Mac Vs PC

Ive been looking for a thread about this but cant find one.

Im thinking strongly about getting a new macbook pro, i have never used a mac before but it looks good from the videos on youtube etc.

Can anyone give me the pros and cons in relation to a Mac VS a PC?

Thanks

FruitLover

Let's have a little clarification - are you talking about the hardware or is this your way of saying 'MacOS vs Windows'?

Yea, sorry should have clarified that a bit better.
Yea, MacOS vs Windows is what im looking for.

Vista has me gone off windows altogether and I hear windows 7 will be just as bad.

Red Alert

Windows 7's a bit better than Vista, but still not good enough for me to buy it. Tell us a little bit about what you intend using the Mac for?

condra

Yeah I've been looking for a discussion on Windows vs OS X everywhere and I just can't find one.

I googled everything from "favourite flavour candy" to "xxx hardcore action", and still no signs of a dissucion on Windows vs OS X. Must just be one of those topics nobody is interested in discussing.

J-blk

Um, if the point is to choose between Mac OS X and Windows, don't you think posting this in the Mac forum will get answers mostly in favor of Mac OS X (though yeah, Windows sucks )?

Cabaal

J-blk wrote: »

Um, if the point is to choose between Mac OS X and Windows, don't you think posting this in the Mac forum will get answers mostly in favor of Mac OS X (though yeah, Windows sucks )?

Agreed, besides OSX beats Windows

J-blk

J-blk wrote: »

Um, if the point is to choose between Mac OS X and Windows, don't you think posting this in the Mac forum will get answers mostly in favor of Mac OS X (though yeah, Windows sucks )?

well i couldnt find a "mac and windows" forum so had to choose one. I thought i might get views swaying towards the mac but to be honest im half way there.

ok, im a mac virgin so what are the key points i need to know, stupid questions like, is it compatible with all software? does it crash like vista? is it difficult to use?

Im going to be using it for pic, videos downloading, bit of gaming, internet all the general things, might install macro media and corel draw etc etc.

J-blk

[quote=[Deleted User];60818912]ok, im a mac virgin so what are the key points i need to know, stupid questions like, is it compatible with all software? does it crash like vista? is it difficult to use?[/QUOTE]

By compatible with all software, I assume you mean Windows software? Well the direct answer is no, it isn't compatible - it is a completely different OS and not all software that exists for Windows exists for OS X. That said, there's plenty of software available for OS X that is way better than its' Windows counterpart. Most of the time, even if you can't find the exact application you are used to on Windows, you'll find an equivalent.

Every OS crashes if you try hard enough . However, nothing crashes as easily as Vista... I also find that in OS X, an individual application may crash but it doesn't typically take down the entire OS with it, as is the case with Windows many times...

It's not difficult to use, many would argue it is far easier to use than most versions of Windows but if that's all you've ever used, then there's a bit of a learning curve. I'd say after a couple of weeks though, you'd be very comfortable with all the basics at least.

[quote=[Deleted User];60818912]Im going to be using it for pic, videos downloading, bit of gaming, internet all the general things, might install macro media and corel draw etc etc.[/QUOTE]

Gaming might be the biggest issue from all those areas but if you didn't already know, these days it's very easy to simply install a version of Windows on your Mac and keep that around for gaming if your prefer or any other application. You can also "virtualize" Windows using software like VMware Fusion or Parallels Desktop but if you want to play games, dual booting may be your best option...

mloc

I use a Windows based desktop and I have a MacBook Pro laptop.

I use Windows 7 on the desktop and Mac OS X (Leopard) on the laptop.

Honestly, I like both. Windows 7 I must say is an improvement over Vista, but still not perfect. OS X seems far more polished and together than any Windows implementation I've used.

I use the laptop mostly for audio visual work and photography. In that regard, Mac OS X is a huge bonus both through available software and general design. I also use it for generic internet use when moving around. For this, it's about as good as a Windows computer.

My desktop I use for just about everything you can use a computer for. I would honestly have difficulty deciding which system I like better, but in terms of OS, I'd give Mac OS X the advantage.

Bluehair

Having switched to Macs a few years ago (we now have 4 of the things in the house! ) I'd say the threes things I prefer are;

Mac OsX is way more stable
The core packages are intuitive to use and beautifully integrated
I spend a helluva lot time doing something productive on the Mac rather than learning how to try and make Windows work.

FruitLover

[quote=[Deleted User];60816995]Yea, MacOS vs Windows is what im looking for.[/QUOTE]

OK, then this begs the further question - why are you restricting your options to MacOS and Windows?

