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Mac or PC - N or S

Mac or PC - N or S

  • N Mac (all Operating Systems)

    Votes: 27 34.6%
  • S Mac (all Operating Systems)

    Votes: 4 5.1%
  • N PC (all Operating Systems)

    Votes: 48 61.5%
  • S PC (all Operating Systems)

    Votes: 11 14.1%

  • Total voters
    78
G

garbage

Guest
so does each poll option include "all operating systems" or not? pretty much the entire thread is talking about MacOS versus windows, rather than mac/PC hardware as the options would imply


linux dude myself, don't give a crap what kind of hardware it's on

just give me a damned tile window manager and let me go to town
 

Abstract Thinker

New member
Joined
Jun 3, 2010
Messages
323
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
4w5
I tried to stay out of this platform war, but there has been so much misinformation and absurd generalizations about the Mac and Mac users, that I just can't stand it any more.

(As an INFP, I avoided the conflict until I actually felt offended. Maybe there is some truth to MBTI?)

Anyway... I can't speak for any other Mac users, but I don't use a Mac because it's cool, I use it for the following reasons, and this will be a very incomplete list:

1 - The Mac OS is not serialized. I'll say it another way: there is NO serial number associated withe Mac OS. No "25 character code" plastered all over the machine, inside AND out. Why? It's irrelevant, because the Mac OS only runs on Macs, so there's no need to serialize it. Effectively, the Mac OS is FREE, because you have to have a Mac to use it, and you can only get a Mac from Apple. So what difference does that make? Plenty: There is no "validation assistant" (or whatever they call it) for the Mac OS constantly running in the background. That means there is NO code bloating the OS to make sure we haven't stolen it. How many clock cycles do you think are wasted every day on a PC, constantly checking that you're running a "valid" OS? Plenty, I assure you.

2 - No Viruses. Not because "it's not worth it for hackers to make a virus for the Mac" either. It's because it runs on a UNIX kernel, which is the oldest, most mature, and most secure OS in the world. Period.

3 - The people who write the OS are right down the hall from the people who design the machine. So it just works. Unlike Microsoft, Apple engineers don't have to build in countless abstraction layers to make sure it will run on literally thousands of different machine configurations. The Mac OS knows what hardware it will run on, and it knows how to make it work. Which leads me to number four:

4 - I'm a professional video editor. I use Final Cut Studio for video, and Logic Studio for audio. These are both Apple products. So again, the software folks KNOW what hardware the software will be running on, so it works perfectly. And I mean that... perfectly. Never crashes, ever.

5 - Updates. Sheesh. Here we go. I get maybe one or two automatic software updates from Apple a month. Again, because they know the system. They don't have to account for every possible permutation of hardware configurations out there to keep the thing running.

6 - The hardware is simply superior. Yes, it's more expensive, but by any measure, it's a better investment. I'm typing this on a new MacBook Pro, but I'm looking at my seven year old PowerBook sitting over on my desk. Yes, SEVEN years old, and it still runs exactly like it did the day I bought it... perfectly. Macs rarely break. They DO break, everything does... entropy sees to that, but Macs break less.

7 - It's beautiful, and yes, that does matter. This is not a window air conditioner or a tire iron in my trunk that is simply a tool. This is something that I (and many of you) spend at least eight hours a day using. It's a part of me, like it or not. I like the fact that it is carved from a single block of aluminum, which makes it sleek and durable. I like the fact that the LED screen dims automatically when I bring it home from my brightly lit office to my dark and cozy INFP cave. I like the fact that the keys light up inverse-proportionally to the ambient light in the room. I can use this thing in pitch black -- the screen dims and the keys light up. I can also use it in broad daylight -- the screen gets incredibly bright and the keys don't light up... they don't need to. Saves the battery, which leads me to number eight:

8 - Battery life is incredible. Seven, eight hours. Why? Because there are TWO video cards in this box. A fast one when I'm plugged in, and a less power hungry one when I'm not. Do I see a speed difference? No. Which leads me to another silly statement I saw earlier..

