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Archive 2015 · Why a Mac?

  
 
JPuckettPhoto
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Why a Mac?


I read a lot of these forums in addition to watch a lot of Youtube videos on photography. One thing I notice time and time again and that almost everyone uses a Mac, which honestly just confuses me. Very few use a Windows-based computer. So my question is, why a Mac? Is it the hardware, the familiarity with the OS, the branding, the perception that Macs are for "artists"...what?

With some of the Macs I see being used (in terms of specs), a Windows PC with comparable hardware (or better) could be built/bought with hundreds of dollars saved. Enough to buy a pro lens in some cases, depending on how crazy you go with the Mac hardware customization.



Jun 06, 2015 at 10:19 PM
DanBrown
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Why a Mac?


Mac vs Windows posts never end up with any conclusions. Just get what you are comfortable with.

http://i337.photobucket.com/albums/n366/glioma/mac_pc_xkcd_zpseximfbqo.png



Jun 06, 2015 at 10:50 PM
rw11
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Why a Mac?


People who used a Windows-based computer often switch to a Mac - I did, and I have specialized programs that only work on Windows PCs (no, they do not work on the Mac if running Windows). The Mac OS is so much better that it's worth it to use Macs and keep an old Windows PC around for the specialized programs I use.

In essence, the Mac OS is a really nice shell around Unix. Grep that and you'll switch.



Jun 06, 2015 at 11:50 PM
Ian.Dobinson
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Why a Mac?


Why Mac ? . I can only give you my experience but here goes .

yes you can get EVERYTHING don on a win based machine . and things like LR and PS are almost no different .

but I bought my first mac 2 yrs ago now . its a i7 iMac 27inch with 8gig of ram . and since that day it hasn't had a single issue . learning the new OS (I hadn't even used a mac still then) has been so easy . in fact ts been so much simple than learning win8 on my wife's laptop (and my surface pro) when she runs into an inevitable issue .

the mac is just a joy to use while windows 8 really is WINDOWS HATE . (win 10 looks a better effort though , but still behind OS X as far as my dabbles with it have shown) .

as far as "With some of the Macs I see being used (in terms of specs), a Windows PC with comparable hardware (or better) could be built/bought with hundreds of dollars saved. Enough to buy a pro lens in some cases, depending on how crazy you go with the Mac hardware customization."
yeah but there usually seems to some sort of compromise going on .
ie: there are many laptops that spec well against the Macbook Pros but whenever I see comparison reviews between a MBP and any of those competitors (even speced above the MBp) the mac holds its own or wins .
Pros to the Mac's always seem to be - the screen . just about any of the High Pixel density offerings in the PC world seem to loose against the mac screen . Win8 does not scale well on a high density screen where OS X does . and even seeing reviews of win10 (and using it on my surface pro) it still looks like its not as good . yes you get a touch screen (in most cases) with the PC but when the trackpad is as good as the mac you really don't need it . I don't care for touch screens and as win10 is going away from the 'metro' interface back to a more desktop orientated UI i think touch will be less of a need on a PC in the future

and yes the PC may have been cheaper (not always the case though) but in a couple of years time the mac will still be worth good money (look at prices for old spec Macbook Pro's and even pre retina are still very strong) .

also its far easier to get a spec you want from a mac . you can walk into an apple store and pick up most of the popular specs but if you have to order from the online store you can get the spec you want easily and pretty quick .
I don't know what its like in other regions but other than DELL over here in the UK if you want to walk into a store and pick it you'll be buying a base spec which usually be 4gig of ram on most models unless the base sec is higher . and in lots of cases higher end machines are hard to come by in stores .
yes you can normally spec a machine to you want online but other than DELL its not always possible on some models . and lead times can be quite long . also if you buy online from the brands store (about the only place you'll be able to spec a machine) you'll be paying top £ as store prices are usually less when you compare the same base models , so adding to the spec your already starting from a higher price. yes apple is usually higher (but not always in some cases) but online prices are the same as store prices .



