Is it really worth it getting a mac

[x-squizet]

Yo well I am in the recording industry program at my school. I been seein alot of people wit the same major with macs. Especially alot of the ones with the concentration in production and technology. Do you think I should throw down the cash to get one, cause we will be working with pro-tools and logic and all that stuff.

Or should I just keep my dell and run, say Cubase SX.

Right now I am thinking I could just keep the Dell its a Duo Core, wit 2gigs of memory, and just run the stuff I been usin or transfer over to Mac. I know I can get protools on pc, but I was just thinking for the long run.

 

[thedreampolice]

if you are working with logic then you have to get a mac as it does not work on pc. I find macs more in the audio industry than pcs. I would also say that it is worth it!

 

[H&R]

You can use whatever you feel more comfortable w/as long as your project files
and etc. are transferable to pc and mac which I'd assume they are as most of the
audio programs are pc/mac compatible except for logic and I'd assume most are
using pro tools over logic anyway ... Dont feel forced to buy a mac just cause
everyone else has one. Reguardless you can still accomplish the samething with
different tools.

 

[thedreampolice]

"most of the
audio programs are pc/mac compatible except for logic"

I DISAGREE
Logic mac only
digital performer mac only
Peak mac only
deck mac only
sonar PC only
fruity loops PC only
Cubase both
Pro tools both

 

[H&R]

^^^ I stand corrected thats my error ... What I should have said was as long
as you can transfer your files and or track them out and import them into the
different programs you should be fine reguardless of pc or mac. Their are also
converters that can convert project files of one program to another program
(Digi Design has a converter than can be purchased if I recall correctly for pro
tools) ... Reguardless the pc vs mac debate isn't really an issue it's more of a
prefference of the person ... I dont mind macs at all, im just so comfortable with
the pc that I don't switch over ...

If you already able to do what you need to do why spend the extra cash just so
you can have a mac like everyone else ... I'd see if you were not able to do things
because of having a pc but that doesn't seem to be the issue.

 

[KurtisRich]

If you're using bootlegged shit, it's harder to get those for the macs. A lot of cracked softwares are easier to find on PC's than the macs. I have both mac and pc. I just find that macs are more user friendly. Other than that, they're both pretty much on the same level. Oh and one more thing, I hate WINDOWS VISTA!! Stick with XP. LOL

 

[50 cal]

"most of the
audio programs are pc/mac compatible except for logic"

I DISAGREE
Logic mac only
digital performer mac only
Peak mac only
deck mac only
sonar PC only
fruity loops PC only
Cubase both
Pro tools both

but with "virtual machines" and a copy of mac osx you can you use mac only programs such as logic on your pc easily.

 

[thedreampolice]

well you dont want to run audio programs in a virtual machine. They are just not fast enough. But you could dual boot.

 

[konceptG]

"most of the
audio programs are pc/mac compatible except for logic"

I DISAGREE
Logic mac only
digital performer mac only
Peak mac only
deck mac only
sonar PC only
fruity loops PC only
Cubase both
Pro tools both

Some things you forgot:

Logic WAS PC/Mac compatible. I still have my copy of Logic 5.5.1. If I were to install it and create something with it, it can still be opened on a mac.

SoundForge PC only
Acid Pro pc only
Reason both
Recycle both
Nuendo both


While each platform has apps that are exclusive (Logic 6+, DP, Peak, and Deck for Mac. FL, Sonar, Acid, and SF for PC) the most widely used apps are cross platform. Cubase and ProTools are the two most widely used DAW apps. Reason has a larger base of professionally released music than FL Studio.

 

[H&R]

the most widely used apps are cross platform. Cubase and ProTools are the two most widely used DAW apps. Reason has a larger base of professionally released music than FL Studio.

That is what I was trying to get across ... Better said than me.

 

[x-squizet]

yea i got reason....i think i am just gonna stick wit cubase sx, i spent the money on the dell so why buy another one.

but do you think i could find a copy of logic 5. and does it support rewire in 5 or no

 

[konceptG]

yea i got reason....i think i am just gonna stick wit cubase sx, i spent the money on the dell so why buy another one.

but do you think i could find a copy of logic 5. and does it support rewire in 5 or no

You'll have to look pretty hard to find a copy of Logic for PC.

It does support Rewire, VST's, and all that jazz, but IMO it's a pain to work with. That's why I don't use it anymore.

 

[dacalion]

Bottom line, if you just want to spend money and try something new go with a mac, otherwise stick with pc. Yes, overall macs are better but its margin of victory isn't enuff to justify changing over. If macs just blew pc's out the water then ok, but its like KutisRich said, its not a big difference.

This is helpful if youre still not convinced...go to your google search and type in Mac -vs- PC then hit enter

-dac-

 

[joeburnem]

I asked the very same question. I was told that macs are more stable than PCs. Which was proven to me.
Also they withstand heavy workloads. The thing that made me not purchase a mac was that I am an ACID fan. I could run LIVE 4 or 5 but I just can't really REALLY get into ableton. But if Sony makes ACID for macs... I'd probably cop a mini mac.

 

[Mantas]

lets keep it real. unless u're a serious logic fan, u should go with pcs. u can build a f*ckin monster pc for half the price of mac. spend the rest money on some decent audio interface or other gear u need/want. cause apple is all about the hype.

 

[thedreampolice]

that is not true. Macs are the same price, if not cheaper than pc's. Even pcs you build your self. Price out the parts for a mac pro if you dont believe me.

 

[konceptG]

that is not true. Macs are the same price, if not cheaper than pc's. Even pcs you build your self. Price out the parts for a mac pro if you dont believe me.

ok... let's see if what you're saying is true. One of my workstations at my desk here in the office is a Dell Precision 690. I've always said that this thing would make a great DAW, especially since mine has 15K RPM Serial Attached SCSI drives in a RAID1 configuration. I went over to Apple and got as close to this monster as I could, but still came out with inferior video and drive performance since Apple doesn't offer SAS. I configured a Dell with the same specs as mine, but changed the drive layout to SATA RAID instead of SAS 'cause that's all Apple offers.

The Dell -

My System Details
PROCESSOR Dual Core Intel® Xeon® Processor 5150 (2.66GHz, 4MB L2,1333) edit
2ND PROCESSOR Dual Core Intel® Xeon® Processor 5150 2.66GHz, 4MB L2,1333 edit
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows® XP Professional, SP2 with Media edit
VIDEO CARD 768MB PCIe x16 nVidia Quadro FX 4600, Dual DVI or Dual VGA or DVI + VGA edit
MEMORY 1GB, DDR2 SDRAM FBD Memory, 667MHz, ECC (2 DIMMS) edit
OPTICAL DRIVE 48XCDRW AND 16XDVD+/-RW, w/Cyberlink PowerDVD™ and Roxio Creator™ edit
RAID CONFIGURATION C5 All SATA drives, RAID 1, 2 drive total configuration edit
HARD DRIVE 500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s,7200 RPM Hard Drive with 16MB DataBurst Cache™ edit
HARD DRIVE CONTROLLER (INTERNAL) SATA/SAS Integrated Card - For Connecting Internal Hard Drives edit
2ND HARD DRIVE 500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s,7200 RPM Hard Drive with 16MB DataBurst Cache™ edit
MONITOR Dell 20 inch UltraSharp™ 2007FP Flat Panel, adjustable stand, VGA/DVI edit
My Accessories
KEYBOARD USB Entry Quietkey, No Hot Keys edit
MOUSE Dell USB 2-Button Mechanical Mouse with Scroll edit
FLOPPY & MEDIA READER No Floppy Drive edit
SPEAKERS No Speaker option edit
My Software
SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION No Resource CD edit
My Services & Warranties
WARRANTY & SERVICE 3 Year On-site Economy Plan edit
ON-SITE SYSTEM SETUP No Onsite System Setup edit
PURCHASE INTENT Purchase is not intended for resale. edit
ALSO INCLUDED WITH YOUR SYSTEM
Mail- In Rebate None
Labels Genuine Windows® XP Sticker

Price: $5,495

The Mac:

Mac Pro
Part Number: Z0D8
One 16x SuperDrive
Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse - U.S. English
500GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
Accessory kit
Two 2.66GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon
500GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
1GB (2 x 512MB)
Mac OS X - U.S. English
Mac Pro RAID Card
NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500 512MB, Stereo 3D (2 x dual-link DVI)

