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mac or pc help

#41
I have a Macbook (Intel) running OSX, and WinXP.

Macs are now cheaper than a similarly configured Dell.

MAC > PC.

F@#k GAMES, children; go buy a @#$% XBOX.

Wanna do music? Get a MAC. You can run Windows and OSX, and be compatible with EVERYTHING, and save money over a similarly configured Dell (just don't buy Apple memory...too expensive).
 
#42
msquared said:
You mention Windows (the OS) promoting technical know-how but in comparison, I feel that much more can be gained in terms of useful technical knowledge from using Unix regularly.
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+1, and MacOsX is Unix.

The Unix hardcore all switched to Mac's years back. MacOS is OPEN SOURCE (at least the core - not the UI/Desktop). It's a form of BSD (which was always better than linux ;-)).

Open a terminal window, and you're into standard Unix.

Apple also ship free dev tools, so uif you're really interested in tech know-how it's all there for you.

How much do MS charge for the level of low-level docs apple provides free?

Ian
 
#43
yawning.jpg
 
#45
Richard Lindsey said:
+1.

For the purposes of making music: It. Really. Doesn't. Matter.
Click to expand...

Unless, of course, you're into loop-based work, then you need to be in Windows to run ACID...or you want to run Garageband, in which case you need to be in OSX.

Hence my suggestion to get an Intel MAC.

It runs both, and it's cheaper. Quandry solved, money saved, compatibility ensured.
 
#46
Bassist4Life said:
I used PC's for around 10 years. I recently purchased a Mac and I'm in love with it. I don't have to fiddle around with settings and pref's. I don't experience software conflicts like I did with PC. Also, I don't really worry about viruses and spyware like I did with PC. Running all those programs on my PC really slowed things down a lot. My Mac is really fast.

One major problem I had with my PC is that I felt like I was spending more time maintaining it than I was enjoying it. "Mystery" programs began to run in the background (and there were no viruses). I found myself spending hours on the Internet trying to figure things out. If you know what "Msconfig" means, then you know what I'm talking about.

My Mac allows me to enjoy myself more than I ever enjoyed my PC. I used to be a Mac hater (for no good reason). Then we got Mac iBooks at work. I couldn't believe how easy everything worked. It's amazing. Sometimes I'll be sitting and watching TV with my wife and I'll say something like, "Don't you just love our computer?".

Mac = good. ;)

Joe
Click to expand...

+1
 
#47
FunkyMonkCP said:
Wow, you explained it better than I could. I thought maybe I was crazy about the mouse feeling so weird. That is a huge gripe I have against macs. The mouse on macs just doesn't feel right. Moves all wrong. Seems like a small thing but mouse movement is important.
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That's the problem. It's not a small thing. It's a huge thing. Macs aren't nearly as keyboard friendly as Windows PCs (or so I've been told). On Windows, you can do a lot with just the keyboard. Being able to keep your hands on the keyboard can be a huge productivity improvement for things like writing and software development.

To me, this mouse problem is symptomatic of a bigger problem; Steve Jobs. His arrogance and his mentality that he knows what's best for the user is probably why the Mac has a one-button mouse and limited options for configuring it. This arrogance filters down to the users. A Mac is more than just a computer to its users. It's part of their personality, their identity.

You don't see people with little Windows logos on their cars. We don't feel the need to be evangelical about it. That is, until we're confronted with "mac vs. pc" discussions such as this. Then we feel compelled to at least set the record straight and counter the mis-information about the functionality and reliability of PC's.

I understand why Mac users are so evangelical. If my computer of choice only had a minimal market share (what is it, 4% now in the US and 2-3% worldwide?) I'd probably promote it as much as I could too.

- Dave
 
#48
I have always hated the MAC mouse, and have ALWAYS purchased a LOGITECH rodent IMMEDIATELY for any new MAC I've purchased. The improved Logitech control panel applet allows for the proper acceleration control.

Next, if you're a huge fan of shortcut keys, you should note that OSX adds a few commands, and is now almost as keyboard friendly as the PC...but that very inexpensive apps that allow you to create shortcuts are readily available.

Quickeys for MAC has been a fixture on my studio computers. It allows you to fully customize the keystrokes you use in your shortcuts. If you wish, you can simply make up the same shortcuts you're used to using in Windows. Think your keystrokes save time now? Imagine if you could script your own...

I'll say it again; Lower cost, and it also runs Windows. What's not to like? Dave, it seems like you have an irrational grudge against the MAC platform. Why do people get evangelical about them? I'd have to guess because after suffering the ABUSE that is the user experience often associated with a PC (frankly, there is no better term), many people, like Joe and his wife, are just FLOORED by how much better it actually works! You feel compelled to share with the unenlightened masses.

Remember when things just WORKED? Like, BEFORE there were computers? I'm 46, and I remember well. Products with shoddy performance, like cell phones, would have never existed had the Windows computer not paved the way, with reduced levels of expectation that a product should actually WORK all of the time. Previous to the Windows computer effectively de-sensitizing the consumer, if things didn't work all of the time, they were considered DEFECTIVE, and you RETURNED THEM.

Frankly, the MAC is a lot more like an appliance; IT JUST WORKS.

