Mac or PC

[triotary]

After 5 years working all my design and photography works on my first and only mac, and it is time for me to upgrade to a new workhorse.

But looking at the price I will be paying to buy a Mac over a PC platform really makes me think twice.... an entry level mac workstation easily burns 2000bills+ tax in my pocket. And knowing that this price that I'm paying will definitely depreciate as soon as burnt my 2000bills, not to mention when a new hardware or gimmick comes out... I remembered that I paid 1800+tax for my G4 733 and it already felt so slow when I first used it 5 years ago on my illustrator and photoshop intensive works. I could have easily solved the problem with a better video card, more rams, etc. but at that time, $2K is my max budget... ~_~

For a PC, I can easily cut all the costs by buying the parts according to my specs and budget, and I think it would definitely be at least at the standards of a Mac platform, but at a cheaper price.

Remember, remember those days when Mac marketing gurus **** talked intel based systems to sell more macs... but today Mac itself is using an intel chip. So what are they going to sell now? Mac OS and motherboards are better than window based systems?

Today how one can differentiate the difference between the performance of a mac system to a PC system when their core engines are the same?
Don't tell me that a MAc mother board is better designed or their benchmarks are way better than PC, as all these BS are used all the time against intel when MAc used to use only PowerPC, and on top of that, all these benchmarking could be easily manupilated...and above all they are all marketing BS.

So tell me, does it really justifies the extra moolah to buy a Mac over a PC platform?

 

[longwood]

well the newer macs can run both osx and windows (if you so desire). so essentially you can buy a mac and use it for those certain windows applications if you want to.

my vote would be mac. you get what you pay for.

 

[triotary]

well the newer macs can run both osx and windows (if you so desire). so essentially you can buy a mac and use it for those certain windows applications if you want to.

my vote would be mac. you get what you pay for.

the software is not the issue here, but the extra money for owning a mac hardware.

 

[FF_productions]

the software is not the issue here, but the extra money for owning a mac hardware.

There will always be a premium for a Mac, I'd be more than willing to pay the premium just so I can run Mac OSX.

The only thing right now that would probably hold you back from getting a new Mac is the fact that Adobe doesn't have their apps universal yet.

You could get a dual g5 for under 2000 and add some stuff to it and have a pretty fast machine.

It's all your decision, I'm not a Mac Freak, I consider both sides of the fence.

 

[wako]

You want us to tell you what you should buy in a Mac fan website? LOL... obviously you want to buy a mac then.


BTW, next time tell us WHAT you want to use the computer for.

 

[Lollypop]

the software is not the issue here, but the extra money for owning a mac hardware.

How can software not be a issue?? Im asuming you are currently running a mac? If you want to go windows you need to buy the windows version. That will add a lot the the cost of getting a windows machine. <I just did the reverse switch arguement didnt I?>

Also keep in mind that while the performace comparisons of mac vs PC can be alterred to reflect good for one macufacturer, you also have to keep in mind who did the performance comparison and on what system. Also keep in mind that with windows you have to add antivirus, spyware and addware protection, those things will slow down a windows machine a bit.

Im also pretty nuetral, run windows at work and the mac at home. In my mind the mac is supperior despite the cost, the cool features in software to me validates the cost, but if you want to run business apps like siebel and SAP and some database stuff, go windows.

 

[triotary]

I'm an art director and it is easy for me to access to softwares, thus it is not an issue for me.

As I said in my first post, I work instensively on the adobe suite and I handle a lot of RAW images too.

 

[Mord]

1) the plural of software is software NOT softwares

2) the video card has no effect on 2D graphics work or most video editing

3) the intel chips of old sucked but the new ones pretty much dominate the market, apple mocked the pentium but new macs don't and never will use a pentium.

 

[triotary]

So what does the new mac pro benchmark against now? That's right! They just made every G5 owner a

 

[triotary]

2) the video card has no effect on 2D graphics work or most video editing

why not? So it is not wise for me to invest in a video card when some of my works on Illustrator has 300 to 500 layers?And not to mention the number of vertices. On my current Mac, it will just freeze up the whole computer if I try to ungroup and view around half of the layers on the layer palette

 

[triotary]

Well I still got some time to decide to stay on a Mac or go back to PC

So should I really invest in the new Macpro at a premium of 2500bills+tax? I would if it really justify the extra money over investing on a PC platform, which has cheaper hop up compares to a MAC.

 

[Mord]

because illustrator is not video accelerated, it's entirely cpu bound.

 

[Mord]

Well I still got some time to decide to stay on a Mac or go back to PC

So should I really invest in the new Macpro at a premium of 2500bills+tax? I would if it really justify the extra money over investing on a PC platform, which has cheaper hop up compares to a MAC.

if you want quad performence then the mac pro is the best value, you can BTO it down and get a quad 2GHz mac pro.

 

[triotary]

if you want quad performence then the mac pro is the best value, you can BTO it down and get a quad 2GHz mac pro.

what is BTO?

oh nvm... build to order?

 

[triotary]

because illustrator is not video accelerated, it's entirely cpu bound.

wow? you serious? Even handling a 800dpi photoshop file? Any info to verify that?


I would love to work on illustrator, photoshop and flash at the same time with itunes running, but my currect mac (733 G4 with 1G ram) is so frustrating to work on if I run those applications all at once >.<

Thus I switch to my fiancee's G4 866 with 256M ram and a 32M video card, which handle my work load only a tad better, but still frustating.

 

[Mord]

it's just pretty much known fact, the graphics card has no effect on benchmark results on PS/Il

 

[triotary]

it's just pretty much known fact, the graphics card has no effect on benchmark results on PS/Il

anywhere that I can read up about it?

