Why buy a Mac?

[chrono1081]

What are you talking about downloading encryption programs? Windows has encryption built in. It also has backup features too, since Windows 2000 which is a lot longer than OSX has had Time Machine.

And Macs DO need codecs otherwise things like Perian wouldn't exist. It was one of the first things I had to download to get some movie working. Whats more, the divx codec advertised on Apple's site doesn' work on PowerPCs, its a good job I am not the average joe idiot user.

And there is NO NEED FOR MULTIPLE DESKTOPS. There I have said it. Only untidy users need multiple desktops. Besides, how long did it take for Apple to get multiple desktops when Linux had for ages. Tiger doesn't have it, only Leopard.

I'll admit that I have never had to compare Mac support and Windows support, but thats because no-one uses them. They cost too much and have too many features that just aren't needed in business. Every Mac comes with iLife pre-installed what a waste. Webcam on an office PC? Piss off.

Macs are for creative folk and families who love their photo albums.

Troll.com


EDIT: Id love to know where you find this amazing time machine like feature in windows because it doesnt exist. If your talking restore points they are COMPLETELY different and dont work half the time since windows forgets they are there. ALSO if your machine was infected with a virus chances are your system restore has been disabled.

Also for multiple desktops you MUST be joking, or else your not a heavy computer user. Yes, Linux has had them for ages, as I mentioned a unix system Solaris had it for ages. Why doesn't windows?

Ok I'm done with this thread its turning into something the OP doesn't want it to be.

 

[GoKyu]

First to answer your question - if you're *serious* about all of this video editing, rendering, compositing, etc., then you should absolutely be looking at a Mac - probably even a Mac Pro if you'll be making a living doing this kind of work.

If you want to work in the video industry, probably 8 or 9 times out of 10, you'll be required to know how to use a Mac and some industry standard software that only runs on Macs....Final Cut Studio, Shake, Motion, etc.

Now for my personal take on why I prefer Macs (I switched in 2008.)

I was a PC user for 20+ years until buying my first Mac at the beginning of '08 - That's just about every major OS Microsoft made, from DOS through Vista (I skipped Me and went straight to Win2k.)

In all that time, I had to learn to "deal" with Windows, always trying to get better performance out of it. I had to deal with viruses and spyware (thankfully not a lot, but enough to be a huge pain.)

When I got my Mac, everything changed - I was able to just USE the computer and not have to maintain it every week just to keep it from slowing down. Since having this machine, I still have the original installed copy of Leopard, just updated as necessary, and it's still incredibly fast, responsive and well...very much unlike Windows after 6 months, let alone almost the year and a half that I've had it now.

Macs also don't have the hassle of dealing with viruses and spyware *for the most part* - sure it's possible, and may get worse in the future. But for now, as long as you're at least somewhat careful about where you go online, your risk of infection is next to nothing.

Spaces gives me the ultimate control over my apps that I only ever got when I ran Linux - even the third party virtual desktop apps for windows were kinda lame.

I don't know about anyone else, but the great Apple design that everyone loves to talk about is actually the LEAST important feature to me - sure the machine is nice to look at, but you have to consider that the OS is the heart of the system - if it's not memory efficient, easy on resources, responsive, easy to use and runs the programs that you want...then who cares about the specs?

OS X is the BEST OS I've ever used...and I've used many different operating systems over the years. It's one of the main reasons why I switched, and why I won't go back to Windows (even though at least Win 7 looks promising, it's still Windows and has the awful registry, and...if Microsoft would build their OS on top of a stable base like UNIX, then...ok, they'd be copying Apple, but at least they might have something really nice.)

All of these things (and more) make up an incredible user experience, one that Apple puts together for you. Maybe there's a bit of a premium on it, but to not have to deal with a lot of things that PC users have to worry about daily is, to me, very much worth the price I paid for my machine.

 

[windywoo]

Troll.com


EDIT: Id love to know where you find this amazing time machine like feature in windows because it doesnt exist. If your talking restore points they are COMPLETELY different and dont work half the time since windows forgets they are there. ALSO if your machine was infected with a virus chances are your system restore has been disabled.

Also for multiple desktops you MUST be joking, or else your not a heavy computer user. Yes, Linux has had them for ages, as I mentioned a unix system Solaris had it for ages. Why doesn't windows?

Ok I'm done with this thread its turning into something the OP doesn't want it to be.

Start - Program Files - Accessories - System Tools - Backup. Its not System Restore but good point thanks for reminding me that exists. If an update or a driver install should go wrong System Restore to the rescue. Yes it might get disabled IF you get a virus, but just keep up to date with patches and antivirus and that doesn't happen.

About the trolling, correcting your false information isn't trolling.

 

[ditzy]

Start - Program Files - Accessories - System Tools - Backup. Its not System Restore but good point thanks for reminding me that exists. If an update or a driver install should go wrong System Restore to the rescue. Yes it might get disabled IF you get a virus, but just keep up to date with patches and antivirus and that doesn't happen.

About the trolling, correcting your false information isn't trolling.

Backup works, but very quickly takes up all of your extra hard drive, and slows the computer to a crawl while it's copying all you files, again, even though you haven't altered them at all since the last backup. If you can't see why time machine is better than that, you are being obtuse.
Plus never once, has system restore ever worked for me when I have needed it to. I always try it just case, but it has never worked for me, and I've never met anyone it has worked for.

 

[windywoo]

I have never experienced what you mention in backup. And the point is its there, and works. It doesn't look as pretty as Time Machine but thats not what the debate was about.

 

[ditzy]

I have never experienced what you mention in backup. And the point is its there, and works. It doesn't look as pretty as Time Machine but thats not what the debate was about.

While the attractiveness of time machine is a wonderful thing, I did not bring that into the equation. Time machine has never slowed my computer down, and only backup files again if they have been altered. So saving me hard drive space while still backing up my stuff. If windows did the same thing, but looked ugly, I wouldn't complain.

 

[resonate]

My main reasons for buying a new computer is for 3D rendering, compositing, and HD video editing (including AVCHD).

Well have you chosen what software you will be using? if you're serious with 3d rendering, there is no Autodesk MAX Mac version for example. Software first, then choose the operating system. Find out what software works better on which platform. That was my case with Macs. I was running Logic on PC and decided to switch when they went Apple. And i can tell, the operating system is really superior to anything i have ever used before. Lets you work and not be distracted with babysitting the computer. But that is a bonus. I can work the same with Cubase under Windows. But i prefer Logic.

So, get your head around the software thing first. Good luck.

 

[Theclamshell]

get the pc, its specs far surpass the imacs and for what you are doing, thats nessicary.

 

[pnr]

iMac and MBP are the equivalent of a beautiful girl. You know it is going to cost you a fortune. You know you can find another with better specs (cooking and washing etc). But you have the pleasure to enjoy the superior aesthetics that rests your eye and a company that arouses the jealous attitude of the others. The decision is between heart and mind and it is all yours, revealing the traits of your character.

 

[iSaygoodbye]

As others have stated mac OS gives you the whole package. With mac OS you dont have to download things like daemon tools for using disk images, you dont have to download encryption software, no need to worry about this codec and that codec for video, no need to fuss with getting bluetooth dongles or any other stuff like that. Also Mac has something windows has needed for a LONG time...Multiple desktop support. Ancient versions of Solaris have this why doesn't windows? (Oh wait it does but you have to download third party tools). Theres also Time Machine which has saved me on many many occasions. All built right in.

Honestly no peice of high end hardware could make me switch back to windows. When seeing how much more efficient the programs I use (ZBrush, Maya, Photoshop, Corel Painter X , Lightroom, Logic) run on my MBP verses the windows versions I had on a MUCH higher speced windows machine I was an instant convert. I would get the mac hands down.


EDIT: To add if you are using office software and such Mac OS integrates much much better with its own software then say for example MS Office and Windows. (If you could seriously see how many times I fix things like corrupt PST files youd see what I mean).

yes you do. i had to download a avi. codec for my mac. not for my pc. and avi is a very popular format

 

[EmperorDarius]

And Macs DO need codecs otherwise things like Perian wouldn't exist. It was one of the first things I had to download to get some movie working. Whats more, the divx codec advertised on Apple's site doesn' work on PowerPCs, its a good job I am not the average joe idiot user.

Why, doesn't Windows need codecs? And, I think QuickTime is better than Media Player. Anyway, VLC exists for both.

And there is NO NEED FOR MULTIPLE DESKTOPS. There I have said it. Only untidy users need multiple desktops. Besides, how long did it take for Apple to get multiple desktops when Linux had for ages. Tiger doesn't have it, only Leopard.

Only untidy users? I'm sorry if I don't want to keep 10 Windows in my desktop, and I want to organize them into different desktops. Your statement is very stupid. Multiple desktops are quite useful when you deal with a lot of apps. Linux had them for ages. OS X does. Windows? No.

Every Mac comes with iLife pre-installed what a waste. Webcam on an office PC? Piss off.

A waste? Average users like iLife. It's a great suite IMO. Better than the copycrap that Windows offers.

