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Need a Mac...

MikePro

New Member
Pardon me for getting off on a rant.

I just don't buy whole notion of someone being "professionally trained on Mac."

rant if you will, but Apple still rules. I only bring up the fact that students learn on Apple because its true, and still a point to consider despite your disgust with my use of the term "professionally trained". Apple still handles graphics and fonts better than any PC, unless you put some serious $$$ into it. I also forgot to mention... how many virus/spyware attacks have Mac users encountered lately? Owait, none. Windows blows, and their customers are really only beta testers until they get it right in version10.

besides, the point of the OP's topic was whether he should cross-over from being PC-only and my response was an emphatic YES! The real world has multiple platforms, and so should your business.
 

txsurfer

New Member
We have six apples we use strictly for designing, we have everything from laptops to imacs to desktops, they all work great, buy the best you can afford!
 

FatCat

New Member

Yeah, I'm surprised nobody mentioned this up until now. Unless you've been living under a rock, the Mac will run Windows all day long - and run it as fast or even faster than an economy PC box. My Mac has all my Adobe stuff, fonts, art, etc. on it and on the Windows side I run Quickbooks, MS Office, MS Publisher and GraphixCALC Pro.

So basically, you can have one machine to run everything - problem solved.
 

petesign

New Member
I like the Apple OS okay, but the hardware isn't worth the expense. You can build your own pc that will run circles around a macintrash for 1/2 the cost. As long as you aren't into kinky websurfing, or open your emails with half a bit of common sense, virus and spyware infections aren't a huge issue either.

The best way to accelerate a mac is 9.8 m/s2.

(that post should feed the flames for a while... back to work for me - I will come back and survey the results later)
 

Locals Find!

New Member
Go PC they are much more cost effective in the long run.

When your hardware fails (which will happen to every piece of hardware at some point Mac or PC) do you want to have to wait days or weeks to get the right parts or do you want to be able to choose from thousands of places where you can get that part you need in hours?

Also, Macs aren't immune to viruses just less likely to get them.

Below are some of the reasons why Apple Macintosh computers do not have as many viruses as Microsoft Windows.

  1. Newer Macintosh operating systems, such as the Mac OS X, is built on the Unix kernel, which is one of the oldest and most secure operating systems available.
  2. Microsoft Windows is used by a lot more people than the Apple Mac OS. Because more people use Microsoft Windows, it is a much better target than Apple computers.
  3. Most of the computer virus writers are more familiar with the IBM platform and Microsoft Windows, which means its easier for them create a virus for that platform.
  4. Many of the tools and scripts used to help users create viruses or other malware are designed for Microsoft Windows.
Source: http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000737.htm
 

Bobby H

Arial Sucks.
MikePro said:
rant if you will, but Apple still rules.

It only rules in the same vain as a Bud Light drinker saying Coors Light is horse urine. It's brand worship hyperbole.

MikePro said:
I only bring up the fact that students learn on Apple because its true, and still a point to consider despite your disgust with my use of the term "professionally trained".

"Professionally trained" only applies to a graphics student when he is properly learning actual subjects in design rather than merely figuring out how to click around in Photoshop. The computing hardware is nothing more than a tool. It isn't some sort of magic cape that delivers super creative powers. The student must possess some natural talent. The teacher must have a command on the topic. It's not enough to merely teach applications. But that's what most places offering what passes for "design training" do.

It makes no difference what hardware a so-called design school chooses to run. If anything, the choice of putting Mac hardware on the desks is more of a marketing ploy to attract students. It subscribes to the stereotype that all professional graphics work is created on Macs. The kids get all the warm and fuzzy feelings of seeing Macs on the desks. They're less inclined to ask themselves if the person doing the "teaching" is even qualified to be there.

MikePro said:
Apple still handles graphics and fonts better than any PC, unless you put some serious $$$ into it.

More hyperbole. The applications and periphreals are doing far more in producing the work than the operating system. A Mac based install of Adobe InDesign isn't going to do anything more or anything better than a PC running the same program and using the same fonts.

