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Poll

Mac or PC?

Macbook
9 (52.9%)
Conventional Laptop
8 (47.1%)

Total Members Voted: 0

Voting closed: April 30, 2007, 12:46:30 PM

Author Topic: Mac or PC...  (Read 13527 times)

LazyNinja

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Mac or PC...
« on: April 30, 2007, 12:46:30 PM »
I'm finally buying a laptop that I've been saving up for. And this time I'll really buy one rather than just talk about it. After I sell my Zvex and Fender HRD I'll have about £550. Add to that about 200 quid and I'll have about £700~800 to spend on a decent laptop.

Should I go for a Macbook or a Windows laptop? I'm really interested in the macbook but then my nerdy mate tells me it's even less secure than a pc. Is that true? The media certainly makes it sound like the Macs have superior security. Then the Vista is meant to be cr@p as well. I don't know what to get really so help me out!

Kilby

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« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2007, 02:31:00 PM »
Personally I woudn't say that macs are more or less secure (despite what magazines and adverts claim)

Thereas now less of a differnce since the appearence of bootcamp that allows you to run XP (or other windows ver) on the current mac range.

Look at the availability (and price) of apps and hardware that you want (or think you will want), and judge from there.

Personally I beleive that you get less value for money from apple, this is from 17 years of looking after apples (my current empoyers have over 2000 of the little buggers).

In the case of problems Windows help is always available, where as Apple assistance is a little harder to come by.

However this is a very personal opinion, and as I said look at the apps you will be wantinn (not just recording apps)

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noodleplugerine

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« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2007, 07:24:45 PM »
Macs really hold nothing above PCs nowadays, and PCs you get ALOT more bang for your buck.

Unless you have an urge for Final Cut and Garage Band - Get a pc imo.
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JJretroTONEGOD

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« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2007, 11:12:49 PM »
I don't think mac's are any better than PC's! They're just different, if you get the right PC then it should be better than a mac, depends on personal taste, but I find macs much harder to use, but they do look uber cool!
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FELINEGUITARS

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« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2007, 11:18:43 PM »
I have just been a Mac user for 8 years and prefer them
Got into them because my brother and most of my friends had them(they are mostly designers, artists and involved in advertising etc
So if I got stuck I could turn to them

At the time most publishing houses relied on Mac/Quark Express for everything

They are not without their problems
I just find them elegant, I don't miss the software that i can't have as it is mainly games and stuff I wouldn't use.
There is some great well thought out shareware too...
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Kilby

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« Reply #5 on: May 01, 2007, 09:03:52 AM »
Quote from: FELINEGUITARS

At the time most publishing houses relied on Mac/Quark Express for everything


Thats because most editorial users have difficulty with more than 1 mouse button ;)

Happily Apple have improved over the last few years (though thats not saying a lot considering some of the NDAs I had to sign to get some huge issues fixed in OS 8 & 9)

Basically take a pragmatic approach, take the solution that best suits your needs.

Initial cost
Operating system upgrade prices (apple charge a lot for a minor upgrade)
Upgrade costs (hardware & software)
Software availability
Hardware & software support (do you have a reliable support nearby)

If you go for a PC avoid Windows Vista for another 6 months, it still has real serious issues (and eats your machines processor power for no real benefit)

I know it's a boring way to but a machine but it may save hassle later.

You can imagine the arguements I have at home with the wife, after she came out with the following two statements.

1; Apples must be good becasuse you see them in TV programmes all the time

2: They are good because Gerri Halliwell (Ginger Spice) has one

Rob...
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Sailor Charon

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« Reply #6 on: May 01, 2007, 11:13:58 AM »
Personally, I wouldn't have a laptop...
But having worked with PCs for years, I have to say I find my Mac a lot nicer to use. It 'just works' a lot more of the time than any of the PCs I've used.