9 - No, I don't really care about the specs. I KNOW that a modern Mac will be as fast as I need it to be. I do know the specs though, fwiw: 3.06 GHz Intel Core Duo, 8GB RAM, 500 GB hard drive. Is that the fastest in the world? Who knows? Not me. Don't care. I just get my work done.

10 - Sleep and wake up. OMG... this is a big one for me. When I tell my Mac to go to sleep so I can disconnect from my gorgeous 24" LED Apple monitor and take it home, it goes to sleep instantly. No waiting for whatever mayhem is going on in the background of PCs when I tell it to sleep. And when I get home and lift the non-latched but smooth and tightly closed lid to use it again, it wakes up in less than a second. Yes, less than a second. It's ready to go before I am.

11 - Ergonomics. Wow, this could be a whole post in and of itself. Let's see... there's NO protrusions from the case, open or closed. Nothing to get caught on my backback or my clothes. No silly doors all over the place. No door for the double layer DVD burner. I love the GLASS trackpad with no buttons that recognizes two, three, and four-fingered gestures. Smooth as, well, glass.

12 - An even dozen... I just like it better, and I've earned the right to choose. I've got a PC at work too. A modern, fast ThinkPad. It's okay and I could use it in a pinch, but honestly, I haven't opened the lid in a month. It basically holds my coffee cup. And to ward off at least a couple of the attacks I'm sure will come... I've been using both platforms since the day they were invented. I have a BS in Computer Engineering, 1987. I've used the Mac since 1984, and I've used PCs since before they had mice. This is not an emotional decision for me. This is not me trying to be cool. This is me using the best computer I have at my disposal.

Now, all that having been said, I have great respect for Microsoft and their OS. It says TONS about their brilliance that they can even get it to work with all the abstractions they have to make. Keep in mind that Microsoft has never built a computer. Never. It blows my mind that Windows runs on so many configurations. But it is, for that very reason, and in my educated and experienced opinion, an inferior OS. It is FORCED to be too many things for too many machines.

Whew! Heart rate slowing, fixin to chill and watch a great movie... "Garden State" anyone? I'm just a mushy, gushy INFP, but I do know computers.

Listen: I sincerely hope I have not offended any of my PC using friends. I DO NOT look down on you for the system you use. I have made my choice of computers, and for my own reasons... as have you. I do not judge. I just cut video.

Okay. Cheers, and let the flames begin. :)

Your friend, the Abstract Thinker.
 

strychnine

All Natural! All Good!
Joined
Jun 23, 2010
Messages
895
My Macbook runs for 7 hours on battery. Had a lot of PC's and knew what they ran on but totally converted to Mac now.

ubuntu is supposed to last people more than that... like 10 hours or so I have heard.

Right now on my (shared) laptop (that's why I didn't say I had one before) I can get like 5.5 hours... it has vista
 

Pixelholic

New member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Messages
550
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
8w7
My Macbook runs for 7 hours on battery. Had a lot of PC's and knew what they ran on but totally converted to Mac now.

My UL 80 from Asus gets about 6-8 hours on windows 7 and up to 9 if I turn the gfx card off. On Linux it's saying I've got 10 hours.

It does have an ultra low voltage cpu so it's not as powerful as something like a pro but it runs VJ software and high end games on low settings and can slog through photoshop. Since it's not my editing computer I'm not worried about the power issues but the battery life is great since I can charge it overnight and just forget about the adapter.
 

Pixelholic

New member
Joined
Jun 20, 2010
Messages
550
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
8w7
I tried to stay out of this platform war, but there has been so much misinformation and absurd generalizations about the Mac and Mac users, that I just can't stand it any more.

(As an INFP, I avoided the conflict until I actually felt offended. Maybe there is some truth to MBTI?)

