Mac vs. PC

[CalamityFilms]

While I'm sure this topic has most likely been done before, I couldn't find anything in the search pertaining to exactly this.

My friends and I have been making ametuerish mini videos for a while now, and have decided to take our hobby to the next step and make our own short movie, webisode type of thing. Now, I've been looking to get a better computer for a while now, and figured this would be the time to actually do it.

We need it to be able to run AE, PS, maybe things for 3D modeling, etc, efficiently. I'd like it to be a desktop, no real need for a laptop. That's really about it. I've been out of the loop in the computer world for a bit now, and was hoping to get some advice from you all.

So, in your opinion, between Mac's and PC's what's better for video productions overall, and why, I'm looking for someone to really sell me on one or the other. Some examples of excellent products currently available would be great.

Thanks for reading, and any help would be greatly appreciated.

[cariaga]

for me i prefer
PC
Intel possessor quad core
OS windows 7
installed

but its still your choose

[Catbox]

"While I'm sure this topic has most likely been done before, I couldn't find anything in the search pertaining to exactly this. "

actually... this is the first time i have ever seen this question....lol j/k

I use a PC and it's great...It's more stable than a Mac...fact (If i say it it has to be true..lol )
takes about 45 seconds to boot... and AE and PS launch quickly
... I have also had a chance to mess around with some macs and
they have some neat features also...
I think for price and performance and flexibility... PC is the way to go... The Adobe software which used
to be more suited to mac computers is the same for both platforms now...

I don't think 3dsmax runs on Mac... other than with the bootcamp software... windows emulation
"Boot Camp displaced the open source Xom Project for dual booting Mac OS X and Windows XP.[1]
Its functionality relies on BIOS emulation through EFI and a partition table information synchronization mechanism between GPT and MBR combined[2]."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boot_Camp_(software)
(A virtual machine)

AE/PS/ILL all run about the same on either platform... good luck

also if you go PC...
Intel i7 920... 8-12gb of ram... and a good graphics card... ati 4870/4890 or the new 5870
or nvidia gtx260/gtx 275 or gtx 285.... they are all very powerful and will run all the programs you want...

Same hardware available for both platforms basically... Any OS will have issues... looking forward to Windows 7... the RC1 is great...


Try as many comps out as you can... good luck

[2dpostp]

work out your budget first and take it from there. macs are more stable. fact. and the bootcamp windows is not an emulation. i have it installed. you actually have to format the drive using the windows install disc and its a full install from scratch. once it is installed you install something into windows so the components work properly. its like a firmware update. might i say the start up time of my windows partition is about 20 to 30 seconds. ive never seen that on any pc. i think the more appropriate question is fcp vs premiere. premiere is useless in comparison. dynamic link is unstable to, mac or pc.

[2dpostp]

just looked into it. after i installed windows it was just drivers i had installed. hope that helps. i run 3d max on that and it runs great.

[darthgus]

I think I'd like to jump in here.

I have both a Desktop PC at work and a MacBook Laptop at home. I use both of these for my work.

My MacBook is almost 3 years old... Core 2 Duo 2GHz, 4Gb RAM and 500Gb HD, and runs OS X Leopard.
My work PC is brand new... Quad Core Xeon 3GHz, 8Gb RAM and a 1Tb HD, and runs on Windows XP (64-bit).

Both machines are running the full Adobe Master Collection.

Now on paper the PC should be the better machine, but that is just not the case. The are massive stability issues with Windows XP (64-bit) that makes my MacBook far more reliable. Also the MacBook is portable so I can use it with OnLocation which is handy.

The PC gives me a better render time but usually only by a matter of a few minutes and there are times when the system just doesn't distribute the work load evenly between the cores, resulting in... yes more stability issues. I've given up complaining to the IT department, but its frustrating when the machine botches a job and I have to start over (save everything all the time).

Now if I may give a little advice... Apple Mac is the gear of choice for me... its reliable, it has better software, and its stable... If I were buying a new one tomorrow I'd find the cash for MacBook Pro.

