"All PC Games Run On Macs." What?

[Creator002]

Games are definitely NOT made on Macs. When I did games programming for a year at uni, we all used Windows 7 PCs due to all our games being made in MS Visual Studio.
Even when I visited a game company (Big Ant, Australia) all their computers were Windows Vista or Windows 7 due to, again, MS Visual Studio.

 

[lacktheknack]

Macs are good for artwork and creativity

This statement baffles me. I see it being made all the time with no qualification and I'm genuinely curious as to why people think this is, can you enlighten me at all?

I'm not sure the person who posted this actually knows jack shit, but coming from someone who has tried to use windows for adobe creative suite coming off a mac, I can try to explain why. Adobe creative suite is pretty much identical between the two operating systems (With the exception of cs4, which for some reason lacked a 64 bit mac version) so it essentially comes down to how the operating system interacts with the program. I can certainly tell you that finder works better then windows explorer (For everything, but it shows more when using photoshop) when transferring large files quickly in and out of a workspace. It is also true that it is more efficient to never worry about viruses (DURR), but this is true with pretty much any professional use of a computer. Another thing is the lack of Final Cut on windows, which is definitely a deal breaker for me.

Macs get viruses too... -_-

Oh really? Show me one recorded case that a mac, running the latest version of OS X, has gotten a virus.

http://www.macworld.com/article/159595/2011/05/macdefender_trojan_horse.html

Google, man.

Anyways, a virus is a program that replicates itself and spreads itself from computer to computer, by definition. There is absolutely NO reason why one can`t be written for a Mac, for the same reason that there`s no reason someone can`t write, say, a parsing script or an AI for Battleships. The reason that they`re rare is that A. They`re slightly harder to make on Macs (emphasis on slightly) and B. Macs have a pretty small slice of the PCs Sold pie. No reason to focus on the tiny audience when you can screw up more people at once, and more easily.

Now, as Macs become more mainstream, more malware and viruses will be made for it. See: The above link.

 

[lacktheknack]

Oh my, I haven't had a good laugh for while. Thank you for curing that.

Ok, right.

Firstly:

Games really don't work on a Mac. Only a selection of games do, and that's because they've been made to, or your using onlive.

And it's possible to have an odd amount of Ram, it's just you have to make it out off 1gb and 2gb stick. And it's not because no one has bothered to it's because of the most basic rules of computing.

Binary decimal values. 1,2,4,8,16 etc. It's why you won't get a 3gb memory stick.

Or it is because you are dual booting windows, or running it as a VM. Which is piss easy to do.

But there is no good reason to do that.

Building my own PC is also piss-easy, then I can dual boot the Mac OSX or VM it, for one third of the cost.

 

[brainslurper]

I wouldn't usually say this, but at least 75% of the people here have no fucking idea what they are talking about. Yes, you can certainly run windows games on a Mac. It takes about about 5 clicks to get windows installed on your mac, from there it can run windows just as well (And in some proven cases, better) then a windows native computer. And you still have all the advantages of OS X if you want to do professional work. The thing is, if you aren't going to take advantage of an OS X native system, then you are better of buying a cheaper (Less reliable) windows native computer.

Exactly what are these "proven cases" where running Windows on an iMac is better? It sounds like you're the one who doesn't know what you're talking about. They both use the same hardware architecture, except the stuff in iMacs is pathetically weak but comes in a shiny box and a huge price tag.

Here here! I second this above question. Please; bring on the proven cases, and I want to see how much more performance and extra $3000 gets you, with lesser components, please, I'm just dying to know how it's possible to pay more money, get less capable hardware, and yet still come out in front - is it magic man?

I wouldn't usually say this, but at least 75% of the people here have no fucking idea what they are talking about. Yes, you can certainly run windows games on a Mac. It takes about about 5 clicks to get windows installed on your mac, from there it can run windows just as well (And in some proven cases, better) then a windows native computer. And you still have all the advantages of OS X if you want to do professional work. The thing is, if you aren't going to take advantage of an OS X native system, then you are better of buying a cheaper (Less reliable) windows native computer.