Anyway... I can't speak for any other Mac users, but I don't use a Mac because it's cool, I use it for the following reasons, and this will be a very incomplete list:

I hope you don't mind if I cordially disagree

1 - The Mac OS is not serialized. I'll say it another way: there is NO serial number associated withe Mac OS. No "25 character code" plastered all over the machine, inside AND out. Why? It's irrelevant, because the Mac OS only runs on Macs, so there's no need to serialize it. Effectively, the Mac OS is FREE, because you have to have a Mac to use it, and you can only get a Mac from Apple. So what difference does that make? Plenty: There is no "validation assistant" (or whatever they call it) for the Mac OS constantly running in the background. That means there is NO code bloating the OS to make sure we haven't stolen it. How many clock cycles do you think are wasted every day on a PC, constantly checking that you're running a "valid" OS? Plenty, I assure you.

It's subsidized by the exorbitant hardware price, and you have to pay for upgrades. I do wish that Windows was cheaper but there are plenty of legal ways to get it for dirt cheap. (my copy through my university was $7. Apple has no discounts that even come close to matching that.)

Also it's easy enough to install OSX on any intel architecture, When it was built on Powerpc this wasn't the case but now it's basically a pc (a really really expensive one.)

2 - No Viruses. Not because "it's not worth it for hackers to make a virus for the Mac" either. It's because it runs on a UNIX kernel, which is the oldest, most mature, and most secure OS in the world. Period.

What is this? and This? Granted those aren't that impressive compared to the pc worms but they are Mac specific exploits. And there is plenty of information about the security holes that Macs have that haven't been addressed. UNIX isn't inherently safer, it usually just doesn't pose a good target (macs and linux are both small market shares. Linux distros have a huge open community that can find and fix exploits, etc.) If you wanted to take down a business you'd target PCs

3 - The people who write the OS are right down the hall from the people whole design the machine. So it just works. Unlike Microsoft, Apple engineers don't have to build in countless abstraction layers to make sure it will run on literally thousands of different machine configurations. The Mac OS knows what hardware it will run on, and it knows how to make it work. Which leads me to number four:

The hardware is the same hardware on most PCs. The motherboards all come from the same place. The configuration thing is true. The downside of that is they often sell you more computer than you need. Even the Macbook Air is too powerful for what it is sold to be used for. This is why netbooks are huge.

4 - I'm a professional video editor. I use Final Cut Studio for video, and Logic Studio for audio. These are both Apple products. So again, the software folks KNOW what hardware the software will be running on, so it works perfectly. And I mean that... perfectly. Never crashes, ever.

Don't tell me Final Cut never crashes. Don't get me wrong, Final cut is a great product but it's no better or worse than Adobe and Avid's equivalent. They've also made rumors that they're dumbing it down and they aren't keeping up with HD codecs as well as Adobe is. If they keep going that way they'll end up ceding the video market to Adobe.

I can't speak for Logic since I don't use it, I'm more of a fan of Audacity anyway.

5 - Updates. Sheesh. Here we go. I get maybe one or two automatic software updates from Apple a month. Again, because they know the system. They don't have to account for every possible permutation of hardware configurations out there to keep the thing running.

Yeah I love how Apple doesn't try obtrusively force you to install iTunes and Safari if you get Quicktime or pressure you into paying $40 for Quicktime pro so that you can have the same functions that every Windows media player and VLC have for free. Also there was this one time when I updated quicktime and the DRM update flagged all of my videos as pirated and locked me out of my own created media. That was fun.

6 - The hardware is simply superior. Yes, it's more expensive, but by any measure, it's a better investment. I'm typing this on a new MacBook Pro, but I'm looking at my seven year old PowerBook sitting over on my desk. Yes, SEVEN years old, and it still runs exactly like it did the day I bought it... perfectly. Macs rarely break. They DO break, everything does... entropy sees to that, but Macs break less.

With the exception of the body, it's the same guts on the inside. I have a six year old PC that runs smashingly (it actually runs better with Win7 than it did with XP.) If you know how to take care of a computer it'll run great. I've seen year old macs that run like molasses because the person who owns it has no clue what they're doing. Blaming the machine is just silly.

