Macs n stuff

[senntenial]

Yeah, I've been doin stuff for a while on my dell xps laptop, but it's just kinda dying almost. It plays music alright, but it overheats in an hour (even on my cooling pad) and I end up having to step away for another hour waitin for it to cool down. So I was finally looking at buying a Mac. The little mini one was neat, but what caught my eye was the 27" iMac. The lower version has an i5 and 512 MBs video, which actually isn't all that bad. What I don't know really is how macs handle sound or if there is a computer better suited for what I'm doing.
But that screen, man. That screen.

[bartekko]

You need to answer yourself if you need a mac and what it allows you to, for the price. Macs generally tend to work better because their insides are designed to work together, unlike a pc, but are damn expensive, and you might get a way better pc (which you will be able to upgrade in the future without buying a new one, i'm pretty certain macs don't allow for that) and not all software works with them.

On the other hand, macs don't crash nearly as much as pc's, so are better suited for live performance, add +10 to coolness factor and look better (!subjective!).

[senntenial]

I've gotta agree with the coolness. Thing is, I'd actually be downgrading in terms of specs; right now I've got an i7 processor- but being a dell laptop it works as well as trying to draw with a fish. What I was thinking is perhaps use he laptop for performing and have a desktop for all the gritty bits. I've also heard that macs are better for audio as they use some... Thingy. I don't remember exactly. I've never really delved into macs lol.
Oh, also I hear fls isn't too nice with macs, and that I'll need something called bootcamp to run it?

[the4thImpulse]

These topics have been discussed every day on many internet forums "what should I get mac or pc" and the best answer I have found is "Neither is greater than the other, it all depends on the software you want to run on it".

I have used an 3 year old pc (not even i3) with a filled hard drive for live preformances and producing and it has NEVER crashed once live or in the studio.

[colortwelve]

I think this thread could teach me something; I've been planning on saving up for a Macbook Pro (which I would promptly use Boot Camp to install Windows 7 on, because Apple OSes are the devil) because the hardware is, if nothing else, reliable, and that's something I'd love to have in a music laptop. I'm just not sure to what extent it'd truly be worth it as opposed to buying a nice PC, because the good PCs are always cheaper than the good Macs, and I need a new one anyway, but hardware reliability is a big issue for me (since my current music laptop is only in commission so long as I can connect it to an external display to circumvent the broken screen).

[Versilaryan]

If you're having overheating problems, something's probably wrong with your heat sink. The most cost-effective solution would be just to repair that.

[Kopachris]

Main advantages of a Mac:
Some of only a few computers with higher resolution than 1920x1080 standard
More reliable on average
More fool-proof on average
Less OEM crapware when you first get it

Main disadvantages of a Mac:
Price/performance
Even though there's less crapware/bloatware, the OS may still be slower on average
Software compatibility
Some people just plain don't like them and will think you're either a hipster or too mainstream (depending on the person)

They are built well, though, and anyone who says you can't hack (i.e. customize) one is wrong. I've had an excellent experience with my PowerBook G4. Hacked all over that thing. Even got it to boot from USB and installed Arch Linux on it for a while. Still runs great, though I gave it to someone else, now.

[Versilaryan]

^ Biggest advantage of a Mac is that you can literally triple-boot OSX, Windows, or Linux if you really wanted to. That's how I've got my Macbook set up. =3

[Kopachris]

^ Biggest advantage of a Mac is that you can literally triple-boot OSX, Windows, or Linux if you really wanted to. That's how I've got my Macbook set up. =3

Rather, that you can triple-boot OSX, Windows, and Linux without resorting to hacking.

[senntenial]

If you're having overheating problems, something's probably wrong with your heat sink. The most cost-effective solution would be just to repair that.

It's been like that ever since I've gotten it, and others with my model have complained of the same issue. I just kinda push mine over the edge sometimes. And the resolution was an awesome feature of the Mac, it was like 2 monitors in 1. I'm just sort of sick of the unrelaiability of windows... And macs are just oh so pretty.

[vladnuke]

I wouldn't buy a mac simply because I can't take it apart both software and hardware wise. Hell, even now I only use desktop systems that I made myself. Laptops, of course, are an exception, but not having the ability to pimp out a mac with sli'ed gtx 560i's makes me a sad pony. Also, can you watercool your mac? Can you play Crysis on your mac? Can you x on your mac? See what I mean?

[Kopachris]

Also, can you watercool your mac? Can you play Crysis on your mac? Can you x on your mac?

Yes, yes, and yes, but not easily. I agree that, especially since going with unibody laptops, Macs are way harder to customize than they should be, but it's still not impossible.

[Triple_B]

Macs are better depending on the person.

I, personally, use my computer for nothing except the following;

Skype.
Music.
Internet.

That's it. I do schoolwork on the school computers in the library, since I don't have Office (including word/excel etc) anyway, and LibreOffice is just.... meh.

