PC or iMac

Status
Not open for further replies.
E

emmavg2011

Suspended / Banned
Messages
2
Name
Emma
Edit My Images
No
Hi,
I'm wanting to purchase a new computer for post production, trouble is I've been stuck with the dilemma of PC or MAC.
Can I please have your views,
I have read other reviews and if I was to go down the PC road, I will be looking at getting a HP pavillion DV6-6176, then in a couple of months (when I can afford to buy one) a Lacie 324 monitor.
I have recently seen the iMac, and reading the specs think this will do a similar or better job than the above. Then buy a a cheaper laptop, like an ACER aspire 5552 for portable use.
I am on abit of a budget, I don't really want to be spending more than £1400.
I have only ever used PC, but am quite a fast learner, and (correct me if I'm wrong) have been told that the Macs aren't difficult to use.

Any advice you can offer from either previous experience or knowledge, will be much appreciated.

Also I have photoshop CS4 for PC, will this be compatable with a MAC, or will I have to buy all new software??

Thank you!!
Emma :)
 
you will have to buy new software...however, do you NEED photoshop or would lightroom do? I mainly use lightroom for my work and only export into CS5 if I need to clone etc
 
I bought a macbook pro 2yrs ago and now would never go back to PC. They are definitely faster, very rarely crashes (mine never did), brilliant for post processing.

unfortunately you'll have to buy the softwares again as PC software won't work on it.
 
emmavg2011 said:
I am on abit of a budget, I don't really want to be spending more than £1400.
Click to expand...

Enough for any imac except the top spec model.

emmavg2011 said:
I have only ever used PC, but am quite a fast learner, and (correct me if I'm wrong) have been told that the Macs aren't difficult to use.
Click to expand...

If you can use windows you can use a Mac.


emmavg2011 said:
I have photoshop CS4 for PC, will this be compatable with a MAC.
Click to expand...

No, but the Mac comes with boot camp which will allow you to run Windows (XP only, i think) and you can install any windows software on there.

Although its pretty pointless buying a mac and filling it with Widows rubbish.
;)
 
If you want a Desktop get a Windows PC (if you build it yourself even better), Mac Desktops are largely overpriced and I can't see the benefits of Mac OS X over Windows on a desktop.
 
pm79 said:
I bought a macbook pro 2yrs ago and now would never go back to PC. They are definitely faster, very rarely crashes (mine never did), brilliant for post processing.

unfortunately you'll have to buy the softwares again as PC software won't work on it.
Click to expand...

That depends on what PC you are comparing it to.

You cant say "Mac's are faster" as a coverall statement as you can effectively spec you own PC well above anything Apple has to offer then build it yourself. Thats what I'm doing at present and its certainly a LOT cheaper to do than even a mid range Apple desktop.
 
as the other one is locked, here is my post from that one for reference..

the only difference is the layout of the operating system so it is very much a personal prefernce point. might be worth getting down to pc world or something to try OSX and Windows 7.

otherwise both platforms have quirks, one is not head and shoulders over the other.

that aside i wouldnt really compare a laptop to a desktop/all in one, a desktop will always have the edge performance wise.

adobe will let you transfer your software licence from windows to mac.
 
odd jim said:
That depends on what PC you are comparing it to.

You cant say "Mac's are faster" as a coverall statement as you can effectively spec you own PC well above anything Apple has to offer then build it yourself. Thats what I'm doing at present and its certainly a LOT cheaper to do than even a mid range Apple desktop.
Click to expand...

well i've compared like for like specs and mac was definitely 'faster'
 
Chris Primadona said:
I see macs as being like a very good point and shoot camera, and pcs like a DLSR. :lol:
Click to expand...

any justification for this?

as my mortal enemy Neil said - they are just different OS's so it's personal preference to how they work, get yourself down to pc world and try them both out then pick the one that suits you best
 
neil_g said:
hey ive got an ipad now.. feel the love :love:

anyway how did i end up on that list lol
Click to expand...

get an apple tattoo and i'll consider it.

Mortal enemies of mine are ones who always disagree with me, when everyone knows I always like to be right! :lol:
 
As a very recent convert to mac i would say that for what i need and use it for its definitely better. However i still have a pc and windows laptop that run programs that i just can't get for mac. They are different and it still is a learning curve but I've found that mac is much more stable os.
If those programs were available for my mac i would ditch the pc in an instant.
 
pm79 said:
well i've compared like for like specs and mac was definitely 'faster'
Click to expand...

Ok but all I'll say is there are a lot of variables, one of which is how many applications are running in the background.

