Mac vs. PC....I NEED to be convinced. :)

[mike_bisom]

<p>I say buy a PC. In the interest of full disclosure, I prefer Macs and own several, but I have no interest in convincing you one is better than the other. To each their own!</p>

[howard_owen]

<blockquote>

<p>My five year-old iMac and laptop are still chugging along, not ONE problem with either. Ever.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>As should be the case with any pesonal computer. My wife, who inherits my PCs when I build new, is using one I put together in 1999. My current build will be 4 years old this Nov. and will serve me productively for 2 more years.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>99.99999% of viruses cannot touch OS X</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Right. And 84.32% of all statistics are made up on the spot.</p>

[edward_tsui]

<p>Go cheap, buy the PC and let others enjoy the Mac!</p>

[marco.antonio.t.photograph]

<p>I been having my MacBook Pro for a yr now,,after 2wk with it ,I never look bk to Window ,,ever! if u get a Mac u be just the same...u get what u paid for...ABSOLUTELY Worth every cents....</p>

[felipe]

<p>Am I the only one who likes Vista? I use it both at home and at work, works great for me. And it's pretty.</p>

<p>But aside from personal taste, which I can't help you with, the three main reasons to get a PC are price, price and price. The one thing that I see going on for Macs is that they're less prone to virus infections.</p>

[alex_sokoloff2]

<p>I'd agree with John De Mott's take on this: they all have their foibles. And you seem like someone who is comfortable using either platform, so the world is your oyster. I work in computing, and tend to switch platforms (for some reason) whenever I get a new computer. Apple does have the best OS at this point by most (but not all) criteria, but the OS is mostly plumbing: you spend most of your important time with you computer running your favorite applications. I'd rather put up with an inferior file browser than an inferior web browser... and in my experience browsers tend to work best on Windows.<br>

I tend to be more comfortable with Windows and Linux for whatever reason (I think it's mostly the keyboard layout), but I never understood how the apple products get labeled expensive. It's good value, for the most part, although with limited selection of models, and their warranties and support are even better value. The last time I bought a Mac, I wanted to get another high end thinkpad, but an ibook was half the price (and a little less deluxe to be sure). That ibook is still working as it begins its sixth year. I've dragged it around the world, done photoshop work, sound editing, and hardcore web application development on it. (The UNIX under the hood is way cool.) Apple replaced the display and keyboard at the end of the warranty period (though they hadn't failed outright), so it has a bright display and good keyboard. Awesome. When I can, I'll probably buy an imac - seems like a straigtforward way to have a good photoshop machine to me. Now if I could just get used to that weird keyboard....</p>

[leicaglow]

<p>Buy both! My business and pleasure apps are on a PC. My art is on an iMac. It's like choosing between one camera system or another. Why not use both if there are benefits to both?</p>

[hawkman]

<p>That's why I use a PC, I pay for prformance not looks.</p>

[bill_dewberry]

<p>I had a second thought here; there are MAC people and PC people, they know who they are and just move along accordingly; the problem is for those people who are trying to figure out which group they are; and the real problem is they <strong>want</strong> to be MAC people but at PC price, so they post on the internet trying to justify being a MAC person. Ever seen someone asking on the internet if they should buy target instead of Hermes ?</p>

[garrison_k.]

<p><em>but again, before you get 40000 answer saying that for less money you could have a pc even faster and more powerfull...i will say; you could have a pc for less money more powerfull and faster : )</em></p>

<p>lol, good one.</p>

<p><em>But I will sooner or later have to upgrade if I want to use the newer operating system/s. The rumor's are that there will soon be a choice of a quad core iMac. If that is true and they allow sufficiant ram to run it, you may have a very attractive solution.</em></p>

<p>Attractive? Here you have an expensive machine from 2006 that is limited to 3 gig of ram. Like...that's just ridiculous. Year 2006 limited to 3 gig in a $2500 machine. Then, in order to use more ram, you have to buy another $2500 machine? Then rumours are that MAc is (finally) going Quad-core the very year that Intel is discontinuing them and going with i7 cpu? That's attractive? I call it a very expensive hassle to get more ram.</p>

<p>Forget the iMac. It's an over grown laptop that comes with all the limitations of a laptop. Yet can't be taken anywhere like a laptop.</p>

<p>You are aware that CS4 is limited to 3.2 gig of ram with Mac as CS4 runs in 32 bit? Windows, with a 64-bit OS, runs CS4 in 64-bit and can use as much ram as you can stuff in there. This might be important to you.</p>

<p> </p>

[david_amberson1]

