PC guy wondering about Macs

[RUINER ACTUAL]

No, not for me. I have an Alienware.

My sister is going to a school next year for video editing or something (terrible school choice btw), and she says she NEEDS to have a Mac for school. I really do not know why it is such a necessity. Anyway, I started looking at the Apple website for computers and oh your god, they are expensive. And that's coming from someone who bought an m15x.

So why are Macs so special? Looking at the website, they can do literally everything a PC can do, but they aren't a PC? They "never crash" even though crashes are usually software based, and if you are running the same software as a PC, I fail to see the logic in that statement. I really do not want to here the reason of "they do different things." Mainly because they don't. There is really no special must-have-or-die software on Macs that aren't in CS4. The only difference really is the OS.

Also, my sister is a bit dumb, and follows trends really easy. And I'm sure the school being heavy on Macs is just her excuse to "be cool" with a Mac.

Please don't turn this into a hardcore flame war, even though I already piled gasoline next to kindling. I would really like some good information here.

Macs are a necessity for video editing courses because they are the BEST setup for graphics and video manipulation. Always have been and likely always will be. It was riginally made for mac and as far as I know (I could be mistaken) The mac version is usually developed first.

Can you specify more then your opinion?

 

[RUINER ACTUAL]

No, not for me. I have an Alienware.

Oh boy, I was going to come in here and support my PC brethren until I saw you have an AlienWare.

Damn, and I had my anti-mac speech all lined up and ready to go.

I got my Alienware because I didn't get the money to go to the school I got accepted to back in 2008 when Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were in the shitter. That's the only reason, otherwise I was going to just get a stock PC. So let's hear this anti-Mac speech, I'll need it.

I think what he is saying is you could have built the same computer for 1000 bucks and saved a grand. That might be a little over estimation on money saved but you would have saved at least 600. There is a big anti-alienware sentiment within the PC community that builds their own computers because you are basically being overcharged out the ass for something you could build yourself.

Yes I know there is, and I'm not sure why. I wasn't building my own computer though, just getting one. I didn't have the time to scrounge for parts online and build one. The only reason I got it was because I was in a REALLY shitty situation, and it made me feel better to have some really nice looking, high end, quality hardware.

 

[SnipErlite]

So why are Macs so special?

My respective experiences with Windows Movie Maker and iMovies tell me that macs are far superior for video editing.

Granted one would use far better software than WMM, but iMovies is pretty damn good. Also Final Cut, I know uni students who use that and apparently it's really good.

 

[jasoncyrus]

No, not for me. I have an Alienware.

My sister is going to a school next year for video editing or something (terrible school choice btw), and she says she NEEDS to have a Mac for school. I really do not know why it is such a necessity. Anyway, I started looking at the Apple website for computers and oh your god, they are expensive. And that's coming from someone who bought an m15x.

So why are Macs so special? Looking at the website, they can do literally everything a PC can do, but they aren't a PC? They "never crash" even though crashes are usually software based, and if you are running the same software as a PC, I fail to see the logic in that statement. I really do not want to here the reason of "they do different things." Mainly because they don't. There is really no special must-have-or-die software on Macs that aren't in CS4. The only difference really is the OS.

Also, my sister is a bit dumb, and follows trends really easy. And I'm sure the school being heavy on Macs is just her excuse to "be cool" with a Mac.

Please don't turn this into a hardcore flame war, even though I already piled gasoline next to kindling. I would really like some good information here.

Macs are a necessity for video editing courses because they are the BEST setup for graphics and video manipulation. Always have been and likely always will be. It was riginally made for mac and as far as I know (I could be mistaken) The mac version is usually developed first.

Can you specify more then your opinion?

Generally the Mac is geared and designed for media work. Firewire ports, powerful GPUs, etc. Macs are pretty much made almost solely for media editing as their primary purpose.

 

[Jofrak]

Yeah, but the thing is that you are one of two people that I have ever heard of that suffered a crash with a Mac that required a reboot. It has never happened to me in the four years I've owned one, and only to one of my dozens of friends who also use them. You can't really say the same thing about the infamous Windows Blue Screen of Death.

I don't think I've had a BSOD in 3 years plus. I'd put a leg out and say that the system crashes on a windows machine are normally more down to user error (overloading components forcing the OS to shut down to try and save the piece, or just shoddy, cheapy parts).
As far as mac vs pc, I honestly think it's more of a preference issue. Though I've not had the urge to attempt it, I'm sure it would be handy enough to build a rig with 'mac safe' components and install both windows and OSX (it is OSX still or am I behind the times?)and probably for a fair bit cheaper, though you wouldn't have the shiny pebble coaster looking thing to look at for a case.
Just to pick a point, it's been mentioned that if a program crashes it won't kill the whole OS on a mac. Now I don't know if it's just me, but any time a program decides to crash on windows it rarely effects more than just that program, and, on the off chance that it's a required process, windows has a fairly good chance of booting it straight back up again.

IMO, She needs to get the computer she's going to be most comfortable with. If she's not a computer child and is going to have trouble transferring skills learned on a mac to a different program on windows go for the mac, or at least the mac OS ^.~

 

[Marter]

I personally dislike Macs, and find them much more difficult to deal with.

Any program that might be Mac only has a PC counterpart somewhere. You just have to be able to find it, and sometimes it may require more than one program, but you'll be able to do the same job. It'll just be a bit more difficult.