[quote=[Deleted User];60816995]I hear windows 7 will be just as bad.[/QUOTE]

Who did you hear this from? A computer expert who has spent a few months using it daily and stress-testing it? Or just some random punter?

Red Alert

I've a 17" MacBook Pro (older model with ATI graphics) and I can honestly say it's probably the best computer I've ever had. It's now my primary computer for almost everything - including college work, music, internet surfing, photo editing and programming.

Good things about OS X:

• Time Machine backups - i've never stuck with any other backup solution before.
• A lot of common hardware 'just works' - no silly yellow taskbar messages when you put in a memory key
• Software updates are handled much better than in Windows
• Less overall bloat in the operating system and on the desktop.
• Built-in mail and calendaring applications are of very high quality

Passenger

Best thing you can do is to sit down and try a Mac. If you don't know anybody with a Mac go into an 02 or 3G store that have usable Macs on display and play around. Listening to biased opinions from people, especially in a Mac forum might not be the best way to gauge an idea of a Mac or Mac OS.

Hobbes

Ok I haven't used windows 7. But you should probably compare that more to the OSX coming out later in the year.

With regards to Vista. Depending on which version you get it can be absolutly excellent (Vista Ultimate 64bit) to the most annoying crapfest ever (Vista Home edition). I've used both.

However OSX vs Windows. I have to say OSX wins for me. Everything just works, it is simple to use and is intuitive straight off.

I couldn't do it justice. I'd say get one for two weeks. If you still don't like it after that go with Windows or linux.

Dublin_Gunner

Well I use an 8 core Mac Pro for work, but always a PC at home.

Macs (OS-X) are better for the non-tech savvy user - they're harder to break, as you really have to dig down to the nuts and bolts to do any damage.

Vista / Win 7 are close enough to be considered comparable for this discussion. I beta tested both, and currently run Vista Home Basic 64 & Win 7 dual boot.

I am thoroughly convinced that the people who complain about Vista crashing are those that have never really used it all that much. It NEVER crashes on me, whereas I get plenty of app crashes on my fully updated OS-X 10.5.5

PC are more powerful - I dont care what any Mac zealot tries to say, PC's are more powerful. They seem to be able to utilise more of the available computing horsepower a lot better with Windows than with OS-X on the Mac.

Software is pretty much a non-issue, as anything you can get on one, you can arguably get an equivalent on the other.

However, I would have to say that software packages are more complete out of the box on a Windows machine (especially n the design / movie editing arena) these days, as Mac's have this stranglehold over codecs, and Adobe seem to like to release cut-down versions of their software for Macs, and charge more for the priviledge.

However, one big humongus bonus - Final Cut Pro. You just cannot get an equivalent on the PC - though After Effects on the PC is better than the Mac version IMO (back to the power thing here).

There are pro's and cons to both, so I suggest you try a Mac OS-X based machine, and see if you prefer it to your Vista / Win 7 based machine.

If I had my way, most basic office computers would be Macs (for secretaries, general office users), and the high powered stuff would be PC's. This is primarily down to tech support issues - you have to try hard to break OS-X, whereas Windows makes it relatively easy - not the OS's fault, but the user doing something they shouldn't / don't know enough about.

Then there's the cost. Macs are more expensive, end of, by a large margin compared to an equivalently powered PC.

Then there's the whole being able to upgrade. Macs just make it difficult - not impossible, but prohibitive.

You can upgrade pretty much what you like on a PC.

Gaming - yes you can run Windows on a Mac (and vice versa, if you know what you're doing), but for a gamer, you really do want a PC.

Thats my 2c, and all are my opinions, based on my own experience of using both - Designer by day (Mac) gamer / enthusiast by night (Windows).

faceman

I switched to Macs a few years ago. I have had 2 iMacs since then. Its for home use, photos/vids/movies/internet etc

Heres my personal pros and cons:

Pros for Mac
* Unlike Windows, OSX boots up and is ready to use fairly quick
* OSX Programs launch fairly quick compared to the MS equivalent. (E.g. Mail vs Outlook)
* No need to virus checker etc
* It has a hassle free sleep mode so you dont have to keep powering down and rebooting
* its very easy to use and maneouvar compared to windows

Cons:
* Pricey
* There is an issue with the computer occasionally not awaking from Sleep resulting in you having to reboot. Apple have still not fixed this.
* Windows beats OSX in the gaming department
* Um, some people might think you are an elitist nerd?!?!

J-blk

faceman wrote: »

Cons:
* Um, some people might think you are an elitist nerd?!?!

