With music, it's pretty much the same. With video editing... if you're looking at pro work, the Industry Standard Final Cut programs are Mac only... but below that, meh, much of a muchness.PurplePlatypus said:
Give my Dad reasons NOT to get a Mac!
- Thread starter BlueberryMUNCH
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Really? My experience is completely the opposite. In fact that is my main reason for having one. I'm not much of a computer nerd, and if you're not a computer nerd you appreciate that Macs just work with a limited amount of fucking around. Less powerful? Sure. Shit at gaming? Sure. Expensive? Definitely. Paying for the shiny glowing apple because the cool kids have them? hate it. But it does work really well. My PC at work crashes every other day, I think I had used my Mac daily for about a year or so before it crashed. Every PC user knows Ctrl-Alt-Del because of the regularity with which you need to reboot the things. I have no idea what the equivalent is on the Mac because I have only rebooted maybe 2 or 3 times in a couple of years.solidsnake101023 said:
I feel that if you want to use a Mac you have to be "cool" and "urban" and "post-modern art student" etc.. All are people I hate and therefore Macs are for gimps.
But no, really, they're user friendly. Or so I've heard Mac fanboys say. And they use their hands to illustrate their seriousnesses so it must be true.
But no, really, they're user friendly. Or so I've heard Mac fanboys say. And they use their hands to illustrate their seriousnesses so it must be true.
First, we need to know what your father intends to do with aforementioned Mac. If you want to look at things from an economic perspective, Macs are good for one thing: Video editing and compositing. Primarily due to Apple's Final Cut Pro [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Cut_Pro], which is the de-facto editing program for films. If your father is not into this, he should reconsider buying a Mac, whilst they are nice computers indeed (very polished), the absolutely outrageous price makes it somewhat unappealing for the economically minded.
When it comes to the OS and software itself, it's difficult to make an argument. Yes, it is very polished, and looks very good, but despite Apple's much touted "runs great because the hardware is optimized", OSX tends to get relatively sluggish after some use (even though it may very well outperform Windows in this aspect).
My recommendation is that if your father is desperate to get a sleek, polished, good-looking computer system, he's much better off getting a Windows laptop, rip out Windows and installing an easy-to-use Linux distribution, such as (keeping our mind on good graphics) Kubuntu [http://www.kubuntu.org/], or Linux Mint [http://www.linuxmint.com/]. Both are running (or are available) with the KDE desktop environment (which is geared toward good-looking graphics), and both are geared for out-of-the-box compatibility and ease of use. Not to mention that they're both free (as in 'freedom' and as in 'free beer'.)
This is not the case with UNIX, OSX or any *nix-system out there, where full system access is rather sparsely distributed, and users rarely ever run as full system administrator (or 'root') accounts, instead getting 'root' permission when needed, via the 'sudo' [http://xkcd.com/149/] command. This, most people argue, makes the system inherently more secure.
Which is not to say that it is fully possible to get a virus for both OSX and UNIX, and that there are anti-virus programs available, which can protect you, but even they are not a guarantee that you won't eventually get infected, though most people consider anti-virus programs unnecessary, not because they think they're invincible, but because if they *do* get a virus, it will probably be well-crafted enough to bypass the anti-virus system anyway. One should remember that when you're connected to the Internet, you are never completely secure.
When it comes to the OS and software itself, it's difficult to make an argument. Yes, it is very polished, and looks very good, but despite Apple's much touted "runs great because the hardware is optimized", OSX tends to get relatively sluggish after some use (even though it may very well outperform Windows in this aspect).
My recommendation is that if your father is desperate to get a sleek, polished, good-looking computer system, he's much better off getting a Windows laptop, rip out Windows and installing an easy-to-use Linux distribution, such as (keeping our mind on good graphics) Kubuntu [http://www.kubuntu.org/], or Linux Mint [http://www.linuxmint.com/]. Both are running (or are available) with the KDE desktop environment (which is geared toward good-looking graphics), and both are geared for out-of-the-box compatibility and ease of use. Not to mention that they're both free (as in 'freedom' and as in 'free beer'.)
This is not entirely true, since OSX is based on UNIX, it handles user and program privileges in an entirely different way compared to Windows. You see, Windows have this nasty habit of giving pretty much all programs Administrator access to the system, which allows them to change files and modify your system as they please.darth.pixie said:
This is not the case with UNIX, OSX or any *nix-system out there, where full system access is rather sparsely distributed, and users rarely ever run as full system administrator (or 'root') accounts, instead getting 'root' permission when needed, via the 'sudo' [http://xkcd.com/149/] command. This, most people argue, makes the system inherently more secure.
Which is not to say that it is fully possible to get a virus for both OSX and UNIX, and that there are anti-virus programs available, which can protect you, but even they are not a guarantee that you won't eventually get infected, though most people consider anti-virus programs unnecessary, not because they think they're invincible, but because if they *do* get a virus, it will probably be well-crafted enough to bypass the anti-virus system anyway. One should remember that when you're connected to the Internet, you are never completely secure.
Ok my oppinion
Macs are great for applications, like your Movie makers, your music makers and things like that
But if you want to do officey things, use windows, sure it's had a few hiccups, but it's fareley cheap, reliable and it's a recognised format...plus its hella easy to use
Macs are great for applications, like your Movie makers, your music makers and things like that
But if you want to do officey things, use windows, sure it's had a few hiccups, but it's fareley cheap, reliable and it's a recognised format...plus its hella easy to use
It really is a matter of opinion, I suppose. I think Mac did it better. I'm familiar with both Windows and Mac OSX, and I highly prefer OSX. Windows gets the job done, but whenever I use it as opposed to my Macbook it just feels so clunky and unintuitive. I think using a Mac is just a much more enjoyable and smooth experience, and no amount of using any Windows OS has even begun to change my mind. Plus, again, the trackpad on the Macbooks is just amazing.stinkychops said:
To be honest, I'd never spend more then $500 on any laptop because they just don't last.
Since I don't think there's a macbook in that price range, I'd never buy a mac.
And yes, my last laptop cost $2500 and lasted about two and a half years
Since I don't think there's a macbook in that price range, I'd never buy a mac.
And yes, my last laptop cost $2500 and lasted about two and a half years
depending on the work he does (i havnt read everything) a mac can be a good idea. centeralised and usually pretty good support (specially if you can take it to an apple shop), ease of for most needs, security, and they stay live longer (Ive only really restarted my mac to play games in bootcamp which i dont do much). If he feels the need and can afford them I say go for it.
Reasons against:
Cost.
Proprietary nature.
Application compatibility.
Reasons for:
Easier to use for those not too deep into the world of PCs.
Less likely to screw up.
Quality.
Macs, in general, have better build quality. The proprietary nature of it ensures its stability, but when shit hits the fan, take cover and let a professional sort it out, because OSX isn't as friendly as Windows is when stuff goes wrong. Windows BSODs give you the error code. OSX merely gives you the sad apple. As long as you remain sensible about what you download and install, and regularly scan the PC for viruses, a Windows PC will be rock stable.
If word processing and web surfing is all your dad is going to do, grab a cheap netbook or laptop. Wipe the crap out of using stuff like PC Decrapifier and it'll run as smooth as butter.
Cost.
Proprietary nature.
Application compatibility.
Reasons for:
Easier to use for those not too deep into the world of PCs.
Less likely to screw up.
Quality.
Macs, in general, have better build quality. The proprietary nature of it ensures its stability, but when shit hits the fan, take cover and let a professional sort it out, because OSX isn't as friendly as Windows is when stuff goes wrong. Windows BSODs give you the error code. OSX merely gives you the sad apple. As long as you remain sensible about what you download and install, and regularly scan the PC for viruses, a Windows PC will be rock stable.
If word processing and web surfing is all your dad is going to do, grab a cheap netbook or laptop. Wipe the crap out of using stuff like PC Decrapifier and it'll run as smooth as butter.
Its all about what your getting for what you pay.
You will pay a lot for a decent mac.
Or you can pay a decent ammount for a good PC.
Ive had several macs. ((and gotten rid of them all.))
Not only are PC's simple to care for, cheaper to purchase, and easyer to use, but the cost for fixing them can be much cheaper.
Im honestly against Laptops as a whole. Theyer alittle overpriced. I perfure desktops. But if i had to get a laptop, i would get a PC.
You will pay a lot for a decent mac.
Or you can pay a decent ammount for a good PC.
Ive had several macs. ((and gotten rid of them all.))
Not only are PC's simple to care for, cheaper to purchase, and easyer to use, but the cost for fixing them can be much cheaper.
Im honestly against Laptops as a whole. Theyer alittle overpriced. I perfure desktops. But if i had to get a laptop, i would get a PC.
Doesn't make them any less horribly overpriced. I'm sure they're fine machines, but for about 1000 euros I want something more than fine. Seriously, the specs for a machine of that price are just laughable. And oh boy I just looked at the 2150 euros model, good gods that's sad. It doesn't even have dedicated video memory!Thaius said:
Now again, I bet they work just great and that lots of old arguments don't count any more, but for that price? Are they completely bonkers? Is the increase in useability and stability (my own Asus notebook has, maybe, crashed 3 times in it's 4-years lifespan) really that big that it's worth hundreds of euros extra? Is a Windows PC that much harder to use?
If your dad has to pay the Apple Tax in order to use some uber-specific OSX software, then, by all means, let him get a Mac.
Otherwise, he's wasting his money. Windows 7, as inspired by Apple and company as it might be, is a good piece of software and is highly usable. Plus it comes with free antivirus from Microsoft nowadays.
Also, if your dad has to work with Office documents, he'll still probably want to use Microsoft Office, only he won't have to use the inferior Mac version if going for a Windows PC.
Hell, I'd use that money difference to pay for a boot-drive SSD. That'd really give any Mac a run for its money (and it'll be more efficient running Windows, seeing as the oh-so-advanced OSX *still* doesn't know how to TRIM SSDs).
Otherwise, he's wasting his money. Windows 7, as inspired by Apple and company as it might be, is a good piece of software and is highly usable. Plus it comes with free antivirus from Microsoft nowadays.
Also, if your dad has to work with Office documents, he'll still probably want to use Microsoft Office, only he won't have to use the inferior Mac version if going for a Windows PC.
Hell, I'd use that money difference to pay for a boot-drive SSD. That'd really give any Mac a run for its money (and it'll be more efficient running Windows, seeing as the oh-so-advanced OSX *still* doesn't know how to TRIM SSDs).
Just like the UAC in Windows Vista and Windows 7, right? Right?Arachon said: