What Should I Buy?

[trunknuk]

I want to buy a computer ... which is better mac or PC?

[sniffdog]

Software is much easier to acquire for the PC than for the Mac. PC's are in general cheaper than a MAC.

To be owner of a Mac it helps if you are a geek and your mind is full of reasons not to choose a PC and slash out much more for a MAC.

I personally have been using MACs and PC's .... I prefer PC's.

Edited March 14, 2009 by sniffdog

[fiddlehead]

For me it depends what you are used to.

I have been using PC's for 12 years now.

Since i do a lot of video editing, and graphics with pictures and recording audio and things like this, it was recommended highly that i switch to MAC as they are more designed for these things and my PC would crash a lot.

So, i bought an Ibook last year. I had it 3 days and sent it back. I just couldn't make the switch. Too many things were different.

I had nobody around to walk me thru simple problems that a right click takes care of on a PC (no right click on a MAC)

I ended up buying a new PC with VISTA (which i hate but have become used to) I had to put some work into my old laptop that has XP on it simply because many of my expensive programs would not work on VISTA. (they designed VISTA to separate you from your money)

When the new Windows 7 gets proven as a good system (if it does) I will upgrade (again)

It's always a dilemma. Good luck with your decision

[webfact]

For me it depends what you are used to.

I have been using PC's for 12 years now.

Since i do a lot of video editing, and graphics with pictures and recording audio and things like this, it was recommended highly that i switch to MAC as they are more designed for these things and my PC would crash a lot.

So, i bought an Ibook last year. I had it 3 days and sent it back. I just couldn't make the switch. Too many things were different.

I had nobody around to walk me thru simple problems that a right click takes care of on a PC (no right click on a MAC)

I ended up buying a new PC with VISTA (which i hate but have become used to) I had to put some work into my old laptop that has XP on it simply because many of my expensive programs would not work on VISTA. (they designed VISTA to separate you from your money)

When the new Windows 7 gets proven as a good system (if it does) I will upgrade (again)

It's always a dilemma. Good luck with your decision

Since i do a lot of video editing, and graphics with pictures and recording audio and things like this, it was recommended highly that i switch to MAC as they are more designed for these things and my PC would crash a lot.

Well, I am working in prepress and graphic/design since computers are used for this kind of business. In the very beginning only MAC we used. Indeed it was the first computer who could do such a job. But for many years the PC is used as well, as Hardware became better and better. I can assure you that MAC's have crashed on a daily base... and I can't remember a day without a crash on one of the 20 MAC's we used, but must admit to reinstall the Mac OS is as simple as switching on a light. I do not want to pour oil in the ever burning fire "who is better MAC or PC". A lot of companies simply can not afford or do not want buy a MAC as PC can do the job on a same value these days. Personally I like MAC. BTW, Mac has the "right click" even with that one button mouse. It's Ctrl-Click for right click. Alternatively, you can just plug in a USB mouse and right-click normally.

[OriginalPoster]

I can assure you that MAC's have crashed on a daily base... and I can't remember a day without a crash on one of the 20 MAC's we used, but must admit to reinstall the Mac OS is as simple as switching on a light.

I don't think that I've ever heard a Mac user admit before that they've ever had either a hardware nor a software crash.

[Gary A]

Since I live out in the boonies, I base my opinion on getting my computer upgraded or repaired. That means that my only option is a desktop PC. I had to take my IBM Lenovo laptop 150 kilometers to Udon Thani to have it repaired. Apple repairs would be even worse. There may be Apple shops in some upcountry cities but they send problem machines to Bangkok to be repaired.

Small local shops do very well with desktop PC repairs and/or upgrades. My old desktop had seen better days so I decided to just replace it. None of the local shops would take it as a trade in so I had a new power supply, main board, CPU and RAM upgraded for a grand total of 6,800 baht including labor. I basically have a new computer in an old box.

[webfact]

I can assure you that MAC's have crashed on a daily base... and I can't remember a day without a crash on one of the 20 MAC's we used, but must admit to reinstall the Mac OS is as simple as switching on a light.

I don't think that I've ever heard a Mac user admit before that they've ever had either a hardware nor a software crash.

Of course the guys in Cupertino don't like "field reports" like mine and I know I am not the only one who experienced the unthinkable has actually happened...

[Crash999]

I don't think that I've ever heard a Mac user admit before that they've ever had either a hardware nor a software crash.

I use my Mac every day for work and it crashes about once a week- most common problem is not properly waking up from 'sleep'. Often the screen won't turn back on but sometimes it will turn on and look something like this:

Overall I've got to say that it crashes less than my Windows XP PC at home.

As for which one to buy? I spend much of my time in Parallels as there are many small apps that just aren't available for Mac. But on the other hand some Mac apps like Keynotes are far better than what you can find on a PC. So in a pinch I'd say buy a Mac and install Parallels for when you need to use PC stuff.

[spacefruit]

I am a PC user of 20 years.

I can dismantle any PC and fix (almost) any hardware or software problem, asI have had loads of practice at doing so.

I have two macs in the family. I cant fix them. Because they have never gone wrong I have never had to open them up.

I have found it awkward to do simple things that i can easily navigate to on a PC, but that is because of my preconceptions. Apples are actually more intuitive if you have less PC experience.

Apples are more expensive, and they try and sell you "plans" and things that suck you into their "family". I don't do those things and the Macs have been very successful. I prefere the experience of using them, especialy the new unibodies.

Needless to say, it is the women and artists in the family who love the macs.