Macs are for creative folk and families who love their photo albums.

...and for graphic designers, musicians, video editors...they mostly chose Macs.

Well have you chosen what software you will be using? if you're serious with 3d rendering, there is no Autodesk MAX Mac version for example.

I'm guessing you mean 3ds Max? Because there are a lot of other alternatives, Maya for instance, and then we have Houdini, Cinema 4D etc.
And in the end, you can run both Mac and Windows software under a Mac (+you get the full advantages of using OS X). Of course, if you only need to run Windows ones, it's a waste of time.

 

[neiltc13]

I have no idea where this misconception that Macs are the "industry standard" for video editing comes from. Perhaps it's because it's one of very few areas where Apple has a reasonable (but still modest) market share and the fanboys like to cling on to it as evidence that their machines are adopted by people who do real work.

Anyway, if you are serious about GPU performance (which if you are doing 3D rendering you should be) then you should not even consider a Mac. Plus, if you get a Windows machine then you can use Max as well as Maya.

 

[rwilliams]

iMac and MBP are the equivalent of a beautiful girl. You know it is going to cost you a fortune. You know you can find another with better specs (cooking and washing etc). But you have the pleasure to enjoy the superior aesthetics that rests your eye and a company that arouses the jealous attitude of the others. The decision is between heart and mind and it is all yours, revealing the traits of your character.

LOL. This is beautiful work. Although a Mac will never give you the constant headaches that a beautiful woman will, nor will the Mac have a terrible attitude when you ask it to do a task. 😎

 

[nefan65]

I have no idea where this misconception that Macs are the "industry standard" for video editing comes from. Perhaps it's because it's one of very few areas where Apple has a reasonable (but still modest) market share and the fanboys like to cling on to it as evidence that their machines are adopted by people who do real work.

Anyway, if you are serious about GPU performance (which if you are doing 3D rendering you should be) then you should not even consider a Mac. Plus, if you get a Windows machine then you can use Max as well as Maya.

If you want to be productive, and actually work, get a Mac. If you're cool with installing patches, playing around with drivers, rebooting often, and general PC babysitting, get a PC.

 

[EmperorDarius]

I have no idea where this misconception that Macs are the "industry standard" for video editing comes from. Perhaps it's because it's one of very few areas where Apple has a reasonable (but still modest) market share and the fanboys like to cling on to it as evidence that their machines are adopted by people who do real work.

Because they're used a LOT in those fields. If you take a look at PS editors who work for fashion magazines etc., you'd see most of them use Macs.

Anyway, if you are serious about GPU performance (which if you are doing 3D rendering you should be) then you should not even consider a Mac. Plus, if you get a Windows machine then you can use Max as well as Maya.

You can run both on a Mac too. Plus they'd crash less (at least the native Mac versions).

 

[r0k]

A little over a year ago, I moved my entire family to Mac computers. It was a tough pill to swallow spending all that money at once. I had a Mac Mini for several years but I never moved the rest of the family until spring 2008.

My daughter had thousands of viruses on her Windows pc. She didn't listen or care when I told her not to download games. All of our windows boxes had printer driver problems all the time. HP windows printer drivers are crap. Crap Crap Crap. But the same printers on OSX just plain work.

At this point, I have a policy that Windows is not allowed inside our firewall. Only OSX and Linux. My daughter starts at a prep school this fall and they require us to buy her a Windows box. Yuck. We will buy it, but it will be firewalled off so all she can do is use her vpn at school and print.

For me one big tradeoff is time. I don't get dragged downstairs on a daily basis to fix things that broke all by themselves. To me this is an important part of total cost of ownership. Yesterday I was sick. I spent almost the entire day in bed. My wife had an important document to type. Back in the day, this would require repeated interruptions to repair broken things on windows either for the network being "down" or printers that simply quit. She still asks about getting windows back and I just laugh.

There are some things in Windows I like better than OSX. For instance, the Finder is a joke compared to Explorer (not Internet Explorer mind you 😱 ). But there are a great many more things I like better in OSX than in Windows. One is Spotlight. Another is the fast start up and shutdown times both for standby and for rebooting. Another is the cpu utilization. My cpu is almost always sitting there like a devoted puppy ready to do what I want when I want it. It's not busy indexing for possible future searches or scanning for malware or trojans. Another thing that gets on my nerves is the modal dialog box. The modal dialog box should be the subject of a war crime tribunal at the Hague. It serves no purpose other than to render the machine unusable. I would love to get my hands on the windows kernel source code so I could comment out the whole section that makes it impossible to do anything else if a window has it's "modal" bit set. I would also make all dialogs time out. 90 seconds is all you ever need. OSX does some of these same annoying things, but it does it quarterly or perhaps semi annually, not once every 15 minutes.

