I have a pc and I am thinking of getting a new one. I have been looking a MACs this time around. If you have one or have done some research please give me your comments. Hopefully this won't turn into PC vs MAC hater thread.   BTW I am currently running Vista Ultimate.

I am using a PC but my browswer is Safari and of course also use iTunes, etc.

So, you get the Apple software, which is definitely good but get more bang for the buck with a PC. Regarding virus and malware protection, there are a lot of excellent applications available free these days. AVG is free on downloads.com and probably no need to pay for the deluxe version for most users.

Apple has some good software that might influence some peoples choice depending on what they mainly use their computer for.

If money is no object, then just go Apple. Unfortunately vPinmame is only for PC's.

My .02

After using both professionally for over 12 years now, I can honestly say that unless you're a power user with money to burn, stick to a PC.  You can build a PC with similar specs to the latest Mac for around 1/3 the cost, and your upgrade options down the road are nearly unlimited.  Apple intentionally makes it difficult (or very, very expensive) to upgrade Macs because they want you to buy a new one.  Yes it's true, Mac's have very few virus issues.. but spend the $45 per year and get antivirus for your PC, you'll be fine.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Mac.. but I use it professionally as I work in the graphic industry, and it's the standard in my field.  Mac's are very powerful rigs, their memory and chipset usage is fine-tuned for professional applications like Photoshop, After Effects, Maya, Pro-Tools, etc.. a Mac can chew threw the torture these programs will put it through like nobody's business.  That's why they've always been more expensive.  It's a tool for professionals.  There's a reason there are so few games for Mac OS.

Not saying this is the case for you, but I always find it a shame that people are convinced to drop $3k of their hard earned cash on a computer to check Facebook and answer emails on.  

Most importantly, if you buy a PC (or build one) with compatible specs, you can actually dual-boot it with either Windows or OS X.  So really, you can have the best of both worlds at 1/3 the cost.  Karmatose can chime in on that if he likes, he's got more experience with it.

Quoted from wbradley

AVG is free on downloads.com and probably no need to pay for the deluxe version for most users.

My .02

Dump AVG and get the completely FREE (but not widely advertised)  downloadable Microsoft Security Essentials.  One of the lease bloated and most effective pieces of anti-virus software out there on par with the likes of Nod32, and the new Norton.

I switched myself and local clients from NOD32 (which was great) and haven't seen any performance or efficacy hit at all.

Spend 0$ on MSE, don't download online porn and don't beleive everything you read in an email that sounds like your bank is warning you about impending doom and you'll be just fine.  I've built MAC and PC systems for something like 20+ years now, was an Apple Registered Consultant, huge Apple, Mac (and AMiga) fan... but once I realized what I could do hardware wise with my bucks (and all my clients switched) I went PC and never looked back.  

Even for graphic artists, the only reason to go Mac is for bragging rights. For animation/video and music production, they still give the Mac & 3rd party software a nod, but that's just so they can justify staying off the IT dept's "watch list".

Apple knows how to build excellent machines, and have a tight grip on their OS which  gives all Mac software similar "hooks" ... but they've been sharing technology and software with Microsoft for few years now.  Look for the new "Mapplesofts" coming out any time soon.

I've honestly never been happy with the Apple platforms.  I think it's mostly a difference of opinion in design philosophy-Apple software is very good at doing exactly what Apple wants you to do with it, in exactly the way that apple wants you to.  If you want to move outside of that very narrow definition of use though, you're probably screwed.  Yes, the mac landscape has vastly improved over the past few years, but I think you're still paying too much to get fewer features and fewer options than you will with a PC.  

Really, what you get depends on what you need it for.  Getting a midrange laptop is fine if all you're looking for is web, office stuff, and some light image editing/media.  If you want a gaming system, that's a little more complicated.  Getting up to Win7 from Vista is also a huge improvement-you'll actually see better performance on Vista level hardware from Win7.  I'll also second Microsoft Security Essentials-it's much lighter weight than AVG was, and less of a headache to keep updated (AVG major version upgrades required a manual download).  

I use to use PCs, mainly because I'm a gamer but switched to a Mac a few years ago. I really enjoy using it and I cringe when I have to use a windows PC, I guess vie become a snob  

Now that games are starting to come out for Mac, and most are on the 360 I no longer see any reason to stay with a PC. They're a bit cheaper but most of the or ice difference disappears when you factor in the cost of Windows.

I don't care about vpinmame, it sucks.

Quoted from jonny_eh

Now that games are starting to come out for Mac, and most are on the 360 I no longer see any reason to stay with a PC. They're a bit cheaper but most of the or ice difference disappears when you factor in the cost of Windows.

Typing on your iPad, I see..  

Quoted from machine.slave

Typing on your iPad, I see..  

iPad fail

Most of my typos (And I see that I do a ridiculous amount of them) are a result of my iPhone and the stupid faulty touchpad which forces me to turn the phone sideways to use the lower line.

