Poll: Mac versus PC: Let's be nice about it

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Wicky_42

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Mister Eff said:
Wicky_42 said:
Mister Eff said:
Wicky_42 said:
Mister Eff said:
I like both. I just got a new top of the range Macbook Pro and I'm loving that more than the Windows 7 computer I had however. I'm a film student, so I need to use it for editing etc, which is one area where Macs dominate.
I DON'T GET IT! People keep saying this without ANY evidence being quoted EVER :/ There's no way a Macbook can perform as well as a decent PC - I mean, those things start at £1000; you can easily build a decent rig for that, one with more than 4Gb of RAM and all that good stuff you need for processing large video files.

Is it the software? Cos both platforms have decent software, and personally I prefer the Adobe suite, so what is it about Macs that make them "soooo much better" for video editing and other creative pursuits? Where's the evidence?!
Calm down buddy. It's just the fact that you can't get some of the editing software (Such as Final Cut Pro/Studio etc) on PCs and those are the top for video editing.
I had a go on Final Cut Pro earlier - it pales in comparison to Adobe Premiere Pro, lacking so many of the image and animation controls so easily accessible in Premiere. Plus, After Effects; it's Photoshop for videos! So again, it's just the software that makes Macs dominate PCs? Are you sure about that?
Point well made man. I've tried both as well and I prefer Final Cut and Macs. And you can't Deny that Macs are used more for editing etc though.
Doesn't make them better, just that there's a stereotype about the hardware in the industry that's largely irrelevant these days. It's like saying Windows 'dominates' Macs at word processing because of Office - there's alternatives not just for the other platform but multiple other choices on both of them, it's just that the majority people are used to working a certain way on certain hardware with certain software, so why change? It's when you turn around and say, 'I've been using a Mac all my life, but I wanted to write an essay so a bought a PC' that things are ridiculous. That was where my incredulity stemmed from back in the first response. I think it still stands, really, but if you really want to use Final Cut more power to you. I hope the £1000-£1600 laptop was worth it :/
 

Nemesis729

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Self built pc is the way to go for me, first off im a gamer, so mac is really not an option, Second I really hate mac for overpricing their products so unbelievably much, I hate how people think that they are virus proof, Theres a reason there are no viruses for them, until recently no one cared enough about them to make viruses for them, Give it a few years and theyll have just as many problems, I think the single thing macs have over pcs are the touchpads on laptops... those are much better
 

Flac00

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Exterminas said:
Uh. This question is pointless unless you ask what you want to do with the bloody thing. Do you want to work? To you want to work whily moving? Want gaming? Want both?

Want to use a mac for gaming? Have fun. PC-Gaming already suffers from poor console-ports, not being able to play many games is certainly not a selling point for me.

If there was a objective way of deterimnate which product is best, then there wouldn't be two products.
For the gaming part it is negated by the fact that macs can run Windows natively. So yes, macs can run all the games that windows does.
 

pliusmannn

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i prefer windows more, actually im starting to like Linux the most, but now windows is just cheap enough and good enough for me
 

Mister Eff

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Wicky_42 said:
Mister Eff said:
Wicky_42 said:
Mister Eff said:
Wicky_42 said:
Mister Eff said:
I like both. I just got a new top of the range Macbook Pro and I'm loving that more than the Windows 7 computer I had however. I'm a film student, so I need to use it for editing etc, which is one area where Macs dominate.
I DON'T GET IT! People keep saying this without ANY evidence being quoted EVER :/ There's no way a Macbook can perform as well as a decent PC - I mean, those things start at £1000; you can easily build a decent rig for that, one with more than 4Gb of RAM and all that good stuff you need for processing large video files.