The Mac platform hasn't been superior to Windows in graphics production since the mid 1990s. Back then the Mac platform had superior versions of Adobe Illustrator and exclusive applications like LivePicture. Windows 3.1/NT/95 didn't have much in terms of color calibration tools. Back then graphics work was all print oriented. Then the web took off in popularity. So did 3D gaming and visual effects. Apple nearly went out of business before Steve Jobs swooped in and saved the company.

I think the Mac platform is in trouble again, and deliberately so by Apple's own doing. The company is making a lot more money selling iPods, iPhones and iPads to consumers than it is from catering to a niche base of creative professional workers. One of my friends who does professional video work is very angry over what Apple did to his beloved Final Cut Studio with the update from FCP 7 to FCP X. Apple doesn't care because dominating the personal computing market doesn't fit with their grand plan. Apple thinks it can get its rivals to chase them 100% into the consumer gadget market space, effectively kill off the personal computer workstation as we know it and have everyone using portable tablets instead. So far, I think their plan is working.

MikePro said:
I also forgot to mention... how many virus/spyware attacks have Mac users encountered lately? Owait, none.

The user demographics aren't there for the virus writers to bother with making Mac-oriented viruses.

As of August 2011 the worldwide share of computers running versions of the MacOS was 7.31%; versions of MS Windows were on 82.5% of computer systems. Other operating systems like Linux, Sun Solaris, etc. have the remaining balance.

Most writers of computer malware are in it for the money. Windows systems are the biggest target. The vast majority of businesses worldwide run Windows-based clients. The Mac user base is a niche with a lot less money to steal. Students, young people and workers in certain fields (like newspaper publishing or video editing) represent the bulk of the OSX market. A computer thief isn't going to find much to steal by breaking into any of those machines. I guarantee if most computer users were using Macs there absolutely would be a lot of Mac-based computer viruses spreading in the wild.

OSX being UNIX-based is no guarantee either. Other UNIX-based things have been targeted by viruses, such as the Apache server under Linux. The folks at Apple aren't stupid enough to think their product is completely immune either. Proof of concept viruses have been made for OSX and the classic Mac OS. And Apple has indeed patched OSX with security updates on numerous occaisions.

Mac OSX was not engineered by some god or superhero. It was made by fallible human beings, just like all other operating systems and computing applications. Lots of computer software engineers and scientists have migrated between Microsoft, Apple, Oracle, Sun, IBM and various other companies over the decades.
 
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SignBurst PCs

New Member
Chris, you look for the same things in a Mac as you do in a PC. They run on the same Intel platform and their is no voodoo or magic inside (contrary to popular belief). You will get very similar results in equally equipped Windows 7 or OSX systems. One consideration might be the iMac vs Mac Pro. I would highly recommend the Mac Pro over the iMac. The hardware is of higher quality (more reliable) in the Mac Pro and so is the chassis design. Yes, the iMac is cute, but the Mac Pro will serve you better in the long run. The Mac Pro is simply built better.

You will need to purchase new Mac versions of your design software. That isn't that big of a deal other than the added expense.

The idea that a Mac is somehow "better" at dealing with graphics is ignorant. That is not the case at all. What may be advantageous is that your designer may feel "warm and fuzzy" with his Mac and may increase productivity.

If I were you, I would just strap him to a new SignBurst™ and he will change religions. But then again, I am a bit biased.
 

petesign

New Member
^^^ Yep, Mac's stopped using the RISC processors a while ago and went with Intel. Same guts, just shiny cases.
 

2972renfro

New Member
Apple fanboys crack me up all the time! :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

Funny, i see just as many pc fanboys doing the same thing here. This did not have to go to a pc vs mac war again

For arguments sake.. let's say the only difference between a mac and a pc is the design of the case. We all know that there is more to it than that but hear me out

Does one brand of camera make you a better photographer? Does one brand of car make you a better driver? Does one brand of shoe make you a better runner? Can the average person tell the difference between a $10,000 stereo and $500 stereo? Do certain clothes make you more popular? Does one MP3 player make the music sound better? Answer is no to all of these questions

Who the hell cares why someone chooses a Mac or a PC?