I think that the Mac is like a luxury item that most people can do without. But if you can easily part with the extra cash, why not?

Quoted from websherpa

...Spend 0$ on MSE, don't download online porn and don't beleive everything you read in an email that sounds like your bank is warning you about impending doom and you'll be just fine...

I am busted on the second point.

Quoted from Sparky

I am busted on the second point.

Me too..    Thankfully, I use a Mac!  

Quoted from websherpa

......don't download online porn.....

WTF Wayne?   Then why buy the PC in the first place?

My theory is that the whole invention and evolution of the Internet and in particular social networking applications like Compuserve, AOL, BBS's, USENET, etc. was driven by the need for porn (including University, Military and Government networks).  The whole commercial sector use of the Web just took advantage of what was being built for recreational FAP trading purposes.  SO no surprises there!  

Theres porn on the web? Thats disgusting!

Well at least with Safari you can set it for private viewing and keep your cache clean.

Makes sense.. porn is the reason VHS beat Beta  

Quoted from machine.slave

Makes sense.. porn is the reason VHS beat Beta  

And the fact that Sony wanted to keep their proprietary technology all to themselves.  I am glad they have since changed.  Oh wait.  

i have windows machines at home and use a mac at work I do everything i need to do on both platforms. i don't game on my computers have a console for that. both machines take a beating but is nice not having any processor cycles running antivirus and spyware. as for those that say build a pc yes you could then again evaluate what you do. a off the shelf machine with extended warranty might fit the bill. because when something fails i hate dealing with individual companies for a broken piece (experience with asus).

Quoted from JD3

i have windows machines at home and use a mac at work I do everything i need to do on both platforms. i don't game on my computers have a console for that. both machines take a beating but is nice not having any processor cycles running antivirus and spyware. as for those that say build a pc yes you could then again evaluate what you do. a off the shelf machine with extended warranty might fit the bill. because when something fails i hate dealing with individual companies for a broken piece (experience with asus).

Good point. Apple has some of the best support I have ever dealt with. PC manufacturers like Dell can't touch them.

That support isn't free... you need to buy their "Apple Care" plan to have your warranty for more than a year.  But if that first year of "free" warranty is worth the extra $1500 to you, then by all means.. buy a Mac.  

I'm not going to debate it though, I'm a supporter and hater of both platforms for different reasons.  Again, I just think it's a shame that Apple cons people into dropping way too much coin on a computer to just check their email.  Then they convince them that they can only buy Apple-branded RAM and hard drives when they want to fix or upgrade their machine, which is total BS.  It happens all the time.. it comes very close to being a scam, really.

Steve Jobs is an excellent shepherd, I'll give him that!

I think he wasn't talking about porn.. said second point... the impeding doom!!!!!

Quoted from machine.slave

That support isn't free... you need to buy their "Apple Care" plan to have your warranty for more than a year.  But if that first year of "free" warranty is worth the extra $1500 to you, then by all means.. buy a Mac.  

I'm not going to debate it though, I'm a supporter and hater of both platforms for different reasons.  Again, I just think it's a shame that Apple cons people into dropping way too much coin on a computer to just check their email.  Then they convince them that they can only buy Apple-branded RAM and hard drives when they want to fix or upgrade their machine, which is total BS.  It happens all the time.. it comes very close to being a scam, really.

Steve Jobs is an excellent shepherd, I'll give him that!

That's weird, I don't recall spending an extra $1500 on my $1200 mac.

Also, Dell (and every other major PC retailer) tries to sell you their RAM and hard drives when you purchase a machine from them, it's not a scam, it's called upselling.

It seemed a lot funnier if it was a reference
to porn.

Speaking about impending doom, anyone here read about the Hindenburg effect prediction?

Not another one of these threads again.

It's your money and you can spend it anyway you want.  I will not buy a Apple product, since it not the best deal for your bottom line PERIOD.

Quoted from jonny_eh

That's weird, I don't recall spending an extra $1500 on my $1200 mac.

Ahh, you bought an iMac.. I was talking about Mac Pro's.  So you spent an extra $600 then..  

Here's an example of what I meant.  The superdrive in my boss' (13 month old) Mac Book died, so he went to the Apple Store to see what they could do for him.  They tried to convince him to buy a $269 external burner.  Thankfully, he had the smarts to go across the street to Futureshop and buy one for $79  

I know you have investments in Apple, Jon, and I can appreciate that your need to defend that investment (it was obviously a wise one), but you need to see both sides of the coin here..

BTW, good luck adding RAM or hard drive space to that fancy lookin' iMac  

**edit**

I hate to use Dell as an example but since you cited them earlier, here's a comparable PC to the lowest model iMac, but with a larger screen and 50% more hard drive space:

http://configure.dell.com/dell.....odel_id=inspiron-580

The numbers really speak for themselves here..

**edit edit**

Sorry, it's missing the video card.. here's the exact same model, but with 4 times the RAM for $65

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5256326&CatId=3669

Tough card to find, for a "top of the line" Mac it's using a 2 year old video card.  

