New computer required, PC or Mac?

I did read a couple of years ago that Microsoft Works was better on a Mac than PC and that came from the Microsoft programmers. Don't know if it still is.

it is if you buy a mac

Yup it's free, and it integrates really nicely with imovie, itunes etc. Also if you get really into recording you can upgrade to Logic (the professional version of Garageband basically) and open the Garageband projects.

The mac laptops also have a surprisingly good internal mic you can use with it.

My soundcard and midi keyboard for which I spent literally at least a day installing drivers and messing about to get them to work on my PC – worked straight away as soon as I plugged them in to my Macbook.

Doing the work I do (community music education etc) would obviously be possible on PCs, but it's so much more efficent and pleasant using Macs.

I'm not going to claim everything is perfect, but it's just generally much more pleasant to use.

Mac vs PC – the other side:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_kJPxhOd8U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Krgk4Mlps
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3ZTCZW_cRw

Oh and also…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JixbzFjv_cU

😉

Still a large amount of 'missing the point by a country mile' going on; when you cook, do you sing the praises of your oven or do you just eat? When you shower do you sing the praises of your shower, or just get clean?
When you ride your bike, do you spend ages praising the quality and sophistication of your bike or… Oh yes, it's STW, my mistake…

PCs and Macs are just tools…

So as long as you get the job done in the end then it doesn't really matter if the tool was a joy to use and perfectly executed your every wish, or was a impossible to use and cut your hand to ribbons?

And you'd be just as happy showering under a cold dripping hosepipe as a hot power shower with pulsing massage setting?

Talk sense man. 🙂

I am talking significantly more sense than most in the PC/Mac debate; it's about the end product, it's all about the showering rather than the shower, about the meal rather than the oven, and although I'm in a minority, I think it's about the ride not the bike…

…and for **** sake, for browsing the inanities of STW, it really, really doesn't matter!

for browsing the inanities of STW, it really, really doesn't matter!

You're right there. And for that crap like this I'm quite happy to switch between my XP netbook and my iPhone, depending on whichever is closest to hand 🙂

And there's one thing they are both good at:

+1 😀

i use macs and pcs equally in work, the software we use for molecular biology is often compatible with one or the other
they both have pros and cons for day to day usage and their own quirks but generally the macs only real benefit is slightly more intuitive interface
i have both mac and pc laptops at home but use the mac for music stuff garageband and nin is awesome! mac for work stuff office etc because of forementioned slickness and pc for browsing/ games

or

though I should point out that the suggestion that a mac is somehow sexy or will ensure that sexy women will be attracted to you if you own one says a lot about some mac people…

Bought my daughter a Apple Note book has she wants to do Advertising
which mainly you find the Apple being used.

One thing she dont like say is the MSN on the machine
apparantly she says works better on a PC.

One thing is you dont need an antivirus software as all built in
but do sell it to some who think they need it.

Alot has and noticable gone into design through out the Apple range
of products and the simpicity in human usage to there products.

A great thing Apple do in there shops is workshops where you
can say buy software and they show you how to use this.
Costs me around £ 70 quid per year, but to see my daughter fly around
her Mac with great results.
Well worth the cash.

We have 4 macs in our house (powerbook 17", intel macbook, 20" iMac, 24" iMac). 3 of them have broken & have had to be repaired.

I thought Apple did have the edge, but now, with Windows 7, that's no longer true. Windows 7 is great & will give your old PC a new lease of life.

For 'general' computer use (internet, Word processing, spreadsheets) the PC/Mac discussion is on an equal par.
For 'ease' of use with processing photos, videos, managing and editing….the Mac pisses all over a PC.

No extra software to install…..everything ready to plug and play….SOOOO much easier than a PC, no matter what the deluded PC lovers and huggers on this thread will have you believe!

For 'ease' of use with processing photos, videos, managing and editing….the Mac pisses all over a PC.
No extra software to install…..

really? So do Macs come with Photoshop, Lightroom and CaptureNX already installed then? 🙄

Photoshop, Lightroom and CaptureNX already installed then?

Do PCS?

Presumably not but Gster seems to suggest that Macs do

No of course not, but "the deluded PC lovers and huggers on this thread" aren't claiming that PCs are perfect out the box and don't need anything extra installed.

Hmmm been a Mac user and Mac developer since 1986 so I've seen some changes. Pc's are great in a coporate enviroment IF you have the right level of skills to suppport them.

Macs are easier to look after, harder to add to cporate networks and come with more useable software.

You pays your money and takes your choice.

BTW Typing this on a MacBookPro which is running Windows XP under Parellels which gives me the best of both worlds.

really? So do Macs come with Photoshop, Lightroom and CaptureNX already installed then?

