Should I switch from Mac to PC?

OSX Guy · Post by **OSX Guy** » Thu May 01, 2003 8:16 pm

The truth I believe is that the Mac OS X platform is the best and all the audio apps will eventually catch up...so if you're using X you're ahead of the game...and sometimes that becomes an inconvenience, but hang in there!

Have you used XP? If you have I completely fail to see how you could say OSX is the best. I would say they are pretty much the same. They are both stable and thats the bottom line.

Using OSX is ahead of the game ?????? Sorry but did you just wake up??

Check the software available for XP, and then compare with whats available for OSX. Yes OSX is newer but its 2 years old now, its not exactly brand new though. When Xp was 1 year old (I would even say 6 months) there wasnt a thing you couldnt get Except some music software, because of course music software is a niche market.

Do you really beleive Intel, Athlon, Hewllet Packard, Dell, Sony, etc etc are backing a dead horse. (as in their support for the PC platform). You really beleive Sony are happy to be trailing behind. Hmmmm, I think you need to do some research my friend.

As a Mac user I am completely aware of Mac users Bias. But seriously, it just doesnt make sense these days. Get over it dude.

You say being an OSX user is ahead of the game but with that comes inconvienence. Yeh I´ll second that, but us OSX users are a long way from being ahead of the game. And theres no doubt about that. If it wasnt for Logic I would be on a PC like a shot.

Oh, and for our US users. Try to understand that Macs are not big in Europe. They have a tiny percentage of the computer market. You wont find a MAc store on every corner, but you will find a massive PC store.

Thats why they are cheaper + of course the sheer wealth of competition.

riftweaver · Post by **riftweaver** » Thu May 01, 2003 8:27 pm

This was a depressing thread to come across -- I just ordered a PowerBook, and plan to use Reason + Live as my main music tools. Is Live that bad on OSX? I haven't had any problems running on my current PC system (a Thinkpad with Win2k), and I assumed running on the Mac would be just as smooth. Am I mistaken?

jdg · Post by **jdg** » Thu May 01, 2003 8:30 pm

hey TJ!
if you can keep your mac, keep it.. just get a PC also.. i'm bi-platform.. and its nice. i'm not jealous of either side, just happy i can use any of the major software players if i want (even tho i use the PC more lately)

HULK WILL SMASH YOU · Post by **HULK WILL SMASH YOU** » Thu May 01, 2003 9:03 pm

Dude, I have been using PC and Mac for years equally. I'm not a biased mac guy. I was fed up with the ugly interface of Windows (and XP is an improvement but still ugly) I use a PC at work and I have one at home...but sorry, there is nothing that compares to working on MAC OS X, the experience is nothing short of beautiful. It has never crashed on me...I average a crash a week on XP. I've never been satisfied with the standard sound cards you get in pcs...mac produces computers for musicians and artists...and the OS X programing is very competetive. However, I will only back Mac on their newest suped up Tibook computers running X. If you're running anything older that doesn't have the juice you need, you're defintely better off with a pc. So yes, you have to invest in a new mac running OS X, but it's SO worth it. Especially if you're using Live and Reason which talk to each other perfectly, then you've really got nothing to gripe about.

About the limitations of software...well, if you're so cost conscious then why are you buying all that software?? Ahh, but you probably wouldn't admit to pirating shit (which is remarkably easy on a PC...yes, guilty as charged ON A PC). Kazaa is king and they don't make it for mac.

But anyway, it sounds like you're the one who's biased and hasn't had much experience working in OS X. Me, I have paid my PC dues. I'm not saying PC sucks, but I am saying OS X is a better OS for Audio...based on years of experience.

Hurricane · Post by **Hurricane** » Thu May 01, 2003 9:24 pm

If you have your doubts about OS X check out http://www.osxaudio.com to see the blossoming landscape of OS X audio. Very exciting stuff.

Schmidi · Post by **Schmidi** » Thu May 01, 2003 9:37 pm

riftweaver, sorry that your feeling down man. Unfortunately it sounds like you didn't research enough before buying as there are many threads here detailing performance issues on this site. Make the best of what you got though.

Neil · Post by **Neil** » Thu May 01, 2003 10:51 pm

I made the switch about a year ago and never regretted it! XP is amazingly stable(from using osx on a powerbook), it has suprassed my expectations of operating systems. My say in it, GO FOR IT, make the switch, you'd be a fool not to.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu May 01, 2003 11:05 pm

is it truh:less cpu/cheaper plasik/more VST/i make better musik ?

pe

twelve · Post by **twelve** » Thu May 01, 2003 11:34 pm

i'll be buying a pc laptop in about a month and currently use mac. except for live i have no complaints about the mac and am not looking forward to windows driver crap but since Live is currently my main DAW and the 970's are still a half a year away realistically in the laptops i might as well buy a PC and take advantage of the powerful chips. It won't be cheaper. I can't stand crap construction so the laps i have been looking at are about the same price or maybe a little more then a powerbook. I'm not going to really switch as I'll use my desktop mac for many things to come but I'll now be a man of both worlds. I need a laptop to check things on for web design anyway so I'll kill two birds with one stone.

smutek · Post by **smutek** » Fri May 02, 2003 2:29 am

I thought about maybe getting a pc laptop, only because it's much cheaper. For a laptop sollution. I decided to wait a bit and get what I really want - a mac. For desk top I wont even consider a pc. I run live on my mac in os 9 and have no problems. I have nothing against pc. . I just prefer mac. Bottom line.

