Anyone using an Apple computer?

[SimpleS14]

I was just wondering if anyone on this forum is using an Apple computer. If so...what model computer and OS version are you using? also what do you think about the computer and OS? what do you mainly use your computer for? also how do you compare it to a PC/Windows configuration?

I'm asking this because I just saw the new iMac G5 and fell in love with the design, display, OS layout and speed. I can see myself having fun with that kind of computer for grahpic designing and video editing. But I was curious to see what other Apple computer owners feel about their computer and OS.

[s0ldats]

i'm using a powerbook g4, 1ghz. os 10.3.6


it is great for whta i do. (photo manipulation and video)


edit: if you do get the imac, make sure you add more ram immediately. i think he stock ram it comes with is 256, which is way too little for OSX. 512 minimum, 1gb optimal. more is great :)

[Rennen]

I have a 733mHz G4 Quicksilver. I have used an Apple of some sort since I was ten, and I find using a PC an exercise in frustration.

As for OS, I am currently running 10.3.6 of OSX, I actually preferred OS9 for a while, but everyone stopped developing software. I have used all of Apple's OSes at one time or another from the Apple IIe I used for keyboarding practice, to today.


In terms of use, the G4 is my home computer so its usage is about 95% internet/music/messenging the other 5% is for vid and pic editing for fun. I am never far away from a PC computer lab if I need to use any "tool" software like AutoCAD/ProE/Matlab I just go there.


As for the age-old PC vs Mac debate. I grown up using a Mac, so of course it seems more natural to me in terms of interface, and I would consider myself in the top 25% Mac users in terms of system knowledge. I also use PCs alot. I use them at school, work, and I am also a computer consultant at our school's computer labs. My mac is much more stable, always has been. I have yet to ever get a virus/spyware/etc. When I use any Microsoft program/OS I get the feeling like it is a small retarded child who has decided that it will take over thinking for me... and it is really frustrating. For instance: Excell turning everything I type into a day of the week, Word making all of my paragraphs tab over when I want only one line tabbed, or installing Windows and Linix on a PC, and having windows skip the boot screen and go to directly booting itself. Enough ranting though, the point is I like my mac because everything works together, it always works, and it works like I want it to.

If you are going from XP->OSX, there shouldn't be too much trouble adapting, the OSes are eerily similar, with small differences, if you use it for more than a week, you should be able to find your way around well. I would suggest going to a Mac computer lab, or trendy internet coffee place :) and using one for a period of time and seeing if you like the interface. Any G5 should be "fast enough" unless you are getting superhardcore into video editing.


What G5 are you looking at? and for what application? If you are using it for a general home computer it works great for internet(Safari is built in, it it is similar to Mozilla firefox), music(IMO iTunes is unparalleled when it somes to music organization and features), and picture orgaization(with iPhoto).

-Matt

[cali240sxdrifter]

you can always go dual cpu's =D and a nice rendering card.

but yeah am waiting till the G5 powerbooks come out. I love the sleek design of their powerbooks and battery life.

[S14DB]

Apple IIe here

[SimpleS14]

Rennen - I'm looking at the iMac G5 and the applications I would use are various adobe programs (i.e. photoshop), iLife, Keynote and any other software unique to that OS.

Right now I'm in the thinking phase....quite honestly....I'm waiting to see if Microsoft is going to pull anything "nice" and "cool" with there upcoming OS. But for now...I'm leaning towards Apple since its sooo simple and doesn't seem as frustrating.

[drift freaq]

Powerbook G4 1.33 ghz OSX 10.3.6 , Only problem I see with the IMac G5 is the lack of gigabyte ethernet.
I have used PC's and Mac's . I prefer Macs most likely because I engineer and produce as well as compose/write music. Mac's are pretty much the defacto standard in the music business and video and graphics.
That aside I ran OS9 for a long time till I finally jumped to to OSX . I happen to love OSX . One of the nicest operating systems I have seen in a long time.
Don't look at Microsoft as passing OSX . Whatever they come up with will be similar but enough different that if your a hardcore Mac fan you won't like it.
I am also picking up a Dual 2ghz tower in the next month.
Previous Mac was a G4 Dual 450.
I say this if you are doing a lot of Mac type stuff and want a computer that is pretty much damn near virus immune get the Mac.
If your a PC user and don't mind fighting the 64,000 virus's floating around out there written for them get the PC.
Whatever does the Job for you.
For me its a Mac .
P.S. ya and I love my Ipod and Itunes hehehehehe

[vegita319]

Pretty much what everyone else has said. Another thing to consider is do you play games? If not, go with the mac, its so much more reliable. Final Cut pro is such a good software too. Macs are made for users, pcs are made for people to learn how to fix their computers.