Music makes up the better part of what I do on the computer, and Macs are worldwide industry standard equipment for Audio Production; which I intend to attend college for. I do not want to walk into a classroom (online or offline) completely used to a pirated copy of FL Studio 10 and my 8 year old, (will be 10-12 by then) $600 PC.

So I am working this entire summer to make $5,885 (That's the total of my rather small shopping list) I might take NI:DAMAGE off of it though and save myself $400. Not to mention I'm spending money from my college fund on the MacBook itself, so that's $1,500 of breathing room.

Anyway, point is; I intend on making music and audio my career in life, and you can't build a house using a pocket knife as a screwdriver, right? Well; you can, it's just a lot harder. That's my point.

If you're truly making this into a career, and considering you're 15; I wouldn't make that decision yet anyway, then I would go with the Mac.

Also, something you have to remember about the Mac's; they can run software that is basically Windows (XP/Vista/7/pretty much whatever) in a separate window from iOS. With software that I'm pretty sure is free? I'm not sure. Anyway; they are fucking indestructible. Short of hitting it with a hammer straight to the glass and spilling something liquid on it, they never break. You could accidently drop it 3 feet; no biggie. (Unless you have a MacBook Air. They're about as fragile as an iPod Touch; which is to say it might as well be made of paper) There's a video of Skrillex himself fucking smashing his MacBook Pro onto the floor of the stage after he fried it by spilling his drink on it, and the only thing he manages to do is snap the hinges, and I think put a crack in the screen.

That's it.

Mac's also hardly ever break down, and still run fine 10 years after they're bought, even if they're never updated. (The reason that Mac PowerBooks or whatever they are that are from the 1990's and early 2000's still run and are still sold on Amazon/ebay/etc. They may have tiny harddrives, but they still work just fine. Wouldn't recommend one though)

Almost no viruses because no one programs them for Mac because they're lazy, basically.

Oh yeah; and they look fucking cool.

And if you're after a big screen.... Psh. I run this computer using two televisions as monitors. One is 19 inches, the other is 32. Together they're worth about $350-400. And $300 of that is the 32 inch, which has a built in DVD player, too.

So if you're after a screen; grab a TV, an HDMI cable, and a $600 laptop from Best Buy and have fun, kid.

Or, y'know, write an entire album on a computer older than dirt that can barely run FL Studio. (*Cough* Like me. *Cough*)

Um, yeah.

TL:DR; Macs for professional use in Audio > PC's for professional use in Audio
Mac's for general fun-shit, that may include Audio < PC's for general fun shit, that may include Audio

TL:DR#2; If you're not serious, don't get the Mac; potential waste of lots of money, frankly.

[vladnuke]

This has just inspired me to make the world's greatest linux daw. It'll have vst functionality and will be sold as the system itself, it will be hardwired to do nothing but make music. And it'll be $400. Swag. And also 10 usb ports. Just because.

And although my Windows box isn't designed by Steve Jobs, that thing is my BABY, that thing isn't a dell, or a sony, or an *gags* Alienware, it's a Vladnuke. And it cost me much less ($1200) and is outfitted with what a month ago was considered the greatest shit money could buy. A similar system not built by me could have gone for $3000. It's not just customized, it's built from the case up to be what I want it to be. Can it run any daw ever? Sure. Can it run any vidja gaem ever? Sure. Can it run anything ever? Yes, because it is awesome. Does it crash? No, and I've left it on for extended periods of time (a week) and watercooling sure is rad about not letting it crash. And good case design. And it generaly being a behemoth, which gives heat lots of space to move. Basically, I guess I'm exempt because I don't buy computers, I buy computer parts.

But even with all that, I'm still eyeballing the new Macbook. Because that screen is sexy. I want to some how find out where they keep spare screens and convince a worker to sell me one so I can use it as a monitor to make the first Windomac. Or idk, actually buy one just to use it. If only for Ableton. But I already have a Vaio laptop, with a blu-ray player built in it, and a core i7, and 4 piddly gigs of ram (desktop has 16), so no vidja gaems, but daws are fine. Yeah.

But I could just watch blu-ray on my desktops anyway, so lol.

[senntenial]

Truthfully I can't say I'm serious about music for a career, but it would seem macs are better for the other things I would do, e.g. Adobe software and blender and maya and blah blah. I just really love the reliability.

[Kopachris]

This has just inspired me to make the world's greatest linux daw. It'll have vst functionality and will be sold as the system itself, it will be hardwired to do nothing but make music. And it'll be $400. Swag. And also 10 usb ports. Just because.

LMMS?

[vladnuke]

This has just inspired me to make the world's greatest linux daw. It'll have vst functionality and will be sold as the system itself, it will be hardwired to do nothing but make music. And it'll be $400. Swag. And also 10 usb ports. Just because.

LMMS?

Basically LMMS but better, and built for a piece of hardware.