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Why should I jump from Pc to Mac? -Advice please

  • 25-06-2012 3:59pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 214 ✭✭


    Hi there.
    Following the recent demise of my PC i am in the market to purchase a new desktop computer. Both the Dell XPS 8500 and the Imac 21.5" caught my eye. After tons of hours of research into "why switch from windows to mac" etc I am only more confused on what I should get.
    About myself - I am very much into photography. I shot as often as I can and during my time getting into photography I have noticed that the Mac platform was a rather popular choice among the pros, however some had some class pc setups too. I do game, however over recent times I found that it is kind of wasting my life and with going into the Leaving Cert course next year I would like to reduce it vastly. I'm hoping that the fact that the mac has a limited choice of games with help me lol. I will also use the computer for all the basic web browsing, email, word documents, printing etc. I will be using the computer to video edit films and shows of varying length (10 min to an hour and a half) and it is mostly shot in full HD.
    I am also a techy and could build my own PC, but I'm not really up for that right now tbh.
    I have also noticed that the Imac is beyond the refresh date and therefore I'll wait for the new one if I do choose to go with Mac.
    Obviously posting this on the Mac forum will provide Mac biased replies ( maybe not? )

    But what I want to know is why should I switch to the Imac from a windows 7 based machine?
    What are the benefits?

    I have had one PC and 4 laptops so far and the majority of them had a 2-3 year lifespan, and a lot of software problems and hick-ups, that is until windows 7 came out. It is quite stable. (Vista were the worst years of my computing life) :P

    If I invest that much money into a mac system will it prove more reliable and better performance wise? ( I can see that spec to spec pc machines are better value, but if you count the Imac display in it could actually add its value worth?)
    Sorry for all the mumble on above :P
    Hope you can help.

    Cheers
    Spooky1666


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,029 ✭✭✭Colonel Panic


    You won't get biased replies, but these threads always turn sour when someone trolls them saying Macs are overpriced and you should get a PC instead.

    Desktop Macs are more expensive then a PC of equivalent spec and use underclocked mobile parts. I don't especially think they're more reliable than a desktop machine, especially one you build yourself if you know what you're doing.

    OS X isn't any more or less stable than Win7 these days either.

    So only get one if you can afford the price premium and like the software and the hardware. That is literally all you should consider when you are thinking about buying a Mac.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 214 ✭✭Spooky1666


    Sorry, no intentions of sparking any wars.

    Cheers for the reply though!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,029 ✭✭✭Colonel Panic


    Nah, it's not your fault! That's just always what happens.

    To give you more details. I've got a Windows based desktop PC, mostly for games and always will. My day job is developing software using various Microsoft based platforms but I've also owned one or two Macs since 2002 and have used a Mac laptop as my primary machine for the past 6 years.

    I think they're great, but they're just not "better or worse" and really a personal choice. You should try to play with one a bit and see what you think of the software.


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,680 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sad Professor


    I don't have much experience with Windows 7, but I was under the impression that it still requires considerably more maintenance than OS X (which really doesn't need any). Although many switchers continue to carry out maintenance tasks regardless.

    Anyway, if photography and video editing is your thing, I'd say you will be quite happy with a Mac. You'll get a lot of basic consumer software for this bundled with the Mac, such iPhoto and iMovie, which are are very good and easy to use.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,029 ✭✭✭Colonel Panic


    Windows 7 doesn't need much maintenance, if any. But being the more widely used OS means it's an easier target for malware for sure. That's about the only negative it's got vs OS X and is security through (relative) obscurity valid for someone who is tech savvy?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 675 ✭✭✭Dr.Sanchez


    One word... Aperture.

    Should at least impress the OP, being a photo head and all!