7 - It's beautiful, and yes, that does matter. This is not a window air conditioner or a tire iron in my trunk that is simply a tool. This is something that I (and many of you) spend at least eight hours a day using. It's a part of me, like it or not. I like the fact that it is carved from a single block of aluminum, which makes it sleek and durable. I like the fact that the LED screen dims automatically when I bring it home from my brightly lit office to my dark and cozy INFP cave. I like the fact that the keys light up inverse-proportionally to the ambient light in the room. I can use this thing in pitch black -- the screen dims and the keys light up. I can also use it in broad daylight -- the screen gets incredibly bright and the keys don't light up... they don't need to. Saves the battery, which leads me to number eight:

I guess if you like brushed aluminum and having no say in what your computer looks like. I like that the computer I bought came in three colors and I could have a hundred different decals applied to it. I find Macs just look samey and boring. I hate the new unibody design. I liked the design two generations ago. I do like the new iMac design though I'd never buy one. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and (to me at least) isn't really worth the price point.

8 - Battery life is incredible. Seven, eight hours. Why? Because there are TWO video cards in this box. A fast one when I'm plugged in, and a less power hungry one when I'm not. Do I see a speed difference? No. Which leads me to another silly statement I saw earlier..
[/QUOTE

A battery you can't remove yourself and can't replace when it fully dies. My Asus gets 7-8 hours and has a hot swap video card also. You probably don't see a speed difference because the higher end gfx card isn't being fully utilized.

9 - No, I don't really care about the specs. I KNOW that a modern Mac will be as fast as I need it to be. I do know the specs though, fwiw: 3.06 GHz Intel Core Duo, 8GB RAM, 500 GB hard drive. Is that the fastest in the world? Who knows? Not me. Don't care. I just get my work done.

You're a video and audio guy, so I know the feeling of needing speed and power, but for most people, Macs are just superflous. For gaming they aren't great because the video cards are kinda weak. I'd take a slower processor for a faster gpu but I don't have the option to do that because Apple has decided I need an overpowered cpu with a weak gpu.

10 - Sleep and wake up. OMG... this is a big one for me. When I tell my Mac to go to sleep so I can disconnect from my gorgeous 24" LED Apple monitor and take it home, it goes to sleep instantly. No waiting for whatever mayhem is going on in the background of PCs when I tell it to sleep. And when I get home and lift the non-latched but smooth and tightly closed lid to use it again, it wakes up in less than a second. Yes, less than a second. It's ready to go before I am.

PCs do this too. Hell XP does this.

11 - Ergonomics. Wow, this could be a whole post in and of itself. Let's see... there's NO protrusions from the case, open or closed. Nothing to get caught on my backback or my clothes. No silly doors all over the place. No door for the double layer DVD burner. I love the GLASS trackpad with no buttons that recognizes two, three, and four-fingered gestures. Smooth as, well, glass.

I'd still prefer buttons and tactile feedback. The trackpad on my asus is flush with the palmrest. No bezel no crease. It also handles heat better mac laptops. I've worked on some macbooks that feel like they're going to burst into flames at any moment. I also prefer have a drive tray since you get less dust and dirt in the drive.

12 - An even dozen... I just like it better, and I've earned the right to choose. I've got a PC at work too. A modern, fast ThinkPad. It's okay and I could use it in a pinch, but honestly, I haven't opened the lid in a month. It basically holds my coffee cup. And to ward off at least a couple of the attacks I'm sure will come... I've been using both platforms since the day they were invented. I have a BS in Computer Engineering, 1987. I've used the Mac since 1984, and I've used PCs since before they had mice. This is not an emotional decision for me. This is not me trying to be cool. This is me using the best computer I have at my disposal.

I agree, just use what works for you. It Apple priced their computers competively I'd probably consider one, except that they don't have as great of a variety and customization as Asus computers do. And since Asus actually makes a lot of the hardware that ends up in Macs, I essentially have the same hardware anyway, just not the unibody.