[Vatche]

i myself had a 1.4ghz amd powered pc.....it crapped out and im going to buy a 3.6ghz p4 and slap in on a new motherboard i bought. ive got about 280 gigs and im planning on 1024 ddram....thats what im gonna build after xmas....

mac wise i have a 266 g3 os9 and a 350mhz g3 blue and white with osx those are both for sale on ebay i think i already sold the 266....anywayz my mom has a dual g4 with osx of course....im really not impressed by the macs.....i was a mac guy before a pc guy and it just doesnt compare anymore...back in the day macs had advantages on almost everything except software...now they got nothing but shiny shit....i dont know.....i really like pcs....just my opinion though

[drift freaq]

i myself had a 1.4ghz amd powered pc.....it crapped out and im going to buy a 3.6ghz p4 and slap in on a new motherboard i bought. ive got about 280 gigs and im planning on 1024 ddram....thats what im gonna build after xmas....

mac wise i have a 266 g3 os9 and a 350mhz g3 blue and white with osx those are both for sale on ebay i think i already sold the 266....anywayz my mom has a dual g4 with osx of course....im really not impressed by the macs.....i was a mac guy before a pc guy and it just doesnt compare anymore...back in the day macs had advantages on almost everything except software...now they got nothing but shiny shit....i dont know.....i really like pcs....just my opinion though

hahahahahaha right when the operating system gets killer you bail on it. A 350mhz G3 is damn near almost to slow to reap the benefits of OSX IMHO. If you ran a Powerbook or a G5 yourself you might feel different.
I routinely blow away my PC laptop friends with the amount of multitasking I can do on my G4 1.33 ghz powerbook.
I will say in Audio post production there is one program that shines on the PC Nuendo from Steinberg. Other than that though the Mac still owns the Audio/Video and Graphics world.
Also what makes your statement funny is the fact I know a lot of Linux programmers that have jumped from PC to Mac because OSX is unix based and a programmers dream.
If you think Macs have nothing but shiny shit you need to go back and look at what your trying to use it for. You also need to open your eyes.

Fact is for most users except gamers and power users processors are more than fast enough at this point in time. The average computer user can get by with a 350-450mhz chip without noticing anything.
Intel sold people on the MHZ speed deal as a way of advertising to make people believe they were better.
Fact is Intel chip design has been flawed for a long time hence AMD really making a better processor.
Though speed of the chip is not really the deciding factor in how fast the computer can process a task. It also is wrapped up in the instruction set.
Intel and AMD make Cisc or complex instruction set chips vs the IBM/Motorola RISC ( reduced instruction set chip) chip in Macs.
A Risc chip will run faster than a equivently rated Cisc chip due to the design.
Thats why the whole speed deal is misleading to say the least.
That said if your a gamer go PC games galore.
If your serious about audio production and video production and graphics MACS just rule software wise and the ability to just plug them in load software and go. Though there are a few audio post production programs that rule for PC all PC users I know in the audio business also own Macs to be able to fit in with the rest of the industry.
The defacto Industry standard is Pro Tools though its made for PC you will sell almost all Pro Tools users i.e. Pro Studios professional for hire and private running Mac based Pro Tools systems and in the post production world AVID systems and Final Cut Pro again on Macs.
I am not saying the Mac is better here (though I do like it better) . I am saying your statement dismissing the Mac away sounds very uninformed to say the least. Maybe your not that uninformed? Of course then maybe you would not have made your previous statement.

[MakotoS13]

no thanks. i'll keep my lowbudget high output linux/XP PC machines.

[Var]

In Processing power how would a 2gig G5 compare to a 3gig P4?

[s0ldats]

one is 64 bit. the other is not.

[cali240sxdrifter]

also most people go for the OS...OSX is more stable than Win.

[MakotoS13]

if you treat it right XP is marginally solid but linux is just plain cool mandrake 9.2 > OSX

[drift freaq]

In Processing power how would a 2gig G5 compare to a 3gig P4?
a 2 gig G5 would be as powerful if not more Powerful than the 3gig P4. I believe there are benchmark tests on the net to show this as well.
though sometimes benchmark test do not show everything different programs are sometimes optimized for a particular platform or processor . In the case of a G5 Photoshop and such are optimized for the Altivec engine , in fact its even optimized to take advantage of the Dual processor setup as well as is Logic.

[cali240sxdrifter]

if you treat it right XP is marginally solid but linux is just plain cool mandrake 9.2 > OSX


well yeah true, but it acts up at the wrong times too. it pisses me off sometimes hehe. But yeah Linux is awesome, I just wish I had more time to master it and play around with it, but school sucks. HEY! maybe i should find a class to learn it.. lol sorry that just poped into my head.

[MakotoS13]

the ONLY reason you dont have to be TAUGHT windblowz is cause you've grown up with it.

linux is still ice cream... just a different flavor.

[blu808]

I have a new g5 desktop. It kicks ass on everything, but my internet is hella slow for some reason... Anyways. Do any mac users know how to do a right click type of thing to post pics and such?

[Rennen]

I have a new g5 desktop. It kicks ass on everything, but my internet is hella slow for some reason... Anyways. Do any mac users know how to do a right click type of thing to post pics and such?

if you have the worthless one button mouse they came with, hold down control and click.

Then go out and buy a two button scroll mouse and enjoy the right clickedness.

-Matt

[old_s13]

a 2 gig G5 would be as powerful if not more Powerful than the 3gig P4. I believe there are benchmark tests on the net to show this as well.
though sometimes benchmark test do not show everything different programs are sometimes optimized for a particular platform or processor . In the case of a G5 Photoshop and such are optimized for the Altivec engine , in fact its even optimized to take advantage of the Dual processor setup as well as is Logic.

Apple = Good for things like, playing Prince of Persia part 1

Dell, Gateway, IBM PC's, etc = Good for playing Prince of Persia part 2

Custom built PC = good for downloading and watching hundreds of gigs worth of porno

Listen to a professional folks, any pre-built PC is typically junk. Want a PC that will perform to your liking? Custom build it with the best quality components you can find.

All this and for what? You just end up watching porno most of the time. "WOW! I can check my e-mail and watch Jenna Jameson fuck a horse! LOOK MA, NO HANDS!"

waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa