Should I switch to Mac?

[Aylwin]

The new 20" iMac is practically irresistable: http://www.apple.com/imac/ Now I wish I hadn't spent a heap of money upgrading my PC. :roll:

Actually, I was thinking of getting the new 20" Mac display for my PC. But it doesn't seem to be a whole lot more expensive if I just go ahead and get the iMac. If I just use it for photo (and maybe video) editing, do you think it's worth getting? :roll:

[eric1]

wow, that really looks sexy. all my software is PC though. think i'll stay where i am.

[Persian-Rice]

I have been pondering this myself.

I love the iMac, but my only major concern is the upgradability.....
I think it's time to learn to use a mac, since I am pretty serious photography.

Anybody have some first hand reviews?

[Sketcher]

Hmmmm,,,

I know that some day I'm going to own a Mac (at least I plan to). I'm getting into more multi-media editing and just like the way Mac's get it done.

I'm a die hard PC enthusiast so my expressing an interest isn't without its caveat. For me, adding a Mac to my SOHO is incrementing my tool set rather than replacing a primary workstation or editing suite.

One of my fav mac parody clips: 3.18MB Right Click - Save As

http://www.thehoucks.com/happynowhere/Apple_Switch_Parody_DivX.avi

It's a DIVX clip so you'll need the codec if you don't have it.

Below is a link to a page w/more info about that particular clip and some good feedback reading further down the page.

http://www.happynowhere.net/mac_parody.php

[Aylwin]

Dang it, Jeff! That is TOO FUNNY!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: I haven't laughed out loud like this in quite awhile! :D

Excuse me. I need to forward this to a few friends now... :twisted:

[Big_B]

That's the funniest thing I have seen in MONTHS!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Big_B]

That's the funniest thing I have seen in MONTHS!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[evilenglishman]

I have been pondering this myself.
I love the iMac, but my only major concern is the upgradability.....


I seroiusly doubt you could upgrade that imac - except for memory. The monitor is LCD - not the best for photography.

I am also curious why you say

I think it's time to learn to use a mac, since I am pretty serious photography.

??

[PacAce]

The new 20" iMac is practically irresistable: http://www.apple.com/imac/ Now I wish I hadn't spent a heap of money upgrading my PC. :roll:

Actually, I was thinking of getting the new 20" Mac display for my PC. But it doesn't seem to be a whole lot more expensive if I just go ahead and get the iMac. If I just use it for photo (and maybe video) editing, do you think it's worth getting? :roll:

I've been a PC user ever since IBM introduced them into the world many moons ago. I never liked Apple computers because, personally, I thought they were overpriced and over-hyped and I swore I'd never get me an Apple. Well, all that changed a month ago when I bought the Apple PowerMac G5 with the 20" Apple Cinema Display. What a beautiful piece of equipment! :shock:

So what made me change my mind about Apple? For one, the prices are more in line with those of brand-name PCs. But the real clincher was the fact Mac OS X is unix based, just like Linux. If Apple had stayed with the classis Mac OS, I wouldn't have made the switch.

I do a lot of video and photo editing so software upgrade was a major concern for me when considering the switch to Mac. On the PC I use Adobe's Premier Pro for videos and Photoshop CS for photos, both of which cost me some pretty pennies to get. Well, Adobe does not make Premier Pro for the Mac but Apple had a deal where I could get Final Cut Express (comparable to Premier Pro) for $99.00 with the purchace of the G5. I took them up on it.

As for Photoshop CS for the Mac, I called Adobe to inquire about the cost of upgrading my PC version to the Mac version. It cost me all of $6.00 for the upgrade and I got the PSCS CD-ROM for the Mac in less than a week.

The G5 came bundled with a bunch of other open-source and Apple-specific softwares, too. And there are lots of software you can download for free for the Mac. One of them is Microsoft's Remote Desktop connectivity for the Mac which allows me to control my PC from the Mac.

Yes, the one-button mouse of the Mac is such a pain in the behind but I have my Wacom Graphire tablet connected to the Mac so I can use the two-button mouse that came with it and it works just like it does on the PC.

If the iMac G5 is anything like the PowerMac G5, I'm sure you'll be more than happy with it after you get over the learning-curve hump after a day or two of using it. Just be aware that you won't be making any internal upgrades with the iMac as the whole computer is built into the monitor case. However, you can add a bunch of external devices with the generous number of Firewire and USB ports they've provided.

[Belmondo]

There was a time (many, many years ago), when there were clear advantages to using a Mac for image processing and layout work. Both Photoshop and Aldus Pagemaker were once Mac-only "Killer Aps." If you wanted to use them, you had to have an Apple.

That is no longer the case. If anything, the situation is reversed. There is at least parity between platforms, and pound per pound, Windows machines still remain relative bargains compared to Macs, even at the high-end.

If the Mac has one real advantage, it's that hackers have generally ignored it, probably because the user base is so much smaller. The occurances of Mac viruses is substantially less. It could also be that the Mac OS is less porous than Windows, but I don't know enough about computers to say for sure.....that's just speculation.

[PacAce]

The monitor is LCD - not the best for photography.

Is this based on your personal experience and observation or just an assumption on your part because I have the 20" Apple Cinema Display and photographs displayed on it are excellent. Brilliant contrast and colors. Not to mention the many video and photography professionals who use the Apples with these LCD monitor which you claim are "not the best for photography". :? :roll:

[evilenglishman]

Is this based on your personal experience and observation or just an assumption on your part because...

Personal experience and common knowledge. Ask most people and they will tell you to get a crt screen not an lcd or tft.

[Belmondo]

Actually, I think conventional wisdom holds that the Apple flat panels are the exception....they can be calibrated to give very reliable and accurate color.

[Aylwin]

Darn you, Leo! You're making it very difficult for me to hang on to my money. :cry: :wink:

I've always had a PC. My first was an XT with 2 x 5.25" floppy drives in the '80s (no HDD). I've been upgrading ever since. From the 286 onwards I've been assembling desktops together myself. Having invested so much time and money in 'em it's not easy to change.

I don't really know much about Macs. All I know is that they're supposed to be much better than PC's for photo and video editing. Photoshop is available on PC though so is the advantage now just video editing? Aside from Final Cut which is Mac only, what other practical advantages are there?

Of course, I'd prefer a desktop that you can upgrade and modify at will. However, a PowerMac's about the same price as a 1D MKII. I simply can't justify it. The new iMacs though I find reasonably priced.

Decisions, decisions. First I was planning on getting the 100-400L. Then, the 20D comes along. Now, there's the new iMac. What's an indecisive buyer to do? :roll:

By the way, I think flat panels are very good nowadays. And the Apple ones are known to be the best. This is why I'm really interested in the new models with DVI interface. Actually, CRT's tend to give me a headache nowadays when I stare at the screen to long.

[joekr]

Thought I'd chime in w/ my personal experience. :)

I've been in I.T. for almost 10 years and made the switch to Mac about 4 years ago. The main reason I switched was OS X and the Unix underpinnnings. In the past two years my reasons have changed primarily due to convenience.

Viruses/Spyware: There is almost none. There is nothing going on like what takes place in the PC world.

Price: Is not really a factor any more like it was 4-5 years ago. The machines are a little more expensive, but what is your productivity time worth? I am more productive on my mac. Expose' is the biggest example of creativity in the OS. 20 Images open, click one button and they tile over the screen...just amazing.

Performance: With the exception of games, Macs are on par with PC performance in almost all tasks. I don't play games and when I do I use my PS2.

OS X: Wow. Level of refinement blows away XP IMHO.

Just for the record, the only machine I own now w/ Windows on it is my work laptop. Everything else is either Linux or OS X. It does cost a little more, but I'm happy to pay for the overall experience I have with my G5 powermac and 20 inch cinema display. I have converted vver half my family and everyone is pleased. I hear support is good, but I've never had to call...

Hope I don't sound like a cult member. Just a happy user!

:D

[Big_B]

I have been toying with the idea of getting a mac for ages, but have always been held back by one concern.

All my friends use PC's. Say I want to share a document with them - say a word/excel apple equivalent. How easy is this to do? Will I loose all teh formatting?

Cheers,

Sam

[Sketcher]

Is this based on your personal experience and observation or just an assumption on your part because...

Personal experience and common knowledge. Ask most people and they will tell you to get a crt screen not an lcd or tft.
evilenglishman, you are quite correct when referring to CRT vs LCD's as a whole. However, the Apple Cinema displays are not only the exception but they're the often referred to as the hallmark for color reproduction and accuracy in circles where budgets aren't the deciding factor. They are expensive however, and that may be why substantial discussion regarding them is generally reserved for unique audience.

I for one intend to obtain a Cinema display if not with a Mac purchase in a year or two but as a replacement for my 21" workstation CRT.

[joekr]

Office for Mac is a nice package and I have had no compatability issues moving files from my Mac to PC and vice versa....

Formatting will be retained, although there may be some minor differences in the macro functions in Excel. I don't use it, so I really don't know...

[CyberDyneSystems]

One quick note.

Don't confuse the processing power of the dual Powermac G5 with an iMac... the iMac is not in the same league.

[evilenglishman]

I ran a dual processor G4 next to my home built AMD 1.6 system with the same memory a year back.
The Mac was slower at everything except opening a huge file in photoshop. General photoshop tasks such as filters, were noticably quicker on the PC.

The cheapest G5 will set you back almost £1500 in the UK. You could build a PC that would blow the G5 away for much less than that.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Yep.. still a PC guy myself.. and I can't see ever switching.

[Scottes]

If funds were unlimited I'd buy a Mac in a heartbeat. Now that their OS is unix-based the blasted things should network correctly.

I still wouldn't give up my PCs, but I'd love to have a nice Mac.

[PacAce]

One quick note.

Don't confuse the processing power of the dual Powermac G5 with an iMac... the iMac is not in the same league.

Well, they sort of are, now that the new iMacs are coming out with the PowerPC G5s although it's single instead of dual and 1.6 and 1.8 GHz. instead of 1.8 to 2.5 GHz.

[KirkM]

Don't know how I ever got by with a PC :)

[drisley]

I have never understood why artists all seem to have macs.
Usually when I ask them, they say "because it looks cool" :shock:
Perhaps at one time the were better for audio/video type stuff, but not anymore.
There is WAY more software available for a PC. Plus PC's are MUCH faster than even the high end macs (as evilenglishman pointed out), and PC's cost much less.
Mac's have a following because of the "cool factor" I guess.
Ever since Windows NT/2000, the Windows platform is VERY stable.
But yes, I do agree about the security thing. Less worry on a Mac. But then again, in 7 yrs using a PC, I've never had a virus. You just have to know what you are doing. :wink:

[PacAce]

Why is it with some people it always has to be this machine is better than that machine or you can't do this with that machine? Isn't it possible to just ask the question, "Does this machine do what I want it to do and is it within my price range?" without being so biased about the type of platform it is and being childish about it?

[Belmondo]

Mac G5 is the ultmate name-droppers computer. We PC owners are pretty well doomed to a life of telling people, "I own a PC."

"Mac G5" just rolls off the tongue, and it makes an impression. "I own a PC" just sounds so -- so common.

The fact is, I think Apple builds more quality into their systems, and then there's the 'cool' factor. That fact is, however, I've never worn out a computer. Just about every box I've owned has given way to newer, faster models, and then only after putting up with the old equipment has become unbearable. This is going to happen to all of us regardless of platform; I prefer to regularly replace the system that costs the least. I don't know if any of you have noticed, but a 5-year old Mac isn't worth appreciably more than an equally old PC. Rest assured, however, it cost a whole lot more when it was new.

In truth, if top-of-the-line Macs hadn't been so bleeping expensive, I'd never have switched to the Windows world. I would have hung in with them forever.

(I still have two iMacs....a purple one and a white one)

Tom

[Aylwin]

If funds were unlimited I'd buy a Mac in a heartbeat. Now that their OS is unix-based the blasted things should network correctly.

I still wouldn't give up my PCs, but I'd love to have a nice Mac.
My thoughts are the same. I'll always be a PC guy but a Mac would be nice to have. Unfortunately, my funds are not unlimited. :?

I like Macs because they're very well designed and appear to be very well built. This new iMac is just beautiful. Plus, Apple displays are some of the best available. I wish I could just build my own Mac clone though. I remember in the 90's this was possible. What happened? I thought this was a good thing. This would've made Macs more affordable. Probably would've driven Apple out of business though. :roll:

[johnleveritt]

I have been toying with the idea of getting a mac for ages, but have always been held back by one concern.

All my friends use PC's. Say I want to share a document with them - say a word/excel apple equivalent. How easy is this to do? Will I loose all teh formatting?

Cheers,

Sam

Let me jump in on this one. I'm new to photography, but not PC's specifically the Mac.

If your friends have MS Office on the PC, and you have MS Office on the Mac, just put their PC disks in your Mac (Mac's can read PC disks out of the box, PC's can't read Mac disks without emulation), and your Office will read all of their files with no formatting. Remember, the Mac platform is a big business for Microsoft, Adobe, all of the "Major" software people, so it behoves them to make everything work. The same goes for all of the major programs. Photoshop, Adobe Photo Elements, Acrobat Reader etc. (all Adobe stuff), Office, Excel, Word (all of the Microsoft stuff).

