PC vs Mac?

[buffarg]

Any advice on PC vs Mac? If you like the Mac do you think the single-processor Mac is good enough or is the G5 worth it?

I'll be shoppping for a new computer this Fall, and what I've read about WinXP so far isn't encouraging-it seems like a real problem child with one security hole after another.

Since my main interest is web surfing the better security of Macs sounds appealing, and my other developing interest is Photography and even PCWORLD magazine concedes that Macs are better for multimedia-though the mag didn't specify what Mac they meant

My other interest is computer games and ESPECIALLY flight simulators, though the games I've bought were all cranky, and buggy, and I wasn't any good at them anyway so that's down near the bottom of my priority list, especially since the only flight sim left seems to be Microsoft's. The 'Mac Store' has "X Planes" and "F/A-18" for Macs

 

[Angel3d]

PC is cheaper and has more support for games.
MAC is a better (professional level) multimedia creation slash editing tool. Although the gap is getting smaller.

 

[shinyam]

http://dog.intcul.tohoku.ac.jp/mac-pc/mac-pc.html

 

[KaTyA]

i own a G4 tower. i would love a G5, but theyre absolutly too expensive right now. maybe next year!

there are too many advantages of the mac on a technical level, the only downside is the no gaming factor (unless you only play halo and warcraft lol), and the cost. macs rarely get viruses, and obviously it processes faster than a pc.

i have a pc laptop, used to have a G4 powerbook, but i got rid of it, and bought a pc laptop for 1/3 of the cost of the G4.

it really depends what you want out of your computer though. one is definatly better than the other, but it its functions are unaplicable to your computer needs, you might be wasting your money! i have both because between me and my fiance we have too many computing needs to descriminate, but if i was forced to get rid of one, it would definatly be the pc!

 

[Nayo]

PCs = gaming,surfing, subtle multimedia editing.

MAC = An artsie fartsie machine.

 

[RogerRabbit]

"fartsie"?

MAC = An artsie fartsie machine.

Oh Nayo;

Do you have a G4 or G5 mac with osx?

For those who like the facts:

http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20040823/3b_apple23.art.htm

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/story.jsp?story=552489

 

[Muddy]

Get a Mac, mate.

Join the cult. Just like being part of TERB!

More stable, better graphical interface and look, hardly any viruses. I've had one crash since 1984 when I got my first Mac.

Buy a silly little Windows PC thingamajig for games, and the Mac for being a professional.

 

[Keebler Elf]

I have WinXP and have never had a problem. Don't believe the hype. If you're surfing the net without anti-virus protection, you get what you deserve. Don't know anything about graphics so I can't comment there.

 

[Angel3d]

I have WinXP and have never had a problem. Don't believe the hype. If you're surfing the net without anti-virus protection, you get what you deserve. Don't know anything about graphics so I can't comment there.

Man people just love to live in fear. They always says that the big con of the pc are viruses and unstable OS. As the elf said use anti virus and you'll be fine.

Anyway the simple fact is that the MAc is better than the PC in editing music and video etc. But the price difference between the to options does not reflect / equate to the difference in performance of the to options. So dollar for dollat the PC is the better choice. Unless of course you are a proffessional.

 

[RogerRabbit]

Any advice on PC vs Mac?

www.ehmac.ca

 

[Cobster]

mac , more stable no virus', less programs unless you have connections.
sucks for gaming if yo do that.

pc, versatile, crashes, virus', tons more programs and if you got a pda (pocket pc or palm pilot) you can synch them.

mac - more pricey but you wont have to buy another computer for awhile (3,4,5, 6years even)

pc - updated every 6-12months if you want the newest vid cards and fastest/faster comp (RAM)

happy shopping

 

[LeatherDoll]

The usual platform war ...

you'll never get anyone to switch - people like what they are used to, regardless.

I have been using Mac since they first came on the market. It was my first computer (128K).

I am now using a G3 tower running OS 9.1 and love it - of course. I just bought my parents an old iMac. The great thing about a Mac is that even if it is sick, it still works until you can get it fixed. Or you can just set up a new startup partition and ignore the partition with the problem. Mind you, problems are rare.

It is true that Mac costs more. You will also never need to replace it (if you go for the big guns like a G5). I really don't need to replace mine, only aesthetics would convince me, and even then, its only the monitor I want to change so I'm likely to keep my CPU.

The Mac never dies. I have a 15 year old LC575 with 20M memory that I can use on the internet without difficulty. Try that with a PC!

I've never had any trouble with software - there is plenty, but one of the Works suites (which comes with your computer) will give you most of the productivity software you need (word processing, drawing [vector layout], painting, spreadsheet, database). Same goes for the i- series that also come with the OS (iPhoto, etc.). Tons of free software online - and tons of support BBs to get you going and troubleshoot if you run into difficulty. The user community knows way more than apple (who always underestimate the power of their machines). I've never had a virus - although there have been something like 72 that work on Mac.

