I don't want to start the Mac/PC debate...I promise

[PhotoSamJ]

But is there a advantage (valid) to switch to the mac platform and incur all the costs associated with it? Photoshop, etc....

Sam

[prncfarquad]

I love my mac but if I had all Windows platform software I would have a hard time switching. To me it would kinda be like switching from canon to nikon when I own all L glass.

[S-Man]

At the end of the discussion it will boil down to what you value and prefer more.
Personally I moved to Mac and I don't get all the crashes that I had with PC, I don't have to worry about updating the anti-virus every 6 months or something, don't have to have an AV software running in the BG hogging system resources, and just enjoy it more. It seems more stable to me. But I haven't used a PC extensively in like 2 years so maybe they're more stable now in Windows 7. I don't know.
Macs aren't great for games but for work, it works like a well oiled machine for me.
Photoshop and LR etc. work the same on both platforms.

[TXhummer2]

Mac vs. PC 2011: Elegance vs. Efficiency

Read one zealot's user of both comparison.

[Sonny]

Keep this thread civil or the Ban Hammer will come out.

Thank you and have a great day.

[PhotoSamJ]

Originally Posted by sonny

keep this thread civil or the ban hammer will come out.

Thank you and have a great day.

lol! ;)

[Arcusmedia]

I have used mac for 6 years... It runs my programs a lot faster and more efficient then windows and i don't have to worry about a ton of virus's or virus protection.

I say go to the apple store and try it out and see if you like it or not.

[texkam]

No, all operating systems suck.
I believe Adobe will let you switch your copy from PC to Mac.

http://www.texasphotoforum.com/forum...card-joke.html

[klynam]

I'm a career visual designer that started on the Mac (of course) in school and then in the workplace. I entered the PC world about 17 years ago after taking a corporate job. Within a few years I had completely switched to PC.

Once font handling on the PC was straightened out, I really saw no reason for the increased costs associated with the Mac...and I haven't looked back. I'm now on Win7 Ultimate and quite pleased.

Yes, malware is a constant concern with the PC, but I've adjusted. For me, the PC is like having a car in the 50's: easy to work on...easy to hot-rod...and with basic "mechanical" knowledge, you can keep it humming along just fine.

Last year, my wife inherited a 30" Mac and I HATE working with it. Apple has locked down and/or hidden TOO much with a "this is the way you will work" paradigm. (Yes, online forums are life savers and I have - eventually - worked through every issue that's come up on her Mac...knock on wood.)

Generally speaking, if you're a "set it and forget it" kind of person, Mac is the way to go. If you're a "hot rodder" at heart, I vote for the PC.

Of course this is JMHO. Other's mileage (and opinions) will certainly vary.

Originally Posted by texkam

No, all operating systems suck.

101% total agreement - they just suck for different reasons. Pick your poison...

[rbalcom]

It really depends on what you value Sam. I have been a Windows user since it first came out as an upgrade to my MSDOS systems. About four or so years ago I bought a MacBook Air, just to play with, cause it was so thin and light. Today, I'd say I'm about 80% converted to Mac, but still have a couple of Windows machine on my network. From my perspective, the Mac is just more reliable for running programs like Photoshop and Lightroom with a bunch of plug-ins. My Windows systems running those would all of a sudden just stop working (they would crash) because of some Windows update having an unexpected impact that I would have to deal with. I have simply not had those problems using the Mac machines.

But the Mac's do have some negatives. As you mentioned, that stability comes at a fairly high cost. Also, some software that I use is just not available for the Mac platform. That is why I still have Window's machines. The Mac will run the Window's programs using either virtual machines or boot camp, but I think they run better on their native platform.

The reduced frustration made the cost worth it to me, but you have to weigh the Pro and Con for yourself and decide what is best for your value system.

[rhoffart]

This one is easy for me ... I moved from PC and Nikon to MacBook Pro's and Canon in 2008 and I would never go back.

A few things I experienced ... a ton less wait time ... and no crashes. I can recall spending hours upon hours working on the PC and not actually in a program being productive. With my two (wife and I) MacBook Pros ... it's all productive time which equals about 50% less time on the computer.

[Bob_S]

Windows crash? :) Seriously though i haven't had a problem on PC in I can't remember how long ago. It is on 24x7x365. I reboot it every once in a while or when an update requires it.

As far as anti-virus goes, you should have it no matter what. Since most hackers want to get the biggest bang for the buck, they write towards Windows. That doesn't mean that by using an Apple product you are immune.

Good practices will go a long way to keeping your personal computer safe though and that is true with any platform since they can all be exploited.

Macs however are safer because they don't have a large market share. If market share were to go up, that would change since a hacker would have more targets. This is why I use lower market share, web-facing products like Firefox, Chrome, Thunderbird etc.

Macs cost quite a bit more for the same hardware.

There is far more software written for Windows than Mac.

The usability of either comes down to a personal choice. Do you like the look and feel of an Apple product enough to justify the additional expense? Do you worry about your machine being exploited by hackers enough to justify the additional expense? These are personal questions that are subjective I think.

[zachary]

Both equally pale in comparison to the all mighty Debian Linux.

All hail the great penguin.

[Flea77]

Heres the thing.... Many people (present company excluded I am sure) complain about stability, constant repairs, etc of the PC platform and how wonderful it is on the Mac side. They are telling the complete and honest truth. Problem is, they were comparing a $500 Acer laptop to a $2500 Macbook pro, well DUH! Comparing like machines the PC is just as stable and reliable as the Mac.

The big con for the PC is that you have to run antivirus. I read someone talk about updating their AV every six months, nah, I run Kaspersky and buy a new license every three years, no big deal. But still, a pain the Mac user does not usually have to worry about.

The big cons for Apple are far fewer people work on them should something happen, less software/hardware selection and a higher price for performance cost. They are beautifully built machines however and are generally a joy to use.

A few myths I can dispell however... 1) Macs don't fail. LOL! I have a couple in my shop right now that will disagree. 2) Macs fail far less. Again, Macs fail far less than PCs that are a fraction of the cost, true. Macs have about the same failure rate as PCs in the same price range.

One pro for Mac, far fewer hardware driver issues out of the box. Since Apple makes the software, and Apple specs the hardware, they get along beautifully. Dell for example can sometimes have an issue with a driver in Windows that would never happen on the Mac platform. Sure, it will eventually get sorted out, but still.

All that being said if none of the above are deal breakers one way or the other go play with both and pick the one that you like, you can afford, and that will do the job you want it to do. Personally I gave up on Macs years ago and will never go back, but then I was never Mac only so it wasn't that bad.

Allan

[texkam]

All hail the great penguin.

Fear the penguin!
Why Linux is better
If not for the need of Adobe CS a lot of us would be on Linux exclusively.