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,680 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sad Professor


    Yeah, Aperture is excellent. It can be got a lot cheaper from the App Store now as well.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 214 ✭✭Spooky1666


    Thanks for all the input!
    Yes I'm looking into aperture now, I for the most part I have always been the adobe guy ie. Photoshop and premiere pro.
    Not only because they are really popular but maybe because they are kinda the all round best available on windows.
    But I'm looking into aperture and final cut pro now and they seem pretty sweet additions to work with, maybe even replacing Photoshop :O They're good value too!
    This might just sell me on the mac :P combining it with the sweet display on the Imac as well. ( Got a look at it in the shop there)

    Thanks again for the replies!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 214 ✭✭Spooky1666


    Windows 7 doesn't need much maintenance, if any. But being the more widely used OS means it's an easier target for malware for sure. That's about the only negative it's got vs OS X and is security through (relative) obscurity valid for someone who is tech savvy?

    Yeah that is true, I always took care and the proper maintenance on my old windows PC so I never really had much problems with viruses.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,882 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    Would hackintosh be a better option for you? You can game on windows and use osx for whatever. Forget about maintenance, you know you're well able to handle a computer.

    The iMac looks great, and it works straight away. But you pay for it. And for the same price you could work more efficiently on a windows machine (you're doing video editing, specs are EVERYTHING)

    On Mac you've got Prores 422, a fantastic intermediary codec which could make up for the performance difference almost singlehandedly which on a pc you would have to pay 99$ for a licence to the must better cineform.

    If you're only getting 2-3 years out of a computer I'm a bit worried. I bought my current pc about 4 years ago now and I'm only just replacing it. Having said that I bought a Macbook Air in december.

    You will enjoy the change to osx. It feels cleaner and smoother, and for photography and video it's perfect. But don't under estimate how much power you need to keep that clean and smooth feeling when you're editing HD video and large photographs. The next refresh of iMacs will almost certainly come with retina displays, and be prepared to pay for it. And buying a non-retina version when the lineup is refreshed will leave you feeling like you got the cheap option, which it will still not be compared to windows!

    People often make the mistake of trying to mimic the specs of a mac for a lower price on windows. Try pick a mac, then with the money that would cost, build the best pc. The difference can be really quite huge.

    TL;DR
    Mac is shiny
    Windows will be better at video editing when spending sub 2k on a mac.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,557 ✭✭✭DotOrg


    Spooky1666 wrote: »
    I will be using the computer to video edit films and shows of varying length (10 min to an hour and a half) and it is mostly shot in full HD.

    for the price, the 27" iMac has an amazing display, you'd find it hard to get an equivalent pc display for the same price. for video editing the big screen is beautiful. the new iMac which should be out in july with the latest version of mac osx, should have usb3, so you can store all your huge files on that, and if you choose an sad for the main computer, it will be an amazing experience for editing video and photos


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,913 ✭✭✭JacksonHeightsOwn


    As a mac owner and a previous pc owner I would lean more towards the pc.

    Yes macs look the business, yes they boot up in seconds. But the cold hard fact remains they cost far too much money.

    They don't last much longer than a pc either Imo.

    I'm not knocking apple at all, but do they really warrant the massive difference in price?

    Answer. NO


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,882 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    DotOrg wrote: »
    for the price, the 27" iMac has an amazing display, you'd find it hard to get an equivalent pc display for the same price. for video editing the big screen is beautiful. the new iMac which should be out in july with the latest version of mac osx, should have usb3, so you can store all your huge files on that, and if you choose an sad for the main computer, it will be an amazing experience for editing video and photos

    300 euro catleap 27" 1440p ips monitor. Leaves 1,300 quid to build a better pc than the base 27" iMac. Moot point.

    Usb 3 isn't a valid storage solution. You won't have fast enough transfer speeds to edit HD video. SSDs aren't good for editing video either because of the small capacity. A raid array would be perfect or an ssd for boot and a HDD for storage and editing etc. That can't be done on an iMac...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 486 ✭✭acous


    Usb 3 isn't a valid storage solution. You won't have fast enough transfer speeds to edit HD video. SSDs aren't good for editing video either because of the small capacity. A raid array would be perfect or an ssd for boot and a HDD for storage and editing etc. That can't be done on an iMac...

