Am i better off with a pc over a mbp??

[hulkster]

Ok…I am desperate for a new laptop at the moment! I’ve started university and my course is starting to pick up pace as we speak! I’m studying architecture but am in the final 2 years (it’s a 7 year course in the uk!!) so the workload and expectations are far greater than before.

I had been waiting patiently for the rumoured new mbp’s on the 14/10/08 which is 2 weeks away from today but am starting to get cold feet. Not for the machine which I cannot wait to see and don’t doubt will be amazing but for how I’ll be using it. I primarily use Microstation along with Rhino, 3dsmax and adobe products (photoshop, illustrator etc etc) and all of these minus the adobe programs are for pc only. Am I foolish to buy a mac in this instance? I know that I can run windows through bootcamp but is there not the possibility of glitches or having a slow running windows machine. Would my machine be faster if it was a pc running pc designed programs rather than a mac running the same pc designed ones??

My friend who works in the London oxford street apple store thought maybe I should get a new pc if I’d be using the mbp primarily as a windows machine. What do you guys think? With bootcamp running windows I’d have to keep on resetting to get back to my adobe programs, music, safari browser and photos. 3dsmax, Microstation and Rhino are all power hungry rendering/modeling/cad programs and as I am competent in them makes little sense to switch to mac variants.

I’m by no means trying to start a machine war, I’d prefer a mac anyday of the week and don’t get me started on the OS’s but need some sound advice.

Please help….I’m in such a pickle with it!

Thanks

 

[rjphoto]

One of my I.S. friends bought a MacBookPro the week OSX10.5 was released. Now he was a hard core windows user/administrator.

He said, "This MacBookPro (running Bootcamp with WinXP) is the fastest PC I've ever used."

His main comparison was Adobe Premier and PhotoShop.

I had to teach him some of the Mac stuff, but once he got the hang of it he started swapping his PC programs for the Mac versions and started using iMovie for video instead of Premier.

 

[Vulcan]

It wouldn't make much sense, but I probably would anyway if I had the money. You could however get a PC of similar specs for less.

A Mac's bootcamp is exactly like running Windows on any PC, it's no different.

 

[P Mentior]

hulkster,

I believe that a current MBP would be able to do everything that you would require it to so I would assume that the next one will be more than capable as well. I would like to mention that while it is rumored that the revisions will be released on the 14th I have yet to see any conclusive evidence that they will be so be prepared to wait longer. As to it running Windows, the MBP can run it really well (faster than many PCs even). If it would bother you to keep rebooting back and forth between OS X and Windows you should look more at PCs. I have to use Windows for a lot of school stuff too and I personally find it nice to switch back to OS X after classes finish. Overall the decision is yours and you should just go with which ever one feels right to you. I suggest that you find somebody with a mac and see if it fits you.

-P Mentior

 

[Umbongo]

I'd go with the PC if I was in your situation. I think a windows mobile workstation is the right tool for the job.

I'd take a look at Dell's precision line. Dell have a student buying program too, but it isn't a case of discounts being applied so you will need to see if your school is part of it. Just bare in mind if you go looking for a Dell, the precisions (don't bother with a consumer grade notebook) are in the business section and prices don't include VAT.

On the actual hardware you should be able to get similar specs to the low end Macbook Pro for a similar price and if you were looking at the higher end 15" one then you can match those specs for a lot less. Eitherway you are also going to be getting a much better graphics card and you might want to look at the different extended warranties and accidental coverage available.

 

[kyrow123]

Honestly, I would suggest trying out the MBP and see if it suits your needs (maybe if a friend has one for you to toy around with for a while). Also, I am pretty sure that you could use VMWare to run Windows parallel to OSX to eliminate the whole switching between OS's. However, I am not too sure on how the performance would be doing something like that.

Personally, I am someone who only wants to have one computer that I can take around with me that can do everything I need it to and the MBP was that system for me.

Good Luck!!

 

[carfac]

You could however get a PC of similar specs for less.

You could get a LOT of very good PC's for less. Or you could get one with all the options you need instead of the very limited options available on a Mac.

If you HAVE to have OSX, get the mac; otherwise, you have to get the PC.

 

[craigverse]

I'd say it's too much of a personal decision. I mean if you like using a mac then get the mac.

I have an iBook that I let friends of family barrow before getting a new computer and after a week they're usually sold on getting a mac.

That's right, an iBook! Just imagine their surprise at how much more amazing the macbook or macbookpro was over the iBook which they loved!

 

[hulkster]

Thanks for your help guys. It's a really tricky decision and as i'm going to e speding alot of cash is one i'm pretty hung up on. I would prefer a mbp no question of a doubt but know i'd be using it primarily in windows for alot of the time due to programs i need to use. there's also the 2+ week wait for the mbp which is a tad on the long side for uni unfortunately!

might try and see if i can borrow a friends mac and see how that works before making my final decision

thanks again...i'm still in turmoil between my head and my heart. my heart is saying

 

[fungus]

As an architect in the states who is impatiently waiting for the new MBPs, I have done a little research in this area. I don't know about Microstation or Rhino, but according to Autodesk the current version of 3dsMax (32 bit) will not run on a Mac:

"Note: Apple® computers based on Intel processors and running Microsoft operating systems are not currently supported."

http://www.autodesk.co.uk/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=452932&id=10627752

I have no practical experience with this, so if you happen to already own a copy and can load it on a friend's machine to test, you should give it a shot (and let us know how it goes). I'm only planning to run AutoCAD and Revit myself. Hopefully, only two more weeks before I can...