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Backwards Switcher from Mac to PC?
- Thread starter coopdog
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Think about it!
Think About it Coop - do you like Windows? (I HATE Windows!)
I 'switched' in January.
Sure all computers have some kind of 'problems' but I LOVE my Mac (G-4 Desktop)....
But then again, I'm not 'into' games, thou I'd love to have a Pinball game and I do have Solitare and I'm going to buy the Mahjong (that's as far as I'd go)...
Good luck!
Think About it Coop - do you like Windows? (I HATE Windows!)
I 'switched' in January.
Sure all computers have some kind of 'problems' but I LOVE my Mac (G-4 Desktop)....
But then again, I'm not 'into' games, thou I'd love to have a Pinball game and I do have Solitare and I'm going to buy the Mahjong (that's as far as I'd go)...
Good luck!
Re: Backwards Switcher from Mac to PC?
Weird. I edited video on my *G3*/350 for 3 years and it was fine for long form projects. Same as the dual G4/450 I used at my work until recently (when it was replaced with a dual 1.4... sweet). I still use the G3/350 as a log and capture machine. Yes, render times are a bitch, but you just work around them. Render times are always a bitch. The G3 isn't good for Photoshop 7 but the G4/450 was and is. I don't know what your problem is... lack of ram? impatience?
Yes, the PCs speed advantage does make them faster at rendering..
But Final Cut Pro kicks serious ass. As does Shake.
I think you need to work out where your priorities lie. If you want to get into video seriously, I would stick with the mac and wait it out until the 970s (dual altivec pipe line will make FCP4 shine). If you wanna concentrate on gaming, get your PC and keep on upgrading it and upgrading it and upgrading it and upgrading it and upgrading it so you can the greatest and latest games.
Or you could buy an X Box or a PS2 in the meantime, get a great game machine for a good price and then wait it out a bit more for the 970 G4s and get the best of both worlds.
Weird. I edited video on my *G3*/350 for 3 years and it was fine for long form projects. Same as the dual G4/450 I used at my work until recently (when it was replaced with a dual 1.4... sweet). I still use the G3/350 as a log and capture machine. Yes, render times are a bitch, but you just work around them. Render times are always a bitch. The G3 isn't good for Photoshop 7 but the G4/450 was and is. I don't know what your problem is... lack of ram? impatience?
Yes, the PCs speed advantage does make them faster at rendering..
But Final Cut Pro kicks serious ass. As does Shake.
I think you need to work out where your priorities lie. If you want to get into video seriously, I would stick with the mac and wait it out until the 970s (dual altivec pipe line will make FCP4 shine). If you wanna concentrate on gaming, get your PC and keep on upgrading it and upgrading it and upgrading it and upgrading it and upgrading it so you can the greatest and latest games.
Or you could buy an X Box or a PS2 in the meantime, get a great game machine for a good price and then wait it out a bit more for the 970 G4s and get the best of both worlds.
People say get an Xbox/Ps2/GC for games and a Mac for everything else, but this is not always the best thing to do. PCs are still faster at things like video editing and the PC has some really good games that are not on the consoles e.g. Command and Conquer: Generals. The only console that has unique games is the GameCube.
Video editing is faster on a PC my butt, it may render faster, but I can fly through edits with FCP way faster than any program on the PC. Problem with all the PC programs is they don't integrate all the stuff right into one program. With the PC your always running Boris FX or something takeing up more time. I can usually do almost all the compositing I need to do right in FCP. For Reference I am a Communications Student and I do a "wee" bit of editing.
If you are simply concerned with pure speed, the PC will be your choice no matter what we say here. However if you want to get more work done in less time, you know what your choice is.
Oh yes you can. If you build it yourself, $600 is not a problem. Will you have the latest and greatest $400 video card? No. But you can get one that's one generation behind that for $150 or less and that'll probably be your biggest expense. Check out newegg.com to see just how low you can go!
When you can get an Xbox, PS2 or Gamecube for under $200 each I really don't see the point of buying a PC just for gaming. $600 for hardware you aren't really going to use seems like a massive waste of money when you could get all three gaming systems for that price or one system with at least 8 games.
