Which computer do you use?

[Stevepwns]

If you're "poor", you should not get a Mac. Period!

If you have technical know-how, building your own desktop will probably be your cheapest option, while still allowing you to choose quality components.

If you provide your budget, I'm sure people can be of more help to you.

You can build a PC for less than the cost of a new Mac -- but the Mac has much lower TCO (total cost of ownership). This is a common misconception that Windows users have... you guys don't realize how much you have to pay for that we Mac users do not have to pay for.

Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro -- which still isn't nearly as good as Mavericks -- is $200. Mavericks... is free.
Microsoft Office is now on a subscription model... $100/year. Apple, on the other hand, gives you a copy of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote with a new Mac (and if you have an old Mac you can buy just the component you need for $20, you don't have to buy a "suite") -- upgrades are free (including major version upgrades.) Also identical functionality is provided on the iPad... so I can create a presentation in Keynote on the Mac and give the presentation using the iPad and _all_ features and effects will be identical.
Apple includes other useful software... iPhoto, iMovie (want to shoot videos with your camera and be able to edit them? -- it's included), and Garageband are all free as are the upgrades.
You'll need anti-malware software subscription for a PC -- not for a Mac.

All of that adds up pretty quickly and suddenly the PC isn't so inexpensive anymore. And of course Apple has much better support and odds are if you live anywhere close to a large city there is probably an Apple store near you if you actually need to take the computer in for help.

You are assuming that everyone with a PC uses Microsoft Software. You can get retail software that is better than Microsofts over priced crap. Aside from the Operating system, the only Software I purchase are games, Lightroom and Photoshop. I also built my computer, with hardware that no Apple can touch. My PC will smoke any Apple sold in a retail store fully upgraded. AND it cost less. Those of us that have computer knowledge benefit from power, speed, graphics, and cost. Aside form that, you can buy a PC for less than half of a Mac and buy all the software you need and still be under a thousand dollars. The ONLY benefit to buying a Mac is that you dont have to know anything about computers, they provides software. With a PC you actually have to decide on which software you want, because there are that many companies writing software for Windows. Apple has created an environment where you dont have to know anything about software or computers.

Aside from that, OP, if you have computer knowledge, build one and save money. Since you are working with a limited budget, Apple is out of the question, everything they have to offer is twice as much as a comparable PC. My mother has had 3 HP's and my brother in law has had at least 4 Dells in the last 6 years. Neither of them have had any problems.

 

[KmH]

Lightroom Help - Optimize performance
Photoshop computer - System requirements | Photoshop

 

[table1349]

If you're "poor", you should not get a Mac. Period!

If you have technical know-how, building your own desktop will probably be your cheapest option, while still allowing you to choose quality components.

If you provide your budget, I'm sure people can be of more help to you.

You can build a PC for less than the cost of a new Mac -- but the Mac has much lower TCO (total cost of ownership). This is a common misconception that Windows users have... you guys don't realize how much you have to pay for that we Mac users do not have to pay for.

Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro -- which still isn't nearly as good as Mavericks -- is $200. Mavericks... is free.
Microsoft Office is now on a subscription model... $100/year. Apple, on the other hand, gives you a copy of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote with a new Mac (and if you have an old Mac you can buy just the component you need for $20, you don't have to buy a "suite") -- upgrades are free (including major version upgrades.) Also identical functionality is provided on the iPad... so I can create a presentation in Keynote on the Mac and give the presentation using the iPad and _all_ features and effects will be identical.
Apple includes other useful software... iPhoto, iMovie (want to shoot videos with your camera and be able to edit them? -- it's included), and Garageband are all free as are the upgrades.
You'll need anti-malware software subscription for a PC -- not for a Mac.

All of that adds up pretty quickly and suddenly the PC isn't so inexpensive anymore. And of course Apple has much better support and odds are if you live anywhere close to a large city there is probably an Apple store near you if you actually need to take the computer in for help.

Let us not forget, Office for Mac is not a subscription program.

 

[JClishe]

Microsoft Office is now on a subscription model... $100/year.

Sure, if that's how you choose to purchase it. Or, you can still buy a perpetual license for Office if you prefer. Your choice.

Apple includes other useful software... iPhoto, iMovie (want to shoot videos with your camera and be able to edit them? -- it's included)

Windows Live Photo Gallery and Movie Maker are also free and quite good. I prefer Movie Maker to edit my GoPro clips over the GoPro Studio software.

 

[JClishe]

Let us not forget, Office for Mac is not a subscription program.

You have the same Office purchase options regardless of which platform you're on. You can buy the media, which is licensed perpetually, or you can buy an Office 365 subscription which supports both platforms.

 

[GDHLEWIS]

I have been using various Acer computers and laptops for a few years, I bought my laptop based on my works Acer experience and have loved it. Not overly priced decent specs and solidly build quality, I have been trying to break my old work comp so I can get the new shiny ones in the IT storage and the damn thing wont die!

