PC or Mac...

[Skolls081102 0]

Ok, so my computer i about 4 years old, and starting to show signs of its age (it lags when I have more than one program open, and in general is slowing down becasue I have so much shit on it). So my wife and I are thinking abou getting a new computer. This oe would be given to my kids (and hold my wifes Itunes Library) and the new computer would be ours and hold my itunes library. I keep hearing how great Macs are, an how shitty PC's are, but whnever I ask someone to explain why, I can't get a straight answer). So please chime in- pick which you would buy and tell me why. I really need the input.
The computer is mostly used for internet access, Music (I DJ, so my itunes library is over 3400 songs and rowing everyday), and Photoshopping.
I thank you all for your help.

The sole intention, is learning to fly.Condition grounded, but determined to try.Can't keep my eyes from the circling skies.Tongue tied and twisted, just an Earth bound misfit.

[Hausse 0]

For photoshoping and pretty much all graphic work Mac for just gaming and all day use PC.

[n2skdvn 0]

depends on how much you are willing to spend. pros for the Mac are a more stable operating system,viruses are all but non exsistant( but with the popularity of the mac rising who knows what can happen)plus the mac is geared twoard the music and photo people. web browsing is execelent (with the exception of active x)I tunes runs alot better on the mac (I recomend reformatting you Ipod to the mac format) and the mac is not as resource hungry as windows machines. I'm currently running a mac mini with OSX leopard. I also have a pc running vista and a laptop running vista. my mac has not been restarted in 2 weeks since a software update compared to the daily rebootng of the vista machines. I would recomend getting the I macs as they look good and perform great (I set up my roomates I mac) and they have a verry clean look!

if my calculations are correct SLINKY + ESCULATOR = EVERLASTING FUN
my site

[tfelber 0]

I write code for development and test of aerospace and defense systems. I can't imagine me or any of my clients suggesting using a Mac. The development tools and associated test hardware just don't exist for the Mac platform.

I have a couple of friends that are not computer guys and one that is a developer, they love their Mac's. I've tried a Mac a few times and I just never was drawn to them. BTW, I used to work for IBM so maybe I'm biased.

I think for consumer graphics and basic connectivity the Mac works well, but I would still choose a PC. For high-end graphics I use Silicon Graphics or something far more exotic.

[n2skdvn 0]

this might be why ..... In the mac osx leopard manual "THE APPLE SOFTWARE IS NOT INTENDED FOR USE IN THE OPERATION OF NUCLEAR FACILITIES, AIRCRAFT NAVIGATION OR COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS,
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS, LIFE SUPPORT MACHINES OR OTHER EQUIPMENT IN WHICH THE FAILURE OF
THE APPLE SOFTWARE COULD LEAD TO DEATH, PERSONAL INJURY, OR SEVERE PHYSICAL OR ENVIRONMENTAL
DAMAGE." thought it was funny when i read it!

if my calculations are correct SLINKY + ESCULATOR = EVERLASTING FUN
my site

[Mark24688m 0]

I mean, if you don't know how to use a computer macs are cool

[n2skdvn 0]

for a OS thats runs on a unix core it sure does rock!
I also have been playing around with linux for several years. messing with ubuntu right now on an old laptop.

if my calculations are correct SLINKY + ESCULATOR = EVERLASTING FUN
my site

[loco.cerveza 0]

To be honnest all you really need to do is download the latest version of Ubuntu Linux or PClinux 2007 make an ISO disk format your harddrive then install one of those two versions of linux. I use on all of my computers as well as Moodyskydiver.

Remember that expectant life span is an average, and most people are below average
--Garrison Keillor

[skymedic 0]

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For photoshoping and pretty much all graphic work Mac for just gaming and all day use PC.

Now that's an old school thing to look at. You obviously havn't used a Mac recently. Funny thing is my wife is forced to use PC's for work now after having used macs for so long. She wants her Mac back. She's a teacher....not a graphics guru etc....The mac just does what it does and does it good. Oh.......and that means it does everything.

Not to say that PCs can do there job also. But my mother in law see's the lack of frustration my family has with our mac's and has pondered getting one also after dealing with the 10min startups with her PEECEEE.

Marc
otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman....

[loco.cerveza 0]

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Not to say that PCs can do there job also. But my mother in law see's the lack of frustration my family has with our mac's and has pondered getting one also after dealing with the 10min startups with her PEECEEE.

I will have to agree with you on any PC running windows...I will disagree with you on a PC running Ubuntu Linux, PClinux 2007 or any other distro of Linux. What it comes down to is most people have been brain washed in to thinking that there are only two Operating Systems in the world Apple or Windows, Linux is a very good OS and in this day and age the newer distro's of Linux are just as very non-nerd as you can get. The good thing about Linux is I can upgrade the hardware for almost nothing get all the binfits of an Apple OS and I don't have to hand over my paycheck to Steve Jobbs when I do upgrade the hardware and I do not have to hand Bill Gates my paycheck to upgrade the software. Most of your hardware companies are supporting Linux with drives so that is a non-issue.

Remember that expectant life span is an average, and most people are below average
--Garrison Keillor

[n2skdvn 0]

Linux will have it's day but I don't think just yet. don't get me wrong I personally like linux (It has actually helped me in doing some cool things with osx)but I still has a level of "nerd" to it. alot of people are lost when it comes to command line functions. My mom is still lost on windows and linux would totally confuse her. Mac has a good stable platform witch is easy to use, when you plug a device in the operating system sees it, finds out what it is and installs the proper software to run it. linux is not to that level yet. The latetest relese of ubuntu is one of the best distros I have seen to date. I think it has alot of potential and kicks vistas ass on reliability. but if someone has the money to put down on a mac, I tell them go ahead.

if my calculations are correct SLINKY + ESCULATOR = EVERLASTING FUN
my site

[wayne8577 0]

Kind of like left brain against right brain when I started out after being a PC owner for years then going to an IMAC for my business. It is getting better but took a while.

Here's to Old Farts in the Wind!

[popsjumper 2]

My experience has been this:

If I want to or have to dig around in the guts of computer systems and do a lot of s/w fixes and juggling, PC with Windows is the way to go. If you like aggravation, go PC.

If I actually want to produce something and do constructive work or play, Mac is the platform of choice. If you like calm ease-of-use, go Mac.

That's why computer geeks like the PC/Windows mess. Fixing the problems is good for the ego and gets them bragging rights to how much they know about computers.


The bad part is that if you are a gamer, PC is way ahead of the curve. But you'll spend as much time tweaking as playing.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[kbordson 8]

Home life is on a mac. Business is on a PC. I LOVE my mac, I HATE my pc. Now... might the the program that I'm running on my pc that is slower than shit and keeps crashing, might just be that it's associated with work.... might be the 10min powerup/shutdown on the pc.... but I would much prefer to be on the mac. (for everything - photoshop, itunes, web, word processing, powerpoint, . . . yup, pretty much all that I would want out of a computer)

[Spatula 0]

I work on a PC, play at home (and work-school) on a MAC. It's really just preference. I wanted to switch b/c I wanted a smaller footprint at home plus to try something new. You said yourself you PC lasted about 4 years, that's average for any computer. Why not go to a MAC store play with a MAC and see if you like it. If you do, get one. It's not a permenant decision. If you don't like it, get a PC and keep on trucking.

I never understood why people need to be convinced of something. Go try it, test drive it, check it out, etc...if you like it, get it...if not...don't. Simple.

Good luck with your choice.

[BIGUN 1,053]

I voted for MAC - for you and your intended uses. As a former IT geek, I am our organization's test dummy for Vista. Most of our people grew up thru the phases of Win98 to WinXP. I got a Dell Inspiron 9400 and have been using the platform for about 3 months now. First of all, I think MS deployed Vista way too fast. I update every night and just last week - one of the updates was 135 MB. Within two days I doubled the RAM. Within two days after that I wanted to double the RAM again. I swear the damn RAM bleeds like the old Kernell32 issue, so I have to re-boot every four hours or so.

And, Office 2007 is THE MOST ridiculous package to date. Everything is autosaved as a docx (XML) file (although you can configure it to autosave as .doc, but then what's the point of getting Office2007?). If you forget and send it to someone as a docx, they have to install the compatibility pack to make it a .doc file. Now, here's the kicker... If those with 2007 revert it back to a .doc for the 2003 user AND the 2003 user has the compatibility pack, it blows up the converted file and all you'll get is a bunch of ascii characters. I understand why MS went to the XML, but come on.. most end-users really don't need it. We've actually started converting all our field personnel to Thunderbird and OpenOffice.org and going to save the company at least 15K/annum.

IMO, people are better off with WinXP SP3 OR since MS went and chased the macintoshy environment; why not just go with what they're trying to chase and get it right and hassle-free the first time.

EDIT: I may get kicked out of the Tulsa Computer Society for this one.

Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard.