I hate these posts. The first two responses were so rhetorical in nature that my first thought was "f@ck off"
Whiny mac users? ironic that you came right out whining about whiny mac users. I almost detect a bit of jealosy. I don't know why, your machine costs a fraction of the price and can do just as much if not more. What the f@ck are you bi@ching about then.

Really, save the bullshit rhetoric and stick to the facts. Goes for Mac and pc users. I commend the users who come out with solid facts and opinion based on personal experience.
If pc is faster thats great. Buy one. Congratulations. Stick with pc.
Or buy a mac.

Do your homework and buy whatever you want.
peace n blessins to all of ya.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri May 02, 2003 2:32 am

what pc laptops are you looking at that cost as much as a mac??????? Are you sure you need whatever is making the pc cost so much???? Unless you are recording on batteries, get a P4 desktop processor, not a mobile one--saves money and maxes out your performance. Unless you are buying a mobile P4 super-lightwieght sony or toshiba, you should be able to get a well-built, smoking fast toshiba, sony, gateway, or dell (i would rank their overall build quality in that order) for around $2100-$2300 shipped--last time i looked macs were much more. My toshiba satelite 2430 is XP Pro P4 2.4 gig, 1 gig RAM, all for under $2400 with accidental damage 3 year policy. Any laptop pc that costs much more than that, your are paying for lightweight, mobile technolgy that will cost you more, and perform less well than a heavy (but well constructed) laptop with a ripping fast desktop processor inside. With leftover money compared to buying a mac, you can get a sweet soundcard like RME multiface.

Stubby · Post by **Stubby** » Fri May 02, 2003 2:39 am

Like I said and jdg re-interated bi-platform is the way to go, but if you can't afford both right now then going with the one that will give you the least limitations should be your first order of business and imo that would
lead you to a pc. two things to consider, it's nice that Logic runs really well
on the mac, but thats not even the point, thats what I meant when I said in my earlier post about limitations/ restrictions. If all you need is a LogicBook, then a mac would be on order, but music is developing at a rapid rate and only the most pigheaded stubborn people only want to use
one program and refuse any other. I know some protools heads like that.
I could never be that way. I have nuendo, cubasesx, Sonar, and protools, but I use live more than all of them, still I think they all have value and that's what it's all about. that's why i'm saving up for the tinyest
powerbook 12", cause even though I know it wouldn't make it to the olympics I think it's perfect for using as just a very expensive drum machine, and thats what I want when I'm out having coffee or something.
it will also allow me to keep my foot in the apple platform side of things.
You don't just eat one kind of fruit man so why limit the muso choices, its all about variety I reallythink you should use both, just that the pc should be a priority because it's much more a workhorse right now.

smutek · Post by **smutek** » Fri May 02, 2003 2:55 am

Stubby wrote: i'm saving up for the tinyest
powerbook 12", cause even though I know it wouldn't make it to the olympics I think it's perfect for using as just a very expensive drum machine, and thats what I want when I'm out having coffee or something.
it will also allow me to keep my foot in the apple platform side of things.

Plus you will pull mad chicks!

PEACE

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri May 02, 2003 4:16 am

Anonymous wrote:what pc laptops are you looking at that cost as much as a mac??????? Are you sure you need whatever is making the pc cost so much???? Unless you are recording on batteries, get a P4 desktop processor, not a mobile one--saves money and maxes out your performance. Unless you are buying a mobile P4 super-lightwieght sony or toshiba, you should be able to get a well-built, smoking fast toshiba, sony, gateway, or dell (i would rank their overall build quality in that order) for around $2100-$2300 shipped--last time i looked macs were much more. My toshiba satelite 2430 is XP Pro P4 2.4 gig, 1 gig RAM, all for under $2400 with accidental damage 3 year policy. Any laptop pc that costs much more than that, your are paying for lightweight, mobile technolgy that will cost you more, and perform less well than a heavy (but well constructed) laptop with a ripping fast desktop processor inside. With leftover money compared to buying a mac, you can get a sweet soundcard like RME multiface.

currently i have priced a sager at about 2500 or a voodoo at about 3000. i like how they both are strong chassis built and both have P4 3.06 with HT and top quality components. the voodoo is more but comes with upgrade insurance and both companies have great tech and customer support from doing research which i might actually need because i am a mac-centric. if anyone knows if these are bad laptops please let me know.

rpsx · Post by **rpsx** » Fri May 02, 2003 7:01 am

have to admit, i've been considering the inverse switch from mac to pc as well. have a powerbook 800, and i'm just not impressed with live performance. love the design, love the os, just wish it to operate clean and smooth. i'm also going to be jumping into reaktor full time, and have read similar reports on reaktor being better on pcs. so that's 2 for 2.

i've been considering a fast ibm thinkpad. unlike practically all other pc laptops i've seen, the industrial design is actually really really nice. still no tibook, but a decent second. yeah, so? i appreciate design, and don't want the object i use most each day to be an eyesore. now that they have that ultrapad, i don't have to learn to like that dinky control stick.

that said, how are thinkpads? i have an rme multiface, that'd follow me, and i've heard you can get latency's just as low as the 2ms i'm getting on the powerbook (and hopefully without the visual slowdown i get running 8 tracks and a few fx!). anyone using ibm machines? recommend a model?

my 2cents on ms vs apple interface design: xp doesn' t look that bad, and i really think osx ain't that great. fake metal and fake glossy plastic in an interface is lame. just cause you can make window bars transparent, doen't mean you should.