crunkthanamug said:
Well, I wouldnt run out and buy something just because everyone else did (Mac). IMO, PCs have caught up with the Macs in terms of operating systems (XP Pro), which was their only REAL drawback. The PC hardware is WAY better than Mac though.
OMG i hope you're joking.
(before I start, can i stress that i'm not a mac-oholic - i have both a PC and a Mac and use them for totally different things)
1) everyone doesnt go out and buy a mac. in fact, the stats will prove that everyone actually goes out and buys a PC. or an xbox 360.
2) PC's have caught up with macs in terms of OS. hmm ok. well considering that OSX has been fully revamped several times over the last few years, and windows XP pro is much older, i would strongly disagree. also, XP Pro is XP Home with the extra networking capacity. it has no extra benefits to a music system at all. both chew up considerable amounts of memory, are relatively unstable, are both intrusive, and are both (still) extremely vulnerable systems if you don't know what you're doing. OSX is built around security and functionality, whereas XP is patched together. don't get me wrong - I love windows XP. but to say that it's nearly up toe to toe with the OSX right now is a bit out of touch.
3) right. now the PC hardware debate. PC's are generally cut-and-shut from various pieces from various manufacturers. all the parts in a mac are built to integrate and run properly with eachother. my powerbook laptop G4 with a 2Ghz chip and 768Mb ram absolutely LICKS THE FLOOR with my PC's 3Ghz pentium, 1Gb ram, in terms of performance and stability.
4) most PC hardware actually is mac compatible. but instead of installing 100s of drivers, you just plug it in. i have a USB soundcard, webcam, monitor, speakers, mouse, printer, etc that were all originally from my PC. all i needed to do on my mac was plug them in. no installation, no drivers, just plug the damn things in.
my mac has crashed twice since i bought it a year ago. my PC crashes at some point nearly every day at LEAST once.
so...what i always say in the PC vs Mac debate:
1) Mac's are more expensive. you'll get alot more value for money with a PC
2) Macs are more stable. don't expect it to crash half way through a recording. this is not my own opinion. this is a fact. OSX is noted for it's stability and security, where windows XP has a security loophole issue announced pretty much every week.
3) PC's are easier to use. whilst OSX is not complicated, windows XP is easy. on the other hand, windows XP is very intrusive and will occasionally keep asking if you want to do things that you never asked for in terms of installing things.
4) PC's are (at the moment) more supported and more upgradeable. again though, this is mainly to do with the cut-and-shut thing where just about any part can be thrown into a PC, wheras Mac's are more specialist.
5) macs mostly look better
6) PC's have more choice of recording software, whilst to be honest, the mac's only choice is logic pro (i know there are others, but logic is the only reason one would buy a mac, really).
so, in a nutshell - if you want a stable, strong system and are prepared to shell out some proper cash, then get a Mac.
if you want to sacrifice some of the stability and performance and get the versatility of an all round machine, get a PC.
studio's don't use mac's cos they're all sheep, following and copying eachother. they use them because they're tried and tested as suitable machines always up to the job. period.
