address Book, and Undercover from Orbicule. I can't imagine switching back although we have a Windows 7 PC also.

The Windows PC has a Intel processor which is much higher rated than the one in my MacBook Pro, but the Mac seems to run quicker. I never timed it so this is just an impression.

We have a low cost screen on the PC so this is maybe not a fair comparison but you would have to pay a lot to get the equivalent of a standard Mac screen on a PC. When you look for equivalent quality in PC world then the cost difference is not that big. When you factor in cost of ownership, you may well find that Mac is lower cost even.

I also appreciate the other things people always mention - stability, no anti-virus, apple care, and all the little details like the mag connection on the power cable.

I run MS Office for Mac and it works OK to keep me connected with the corporate world and my past. I have yet to find sw I really want that only runs on Windows, but I could always install Windows if I wanted to.

In my opinion the argument is no longer W7 versus SL. I don't buy a computer because of the OS. So, if you can afford a Mac I encourage you to try it.