Another reason I'm so down on windows is I have a windows machine for work. It is mal-administered by a group of people who could care less about how I spend my work day. It's all the same to them if my title were changed to "watcher of the hourglass". When I've had windows at home, I've been able to get all the security I needed with AVG free and Zonealarm. But since my daily exposure to windows is so painful, it's hard for me to be objective about how good windows can be. Still, despite my best efforts, I cannot control crappy drivers. Crappy drivers are not an issue on OS X but they were my constant companion on windows.

There are some in this thread who claim the BSOD is a thing of the past. Oh come on already. I walked up to a Vista box in Office Depot to attempt to look something up. I wanted to make sure I was getting the correct toner for my printer. It bluescreened within seconds of my touching the mouse. I looked up the info on my Blackberry instead.

There is a definite advantage when you buy the hardware and the software from one company. And that is worth something. Is it worth the difference between the iMac and the homebuilt machine you are considering? Only you can answer that. For me the answer would be a resounding yes.

 

[magikgeek]

5 Reasons to Buy A Mac

1. The OS: OS X is a far superior operating system it terms of streamlined functionality and capability for the touch revolution that will take computers by storm. OS X uses gestures that make things faster. The OS X dock is one of the best patented designs about the OS even windows is trying to copy it but having to follow a very fine line which lacks the Mac fineness. The OS designers take user experience very seriously and make sure that changes over time slowly add value with every change. This is very different from Microsoft's path of improvement: change everything and hope people like it.

2. Software: With a Mac you can run PC software and Mac software. This is key. There are whole bunch of program that only run on a Mac and that don't run on a PC and are far superior. Examples: Boxee, Final Cut Studio 2, Final Cut Express 4.0, iMovie, iPhoto, GarageBand, iWeb, OmniWeb, Delicious Library 2, Journaler, Evernote, Circus Ponies NoteBook 3, Multiplex, MoneyWell, Namely, Logic Express 8, Wallsaver, PDFpen, BBEdit,
and Yojimbo. More software developers are migrating to the Mac: Rainlendar, Microsoft, Blizzard, Bioware, Electronic Arts, etc.

3. Hardware & Drivers: The simplicity of the driver architecture make a Mac superior in the fact that less is more. Apple does not have to support oodles of hardware and motherboard manufacturers that can have their own problems making driver & hardware conflicts and flaws a non-issue. For laptops, they have the best battery life in every class.

4. Ease of Use: Mac OS X uses a style of organization that makes sense and allows for the best possible efficiencies on the market. It get's the job done.

5. Customer Support: Apple Customer Support is legendary. Period.

 

[resonate]

Anyway, if you are serious about GPU performance (which if you are doing 3D rendering you should be) then you should not even consider a Mac. Plus, if you get a Windows machine then you can use Max as well as Maya.

I second this. Until Apple releases more gfx cards for Mac Pro that are actually similiar in cost to the off-the shelf cards, you have much more options upgrading a PC with the newest cards than (even) a Mac Pro. You may need this, you may not. But it's a fact.

Having said all that, i use a Mac Pro 2008 model. But i use it for audio. And i run windows on it too. Last time i heard you can use off-the shelf gfx card when you boot into windows. But you cannot start mac os x with those. Have to be Apple branded.

 

[neiltc13]

You can run both on a Mac too. Plus they'd crash less (at least the native Mac versions).

Max is only available for Windows. Of course you can run it on your Mac, but you'll be paying for OS X when you don't need it.

The OS X dock is one of the best patented designs about the OS even windows is trying to copy it but having to follow a very fine line which lacks the Mac fineness.

From what I've tried of the Windows 7 task bar it is much, much better than the Dock. Maybe Apple should have a look at what Microsoft is doing.

The OS designers take user experience very seriously and make sure that changes over time slowly add value with every change. This is very different from Microsoft's path of improvement: change everything and hope people like it.

Are you forgetting the time Apple asked all of its developers to rewrite their software for a new set of processors or the time they decided that

2. Software: With a Mac you can run PC software and Mac software. This is key. There are whole bunch of program that only run on a Mac and that don't run on a PC and are far superior.

How can they be superior to something that doesn't exist?

More software developers are migrating to the Mac: Rainlendar, Microsoft, Blizzard, Bioware, Electronic Arts, etc.

And many are doing a really bad job of it because there is a lack of support available from Apple and others to help them do so.