    What are the read/write speed requirements for editing HD video? I would have assumed a single usb3 drive would be capable, or a usb3 raid enclosure if not. Thunderbolt would be ideal if the peripheral prices weren't astronomical. Final option is the thunderbolt/firewire800 adapter.

    I agree it sucks that apple don't have a reasonably priced and upgradable machine in their lineup, but there are external options these days.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,246 ✭✭✭conor.hogan.2


    Windows 7 and Ubuntu (most solid user friendly linux distro imo), on non mac hardware, are a real alternative to a Mac.

    But if you can afford it a Mac still wins out imo (believe me I have tried looking for alternatives and they are not quite there imo).


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,882 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    Sustained usb 3 write is what about 120MB/s max? I suppose it would be enough for 1080p but not very high bitrate. 4k footage uncompressed is 260MB/s so I suppose 1080 from a not-a-red-camera would be much less. Thunderbolt would be the best bet, but yeah the prices make me want to cry :[.

    Bedtime now but I'll have a look at prices of external usb 3 drives tomorrow. I'm not sure how usb3 performs but the seek times are guaranteed to be pretty bad compared to sata, which doesn't lead to smooth playback in editors regardless of max transfer rate.


  • Moderators, Education Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 35,100 Mod ✭✭✭✭AlmightyCushion


    If you like the Apple displays and are still thinking of sticking with windows then the Dell u2711 is a brilliant monitor. If you have the money and want to go even better check out it's bigger brother the u3011. Price wise the u2711 is probably about €600 and the u3011 is probably about €1000.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 22,048 ✭✭✭✭Snowie


    op i used to use pc all the time got into mac and haven't really look back.

    i find it really intuitive way easier to look after my files and work flow and it suits me more as an OS then windows did...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 214 ✭✭Spooky1666


    Wow, that's a lot of different opinions, as is expected I guess.
    Some might be taking it a tad bit too far with video editing here. 4K? Lol I wish, I only shoot with DSLR's in 1080p, not with any cinematography cameras so I think USB 3.0 will be generally satisfactory ( I tend to shot more towards the 10 min side of things then the hour and a half these days) And if I do end up getting a cinematography camera it probably be two more machine cycles by then. And I have to initially ( sometimes painstakingly) transfer everything over with my SD card reader first. ( About 35 mb/s) I only will use usb 3.0 to transfer the files onto a back up hard drive? Is there another way of doing this process that has eluded me? Also I'd photograph a lot more often than film.
    I very much appreciate you's researching this all up.

    Cheers


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,882 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    If you're not serious about video get the iMac. You will love it, and it will do everything you need and more. Just you're going to need external storage, a usb3 enclosure will do you perfectly for this. 2tb would be plenty. The iMac will handle 1080p dslr footage fairly perfectly, and you can use prores 422 as your intermediary/ delivery, which you can't do on windows.


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  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 16,647 CMod ✭✭✭✭faceman


    OP I use my iMac for similar reasons to you. It literally is the last computer I'll ever buy! I bought mind late 2007 and I still have it running as great today as when I first bought it. I upgraded the RAM 2 years ago which help give it a boost. I don't see myself needing to upgrade for another few years. Unless it breaks!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,965 ✭✭✭GhostInTheRuins


    Regarding aperture, it isn't really too good to be honest. I've used it in the past but wasn't happy with it and I always ended up going back to capture nx2 or photoshop. Nowadays lightroom 4 blows it out of the water.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 214 ✭✭Spooky1666


    In terms of photography I've only used adobe products so far. I might try out aperture if I do get an imac but reading online lightroom still looks much better. For video final cut pro looks very nice. (Not sure about X but I've heard a lot about 7 and seen my friend use it maybe a year back)
    I think I will choose the imac this time round. That's because being tech savvy I want to try out the different os's and systems so I want to give apple and mac os a try this time round. And If I end up not liking it or something there will be a few more opportunities to build a pc in the decades to come :P


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,882 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    FCP X is horrible. just stay away from it. get premiere, it's multiplatform so once you're efficient with it on osx you're ready to go on pc. If you plan on getting seriously into video editing then this would be good because you will find yourself using both mac and pc.

    Did I mention Final cut X is terrible? It's really REALLY bad.

    Lightroom is fantastic, too.

    Enjoy your iMac :D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 214 ✭✭Spooky1666


    FCP X is horrible. just stay away from it. get premiere, it's multiplatform so once you're efficient with it on osx you're ready to go on pc. If you plan on getting seriously into video editing then this would be good because you will find yourself using both mac and pc.

    Did I mention Final cut X is terrible? It's really REALLY bad.

    Lightroom is fantastic, too.

    Enjoy your iMac :D

    Cheers, i hope i will enjoy it,
    Because my laptop just crapped out on me there. I opened it up from sleep mode and was welcomed with a mouse arrow on a black screen. After no response for a few minutes I turned it off and now windows 7 is corrupted and it neither starts up or goes into system repair :( ugh i am so tired of this :l


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 486 ✭✭acous


    Spooky1666 wrote: »
    my laptop just crapped out on me there

    Hmm, I wonder how a new macbook air would handle 1080p editing? If you want to dive into the mac experience, the air is really the epitome in my humble opinion :)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,882 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    acous wrote: »
    Hmm, I wonder how a new macbook air would handle 1080p editing? If you want to dive into the mac experience, the air is really the epitome in my humble opinion :)

    It works but I've only tried iMovie. I wouldn't even attempt to install final cut or preimere on it. Rendering also takes a horrific time, but the ssd helps for really smooth playback and editing.


  • Registered Users Posts: 377 ✭✭irishdude11


    There is no reason to pay double the money for a Mac with the same spec as a PC. The Mac is also limited to a subset of the available software, just about everything runs on windows. Maybe back in the Vista days it might have been viable because Vista was crap but MS did an excellent job on Windows 7.

    The vast majority of peoples time is spent in applications so the operating system is not a big factor these days as all modern consumer operating systems are more than capable of providing a top notch user experience (although ubuntu falls down here now and again due to driver issues and errors that sometimes occur when installing software, and that is why it is still not suitable for the average user imo, it needs another 5-10 years). There really is very little difference in UI among operating systems for the vast majority of tasks, it is ridiculous to let yourself get rode bareback by apple and pay twice the price for the same spec. It always give me a good laugh when I see a macbook in a pc store going for literally twice the price of windows laptops. The apple guys must get a good laugh out of it too, they prob cant believe their luck that there are people out there who will shell out the extra cash for a lower spec.

    I said what needed to be said, thats my one and only post in this thread.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 675 ✭✭✭Dr.Sanchez


    There is no reason to pay double the money for a Mac with the same spec as a PC. The Mac is also limited to a subset of the available software, just about everything runs on windows. Maybe back in the Vista days it might have been viable because Vista was crap but MS did an excellent job on Windows 7.

    The vast majority of peoples time is spent in applications so the operating system is not a big factor these days as all modern consumer operating systems are more than capable of providing a top notch user experience (although ubuntu falls down here now and again due to driver issues and errors that sometimes occur when installing software, and that is why it is still not suitable for the average user imo, it needs another 5-10 years). There really is very little difference in UI among operating systems for the vast majority of tasks, it is ridiculous to let yourself get rode bareback by apple and pay twice the price for the same spec. It always give me a good laugh when I see a macbook in a pc store going for literally twice the price of windows laptops. The apple guys must get a good laugh out of it too, they prob cant believe their luck that there are people out there who will shell out the extra cash for a lower spec.

    I said what needed to be said, thats my one and only post in this thread.

    Let the trolling BEGIN!!


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 214 ✭✭Spooky1666


    Dr.Sanchez wrote: »
    There is no reason to pay double the money for a Mac with the same spec as a PC. The Mac is also limited to a subset of the available software, just about everything runs on windows. Maybe back in the Vista days it might have been viable because Vista was crap but MS did an excellent job on Windows 7.

    The vast majority of peoples time is spent in applications so the operating system is not a big factor these days as all modern consumer operating systems are more than capable of providing a top notch user experience (although ubuntu falls down here now and again due to driver issues and errors that sometimes occur when installing software, and that is why it is still not suitable for the average user imo, it needs another 5-10 years). There really is very little difference in UI among operating systems for the vast majority of tasks, it is ridiculous to let yourself get rode bareback by apple and pay twice the price for the same spec. It always give me a good laugh when I see a macbook in a pc store going for literally twice the price of windows laptops. The apple guys must get a good laugh out of it too, they prob cant believe their luck that there are people out there who will shell out the extra cash for a lower spec.

    I said what needed to be said, thats my one and only post in this thread.

    Let the trolling BEGIN!!

    Lol and it begins :P toshiba were very nice on the phone though. The laptop came with a 2 year standard warrenty so they're having someone come pick it up for repair soon. Its suspected that the hard drive is broken. But after only a year and a half? How unreliable are hard drives, they nearly always cause me problems :P


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,882 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    Spooky1666 wrote: »
    Lol and it begins :P toshiba were very nice on the phone though. The laptop came with a 2 year standard warrenty so they're having someone come pick it up for repair soon. Its suspected that the hard drive is broken. But after only a year and a half? How unreliable are hard drives, they nearly always cause me problems :P

    That happens on laptops a lot when you don't turn them off before bringing them around the place. Including hibernation or sleep mode. The hdd platter will still spin some times, and if you jostle it at the wrong time you can wear down on it or simply break it. They're reliable if you buy a good quality drive and take care of it, but if you get bundled with a cheap one from a supplier and you aren't told how to take care of it.. then it won't be so reliable.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 486 ✭✭acous


    The Mac is also limited to a subset of the available software, just about everything runs on windows.

    I'll bite on this :P it was true once, but not anymore. Adium, Enqueue, Espresso, Fantastical, Garage Band, Pages, Plex, Reeder, Sparrow, Textmate, Things, TotalFinder... all mac exclusives. Mac these days arguably has more high quality software available than windows, partly because the app store incentivises indie development. It also incentivises a steady drip of money from your credit card, but that's another story :)


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 18,505 CMod ✭✭✭✭The Black Oil


    I made the jump in 2007. Something has gone wrong with most of the Apple products I've owned, but stuff breaks. Same with the family PC and my mother had issues with her Dell laptop. I prefer the experience of Mac...it's the little things - updates seem to be less of a pain in the arse, for example. Macbook is almost 5 years old now. The HD failed over Christmas, apart from that and the known issue of the cracked case, I've had no issues with it.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,132 ✭✭✭silvine


    If you're not serious about video get the iMac. You will love it, and it will do everything you need and more. Just you're going to need external storage, a usb3 enclosure will do you perfectly for this. 2tb would be plenty. The iMac will handle 1080p dslr footage fairly perfectly, and you can use prores 422 as your intermediary/ delivery, which you can't do on windows.

    TBH I wouldn't buy an iMac at the moment. They're overdue a refresh. It may or may not happend when Mountain Lion is released later this Summer.

    That said I have an iMac and while it has its quirks, it's great machine. The 27 inch screen is a joy to work on. I can have two open side by side and see everything on the page.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,882 ✭✭✭frozenfrozen


    silvine wrote: »
    TBH I wouldn't buy an iMac at the moment. They're overdue a refresh. It may or may not happend when Mountain Lion is released later this Summer.

    That said I have an iMac and while it has its quirks, it's great machine. The 27 inch screen is a joy to work on. I can have two open side by side and see everything on the page.

    Yeah the refresh was mentioned earlier in the thread by the OP. I'm using a 27 inch screen at the moment on windows and it is really quite fantastic to use. So much more space to play with.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,132 ✭✭✭silvine


    Retina would be an interesting addition to the iMac but I'd say the cost would be far too high for most consumers at present. Anyway, the backlit screen is pretty impressive as it is. The only display that can compare is the Dell Ultrasharp 27 inch.

    The downside to the iMac it can be difficult to upgrade. If you're not happy buying into the Apple ecosystem, and their form of minimalism, Macs can seem overpriced.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,323 ✭✭✭Savman


    We don't need another Mac V PC flame war, but I'll add my voice to this thread for the OP's deliberation. I went to Mac in 2010 and I do not miss Windows and it's software. We still have a small Windows PC that gets daily use but I detest having to use it, it's an absolute chore compared to the joy of an iMac.

    I have an iPhone and some iPods too, so by all means consider me happily brainwashed by the evil Apple empire.

    FWIW I used to recommend Dell exclusively, they had the market sewn up in Celtic Tiger Ireland, I helped a few people order machines from them. Low and behold I had no idea what I was getting myself in for, the phone would ring non-stop every time some stupid error message came up or the buggy software crashed. Never again will I recommend to family or friends to buy a Windows unit, life is too short IMHO. Mac can have their grumpy days too, but from top to bottom the platform is far more stable and less prone to trouble, from what I have witnessed personally.

    The same is true in many industries: "buy cheap, buy twice" - I can testify to this.

    But if you like your Runtime errors and blue screen of death, it's your money.

    A well maintained Windows PC can and will last years, but will need regular TLC, disk defrags, Spyware scans, Adware scans, the list goes on. Most of the problems do come from negligence, the typical PC end user could care less about performing these inane tasks but they are essential to the lifespan of any PC.


  • Registered Users Posts: 387 ✭✭gimme5minutes


    Savman wrote: »
    We don't need another Mac V PC flame war, but I'll add my voice to this thread for the OP's deliberation. I went to Mac in 2010 and I do not miss Windows and it's software. We still have a small Windows PC that gets daily use but I detest having to use it, it's an absolute chore compared to the joy of an iMac.

    I have an iPhone and some iPods too, so by all means consider me happily brainwashed by the evil Apple empire.

    FWIW I used to recommend Dell exclusively, they had the market sewn up in Celtic Tiger Ireland, I helped a few people order machines from them. Low and behold I had no idea what I was getting myself in for, the phone would ring non-stop every time some stupid error message came up or the buggy software crashed. Never again will I recommend to family or friends to buy a Windows unit, life is too short IMHO. Mac can have their grumpy days too, but from top to bottom the platform is far more stable and less prone to trouble, from what I have witnessed personally.

    The same is true in many industries: "buy cheap, buy twice" - I can testify to this.

    But if you like your Runtime errors and blue screen of death, it's your money.

    A well maintained Windows PC can and will last years, but will need regular TLC, disk defrags, Spyware scans, Adware scans, the list goes on. Most of the problems do come from negligence, the typical PC end user could care less about performing these inane tasks but they are essential to the lifespan of any PC.

    Why do people keep using XP/Vista as a comparison for PCs vs other platforms. The 'blue screen of death' does not happen in windows 7. You don't need 'regular disk defrags' with windows 7. Just put a free antivirus on it which takes one minute and thats it, you don't have to do anything else. It doesn't slow down after months of use, let along years. So the list doesn't go on. The only crashes that happen are when a program hangs due to its own bad code, firefox being a good example.

    XP is over 10 years old and Vista was a dud, even the most ardent MS fanboy will admit to that. But W7 is excellent, although unfortunately W8 could be another dud from Ive been hearing. But as things stand W7 is a top notch OS and imo it is crazy to pay way more cash to get a much worse spec, with the only benefit being that you don't have to use the Windows OS - when in fact the Windows OS is currently very very good and no longer suffers from any of the problems that former Windows users complain about.