No but hes talking about iphoto, imovie, iweb etc etc….which are all pretty good programs for your normal user. Cant say I remember mr PC coming with anything equivalent. Microsoft Movie Maker in no way compares to imovie btw…

i have a genuine question for the mac monks on here, as my wheezy old desktop is looking increasingly more likely to end up in a skip within the next 6 months, and i'm considering converting to a mac…

it's at least 3 times the price, but i'm prepared to listen to the pros/cons.

(a mac mini with some soft-ware, and a keyboard+mouse is over £1000)

how/where do you learn to use them?

i've been using pc's for years, and i'm just starting to get the hang of them – if i can't find the icon or drop-down i want, a right-click will usually give me the answer.

'mac-friends' of mine will tell me endlessly about how intuitive they are, but with no right-mouse-click and funny apple-logo buttons to press they can reduce me to tears of despair and frustration within minutes.

for the record – they're NOT INTUITIVE, no, shutup, they're NOT. so, how/where would i learn all the new apple-stuff?

really? So do Macs come with Photoshop, Lightroom and CaptureNX already installed then?

For most people they are not necessary though. iMovie, iPhoto, iDVD, Garageband etc are all really nice pieces of software that integrate well together and are easy to use – plus surprisingly powerful.

but with no right-mouse-click

There is a right mouse click ;). I learned just by using them and messing about – lots of built in tutorials or stuff online for pretty much all of it though.

For most people they are not necessary though.

Perhaps, but those are the applications that I and many others use for processing photos which, according to GSter, is where the "Mac pisses all over a PC" because there is "No extra software to install".

What he actually means though is there is no extra software to install provided that you are happy with the limitations of iPhoto. Just like there is no extra software to install if you are happy with the limitations of Windows Photo Gallery.

And I don't really think you can argue that most people don't need photoshop, but that Garageband is useful! I'm sure even in uber-creative Macland, more people take photos than compose their own songs.

Oh not this again?

Macs are fine, it's the brain-washed users I can't stand 😉

My favouritre "intuitive" bit of UI is to drag the disc icon onto the trashcan to eject the disc… obvious really.

That said, I'm thinking about getting a Macbook just to learn xcode (which I understand is free, unlike Visual Studio on Windows).

Does it hurt when you are assimilated by the Apple hive mind?

Mac vs PC – the other side:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_kJPxhOd8U

Disappointed – a heavy-handed spoof, and not even factually accurate.
Couldn't be bothered with the rest.

Does it hurt when you are assimilated by the Apple hive mind?

Imagine being smothered by a velvet cushion 😉

it sounds like the mac naysayers on here have used a mac for about 15 minutes…ah well….

There is a right click on macs..
To eject a disc you can press the eject key on the keyboard, right click on the disc and select eject, or drag it to the trash can which handily turns into an eject symbol incase you're completely retarded.
iphoto is far more powerful and offers a much wider range of function than the poor,poor software that is called windows photo gallery.

The mac mini is overpriced imo, but if your gonna spend a grand, why not get the new imac with the superb monitor?

'mac-friends' of mine will tell me endlessly about how intuitive they are, but with no right-mouse-click and funny apple-logo buttons to press they can reduce me to tears of despair and frustration within minutes.

Exactly. I had the misfortune to have to use a Mac for a college course and I almost threw it across the room.

Macs seem to be for people who just want to be different for no good reason.

Has anyone seen the Simpsons episode where Bart and Lisa go to the "Mapple" store and Bart impersonates "Steve Mobs" telling the visiting apple acolytes he's been ripping them off for years and investing all his money in Microsoft stock- priceless.

But then say you had macs rather than windows from the beginning of your computing using life….surely you'd think the same but vice versa…

and not even factually accurate.

so completely different from the real Mac Vs PC ads then? 😉

free, unlike Visual Studio on Windows

Visual Studio Express is free.

iphoto is far more powerful and offers a much wider range of function than the poor,poor software that is called windows photo gallery.

"far more powerful"? "poor,poor software"? Really? what can iphoto do that is so amazing? (I would look at the tour, but I don't really want to be forced to install QuickTime).

Ah well, I guess us poor PC users can always just install Picasa. 🙂

so completely different from the real Mac Vs PC ads then?

They were, at least, original, and you have to admit they are more amusing than the "Seinfeld and Gates buying shoes" debacle!!

I am a PC and I created Windows 7 😆

Jesus, even I thought the Mac vs PC ads were a bit sickly until I saw the Windows 7 ads – they're truly laughable.

"I thought to myself, I want control"

FFS…

They are nothing compared to this complete embarrassment

more amusing than the "Seinfeld and Gates buying shoes" debacle!!

Amen to that!

I would never even attempt to defend WIndows as "cool"!

I would never even attempt to defend WIndows as "cool"!

Amen to that too.

Hitler finds out about the WIndows 7 launch party video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StRqmPHOKEc 😉

Well I have a macbook and it runs Windows 7 only 🙂 Oh and for what it's worth the hardware is bottom dollar, but you pay that Apple tax for it!

What software do you need for making a Hitler video? Looks like fun 🙂