Exactly what are these "proven cases" where running Windows on an iMac is better? It sounds like you're the one who doesn't know what you're talking about. They both use the same hardware architecture, except the stuff in iMacs is pathetically weak but comes in a shiny box and a huge price tag.

It was a big study by popular mechanics, it started as a simple windows native computer vs os x native computer of equal hardware. Also, about the price tag, I challenge you to find ANYTHING that can even remotely compete with an iMac.

Challenge accepted! Please read my above post for more details.

Then I challenge you, to tell me why, a laptop shoved into a monitor, could possibly ever compete with a real bonafied PC.

Okay, that is like me saying "My MacBook is better then your iPhone". Find an all in one.

 

[brainslurper]

Macs are good for artwork and creativity

This statement baffles me. I see it being made all the time with no qualification and I'm genuinely curious as to why people think this is, can you enlighten me at all?

I'm not sure the person who posted this actually knows jack shit, but coming from someone who has tried to use windows for adobe creative suite coming off a mac, I can try to explain why. Adobe creative suite is pretty much identical between the two operating systems (With the exception of cs4, which for some reason lacked a 64 bit mac version) so it essentially comes down to how the operating system interacts with the program. I can certainly tell you that finder works better then windows explorer (For everything, but it shows more when using photoshop) when transferring large files quickly in and out of a workspace. It is also true that it is more efficient to never worry about viruses (DURR), but this is true with pretty much any professional use of a computer. Another thing is the lack of Final Cut on windows, which is definitely a deal breaker for me.

Macs get viruses too... -_-

Oh really? Show me one recorded case that a mac, running the latest version of OS X, has gotten a virus.

http://www.macworld.com/article/159595/2011/05/macdefender_trojan_horse.html

Google, man.

Anyways, a virus is a program that replicates itself and spreads itself from computer to computer, by definition. There is absolutely NO reason why one can`t be written for a Mac, for the same reason that there`s no reason someone can`t write, say, a parsing script or an AI for Battleships. The reason that they`re rare is that A. They`re slightly harder to make on Macs (emphasis on slightly) and B. Macs have a pretty small slice of the PCs Sold pie. No reason to focus on the tiny audience when you can screw up more people at once, and more easily.

Now, as Macs become more mainstream, more malware and viruses will be made for it. See: The above link.

The link you sent me has the word "Trojan" in it. That is a trojan, not a virus. And in the past 10 years, Macs have actually LOST market share.

 

[brainslurper]

I wouldn't usually say this, but at least 75% of the people here have no fucking idea what they are talking about. Yes, you can certainly run windows games on a Mac. It takes about about 5 clicks to get windows installed on your mac, from there it can run windows just as well (And in some proven cases, better) then a windows native computer. And you still have all the advantages of OS X if you want to do professional work. The thing is, if you aren't going to take advantage of an OS X native system, then you are better of buying a cheaper (Less reliable) windows native computer.

Exactly what are these "proven cases" where running Windows on an iMac is better? It sounds like you're the one who doesn't know what you're talking about. They both use the same hardware architecture, except the stuff in iMacs is pathetically weak but comes in a shiny box and a huge price tag.

It was a big study by popular mechanics, it started as a simple windows native computer vs os x native computer of equal hardware. Also, about the price tag, I challenge you to find ANYTHING that can even remotely compete with an iMac.

You got a source for this? Because it's still not making any sense. If you have a PC and an iMac with the same specs then they should run Windows in the same manner.

Are you joking? The cheapest iMac is £999 and comes with a whopping AMD Radeon HD 6750M. It's not even a desktop graphics chipset, it's the one they use in laptops! That's absolutely insane for the price. After looking for a whole minute I found this http://3xs.scan.co.uk/ShowSystem.asp?SystemID=1017 which is about the same price but has specs which would destroy the iMac and even then that is probably overpriced to some degree and you could build it for cheaper yourself.

That is a tower, not an all in one. Try again.

 

[brainslurper]

Macs are good for artwork and creativity

This statement baffles me. I see it being made all the time with no qualification and I'm genuinely curious as to why people think this is, can you enlighten me at all?