 

[finchna]

XP Pro crashes, OSX 10.4 doesn't -- it runs for weeks with no problem. You can multi task video rendering while you're doing everything else with no slow-down on OSX

Of course software makes a difference--starting from the OS.

 

[Mikael]

XP Pro crashes, OSX 10.4 doesn't -- it runs for weeks with no problem.

Why do you guys keep stating that WinXP crashes all the time, like it's some universal fact? I usually run my XP work machine 1-2 months between reboots and it never crashes.

You can multi task video rendering while you're doing everything else with no slow-down on OSX

I suggest you try a dual core WinXP machine before writing stuff like that.

My view on the "dilemma" presented in the original post is the following:

If WinXP works for you and you don't feel like spending the extra money on a fancy enclosure and better OS, then go for a PC. Simple as that. The fact that WinXP has worked so well for me is one of the reasons that I haven't gone for a desktop Mac yet. That, and the fact that there isn't any reasonably priced mid tower. I was kind of hoping that Jobs would present one today, but I see that I'll have to wait.

 

[triotary]

$3299 for a Quad 2.5Ghz G5
$2799 for a refurbished Quad 2.5Ghz G5
$2500 for the new Mac pro

I pity those who are so bought into apple's marketing BS and paid for the G5 quad... a lot of my friends did >.< mostly girls

well anyway, I'm kinda tempted to buy the new Macpro, but not yet, and maybe a used or refurbished one

but a PC with unlimitless and cheap hop ups are a factor too~! well let's just wait and see and so in the mean time, I shall struggle on my GF's G4 866 ^_^

 

[macaddicted]

I had to buy a PC when I started my business. The design software for some of my equipment was PC only so I bought a Lenovo ThinkPad T60. To be quite honest I wish I hadn't. I have been a Mac user most of my adult life and so I admit more than a little bias.

As far as Adobe CS2 software if you need a system now then you are going to pay a price in performance as it is not a Universal Binary yet, you'll have to wait for CS3. On a PC the Adobe software feels very much the same.

If I was only using Adobe CS2 then I wouldn't have as many complaints. But Windoze is so annoying to me. I know that it is because I am very comfortable in OS X, but doing anything always feels like a production.

Yes Macs cost more, but you have a system that is still usable after five years. For me this, more than anything else, sets Macs apart. I usually update every three years, not because my hardware is dying but because I like to stay reasonably current. My G4 TiPB 550 just went to my mother after spending a couple of years with my father, who inherited it from me. It has seen nearly daily use for five years with no problems.

 

[triotary]

I had to buy a PC when I started my business. The design software for some of my equipment was PC only so I bought a Lenovo ThinkPad T60. To be quite honest I wish I hadn't. I have been a Mac user most of my adult life and so I admit more than a little bias.

As far as Adobe CS2 software if you need a system now then you are going to pay a price in performance as it is not a Universal Binary yet, you'll have to wait for CS3. On a PC the Adobe software feels very much the same.

If I was only using Adobe CS2 then I wouldn't have as many complaints. But Windoze is so annoying to me. I know that it is because I am very comfortable in OS X, but doing anything always feels like a production.

Yes Macs cost more, but you have a system that is still usable after five years. For me this, more than anything else, sets Macs apart. I usually update every three years, not because my hardware is dying but because I like to stay reasonably current. My G4 TiPB 550 just went to my mother after spending a couple of years with my father, who inherited it from me. It has seen nearly daily use for five years with no problems.

Yeah OSX is one of the factor that I love about Mac!

When I first bought my Mac G4 733 5 years ago, it was great but not for long...As my work started to become more intensive within 6 months, I could definitely felt my machine was slow ^_^" And suddenly I felt my $1800 investment was not a good one especially when Mac released the mirror doors a while later...

Now as I planning to upgrade, I'm feeling the above cycle is coming back to me >.<

 

[triotary]

At the moment, I'm using CS2

 

[Rapmastac1]

You know, I am both a Mac and Windows user (A almost one week mac user) and I would have to say, the best option is to build ur own powerhorse. Rite now I have a custom built machine, and a Macbook. Both are fast, but I find myself using the PC more, why, becuase I'm so used to it I guess.

When I use my homebuilt machine, I have the satisfaction that I, ME, MYSELF built this computer, installed everything on it, I dunno, it just a cool feeling. And, when you do it right, you never have problems. I have never, ever ever ever had a crash. Now, I usually get an UnResponsive program once a few days, but that is little compared to me being able to go to any freeware site and download a program. Not true with the Mac.

Now, as far as Mac goes, if you want that new Mac Pro, by all means, get it. The Mac is a, i guess you could see, Premium experience. I love using Mac, that is why I'm glad my "machine on the go" is a Mac, becuase it's better looking, and "It Just Works!". My reason for getting a mac was A. We use it in Multimedia at school. B. I have been interested in getting a Mac C. It was the best looking laptop out there, unless someone wants to challenge me on that (A Non mac laptop that is). and D. The software was very exclusive to Mac. iMovie HD is my fave, Garageband was a bonus, tho Magix Music Studio is better, and all the other great bundled software that you just don't get with Windows.

So, in the end, it depends on the price you want to pay. I would prefer to have my power horse be a Windows Xp, and have my multimedia, or fun machine be a Mac. Jus ur preferences, no one can tell you what exactly to get, if that was true, then I would be using an Acer laptop rite now

 

[vv-tim]

You buy a Mac for one of the two reasons below, none other:

- Macs are pretty
- Macs (legally) run OS X

Anything else anyone says is full of crap :] Thanks.