I can see clearly now...

[sanderso]

....You can get sooo much more for your $ with pc ...

I think generally that's true.

IMO PCs tend to be a better match for those folks who think about their machines as a group of parts, each of which can be replaced/improved/whatever. Seem that Macs serve up more of a complete "drive it and don't think about it" solution. The "drive it" solution will always be a few more $$ (paying the manufacturer extra for "insurance" that the solution will always work).

 

[xj0hnx]

He's pretty much completely right. You can easily build a PC, and use top quality parts and make everything is compatible, and get the same experience, heck you can even install OSX and make a Hackintosh, and get better than Mac quality. The problem with the PC world is that so many people buy pre-built PC's, and they usually are built using mid to low quality parts, and come pre-loaded with a bunch of garbage software.

Building a PC to meet specifications is cost effective and is a clear advantage, but your experience is far from ordinary. Most hackintoshes are junk and riddled with driver incompatibility. I have never known anyone to use such a setup for doing anything serious. I'm sure that you can find someone, but if you're that PC savvy why would you?

For most Apple users, any 'Mac Tax' is worth paying for the operating system, and is easily offset in less expensive system software upgrades.

Hehe, yea, you have to REALLY plan a Hackintosh well, and research which parts are going to work together right, and which drivers are not causing problems. I guess as far as consumer level, not geek, just going to the store and buying a computer a Mac will give a much better experience, but to someone like me that builds imo it is an incredible waste of money.

 

[xj0hnx]

Ahhh young grasshopper...you have so much to learn

He's pretty much completely right. You can easily build a PC, and use top quality parts and make everything is compatible, and get the same experience, heck you can even install OSX and make a Hackintosh, and get better than Mac quality. The problem with the PC world is that so many people buy pre-built PC's, and they usually are built using mid to low quality parts, and come pre-loaded with a bunch of garbage software.

Unless You have a way to build it from carving a solid block of aluminum I don't believe it's gonna be Mac quality.

Oh sure it can be.

MILLION-DOLLAR-PC [MDPC] | the world's most beautiful computer systems

That's the good thing about a PC, you get what you put into it. When you build a PC, you can upgrade it over the years and keep up with technology, not quite as true with a Mac.

 

[ph0enix]

My macbook is at the end of its rope. Am I the only person who will be going from mac to pc? You can get sooo much more for your $ with pc and my mac has been fixed so many times. After 2.5 years I needed a new harddrive! I can't wait for my new pc

Why not just replace the hard drive in the Mac then? The prices of HDDs aren't particularly favorable now due to the market shortage because of the flooding in Thailand but it's still a much cheaper alternative. Keep in mind that Windows software isn't free and you need to factor in replacing all the apps.

 

[unpopular]

He's pretty much completely right. You can easily build a PC, and use top quality parts and make everything is compatible, and get the same experience, heck you can even install OSX and make a Hackintosh, and get better than Mac quality. The problem with the PC world is that so many people buy pre-built PC's, and they usually are built using mid to low quality parts, and come pre-loaded with a bunch of garbage software.

Building a PC to meet specifications is cost effective and is a clear advantage, but your experience is far from ordinary. Most hackintoshes are junk and riddled with driver incompatibility. I have never known anyone to use such a setup for doing anything serious. I'm sure that you can find someone, but if you're that PC savvy why would you? For most Apple users, any 'Mac Tax' is worth paying for the operating system, and is easily offset in less expensive system software upgrades.

Hehe, yea, you have to REALLY plan a Hackintosh well, and research which parts are going to work together right, and which drivers are not causing problems. I guess as far as consumer level, not geek, just going to the store and buying a computer a Mac will give a much better experience, but to someone like me that builds imo it is an incredible waste of money.

Again, it's software, not hardware that makes a Mac a Mac. But I am fairly certainly that even if you built the perfect Mac clone, it'd be considerably more expensive than the typical home built PC.

But that speculation is beside the point. You'd have to use an Apple motherboard to achieve this.

 

[paigew]

My macbook is at the end of its rope. Am I the only person who will be going from mac to pc? You can get sooo much more for your $ with pc and my mac has been fixed so many times. After 2.5 years I needed a new harddrive! I can't wait for my new pc

Why not just replace the hard drive in the Mac then? The prices of HDDs aren't particularly favorable now due to the market shortage because of the flooding in Thailand but it's still a much cheaper alternative. Keep in mind that Windows software isn't free and you need to factor in replacing all the apps.

yes, I did replace the harddrive 2 years ago (200+$). My computer is very slow and freezes up. When I use photo editing software it takes forever! I know nothing about computers but my husband says I need two video cards or something like that. Anyway, we priced it out and you can get a hell of a lot more for $1000 in a pc than in a mac.....heck you can't even get a mac for $1000! Don't get me wrong....I looooove my mac, but I am disappointed in it. My husbands pc has lasted way longer with no problems than my mac has. My computer needs replacing (5-6 yrs old) his does too, but not as badly and his is 8+ years old! Sure if I had an extra 500-700$ to frivolously throw around I would no doubt get another. But since I have kids and bills and everything else I think pc is the smarter buy. I think apple/mac is a way of thinking/being. Its like a club for cool kids. There is nothing a mac can do that a pc can't. Its just that people get caught up in the whole 'mac is cooler than pc' bs. Heck, I did . Yes, I think mac is nicer, seamless-er, cooler, etc. But worth $500 more??? Ummm....not to me, not at this point.