I'm not sure the person who posted this actually knows jack shit, but coming from someone who has tried to use windows for adobe creative suite coming off a mac, I can try to explain why. Adobe creative suite is pretty much identical between the two operating systems (With the exception of cs4, which for some reason lacked a 64 bit mac version) so it essentially comes down to how the operating system interacts with the program. I can certainly tell you that finder works better then windows explorer (For everything, but it shows more when using photoshop) when transferring large files quickly in and out of a workspace. It is also true that it is more efficient to never worry about viruses (DURR), but this is true with pretty much any professional use of a computer. Another thing is the lack of Final Cut on windows, which is definitely a deal breaker for me.

Macs get viruses too... -_-

Oh really? Show me one recorded case that a mac, running the latest version of OS X, has gotten a virus.

Do your own research, fanboy [http://lmgtfy.com/?q=can+macs+get+viruses%3F]

As far as I know, a blank google search page is hardly evidence that there are viruses working on OS X Lion. Nice try though.

 

[brainslurper]

Oh my, I haven't had a good laugh for while. Thank you for curing that.

Ok, right.

Firstly:

Games really don't work on a Mac. Only a selection of games do, and that's because they've been made to, or your using onlive.

And it's possible to have an odd amount of Ram, it's just you have to make it out off 1gb and 2gb stick. And it's not because no one has bothered to it's because of the most basic rules of computing.

Binary decimal values. 1,2,4,8,16 etc. It's why you won't get a 3gb memory stick.

Or it is because you are dual booting windows, or running it as a VM. Which is piss easy to do.

But there is no good reason to do that.

Building my own PC is also piss-easy, then I can dual boot the Mac OSX or VM it, for one third of the cost.

It is not piss easy to build a pc. Most people can't do it. Most people also can't figure out how to hackintosh. As I have said to other people, find me an all in one that can compete with my iMac at all, then we will start talking about price.

 

[Tharwen]

I've spent the last 2 days trying to get Wine to work on my Macbook, and the strong impression I'm getting is that no, Macs cannot run Windows software.

Go to applications folder, go to utilities, and click boot camp assistant. Assuming you have a windows disk (You can burn one) you can get windows installing in a couple minutes.

I uninstalled boot camp a year ago because it took up disk space and was awkward to switch to.

 

[lacktheknack]

Macs are good for artwork and creativity

This statement baffles me. I see it being made all the time with no qualification and I'm genuinely curious as to why people think this is, can you enlighten me at all?

I'm not sure the person who posted this actually knows jack shit, but coming from someone who has tried to use windows for adobe creative suite coming off a mac, I can try to explain why. Adobe creative suite is pretty much identical between the two operating systems (With the exception of cs4, which for some reason lacked a 64 bit mac version) so it essentially comes down to how the operating system interacts with the program. I can certainly tell you that finder works better then windows explorer (For everything, but it shows more when using photoshop) when transferring large files quickly in and out of a workspace. It is also true that it is more efficient to never worry about viruses (DURR), but this is true with pretty much any professional use of a computer. Another thing is the lack of Final Cut on windows, which is definitely a deal breaker for me.

Macs get viruses too... -_-

Oh really? Show me one recorded case that a mac, running the latest version of OS X, has gotten a virus.

http://www.macworld.com/article/159595/2011/05/macdefender_trojan_horse.html

Google, man.

Anyways, a virus is a program that replicates itself and spreads itself from computer to computer, by definition. There is absolutely NO reason why one can`t be written for a Mac, for the same reason that there`s no reason someone can`t write, say, a parsing script or an AI for Battleships. The reason that they`re rare is that A. They`re slightly harder to make on Macs (emphasis on slightly) and B. Macs have a pretty small slice of the PCs Sold pie. No reason to focus on the tiny audience when you can screw up more people at once, and more easily.

Now, as Macs become more mainstream, more malware and viruses will be made for it. See: The above link.

The link you sent me has the word "Trojan" in it. That is a trojan, not a virus. And in the past 10 years, Macs have actually LOST market share.

Fine, I`ll define EVERYTHING for you (and let my opinion of hardcore Mac fans fall even further).