<p>The comments about Macs only using 4GB RAM are untrue. The Mac Pro's will go 8GB. For $$$ he's talkin, I'd go with one of those anyway.</p>

<p>And the guys saying the Dells will go 12GB ram. Windows will only run over 4GB RAM if the 64 bit OS is installed. Otherwise, we are at the 4GB limit too. Most people will not use the 64 bit system because everything else is required to be 64bit too. So I'm told.</p>

<p>I thought of going to a Mac a few months ago because my new HP with Vista was giving me some trouble. But I then thought about what I spent on my system and what I got and reasonably how often I was actually having trouble. Thing was, we always remember when we have trouble with our computers, but quickly forget when they worked great.</p>

<p>I bought an HP with the Quad Core Phenom processor(forget the GHz) with 4GB Ram. It had 2 internal hard drives 500GB per. So I can write to both at the same time. I also bought HP's then top of the line 24" HD 1900x1200 monitor. Yes its glossy....so. Its profiled and I like the look it gives me. Never effects my work. And I'm apparently one of the few users who can print using Lightroom 2.0 and get good results. This setup was $1600 and it will fly. When its not bogged down with adware etc. This is the thing. If you buy a PC and never connect it to the internet, it wont give any trouble. If I have trouble with Vista crashing. Its usually an active X or some adware causing the issue. I can go through and clean it up, sort the registry and wolla, rockin and rollin. I have also found that Vista works in someways alot like Mac OS. Maybe the mentioned windows 7 will do it right. I also hear that by using Firefox instead of Internet Explorer, these issues tend to go away. And the PCs are so much more flexible.</p>

[thomas_hardy1]

<p>My wife surprised me an iMac (I would have loved that big Mac Pro, but hey it was a gift) a few years ago after getting tired of hearing me cursing our PCs. We still do have some PCs in our house FWIW. </p>

<p>I spent the last two days trying clean "spyware" and other junk off my daughter's desktop PC. I finally got it to run without bogging down but who knows how long it will run properly?</p>

<p>We recently had to replace the HD in our other daughter's laptop. It had been running like PCs typically do when they get bogged down with junk, viruses or spyware, but finally I gave up and took it to a shop who diagnosed a bad HD. My wife has a relatively new PC that I have to tinker with to get rid of rouge programs from time to time. <br>

Now my iMac has some issues, such as not enough powered usb 2 ports or firewire for my taste. But then I use two scanners, a printer , an external HD, and card reader. Those are minor issues compared to the things listed above. </p>

<p>Now to be fair, the problems with the PCs may be caused by my daughters downloading who knows what. Many of those downloaded games and applications are loaded with spyware and data mining programs. I recently learned that so called antivirus programs are actually just trojans designed to make you think you have viruses then make you go to websites to pay good money (for full activation) for nothing. This could have been happening to all the PCs I have been cursing over the past several years.</p>

<p>OK here it comes ... <i>I can't remember my iMAC ever behaving this way</i>. </p>

<p>Sure PCs are much cheaper and what I would do if you buy one is to fully back up from time to time ( photos and data files) and reformat the hard-drive, then reinstall Windows. I've done that many, many times and then they always run like champs for months. Also by reformatting you get rid of the "bundled" preinstalled useless applications you find on so many PCs these days. <br>

I've also figured that since they are so cheap you can buy a new one every 15 months and get the latest and greatest computer gear for not much money.</p>

[josylvestre]

<p>if you want to do something else than photo editing, for exemple, programmation, playing games, flight simulator, etc.., buy a pc. If you want unlimmited customization of your machine, buy a pc...<br>

You can build your own PC from A to Z with anything of YOUR choice... the only thing you cannot choose is the OS.. I use XP because I dont like vista... I hope Windows 7 will be better !</p>

[jeff_bubis]

<p>I you want to use an OS that came out in 2001 and can't use the full capabilities of a modern machine and doesn't possess the capabilities of a modern OS - buy a PC and use XP. If you want a modern, well designed, stable OS, get a Mac. If you want crap, use Vista. It's that simple. I think others have addressed most of the other issues at hand. The only thing I would add is that if you add the cost of software included with your Mac to the cost of a PC, it will significantly increase the price. Every unbiased analysis I've ever seen of total cost of ownership generally shows that the machines cost about the same. On a final note, should you get a Mac, I would argue against AppleCare if you have a qualifying AMEX card. Most (not all) of their cards double the manufacturer's warranty for up to a year - which means that you're paying $120-$150 for only one year of coverage (the third). I'm not sure if that is worth it to you (it wouldn't be for me). </p>

[artpinney]

<p>After using a PC for over 12 years - I converted to Mac three years ago. And I haven't looked back. I have the same G5 that has performed flawlessly. I recently purchased a Macbook Pro 18 months ago - both computers are fabulous - makes me wonder why I didn't switch years ago.<br>

When it comes right down to it - my Pop always told me, "You get what you pay for." - And it's so true.<br>

Get the Mac and don't look back!</p>

[ericm1]

<blockquote>

<p>"This is the thing. If you buy a PC and never connect it to the internet, it wont give any trouble. If I have trouble with Vista crashing. Its usually an active X or some adware causing the issue. "</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Hmm, that's odd. I built a PC and mine is connected to the internet 24/7. Maybe the problem isn't the hardware but the user, like always.</p>

 

[charles_wood]

<p>It's amazing how this topic keeps coming up. I am not a computer hobbyist. Photography is my business. I simply want my computers to turn on and work. By neccessity over the years, I've been forced to learn more about the workings of computers than I really wanted.<br /> I used PCs for years and finally, determining the very large files I work with in Photoshop and high definition video editing, made it desirable to go to a MAC. So I purchased a MAC Pro with the 2.8 gig quad core processors, 8 gigs of ram and a couple of TB of HDs.<br /> The experience has generally been ok to good but it wasn't the Second Coming. Photoshop CS4 still crashes at times but not as often as CS3. Neither Adobe or Apple seem to be able to help me identify the cause. MAC video editing software sucks, to put it mildly, unless you go to Final Cut Pro, a very expensive proposition. The video software programs such as iMovie, have had no consistency from version to version.<br /> You say you want to run XP on your MAC with Parallels or VMFusion? Well fine, but don't plan on using firewire connected hard drives or video sources because they won't be recognized on the Windows side of things running on a MAC. To the best of my knowledge there is not yet a reasonable fix for this omission and handicap. So if you want to use SONY Vegas or other video editing programs on the PC side of things, it's a no-go.<br /> If you run Photoshop, the Finder will drive you nuts, continually popping up. I love graphical interfaces but all I can say is the MAC interface is too 'cute'. Getting from point A to B can be faster and more efficient on a PC.<br /> Half the time my MAC Pro will not recognize my Canon ipf 8000 printer, so the file gets transferred to my old standby PC running dual AMD processors in a dual boot setup with XP and Vista. It is old faithful. I can't remember the last time it crashed. When the MAC is crunching the numbers to stitch six 140 meg files from a SONY a900 it's a wonderful thing to behold but it is by no means perfect. As I said in another post, those who say they never looked back may never have looked forward.</p>

<p> </p>

[davidmeiner]

<p>Charmian, I use a computer daily but I have to say I'm not extremely knowledgeable about them. The only input I can offer is that I got SO VERY TIRED of my prior computers having issues with spyware, etc. that I was convinced by a coworker to buy an iMac and I'm so glad I did! I now have no problems whatsoever with the issues of the past. I will continue to buy Apple products when the time comes. Yes, the price was more than other options but I certainly feel that over time it has been well worth it. I hope my opinion helps.</p>

[david_amberson1]

<p><strong>To Eric></strong> My PC is also connected 24/7, and I rarely ever have an issue. My statement was that it would help matters if it were not connected because most households have "other" users who get on the web and download.....evvveryything. Ex: my wife does not understand that when she thinks she is getting something for free, its not "free" They hit you with adware hoping to get you to buy something in the future. Thats all I was saying.</p>

<p>I know a couple other photogs who build the monster PC's and never have them connected to the web. It doesnt even have an Anti Virus Software program installed. They did this solely for the processing power for editing and never have issues because they never go to the web. They connect the ethernet cable only for updates to microsoft or their programs, then its disconnected. They all use a "Local Houshold" Laptop PC using Firefox for internet surfing. But these monsters are his tools and used only as such. One day when I have their kind of money, I will build one of those machines.</p>

[rubo]

<p>Could you guys stop bashing Vista, please?<br /> It's a much more stable platform than the damn XP. It's just takes some time to learn it.<br /> Currently running 32-bit Vista with 3GB ram, CS3 (Master Collection) and haven't had a single problem with it (for the past year).</p>

<p>In all honesty I hate OSx and any flavor of Windows, but those are the only OS's that allow me to use Adobe programs (all of them). The only reason i went with PC is for the available choices of hardwear. I can pretty much build a monster of a machine with matched hardwear & it would still be cheaper than a similar Mac Pro.<br /> To my customers i always recomend getting the OS they are more comfortable working with, assuming the programs they use are available for both.</p>

<p>Just my $.02</p>

<p>P.S. you do realize the are no more Mac's. It's all Intel now. So the deciding factor is wich OS suits your needs better.</p>

[rick_m.]

<p>Get the PC. I have a MAC on my desk at work and a PC at home. The PC is WAY faster and WAY cheaper. I like Vista. I have a virus checker and good firewall so viruses are not a problem. If Mac folks have to construct that strawman they are reaching. 64 bit Vista is far superior to anything mac has because of the ram limitation. This is no small thing when working with big projects.<br>

Mac users are a cult. If you are intent on spending your fortune on a brand name resist. Go to Newegg and build the biggest, baddest hottest, Vista machine and it will run circles around anything Mac has on the market today and leave you money for a nice.....</p>

[vivek_kadiyala]

<p>You can find anecdotal support for either format as far as the user experience is concerned. There are many people on both sides who have had great experiences and horrendous experiences regarding reliability/customer service etc. In the end you are buying into a system that has it's own failure/problem rates. Is there any empirical evidence that there is a significant difference among the mainstream brands in this regard?<br>

I dont have much experience using Macs but as a PC user I do think the malware issue can be affectively and easily addressed; with appropriate antivirus and discretion while browsing the internet you can significanlty reduce (and maybe eliminate?) the chance of infection.</p>

[Uhooru]

<p>"Forget the iMac. It's an over grown laptop that comes with all the limitations of a laptop. Yet can't be taken anywhere like a laptop."<br>

I wonder how many thousands have you put in to upgrade or switch your hot rods in the last 3 years. It seems on one thread it sounds like you upgrade or cross platforms with every new tech wrinkle. That sounds real cost effective. You probably think it's a brilliant idea to run raid 0 for photography just to get that little speed tweak. With Mac move to Intel, PC/Mac simply leap frog. Its not the tech, its the product cycles.<br>

I have had seamless 3 years of no hassle, no virus, no driver issues, can you say the same? Popping through my mere 2-4 gigs of photos a week. Good medium use with a good monitor, no problems, high resale, good deal. Right now? Scanning Med. Format Negs while I watch a video, write probably unneccessary post as the subject has been more than covered, and am writing a document for work on word. Not a hiccup. But I guess me and all the actual photographers and imaging professionals that depend on iMac's daily must just be naive. I'm expecting a good year or more of the same. I do like the horsepower available for less that PC offers, but I don't like the hassle involved in running a PC. I do think that OSX is much better OS that allows more focus on the work and less on the computer. It's worth the money to me, but it's an individual choice.</p>

 

[ndt_photo]

<p>Save the $ and buy a good PC (not absolute top of the line) - You fail to mention your software workflow - will photoshop CS4 be involved? Then you may want a 64-bit OS running it - either XP 64 or Vista 64, Windows 7 64 looks very promising. That said, when I installed CS4 I ended up using the 32-bit version more often due to lack of plug-in support on the 64-bit version. That should change in the future.</p>

<p>My current setup that comes pretty close to 'chewing' through files, is top of the line 2-3 years ago, AMD X2 4600+, 4GB DDR RAM, 512MB NVidia card, 4 250GB data HD's, and a 74 GB Raptor HD for the OS & programs. BTW, the Raptor HD is the 2nd most important thing behind the amount and speed of RAM in my mind. Hard Disk speeds are often overlooked. Dual Monitors are 22" for main workspace, and an older 19" for panels and non-essential stuff like web, music,& videos while I work on files. The system in no way hinders my editing abilities, just takes a short bit longer on the more complex operations (which I rarely run anyway)</p>

<p>My workflow is > Shoot w/nikon > Open .nef in Capture NX2 and do basic RAW adjustments > Export to CS4 as tiff and do all my contrast, color, sharpening, resizing, and final edits with layers, up to 15 on some files (I'm sure others use much more), alot of times going into 3-400 MB file sizes > Save > Repeat</p>

<p>I am borderline techie, built the computer myself, can upgrade anything with ease, pretty good at diagnosing problems (and the goog takes care of the rest) so if you don't feel comfortable doing these things, you will probably want a good out of the box solution, and that may be a mac, at a costly premium that you could have spent on lenses, lighting, and whatever else you may need.</p>

[jared_chapin]

<p>Charmian here is something to think about. Do you have any one to turn to for either PC or Mac. It would be hard to have a PC or Mac computer & have any problems or questions & just have to run back to the store. </p>