Should I get a mac or pc?

[table1349]

funny thing everyone with a PC saying that mac's have less software. i have had a mac for the last 3 years and have no issues finding software for it. back in the day they had issues with software but now all mainstream software is made for both. we are a dual household, have pc's for the kids and getting ready to replace wifes 4yr old toshiba with a macbook. so i can speak both sides. while mac's might be more expensive up front there are a few advantages. about 6 months after getting my macbook the bezel around the screen started to separate a little. i took it to the local store and no hesitation they overnighted it to the repair facility and replaced the entire scree portion of the macbook. total time with out a laptop was 2 days. my wifes toshiba had HD issues a month after getting it, kept freezing up. well the only support they gave was over the phone and told me to restore from the HD. well i could not access the HD. my only solution was to buy a copy of win 7 and just start fresh. so yeah im a little biased on the Apple vs PC thing but the way they treat you i will never talk bad about them.

I've been using macs since the early 1990's. For imaging, video and surfing macs are great.

If you want to do any actual work (take a look at CAD/CAM and MRP software) you'll want to go with a PC. Corporate America doesn't run on a mac, it runs on PCs. That's just the way it is.

The mac fanbois will always tell you there's a work around to do whatever you need to do but like bubble-gum and bailing wire, you can only rig things so much before you start getting failures.

Not saying one way or another, just putting facts out there so the OP can make an informed decision.

Autodesk - AutoCAD for Mac
TurboCAD
http://www.xtuple.com/node/156
Database Software | FileMaker (far better than access)
Microsoft Office for Mac | Office For Mac
Quark (Leader in the publishing world)
Adobe

I do believe that we have figured out which turd it is that doesn't flush.

 

[Rekd]

LoL @ Autocad. It was pretty cutting edge back in the days of Gibbs and Cadkey, but they've had a hard time keeping up with the leaders in CAD/CAM/CAE like Catia, Mastercam, Solidworks, NX, etc etc etc, where are the native apps for that? For the record, the original Gibbs, that ran only on macs, was far better than the window's version that replaced it, Virtual Gibbs.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

...just putting facts out there so...

Could those facts be somewhat distorted or biased?

I have been using Macs since the 80s when I worked on a project for the military doing exhibition slide shows. You know, 12 to 24 slide projectors type of shows. I just happened into a A/V show where someone was demonstrating a little bit of software that was making what we were doing a hundred times easier. Trust me, the military did not buy Macs just to please me. I had to make them see the benefits. The fact that no other machine could do the same was the clincher.

All that to say that the software thing is BS imho. Although I will not address the gaming side of the argument. I don't play games and wouldn't know. I have never had a problem finding software for my Macs to do what I wanted to do. I have known stores to run Mac systems for their POS and inventory and whatever else they do when it was said that Macs couldn't be used in that fashion... My wife's last paying job was as Vice President of Marketing for a software company and all of their products were Windows based. However, since we both tend to prefer young people to the old farts in the presidential and vice presidential suites, we spend much more off time with the designers and code writers and most of them had Macs at home. So, I eventually asked them why. I also asked them why the company didn't have a Mac version of their products.

The answers:
1/ I deal with Windows at work and don't feel like dealing with it at home...
2/ There is no market for it. Most corporations and the government have been so brainwashed by the Bill Gates machine that they can't think outside the Windows...

And before you call me a fanboy, please read my first post in this thread... I suggested the OP stick with Windows. Mostly because of how my wife was with computers. She had always used Windows in her corporate world and she had such a hell of a time understanding and getting around Macs that we've always had a Windows machine in the house for her. The funny thing is, though, that when she had a problem I was often the one to figure out how to fix it even though I can barely get around in that environment :lmao:

 

[Rekd]

...just putting facts out there so...

Could those facts be somewhat distorted or biased?

No. Perhaps a refresher in reading and comprehension then a review of my posts is in order. You see someone point out a fact about where mac's lack for software (CAD/CAM/CAE and MRP) and it's like someone flicked a menstrual switch in the mac world. RAWR!

 

[Rekd]

Here, I see the confusion... I changed "considerably" to "somewhat" less options for programs.

The bottom line: A mac is more expensive, it's like not having a Manual Mode on your camera but Av and Tv modes work better, by its default settings it is more protected than a PC and there are less people trying to hack them.

It does all the same stuff a PC does, but there are somewhat less options when it comes to programs. If you haven't used one or the other it probably won't matter. If you've used a PC (or mac) all your life it's going to be an awkward switch, but you will get used to it.

So the bottom line, just like with buying a camera, find out what features you want, then go play touchy/feely with both and pick the one that works best for you.

My other points are valid.

/Flamesuit_on/

 

[c.cloudwalker]

My other points are valid.

/Flamesuit_on/

Really?

You are so into your own idea of right and wrong that you mostly skipped over what I said. Do you realize that you would probably gain more Windows fan by shutting up?

And BTW, a Mac IS a PC.

