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When buying, is a pc ever an option?

I've only bought and used Macs for the last twenty years. Print design and production brought me here, and the Mac OS have kept me happy and productive ever since.

I might be tempted to try a Hackintosh for a non-critical workstation, but ultimately if I'm going to spend money on a hobby tool, I'll get a table saw.
 
When I need a laptop, I go to Apple.ca and check them out (even though I already know my options ;)). That's it. :) I suppose I may check out a Windows machine if it's mentioned here as being really well spec'ed, and I may even consider one if Windows 7 turns out to be really really good.

People here always complain that Windows users blindly bash Macs despite having little experience with them. Well, I don't want to be one of those people who sits around here for years and years, telling people how bad Windows is when I haven't used one in ages.

I use my parents' desktop computer at times, and it runs Vista. I think it's pretty good. It's not enough to make me switch. Far from it. However, if W7 had good implementations of multiple desktops, a good Exposé-like feature, widgets, and reliability, I'd consider it.

ziggyonice said:
I work at a tech store on campus that also does computer repairs, and we service both Macs and PCs. The number of problems that PC users have is unbelievable.
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Are there more Windows users on campus? ;)

I like Macs too, but considering the fact that you're a university student, the reason you gave has a very serious flaw.
 
Home built is always an option for me, as is a choice of OS. Current software on hand includes Solaris, Saboyan and Ubuntu Linuxes, BSD and OS X Unix, XP and Windows 7.
Notebooks are a different story, as home built is a non-starter. I'm still looking at netbooks but haven't decided.
 
It depends what I am buying.

Buying a workhorse, iMac or Mac Pro.

A laptop, Air only, no other option.

Gaming machine, then PC is an option. I built a Shuttle SG33G5 and it is great for gaming.
 
Having just one or the other isn't really an option for me. I like Mac OS X, but for some things, I need Windows. PPC processors aren't great at emulating an x86 environment, so a PC is what I need.

As my main machine, I'll probably always use a Mac. But I'm not going to blindly choose one without weighing the benefits of each platform. If Windows offers more for me then OS X at some point, I'll switch without hesitation.
 
If I'm going to buy a Desktop, I will definitely consider (and even prefer) PCs. Desktop PCs seem to not have as many issues with performance as their mobile counterparts.

When it comes to Laptops, hell no the PC world.

good luck with making your choice!
 
I'm sometimes thinking about what to get in 2 years when my current macs won't meet my gaming needs anymore but most certainly will still meet my graphic design/illustration needs.

If I have the money I'd prefer a gaming pc over a console, for the price of a good quality one I might as well get a refurb mac again that is useful for both play and work though since I don't have any desire to spend a weekend building a pc. It's just not interesting for me and I'm not good at this stuff, it took me 20 minutes to upgrade the ram on my mbp. :eek:

I don't consider to use windows for work because I can't stand the interface.
 
Yes

I feel your pain because I grew up building PCs ( I was the art student with engineering friends, it came in handy) and right now I need a desktop with multiple hard drives, better video card options and more ram but I haven't convinced myself the Mac Pro is 'worth it'.

On one hand I love OSX, I'm used to it now and I have tons of 3rd party apps (cyberduck, billings, adium etc) that I don't want to give up but knowing I can build a faster PC for 60% of the cost of the low-end Mac Pro is hard to swallow.

I use CS4 99% of the time, 1% video editing, so the benefits sway to the PC side in cost/upgradability but that other part says "nooo.. you don't want to go back to windows, you like it here.. you belong with me". :D
 
PC's are absolutely an option...however, the nasty is never an option.

I needed a beefy system to run my headless virtualization environment, so Mac was never a real option. Got a quad-core (2.5Ghz core2quad) system with 8gb of ram, a 3ware RAID card, and two 1TB drives for under $1000. That's just not an option in the Mac world. (host OS is Linux running VMWare Server 2. I prefer VirtualBox, but some of my needed VM's only support vmware)
 
iMav said:
PC's are absolutely an option...however, the nasty is never an option.

I needed a beefy system to run my headless virtualization environment, so Mac was never a real option. Got a quad-core (2.5Ghz core2quad) system with 8gb of ram, a 3ware RAID card, and two 1TB drives for under $1000. That's just not an option in the Mac world. (host OS is Linux running VMWare Server 2. I prefer VirtualBox, but some of my needed VM's only support vmware)
Click to expand...