If you must have a PC then let me say this... get Windows XP not the 64-bit version or Vista. regular XP is the most robust build of the OS available at the moment. I'd honestly go desk top only if I was buying a PC.

[tony]

Ahh not again, how many Mac vs PC threads must there be?

MAC's are PC's with MAC OS.... PC's are MAc's with Windows OS.. Same difference. I know people who use PC's and have made incredible movies and i know people with Macs that have made awesome movies also..

FCP and Premiere are about the same, i can edit a movie in both since they offer the same damn tools.

Adobe runs on both, so here is my suggestion grab the MAC you want and the PC you want, then flip a coin to see which one you get, and you won't be disappointed.

[2dpostp]

ups and downs on both parts. im not a preacher on either consoles. i think this will be the last time i leave a comment on a mac vs pc thread. who cares at the end of the day. doesnt bother me. hopefully microsoft and apple can work out a lesser cross format issue. theres nothing worse than the old 'for gods sake codec problems' as far as i know pro res works on both. sounds good. to add, i found an amazing browser called stainless. its the only multi threading browser. sooooooooo fast. you can even log into your emails and on another window log in as someone else at the same time. anyway i'll leave you all to debate the ultimate debate

[darthgus]

Ahh not again, how many Mac vs PC threads must there be?

MAC's are PC's with MAC OS.... PC's are MAc's with Windows OS.. Same difference. I know people who use PC's and have made incredible movies and i know people with Macs that have made awesome movies also..

FCP and Premiere are about the same, i can edit a movie in both since they offer the same damn tools.

Adobe runs on both, so here is my suggestion grab the MAC you want and the PC you want, then flip a coin to see which one you get, and you won't be disappointed.

Technically you are correct Mac's are PCs that run OSX. And the hardware distinction is now closer than they have ever been, now that both are based on intel chip sets. But you imply that they are equal.

They are the same, but they are not equal. As with so much else you get what you pay for. A Mac will cost you twice what a Windows based PC will. But hardware and software design and integration is far superior in the Mac. The result is a machine that is much more stable and out performs the expectation of a windows machine at the same same spec. So for me its a no brainer.

That all said, if you have never used a Mac before you might feel more conformable staying with windows, and really that is the only reason why someone might.

[tony]

They are the same, but they are not equal. As with so much else you get what you pay for. A Mac will cost you twice what a Windows based PC will. But hardware and software design and integration is far superior in the Mac. The result is a machine that is much more stable and out performs the expectation of a windows machine at the same same spec. So for me its a no brainer.

That all said, if you have never used a Mac before you might feel more conformable staying with windows, and really that is the only reason why someone might.

Quality on a Mac isn't better than on a PC.. in fact i have a custom built PC that costed me about 1,500 bucks that was state of the art and is still server mission critical reliable, even the HD's are server HDs

I use MAc pro towers at school and at the studio, macs are very good computers, but i don't consider them better than windows. In fact i remember i saw a test online (will link if i find it) that a PC hacked (with the internal USB) ran the Mac OS faster than an actual MAC with the same specs. And now you have things like the HP z800 workstation that compete with the MAC and are just as good or better.....


Also for the same money you spend on a MAC you can get a better faster PC.. the only thing i see that MACS offer is a hip flashy UI and a nice looking case, thats it, and windows 7 looks pretty nice and if you want a nice case get a HP z800.. same thing..

Stop worrying about which is better they are the same just choose one and get it over with....
On a side not if you go with a MAC get a copy of windows also, and run it off boot camp, because somethings don't run on MACs, like NUKE and many Red Giant plug ins...

[darthgus]

I think we are going to have to agree to differ, my experience of the Mac vs PC issue seems to be the opposite of yours. But I would like to see the article that claims a hacked PC runs OSX faster than Mac, because my memory of it is that the fastest windows machine was the Mac. Again the opposite of your assertion.