If you are a game player, particularly online, you should go with PC. If you "think different" you'll do the Mac (it really is a different kind of person that choses one over the other)

If you really want to know, why not pick up an old one and give it a go before you jump into the fray. The iMac I just bought my parents cost $250 Canadian (including shipping from Alberta) on ebay.ca Make sure it comes with all original software and you'll be good to go immediately (ethernet and modem are both onboard), as do a variety of plugs (USB, firewire). Its an all-in-one, so all you need to do is plug it in and turn it on! But you need an external device to write to disc or harddrive - its CD is read only.

In the end, it depends on what you want to do!

Good Luck

 

[Pallydin]

Mac users are laughable as always.

The reason that there are fewer viruses for Mac is that hackers don't write viruses for things that are of no interest for them. A Mac is just as easy to write viruses for as PCs, but you just need to do it differently. I once saw a CompSci thesis that was a Mac virus and it was scarier shit than any PC virus I've ever seen. Everything has a point to exploit and Mac users are naive to believe otherwise.

As for stability, the main drawback for the PC isn't the fact that it is a PC but the fact that it is running on Microsoft software. A PC running on Linux is more stable than a Mac on Windows and the fact is that stability has more to do with the ability of the user to configure it properly. You see, the fact that the average Mac user typically has a higher intelligence has more to do with the stability of Macs than with any flaws in the basic design of the PC. If Macs were used by the unwashed masses in office everywhere, they would become pieces of crap in no time flat (seen it happen first-hand). I find Macs are more prone to stability problems than my own home PC for no other reason than I have a complete understanding how it runs and how to adjust it to deal with adverse conditions. Stability is a function of how things are configured, not whether the machine is PC or Mac.

Add to all this that when a Mac does crash that it usually is unfixable (unlike a PC that is easy to bring back again) and I really don't see the charm. I have had more Macs fail me in a cataclysmic fashion than PCs and I've used a great many of both.

PAL

 

[Keebler Elf]

I would think that Mac doesn't need to be replaced as often b/c there is less stuff out there for it to upgrade to. PCs are upgrading all the time b/c so much stuff comes out.

 

[Cobster]

tell ya what, WHEN i win the lottery, im hooking up everyone here who likes the mac with a g5



myself included (duh)

edit - those who posted already that is. lol

 

[xarir]

Xarir's rambling thoughts

Because Apple makes both the software & the hardware, Macs have a very clean integration between the OS & the actual computer. To me this is one of the main reasons that Macs generally seem to work better than PCs.

I use a Mac at home and a variety of PCs at work. One of my work colleagues uses a PC for video editing at work, and I must admit that the system he uses does a pretty good job. On the whole though, I think my Mac does a better job at video editing at a similar price point. Though I am somewhat biased in this view (I love my Mac!) I think it's fair to say that the Mac generally has a stronger presence in the professional market when it comes to video / photo editing.

Video editing is fundamental in nature - you take your raw footage and splice it together in various ways to come up with the finished product. Splicing can be done physically with film or electronically in the digital realm. At work the system we have in place is functionally adequate. But when I compare it with my Mac, I find that the Mac has better hardware / software integration which comes through in video import / export. The Mac also has a stronger sense of workflow with Final Cut Pro software. And in general I think Final Cut Pro is making stronger inroads with the major Hollywood studios than other systems are.

In terms of general use such as surfing, I think the underlying UNIX base of the Mac OS comes through in the stability of the platform. I like dropping into the command line myself from time to time, but for normal users I think the stablity is very good to excellent. Having said that, WinXP is generally pretty good too.

In the end it's a personal decision. I've used both platforms and I prefer my Mac.

 

[RogerRabbit]

Re: Xarir's rambling thoughts

Because Apple makes both the software & the hardware, Macs have a very clean integration between the OS & the actual computer. To me this is one of the main reasons that Macs generally seem to work better than PCs.

Very true!

Have you seen the new imac G5:

http://www.apple.com/ca/imac/

 

[Chivas Regal]

tell ya what, WHEN i win the lottery, im hooking up everyone here who likes the mac with a g5



myself included (duh)

edit - those who posted already that is. lol

Please count me in! I'd love a new G5!

Chivas

 

[Mao Tse Tongue]

Re: Re: Xarir's rambling thoughts

Very true!

Have you seen the new imac G5:

http://www.apple.com/ca/imac/

That is SMOKING!

Does anyone know if that back thingie comes off? If so, you could slip that baby into a bag and have a laptop! (just throw the keyboard in!)

My god! I'm switching!

 

[Sexy Angle]

Re: Re: PC vs Mac?

www.ehmac.ca

I think Mac are alot better..I own a 2003 ibook G4,i dont even use half of the things it has on it.I also own a DELL Latitude C600 thats also great.The Dell is alot better for me so i am selling my ibook.PM me if you are interested in it.