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Do You Use A MAC or PC For Your IM stuff.

by celente
38 replies
In the process of doing some design work and contemplating getting a new computer soon. Thinking about Getting a MAC...but I do not know much about them.

Would like to know your thoughts on the matter,.
#mac #stuff
  • Profile picture of the author Fernando Veloso
    Software matters. PC or Mac - irrelevant, unless you intent to perform some serious design work, let's say Photoshop with 2000 layers and 300GB.

    Otherwise for all the usual daily activities a last generation PC with one robust graphic card and 8GB memory is enough.

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  • Profile picture of the author Vlad Bacioiu
    i'm ok with my pc ! for design i use photoshop cs3. Photoshop cs3 is the first program that I learned.
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  • Profile picture of the author unlimitedmarketing
    I work with a PC. I have Adobe CS5, but Im wanting the new 5.5. I think either one is fine, I have worked with both. Not a big difference when it comes to functionality.
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  • Profile picture of the author donhx
    Originally Posted by celente View Post

    In the process of doing some design work and contemplating getting a new computer soon. Thinking about Getting a MAC...but I do not know much about them.

    Would like to know your thoughts on the matter,.
    It's a Windows world. You can't beat Windows computers for fair price, disk size, speed, latest CPUs, functionality and software availability. I used Macs for a few years and never felt they were worth the premium price for minimal configurations.

    Macs have only broken the 5% market share a couple times in their nearly 30 year history. Overall, they have been doing a bit better since they switched over to the Intel processor and can now run Windows. Windows has maintained about an 85% market share for about 30 years now, and that's a big number.

    A Mac is not needed for design. In fact, companies like Adobe, which produce some of the best design software, always release the Windows versions first now. Sometimes it is months before one of their products is available for the Mac. They realize it's a Windows world.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jeremy Banks
      Originally Posted by donhx View Post

      It's a Windows world. You can't beat Windows computers for fair price, disk size, speed, latest CPUs, functionality and software availability. I used Macs for a few years and never felt they were worth the premium price for minimal configurations.

      Macs have only broken the 5% market share a couple times in their nearly 30 year history. Overall, they have been doing a bit better since they switched over to the Intel processor and can now run Windows. Windows has maintained about an 85% market share for about 30 years now, and that's a big number.

      A Mac is not needed for design. In fact, companies like Adobe, which produce some of the best design software, always release the Windows versions first now. Sometimes it is months before one of their products is available for the Mac. They realize it's a Windows world.
      Agreed, a lot of the specialty software is made to work on PC first.
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      • Profile picture of the author bnwebm
        Adobe releases the Windows version first? I'm guessing you're referring to the home versions of their products, since most home users would have a PC. I work with Adobe Suite, for professionals and it's (to this point, CS5) been released to design professionals in both versions simultaneously.

        Anyway, i'm a Mac person, all the way BUT since upwards of 99.99999% of all IM tools are made for the Winmonster, I use my 12 y/o Gateway 2.2 GhZ PC if I need to run software. For anything else however, Mac.

        Originally Posted by jrbanks View Post

        Agreed, a lot of the specialty software is made to work on PC first.
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        • Profile picture of the author donhx
          Originally Posted by bnwebm View Post

          Adobe releases the Windows version first?

          Yes, professional software, not their consumer stuff. Adobe used to release for Mac's first, but not for a decade or more now. Only occasionally are they released simultaneously. Adobe has some products that don't even run on Macs, but has none that are Mac only.

          It's not just Adobe of course... Microsoft isn't overly interested producing Office for Macs because Macs have such a small market share, so they just produce a version once in a while and put their best efforts into Windows versions.

          It's also true of specialty products like Camtasia and Dragon NS. Both have been around many years and have only fairly recently been ported to Macs. The Mac versions, I've heard said, are not as featured-filled as the Windows version.

          Macs are not better because they are immune to viruses--they are not immune. The reality is, viruses are software too, but the hackers have not wasted their time writing virus for them considering the Mac market share. Windows computers are targets for virus writers simply because the market is so huge.