 

[runnah]

I have a Dell at home and at work. Both have lot of RAM lot of gigahertz and some windows. I have some older Macbook that overheats.

 

[manaheim]

What people have and what people use is variable and has absolutely no effect on what you need and what you should buy.
Any PC will do the job you need to do- it's entirely a matter of personal preferences and costs.

Go down to a BestBuy and play with some macs and then windows based products.
Decide which you like best.
Try some demos of the various pieces of software available for each that meet your needs.
Now evaluate costs and make your decision.

 

[Smokeyr67]

What people have and what people use is variable and has absolutely no effect on what you need and what you should buy.
Any PC will do the job you need to do- it's entirely a matter of personal preferences and costs.

Go down to a BestBuy and play with some macs and then windows based products.
Decide which you like best.
Try some demos of the various pieces of software available for each that meet your needs.
Now evaluate costs and make your decision.

I more of a "do an adult education course about building PC's and then save yourself a fortune over the next twenty years by building and upgrading your PC's." type of guy

 

[SnappingShark]

Macbook Pro 13 inch (non retina) 2.9GHz, i7, 16GB Ram. 2 x 500GB SSD

Connected to a 24" Dell LED Monitor.

I run OSX 10.8.5, with Aperture. That's all you need to know

 

[manaheim]

What people have and what people use is variable and has absolutely no effect on what you need and what you should buy.
Any PC will do the job you need to do- it's entirely a matter of personal preferences and costs.

Go down to a BestBuy and play with some macs and then windows based products.
Decide which you like best.
Try some demos of the various pieces of software available for each that meet your needs.
Now evaluate costs and make your decision.

I more of a "do an adult education course about building PC's and then save yourself a fortune over the next twenty years by building and upgrading your PC's." type of guy

Depends on your level of interest. Speccing out and building a system is something that can be handled (for the most part) by any qualified technical person. Once you understand the core ecosystem that you want to live in, the rest is really about what few features you may be able to choose from and what your budget is. In the end, almost any system will "work just fine" for almost all of the most common end user requirements.

In my experience the only people who REALLY benefit from getting down and dirty in these kinds of details are intense gamers. (I have been one). These guys want to get every frame they can out of their machine. And to be honest... these days, even that is silly. Spend $300+ on a video card and be sure you check to see what the upcoming chipsets are and make sure you're not on the tail end of the last generation, and that's enough to get you almost all of what you need.

Scientists and the like need some processing muscle... but that's again most easily resolved by price. In this case... spend MORE money on your CPU and just make sure you buy a motherboard that can accept it. Again, watch to be sure that you're not on the tail end of a chipset.

Even the most hard-core developers... (and I have been one)... can work on absolute utter crap and get some work done. Would they be more productive on a higher end machine? Sure, but that just gets to the budget question again... how much do you want to spend?

Is this oversimplifying things? Of course it is. That's the point.

 

[DanielLewis76]

I tend to use a Macbook Pro Retina but thats because I do a lot of software development and its the best laptop out there at the moment for my needs. I have built hundreds of custom PC's over the years (having worked for custom gaming PC company for a good few years when I was younger) and I agree you will definitely get more for your money custom building. However, if your not talking much video editing a fairly standard PC will do what you want though without too much cost.

 

[nomiko]

This RIG
Intel Core i5 2500k overclocked
Around 3TB of hdd
MSI Z77A-G43 motherboard
Corsair 8GB 1600Mhz CL9 Vengeance RAM
Gigabyte GTx 660 2GB DDR5 Windforce GPU
Cooler Master GX550 PSU
Xigmatic Asgard Pro Casing
And 27" Acer 1080p 3D led

This is mostly used for gaming and entertainment purposes a little bit of Lightroom work too...

Sent from my HUAWEI MT1-U06 using Tapatalk

 

[DanielLewis76]

Stevepwns, as a matter of interest what is the spec of your bad boy pc

 

[JustJazzie]

We've switched over to Mac in our house. I upgraded to an IMAC 2 Christmases ago and I'm very happy. I've used aperture since 2008 and I LOVE it. Never found a real need for photoshop (although I'm finding that fancy liquify tool would be handy lately! I can't justify the price for one tool though)

My MacBook from 2008, although slow from 15,000 pictures and videos, still runs, has never crashed, and has never caused me any trouble at all.
While my DHS windows computer, bought in 2009- has crashed 3 times, and is now a dead piece of junk that he won't even bother to fix, and he used his computer a fraction of the amount that I use mine,

We bought our IMAC Christmas of 2011 and it's been running like a champ ever since. Never had to buy anything for it since we picked it up. The display is fantastic for editing pictures. And while I am probably lucky here, I am terrible at backing up my files so the "peace of mind" that my files are less likely to crash on my iMac than any windows I've ever owned, is nice to have.

Do you need a Mac? No. Would you be glad you bought one? Absolutely!