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Mac or PC?

#21
I'm a big fan of *nix's (Linux, Mac OS X, ...) but will admit that windows XP can be just as reliable if you take care. I have to use XP for some application because some just aren't ported to other OS's. The trick is just keep XP off the internet, and thus get all that other baggage - Security, Anti-virus, Firewall, spyware, ... off the system. My music XP doesn't crash, it boots in 30 seconds. I have no issues using it live. If you need to get on the internet to register software, etc. then setup a dual boot on the PC - one instance of XP for the internet, the other for music only. BTW - do the same for any other OS you're going to use - they all carry extra baggage.
 
#22
Rick_no7 said:
Myth. Decade old Myth. Myth is outdated.
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I beg to differ. My dad uses and has used nothing but Macs in his recording studio since the begining (literally). Hardly EVER crashes. Incredibly rare that it crashes. That is deffinately not a myth, much less an outdated one. At least in our experience. Maybe you just didn't know what you were doing? Any computer can fail in the hands of a nublet.
 
#24
I'd say go with the Mac.

Here's one reason - if you decide to go with a Windows PC, and then you later decide you want to run something from Mac OS X, you are stuck.

If you decide to go with Apple Mac hardware (Macbook Pro is a GREAT! choice), and you later wished you had gone Windows PC, then you just simply have to install Bootcamp and WinXP or Windows Vista. I can personally vouch that both XP & Vista run like scolded dogs on a Macbook Pro.

In other words, the world has changed. Buying a Mac no longer means locking you into one platform or software choice. You really can HAVE IT ALL with a Mac!

Abelton Live on a Mac is as stable as a rock as well. Same for Pro Tools and Logic Pro. Heck, the new Garageband that came out yesterday has lots of the features of Logic Pro now (multitake, etc) making it an even better FREE (it will come with your new Macbook Pro) recording program.

By the way, someone said something about not being able to drag-n-drop from a Mac's "Open" dialog box? What? That's worked since the Classic days. Apple pretty much invented drag-n-drop.

Anyway, I rest my case. Get a Mac, you won't be disappointed. In the event you change your mind after purchase, simple, just Bootcamp it with your choice of Windows OS and you won't have lost your investment. It's a win-win situation!
 
#26
Side note: Vmware has released Fusion.
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As noted before, with virtual machine solutions, not all drivers, hardware, etc may work, and you're not likely to get support from the manufacturer to get them to work.

Still, Apple will never allow OS-X to run on a non-Apple, and dual booting from OS-X to Windows is just inconvenient. I'm hoping fusion does a good job.

For memory try to get a single 2gb (or higher memory module). Don't let them give you two memory modules of 1gb otherwise your upgrade options will be to swap out all your memory.
 
#27
We are running a 4yr old power book, with Logic Pro and it does everything we need including allowing us to record 4 live lines in (now my guitarist uses another software to record live and then ports the recordings into Logic) but I know we have only had two crashes in the 4 years.
 
#31
Except one costs double the price. Guess which one.
Except if you factor in the lost time & lost music when the PC is crashing every other week
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If your PC is crashing every other week, something is wrong with your PC. It's not BECAUSE it's a PC. Just like when a Mac crashes, it's not because it's a Mac, something is just miffed up. I work in IT, I've supported macs (MacOS 6 through X) and PC's. Both platforms crash. Both platforms have problems.

Just because you don't have problems with your Mac/PC doesn't mean nobody else will. I've seen many times at school when a professor is teaching on their OS X Mac and it locks up or they have some random problems and need to reboot. They had to shut down the main recording studio at my college for a couple days because OS X got jacked up and they needed to reinstall (which of course the standard fix for anything on a Mac is to reinstall the OS. Always has been and still is). What? I thought Mac's had no problems?!? Baloney.

I'm not saying "GET A PC" or "MACS SUCK". Either one can work for you. Mac is more expensive. BIG PERIOD. Is it worth the extra cost? For you? That can be debated. The only situation where I'd say flat out to get one or the other is if you're using Pro Tools, GET A MAC.

Another big deciding factor is if you're using a firewire interface. There are a myriad of problems right now with firewire interfaces on both platforms. If you're looking at PC's, you need to be very careful with the firewire chip is in the system you buy (Texas Instruments is best). With Macs, they use Texas Instruments for the firewire, but there are still some problems depending on your interface.

Whatever you get, test the **** out of it before you use it for a gig. I saw a livetronica band just last week that used a laptop, and it crashed in the middle of a song emitting a high pitched EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE over the PA system. Good times. It looked like a Mac but I'm not positive.
 
