Need advice.. Mac or PC ?

[goo82sg]

nd some advise from u guys.. am lookin for a computer to do photo-editing and surfing.. shld i stick to my pc or upgrade to mac.. the main reason of getting mac is reliability of system..

am currently using amd xp3000+ barton with 1.5gig ram n radeon 9500pro.. thinking of getting a 17" iMac G4 1Ghz with 1 Gig Ram.. or Mac mini G4 1.42 Ghz with 1 Gig Ram.. anyone can advise on diff? shld i stick to my PC ?

for every half a yr, i wld format my pc.. cos i find it running slower n slower.. hope the mac doesnt haf tis prob.. :dunno:

 

[kex]

the new Imac G5 is really a good deal !

Do give it some thoughts.

 

[kietgnoel]

I agree that a Windows machine gets slower and slower over time, especially if you install a lot of stuff on it. In fact, I recently re-installed my PC too. :sweat: The Mac is better in this respect.

On the other hand, when it comes to software and hardware, you'll find that there are a lot more choices, support and availability in the case of Windows. So, I think whether to get a Mac or not depends on whether you can get the hardware and software that you need.

Or better still, have both. ;p

 

[goo82sg]

I agree that a Windows machine gets slower and slower over time, especially if you install a lot of stuff on it. In fact, I recently re-installed my PC too. :sweat: The Mac is better in this respect.

On the other hand, when it comes to software and hardware, you'll find that there are a lot more choices, support and availability in the case of Windows. So, I think whether to get a Mac or not depends on whether you can get the hardware and software that you need.

Or better still, have both. ;p

i have a spare system too for games.. but slightly slower than what i am using for editing.. still have best of both worlds..

 

[hazmee]

I've been using my new PC now for slightly more than 6 months. No probs about speed except worrying about getting viruses and spywares. That's my main biggest turn-off with the PC. You should get the Mac and enjoy the system. Cheers!

 

[hafele]

What u get from Mac is stability and reliability.

What u get from Windows is software and gaming (which is important to someone) variety.

Performance wise, it's smoother and easier on Mac according to one of my software engineer frens. Though there's a learning curve, well, a fast one.

iMac G5 just debut few days ago, do give a thought. It's Apple dsiplay (ya, APPLE !) and with a great spreadsheet of specs. Give a :thumbsup: for the design, its shuffle-look-alike remote control is :heart:

 

[goo82sg]

What u get from Mac is stability and reliability.

What u get from Windows is software and gaming (which is important to someone) variety.

Performance wise, it's smoother and easier on Mac according to one of my software engineer frens. Though there's a learning curve, well, a fast one.

iMac G5 just debut few days ago, do give a thought. It's Apple dsiplay (ya, APPLE !) and with a great spreadsheet of specs. Give a :thumbsup: for the design, its shuffle-look-alike remote control is :heart:

okok.. now scratching my head.. how is performance wise on a G4 1Ghz compared to my PC Athlon 2.17Ghz.. which is faster if running photoshop?

 

[Sharpion]

im using a mac/pc combo. The mac is like a 4yr old ibook running off the awesome OS Tiger and the PC is like a xp2.7, 1 gig ram setup. I won't say that the mac outperforms the PC in terms of graphic related usage but it IS much more stable and is really nice to use even at such low speeds. Problem is with s/w coz its really expensive for mac and if you play games, it worse coz u wont get to try the latest games until they release mac versions. you could of coz run virtual pc (pc emulator for mac) but it would slow down the sys significantly.

the mac os tiger is really good! i was even thinking of going completely mac after using tiger. other perks for macs are that they are virus proof to some extent, dun require frequent formating and of coz, they look hot!

i went to mac (ibook) mainly coz i needed someting for presentations and since i already had a pc, tot i would try something different. if u have to present things, whether in sch or to clients etc, using an ibook really raises eyebrows (in a good way). It brings out the best of mac, the showoff factor and the reliability (can't afford to screw up presentations).