Jun 07, 2015 at 01:31 AM
schlotz
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Why a Mac?


blurred,

This is an aged old question that will be answered in accordance with the individual and what what they own. Bottom line, both have pluses and minuses and the only person's opinion that truly matters is going to be yours. If you are truly interested in possibly switching OS's then take a trip to an Apple store and try one out.

In my case, having been a MS guy since the early 80's having built many machines throughout the years, I bought my first Mac (iMac 27") in Dec 2012. Yup there is a little learning curve but really it's not much. Got to say it's been wonderful. These things just work. I find no issues of incompatibilities especially where the solution in the past (under windows) has been to reboot.

Matt



Jun 07, 2015 at 08:22 AM
pliukait
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Why a Mac?


I agree with Matt with his statement: "These things just work." They do, really, and seamlessly with other Apple products like an iPad and/or iPhone.

I use both interchangeably, I have a Windows 7 Desktop as our file server and a MacBook Pro as everything else.

I used to use the desktop for everything, until I purchased a second-hand beater of a MacBook Pro. That's what got me hooked, a bit of learning on how things differ with OS X, and I was off to the races with it. It helped that OS X is based on Linux, so being familiar with that from work helped the learning.

My wife has a Windows 7 Laptop, so I am her built-in support.

They both do everything you ask them to do, it's just that the Mac does things more elegantly, that's about all I can summarize my experience.

Plus, it's more chic or trendy to be using Apple products than Windows, what I perceive anyway. Maybe because Windows products are what most people use at work, maybe because there are some many Windows boxes about, I don't know. Maybe because Apple pays more for product placements....

Both do the job, well, it's just a matter of preference, from my point of view.

Regards.....Pete



Jun 07, 2015 at 09:48 AM
Mnd1
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Why a Mac?


It's so nice not having to bother with anti-virus and anti-malware programs sucking up your resources. As Pete says the level of integration is phenomenal. If my iPhone is in the other room I can answer a call on my iMac. I can transfer files from any device using Airdrop.


Jun 07, 2015 at 10:18 AM
colinm
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Why a Mac?


One thing that hasn't come up yet: Go try to order yourself a nice Windows laptop to match a MacBook Pro.

Not only is much more difficult than you'd expect (Apple rides the curve in a way Dell/HP/Lenovo intentionally don't), but you'll end up spending at least as much if not more, and you'll have a heavy, thick, ugly brick of a machine with lousy battery life to show for it. And that's the last thing I want to lug around on location.

It's like backpacking gear: Sure, I can use the cheapie off-the-shelf jacket from Walmart. Or I can go to REI and get one made of technical fabric that's lighter, less bulky, better finished, and keeps me just as warm. And because this is 2015 bizarro land, the REI jacket is cheaper to boot.

Also: ColorSync. Everything on MacOS is color managed by default. Developers actually have to opt out. This is the opposite of Windows, where not only do developers generally have to opt in (so the state of color management is still pretty lousy), but they've historically had to do most of the heavy lifting themselves (so there's a huge variance in how well it works), and there are multiple levels of management to contend with. People didn't end up on MacOS years ago because it was "for artists"; people ended up on MacOS years ago because it was for artists.



Jun 07, 2015 at 10:27 AM
OntheRez
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Why a Mac?


Mac vs PC is a pointless war with no winners and many victims. I can do whatever I want with either (plus over the years all sorts of now dead machines from PDP-5s to Sperry 1100. I just missed punch cards!).

One canard that is NOT true is that PCs are cheaper. Yes, you can find PCs at much lower price points. This comes from the fact that the architecture is wide open and someone can always make a cheaper part (and believe me they do).

OTOH if you spec any PC - laptop or desktop - equivalent to a given Mac, they are not cheaper and in fact the Mac regularly wins. Depends on how things are configured. Also what is often ignored in these discussion is that a Mac is a hardware/OS/software integration. With current models and OS X 10.10, one literally turns it on and has everything they need to do 90-95% of what most people need out of a computer. Hell, most people can do much of what they want with a tablet - if you don't write very much. The cheaper PC excludes the cost of all the integration and software that Apple puts into their OS. Most people that have extensive use with both OSes concede that OS X is a more usable system. The line "It just works," wasn't made up by fanbois, though the latest version has done some truly stupid things like try to replace NDSresponder with their home rolled "improvement." They've really caught all hell for that and are rolling it back in the next point update. That doesn't mean both are perfect - far from it. I can give you a long list of truly stupid things that never get addressed in either system.