Now, all that having been said, I have great respect for Microsoft and their OS. It says TONS about their brilliance that they can even get it to work with all the abstractions they have to make. Keep in mind that Microsoft has never built a computer. Never. It blows my mind that Windows runs on so many configurations. But it is, for that very reason, and in my educated and experienced opinion, an inferior OS. It is FORCED to be too many things for too many machines.

Well thats' what happens when you have to create an OS that can be used by individuals, companies, gamers, server techs, etc. It seems that Microsoft can't win no matter how they try to solve the issue (the latest being the multiple versions of Vista/7)

Whew! Heart rate slowing, fixin to chill and watch a great movie... "Garden State" anyone? I'm just a mushy, gushy INFP, but I do know computers.

Listen: I sincerely hope I have not offended any of my PC using friends. I DO NOT look down on you for the system you use. I have made my choice of computers, and for my own reasons... as have you. I do not judge. I just cut video.

Okay. Cheers, and let the flames begin. :)

Your friend, the Abstract Thinker.

No worries, you aren't being pretentious and dickish, you know your stuff and you're just explaining why macs work for you. And as a creative person I can understand liking macs over pcs. It wasn't until recently that I would argue that Adobe had a better video editor than apple did, I hated working on Premiere before CS3 but it's all I had and I wasn't going to shell out the money for a mac for Final cut. After CS3 I haven't felt the need (and it handles HD much better than FCP does, and CS5 will make that even better.)
 

Abstract Thinker

New member
Joined
Jun 3, 2010
Messages
323
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
4w5
Great post, Pixel. I swear, as I was writing that, I kept thinking: "I wonder what Pixelholic will think about this," and I knew you were online so I was awaiting your reply. :headphne:

You make valid arguments so I won't even bother quoting and rebuking, although I could. :devil:

Adobe Premiere has certainly matured, especially since CS3, as you said. I've got the CS4 Master Collection on my Mac and I use (and love) After Effects every chance I get. It can do some things that Motion can't dream of. It has set a standard all its own, and it will continue to be the standard for the foreseeable future. Gotta love Adobe for staying true cross-platform.

But I gotta say... I do love me some Final Cut Pro. :wubbie:

Overall... good stuff! Excellent perspectives from both sides, I think. And what more can we ask from a platform war? The important thing is that we have both made informed decisions about our platforms, and we're both happy with our choices.

And most importantly, I think we've presented some valid and educational points that others might consider when making a platform decision. :cheers:
 

coconut

New member
Joined
Jul 11, 2010
Messages
136
MBTI Type
INTJ
I'm an N - I've run Linux on my desktop for years. I ended up with a MacBook because I couldn't afford a laptop with Linux pre-installed on it just over a year ago.

I'm an N - I've had Linux on my desktop for a couple of years and I was finally able to afford a laptop with Linux pre-installed when System76 came out with a netbook.
 

Abstract Thinker

New member
Joined
Jun 3, 2010
Messages
323
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
4w5
After CS3 I haven't felt the need (and it handles HD much better than FCP does, and CS5 will make that even better.)

Uh oh... one thing (and this is more Apple/Adobe than Mac/PC):

In regards to the HD statement, I assume you're talking about AVCHD? Maybe, maybe not. But don't forget about the wonderful ProRes 422 and 4444 codecs of Apple's. At least 140Mbps and real-time multi-stream decompression, even on a laptop. I convert my HD footage (and SD on the same timeline!) to that realm and it's clear sailing.

Anyway...

I hear there's a major upgrade to Final Cut Studio coming soon, and I think the HD playing field will be evened out again. Or maybe Apple will leapfrog Adobe. You know that's how they play that particular game. :yes:
 

EJCC

The Devil of TypoC
Joined
Aug 29, 2008
Messages
19,129
MBTI Type
ESTJ
Enneagram
1w9
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
Proof that I'm an S: the fact that pretty much all my reasons behind having a Mac are practical ones. One of those reasons is that I can avoid my biggest computer pet peeve, which is when you click a bunch of times on a program that won't open, and then it opens in 25 different windows, and then the screen freezes, and control-alt-delete doesn't do anything, and you have to shut the computer down. I didn't know it was possible for computers to run so quickly and smoothly until I got my Macbook Pro.