[kingbunky 3]

just bought my third mac this year and am now officially windows free. my wife has an imac for home and a macbook for work, i have a macbook pro. i might get a mac mini for a home media server as well. if you really, really need windows for something, you can always get parallels or boot camp and run it on the mac.

"Hang on a sec, the young'uns are throwin' beer cans at a golf cart."
MB4252 TDS699
killing threads since 2001

[Shepp 0]

If you don't mind paying $3500 for a computer that is only good for surfing the internet/playing with your iTunes, is virtually un-upgradeable, and doesn't play nice with anything MS-centric, Mac sounds like a great match

Seriously though, I have used both and my next laptop will likely be a Mac. I'm a software developer, so Im Microsoft-biased; however, Vista has really soured me on the whole Windows thing. That is not to say that Leopard doesn't have its quirks, too.

My advice: get your Mac, keep your PC (and clean it up, go back to XP if it's already on Vista). The Mac will be the machine you use the most, but there are some things it just can't do.

edit: Like Malcolm said, you could dump the PC altogether and run boot camp or parallels. Check out Apple's site for more info - there are tons of links about 'making the switch'

Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward.

Accidents don't just happen. They must be carelessly planned.

[loco.cerveza 0]

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Linux will have it's day.

You maybe right, I really don't think I am as advanced as some people are when it comes to computers. Then again I do like to go in and play with the software and the hardware and see how far I can push the system that I have. Sometimes I forget that alot of people are not as much of a geek that I am. If you like Ubuntu you may want to try PClinux OS 2007 ( http://www.pclinuxos.com/ ) You can run it off a Live CD and if you like it you can install the OS of the Live CD. I have found that this distro of has alot of hardware drivers already in it, and when you install it it looks at all of you hardware and only installs what you need to run. It is built on KDE kernel. I have it on a 8 year old laptop and that laptop keeps up and can do everything a friend of mine's quad-core windows desktop running Windows XP with 4 gig of RAM and the little old laptop of mine is only pushing 128mag of RAM.

Remember that expectant life span is an average, and most people are below average
--Garrison Keillor

[mnealtx 0]

Quote

To be honnest all you really need to do is download the latest version of Ubuntu Linux or PClinux 2007 make an ISO disk format your harddrive then install one of those two versions of linux. I use on all of my computers as well as Moodyskydiver.

The linux/unix based stuff is great, until you want to game. There's still a LOT of stuff out there that won't run on Parallels/WINE/etc...

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[riddler 0]

If you don't have to run Windows applications, get a Mac. Sure the new Macs can run Windows, but you'll get tired of switching between (BootCamp), or using memory/CPU (Parallels). The Mac is the best combination of hardware/software OS on the market right now.

Trapped on the surface of a sphere. XKCD

[skymedic 0]

***

Where's the 3500 dollar mac that I don't know about? Power mac maybe. But a normal mac doesn't even come close and does play extremely well with winblows.

Marc
otherwise known as Mr.Fallinwoman....

[smiles 0]

quoted from lockergnome

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One big difference between a Mac and PC is the life they have during ownership. After you get a Mac, you might start realizing that the cost you paid for it will soon save you much in your wallet. The first thing you will come to notice is the software. Software on the Mac side is normally cheaper. I believe that the amount of software you buy for your computer can eventually equal or surpass the cost of the computer. Well this is just one reason why a Mac can save you money.

Look no further than Apple, the leader of the pack, whose overall score holds steady at 9.1. Last year, Apple’s score on units needing repair was an impressive 11 percent — well below that of any other company in the survey. But according to readers, the company has managed to cut repair rates even further over the past 12 months. This year, Apple’s score on units needing repair drops to 8 percent. Among first-year systems, it’s only 5 percent. That’s nothing less than astonishing.” - PC Magazine, 19th Annual User Survey.

In the end you might now know Apple is not a greedy monster whose after every penny you have. They sell premium quality products, which few computer manufacturers do.

Macs are priced higher than low-end PCs.
The weird thing is, High-end Macs are cheaper than High-end PCs. Macs are premium computers. They contain expensive materials, like Aluminum or Poly Carbonate. As the Macs gain better specifications(RAM, CPU, etc), The don’t gain much more material volume wise. In Other words, the more powerful the Mac, the less it will cost. A Mac Pro that cost $18,000 is equivalent to a Dell XPS that costs $22,000.

Guess how much it cost to make an iMac ($1299, from 2006). At the time a 17 inch iMac at the price of $1299, cost Apple $898 to manufacture. The processor alone costs Apple about $250. This means Apple makes $401 for every iMac ($1299) sold.

The cases that Apple uses for their computers come in three different materials: Aluminum, PolyCarbonate, and Glass. Aluminum is the most expensive, durable for its weight metal. Poly-Carbonate is the plastic Apple uses, this form of Poly is normally used for bullet-proof glass. Glass is a new material Apple just started using with their iMacs. Aluminum and PolyCarbonate are not cheap, in fact they are the priciest of their class, this is a big reason why the baseline computers start out at such a high price. When you get a baseline Mac, the majority of the cost is just paying for the case alone. As you add in more RAM, and other components the cost starts to bend like a quadratic graph, eventually the Mac becomes cheaper than an equivalent PC.

For High-end Users:
Say you’re a programmer. You might want a good computer for development, so you go over to Apple and buy a Mac Pro. Now let’s say someone wants a development system from Dell so they look at the Precision line. They buy a customized Precision 690.
the Specs:

Mac Pro (3,646):
Two 2.66 GHZ Dual Core Xeon Processors
2 Gigs of RAM
250 Gigs Hard drive space
ATI Radeon X1900 XT 512MB (2 x dual-link DVI)
Apple Cinema Display (20″ flat panel)

Precision 690 ($3,821):
Two 2.66 Ghz Dual Core Xeon Processor
2 Gigs of RAM
250 Gigs Hard drive space
256MB PCIe x16 nVidia Quadro FX 3450, Dual DVI or Dual VGA or DVI + VGA
Dell 20 inch UltraSharp

Now as for software, for the person that bought the Mac Pro, Apple’s Xcode comes with their computer. Xcode is Apple’s development kit, and it’s completely free. If you don’t have it for your Mac, you can download it from developer.apple.com.

As for the one that bought the Dell computer, it’ll cost another $700 ($668 at pcmall.com) for Microsoft Visual Studio.

Mac Pro is still at $3,646, the Precision is now at $4,489.

For Students:
I’m going to change companies now, since everyone uses Dell. This time I’m going to use HP. Let’s say Student1 gets a MacBook from Apple for $1,299. Student2 gets a HP Pavilion dv2500t for $799.99. Now unlike the above, I’m showing you the tagged price. This price you will normally see in ads, but is not the actually price you’ll pay. $799,99 is too good to be true, unless you want a paper weight.

Specs and “real” prices:

MacBook ($1,548):
2.2 ghz Core 2 Duo
1 gig RAM
120 GB Hard drive
Intel GMA X3100
OS X recover disc (Free)
AppleCare Protection ($249) - All I added

HP Pavilion dv2500t ($1,372.98):
2.2 ghz Core 2 Duo
1 gig RAM
120 GB Hard drive
Intel GMA X3100
Vista Recover Disc ($29.99)
3-year HP Accidental Damage Protection with Pick Up and Return ($309.99)

Now let’s add on what a student might want. Student1 buys iWorks for $69 (Student Discount), while Student2 buys Microsoft Office Student Edition for $149. iWorks and even OS X can read and write Office documents natively so there is no compatibility problems with the two different Suits.

In the end, the two laptops about equal in price. The big difference is the technology behind them. The MacBook comes with OS X Leopard, while the HP comes with Vista Home Premium. The MacBook has a motion censor while the HP doesn’t. The censor is patented by Apple and is used to protect the hard drive if the computer falls, it’s also used in many Mac games. Another item that comes with the Macbook, is the built-in camera; this too is not on the HP laptop.

The last little bit I want to talk about, is durability. The fact is, the Mac has a lower percentage of breaking down and OS X is much more secure and stable then Windows. The main reason for this, is Apple designing and building both the computer and the OS.

Computers now use extremely small components, and in a larger amount. This increases the chances of problems.

PC Magazine has had an annual consumer survey for the past 19 years. If you go through them you’ll realize that Apple is first over all in every single one for the past decade. Not only is Apple first, but the second placer isn’t even close.

SMiles

[JackC 0]

There's a major flaw in Lockergnome's argument.

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I believe that the amount of software you buy for your computer

You don't buy software. I'm not talking about ripping it off or getting hookey copies from your mates, I'm talking actual GNU licenced genuine freeware. I have not bought any software in years. Windows and Linux are generally better supported for freeware than Mac. Plus you can go to any high street computer store and buy a replacement PC graphics cards, RAM chips, motherboards or whatever you want off the shelf dirt cheap. It's not so easy with a Mac.