PC vs. Mac?

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This may not be for a few more years, barring any serious failures, but would you recommend a PC or a Mac for my next computer?

Tim

What do you intend to do with it?

Lol, what do you do with your pc currently?

Mainly surf the net, some light gaming. Which one would be good for computer art?

Tim

Macs are awesome for computer aided graphic design, but you can't game on them very well at all.

Well if you get a new mac gaming is not an issue as they run intel proc's now and you can use bootcamp to load up windowsXp. I got a windows machine running OSX and will hopefully never have to use a microsoft product again. I'm not much of a gamer so everything I can do with XP is still done with OSX. There's just that much more stability and style now.
I would suggest an Imac as it can do everything including pro production. It just won't render/multitask as well as a Mac Pro.

I'm having the same dilemna Tim. ILeaning towards a Mac Pro at the moment.. When it comes to anything graphics or video related, the Macs win hands down, but as Conformadore implied PCs best for gamers. Mac has some good titles like Civ 4, but if you want to be sure of having access to all the latest and greatest First Person Shooters, then PC is traditionally the best choice. However, this is starting to change now with the introduction of "Bootcamp" to the Macs which means you can run Windows XP (or Vista very soon) and Apple's Mac OS on the same machine giving you the best of both worlds. What games do you tend to like other than Civ and FS2004?

In addition to Bootcamp, I'm very attracted to the Mac Pro because of the incredible hardware specs on the better models that I'm yet to see on a PC. The main criticism people seem to have of the Macs is "extortionate pricing", but I think it's worth it. Just my 2 cents.

I own a few shares in Apple computer for over 10 years now so I naturally think you should choose a Mac. While I own the stock I am not very rich and am more a
low end pc guy. I have a vintage 2001 computer now. Non branded computer I bought with Corel Linux. Though I have ran copies of win95 on it and now I run
windows XP on it.

Mac, the problems of Vista just aren't worth the savings you get buying non-Apple hardware. If you can really use Linux then go PC, otherwise go Mac.

I realise that many people here are telling you to go out and get a Mac, however I've seen websites that tell you how to get MacOSX to run in a PC.

You may want to try that instead of going out and getting a Mac. A regular PC these days is quite a bit less expensive than a Nac.

As well, the perception that Macs are inherently better than PC's at graphics/design/3d is a bit outdated, imo. It definitely used to be the case, but these days, you're more likely to find high-end digital art done on Silicon Graphics workstations running IRIX or some other *nix variant.
I've worked with both Mac and PC professionally in the graphics field for years and these days, the differences, if any, are slight.
Ultimately, I think it's more down to what you're comfortable with.
Disclaimer: I haven't used a Mac 'in anger' in almost 8 years now, so take this with a grain of salt.

I don't like Macintosh because PC has more ingenuity when it comes to customizing. You can take out parts and replace them with new ones; I have never seen a custom Mac.

We went from 5 pcs to 2 iMacs and it's been the best decision we've ever made. Hands down the iMac out performs any PC and I have always had top of the line this or that systems. In the 1.5 years with my macs (one intel and one pre-intel), I have only had to re-boot when there are system upgrades....and that may have been only around 4 times....??? I use one iMac at my retail store as my point of sale (my cash register) and my other one for graphic design.

For the ease of use, reliability, looks, functionality...the imac wins everytime! As soon as a set of software arrives next week...my hubby has already given me the go ahead to video me throwing the PC tower over our balcony!! ! That will go on Youtube fer sure.

I run XP (when I have too...ick)..on OS X while doing my other mac programs and it never misses a beat! To be honest, Windows XP runs better on the mac than on the craptop we keep only for use of a particular $$$ color laser printer that we cannot part with.

And if you do purchase a mac...forget that that "new computer set up routine"...you know what I am talking about...the day you set aside HOURS to assemble all of your PC attachments and spend your ENTIRE day loading software and drivers!! !! !! !! It's really like the commercial...it's ready to go out of the box as soon as you turn it on in 4 minutes. Apple's commercials are very right on with the pros and cons of both systems.

And firing up the mac from cold start...takes about 10 seconds...where the windows....hmmm...well I have time to make toast and coffee. I just love Apple cause everything works, all the time and I get paid to work on my computer as a graphics designer so I just cannot rely on a PC anymore. Lost time=no paycheck when deadlines for my clients are not met.

And on a personal note...the ooh and ahh factor for our home movies just stuns friends and family and I only use the templates that came with iLife. I created a wedding DVD for my friend and it turned out better than the one she paid mega bucks for from a professional videographer. Now as far as Gaming...I have no personal experience on the mac, cause we use stand alones like Xbox and PS2....

Personally I don't need to customize the mac...I did that when I ordered it online so no need to take apart. And I am able to upgrade the memory through an easy to access slot underneath without having to go near any of the hardware or risk damage through static...been there with a PC when a curious cat swiped by me as I was changing a card out.

People who usually "dog" the macs are those who hate anything that is non-mainstream. It's no different than the American car vs. German engineering discussion I have with my redneck friends who will buy a crappy vehicle just bc it's made in the USA. Sorry, but reliability is my main justification over any product any day.

Just remember too, Macs are created for ease of use. Not everyone is computer savvy or wants to be a computer geek. I think it's cool that a company can cater to such a diverse audience and age group.
my 2 cents...