I recently borrowed a mac book on a 3 week trip. I didn't have to fiddle with any settings or software at all. I found myself more productive.

So I bought a Mac book. I defected.

[a2thedeep]

Get a Hackintosh PC,

That way you can have both OSX and windows. for cheap.

[RAZZELL]

No-one has asked...what do you want to use your computer for?

For photo editiing, graphics, film editing etc... A mac.

Just internet or number crunching, accountancy or business applications PC.

RAZZ

[OriginalPoster]

For photo editiing, graphics, film editing etc... A mac.

I've often heard that but never really understood why that would be so. Is it because of the OS or because of some applications that are available for Mac but not PC? For instance, if I primarily use a computer for digital photo editing and was accustomed to Photoshop & Aperature on the PC, would the Mac be better even I continued to use those applications, or does the magic not come in until I buy some Mac-specific apps that are superior to Adobe's offerings?

Edited March 16, 2009 by OriginalPoster

[livinthailandos]

a mac or pc??

a. whats the main purpose for using the computer

b. how much money are you willing to spend ( you can get more hardware for a pc than you can for a mac )

c. are you familiar with running a mac, its different from pc thats for sure.

my experience still running a 4 year old mac os x labtop, never have had any problems, never have had to reinstall the OS, has had really good support finding my printers, and other devices without using a install cd or downloading a driver. things i dislike about mac finding applications, it has gotten easier but still not as easy as windows hunting, also dislike how mac does updates, should get better with the way linux or windows does updates. instead of making me wait to freaking download an entire 50mb or more.

mininium 1GB ram

don't get Solid State Hard Drives yet. just stay with the regular ones for now

if this is a labtop go hunting for good battery life

happy hunting to you

[TexasRanger]

It all depends on your needs. If it wasn't for some very specialised software I need to run on a pc I would never touch one again. I find Mac to be far superior and much more reliable.

[stevehaigh]

I want to buy a computer ... which is better mac or PC?

isn't this a question like, "which is better, god or Allah"

[TexasRanger]

I want to buy a computer ... which is better mac or PC?

isn't this a question like, "which is better, god or Allah"

God of course, he eats bacon sandwiches.

[webfact]

This thread is doomed to run forever. I remember it started 25 years ago... Am I wrong?

[hughden]

My wife bought a Vaio with Vista, in the early days of Vista. Hated it so much we took the plunge and sold the Vaio and bought a Macbook. I then discovered that her humble Macbook would process photos in Lightroom 5 times faster than on my equivalent powered PC.

So then we had two Macbooks!

Now we have a Mac Pro and an iMac and would never go back to a PC, although I do have a drive in the Mac Pro with XP installed under Boot Camp for gaming; can't beat the Windows environment for gaming.

In two years we have had one problem, the disk drive failed on the iMac. Replaced it myself and had the system restored from Time Machine in a couple of hours.

For photo and video processing, a Mac is a great tool.

[dudeyone]

Macs are better for the non savvy average user, especially when you don't need any specific software or power tools. Everything just works.

[Fatboysrule]

I am a PC user of 20 years.

I can dismantle any PC and fix (almost) any hardware or software problem, asI have had loads of practice at doing so.

I have two macs in the family. I cant fix them. Because they have never gone wrong I have never had to open them up.

I have found it awkward to do simple things that i can easily navigate to on a PC, but that is because of my preconceptions. Apples are actually more intuitive if you have less PC experience.

Apples are more expensive, and they try and sell you "plans" and things that suck you into their "family". I don't do those things and the Macs have been very successful. I prefere the experience of using them, especialy the new unibodies.

Needless to say, it is the women and artists in the family who love the macs.

I recently borrowed a mac book on a 3 week trip. I didn't have to fiddle with any settings or software at all. I found myself more productive.

So I bought a Mac book. I defected.

I think that this is about the best and most balanced comment i have heard regarding which to buy.

I used to work for Sun Microsystems as People Development Manager for the SEE region. So I had no real formal computer expertise other that 20 years of muddling along on numerous PC's over the years. I had got used to several small apps that i would move from PC to PC.

However my main bone of contentions was the continual anti viris updates and the fact that each time I upgraded, my computer ran slower and slower.

I watch many of the engineers at Sun changing over to Macs and thought "they most know something I don't know". In the end I bought one of the first Macbook's with the Intel processor.

I was amazed at how easy it was for me to transition from PC to Mac and I was 54 yo at the time.

Mac seems much more intuitive.

But then the crashing started every day and I was really depressed that I had been sucked in by all the hype about how much more reliable Mac was.

I persevered but was not happy. Then Apple sent out a firmware update and it solved the problem immediately.

I did not really think that i had become a Mac fan until I went on holidays and took my Sun supplied PC laptop. I could not believe how backward it seemed and nothing seemed easy to do anymore.

After a year our home PC died and had to be replaced. I could not bring myself to buy another PC.

My wife who had never seemed to be able to learn how to use a PC picked up my old Macbook and was soon spending hours per day on it. She now is quite competent on the Mac.

I must say that the best thing about the Mac for me is Keynote. I spend a lot of my days presenting and keynote has features that I have wanted for years. The main feature being that I can see the next slide in presentation mode, along with presenter notes countdown timers or elapsed time.

I installed Parallels so that I could use some of my old PC programmes, but these days just use it for one Psychometric Profiling package which only runs on PC.

As for as software goes, these days there are numerous sites with almost any programme that you could want to download for your Mac. Programme intallation on Mac is much more simple. Download drag and drop the programme image into you applications folder and it starts when you click on it.

I trust that this info is of some assistance.