# To MAC or not to Mac?



## amie` (Oct 11, 2003)

anyways....my schooling is coming to an edge and i wanna move onto studying bigger and MUCH MORE INTERESTING things lol. well basically next year i am hopeing to get into a graphic design college somewhere in sydney (australia...for all u overseas ppl).

so im thinking of getting a laptop for various reasons. carting work to and from college, graphic work, e-mail, internet blah blah blah should i make the journey of crossing from the dreaded pc (which works fine for me until it starts crashing and so what and so forth) to the world or mac land and mac laptops?

are mac laptops more reliable then pc laptops for graphic orientated work and stuff like that?

is it WORTH the journey of crossing the river form pc to mac?

can anyone fill me in?

- Amie


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## HempyDude (Aug 14, 2002)

As I have just finished my tenure as a "help desk" representative for Apple, I would be remiss if I failed to take this opportunity to inquire further about your intended use of this computer. 
As you have already stated, you are planning to use this computer to do many things that are capable by either system(pc/Mac).
The one key area that will differ is that of the graphics applications that you are intending to use.
If you are planning on using the same apps that the educational institution(s) are using(always a good idea), then may I suggest that you find out what those applications are first and then check to see what the requirements are for that progam. Is it available for both platforms or is it available for only one? If it is availible for both platforms, is it cross platform compatible?....does it allow you to create file types on one that can be read on the other. 
When it comes to graphics however, nothing beats an Apple. They are by far the hands down winner when compared side by side in performance testing. I've seen the numbers and the data doesn't lie.

There are of course, other factors to weight as well.
What hardware do you plan on using with your new laptop(known as an iBook or PowerBook in the Apple world)?
Do you want to use a printer?....a scanner?....wireless hardware(routers/hubs/etc) maufactured by companies other than Apple? If so, then I suggest checking the Apple website and making sure that the device(s) that you intend on purchasing or using with that new computer are compatible. Many aren't. I've seen situations in my job where the printer purchased at the Apple Store with the computer didn't work simply because it was incompatible with the OS(10.3) that came installed on the unit. 
Also, if it's an Apple computer and you're connected to the internet through anything(router/hub/switch) other than the modem that you receive internet signals through, your often hosed when it comes to support when your signal goes out.
Don't get me wrong, Apple has by far one of the best extended warranties(AppleCare Protection Plan) in the industry. Which is a good thing I guess.
After all it is just a computer and computers like everything else can have things go wrong with them. When s**t happens, doesn't matter who you bought your unit from, only that it can get fixed as fast as possible. Most major computer companies can and do offer similar warranty solutions. 

It's just my opinion, but I would have to say that it would appear as if the Apple, while technologically superior to pc's, is still suffering many of the same issues that plagued the earlier versions (Win 95/98) of Microsoft's operating system (BSOD=Kernel Panic).

I guess it all boils down to what you believe. If you believe that the Apple is king, then you believe. If on the other hand that you believe otherwise, then that's what you believe.
My best suggestion is more research. As much as you can stand and then some. Research till you're tired of looking at, talking about and comparing computers. Then my friend will it be time to buy one. 
And at that point, it won't matter if it's an apple or an orange as you'll be in love and it everything will be fine.

At least for now that is. Pretty soon along comes another model that looks as good or better and it starts anew.
Enjoy my friend, I almost envy your position. But then, I'd have to give up all the memories of batch coding and punch card data entry and floppies as big a round as a melon.

Oh well, I digress...........


luck


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## caldonia (Jul 22, 2004)

*Graphic Designer prefers the Orange*

Hempy is right about finding out what your school uses and going with that.

FWIW, I'm a graphic designer for a TV station. I work for news and do a bunch of freelance commercial work. My 3 best friends are Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, and my custom built (by me) Dual Athlon PC.

The Adobe apps are industry standards and cross-platform friendly. I make files on the Mac open them with the PC and vica-versa all day long.

I haven't seen the numbers, but I can tell you that from my experience that I'd take a PC over a Mac any day. We've got a dual 500Mhz G4 running OSX and I find the interface to be clunky and poorly organized. Searches (expecially on the network) take forever, and there's no good built-in file viewer. On top of that, it inexplicably crashes without warning on a daily basis. Not minor crashes, but complete system lock-ups.

Our Windows PC runs WinXP and hasn't crashed yet. Occasionally there's a hiccup or two that'll cause Windows Explorer to dump, but nothing that freezes the whole system. File searches are exponentially faster, and the built-in thumbnail viewer allows you to glance at a window full of images without having to click on each one to get a better view.

In theory, Macs should be better. The whole thing is built by one company (including the OS), so they have the luxury of knowing exactly the type of machine that will be running the software. But in my daily experience I've come to the conclusion that the PC is just more stable, easier to use, and has all the functionality of the Mac. And pound for pound PCs are about 1/3 cheaper, and there are many different ones to choose from or you can build your own!

Of course that's just how it looks from where I'm sitting. I'm sure the new G5s are sweet, but there's nothing that I need to do that I can't do on my PC.

Good Luck.


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## kerriganm (Jul 23, 2004)

*okay, i have to chime in...*

I'm dual platform. I'm a web designer and have been for years, and work on both Macs and PCs. I actually started on a PC. I love Macs. I put up with PCs. 

Macs are WONDERFUL for graphics work. My G4 is a dream and never crashes. Plus, it has all the basic Mac bonuses: super fast, great interface, VERY easy to find things... I swear, where do programs go when you install them on a PC? Some mysterious gray void? My PC is fine, but quirky and things tend to go wrong. And, of course, it's always filling up with those weirdly named files that you're afraid to delete, 'cause who knows what they do?

Also, if you're planning on going into design, you might want to keep in mind that Macs are the industry standard. You will have to be familiar with them.

Of course, Macs are more expensive, but when was the last time you loved your computer?!?

Hope this helps some.

Oh, and in case you aren't aware of educational discounts on software: go to gradware.com. You do have to be a currently enrolled student (or teacher, or educational admin). Discounts can be up to 70%, which is megabucks when buying graphics software. Also, Apple offers educational discounts on their computers.


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## V0lt (Sep 14, 2002)

I'm not going to disagree that Macs are well suited, to design, but laptops (both PC and mac) as a rule make crappy graphics editing mediums, simply because the input devices are often less-than-suited for that kind of thing. Not that you couldn't plug in a USB mouse, but it would be a more pennywise decision to opt for a desktop if you're hell-bent on getting a mac, since they are quite expensive. 

If I were in your position, I would get a PC, simply because I've used both Macs and PCs, and I feel that PCs are far more versatile and I could do more with it than I ever could with a mac. Plus, if my classmates used macs, it would still be okay because most of the image formats that I'd use (targa, jpg, etc) are platform independent.


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## charlie1776 (Jan 19, 2011)

I realize this is eleven years later, but what did you end up going with?


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## koala (Mar 27, 2005)

charlie1776 said:


> I realize this is eleven years later, but what did you end up going with?


amie's last visit here was 2005. Don't hold your breath for a reply. :smile:


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## charlie1776 (Jan 19, 2011)

koala said:


> amie's last visit here was 2005. Don't hold your breath for a reply. :smile:


I gave up holding my breath after 14 hours, 32 minutes, and 16.23 seconds.:facepalm:


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