Mac vs PC

[infinitesinewave]

I need some advice. I've had a PC forever but I love the way Mac does things. I have an ipad and an iphone and now I want to complete my setup with a macbook pro. The switch will cost me around $1000 more in software that I've purchased over the years. Is it worth it?

One big reason for wanting to make the switch is MIDI automation. I'm running into compatibility problems with some of my new hardware. Not everyone has drivers for Windows Vista 64. For example, I just purchased the Quneo controller and it's editor does not work in my operating system. I have to restart my computer in XP mode to update the firmware & customize the controller.

It's just another reason that makes me want to give up on PCs.

This is what I was able to do... and it took forever... partly because of MIDI problems with the PC.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmCU7svjXg4

[8O]

Why not just upgrade from Vista to Win 7 for $100 or whatever it is?

Less exciting than completely changing everything and spending thousands of $$$, I know, but maybe better solution for you...

[login]

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/music-co ... ows-7.html

Mac these days doesnt give so much value for your money, for 1000 you could get anb awesome windows system.

[ezelkow1]

You could also just buy a copy of osx and do a hackintosh on your system if its close enough to mac specs. Then you get the best of both worlds, osx for 30$ and you didnt have to spend anything on hardware to get there

[Machinesworking]

Well this board is roughly 50/50 Mac/PC so asking here will give you all kinds of conflicting advice.

The question is what software are you using that costs a $1,000 to switch? A good portion of music software is cross platform and only a few greedy companies make you pay to switch. If it's other software that runs on PC only you can simply instal Boot Camp and run Windows on your Mac when you want to.

Hakintoshes IMO pretty much ruin any advantage OSX has stability wise, you're running an OS on hardware that could be incompatible with an update or upgrade to the OS....

My advice? get a newish macbook or pro used, see if it really does fulfill the problems you're having on PC, and realize that it's going to drive you nuts and make sense to you for a while until you're completely used to it. This is my experience when using Windows anyway. this way if you decide you like Windows better etc. You can still run Windows on it, and it didn't put you out for a brand new computer etc.

[pencilrocket]

If you live near by apple store you will get good customer survice at genius bar until the warranty expired. That's one good thing I can imagine when you get mac. 17.4% of mac mulfunction in 3 years as well as other computer. Be prepared for the malfunction of your $1000+ laptop as well as $500 laptop. http://www.squaretrade.com/htm/pdf/Squa ... y_1109.pdf

Windows performs far better than mac. So it's matter of taste what you expect from them.

[Machinesworking]

Genius Bars are annoying. In Seattle at least there's a privately run chain of Mac Store outlets that have service desks with people who actually know hardware and software problems without the reality distortion field that surrounds Apple stores. These types of stores are often authorized to do warranty repair and a much better environment IMO.
It is smart to buy Apple care, it's expensive, but after three years all laptops are going to have some issue with either the battery or the charger, probably both, so it's worth it. I'm a cheap bastard so I wait until almost the end of the first year to get the extended coverage.

Pecilrocket claims OSX performs worse than Windows because some guy set up a cracked copy of OSX on a home made PC and ran tests with cross platform software like Cubase that's notoriously crappier on OSX. Live performs within 5% on either platform on all the tests I've ever seen done here and other places, so take that for what you will.

...and cue charts, links and dogma from the peanut gallery!

[agent314]

Lifelong PC user here. My production machine is a Win7 desktop.

Recently started using a MacBook Pro for work, and I'm ready to switch.

The two biggest things that I can't get on a PC are being able to hotswap USB MIDI and audio devices, and being able to open, copy, and write files that are currently in use by another program (i.e. duplicate and denoise in RX something I just recorded into Session view in Live).

Beyond that, lots of little things about the OS have tipped the scales for me - standard keyboard shortcuts, minimal bloatware, not having hanging processes after Live crashes, etc.

I'm planning on going the refurb route

[pencilrocket]

Pecilrocket claims OSX performs worse than Windows because some guy set up a cracked copy of OSX on a home made PC and ran tests with cross platform software like Cubase that's notoriously crappier on OSX.

Whatever. At least better than your test environment and more reliable than believing anonymous fanboy posts.

FWIW, you can read those articles 1 to 6.
http://www.dawbench.com/win7-v-osx-1.htm

Windows 8 OS became less resource hungry. Mountain Lion gets dumb. So no room for OSX to win...

[Machinesworking]

and being able to open, copy, and write files that are currently in use by another program (i.e. duplicate and denoise in RX something I just recorded into Session view in Live).

?? Is there some Windows protection scheme that prevents this? That's not good, I'm very used to being able to do this I often edit files without bothering to close Live or DP etc. What happens if you try to?

I was pretty surprised that the Edit button in Live can be used for any audio application, I use it for Metasynth, which isn't a traditional editor. Anyway you could probably set RX to it and get around this limitation that way.

[Machinesworking]

Pecilrocket claims OSX performs worse than Windows because some guy set up a cracked copy of OSX on a home made PC and ran tests with cross platform software like Cubase that's notoriously crappier on OSX.

Whatever. At least better than your test environment and more reliable than believing anonymous fanboy posts.

FWIW, you can read those articles 1 to 6.
http://www.dawbench.com/win7-v-osx-1.htm

Windows 8 OS became less resource hungry. Mountain Lion gets dumb. So no room for OSX to win...

No, it's not. Using a program well known as a resource PIG on OSX rigs the test at the start.
It's been known for years that Cubase has a buffer problem on OSX, any low buffer setting and it gets it's ass handed to it by literally every single other DAW on OSX. Even at higher setting Cubase underperforms compared to DP, Logic etc. This has been an issue for years and years. Cubase also wasn't half as efficient as Logic when Logic was PC, it's not an Apple buyout problem, it's a Cubase problem.
Live on the other hand is a pig equally on both platforms by virtue of it's real time capabilities. When Digital Performer comes out for Windows we'll have an interesting one to test there, but too many variables. (DP Windows may run great because it's a new codebase, it may run badly because it's a new codebase, no way to know)... Live continues to be the most platform agnostic host, so easily the best choice for testing. People running both platforms report similar CPU use, that's about what you would expect. They're both big instals, but in reality CPU's are so fast these days, and both platforms are mature enough to where the OS doesn't really matter.

[doghouse]

I'm a Mac user at home (including an iMac dedictaed for music), Windows/Linux at work.

My advice: get Windows 7. You are already familiar with Windows and if your PC is for music only you can take it off teh netz, remove any software that you won't be using, etc.

I have never really liked Windows and Microsoft in general, but if all you will be running is Live and a few other music apps (editors, etc.) you won't notice too much difference between the OSes.

[3dot...]

just my opinion...
Mac hype does not justify paying double for the same spec computer.
(and Windows can do more than OS X)
you can ge off cheap.. or invest the difference in a decent audio interface
windows7/8 are solid imho

btw don't think compatibility issues are a PC thing... more like a computer thing..
(Cannot install new mac OS X on older non-intel macs)
time carries on.. and so does computer development

[The Carpet Cleaner]

If you plant on working seriously on your music production for the next few years, buy a Mac + extended warranty + external hard drive for automatic delta backup.

If you make music while your WoW server is down, stick with windows.

[3dot...]

If you plant on working seriously on your music production for the next few years, buy a Mac + extended warranty + external hard drive for automatic delta backup.

If you make music while your WoW server is down, stick with windows.

you see... this argument doesn't make sense too much