I can take two PCs of the same spec, and they'll both be running at different speeds! Same with Mac's, its far too subjective to say one is 'faster' than the other.

I like the way Mac's are presented though, they will always have the edge there, as products themselves Macs are always superior, and I think that has a big placebo effect on the users, lol!

I'd love to see the same spec PC and Mac both running CS5 and not a lot else as a comparison. That would be interesting.
 
Last edited:
neil_g said:
lets not get on a mac vs pc thing, they always end up in a slanging match and get locked.
Click to expand...

...but the thread is about Mac's vs Pc's!
 
I use both Window and Mac. Own a high end desktop pc and also use a mac book pro. Use iMac at work etc.

They are two different thing but does exactly the same job. You can't compare a low spec pc/laptop to a iMac or Macbook because spec is different so performance will be a different.

Upgrading on a PC is much more easier compare to a iMac and also another reason why Mac is expensive is because the monitor they use.
 
Personally, I love the Macs, and you get what you pay for - much like DSLRs. Yes, PCs are no worse in speed, power etc, but I find the OS much easier and more logical - for example, you rarely need drivers etc for USB peripherals - they just 'work', there's no A,B,C drives.... I get lost and frustrated at Windows... I had to copy some files from a hard drive recently, and it took me ages to work it out, whereas OSX is drag and drop.... (I expect someone will now point out Windows could have done that, but it didn't for me!) I did read some while ago on the net about how cheap PCs were in comparison, but then then someone built one to match the top end Mac at the time, and cost wasn't too dissimilar, and also how OSX ran Windows under BootCamp faster than on PC.

One thing to bear in mind, resell value of Mac will be much higher than that of a PC (should you choose to ever upgrade) - they hold their value really well, as you'll see if you try and get a 2nd hand one.

I've got a 27" iMac at work, and the screen and colours are gorgeous. I wish I'd never had to sell the one I had at home! Boooo.

So yes, pricier indeed, but you don't have to 'build' it to get up to speed (although you can customise if you like), they're easy to use, and they look fantastic to boot (yes you probably pay more for the design, but I'm personally happy with that!)

My dad made the switch to Mac earlier this year. He wishes he'd done it years ago now.

So up to you - if you like the familiarity of Windows - that's cool - but maybe go to an Apple store and try one out. It might help you one way or the other!
 
Last edited:
zerodeluxe said:
Personally, I love the Macs, and you get what you pay for - much like DSLRs. Yes, PCs are no worse in speed, power etc, but I find the OS much easier and more logical - for example, you rarely need drivers etc for USB peripherals - they just 'work', there's no A,B,C drives.... I get lost and frustrated at Windows... I had to copy some files from a hard drive recently, and it took me ages to work it out, whereas OSX is drag and drop.... (I expect someone will now point out Windows could have done that, but it didn't for me!) I did read some while ago on the net about how cheap PCs were in comparison, but then then someone built one to match the top end Mac at the time, and cost wasn't too dissimilar...

One thing to bear in mind, resell value of Mac will be much higher than that of a PC (should you choose to ever upgrade) - they hold their value really well, as you'll see if you try and get a 2nd hand one.

I've got a 27" iMac at work, and the screen and colours are gorgeous. I wish I'd never had to sell the one I had at home! Boooo.

So yes, pricier indeed, but you don't have to 'build' it to get up to speed (although you can customise if you like), they're easy to use, and they look fantastic to boot (yes you probably pay more for the design, but I'm personally happy with that!)

My dad made the switch to Mac earlier this year. He wishes he'd done it years ago now.

So up to you - if you like the familiarity of Windows - that's cool - but maybe go to an Apple store and try one out. It might help you one way or the other!
Click to expand...

Lol Ill be the first then, you can do that with Windows!

But I agree, Macs are FAR better to work with, PCs infuriate the hell out of me, but its what I use, hence why I'm looking to switch at some point. The problem is, for the same spec I can get a PC at a third of the price, and thats what kept me in the PC camp for so long... And I used to do gaming on PC (not now, I'm a console man) and PCs blow Macs out the water in that respect.

If I was to start afresh and the funds allowed, I'd buy Mac. But then I'd have to buy CS5 again...
 
Last edited:
Mac Mac Mac Mac Mac Mac Mac Mac Mac Mac Mac Mac Mac Mac
 
Gary Coyle said:
but why would you not run the latest version of bootcamp
Click to expand...

I think you are a little confused, so I shall rephrase:

On the newest version of Bootcamp, Windows 7 is the only Windows OS you can use, Vista/XP/etc will not work.
 
to behonest if you going to bootcamp and run windows on a Mac then i don't see the whole point. If you want to use Mac than stick with Mac and if you want window then stick with PC.

They both have their use and it doesn't effect performance of using Photoshop and Lightroom to behonest.

Like someone mention, if you want a all rounder station then get PC ....... to me Mac is only for work purpose. Even at home if i do work i won't even bother turn my mac on, just use window .......

Hardware is cheaper to upgrade on PC as well and make upgrade alot cheaper.
 
bluesilver said:
you will have to buy new software...however, do you NEED photoshop or would lightroom do? I mainly use lightroom for my work and only export into CS5 if I need to clone etc
Click to expand...


It would only cost the price of the upgrade from your CS4 to CS5 as Adobe will transfer the licence from PC to MAC but only on the latest software.

Lightroom is a cross platform release any will and will work on either OS.

Of cousre on a mac you could get the lightroom equivalent Aperture for the full price of £45

As for mac being expensive, I'm sorry but iMac (desktops) are just not that much more than a PC IF you do a like for like comparison, remember that includes adding the price of a 27' ISP monitor you your PC price.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Llama said:
Yes but the re-sale price on a ac is considrable higher, so if you have the money to keep up with buying the new models each new computer will only cost you 100-300 pounds :thumbs:

Jack
Click to expand...

If "ac" there was a typo of PC, I have to disagree. Macs retain incredibly high resale prices, as do all Apple products.

Regarding some earlier posts about which machines are faster, I'll also have to side with Mac. The OS has far, far fewer overheads than Windows, which frees up your CPU and RAM, allowing for a smoother and faster experience, generally.

I switched to Mac five years ago after 20 years of PCs, and I'll never go back. Why hassle with Windows and all the crap that goes with it when you can use OS X instead? My first Mac was a MacBook and five years later I still use it everyday - yet my previous laptops did not have those kinds of lifespans. Since then I've also bought an i7 MacBook Pro and a Mac Mini and I just love them. Macs are a pleasure to use, and are extraordinarily reliable, unlike the Linux machine I have to use at work and the Windows computers I used for two decades.
 
Last edited:
badboy1984 said:
to behonest if you going to bootcamp and run windows on a Mac then i don't see the whole point. If you want to use Mac than stick with Mac and if you want window then stick with PC.

They both have their use and it doesn't effect performance of using Photoshop and Lightroom to behonest.

Like someone mention, if you want a all rounder station then get PC ....... to me Mac is only for work purpose. Even at home if i do work i won't even bother turn my mac on, just use window .......

Hardware is cheaper to upgrade on PC as well and make upgrade alot cheaper.
Click to expand...

I guess the point of a Windows boot on Mac would be for people like me, so I didnt have to pay £xxx for Photoshop again. But as you say, I may as well keep my PC then!
 
whiteflyer said:
It would only cost the price of the upgrade from your CS4 to CS5 as Adobe will transfer the licence from PC to MAC but only on the latest software.

Lightroom is a cross platform release any will and will work on either OS.
Click to expand...

Didn't know that, useful to know.

Would this work from say CS3 pc to CS5 on Mac or just CS5 to CS5?
 
Last edited:
redddraggon said:
I ran Vista from the day it was released until the day Windows 7 came out on multiple computers, and I had no issues with it.
Click to expand...

Nightmare for me, after a week I was encountering all sorts of problems, PC people blamed the software, software people blamed the PC, I was losing a day a week trying to get it to work, not good when you are self employed and using the thing all day.

After 10 weeks I had enough and bought a Mac :D

I should add both my children have Sony Vaio laptops with Vista, and both work without any problems, so it was more than likely the machine causing the issues.

To me it is a tool I need for work, prior to the Vista issues I had 12 years of relatively trouble free service from Windows 95 - XP.
 
to sum this whole PC/Mac war type of thing. It isn't really much need to say about the two ......

Just use whatever is comfortable, for the OP purpose both PC and Mac is not going to make too much differents. Price is different of course. If you end up buying a cheap nasty Desktop/Laptop then don't complain about the pc is slower becasue you get what you pay for at the end.
 
I've moved back and forth between the two and in general prefer Apple's offerings. The two main reasons for this have already been touched upon but I'll mention them again:

Screen - Nothing I've seen available for a PC comes close to matching the quality of Apple screens.

Resale Price - Apple computers retain their value very well which generally means that what you've spent beyond the cost of a PC (around £300-400 in my experience) is what you will make back over the resale of an equivelent PC. Swings and roundabouts.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top