Now, I know enough about BOTH platforms to use them VERY WELL. I MANUALLY have removed a number of worms, spyware, malware and viruses from my registry (on the PC, they are just everywhere), and even manually removed Sony's ROOTKIT. My user experience in Windows cannot be compared to most folks. I have seen MANY things on the PC that would have stopped most users COLD, requiring outside help to rectify. I have worked as a consultant, and I speak from experience.

The MAC has a much lower incidence of these types of problems.

Bottom line? MORE USER FRIENDLY.

It's NOT just hype.
 
#50
Dave Grossman said:
I understand why Mac users are so evangelical. If my computer of choice only had a minimal market share (what is it, 4% now in the US and 2-3% worldwide?) I'd probably promote it as much as I could too.
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You wouldn't if it sucked. And if you think that most Mac users care about market share, you're probably quite mistaken.

People who use Macs are ******** over them because we really dig them. That is all. It typically has little to do with available software or ease of maintenance. I love Macs because the UI seems more suited for me as a computer user. I've been using Windows since back before it was actually an operating system and I've been using Unix (Linux, the BSDs, IRIX, Solaris, and HPUX) in various forms and with various window managers for well over a decade. After using OSX for a week, using the other stuff is relatively clunky enough that it feels like trying to wrestle a banana away from a sugared-up five year old. Except that I have one arm tied behind my back and one foot tied behind my head and a mitten on my free hand. And I can only touch the banana with chopsticks.

(this is where I stop directly addressing Dave)

That said, there are several threads on here where many people (me included) state that the only "right" operating system for building out a studio is one with which the quester is most familiar. Neither one is better. Asking which one is better is like asking whether maple or rosewood makes a better fretboard, or whether my inferiority complex dictates that I should try to impress other bass players with MTD or Sadowsky. There is no right answer, and in the long run the results are going to depend on a whole lot more than which particlar gear you're jocking.

I mean, seriously, give me either OS. Put me up against someone who knows less about recording and production than me and I will produce a better album. Hell, give me Linux or IRIX, I'll still produce a better album than someone who doesn't know proper micing technique, how to mix down a drumset, or how to master. These are the things that you need to be worrying about. Which OS you use matters about as much as whether you get the aluminum case or the blue plastic case with neon. If you don't know what you're doing beyond the DAW software, you're going to fall on your face no matter what.

I mean GEEZ COME ON!
 
#51
Dave Grossman said:
That's the problem. It's not a small thing. It's a huge thing. Macs aren't nearly as keyboard friendly as Windows PCs (or so I've been told). On Windows, you can do a lot with just the keyboard. Being able to keep your hands on the keyboard can be a huge productivity improvement for things like writing and software development.
Click to expand...
Actually the mouse is far more capable than you make it out to be. Keyboard commands, except for things you do constantly, are not so hot. In the time it takes me to remember that "C-x 2 1" closes the other windows on the screen and enter it without going "2 0" (close the current window) instead I could have clicked a close button or two easily. It took me a while to catch on to this fact. Keyboard shortcuts certainly have their place (like a delete key), but are frequently not the best way to go.

(On this topic, can any Mac user enlighten me as to why the home and end keys seem to do nothing in OS X? What are they there for?)
 
#54
msquared said:
Which OS you use matters about as much as whether you get the aluminum case or the blue plastic case with neon. If you don't know what you're doing beyond the DAW software, you're going to fall on your face no matter what.

I mean GEEZ COME ON!
Click to expand...

Which is why i suggested a newer Intel Mac. It runs BOTH OSX and Windows. This way (as I've already said) if you need to run ACID (Win) you can, or Garageband (OSX) you can. Your choice really lies with the software you're going to be using - not the OS.

It's smartest to buy a computer that covers all bases....especially if it's cheaper, AND better made.
 
#55
now that this has degenerated into the inevitable MAC vs PC thread....count me in! haha! to each his own but but i think mac is a waaaaaay more solid platform. the endless virus and security breaches on the pc would seem to bear this out. (and no, it's not security thru obscurity for the mac. the OS is built on a more rock solid kernal and has a certain default configuration that makes it more bulletproof). to be fair to microsoft they are only making half of the equation, the software that is. it makes perfect sense that a mac would be on average more stable. why? the same company makes the hardware and the software, that's why. for those pc users who haven't suffered the various maladies that hit most pc users, well, good for you. my dad's on a pc and he has been fine thankfully too. i am forced to use a pc at work as i work for a company that makes pcs. i also work in IT so i have a close personal connection with the issues that accompany pcs. at home i choose to use a mac.

as for the argument about "using a pc makes you become more technical," or words to that effect, that seems a bit dubious. i consider myself very technical with my mac knowledge as are some of my friends. but that's only because we are geeky and sort of like that kind of thing. though using a pc can *force* you to become more technical than you want since you have to deal with so many issues. ok, rant over.
 
#56
lemur821 said:
Hmm. Are they supposed to move the cursor to the beginning and end of lines in small text boxes (like those for typing file names) and in TextEdit? That's where I tried them. I suppose it's possible that this computer has managed to break.
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You would think that they'd work like they do on a PC. They don't though. I believe they work like CTRL-HOME and CTRL-END on a PC. I think you use CTRL (or whatever that key is called on a mac) and left and right arrows to get the behavior of home and end on a PC. That threw me off too.

- Dave
 

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