Mac vs Windows PC

[Love_London]

Hi,

My husband and I are thinking of buying a new desktop and my husband says we should go for iMac.

I know it is better looking, almost virus-free, better for photo or video editing. But is it really worth the extra money we need to pay?

I've seen the newest Windows PC models and many of them have touch screens which I love.

If you have used both, would greatly appreciate any advice!

[Loz]

Personally, I think the 'differences' are all fanboy stuff. Stick with what you know the best or can afford.

[PokerTime]

Depends on what you want to use it for. For everyday stuff there's not much difference. For high end graphic design, video editing etc, it's mac all the way. But whatever you go for, get the highest spec motherboard and processor you can afford. Everything else can be ugraded as you go along.

[healey]

IMac every time. Well worth it. They're very reliable.

My parents used to have a Windows system and every month I'd get a phone call about some malware or other. Then they'd install Norton or some other useless equivalent that would grind the system to a halt. More phone calls. I virtually ordered them to get a Mac and after much grumbling about the price they got one. No phone calls since.

Nothing wrong with a well built PC paired with Linux if you know how to use it, but Windows is utter junk in my opinion.

[Loz]

healey Wrote:

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> but Windows is utter junk in my opinion.

I know Windows, Mac and Linux OS's very well, so I have to ask... why?

[healey]

Loz Wrote:

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> healey Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > but Windows is utter junk in my opinion.

>

> I know Windows, Mac and Linux OS's very well, so I

> have to ask... why?

The registry.

[Loz]

healey Wrote:

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> Loz Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > healey Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > but Windows is utter junk in my opinion.

> >

> > I know Windows, Mac and Linux OS's very well, so I have to ask... why?

>

> The registry.

And the eternally boring plist vs registry fanboi argument is relevant to your standard user how exactly?

Personally, I think anyone that recommends Windows/Mac/Linux over whatever other without understanding the needs of the user is not worth listening to. Each has their advantages. Each their disadvantages.

[PokerTime]

Agreed Loz. Not everyone has a grand or two to spend on a computer either.

[Jeremy]

I have both - I find the reliability/stability about the same. I also find the PC slightly more user friendly.

As for the 'mac is better for graphics/video' reputation, it's of course subjective and down to what software you prefer. If there's a specific piece of mac-only software that you have your heart set on then fine, but I doubt that's the case.

[healey]

> And the eternally boring plist vs registry fanboi

> argument is relevant to your standard user how

> exactly?

>

> Personally, I think anyone that recommends

> Windows/Mac/Linux over whatever other without

> understanding the needs of the user is not worth

> listening to....

It's my opinion. I'm entitled to one without being insulted. Is that okay with you? You asked a question and I gave you answer. If you don't like it that's your problem, not mine.

[steveo]

Every time I use my wife's PC I get irritation.

Why does it think I know or care what a checksum is?

[Millhaven]

Mac all day long.

[katanita]

Just been looking into this before buying a new laptop. I used to use a Mac for work, which at the time was chosen because I needed to run Final Cut Studio and the options for video editing PC just weren't as good, or required extra hardware. Don't think this is the case at all now, you can get the same specs as a Mac in a PC machine half the price, and the Adobe software (e.g. Premiere) is as good if not better than Final Cut now anyway. So I got a well specced HP laptop, and it's been great, no problem with video editing or graphics work, or gaming. And that's just a laptop.

That said, Windows 8, which it came with, is a bit of a mess. It seems to want you to use it in a sort of tablet mode, and comes with a few bits of nonsense software. Plus all the Windows 8 app versions of desktop software such as skype or dropbox are really terrible. But if you use it in desktop mode and get desktop versions of the software, you can largely ignore all of that and it works fine. No idea about Windows 7, may be better.

In desktop mode, then, not sure I'd have much to choose between the Mac/Window's OSes. I didn't find the Mac one that intuitive to use, as some people claim, but it did seem pretty stable all round. I also used Windows vista for years, which everyone seems to enjoy hating on, but also found that very stable and easy to use. So unless you want to use a mac specific piece of software, I would go PC, especially if you want to use it for games at all. Really feel with Macs that you're paying double the price for the name. Oh, and maybe the retina screen, if you're into that, but from what I've heard it can have the effect of making stuff that isn't at the right resolution a bit rubbish?

[PokerTime]

Final Cut for non compressed HD projects still runs better on a high spec mac than it does PC, and if you are running AVID it has to be mac. I run premier pro on a high spec PC but doing anything in after effects like rotoscoping, forget it. Again the Mac is the better option. But we are talking high end editing and VFX though and that's not something most people have to worry about. There's a reason why all post houses use Macs for online editing and fx.

I've found windows 7 to be fairly problem free. I had heard about some issues (dislikes) with windows 8, so have stuck with 7. Before that I was using XP for years. Vista had lots of issues, like Millenium before it. XP was based on windows 2000. Again, there's a reason why some OS's have longevity, and others fade away.

But where I do agree, is that on a day to day consumer level, a PC is as good as any Mac, and everything is always cheaper for PC.

[Love_London]

Many thanks for all your replies.

We are not really advanced users and I don't even know what Final Cut is =)

With mixed reviews, I guess we will continue to ponder!

[Jeremy]

I think that's a good summary, PokerTime. There are certain jobs for which a mac has become industry standard - in some cases the leading software is mac only, so there's no decision to be made.

But I really think the average home user is simply paying a few hundred quid to have that nice big apple logo on display.

[katanita]

Yep, Pokertime, at that very high end it sounds like a mac is best, but that doesn't seem like what they are after. I haven't tried doing much in after effects yet on this yet, maybe I'll have a go and put it through it's paces.

[PokerTime]

Adobe have a great little suite Katanita, with speedgrade and audition too, it's everything you need to do smaller, offlined projects. After Effects is the only part of it that struggles imo on a PC. Too much rendering needed to do anything complicated (although, if you wanted to do a Harry Potter, you wouldn't be using After Effects anyway). I always saw Final Cut as a baby AVID, but Premier has defintely caught up.

[Loz]

Love_London - as I said, we really need to know what you are going to use the machine for - and what sort of budget you have. Are you looking for some sort of specific use, or just standard web browsing/email stuff? Are you currently using Windows?

Agreed that Windows 8 still in the difficult early stage at the moment (the Star Trek movie rule is holding firm), but Windows 7 is fast and stable. Windows 7 has touch screen functionality (though Win 8 is more tablet-like), but I usually find my pudgy finger isn't precise enough and I end up suing a mouse anyway.

[ianr]

Possibly heuristic questions:

1. What has led to your thinking of buying a new desktop?

2. What points seem particularly relevant, irrelevant or worrying to you if you look at any articles on choice between Mac/Windows/Linux?

Personal query: I've never thought of getting a touch screen, but would assume that, if they're available to buy, there will be free or cheap drivers available to enable them to run on most existing operating systems. Is that so?