Is it the software? Cos both platforms have decent software, and personally I prefer the Adobe suite, so what is it about Macs that make them "soooo much better" for video editing and other creative pursuits? Where's the evidence?!
Calm down buddy. It's just the fact that you can't get some of the editing software (Such as Final Cut Pro/Studio etc) on PCs and those are the top for video editing.
I had a go on Final Cut Pro earlier - it pales in comparison to Adobe Premiere Pro, lacking so many of the image and animation controls so easily accessible in Premiere. Plus, After Effects; it's Photoshop for videos! So again, it's just the software that makes Macs dominate PCs? Are you sure about that?
Point well made man. I've tried both as well and I prefer Final Cut and Macs. And you can't Deny that Macs are used more for editing etc though.
Doesn't make them better, just that there's a stereotype about the hardware in the industry that's largely irrelevant these days. It's like saying Windows 'dominates' Macs at word processing because of Office - there's alternatives not just for the other platform but multiple other choices on both of them, it's just that the majority people are used to working a certain way on certain hardware with certain software, so why change? It's when you turn around and say, 'I've been using a Mac all my life, but I wanted to write an essay so a bought a PC' that things are ridiculous. That was where my incredulity stemmed from back in the first response. I think it still stands, really, but if you really want to use Final Cut more power to you. I hope the £1000-£1600 laptop was worth it :/
You can get Microsoft Office itself for Mac btw. And the laptop cost me nothing. I got it free with my Disabled Student Allowance. Worth every damn penny ;)
 

Flac00

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DuctTapeJedi said:
I've got one of each. My parents got me a PC when I graduated high school, but it had tons of issues from the start, and is now essentially, a paper-weight.

I bought the Mac I'm typing this on second hand from a friend about a year ago, and have yet to have any real issues with it aside from losing the ability for PC gaming. (I got an Xbox, so it's not a big deal)
You tried bootcamp? It helps a lot. I can't run it on my mac since it is a G5 (non intel core), so no boot for me.
 

dakorok

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THEY'RE BOTH PCs. PC STANDS FOR PERSONAL COMPUTER.
[/rage]
Seriously, that's my largest pet peeve about these threads.

On topic, I've grown up with Windows, so I'm attuned to its quirks. I've used Macs before, and I can see their use for graphic design. However, as a PC gamer, I think I'll stick to my Windows rig.
 

DuctTapeJedi

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Flac00 said:
DuctTapeJedi said:
I've got one of each. My parents got me a PC when I graduated high school, but it had tons of issues from the start, and is now essentially, a paper-weight.

I bought the Mac I'm typing this on second hand from a friend about a year ago, and have yet to have any real issues with it aside from losing the ability for PC gaming. (I got an Xbox, so it's not a big deal)
You tried bootcamp? It helps a lot. I can't run it on my mac since it is a G5 (non intel core), so no boot for me.
Nah, I'm not really good with computers.
 

motyr

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I was a long-time PC user, and only dabbled on a Mac here and there for a course I took a few years back in high school. Since then I've gone to university for music and have developed a fondness for photography and videography. I think it goes without saying that my latest computer is a 27" iMac, which was purchased in September of 2010. Let me tell you, the thing is sweet - but, that being said, I don't game on a computer. If anyone had a passion for PC gaming, well the choice is obvious, you need a PC. But for what I use it for, Mac is great. It's beyond great - it's perfect. The only thing that is a mild annoyance to me is that the Mac OS is obviously not as tweak-able as Windows. I won't be able to tweak the OS to get the computer to run faster, for example, or at least, I wouldn't be able to within my abilities with computers. I love my Mac. I love how it's constructed, how it looks, how it feels. There's no way I would give this machine up for an equivalent Windows machine - not even a Windows machine worth the same amount as what I paid for my baby Mac.
 

Wicky_42

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Mister Eff said:
Wicky_42 said:
Mister Eff said:
Wicky_42 said:
Mister Eff said:
Wicky_42 said:
Mister Eff said:
I like both. I just got a new top of the range Macbook Pro and I'm loving that more than the Windows 7 computer I had however. I'm a film student, so I need to use it for editing etc, which is one area where Macs dominate.
I DON'T GET IT! People keep saying this without ANY evidence being quoted EVER :/ There's no way a Macbook can perform as well as a decent PC - I mean, those things start at £1000; you can easily build a decent rig for that, one with more than 4Gb of RAM and all that good stuff you need for processing large video files.

Is it the software? Cos both platforms have decent software, and personally I prefer the Adobe suite, so what is it about Macs that make them "soooo much better" for video editing and other creative pursuits? Where's the evidence?!
Calm down buddy. It's just the fact that you can't get some of the editing software (Such as Final Cut Pro/Studio etc) on PCs and those are the top for video editing.
I had a go on Final Cut Pro earlier - it pales in comparison to Adobe Premiere Pro, lacking so many of the image and animation controls so easily accessible in Premiere. Plus, After Effects; it's Photoshop for videos! So again, it's just the software that makes Macs dominate PCs? Are you sure about that?
Point well made man. I've tried both as well and I prefer Final Cut and Macs. And you can't Deny that Macs are used more for editing etc though.
Doesn't make them better, just that there's a stereotype about the hardware in the industry that's largely irrelevant these days. It's like saying Windows 'dominates' Macs at word processing because of Office - there's alternatives not just for the other platform but multiple other choices on both of them, it's just that the majority people are used to working a certain way on certain hardware with certain software, so why change? It's when you turn around and say, 'I've been using a Mac all my life, but I wanted to write an essay so a bought a PC' that things are ridiculous. That was where my incredulity stemmed from back in the first response. I think it still stands, really, but if you really want to use Final Cut more power to you. I hope the £1000-£1600 laptop was worth it :/
You can get Microsoft Office itself for Mac btw. And the laptop cost me nothing. I got it free with my Disabled Student Allowance. Worth every damn penny ;)
That's kinda my point ;)

Well, grats on the free shiney laptop. That's fair enough, lol.
 

Smooth Operator

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OP: You seem to be mixing hardware and software, while Apple likes to tell you it's all the same there is quite a difference.

PC's can range in hardware however you want them, Mac's do not (but they are aimed at the customer that doesn't want to know so it's alright with me).
As for software you can get any OS on any platform, altho Macs tend to be iffy because Apple doesn't want you to desecrate their pwety machines!

On the whole I view it as Mac for the casual user(my grandma, mom, sisters,...) and PC for the hardcore users who are tech savvy(if you aren't it's really a steep hill to climb).
I don't care much for Mac's because they are extremely limiting (hardware and software), you even haveto double-check if extra hardware will work with them.
 

Cowabungaa

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Let it be clear once and for all:

[HEADING=1]Macs are extremely expensive, branded and pre-built PC's with a different OS.[/HEADING]
There. People have fallen for Apple's marketing for ages, it's quite insane really. They ask insane amounts of money for something that many companies do (and often also ask lots of money for, none so insanely much as Apple) with one twist; they add their own OS.

And that's exactly where the real comparison can be made, between the OS's. Underneath the hood a Mac isn't better or worse than a Windows PC running the same specs. They both have the same guts. You can't just do a Macs vs PC's, it just makes no sense.
Faladorian said:
Mac:
---Pros---

*Exceptional hardware
*Innovative design
*One foot ahead
(technologically)

*Aesthetics
*Master of nanotechnology
*Low virus charter
*Strong, outlasting shells
Where do the bolded ones come from? Exceptional hardware that's one foot ahead? They only offer 5-series Radeon graphics cards on their iMacs! They call NVIDIA's intergrated 320M graphical chip, which they use in the MacBook, cutting edge and praise like it's the best thing evah. A quick browse reveals Windows laptops of the same price with; i7 or i5 Intel CPU's, a dedicated and sometimes high-end graphical card, a lot more harddrive space and a way higher screen resolution. I've even found a laptop half the price of a MacBook that's more powerful in many regards.

As for the shell, I bet a Mac's shell is pretty good, but that's not a pro over a PC. You can build a PC with any shell you like, extremely good ones or cheaper ones. Aesthetics isn't a clear pro either. I for one don't like my tech to be white.

And the master of nanotechnology? Where did that come from?

As for your PC cons:
---Cons---
*Viruses, viruses, viruses!
*Frequent errors and crashes
*Obnoxious security system (Windows 7)
*Vulnerable (non-isolated) core
files
*Comparatively fragile hardware
*Tendency to overheat
First and foremost, with a few simple measures a PC isn't more unsafe than any Mac, especially nowadays now that it's "low virus charter" argument is loosing ground; Macs are becoming more popular and thus a more tasty target for viruses.

The hardware isn't per definition more fragile either, hell as I said before, under the hood Macs are PC's. As for the outer skin, that all depends on what you buy. Same counts for the tendency to overheat. I've heard about Macs overheating too, especially their notebooks. I've worked with Windows PC's all my life and none I ever used has overheated.

Now, mind you, I have nothing against Macs and MacBooks as machines. I'd love to try one out myself and I'm quite curious to OSX. However, I can't ignore the fact that they're extremely expensive, and what you usually get for those hundreds of extra euros is, well, barely anything that offers a clear, technical advantage over a wide variety of Windows-operated machines. It mostly comes down to things like useability and prettiness, and that's often very subjective.

That's why this comparison makes so little sense, what I put into big letters at the top of my post; there's a pletora of different Windows operated computers out there. You can't just do a "PC vs Mac", what PC would you compare a Mac (which essentially is a PC) with?
Some of the technology Apple puts into their products is pretty amazing. The evolution of the iPod is a proper example.
You should explain that one because I'm not seeing it at all. What I'm seeing is minor technical improvements, often related to size and design, being hyped up and sold for a lot of money.
PCs tend to lack that sort of fancy new-technology feel, and are much cheaper as a result, but simply less flashy or impressive.
And again, it makes no sense to say that. There's a plethora of PC's you can choose from. I've seen laptops that use fingerprint identification locks, laptops with secondary displays you can slide out of the main display, that sort of thing. Extreme examples of course, but it all depends on what you buy.

That said, a large part of the 'fancy new-technology feel' Apple offers is bogus. It's their design that makes it appear as such, but under the hood they're not all that woopy-doo. Apple does that very well, strike you in the gut, makes you feel something. A very clever business strategy that lets them rip people off for years and probably years to come. It makes me very very sad.
Flac00 said:
With an unlimited budget, the mac is the best computer, period. But, because of budget issues most people aren't willing to go mac. Still, the best gaming computer has got to be the Mac Pro, which is already a beast before any upgrades. It has 16 cores!!!
Nonsense. First of all, and I got this from the Mac website, the best Mac Pro has 12 cores. Now mind you, this is absolutely worthless for gaming. Even 6 cores is overdoing it nowadays. Second, with that same Mac Pro you get a ATI Radeon HD 5770, a decent, mid-segment gaming graphical card. Just one of them, mind you

And what does this computer cost you? Almost five-thousand euros. That, sir, is absolutely laughable. Compare it with this [http://computers.toptenreviews.com/gaming/cyberpower/cyperpower-pc-black-pearl-review.html] computer, and even that is already over-priced and not as optimised as it could be (a lot of pre-built systems are like that as a lot of manufacturers are guilty of what Apple does), yet it's still a lot better suited for gaming than that Mac Pro for about a fifth of the price; two graphical cards both a lot more advanced than the one Mac is offering, a way faster CPU, etc etc. Laughable.

I bet they're fine machines, but the best gaming computer? Especially for that price? No way in hell.
 

ShakyFiend

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Kinda interesting thing about this poll; one hell of a lot of people build their own pc's, just under half, thats pretty damn impressive. Anyone willing to give a completely clueless guy help getting started with a desktop build?
 

Smooth Operator

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TheTaco007 said:
Let's put it this way:

MACs are for doing professional work, like digital graphic design, and programming and stuff like that. They're built to create things, and be serious tools for working.
PCs are for having fun, playing games, and making mods of things.

Neither one is "better" they just focus on different things. It's a preference, and it'd be wrong to state one's preference/opinion as fact.
Not quite, PC focuses on nothing, it is a clean slate which you use how you want (crime, work or fun).
Macs come with out of the box usability, but a limited use, tho the people who buy them don't really care.
 

Sendura

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PC plz.

I was educated in ICT using windows and I steer clear of Mac computers because I have no idea how they work. I can't stand one-button mouses either.
 

Flac00

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DuctTapeJedi said:
Flac00 said:
DuctTapeJedi said:
I've got one of each. My parents got me a PC when I graduated high school, but it had tons of issues from the start, and is now essentially, a paper-weight.

I bought the Mac I'm typing this on second hand from a friend about a year ago, and have yet to have any real issues with it aside from losing the ability for PC gaming. (I got an Xbox, so it's not a big deal)
You tried bootcamp? It helps a lot. I can't run it on my mac since it is a G5 (non intel core), so no boot for me.
Nah, I'm not really good with computers.
Just look it up on the apple website. They tell you how to do it.
 

Chased

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Wicky_42 said:
I'm going on a hunch and saying you are not pursuing a career in film and have used Final Cut Pro and compared it to your personal experience of using Sony Vegas or Premier Pro.

I also got a Macbook Pro for Soundtrack and Final Cut for film. Final Cut Pro is the leading industry standard for film editing for multiple reasons: it's seamless in use, has extremely powerful capabilities, and it's an incredible reliable program. The Final Cut Pro Studio costs $999 and Adobe Premier Pro Production Premium (the Windows equivalent program bundle) costs $1,699.

Also when going to reach higher education in this field, most Universities and Colleges use Final Cut Pro as well as the majority of film studios. It's crucial to learn how to use the tools that are currently being used in this industry so when you go to get X job you got your shit together.

Here's some major films edited in Final Cut.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Cut_Pro#Major_films_edited_with_Final_Cut_Pro
* The Rules of Attraction (2002)[6]
* Full Frontal (2002)[6]
* The Ring (2002)
* Cold Mountain (2003) (Academy Award nominee for Best Editing ? Walter Murch)[6]
* Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
* Open Water (2003)
* Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
* The Ladykillers (2004)
* Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
* Super Size Me (2004)
* Corpse Bride (2005)
* Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story (2005)
* Happy Endings (2005)
* Jarhead (2005)
* Little Manhattan (2005)
* Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005)
* 300 (2007)[6]
* Black Snake Moan (2006)
* Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
* Happy Feet (2006)
* Zodiac (2007)
* The Simpsons Movie (2007)
* No Country for Old Men (2007) (Academy Award nominee for Best Editing ? Roderick Jaynes)
* Reign Over Me (2007)
* Youth Without Youth (2007)
* Balls of Fury (2007)
* Enchanted (2007)
* Traitor (2008)
* Burn After Reading (2008)
* The X-Files: I Want to Believe (2008)
* The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
* X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)
* (500) Days of Summer (2009)
* Where the Wild Things Are (2009)[6]
* A Serious Man (2009)
* Tetro (2009)
* Eat, Pray, Love (2010)
* The Social Network (2010)
* True Grit (2010)
* I Am... World Tour (2010)

Just my two cents.
 

Quesa

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ShakyFiend said:
Kinda interesting thing about this poll; one hell of a lot of people build their own pc's, just under half, thats pretty damn impressive. Anyone willing to give a completely clueless guy help getting started with a desktop build?
http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af150/The_FalconO6/CurrentLogicalPCBuyingGuide/Guide.png

Pick the row that fits your budget (as noted by the ***, if you can afford the high end stuff, wait until the problems with the Sandy Bridge motherboards are ironed out in two months, that sort of delay is uncommon but it's what's happening now), buy the stuff, plug it in and boot it up. There isn't much more than that.*

Three years ago when my wife gave me the pc of my choosing for a wedding gift, I picked out the items in a similar fashion from Newegg.com (God bless Newegg), put it together and haven't had a problem since (other than the fact that I put waay too much power in a cheaper case and thus can't keep the lid on it). If you have a question about how to plug the video card in, I guarantee if you search for video card installation on youtube there'll be a video that calms your fears.

*Well, and the OS, hah.
 

Faladorian

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Nemesis729 said:
Self built pc is the way to go for me, first off im a gamer, so mac is really not an option, Second I really hate mac for overpricing their products so unbelievably much, I hate how people think that they are virus proof, Theres a reason there are no viruses for them, until recently no one cared enough about them to make viruses for them, Give it a few years and theyll have just as many problems, I think the single thing macs have over pcs are the touchpads on laptops... those are much better
Well, there are less viruses. And it's not only because they're less popular, it's also not an open-source operating system, so making viruses is more difficult and not really worth it.