 

[paigew]

/\ all that being said...I haven't used a pc in 5+ years! Hopefully I wont regret switching back.

 

[gerardo2068]

My macbook is at the end of its rope. Am I the only person who will be going from mac to pc? You can get sooo much more for your $ with pc and my mac has been fixed so many times. After 2.5 years I needed a new harddrive! I can't wait for my new pc

Why not just replace the hard drive in the Mac then? The prices of HDDs aren't particularly favorable now due to the market shortage because of the flooding in Thailand but it's still a much cheaper alternative. Keep in mind that Windows software isn't free and you need to factor in replacing all the apps.

yes, I did replace the harddrive 2 years ago (200+$). My computer is very slow and freezes up. When I use photo editing software it takes forever! I know nothing about computers but my husband says I need two video cards or something like that. Anyway, we priced it out and you can get a hell of a lot more for $1000 in a pc than in a mac.....heck you can't even get a mac for $1000! Don't get me wrong....I looooove my mac, but I am disappointed in it. My husbands pc has lasted way longer with no problems than my mac has. My computer needs replacing (5-6 yrs old) his does too, but not as badly and his is 8+ years old! Sure if I had an extra 500-700$ to frivolously throw around I would no doubt get another. But since I have kids and bills and everything else I think pc is the smarter buy. I think apple/mac is a way of thinking/being. Its like a club for cool kids. There is nothing a mac can do that a pc can't. Its just that people get caught up in the whole 'mac is cooler than pc' bs. Heck, I did . Yes, I think mac is nicer, seamless-er, cooler, etc. But worth $500 more??? Ummm....not to me, not at this point.

you should put a SSD type hard drive on it, you will see how fast it will be. and SSD are almost fail proof

 

[ph0enix]

Its just that people get caught up in the whole 'mac is cooler than pc' bs.

Sure, some people do. Others know what's good from years of experience with both (Macs and PCs). You seem to basically go against that theory (for no reason) which isn't any better than the people who think mac is cooler than pc.
FWIW: Hard drives don't last any longer in PCs than they do in Macs.

 

[paigew]

Its just that people get caught up in the whole 'mac is cooler than pc' bs.

Sure, some people do. Others know what's good from years of experience with both (Macs and PCs). You seem to basically go against that theory (for no reason) which isn't any better than the people who think mac is cooler than pc.
FWIW: Hard drives don't last any longer in PCs than they do in Macs.

I'm not going against anything. I do think mac is 'cooler' And I have had a mac for a long time. I do like mac better, but for silly reasons. Not worth spending the extra money over. And yes, the mac guys said that to me about the harddrive, but my husbands laptop is YEARS older than mine and runs far better.....

I wouldn't say my opinion is 'without reason'. I am comaring my computer (mac) to my husbands (pc/sony vio) which is older, and runs better with more stuff on it. I have had my mac in worked on 3-4 times since I got it. Twice it cost me a good amount of $

 

[gerardo2068]

True you can't blame a Mac for a hard drive fail!!! Hard drive fails in PC too. Even apple realized this and made a built in app called Time Machine to back up your computer easily. An what's more that's about the only thing I ever hear, just the hard drive!?

Wow I wish all my past problems with PC were just the hard drive! I would have smile and get a new hard drive.

 

[gerardo2068]

And I used to pay big money for PC too (2,000+). So is not about the money. I don't look at the price even when I was buying PC. It's about quality

 

[paigew]

True you can't blame a Mac for a hard drive fail!!! Hard drive fails in PC too. Even apple realized this and made a built in app called Time Machine to back up your computer easily. An what's more that's about the only thing I ever hear, just the hard drive!?

Wow I wish all my past problems with PC were just the hard drive! I would have smile and get a new hard drive.

seriously, I would buy a mac again if they really are 'better'? But please tell me what exactly IS better?

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

OOOPS...Not my intention to start the whole PC vs. Mac debate. I had a piece 'o crap PC and the monitor sucked. I didn't realize how much of a difference until I had them side by side. I'm just excited to have a nicer computer.

So it has nothing to do with the Mac.

Your thread would fuel less debate if you just said you got a new computer, and it is much better than your old one. It has absolutely NOTHING to do with Mac vs. PC.

 

[ph0enix]

True you can't blame a Mac for a hard drive fail!!! Hard drive fails in PC too. Even apple realized this and made a built in app called Time Machine to back up your computer easily. An what's more that's about the only thing I ever hear, just the hard drive!?

Wow I wish all my past problems with PC were just the hard drive! I would have smile and get a new hard drive.

seriously, I would buy a mac again if they really are 'better'? But please tell me what exactly IS better?

Look at my first response in this thread.
And also here:
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...-u-bought-apple-product-2011-thank-you-3.html

*feeling dirty for letting myself get caught up in this argument*