Gift message: Add| Create unique messages

Remove $5,605.00 $5,605.00
Estimated Ship: 3-5 business days

Apple Cinema Display (20" flat panel)
Part Number: M9177LL/A
Gift message: Add| Create unique messages

Remove $599.00 $599.00
Estimated Ship: Within 24 hours


Cart Subtotal: $6,204.00



Hmmm... Now... The mac STILL has inferior video (768MB Quadro FX 4600 on the Dell vs 512MB Quadro FX 4500 on th eMac), yet by itself costs $110 more than the Dell does. Include the 20" monitor (which is included in the Dell's price) and you're $709 over the cost of a comparable Dell.



Doesn't look like Macs are cheaper to me.



Of course, you're gonna say "well... I don't need this, that, and the other blah, blah, blah..." Well it's like I said, I spec'ed out a Mac similar to one I use here at the office and the Mac is more expensive. So much more expensive that I can buy a copy of ProTools MP, Audiophile 192, and an Axiom 25 and have change left over! BUT!!! This Mac is STILL inferior to the one I use here even though the drives I have here are smaller. I use SAS, which has a higher throughput rate for data transfer than SATA. The hard drives that I use are 15K RPM vs the Macs 7200 RPM. I can't find specs on the Mac Pro Raid card, so it's impossible to tell whether or not it supports SATA-150 or SATA-300. Nevertheless, the SAS RAID included with the Dell is still faster than both interfaces.


Face it, unless you REALLY need Logic or DP, there's no good reason to buy a Mac.

 

[Hi-Lo]

ok... let's see if what you're saying is true. One of my workstations at my desk here in the office is a Dell Precision 690. I've always said that this thing would make a great DAW, especially since mine has 15K RPM Serial Attached SCSI drives in a RAID1 configuration. I went over to Apple and got as close to this monster as I could, but still came out with inferior video and drive performance since Apple doesn't offer SAS. I configured a Dell with the same specs as mine, but changed the drive layout to SATA RAID instead of SAS 'cause that's all Apple offers.

The Dell -

My System Details
PROCESSOR Dual Core Intel® Xeon® Processor 5150 (2.66GHz, 4MB L2,1333) edit
2ND PROCESSOR Dual Core Intel® Xeon® Processor 5150 2.66GHz, 4MB L2,1333 edit
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows® XP Professional, SP2 with Media edit
VIDEO CARD 768MB PCIe x16 nVidia Quadro FX 4600, Dual DVI or Dual VGA or DVI + VGA edit
MEMORY 1GB, DDR2 SDRAM FBD Memory, 667MHz, ECC (2 DIMMS) edit
OPTICAL DRIVE 48XCDRW AND 16XDVD+/-RW, w/Cyberlink PowerDVD™ and Roxio Creator™ edit
RAID CONFIGURATION C5 All SATA drives, RAID 1, 2 drive total configuration edit
HARD DRIVE 500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s,7200 RPM Hard Drive with 16MB DataBurst Cache™ edit
HARD DRIVE CONTROLLER (INTERNAL) SATA/SAS Integrated Card - For Connecting Internal Hard Drives edit
2ND HARD DRIVE 500GB SATA 3.0Gb/s,7200 RPM Hard Drive with 16MB DataBurst Cache™ edit
MONITOR Dell 20 inch UltraSharp™ 2007FP Flat Panel, adjustable stand, VGA/DVI edit
My Accessories
KEYBOARD USB Entry Quietkey, No Hot Keys edit
MOUSE Dell USB 2-Button Mechanical Mouse with Scroll edit
FLOPPY & MEDIA READER No Floppy Drive edit
SPEAKERS No Speaker option edit
My Software
SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION No Resource CD edit
My Services & Warranties
WARRANTY & SERVICE 3 Year On-site Economy Plan edit
ON-SITE SYSTEM SETUP No Onsite System Setup edit
PURCHASE INTENT Purchase is not intended for resale. edit
ALSO INCLUDED WITH YOUR SYSTEM
Mail- In Rebate None
Labels Genuine Windows® XP Sticker