I thought that's a "pro"?

mloc

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

However, one big humongus bonus - Final Cut Pro. You just cannot get an equivalent on the PC

I would also add Logic Studio here.

Sad Professor

I've spent the better part of the last three days providing tech support to my uncle for his Dell and I am currently afraid to turn my phone on in case it's him with another problem. So I'm in a particularly anti-Windows mood right now.

I've used Windows for as long as I've used Macs (since I was about 12) and honestly I just don't understand how anyone can defend Vista. It's a piece of s**t. Sure, Windows has come a long way and it's a helluva lot more stable than it used to be - but it's still completely unintuitive to anyone not already familiar with it and when you encounter a problem you're likely to spend hours trying to fix it. Plus - it's just so f**king annoying!

Anyone who ever took my advice to get a Mac I almost never hear from. When they do encounter a problem I'm usually able to explain to them what to do over the phone or via email. I think Windows is very intimidating to new users in a way that OS X isn't.

Dublin_Gunner

mloc wrote: »

I would also add Logic Studio here.

Ah yes, for some reason I didn't think of that one! Sort of forgot Apple bought them out.....

Hobbes

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

I am thoroughly convinced that the people who complain about Vista crashing are those that have never really used it all that much.

The old "it never crashes for me" Just because you don't have issues doesn't mean someone else has.

I am pretty tech savvy (certainly more then average). VU64 I found great. It worked, it was fast and well laid out. VH32 was horrible.

It wasn't that it crashed (I rarely if ever see blue screens). But for example my laptop at home that has the home edition. when I open the laptop it comes out of sleep mode and the network doesn't work. I can do the following.

1. reboot the machine. Wait 3-4 minutes.

2. Right click diagnose and repair, wait 10 seconds. Click get new IP address, click OK on security popup, wait 20-30 seconds, click on reset network adapter, wait 5-10 seconds, click OK that network is ok.

I have looked for a solution and the only one is to pay for the next version up of the operating system. Screw that.

Hobbes

faceman wrote: »

* Windows beats OSX in the gaming department

This is total FUD to be honest. Define what you mean? There are plenty of games for Mac which are on windows. world of warcraft + City of Heroes are two that I play.

But if you want to go the pricey route you can also run steam games. I've run TF2 source with no problems. Not brill graphics that you get on a straight windows machine but certainly playable.

Failing that you can just bootcamp your machine.

So no I don't believe a Mac is not a gaming machine.

Mac's have this stranglehold over codecs

http://perian.org/

Bam! you can use whatever codec you want.

Dublin_Gunner

Hobbes wrote: »

The old "it never crashes for me" Just because you don't have issues doesn't mean someone else has.

Well, at least its more valid than stating 'Vista crashes all the time' when its the person themselves most likely causing it.

The majority of crashes on Vista machines are either due to user error, hardware errors, or software errors - seriously, little are to do with the OS itself.

One of the main problem with the Windows OS is that it has SO many different programming languages to support, so many different firms developing software, so many different pieces of hardware etc its impossible to be totally compatible with everything.

Because more people have PC's, crashes are heard about more often giving rise to the myth that they're unstable or whatever.

A properly run and maintained PC will not crash unless there is something seriously wrong.

I agree with your hibernation syndrome though, have no idea why that's not fixed by now (is it?? I never use hibernate).

Dublin_Gunner

Hobbes wrote: »

This is total FUD to be honest. Define what you mean? There are plenty of games for Mac which are on windows. world of warcraft + City of Heroes are two that I play.

But if you want to go the pricey route you can also run steam games. I've run TF2 source with no problems. Not brill graphics that you get on a straight windows machine but certainly playable.

Failing that you can just bootcamp your machine.

So no I don't believe a Mac is not a gaming machine.

Apart from the fact you'd have to reboot into a different operating system (i.e. Windows, admitting total fail on the gaming front), and the fact that gaming hardware is provided only by a small number of vendors, and you are charged a fortune for the pleasure of having a tiny amount of the selection available to you.

This is an OSX V Win debate, stating you can bootcamp, is merely promoting Windows.

The amount of games on Mac are slowly increasing, but Win has a 100 times (if not more) larger catalogue to chose from, and support from a tonnes more developers.

Direct 3D on its own is enough to state that Windows based machines are far superior on the gaming front.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Mac - but there are things Windows just does better, simple.

**does Perian allow you to encode in those formats? In fact, iMovie has better support for exporting video than even Premiere.....

Hobbes

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

Apart from the fact you'd have to reboot into a different operating system (i.e. Windows, admitting total fail on the gaming front),

Sorry your wrong. You have a number of ways to play games.
- Straight OSX games (large number of games*)
- VM eg. Parallels makes the windows invisible to end user.
- Crossover (runs EXE native in OSX).
- Bootcamp.