My humble opinion for your case:
- u already have a good pc system and if ya not gonna lose it even after u get a mac, then go for something more complementary, say a powerbook or ibook and use in conjunction with pc. be prepared for a hefty investment for s/w esp for both sides. esp since u are using the mac for surfing/graphics, having a portable system is cool to go to macs and show off also showing pics off a mac adds to the overall aesthetic appeal and can improve your pictures

my suggestion is to try out mac in this complementary manner first before jumping ship as u already have invested a lot in your pc. so even if you dun like mac afterawhile for watever reason u can still use it while using primary pc.

unless u have lots of money, in which case just buy everything la

 

[chilli padi]

I have a P4 PC which i bought jus last december and have reformatted for about 3 times due to virus infection....i also have a imac G4 which i bought for nearly 3 yrs and haf never given me any problem which i'm using to post the forum right now... :bsmilie: if want stability and reliability go for the Apple. :thumbsup:

 

[sky888]

I am a recent Mac convert.. and boy the switch is fantastic! nice resolution and all the mac softwares works like soo smooth together.. a total experience for a grahic/image editing user..

and ya.. the latest iMac G5 is really a good catch.. lots of function but at a good price! a sure buy!!

 

[goo82sg]

the new Imac G5 is really a good deal !

Do give it some thoughts.

woah.. jus went check out the new imac on the web.. reali seem like a gd deal with the new add-ons.. makes me tink twice to get a iMac G4 or the G5.. Thanks...

 

[goo82sg]

im using a mac/pc combo. The mac is like a 4yr old ibook running off the awesome OS Tiger and the PC is like a xp2.7, 1 gig ram setup. I won't say that the mac outperforms the PC in terms of graphic related usage but it IS much more stable and is really nice to use even at such low speeds. Problem is with s/w coz its really expensive for mac and if you play games, it worse coz u wont get to try the latest games until they release mac versions. you could of coz run virtual pc (pc emulator for mac) but it would slow down the sys significantly.

the mac os tiger is really good! i was even thinking of going completely mac after using tiger. other perks for macs are that they are virus proof to some extent, dun require frequent formating and of coz, they look hot!

i went to mac (ibook) mainly coz i needed someting for presentations and since i already had a pc, tot i would try something different. if u have to present things, whether in sch or to clients etc, using an ibook really raises eyebrows (in a good way). It brings out the best of mac, the showoff factor and the reliability (can't afford to screw up presentations).

My humble opinion for your case:
- u already have a good pc system and if ya not gonna lose it even after u get a mac, then go for something more complementary, say a powerbook or ibook and use in conjunction with pc. be prepared for a hefty investment for s/w esp for both sides. esp since u are using the mac for surfing/graphics, having a portable system is cool to go to macs and show off also showing pics off a mac adds to the overall aesthetic appeal and can improve your pictures

my suggestion is to try out mac in this complementary manner first before jumping ship as u already have invested a lot in your pc. so even if you dun like mac afterawhile for watever reason u can still use it while using primary pc.

unless u have lots of money, in which case just buy everything la

Thanks for sharing.. The only thingy i wld get for the iMac is definately Photoshop.. else it wld be like my current PC.. edit photos, surf web and listen to songs oni.. not reali a gamer..

 

[Andy Ho]

I have been a Mac user for many years and I do have some axe to grind. Reason why I stick to Mac is nothing to do with stability but it is to do with the fact that I am much more familiar with the Mac platform, namely OSX. I am nuts when it comes to PC although I still know how to navigate my way around.

Firstly, I have never come across a single Mac that never needs to be sent to servicing centre after the warranty is over. All 3 of my Mac had the hard disk changed just shortly after the 1 year warranty expires. All 3 suffered the same problems of hard disk failure. Although hard disk failure is common on any platforms but 1 year plus is a little too fast isn't it?

My friend is using a 17" Powerbook, and another one is using a 15" Powerbook and both of them suffered flickering monitor just after the 1 year warranty is over.

Another photographer, like me, had his whole hard disk changed on his PowerPC G4 (the model just before G5) also just after his 1 year warranty expires. By now, he is already complaining about his speed slowing down.

