Hmmmmmm. Compressed files on the computer and the dac’s in you’re stereo won’t ever provide the same sonic quality you’d get from a $1000 cd player, provided it is properly connected. Unless you store your music lossless and use a Mcintosh stereo.
:tinfoilhat:
This thread is awesome.
If every person here who has not spent significant time working on an intel based apple had their posts removed… how many negative comments would there really be in this thread?
Every single “PC Guy” I know who has taken the leap and purchased an Apple, spent enough time with it to get over the learning curve ended up loving it. The biggest issue with the “expert pc users” is that being an expert user on one platform, it is extremely easy to become frustrated when being forced to be in the beginner category again.
The biggest different between Apple and PC’s on the surface is obviously design and OS, but it is the subtleties that make an Apple, an Apple. Things that have already been mentioned like gorgeous industrial design, huge improvements in hardware items like magnetic power cords, accelerometers that sense your laptop dropping and will shut down your harddisk in a fraction of a second, ambient light sensors that automatically adjust monitor settings based on your environment, not to mention the countless other possibilities with these items. Brilliant integration of cameras, microphones and IR sensors. Outstanding monitors!
It is the incredible integration of all of the items, along with countless other things that contribute to one thing. Great User Experience. It’s the whole package…
Dan, you of all people should appreciate Apple products… the innovation and engineering that goes into these products is substantially more impressive than what I’ve seen from a PC manufacturer in a long time.
I think one reason so many people like to rip on Apple and Apple products is because they get a thrill out of the diy/engineering aspect of buying components and building systems, and Apple takes that away from them. I don’t really know what to say about that other than plugging PCI cards into slots isn’t really that cool, or fun in my opinion.
Beyond User Experience, there isn’t a PC out there that even compares to my imac in a technical manner. And by Technical, I don’t mean speed, I mean the combination of speed, form, size, quality, etc. I have one necessary wire connected to my imac… a power cable. The imac runs almost completely silent, and sleeps instantly with the push of a button. Also wakes instantly with the push of a button. It has never crashed. I have had ripped software crash, but never the system. It has a tiny footprint, and no need for me to buy an external monitor, although I could add a second, if I wished.
I just don’t understand what is not to like about a brilliant product like this… The price argument is invalid - most of the cars people lust after on here are simply sexier versions of the same car they could get for half the price used. I mean why buy a Z06 when you could buy a Camaro with some bolt-ons? Why buy an STi when you can swap an STi drivetrain into a 99RS?
^ Nice post. I think I just need to spend some time playing around on my buddy’s macbook and getting used to the OS before I make up my mind on whats better.
Oh and for those wondering, Im looking at picking up a laptop that will be used strictly to store music and run a DJ program called Traktor Scratch. This program utilizes an audio interface which can play my mp3s off of the laptop through my CD DJ decks or turntables just like I had a CD or vinyl record playing on the actual deck. The Traktor folks recently released an upgrade in which this program can now run up to 4 decks simultaneously, and in order for this program to run smoothly and without glitches and latency issues, I need a laptop that has roughly the following specs:
2.0+ Ghz dual core processor
4 GB DDR2 ram
250GB HD
Good video card (doesnt have to be phenomenal)
**GOOD stable OS, I have been hearing some guys have been having issues with running this setup on Vista.
I keep hearing how good Macs are supposed to be when it comes to anything movie/music related, so I am just trying to do some homework on them so I can make a good decision when the time comes.
Right now I am leaning towards a well built PC laptop. Reason being is when I install Traktor, I have to optimize the machine to run the program and that means disabling the wireless, DVD combo drive, and removing crap out of the OS that’s not needed. Im thinking if I install XP on a PC laptop with the above specs, that should run very nicely and overall be cheaper than a Mac. Although after reading this thread I really have to shop around and compare prices, because who knows maybe I can swing a Mac for the same price? Plus I need to find out how Traktor specifically runs on the Mac OS, it wouldnt surprise me if it ran better, but thats something i have to check out on another forum.
Good thread though, I am starting to like Apple stuff more, its cool to learn about all this stuff regardless. :tup:
here’s the thing about apple. if you want to look cool at starbucks, you bring an apple laptop. preferably a black macbook. otherwise, buy a PC.
I was die hard PC, went to Mac and I don’t ever look back.
Mainly as a DJ, I appreciate the service, reliability and overall build quality you can’t find in many laptops that are PC made. I had a tough time with a Dell “Business” laptop, broke many things…even in NYC gigging I had issues with an ARCING power supply…my partner told me he was seeing it shooting sparks on stage…when I called Dell the next day and told them I was in NYC and Philly later that evening and I NEEDED a power supply, they didn’t have anything to offer me - they could only mail me one and there are no stores that carry them - period. So in other words, even if I was willing to buy one, I couldn’t. That to me, is poor service. Right now I have a macbook base model with 2gb of ram, and I’m very happy with it. It sees clubs at least 3 times a week for over a year now and never has had any major issues that have preventing me from working the night. I also use it for my daily computer outside of work, and use it to record/produce all my remixes for myself and Hoods Up. Overall I’m satisfied, and switching took little time to get used to, the Mac OS is simple and very functional.
I hear you…I hate how now that I’m back in school I see tons of kids with macbooks that don’t even know how to use them…why not get a PC at that point?
Apple gets a lot of hate from the anti-(anti-mainstream) crowd.
Price- They’re no more expensive than a PC. Unless you buy upgrades from Apple, their premiums are insane.
Performance- I’d say there are two categories; Raw performance and Actual performance.
Raw being common benchmarks, its all comparable hardware.
Actual being use through the operating system, they blow any windows away. Spend a lot of time with a linux OS and you can match it. But you can pick up OS X so quickly, and there is freeware for nearly every task.
And this:
Is just misinformation. Not to insult, I don’t know your technical background, but this is just ignorance. I’ve managed websites, used Matlab, dialed into servers, and typed all sorts of research papers, and never once have I been “chained” or found myself wanting on my Macbook.
The gaming I concede, but the lack is mostly in FPS. If you like RPG’s or Civilization type games their selection is pretty good.
This all being said, I still keep an XP machine running. Sometimes you can get the job done on a Mac, but a PC does it smoother.
I’m not insulted, but I do disagree with you. My professional technical background is pretty vast and dates back 10 years - and that’s just to my first real job, not when I began programming and tinkering/hardware building. Not creating a pissing contest, but I’ve been pretty well paid by area firms and our illustrious government to know what I’m talking about and doing.
What you’re referring to doing has nothing to do with my statement of being chained. I do believe I’ve already said that a Mac can do all of those things - and more. Yes, you can handily run just about any software application out there, one way or another.
Of course there are games for Macs, but it suffers from a lack of titles, as well as a lack of developers. I concede that this is - and should be - a minor point.
No, my statement of being chained has much more to do with hardware options. For the vast majority of users, this is a null issue. Macs can certainly be given the latest cutting-edge hardware.
However, hardware in a business environment can be an odd thing - you find your systems needing some of the strangest stuff, and many times, vendors/manufacturers completely ignore the Mac segment. If you’re running Linux, this tends not to be a problem, but Mac OS is another story.
Compatibility with older hardware, selection of hardware, vendors of said hardware, price points…well, there is a reason that you will not find an office full of Macs in many businesses. I’ll be damned if I want brand new Macs in the accounting department of a firm that is still tied to a token ring for one reason or another. (Yeah, I know. “What are they doing with a token ring?” I’ve said similar things myself, until I’m blue in the face.)
Again - no pissing contest. Macs work. They get the job done, with a few asterisks. I would gladly give a Mac to my folks, my kid, my college student.
edit: OK, I suppose you can nail me on the blanket statement I made about not being a fan of Macs in any capacity. That was wrong of me. =)
It’s funny you mentioned government…
I just got back from DC where I was working on two very large Mac projects…
The DoD is working on integrating Macs into their network…They also have many many many Macs in a wear house waiting for the secure 10.5 image to be released…The Army/DoD is also working on all Mac digital content delivery system.
I worked with multiple Apple engineers and Macs are making the push into the enterprise and are doing very well…
Most specialty business software is going web based now a days anyways…and as long as its not written in ActiveX everything is fully Mac compatible.
Cant argue there, 3rd party is lacking, but growing as the platforms popularity increases.
Now we just need something other than *nix, xp, and mac for fanboys to jump on and claim superiority through obscurity.
Yes, things are changing. A few years ago, the project you are talking about would have been laughable to just about anyone. Despite the fact that I do not personally enjoy using a Mac, I have long wanted to see them make a sizeable footprint in the business area, if only for the competition with PCs.
However, I do note two things you said: “working on integrating” and “waiting for”. There’s a modicum of significance in those two phrases that I don’t think should be overlooked, and they, unfortunately, reflect the problems alot of people have with the Mac in the enterprise.
Don’t get me wrong - I have my problems with the PC, and Microsoft in particular - but, for now at least - the PC remains the stronger option, if only because of all of the work of integration.
Can’t we just outlaw the fanboys?
The “waiting for” and the “working on integrating”
are being held up by the CIA/NSA because they release a STIG(Standard Technology Implementation Guideline) which is not out for 10.5 yet…
Integrating Macs at the Pentagon was actually very easy…they had a few majors on board and few other higher ranking people…so when they say “Hey you are getting a Mac next week and are going to use it and like it” it works out well…
I’m aware of the STIG requirements, though I don’t recall that particular acronym. Then again, I don’t suppose I should, but that’s neither here nor there.
:lol: at the brass shoehorning things. At least someone can get things done in our government.
This thread is hardly about which platform is better for enterprise deployment… FYI.
One thing I forgot to mention about OS X that I love is the tiny footprint of software… you can remove stuff in a matter of seconds with no trace of it. Try doing that on windows where installing a program leaves a huge footprint and will never completely be uninstalled, unless you know exactly what files, registry keys, etc that it installed, and uninstall them manually. When I owned a PC, it was at least a once a year even to reformat and re-install…
It really seems like a wash when you talk about which will run the Traktor software better… both machines will run it just fine. The decision is going to lie in what you are looking for in a computer besides traktor scratch.
One thing I will throw out there that noone has mentioned, is that apple laptops hold their value substantially well, where PC laptops generally do not. If i would have purchased an apple instead of my Dell laptop 2 years ago, I would be able to sell it for probably 3+ times more than the dell, at least.
You know what that’s a great point that I have completely forgotten to mention in many of these arguments. As an IT person I can truly appreciate what apple has done in terms of software installation and removal. No fucking around in the registry to clean up half uninstalled programs and crap like that is REALLY nice. Most people don’t notice things like that because they don’t care or don’t understand why something is not working correctly.
Plain and simple, OS X is just designed so ridiculously better than windows (even XP, which is by far the best OS MS ever released). It WORKS, without having to constantly fuck with it. I have spent almost every day for the last 8 years fixing f’ing computers in one way or another, I want to come home and use mine, not fix it.
If apple would give away their computers for one year, it would probably be the best marketing ploy ever made. People that “hate” apple’s would get a chance to finally try them and not cry about how they are overpriced or this and that, and the following year they could probably double their 3-4% market share and make back the money they lost and really get them into contention.
most all of that is the developers fault though IMO. There is plenty of software available for windows that has a very small footprint and cleans up nice. You just have to know what to stay away from (aka Norton AV). I actually prefer using these apps when I can (I <3 portable apps)… and most of them are open source. Problem is, so many people produce bloatware which is ridiculous (both platforms are guilty of this… shit, even linux has software avalible which will bog it down).
Quicktime is a good example (on a windows PC)… no need for all the crap it’s bundled with when you can use 3rd party, small footprint independent plugins. Same with Daemon tools unfortunitly… now it wants to install search toolbars and adware just to use the drive emulator :tdown:
Again, get what you can work with faster not whats trendy or cheaper. Time is money if you’re using it for creative work. Hell, I just plopped down what some would consider a retarded amount of money for a tablet to model and illustrate with, but it’s sped up my productivity ten fold. Spend less time trying to get brush strokes to look right and more time into adding finer details.
Also, check out the software avalible with both OS’s that your’e interested in using. If it’s geared for a Mac, get a mac… if it’s geard for windows, get a PC. I see no point in spending the money on a Mac, only to boot into windows where you’ll be spending most of your time, nor buying a PC and spending hours trying to get OSx to run on it. Thats my .02
blah blah blah, apple still blows
get over it.
just my opinion of course, and u know the saying, … 
Actually im buying an iphone, so thats my contribution to the evil empire.