MAC or pc?

[admin_exported]

I'm just going to be ripping CDs to a lossless format (FLAC or Apple lossless) and mp3, storing them on a NAS or windows media server or mac mini and playing back the lossless format at home and the mp3 format on an ipod. No fancy mixing, fading etc ...

And my question is .. If starting out fresh ... are there major drawbacks from going either the mac or pc route when it comes to computer based media? What else do I need to consider?

 

[Anonymous]

When it comes to audio, both will do fine. My slight inclanation would be towards a Mac (I am a PC user.) because I love the new displays on MacbookPros!

Macs cost more and PCs have Foobar and other open-source cool software available.

 

[Anonymous]

Yeah use a Mac as PC's are really horrible to use. As for the end result its the same.......

Dan

 

[Anonymous]

Me too .. they look so cool and I've had enough of pc viruses etc but I was recommended the pc route for the software etc and am more used to pcs (and all the hassle that goes with them). Are set ups etc that much easier with macs?

I was hoping to use DBPoweramp to rip to FLAC as I heard it's really good but you can't use it on a a MAC. Is there a good MAC alternative? There's also name and retag (or something like that).

 

[professorhat]

I would get a Mac just because I think personally Macs are better suited for home use than PCs - most of the software you need comes with it in the form of iLife and they also seem to have some benefits in terms of audio output from what I've read.

And before anyone asks, no I don't want to get in discussion about it, if you prefer the PC then I'm very glad for you

(NB - I could be biased since I work in IT and most of my time spent with PCs over the last 10 years has been trying to figure out what's wrong with them!).

 

[Anonymous]

Wow, this thread could disintegrate into chaos. Before Vista I would have said Mac's were the easy choice as Windows handled high res music badly, but that's no longer the case. I have both types of machines, but if it means anything I have noticed that since getting my first Mac about 3 years ago I have drifted over to using the Mac about 90% of the time. As for software, there are Mac alternatives (or quite often the same software) for doing everything and the vast majority of the time they do it more eloquently and more easily. As for doing AccurateRip and CDParanoia CD rips, XLD is an excellent piece of software for the Mac (as is MAX for converting from FLAC to Apple Lossless or from just about any format to another format). Now, I'm glad most people use Windows machines as I get paid to fix them but in all honesty, if I was to stick with one or the other it would be a very easy choice, Mac.

(XLD is more for the geek however, great capabilities but not designed with novices in mind)

 

[John Duncan]

If you're used to using Windows, stick with Windows. I'm no huge fan of Vista (I think it's counterintuitive if you cut your teeth on Windows 3.11 for Workgroups) but it still broadly behaves how you expect computers to behave. Macs need a whole new way of thinking (oh yes they do) and if you can't be bothered, you might as well get a Windows PC.

On the plus side with a Mac, wireless networking just works©, you don't get viruses (generally), they're pretty, getting bit perfect audio is easy, blah blah

 

[SteveR750]

JohnDuncan:If you're used to using Windows, stick with Windows. I'm no huge fan of Vista (I think it's counterintuitive if you cut your teeth on Windows 3.11 for Workgroups) but it still broadly behaves how you expect computers to behave. Macs need a whole new way of thinking (oh yes they do) and if you can't be bothered, you might as well get a Windows PC.

On the plus side with a Mac, wireless networking just works©, you don't get viruses (generally), they're pretty, getting bit perfect audio is easy, blah blah

In what way, any examples?

The one thing that puts me off a Mac apart from the price is that I use MS office and Outlook all day every day and have done for years. I cannot imagine owning a PC without Excel for example.

 

[professorhat]

SteveR750:In what way, any examples?

It's just getting used to the way the OS works - e.g. there's no Start button so applications are found within what's known as the Finder (Mac's equivalent of Windows Explorer) in a folder called Applications - this wouldn't be immediately obvious until you know / run through a tour. Common ones are placed in the Dock which is a bar of shortcuts and is placed at the bottom, left or right of the screen (up to you) and you add your own shortcuts to this by dragging them from Finder to the Dock. Really, it's just getting used to the way it all works - I'd liken it to going from a Nokia mobile phone to a Sony Ericsson - at first everything seems strange, you have to find where everything is and some of the keys are in the wrong place compared to the Nokia (like when texting). But of course, after using it for a while, it then becomes second nature.

SteveR750:The one thing that puts me off a Mac apart from the price is that I use MS office and Outlook all day every day and have done for years. I cannot imagine owning a PC without Excel for example.

Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac.

 

[Anonymous]

Alternatively, you can buy an excellent product called Vmware which allows you to run Windows - including 7 - and windows software in a window under the Mac OS.

 

[Superaintit]

In my experience a Mac would be best suited for computer based media. I changed from a windows XP computer to a mac mini about 6 months ago. All I can say is that to me the pro's far outway the cons. You get a digital out with every mac. I installed vlc media player (also great when you're a windows user), neo-office, firefox. It just works like I want it too. The only negative I have so far found with the mac mini is that it makes too much noise when spinning a cd (not with dvds). For this reason I would buy a different model next time. Probably the imac. For now I rip the cds directly to the harddrive- this way it's whisper quiet.

Hope this helps. Ask me anything you want.

 

[John Duncan]

SteveR750:
JohnDuncan:If you're used to using Windows, stick with Windows. I'm no huge fan of Vista (I think it's counterintuitive if you cut your teeth on Windows 3.11 for Workgroups) but it still broadly behaves how you expect computers to behave. Macs need a whole new way of thinking (oh yes they do) and if you can't be bothered, you might as well get a Windows PC.

On the plus side with a Mac, wireless networking just works©, you don't get viruses (generally), they're pretty, getting bit perfect audio is easy, blah blah

In what way, any examples?

The one thing that puts me off a Mac apart from the price is that I use MS office and Outlook all day every day and have done for years. I cannot imagine owning a PC without Excel for example.

Lots of things. Alt-tab doesn't switch between windows of the same application. You create a new folder and it ends up not being where you want it and you have to move it - I think the standard operating procedure for Macites is to create one on the desktop and drag it to where you want it. On the plus side, the 'Folder Alias' concept is brilliant. Getting to the desktop is a keystroke rather than a button on the taskbar, but conversely 'Spaces' is great, whereby you can have a number of different desktops and switch between them. Things like that, just a different mindset required.

Office 2007 for Mac looks very pretty but doesn't support VBA if you're a fan of creating custom functions or programmability - I think even NeoOffice (a Mac port of OpenOffice) might be better in this regard, but it's no big deal for me as I don't tend to use it.

As someone else mentions, running a copy of windows via Bootcamp is amazing - if you boot up into windows XP on a Mac it runs like lightning, and if you add VMWare or Parallels you can run Windows apps seamlessly in your Mac desktop with minimal performance hit. Costs 50 quid though (and you need a copy of Windows as well).

 

[professorhat]

Spaces is awesome and was one of the main reasons I upgraded from Tiger to Leopard recently (when I found out Snow Leopard was going to be Intel only).

I have to say though, I've never had an issue creating a folder and it not being where I wanted it - was this a pre-Tiger issue?

 

[John Duncan]

Nope, current, OSX Leopard. If I go into Documents, open it up, select a subdirectory, and go File/New Folder, I expect the new folder to be a subdirectory of Documents, which is what would happen in windows. Instead, the new folder is created at the same level as Documents.

 

[professorhat]

Ahh, understood. You see I always just right click in a blank area of the place where I want a new folder and then choose New Folder (have always done so for Windows as well) so that's why I never noticed!

 

[John Duncan]

agreed, there are so many ways to do things in windows that a mac may behave exactly as you expect. Doesn't for me though. The escape key not always being 'cancel' throws me as well...

Worth noting that mac's mail and calendar are poor if you're used to outlook though, and microsoft's equivalent Entourage may be obligatory if you intend to use a mac as a business machine.

 

[Anonymous]

Can of worms indeed !

Thanks for some great posts. It's 70-30 to Mac so far. Have realised I spend more time sorting out poroblems on the pc than doing stuff. Have taken on board that going to Mac will be a new way of doing things - but from what I've seen - far more intutuitive and if it works then I'm happy. I don't live too far from the store and they do a 1 on 1 tuition package thing for newbies which I'll take up.

As far as I can see there is Vmware, bootcamp and windows for Macs for my pc stuff so that bit is covered. My main concern going the Mac route is being limited in terms of using other devices to connect up and formats and of course all my work stuff is pc. I guess Mac or PC is the first choice to make before moving on to the rest.

Off to the Apple store to badger them with more questions ...

 

[Anonymous]

Note that you'll need a minimum of 2gb RAM if you want to use Vmware, which I'd heartily recommend especially at the current prices on Amazon. If you want to use Windows 7, then you'll need 4gb.

You can add memory to iMacs easily and without voiding the warranty, but the mac mini is much harder.

 

[Anonymous]

thnx good to know!

 

[Anonymous]

I think I've said it but will say again - equivalent (on specs) PCs are much cheaper.... Don't have exact figures but would guess 20-50% less...

I have used PCs for the last 12-13 years with intermittent use of MacOS9 in one of my old jobs...Actually with MacOS9 I spent more time figuring out the problems than with my Windows machines, especially 2000, XP and Vista. As bloated as Vista is, it has behaved well in the 2 years of use, it almost never crashes. My XP was bulletproof too.

 

[Anonymous]

Mac by a mile. Superb in every way. Have used both for years so opinion based on experience.

 

[Anonymous]

Was looking to use the squeezebox with a windows media server but called Logitech in the US and was told that it isn't certified with servers and that slimserver should be on an external hard drive - the only NAS drive it's certified with is netgear. They said it would work fine with a mac mini.