The only time I get involved in the Mac vs. PC debate is when friends with PCs complain about their internet not working, or everything being slow to load. Besides that, you know, whatever floats your boat.
 

Abstract Thinker

New member
Joined
Jun 3, 2010
Messages
323
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
4w5
I'm actually surprised at the poll results...

So many Ns and so many Macs? (25 Mac, 48 PC as of right now.)

Hmm.. that doesn't reflect the market share at all.

And all those Ns? :shock:
 

raz

Let's make this showy!
Joined
Nov 11, 2008
Messages
2,523
MBTI Type
LoLz
I'm actually surprised at the poll results...

So many Ns and so many Macs? (25 Mac, 48 PC as of right now.)

Hmm.. that doesn't reflect the market share at all.

And all those Ns? :shock:

This forum doesn't reflect the general population. Never learned statistics? :)
 

OrangeAppled

Sugar Hiccup
Joined
Mar 20, 2009
Messages
7,626
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
4w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
I prefer mac & use a macbook pro laptop. I'm a graphic designer & it's pretty much industry standard & what I am used to. I like the simplicity, clean design aesthetic of the OS & the actual hardware, intuitive feel of use, and the apps it comes with (I'm more interested in creative stuff like video editing & DVD menu design than playing stupid games). I've had my macbook pro for 3+ years and it still runs great.

I admit that Windows 7 is much, much better than that awful Vista, but I also see some Mac OS ripoffs that served as major improvements, speaking from a user & aesthetic design perspective (I am not a technical person). It's a lot less cluttered looking & feels more "organized", which immediately makes it easier for me to use.
 

Blossom500

New member
Joined
Jul 11, 2010
Messages
142
MBTI Type
ENFP
:happy0065:
I tried to stay out of this platform war, but there has been so much misinformation and absurd generalizations about the Mac and Mac users, that I just can't stand it any more.

(As an INFP, I avoided the conflict until I actually felt offended. Maybe there is some truth to MBTI?)

Anyway... I can't speak for any other Mac users, but I don't use a Mac because it's cool, I use it for the following reasons, and this will be a very incomplete list:

1 - The Mac OS is not serialized. I'll say it another way: there is NO serial number associated withe Mac OS. No "25 character code" plastered all over the machine, inside AND out. Why? It's irrelevant, because the Mac OS only runs on Macs, so there's no need to serialize it. Effectively, the Mac OS is FREE, because you have to have a Mac to use it, and you can only get a Mac from Apple. So what difference does that make? Plenty: There is no "validation assistant" (or whatever they call it) for the Mac OS constantly running in the background. That means there is NO code bloating the OS to make sure we haven't stolen it. How many clock cycles do you think are wasted every day on a PC, constantly checking that you're running a "valid" OS? Plenty, I assure you.

2 - No Viruses. Not because "it's not worth it for hackers to make a virus for the Mac" either. It's because it runs on a UNIX kernel, which is the oldest, most mature, and most secure OS in the world. Period.

3 - The people who write the OS are right down the hall from the people who design the machine. So it just works. Unlike Microsoft, Apple engineers don't have to build in countless abstraction layers to make sure it will run on literally thousands of different machine configurations. The Mac OS knows what hardware it will run on, and it knows how to make it work. Which leads me to number four:

4 - I'm a professional video editor. I use Final Cut Studio for video, and Logic Studio for audio. These are both Apple products. So again, the software folks KNOW what hardware the software will be running on, so it works perfectly. And I mean that... perfectly. Never crashes, ever.

5 - Updates. Sheesh. Here we go. I get maybe one or two automatic software updates from Apple a month. Again, because they know the system. They don't have to account for every possible permutation of hardware configurations out there to keep the thing running.

6 - The hardware is simply superior. Yes, it's more expensive, but by any measure, it's a better investment. I'm typing this on a new MacBook Pro, but I'm looking at my seven year old PowerBook sitting over on my desk. Yes, SEVEN years old, and it still runs exactly like it did the day I bought it... perfectly. Macs rarely break. They DO break, everything does... entropy sees to that, but Macs break less.

7 - It's beautiful, and yes, that does matter. This is not a window air conditioner or a tire iron in my trunk that is simply a tool. This is something that I (and many of you) spend at least eight hours a day using. It's a part of me, like it or not. I like the fact that it is carved from a single block of aluminum, which makes it sleek and durable. I like the fact that the LED screen dims automatically when I bring it home from my brightly lit office to my dark and cozy INFP cave. I like the fact that the keys light up inverse-proportionally to the ambient light in the room. I can use this thing in pitch black -- the screen dims and the keys light up. I can also use it in broad daylight -- the screen gets incredibly bright and the keys don't light up... they don't need to. Saves the battery, which leads me to number eight:

8 - Battery life is incredible. Seven, eight hours. Why? Because there are TWO video cards in this box. A fast one when I'm plugged in, and a less power hungry one when I'm not. Do I see a speed difference? No. Which leads me to another silly statement I saw earlier..

9 - No, I don't really care about the specs. I KNOW that a modern Mac will be as fast as I need it to be. I do know the specs though, fwiw: 3.06 GHz Intel Core Duo, 8GB RAM, 500 GB hard drive. Is that the fastest in the world? Who knows? Not me. Don't care. I just get my work done.

10 - Sleep and wake up. OMG... this is a big one for me. When I tell my Mac to go to sleep so I can disconnect from my gorgeous 24" LED Apple monitor and take it home, it goes to sleep instantly. No waiting for whatever mayhem is going on in the background of PCs when I tell it to sleep. And when I get home and lift the non-latched but smooth and tightly closed lid to use it again, it wakes up in less than a second. Yes, less than a second. It's ready to go before I am.

11 - Ergonomics. Wow, this could be a whole post in and of itself. Let's see... there's NO protrusions from the case, open or closed. Nothing to get caught on my backback or my clothes. No silly doors all over the place. No door for the double layer DVD burner. I love the GLASS trackpad with no buttons that recognizes two, three, and four-fingered gestures. Smooth as, well, glass.

12 - An even dozen... I just like it better, and I've earned the right to choose. I've got a PC at work too. A modern, fast ThinkPad. It's okay and I could use it in a pinch, but honestly, I haven't opened the lid in a month. It basically holds my coffee cup. And to ward off at least a couple of the attacks I'm sure will come... I've been using both platforms since the day they were invented. I have a BS in Computer Engineering, 1987. I've used the Mac since 1984, and I've used PCs since before they had mice. This is not an emotional decision for me. This is not me trying to be cool. This is me using the best computer I have at my disposal.

Now, all that having been said, I have great respect for Microsoft and their OS. It says TONS about their brilliance that they can even get it to work with all the abstractions they have to make. Keep in mind that Microsoft has never built a computer. Never. It blows my mind that Windows runs on so many configurations. But it is, for that very reason, and in my educated and experienced opinion, an inferior OS. It is FORCED to be too many things for too many machines.

Whew! Heart rate slowing, fixin to chill and watch a great movie... "Garden State" anyone? I'm just a mushy, gushy INFP, but I do know computers.

Listen: I sincerely hope I have not offended any of my PC using friends. I DO NOT look down on you for the system you use. I have made my choice of computers, and for my own reasons... as have you. I do not judge. I just cut video.

Okay. Cheers, and let the flames begin. :)

Your friend, the Abstract Thinker.

I with him on this one. Thanks, you said it all so well. May I use it in future? (Credit ascribed of course.)
 

Pixelholic

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Uh oh... one thing (and this is more Apple/Adobe than Mac/PC):

In regards to the HD statement, I assume you're talking about AVCHD? Maybe, maybe not. But don't forget about the wonderful ProRes 422 and 4444 codecs of Apple's. At least 140Mbps and real-time multi-stream decompression, even on a laptop. I convert my HD footage (and SD on the same timeline!) to that realm and it's clear sailing.