This has already been discussed before, a dual G4 1.25 running FCP is about even with a single 3.06 ghz P4 running Aftereffects. A 3.06 ghz P4 system running Combustion will beat both a 1.25 ghz FW800 as well as the 1.42 ghz FW800. Really, if you want a video editing pc, you should go with a dual Xeon system, for 2400 dollars, you can get a dual Xeon 2.4 ghz system which when running combustion will leave the 1.42 ghz "Ultimate" configuration in the dusts. The advantages of the pc are performance, price, and upgradability. The benefits of a mac are reliability, support, and OS.
An Xbox uses a 733 mhz P3 processor a Geforce3 video card and has 64 mb of ram. For less than 200 dollars, you could get a better configured pc.
PC's can run more much more demanding games and pretty much have their own niche of games, hardcore simulators are exclusively on the pc, as are strategy and empire building games, hardcore roleplaying games (ie D&D), adventure/puzzle games, and various others that don't fit these categories (wall street trader). Many of the best first person shooters are on pc as well as most of the online games. If you look at the most popular games on the PC, almost none of them are available on a console. Another advantage of the pc is the community, their are no custom maps, or modifications (like Counterstrike), or editors, or clans, in the console, in the best scenario, all you end up with is a few guys playing a session together on map the the developers included.
I love my powermac (quicksilver) because of it's reliability, OS, and aethestics, it's fast enough to run all my apps, beautiful, and crashes extremely rarely. However I'm not going to be ignorant and close myself to the outside world as some have done. An educated consumer is the best consumer.
An Xbox uses a 733 mhz P3 processor a Geforce3 video card and has 64 mb of ram. For less than 200 dollars, you could get a better configured pc.
PC's can run more much more demanding games and pretty much have their own niche of games, hardcore simulators are exclusively on the pc, as are strategy and empire building games, hardcore roleplaying games (ie D&D), adventure/puzzle games, and various others that don't fit these categories (wall street trader). Many of the best first person shooters are on pc as well as most of the online games. If you look at the most popular games on the PC, almost none of them are available on a console. Another advantage of the pc is the community, their are no custom maps, or modifications (like Counterstrike), or editors, or clans, in the console, in the best scenario, all you end up with is a few guys playing a session together on map the the developers included.
I love my powermac (quicksilver) because of it's reliability, OS, and aethestics, it's fast enough to run all my apps, beautiful, and crashes extremely rarely. However I'm not going to be ignorant and close myself to the outside world as some have done. An educated consumer is the best consumer.
*sigh*
Ultimate Gaming Machine (Dell)
Dimension XPS Series
P4 3GHz 800MHz bus
512MB Dual Channel DDR SDRAM at 400MHz
ATi Radeon 9800 TV-out and DVI (128MB)
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 with DVD Audio
120GB UATA 100 7200rpm hdd
16x DVD-Rom drive
48x/24x/48x CD-RW drive
3.5" floppy
no modem
integrated Intel Pro 10/100 NIC
19.0" CRT
HK-395 speakers with sub
Dell keyboard / 2 button scroll wheel mouse
XP Home
NO PRODUCTIVITY SOFTWARE
$2.118.00
This is the stock configuration!
You can get 2GB RAM, 9800 PRO, 240GB RAID 0 hdd setup, 4x dvd burner drive etc etc etc.
This box rivals the Mac at the 1.42 GHz dual proc that goes for $2,699.00 without monitor, and with the 9000 vid card.
And I can't remember the last major release game that I wanted (FPS or RPG or whatever) that did not come out first for the PC. $2,118.00 gets you a machine that will be a good all purpose box for at least 5 years, and a good gaming box until everyone starts using the yet to be released DOOM 3 graphics engine (even then, upgrade the vid card and you are fine).
Mac's are still at the stage where the proc (or 2 proc's) are what determines how fast a game will run. That is sad.
Ultimate Gaming Machine (Dell)
Dimension XPS Series
P4 3GHz 800MHz bus
512MB Dual Channel DDR SDRAM at 400MHz
ATi Radeon 9800 TV-out and DVI (128MB)
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 with DVD Audio
120GB UATA 100 7200rpm hdd
16x DVD-Rom drive
48x/24x/48x CD-RW drive
3.5" floppy
no modem
integrated Intel Pro 10/100 NIC
19.0" CRT
HK-395 speakers with sub
Dell keyboard / 2 button scroll wheel mouse
XP Home
NO PRODUCTIVITY SOFTWARE
$2.118.00
This is the stock configuration!
You can get 2GB RAM, 9800 PRO, 240GB RAID 0 hdd setup, 4x dvd burner drive etc etc etc.
This box rivals the Mac at the 1.42 GHz dual proc that goes for $2,699.00 without monitor, and with the 9000 vid card.
And I can't remember the last major release game that I wanted (FPS or RPG or whatever) that did not come out first for the PC. $2,118.00 gets you a machine that will be a good all purpose box for at least 5 years, and a good gaming box until everyone starts using the yet to be released DOOM 3 graphics engine (even then, upgrade the vid card and you are fine).
Mac's are still at the stage where the proc (or 2 proc's) are what determines how fast a game will run. That is sad.
You're right on target, yzedf. For a reasonable amount of cash, you can get a pretty decent PC that will do almost anything you need or want. Assuming that a consumer is comparing this Dell system with an Apple PowerMac, he or she will have to find reasons to justify paying more for the latter.
The typical Mac partisan will respond that gaming isn't important, that it's about the overall "experience", that their machines look better, etc. But I think Macusers have to ask themselves several hard questions. Mac OS X is a great OS, but is it really worth the $500 differential in this case? This is not even counting the absence of a monitor or ATI Radeon 9800. And this is not even counting the difference in sheer speed (let's not talk about the "Megahertz Myth"--can you really tell me that a P4 3 GHz is slower than the 1.42 G4 DP?).
Also, the "get a console for gaming" retorts make little sense. Some games work better on a computer than a console. And remember that a computer should be used for whatever we want. We don't tell people who want to watch movies on their computers to buy a TV instead. We don't tell people who want to listen to music on their computers to buy a stereo instead.
This has been one of my biggest "issues" in my want to "switch". (Other than waiting it out to see what happens with the new procs, see post in the switching area). I want the Mac for SO many reasons, the beauty, the reliability the OS, (Unix based) etc. etc., but I'm having a hard time getting over this as well:
Truly ultimate gaming system:
Alienware Area 51 (I currently own a 4 year old Alienware):
P4 3.0Ghz, 800Mhz FSB
1GB PC3200 Ram
200GB Western Digital Caviar HDD
Pioneer A05 DVD-R
2nd DVD player
ATI Radeon 9800 Pro, 128MB Video
AlienIce Video Cooling system
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 6.1
Intel Gigabit Ethernet
MS Keyboard, Mouse etc. etc.
All the usual stuff built in:
Price: $2700.00 out the door with free shipping.
I know in my heart this thing will SCREAM through anything I can throw at it, plus it has perhaps the coolest looking case I have ever seen, LOL. Also, just as an example, Alienware reliability and reputation are top notch. Trust me, I'm not trying to get into any debates here, I really do want to move to a Mac, but this pricing is making it VERY difficult to keep my head in that direction.
Anywho, just my 2 cents and some early morning ramblings.
Truly ultimate gaming system:
Alienware Area 51 (I currently own a 4 year old Alienware):
P4 3.0Ghz, 800Mhz FSB
1GB PC3200 Ram
200GB Western Digital Caviar HDD
Pioneer A05 DVD-R
2nd DVD player
ATI Radeon 9800 Pro, 128MB Video
AlienIce Video Cooling system
Sound Blaster Audigy 2 6.1
Intel Gigabit Ethernet
MS Keyboard, Mouse etc. etc.
All the usual stuff built in:
Price: $2700.00 out the door with free shipping.
I know in my heart this thing will SCREAM through anything I can throw at it, plus it has perhaps the coolest looking case I have ever seen, LOL. Also, just as an example, Alienware reliability and reputation are top notch. Trust me, I'm not trying to get into any debates here, I really do want to move to a Mac, but this pricing is making it VERY difficult to keep my head in that direction.
Anywho, just my 2 cents and some early morning ramblings.
Honestly, I'm looking for many things. Most of my time now is spent with digital photography, digital video editing, web page design and of course, internet surfing e-mail etc. etc.