If you're use to Windows and don't want to go thru the transition to OS X, then stick with it. The system interfaces are not the same and every time I switch over to a PC I have to remind myself "I'm not in Kansas" anymore.

rw11 - you are aware that "Bootcamp" is built into OS X so that you can dual boot between Windows and OS X? Also there are two excellent virtual systems Parallels and VMware that allow you to have both active and switch depending on the window selected. There are very few Windows programs that won't run either in BootCamp and/or one of the virtual systems. The only thing I use professionally that doesn't work correctly is SPSS - multivariate. Why they can't read the math registers/functions in a standard Intel chip (PC and Mac CPUs are identical) is a mystery to us in the profession and SPSS never answers questions.

Personally after too many years of dealing with computers from mainframes down, I use a Mac because it is the most reliable, I truly like using a UNIX based system, and frankly I'm tired of dealing with computers. I just want to get my work done. (If I were running a server it would be LINUX based because it blows the doors off MS' offering.)

Robert



Jun 07, 2015 at 12:14 PM
butchM
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Why a Mac?


I have been using Macs since 1991 ... mainly because the first time I bought Photoshop, it was only available on the Apple platform. Over the years I have owned several dozen machines for business and personal family use ... I've never had a reason to change.

After all that, if I was forced out of necessity, I could work with a Windows based platform, though I wouldn't do so out of desre to move to something different. There is nothing wrong with Windows, I am just much more comfortable and familiar with Apple hardware and software.



Jun 07, 2015 at 01:06 PM
gdanmitchell
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Why a Mac?


blurredvision wrote:
I read a lot of these forums in addition to watch a lot of Youtube videos on photography. One thing I notice time and time again and that almost everyone uses a Mac, which honestly just confuses me. Very few use a Windows-based computer. So my question is, why a Mac? Is it the hardware, the familiarity with the OS, the branding, the perception that Macs are for "artists"...what?

With some of the Macs I see being used (in terms of specs), a Windows PC with comparable hardware (or better) could be built/bought with hundreds of dollars saved. Enough to buy
...Show more

Probably most people who get one or the other do so because someone they know already uses that one, or because they are familiar with one platform or the other from previous use.

As far as the general question of whether to get a PC or a Mac goes (and you didn't ask it in a photography context), you could take that question to places that welcome the frequent heated and personalized disagreements that all too often follow.

Do you have a specific question about the suitability of one or the other to photography?

Dan

Yes, I'm a long time Mac user. I've also taught on and used Windows. The whole "OS War" bores me at this point. Just get whatever computer you want and get on with it.



Jun 07, 2015 at 01:17 PM
Greg Campbell
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Why a Mac?


I'd question the OP's premise that "...almost everyone uses a Mac."
I think that Mac users are far more likely to make videos that show off their toys. But, but as far as I can tell, the majority of photographers do seem to use Windoze.

Either will work just fine. IMO, price is the only real point of differentiation. There's no possible way I could have bought an equally capable Mac for the price of my home-built PC.



Jun 07, 2015 at 01:43 PM
aubsxc
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Why a Mac?


blurredvision wrote:
I read a lot of these forums in addition to watch a lot of Youtube videos on photography. One thing I notice time and time again and that almost everyone uses a Mac, which honestly just confuses me. Very few use a Windows-based computer.


I don't think "almost everyone" uses a Mac. I know lots of photographers who use Windows based computers, myself included. I also use Unix and Linux, depending on what I want to do. I build my own workstations, and for $2,000 I can build a machine that is faster and better specced than a $6,000 MacPro. Easy decision for me.



Jun 07, 2015 at 03:45 PM
Lauchlan Toal
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Why a Mac?


I have used and like both, functionally. I'm not at all a fan of the latest Windows operating systems, but I loved the older ones. For me, I decided to go with an iMac because the design suited how I work. Simply aesthetics, like choosing a camera based on how it feels in the hand. It may not be based on specs, but it's an important factor for some people.


