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

[Cowabungaa]

The Final Cut Pro Studio costs $999 and Adobe Premier Pro Production Premium (the Windows equivalent program bundle) costs $1,699.

Now that difference makes a MacBook worth it's money. Sure a comparable laptop to a MacBook is about 300-400 euros cheaper, but if the program you need is 700 euros more expensive...yeah, not a difficult sum to make.

I wonder though, why the hell are both programs so horribly expensive? Seriously, it's...insane! You can buy a state-of-the-art gaming pPC for that price or some other high-tech toy.

 

[Laughing Man]

Those are my personal experiences.

Also, I'm not the one flaming here. I gave pros and cons for each one, and you took all of the pros for mac and all of the cons for PC and said they're all wrong, suggesting that mac is only bad and PC is only good.

You created a list of pros and cons containing a lot of points that have been highlighted not just by me but quite a few of the respondants in this post as being seriously WTF is that doing there? You provide no qualifer or explanation as to why each point is where it is but think an all encompassing statement about how you use a Mac with Windows automatically means your list is totally impartial.

I listed the points that in my experience I felt where incorrect. I however am not going to use an all encompassing statement in a veiled attempt to make it seem like my thoughts and opinions are totally impartial.

If you are going to create a post like this and then go ahead and list pros and cons provide reasons for why you have placed the items where you have. This adds more weight to your opinions than a single statement of self proclaimed impartially does, it also gives us more of an insight in to what you were thinking when you posted things such as the Mac having 'Exceptional hardware' or being 'One foot ahead'.

 

[Chased]

The Final Cut Pro Studio costs $999 and Adobe Premier Pro Production Premium (the Windows equivalent program bundle) costs $1,699.

Now that difference makes a MacBook worth it's money. Sure a comparable laptop to a MacBook is about 300-400 euros cheaper, but if the program you need is 700 euros more expensive...yeah, not a difficult sum to make.

I wonder though, why the hell are both programs so horribly expensive? Seriously, it's...insane! You can buy a state-of-the-art gaming pPC for that price or some other high-tech toy.

Not only film but also other programs like Rhino and Maya for graphics are just as expensive. What you're essentially doing is buying a license to use the program in addition the actual program itself. I still agree with you though, since the market for this stuff is so exclusive (like Premier Pro dominating Windows and Final Cut being king on Mac) these companies know they have little competition and can over charge.

 

[binvjoh]

I have a custom-built rig running Windows. Couldn't be happier.

I had a Macbook for about a year and I can definitely understand the draw, but after trying both I can surely say I prefer Windows.

 

[quantum mechanic]

Macs are prettier, but I generally prefer Windows OS's because that's what I'm used to and I know how everything works. Similarly, I use PCs for hardware because I'm more familiar with them.

 

[CanHasDIY]

Main machine - modded Gateway dual-booting Win7 and Ubuntu 10
wife's lappy - standard Dell, Win7
Media server - custom built "cloud" setup running a modified version of Ubuntu (what can I say, I like the taste of Debian).

I've even got a couple of custom single purpose machines. (HAM radio controller, homemade CNC controller, etc.) - all PC's running one flavor of Linux or another.

The modded Gateway is definitely the workhorse, as I use it daily for everything from audio production (ASIO drivers only work with Windows) to hardcore gaming... 3 years on and it only BSOD'ed once, because of something stupid I did.

I have always wanted to try a Mac for my audio production, but I'm not spending upwards of $1000-2000 just for the "privilege" of deciding whether or not I would use the damn thing.

Not to mention Apple's draconian user agreements - only a desperate fool would pay twice what the same hardware would cost in a PC, only to be locked out of their equipment because they used it in a way the manufacturer doesn't agree with. Basically, the way I understand Apples EULA, you don't so much own that machine as rent it from Apple. I do admit that I may be misinterpreting the information, but it sure seems that way to me.

 

[6037084]

Self built or more accurately built for me with the parts of my choosing, also macs being technologically ahead is complete bs since a new mac is released once a year or a bit more often but new parts are released much more often and you can be 100% sure that as soon as a new part ( graphics card, processor or whatever) is released someone with a pc's gonna buy it and put it in his computer.

 

[Sentox6]

I have a MacBook, and it serves its purpose well enough.

Still, the best way I can describe it is that I feel like I'm in a padded cell when I use a mac. It's great at protecting people from their own stupidity, but it's frustrating when you know what you're doing.

 

[theriddlen]

I use both mac and my self-made PC.

While PC is better at performance and doing advanced tasks, for browsing web and listening to music i pick mac. Though i PC can do these Mac tasks, while Mac cannot do PC tasks.

Mac myths busted:
-Security: It's system and main browser are the most vulnerable ones on the market. Only thing that "protects" mac is it's little-to-none popularity, as more than 90% of computers are running Windows. Also, both Safari and OSX are constantly the first pieces of software that are broken on hacker contests. Windows is a safe system, with high quality security, but viruses are evolving just as fast as Windows security does, because virtually every cracker in the world tries to find holes in it.

-Stability and reliability: Unluckily not as good as windows 7. Problems with handling external drives, bad java and flash support, generally most programs that have versions both on mac and windows are bit more buggy on mac. Finder sometimes crashes, and it's not possible to bring it back any other way than just restarting mac. Also, while there is no "bluescreen", there is colorful spinning wheel, that is worse, because, if mac freezes, it won't quit by itself and restart gently, you have to push the power button for a long time for it to turn off.

