Would you choose Apple over PC?

FenderBender · #1 10-15-2004, 09:34 PM

I went through and read alot of the threads talking about garage band and cakewalk etc.

Heres were I'm at:

I consider myself to be an amatuer musician, who does not (nor will likely ever) make a living as a musician. But I love music. I love playing music. I love everything musical.

I want to start "playing around with" MIDI and recording music onto computer. I wish to set up a little home studio.

I will be buying a new computer in the near future. I have never owned an Apple but I here great things.

Is the Apple (and programs available for apple) better than for pc? Musicaly speaking

Is Apple easier and more intuive Than PC?

Does the Price of Apple justify the benefits?

To do it over would you choose an Apple?

Again I'm bassing this soley on midi programs, recording, composing, etc.

Thanks for any insight. If this does not belong in this forum I humbly appologize in advance.

lbanks · #2 10-15-2004, 09:45 PM

If I bought a Mac, it would be for Final Cut Pro and Garage Band. I don't feel like learning another system and I really hate the Mac mouse.

**Josh Ryan** · #3 10-15-2004, 09:48 PM

Do some research. -there are die hard fanatics on both sides. Both platforms have plenty of options, both can do music equally well. It comes down to what you LIKE, not what is BETTER.

Quote:

Is the Apple (and programs available for apple) better than for pc? Musicaly speaking -No, there are very nice PC programs, like Cubase, Nuendo, Sonar and more that are just as competent and easy to use.

Is Apple easier and more intuive Than PC? -a little, to some people, but not to others.

Does the Price of Apple justify the benefits? -matter of opinion. for me, no.

To do it over would you choose an Apple? -no, but they are great machines. If I had money to burn I'd have a powerbook in addition to my PC.

Again I'm bassing this soley on midi programs, recording, composing, etc.

Thanks for any insight. If this does not belong in this forum I humbly appologize in advance.

edit:
I feel compelled to add that this is in no way an "anti-apple' rant. I truly do think they make a great product, but I also truly believe the PC is just as capable, and that a person’s decision on format comes down mainly to aesthetics.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #4 10-15-2004, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FenderBender

I will be buying a new computer in the near future. I have never owned an Apple but I here great things.

Is the Apple (and programs available for apple) better than for pc? Musicaly speaking For me, yes.

Is Apple easier and more intuive Than PC? Yes. I'm a technodummy, and I rarely even have to crack open a manual on most of my Mac software

Does the Price of Apple justify the benefits? For me, yes it did.

To do it over would you choose an Apple? Absolutely

Again I'm bassing this soley on midi programs, recording, composing, etc.

* Checks watch, whistles, waits patiently for Bliss to chime in with, "Paid THAT MUCH, huh?"

LM Bass · #5 10-16-2004, 12:02 AM

This could be a long one. . .

I went all Apple last December, and I am very happy.
I take my powerbook when I teach. I can play music from my iTunes to demonstrate examples of walking, styles, soloing, phrasing, etc etc. I use Garageband loops and tunes for teaching improv. I have an airport card, so I can surf this very site over my latte in the morning. I can send .pdf files of charts, musical examples, or assignments to people over e-mail.

My machine is beautiful, everything works, and I can be the computer illiterate that I am with no worries. Haven't crashed for about 6 months, and that was a very minor one. (Don't even know the control/alt/delete equivalent!)

Most mac users I've asked will use the word "love" when they talk about their machine. PC users don't often get around to that one. . .

Laurence

DougP · #6 10-16-2004, 07:25 AM

As someone who works with both and has a lot of free time to play with my "toys"...

at home i have a PC that works perfectly fine for me, but at work i have top of the line G5s and PCs to play with. I have installed GarageBand to see what it is capable of. in my opinion, my guitar tracks pro 3 is a more powerful program (but thats taking into consideration that garageband is included in software bundle that costs $50 and GT pro costs about 300). The loops included with garageband however are very useful and sound absolutely great.

I have a strong PC at home, but i would like to get a Mac G5 in a few months to use for recording, but i wouldnt use GarageBand. I think i would go for Final Cut or even get the DigiDesign setup.

I would even like to see Adobe Audition 1.5 be released for Mac, that would perfectly suit my needs. GarageBand has all the basics, but i feel thats a bit limited if you want to grow.

As for Macs...i am becoming a convert.

Andrew Noury · #7 10-16-2004, 08:23 AM

If I had the extra money for the premium imposed by the slick industrial design... sure. ProTools baby.

FenderBender · #8 10-16-2004, 11:01 AM

Thanks for everyones replies

Still on the fence. I have a 3 month old Dell top of the line everything 1 gig ram 2.2 ghtz blah blah blah. But I allways have the same old PC problems, It crashes, I have to search around for the mo better drivers. If I dont defrag, run spy ware etc it takes 5 min to boot up "sometimes whne its cranky".
Every one I know who owns an apple does use the word "LOVE" when talking about it. None of them musicians , so I've turn to my musical brothers

But a G5 By the time I'm done will be like 4500.00. Lets see that could be a Fodera. Or A Sadowsky and a Skyline . Or a Nordstrom and a used fbass, pant pant drool drool ahhhhh.

