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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> How can I stay with Mac with deals like this?
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 04/22/2008 12:19:56 PM · #51
O sheesh. To the Win vs. Mac combatants, get real. The basic hardware for current Macs is *the same hardware* as for current Windows systems, with the exception of the little "I'm a Mac" chip. Yes, same CPUs, same motherboards, same graphics cards. Two days after OS X Leopard was released, some whizzes had it running on a PC.
There are idiosyncrasies and gotchas for both OS X and Vista, as well as for Win XP, but all three operating systems are eminently usable.
As for build-your-own, no, I would not recommend it to someone who doesn't want to tweak, *but* I have built my own for over a decade, and have six-plus-year-old machines running quite well with almost zero hardware failures over their lifetime. Hardly a maintenance nightmare.
 04/22/2008 12:21:54 PM · #52
always comes through with a logical response ;}

i'd like to see someone upgrade their macbook air though ;}

Originally posted by kirbic:
O sheesh. To the Win vs. Mac combatants, get real. The basic hardware for current Macs is *the same hardware* as for current Windows systems, with the exception of the little "I'm a Mac" chip. Yes, same CPUs, same motherboards, same graphics cards. Two days after OS X Leopard was released, some whizzes had it running on a PC.
There are idiosyncrasies and gotchas for both OS X and Vista, as well as for Win XP, but all three operating systems are eminently usable.
As for build-your-own, no, I would not recommend it to someone who doesn't want to tweak, *but* I have built my own for over a decade, and have six-plus-year-old machines running quite well with almost zero hardware failures over their lifetime. Hardly a maintenance nightmare.


Message edited by author 2008-04-22 12:22:41.
 04/22/2008 12:24:09 PM · #53
I use both, dual core AMD with a 5.4 score in Vista, and a macbook and I'll choose the macbook hands down over the PC any day of the week for my website and graphical work. The vista machines works fine, but its alot more clunky and and slow when it comes to PS and lightroom. I also use aperture. I even run Vista on the macbook with VMware fusion, and it runs better on the macbook then it does the PC.

When I sit down to work, the lack of headaches from worrying about spyware, restarting for new drivers, and viruses means I can just sit and work. If I want to play games, I'll boot up the PC, but there's nothing work related that I can't run more efficiently on the Mac.

Everyone's going to have their own experiences, but the mac's worth the extra cost upfront.

And as far as displays go, you can use any Monitor, so better to go with the better ones out there instead of sticking to the Typical name brand of the PC.
 04/22/2008 12:26:34 PM · #54
I just bought an X-Rite EyeOne to calibrate last week. The Spyder 3 that I borrowed from my neighbor was way way off. So my MAC wasn't really calibrated well ever. I think I'm on track now.

I'm curious does Vista or Windows offer "Hot Corners" or a permamnet search window like Mac's "Q" ?

Message edited by author 2008-04-22 17:52:27.
 04/22/2008 12:36:30 PM · #55
Building a computer isn't hard, nor is it more prone to failure, nor are there huge driver ussues. If you research all the parts you can figure out which ones tend to die fast. I had my computer up and running from parts in 4 hours didn't have to install drivers other than for my graphics card which only took putting in a CD and pressing okay. Yes I'm running VISTA and as long as your computer has the guts to handle it it's fine. I had it on my old PC and hated it. But on my new computer I actually really like it. I used to be a vista phobic and loved XP but now...
Then again I'm a gamer and ohhhh oops mac cant play games..... end of story they limit you for an all around machine.
HOWEVER!
I do like them for a purpose built machines. I like them if you are only using them it for video editing/photoediting/recording only I do all that plus I'm a gamer. By building it myself I could get a much better machine. But I knew exactly what I was doing..... but if you have no idea what you are doing then don't waste your time and money
 04/22/2008 12:45:36 PM · #56
Oh in all fairness here are my system specs so you know.
AMD 6400+ 3.2 dual core
4 gigs ram
nvidia 8800GTS 512mb gcard
1 tb hard drive

Message edited by author 2008-04-22 12:46:27.
 04/22/2008 12:50:22 PM · #57
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Build a PC and get hardware problems, yeah, that's it. One problem and the Motherboard company blames the graphics card and they both blame the Optical Drive manufacturer who in turn blames the RAM manufacturer who blames a faulty power supply and so on in an endless DO loop. MMMMMM Those were the days for sure!

Mac works with everything easily as opposed to Windows restarting 67 times inserting a new driver disc every time I plug in an external disk. With the Mac, I just plug it in and use it. It's the same way with printers, scanners, cameras, monitors, anything really.