I don't really feel confident with any of my Mac but I am still using them today because it is what I know and had been using. But that is not to say that Mac does not have it's good points. If you don't mind suffering frequent problems with your Mac hardware and having to send it in for servicing frequently (assuming you bought the 3 years Apple Care package) then Mac do really give you a new experience like no others. One thing I like, I can surf the net feeling 99.9% safe.

 

[Belle&Sebastain]

i been a mac and PC user and i do not believe this hype about stabililty, both systems WILL CRASH as and when they like it and at the same frequency, in fact my win2K is more stable than panther or tiger...

what i like about macs are the ease of use and the design. depending on which software i perfer using macs for Adobe photoshop and illustrator and Flash on PC.

There are no perfect system, i cannot view HDB website with my Macs. There are jsut some problems even with different browers...

really i will always suggest to keep both platforms if possible. Macs to work on the move and impress clients and PCs as desktops to work.

trust me there are no perfect systems, you just have to work with either's strengths and limitations.

 

[Belle&Sebastain]

Firstly, I have never come across a single Mac that never needs to be sent to servicing centre after the warranty is over. All 3 of my Mac had the hard disk changed just shortly after the 1 year warranty expires. All 3 suffered the same problems of hard disk failure. Although hard disk failure is common on any platforms but 1 year plus is a little too fast isn't it?
.

i have the same experience as Andy, my 12" powerbook hard disk died 15months after i bought, the battery in 14months.

its the same frustrating experience. but i feel safe surfing from a mac anytime, those pop ups from my PC is disgusting!

 

[ortega]

hdd problems are the fault of the hdd manufacturer, I am using a G4 mac that is 6 years old already, I also have a 3.2GHz P4 sitting next to me, I am using the older and slower mac.

 

[madmacs]

Firstly, I have never come across a single Mac that never needs to be sent to servicing centre after the warranty is over. All 3 of my Mac had the hard disk changed just shortly after the 1 year warranty expires. All 3 suffered the same problems of hard disk failure. Although hard disk failure is common on any platforms but 1 year plus is a little too fast isn't it?

my 2 macs never been to service center leh...my beige g3 already 7 yrs old. :lovegrin:

 

[nightpiper]

its the same frustrating experience. but i feel safe surfing from a mac anytime, those pop ups from my PC is disgusting!

u didn't use those free spyware blocking programs? netscape 7.x & 8 have built in ad blocking feature. if u r running winXP SP2, it has a built in firewall as well. i recommend Ad aware SE personal edition, its free & pretty good in clearing rubbish in the sys.

i agree with Andy Ho, macs DO SLOW DOWN juz like a pc. i used macs too & personally can't stand them. very difficult to troubleshoot & pin point problems, also help on the net is not as huge as PCs. macs crash as often as winXP too, dun get too sucked by apple marketing hype. u know, all those crap about the OS-X kernel based on Unix that doesn't crash. hardware compatibility is also a nightmare. try installing a ATA/SATA RAID card or a SCSI RAID, even those bought from apple shop needs drivers update every now & then to function properly. my friend was laughing at me for downloading drivers & claims his mac doesn't need to. well, of cos!! he doesn't install anything else, juz the plain OS with all those built in iPhoto, iTunes, etc.

i have used Photoshop on G4s & G5s & frankly, it doesn't feel that fast as what apple claims. still sticking to my Wintel combo, recently "upgraded" to a 3GHz 478pins P4 (this is an obsolete P4 CPU in case u r wondering). zippidy fast...:thumbsup: not forgetting headache free income tax e-filing.

buy something that u feel happy about, cos when problems arise, ur attitude towards this brand is much more forgiving.

 

[Tango3]

What u get from Mac is stability and reliability.

I used to subscribe to this mentality. However, with my iMac G5, it seems to be more unstable and less reliable then when I was using a PC with Windows XP Pro or my office notebook. I dont know whats wrong, nobody seems to know and everybody blames the user (me).

 

[rueyloon]

for raw processing power, PC is still in the best price point, you can get those superduper dual processer with dual core and what nots from Dell or HP at the price of an imac from Apple :|

been always toying with the idea of getting an PC box for just batch processing and maybe controlling it with remote access, but I don't do so much batch processing anyway.