I'll keep researching, My Instuctor uses Sonar so I may go that way for a while. It will all be outdated in 2 years anyway,so if I'm really into it at that point I my switch.

Wrong Robot · #9 10-16-2004, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lbanks

and I really hate the Mac mouse.

THEN DON'T USE THE MAC MOUSE!

**Josh Ryan** · #10 10-16-2004, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

* Checks watch, whistles, waits patiently for Bliss to chime in with, "Paid THAT MUCH, huh?"

Well, now I don't have to.

FenderBender, if after three months you have a new PC in that state, I think you should go Mac.

edit: someone just sent me a link to this, so to sort of poke fun at Mr. Fitzgerald I'll add the following cartoon:

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #11 10-16-2004, 03:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blisshead

Well, now I don't have to.

edit: someone just sent me a link to this, so to sort of poke fun at Mr. Fitzgerald I'll add the following cartoon:

Dude, your cartoon is SOOOOOOOOO last Thursday.

I love my iLamp!

GIBSONDRUNK,

All I can tell you is that after 15 years with Macs, the ONLY crash I've ever had was the death of my old SE30's hard drive back in '94. 15 years with no freezes, no crashes, no viri (plural of virus), no lost information....how much money is that worth?

Wrong Robot · #12 10-16-2004, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chri Fitgeraldes

no viri (plural of virus)

Hate to do this to ya durrl, but the plural of virus is viruses.

incidentally, the first time I realized this mistake was when OS X's system-wide spell check pointed it out.

**Chris Fitzgerald** · #13 10-16-2004, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATYPICAL ANDROID

Hate to do this to ya durrl, but the plural of virus is viruses.

incidentally, the first time I realized this mistake was when OS X's system-wide spell check pointed it out.

No worries - using the goofy latin plural form of any word we can fit it onto is a game my wife and I have been playing for years. Our current favorite is "DUFI" (pronounced, "Doo-Fie") as the plural of "DOOFUS".

Wrong Robot · #14 10-16-2004, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FenderBender

Is the Apple (and programs available for apple) better than for pc? Musicaly speaking

Garageband is free and ridiculously powerful, there is no PC equivalent. Additionally, Apple bought out eMagic and Logic audio, they now develop and release Logic, which means you get garageband free, right out the box, which is an amazing piece of software, and then should you ever want to go more professional, you can get Logic which will be highly integrated with the rest of the computer and overall better supported.

Quote:

Is Apple easier and more intuive Than PC?

OS X and all of apple's applications share the same design philosophy, once you learn how to use one, you'll become competent in working with the rest(that is to say the practical side of things) Pretty much all of the iApps work together, or have integration with one another.

Also...exposé is quite possibly the greatest thing to happen to the User interface since the user interface.

Quote:

Does the Price of Apple justify the benefits?

Apple computers retain their value far greater than PCs do, So while the initial cost might be a little bit more(when you really get down to it macs aren't even that overpriced anyway) you end up with a better investment in the long run, especially considering that it won't crash, won't get viruses, won't require new parts.[/quote]

Quote:

To do it over would you choose an Apple?

of course.
[/quote]

Wrong Robot · #15 10-16-2004, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sick Chairhead

No worries - using the goofy latin plural form of any word we can fit it onto is a game my wife and I have been playing for years. Our current favorite is "DUFI" (pronounced, "Doo-Fie") as the plural of "DOOFUS".

Oh for sure, don't get me wrong, I love bastardizing language, but for some reason, the viri viruses thing gets me, I dunno why.

jeff schmidt · #16 10-16-2004, 05:21 PM

I use both regularly for audio production and prefer Mac.

lbanks · #17 10-16-2004, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wrong Robot

THEN DON'T USE THE MAC MOUSE!

Hmmmmm, didn't we have this conversation earlier this year?

Besides, it still means I'd have to learn something new and that's Hard!

**Josh Ryan** · #18 10-16-2004, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wrong Robot

Apple computers retain their value far greater than PCs do, So while the initial cost might be a little bit more(when you really get down to it macs aren't even that overpriced anyway) you end up with a better investment in the long run, especially considering that it won't crash, won't get viruses, won't require new parts.

--are you being serious here?

You are officially a fanboy.

Macs never break.

Tell that to the imac users. Better yet, call everyone who bought a cube and ask how their applecare experience went.

Mudfuzz · #19 10-16-2004, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Fitzgerald

All I can tell you is that after 15 years with Macs, the ONLY crash I've ever had was the death of my old SE30's hard drive back in '94. 15 years with no freezes, no crashes, no viri (plural of virus), no lost information....how much money is that worth?

Wow, I wish I never crashed my MACs [I have had 3] but I use mine for graphics, sound editing and video. My G4 has been pretty stable scene I got panther. My old power mac is almost worn out.

My only experience with pcs was in collage and I didn't like the window OS at all, and the virus level was hell, I can't remember how many disks I had wiped.

Davehenning · #20 10-16-2004, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lbanks

Hmmmmm, didn't we have this conversation earlier this year?

Besides, it still means I'd have to learn something new and that's Hard!

I have the bluetooth Macally mouse for my G4 Powerbook. It is just the same as a PC mouse in that it has left/right click buttons with a scroll wheel as well. $49 @ Macmall.com