#32
Lefty Geek said:
OS X is built on top of BSD, not Linux. But thanks for playing!
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My bad. Meant to say Unix. Is there a consolation prize at least?

bassbrock said:
By the way, someone said something about not being able to drag-n-drop from a Mac's "Open" dialog box? What? That's worked since the Classic days. Apple pretty much invented drag-n-drop.
Click to expand...

Again my mistake. I meant the save as dialog box. In Windows I can not only drag and drop from within the open and save as boxes, but I can rename and delete files. I can't even rename files in an open dialog box on OSX unless there's a special shortcut I don't know about. This is a big time saver for me that I always wished OSX had since I constantly have to save and resave files, check past versions, organize them, etc. and this is usually while saving a file. On the other hand, the search function in the open/save as dialog boxes in OSX is great.

As for getting a Macbook Pro, I would suggest just getting a regular Macbook unless you really want the larger screen. With the money you save getting a Macbook, you can upgrade the components and even get a large LCD screen to work from at home. The Pros are nice, but the extra power still seems marginal and other than the larger screen and chassis there doesn't seem to be much benefit. If you're on the go then the size of the Macbook is great.

I'm all in agreement with Hunta. These are all just tools for the job. Treat what you work with well and it will benefit you. And whichever works best for you is what you should use, not necessarily what everyone else uses. Just always be prepared for it to break no matter what, even if they "never do."
 
#33
DumDrummer said:
I beg to differ. My dad uses and has used nothing but Macs in his recording studio since the begining (literally). Hardly EVER crashes. Incredibly rare that it crashes. That is deffinately not a myth, much less an outdated one. At least in our experience. Maybe you just didn't know what you were doing? Any computer can fail in the hands of a nublet.
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? I've always had PC's, and ive never had an issue with crashes either. macs these days are prone to crashes much as pc's are, and the crshes are normally caused by something being wrong with your os. if you know a bit about how to avoid problems, you will reduce crashes to near nil, for both macs and pc's.

you end with 'any computer can fail in the hands of a nublet'. exactly, if you know what you are doing neither platform will be prone to crashing. if you are unsure then both can throw up annoying problems. maybe pc's were, and perhaps still are, a little more susceptable to problems, but they sure as hell dont crash all the time if they are set up correctly!

My home pc is a good few years old, is used all the time on the net and for recording, and never crashes, ever. occasioanlly firefox gets confused but you just close and reopen and it takes you back to where you were exactly, so you lose about 3 seconds of your life :)

I have never seen our studio pc crash in years of using it.

im not anti mac, i think they are great, and I would like to get one oneday, but this constant harping on about pc's being crash monkeys is annoying and incorrect. you just need to know a little about them.
 
#34
hunta said:
Mac is more expensive. BIG PERIOD. Is it worth the extra cost? For you? That can be debated. The only situation where I'd say flat out to get one or the other is if you're using Pro Tools, GET A MAC.
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Lefty Geek said:
Except one costs double the price. Guess which one.
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The whole "Macs are more expensive" argument is getting old. It simply isn't the case anymore.

"Mac" is not more expensive. This has been debated countless times for several years now. Yes, there was a time about a decade ago where Apple Macintosh computers in general were more expensive, but that price gap is pretty much gone now. In fact, most iMacs, Macbooks/Macbook Pros and Mac Pro towers are cheaper than their comparitive Dell, Gateway and HP counterparts. Even the Mac Mini is a great buy, especially now that they contain a Core 2 Duo.

The main reason for the price myth is that Apple generally over-specs their machines. Meaning you get a higher-end, higher quality machine with more software, more connectivity and greater performance. In other words, it's difficult to build-to-order a bare bones Mac, like you can with Dell, HP or Gateway to save a few bucks.

Oh, and if you are a student or employee of any educational institution in the country, you get a decent discount.

American Musical Supply also has a nice stock of Macs. You can get one with their free EZ payment plan. Anything over a thousand is 5 easy payments interest free and no credit check. Very nice!

I maintain that if you buy a Mac, you really can have it all. All options for software are on the table. You will not be left out in the cold!
 
#35
I was a sysadmin for 6 years working for companies like Clear Channel Communications, Duke University and G.E. Financial. I can tell you without a moments hesitation, I will never willingly buy another PC as long as I live. I have been ass-deep in PC hell too many times and even have nightmares about them... When your company has to pay Microsoft $75k a year to have a dedicated telephone tech-support professional on call 24/7, its time to find a new OS...

On the other hand, I have set up a few mac networks for different departments around Duke and have been using macs myself since 1994 and have had a fraction of the headaches. Most people who hate macs are just not experienced on their OS. (which by the way is much easier to wrap your brain around than winders).

Go mac.
 

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