Jun 07, 2015 at 05:42 PM
Aaron D
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Why a Mac?


Ive been building my own machines since the early 90's and DOS 5. I still build my own desktops and run Win7. I also run Linux Manjaro on a spare laptop.

I had both a Powerbook 1400, and 3400, back in the mid/late 90s. I hated them compared to Win. You still couldn't talk me into buying a Mac....I just dont like them. I like Macs about as much as I like the abomination that was WinME.

I also think Win8 is an abomination and hesitant to upgrade from 7 to 10. Oh how I miss XP and Win2K.



Jun 07, 2015 at 06:05 PM
Ho1972
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Why a Mac?


Used to use Macs. Now I don't. Makes me abnormal, but people who know me already knew that.


Jun 07, 2015 at 07:54 PM
in2house
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Why a Mac?


As mentioned (in the case of laptops), the screen is the biggest difference. This is especially true for the Macbook Pro 13 Retina. There aren't many quality displays in Windows based laptops. I wish Lenovo would add a quality display to their T-4XX Series laptops which offer decent processing power and could be used with docking station for a one machine solution. I do like the potential of the Lenovo Thinkpad Yoga 14 for this purpose but its about the price of a MBPR 13.

The biggest disappointment with Apple is the new Mac Mini. It was a great gateway for PC users into the Apple world and its a very capable desktop machine. The new generation isn't much and improvement and with little to no room for upgrades, it doesn't seem like a platform that a user can stick with (i.e. - for an upgrade within the Apple ecosystem your spending over 2K for an iMac).



Jun 07, 2015 at 10:46 PM
Mr Mouse
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Why a Mac?


I have been working with computers since 1965. I have work on many differnt types of computers mostly manufactured by IBM. I have work on and in many Operating systems as a system programmer. I have woked on large and small mainftames and many Mainframe OS. I have worked on small personal computers and custers of personal computers. Have installed and UNIX, AIX, OS2, PC Dos, Most versions of Windows. Even Mac running Mac OS7 and OS9. I gave up on Mac's before Apple abanoned their Operating Systems and Power PC in favor of a old reliable Unix OS ported to use Intel processors.

All software has bugs and side effects that can be exploited. As Apple marker share increases more and more hackers will attack it. Apple is using more off the self devices and still insiste on cotroling what software is allows on their machines. I see more and more Photoshop users having problem with new mac machines and Mac OS updates. Apple is slow to respond and newer verions of Photosho has problems with devices drivers Apple supplies for macs for some mac models..

Complex OS and Applications are not perfect. Mac may well have fewer bugs because there is less software that is allowed on Mac. Other Plateforms have more available software. Therefore have more code that may have bugs.

Corporation that manage the computers well may have fewer bugs then Mac have. Close systems enviroments tend to run proven hardware and software. And only authorized IT personal are allowed to install and maintain software even on Mac they comtrol what is or is not on machines..

Bugs are bad for they cost money to and time when have to deal with them. Adobe management need to learn this. Hopefully Corporations will put up with their bugs for just so long when they close their pockets on Adobe. Adobe will have to address long outstanding bugs in their code.



Jun 07, 2015 at 11:04 PM
Keith B.
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Why a Mac?


The aesthetics of the interface of Windows, old and current, bother me. Ugly, stupid, embarrassing to look at.
The aesthetics of the Mac OS bug me less.
The fact that they have made a deliberate effort to reduce the quantity of ugliness that the operator has to deal with, while immaterial to computing power or performance benchmarks, is the reason I prefer the Mac.



Jun 08, 2015 at 01:09 AM
pr4photos
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Why a Mac?


I used to be a big Windows fan. But I got bored of having to scrub the system down after a year, because the machine got slower and slower. Mac's don't slow down or need scrubbing down (in my experience). They just keep going at full speed. And Mac's don't get viruses or malware like Windows based systems do.

So, yes, Macs cost more. But in the long run they are more efficient



Jun 08, 2015 at 05:23 AM
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