Price: $5,495

The Mac:

Mac Pro
Part Number: Z0D8
One 16x SuperDrive
Apple Keyboard and Mighty Mouse - U.S. English
500GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
Accessory kit
Two 2.66GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon
500GB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s
1GB (2 x 512MB)
Mac OS X - U.S. English
Mac Pro RAID Card
NVIDIA Quadro FX 4500 512MB, Stereo 3D (2 x dual-link DVI)

Gift message: Add| Create unique messages

Remove $5,605.00 $5,605.00
Estimated Ship: 3-5 business days

Apple Cinema Display (20" flat panel)
Part Number: M9177LL/A
Gift message: Add| Create unique messages

Remove $599.00 $599.00
Estimated Ship: Within 24 hours


Cart Subtotal: $6,204.00



Hmmm... Now... The mac STILL has inferior video (768MB Quadro FX 4600 on the Dell vs 512MB Quadro FX 4500 on th eMac), yet by itself costs $110 more than the Dell does. Include the 20" monitor (which is included in the Dell's price) and you're $709 over the cost of a comparable Dell.



Doesn't look like Macs are cheaper to me.



Of course, you're gonna say "well... I don't need this, that, and the other blah, blah, blah..." Well it's like I said, I spec'ed out a Mac similar to one I use here at the office and the Mac is more expensive. So much more expensive that I can buy a copy of ProTools MP, Audiophile 192, and an Axiom 25 and have change left over! BUT!!! This Mac is STILL inferior to the one I use here even though the drives I have here are smaller. I use SAS, which has a higher throughput rate for data transfer than SATA. The hard drives that I use are 15K RPM vs the Macs 7200 RPM. I can't find specs on the Mac Pro Raid card, so it's impossible to tell whether or not it supports SATA-150 or SATA-300. Nevertheless, the SAS RAID included with the Dell is still faster than both interfaces.


Face it, unless you REALLY need Logic or DP, there's no good reason to buy a Mac.

if you have the money for an 8 core, thats a great reason to look at mac. and if data speed is what you need for your RAID, learn about fibre channel man.

also, i knew your prices on both seemed high to me...maybe you do video work but i dont know many producers who need a 1,500 upgrade on their video card. the standard apple one not only lowers that price by 1600 bucks but also simultaneously supports a 23 inch and 30 inch cinema display, which is way more than the 20 inch you got there. for most of us that would be a big waste of money whether mac or pc..also, cinema displays are notoriously expensive so match those up with equal dell monitors, and include a 100 dollar antivirus and spyware package for your pc, and you're arguing over very little man.

 

[manguino]

I'm both an XP and OSX user, one for my major and one just for random stuff. Macs are definitely a little bit on the more expensive side, but everything is so intuitive and asthetically pleasing, that I'd save a couple more hundred bucks for a new Macbook vs. a desktop.

But if you're short on money and need a powerful computer, just go with a PC. If you're looking for a computer that has its own experience, go with an Apple. Good luck, i can't imagine having to choose between the two.

 

[konceptG]

if you have the money for an 8 core, thats a great reason to look at mac. and if data speed is what you need for your RAID, learn about fibre channel man.

also, i knew your prices on both seemed high to me...maybe you do video work but i dont know many producers who need a 1,500 upgrade on their video card. the standard apple one not only lowers that price by 1600 bucks but also simultaneously supports a 23 inch and 30 inch cinema display, which is way more than the 20 inch you got there. for most of us that would be a big waste of money whether mac or pc..also, cinema displays are notoriously expensive so match those up with equal dell monitors, and include a 100 dollar antivirus and spyware package for your pc, and you're arguing over very little man.

as I said, I simply priced out a machine comparable to what I have here at my desk.

I need the video card here 'cause I use it for mechanical, electrical, and software engineering apps as well as CGI (which assists in the ME aspect of my job)

Fiber Channel??? ha! SAS is nearly as fast as 4GFC (375MB/s vs 400MB/s) and it's local storage, not networked.


At any rate, my point was to combat the assertion that Macs are as cheap or cheaper than PC's. In fact, Macs can be vastly more expensive than a comparably equipped PC. With the stuff I do here, it'll always make more sense to go PC than Mac.