I'm generally an avid gamer, although with the birth of my daughter 9 months ago, I'm finding little time for it. Most of my gaming is now done on an X-Box as the wife and I find it easier to sit on the couch and play while our little darling sleeps in one our laps.
So, I guess I'm not really looking for a new gaming machine, but rather something I can use heavily for the above mentioned items. Like I said, I'm really not looking to knock either side, I'm just having a really tough time spending close to, or more than, 3K for a PowerMac that APPEARS to a slower machine.
Also, as stated above, my reasons for WANTING the Mac are many, but the primary thing is the OS. I've been waiting a long time for something that will run a Unix based OS, that can also run the latest applications. I've run Linux quite a bit, primarily the Red Hat and Debian flavors, and while I love them, they are just not practical at this point from an application standpoint. i.e. I need Photoshop, a decent Video editor and access to my existing hardware. (Memory stick readers, peripherals etc. etc. that Linux just doesn't support yet. At least at a reasonable usability level).
I still think I'm going to wait and see what appears in June, but I'm also hoping that my hopes aren't bashed by either no new news, or prices out of the stratosphere.
ok, i have many friends like you. go they go shopping for these badass machines when its not even in their field. we will start off first with photograhy. photoshop loves a mac to work on , plus iphoto is great if you are gonna be taking pictures of your baby girl and making book, putting them on a web page and things like that. now to digital video. Final Cut Pro is the #1 video editing software out there, plus you ahve the option of final cut express for 700 dollars less, or the option of imovie, which is by far the best free editor i have ever used. with safari and mail it just makes it so much easier, i never browse on my pc just because its such a hassle and not a fun enviroment to work on. games will be better on a pc, but the way i look at it is you can get a gamecube, ps2, and an xbox for all less than a good gaming macine, it just depends if the games you play are for console or not. from what you have told me a powermac would do or even an imac. but from what you have told me, the alienware would come with stuff you would probably never use.. Audigy 2 Platinum, im a gamer and i dont even use mine, cant even tell a difference sometimes.Originally posted by rotlex
Honestly, I'm looking for many things. Most of my time now is spent with digital photography, digital video editing, web page design and of course, internet surfing e-mail etc. etc.
I'm generally an avid gamer, although with the birth of my daughter 9 months ago, I'm finding little time for it. Most of my gaming is now done on an X-Box as the wife and I find it easier to sit on the couch and play while our little darling sleeps in one our laps.
So, I guess I'm not really looking for a new gaming machine, but rather something I can use heavily for the above mentioned items. Like I said, I'm really not looking to knock either side, I'm just having a really tough time spending close to, or more than, 3K for a PowerMac that APPEARS to a slower machine.
Also, as stated above, my reasons for WANTING the Mac are many, but the primary thing is the OS. I've been waiting a long time for something that will run a Unix based OS, that can also run the latest applications. I've run Linux quite a bit, primarily the Red Hat and Debian flavors, and while I love them, they are just not practical at this point from an application standpoint. i.e. I need Photoshop, a decent Video editor and access to my existing hardware. (Memory stick readers, peripherals etc. etc. that Linux just doesn't support yet. At least at a reasonable usability level).
I still think I'm going to wait and see what appears in June, but I'm also hoping that my hopes aren't bashed by either no new news, or prices out of the stratosphere.
iJon
Originally posted by rotlex
Honestly, I'm looking for many things. Most of my time now is spent with digital photography, digital video editing, web page design and of course, internet surfing e-mail etc. etc.
I'm generally an avid gamer, although with the birth of my daughter 9 months ago, I'm finding little time for it. Most of my gaming is now done on an X-Box as the wife and I find it easier to sit on the couch and play while our little darling sleeps in one our laps.
That sounds a lot like what I do, I have a dual 1GHz PowerMac, a 17" Powerbook, and a 2.5GHz P4. I will tell you right now that a Mac is what you want, especially with a 9month old child. Before I got my Macs I could never really get started with photography or video because windows would always keep doing some dumb thing and I'd have to fix it first. For example yesterday for no apparent reason the sound on the pc stopped working and I had to reboot. (This is windows xp by the way) The Macs have been very maintenance free and have given me time to actually do photo and video stuff. Sure the pc may be faster at some stuff but I don't notice that, what I do notice is windows is horrible.