    Its the same with linux/ubuntu people, all the negative points they bring up about Windows are the same ones that Mac people bring up and relate to XP and Vista.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 8,323 ✭✭✭Savman


    Why do people keep using XP/Vista as a comparison for PCs vs other platforms. The 'blue screen of death' does not happen in windows 7. You don't need 'regular disk defrags' with windows 7. Just put a free antivirus on it which takes one minute and thats it, you don't have to do anything else. It doesn't slow down after months of use, let along years. So the list doesn't go on. The only crashes that happen are when a program hangs due to its own bad code, firefox being a good example.

    XP is over 10 years old and Vista was a dud, even the most ardent MS fanboy will admit to that. But W7 is excellent, although unfortunately W8 could be another dud from Ive been hearing. But as things stand W7 is a top notch OS and imo it is crazy to pay way more cash to get a much worse spec, with the only benefit being that you don't have to use the Windows OS - when in fact the Windows OS is currently very very good and no longer suffers from any of the problems that former Windows users complain about.

    Its the same with linux/ubuntu people, all the negative points they bring up about Windows are the same ones that Mac people bring up and relate to XP and Vista.
    I appreciate that they may have ironed out the problems, I've no experience of the current line of Windows PCs. But where a user has bad experience in the past there will always be a reluctance to touch them with a barge pole. The problems with the older Windows software is almost legendary, much like the bogey electronics on Renaults tbh. I still maintain the opinion that the Mac is a superior machine and better long term investment, even moreso if working with jpegs, video or audio.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,309 ✭✭✭T-K-O


    I made that same move a few years back.. I love my iMac it is a wonderful machine.. I have an iPhone iPad apple the products just work..

    However I work in I.T and this is where I have a problem, running certain program's on a mac is a nightmare..

    Also I have a 27 inch mac monitor currently I use it as a second display, however try hook that monitor up to a pc and it's gonna cost you..

    Mac sells itself as the open version of Microsoft that couldn't be further from the truth, you can do with apple products exactly what they allow you to... That has become very frustrating .


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  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 898 ✭✭✭Liameter


    The vast majority of peoples time is spent in applications so the operating system is not a big factor these days

    You are overlooking the integration between applications that OSX provides. The ease with which an image in iPhoto can be located and copied into "Pages" or "Mail", etc. The way the spell checker works in all applications. The way that other applications can work in the background in all applications (such as "TypeIt4Me"). The way that a paragraph from an app can be copied into another app (for example, "TextEdit") and maintain its formatting (e.g. Arial 14pt bold red).

    For the record, I use an ancient G4 tower and a brand new shiny "Hackintosh" because I like to be able to open up my box to swap Hard Drives, memory, DVD drive etc. In this respect, I really hate the iMac concept. I like software integration but not hardware integration.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,399 ✭✭✭✭dulpit


    Savman wrote: »
    A well maintained Windows PC can and will last years, but will need regular TLC, disk defrags, Spyware scans, Adware scans, the list goes on. Most of the problems do come from negligence, the typical PC end user could care less about performing these inane tasks but they are essential to the lifespan of any PC.
    Nope. My parents have the same windows PC for maybe 7 or 8 years, and it is dying now because of the hardware crapping out. They have never run a defrag, they might run the odd anti-virus scan (if they get a pop-up) and that's it.. And that's using Windows XP...


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 214 ✭✭Spooky1666


    Great this thread turned into a mac vs pc war anyways. Thanks to all the people who replied nicely with an answer and advice to my query. Cheers :)


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Entertainment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 22,680 CMod ✭✭✭✭Sad Professor


    Alright, I'm going to lock this now. These Mac vs PC threads are pointless and it was not the OP's intention to ignite one.

    Hopefully you got your answer, Spooky. If you have any other questions feel free to start a thread. Although, as you've probably learned, it's best to avoid combinations of the words "PC", "Mac" and "why" in the thread title. :D

    Locked.


This discussion has been closed.
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