Mac vs PC

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by TheBlueRaja

I mean - what does a MAC do anyway - why would you spend "HOW MUCH" on a MAC over a PC what are its advantages (other than it looks good?)

I dunno. They edit video better? In fact any multimedia work (audio, graphical, photographic, video or film) is generally easier on a Mac.

Also, in a lab environment, they are *far* easier than Windows to administer. For instace, when we set the labs up again, I can sit there at my desk, and order every Mac to shutdown, reboot, wipe itself and re-install the O/S. It will then add itself to the Uni's Active Directory domain and set up admin rights accordingly. Windows can do that, as long as you use a Microsoft DHCP server, or reconfigure the DHCP server that you do use.

I'll admit that none of that is important for the average user (well, apart from the fact that the OS supports "ghosting" natively, unlike Windows, so you can easily copy a working OS back from disc if you should mess things up).

[TheBlueRaja]

Originally Posted by Damien

There are loads of reasons I love Mac. I love the way it connects to my Unis wireless network without set up. The way it connects to my wireless without set up (other than passwords obviously).

No probs on a PC.

No spyware or virus checkers. Always keeps it speed, doesnt slow down or become annoying after a couple of years on a installation. Always feels nice and quick and sleek. Less errors and doesnt throw a hissy fit every now and then which requires massive amounts of menus and such. Less pop ups, stays out the way. Just works. Much more stress-free than using windows.

If you have no virus checker your fooling yourself, the MAc is riddled with them too, you even have spyware, but unfortunately a lack of programs to detect it.

I've still to see a PC program that causes a hissy fit and "then which requires massive amounts of menus and such"...

My PC just works, has done for several years and with Firefox (free) i dont get no popups, spyware or adverts for that matter.

Rather good for video and graphic work Kinda fun Cool features and useful ones such as expose and spotlight (expose i cannot live without now!).

The PC can do that too.

The thing about the PC is that A) its cheaper and B) can do more.

Point still stands, the only difference is that a MaC looks better, but costs more and can do less, and if your really that bothered the money difference between a PC and a mAC would allow you to "pimp your PC" to look like anything you want really.

A few other things i have forgot at the moment. (Oh it looks cool too)

Nuff said.

---------- Post added at 15:06 ---------- Previous post was at 15:02 ----------

Originally Posted by Stuart C

I dunno. They edit video better? In fact any multimedia work (audio, graphical, photographic, video or film) is generally easier on a Mac.

Thats a fairly sweeping statement, i cant argue it though as i have tried neither but there are loads of programs capable of doing it on a PC.

Originally Posted by Stuart C

Also, in a lab environment, they are *far* easier than Windows to administer. For instace, when we set the labs up again, I can sit there at my desk, and order every Mac to shutdown, reboot, wipe itself and re-install the O/S. It will then add itself to the Uni's Active Directory domain and set up admin rights accordingly. Windows can do that, as long as you use a Microsoft DHCP server, or reconfigure the DHCP server that you do use.

Now THATS more like it, quite impressive too, i like the whole self install thing.

Although you can set up a PC to do that i certainly wouldn't, that seems to be an advantage that a mAc has, it has exactly the same hardware in every Model.

Although i could also argue the disadvantages of that as well in that you may want to have the option to build your own.

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by TheBlueRaja

<snip>


Thats a fairly sweeping statement, i cant argue it though as i have tried neither but there are loads of programs capable of doing it on a PC.



<snip>.

No-one said that the PC wasn't capable.... Just that it was a darn site easier on a Mac.

If you have no virus checker your fooling yourself, the MAc is riddled with them too, you even have spyware, but unfortunately a lack of programs to detect it.

They are not riddled with viruses :S

[punky]

Originally Posted by Damien

Always keeps it speed, doesnt slow down or become annoying after a couple of years on a installation

There is a lot of deliberaterly misleading propaganda out there propogated by Mac cult members, that's one I certainly take issue with. Its an out and out lie.

My powerbook is over 2 years old now and its considerably slower than when I bought it. It wern't that fast then either.

Cool features and useful ones such as expose and spotlight (expose i cannot live without now!).

Useful features that let you find files? But finding out what the combined size of two or more folders? That's not very useful to Mac cult members nor Steve Jobs, but it is to me. I had to download a finder plugin to find out what the size was. Absolutely appalling. Also, I found out I needed this plugin when I selected some 75+ folders and did a properties on them, only to find 75+ folder properties windows popup forcing me to restart my Powerbook.

(Oh it looks cool too)

Oh, that's alright then. Also titanium look good for about 30 mins out the box, when it needs cleaning.

Originally Posted by Damien

They are not riddled with viruses :S

you better watch out, you better beware.........
http://www.securemac.com/

[gazzae]

Originally Posted by orangebird

No-one said that the PC wasn't capable.... Just that it was a darn site easier on a Mac.

In what way easier? I did a bit of video editing for the first time ever on my PC and it wasn't that difficult.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by gazzae

In what way easier? I did a bit of video editing for the first time ever on my PC and it wasn't that difficult.

Depends on the software you use, and what you want to do with it. However, iMovie (part of the iLife suite) is more versatile than Windows Movie Maker, and has the option to export the video straight to DVD. Also (and I am comparing against Premiere Pro 2 here), things like titling are noticably easier.

Final Cut Pro (Apple's high end video editing software) is more difficult to use, but still makes things like dealing with video from multi-camera shoots easy.

Also, both Final Cut Pro and iMovie on my little 1.5Ghz Mac Mini dealt with Hi Definition video FAR more easily (and smoothly) than Premiere Pro on my 2Ghz PC. Admittedly, Premiere Pro running on my current 3.6 Ghz PC runs as smoothly as FCP does on the 1.5GHz Mac.

[TheBlueRaja]

Clock speed means nothing.

[AntiSilence]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

Depends on the software you use, and what you want to do with it. However, iMovie (part of the iLife suite) is more versatile than Windows Movie Maker, and has the option to export the video straight to DVD. Also (and I am comparing against Premiere Pro 2 here), things like titling are noticably easier.

Surely that applies to the PC also?

Originally Posted by Stuart C

Final Cut Pro (Apple's high end video editing software) is more difficult to use, but still makes things like dealing with video from multi-camera shoots easy.

Ok, but there's bound to be software for the PC that can do the same, just as easy. We're not limited to Windows Movie Maker you know!

Originally Posted by Stuart C

Also, both Final Cut Pro and iMovie on my little 1.5Ghz Mac Mini dealt with Hi Definition video FAR more easily (and smoothly) than Premiere Pro on my 2Ghz PC. Admittedly, Premiere Pro running on my current 3.6 Ghz PC runs as smoothly as FCP does on the 1.5GHz Mac.

But that's all down to how the software has been programmed. It doesn't have anything to do with the computer its running on. If Final Cut Pro was programmed for the PC with the exact same features, menus and options, how could it be any less easy to use?

Originally Posted by AntiSilence

But that's all down to how the software has been programmed. It doesn't have anything to do with the computer its running on. If Final Cut Pro was programmed for the PC with the exact same features, menus and options, how could it be any less easy to use?

It could quite easily have a different user experience. You're entering the realms of how easy the OS is to work with from a programmer's point of view, whereas up to now we're looked mainly at the user experience of the OS.

Originally Posted by foreverwar

you better watch out, you better beware.........
http://www.securemac.com/

I know about that site and I use it. I maintain that macs are not riddled with viruses.

---------- Post added at 18:10 ---------- Previous post was at 18:02 ----------

Originally Posted by punky

There is a lot of deliberaterly misleading propaganda out there propogated by Mac cult members, that's one I certainly take issue with. Its an out and out lie.

My powerbook is over 2 years old now and its considerably slower than when I bought it. It wern't that fast then either.

No. Its not. I have had my powerbook longer and it is still as fast as when I got it (faster actualy, but only because i stuck 1 gig of RAM). Just because I dont have the same experance as you doesnt mean I lied or am a Mac Cult member putting out propaganda.

I do not know why yours runs slower and you should look into it. Tried reparing disk permissions? How much Ram do you have? How many programs do you have running or start with? Also try clearing some redundant files, macs are usually clean after a disinstall but they leave the preference files behind. Check there for problems and files you could clear

Useful features that let you find files? But finding out what the combined size of two or more folders? That's not very useful to Mac cult members nor Steve Jobs, but it is to me. I had to download a finder plugin to find out what the size was. Absolutely appalling. Also, I found out I needed this plugin when I selected some 75+ folders and did a properties on them, only to find 75+ folder properties windows popup forcing me to restart my Powerbook.

Yeah, I dont like finder either. Hopefully 10.5 will overhaul it. But that doesnt take away the usefulness of Spotlight and Expose. Both features I miss when I use my Windows Machine.


Oh, that's alright then. Also titanium look good for about 30 mins out the box, when it needs cleaning.

It was just a add on, allmost a joke. PS Powerbooks, including yours unless it was secound hand. Have been made out of aluminum

I also resent the constant use of the word 'Mac cult'. I like my Mac, I think its better than Windows. I do use both. I came to this conclusion by myself and do not need the stuff I know i like to be called a lie, properganda and a member of a cult (which also suggests brainwashing). Same with other macs users, please stop putting them down just because you dont agree.

About the film editing. The main reason macs are seen as better for video and graphic is historical based on the fact macs were used for graphic work when they came out (due to the GUI). Now its still kind of true because of the way OSX handles graphics, sound and video. Final cut also works a lot better with OSX than Adobe works on Windows. Adobe is about 100% more annoying, not stable either even on massive spec machines.

[AntiSilence]

Originally Posted by Chris T

It could quite easily have a different user experience. You're entering the realms of how easy the OS is to work with from a programmer's point of view, whereas up to now we're looked mainly at the user experience of the OS.

I don't think I am. I was asking how, if an application was identical on the PC as on the Mac, it would be any harder to use?

Originally Posted by AntiSilence

I don't think I am. I was asking how, if an application was identical on the PC as on the Mac, it would be any harder to use?

Apple programmers can use Cocoa which gives the programs a lot of the native features of Mac OSX. So it could not be identical. The big programs are not in Cocoa it should be said, and Photoshop is almost the same. The ease of use comes from the OS and not the program in those cases (expose being useful for dealing with a lot of images). The way Mac handles images does mean its is usually snappier and a tad more stable though.

[Gareth]

Originally Posted by Apple

Cocoa is an object-oriented application environment designed specifically for developing Mac OS X-only native applications. The Cocoa frameworks include a complete set of classes, and for developers starting new Mac OS X-only projects, Cocoa provides the fastest way to full-featured, extensible, and maintainable applications.

Sounds like programming using Window's APIs to me