I have found only one, and only one program that is PC based, and I can't get to run on the Mac, and thats the program is RealFlight. This is a flight simulator for learning how to fly RC/Airplanes. I even got all of the Garmen stuff for my GPS's to work on the Mac in emulations, MapSourse is a PC only program for transferring maps to your GPS, and it works fine on the Mac, in emulation.

In fact, today I just installed a Lacie 250 Gig external hard drive, with firewire interface. Talk about plug and play, I just plugged it while everything was running, and up it popped on the desktop.

As far as the Apple monitors go, I have had an Apple Cinema (20") for years, and I love it. Long before I got into cameras, I was using Sony, Mitsubshi, all of the flagship CRT's, and the Apple always was just as good, if not better in the graphics department. My wife ran a swimming pool company here in Las Vegas, and I installed all of the Macs in the network.

We hooked up Sony, Mitsubshi, and Apple Cinema displays (all at least 20 inch or bigger), along with 15 to 17inch second monitors for CAD work, and the Apple Cinema displays always held their own.

One last word, in another answer it was stated that IBM invented the PC. Sorry, it was Steve Jobs, and Steve Wosniack (SP), in their garage, that invented the worlds first Personal Computer, the Apple I. IBM came out with the Peanut much later, and it was a flop.

[PacAce]

One last word, in another answer it was stated that IBM invented the PC. Sorry, it was Steve Jobs, and Steve Wosniack (SP), in their garage, that invented the worlds first Personal Computer, the Apple I. IBM came out with the Peanut much later, and it was a flop.

And just for some clarification on my part, IBM did introduce the first PC as we know it today, and I wasn't referring to the more generic term "personal computer" either when I made that statement in a previous post. I was talking specifiically about the PC, the name IBM gave to its product when it was introduced in 1981. The PC Jr., also referred to as the Peanut, wasn't even introduced until 1984 although I do agree with you 100% that it was a flop. But obvioulsy, the PC itself wasn't. :)

[johnleveritt]

One last word, in another answer it was stated that IBM invented the PC. Sorry, it was Steve Jobs, and Steve Wosniack (SP), in their garage, that invented the worlds first Personal Computer, the Apple I. IBM came out with the Peanut much later, and it was a flop.

And just for some clarification on my part, IBM did introduce the first PC as we know it today, and I wasn't referring to the more generic term "personal computer" either when I made that statement in a previous post. I was talking specifiically about the PC, the name IBM gave to its product when it was introduced in 1981. The PC Jr., also referred to as the Peanut, wasn't even introduced until 1984 although I do agree with you 100% that it was a flop. But obvioulsy, the PC itself wasn't. :)

I won't belabor the point but I will give those interested this site:

http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~history/Jobs.html

I've tired of computer wars years ago, so that's my last on the subject. I want to learn cameras, and how to take pictures now.

As someone said, just use what your comfortable with. If you want to switch to the Mac, do it, and don't worry about programs, they all work. If you want to use a DOS box, do it. If you want to switch to a DOS box, from a Mac, do it. I presume it's the same way with cameras, Nikon, Canon, Pentax etc..

Just be happy.

[Jon]

Actually, the MITS Altair predates even the Apple I, had a larger user base and more long-term impact on the industry (through the programming language written for it by a small company started by a couple of high school friends; yep, MicroSoft).

[Penguin_101_1]

Im my opinion in using both OS's (Mac the least) I like Windows the best because there are more things that you can do on it. A lot of formats are done in windows so you will lose a lot of things there. I also like Linux, it is stable and will be the next big thing.

[Persian-Rice]

Thanks for some of the responses, some good insight.

Evilenglishman, I based my comments on the following reasons. A, my photograhy major requires me to be able to work with a Mac. B, just from some basic research and word of mouth, I heard that many of the photography positions, atleast locally, require you to be as comfortable under the mac iterface as you would be under the windows system.

Well, I want to leave North America ASAP, hopefully in the next 5-6 years, but until then, I need to work. Many of the local studio's & stores require you to know how to use a Mac. Unfortunatly, I have no knowledge of how they work or operate.

Cheers.

[theflyingkiwi]

well it is always interesting about what people and even more interesting what people believe, even if it is years old.

one of the guys that I work with is looking at gettinga mac and found this interesting site

http://www.xvsxp.com/

[evilenglishman]

Thanks for some of the responses, some good insight.
Unfortunatly, I have no knowledge of how they work or operate.


If you were to sit in front of one you wouldn't find it much different to a PC. It's the third party software that matters and photoshop etc work in exactly the same way - keyboard commands might be different, but that's about all.

You still open your files and save them the same way.