I personally rather like this guy for the tell it like it is approach... http://www.roughlydrafted.com/

[tony]

No problem dude you can agree or not choose what ever you like. Whatever you can create on a MAC I can do on a PC (and on a MAC at work) There is no real difference and you can do the same work on both using the same programs... The only obstacle here is money and aesthetics that define what you should get.

I will try and hunt it down it ass an article i found on DIGG, so it will be hard to find it but ill try and Google it for you. funny how Mac OS runs faster on a PC and windows runs faster on a MAC.. I hate bill gates and Steve Jobs... its like they have so much money now they just build stuff to mess with us for their amusement.

Sure they could build a decent OS and have it run on any PC and each OS would be different so you would know what you needed, but whats the fun in that? LOL

If your tired on this PC vs Mac just get a linux computer or become a farmer.

[darthgus]

Well I am keen to try out Google Chrome OS when it appears. I think the world could benefit from a few new OS's around.

Most of my big dislike of windows comes from a past steeped in tech support and things just not working the way that they should. Its a long and frustrating story. Anyway enough of that...

[lahatte]

If you are into building your own computer, I would get an i7 920 overclocked to 4ghz. It would hang with a dual xeon mac for a LOT less money.

[MrKingRiley]

Ah my first post here is a Mac vs PC debate how fantastic.

Anyway here is my 2¢
I'm a freshman in college and a computer engineering major so I do a ton of coding and other things for school. Going into this year i was looking for a computer that was great for people that did a lot with coding and would run what i needed it to. i figured that would be a PC. Every computer my family has bought has been a PC so i figured why change now... but i decided to keep an open mind and i came across an article that showed why developers are now going to mac's. i loved how the entire OS is open source. great for someone like me. on top of that, i heard apple has amazing customer service. so i decided to go with the mac. it wasnt until after i ran it i realized what a deal i had just gotten. i cant even explain to you how much money you save after you make the purchase. the amount of QUALITY open source software is ridiculous. you name a software and there is an open source or free version available.

the customer service:
this is how great the customer service is for apple. i dropped my macbook. put a nice crack in it. i took it to an apple store, they looked at it and told me to come back in 2 days. i came back and they had ordered all the parts needed to fix it. and they fixed it right at the store in under an hour. all of it was free. probably the first time i've broken something and still had it fixed for free. i know for a fact with PC's Acer, Dell, HP and Sony (although sony does with other products) dont do that for free. also the genius bar is amazing. just go to an apple store and look for the genius bar. any questions you have can be answered there. anything from how to use a specific software to transferring your files from your PC to your mac. once again all for free.

ok so here is the part about after effects:
i didnt think i'd ever get into after effects. i did some graphic design using gimp originally but i decided to move up to photoshop once gimp wasnt cutting it. with my student discount the master collection cs4 was the same price as PS so i just got the whole suite, which of course includes AE. i started messing with it and ended up getting serious after finding the tuts here. AE ran great on my macbook (not even a pro) with 4GB of ram. so overall, that was fantastic.

and whoever said Premier is the same as FCP has never used FCP anywhere near its limits then. FCP can actually be used more like AE even. premier is iMovie (the video editing software that comes standard on all macs) from 2001

[Hicks+]

If you are into building your own computer, I would get an i7 920 overclocked to 4ghz. It would hang with a dual xeon mac for a LOT less money.

Exactly.
If not though, now is the best time to buy a Mac since they've just launched their new products.

[Wcl Nc]

I love Mac's stabilizability, the iMacs I use at school runs significant smoother with only a Core 2 Duo and 2 gig ram than my PC(XP64) at home with Quad core and 4 gig ram. But render speed wise, my PC at home wins hands down.

I would say try both and possibly get a Mac if you could afford it, you could get Bootcamp too.

[Vilandra]

There is no difference between a Mac and a PC other than the OS.

Both use the same hardware, and both can do the same identical thing. Neither has any advantage over the other. Although there is some software that will not run on OSX (autodesk), so you'll need Windows to run it.

So, seeing as how neither is better, your decision should come from a budget standpoint. How much money do you have, and how much are you willing to spend.

Ive been running a Windows based Boxx for over a year now, and its been just as stable as the day I got it. I run AE and Premiere for video work, and it they work just fine.

Unless you're a die-hard Apple loyalist, a custom built PC can do exactly what you want.

[darthgus]

There is no difference between a Mac and a PC other than the OS.
Both use the same hardware, and both can do the same identical thing. Neither has any advantage over the other. Although there is some software that will not run on OSX (autodesk), so you'll need Windows to run it.

Actually no, not really. Yes your are correct that both use intel based processors and Nvidia based graphics cards. But that is only the surface. There is also the quality of the components to consider. In the manufacture of any electronics there are those that are of higher quality and those that are of lower quality. There is a grading process at manufacture of the components that separates the chips into grades.

Apple use only the highest grade components in their products, as do manufactures like Sony. However 'cheaper' brand PCs do not. So when you buy a brand you don't know, lets say 'generic grey box' the changes are that these are the lowest grade components. Technically it is the same spec as a Sony or Apple machine, but in reality its components are flakier and more prone to problems.

Now I am an Apple person, so I would recommend them. But I understand that others prefer Windows, and that is fine. If we were all the same life would be dull. My advice is this, if you buy a PC, buy it only from a reputable branded supplier, like Sony. It will cost a little extra, but it will be worth it.

Personally I have had good experiences with Sony and HP/Compaq. And poor experiences with Dell, Packard Bell, and Advent.

So armed with that knowledge do some asking around and find out what other peoples experiences are... and which brand you should pay hard cash for.

[tony]

No to flame but actually Apple uses very generic products in the products. The only name brand stuff they use is ATI/Nvidia and Intel.... the rest is generic stuff, even their so called "server hard drives" are not really server quality hard drives.

A custom built PC on the other hand, well that is much higher quality, you can get a MOBO of ur choice, chips of ur choosing Nvidia cards, kingston memory, a nice antect power supply unit,m some true server quality hard drives, or raptor drives if you render a lot. You have much more control over quality, with a custom built PC and its still cheaper than a MAC. But what if you cant build ur own PC? pay someone to do it. My last PC i payed compUSA to build it and costed me 1,900 for every thing including labor and it was a monster that was back in the days when 3gb was un-heard of and no Mac or PC could touch my computer and it was still heaps cheaper that dells XPS line or Mac towers with quality name brand components even the cables where top of the line.

Now i got a 3.2 ghz duo core PC that costed me $1,500 i got a bout a year ago. And it still flys throw AE and photoshop....


Macs and PC are pretty much the same, it all comes down to what OS you want and what programs u will run. thats it. I use both Mac and PC and they both work the same for me.

[Mufti]

Same ol' same ol'

There is absolutely no easy answer to that, all we can do is share our stories... I own a PC but as a freelancer I work on PC or Mac...

I was pretty much PC all the way, but now I can say that I'm 50/50 Mac and PC, I really love both for their own strength. And you can pull all the benchmarks you want, it's hard to compare the hardware of a PC and a Mac since PCs can have such a wide range of components available where the Macs are pretty much "all the same" thanks to Apple.

I think Mac is more thant just Final Cut and a nice UI. XP is a pretty stable OS but it's getting old and Mac OS fits more today's computer needs, especially for creative people. the way everything has been thought and conceptualise in Mac OS is just amazing. And in terms of everyday workflow, having an accessible, intuitive yet complete OS is really a big bonus. My girlfriend's computer has Vista on it and if the user experience is pretty good, in terms of performances, it's way behind XP. Hopefully Windows 7 seems to really have step up to the plate.

Now, when it comes to editing, Premiere is just crap. It gets the job done, no problem with that. But it seems it's a half backed software and really not convenient to use. Whereas FCP is very similar, but really well crafted, fast and it's a real pleasure to edit on it. BUT, Premiere allows to copy and paste sequence straight into After Effects without rendering [and I'm NOT talking about the useless Dynamic Link there...] where with FCP, when you're doing editing and compositing/animation/SFX on the same computer, you have to render the sequence you need to put in AE. But still, Premiere is not fun to work with.

Now the main problem with Macs are still the price. When you're on a tight budget or when you want more power with your money, unfortunately, PCs win that round. I wanted to get a new laptop for work and stuff and I considered to buy a Mac, but the price for the kind of computing power I'm after, it's just not possible. So I will go with a nice Asus G71 with a quad core and 6 gigs of ram for a fraction of the price of a MacBook Pro.
That and I also want to play games sometimes with my computer. So PC all the way... I know you can install Windows on a Mac, but you still have to pay to get Windows... On top of the price of the Mac...

That said, when I'll be able to get a Mac, I'll do it gladly and when it comes to work without thinking of how much that workstation cost, I go for a Mac because the user experience is so smooth.

But the main questions are:
- what do you want to do with your computer? What programs do you want to use, on which OS are they running?
- What budget do you have for that computer?

In the end, the only thing that matters is what you make with the tools you have.

[A3Entertainment]

Now Im not trying to step on any feet but in my opinion Mac is a better choice when it comes to quality. Now Im sure a fair number of you know much more about both but from a personal experience Mac has been much better for me. I've had a Mac for quite a few years, an iMac at that. A 20 inch, older version running 10.4. I have 1 Gig of ram and a Duo Core with 2.8Ghz. I run after effects really smoothly even on big projects. When it comes to virus protection, I have to recommend mac. Never have I had a virus or problem with my computer Ive had to fix or get someone to fix. I still hear from a lot of people, pc users, about their viruses. I have a friend who has a custom build PC which Im sure runs well, but he has had a lot of viruses were he has had to totally reboot. Mac and PC run similar programs for most VFX areas, although it does not run 3Ds Max, it will run Maya. FCP is much better than premiere, in fact Ive stopped using premiere altogether. Pricewise PC wins over mac. But think about some factors. Lets assume someone needs a computer. THey will spend less on a PC, lets assume non custom build, but they still need to buy a monitor (desktop computer) keyboard and mouse. I assume the mouse and keyboard, but I could easily be wrong. A 27 inch iMac rings you up $1700. Thats also a high quality monitor your buying. A quality 27 inch monitor is about $500-$600. So thats really more like $1200. Plus the Wireless keyboard and their new magic mouse. Either way Macs are more expensive. Im also writing from a bias, so be sure to read up on what you want before you choose either.

[darthgus]

You know when I started up our digital media studio I was asked to cost all the gear we would need.

And yes while the PC were cheaper in terms of hardware it was not so clear cut once you included the software. Plus the need to run anti-virus software sucks up 20% of your system resources before you even get started.

So a MacBook Pro with Final Cut Studio and some other bits and pieces would have cost around £2500.
But the PCs Desktop would have to run Premier Pro and a few extras came in around £5000. Yes that is twice the price.

Then the IT department went and bought us PCs... because they said their policy was not to provide laptops

So I refute the argument that Mac's are more expensive overall.

[Wakeandbbakefilms]

but you could not do any serious work on a mac book pro any way, unless it was a bit of photoshop. If your doing reel film making laptops will never work. Why would you buy PP any way when you have avid available which is better then PP or FCP.

There is so much debate over this I think it comes down to how much of a poser you are. If you want a really tricked out mac to show off fine, but a pc will work just as well for less money. If your working in 3d, pretty much the concensuss for years has been to use PC's. this is starting to change a little, but think maya has never been available on macs untill 2009, so that tells you what autodesk think is best for 3d.

But again this is just my opion and Im sure lots of mac lovers will have alot to say about this

[tony]

@darthgus

PC's are cheaper dude, PC software is cheaper. Premiere pro is cheaper than FCP and if you want amazing editing get an Avid which is better than FCP.

Also anti-virus sucks up 20% of resources on a Mac too.

In fact why would you even need anti-virus? ur work computers shouldn't be connected to the internet any ways, if thats the case use a free anti-virus program which should be enough.

I think U should just get what u want... I use PC at home and a Mac at school, there is nothing i can't do in one that i can't do on the other.