MAC vs PC for recording

[John Jeffers]

Here's another good one that I heard a few days ago:

'The problem with Apple computers is that they don't have enough USB ports'.

I know I'm kinda going around the intent of your post a little, but I'd actually agree with that. USB ports fill up quick, and the three on my iMac are full (keybd/mouse, iLok, external drive), and I have a similar problem with the G5 in my studio, where I also have a Steinberg key in addition to an iLok.

If someone like Dell can ship a low-end desktop and give it six or eight ports, why isn't that a valid criticism? Don't say "use a hub". I don't want any more desktop clutter or more power supplies to worry about.

[hammertime]

And a , to you too (and yo mama).

Apple stuff sucks. They just package overpriced mediocre hardware with a bunch of glossy packaging and brushed aluminum, fluff it up with a bunch of hip "alternative" (and false and misleading) advertising, and then watch as peope eat it up. True, though, if you're a complete knucklehead, and you can't handle your own file management and driver updates, you can pay twice or three times what you should for a computer.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (sniff...)

[hammertime]

Dickhead.

And a , to you too (and yo mama).

Apple stuff sucks. They just package overpriced mediocre hardware with a bunch of glossy packaging and brushed aluminum, fluff it up with a bunch of hip "alternative" (and false and misleading) advertising, and then watch as peope eat it up. True, though, if you're a complete knucklehead, and you can't handle your own file management and driver updates, you can pay twice or three times what you should for a computer.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (sniff...)

[stratology]

Here's another good one that I heard a few days ago:

'The problem with Apple computers is that they don't have enough USB ports'.

I know I'm kinda going around the intent of your post a little, but I'd actually agree with that. USB ports fill up quick, and the three on my iMac are full (keybd/mouse, iLok, external drive), and I have a similar problem with the G5 in my studio, where I also have a Steinberg key in addition to an iLok.

If someone like Dell can ship a low-end desktop and give it six or eight ports, why isn't that a valid criticism? Don't say "use a hub". I don't want any more desktop clutter or more power supplies to worry about.

OK, I won't say 'use a hub', although it's an easy and cheap solution. (The PC guy I got this quote from has a USB hub plugged into his PC laptop...)

If you use an Apple keyboard, it acts as a hub (2 USB ports). From the Tech Specs for the iMac on the Apple website:
'Total of five USB ports: three USB 2.0 ports (up to 480 Mbps) on computer, two USB 1.1 ports on keyboard.'

The ports on the keyboard are ideal for dongles (iLok etc.). And if you want to avoid clutter and save a port, you can use a Bluetooth mouse.

And if you use a PowerMac or Mac Pro, and decide to use an Apple Cinema Display with it, this acts as a hub (for USB and Firewire) as well, without additional clutter.



So instead of saying 'don't use a hub', I'll say 'don't buy any softs that use iLok for copy protection' (mainly because of my bad experiences with the iLok and especially the crap software that comes with it...). I'll stop here, don't want to further derail the thread.


I agree that suggesting additional USB ports can be a valid point. What I was getting at with the quote was the drama. The PC guy who said it had about 5 BSODs just during the last 3 rehearsals, I haven't seen that many kernel panics on my 2 Macs in the whole year. And he 'lost' audio files during the same short period, because of some system message regarding temp files (don't ask... ). I haven't lost an audio file in all the years I use Macs...

[jeddypoo]

what the hell is going on in this thread? When did this become a nerdly flamewar?

Yeah, I don't love PCs, but a lot of that has to do with one thing: WINDOWS. Worst OS ever.

[wedge]

DOS sucked turds, too... Funny how they wound up together... Made Billy Boy a lot of money, though! Actually, I think XP is pretty good, all things considered... Vista might actually be the first genuinely good version of Windows ever... maybe...

[jeddypoo]

oh yeah, I remember DOS all too well. I used it the other day in VPC, actually.

Windows just always feels to me like it's....fake? It's convoluted, overbuilt, and makes no fucking sense, really.

I'm interested to see what they do with Vista.