They have varying levels of pros/cons.

* With regards to small selection of Mac games. This isn't true. They just don't sell them in shops here. You can buy online fine. Define huge? How many games do you actually PLAY? I mean if you add MAME to the list then your into 1000's of games for OSX. Doesn't mean it is top of the list.

and the fact that gaming hardware is provided only by a small number of vendors

Graphics card is fine. Actually in WOW I got better graphics then I did on my windows PC and that had top of the range graphics cards (only beat it on throughput in gfx intensive areas).

This is an OSX V Win debate, stating you can bootcamp, is merely promoting Windows.

So you can play OSX games on a windows machine?

**does Perian allow you to encode in those formats?

Well I use Imtoo for encoding, so dunno if Perian does or not. Its ranked as "Klite for OSX" so that has encoding.

Only game I miss from windows (as it doesn't work well in VM) is Guild Wars.

And remember Halo was originally created for the Mac.

Dublin_Gunner

Hobbes wrote: »

Sorry your wrong. You have a number of ways to play games.
- Straight OSX games (large number of games*)
- VM eg. Parallels makes the windows invisible to end user. (still windows)
- Crossover (runs EXE native in OSX).
- Bootcamp. (windows)

They have varying levels of pros/cons.

* With regards to small selection of Mac games. This isn't true. They just don't sell them in shops here. You can buy online fine. Define huge? How many games do you actually PLAY? I mean if you add MAME to the list then your into 1000's of games for OSX. Doesn't mean it is top of the list.

If they're unavailable, that means a smaller selection. And as we're talking gaming, we're talking mainstream, of which OS-X supports few compared to Windows. I never said you couldn't play games on a Mac, but Windows is a much better gaming platform.

Graphics card is fine. Actually in WOW I got better graphics then I did on my windows PC and that had top of the range graphics cards (only beat it on throughput in gfx intensive areas).

ANY graphics card post 2003/4 will run WOW. Exactly how did you get better graphics on your Mac?? The gfx should be pretty ,uch exactly the same, provided you could set them both to the same detail level.

So you can play OSX games on a windows machine?
Yes. OSX games are usually coded in OpenGL or other open platforms. They're just popped into an executable file recognised by the OS. The popular ones are just straight ports of the Win version - apart from DX based games which have to be ported / wrapped in an API that can be used by OSX.

Only game I miss from windows (as it doesn't work well in VM) is Guild Wars.

And remember Halo was originally created for the Mac.

I see you mostly play MMO type games, which are typically not resource intensive, as they are designed to have the maximum penetration to the market, and designed to be played online.

OS-X's main downfall is Microsoft - Direct3D.

Apple could probably licence the use of the API, but I seriously doubt MS would be willing to let it go, as it gives them a HUGE advantage with regards to gaming.

iamhunted

to me the gaming issue is moot - thats not why I have a computer (it is though why I have playstations and xboxes).

I work in IT support for around 400 computers and I have to say the windows machines give a lot more issues than the macs or linux boxes on the network. In saying that, a lot of it *is* 'id10t' errors. If those users were using a different OS would they be reporting as many errors? Ive no idea but I suspect not.

um7y1h83ge06nx

My 2 cents.

I don't know much about Mac OSX but having been using Windows since 3.1, and do some PC repairs outside of my Software Eng. day job.

(My opinion here, not cold hard facts ) I'm adamant that Vista is pretty crap. Both my work and home PCs have XP Pro SP3 installed and that to me is currently the best Windows set-up (haven't checked out Windows 7 though).

As an example of how sh*te Vista is, I'll give one of my repair jobs as an example. A guy rang me to say that after automatic updates were installed in Vista, it went to restart the PC and never booted into Vista again. After taking a look at it I found out that Vista "updated" drivers to older non-Vista compatiable ones including the USB and SATA drivers. The guys laptop had a SATA hard drive. :rolleyes:

The only fair comparison comaprison between Windows and Mac OSX is XP Pro SP3 Vs. Mac OSX.

Hobbes

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

OS-X's main downfall is Microsoft - Direct3D.

OpenGL works fine.

I am not sure how you classify MMO as not resource intensive. Do you play any? When I mentioned WOW I am talking about WOTLK which is resource intensive in the northrend area.

As to why I couldn't get the same quality there is a bug with shadows in Windows version. Switching them on causes flickering and looks bad. Looks perfect on Mac.

The point I was getting across was that Macs are fine for games. If you are that hard core gamer your more likely to go the console route anyway.