When people say `Virus`, they mean `Malware`, or software that does damage to your computer. A virus is, by definition, a program that remakes itself and finds frighteningly innovative ways to go from one computer to another. A trojan is a piece of malware that hides connections to unsecured networks or intruders, allowing your computer to become zombified, your computers information to be stolen, or worse - destroyed. (Or, in this case, just scammed.) NEARLY ALL TROJANS HAVE VIRAL TENDENCIES. But if you insist on being pedantic...

http://www.switched.com/2009/09/01/apple-quietly-admits-macs-get-viruses/

Ouch.

Here, have a more anecdotal (but still existent) screenshot.

http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/9799/screenshot20110508at825.png

Oh, and by the way, Wikipedia takes offense at your `Mac market share has fallen` claim. It says that it has grown from 2% in 2003 to 11% in 2010. Maybe you should check your claims.

 

[lacktheknack]

Oh my, I haven't had a good laugh for while. Thank you for curing that.

Ok, right.

Firstly:

Games really don't work on a Mac. Only a selection of games do, and that's because they've been made to, or your using onlive.

And it's possible to have an odd amount of Ram, it's just you have to make it out off 1gb and 2gb stick. And it's not because no one has bothered to it's because of the most basic rules of computing.

Binary decimal values. 1,2,4,8,16 etc. It's why you won't get a 3gb memory stick.

Or it is because you are dual booting windows, or running it as a VM. Which is piss easy to do.

But there is no good reason to do that.

Building my own PC is also piss-easy, then I can dual boot the Mac OSX or VM it, for one third of the cost.

It is not piss easy to build a pc. Most people can't do it. Most people also can't figure out how to hackintosh. As I have said to other people, find me an all in one that can compete with my iMac at all, then we will start talking about price.

Yes it is. ALL THE PARTS COME WITH EASY-READ MANUALS. USE THEEEEEEMMMMMMMMM!

Also, I don`t want your all-in-one. I don`t buy a computer with a touchscreen, full utility software, email programs, photo viewer, photoshop, music program, specialized internet browser, and sleek design when all I want to do is game and code. I`ll just uninstall all the stuff I mentioned. ALL of it. Why the hell would I pay an extra $2000 for that, especially when you consider that it`s an exorbitant price for all that anyways.

 

[lacktheknack]

That is a tower, not an all in one. Try again.

Oh, you`re talking about the monitor being the computer. I UNDERSTAND!

...Yeah, not finding one because I would never buy one. I wouldn`t take one for free.

 

[Conza]

I wouldn't usually say this, but at least 75% of the people here have no fucking idea what they are talking about. Yes, you can certainly run windows games on a Mac. It takes about about 5 clicks to get windows installed on your mac, from there it can run windows just as well (And in some proven cases, better) then a windows native computer. And you still have all the advantages of OS X if you want to do professional work. The thing is, if you aren't going to take advantage of an OS X native system, then you are better of buying a cheaper (Less reliable) windows native computer.

Exactly what are these "proven cases" where running Windows on an iMac is better? It sounds like you're the one who doesn't know what you're talking about. They both use the same hardware architecture, except the stuff in iMacs is pathetically weak but comes in a shiny box and a huge price tag.

Here here! I second this above question. Please; bring on the proven cases, and I want to see how much more performance and extra $3000 gets you, with lesser components, please, I'm just dying to know how it's possible to pay more money, get less capable hardware, and yet still come out in front - is it magic man?

I wouldn't usually say this, but at least 75% of the people here have no fucking idea what they are talking about. Yes, you can certainly run windows games on a Mac. It takes about about 5 clicks to get windows installed on your mac, from there it can run windows just as well (And in some proven cases, better) then a windows native computer. And you still have all the advantages of OS X if you want to do professional work. The thing is, if you aren't going to take advantage of an OS X native system, then you are better of buying a cheaper (Less reliable) windows native computer.

Exactly what are these "proven cases" where running Windows on an iMac is better? It sounds like you're the one who doesn't know what you're talking about. They both use the same hardware architecture, except the stuff in iMacs is pathetically weak but comes in a shiny box and a huge price tag.