Bird

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« Reply #7 on: May 01, 2007, 10:00:43 PM »
I've been using computers since the PET so I've used a few over the years. I switched to macs about 5 years ago because the mbox from digidesign was initially only available for macs. Anyhoo, I've been using them ever since and I prefer them over pc's, unless you're a gamer. I've found Apple support to be very good.   8)
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BloodMountain

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« Reply #8 on: May 01, 2007, 10:02:51 PM »
i don't know if this has been said, but Macs just aren't compatible with as much software/hardware as pcs.

PC>MAC
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Bird

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« Reply #9 on: May 01, 2007, 10:15:34 PM »
Quote from: BLOODMOUNTAIN
i don't know if this has been said, but Macs just aren't compatible with as much software/hardware as pcs.

PC>MAC
Like I said, I just switched about 5 years ago and had been using pc's exclusively up until that time. I've haven't come across and pc only software that I had to have.  :)
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99_not_out

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« Reply #10 on: May 01, 2007, 10:59:47 PM »
Am I on slashdot? :P

This is perhaps the single most emotive IT topic since vi vs Emacs ...

Security-wise, the main advantage of using a Mac is that no-one bothers to write viruses for them as they are in a minority, so you are safer in that respect, not more secure but just immune to most of the bad stuff :)

The main problem with chosing is that this is such an emotive subject for many people, and both sides slander each other horrendously. Then some one says 'Linux' and you get more confused. Its very hard to get a balanced view from anyone.

My suggestion, look at a Macbook and some PC laptops:
    Compare CPU speeds (remembering that the Mac has an Intel Dual Core CPU so technically has 2 CPUs)
    Compare RAM
    Compare Hard Disc space
    Compare screens ... Dell laptops have shitee screens for example.
    [/list:u]

    These are the important things on a computer. If you don't want to do 'Work', compatibility with Windows is not a problem (these days its only really MS Office that you have a problem with on a Mac, so Excel and Outlook)

    Having used both, the out of the box software on a Mac (iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, Garage Band, Mail &c.) Just blows a PC out of the water. But you can get a dell for 350 quid ... it won't be as good but its not bad either.

    From those who I know with a Mac, if you can get over the adverts and Steve Jobs smug face and the Hippy-Audi-TT-driving image of the Apple Mac, and just get one and use it as a computer and not a lifestyle accessory, You'll never go back.

    Anyway, dunno if that helps! I'd get the Mac :)
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LazyNinja

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« Reply #11 on: May 02, 2007, 01:22:03 AM »
Thanks everyone that was very helpful. I have kinda narrowed it down to two:

Sony Vaio N31M/W (£650):  http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Sony_Vaio_N31M-W_Laptop_VGN-N31M-W/version.asp

and the mac, the 2.0GHz one (£720 ebay):
http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/ukstore.woa/wa/RSLID?nnmm=browse&mco=520F94DC&node=home/macbook/macbook

um.. yeah so I havent really progressed in my choice lol. But hey at least I know what PC laptop I would get. I know the softwares are better on the mac and that it's probably faster but then I'm be sure about the mac's reliability. Horror stories described on this page  :? http://macbookrandomshutdown.com/ and this http://www.appledefects.com/wiki/index.php?title=MacBook Can anyone relate to this?

LazyNinja

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« Reply #12 on: May 02, 2007, 01:28:38 AM »

Bird

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« Reply #13 on: May 02, 2007, 01:30:30 AM »
Quote from: LazyNinja
Thanks everyone that was very helpful. I have kinda narrowed it down to two:

Sony Vaio N31M/W (£650):  http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Sony_Vaio_N31M-W_Laptop_VGN-N31M-W/version.asp

and the mac, the 2.0GHz one (£720 ebay):
http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/ukstore.woa/wa/RSLID?nnmm=browse&mco=520F94DC&node=home/macbook/macbook

um.. yeah so I havent really progressed in my choice lol. But hey at least I know what PC laptop I would get. I know the softwares are better on the mac and that it's probably faster but then I'm be sure about the mac's reliability. Horror stories described on this page  :? http://macbookrandomshutdown.com/ and this http://www.appledefects.com/wiki/index.php?title=MacBook Can anyone relate to this?


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