It's interesting how virtualisation's kinda 'ghettoised' Windows. It's becoming increasingly rare that I actually use a computer with Windows as its primary OS. It just saves so much admin hassle. Many of our Windows servers at work have been converted to VMs hosted by Linux on chunky rack- or blade-mount quad-core Xeon servers. It's almost a tacit acceptance that whenever Windows cannot be avoided, it should be stripped down to a single-purpose environment and virtualised. It's so easy for a Windows Update or a configuration change to either hose the system or cause unexpected side-effects that it makes life so much easier to snapshot the whole VM and have a quick and safe way to revert.

And it's not just servers -- like I say, my Windows development systems are all VMs. It's like having SVN version control for the whole system as well as just code :) Got me out of trouble so many times.
 
All right, I'll make this simple.

Unless you're a designer, or a Mac developer, you don't need a Mac.

Build a PC. It's fun. It's a learning experience. If you hate Windows, just throw OS X on it! That's what I did. For under $1000, I have a computer than benchmarks similar to a 2.8GHz octo Mac Pro with waaaayyyy better graphics.

Runs OS X flawlessly.
 
I'm a student and at my school we use PC's. I would see a PC is an option when buying. I have a MacBook and a Laptop and im undecided if I shuld buy an iMac or Custom-built PC. I wouldn't buy a ready made PC though, It would have to be custom built. I prefer having both models (Mac and PC) as it gives me the freedom of using both OS's but OSX and Macs are better by a long way as Photoshop and other software runs like a treat on it.
 
iMpathetic said:
All right, I'll make this simple.

Unless you're a designer, or a Mac developer, you don't need a Mac.

Build a PC. It's fun. It's a learning experience. If you hate Windows, just throw OS X on it! That's what I did. For under $1000, I have a computer than benchmarks similar to a 2.8GHz octo Mac Pro with waaaayyyy better graphics.

Runs OS X flawlessly.
Click to expand...

a q6600 does not bench to a mac octo pro

i know as i have a hackintosh with a q6600 oc'd:rolleyes:

at least be real with your claims
 
3.6GHz.

Geekbenches around 7600-7700.

2.8 octo mac pro: 7650.

That, sir, is as real as it gets. I didn't believe it at first, either. :p
 
I would never consider buying a PC. I value the Mac OS too much, and I also need a laptop. Why have a 15" hackintosh laptop that lacks a backlit keyboard, ato dimming screen, sudden motion sensor, and two-finger swiping, when I can get a MBP?
 
If by "PC" you mean a computer running Windows: no way.

After using Windows on various computers for ten years I'm pretty certain I'll never even consider a Windows PC. I'd run OS X on a "PC" but even Apple's hardware design makes me want to pay more for a Mac.
 
i have not looked into PC's as an option for purchase in the last long while.

i just love OS X. a lot is different than windows - but the main thing i love besides for performance and aesthetics is the rare chance of getting a virus.

i love not having to reformat all the time. and i love OS X not slowing down!
 
michael.lauden said:
i have not looked into PC's as an option for purchase in the last long while.

i just love OS X. a lot is different than windows - but the main thing i love besides for performance and aesthetics is the rare chance of getting a virus.

i love not having to reformat all the time. and i love OS X not slowing down!
Click to expand...

Those things you don't have to worry about is why I've pulled an all-nighter getting this baby running smoothly.
 
jtgotsjets said:
I'm just curious if, when the time comes to buy a new computer, do PCs ever even figure into your buying decision? Do you even research PCs?
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Oh yes. I have tons of computers, I love computers in general, no matter what kind they are. However, I would NEVER use PCs (either Windows or Linux) solely without any Macs. Macs are my favorites, and the ones I use the most. I do own a few PCs, some run Windows, and some run Ubuntu. I like them all :)
 
of course,

there are many reasons out there,

I never have more than $500 budget (I had to wait a long time to get $$$ for my MB), I am required to use MS Office, i have some games. I mean, most people will ask if Mac is ever an option, not the other way around.

e.g. I got AA1 for $350, I can easily drop it after 3 years and get anther cheap stuff, it runs everything reasonably well, browser, Office, illustrator, brief media editing, bt-ing, skypeing, netflixing, hulu-ing....

it beats my MB for HoMM III. or HoMM 4. or MM6, MM7, MM8. Thats pretty much all the game i play..
 
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