3. Hardware & Drivers: The simplicity of the driver architecture make a Mac superior in the fact that less is more. Apple does not have to support oodles of hardware and motherboard manufacturers that can have their own problems making driver & hardware conflicts and flaws a non-issue. For laptops, they have the best battery life in every class.

Devices can't conflict if the OS can't recognise them. I've lost count of the number of things that "just work" under Windows and just don't work under OS X because there are no drivers available.

As I've already discussed plenty of times in this thread, the GPU drivers for both types of card under OS X are abysmal. The performance they yield is sufficient enough to put any professional modeller or serious gamer off buying a Mac completely.

4. Ease of Use: Mac OS X uses a style of organization that makes sense and allows for the best possible efficiencies on the market. It get's the job done.

The only thing I could think of that relates to "organisation" is the way files are organised and presented to the user. It's the same on both OSs.

5. Customer Support: Apple Customer Support is legendary. Period.

You mean the customer support that frowns at you when you bring a faulty device to the "Genius" Bar and relies on your help to diagnose the problem?

The customer support that takes your computer away and holds on to it for three weeks while they resolve issues with the type of plastic they used to build the machine's case?

Oh or the call centre in Asia where the staff are very knowledgeable but can't relay it to you because they aren't fluent in English?

Yeah, these are examples from my own experience with Apple's "legendary" customer support. Look out there and you will find many, many more.

 

[LAS.mac]

Why Vista Ultimate? There's nothing in there that Home Premium doesn't have that will help him to perform the tasks he mentioned better.

As far as I recall, Vista Home is 32 bits. And it only sees roughly 3.3 Gb RAM.
I found Vista very slow with 2 Gb, so you have to pay for 4Gb, which cannot be fully used.
I think that justifies go for Vista Ultimate. I don't know how Win 7 will work and manage ram, though.

Personally, but just personally, that 3.3 Gb vs. 4 Gb sounds as a scam to me... enough to run away from the Win world...

 

[bajee]

yes you do. i had to download a avi. codec for my mac. not for my pc. and avi is a very popular format

avi is not a format, its just a container for a video format, it can use whatever codec, xvid, mpeg4, mpeg2, but it still uses the avi extenstion

 

[bajee]

As I've already discussed plenty of times in this thread, the GPU drivers for both types of card under OS X are abysmal. The performance they yield is sufficient enough to put any professional modeller or serious gamer off buying a Mac completely.

you do know 3d renders are heavily based on CPU performance right and NOT gpu.

So my advice, if you want the best of the best, get a mac pro with 8core, it will eat anything alive 😀

If you don't have money get a pc.

you can always get a cheap pc first then if you get enough $$$ you can get a mac pro with ACD

 

[EmperorDarius]

Max is only available for Windows. Of course you can run it on your Mac, but you'll be paying for OS X when you don't need it.

Only because you'll be running 1 win app you don't need OS X? It can save so much time that you probably need it.

From what I've tried of the Windows 7 task bar it is much, much better than the Dock. Maybe Apple should have a look at what Microsoft is doing.

IMO it's just an ugly copy. Copying from MS is the las thing Apple should be doing.

As I've already discussed plenty of times in this thread, the GPU drivers for both types of card under OS X are abysmal. The performance they yield is sufficient enough to put any professional modeller or serious gamer off buying a Mac completely.

The GPU isn't everything. Many modellers use Macs (For instance, if you take a look at some Modo tutorials, they use Macs. 3d modelling/animation is just as good on Macs.

 

[LagunaSol]

I don't worry about malware on Windows either.

And the malware on your machine will happily go about its business not worried that you're not worried. 😀

 

[LagunaSol]

The security flaws in Windows are exaggerated.

The claims that security flaws in Windows are exaggerated are exaggerated.

I've cleaned plenty of spyware off friends' and relatives' computers. Two colleagues just this week told me their systems were wrecked by viruses. Of course the immediate implication by the hardcore Windows brood is that my friends and relatives and colleagues must be idiots.

Which is why you read a news story almost every day about some bank, university, or government agency being knocked down by a virus. Because, of course, they're all idiots!

It's the Microsoft way: blame the user.

Here's the bottom line: if you use the same operating system as the other 90% of the planet, you're going to be attacked again and again and again. And no system is airtight enough to stop it. Vista, Windows 7, doesn't matter. The baddies will figure out how to get in. And they'll get in. Period.

Me, I'm happy to surf and open email attachments with the peace of mind that 3% market share provides me.

If I were king, I'd mandate the use of 10 operating systems. OS monoculture is a very bad thing. And it's only going to get worse.

The security issue alone is enough to choose Mac over Windows. At any price.