 

[Judobreaker]

LoL @ Autocad. It was pretty cutting edge back in the days of Gibbs and Cadkey, but they've had a hard time keeping up with the leaders in CAD/CAM/CAE like Catia, Mastercam, Solidworks, NX, etc etc etc, where are the native apps for that? For the record, the original Gibbs, that ran only on macs, was far better than the window's version that replaced it, Virtual Gibbs.

I'm going to have to agree with this one.
Autocad is hugely outdated, and all the newer CAD/CAM software is designed for Windows only.
However, seeing as I do not use this kind of software outside of work I get along mighty fine with my Mac at home.
At work I'm stuck with Windows though. ^^

 

[Garbz]

Autocad is hugely outdated, and all the newer CAD/CAM software is designed for Windows only.

Mac/PC debate aside this comment is ignorant to the use of the software. You're basically saying the same thing as 35mm with a kit zoom is outdated because we have medium format cameras with a maco. The reality is that AutoCAD is quite relevant and very widely used in many industries. It may be replaced for specific applications (give me Solidworks any day for designing 3D objects simply due to it's simulation abilities), but it is still the most relevant general purpose CAD tool on the market.

I've watched my industry change from designing single line diagrams and process diagrams to modelling everything in databases which automatically generate drawings, and switch to special design packages too. The one thing they all have in common is that all the wonderful tools from companies like Intergraph have complimented it, push a button and the end result always ends up being a DXF or DWG, and on any designer's computer you'll still find a copy of AutoCAD.

 

[Rekd]

Autocad is hugely outdated, and all the newer CAD/CAM software is designed for Windows only.

this comment is ignorant to the use of the software.... it is still the most relevant general purpose CAD tool on the market.

I snorted. :lmao:

Yeah, there are still companies that use Autocad. It's true. And there are still people using video tapes. But to say Autocad is the most relevant general purpose CAD tool on the market is just funny (and quite frankly made me laugh out loud).

The entire world has moved well beyond Autocad. Just as the entire world has moved away from the 3-1/2" floppy disk. Just because there are a bunch of them scattered all over the world collecting dust doesn't mean they're 'the most relevant general purpose media storage tool on the market.

it is still the most relevant general purpose CAD tool on the market. :thumbup: LoL.

 

[Bynx]

Cloudwalker, while you are right a Mac is a PC, there is a distinction between the two designations. A Mac is a PC made by one maker -- Apple. What can you call the other thing.....a Dell, an IBM, a this or a that? All the manufacturers names are lumped into one name -- PC. So if its made by Apple its a Mac and if it isnt its a PC.

 

[table1349]

Cloudwalker, while you are right a Mac is a PC, there is a distinction between the two designations. A Mac is a PC made by one maker -- Apple. What can you call the other thing.....a Dell, an IBM, a this or a that? All the manufacturers names are lumped into one name -- PC. So if its made by Apple its a Mac and if it isnt its a PC.

Then what do you call my home built machine with OS X 10.5 on it. I call it a Hachintosh.

Hardware is hardware. Don't fool yourself for a second. If Microsoft thought they could control the hardware market for Windows machines they would in a heartbeat.

I stick to my original suggestion to the op. If interested in a Mac go give it a try and see if they like it. If so great. If not great. Either OS will do the job with a proper hardware setup. My only fanboy concern in this whole thing is use what you like and works for you.

 

[GreatPhotoRace]

Mac's are certainly more expensive, and as a result they are more polished machines. One of the great benefits of owning a mac is how stable it is. Since Apple only has to develop an OS catered to a limited set of hardware, the drivers built for them are more stable and reliable. They are beautifully designed and the materials used to make them are top quality. I'm in the market for a new computer, and I'd hate to NOT get a mac, the Dell XPS 15z is similar to a Macbook Pro, but you'll read in some reviews about poor build quality (e.g. the frame flexes when you rest your hands on it.) There are many little things that make Mac's wonderful, like the magsafe power adapter. Trip over your power cable? No it won't send your laptop flying across the table, it'll simply disconnect.

-GPR

 

[Bynx]

Gryphonslair, whats your point? Id call your homebuilt a Mac clone. I wouldnt call it a PC clone. Even you call it a Hackintosh, rather than anything PC related. This difference in names is silly stuff. Your advice to the OP is sensible but not very practical. How can you go out and use a Mac to decide if its for you? Ive always been a Mac user and owned a couple of PCs because of the software that was only available for the PC. By comparison to Macs, PCs dont make sense to me. They look like a Mac but sure dont work like one. The downside I see with Macs are they are not supported very well at all. Box stores sell the machines but they usually have to be sent out for repairs and there arent a lot of those available. Of course Macs dont break down often. The other thing is the availability of software. Much more readily available for the PC than the Mac.

 

[Rekd]

My only fanboy concern in this whole thing is use what you like and works for you.

And as long as you're not doing any hi-end CAD/CAM work, the mac should do just fine. If you can justify the difference in cost, that is.

 

[Bynx]

Is the price really that much higher? A fully loaded mac mini goes for $700. Of course you need a monitor and keyboard but so does a PC. Size wise its about the same as two pound of butter. Pretty compact and very reliable.