strongly considering getting a MAC. help me.

[THAC0]

You could use a PDF printer?

I have this one http://www.novapdf.com/ I paid $20 and ANY program that has a print function I can turn into a PDF.

i was using one of those, but the PDFs it made where huge (file size) it was better to just save the files as PDFs straight from word. The only problem is the imbedding.

About that PDF software: You (THAC0) mentioned that you wrote the text in Word. Word can export PDFs with embedded fonts since Office 2007, so I don't really understand the problem, to be honest.

well honestly, Word seems to be refusing to embed Times New Roman. I am not sure if i am doing something wrong or if it is just word not wanting me to do that. So i figured a MAC would have better, more clear options here.

 

[Something Amyss]

Yes, this does demand an intervention.

But seriously, Dells are shit. That's likely why it crashed hard.

I'd go for a software upgrade over a Mac, but it's your call.

 

[Fishyash]

If you're good with PCs then you shouldn't bother getting a mac.

I think the only reason to get a mac would either be for music (core audio saves quite a bit of hassle IMO, even if you're decent with a PC. Also, Logic.) or if you're a computing layman (well to be honest less than that) and you want to do other artistic endeavours.

 

[Phishfood]

Well, I'm typing this on a macbook pro and I love the thing. It does seem to run ps better than myh higher specced windows desktop, although I have yet to run a true statistical analysis. In general I like the thing better than my PC.

Is it worth the price difference? well, that is subjective. Best thing to do is see if you can find someone who already has one and get your hands on it. Make up your own mind. Having said that, if price is a concern* then just stick with a pc. Theres nothing wrong with those either.

* Money is not a concern for me right now. I am pretty well paid, have no mortgage and no dependants so dropping £4k every 5 years on computer hardware just isn't an issue for me.

 

[evilives34]

all i can say is with mac you paying about 300 bucks just for that logo

 

[SidingWithTheEnemy]

I have a Mac and I use it for work but it doesn't seem that it has that many advantages nowadays.

1) For writing I use Pages or OpenOffice (Word will do too)
2) For GraphicThings I use iPhoto and Gimp (No need for Mac so far)
3) For Homepages I use Joomla! (Still no need thus far)
4) For Movies I use iMovie (This one is really good but if not professional, for professionals use FinalCut or equivalent)
5) For my Presenations (which I use a lot) I use Keynote (which is the best Programm in that area thus far)

So apart from point 5) and maybe 4) there is no real urgency to use a Mac. But it's handy, quite expensive, yes, but handy...

 

[Dieter Meyer]

4) For Movies I use iMovie (This one is really good but if not professional, for professionals use FinalCut or equivalent)


So apart from point 5) and maybe 4) there is no real urgency to use a Mac. But it's handy, quite expensive, yes, but handy...

Actually, Final Cut has been dead for a while, and you will never find any professional who have used it since July. Adobe Premiere is the way to go now, which - also works just as good for PC.

Although, as a Macbook Pro owner I'll admit that they are overpriced, but when you've bought one you definately wont regret it. Using a PC laptop feels like going back to the stone age *flameshields activated*. I'd never buy a desktop mac, though.

 

[SidingWithTheEnemy]

4) For Movies I use iMovie (This one is really good but if not professional, for professionals use FinalCut or equivalent)


So apart from point 5) and maybe 4) there is no real urgency to use a Mac. But it's handy, quite expensive, yes, but handy...

Actually, Final Cut has been dead for a while, and you will never find any professional who have used it since July. Adobe Premiere is the way to go now, which - also works just as good for PC.

Although, as a Macbook Pro owner I'll admit that they are overpriced, but when you've bought one you definately wont regret it. Using a PC laptop feels like going back to the stone age *flameshields activated*. I'd never buy a desktop mac, though.

FinalCut exist(ed) for PC as well, didn't it? Anyway, Premiere is a strong candidate for Moviemaking...

You're quite right about the MacBook Pro, it's a nice piece of hardware but it still has it's flaws...
But for the livingroom an big iMac used as TV as well might be interesting. Still a large TV-Screen and a self-made PC might still be cheeper than one single iMac though

 

[AlphaLackey]

Although, as a Macbook Pro owner I'll admit that they are overpriced, but when you've bought one you definately wont regret it. Using a PC laptop feels like going back to the stone age *flameshields activated*. I'd never buy a desktop mac, though.

I purchased a top end Mac Pro - dual hexacore, 16GB RAM, 27" LED monitor and 1GB solid state drive. Close to $9k. If you upgrade your ram yourself by buying it third party (and there is absolutely no reason not to given how much easier it is to get at the hardware in a Mac desktop) you avoid a lot of the "Apple tax". Nevertheless, I couldn't be happier. I'm sick of buying a "cheap" PC made with parts that have zero quality control, and spending the first five hours having to scrub the system clean of bloatware. Plus, the aluminum is pretty. So sue me.

One technical reason to favor the Mac Pro: If you do computer programming in C++ that requires hard core multi-processor work (i.e. statistical calculations or random simulations), the libraries that Apple has developed that work natively with multi-core processors (Grand Central Dispatch) are far easier to use than OpenMP and outperform it to boot.

Plus, don't forget that every time you upgrade your OS, you recoup $200 of your Apple tax

 

[Speakercone]

A macbook pro costs somewhere in the region of £1200. For that money, I can get a high powered gaming PC with all the software I need.

Unless you absolutely require the mac software over any other alternative, I'd recommend against a mac. They're very good computers, but I personally consider them overpriced for what they are.

 

[evilneko]

There isn't all that much that a Mac can do that Windows can't. PDF and website authoring is not one of those things.

Hell, PCs can run OSX (*cough*Hackintosh*cough*) and Macs can run Windows.

Having had a Mac laptop before, I think I'd agree with the above poster. Mac laptops are pretty nice. Desktop...what's the point.

 

[Dieter Meyer]

FinalCut exist(ed) for PC as well, didn't it? Anyway, Premiere is a strong candidate for Moviemaking...

FinalCut is developed by Apple, and since they are evil(!) it doesnt exist for PC... atleast not legally!

 

[tangoprime]

As an IT Admin at a campus that's 90% apple, all I can tell you is that the quality of the new macs we've gotten has fallen dramatically over the last 2 years. We get them in pretty large numbers (ordered ~35 iMacs and literally a box truck full of Macbooks, 3-4 for each classroom and 3 mobile labs), and a good portion (10% or so) were either DOA, or had serious logic board or hard drive problems within a few months. They also removed firewire on the lower-end devices, which was a serious kick in the balls to IT departments that support apple products.

We went apple years ago for ease of support, and longevity, but lately, even Dell seems to have them beat.

Just thought you'd appreciate input from someone who's not a fanboy and has real-world experience dealing with large numbers and a large array of different apple products on a regular basis.

 

[Nalgas D. Lemur]

IPS displays are also available for PC, but you have to actively seek them out, to keep costs down most PC monitors don't use IPS, you usually have to look for the $500 and up monitors if you want an IPS panel on PC.

Unless prices have gone up for some reason since the last time I checked, you can get a pretty nice 24" one for around $400 if you wait for a sale, but yeah, they're still a lot more expensive than a crappy TN panel. Totally worth it, though.

 

[mjc0961]

Also, using a Mac wont make you any better at making a website, it's the user, not the tool that matters.

Quoting this because it's an extremely important point regarding your desire to make a website.

A Mac will NOT magically make you a better website designer. You need to learn coding languages for that, and if you're going to use a computer to help with that, Windows can Google search for help sites just as easily as Mac OS can. But Macs do not have a magic button that just makes you a great web designer or makes a website for you.

 

[Cowabungaa]

These days there's barely anything worthwhile a Mac computer can do that a Windows based computer can't do.

So yeah, for that purpose you'd be wasting your money. I'd say you'd do that regardless, seeing how ridiculously overpriced they are.

I purchased a top end Mac Pro - dual hexacore, 16GB RAM, 27" LED monitor and 1GB solid state drive. Close to $9k.

Seriously, nine thousand dollars, are you insane?!

Although, as a Macbook Pro owner I'll admit that they are overpriced, but when you've bought one you definately wont regret it. Using a PC laptop feels like going back to the stone age *flameshields activated*. I'd never buy a desktop mac, though.

The Stone Age you say? My ?600,- Windows laptop is more high tech than plenty of the Apple laptops I see on my school.

Macbooks are just laptops, so many people treat them as if they're completely different machines. They're not.

 

[JochemDude]

Mac is elitest, it's better for much more cash.
You use a Mac if you need it for a job in media or artistic branches, otherwise just go with a powerhouse PC, much more bang for the buck.

 

[Tharwen]

But seriously, Dells are shit. That's likely why it crashed hard.

Dell computers are fine as long as you reinstall the OS when you get it. Otherwise you just have to deal with piles of stubborn adware.

 

[SuccessAndBiscuts]

Why on earth wouldn't you want a MAC [http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Magnetic_Accelerator_Cannon]?

He he he.

Seriously though there isn't much I can add to what would likely dissolve into a flame war anywhere else on the internet that hasn't already been said. Save that in my experience as nice, shiny and beginner friendly as Apple machines are, the cost, difficulty of customisation and customer lock-in really puts me off them. Then again I'm a Computer Science student who loves me some open-source goodness.

(Hah, in a few years when I doubtless work for "the man" I will probably think I was a fool and an idealist for holding those views.)

 

[Signa]

Seriously, nine thousand dollars, are you insane?!

Given that it was a Mac, I'd say so.

Let's put that in perspective:
I make $10/hr 40 hours a week
$400/wk x 52 Weeks
$20,000 before taxes

He spent half of my yearly income on one PC

My current PC is a 2 year old i7.
it cost me around $1000. It plays any game of my choice at 1920x1080 with 60FPS
He could have bought 9 top-tier gaming machines and singlehandedly hosted LAN parties.

My car is a '89 Toyota Cressida. I bought it for $1500 used. It's not by any means a brand new car, but you probably would need to spend 5-10x what I did to get a nicer car.
His single PC could have bought my car 6 times.
It would be possible for him to drive a different car to work every day of the work week, and still have an extra car to go buy groceries in on the weekend.