New Computer

elgato

I just dont know
Can some kind individuals please advise me on computers? Mine is looking to go kaputt after many years of service, and so I'm thinking its time to bite the bullet.

The main thing I do with it other than the usual word process / internet / email / download is music production, and ideally I would like something which will deal well with running a number of programmes simultaneously (for those who know ideally i want to rewire reason through cubase and use multiple vst's) without causing it to struggle

So

Key considerations...

Mac vs PC - mac's are preferable, but seem MUCH more expensive, as in twice as much? Is it really worth it?

Laptop vs Desktop - laptops are handy, I've had one previously, but again I'm wondering whether its worth the extra cash involved? Are they as much more dear as they seem?

General pointers to good brands / components / sites would be of great assistance.

The main thing I guess is that I'm totally out of the loop with regard to what a good standard of processor / RAM etc is

Thanks for any help
 

mixed_biscuits

_________________________
Mac vs PC - mac's are preferable, but seem MUCH more expensive, as in twice as much? Is it really worth it?

As far as I know, repairing Macs is a major headache. Last time a mac died on me, the IT dept thought it cheaper and easier to buy a new one than send if off to be fixed. This might be another consideration.

Laptops are also harder to fix than a desktop pc.
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
I'm far from being an expert on this, but I get the impression that the difficulty in fixing macs is part of an overall design philosophy that they aren't really meant to be taken apart once assembled, and that they're correspondingly tricky to upgrade, whereas this is fairly easy with most PCs, should you so wish.
 

mixed_biscuits

_________________________
I'm far from being an expert on this, but I get the impression that the difficulty in fixing macs is part of an overall design philosophy that they aren't really meant to be taken apart once assembled, and that they're correspondingly tricky to upgrade, whereas this is fairly easy with most PCs, should you so wish.

Yeah, that's quite right.
 

bnek

Well-known member
id get a used powerbook. personally ive had nothing but good experiences w/ macs. had an ibook for 2 years or so w/ no probs and currently using a powerbook for the last 18 months or so and its great - both were used before i got them. cant speak much on specs, but if you have a wireless connection at home its a much better experience than using a desktop. right now im reclined, feet up, half-watching tv - fuck sitting at a desk, too much like work. i have a decent pc in the bedroom for production but im planning to sell that and some other gear, get a more powerfull laptop and move it all into the loungeroom so i can relax - i get fatigued and loose interest really easily sitting upright at the desk, might just be me thouhg,,,
 

adruu

This Is It
The only way to answer this question, and this goes for anyone everywhere ---
"How much are you willing to spend?"
 

IKoss

Wild Horses
Mac vs PC - seem MUCH more expensive, as in twice as much?
actually this is quite the contrary, in fact.

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APP...mgxvmjx2mhtjta1oaw5jyh/3.0.0.28.9.5.7.1.1.1.1

dunno what type of price range you are looking? but if you wanna notebook, for example. these are industry standard units. for the price of any comparable dell/windows, shit-box. and the refurb gets the full warranty. with additional discounts from full-retail... the only way to go, imo. unless you are a rich man, in which case you just go ahead and get the new one for shits..

Is it really worth it?
shocked, i am that 17 mac-heads have not yet chimed in on this thread. i mean this is Dissensus after all..
where are my true mavens, lol??
 

reeltoreel

Well-known member
I've got two Macs - an ancient G4 and a Macbook Pro.
They're both really, really good, largely because of the way they shape my experience as a computer user. When they crash, it seems like you can usually find a reason and solve or mitigate it. I like the way they look and the solid industrial design that feels like it's been made for human hamds rather than some CAD phantom. There aren't so many asinine pop-ups or error messages. It just seems to be less infuriating all round to use Macs.

Negatives? They are difficult to fool around with or upgrade yourself in terms of hardware, but if you don't min dgiving up tinkering with your computer and you get a Mac with enough RAM, this shouldn't be too much of an issue. They are expensive to repair, no two ways about it - something to factor in, although they don't seem to break that often. Finding software to do what you want can be a hassle, but it's not nearly as hard as it was even six years ago.

I like 'em.
 

wonk_vitesse

radio eros
having been an unpaid tech-support bod for my father over the last 10yrs on his PC I honestly believe for the average user a mac is better. There's so much less to worry about :p

Having a corporate locked down PC is one thing, having an XP machine and protecting it just seems a nightmare.
 

elgato

I just dont know
many thanks for all the advice :)

i think realistically i cant afford more than £700 or so, being pretty poor at the moment, so im considering going for one of the Mac Minis and maxing out the RAM... what do people know of these? they seem good, and i cant think why i might need more connectivity... can anyone else? in terms of music production...
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
Hahaha, I'm going to tell some starvingkidsinAfrica than 'poor' in Britain means 'can't spend more than £700 on a new computer'. :cool:
 

bassnation

the abyss
many thanks for all the advice :)

i think realistically i cant afford more than £700 or so, being pretty poor at the moment, so im considering going for one of the Mac Minis and maxing out the RAM... what do people know of these? they seem good, and i cant think why i might need more connectivity... can anyone else? in terms of music production...

i prefer macs, but if your limited on cash you will definitely get more bang for your buck with a plain old pc. go to somewhere where you can specify exactly what components you want and they'll build it from scratch. you shouldn't do too badly at all for 700 quid.

oh and btw, ms lock down xp by default these days (e.g. firewall is enabled from the start). get a decent antivirus and you'll have very few problems. i didn't, when i was running a pc before i got my imac.
 
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Ness Rowlah

Norwegian Wood
do NOT buy a mac laptop now. A refresh is due in the next couple of weeks plus you will get the latest and greatest (Leopard) OS without having to pay extra. If you do not need need hi-end graphichs and a large screen then the MacBook Pro is a waste of money. The specs are actually pretty much the same as the normal MacBooks.

This is quite useful for deciding when to buy -
http://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#Portable_Macs
Have been using PCs since the mid-80s, but will now switch to a normal MacBook

(The £199 Asus miniBook looks quite an interesting prospect as well if you just
need something basic -
http://www.rm.com/FE/Products/Product.asp?cref=PD1024415 .
Edit: guess it's not possible to do any kind of music on this device, but as a cheap and
cheerful wordproccessing/websurfing device it would probably do)
 
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N

nomadologist

Guest
macbook pro laptop with the top ram option. all the way baby.

my dad (who is a network engineer nowadays) made so much fun of me when i got an ibook, until he saw how actually linux-y the OS was. i guess i have panther or something.

the new dell laptops have some pretty slick design elements...
 

elgato

I just dont know
so i hear that mac laptops have shit lifespan... all my friends tell me they have to re-purchase every 2 years or so? does anyone's experience run contrary to this?

does anyone know if these issues run over onto this mac mini? definitely thinking quite seriously about that one now, seems to be pretty sick value for money, and Logic is becoming very appealing
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
so i hear that mac laptops have shit lifespan... all my friends tell me they have to re-purchase every 2 years or so? does anyone's experience run contrary to this?

does anyone know if these issues run over onto this mac mini? definitely thinking quite seriously about that one now, seems to be pretty sick value for money, and Logic is becoming very appealing

They have a pretty limited lifespan when they get nicked by baggage handlers in an American airport, like what happened to a friend's the other day. :(
 
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