-"Fun": Well, in mac vs pc commercials it's stated that PCs are for spreadsheets, and mac are for fun, but that's a retarded statement, because PCs have games, while all you can do on mac is organize your photos, make website for your goldfish and listen to music.

 

[Boemmel]

I think the "be nice" part of the OP regrettably is already vanished into thin air and since those kind of discussion (especially with this topic) routinely go nowhere (this one included), I will just say my personal universal advice in regards to all OS discussions:

Keep an open mind and try to experience as many different operating systems as you can. Learn from all of them, appreciate their different strenghts. Realize that in the end, they will all find ways to drive you completely mad.

Most people are being reasonable, but some people seem to have a vendetta against Apple. I asked for no bias and to give a good thing (just one even if you list a million bad) but eh... this is as close as it will get.

And you're right, every OS will drive you insane.

Yeah, this will most certainly about as close as it will get and to be honest, that makes me a little sad. I have extensive use knowledge of both Windows and Mac for quite a few generations (dating back to the times when Windows was a shell atop DOS and when Mac OS had a different numbering scheme than 10.X and was not codenamed after cats), dabbled in several different Linux distributions and a whole lot of other operating systems and I now see good and bad points in all of them, which makes all the vendetta statements a bit baffling to me.

Sure, you will have preferences and in the end, most certainly an operating system of choice, which make you feel most comfortable using (hint: I have those too), but the strong convictions some people seem to have about their computers and operating systems kinda irritate me, especially since those do not tend to be very nuanced.

But maybe most of them just do not yet realize that every single operating system will do something incredibly stupid sometime, driving you absolutely crazy. And yes, with experience you can spot those early and know some tricks to work around those issues, but still, every single OS will drive you insane with some irritating idiocy, which will make you curse the day the first transistor was ever created and make you realize that sometimes your computer just messes with you, probably because he hates you, at least it fells that way right now!

*pant, pant*

Uhm, where was I? Oh yeah, raving like a madman about stupid computers

Anyway, let´s see where this thread is going (I remain skeptical), but at least, thanks for agreeing with my "universal computer insanity" observation, I am always perplexed how few seem to realize this, so it is nice to see a kindred spirit in that regard

 

[pezwitch]

PC with Windows because I'm a PC Gamer. Gaming on Mac or Linux is a pain, a major pain, and when I get home from work I want to press the on button and have everything work. Only way I game without having to sit down and fiddle with each game to make it function correctly is if I use a PC running Windows.

In all reality Mac hardware is the same as PC hardware - they use Intel chips, AMD (formerly ATI) or NVidia video cards and use ASUS as one of their manufacturers, so the "Mac has better hardware" arguement is mostly moot.

I do not understand the difference between PC and Self-built in the choices. My self built computer is a PC, and while I like it more than a name brand PC there is really not much difference and which is superior is a personal judgement. I have met people who love their Alienware just as much as I love my white box.

 

[joshthor]

While both have thier place, for what i do pcs are better.

 

[Sir Thomas Sean Connery]

A joke.

Bill Gates is on his honey moon and his wife walks up and says "Now I know why you called it Micro Soft"

Incidentally, I only use PC's with Windows.

 

[Weaver]

A self built computer is still a PC, as is a Macintosh.

Regardless, i chose self built with windows because the largest segment of games on personal computers are designed for the windows operating system.

 

[Dasrufken]

Uh, I chose PC with Windows without realising self-built was an option.

ninja'd


you missed a con for the mac side: Alot more rabid fanboys...

 

[Anarchemitis]

Let's face it: regardless of how capable Macs are or not, Jonathan Ive is an extremely capable dude. A true modern testament to the ideals of Industrial Design. He's definitely set the look for decades to come in the same way Raymond Loewry did for the 50s and 60s.

Simplicity is elegance.

 

[easternflame]

I prefer windows for a couple of reasons. First, mac gets outdated faster, How? Well you see there are still apps for windows xp even some windows 98 and mac, well, my tiger can't run the new iTunes or Skype or safari. Of course I can download whatever the fuck I want because I don't have to worry about viruses.
Also windows is more customizable.
But al this comes to one conclusion. There is no such thing as MAC gaming. I like gaming.
Just an opinion you trolls out there

 

[blarghblarghhhhh]

for the price of some macs I could get a decent laptop and desktop pc.

 

[Faladorian]

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.

Wow... No, Apple is about as closed as it gets, and it is because Apple is not popular. Virus creators want distribution across a wide area and that is best with Windows not OSX. The only reason it is not worth it to create viruses and spyware for Apple is because of that. See this is why I have a problem with Apple fans, they don't really know anything and when they don't know something they make it up.

First of all, this is just a chicken-and-egg argument, so we're going to get nowhere.

Second, you're stereotyping me, which I don't like, and in the wrong group, too. I said I use Windows in my original post.

Apple is about as closed as it gets

That's what I said.

Mac has always been closed-source, meaning its internal files cant easily be edited by applications without special privileges, making it harder to create viruses. It also makes it harder to make custom themes and applications, thus making Mac the less popular option.

 

[roguetrooper96]

I am a little bit biased towards macs, mainly because I have little to no luck with viruses, every time I get a virus on a computer I no longer trust that computer and do not enter any passwords at all onto it. Macs aren't virus free but I am still on the original mac that i've had for 2 years. Most of my windows pc's only last a month

Oh and about captcha, they are meant to be hard to read but you're right about the fact that you shouldn't need a screenshot zoom to make out how many l's and i's are next to eachother.