Have you made the switch? (desktop->laptop, pc->mac)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Steve Henningsgard
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steve.h said:
What are your thoughts on using your laptop vs. a desktop to record? I've got a Windows-based desktop right now and I'd really like to get a laptop for mobile recording/live recording on the road. So far, I've been leaning very strongly towards switching to a mac, as they're more stable, much smoother/cleaner OS (I can't stand Vista & XP takes days of tweaking to not suck), and in general they just feel more like a real computer vs. a monstrosity of random hardware/software.

Any thoughts from people who've made the switch (either desktop->laptop and/or PC->mac)?
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Considering your last post steve, I'm not going to bother reading the rest of the responses to this thread, and just give my personal experience.

I've used Windows PC's for a long time, and a little over 3 years ago bought a powerBook G4 laptop. It has been the most trouble-free computer I've used to date, even now that it has aged considerably. It is starting to show its age in terms of speed, but the parts have held up. I like both OS's just fine, as you can maintain a clean-running version of Windows XP if you aren't computer-retarded. However, I do like the feel and simplicity of OS X over Windows in general, and when I upgrade from my laptop this year sometime, I will be going with a Mac desktop - you simply get more power for the money from a desktop.

Now, if you are looking into mobile recording, a laptop is the way to go - you will break a desktop hauling it all over the place even if you're careful. However, for sheer life-span of a Mac, I intend this next desktop to last at least 3 years like the laptop did, and with that said, would like something with enough processor and memory power to be able to run any audio apps I need and any media stuff I use in three-four years (I say that because now Flash video online doesn't play as well as it used to, simply because the technology has been designed to run on computers much faster than my laptop).
 
urobolusmusic said:
It'll even remain the same size for women? Yikes... :D
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Yep, non-existent! (I hope anyways... eww :p)


*EDIT: on a marginally-related note, those new MacBook Air's look pretty slick :) No firewire port & 4200RPM built-in hard drive = completely useless for the audio community, but still fun for email and such!
 
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steve.h said:
Yep, non-existent! (I hope anyways... eww :p)


*EDIT: on a marginally-related note, those new MacBook Air's look pretty slick :) No firewire port & 4200RPM built-in hard drive = completely useless for the audio community, but still fun for email and such!
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I knew the keynote was today, but forgot to check for the new stuff. That thing is fuckin ridiculous. And not in the good way. When you first mentioned it, and I saw a pic on their main page, I thought it was going to be a much smaller laptop that would be cheap (hahahuqwihduh34892h498r4u right). Turns out they cost a fortune (the non-flash HD one is 100 bucks cheaper than the regular MacBook Pro, and w/ a flash-HD it costs 1300 more :eek:)

I wish they would make a lappy that was miniscule (like, a 10" widescreen), so it would be the ultimate in portable, but I could still do actual work with it (maybe not audio, but more regular stuff). It would also be cheaper. This thing is nice and thin, but still a normal size screen with a much steeper price.

I know they are just trying to push into the future w/ smaller and smaller technology, but oy. What a letdown on fun new toys :rolleyes:
 
Speaking of ridiculous technologies, why stop at digital tape, when they could've released digital vinyl. Instead of many various hills and valleys in the groove of the record, simply have consistent-height bumps for 1's and consistent-depth valleys for 0's. The needle "reads" the vibrations and they are interpretted as such. I'd love to see the arguments that would crop up on this forum over whether digital vinyl sounds "more analog" than a wav file, etc etc :D
 
cusebassman said:
Speaking of ridiculous technologies, why stop at digital tape, when they could've released digital vinyl. Instead of many various hills and valleys in the groove of the record, simply have consistent-height bumps for 1's and consistent-depth valleys for 0's. The needle "reads" the vibrations and they are interpretted as such. I'd love to see the arguments that would crop up on this forum over whether digital vinyl sounds "more analog" than a wav file, etc etc :D
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This reminds me of the time when I was around 13-14 years old, and I was putting out my first band's first CD (which we recorded to a 4-track fostex tape recorder) using my family's computer's 4x CD drive! I said to my dad "now it'll sound so much better since it's on CD!" :p
 
I like pc's and my ego doesn't take a battering if people don't use the same, i've got a very good reason for doing so. I'm KNOW people who use macs have their reasons too. As stated in the above posts (if you sift through the bullshit personal comments).

If you're here to validate what you think, or tell others how stupid they are...you may be in the wrong place.
 
Yeah I think that its probably for people who need word on a transatlantic flight or something.

I havent looked at it yet (spec wise) but i presume it is a low-processor-low-power-usage-long-batterylife-lightweight machine

I rember seeing a sony machine like that for 3 grand and saying to the sales assistant ''you gotta be kidding' 3 grand for that?'' to which he told me the battery lasted 7 hours
 
fishkarma said:
to which he told me the battery lasted 7 hours
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Which is somewhat superfluous considering that an awful lot of long distance trains and planes have power outlets, not to mention wifi, these days.
 
fishkarma said:
Yeah I think that its probably for people who need word on a transatlantic flight or something.

I havent looked at it yet (spec wise) but i presume it is a low-processor-low-power-usage-long-batterylife-lightweight machine

I rember seeing a sony machine like that for 3 grand and saying to the sales assistant ''you gotta be kidding' 3 grand for that?'' to which he told me the battery lasted 7 hours
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A 1.6ghz Core 2 Duo isn't by any means slow, but the 4200rpm hard drive most certainly is. Give this thing 2-3 years and we'll see much more packed into this form factor.
 
I've always stuck with pc's purely based on the price. You can just get so many insane deals from a model that has been replaced etc. I'm not seeing that with a mac. You can often find a pc that for one reason or another is on sale for for almost half of what other equivant pc's are going for.


I recently bought a laptop with no intention of making music on it. It's a pc as well. I bascially needed something i could easily use at school but i threw some programs on as well. I have to say, i have a much harder time. A good part of that is just the fact i don't have the hardware to go along with it. For me to use it in the same manner as a desktop for music, i'd basically have to have it be realtively stationary (like a desktop) or i'd have to constantly plug/unplug things. So, i'm convinced that a desktop is what i need and i would recommend it for anyone who doesn't need to be portable (mac or pc). I have found desktops to be much cheaper to repair, more reliable, and to become updated less quickly compared to laptops.
 
talontsiawd said:
I've always stuck with pc's purely based on the price. You can just get so many insane deals from a model that has been replaced etc. I'm not seeing that with a mac. You can often find a pc that for one reason or another is on sale for for almost half of what other equivant pc's are going for.
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They are definitely cheaper, that's for sure. It's mostly due to the healthy competition between so many different companies making hardware for PC's, from video cards to even the damn cases and power supplies! Unfortunately this is also a *potential* weakness, as the poor OS has to be able to keep up with all of these near-infinite hardware combinations and still run with some semblance of reliability. With the right amount of research (and a bit o' luck), you can make a great machine, but it's just as easy to build a nightmare. Mac's don't have this problem.


talontsiawd said:
I recently bought a laptop with no intention of making music on it. It's a pc as well. I bascially needed something i could easily use at school but i threw some programs on as well. I have to say, i have a much harder time. A good part of that is just the fact i don't have the hardware to go along with it. For me to use it in the same manner as a desktop for music, i'd basically have to have it be realtively stationary (like a desktop) or i'd have to constantly plug/unplug things. So, i'm convinced that a desktop is what i need and i would recommend it for anyone who doesn't need to be portable (mac or pc). I have found desktops to be much cheaper to repair, more reliable, and to become updated less quickly compared to laptops.
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Again, agreed. I bought my laptop strictly for portability, and while I have no regrets, I will most likely miss the ability to easily upgrade simple things like the hard drive or processor down the road.
 
They are definitely cheaper, that's for sure.
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Try again.

If you price out a comparable 13.3" Core2Duo laptop to the MacBook from Dell, the difference is less than $100 (I did it myself yesterday).

Even when you match specs exactly, you're still not getting all the extras that the Macs come with (iLife, etc...)

Also, when you price out systems at the high end, Apple still comes out ahead. This does not include DIY systems - I would never trust a DIY Xeon workstation for mission critical work (CAD, 3D modelling, video) anyways since we are talking about something that guarantees your paycheck.
 
brzilian said:
Try again.

If you price out a comparable 13.3" Core2Duo laptop to the MacBook from Dell, the difference is less than $100 (I did it myself yesterday).

Even when you match specs exactly, you're still not getting all the extras that the Macs come with (iLife, etc...)

Also, when you price out systems at the high end, Apple still comes out ahead. This does not include DIY systems - I would never trust a DIY Xeon workstation for mission critical work (CAD, 3D modelling, video) anyways since we are talking about something that guarantees your paycheck.
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You missed my point entirely. The thing about PC's is their are always amazing deals. I'm talking about $400+ off models that have been replaced compared to a model from another brand, same brand, whatever. These are computers that are on sale, clearance, etc because of their model number, not because they are too old. I don't see that with macs. When i bought my current computer, i paid $600. If just went by specs and picked my favorite brand, i would have paid $900-1200 with minor differences in features.
 
brzilian said:
If you price out a comparable 13.3" Core2Duo laptop to the MacBook from Dell, the difference is less than $100 (I did it myself yesterday).
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You realize that's because the only system Dell offers with a 13" screen is the XPS, right? If you compare an Inspiron with a 15.4" widescreen and the rest of the same specs, it's right around $400 cheaper. There's a big difference if you're actually comparing instead of catering to the smallest difference you can get.
 
brzilian said:
Try again.

If you price out a comparable 13.3" Core2Duo laptop to the MacBook from Dell, the difference is less than $100 (I did it myself yesterday).

Even when you match specs exactly, you're still not getting all the extras that the Macs come with (iLife, etc...)

Also, when you price out systems at the high end, Apple still comes out ahead. This does not include DIY systems - I would never trust a DIY Xeon workstation for mission critical work (CAD, 3D modelling, video) anyways since we are talking about something that guarantees your paycheck.
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I meant desktops dude...
 
timthetortoise said:
You realize that's because the only system Dell offers with a 13" screen is the XPS, right? If you compare an Inspiron with a 15.4" widescreen and the rest of the same specs, it's right around $400 cheaper. There's a big difference if you're actually comparing instead of catering to the smallest difference you can get.
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A 15.4" laptop will always be cheaper than a 13.3" assuming all remaing specs are the same because of production volumed, market demand and cost of manufacturing.

15.4" LCD screen production far surpasses that of 13.3" LCDs. Greater volume = greater volume discounts for laptop manufacturers. LCD manufacturers will always charge more for the sizes that have lower volumes regarless of size.

There is a lot more cost in packing 1280x800 pixels into a smaller screen as well.

Regardless, I purposely went down from a 15.4" Gateway laptop to a 13.3" MacBook because of portability. If I want a larger screen at home, I simply plug my MacBook into my 22" Acer LCD...

So, who cares if a 15.4" laptop is cheaper if it doesn't fufill my needs?
 
Aight, as this is in great danger of turning into the inevitable Mac vs. PC flamewar, I'm gonna close this one out. Thanks to (almost) all for the replies! :D
 
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