ArtBistro

Ooo the ever so popular Mac vs. PC argument. Personally I prefer Mac's. It's true PCs can be customized to suit graphic designing needs, however it seems more expensive. Mac's come standard with great graphic cards, and programs like iLife which have a lot of fun little photo and music editing programs. Sure you'd have to buy Photoshop, Painter or whatever programs you may need, but in my experience Macs just seem easier to deal with. You might also want to consider compatibility. Mac's can more easily read Window's based files than a PC reading Mac files.
Also it's true Macs can be very expensive, but apple works with students for discounts on their computers and programs. Also Macmall.com has some good specials.
Good luck in whichever you choose =)
(PS My opinion maybe bias since I'm a super Mac fan hehe)

Hi,
Before art school I had worked and even built many PC's. I never thought I would change and when I got my first MacbookPro it only took 30 minutes for my entire computer belief system to spin out of control.. I don't ever see myself looking back at PC's(Frustration machines unless you run linux etc..). Mac's just work and they are far more powerful then any pc i've been on;Operating system is a dream and in October apple will make vista look like windows 98!
I would honestly get the Mac because if you just have to have Windows .... guess what ..... Mac's run both xp and Vista better then a PC. The Mac can handle the crashes without much problems in comparison to a PC running Windows, oh they also run it in parallel to Macs OSX so you can run a windows application in the mac enviroment. Now the real question is why does the outdated PC still exist when a Macintosh has much better hardware and IT JUST WORKS!
Get the Mac you won't regret it. remember I was a hardcore PC enthusiest/builder etc. . . so I do know the in and out's of both machines. Mac's don't cost any more money if you really look at it, the desktops have Xeon processors at quad or 8 core. Terabytes of storage and more graphic capabilities(Mac can run 4 Gforce's as One card, Imagine the possibilities there).
More business's are moving over to Mac's. If you don't believe me do some research or even compare a high end Alienware's hardware and price to a Mac, you will notice a bit more under the hood of the Mac when you dig deep.
Have a good day. Enjoy your Mac.

Mac hands down. Save possibly 3-d rendering, architectural applications, and making music the mac is the tool of choice for almost all areas of creative endeavor. And with good reason. The graphics are superior, cross-over applications like PS are far more intuitive, quicker, and powerful on a mac. As macs grew sofisticated with the arrival of the color monitor, it became part of the vision of apple to have the mac as the premier creative tool and they have done all they can to keep that promise. And, if you had to do windows-based work for whatever reason, well mac can do that too.

I have used both PC and a Mac for around 5 years now. I was an avid PC user (I am using one to type this post) but I do see the benefit to Macs. I really think that the Powerbooks are a great deal, when I was looking for a laptop (either PC or MAC) I found the Dell with comparable features was MORE expensive than the MAC. That really sold me on it, plus you can get an education discount if you OR your friend shows the school ID. I use my PC 75% of the time mainly because it is a tower and it has most of my stuff on it for now. My MAC i take everywhere I can, just because it is portable, and if i need to do any last minute work...I can. I do have to say, my powerbook logic board died on me after a year and half and I had to replace it, so you might want to look into getting the extended warranty...or you can do what i did and ask to "send it to the depot" for $300 to fix ANY problem. :)

With Apple's new OS launching in October being able to run Windows and OSX, I wonder if you'd be able to play your games on the Mac with minimal fuss.

I use both PC and mac, but I really love my mac. The experience you have designing with a mac is totally different. It's very easy to use, very fast and the graphics are great. Some people think macs are expensive but for me, it's totally worth it.
I have to use PC at work and i always have problems with the system, I have to call the IT guy all the time, this doesn't happen at home with my mac.

Why wait till October to play Windows based games.. I do it now with My Macintel (iMac with intel processors). I do admit after October it will run faster but that is the OS not the Machine itself..I have always used a Mac. To me PCs are ugly machines with an ugly interface. Like living in a house with a rich and colorful interior compared to a flat grey room with bad lighting...lol..besides, PC folk always talk about having so much in the way of software but that is like having 22 differeent shapes of potato pealers... you only need one to peal a potato and regardless there are no such thing as software for the PC that doesn't have a better implementation of that same function for a Mac.. Even Office runs better on a Mac...As far as rendering in 3D, that is what I do all day long and my programs are blazing fast when I render.. Put a PC next to a Mac and the PC will eat dust when it comes to speed...

Do I sound like a Mac "fanatic"?? Well, right you are. I will continue to be.. As far as a Mac being expensive?? Well, you get what you pay for I guess.. personally I own 3 of them that I use all of the time and 4 more that though they are now obsolete still run like they always did...all computers become obsolete but not all of them continue to work as long as the Mac does.. If you ask a computer technician which one to choose, he will more than likely tell you a PC (that's job security I gues) but as you can see here if you ask an artist, after just a little thought, guess what he will tell you.. If you ask a Mac user they will not even consider a PC at all...

I'm not trying to say Macs are better.. but they ARE...

I have to admit that I have been a shamed Windows platform user for a long time now. I have been forced to hide in the corner and mumble under my breath, "PC", when asked which platform I use. I hate to raise my hand when a presenter asks, "Any PC users?" and then feel those cold and disdainful stares from my colleagues. To feel better about myself, I sometimes say that I "use both" when asked 'the question'. It is true. I do use both - but I am 98% Windows. I am in therapy for it, and I have made a lot of progress. I just hope that I can face another MacWorld next year and not pretend anymore...

I'm lost without the right mouse button.

How about photo formats?

donnadesigns said:

I have used both. I really wanted a Mac, but they are so much more expensive and they do have their little glitches too, so we went with the PC, and i have to say, so far, so good. Plus, my son knows how to fix the problems that come up on PCs, but not necessarily those on Macs.

It all depends on whether you want a computer that crashes frequently but mildly, or rarely but blights your hard drive when it does.

I use both, only difference I can tell is the quick key commands. Macs are suppose to have better print quality then a PC. I haven't had an issue with going back and forth between the two which is very handy and a skill some people look for. Don't know why seeing as anyone can do it but hey.

I love my Mac. My fiance and I have this argument all the time. He thinks that PCs are far more advanced and better overall. Then I have to shove facts in his face about Macs and how much better they are!

I have used both Mac and PC but I LOVE LOVE LOVE my MacBook Pro!