[hammertime]

I keep reading about Vista and this stupid DRM (digital rights management) that Microsoft put in it's OS at the beheast of the entertainment industry, which is one step in the direction of taking the fun out of Windows, and making watching porn videos and listening to mp3's more tedious. I guess the cool thing is that everything is going to be 64 bit, not that it will probably make that much difference.

oh yeah, I remember DOS all too well. I used it the other day in VPC, actually.

Windows just always feels to me like it's....fake? It's convoluted, overbuilt, and makes no fucking sense, really.

I'm interested to see what they do with Vista.

[GooberNumber9]

Yeah, I don't love PCs, but a lot of that has to do with one thing: WINDOWS. Worst OS ever.

Oh, c'mon! What about 0S/2? Atari DOS? Amiga DOS?!?!

Actually, Atari and Amiga DOS were ok, but OS/2 Warp might actually have been the worst OS ever.

[Sculli]

Just a Knucklehead with a stable OS(10.4..It just works and works and works.....
Peace,
Kevin

[Velcrocore]

HP DV1000 - XP Home - Sony Vegas

No problems - great recordings.


(Oh, can you get pirated software on a Mac? That's a plus for PCs)

[lg]

HP DV1000 - XP Home - Sony Vegas

No problems - great recordings.


(Oh, can you get pirated software on a Mac? That's a plus for PCs)

you must not work for a software developer.

[Harmony Head]

getting back to the original point..

There's no wrong answer. As spoken about before, it depends a little on what software you wanna use, and what you're comfortable with, and the size of your wallet.

My studio partner here has just got a new Intel Mac thing. Man, it's gorgeous. Runs totally quiet. Has tons of power. Easy to use. Sure, not everything is working yet for it, but that's only a matter of time. When i work on it i think "maybe i should go this way".

Then i go back into my room with my old (2 years) P4/3.2 (i think) with a gig of ram. No viruses. Everything up and running just like i want it. Never crashed. Never run out of CPU. Reliable enough to build a business on. And i start thinking about buying microphones or guitars or something else.

In a nutshell.. the new Intel Macs are certainly beautiful, but if i needed to buy a new computer, i'd buy a PC because i can't justify the cost. My partner's new Intel Mac cost EIGHT TIMES more than the upgrade i did to my last computer which has been working great. And we have zero problems importing from one to the other.

My $0.02

HH

[jeddypoo]

HP DV1000 - XP Home - Sony Vegas

No problems - great recordings.


(Oh, can you get pirated software on a Mac? That's a plus for PCs)

you sure can. Not that I do.

[Brian]

My partners windows laptop "locked up permenantly" because he surfed porn and got viruses right in front of my face while my new Macbook died from lack of workmanship. They put me thru some shite but gave me a new one. I'm on it now. My old mac G3 laptop lasted 6 years, stayed on constantly, did everything. Sold it for $300. I have a Single 1.8ghz G5/ protools thing happening now. Protools sucks more than my mac because it's the LE version, BUT, only because I'll run 32 audiotracks 83 minutes long each with lots of plugins and aux's and automation everywhere going at once for hours til I render it. Happy customers. Panther.
Windows is a "mac-a-like" they had to admit it in court! It doesn't crunch the numbers as good as they say because it 1. wasn't 16 bit clean, then it wasn't 32 bit clean and it sure as hell isn't 64 bit clean and that is why the same proc speed doesn't run as fast in Windows vs. Mac. MIPS, my friends.
I haven't had a virus on a mac since 1982. Rosetta doesn't suck as much as be an enabler of old software.
If you haven't noticed, the name of the computer game is to get you in so you gotta buy another one. I hack mine into working years past expectations when needed.
If your getting a new computer, don't get the wanna-be, get the real thing, a MAC. Here's how to keep from getting screwed later on: get one with a video card with the most ram if it's a laptop, if not, you can upgrade your video card without a prob. Then they last and work fast for a long long time.
Vista= last gasp for windows.Now that the mac system works on intel procs, why bother with windows for much longer. Gates only kept it up to piss Jobs off and you payed for it. Windows is OVER.
You wanna buy parts for a computer?? Wear them out first.