If we want to spend a little more on our computer, that is our decision. It does not affect you in any way. Just like people who buy more expensive cars, sunglasses, shoes, clothing, tools, coffee, furniture

Some buy these things for looks while others buy them for function and others buy them to make them appear better or feel good about themselves. Whatever the reason, who cares!!!!!!!!!
 

Baz

New Member
Renfro i agree with your opinion.:thumb:

But, if someone who worked for me as a designer and brought his own outdated computer to work on because he is so closed minded and refuses to use the "other" brand that we have then i would tell him to hit the road and go look for another job ... and good luck with that.
 

WildWestDesigns

Active Member
Thats what got me. All this trouble because one guy didn't want to work with the machines that were at the business? I'm sorry, but if I did that with the various bosses that I have had over the years, I wouldn't have lasted long.

You might have different shortcut keys, but Adobe's programs ran the same in both platforms and it doesn't matter if the ai, eps, pdf file was created on one platform and you are running the other. I get a lot of vector files created on macs that I have to digitize for embroidery and all my embroidery software is PC only, they don't have a MAC version. No issues with either PC created vectors or MAC ones.

I also have to say that the school that I went to, their graphic artists learned on both platforms. Considering both are out there and you might have to deal with shops that are one or the other or sometimes both, it would be best for a learning institution to have both available.
 

Bobby H

Arial Sucks.
MikePro said:
Originally Posted by Bobby H
"i'm awesome, you're an idiot"

Mike, you seriously need to cut out that nonsense right there. If you're going to post quotes do it accurately or DO NOT do it all.

I have kept my tone civil and stuck to the facts. You're trolling for flames and begging for this thread to be locked.

2972renfro said:
Who the hell cares why someone chooses a Mac or a PC?

When someone is choosing to buy a computer for his own personal use he can choose whatever he likes and/or whatever fits in with all the software and files he already has.

When the computer is being purchased by an employer and being integrated into an existing network of computers the situation becomes even more complicated when that new machine isn't running the same operating system.

In my workplace we have half a dozen systems devoted to design and production work. They're not all running the same applications or the same version of a certain application. Missing fonts or forgetting to save down to an earlier version or so can have you running back and forth between machines. Throw in a machine running a different operating system and the problems can get compounded.

Adobe software has gained a lot of popularity with sign companies over the last decade. This is largely due to the use of large format digital printed graphics and the importance of Photoshop to the process. I commend Adobe for striving to make its Creative Suite software as "platform agnostic" as possible. If you're using the same OpenType fonts and color settings sending files between Mac and PC is very seamless.

The problem with mixing Macs and PCs together in the same studio is most sign companies run more than just Adobe software.

We have a huge stash of CorelDRAW files that date back nearly 20 years. Sign companies have varied between using Gerber's software, SignLab, CASmate, Flexi and others, but the overwhelming majority of sign companies have been PC-based shops. Virtually all of those PC-based shops have run CorelDRAW as well as built up large libraries of .CDR-based customer art files. A Mac isn't going to play with those files nicely. AFAIK, version 11 was the only version of CorelDRAW made available to OSX. Even if you're able to get a copy of it and make it successfully work on a current Mac system you'll still deal with headaches involving missing/incompatible Postscript Type 1 fonts and files saved in later versions of CorelDRAW.

We have used Flexi for the past decade. It can open CASmate .SCV files created back in the 1990s. Anyone remember the MS-DOS version of CASmate? It's rare to need something out of a design made over 10 years ago, but very handy when the need presents itself. For a long time Flexi has been made for both Mac and PC, but the latest version (10) is apparently Windows only. Our EnRoute software only works on Windows.

While it can be handy to natively dual boot both Windows and OSX in the same machine, having to run Windows in a Mac in order to run certain applications kind of takes away the purported advantages of having a Mac in the first place. If you're having to run PC software why bother spending a lot more on the hardware?
 

HulkSmash

New Member
I don't know why all you computer nerds get all worked up over PC and MAC debates...

He want's a mac, give him a damn mac.

Chris no matter where you go, macs are going to be the exact same price. Apple doesn't discount for ANYONE. apple store, or best buy... same prices. The 27" is sexy, the screen is really glossy... so see if you can get a non glare screen.
 
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