mac newbie - please share some insight!

[Fragle]

hi guys,

let me start by saying that i heavily used the search function, but i still haven't quite found what i was looking for.

i've been a pc user ever since i started working with computers....and well, let me just say that macs are a huge mystery for me. basically all i know is that they're said to be stable as fuck and seem to be the industry standart as far as pro audio is concerned.

so, it would be really cool if you guys could share some experience with me regarding what the (dis)advantages of each systems are....or in other words, feel free to turn this into a pc vs mac discussion ^^

another point i'm wondering about:
i have a desktop pc that is used for audio apps ONLY...no gaming, no internet, nothing. just music production and casual listening.
from the top off my head, the system is a intel dual core e8400, 3ghz each i think, 4 gig ram, 500gig harddrive, TI firewire card, win xp based (so it's actually using only 3 gig, one thing that i hate about xp).
would i gain anything by switching over to a mac, one that isn't a mac pro 8core for 3k ? money isn't falling from trees over here, so i have no problem with going used, and shelling out more than 500-750 euro isn't possible.
i'm not quite sure as of what sorta macs would fall into that budget, but so far it seems like either a mini mac, or an older g5 system.

i'm using reaper btw, and since there's an osx version of that i'd likely continue to do so......also, i've read some threads where very strong opinions against logic were apparent....but it's more the point of having to shell out another .5k for a new DAW that will keep me from switching to logic tbh.

so, in short, would i gain anything by switching to a mac, and if so, what exactly would that be?
as i said i have zero experience with macs, other than a friend of mine who's bought a macbook and loves it to death

thanks in advance!

 

[SocialNumb]

I'm just going to say: I love my macs and LP9.

That is all.

Let the shit storm begin.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

In that price range, I'd advice you not to switch. Even though an older DP G5, which you'd get with that budget, is still a decent workhorse, there's no denying it's architecture is already obsolete and won't be supported much longer. A Mini, on the other hand, is very limited in terms of expandability, which made me steer away from them in the first place.

 

[greyskull]

mac vs pc threads= boooring
Seriously though dude theres loads of them around here.
I prefer working on a mac after years of fighting windows.
But that aint the case with all p.c users. some of them get by just fine and resent the higher price of admission, limited expansion and/or workflow differences, or the apparent snobbery/self righteousness of apple users.

Mac works great for me. I'd recommend it, but it might not be for you.
Stop worrying about gear and worry about making music, and not having something interrupt your creative flow.

There you go.. covered just about all angles there

/thread

 

[Fragle]

sorry man, but i do NOT see how a thread like this can justify a borderline dickish answer like yours.

after all, i'm not trying to start another pc vs mac argument! i'm just a pc user whom a mac has been recommended by a friend and now would like to get some input from other audio experienced people. isn't that what a forum should be about after all?

and btw, searching for mac mostly shows some dude's gear signatures....and i feel like i've found and read most of the other, valuable threads.

and after saying this: thank you for your answers @ the other posters

 

[Airborne]

I love my Mac, the Apogee interface and Logic 9 too.

I use simple MacBooks and I am very satisfied with them.
Never had a problem with them. (I think that the new Mac minis are just as powerful as my MacBooks).
For my guitar instrumental music & band related stuff the whole setup works really fine.

 

[lil otav]

mac vs pc threads= boooring
Seriously though dude theres loads of them around here.
I prefer working on a mac after years of fighting windows.
But that aint the case with all p.c users. some of them get by just fine and resent the higher price of admission, limited expansion and/or workflow differences, or the apparent snobbery/self righteousness of apple users.

Mac works great for me. I'd recommend it, but it might not be for you.
Stop worrying about gear and worry about making music, and not having something interrupt your creative flow.

There you go.. covered just about all angles there

/thread

Well put Greyskull
I'm using Logic 9 on a MacBook Pro a Mini and loving it, no issues so far
I also use Reaper on a Lenovo tablet with no issues
YMMV

Like Greyskull said "Just Make Music"

Peace

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Fuck this. The reason these threads turn into Mac vs. PC debates hasn't got anything to do with Mac vs. PC anymore, it always starts with someone bitching about the debates themselves. Seriously, can't we fucking discuss this like any other gear related subject without making it a personal argue? After all, unless working in a completely analog environment, the computer you use is a pretty fucking crucial part of the whole creative process.

Fragle simply asked if he would benefit from switching from his current setup to another one in the given price range. He did not ask WUZ BETAR MAC VS PC LUL? Come on, I'm sure we can discuss this topic without flaming or bashing one platform or another and turning into furry-ass apes hanging in trees and throwing feces around. I mean, fuck

 

[greyskull]

borderline dickish??? maybe i HAVE been on gearslutz too much recently

 

[narcossintese]

One thing PC users can do that Mac users can't...

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

One thing PC users can do that Mac users can't...

...and here we go again. Could we cut this shit out before it even starts in it's full scale?

 

[greyskull]

now hang on...

 

[Chris_P_Critter]

From my VERY limitted experience, here's my take.

1.) Just because you have a MAC does NOT mean you are immune to computer issues. Meaning, yes, MAC is a closed system, and unlike PC does not have to contend with a million and a half third parties writing bad drivers that wreak havoc on your system. So, that said, you definitely have a leg up over PC in terms of stability. Please note: a properly configured PC with an up to date Windows OS with current drivers, etc. can be just as stable, which I think is a bit of a misunderstanding - again, just because you have a MAC, does not mean you're never going to have to deal with computer issues.

2.) PC does have it's fair sare of issues - but remember, PC is an open platform where you have literally tens of thousands of third parties writing code that is "supposed" to run on the platform. Herein lies 95% of the computer stability issues I've ever dealt with. Legacy code built into the OS to accomodate the tens of thousands of developers writing code or designing hardware, whereas the developers don't do well enough (i.e. nVidia - I'm lookin at YOU!). So, while you could potentially have a million and one issues with PC, if you take your time, do the research and make sure your OS and drivers are up to date, then you will more than likely be fine.

Of course, there is one major differentiator in the "PC vs. MAC" argument - COST!

Other than that, I can't really offer more advice. I can't say that Mac does "XYZ" better than a PC, or vice versa. And, to be honest, my opinion is that both platforms are pretty equal when it comes to stability (of course, with the disclaimer above - running an up to date PC).

Hope this helps.

EDIT - Honestly, if I were a professional AE, I would own a MAC. I want to buy something, plug it in, and not have to worry about drivers, hardware conflicts, etc. (and be able to write off the tax expense ) But, that's just me.

 

[updog]

If you go Mac, you have to remember that there's shitloads and more on top of that of great free plugins completely obsolete to your system. That's what mostly bugs me with my Mac, and come to think of it, it's probably the only thing that bugs me about it.

I'm not saying there aren't lots of good free plugins for Mac, but the amount is just a fracture of what all the Mr. PC's can get. I think this is a valid point nowadays, since there are some seriously gem free VST's and they're just getting better and the selection is fucking infinite.

Other than that, in my experience I can't really but praise Macs. I have a MacBook 2,4GHz, with full 4gb RAM, and I picked it up a year ago for 800€ (I bought some more ram but it was cheap as bread and changing it lasted 5 minutes). I feel that if I'll ever want to buy a new DAW laptop, it's got to be one fucking hella laptop.

To summarize, I think if you get a Mac, you're probably going to have to invest some more to plugins, but on a PC, you may have to consume lots of time to optimize it for music and download all the free goodies (although I find the latter pretty fun)

I'm not going to go into the hardware side of things, that's usually what makes people go off.