Anyway...

I hear there's a major upgrade to Final Cut Studio coming soon, and I think the HD playing field will be evened out again. Or maybe Apple will leapfrog Adobe. You know that's how they play that particular game. :yes:

Yeah, I was referring to AVCHD. I like Pro Res but I don't like the amount of drive space it takes up. AVCHD doesn't have that problem (though you need a much more powerful processor.)

Adobe also has native support for Red's codec which I think Final Cut was still lacking at least in Final Cut 6
 

sui generis

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This forum doesn't reflect the general population. Never learned statistics? :)

Exactly. It's sampling error. I'd wager that the people who are active on this forum are smarter and more tech-savvy than the general population. (Probably also nerdier. :nerd:)

7 - It's beautiful, and yes, that does matter.

:shock: :steam: Way to assume that everyone shares your priorities (and your aesthetic sensibilities!). Appearance is not a selling point to me at all. It really doesn't matter to me what my computer looks like, as long as it gets the job done.
 

Abstract Thinker

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:happy0065: I with him on this one. Thanks, you said it all so well. May I use it in future? (Credit ascribed of course.)

Thanks! Of course you can use it, and no credit required... don't care about that. Just care about being understood. :hug:

And to that end...

:shock: :steam: Way to assume that everyone shares your priorities (and your aesthetic sensibilities!). Appearance is not a selling point to me at all. It really doesn't matter to me what my computer looks like, as long as it gets the job done.

Argh! That's not what I meant at all. No assumptions made. Read my post -- I was just talking about why I choose to use a Mac. I think I made that pretty clear. Granted, it was a long post though. :yes:

I guess I should have said "It's beautiful, and yes, that does matter to me" so I wouldn't offend the Sensors. Oh hush... I love you guys, but really... people call me sensitive? :shock:

Oh well, this is what I get for jumping into a platform war.

Like getting involved in a land war in Asia!

(Anyone know what movie that's from?)

Okay, back to battling code, when really I'm a video editor. But I'm also the de facto Drupal guy cuz I know more about it than anyone else here. Shouldn't have told them that! :doh:
 

Kra

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3 - The people who write the OS are right down the hall from the people who design the machine. So it just works. Unlike Microsoft, Apple engineers don't have to build in countless abstraction layers to make sure it will run on literally thousands of different machine configurations. The Mac OS knows what hardware it will run on, and it knows how to make it work.

It's funny how much opinions can vary, because the huge number of configurations are exactly why I love Windows and Linux configurations, yet never even consider Mac an option for personal use.

Different strokes I guess.
 

Abstract Thinker

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Yeah, I was referring to AVCHD. I like Pro Res but I don't like the amount of drive space it takes up. AVCHD doesn't have that problem (though you need a much more powerful processor.)

Yeah... that's always the trade off isn't it? Fast codecs make big files, and codecs that make small files need crazy horsepower. Ever tried editing H.264 directly on the timeline? Yikes. (Although that's an intra-frame thing too, but I digress.)

And the FCP 6.01 update does edit AVCHD, albeit slowly. The great thing about FCP is all the real-time multi-stream smoothness, even with filters applied, but you have to use 422, 4444, DV, or HDV. The cool thing is though that the conversion to 422 is very fast in Apple Compressor, so it's not that big a deal if you have the drive space. And wow, once you're in 422-land, it's a joy!

Don't have a lot of experience with AVCHD though... I'm using a Canon XH-A1, so I'm still in the HDV world. Plus I've always been pretty old school about wanting to have tapes around as backup.

Changing that tune though... Looking forward to Canon's new full HD MPEG-2 tapeless camera. Gonna get that one -- love that Canon glass, :yes: although they seem to lag behind in other areas! Anyway, that new camera seems like the best of both worlds, and they are (finally) getting MPEG-2 to like like it's capable of looking. It can look GREAT, just not on DVDs. :doh:
 
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