          Macs are okay. I taught graphic design on the university level on them for a couple years. But I don't think they are special in any way. That university later dropped using Macs almost completely and started teaching graphic design, web design and animation on Windows machines... they got more value for money both in hardware and software, so it was a wise decision for them. Back then, design people liked Macs, and I'm sure many still do, but not for technological reasons.

          For most of us the price of Macs is too high and the performance too low. They don't deliver any enhancement in productivity, although they are pretty to look at.
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  • Profile picture of the author SShip
    I use a MAC but it's limited when it comes to software, I find that to be the biggest issue. Otherwise, I love my MAC. Most things are made for the PC so you will need to find other alternatives for certain things. If you wanted to use some of the PC software on the MAC, you could get Parallels.
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  • Profile picture of the author JulianKane
    I've always used a PC for IM and even Design work, Mac's creep me out.
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  • Profile picture of the author noble
    IMO in the last 5-8 years Macs have survived from being trendy; that's it. They are way overpriced but people still want them because they're "cool". I'll stick with my PC it gets the job done and cost me a lot less.
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    • Profile picture of the author bnwebm
      Trendy? I suppose, but that's not why I work with Mac. There's no comparison on the eyes for the quality of the screen, resolution and color. I've compared websites i've done on my MacBook Pro with several Windows machines and the colors on the Mac are far more accurate. To be fair, my 12 y/o Gateway has usually gotten the job done. If it however, decides to slow down for no apparent reason, it's immediately reformatted because I have zero patience for slow anything. The Mac continues without slowing down.

      Macs, for people like me who will try just about anything to kill a machine, are surprisingly durable. Additionally, for those of us who throw out instruction manuals (intentionally), Macs are easy to operate right out of the box.



      Originally Posted by noble View Post

      IMO in the last 5-8 years Macs have survived from being trendy; that's it. They are way overpriced but people still want them because they're "cool". I'll stick with my PC it gets the job done and cost me a lot less.
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  • Profile picture of the author christopher jon
    It's a Windows world. You can't beat Windows computers for fair price, disk size, speed, latest CPUs, functionality and software availability.
    +1

    IMO in the last 5-8 years Macs have survived from being trendy
    +2

    You should ask yourself, why do you want a MAC?
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    • Profile picture of the author vask
      Originally Posted by christopher jon View Post

      You should ask yourself, why do you want a MAC?
      8+ hours with a 15 Inch display at max brightness doing minimal tasks such as surfing the net (11+ hours at low brightness).

      5-6 hours with a 15 Inch display at max brightness designing on photoshop WHILE watching a movie on netflix.

      Parallels takes care of all my window software needs. There isn't a software I need in the IM niche needs for me to bootcamp for the max use of memory and ram.

      Not saying that PCs are bad! My desktop is a PC!
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  • Profile picture of the author Colorado Deb
    I use both a PC running Windows 7 and a MacBook Pro in my business. I do a lot of Camtasia videos and the PC Camtasia is so much more powerful than the Cam for Mac. I know I could put Windows on my Mac and run Camtasia Studio there, but my PC does everything I want, short of heavy graphics Photoshop work. I wish my PC had the crisp screen my Mac has, but when it comes to functionality, it's all about software (as many have already mentioned). What do you plan to do online? What software does that best? Which computer supports the best versions of that software...

    Deb
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    • Profile picture of the author joinmyclub
      I work on my pc for about 5 yrs now! The software is more relevant not the type of computer itself.
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  • Profile picture of the author Shazia Mirza
    I work with a PC because you get the most up to date JDK. You can't get that with Mac, but if I plan on developing for the iPhone in the future, I will need a Mac, the only clear Pro that I see for it.
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    • Profile picture of the author bnwebm
      Actually, you won't need a Mac for developing apps, unless you want to test them on the machine itself. You can run SDK/XCode/Cocoa on a PC and emulate any device, including an iPod.

      Originally Posted by IMReview View Post

      I work with a PC because you get the most up to date JDK. You can't get that with Mac, but if I plan on developing for the iPhone in the future, I will need a Mac, the only clear Pro that I see for it.
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  • Profile picture of the author steven sanderson
    here here for macs, its all we use for our IM, easy to use, no anoying pop ups, only draw back is some IM software isnt mac compatable so a substitute has to be found, however we also have a mac with which we use something called bootcamp which carries mac and pc access with the ability to switch to either which overcomes software compatability
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  • Profile picture of the author ShelbyC
    I love my mac.

    Windows 7 definitely improved, but not enough to switch back.

    From my perspective Mac programs are generally well written, look great and just work out of box. I think the designers are just more artistic or something because 95% of programs look like they fit in with the OS.

    It's true that most software is written for Windows for backlinking and what not, but do you really want to do that? If so pick up a cheap side computer to let run all the time or do a split screen running VMWare and Windows.

    Linux is getting very cool as well, you can pick up Porteus and run it on a thumbdrive or from a cd if you want to try it out.

    85%+ of Internet Marketing is done on a web browser anyways and everyone's brand loyalty is hilarious. Use whatever you like to look at and work with everyday.

    Both PC's and Mac's have problems with hardware and software, God hasn't come down from heaven and given us the ideal operating system for our computers yet.
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  • Profile picture of the author 6visualbasic
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    • Profile picture of the author funkynassau
      Mac all the way! I am a magazine writer and editor and the Mac makes it so easy to turn out a really good looking mag. I was a PC user when I started (almost 17 yrs ago) but I moved to a Mac about 5 yrs ago and wished I'd done it sooner. It's much easier to do graphic things on a Mac. Plus it's a hell of a lot more reliable a computer than a PC. If you are doing anything artistic or graphical I recommend a Mac.
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      • Profile picture of the author Sonja
        It really boils down to personal preferences. No matter what the Mac bashers say it is just their "preference" and nothing else. I am a Mac convert because I got tired of every PC I purchased sooner or later experiencing issues from slowing down tremendously to just not working. God forbid I get a straight answer on how to fix it. And I don't buy cheap crap either. The maintenance and upkeep on a PC sucks because of so many different configurations from all of the manufacturers, it has become a nightmare. Just because a fix on computer A works doesn't mean it will work on computer B with the same operating system.

        I can do anything on my Mac that I could do on my PC....just differently. When I first switched I used to run parallels all of time. Now I rarely fire it up because I don't need to. That's because I learned the Mac way. Most nay sayers are just frustrated because they want to use their Mac the PC way and you just can't. Similarities exist but it is just different. Have you ever purchased a TV, DVD player, etc from one manufacturer and then bought another one from a different manufacturer? Well don't they do the same thing but different? Same concept with Mac vs PC. Yea there are a few applications that are windows only but I have not found that to be an issue at all. Got my parallels for any IM software that is windows only. It just takes time to learn a different way of doing things.

        I enjoy my MacBook Pro, my IPhone and my IPad and when and if I need some help I either go to the Apple store, go to one of the major Mac forums or call Apple. Try going to Best Buy and purchasing a computer and then going back there for help on how to use your new investment.

        So that's why I say it is just a matter of preference of which one you want and only you can be the judge of that.
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  • Profile picture of the author DireStraits
    Well, given that Windows and most Windows-based software can be run on Macs these days (with the right setup), and that many of the common IM-related tools you might need are also available for Mac, I suppose it really just comes down to personal preference.

    For myself, I do like the build quality of Macs but I don't really find them aesthetically pleasing at all, and I don't like Mac OS (always seems sort of "babyish" and too prettified, to me), so I wouldn't buy one.

    I'm a PC guy through and through. For business, my preference is the Lenovo "Think" range of laptops (Thinkpad) and desktops (ThinkCentre). Not the cheapest, but they have a build-quality that is comparable to (if not better than) Macs and they're typically rock-solid in terms of stability and reliability. They come at a premium, of course, but then so do Apple's products.

    Granted, Macs seem pretty popular among graphics/web designers and the like, but I don't think they're necessarily any better for that, these days - and definitely not necessary. I suspect that the reason they're still pretty popular among these people is because many are somewhat image-conscious, and Macs are obviously renowned for being trendy and fashionable.

    Your call, in the end. :p
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    • Profile picture of the author funkynassau
      I am the least trendy person you are likely to meet. Image and fashion doesnt much matter to me. I love my Macs, I have 3 of them. I dont care if it's cool to own one or not, they work for me!
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      • Profile picture of the author celente
        Originally Posted by funkynassau View Post

        I am the least trendy person you are likely to meet. Image and fashion doesnt much matter to me. I love my Macs, I have 3 of them. I dont care if it's cool to own one or not, they work for me!
        Yes i am considering just buying one.

        I have heard good and bad things, but will be using it as a stand alone, I have 4 PC myself. He he. LOL. Yes ok, I am an addict. LOL.
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        • Profile picture of the author mjMONEY
          Mac is the perfect computer for an affiliate marketer! The fact you can use spaces alone makes it worth every penny. I have installed multiple OS's on my mac as well and you can switch through them with the click of a button, its so awesome! Spend the extra money and get a mac.
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  • Profile picture of the author Boomachucka
    Always annoys me when people try to distinguish Apple's products vs. everybody else with "Mac vs PC"...

    A Mac is a PC. PC stands for Personal Computer. Though I'm not so sure I'd necessarily consider a Mac one of those either

    I do all of my work on Windows and Linux based machines, and I build all of them myself. That way you know what goes into it and that there aren't any power or compatibility issues that seem to be common with most OEM's.

    On the other hand, if you want something that looks pretty, is trendy, and is essentially non-upgradable in the future, feel free to line Steve Jobs' pockets a little more

    (Just my opinion, not directed at anyone in particular)
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    • Profile picture of the author Sonja
      Originally Posted by Boomachucka View Post

      Always annoys me when people try to distinguish Apple's products vs. everybody else with "Mac vs PC"...

      A Mac is a PC. PC stands for Personal Computer. Though I'm not so sure I'd necessarily consider a Mac one of those either

      I do all of my work on Windows and Linux based machines, and I build all of them myself. That way you know what goes into it and that there aren't any power or compatibility issues that seem to be common with most OEM's.

      On the other hand, if you want something that looks pretty, is trendy, and is essentially non-upgradable in the future, feel free to line Steve Jobs' pockets a little more

      (Just my opinion, not directed at anyone in particular)
      I'm sure that most people already know that PC stands for personal computer. However, if someone says PC, 99% of the time they are NOT referring to a Mac so of course it comes down to a Mac vs PC/Windows OS. People are using PC and Windows interchangeably.

      BTW, I took one of my HP laptops and installed Ubuntu on it. Is Linux and Ubuntu similar? I completely wiped out Windows 7 on it and I really like that Ubuntu. It didn't stop me from buying a Mac though because I am one of those Steve Jobs supporters who will continue to support him

      And that's of course just my opinion
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  • Profile picture of the author HowieM
    Alienware M17x-R3.

    That's all I'm going to say.
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  • Profile picture of the author MikesTraffic
    I use PC and Linux.
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    PC and hp laptop
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  • Profile picture of the author omk
    I personally use PCs. I always have since I was a kid and I never switched over to Mac. I think the Macs design wise are awesome, but the PCs have fewer file conversion, transfer and available software issues for me.
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  • Profile picture of the author doorkicker13
    Ubuntu is a Linux distro, just like Suse, Red Hat, etc...



    I use a PC... I thought about switching to Mac and then I asked myself "Why?" and I didn't really have an answer. I'm comfortable with windows, I know it and I don't want to have to relearn something if I don't HAVE to.
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  • Profile picture of the author ShelbyC
    I thought about switching to Mac and then I asked myself "Why?" and I didn't really have an answer. I'm comfortable with windows,
    Very true, I think a lot of people buy a Mac and try it out and expect it to be Windows. When I first switched there was still a learning curve. Apple definitely does things different, is it better? No answer for that.

    Celente if you want to try one out, do it! You just might prefer it, a lot of people do after they switch and wouldn't consider switching back.
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  • Profile picture of the author mavmav
    Always been a PC user and always will be. The mac books are pricey and i never found a good reason to pay the extra amount and buy one.
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    • Profile picture of the author Marty S
      Originally Posted by donhx View Post

      Macs have only broken the 5% market share a couple times in their nearly 30 year history. Overall, they have been doing a bit better since they switched over to the Intel processor and can now run Windows. Windows has maintained about an 85% market share for about 30 years now, and that's a big number.
      What you are referring to is the comparison of OS's in the marketplace, not the actual PCs. Macs have been in the top 5 PC retail numbers for quite a while and only Dell and HP sell substantially more units then Macs. And both of those companies would absolutely love to have Apple's margins over their own. Because Apple does not share their OS, you have to own one to experience it. You will have to admit this model has served them well.

      Apple Cracks 10% PC Market Share For First Time in Decades | Cult of Mac


      Originally Posted by DireStraits View Post

      I suspect that the reason they're still pretty popular among these people is because many are somewhat image-conscious, and Macs are obviously renowned for being trendy and fashionable.
      LoL. Sure has nothing to do with decades of leading innovations in the electronic and computer world, the massive APP market, easily integrated product lines, industry changing ergonomic designs, longer shelf life for PCs, significantly less viruses, more stable and productive OS, iLife included software, etc etc etc.. Think about all of the great things you use in your electronic world right now, and then ask yourself where the idea came from. You will be surprised how many are Apple innovations, or at least brought to market by them.

      And one of the latest innovations which (again) will be copied by all PCs: Thunderbolt which creates a new data transfer port that is 20 times faster than a USB 2.0 connection.

      Apple - Thunderbolt: Next-generation high-speed I/O technology.

      So hey OP listen, you can use either for your IM activities. I have both on my desk right now and in fact am typing this on a Dell PC. One thing I have come to figure is that I consider my PCs more of an expense, and my Macs more of an investment - because they will be staying with me much longer. A lot of this decision is about your initial budget and if you are tight, I would certainly say go PC to keep your costs low. However since you are already "thinking" about Mac, I am sure you will have one in your future soon enough. ;-)

      Since I do have a choice of what machine I will be using on any given task, all I can say is that I lean more on my Mac everyday for sheer productivity and ease of use, and a measurably more enjoyable working experience.

      With so many of these Mac vs PC threads in this forum, many realities are often blurred because of personal preferences or allegiances. But to help clear things up, just ask any Mac and/or PC owner after 2 years of ownership how they feel about their computer in terms of productivity, reliability, hardware, periphials, viruses etc. With that, you will probably be able to figure why I say your Mac will be more of an investment to you.
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      • Profile picture of the author DireStraits
        Originally Posted by Marty S View Post

        LoL. Sure has nothing to do with decades of leading innovations in the electronic and computer world, the massive APP market, easily integrated product lines, industry changing ergonomic designs, longer shelf life for PCs, significantly less viruses, more stable and productive OS, iLife included software, etc etc etc.. Think about all of the great things you use in your electronic world right now, and then ask yourself where the idea came from. You will be surprised how many are Apple innovations, or at least brought to market by them.
        Just because Apple allegedly pioneered certain technological innovations, it doesn't mean you're contractually bound to only use their products, nor that you must feel compelled to do so in order to "reward them for their achievements". Though I admit, the tendency to believe as much is a common trait of Apple fanboys/girls. :p

        Apple are a corporation with profiteering interests and little else. Users of Apple products should judge them on a case-by-case basis, comparing their applicability, resilience, cost, and so on against other products in the marketplace. There are are other manufacturers whose products are just as good (albeit different), sometimes better, and sometimes cheaper, that Apple users refuse to consider simply because they're not made by Apple.

        But hey, whatever floats one's boat. None of this is going to stop me disliking Apple products.
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  • Profile picture of the author MMWoodward
    Because I had an old Aspire 1350 (I think it was) that was literally falling apart on me and only had 40GBs of memory, I eventually had to switch over to Mac. The laptop was also unable to use many art programs that I have and tended to crash a lot.

    I switched over to a Mac because I had used them in college, although I despised them at first. At the end of my degree, I ended up using them and preferring them over the PCs.

    With the Mac I have now, I can run so many things without issue but, truly, it's a personal preference. Considering the cost of Macs compared to PCs, a Mac may not be suitable for someone just starting out in IM if they do not have money already put aside for the purchase.
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