I'm sure you can get Windows to work with anything, but it's usually a whole lot more effort. That's OK if you want to become a computer genius to check email, but I'd rather save my brain for creative efforts. For that matter, I'm sure you could sit with a UNIX box and get everything to work using command lines. Maybe you should try that and then come talk to everyone about how silly GUI's are for technophobes.


Let me guess, you thought the hard drive IDE connector went in the motherboard power connector. That WOULD cause a lot of problems.
 04/22/2008 01:03:36 PM · #58
Various Illnesses Surfaced Today Already

Mean A$$ Computer

Choice? : )

Both systems work if you learn how to use and care for them. I use both, and like Mac better for photo work and for their .Mac account perks.
I use windows on the road, and transfer the files to my Mac as soon as I get home.
My son, 37 now has been thru about 5 or 6 windows computers since I started using my Mac, and 2 of his 3 PC's are currently half disabled, both of them less than a year old.
04/22/2008 01:11:13 PM · #59
I'm not anti-Mac but for the record, my does crash when I'm using the internet and sometimes when I'm using Photoshop. Bummer of it is when I've done a 20-30 minute editing job and then hit save, PS just "binks" out. Shuts down and dissapears with no warning.
 04/22/2008 01:12:07 PM · #60
lol and see I have never had a PC crash and burn on me..... Well I had a Hard drive fail but I had everything backed up. The first mac I used died in the mac store..... besides any operating stystem that thinks its a good idea to drag and drop the CD into the trash can to eject..... freaks me out. They are both good I just prefer PC. It's what I'm used to and it hasn't given me any problems. Until it decides to run off with my wife and children I probably wont switch. (i don't have either yet though!)

oh I do wish there was a PC version of garage band though
 04/22/2008 01:14:07 PM · #61
Originally posted by Patrick_R:
any operating stystem that thinks its a good idea to drag and drop the CD into the trash can to eject..... freaks me out.

Pressing the Start button to shut down makes so much more sense.
 04/22/2008 01:18:18 PM · #62
You can't shut down without starting to shut down. ;-)
 04/22/2008 01:27:02 PM · #63
Originally posted by scalvert:
Originally posted by Patrick_R:
any operating stystem that thinks its a good idea to drag and drop the CD into the trash can to eject..... freaks me out.

Pressing the Start button to shut down makes so much more sense.

And in OS X the Trash icon changes to an eject arrow as soon as you select and drag the removable media.

Message edited by author 2008-04-22 13:27:22.
 04/22/2008 01:29:16 PM · #64
"Pressing the Start button to shut down makes so much more sense."
they fixed that in vista ;P

Message edited by author 2008-04-22 13:29:56.
 04/22/2008 01:30:35 PM · #65
Originally posted by Anti-Martyr:
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Build a PC and get hardware problems, yeah, that's it. One problem and the Motherboard company blames the graphics card and they both blame the Optical Drive manufacturer who in turn blames the RAM manufacturer who blames a faulty power supply and so on in an endless DO loop. MMMMMM Those were the days for sure!

Mac works with everything easily as opposed to Windows restarting 67 times inserting a new driver disc every time I plug in an external disk. With the Mac, I just plug it in and use it. It's the same way with printers, scanners, cameras, monitors, anything really.

I'm sure you can get Windows to work with anything, but it's usually a whole lot more effort. That's OK if you want to become a computer genius to check email, but I'd rather save my brain for creative efforts. For that matter, I'm sure you could sit with a UNIX box and get everything to work using command lines. Maybe you should try that and then come talk to everyone about how silly GUI's are for technophobes.


Let me guess, you thought the hard drive IDE connector went in the motherboard power connector. That WOULD cause a lot of problems.


Ha! Not hardly.
 04/22/2008 01:30:40 PM · #66
Originally posted by Patrick_R:
Originally posted by Louis:
You can't shut down without starting to shut down. ;-)

they fixed that in vista ;P

Nah. Hover over the button. Hover tag says "Start".
 04/22/2008 01:34:21 PM · #67
Originally posted by Louis:
Originally posted by Patrick_R:
Originally posted by Louis:
You can't shut down without starting to shut down. ;-)

they fixed that in vista ;P

Nah. Hover over the button. Hover tag says "Start".

lol how funny! Honestly like I said I think both are great I just prefer pc. And I'm glad that we are laughing at the differences. I do really want garage band.... not willing to buy a mac for one program though... is there a pc equivalent?
 04/22/2008 01:38:43 PM · #68
Originally posted by soup:
that's sort of an exagerated analogy. pretty much anything i've plugged into my vista machine is recognized right off. maybe have to reboot after install - but that's about it.

to each his/her own i guess, we have both mac's and pc's in the house. and when something doesn't go right with the mac it's much more difficult to troubleshoot from my experience.

Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Build a PC and get hardware problems, yeah, that's it. One problem and the Motherboard company blames the graphics card and they both blame the Optical Drive manufacturer who in turn blames the RAM manufacturer who blames a faulty power supply and so on in an endless DO loop. MMMMMM Those were the days for sure!


Well, yes, I thought the exaggeration was obvious, but after years and years of plugging in hardware, F-ing around with drivers disks, waiting for driver installation and rebooting of PC's it's not far from the truth.

Case in point; my internet connection. I have both a Mac and a PC connected to it. Connecting the Mac literally took under a minute. I plugged it in, entered my username and password and BAM! I was online. Connecting the PC took a lengthy call to tech support and several reboots. Sadly, that type of scenario is more typical of my experiences with Mac vs. PC.
 04/22/2008 01:39:41 PM · #69
Originally posted by Patrick_R:
Originally posted by Louis:
Originally posted by Patrick_R:
Originally posted by Louis:
You can't shut down without starting to shut down. ;-)

they fixed that in vista ;P

Nah. Hover over the button. Hover tag says "Start".

lol how funny! Honestly like I said I think both are great I just prefer pc. And I'm glad that we are laughing at the differences. I do really want garage band.... not willing to buy a mac for one program though... is there a pc equivalent?

Similar software.
 04/22/2008 01:41:12 PM · #70
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Case in point; my internet connection. I have both a Mac and a PC connected to it. Connecting the Mac literally took under a minute. I plugged it in, entered my username and password and BAM! I was online. Connecting the PC took a lengthy call to tech support and several reboots.

Interesting... my experience was the exact opposite trying to use wireless with the lone OSX machine at my office.
 04/22/2008 01:44:09 PM · #71
Thank you louis.... I love this community by the way. I used to be a huge myspace guy but now I spend 95 percent of my time online here.... (at least 90 percent of said time is mashing the update button.... gosh I'm an addict) Thanks all for making this place a fun and informative place. The people who only enter challenges are missing a lot of the greatness of this place.
04/22/2008 03:36:46 PM · #72
mac and pc both suck. i'm going back to paper and pencil !!

;}


04/22/2008 04:04:48 PM · #73
You can build your own Mac.

You do lose the ability to run the automatic software updates however. It's for tinkerers. Psycorp as mentioned in the article provides two levels of already configured ones as an alternative.

All hard drives need maintenance, Macs and PCs alike. Drives me nuts when people think that Macs are permanently immune to any dysfunction. So if Leopard is crashing, check to see if you've repaired permissions lately, and have you run one of the disk utilities since you bought the thing, and that means booting from a repair CD. Disk Warrior or Tech Tool Pro's directory maintenance routine. Not optimizing. Just catalog replacment.

Atomic Bird's Macaroni will do the permissions repair automatically once a week, clean the log files, and remove localized language files, for $10.

JMO, after 12 yrs of supporting PCs and 20 of Macs, freelance: PCs are for tinkerers, IMHO, people that like to come to work on a Monday and talk about how they added a new drive and reinstalled everything. And don't mind reinstalling the OS or applications when they misbehave. We'll just skip the virus, spyware, firewall/hacking vulnerabilities for now. OS or app reinstall is something that's rarely needed on Macs. Pull up a chair and just get the job done, without histrionics.

My favorite gruesome support story is a Dell one. My client, otherwise all Macs onsite, had brought in a personal PC which stopped working properly--she called Dell. She was on the phone for 5 hours. The guy made her reinstall everything without backing up first, her most recent b/u had been a couple of months before. She lost everything. What was wrong with the PC? A bad mouse. So having support is no panacea. Hours and hours on the phone with a non-native speaker, I've had to do it with peripheral providers of course, like HP. Nobody measures the time they spend on upgrading their PCs or reinstalling stuff as part of total cost of ownership. Nope. Just purchase price and that's it.

Something else I run into is people who used a Mac back, say, in the 90s, and had problems--and for sure, today's Macs are way more reliable on the software side. Literally, my whole business paradigm shifted because they are so good now. I had to become a pro photographer in order to make up the income difference. ;-)

04/22/2008 04:06:02 PM · #74
Originally posted by soup:
mac and pc both suck. i'm going back to paper and pencil !!

Strathmore or Crane?
 04/22/2008 04:11:43 PM · #75
Originally posted by soup:
mac and pc both suck. i'm going back to paper and pencil !!

;}


Need to borrow a slide rule for the sticky bits?
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