It was a big study by popular mechanics, it started as a simple windows native computer vs os x native computer of equal hardware. Also, about the price tag, I challenge you to find ANYTHING that can even remotely compete with an iMac.

Challenge accepted! Please read my above post for more details.

Then I challenge you, to tell me why, a laptop shoved into a monitor, could possibly ever compete with a real bonafied PC.

Okay, that is like me saying "My MacBook is better then your iPhone". Find an all in one.

No, its actually asking you to either withdraw your statement that a mac could possibly run better than a similar, check that, superior speced PC.

And furthermore, its my marketable desktop computer kicks the shit out of your marketable desktop computer, because it gives much more bang for much less buck.

So go on, give us the tests or withdraw the statement.

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

If money is an issue (i.e. you don't have shipping containers of it just sitting around) then buying an Apple plain does not make much sense. If we are talking aesthetics and design, Apple is the way to go.

If you have a look at the components inside your Apple machine of choice (iMac), you'll quickly see that a beige/black box with PC components will cost you significantly less, with the added bonus feature of being able to add (more/faster) RAM or a better or a bigger monitor later on. If you have a Full HD TV sitting around and you are happy with a 1920x1080 resolution, you can plug your PC rig in with a five dollar cable, without the need of having to buy adaptor dongles for everything - generally speaking, I don't believe in beautiful machines that have to be spiked with adaptor dongles to make them compatible to available hardware. So, hardware-wise, I really don't quite understand your friend.

The RAM thing I don't get - at all. You're right, RAM usually comes in even numbers: 2GB, 4GB, ... 16GB. With Dual Channel capable hardware, you'd want to buy pairs of RAM sticks, with Triple Channel capable rigs you want to buy triplets of proper good RAM. While it is perfectly possible to have, say, notebook computers with odd amounts of RAM, that is mainly either a failure on behalf of the user (sticking anything in that doesn't blow up is good enough), or the manufacturer communicated the limitations of 32-bit operating systems of old (which basically max out <4GB of any and all memory, video card included)...

The current listings for iMacs I get range from ~$800 (4GB RAM/2.5GHz CPU/500GB HD) to ~$1400(4GB RAM/3.1GHz CPU/1TB HD), so both come with 4GB of RAM. No modern 64-bit capable machine should come with "odd" amounts of RAM, it's just so last century.

There's a chance both come with RAM that is slower than what the machine itself could handle. There's also a chance both machines can be upgraded to the same amount of maximum RAM (8GB/16GB)... these are obviously questions you need to ask if the numbers are of concern to you.

Oh, and about the games... "all PC games are designed on Macs" is right up there with "I did not have sex with that woman!" and Sarah Palin history lessons. The "Put it in! BOOM! Loaded!" is also a rather funky one. It sounds magical, defying reason, logic and fact. There are ways to make Windows software work (perfectly/more-or-less/crap/not-at-all) on OS X, but if you're not savvy with this kind of trickery, there will be a long stretch of tears and sweat between the "putting it in" and the "BOOM! Loaded!"... even if all games were designed on "Macs", they certainly aren't coded on or made for OS X (or Linux, for that matter). All the PC Games I've seen so far come with executable files (*.exe), and your average Apple machine featuring OS X doesn't really know what to do with those. Maybe he meant dual-format install discs, but - as the name implies - installation still has to happen, no matter your system.

The only bit of truth I see can be extracted from "All PC games run on Mac" - apart from the fact that Macs are now generally to be referred to as Apple computers, the fun bit is that they - finally - run on the same CPU architecture as "PC"/Windows computers. So, it is generally possible to install a - properly bought/licensed - Windows OS on it. So, if you don't mind reading up on dual boot installs, and why it might (not) be a good idea to go the official route of using "Boot Camp" (or not), yes, you can run Windows on it and - if CPU/RAM/video hardware and proper drivers allow, you can install and play PC games on it.

So, if you are willing to install Windows (XP or 7, currently) onto your Apple hardware, you *might* have a mostly PC-like experience when it comes to playing old and new games. A big problem could, however, arise with the video hardware inside your splendid new Apple computer, since you usually cannot replace it with something more powerful.

So, as with all hardware cravings, I'd say make sure you know how much money you are willing to spend, then make a list of what you intend to do with it and then find out what best choices are within reach.

Oh, and if you are not too computer-savvy, it is probably a good idea to spend the money on an extended warranty, if available. Just to make sure.

 

[pejhmon]

Memory as a whole goes up in powers of 2. 1gb = 2^10 mb = 1024 mb which is why 1gb RAM chips exist. Otherwise from there onwards it's obvious that it's only even numbers of gb's since 2^11 = 2048, 2^12 = 4096 etc etc.

Also, anyone who says that you need a "rig" for gaming is bullshiting through their teeth. I mean don't get me wrong, it's very nice to have a $3k rig but you most certainly don't need it. The computer (or should I say, laptop) that I use for gaming (and work) is one I bought 2 years ago for ~£650 ($1000ish) and it still runs games well. Most recent game I played on it was the Space Marine demo and that ran fine (ignoring the fact that the SM's in the cinematics had no faces but that was hilarious ), and it will continue to run games relatively well for at least a couple more years due to lower graphics settings on all games nowadays.

Side note, my flatmate has a mac with a windows parallel and he had issues running Age of Mythology (a game from 2003) .... and it was a windows xp parallel as well. I ended up having to fix it for him which made me laugh because it brought the mac down further

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

PC's will not do "any kind of design" better. At all. Macs are the industry standard in video editing/ production, sound engineering/ production, publishing and print for a very good reason. The very best software in the world for these things are Mac-exclusive.

You might want to take publishing and print off your list if you're basing it on software because the industry standard software for both has been multiplatform for about... hmmmm... been at least 10 years since Quark Xpress lost it's position of industry standard for layout work.

Macs still dominate both industries because... well, they used to be the only machines that ran the industry standard so that's what everyone learned on, so that's what they were familiar with, so it's what they used, so it's what kept up industry presence, so it's what everyone was taught on and repeat ad nauseum. Even though the industry standard programs for publishing and print are now multiplatform (and all Adobe, if memory serves), everyone is pretty much comfortable staying with Macs.


At least you didn't bring up graphic design... Macs had 2 advantages over PCs in that regard, both of which are looooooonnnnng gone - the Mac handled floating point operations much, much better (Windows only stopped throwing tantrums about them with the NT Kernel... so NT versions and from XP onward) and Apple monitors, in the CRT days, were the shit for colour calibration... and now they're just, well, shit. These days it doesn't matter what platform you use in graphic design as long as you know your relevent Adobe Creative Suite programs.

 

[Elsarild]

No it can't run like your friend explained, games still have to be installed, and they have to be made for OSX or other Mac OSses.

What you CAN do with a mac is run a program like VM ware or the like to set up a virtual windows PC on your mac, then everything can run just fine, provided you have alot of exstra ram and procssesing power, since you are running mac OS in the backgground, AND a virtual computer running windows. And thats not taking the actual game into account, so it would require a rather hardcore machine, and if you are going for hardcore AND mac, then you have way too much disposeable income.

Or as others bring up, you can use bootcamp to install windows on your mac, but then I got to ask why you'd buy a mac in the first place.

But it's really not necessary.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Oh really? Show me one recorded case that a mac, running the latest version of OS X, has gotten a virus.

Macs -cannot- run 'all' PC titles. Your friends are misinformed.

Yes, they can. Macs are computers. They run on x86 processors. Therefor they can run windows. Apple even makes it easy by building a boot loader into to the OS, something microsoft would never do.

So, Macs get Windows viruses then. [http://www.tf2wiki.net/w/images/7/7a/Heavy_domination15.wav]

Oh wait...you said when a Mac is running Mac software...dodging that bullet.

http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2011/10/03/mac-malware-history/#2011 [http://www.tf2wiki.net/w/images/6/6a/Heavy_yell14_Vzzzzzt%21_Mimics_Minigun_noise_Wahahahaaaaaa%21.wav]