PC or Mac for recording?

Do you use PC or Mac for recording

  • PC

    Votes: 343 51.9%

  • Mac

    Votes: 217 32.8%

  • Both

    Votes: 80 12.1%

  • Other

    Votes: 21 3.2%
  • Total voters
    661
There are certain factors on both ends that make this debate interesting.

First, I believe that if you're using a Mac or a PC for audio production, both work just fine. They have totally different operating systems which accomplish computing quite differently. That is what makes this whole debate so sticky as everyone has their own workflow preferences and everyone has different needs.

However, here are my opinions, if they're worth anything to you:

Windows machines are quick and dirty. They are able to host a large amount of third party software and hardware and Microsoft has not been stingy to developers and manufacturers. I suppose that is why they are so profitable. Because of this, I believe, Windows PC's are way more open to [mostly] user and occasionally developer/manufacturer error. This, I believe, is the source of their bad rep. We (I mean, PC users) all know the perils of viruses combined with a badly managed system. Too many installed programs along with fragmented drives and too many background processes will bog a Windows system down quicker than white on rice. And it's all too easy to do so. Keeping your system clean is imperative if you're using it for audio. But yes, Windows machines are highly customizable and, once optimized and configured, it will run stably and powerfully for audio. No doubt about it. Norton Ghost is your friend here. Once I get a stable install, I save the system drive to image so if there's a problem I can just load it back to normal. I guess my point is that Windows machines are not so precious and relatively easy to re-install, which is a good thing.

Mac, on the other hand, has a lot going for them and there are reasons why so many production (including graphic designers) professionals prefer them. Their multitasking ability and sheer workhorse stability is legendary. The UNIX-based operating system, once working, IS more stable, IMO. If you've got a relatively new Mac Pro with dual quad-core Xeons and lots of RAM, you know what I'm talking about. You can do so much multitasking before the system crashes (if you can get it to crash) and it's so convenient to let processes run in the background while you get to other tasks. However, Macs do crash. I've seen it and experienced total lockups first hand. If you've got a bad RAM chip it will almost certainly kernel panic (similar to a Windows BSOD) as Macs are very temperamental about what hardware you install. But they are slick and powerful and I like the OS. It's streamlined and I find it comfortable to work in.

Anyway, if any of you more geekier fellows would like to read about UNIX vs Windows, read this:

Unix vs. Microsoft Windows

Cheers :)
 
I just wanted to post this excerpt from Amit Singh's personal view on windows:

Amit Singh said:
I think there is too much entropy on Windows. The operating system is too "busy" (in the colloquial sense). Legacy baggage and backward-compatibility contribute to software malice and malfunction, whether it be doctored or accidental. Gigantic user base amplifies flaws (particularly security related) to epidemic proportions. Many experts disagree with numerous aspects of the Windows UI. A number of small "everyday" annoyances cumulatively make life difficult. Consider some examples: the entire system gets unresponsive when you empty a very full recycle bin, or copy large files, IE gets unresponsive when you empty its cache, even though XP boots very quickly to the point of showing the desktop, it takes a long while before the system is usable - and this is without having anything in "Startup". Do you know how many keys there typically are in the Registry - do you know how many Office alone has, and what this does to maintainability? Have you ever installed Windows and spent hours, if not days, downloading and installing drivers specific to your machine (such as for Sony VAIOs, IBM ThinkPads, ...)? Have you ever had stability issues with Windows?
Click to expand...

So true. These things kill me about Windows but we just overlook them because once it's 100% idle, we just wanna get to work.

However, apple also has certain flaws. Ever experienced the beach ball? Very annoying. It's also not inherently secure nor is it very backwards compatible. You may say that it is very robust to malware but that is just because there aren't very many UNIX-based malwares. That, simply put and IMO, comes down to user numbers. If you read that article you'll see what I mean.

And yes, I realise the article is about OS security, it still raises some interesting points.

Cheers :)
 
So then does the reliability and stability come more from the software or hardware of Macs?
I've heard of people that run Windows on Mac hardware(though I'm not sure what the point of that would be). Is it possible to run Mac software on something that isnt mac hardware?
 
Oh and my personal reasons for PC over Mac(not sure if I can even explain why I believe them though :o I just do.):
-I feel that Windows can run anything I throw at it on the software side. My reasoning behind that probably comes from my gaming habit and seeing that Macs can't run games like a Windows computer can.
I ironically just feel like Macs are more trouble than theyre worth. I have a friend who had a Macbook go sour on him (don't remember what the problem was). And I remember him telling me that it couldnt be fixed and he had to send it back. It was just a casual acquaintance, so I don't know much about the problem.
-I also think that Windows is more open to different hardware as well, and as many have pointed out- open to more customization and easier for the user to fix.

Now I'm not sure if those are even true, but that's just what Ive convinced myself.
 
Interesting. I left the PC world 6years ago. Then, it was XP and remember having to configure the hell out of my machine to get things to work with Pro Tools. Had to switch soooo many things off. Was nothing but a ball ache, personally. However, from my experience using a Mac to record was just a case of plug and play.
 
kidkage said:
So then does the reliability and stability come more from the software or hardware of Macs?
I've heard of people that run Windows on Mac hardware(though I'm not sure what the point of that would be). Is it possible to run Mac software on something that isnt mac hardware?
Click to expand...

It's sort of a combination of both although there is nothing inherently special about apple hardware. Generally it's the same stuff you can buy for PC's just rebranded "Apple" and sold at a ridiculously high price.

Did any of you read that article I posted about Windows vs. Unix? There are many answers in there as to why Unix/Mac is relatively more stable, even though the article is focused on system security.

And yes, it is possible (although not very legal) to run Mac OS X on a normal PC. It's called a Hackintosh and is a result of the fact that Apple switched to Intel-based hardware a few years ago. Hackers jumped on the opportunity. There are many websites and resources about this all over the web so check it out.

Cheers :)
 
Even though I'm a Mac fan, I kinda get this :D :
 

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For recording I'm fine with a PC. Windows is home for me.

But. Whenever I consider that being a one man band might mean performing with a laptop. I do feel like a MacBook Pro would be what I would prefer to use. Seems like they're the standard. Maybe one of these days I'll get one (though that's a lot of paychecks :o). Maybe it'll eventually get me away from Windows systems as my desktop. Who knows?
But if I get the MacBook pro I'll put a windows logo sticker over the apple ;)
 
Hi,

I use Macs and Windows machines. Both systems will do the job just fine, but neither is perfect.

Often it boils down to personal preference, or whatever you happen to have bought for other reasons such as price or what other software you want to run as well. If you’re a gamer then Windows gives you a far wider range of titles but you’re probably also fairly familiar with all the fun of bug fixes, patches, work-rounds, conflicts between different generations of hardware, driver updates, protecting yourself against malware, etc. I certainly am. :rolleyes:


I’ve been messing around with computers for over 25 years, and assembling my own from bits for about 20 years. I started back in the days when a “Disk Operating System” did just that - operated the basic system - and wasn’t the bloated mixture of ‘lifestyle’ nonsense and patched up solutions to previous design choices that we seem to get today. But, thanks to increasingly fast hardware it all mostly still works. I’ve had a great deal of fun over the years building my own Windows machines and tweaking them all up. Plenty of frustration along the way too of course, but it was still generally a very enjoyable ride.

In earlier times Macs were quite a lot more expensive, but a few years ago their prices fell considerably and the gap became much smaller. So I started using Macs too. If you value the advantages - which you could probably roughly put under the heading of different design (both in the look and feel of the hardware and software and in its underlying structure) - then the price gap is worth paying. I’ve been running both Macs and Windows machines for some years now and don’t see any reason to be either a Hater or a Fanboy of either system. They both do a lot of jobs well.


There are also obvious advantages to not cramming every single thing you do into one box. For instance, we have a Windows machine that is only used for gaming and internet surfing and a Mac that has a range of music related software installed and which is hooked up to the recording gear. It makes it a lot easier to keep a system clean and well maintained for a particular job if it's not jammed full of everybody's favourite junk...

Works for us. :)
 
Until 2003, when I finally bought a Mac G5, I did my HDR on an Atari Falcon ... actually finished quite a few CDs on that machine. Most of my Soundclick stuff (in my "music for free" link in my sig.) was done using that 16MHz monster;)
Now I'm using a Mac mini at home and a MacBook when I'm somewhere else.
 
I know this is somewhat off topic, but I just finished the Steve Jobs biography. I highly recommend it to everyone.
 
grh said:
I know this is somewhat off topic, but I just finished the Steve Jobs biography. I highly recommend it to everyone.
Click to expand...

I was never really interested in apple products, but always was interested in steve jobs' story. very cool. the day he died is when i decided one day i will buy an apple product.

those new mac pros look pretty tasty!

and unfortunately pretty pricey :(
 
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