I downloaded AVG. Works good.

31 trojans and 7 viruses found.

Damn porn

Sparky that's because you always click yes to download files that end in .exe be cuz you think that's an abbreviation for "excellent" lol

Quoted from machine.slave

Most importantly, if you buy a PC (or build one) with compatible specs, you can actually dual-boot it with either Windows or OS X.  So really, you can have the best of both worlds at 1/3 the cost.  Karmatose can chime in on that if he likes, he's got more experience with it.

Yep. Let me know if you want to know more.  I've been running OS X on generic x86 hardware since 10.4.4 when the developer preview came out. It's never been easier to get OS X running on generic hardware.

My specs:

Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P
Intel Q9550 CPU
Nvidia 8800GTS 640mb
8GB of RAM
Several large HDDs.

This rig cost me far less than a Mac Pro and does everything I ask of it.

Quoted from wbradley

Well at least with Safari you can set it for private viewing and keep your cache clean.

Internet Explorer 8, Firefox and Safari for PC do the same.

Quoted from machine.slave

BTW, good luck adding RAM or hard drive space to that fancy lookin' iMac  

I've done both, very easy. For hard drives, external USB drives are cheap and easy to add. For RAM, all Macs are designed to at least have their RAM easily upgrades. There's just a little flap that's removed to install the RAM.

Quoted Text

I know you have investments in Apple, Jon, and I can appreciate that your need to defend that investment (it was obviously a wise one), but you need to see both sides of the coin here..

Go ahead and continue to call into question my character or motives, it is possible to have a civil discussion about these things ya know. I own stocks in all sorts of tech companies. I've owned my mac for many years before I bought any Apple stock.

I am fully ready to admit the flaws and advantages of every given platform. Macs do cost more money, but you get more. I think it's worth it, but others don't. And this decision will largely depend on a person's needs and means. It's no big deal. Why do these discussions always devolve into passionate arguments?

Mac all the way, unless you are a gamer I have a macbook and we also have a Macbook Pro, I wouldn't ever go back to a PC.

Just go play pinball will ya. ... or go build a cpu with coils, bumpers and relays.  

Quoted from jonny_eh

Why do these discussions always devolve into passionate arguments?

I prefer the term "debate".  No one's throwing stones here, man!  I still think you're good peeps regardless of your skewed opinion on Apple products  

Let's just agree to disagree and move on.

Quoted from jonny_eh

Why do these discussions always devolve into passionate arguments?

They turn into arguments because of misinformation and the RDF. If you're uncertain what the RDF is, Google is your friend.

I won't use Apple hardware after the last iBook and PowerMac I owned, but I love the OS. I do think Apple hardware is overpriced, underspec'ed and terribly unreliable. However, I'm a bit of a Unix nerd, and I use Photoshop for a living, so OS X is a good fit for me. So, what's a nerd who dislikes Apple hardware, likes OS X and still needs Visual Studio do? Hackintosh.

Quoted from jonny_eh

Go ahead and continue to call into question my character or motives...

Face it. Jon's right...Apple is a better product. Expensive, but better designed, intuitive to use, and damn sexy!


Sent on my iPhone.....lol

TRAITOR!!

Quoted from Hippochrome

Face it. Jon's right...Apple is a better product. Expensive, but better designed, intuitive to use, and damn sexy!


Sent on my iPhone.....lol

Quoted from machine.slave

TRAITOR!!

Lol. Ok George Bush.... "if yur not wit us, ur aginst us.....mmmmm pudding, I sure likes me some pudding"

I just recently switched to a Mac for the first time... here's what I found:


PC:
- Cheaper
- Prone to viruses and breaking down (both hardware and software)
- Lots of software available (many titles you'll never have a need for)
- Foreign help (call) centers (if they even have one - many sub parts farmed out)
- Warrantees have a very short lifespan with little coverage
- Windows issues (assuming your using windows)

MAC:
- Expensive
- Typically does not require a virus protector (although they sell one),
- Smaller array of software, but what they have is far superior to any PC software
- WELL-built and made to last
- N. America call centers whose first language is English/French
- Great warranty (Std. 1 year parts/labour) + expandable
- Great add-on products (i.e. airport, itunes, etc. etc.)
- Works (just slightly) different than a PC... takes about 3-4 weeks to learn all the nuances (but it's no issues after you learn them)
- Comes with operating system and programs... no extra costs.
- You can buy a programs that allows you to run all PC software if you like
- Windows & MS Office make a MAC version, that operates that same as the PC versions
- All apple products work seamlessly (very nice!!!)
- Reliable & sheik in style
- Your friends will 'OOOH, and AHH" over it.


Conclusion:

If you can afford a Mac and do not run specialty software, then MAC is 100% the way to go.  If you don't have the funds, or need to have a large range of software available... than PC is satisfactory.

Hope you make the right decision.


Good luck.